The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

As long time readers know, I love the band Muse. I fell in love with their music the first time I heard it 15+ years ago. Since then I've been borderline obsessed with them. While I've given several contemporary rock groups a gander in the years since, no one has come close to catching the excitement I felt when I discovered said British trio. That is until I stumbled upon The Warning, who, coincidentally enough, I heard about on a Muse subreddit 4 years ago - and I can confidently declare, without question, this is the most excited I've been about a group since Muse a decade and a half ago. For those unfamiliar with the band, let me tell you a bit about them. They're three sisters from Mexico, who first gained fame 10 years ago, when they - aged 9 to 14 - went viral for their cover of Metallica's "Enter Sandman" on YouTube. From 2015 through 2022, they released 3 LPs and 2 EPs, with each being better than the last. Their sounds have varied, from '80s-...

  “The Man That You Cheer” (parody based off the Marilyn Manson song, “The Man That You Fear”) He’s a con-man, without semblance of conscience He’s assaulted women, scammed children when given a chance He’ll screw anything, void of any consent Double-down and lie, instead of repent Truth is this - everything he touches turns to shit This rank POS is the man that you cheer   He sees you as numbers No cares about your pain The COVID deaths are mounting Because of what he said   He was given it all, yet constantly grifts Why’s he need to do that if he is rich? A knife’s his best friend – prepared to insert straight ahead This rank POS is the psycho you cheer   Uncover your eyes Pull the plugs from your ears Step outside and breathe in real life Erase all of your fears   Remove the tinfoil hat Then cleanse your washed brain Give reality a try It’s okay to be sane   Don’t be crazy Give reality a try ...

I just heard a Muse song and I love it! Absolutely love it! It's like old-school Muse - what I've been wanting to hear for so long! No complaints! None! I'm in love! Well, okay, I mean, I guess if you want to get technical, there was that time in the song where you hear that one doohickey, followed by the thingamajig, and then there’s that doodad which comes out of nowhere in the background, and goes “Pow!” What's with the doodad? Is that supposed to be there? It kind of takes away from the thingamajig, doesn't it? Also, let's not kid ourselves - when Matt sings "I" in the verse and "was" in the chorus, am I the only one who hears the similarity to “Creep,” when Thom sings, “I wish I was special”? Look, I love Matt and the boys, but if they want to stop being labeled as Radiohead-copycats, they gotta cut this crap out! Just sayin’! Speaking of rip-offs, anyone else hear Dom on the drums, Chris on the bass, and Matt on the guita...

12. X (2002) - 5.5/10: Def Leppard's first album of the century was their poppiest, least memorable album to date. To their credit, most of the songs are catchy, with: "Scar," "Torn to Shreds," and "You're So Beautiful" being the best of the bunch, yet a Def Leppard album void of an arena rock anthem just doesn't seem right. Not a bad effort, but definitely my least favorite of the batch. Top of Their Game: "Scar," "Torn to Shreds," "You're So Beautiful" What Were They Thinking?: "Cry" If the Album Were a Headline: "Pop Pop ('Til You Drop)" 11. Euphoria (1999) - 6.0/10: The rock vets tried to bounce back from their 1996 grunge effort, Slang , with this more classically Leppard-sounding record, but with mixed results. "Paper Sun" and "Promises" may be two of the band's best written songs, yet there are more fillers present than one would like. Fun album overall, ...

100. "C'mon C'mon" (Songs From the Sparkle Lounge) 99. "Battle of My Own" (Def Leppard) 98. "Now" (X) 97. "Action! Not Words" (Pyromania) 96. "Cruise Control" (Songs From the Sparkle Lounge) 95. "When the Walls Came Tumbling Down" (On Through the Night) 94. "Slang" (Slang) 93. "Sorrow Is a Woman" (On Through the Night) 92. "Only the Good Die Young" (Songs From the Sparkle Lounge) 91. "Long Long Way to Go" (X) 90. "Broke 'n' Brokenhearted" (Def Leppard) 89. "Disintegrate" (Euphoria) 88. "Demolition Man" (Euphoria) 87. "Guilty" (Euphoria) 86. "Blood Runs Cold" (Slang) 85. "Love Don't Lie" (X) 84. "Tomorrow" (Songs From the Sparkle Lounge) 83. "Girl Like You" (X) 82. "To Be Alive" (Euphoria) 81. "It Don't Matter" (On Through the Night) 80. "No No No" (High ...

Rock legends Def Leppard released their 12th LP over the past week, aptly titled Diamond Star Halos - in reference to lyrics from the T. Rex classic, "Bang a Gong (Get It On)," one of the band's biggest influences. On the album - the first since their eponymous release in 2015, the rock vets pay homage to T. Rex and their other influences - namely David Bowie and Queen, but with a Lep twist. The end result is the band's best LP since Hysteria 35 years ago.  Before I provide reviews of all 15 tracks on the album, I want to say just one thing: I can't tell you how many times I've read comments from critics and laypersons alike that Def Leppard just isn't the same band they were in the '80s. Well, no shit. This argument drives me nuts. I hear it about every band that's released a handful of records or more. Joe Elliott, Phil Collen, Rick Allen, Rick Savage, and Vivian Campbell are all either approaching 60 or have already eclipsed it. No matter how m...

I've updated my YouTube music page ( https://music.youtube.com/channel/UCOPLDCBGkbzDh0PMUneNQ3A ) . It now includes playlists for 44 different bands, including (with the number of playlists in parentheses): 1. Aerosmith (1) 2. Bauhaus (2) 3. Bush (4) 4. Cage the Elephant (1) 5. Cold (2) 6. Collective Soul (1) 7. Def Leppard (4) 8. Foals (1) 9. Foo Fighters (3) 10. Franz Ferdinand (2) 11. Ghost (2) 12. Godhead (1) 13. Gravity Kills (1) 14. Green Day (3) 15. Guns 'N' Roses (1) 16. Joy Division (1) 17. Live (1) 18. Local H (4) 19. Marilyn Manson (6) 20. Monster Magnet (5) 21. Mother Love Bone (1) 22. Muse (5) 23. Nine Inch Nails (1) 24. Nirvana (1) 25. Nothing But Thieves (2) 26. Orgy (1) 27. Ours (3) 28. Pearl Jam (5) 29. Radiohead (1) 30. Royal Blood (1) 31. Shinedown (1) 32. Silverchair (2) 33. Sixx: A.M. (2) 34. Soundgarden (1) 35. Spacehog (1) 36. Sponge (4) 37. Stabbing Westward (2) 38. The Cure (3) 39. The Mars Volta (3)  40. The Offspring (1) 41. The Revivalists (1) 42...

If you want to listen to some rockin' good music, check out my YouTube Music page, which includes playlist mixes from bands like: Bauhaus, Bush, Cold, Def Leppard, Godhead, Gravity Kills, Joy Division, Local H, Marilyn Manson, Monster Magnet, Mother Love Bone, Muse, Ours, Radiohead, Silverchair, Spacehog, Sponge, and Wolfmother. I hope to add more before too long, from the likes of: The Cure, Foals, Foo Fighters, Franz Ferdinand, Ghost, Live, The Mars Volta, Pearl Jam, Sixx: A.M., Sleep Token, etc. https://music.youtube.com/search?q=craig+rozniecki

It was just announced that Muse will be releasing their 8th studio album, Simulation Theory , on November 9th. The band has sporadically released four the the coming album's tracks to this point, along with sci-fi-esque music videos: "Dig Down," "Thought Contagion," "Something Human," and "The Dark Side." As with every Muse album, I'm excited, but like with every Muse album, it seems all I hear from self-described fans of the band is negativity. If I'm a homer with anything, it's Muse's music. There are some songs I definitely don't like as much as others, but I can't remember a single Muse song I heard, where I immediately thought, "Wow, that's crap!" I think one reason for this is I go into every Muse album with an open mind. The one constant with Muse is change. Some people hate that, including old-school Muse fans, but I love it. I like not knowing what to expect sonically with a new album, yet know...

I thought I'd take some time away from the crazy world of politics and write about one of my loves, one of the things which helps keep me reasonably sane despite the before-mentioned craziness - music. I have a wide range of likes when it comes to music. Growing up, my mom preferred to listen to oldies, while my dad opted for classic rock, and my family in Michigan listened to, what else, but Motown. My brother involved himself in jazz band, introduced me to some alternative rock bands. A few friends of mine enjoyed rap and/or country. Through it all, I've come to enjoy at least a few songs from every genre, including country, which is without question my least favorite style of music. Even so, though, I can't help but feel like rock 'n' roll runs through my veins. I loved it when I was a child and my dad played: Boston, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, and Aerosmith from his record player, and I've been hooked ever since....

I thought I'd take some time away from the crazy world of politics and write about one of my loves, one of the things which helps keep me reasonably sane despite the before-mentioned craziness - music. I have a wide range of likes when it comes to music. Growing up, my mom preferred to listen to oldies, while my dad opted for classic rock, and my family in Michigan listened to, what else, but Motown. My brother involved himself in jazz band, introduced me to some alternative rock bands. A few friends of mine enjoyed rap and/or country. Through it all, I've come to enjoy at least a few songs from every genre, including country, which is without question my least favorite style of music. Even so, though, I can't help but feel like rock 'n' roll runs through my veins. I loved it when I was a child and my dad played: Boston, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, and Aerosmith from his record player, and I've been hooked ever since....