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Well shit, another year in the bag. I start this playlist in January, forget about it until summer, then frantically compile songs in December. It was a good year for music with alot of genre bending and blending. Hip-hop had a terrible year with lazy releases and tired re-treads. Indie was lagging behind with watered down synth heavy retro-pop and over distorted vanilla elevator music. There are some gems though.
If anything please check out HEALTH. Death Magic has been my favorite album this year. Run the Jewels with their Meow the Jewels album was outstanding as it was silly. FFS (Franz Ferdinand and Sparks) put out a quirky pop album that could have been recorded in any decade ever. Father John Misty put out a modern romantic masterpiece that instead of flowery adjectives and tired cliches it was a brutal look at a modern relationship in 2015. There is alot of great music here.
Below is the link to the playlist on spotify.
Then is the playlist embedded.
Enjoy my friends.
Sufjan Stevens - Should Have Known Better
Lord Huron - The Night We Met
Disclosure - Bang That
Crystal Castles - Frail
Robots Can't Dance - Bada Bing (Doctor P / Flux Pavilion Mix)
Zomboy - Nuclear (Dillon Francis Remix)
Tech N9Ne - Speedom
The Wombats - Just Give Me A Try
Ghost - Circe
Diplo, CL, RiFF RAFF, and OG Maco - Dr. Pepper
The Maccabees - The Marks to Prove it
Majical Cloudz: Silver Car Crash
Blanck Mass - Dead Format
Health - New Coke
Health - Stonefist
Meow the Jewels - Meowrly
Eagles of Death Metal - Complexity
Major Lazer - Lean On
Weeknd - Can't Feel My Face
Prodigy - The Day Is My Enemy
Father John Misty - Bored in the USA
Flosstradamus - Don't Trip
Chemical Brothers - Go
The National - Sunshine On My Back
FFS - Johnny Delusional
Blur - Go Out
*Kelly Lee Owens - Lucid
Future Islands - The Chase
DJ Spinn / DJ Rashad - Dubby (ft Danny Brown)
Muse - Mercy
Modest Mouse - Lampshades on Fire
The Arcs - Flower in Your Pocket
The Dead Weather - I Feel Love (Every Million Miles)
Deafheaven - Brought to the Water
Interpol - All The Rage Back Home
Doomtree - Generator
Lana Del Rey - High By The Beach
Coheed and Cambria - To Mars and Back
Bloc Party- The Love Within
Baauer - GoGo!
Jaime XX - Gosh
Alice Glass - Stillbirth
*Arrabmuzik - King
Lightning Bolt - The Metal East
Perfecto - Giorgio
King Charles - Gamble for a RoseOpen Mike Eagle - Ziggy Starfish (feat. Gold Panda)
Missy Elliott - WTF
After the Burial - Lost in the Static
Walk The Moon - Shut Up and Dance
Mark Ronson - Uptown Funk
Andy Grammer - Honey, I'm Good
Titus Andronicus - Dimed Out
Squarepusher - Rayc Fire 2
Grimes - Venus Fly
Banks - Better
Death Grips - Why Bitch Gonna Lie
MIA - Swords
Destroyer - Girl in a Sling
Kid Smpl - Focus Ribbon
Tall Juan - Chinese Rock
Dean Martin - Ain't That A Kick In The Head? (RJD2 Remix)
Flosstradamus - Prison Riot
David Bowie - BlackStar
Rustie – Big Catzz
Bad Sounds – I Feel
Club 8 – Love Dies
Dead Ceremony – Seventeen
Dom Zilla – Cold
Disclosure – Nocturnal
Saul Williams – Horn Of The Clock-Bike
Jack Garratt – Weathered
Skrillex and Jauz - Squad Out! (feat. Fatman Scoop)
Run The Jewels - Rubble Kings
GTA - Red Lips (Skrillex Remix)
Girl Band - Why They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage?
Leon Bridges - Coming Home
JAPANESE HOUSE – STILL
STORMZY – "KNOW ME FROM"
PSY- Daddy
Sharon Van Etten - I Always Fall Apart
The Struts - Could Have Been Me
EL VY - Return To The Moon
Dawes- All Your Favorite Bands
Beck - Dreams
Alabama Shakes - Don't Want to Fight
Nathaniel Rateliff- S.O.B.
Alessia Cara - Here
Hot Chip - Hurarache Lights
Tobias Jesso Jr. - How Could You Babe?
Bronze Radio Review - Light Me Up
Aesop Rock - Cat Food
Tyler, The Creator - Deathcamp
The Vaccines - Handsome
ChVches- Leave a Trace
The Districts - 4th and Roebling
The Family Crest - Beneath the Brine
PAPA - Hold On
New Order - Singularity
Since ConstruxNunchux™ began we always like to mention people who inspired us and molded us into the person we are. In turn, who we are reflects what kind of content we share, what we create for the site, and who we surround ourselves with. Every human in the world is inspired by something or someone, consciously or subconsciously, and its either a profound life-experience or a simple moment photographed in time. That inspiration can motivate a person to do something great. That inspiration, also, never leaves you. It nestles itself into your mind and makes a home. When you make a decision, or need to dig deep into yourself and create something you look to these moments to light the way. When we say "INSPIRE ENTERTAIN INNOVATE™" as the qualifiers to be immortalized on the honored wall of Castle Construx™, we mean it.
The Construx Crew™ were occupied with several projects in 2014 so the inductions were missed and we refused to make hasty choices. So the Construx Core™ will retroactively pick their 2014.
My choice for 2014 is Fred "Mr." Rogers.
Most people I know grew up with this man. The sweaters, the puppets, the warm smile all made this man the face of children's programming for decades. On the surface Mr. Rogers had a massively successful show that enforced the concepts of compassion, imagination, creativity, and learning. Behind the stages, lights, and machines there was a truly exemplary man who had a profound and meaningful impact on everyone around him.
As a child, Mr. Rogers was always a positive calming influence on me that cut through the sugar induced activity and guided me through the confusing (and sometimes intimidating world). Even when I out-grew the show, I still watched him peacefully teach my little brother and sister life lessons watching what I must have looked like soaking up his messages of self-worth and confidence.
Being from Pittsburgh, coupled with his impact on me personally and the entire world it was after some digging that I learned that his demeanor on the show wasn't an act. Mr. Rogers was an incredible human being that was really the person he was on TV. He really gave a shit about you, he really believed that love made the world go round, and he really valued everyone as much as he valued himself.
Here are some things that some people might not know about Fred Rogers that will make you respect the hell out of him.
- Mr. Rogers was an ordained Presbyterian minister. In 1962, he received a Bachelor of Divinity degree and was ordained as a minister in the United Presbyterian Church. He was urged by religious organizations to use his influence to teach children about God. Mr. Rogers refused because he wanted ALL children to enjoy his program and he didn't want to alienate anyone based on religious beliefs. He thought the messages of friendship and love were not only exclusive to Christianity.
- He loved break-dancing! He really did. The way he takes on new experiences in a non-patronizing way with true appreciation of other's interests is really nice to see.
- He was straight-edge. He was a vegetarian, didn't smoke, drink, or have any real vices. That doesn't necessarily make a great person automatically but it would have been a real heart-breaker to think of Mr. Rogers with whiskey stains on his pull-overs banging whores.
- He swam naked. Fred revealed that he swam laps daily to keep his weight at 143 (which was intentional because of the universal belief that 143 = I love you,) at a local club that allowed nude swimming during certain hours.
- Mr. Rogers fought the government on VCR recording.When VCRs first came out the fact that you could record a show and watch it later was a big deal. Stations were upset because it would impact ratings, therefor, impacting ad revenue. A coalition formed to try and prevent people from recording shows stating that it was a violation of copyright laws. Well, Fred did't stand for it and fought in court stating that recorded shows fell under the Fair Use. He mentioned that having his show on at different times sometimes does not fit into a family's schedule and that everyone should be able to enjoy his show at the time of the family's digression not the TV station. The Supreme Court made special mention of Mr. Rogers testimony as a factor into their decision to allow VCR recording.
- He did all the music for the show compiling over 200 composed songs.
- Mr. Rogers was pro-LGBT before it was cool . His Presbyterian friend would always push Fred to denounce non-Christians and gays because for some reason that's important to them, but Roger's simply wouldn't. He said "God loves you just the way you are." and leave it at that. He abhorred prejudice of any kind.
- He answered ALL his fan mail ... personally. It was apart of his daily routine. Every morning he would answer fan mail from the children handwriting all his replies. On occasion he would pro-actively send a follow up letter asking questions or just checking up on the family.
- His office had no desk. He wanted everyone not to feel separated or intimated when talking to him in a business capacity.
- He's got street cred. When his car (an old beat up Chevy Impala) was stolen he, of course, filed a report with the police. It made the news and less than a day later it was returned, undamaged, with an apology note.
- He was the first children's show to discuss divorce. It was considered taboo by his church but he felt that it was his duty to address the matter. It was becoming a very common and jarring problem for children and he wanted to make sure that the kid who watch his program could do their best coping with the issue.
There are dozens upon dozens more example of the man's greatness but you have the internet so do some work!
Fred Rogers was honored in every way a human can be honored and revered in every way a human can be remembered fondly. He was a person who genuinely, consistently gave a shit about children. He put his work influencing children above everything. He gave 100% of himself to a noble cause and made the world around him a better place.
I'm not sure if I was supposed to really love this song for how hilarious the lyrics are - butt (get it) I did! The Pansy Division does covers of popular songs and makes them their own. This all-gay punk rock band was one of the founders of the "Queer-Core" movement in the early 90's in which all gay-musicians yearned to break the stereo-type of gays being into musical theater and pop music. You might appreciate this or not, but you can't deny how fucking punk rock this is.
"...licking nipples, licking nuts, putting candy canes up eachother's butts..." won't be heard on the radio this Xmas season but that's not stopping you from enjoying it now!
In Japan Xmas is celebrated differently than in the US (obviously). Christmas Eve is a bigger deal than Christmas Day. In Japan, traditionally, its more meaningful to make a gift than buy one. Then on Christmas Day is celebrated more like Valentine's Day where it is usually reserved for couples and romantic endeavors.
During the Xmas season, and really any other time, you can't find turkey anywhere in Japan. Turkeys don't naturally breed and thrive in Japan so most Japanese people haven't really tried turkey or developed a taste for it like we have. Additionally, most Japanese home are too small to have an over to accommodate an entire turkey. So finding a turkey in Japan is extremely difficult.
The popular story is that a "gaijin" walked into an Ayoama KFC in the 70's and mentioned he was having an X-mas party but couldn't find turkey anywhere. He loaded up on some deep fried meat and left the store with the idea of marketing their chicken during the X-mas time.
Whomever was manning the register at the time somehow ran it up the chain and the Japanese ad Christmas = Kentucky was born with an army of Yen behind it.
(I couldn't find the original video)
Voting has opened for the 61st NHL All-Star Game in Nashville!! It's like Christmas ... if it wasn't Christmas already. Can you feel the excitement?! Yeah ... I don't care either.
As stupid as the John Scott movement is, the counter argument is just as stupid.
Noted idiot:
It's no mystery that fans of any sport what to be apart of the sport they love. Fans love hearing themselves speak and have an impactful influence via, cheering, chanting, or voting.
There is no reason NOT to vote for a joke candidate. The NHL made it an option and its your right to do what you want. It's not a fan's job to adhere to tradition. It's not a fan's job to honor careers. It's not a fan's job to do anything outside of what their primal impulses tell them to do.
If anything, I like the fact that hockey fans are getting behind a singular idea, joke or not.
On the other hand, if the NHL wants to be taken that seriously it would have thought about this. It happened in Montreal, it happened in Columbus. The fact that turd Nick Foligno was last year's All Star captain is just as absurd as John Scott.
The hockey community perpetually complains about things they have no control over and the All- Star game is no different. Aside from being personally voted into the All-Star game this year, I will have no idea what happens in that game because since the player's don't care (and shouldn't) Why should I?
I voted for John Scott (and Scuderi) "because poop is funny".
In 2009 I stumbled upon the band Fleet Foxes and was immediately enamored by their beautiful harmonies, thoughtful lyrics, and an innovative sound that was new to me but - somehow - inherently familiar. I played their album in the car so much that my kids ended up loving them too, often singing along to the desperate soulful crooning of Robin Pecknold.
I've been hearing the track "White Winter Hymnal" lauded as a X-mas song and embarrassingly I never made the connection until now. The song itself is just "it’s lyrically fairly meaningless I guess but it’s not really meant to mean something" according to Pecknold. The velvety harmonies and vivid short story they tell weaves together such a nice, simple song.
What makes this even better is that my daughter Lexi learned the lyrics and wanted to sing it for me. She is/was and might always will be shy so her doing this was/is pretty special. If you want to hear the original, figure it out you're an adult!
Listen to the end for a surprise ending!
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Kris Letang
Ryan
Le Trials and Tribulations of @Kris58Letang - Le Game des All Star fan vote.
4:23:00 PMRyan Noble
Allo my friend. It is your favourite hockey players Tanger here and I would like to thanks you for all the tres great comments on my last posts. The switch from PenisInitiative to Construk Nunchux was a scary one but all the peoples really made me feel good and from the bottom of my hearts, tres thank!
Sadly beyond this there is little joys for me. I am not one to be dramatics but this might be one of the worst time of my lifes.
Before I get into this I must say that you are like one of the top sport fans across the major sports league. You are for sure better than curlings fan, they are mostly asshole.. But NHL fans are pretty good usually but sometime you guy can be really mean. Please know that I do loves you but..
When you first hear of an Arcade Fire X-Mas album you can usually imagine glamorous period formal costumes and a harpsichord but this is something entirely different. The band got together got very, very drunk and hit record. The four song EP is really funny in an ironic type of way. Win Butler stumbling over words and a mix of drums and brass duct taped together an harmony. The song below, in particular, was a totally improvised "new" X-mas song about a man trying to buy a "jewel" for his loved one one for Xmas. The song steadily loses structure and spirals into drunken 1am karaoke crooning about well ... who knows what. Enjoy.
