Tag: punk

Geekly Tunes: July 2026

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Wednesday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here, and today, our writers share what they’ve been listening to over the past month. Feel free to share what you’ve been listening to over the past month, because we’re all part of the Geekly Gang. I’ll get things started with what I’ve been listening to over the past month with today’s Geekly Tunes.

Kyra’s Tunes

I was on a little bit of a punk kick this past month. Social Distortion made the rotation quite a bit. “Ball and Chain” introduced me to this band. While it’s a song about alcoholism, “Ball and Chain” can be used for anything holding a person back, your personal demons, if you will. “Ball and Chain” is up front about its relation to alcoholism. These are its opening lyrics.

Well it’s been ten years and a thousand tears
And look at the mess I’m in
A broken nose and a broken heart,
An empty bottle of gin

But “Ball and Chain’s” chorus gives the song a universal theme.

Take away, take away
Take away this ball and chain
Well I’m lonely and I’m tired
And I can’t take any more pain
Take away, take away
Never to return again
Take away, take away
Take away
Take away this ball and chain

“Ball and Chain” is direct. Its lyrics are stripped down. That makes it a perfect punk diddy. The catchy chorus turns the track into a sing-along. It doesn’t matter what I struggle with (usually self-doubt and self-loathing), belting out “Ball and Chain’s” chorus breaks me out of a bad mood. Usually.

While I typically begin with Social Distortion’s “Ball and Chain” and rarely go beyond that, I dipped my toe into Social Distortion’s catalogue. “Story of My Life” and a superb cover of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” (and “Ball and Chain”) made for a great trio on Social Distortion’s self-titled album. I even like Social Distortion’s “Another State of Mind” from their debut album, almost a decade prior. Social Distortion balances punk attitude and harmony. They remind me somewhat of Bad Religion, who I discussed at length in a previous Geekly Tunes. So, I guess I have a type.

And while Cash’s “Ring of Fire” may sound like an odd choice for a punk band, Social Distortion also has rockabilly tendencies. “Ring of Fire” is a great choice for a Social Distortion cover. Ramones-style Punk + Rockabilly. What’s not to love?

“Bad Luck” is Social Distortion’s greatest hit. Well, it’s the song that reached the highest on the charts. Of course, it’s a banger. “Bad Luck” is another song with great sing-along lyrics. They may not be the most artistic of lyrics, but you’ve gotta love belting out “You got bad, bad luck. Bad, bad luck” in the shower.

Not gonna lie, after I wrote this entry, I put on more Social Distortion. Typically, I don’t care for a tear in a beer music. Social Distortion finds a way to make it fun.

Honestly, I didn’t get into Faith No More back in the 80s and early 90s. Sure, I knew “Epic,” and that song did get plenty of airplay for me this past month, but Faith No More is more than just one song. I may have listened to “Falling to Pieces” more than “Epic.” Gasp! Faith No More is the original rap-rock band. Its most famous frontperson, Mike Patton (pictured above holding a camcorder), is an amazing vocalist. Patton can sing anything. Literally, anything. Freddie Mercury was rumored to be able to sing in four octaves. Patton is believed to be able to sing in six. Patton has been known to croon, sing in falsetto, death growls, rap, chant, mouth music, beatbox, and scat. Patton was asked what kind of music he would like to sing. He answered yes.

I’ve actually seen Patton perform live on stage with Mr. Bungle. Silly me. I didn’t know Patton was also the Mr. Bungle’s frontman. As the act before Incubus and System of the Down, Patton sang a lovely rendition of “What the World Needs Now Is Love.” Most people in the auditorium booed, while I danced in the green scrubs I kept after my oldest daughter was born. The fans booed Patton and Mr. Bungle off the stage. I wanted an encore. Seriously, the dude can sing. I have first-hand knowledge. I wouldn’t have minded a full performance of music like that from Patton.

Fortunately, Patton did release an album in that tone. Mr. Bungle’s most experimental album was Disco Volante. My favorite review of Disco Volante is AllMusic’s “It’s the music equivalent of a David Lynch movie.” Patton had fallen in love with classical Italian music from the 50s and challenged his vocal range by singing primarily in the soprano range. Ah! It’s weird. It’s beautiful. You should give it a listen.

Getting back to Faith No More, my favorite track may have to be Angel Dust’s lead single, “Midlife Crisis.” This sucker goes from Patton singing in a death growl and him climbing up to a high tenor. I didn’t know Patton had that in him. You should give a listen to Faith No More’s live performance of “Midlife Crisis” on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Show. Faith No More were metal trailblazers. Patton may be the most talented person in most rooms, but typically, he prefers to be the goofiest or silliest.

I may have to give another listen to Faith No More and Mr. Bungle’s back catalogue of tracks. I’m certain their albums will yield plenty of deep cuts. If I had to choose an album for Faith No More, Angel Dust is the one you should give a listen. While I like We Care a Lot (shout out to the original line-up), and The Right Thing is iconic (with “Epic” and “Falling to Pieces”), Angel Dust shows Patton and Faith No More push their limits. This band showed the future of metal.

Fun fact: one of the singers before Mike Patton took the mantle was Courtney Love. Yeah, that Courtney Love. She only lasted about six months right before the release of We Care a Lot. The reason for Love’s departure was she caused animosity in the band. That doesn’t sound like Courtney Love at all. Wink.

That’s all I have for the tunes I’ve been listening to this past month. Let’s see what Season and Skye have been listening to this month.

Season’s Tunes

Do you remember the notgame Loneliness, Geekly Gang? It was a flash game where the player was a cube moving up the screen. As the player progresses through the game, the other cubes it encounters run away from them and disappear. It was created to showcase the lonely teen epidemic in South Korea.

Anyway, the track that plays in Loneliness is called “Blue Paint.” The track isn’t listed in the game, but it was written by Kevin MacLeod and is solely a piano track. I thought the track was beautiful, and I listened to the album it’s on, Atlantean Twilight. Atlantean Twilight is fully instrumental and very calming to listen to. I was reading when I listened to it and it helped me focus. Kevin MacLeod has multiple albums like this. They’re worth checking out if you need something calming to listen to while you work or unwind.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here again. Those are the tunes our writers have been listening to over the past month. What’ve you been listening to? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Geekly Tunes: August 2025

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Wednesday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. This week’s Whatcha post is Geekly Tunes. Our writers will be sharing what they’ve been listening to over the past month. Feel free to share the music you’ve been listening to as well, because we’re all part of the Geekly Gang. I’ll get us started.

Kyra’s Tunes

Last month, I listened to the latest Wet Leg album, Moisturizer. I’m still listening to that album on occasion. But I mentioned in the write-up for Moisturizer that PJ Harvey was one of their influences, which led me to To Bring You My Love. I owned a cassette of PJ Harvey’s To Bring You My Love and listened to it on repeat in my first car, a jade Dodge Neon. At the time when I purchased To Bring You My Love, I didn’t know what to expect from PJ Harvey. Folks described her as grunge. The label didn’t fit. Harvey’s music occupies a space between punk, rock, blues, and folk. One can’t pin it down to one genre. And To Bring You My Love is one of her best albums. It earned countless perfect ratings from multiple music critics and continues to inspire.

I first caught Chappell Roan’s “The Subway” during a live performance stream. No offense to any of Roan’s other tracks, but “The Subway” was excellent. It was easily her best song in the set. There was no way Roan’s best song wasn’t on her album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. Yeah. “The Subway” was kept off Roan’s album because she wanted it to be a live performance-only song. I get it. “The Subway” brings down the rafters when Roan performs it live. Pirating led to “The Subway” being released as a single this past month. I got to rediscover this song all over again, and I love it.

We go from a couple of acts that hit the big time (Chappell is the current Queen of Pop) to another that didn’t quite make it, Jellyfish. This Nineties band is one of the internet’s favorite what-ifs. Jellyfish would’ve fared much better in a decade that wasn’t dominated by torn jeans, flannel shirts, and grunge. During that decade, no one wanted a fusion of Beach Boy harmonies over thought-provoking–and sometimes esoteric and bizarre–lyrics. Jellyfish doesn’t shy away from eclectic instruments in the service of finding the perfect blend of Wonderland-Core. While “New Mistake” was the closest this power pop four-piece got to a hit, I really like “Ghost at Number One” and “The King is Half Undressed.” The latter is a great example of lead singer Andy Sturmer at his Mad Hatter best.

I omitted some other bands I’ve been listening to lately, but I may save them for another month. It’s time to hear what Season and Skye have been listening to this past month.

Season’s Tunes

I’m back with another soundtrack. I can’t seem to get away from them. This month’s soundtrack is from Singin’ in the Rain. I’ve only watched the movie once, but it was so memorable that I can picture every dance number while listening, especially “Make ‘Em Laugh.” Even though he was bedridden after the shoot, Donald O’Connor nailed that performance. Respect.

Continuing with ’50s nostalgia, I discovered Elliot James Reay last week. The song I listened to, “Boy In Love,” blends 1950s rock ‘n’ roll with blues set in today’s world. Reay said in an interview that he wrote this song with his girlfriend, and some of the lyrics are things she’s said to him. It’s sweet, and Reay does a great job of blending nostalgia with a modern setting. Seriously. The music video had a handful of people on their smartphones in the background.

Skye’s Tunes

I put my vinyl collection on shuffle this past month. I like The Who, but I don’t listen to their music often. After popping The Story of The Who back on my turntable, I felt guilty. I forgot how good The Who was. Even as I write this, several tracks are cycling through my head, including “Substitute,” “Boris the Spider,” “Magic Bus,” and “Baba O’Reilly.” Well, I knew I bought this album for a reason. Thanks, Past Me!

I couldn’t resist. I know American Idiot is a cliché album for my collection, but…come on. How could I not own American Idiot? Green Day is the kind of music I’m proud to say I grew up with. Before owning American Idiot, I had never heard every track on the album. After listening to American Idiot the way the band intended, I feel like I understand it much better. That and I’m listening to American Idiot as an adult as opposed to an oblivious child, an oblivious child who also didn’t understand swear words.

I have similar feelings about Billie Holiday as I do about Nina Simone. Both are great to listen to when I need something to wind down. As Simone’s predecessor, it’s easy to see the influence Holiday’s work had on artists like Simone. What feels especially comfy about Holiday’s music is the quality and tone. It qualifies more as “lounge music” than Simone’s, and the recording quality for each song on Lady Sings the Blues has a classic feel. That’s part of why I started collecting vinyl: albums like Lady Sings the Blues make me feel cozy.

It’s about time I talked about Queen. Don’t worry, I knew this rock band was coming sooner or later. As another band (and album) I grew up with, I have a strong personal connection with Queen: Greatest Hits. This album introduced me to amazing songs like “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Don’t Stop Me Now,” “Another One Bites the Dust,” “Killer Queen,” “You’re My Best Friend,” and many more. I don’t say this often, but I’m so glad my parents are as cultured as they are. Because of them, I dare say: I was classically trained. I’m sorry.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here again. That’s the music our writers have been listening to over the past month. Feel free to share yours in the comments, Geekly Gang. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Geekly Tunes: Whatcha Listening To for May 2025

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. We’re back with another Geekly Tunes post for May 2025. This is the post where our writers share what music we’ve listened to over the past month. You’re part of the Geekly Gang, too, so feel free to share what music you’ve been listening to over the last month.

Kyra’s Tunes

I’ve been listening to a lot of punk. The Damned has been in my rotation. The Sex Pistols have historically taken the Damned’s shine, and that’s a shame. I like the Pistols, but The Damned came first; they were the first UK punk band to release an album, 1977’s Damned, Damned, Damned. I think they liked saying the word “damned.” The band’s first single, “New Rose,” was a power-pop-punk track. Even though the Buzzcocks would solidify the pop-punk genre a few years later (more on them in a minute), the Damned kicked off the UK’s punk revolution.

“New Rose” and “Neat Neat Neat” are fantastic tracks. Rest in peace, Brian James, who passed away a couple of months ago. James is the original The Damned guitarist and principal song writer for the band’s first two albums. Captain Sensible took over song writing duties with The Damned’s third album, Machine Gun Etiquette. I love both parts of “Smash It Up.” Part 1 is a wistful instrumental that proves the band knew how to play their instruments, while Part 2 captures punk’s essence. “Smash It Up” stalled at number 35 on the UK charts because record executives feared the song promoted anarchy.

But I may like The Damned’s cover of The Beatles’ “Help” best. I may actually prefer the cover to the original. “Help’s” lyrics lend themselves to a pop-punk song, and The Damned plays “Help” at double the speed. Oh yeah!

The Buzzcocks combine simple but catchy guitar riffs with lyrics to match. They’re one of those bands where you can listen to a song and sing along during your first listen. “What Do I Get?,” “Everybody’s Happy Nowadays,” and “Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t Have Fallen In Love With)?” may be their most well-known numbers, but feel free to listen deeper into the Buzzcocks’ catalogue. You’ll hear their influence on pop-punk bands like Green Day, Sum 41, Blink-182, and Emo bands like My Chemical Romance. The Buzzcocks may not get political like other punk bands on my list. But sometimes, you just want a love song and joy.

Bad Religion began as a hardcore punk band in 1980. It still is one today–Bad Religion released Age of Unreason in 2019 and is in the studio for a follow-up album–but something changed with the band’s 1988 album Suffer. Bad Religion added melodic guitar riffs to hardcore punk and pioneered the melodic hardcore subgenre. Lyrics turned introspective and often political. If you want to hear the difference between Bad Religion’s original hardcore sound and after they incorporated melodic guitar riffs, try listening to “We’re Only Gonna Die” (from 1982’s How Could Hell Be Any Worse?) and the title track from 1988’s Suffer.

But I’ll admit my favorite Bad Religion tune, 2001’s “Sorrow,” was released after the band achieved commercial success. Bad Religion wrote about the world’s suffering through the lens of the Biblical figure Job. “Sorrow” was first released shortly after September 11, 2001. Guitarist and songwriter Gurewitz said that it was difficult to account for suffering in the world from a theological perspective (given the state of the world at the time), but “Sorrow” may have been the right song at the right time.

Finally, I’ll give the Dead Kennedys a quick shoutout. Their debut album, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables, is a hardcore punk classic. With tracks like “Kill the Poor,” “California Uber Allies,” and “Holiday in Cambodia,” Dead Kennedys wore their political views on their sleeves. They didn’t care what anyone thought about them, and what’s more punk than that? Also, “Holiday in Cambodia” has one of the top five sickest punk bass lines. It gets stuck in my head.

That’s all I have for this month. Let’s check in with Season and Skye.

Skye’s Tunes

The Killers’ Hot Fuss is a classic from my childhood. Much like Costello Music, Hot Fuss is what got me into The Killers and created several jammin’ good memories. I remember several car trips in the mid-2000s listening to songs like “Mr. Brightside” and “Somebody Told Me.” Naturally, this was another must-have for my vinyl collection. Good times. If you aren’t familiar with it, The Killers’ Hot Fuss is an album I strongly recommend.

The Fleetwoods is a band I had never heard of until 3 years ago. Their Greatest Hits! album was recommended to me by my parents, and I’ve loved it ever since. My favorite thing about their sound is the calming/chill vibes each one carries with it. Whenever I need to take a breather, The Fleetwoods always help me find my center. Even now, “Graduation Song” is stuck in my head and I’m getting flashbacks to my High School days. In a good way, I promise.

Yep, even in a post about music, I still managed to circle around to movies. You’re welcome. My favorite thing about the Edward Scissorhands soundtrack is its haunting yet majestic tone. Elfman himself has even claimed Edward Scissorhands was his favorite score he’d made. I’m inclined to agree with him, considering the complex emotions I get when I listen to it. I often want to cry, but I also feel peaceful, creeped out, and hopeful. It’s an interesting blend that matches the Edward Scissorhands film perfectly.

Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Chronicle has been my go-to album for this month. I always have 1 album I listen to on repeat, and this month it was CCR. As someone with varying tastes, I often go in and out of phases with different genres. The same applies to literature, movies, and video games. Simply put, my vibe for the past month has been Creedence Clearwater Revival. Chronicle includes some classic hits like “Proud Mary,” “Bad Moon Rising,” “Down on the Corner,” and many others. Even now, “Lodi” just crept its way back into my head. No regrets!

Season’s Tunes

Kyra mentioned that The Buzzcocks influenced bands like Sum 41. Funnily enough, Sum 41’s album Underclass Hero is one I’ve listened to a lot lately. It’s easy to listen to, especially when I’m playing games or working. There aren’t many albums I enjoy listening to all the way through without skipping a song or two. I prefer some Underclass Hero songs over others, such as “Walking Disaster” over “The Jester.” I still don’t skip them.

I’ve always been a fan of video game soundtracks and have a myriad of them saved on my Spotify account. Katamari Damacy’s soundtrack is up there with one I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys wacky music with catchy tempos. Two of my favorite songs on this album are “The Na Na Song” and “Moon and Prince.” I’ve only listened to the soundtrack from the original Katamari Damacy, so I’m not familiar with the soundtracks from the sequels.

My final entry for this week is special to me. It’s not this album, but the song “Chakkiri Bushi” 「ちゃっきり節」is a song that’s sung in Japan’s Shizuoka prefecture during tea picking season. Shizuoka produces around forty percent of Japan’s tea, and singing while working makes the job go by quicker. I’m not sure if people still sing this song today while they pick tea, but many of the older locals of Shizuoka know it. My favorite version is sung by Ichimaru-san, who originally recorded the song in 1931.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle again. That’s all we have for Geekly Tunes this month. Let us know what music you’ve been listening to. You’re part of the Geekly Gang, too. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.