[Video Playlist of the Week] Weird for the Sake of Weirdness
Header by Rachel Cameron
Over the past couple of years I’ve listened to a number of bands just because I enjoy their weirdness. Meaning, talent, and progression can only keep my attention for so long before I become bored of a band; or at least bored enough to put a record on the backburner for a while. If you’re anything like me, you like some weird shit. If you don’t, have no fear: I’ve compiled a short list of strange songs for you to listen to while you get real weird with it.
BABYMETAL - "Doki Doki Morning"
[youtube id="cirhQ8iLdbw"]
Two years ago, I took a History of Heavy Metal class, and my professor pulled this video up one day. He called it, “the scariest, most disturbing thing” he has ever heard/seen. To my surprise (and my surprise only), I loved it. BABYMETAL consists of three teenage girls who sing K-pop to death metal. They’re like the Aerosmith of Japan, which says a lot about how weird Japan is.
Die Antwoord - "Pitbull Terrier"
[youtube id="JvMXVHVr72A"]
A South African rap-rave duo, Die Antwoord are the definition of weird. Seriously, if this video doesn’t show it, check out their other songs. They’re nuts.
Three Loco - "We Are Farmers"
[youtube id="cb9XTK3_n2Y"]
The trio of Three Loco includes Andy Milonakis, Dirt Nasty, and Riff Raff. If you know who any of those people are then I don’t need to say anything else. Seperately, they’re each a runner for easily being the weirdest people I’ve ever heard about in the media. Together, they make no sense at all.
Lil B - "I’m God"
[youtube id="2pyops3UGr4"]
I’m not sure what it is about Lil B AKA Based God, but almost every music video he puts out is him wandering through some retail store. Like a mini-Kanye, Lil B and his fanbase have either a serious notion or a long-running joke that he is a God.
Tyler, The Creator - "Tamale"
[youtube id="OxlJLz9M8hQ"]
(*NSFW* ever; like anything he does) Tyler, The Creator (one part of OFWGTA) is a weird dude. While he and his counterparts are great musicians, his persona as Tyler, The Creator is off the wall in the best way possible.
Yung Lean - "Kyoto"
[youtube id="2pyops3UGr4"]
A Swedish teenager decided to make alternative, counterculture comedic raps about being a “2001 sad boy.” Yung Lean embodies what Tumblr is: a bunch of adult children reblogging about alt comedy and Arizona Iced Tea.
Outkast - "B.O.B."
[youtube id="fVyVIsvQoaE"]
Outkast are the original hip-hop weirdos.
Mariachi El Bronx - "Wildfires"
[youtube id="6o1cXudCkqA"]
I’m not a mariachi fan, but the alter-ego of post-hardcore/punk outfit The Bronx takes the form of a traditional mariachi band. Every now and again they go on tour and you never know if they’re going to be playing The Bronx songs or Mariachi El Bronx songs. Or both. Either way, I dig their alter egos and the gimmick of having the most “out there” counter-hobby of punk music.
Iwrestledabearonce - "You Know That Ain’t Them Dogs’ Real Voices"
[youtube id="pwgMMtgSTVE"]
If you take grindcore, prog metal, technical death metal, rainbows, and sound bytes from '80s movies, you have Iwrestledabearonce.
Melanie Martinez - "Carousel"
[youtube id="zAB5AC9yhY0"]
The only instance in where I can say something is both sexy and creepy at the same time.
What’s the weirdest thing you listen to?
13 Morbid Songs for Friday the 13th
It’s every goth’s second favorite holiday: Friday the 13th. In honor of the infamous day of moral reckoning, I’ve created a playlist of songs to get blasphemous to.
13. "Killing It" - A Wilhelm Scream
[youtube id="buxn2HJB5Dk"]
If Jason Vorhees could pick a song to listen to while stabbing someone, I feel like this would be it.
12. "Back to Hell" - Alkaline Trio
[youtube id="Yb8fWGPdT3U"]
The dark pop-punk trio created an ode (one of many) to the pits below with lyrics like “send us back to hell/we've had our fill of heaven.”
11. "Bleed Black" - AFI
[youtube id="QTKeYn59V7I"]
The gothic, melodic hardcore have mastered the emotional, heavyhearted sound with their 2003 record Sing The Sorrow. This song as well as every other song off the album would be a perfect fit for a day like Friday the 13th.
10. "Cowboys From Hell" - Pantera
[youtube id="_7EQlfprV9E"]
The groove metal band Pantera are no strangers to being associated to the dark lord, so they embodied the notion with one of their most iconic songs.
9. "The God That Failed" - Metallica
[youtube id="Cgrxgp2Jp94"]
Denouncing the idea of religion/God is pretty much step one in the metal handbook and that’s the most Friday the 13th-y thing you can do.
8. "Your 666" - H.I.M.
[youtube id="Dmhp5lI99xo"]
Throw every last superstition out the window by listening to this song with lyrics like, “I welcome your six six six in my heart/I’m losing my faith in you,” you’re sure to have all of the bad luck today (here’s to hoping).
7. "Hellraiser" - Ozzy Osbourne
[youtube id="4Pbl4x1OKqs"]
Ozzy says he’ll “put a spell on you” with his tribute to rocking in the hardest way possible; raising hell.
6. "Hang ‘Em High" - My Chemical Romance
[youtube id="D750b__didw"]
MCR’s hit album, Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge, made death cool again in the mid-2000’s. My pick for the playlist has everything to do with the eerie, witchy undertones of the lyrics, “climb out from the pine box, well I'm asking you/'cause she's got nothing to say/The angels just cut out her tongue/call her black Mariah, would I lie to you?”
5. "Blood And Thunder" - Mastodon
[youtube id="TsdIO8RHMTc"]
While the song (as well as the entire album) is based off the novel Moby Dick, “Blood and Thunder” starts off with, “I think that someone is trying to kill me/Infecting my blood and destroying my mind;” the most brutal thing said about a whale ever.
4. "Killing In The Name" - Rage Against The Machine
[youtube id="bWXazVhlyxQ"]
Again, while the song (and band) is about “bringing down the man” and all, the lyrics, “some of those that work forces, are the same that burn crosses,” fits into the scheme of Friday the 13th.
3. "Crystal Lake’s Legacy" - Voorhees
[youtube id="YQtaPjh3zXA"]
A U.K. hardcore gimmick band based off the aforementioned, fictional murderer “killed it” with their salute to Vorhees with their 2001 record Crystal Lake’s Legacy.
2. "Running With The Devil" - Van Halen
[youtube id="tpX3NhpRGdE"]
David Lee Roth said in an interview that he always thought the devil was with him; whether it was running (‘living at a pace that kills’), driving, playing music, eating lunch, etc. Ultimately, it sounds like he lives his life like every day is Friday the 13th.
1. "Dead" - Pixies
[youtube id="gvg5-8pwL80"]
Written about the biblical story (2 Samuel, Chapter 11) from the tale of Bathsheba and King David with mixed in lyrics such as, “my heart is dead,” it’s a no-brainer this song is included to the playlist. Also, the horror movie montage trumps all.
Happy Hour: 30 Artists as Cocktails
In Cincinnati, Ohio the music venue, Bogart’s, always has their bar transform songs from the booked band of the night into delicious, 21+ friendly drinks. Have you ever thought of the perfect cocktail to compliment your favorite band? While the website drinkify.org is a simple way to get your buzz on with an artist, I’ve compiled a playlist of songs along with their alcoholic counterparts and then some. Please drink and listen responsibly.
The Taylor Swift Takeover
Photo by Virgil Solis.
1989 is the best pop album to come out within the past five years, and with its release comes the global takeover of Taylor Swift. Swiftmageddon. Taylortopia. T-Swiftpocalyse. It’s here, people. You can’t avoid it anymore. Taylor Swift is taking over the world one catchy hook at a time.
Before 1989, I’ll admit, I was a skeptic. Yeah, I had some T-Swift songs on my iPod, but it was nothing earth shattering. “Fifteen,” “I Knew You Were Trouble,” “22,” “You Belong With Me,” and “Our Song” were the only songs I knew. Honestly, they weren’t anything to be that hyped about. I have friends in the hardcore and punk scenes who wear “TAYLOR SWIFT OR FUCKING DIE” hoodies and “T-Swift forever” shirts, but I never got the appeal with her... until 1989.
When “Shake It Off” dropped mid-summer in 2014, I was captivated by the cheery melody and upbeat lyrics. It was like a fizzy-pop sensation, an '80s-esque dance beat, and a sugary candy-like sound all wrapped into one song. When “Blank Space” premiered not long after, I was consumed. When I finally listened to the full album on an airplane to LA two weeks ago, I became obsessed. This is pure gold, I thought. Taylor Swift has released the catchiest, female pop album since Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream (2010). Every song is a banger with a story and purpose for each word. Her songwriting skills have flourished along with her perfectly cast gang of artists (Imogen Heap and Jack Antonoff) to help produce some of the songs. A musical fairytale of fast love, 1989 makes me want to shout from the rooftop, “I FUCKING LOVE TAYLOR SWIFT!” She has become my best friend. Together, we sing in the car on our way to work, at work, on our way home, at home, before bed, and then again when we wake up. I feel like the fans in the Josie and the Pussycats movie, just liking her because I’m being brainwashed to enjoy it by those corporate big dogs. Maybe, maybe not. Whatever the case may be, I find myself wearing red lipstick every day along with outfits that get more retro by the minute and I’m totally okay with it. Thanks, Tay.
Fans of her early work would tell me, “She’s going pop and she’s going to be terrible at it.” Oh, how wrong you were. If anything, Taylor has been dominating the genre with the release of 1989. Her PR team of media wizards are like the NSA of pop. You can’t stream her album ANYWHERE - SoundCloud, YouTube, Spotify- they’re empty, like the Swiftening never happened. Practically stealing money out of listeners pockets, some still eagerly lined up to own the album in a world where digital music is essentially free. Sure, pirating is easy, but her PR people are so gung-ho about the whole thing that they’ve started to shut down sites that have her album available for downloading. In 2014, with her album being released in full for just three short months, this is some of what she has achieved with 1989:
- Best-selling album of the year (Billboard, iTunes, Cosmopolitan)
- Rolling Stone’s #2 album of the year
- On the cover of TIME
- On the cover of Billboard
- She performed at the Thanksgiving Day Parade in NYC
- On the cover of The Hollywood Reporter
- Snagging multiple guest spots:
- Jimmy Kimmel, SNL, ABC, The Voice, BBC America, The View, The Ellen Degeneres Show, and pretty much every other talk show out there
- She’s named the most powerful woman in U.K. media in 2014
- She’s been nominated for three Grammy’s (and she’ll probably snag ‘em all)
- She performed at the American Music Awards
- She performed at the Victoria Secret Fashion Show
- 1989 sold 1.287 million units in its first week, which hasn’t been done since 2002
Taylor Swift is slaughtering the music biz competition right now and probably will be for the better half of 2015. While some music critics, journalists and artists are calling her pull from Spotify/YouTube absurd, I think it’s a smart move. If you really want to listen to 1989, skip the Chipotle today and just buy the damn record. Don’t hate the player, hate the game. You know what they say, if you can’t beat ‘em, then just pull your catalog from every site and make fans buy your album like a REAL pop sensation. Boom.
Nick's Top 10 Pop Songs of 2014
As a twenty-five year old, 6'3" 300 pound Latino man, I know a lot about pop music. Forgoing what some would classify as "good" musical tastes, I grew attached to songs playing on the radio at a young age and the obsession grew with time. Now thanks to the internet, I'm more in tune with pop songs than ever. And thanks to that very same internet, popular music covers a wider ranger than ever with varying tones, subject matters, and butts.
Oh yeah, 2014 was the year of Da Butt. But let's talk about that some other day. Here are my picks for the Top 10 Pop Songs of last year.
The Weekly Swarm: 12/29 - 1/4
As I've written plenty of times over the past year, 2014 was a year of growth and development here at Ruby Hornet. We toyed with ideas, tested others, and came upon a framework in which we could develop and focus on in 2015. It might be some time until the scope of what we're exploring is visible, but the wait will be well worth it.
Over the past couple of weeks, we've been sharing some of our year-end lists, which made up the majority of last week's content. In addition to those, we also have a recap from American Football's New Year's Day show, Paul Feig's plans for his Ghostbusters film, and more! Check everything out below.
What The Hell Just Happened? The Biggest Stories of 2014
[RH Recap] American Football at Lincoln Hall (1/1/2015)
The Uncanceled Interview: Obama Weighs In, Sony Backtracks, and Everything Gets Even Weirder
[Trailer] It Follows
Paul Feig Shares Ghostbusters Vision, Defends All-Female Cast
Geoff's Top 10 Trailers of 2014
Geoff's Top 10 Films of 2014
The Most Impactful Photos of 2014
Bridjet's Top 10 Albums of 2014
As 2014 comes to a close, I reminisce on all of the albums I've had the pleasure of almost blowing my speakers out to. These are my absolute favorite records of the year and a little memo of why they rule so god damn hard. Like a little league coach to his players, I wish they could all be #1.
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10. Grey Gordon - Forget I Brought It Up
I’ve had the extreme pleasure of seeing Grey perform in my friend’s living room multiple times and I’m glad I heard him when I did. Fusing together the deep rawness of his lyrics with the upbeat, yet soulful guitar, this record is nothing short of amazing.
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9. Mastodon - Once More ‘Round The Sun
Mastodon killed it when I saw them perform Once More ‘Round The Sun at Bonnaroo this year. I honestly felt my face being melted off by the world’s tastiest riffs. When I got home, I was so excited to get the album. I’ve been listening to it ever since.
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8. Against Me! - Gender Dysphoria Blues
When lead singer Tom became Laura Jane Grace in 2012, the scene exploded with praise and understanding, which was amazing to see. What’s even more amazing is this album packed full of heartfelt lyrics and that beautiful folk-punk guitar you can’t help but turn up to.
[youtube id="692QlOQytTY"]
7. Interpol - El Pintor
I’ve been an Interpol fan for years, but they haven’t had anything that has caught my attention in a while. When I saw them play El Pintor at Lollapalooza this summer, I felt like I shot myself in the foot for not giving the upcoming album a notion earlier. It’s crisp, clean and nostalgic of Antics.
[youtube id="MeMoU2_Cdp8"]
6. New Found Glory - Resurrection
Back with a vengeance, NFG released a banger this year after their bassist “left” the band in 2013. Energetic as well as revengeful at times, this album shows that the kings of pop-punk are more than ready to be back on top.
[iframe id="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/128440606&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true"]
5. Modern Baseball - You’re Gonna Miss It All
Holy cow, this album is the ultimate pop-punk fairytale of how every 20-something feels 99% of the time, but doesn’t want anyone to know unless they’re on Tumblr. Loaded with goofy and cheesy lyrics, YGMIA is something I’ve played at least once a day since its release.
[iframe id="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/144088885&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true"]
4. Angel Du$t - A.D.
Angel Du$t’s first album is 15 minutes of pure, thrashy punk rock at it’s finest. A definite scene favorite, A.D. doesn’t disappoint with this record.
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3. Candy Hearts - All The Ways You Let Me Down
I’m a sucker for cutesy, pop-punk; especially if there’s a female vocalist. Girl power.
[iframe id="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/115637358&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true"]
2. Katy Perry - Prism
If you know me at all, you know I’m a huge Katy Perry nerd. I was front row for her show on my birthday and it was the best day of my life. This album has a very 80’s pop feel to it as well as some uplifting tunes. In short, this album makes me feel like I’m Katy; fabulous and sassy.
[youtube id="wVmlf6koQXA"]
1. Every Time I Die - From Parts Unknown
The party kings of southern metal have graced the world with flawlessness that even Beyonce is jealous of. That, my friends, is the perfection From Parts Unknown holds. If you want to gain the wisdom of 100 wizards, go listen to this album.
Bridjet’s Top 10 Live Performances of 2014
2014 was one big road trip. I traveled to two states for two different festivals along with 20 other shows around Ohio. It almost doesn't seem fair to rank all of the artists I've seen this year because they were all so great. Except Kanye West, who apparently, every artist hates. Go figure. 
10. Chromeo I’ve seen Chromeo a couple of times and they always have the best stage presence. The funk lords of synth-pop get everyone in the crowd dancing as soon as they touch their instruments. The two are smooth talking, disco freaks who deliver nothing but the best beats. [youtube id="37N6qErqL8g"] 9. Mastodon I saw the princes of metal in all their headbanging glory at Bonnaroo in June. Truth be told, I only went to see a certain number of bands and they all made the list. Besides the weather, Mastodon melted my brain with their sweet jams. Glorious. [youtube id="qylPzi9C9gg"] 8. Ice Cube telling Kanye West to fuck himself Kanye West said he would perform at Bonnaroo under one condition: No one else could be performing during his set. When more than 50,000 people have only ONE place to go to, it gets crowded. After about 15 minutes, Kanye realized the laws of sound DO apply to him when no one could hear him play without other artists to bounce the sound off. With that said, Ice Cube was pissed he had to wait to play and told Kanye he was a little bitch. Also, he sang some NWA, so yeah, fuck Kanye. 
Photo by Virgil Solis 7. Childish Gambino He’s on the now defunct show Community, he has his own stand-up special, and he’s a rap superstar. There really isn’t anything Donald Glover can’t do. It was raining during his set at Lollapalooza, but he delivered more so than most artists do at the fest. [youtube id="I7rYZjv3wNg"] 6. Say Anything performing ...Is A Real Boy all the way through Flashback to 2004 when ...Is A Real Boy was released: I was in 8th grade swooning at the boy in the seat in front of me in English class. How could I get him to like me? He had on a light blue shirt with an orange dinosaur on it breathing fire into a cartoon city. Right above it read “Say Anything” in bubble letters. The next day, I practically begged my mom to buy me the CD at Target. Success! I brought it to school, feeling so cool that “Mr. English Class” was going to like me. To no surprise but my own, he thought I was a weirdo after I told him why I bought it, he never (willingly) talked to me again. Heartbroken, or whatever the equivalent 8th grade version is, I spent the next six months listening to this CD every single day. Bittersweet, but I finally got to live out my 8th grade revenge by meeting Max Bemis in 2013 and then seeing Say Anything play this album all the way through to perfection. [youtube id="uMK0prafzw0"] 5. Die Antwoord They’re just the weirdest duo of all time and I love every second of it.
4. Every Time I Die (x3) So far, I’ve seen the southern metal animals of Every Time I Die three times and I’m going to see them again in about a week. I can’t get enough of not only their amazing new record, From Parts Unknown, but their phenomenal shows. Above is a clip I took from their show in Cincinnati, Ohio. The song is called “Underwater Bimbos From Outer Space.” 
3. Eminem I saw Eminem open up his set with Criminal, Square Dance, and White America. After that, he sang "Kill You" and "Business." While most sites or magazines will say how the highlight of the show was when he sang "Stan" with Rihanna, I beg to differ. I say it was when he decided to open the show up with his old material. Eminem has lost his luster through the years, but being able to see him play my favorite tunes from way back when was amazing. [youtube id="pN0ytyxxkh8"] 2. Outkast The rap duo have been out of commission for a long time, so when I saw they were headlining Lollapalooza this year, I had to go. They had more energy than I had expected from two guys who have been in the game for more than 20 years. 
1. Katy Perry I’m obsessed with this bubblegum princess and I’m not ashamed to admit that I bought two VIP tickets to see her in August. Or that I had a huge sign saying it was my birthday on it so she could sing to me. Or that I dressed up. Or that I cried. This is my blue head attempting to take a selfie right by Katy’s inflatable, pink car. She sang and danced non-stop for almost three hours. The best performance I’ve seen live this year; hands down.
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