'Merica Notes

While the world mourned the death and funeral of Mrs Barbara Bush over the weekend, and celebrated 420 Day (the stoner equivalent of Christmas), a pioneer in EDM and Electro died on Friday. While not everyone may remember his name, there is a good chance you've heard some of his music. His 2013 hits "Wake Me Up" and "Hey Brother" became popular throughout the first half of this decade. I remember hearing Avicii on the radio for the first time in middle school around 2013. At the time, Avicii was one of the biggest names in pop along with the likes of One Republic, Calvin Harris, and Pharrel Williams.    A DJ from Sweden, Avicii rose to prominence after his debut studio album True in 2013, which saw EDM tracks overtaking the Billboard Top 40. His collaborations with artist David Guetta also helped greatly boost his publicity. According to his website, Bergling retired from doing live performances due to his failing health in 2016. He states "Last year I ...

Last night, America lost its classiest former first lady- Barbara Bush. It was around 2008 when I first met her, and she was just the sweetest and most down-to-earth lady God could ever grace this nation with. She was a respectable woman, with humor and southern charm. Undoubtedly, she was like a grandmother to millions of Americans, and even more so for the people of the city she called home; Houston, Texas. From 1989 through 1993 Mrs Bush graced the White House as First Lady, and worked tirelessly to advance the cause of literacy. Every year she would visit my elementary school, Barbara Bush Elementary, and she would read to us, interact with us, tell jokes. I had the pleasure of meeting her in 2nd grade. While I cannot remember our exact words to each other, I remember her answering my questions with the gentlest and kindest of replies.   Mrs. Bush died at her home in Houston on Tuesday at the age of 92. The patrons of Tanglewood Park remember Mrs. Bush in much the same way Hou...

I was listening to Aerosmith in the truck today on Sirius, and I had come to the realization that I'd never done a post about the great American rock band; so here it is. I first heard Aerosmith in 2007, my mother had them downloaded onto my iPod I had at the time. I remember listening to the only 2 albums I had on that iPod; "Toys In The Attic" and "A Little South Of Sanity". Soon thereafter, I became hooked on the band, but because I was still a little kid and the internet was a fairly new concept to me, I had to wait a while before I ever actually bought another album. Presently, my library contains at least 5 albums by Aerosmith, with the list that keeps growing today. Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "the Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, metal, and R&B. They were si...

Today is April 4th, a date that is read in the fifth stanza of U2's song "Pride (In The Name Of Love)". The significance of this date? 50 years ago today was the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr, a tragedy which shocked and horrified the entire nation. The first line of Pride sets the message of this song. The second track on the band's 1984 album, The Unforgettable Fire, it was released as the album's lead single in September 1984. Written about Martin Luther King Jr., the song received mixed critical reviews at the time, but it was a major commercial success for the band and has since become one of the band's most popular songs. "Pride" appeared on the compilation The Best of 1980-1990 as the opening track, and on the 2006 compilation U218 Singles.   The song contains the erroneous reference to King's shooting as "Early morning, April 4," when it actually occurred after 6 p.m. Bono acknowledges the error and in live performanc...