Professor Rex's Favorite Albums of 2021
/Okay, finally got around to checking out the last few albums on my list and here is my comprehensive, eclectic, diverse set of Best Albums of 2021. The basic criteria is quality and quantity. These are the albums I listened to in 2021 that had the most good music on them.
Angels & Airwaves, "Lifeforms"
Billie Eilish, "Happier Than Ever"
Bleachers, "Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night"
Brockhampton, "Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine"
CHVRCHES, "Screen Violence"
Courtney Barnett, "Things Take Time, Take Time"
Danny Elfman, "Big Mess"
Dee Gees, "Hail Satin"
DMX, "Exodus"
Duran Duran, "FUTURE PAST"
Eddie Vedder, "Matter of Time"
Eels, "Extreme Witchcraft"
Foo Fighters, "Medicine At Midnight"
Garbage, "No Gods Mo Masters"
Gojira, "Fortitude"
J. Cole, "The Off-Season"
Kings of Leon, "When You See Yourself"
Laura Jane Grace, "At War With the Silverfish"
Lil Nas X, "MONTERO"
Liz Phair, "Soberish"
Lorde, "Solar Power"
Lucy Dacus, "Home Video"
Mach-Hommy, "Pray for Haiti"
Megan Thee Stallion, "Something for thee Hotties"
Olivia Rodrigo, "SOUR"
Pink Navel, "EPIC"
Public Enemy, "What You Gonna Do When the Grid Goes Down?"
Riz Ahmed, "The Long Goodbye"
Serj Tankian, "Elasticity"
Surf Gang, "SGV1"
Tierra Whack, "Pop?/Rap?/R&B?"
Twenty One Pilots, "Scaled and Icy"
Various Artists, "The Harder They Fall (The Motion Picture Soundtrack)"
Second, here are a few artists that, if all their 2021 work was all on the same album, they would've made the list, too:
Angel Olsen
Finneas
Jenny Lewis & Serengeti
The Linda Lindas
Rico Nasty
Saweetie
Tom Morello
Finally, here are a few albums from the few years before 2021 that I first listened to in 2021, but they would've made the list in the year they came out (I think these are all from 2017-2020).
Foxy Shazam, "Burn"
IDLES, "Joy as an Act of Resistance"
Jack Stauber, "Pop Food"
Kid Cudi, "Man on the Moon III: The Chosen"
Laura Jane Grace, "Stay Alive"
Nas, "King's Disease"
The Network, "Money Money 2020 Part II: We Told You So"
Run the Jewels, "RTJ4"
The Struts, "Strange Days"
Taylor Swift, "folklore"
A Quick Guide to Recording Vocals at Home
/Before I get started, I have to note that I haven't had any professional training and I have little technical knowledge, so this process is the one that I've developed over several years, recording hundreds of hours of recording and more than 100 finalized and released tracks. It's not the most formal or fancy process, but it works.
1. Recording equipment: You'll need a laptop, headphones, a mic stand, pop screen and a good recording mic. There are many mics that work, but I use a Blue USB microphone so I can record directly to the laptop. There are other setups, but they are more expensive and more complicated.
2. Recording location: You need a good quiet place to record in, one with good acoustics. You should record a few different places around the house as a test and find which one sounds the best. If you can't find a completely quiet room, you'll need to edit out ambient sounds (like air conditioing) with a filter. These come free with the:
3. Recording software: Audacity is free and professional-quality. I'm sure there are other alternatives, but I've never needed them. Important tip: Once you have your microphone set up and plugged into the laptop, make sure to change the Audacity software to record from the USB mic, not the laptop's internal mic.
4. Music track: Vocals and instruments should be recorded separately unless you're working with a professional recording engineer. Generally speaking, I will import the backing track into Audacity and go from there.
5. Setup: Here are the steps:
a. Set-up laptop in your chosen recording space.
b. Set-up your mic stand and mic, attach USB. The mic stand should be set to your height, so that when you sing, you are looking straight ahead or slightly downward. If you have to look up or too far down, you'll stretch and/or strain your vocal chords.
c. Make sure you have a pop screen set up in front of the microphone to catch your excessive P's and S's. Any cheap pop screen will work and these simply attach to the mic stand and put a screen between your mouth and the mic. Also, the screen keeps your mic clean, and you should probably clean it regularly.
d. Plug in headphones. When recording, you only want to record your voice, not a second-hand version of the song along with your voice. This process will create two separate tracks (vocals, instrumental) that you’ll combine into one and export as the final song file.
e. Download, set up and open Audacity. Import your backing track. Make sure the program is set to the proper mic.
Now you are ready to record.
6. Recording process:
a. Audacity sometimes slightly moves your recorded vocals around in the timeline and you may have to adjust in order to get back to the proper timing. This is what happened if you play it back and it sounds terrible because you aren't in time with the music. This is fixed by simply sliding the vocal track left or right until the song and the backing music match up to the way you want them to. This may not come up, depending on your computer, OS, etc.
b. There are two basic approaches to recording a song that I'll take. If it's an easy song or I know it super well, I'll try to sing the whole thing straight through. That's rare, though, so there are two ways to get around that. One is to record each part (verse, chorus, hook, bridge) separately and piece them together. The other is to sing the whole thing in the proper lyric order until I get to a part where I mess up. I'll stop singing, go back before the error and start from that clean place and move forward from there. The other approach is to sing multiple full takes of the song and cut and paste the various parts until you get an entire song that you like. This last approach takes the most technical skill.
c. An important thing to note for recording is that if you aren't doing the whole song in one take, you have to be careful about how you fix it. If you make a mistake in the middle of a verse, you can't just start at that word with a fresh recording, because you don't sing words the same way in the middle of a line as you would at the beginning. So you have to start at the beginning of not only the line in the song, but likely several lines back, so that you get the full and proper melody and enunciation. If there are long enough spaces between sung lines, this isn't a problem, but if the lines are close together, you have to sing them in blocks in order to maintain the proper melody/rhythm.
d. A tip I use that helps with recording is to record the full song (regardless of errors) as a "guide track." This version is perfectly matched up with the instrumental track and then is MUTED. You never play this version, you use it to match up the waveforms, sliding the vocal part you do want to use to the exact spot in the song it should be. Visually, the instrumental track isn't as easy to match things up with as a muted vocal track is, since you’re matching the same thing to itself. If you record the full song in a take you don't need to edit, then you don't have to worry about it, but if you can't do that (I rarely can), then it's easier to cut and paste the parts together and matching the waveforms makes the edit SOOOOOOOOOO much easier than trying to match vocals to instrumental, an auditory thing, through visual processing. I may make a video on this part so it makes more sense.
There are more details, but I'm not sure what else is necessary to know at this point, so I'll leave it open to future questions...
Best Albums of 2020
/I listened to thousands of new songs in 2020, here are the albums that I think are the best and that you need to know. Despite what you might've been told, we're in a major era for new and inventive music and, on top of that, many classic artists are producing new and interesting music, now that the old gatekeepers are gone. Here's what I liked the best or thought was most important of what I heard:
-070 Shake, "Modus Vivendi"
-The Avalanches, "We Will Always Love You"
-beabadoobee, "Fake It Flowers"
-Bright Eyes, "Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was"
-Charlie Xile, "Lingo"
-Charlie XCX, "how i'm feeling now"
-Chelsea Peretti, "Phosphorescent Panic"
-City Girls, "City on Lock"
-DaBaby, "Blame It on Baby"
-Dirty Projectors, "5 EPs"
-Drive-By Truckers, "The New OK"
-Eddie Vedder, "Matter of Time"
-Eminem, "Music to Be Murdered By, Part 1"
-Erasure, "The Neon"
-The Flaming Lips, "American Head"
-Gorillaz, "Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez"
-Grey Daze, "Amends"
-Haim, "Women in Music Pt. III"
-Halsey, "Manic"
-Indigo Girls, "Look Long"
-Joyner Lucas, "ADHD"
-Juice WRLD, "Legends Never Die"
-Kid Cudi, "Man on the Moon III: The Chosen"
-The Killers, "Imploding the Mirage"
-Laura Jane Grace, "Stay Alive"
-Lil Baby, "My Turn"
-Megan Thee Stallion, "Good News"
-The Mountain Goats, "Getting Into Knives"
-Nas, "King's Disease"
-The Network, "Money Money 2020 Pt. II: We Told Ya So!"
-Pearl Jam, Gigaton
-Phoebe Bridgers, "Punisher"
-Public Enemy, "What You Gonna Do When the Grid Goes Down?"
-Rufus Wainwright, "Unfollow the Rules"
-Run the Jewels, "RTJ4"
-Soccer Mommy, "color theory"
-The Streets, "None of Us Are Getting Out of This Life Alive"
-The Strokes, "The New Abnormal"
-The Struts, "Strange Days"
-Tame Impala, "The Slow Rush"
My favorite album was probably The Network and the most important song of the year was definitely "W.A.P."
Best Songs of 2020
/Here is our playlist of the best song of 2020 from across ALL genres. This is a diverse playlist, so put it on random and find something new or something familiar!
The RevEx Alternative Xmas Holiday Party!
/Tired of the same old Christmas and holiday songs? Then check out the RevEx Alternative Xmas Holiday Party! You won’t regret it, but your Republican uncle might!
The RevEx 100 Playlist has WAP!
/Check out the latest edition of The RevEx 100 playlist with new music from: Charlie Xile, Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, blink-182, Midnight Oil, Kylie Minoque, Starrah, Bartees Strange, Jada Kingdom, Burna Boy, Stormzy, Ciara, Ester Dean, Peaches, Nas, Hit-Boy, the Killers, Snoop Dogg, Teezo Touchdown, Fred Flipstone and Chelsea Peretti!
And check out RevEx Radio, with tons more great new music!
And RevEx Radio 2020, with all our favorite songs of the entire year!
The RevEx 100 Playlist: Kesha Covered What?
/Check out the latest update to the RevEx 100 Playlist! Featuring amazing new music from John Prine, Dame D.O.L.L.A., DaBaby, Roddy Ricch, Lil Baby, Chloe x Halle, Christine and the Queens, Folk Uke, Jesse & Joy, Ruth B., The Killers, IDLES, AJR, The Streets, John Ellison, The Fiery Furnaces, Dirty Projectors, Noname, Public Enemy, Willie Nelson, Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Kesha, Eric Church, CRICKETS, Megan Thee Stallion, BLACKPINK and Ben Folds. Seriously, Ben Folds?
The Post-Apocalyptic Karaoke Challenge
/What started out as the 30 songs in 30 days karaoke challenge has morphed into the Post-Apocalyptic Karaoke Challenge:
The world has ended. The music needs to be saved. One man, alone in a post-apocalyptic bunker which may make him the last human being alive, has pledged himself to to save all of popular music through karaoke! That man is Post-Apocalyptic Professor Rex!
Here's the list of songs he's saved so far!:
Day 1 - A song that you sing in the shower: Post Malone & Swae Lee, "Sunflower"
Day 2 - A song with a color in the title: White Stripes, "Blue Orchid"
Day 3 - A song by your favorite musician: Duran Duran, "Hungry Like the Wolf"
Day 4 - A song you’ve auditioned with: Tim Curry, "I Do the Rock"
Day 5 - A song you love to sing at karaoke: Kendrick Lamar and MC Eiht, "m.A.A.d. City"
Day 6 - A song that makes you cry: Crash Test Dummies, "Superman's Song"
Day 7 - A song that is a challenge for you: Blackalicious, "Alphabet Aerobics"
Day 8 - A classic song: Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock, "It Takes Two"
Day 9 - A song you’ve performed for an audience: Childish Gambino, "Bonfire"
Day 10 - A song about love: Skid Row, "I Remember You"
Day 11 - A song about a broken heart: U2 & B.B. King, "When Love Comes To Town"
Day 12 - A song from your dream role in a musical: "Keeping the Faith" from "Movin' Out" the Billy Joel jukebox musical
Day 13 - A song from the album you’re taking to a desert island with you: "Parents Just Don't Understand," by DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince from "He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper"
Day 14 - A song you’d love to be played at your wedding: Harry Connick Jr., "Recipe For Love"
Day 15 - A song that’s a cover from another artist: Frente, "Bizarre Love Triangle," originally by New Order
Day 16 - A song by a female vocalist: Girls Alound, "Love Machine"
Day 17 - A song by a male vocalist: Atmosphere, "Fortunate"
Day 18 - A song that has a lot of meaning for you: The Nightwatchman, "Flesh Shapes the Day"
Day 19 - A song that gives you all the feels: Tom Petty, "Walls"
Day 20 - A song that helps you when you’re down: OPM, "Heaven Is A Halfpipe"
Day 21 - A song with a good memory attached: Sir Mix-A-Lot, "Posse On Broadway/Buttermilk Biscuits"
Day 22 - A song from before you were born: Sly & The Family Stone, "Everyday People"
Day 23 - A song by an artist that you admire: Public Enemy, "He Got Game/911 Is A Joke"
Day 24 - A song by an artist no longer living: Prince, "Sometimes It Snows In April"
Day 25 - A song that reminds you of something you would rather forget about: Primitive Radio Gods, "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth With Money in My Hand"
Day 26 - A song that meant a lot to you when you were young: Beastie Boys, "Paul Revere"
Day 27 - A song you never get tired of: Audio Two, "Top Billin'"
Day 28 - A song no one would expect you to like: Martina McBride, "My Baby Loves Me"
Day 29 - A song that you used to love but don’t listen to much anymore: Goldie Lookin' Chain, "Guns Don't Kill People, Rappers Do"
Day 30 - A song you want to sing that didn’t fit these categories: Rob Zombie, "Feel So Numb"
Day 31 - May the Fourth be with you: Weird Al Yankovic, "Yoda"
Day 32 - A song by an artist you've already performed during this challenge: Prince, "Kiss"
Day 33 - A hidden gem from a popular artist: Huey Lewis & the News, *Bad Is Bad*
Day 34 - A song that gets kinda philosophical: Too Short, *Life Is Too Short*
Day 35 - A Little Richard song: *Jenny Jenny*
Day 36 - Decades - 1950s: Bill Haley & His Comets, *Rock Around the Clock*
Day 37 - Decades - 1960s: The Crystals, *Then He Kissed Me*
Day 38 - Decades - 1970s: The Blues Brothers, *Rubber Biscuit*
Day 39 - Decades - 1980s: Slick Rick, *Children's Story*
Day 40 - Decades - 1990s: Placebo, *Pure Morning*
Day 41 - Decades - 2000s: Rage Against the Machine, *Renegades of Funk*
Day 42 - Decades - 2010s: Brockhampton, *STAR*
Day 43 - An artist whose name starts with a number: 2 Live Crew, *Banned In the USA*
Day 44 - An artist whose name starts with the letter A: Atmosphere, *Sunshine*
Day 45 - An artist whose name starts with the letter B: Baz Luhrman - *Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)*
Day 46 - An artist whose name starts with the letter C: Cake, *The Distance*
Day 47 - An artist whose name starts with the letter D: Dan Le Sac & Scroobius Pip, *Thou Shalt Always Kill*
Day 48 - An artist whose name starts with the letter E: Electric Six, *Jimmy Carter*
Day 49 - An artist whose name starts with the letter F: Flight of the Conchords, *Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros*
Day 50 - An artist whose name starts with the letter G: The Game, *Big Money*
Day 51 - An artist whose name starts with the letter H: Hootie & the Blowfish, *Only Wanna Be With You*
Day 52 - An artist whose name starts with the letter I: INXS, *Pretty Vegas*
Day 53 - An artist whose name starts with the letter J: Jidenna, *Long Live the Chief*
Day 54 - An artist whose name starts with the letter K: Kendrick Lamar, *DNA*
Day 55 - An artist whose name starts with the letter L: Lauryn Hill, *Lost Ones*
Day 56 - An artist whose name starts with the letter M: Marilyn Manson, *Disposable Teens*
Day 57 - An artist whose name starts with the letter N: NWA, *Fuck the Police*
Day 58 - An artist whose name starts with the letter O: Ol' Dirty Bastard, *Shimmy Shimmy Ya*
Day 59 - An artist whose name starts with the letter P: Public Enemy, *911 Is A Joke*
Day 60 - An artist whose name starts with the letter Q: Queen, *I Want To Break Free*
Check out any of these videos on my FB page.