So much for me this week, and by so much I mean so much … time in the car. Time in the car is a good thing and a bad thing. The bad is obvious. The good isn’t. But the good is … the radio. Sometimes. Sometimes the radio is just the same old-same old. Sometimes it’s a ton of talking. But those really good times, for whatever reason, that’s where I hear new music.

I’m not sure what’s going on,  if there is something that makes new songs hit in May, but this week in my massive car-sitting, I  heard a lot of new songs, mostly pop, and surprisingly, mostly good, indeed very good. I’ll get to those next week, I hope, but this weekend, I’m feeling like playing. Why? Because I feel a bit of stress, and that’s my reaction to stress – to play, that and to clean, but I cleaned yesterday, so today I’ll play. The stress is amplified by Lizzy, my brother’s dog, being in and out of the hospital. I’ve had serious conversation after serious conversation about the end of one’s dog’s life with my nephew (almost 18 and about to graduate high school) and with my brother. I feel like I just went through that, but in actuality it was a year and a half ago. I’m really not cut out for their end times; this from someone with seven pets. Okay enough sad talk; turn on the radio, right? Well that was what I thought too.

My radio visits this week had a theme too. It was Black Sabbath, or Ozzy, whichever way you look at it. I’m not the biggest, or even the littlest, Black Sabbath fan, but I kept running into it, and by “it” I don’t mean Black Sabbath, but Black Sabbath-inspired songs.

The first time was Tuesday. Tuesday after work, I went to Ulta to get my free birthday present, their version to compete with Sephora’s birthday present. It was hairspray; how very ‘80s, the Sexy brand to be exact. While at the complex at Santa Monica and La Brea where Ulta is, and stuck in the massive parking garage waiting to get out, my radio played a song, part of a Tuesday two-fer. This two-fer had a theme, something about hanging in there. One of the songs was an AC/DC song. The other was by the band Rival Sons, who backed-up Black Sabbath’s end of the world tour (using past tense here because I think that’s over now, but I’m not actually sure). I don’t think the station plays that band very much, but the announcer went on about how great they were, so I listened. The song was catchy and rocked. And it was good, kind-of old-school. So I thought I might through that up here for you all, and given the song title Keep on Swinging, I’m dedicating it to Lizzy. Come on girl, get better! I really want you visit me this summer and do that annoying thing of constantly putting tennis balls into the hot tub.

The second hit in my Black Sabbath theme happened on Friday. I was in the particularly yucky streets just west of downtown on Beverly right before it becomes First Street, a place where I invariably hear something cool or memorable, then have to drive into the garage at work. This time though, I managed to hear the entire song, and about 30 seconds of the announcers talking to the guy who did it, apparently their guest. I don’t have the faintest idea if this is real artist or not, but the song was catchy and really funny. The artist said the record would have better songs too. I wasn’t sure why one would not put out the best songs first, especially in an interview with KLOS during drive-time, but the artist said this video was good. I just now got around to finding the video, and seriously? Seriously this truly is a funny video. It’s theme – middle aged people hiding their rock and roll, thrash to be exact. And… shopping with a hint of Ozzy. You’ll see what I mean.

Oh and on the Black Sabbath theme, Van Halen opened for them way back in the long ago first tour days. In all this surfing on Youtube, Youtube gave me something I’ve never seen and always wanted to see – Van Halen footage from 1978. I’m sure everyone has seen this because I’m not as Van Halen-experienced as you all, but it does say it was uploaded in April, so perhaps not. If not, I give you … well you know… the back-up band for Black Sabbath. Perhaps that gives Rival Sons something to think about.

So have some fun this week. See if you or someone you love wants to go to the mall (or the giant complex that serves as a mall here with subterranean parking having enough traffic to listen to the radio). While at your mall, perhaps you can stop into Ulta, and Sephora of course, and sign up for the card that gets you a birthday present. I highly recommend those birthday presents.  And if you have Marshalls in your garage, may you not have to hide them…. See I’m making you watch the video!