I'm not sure what has happened to me in recent months. I've been really digging into music a lot more than I have in years, specifically in the rock scene. There are notable sub genres I've rediscovered from my teenage years notably pop punk and emo thanks in part to watching Fuse TV during the mid to late 2000s. It seemed like the advent of streaming services (i.e. Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, etc.) started revolutionizing how we consume music, there was really little to no point in having watching music videos on TV when you could watch them any time online. The moment when Fuse pivoted away from rock in favor of more pop and hip hop by the 2010s, combined with the network being bought out and distancing themselves from music altogether, I lost touch with the current state of music...
...All that changed earlier this spring.
Coming up with a Full House fanfic about Girl Talk that got me into rediscovering Veruca Salt, diving deep into their discography, and then expanding my taste by seeking out modern indie music, it's fascinating how this butterfly effect came to be. Some purists rant on the current state of mainstream music. But when you dive deeper, there is plenty out there that is not going to be included on the Hot 100 let alone Top 40 radio. I've been constructing many playlists which spotlights my music tastes throughout the years; Not just the stuff I grew up with. But including modern tracks helps bring unpredictability and variety as well. Sometimes we forget that music is an art - a way of expressing yourself in a way that formal words cannot convey. It's the emotions that come from the very organ that keeps us alive - the heart. Cheesy I know.
Below is a link that directs to my curated playlists:
Anarchy In The Arena - Hard rock & metal driven, it consists of 100 adrenaline fueled tracks that gets you on the treadmills or outside having a ball game. From iconic metal bands such as Metallica, Megadeth, Pantera, & Slayer to rock acts like Linkin Park, Guns N' Roses, Queen, & Nirvana, it pays homage to their respective genres.
Alternative Pop Rock Power Block - Melodically driven, this set showcases the more radio friendly side of rock about vulnerability, love, breakups, mending, reconciling, and the strength to carry on despite life's hardships. From pop punk and emo to indie & adult alternative, it demonstrates that it is okay to reach out to someone knowing they'll be there to support you every step of the way.
They are some of the most ambitious yet passionate list of songs I curated. The playlists have undergone many changes, going from being exclusively nostalgia themed to a variety of classics and modern tracks that represent rock music over the last 30+ years. When it's all said and done, I'm very happy with how they've all turned out.
It's been a while since I've posted here. Every now and then, I come up on here and reflect on my thoughts on anything pop culture related or what media I've discovered in recent times. Life has been either busy for me or I don't have enough motivation in me to make regular blogs. When the planets align, more likely than not I'll come up on here and discuss whatever that comes to my mind at the moment.
Last April, I attended my first wrestling live show with AEW Dynamite at the Eagle Bank Arena in Fairfax, VA. It was one of the most packed Dynamites that All Elite Wrestling has done, somewhere around or close to 5,000+ people in attendance. Ever since I was a kid, I dreamt of what it would've been like to attend such an event. It was a pleasant experience. The opening match had Kevin Knight defending the TNT Title against MJF who had lost the World Championship shortly prior. It was an incredible performance by the two. Max received a taste of his own medicine when he tried to club The Jet with the TNT Title but Kevin low blow him followed up by a Small Package roll up to retain the championship. Post match saw Max laying out the winner until Darby (having won the World Title from MJF) descended from the rafters (just like his mentor Sting) and hit the Scorpion Death Drop onto him. We won't see the last of Darby as he would be scheduled to defend the World Title against Brody King later that night.
Speaking of the main event, this really stole the show. Brody and Darby have a great track record when it comes to their rivalry. The casket match they had a few years back is a prime example of what they are capable of pushing to the limit. Fast forward, this match here was no exception. Both men pushed their bodies to the limit. Darby did a diving kick from the top rope to Brody while using the chair. Darby pulled the ring mat from ring side as Brody was trying to drag the champion. There was a spot where Brody attempted a Senton on Darby, but he dodged, causing Brody to destroy the barricade instead. It would take 2 Coffin Drops - one from outside and the last being in the ring once Brody slid back in. In the end, Darby came out on top and retained the World Championship.
It was an incredible main event. My only nitpick I had was when the referee didn't make the 10 count even when the two spent all of that time brawling outside. There was a failed table spot when Darby went for the Code Red but the table failed to break. A Botchamania "I Am the Table" moment right there.
I never thought I'd get to see Adam Copeland (Edge) & Christian Cage wrestle live. They were my favorite tag team back in the WWE especially when it came to their infamous TLC matches. If you had told me 10 years ago that I would attend a live wrestling event that wasn't WWE, TNA, or a local independent promotion, I'd be like no way. Fast forward to present day, Adam & Christian came out of retirement in the years since and are still going strong. What an opportunity that turned out to be.
The rest of the card was pretty enjoyable, nothing too extraordinary but nothing jarring either. The Brawling Birds gain a victory in a squash match to continue their winning momentum. Another squash match saw RUSH come out victorious and had some of the loudest and favorable crowd reactions in that arena. Divine Dominion retained the Women's Tag Titles against the dysfunctional duo of Kris Statlander and Hikaru Shida. Don Callis Family member Kazuchika Okada defeated Ace Austin of the Bang Bang Gang and retained the International Title. Overall, I had a fun time at the show. If AEW ever comes back there, I'd love for it to be a PPV. Fairfax has been thirsty for more wrestling content, and I look forward to the day if/when that happens.
I've been in the middle of working on a Full House fanfic centering around Stephanie and Gia's Girl Talk band. You know, the episode where they did a cover of Ace of Base's The Sign and it ends up becoming a performance trainwreck during a talent show? Assuming if Full House had continued into season 9, I could easily imagine them reviving the group but undergoing a drastic change in their sound. What do I mean by that you say? By the time the mid 90s rolled around (1995 was when the show had ended), the rock music landscape had changed. The glam rock/synth pop days of Nelson, Poison, Skid Row, Milli Vanilli, & Paula Abdul became passe. Alternative was at its peak and female fronted artists were all the rage; Whether you were a solo act like Sheryl Crow, Liz Phair, Lisa Loeb (she popped up on Fuller House ironically), Alanis Morrisette or in a band like Garbage, L7, The Breeders, or the biggest inspiration behind the idea of the story, Veruca Salt. Seeing Girl Talk evolve from garage pop into a traditional rock band filled of aggressive energy and boosted confidence would have been a natural shift in direction. The chemistry that Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin) and Gia (Marla Sokoloff) had during the show's waning years was impeccable. I can imagine Stephanie as the heart of the group (ala Nina Gordon) whereas Gia served as the rebellious teen with an edge (ala Louise Post). It's not something I decided to handpick them; In fact, those were the established tropes the two had - like a push-pull dynamic of sorts. It always felt like they only scratched the surface when it came to their toxic friendship.
When Steph and Gia met for the first time, they could not stand each other's guts. Gia influencing her to to smoke a cigarette, building peer pressure as Stephanie began to enter her teenage years. You also factor in the gaslighting and rumors she spilled onto Stephanie only for her to lash back at Gia, much to her offense. Eventually, they made amends and overtime became best friends. Even despite that, there were some cases when they would go on a joy ride with Stephanie nearly putting her life at risk whereas Gia would suffer massive injuries as a result. There was also a make out party at Gia's without parental supervision that got Stephanie in some much heat. To say their friendship ended up as a roller coaster ride would be an understatement. For as much as it seemed like the duo were on good terms, I always felt there was tension boiling underneath them. Entitled 120 Minutes of Girl Talk (pun title based on the MTV show spotlighting alternative rock music), it covers the misadventures of the band who are back together undergoing a makeover. As of this post, only one chapter has been completed. I am hoping to follow up with a 2nd chapter. Work has been killing me lately that it is difficult to find time to write. However, I can assure to you all it will be released down the road.
The more I realized how my fanfic has led to this butterfly effect of me reigniting interest in seeking music again. I've been listening to Veruca Salt's discography from their debut album, their 1996 EP, the sophomore album Eight Arms To Hold You in 1997, and their most recent record Ghost Notes in 2015. While I was conscious in the mid 90s, I was way too young to fully appreciate their music. By the time I reached my teenage years, the original band members had split. Even when Louise continued on with a new lineup and Nina had her brief stint as a solo act, the music landscape seemingly moved on them. I stumbled into the music video of their signature hit Seether on the now defunct VH1 Mega Hits channel in 2004; By that point, the song was reaching 10 years old. For whatever reason, I didn't dive much into their music as much as I wished but that instant discovery remains ingrained in my mind. Twenty-two years later, I ended up rediscovering the band after watching a random Buffy tribute reel on Instagram. The more I went back and looked up information on the status of the band, a lot of stuff had happened for them since. It turns out that after years of isolation from one another, the two frontwomen reunited along with their original band members on the road and even put out a record together. They had a pretty complicated history throughout their time. I feel like I wouldn't be able to explain all too well but this 3-4 hour interview Nina and Louise collaborated on can be viewed here:
Even despite whatever differences that had been brewing between them, I'm thankful they are in a better place. It's not every day you hear stories band members imploding as hard only to turn their lives around. They seem very down-to-Earth people who were genuinely talented in their craft. It's too bad I missed out on their 2010s reunion run. I can't believe it was a lifetime ago; We're talking pre-Pandemic era here. I'd love to see another reunion perhaps one more album assuming there's enough gas in the tank. If Ghost Notes ends up being their last, what a way for them to set sail off into the sunset. Whatever the future holds, I wish them all the best.
