What a week. World Series insanity, NASCAR wreckage and "happy" sad music... aka.. just another week for Bradley Wik

World Series thoughts, NASCAR, twee records, oh my...

GREEN BAY PACKERS WEEKLY RECAP:

Well, Aaron Rodgers IS NONE TOO PLEASED WITH ANTHONY BARR, but he's also pretty fucking funny.  But, he should be pissed.  That hit was borderline legal/dirty but 100% unnecessary.  There was no need to drive a fellow professional football player into the ground shoulder first.  I get that Barr wants us to "GET OVER IT," but I assure you he wouldn't be over it if he was out for the next two months and just had screws and a plate inserted into his fucking collarbone.  Asshole...

Brett Hundley didn't look bad this week, though.  Of course, it's the bye week and he didn't play, but nevertheless.  I'm kidding of course.  I believe the kid will be alright.  McCarthy knows how to coach QB's and I love Hundley's confidence.  I keep finding myself wanting to say "Brett" but we all know no Green Bay quarterback is "Brett" besides the one and only.  The greatest ever.  The man who saved our franchise.  The one who brought the Lombardi Trophy home.  Anyways, not too much Packers news and I didn't watch any football this weekend since:

A. The fucking World Series in on
B. Sunday afternoon was spent in agony after WATCHING THE NASCAR RACE END LIKE THIS.

Yes, I watch NASCAR, and yes, I am a huge Chase Elliott fan.  I always enjoyed his dad as a racer (I was more of a Rusty Wallace fan but it was hard not to root for Bill) but this kid is special.  He's still only 21.  But, he more than likely had this race, Martinsville of all places, one of the most prestigious tracks, one his dad never won at, won and was only a few laps from taking his first checkered flag.  He now has 6 or 7 races that he has almost won or finished 2nd in.  Heart-breaking for the kid.  He even overcame his past troubles with restarts to get back into the lead multiple times.  And then to be cheap-shotted and wrecked from behind, I don't know how he didn't throw a punch.  Denny Hamlin certainly would've deserved it...

By the way, what the fuck is this World Series?!  And, yes, THE BASEBALLS ARE 100% DIFFERENT AND JUICED.  I have no doubt about that.  There was a replay of Carlos Correa during game 5 hitting his crazy high fly ball, and after a second or so a look of shock came across his face when he saw it had a chance to get out.  He clearly was happy he lifted it to get Altuve home from third on the tag, but he was shocked to see it go out.  These guys know.  It's their job to know.  As one of the pitchers, McCullers I believe, said pitching with these new baseballs was as if you wrote 10,000 times in a row with a #2 pencil then someone handed you a pen.  You'd notice the difference.  It's their livelihood and they're the best in the world at it; of course they would know if it was different.  Dallas Keuchel said "Obviously, the balls are juiced.  I think they're juiced 100 percent. But it is what it is."  Far too many fly balls are ending up in the seats.

Now, I'm entertained by this Series, for sure, especially since the Astros are leading, but this is not the kind of baseball I want to see in the regular season, let alone the Series.  2000 more home runs this year vs. 2 seasons ago.  More home runs than any year during the (ridiculously obvious) Steroid Era.  C'mon...  We're not that stupid are we?  I spent my youth as a hit-for-average, hit-for-location, defensive shortstop so that's what I like to see.  I loved the way the Royals won their series and am still flabbergasted by what Bumgarner did the year before.  Those are my kind of Series.  If baseball is going the way of the NFL, more points/runs and shootouts over defense, then count me out.  It's the main reason I watched less than five minutes of football this weekend and I've been constantly frustrated by a couple games in this Series.  It was very obvious when some of the best pitchers in the world, Kershaw, Verlander, Keuchel, have to go away from some of their best stuff.  They didn't suddenly forget how to throw a baseball, but they can't suddenly learn how to throw a new one either...

THIS WEEK IN MUSIC:

Here I am, sitting at the desk in the...  Wait, I'm fucking home for one of these!  It's my cluttered, old, damaged, a little too dusty, slightly too small and kind-of-uncomfortable desk that I'm writing this from.  This week has been a rough one for a number of reasons that I won't go into, as they are boring and best reserved for my (eventual) therapist.  But, as always, I've gone back to music to help me through.  I learned some cover songs for an upcoming show, relearned some old tunes of my own that I haven't played for probably 6-7 years and leaned heavy into some old "twee" records I haven't spun for years.  So, what does melancholy Bradley listen to to brighten his spirits (or, more accurately, dwell upon his melancholy which makes him feel better somehow) during a rough week?  Let's find out together... (Just kidding I already fucking know.  But, I'll pretend not to so it's more fun.)

Camera Obscura - "Underachievers Please Try Harder"

As soon as those first descending notes of "SUSPENDED FROM CLASS" hit my earholes, I'm immediately transported back to Madison, WI and the house on East Johnson I shared with Jake, Quinn and Tyler.  It was a crappy, old house but it was close to State Street and cheap enough (barely, well, not really, as we sometimes had to steal food in order to eat and pay rent in the same month) for 4 musicians with part-time jobs.  I'll always remember walking the neighborhood with my Sony CD Discman and playing this album on repeat as I watched the other young kids, mostly students, unlike me, and tried to determine what their life's story was.  In the summer, I would lay on the grass at James Madison Park, or "the JMP" as we called it, across the street and just people-watch.  Yes, there were pretty girls but mostly it was about just experiencing the world outside of the tiny town of Horicon, WI and music was such a huge part of that.  In the fall and winter, I would always wear my hoodie with my jacket so I could smuggle along a couple extra CD's to listen to on my walks.  Just as I did in Horicon throughout my High School years, I would put on my headphones and just walk for hours.  I loved it most when it was cold outside for some reason.  I think it was because it was so peaceful, as Wisconsin in the wintertime is not a time for people to be outside, unless they are weird Asperger's kids who obsessively walk the same route over and over, day after day, listening to the same few records for months on end...

Belle and Sebastian - "If You're Feeling Sinister"

"GET ME AWAY FROM HERE, I'M DYING" is just so damn good.  "I could kill you, sure, but I could only make you cry with these words."  Well played, sir.  Well played.

I remember not owning this record for years.  Jake burned me a copy (Jake is the only person I've met who was more into discovering new, or new to him, artists and albums.  He had WAY more music than I did so I was always poaching and burning CD's from him.) which I played for years until during a move I lost a ton of CD's, both real and burned copies.  I still haven't remembered and repurchased all the albums I lost, so occasionally I'll stumble across something lost from long ago and be filled with the joy of rediscovering some beauty I misplaced along the way.  The Weepies were like that.  Somehow, they didn't make the "twee" music week.  Hmmm...

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Eponymous

This isn't technically "twee," as I believe it falls into the "hipster as fuck" category.  The intro track is borderline unbearable but the moment "LET THE COOL GODDESS RUST AWAY" kicks in, sweet Jesus, it is catchy, loose, silly, unintelligible but, most importantly, fun as hell.  This is another one I stole as a burned copy from Jake (later to replace it with multiple purchased copies that I kept giving away to people who said they would "hate that shit."  Some changed their minds, some couldn't fucking stand the singer's voice and never got past it.  Sad for them...) and just played on repeat all summer long.  The JMP, the beach volleyball, the flirting between the college boys and college girls, the seagulls, the smell of Lake Mendota, the small church on the far end of the park, the boat launch, the bench I would watch the waves from for hours, the swingset I'd swing on for the other hours in the day; all that was in this record for me.  It was magical, it still is.  Most people assimilate music to their lives; my life is moments of beauty or darkness dictated by the music.  Time is ethereal yet fleeting and is no way to define a life.  Music is my mileposts, I remember life through records, not records through life, if that makes sense.  Whatever, it's getting late...

Goodnight to all my fellow travelers on this long, lonesome, Lost Highway...

Lyrics, huh, good God y'all, what are they good for??? Absolutely nothin'... Friday Night Playlist and shit...

One of the hardest things for me to accept and reconcile in the vast expanse of wasted space, dilapidated memories and deserted brain cells in this dang ol' cranium of mine (that sounds like a science-themed country song, if such a thing were to exist) is the fact that most people JUST DON'T GIVE A FUCK about song lyrics.  Now, to be sure, I sort of get it.  Some people's relationship with music is an arm's length affair, at best.  Some might have even had a few run-ins, called the cops and got a restraining order against poor ol' music.  Music has definitely stolen dearly from me on many occasions.  I can't count how many times I've put on "Airbag" only to lose the next 53 minutes of my life to "OK Computer," AGAIN...  But shit, son, it's Friday Night.  Let's forgive and forget and be friends with the words so thoughtfully and carefully put together, in which to create a memorable story, lived-in and full of Love and Hope and Faith and Fear.  And, if it's a Bradley Wik (or Bruce Springsteen) joint, it'll be about the four pillars of Rock N' Roll:  Cars, Girls, Drinking and Rock N' Roll...  (Some) Artists (not me) struggle to tell tales from the heart, relating to us simpletons (well, not me since I'm part of them, but you fuckers) the vastness of human-ness that is our experiences on this short-go-round-on-the-spinning-blue-orb.  The very stories that make us feel less alone and more a part of this fucked up world; as always, spinning in infinity, amen, hallelujah.  If Paul Simon and Chevy Chase can't bring a smile to your face, then fuck you.  You don't deserve this limited view of God's creations, however imperfect, yet beautiful.  And, you definitely don't deserve this fucking list of awesome shit, as curated by the man himself:  Me.  The best bringer of the fucking shit since Jay-Z and Kanye decided to explode our meager minds by teaming up to become the real Masters of the Universe.  Who dare fuck with them and their musical prowess??  Not I, said the lowly maestro who carves out a simple existence in the realm of the living, not attempting to understand the unknowable brilliance that reigns down upon him, should he live to be so lucky.  I pity those who perished before enjoying "Niggas in Paris," though I'm sure that's the muthafucking song Peter plays to determine your worthiness of entry into the kingdom of Heaven.  Hell plays a mix of the Eagles, Grouplove, the Head and the Heart, Rick Astley (although personally I'm against his inclusion on the "soundtrack from Hell," literally), James Taylor, Josh Groban, Jackson Browne, Fun., and finally, the devils themselves, Mumford and Sons.  Wow, if that list ain't enough to restore your faith then I don't know what is.  Paul Simon and Kanye OR James Taylor and Fun.?  Fuck, their stupid fucking name fucks up my fucking punctuation.  Fuck them. They're so fucking stupid.  Seriously, FUCK FUN.!  But most importantly of all, fuck THIS.  Their reign as Indie Rock elites lasted about as long as a bout of untreated AIDS.  So mostly, we're just happy it's dead and it can't infect anyone else and ruin their respective lives, and their loved ones, as well.  So, with a Fun./AIDS joke sufficiently in hand, let's move on to the goddamn list...

1.  Fifth Harmony - "Worth It"

Look, if you started the night off with two martinis, you'd want to fuckin' rock that shit right off that bat too; and this song definitely hooks that shit up.  Gotta love a song that is just as much at home in my headphones, the club, the stripclub, the car, and pretty much any-fucking-where music plays.  I would have still loved this song if it came out a hundred years ago and I had to play it on a fuckin' gramophone I had to wind myself.  Still would get the party jumpin'.  Might've pre-empted the Civil War, George W. style.

2.  Kenna - "Freetime"

As a white kid growing up in Wisconsin, most of my childhood was spent listening to classic rock music.  Synths and shit made no fucking sense to me.  This was a hella-fun song for an 18 year old to drink and do white people dances to.

3.  Nena - "99 Red Balloons (Luftballons)"

So, full disclosure, this song is the real reason for the rant about people not listening to lyrics.  I asked a small focus group about this song, and not one knew it wasn't in English.  Fuckin' seriously.  That's how much people give a fuck.  100% knew the song and 100% didn't know it was in German.  Which, of course, also proves that 100% of my focus group hasn't watched THIS.

4.  Clipse - "When the Last Time"

So, what??!!  This shit was quite ahead of it's time.  Pharrell knows how to make two things:  Music and Money, and has a fuckload of both.  "Happy" might have been better as a PARODY, but no one can touch some of his earlier shit.  Like this next one...

5.  N.E.R.D - "Truth or Dare"

I wasn't sure what the fuck was happening to my 16 year old mind and body but I liked it.  If I could travel back in time to hear this song for the first time, I would in a second.  It's the equivalent of hearing "Visions of Johanna" for the first time.  In other words, FUCKING LIFE-CHANGING.  Hip-hop, Rock N' Roll, Pop, all sorts of shit colliding in the most beautiful way.  I still don't understand this album and relish it among my most valuable things.

6.  Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - "Let the Cool Goddess Rust Away"

Talk about hipster nonsense.  This shit was real, real fucking good.  They tapped into something with this record and I still love it to this day.  Hipster shit doesn't suck because it's fucking hipster shit, it sucks because it sucks.  This lands on the opposite end of that spectrum, proving that what's good is good, despite its inclinations.

7.  Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - "A King at Night"

 I'm sensing an early 2000's theme to tonight.  Seriously, I don't plan these things.  You're literally drinking and listening to music with me, in real time.  The line "She's a fine lookin' lady and she likes to go down on me.  And I like to go down on her, too," is like, wait, what?  This is a sad song that is funny and silly and Will has the balls to be all those things at once.  Genius.

8.  Britney Spears - "Email My Heart"

Drinking often leads to bad decisions but this isn't one.  I've owned, loved and listened to "...Baby, One More Time" since 1999.  I probably should be ashamed of this fact, but I'm not.  In fact, I'm quite proud of my fandom of Britney.  Young love always leaves the strongest impressions...

9.  Firehouse - "Love of a Lifetime"

When I was younger man (read:  a teenager), my buddy's dad had a music room we were strictly, and explicitly, forbidden to enter.  It was probably mostly the result of my buddy who was the consummate klutz and broke nearly everything he touched.  Or, it might have been the roughly $10,000 he invested in his stereo equipment and speakers that he didn't want young kids to fuck up.  Nevertheless, we would sneak in there when he was gone and go through his thousands of CD's, fire up his vintage Klipsch's and revel in the majesty that is Winger and, of course, Firehouse.  It's a very strange thing when a random album grabs my attention so hard and for so long, but that's exactly what happened with the self-titled Firehouse album.  I still listen to it, front to back, on a regular basis, nearly 18 years later.  If you haven't heard it, this song is the place to start.

10.  Cinderella - "Coming Home"

Speaking of 80's hair metal...  This might be the cheesiest of them all.  Which, of course, I love as I am from Wisconsin, after all.

11.  Feist - "Brandy Alexander"

This song is the reason I own Creme de Cacao.  Also, the reason I get sad sometimes.  And the remedy for sadness at other times.  Songs that can do that to me are rare and I love them for it.  More than they'll ever love me back...

12.  Adam Sandler - "At a Medium Pace"

As I mentioned previously, drinking always unleashes the sentimentality bug.  Who hasn't felt like "Shave off my pubes and punch me in the face" at times??

13.  Beck - "Debra"

The "Just... What the fuck?!" song of the week.  Not sure what the record is for consecutive listens of this song is, but I'm sure I'm getting close...

14.  Elliott Smith - "Say Yes"

Can't end on 13, so here's the last one.  That sentimentality bug is goddamn persistent and finally landed a bite.  Fuck him or her.  Does the sentimentality bug have a gender?  Not sure, but not sure if it matters unless they're fucking on, as well as with, me.  Fuck those little fuckers.  Either/Or this is the end.  Remember, you're only as old as you feel when you're drinking...  'Til next time, assholes!