according to Ryan Skotzke As many of you have heard me say at some point, I'm not a very song-oriented music listener. I tend to listen to albums in full. Thus, making a list of my favorite songs gets very difficult, because I don't always notice when a particular song stands out among a dozen … Continue reading The Top 25 Songs of 2020 →

I didn't really get into listening to a lot of music until my sophomore or junior year of high school. That would be...2014? Time is a blur sometimes. During my relatively short time as a music consumer and blogger, I think 2019 is the most forgettable year for music so far. Maybe all the artists … Continue reading The Top 20 Albums of 2019 →

I enjoy relentlessly insulting the Grammy awards for being sellouts and just recognizing whatever record is selling the most copies, regardless of actual quality. It kind of makes me a hypocrite, because I shower praise on artists I like for winning them. When Kacey Musgraves took home the coveted "Album of the Year" prize for her … Continue reading A Golden Hour Appreciation Post →

At some point, the actual music doesn't really matter anymore. After so many release dates gone by without a release, highly controversial interviews, and cryptic tweets, Kanye seems more interested in being a cultural and political icon who just happens to release music. As time goes on, the music becomes more difficult to separate from … Continue reading Kanye West – Jesus Is King →

On "The Man," Taylor Swift sings "I'm so sick of running as fast as I can / wond'ring if I'd get there quicker if I was a man." You can harp on Taylor all you want for being rich and famous and having the gall to complain, but I think there's something to be said … Continue reading Taylor Swift – Lover →

I wish I could burp on command. Then I would able to belch an enlightened response to one Mr. Anthony Fantano, who successfully burped a 4-minute video review of this album. I personally find Cease & Desist to be much more high-brow, worthy of at least a few farts, knuckle cracks, and a bit of that sound … Continue reading Blarf – Cease & Desist →

I remember when life used to be more innocent. When we were younger, we weren't preoccupied with the dismal state of current events. You could argue that they weren't always so dismal, but I'd retort that current events are always dismal because those are the only current events that get the news media their sweet, … Continue reading Vampire Weekend – Father of the Bride →

I feel extremely dangerous right now. I just graduated college, secured a well-paying job, and I (likely) passed another actuarial exam. Usually in times like this, the death metal-loving side of me emerges to bear its teeth. But danger doesn't have to be clad in scary t-shirts and black skinny jeans. These days, simply embracing … Continue reading Carly Rae Jepsen – Dedicated →

I was watching The Sound of Music the other night and I found myself unmoved. The pure, unbridled happiness throughout feels very unnatural. It's all part of the realization that the media I tend to enjoy, movies and music alike, is stuff that's either sad, scary, or just plain fucked up. Sometimes, I think that … Continue reading Daughters – You Won’t Get What You Want →

This album cover kinda reminds me of those weird, blurred, Mr. Krabs memes that people used to represent being caught off guard. And I suppose the juxtaposition of Earl's deranged smile with his soft, introspective lyricism are enough to catch a casual hip-hop listener like myself off guard as well. I don't really put a … Continue reading Earl Sweatshirt – Some Rap Songs →