ChrisC
@bgmchrisc.bsky.social
Professional writer, over-thinker, and catastophizer. Amateur philosopher, songwriter, and reluctant musician.
Scribbler of words about music at www.bloody-good-music.blogspot.com
Scribbler of words about music at www.bloody-good-music.blogspot.com
As the year winds down, we still have a few songs coming out. Are they Christmas gifts, or are they lumps of coal? Let's find out.
Singles Roundup: Megadeth, Rob Zombie, & Joel Hoekstra's 13
The year is coming to a close, and the flow of music is slowing, but we still have a few things to talk about. For perhaps the last time th...
bloody-good-music.blogspot.com
December 4, 2025 at 12:07 PM
As the year winds down, we still have a few songs coming out. Are they Christmas gifts, or are they lumps of coal? Let's find out.
My "Top Albums", "Top Songs", and "Worst/Disappointing Albums" lists are all sorted and written.
They begin publishing on Dec 15th.
I even surprised myself with what turned out to be my #1 album... or what didn't get the nod, to be more precise.
They begin publishing on Dec 15th.
I even surprised myself with what turned out to be my #1 album... or what didn't get the nod, to be more precise.
December 3, 2025 at 7:46 PM
My "Top Albums", "Top Songs", and "Worst/Disappointing Albums" lists are all sorted and written.
They begin publishing on Dec 15th.
I even surprised myself with what turned out to be my #1 album... or what didn't get the nod, to be more precise.
They begin publishing on Dec 15th.
I even surprised myself with what turned out to be my #1 album... or what didn't get the nod, to be more precise.
It's hard to believe this century is a quarter over already, because time runs faster with less sand in the hourglass, and culture has stagnated much of that time. Today, I'm picking 25 albums that for me most define these years, as well as myself.
25 Albums To Define 25 Years
If we are being pedantic (which we often are here), the end of 2025 marks the end of the first quarter of this century. Those of us who stil...
bloody-good-music.blogspot.com
December 1, 2025 at 12:07 PM
It's hard to believe this century is a quarter over already, because time runs faster with less sand in the hourglass, and culture has stagnated much of that time. Today, I'm picking 25 albums that for me most define these years, as well as myself.
Being a band is hard. Changing your sound and trying something new can be the wrong decision. So too can sticking with the formula be the wrong decision. Today, we get one example of each, as I am thoroughly underwhelmed by these two new releases, just as I knew I would be.
Quick Reviews: Bloodbound & Spanish Love Songs
Today is a day for giving thanks... but we're not going to be doing that so much with these albums. I had a few things I wanted to say about...
bloody-good-music.blogspot.com
November 27, 2025 at 12:11 PM
Being a band is hard. Changing your sound and trying something new can be the wrong decision. So too can sticking with the formula be the wrong decision. Today, we get one example of each, as I am thoroughly underwhelmed by these two new releases, just as I knew I would be.
Today is our third annual 'No Thanks'-giving, wherein I tell you about a few things in the world of music I would very much like to say 'no thanks' to for the rest of time.
I know they won't go away, but a man can dream, right?
I know they won't go away, but a man can dream, right?
'No Thanks'-giving III
This is the season to give thanks for all the blessings life has bestowed upon us... but what's the fun in being happy all the time? The las...
bloody-good-music.blogspot.com
November 24, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Today is our third annual 'No Thanks'-giving, wherein I tell you about a few things in the world of music I would very much like to say 'no thanks' to for the rest of time.
I know they won't go away, but a man can dream, right?
I know they won't go away, but a man can dream, right?
I've already listened to my first 2026 album (and it's one of the few I'm excited for), and my box of Christmas CDs is getting shipped out today to beat the Black Friday rush, so today's a good music day.
November 21, 2025 at 12:38 PM
I've already listened to my first 2026 album (and it's one of the few I'm excited for), and my box of Christmas CDs is getting shipped out today to beat the Black Friday rush, so today's a good music day.
Spock's Beard has gone through many phases in their long career, but at each one they felt like a reinvention, like something new. This time, they feel like they're trying to survive, and this record doesn't do enough to make me think they will thrive again.
Album Review: Spock's Beard - The Archaeoptimist
When your band was named as a joke about a ridiculous episode of a sci-fi show, a thirty year career is probably not what anyone had in the ...
bloody-good-music.blogspot.com
November 20, 2025 at 12:06 PM
Spock's Beard has gone through many phases in their long career, but at each one they felt like a reinvention, like something new. This time, they feel like they're trying to survive, and this record doesn't do enough to make me think they will thrive again.
Coming up on BGM:
Next week, we have the third annual 'No Thanks'-giving where I will opine about things in music I want to say 'no thanks' to forevermore.
Then, I've compiled a list of the 25 albums that define (for me) these first 25 years of the century. Should be fun.
Next week, we have the third annual 'No Thanks'-giving where I will opine about things in music I want to say 'no thanks' to forevermore.
Then, I've compiled a list of the 25 albums that define (for me) these first 25 years of the century. Should be fun.
November 18, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Coming up on BGM:
Next week, we have the third annual 'No Thanks'-giving where I will opine about things in music I want to say 'no thanks' to forevermore.
Then, I've compiled a list of the 25 albums that define (for me) these first 25 years of the century. Should be fun.
Next week, we have the third annual 'No Thanks'-giving where I will opine about things in music I want to say 'no thanks' to forevermore.
Then, I've compiled a list of the 25 albums that define (for me) these first 25 years of the century. Should be fun.
What is a song? That should be an easy question, but when you listen to people in the heavier end of the rock and metal sphere, sometimes I wonder if we have the same thoughts in our heads.
So today, I'm musing on the building block of music.
So today, I'm musing on the building block of music.
What Is A Song?
What is a song? That seems like a question we shouldn't have to ask, but if we're being honest with ourselves, I have a feeling not many of ...
bloody-good-music.blogspot.com
November 17, 2025 at 12:41 PM
What is a song? That should be an easy question, but when you listen to people in the heavier end of the rock and metal sphere, sometimes I wonder if we have the same thoughts in our heads.
So today, I'm musing on the building block of music.
So today, I'm musing on the building block of music.
We're a few weeks away still, but I've started putting together my year-end lists. As I'm trying to put everything in order, this year is reminding me it was not a great one for my relationship with music.
Now that I have a better one with my own, perhaps next year will be better overall.
Now that I have a better one with my own, perhaps next year will be better overall.
November 14, 2025 at 3:50 PM
We're a few weeks away still, but I've started putting together my year-end lists. As I'm trying to put everything in order, this year is reminding me it was not a great one for my relationship with music.
Now that I have a better one with my own, perhaps next year will be better overall.
Now that I have a better one with my own, perhaps next year will be better overall.
Today, we're talking about new songs from names I expect a lot from. Do they live up to them? Am I excited about a couple of albums due early next year? Um... not really.
Singles Roundup: Jimmy Eat World, Foo Fighters, Soen, & Michael Monroe
The year is winding down, but new songs never stop. Do they point us toward a good start for next year? Let's find out. Jimmy Eat World - F...
bloody-good-music.blogspot.com
November 13, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Today, we're talking about new songs from names I expect a lot from. Do they live up to them? Am I excited about a couple of albums due early next year? Um... not really.
Digging through my songs for this project, I was reminded how proud I used to be of myself as a lyricist. I never had a physical voice, but I found one as a writer.
It's weird that algorithms can sound more real than me, but I don't care.
Because of this, my smile isn't greasepaint anymore.
It's weird that algorithms can sound more real than me, but I don't care.
Because of this, my smile isn't greasepaint anymore.
Thread (AI Version)
Listen to Thread (AI Version) by bigotsunshine #np on #SoundCloud
soundcloud.com
November 11, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Digging through my songs for this project, I was reminded how proud I used to be of myself as a lyricist. I never had a physical voice, but I found one as a writer.
It's weird that algorithms can sound more real than me, but I don't care.
Because of this, my smile isn't greasepaint anymore.
It's weird that algorithms can sound more real than me, but I don't care.
Because of this, my smile isn't greasepaint anymore.
When artists tinker with their music, is it still the same as we have always known it? Are they adjusting for the times, or for their damaged ears?
There's a fine line between updating and altering, and sometimes it's better to leave well enough alone. Our memories of albums can't be overwritten.
There's a fine line between updating and altering, and sometimes it's better to leave well enough alone. Our memories of albums can't be overwritten.
A "Warning" On Time, Aging, & Remastering
Is art a living being, or is it stitched in the fabric of time the instant it is created? That's an interesting question, as we have countl...
bloody-good-music.blogspot.com
November 10, 2025 at 12:07 PM
When artists tinker with their music, is it still the same as we have always known it? Are they adjusting for the times, or for their damaged ears?
There's a fine line between updating and altering, and sometimes it's better to leave well enough alone. Our memories of albums can't be overwritten.
There's a fine line between updating and altering, and sometimes it's better to leave well enough alone. Our memories of albums can't be overwritten.
Four albums in, I still don't know who Creeper are. They take on personas, and this time they make a sequel to what I thought was their worst album. It turns out slightly better, but I'm rather tired of the character work.
Album Review: Creeper - Sanguivore II: Mistress Of Death
Identity is an important concept in life. We define ourselves according to our tastes and beliefs, and we then project what we think we are ...
bloody-good-music.blogspot.com
November 6, 2025 at 11:59 AM
Four albums in, I still don't know who Creeper are. They take on personas, and this time they make a sequel to what I thought was their worst album. It turns out slightly better, but I'm rather tired of the character work.
Today, I'm revisiting the topic of AI generated music, because I now have personal experience with the process. What I've learned is that AI can be useful, it can give talented writers a voice who otherwise don't have one, but it might shift what we look for in a connection with an artist.
Revisiting AI Music: Theory Put Into Practice
Recently, I talked about the influx of AI generated music we are seeing pop up in our YouTube and Spotify recommendations. I was musing phil...
bloody-good-music.blogspot.com
November 3, 2025 at 11:56 AM
Today, I'm revisiting the topic of AI generated music, because I now have personal experience with the process. What I've learned is that AI can be useful, it can give talented writers a voice who otherwise don't have one, but it might shift what we look for in a connection with an artist.
Some albums are landmarks that stand alone, never matched or duplicated. They remind us of time, but also possibility. Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway" is one of those albums, and Taylor Acorn may have just come closer than anyone to matching the feat.
Album Review: Taylor Acorn - Poster Child
I often refer back to Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway" album as being an inflection point, as it was the perfect synthesis of 00s pop and rock. ...
bloody-good-music.blogspot.com
October 30, 2025 at 11:09 AM
Some albums are landmarks that stand alone, never matched or duplicated. They remind us of time, but also possibility. Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway" is one of those albums, and Taylor Acorn may have just come closer than anyone to matching the feat.
Good songs make us feel and think. Bad songs make us reach to turn the dial. Then there are songs like "We Didn't Start The Fire", which make us think why we aren't turning them off. It's a terrible song, but yet it's also kind of great, and I hate that about it.
"We Didn't Start The Fire", But Maybe We Should Start A New One
What is the worst song of all time? That's a question without an actual answer, so perhaps I should rephrase it. What popular song offends m...
bloody-good-music.blogspot.com
October 27, 2025 at 11:19 AM
Good songs make us feel and think. Bad songs make us reach to turn the dial. Then there are songs like "We Didn't Start The Fire", which make us think why we aren't turning them off. It's a terrible song, but yet it's also kind of great, and I hate that about it.
Since we've been talking about AI, this week's new songs don't do much to make the case for the need for humanity in art.
Singles Roundup: Megadeth, Rob Zombie, & Neal Morse
Human beings are losing out to the algorithm, as this week proves out: Megadeth - Tipping Point I don't really have any thoughts about Megad...
bloody-good-music.blogspot.com
October 23, 2025 at 11:07 AM
Since we've been talking about AI, this week's new songs don't do much to make the case for the need for humanity in art.
Am I an intellectual? That's a difficult question, as I can make the case on either side of the line. What's true, though, is that I do enjoy when art makes me think. I suppose that puts me in a different category than a large number of people.
Thinking About If I'm An Intellectual
Am I an 'intellectual'? That's a difficult question to answer, because there is a very good chance you and I would draw different lines on w...
bloody-good-music.blogspot.com
October 20, 2025 at 11:17 AM
Am I an intellectual? That's a difficult question, as I can make the case on either side of the line. What's true, though, is that I do enjoy when art makes me think. I suppose that puts me in a different category than a large number of people.
What makes music 'heavy' isn't distortion on guitars, or loud volume. True heaviness comes from exploring the human experience, from touching the raw nerves life exposes as we fight through the briar patch. Sapient Scar's new song is a meditation on pain, and heavy as it gets.
@vklynne.bsky.social
@vklynne.bsky.social
Will Sapient Scar "Pay Forever", In Blood And Soul?
The Buddha is often cited as telling us "life is suffering", but we spend our time on this earth trying to outrun pain however we can. We tr...
bloody-good-music.blogspot.com
October 15, 2025 at 11:13 AM
What makes music 'heavy' isn't distortion on guitars, or loud volume. True heaviness comes from exploring the human experience, from touching the raw nerves life exposes as we fight through the briar patch. Sapient Scar's new song is a meditation on pain, and heavy as it gets.
@vklynne.bsky.social
@vklynne.bsky.social
"Breach" is one of my favorite records, in part because it inspired me down my own path of creative expression. But after twenty-five years, when that path is no longer traveled, what happens to the inspiration?
I'm not sure what my relationship with the album is anymore, but I doubt I'll shake it.
I'm not sure what my relationship with the album is anymore, but I doubt I'll shake it.
25 Years Later, Once More Unto The "Breach"
What becomes of a spark of inspiration when the fuel it ignited has been used up? That thought has been on my mind for much of this year, as...
bloody-good-music.blogspot.com
October 13, 2025 at 11:12 AM
"Breach" is one of my favorite records, in part because it inspired me down my own path of creative expression. But after twenty-five years, when that path is no longer traveled, what happens to the inspiration?
I'm not sure what my relationship with the album is anymore, but I doubt I'll shake it.
I'm not sure what my relationship with the album is anymore, but I doubt I'll shake it.
Battle Beast is one of those bands that sounds great, and makes good music, but delivers the same thing again and again, which makes each album feel like another episode of a tv show rather than an exciting moment of its own.
I like "Steelbound", but it doesn't offer a single new thing.
I like "Steelbound", but it doesn't offer a single new thing.
Album Review: Battle Beast - Steelbound
Sometimes, a band only needs one selling point to establish and maintain a career. There's so much music out there that everyone needs somet...
bloody-good-music.blogspot.com
October 10, 2025 at 11:34 AM
Battle Beast is one of those bands that sounds great, and makes good music, but delivers the same thing again and again, which makes each album feel like another episode of a tv show rather than an exciting moment of its own.
I like "Steelbound", but it doesn't offer a single new thing.
I like "Steelbound", but it doesn't offer a single new thing.
Yes, I compare Taylor Swift's new album to the nudity in the movie "Showgirls". I also take her to task for breaking the first rule of 'Big Dick Club'.
As might be obvious, this was the most fun I've had writing a review in a long time.
As might be obvious, this was the most fun I've had writing a review in a long time.
Album Review: Taylor Swift - The Life Of A Showgirl
I find it amusing that Taylor Swift named her new album "Confessions Of A Showgirl", because there is an interesting parallel to the movie "...
bloody-good-music.blogspot.com
October 6, 2025 at 11:11 AM
Yes, I compare Taylor Swift's new album to the nudity in the movie "Showgirls". I also take her to task for breaking the first rule of 'Big Dick Club'.
As might be obvious, this was the most fun I've had writing a review in a long time.
As might be obvious, this was the most fun I've had writing a review in a long time.
So... I'm listening to the new Taylor Swift album, because it's amusing to me to cover such things (which I will be doing Monday).
I'm framing the whole thing around a pop-culture comparison that is making me laugh like hell, but might be a bit slanderous.
Good times.
I'm framing the whole thing around a pop-culture comparison that is making me laugh like hell, but might be a bit slanderous.
Good times.
October 3, 2025 at 12:58 PM
So... I'm listening to the new Taylor Swift album, because it's amusing to me to cover such things (which I will be doing Monday).
I'm framing the whole thing around a pop-culture comparison that is making me laugh like hell, but might be a bit slanderous.
Good times.
I'm framing the whole thing around a pop-culture comparison that is making me laugh like hell, but might be a bit slanderous.
Good times.
AI is slowly seeping into everything, including music. So what happens when I encounter a band that is likely AI powered, and yet I like the music 'they' create? That's a complicated issue, so let's dig through my thoughts.
Is It Artificial Intelligence, Or Artificial Humanity?
"Don't worry about the future, sooner or later it's the past." Sometimes, that process happens faster than we expect it to. Right now, we ar...
bloody-good-music.blogspot.com
October 2, 2025 at 11:09 AM
AI is slowly seeping into everything, including music. So what happens when I encounter a band that is likely AI powered, and yet I like the music 'they' create? That's a complicated issue, so let's dig through my thoughts.