Tag: pinkerton

Geekly Tunes: September 2026

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

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 in the comments, because we’re all part of the Geekly Gang. I’ll get this post kicked off with what I’ve been listening to over the past month.

Kyra’s Tunes

I mentioned Weezer some time last year. I still claim their first two albums are all-time greats, but the rest of the band’s catalogue pales in comparison. Bassist Matt Sharpe (pictured second from the right above) was Weezer’s secret weapon. His falsetto and dynamic harmonies with main songwriter Rivers Cuomo was chef’s kiss. But I may need to delve deeper into Weezer. I listened more to the band’s self-titled debut, dubbed The Blue Album (also pictured above). Most of the tracks are great fusions of alternative rock, beach music, and blues with a whisper of Hip-Hop. “Holiday” makes me think of the Beach Boys writing a song in a 90s alternative style. So good. Typically, I skip “No One Else.” This track is a sign of things to come for Weezer. But most of the tracks on Weezer’s debut are one’s I’ll gladly listen.

Weezer Pinkerton Album Cover

Pinkerton is the height of Weezer’s musical creativity. The band stretches their creative muscles in this album. But Pinkerton may also be Incel Rock. Yeah. I’ve been listening to instrumental versions of Pinkerton, because the lyrics are cringe. They’re beyond cringe. Half the album is River Cuomo crooning how he can’t find a lady. The other half is Cuomo blaming every woman for his predicament. The lone standout is “The Good Life.” I have listened to “The Good Life” with vocals. This one track–in the middle of Pinkerton–is the one moment where Cuomo’s lyrics assume personal responsibility. Don’t believe me that Pinkerton is Incel Rock? “El Scorchio” begins with the lyrics “Goddamn you half-Japanese girls. You do it to me every time.” And Cuomo proceeds to sing about how he reads the girl’s diary. Um. Okay. “Pink Triangle” has the lines “I’m dumb she’s a lesbian” and “Everyone’s a little queer. Why can’t she be a little straight?” Yikes!

I dabbled with the rest of Weezer’s catalogue this past month. I do enjoy the band’s overall sound, but The Green Album (the band’s third studio release) proved indicative of the band’s future output. Release two to four songs that differ from the rest on the album. These are your singles. The rest sound exactly the same. I returned to Weezer because they released a new album last month, The Gold Album. This is the first self-titled album the band has released without picturing the band against a flat color background. Unfortunately, “C.E.O.,” the lead single, shows the album’s conceit.

Cranking out another 90’s jam.
Wish I could do something new,
But nobody wants to hear that
They just want the classics
You can’t blame em really
There’s something special about your early shit

“C.E.O.” is a reheated “Undone (The Sweater Song).” Ouch! I enjoyed The Gold Album more than much of Weezer’s recent output, but the album retreads old ground. I wish I could hear something new and exciting from Weezer.

Have I mentioned I’m from the South? Yes? Well, every once and while I get on a Southern Rock kick, and The Black Crowes dominated this past month’s playlist. I liked “She Talks to Angels” when it first released (in 1990), but I was too young to realize The Black Crowes were singing about drug withdrawals and getting sober.

She paints her eyes as black as night now,
she pulls those shades down tight
Oh yeah; gives a smile when the pain comes,
the pain gonna’ make everything alright (alright, yeah yeah)!

“Gives a smile when the pain comes; the pain gonna’ make everything alright.” Ah! After watching a family member detox, “She Talks to Angels” hits on another level. The Black Crowes were one of the 90’s most volatile bands, but I loved them just the same. They had that spark. Perhaps their volatility gave them their spark. From “Hard to Handle” to “Jealous Again” and “Remedy,” The Black Crowes bring me joy. I don’t listen to this local band often (I grew up near where The Black Crowes formed), but I enjoy the ride whenever I do.

We just hit the “Ber” season, the months that end in BER, so I’ve been writing…a ton. That means I’m hitting up Homework Radio (on YouTube). Homework Radio has plenty of great lofi and Chillhop songs that help me reach a flow state. “the forest guard keeps watch” may be my favorite of the channel’s recent offerings, but I’m certain you’ll find a playlist that will help you reach that flow state, too. I love how this channel doesn’t use AI and how they future various musical artists. Seriously, peruse their offerings, and I’m sure you’ll find something you’ll like.

Those are all the tunes I’ve been listening to over the past month. Let’s check in with Season and Skye.

Season’s Tune

Hey, Geekly Gang! It’s been a hot minute since I’ve contributed to this series. This past month has been a bit rough. However, I’ve got more nostalgia tunes to share. I’m back with more early 2000’s pop-punk.

The first song on blink-182’s self-titled album, “Feeling This,” is a song I heard twenty years ago, but I never knew what the song was titled. Yes. I spent two decades trying to find this song, but I struggled to remember the lyrics. I heard a snippet of it in an Instagram reel a few weeks ago and got the title that way. I was like, “Of course it’s a blink-182 song.” I facepalmed. I’ve been listening to “Feeling This” way too much lately to compensate for lost time. Eh-heh.

Yeah, I’ve been feelin’ the classics lately. That and I left Goodbye Yellow-Brick Road on my turntable for over a month while I was recovering. I regret nothing. And why should I? Sometimes I may not be craving the sound of a particular album, but after I hit play, I’m completely hooked. Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow-Brick Road is one of those albums for me. The combo of John’s infectious piano melodies and upbeat/playful vocals make this album difficult to get out of my head. Even now I can’t seem to stop thinking about “Bennie and the Jets.” You’re welcome, it’s in your head now too (B-B-B-Bennie and the Jetsssssss). Maybe this is your sign to listen to Goodbye Yellow-Brick Road again. I promise you won’t regret it.

Those are the tunes our writers have been listening to this past month. What’ve you been listening to, Geekly Gang? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Geekly Tunes April 2026

Geekly Tunes: April 2026

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Wednesday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. Today, our writers share what they’ve been listening to over the past month. Feel free to share what you’ve been listening to as well, because we’re all part of the Geekly Gang. I’ll kick off this post with what I’ve been listening to over the past month. It’s time for Geekly Tunes!

Kyra’s Tunes

Recently, my spouse stated that Bruno Mars seldom releases a bad track. I think she’s on to something. While I may not love every track Bruno Mars releases, most of them are catchy. “Risk It All” is another in a long line of good–maybe not the best–Bruno Mars tunes. I do like the inclusion of horns. And “I Just Might,” from Bruno Mars’s fourth solo studio album The Romantic, is a bop. Sure, I already shared that I’ve been listening to Junior Senior’s “Move Your Feet” and that song inspires “I Just Might,” but Mars has a way of making something retro cool. I change the station a lot with modern radio. I don’t tend to change the station when Bruno Mars plays.

I’ll be going a little faster with my write-ups for this month’s tunes. I have a lot of artists to get through. While one could call me a Bruno Mars fan, I wouldn’t fit the mold of an Olivia Dean fan. “The Man I Need” is the kind of safe British Soul song that has stayed in rotation for decades. Only, Dean’s “The Man I Need” sounds artificial. Maybe I’m spoiled by Adele’s voice. She has dominated British Soul for over a decade and a half; Adele’s a tough act to follow. Computerized background musack doesn’t help. Why does “The Man I Need’s” background music sound like AI Slop? Anyway, I do like Dean’s follow-up, “So Easy (To Fall In Love).” The background music is more interesting. That helps. Dean still gives a staid vocal performance, so the Bossa Nova beat delivers a lot of the track’s personality. When did the Bossa Nova become popular again? This isn’t the only new song to use the Bossa Nova.

Speaking of British Soul, I’ve been listening to Leona Lewis’ “Bleeding Love” a lot, mostly on the radio, but still. “Bleeding Love” proves British Soul’s endurance. This one came out almost two decades ago. Yikes! Lewis’s voice has more texture than Dean’s. And don’t even get me started on Des’ree’s “You Gotta Be” (1994). Ugh! I’m old, but British Soul can have personality. I hope Dean starts testing her range. She has talent.

Season and Skye have both mentioned K-Pop Demon Hunters. I won’t go into too much detail here. Fun fact: I have yet to watch K-Pop Demon Hunters all the way through. It plays constantly in my house, so I’ve seen the movie through all the clips I’ve caught in passing. In short, K-Pop Demon Hunters has catchy music. “Golden” may be my least favorite track. I’m a huge soda drinker, so I give the edge to “Soda Pop.” I may even pull out some “Soda Pop” dance moves.

I’ll spend more time on the Barenaked Ladies. I’ve listened to Maroon, pictured above, several times this past month. It may be my favorite Barenaked Ladies’ album. Sure, “Pinch Me,” “Too Little Too Late,” and “Falling for the First Time” are phenomenal, but I like a lot of the Maroon deep cuts. “Conventioneers,” “Sell, Sell, Sell,” “The Humour of the Situation,” and “Baby Seat” are fantastic tracks in the middle of the album. The next two aren’t quite my style, but Maroon finishes strong with “Tonight Is the Night I Fell Asleep at the Wheel.” I’ll listen to that one on repeat. It almost gives me a Jake Skellington origin story vibe. And the way the line “You’re the Last Thing On My Mind” changes from the track’s beginning and end is fabulous.

I’ve also been listening to the Barenaked Ladies’ Greatest Hits (technically, it’s titled Disc One: All Their Greatest Hits {1991-2001}). Again, the big hits are fantastic. Who doesn’t like “One Week” or “If I Had A Million Dollars?” But I like a lot of the lesser-known tracks on this album, too. “Get In Line” has some genuinely laugh-out-loud moments. “It’s Only Me (The Wizard of Magicland)” may be my favorite. This lost track found a home in the Barenaked Ladies’ Greatest Hits, and thank goodness. If you’re in need of self-love, throw on “It’s Only Me (The Wizard of Magicland).” It puts the “Me” in monogamy. And while you check out this collection, give “Brian Wilson” a listen. The Beach Boys legend said he loved this tribute song. Brian Wilson even sang “Brian Wilson” in concerts. The Barenaked Ladies must’ve done something right.

While we’re on the topic of bands that don’t take themselves too seriously, I’ve been listening to a lot of They Might Be Giants. “Birdhouse In Your Soul” lives rent-free in my head. The lyrics may make little sense, but they may also hold the world’s wisdom. “Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch, who watches over you? Make a little birdhouse in your soul. Not to put too fine a point on it. Say, ‘I’m the only bee in your bonnet.’ Make a little birdhouse in your soul.” And now, I’m singing “Birdhouse In Your Soul” again. At least I’m not doing They Might Be Giants’ bizarre jumping dance. Wait. Don’t look through my window.

The first two Weezer albums are all-time greats. In fact, Weezer is actually two bands. The band with Matt Sharp on bass, and the band after Pinkterton (Weezer’s second album), following Sharp’s exit from the band. Sharp served as the perfect counterbalance to Rivers Cuomo. Cuomo was the tortured artist who mined his personal life for gripping music. Sharp added levity and injected Weezer with its early pop sensibilities. Heck! Matt Sharp was the one who sang harmony on most of Weezer’s greatest tracks: “Say It Ain’t So,” “Buddy Holly,” “Undone (The Sweater Song),” and even “El Scorchio.”

Pinkerton marked Cuomo vanishing from the public eye. He didn’t care to be a rock star, and the second album reflects that. Sharp found less space for his pop stylings or even the occasional harmonizing voice. But he found a way with “El Scorchio.” Sharp’s bass fights against the rest of the song. I can hear the bass wants to add a dance to this otherwise melancholy track. As far as the Blue Album (Weezer’s first release) is concerned, I love the hits, but there are some other great deep cuts. “Surf Wax America” gives 90s alternative music a surfer makeover. Cuomo spills his soul with “The World Has Turned and Left Me Here”; this is a perfect example of Sharp smoothing out some of Cuomo’s darker edges. And “Holiday” is just good fun.

Kyra’s Podcast

I don’t know if this counts as a podcast. The Board Game Design Course (by Joe Slack) functions more like a webinar. But the visuals are mostly PowerPoint slides, so usually, I listen to The Board Game Design Course while I work. I feel like I’ve learned a lot from this course. Specifically, I’ve been taking the “Creation to Publication Program.” Let’s just say that I’m armed with the means to submit my board games to various board game companies. Tee hee!

Well, it looks like I’m on my own again this week. Hopefully, we’ll hear from Season and Skye next week for our personal updates. They should have a lot to share. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.