Happy Wednesday, Geekly Gang! Today, our writers share what they’ve been listening to over the past month. Feel free to share what you’ve been listening to this past month in the comments. We’re all part of the Geekly Gang. I’ll get us started.
Kyra’s Tunes
In terms of music, this past month was an odd one for me. Nuke-Con (Omaha’s board game convention) is right around the corner–I hope to see some of you there next week–and Nuke-Con reminded me of a battle cry one of my friends said during one of last year’s games: Holy Fish Heads! I had to listen to Dr. Demento. There was no choice. But I didn’t listen to any Weird Al Yankovic tunes. No offense, Weird Al. “Fish Heads” by Barnes & Barnes made the rotation, as did The Firm’s “Star Trekkin,” and Ogden Edsl’s “Dead Puppies.” Fun fact: Ogden Edsl was from Omaha. Pour one out for my cornies.
Sometimes you need a good laugh. “Fish Heads” regales us with all the things severed fish heads can’t do: play baseball, play drums, or wear sweaters. “Star Trekkin”–obviously a Star Trek spoof–is the first novelty song to ever reach number one on the UK charts. “There’s Klingons on the starboard bow, starboard bow, starboard bow. There’s Klingons on the starboard bow, starboard bow, Jim.” And “Dead Puppies” laments how deceased pets aren’t much fun. I love how “Dead Puppies” ends with a mock religious tone. Cue the cathedral organ. None of these songs–or musical acts–take themselves too seriously. I needed that. The world is serious enough, bring on the levity.
Brian David Gilbert (BDG) may be one of the few modern acts who remind me of classic Dr. Demento. Not enough songs feature the recorder. Throw in some absurd existential dread, and “there is a rock in my house” has you covered. BDG contradicts himself in “Husky Voice.” You should also check out “i wish that i could wear hats,” but clearly BDG can wear hats. And I love teasing my spouse with “Don’t Tell Your WIFE About This Game!,” which serves as a warning about neglect. There’s a reason “Don’t Tell Your WIFE About This Game!” (pictured above) is Brian David Gilbert’s most popular song. Despite being a comedy song, the lyrics are brilliant.
Considered a one-hit wonder, Dishwalla’s debut album, Pet Your Friends, had plenty of other great tracks besides that one hit. Oddly enough, a handful of these tracks could also be considered novelty songs, and they happen to be two of my favorites: “Miss Emma Peel” and “Charlie Brown’s Parents.” When I first listened to Pet Your Friends (in the Nineties), I was rewatching Avengers episodes–not the Marvel kind of Avengers–so “Miss Emma Peel” chose the right subject matter. It doesn’t hurt that J. R. Richards has a hypnotic voice. Like “Don’t Tell Your WIFE About This Game,” “Charlie Brown’s Parents” may have some of the most clever novelty–or novelty-adjacent–song lyrics. “Charlie Brown’s Parents” adheres to lines and imagery from Peanuts and manages to say something greater than the sum of its parts.
“Counting Blue Cars” is Dishwalla’s one big hit, and it’s still a bop decades later. But “Haze” allows Richards to explore his vocal range, and “Give” features Dishwalla’s best groove. Post Pet Your Friends, Dishwalla had a few modest hits like (2002) Opaline’s “Somewhere in the Middle,” but Pet Your Friends remains the band’s best collection of tracks.
That’s all I have for music this month. Let’s check in with Skye.
Skye’s Tunes
Hooked on Classics is a love letter to well-known classical music compositions with a twist. Louis Clark and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra give a modern take on timeless classical pieces by increasing the tempo, jazzing up the beat, and modernizing the music. To some, I can understand how a modern rendition of Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, and other renowned classical composers’ works could be considered blasphemy. With me, I say, “Let’s just have fun.” I’ve never been a purist, and I don’t plan on starting now.
I’ve had Pink Moon in my vinyl collection for a while and have listened to it many times. However, it wasn’t until last month I truly started appreciating it. There are albums in my collection that give me a sense of calm and comfort, but none of them are quite like Pink Moon by Nick Drake. Pink Moon feels like hanging out with close friends while camping or watching a sunset with a lovable extended-family member. If I close my eyes, I can almost drift into another dimension while listening to Nick Drake’s Pink Moon, and that’s my favorite part.
Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here again. That’s all our writers have for Geekly Tunes this month. Let us know what you’ve been listening to in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
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