Do: Ride A Motorcycle with a Cayetana Dont: Dance With a Jawbreaker

Hello everyone! This is going to be my 323rd I am back post on RopBop. While that number is totally a lie, it seems that a lot of the more recent posts have been "I'm sorry I am and I am back" posts. The truth of it all is that life gets in the way of the things you really want to do sometimes. Let's face it, your favorite music blog writer (or once favorite), is also very undisciplined when it comes to things. I forget for long periods of time that I once had a music blog. I sometimes think about writing a post then I get distracted, or just don't feel motivated. Well lucky for you, and for me, I am feeling motivated today! Lets do a quick update shall we? I have a new job. An apartment away from a loud ass neighbor. Still single. I took some time to work through some crappy stuff life threw at me and now feel I am actually making progress. It's not all cherries yet, but then again, when is life always good? Am I right? However it's way better than it was and getting better ery' day! Progression through baby steps, my friends, baby steps.

Speaking of progression and dealing with the world flinging poo at you like an enraged monkey. Let's talk about this band I have REALLY REALLY been diggin for the last month or so. I heard about this band through a music suggestion subreddit called IfYouLike_____ (IfYouLikeBlank). Basically you ask "If I like XYZ artist/song/movie/book, what else would I like?" Then the community can give you suggestions based on what you like. If I recall correctly I was asking about ands that sounded similar to The Front Bottoms and someone suggested Cayetana. Cayetana (pronounced Kay-tana) is an all female trio from Philly who's sound is rooted in indie rock, power pop and a little slice of punk rock. Not the angry kind of punk rock, though. The music is insanely catchy, tough, and gritty like sweet sugar crystals that melt in your brain.The bass lines are heavy and remind me of all of my favorite Cure songs, The drumming is tight doesn't let loose. The latest album form the group, A New Kind Of Normal, was released in 2017 and deals with issues such as mental health, overcoming life's challenges, and reinvention. While the songs can deal with heavier subjects it is not a sad record by any stretch of the imagination. It's actually quite uplifting and inspiring with lyrics like "And I hope that you realize/ That I was born strong/ Like the ones that made me/ And I was made soft/ By the one that raised me /this is my last call/ This is my rock bottom/ This is my curtain call/ this is my but ticket." Lead singer Augusta Koch has a strong smoky vocals that make for a unique and very refreshing sound. This woman can belt it out, and will have you rocking out right along with her. This is definitely a band that I am going to keep my eye on. I thought I had grown out of my so called "punk rock" phase, but Cayetana came and re-lit my love of the genre.
Cayetana - Bus Ticket


I just got done watching the movie Jawbreakers before starting this post. I thought I remembered it being better than it was, but perhaps younger me was drawn to it due in part to the fact that it starred a bevy of gorgeous and very talented women. When I say talented I mean that in an all around sense, and not so much in this particular movie. To be fair though, I don't think it was their acting ability, I think it was the not so great script. If you haven't seen the movie it is about a group of popular stuck up high school girls who kidnap their best friend for a birthday prank/surprise, but the only one getting a present are her kidnappers, when it turns out the best friend dies from choking on a jawbreaker. The story then begins when they try to cover up their friends murder and remain "innocent". If this premise sound familiar you are right, it's definitely an updated and thinly veiled Heathers remake. I feel I really need to do more than just crap on the movie, because tha is what it seems I am doing. While it is full of plot holes and a few unexplored/rushed ideas, it is a pretty decent dark comedy junk food movie. Rose McGowan plays a great nasty girl villain, Judy Greer goes from awkward ugly duckling to queen bitch and back flawlessly and Rebecca Gayheart plays the straight woman hero. The film also features the always great Pam Grier, and a cameo from Marylin Manson as a sleezy bar patron. All in all it's not the best movie ever made, but it is a decent watch if you dig bad junk food movies where you don't have to think too much...just don't expect much. It at least had a good soundtrack
Imperial Teen - Yoo Hoo

The Donnas - Rock 'n' Roll Machine


I am a sucker for dance pop songs. I am not a big fan of the stuff you hear on the radio. Perhaps my disdain stems from all those years of working in retail where we would listen to the radio stations that played the same handful of songs over and over, it felt so force fed. Don't get me wrong there were some that I loved. I am very embarrassed to admit that the song Love Yourself by Justin Bieber is one of those. Yeah, cool points deducted, but fuck it. We all love what we love. I do feel bad for those artists that could easily be huge, but never see popularity that commercial success brings. Or maybe I am just out of touch. The way we listen to music has changed so much in the last decade it's crazy. It is quite nice though for those lesser known artists to build a fan base and get heard. This song in particular was one that really struck me as something special. Tove Stryke is a Swedish pop singer who has been making music since 2010. In Sweden she is pretty widely known. Her album went platinum and she was nominated for a Swedish Grammy at 18, but as far as US acclaim she is relatively unknown. This year she released her third album Sway that would easily be accessible to the modern radio listener, yet a refreshing change from the watered down music you'd expect. Soft sweet airy vocals and epic electronic instrumentation that make it hard to fight the urge to bust out a few dance moves and finger snaps. A definite recommendation if you are a fan of Ellie Goulding, Lorde, or Catchy Poppy EDM. This song makes me bounce, fool!
Tove Stryke - Say My Name


I'm also a sucker for hilarious punk songs about being in love with an unhinged quasi embarrassing drunk girlfriend. The Vandals have always had a knack for tongue in cheek, irreverent, energetic witty songs. I actually have a playlist that I call "A Taraintino Type Thing" which are a collection of songs I think would be great songs to be used in movies. This one is on that list. Favorite line: I apologize for all shes done/ go ahead and keep her purse.
The Vandals - That's My Girl


My current job is working as a data developer for a Mororcycle/Motorsports retailer. Previous to this I never really was into motorcycles. I thought they were cool, but I never was interested in them all that much. I took the job because it's a very different atmosphere. Much less running around, and dealing with customers. I thought it would be less stressful than the front lines of the retail world, and in a sense it is. What I did not expect though was the immense learning curve that comes with motorcycle parts. Not only do you have to know brands of bikes but you then have sub-modles and sub-models of sub-models, various names for the parts, and they also like to switch things up every few years with the names of things. It's mind boggling! However, it's super cool to look at badass motorcycles all day. It's also fun to be able to see a bike and be able to identify what it is. This song is a cover of country outlaw extraordinaire David Allen Coe. It's a slow burning ode to the love between man and machine.
PJ Elliot - Panhead's Forever

Where are the wild things? Who's hitting on their boss? Does he really think that will redeem his cool points?

I want to see Where The Wild Things Are so bad! The movie looks great, and is going to have a kick ass soundtrack! In case you did not know or haven't figured it out Wake Up by The Arcade Fire is the music played in the trailer. With it's soaring epic sound it fits well with the movies visuals. Every time I see the trailer on TV or the internet I literally have to resist the urge to break out my Arcade Fire albums and listen to them until my CD player blows up or my ears bleed. Including the amazing trailer music you will also find that the soundtrack is done by composer Carter Burwell(Fargo, Velvet Goldmine, Twilight) and Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs‘. The songs are mostly credited to Karen O and the kids. The "kids" also consist of members of various indie bands including The Dead Weather/The Raconteurs Dean Fertita and Jack Lawrence, Liars Aaron Hemphill, The Bird and The Bee's Greg Kurstin as well as Deerhunters Bradford Cox. The soundtrack is available now and you can get it for pretty cheap on Amazon.
Arcade Fire - Wake Up

Karen O And The Kids - All Is Love

I woke up a few mornings ago feeling chilly as I rolled my bones out of bed. Then it happened again the next morning and the morning after that, In fact it happened every morning since. Fall is here my friends. I have to admit that fall is my favorite time of year. It's not sit-in-a-pool-of-your-sweat-burn-your-flesh-on-leather hot and it's not freeze-your-ass-off-while-chiseling-ice-off-your-windows cold either. I like spring too but most of the time it's allergy season therefore it loses. Fall is the perfect weather though. You got road trips, football games, and Halloween and nothing is better than slipping into a warm hoodie, getting a hot drink, and taking a walk on a fall day. While you are out and about looking at all the changing leaves or jumping in them why not jam out to this chilling little electro number.
Rollercoaster Project - Hoods Up (No Longer Available, But This Is)

Embarrassing fact #223 about Me: I like the TV show Glee. Not the manliest show to watch but seeing as how I am a fan of music I decided to give it a go and now I am addicted. The story seems pretty well grounded, hopefully it won't go all crazy and loose it's luster as we have seen with a lot of fox shows. I love the remakes of the songs and the dance numbers. I'm not a huge fan of dancing but it is entertaining. What grabs me the most is the singing. I don't know if it's the actual actors voices (I doubt it) but whoever is singing these songs they have AMAZING voices. The song selection is great too. Can't go wrong with Don't Stop Believin' or Somebody To Love. Unfortunately I can't find any youtube clips with video for those two songs but I did find this.
...and why don't guys watch this?!

As I always do after uncovering a hidden reputation ruining factoid I will try to redeem myself. How I will do that, is with jetpacks. Since after seeing the Rocketeer as a kid so many years ago I have always wanted a jetpack. As I am sure many of you have. Now that I am a little older I realize that having a jetpack would ultimately lead me to an early demise, or thousands of dollars in construction repair and hospital bills. The dream of having jetpacks was humorously crushed after watching George Michael on Arrested Development. Still I hope someday to see jetpacks used for travel, and so do the band We Were Promised Jetpacks. These Glasgow based guys have been around for a bit but I just recently got around to listening to them. This band exudes energy from every note they play. What I really love about this band is the noticeable accent and the stop on a dime ending. Apparently Glasgow is the city to watch for good music folks. Now if I only had a way that could get me there faster than a car and without having to deal with airport security...

We Were Promised Jetpacks - Ships With Holes Will Sink

I had to stop in the middle of writing this post because I had to go take another test in order to go back to school so I can take more tests. Funny how that all works out, huh? They always want to know what you know! It wasn't a hard test at all. It was more of an "answer these questions about jobs with like or dislike and then we will compile it all and give you an idea of what you might be good at" test. I came out with artistic careers and I.T. careers. I think both fit well. Good job test for telling me what I already know. The test isn't what this is about though. After that test I decided to get some food and pop into this store called Bumblebees near me that was hiring. It's a sort of second hand clothing store mostly catering to kids clothes and some adult clothes as well. I had a job with goodwill so I figured I might as well put my app in and see what happens. Even if it's not really what I am looking for it's a job! So I go to the register and there is a girl behind the counter. When she turns around I see one of the cutest blondes, I have seen in a while. I was, so caught off guard that I started to stutter for a second, probably looking like a complete idiot, until I finally get "Can I have an application?" out of my mouth. She laughs a little and tells me that she doesn't have any available because she forgot to copy the last application they had. I smile and I tell her "I know how that goes", she smiles back and says I should come back in a few days. I say alright and I stupidly stand there for a second. This is what goes through my mind. "Dude, hit on her, ask her out, be funny, but you might want to say something cause right now your just standing there looking at her and she is still looking at you. Oh wait....you just asked her for an application for a job. What if she's the boss? Bad Idea, still you should say something instead of looking like a goober." I looked down for a second and then said "I'll probably "buzz" by in a few days then." Just kidding. I didn't say that. Instead I said "Alright, I'll come back in a few days." I wish I had thought of that though, it would have been classic. I'll have to save that one for next time. On the way home I started thinking about writing a song called Potentially Hittin' On The Boss (Worst First Impression) then I'd remix it and call myself Business or Pleasure. I'm seriously going to think about doing this. It might be lame cause I have no musical ability but it'll be funny. I tried to see if there were any songs remotely similar to that idea, and all I could think of was a song by The Vandals called Cafe 405 which I will post. However while I was looking I came across another song that tickled my fancy. It doesn't have a lot to do with the situation but I think it's a flirtatious and unique song. So...on to the music.

The Vandals - Cafe 405

Kids On TV - We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off (Jermaine Stewart Cover)

Songs that will make you laugh

Reggie And The Full Effect are a GREAT band. I might have to post some other songs by them at some point, some more serious songs. This song is so freakin' hilarious. It's joke song that's sung in the style of a Findland death metal band named Common Denominator, which I think is a greatr band name. To top that they sing about dwarves. Politically correct, it is not. Gut busting funny, it is. Note: In no way do I condone making fun of people with disabilities or imply that they can't play sports. I just think the song is funny and, would even if I was physically challenged...hopefully.
Reggie And The Full Effect - Dwarf Invasion (feat. Common Denominator)

The other night I was talking to a friend of mine who has a moped. I am totally jelous of her, it's pretty sweet looking. Way back in the day I used to have a Spree (I'm not talking about the candy) It was so awesome. I used it to drive all over, friends houses, drivers training, to my Grandmas. I wiped out on it once while driving through a construction zone, that was not cool. I sold it once I got my car and I really regret it now. If I ever get enough money I am going to buy one again. Of course I'll probably be 50. Sweet! Here is a song by a band named Millencolin. It's a bouncy pop punk song about a loving relationship between an owner and his moped. Plenty of innuendo here folks.
Millencolin - Fox

Have you ever looked at old photographs and seen something in them that you still wish you had? A piece of clothing, a poster, or some other long gone personal effect. The other day I was going through my box of pictures and I came across one where I was wearing and old school X-Men t-shirt. This was before there were any movies. I for some reason used to take pictures of my room and I saw tons of old Nintendo posters and games, which if I hadn't thrown them way or sold them they might be worth some money. This song isn't so much about loss of a possession forever as it is about getting a possession back.
Digger - I Want My Hat Back

This is one of the weirdest CD's that I own. The band Don't know only put out one album form what I know (haha read that sentence again). The band plays what I can best describe as psych funk geek core. The title of their album is Coodly P. Ramaswami Memorial Cheesecake. I can't remember the reason I picked this album up. It's not really a favorite of mine, but I do like it of the sheer off the wall strangeness and awesome bass playing. The first song is super short but I think it's really funny and easy to sing along with. Since it was so short I decided to add another song by them about Taco Bell.
Don't Know - Bad Cop (No Longer Available)
Don't Know - 59*79*99 (No Longer Available)

One when I was working for Goodwill I was out on the sales floor putting some used threads away and a beautiful girl walked by. Of course I noticed and tried be obvious as I watched her walk by. When she did I smelled the best smell, fresh baked cookies. Now I love cookies, it's probably my favorite junk food of all time. Needless to say I was instantly intrigued and I had to walk by her to make sure it was her that smelled like cookies and not something else. So I took another pass and sure enough she smelled like cookies! I was ecstatic that someone made a perfume that smelled like that. If I wasn't at work I might have just gone up and asked laid some smooth line on her about rollin' dough or baking or something like that, Or you know, just asked her where she got the perfume from. I didn't though because that might be creepy. "You smell so good I want to stand by you all day!" So in honor of being hungry, in love, and sort of creepy, here is a great song by The Vandals.
The Vandals - Hungry For You (No Longer Available, But This Is)

There is a band I liked called Five Iron Frenzy. They were a ska band (guess what I was big into back in the day?)This song has a great story behind it. They have a trumpet player named Brad and he missed one show while touring because of illness. The next day rumors were flying all over the place that he quit the band, and one even claimed that he was dead. Of course the rumors were not true but the band decided to write a song about it. I love the song because it is pure satire and because my name is Brad. Not that I have ever had rumors circulating of my death or anything. I just thought it was funny, in a black comedy sort of manner.
Five Iron Frenzy - The Untimely Death Of Brad