All posts by Kev Brock

I'm a musician, singer/songwriter, blogger, writer, poet, bodybuilder, movie lover, music lover, video gamer, history/political buff, conservative/republican, etc. I like to do a lot of things.
movies

ADmittedly, I miss going to the movies… will they ever come back???

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Yeah, in some states in the US, some governors are opening back up movie theaters but with only small capacity audience and whatever other crazy restrictions these animals come up with.

Anyhow, even though some movie theaters are allowed to open, I’m noticing a lot of ’em stay closed. Some of them try to open but they go back to closing. Why? Well, many movie theaters are struggling to release new films which is difficult to pull in people… especially with a low crowd capacity.

Yeah, some theaters in the United States are allowed to fully open but even they are struggling to release new movies so instead, a lot of movie theaters screen older films like a lot of classics and Anniversary screenings and things like that, ya know?

Why are movie theaters struggling to make a full return??? Well… it is hard to release new movies when most of Hollywood are still out of work. Just a reminder, y’all that Hollywood are the ones that makes these movies. They write ’em, direct ’em, have actors/actresses that star in them, film them, etc. It takes a long time to make a movie, it’s a long process.

If you want new movies, Hollywood needs to get back to work ’cause like I said before, many of these Hollywood people are stuck at home still like the rest of us. Yeah, Hollywood is slowly returning back to work, I’m noticing. Yup, directors, producers, screenwriters, actors/actresses, etc. Many of them are at home still waiting to get back to work.

You want to get back to the movies, you need movies and these Hollywood people are the ones that brings them to you. They make the entertainment for us and America seems to have forgotten that.

A lot of big movies that were supposed to be released this year were pushed back further ’cause Covid stopped them from finishing them. For example “Top Gun 2” and the new “James Bond” movie. I was really looking forward to seeing those two movies this year but they got pushed back ’cause they couldn’t finish ’em. Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” remake was supposed to get released this year as well but I guess, that film got pushed back too ’cause Steve couldn’t finish that film.

I’m hoping this covid shit disappears in 2021 and then the country comes back to normal so the movies can return. Not only that live music needs to come back, the movies need to return too.

I haven’t been in a movie theater in many months which feels weird. They’ll make a full return at some point, though. I like going to the movies, though. Always did ever since I was a kid. I’ve always been a movie buff.

Kev

Health and Fitness

A lot of powerlifters are gonna be arrogant and ego-driven people, just so you’re aware… lifting is about you, though, not about them…

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Yeah, so you want to get yourself into the sport of powerlifting ’cause it simply looked cool and a lot of fun. That’s why I got myself into it ’cause it looks like a blast lifting heavy things. You’re just getting yourself into the powerlifting game and one thing you gotta be aware of, like the title says, you’re gonna see a lot of other powerlifters that are very ego-driven and arrogant people. I hope I’m not the only one that feels this way.

You’ll see a lot of powerlifters lifting with terrible form and technique all over social media and like the other post said about it, for some reason it’s accepted and cheered upon. You criticize other people’s lifting technique even when you’re nice, friendly and gentle about it, people will start criticizing you in return. Knowing from my own experience dealing with other powerlifters online.

I mean, isn’t the whole point of powerlifting is critiquing people’s form and being realistic? Yes. That’s the name of the game in powerlifting. The funny thing is, people think it’s okay to critique my form but when I do it to others, people don’t like it? Sure, I’m kind of a novice powerlifter still and my numbers could be better but that doesn’t mean they have the right to attack me in return. That’s the thing about powerlifting, they treat the newbies and up and comings like crap.

I try not to criticize someone’s form but I only do it when it looks dangerous like deadlifting with rounded backs and benching with butt off bench. I’m just looking out for their well being so they don’t get injured in the future but these people get defensive.

Today I got a bunch of hateful comments on my instagram by trolls, criticizing my lifting form even though it’s good. I haven’t seen one comment by any of them explaining why my form isn’t good and they haven’t corrected my form once. Why? It’s because they know my form is good and they dare not say it. They just say stuff like “Your form is shit” without explaining what I’m doing is wrong. They just wanted something to bash at. I deleted all the nasty comments asap, though.

I think they get defensive on bad form ’cause they can’t take the truth that it could lead to injury. The truth hurts, ya know? If they want to keep deadlifting with rounding backs, go for it. You could take out your back and you could be out of lifting for months. Even worse, your powerlifting career could be over for good. Too many deadlift with rounded backs and too many bench with butt off of bench, it’s scary really.

Let these assholes kill themselves in the gym for all I care. Yeah, there are gonna be egos and arrogant jerks in powerlifting for sure, you just gotta ignore ’em and just keep doing your thing. Not care what others say about you and your lifting.

There will be veterans and longtime powerlifters who will try to make you look bad. I was trying to be helpful and look out for their well-being but some of them are not gonna like it.

I can take criticism of my lifting just fine and can take it like an adult. If you’re doing it just to troll, that I can’t take.

Not everyone in powerlifting are arrogant jerks, some are actually very cool people and humble. Powerlifting is not always a cool community to get into. You just need to focus on you and not worry about what others are doing.

I get why some trash my powerlifting skills ’cause of my numbers but just so you wait… someday I will be able to bench over 300 lbs. and be able to deadlift/squat over 500 and maybe the critics will be silenced then? We’ll see.

Kev

Random/off topic posts

Studying drum programming for recording…

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For the past couple of years or a little more, I’ve been studying drum programming. I’ve been studying drum programming for DAW’s and other software ’cause I want to be able to create my own drum tracks and drum sequences behind my songs. Although, I’m not a drummer by any means, I just learn drums anyways just by buying a few drumming lessons books so it can help ’cause if you want to be a drum programmer, you got to think like a drummer. That’s why I bought a few drumming lessons books so I can see how they do it.

I got tons of rock n’ roll songs spinning in my head and I really want to get them out of me. Nobody wants to hear rock songs with just a voice and a distorted guitar. That’s why I want to start making full band tracks somehow. So I thought it would be easier if I learned how to program drums and I’ve been doing just that.

I’ve learned how drummers hit the kick drum which usually falls on the 1 and 3 beats… and the snare falls on the 2 and 4 beats. The hi-hat cymbals counts throughout the song pretty much to make it more lively… the crash cymbals usually starts or ends a section of a song and the ride cymbals usually ends a fill. The high toms usually used for fills in songs and the floor tom can be used in place of a hi hat if you wish. That’s all you really need to create a simple rock beat really but you don’t always have to make the drum patterns the same, gotta switch ’em up to make ’em sound interesting.

I used to believe that learning drums would be hard to learn but not really. I wish I have a drum set of my own but they’re too loud around here which is why I’m definitely planning on getting EZ drummer real soon ’cause there’s virtual drum set on that and you can play the drums manually on that software which would be cool.

Pretty soon, I could start recording electric guitar rock songs with drum beats behind them. I could record them as demos and ideas and then later in the future I could figure out how to get bass lines on the songs so I can have full band backup. I’m probably gonna get ToonTrack EZ bass for that, sometime in 2021.

I’ve gotten way better with timing in music and the metronome lately. Feels good to do that. Playing in time in music and playing in the pocket is important. Your music can be taken more seriously by people if you play in time. I’ve learned that a long time ago. You can write songs better too.

Kev

music, Uncategorized

Will There Ever be a Van Halen boxed set of archived unreleased material??? Wolfgang says you’ll have to wait…

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Wolfgang Van Halen who is the son of Eddie Van Halen was a guest on the Howard Stern show. Now that Eddie is gone, fans are probably wondering if they’ll release a Van Halen boxed set of archived unreleased material.

Wolfie here says that there are plenty of unreleased material in the vault and he says it would take forever to go through all those tapes. Yeah, EVH’s studio is pretty huge and I’m sure he has a whole library and stacks of tapes in the vault. I’m sure Eddie recorded plenty of unreleased Van Halen songs and I’m sure Eddie recorded a bunch of riffs and guitar licks for ideas and stuff.

Eddie probably threw that stuff in the vault ’cause he thought they were no good but I’m sure there are some amazing stuff in there. There’s gotta be instrumentals he wrote that were way more impressive than “Eruption”. I’m sure he wrote plenty of unreleased Van Halen material that were meant for the band to play and for David Lee Roth and even Sammy Hagar to sing over. I’m sure there’s tons of unreleased material through every era of Van Halen.

Wolfie probably has access to Eddie’s private vault but it would take hours to listen through all that stuff. I can understand. Someday it could happen, we’ll have to wait I guess.

Kev

Health and Fitness

I love lifting weights and working out in the gym, it’s what I’m supposed to do…

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I’m always getting great compliments on my physique and lifting at the gym. Today someone just gave me a great one, he said, “Dude, you gotta stop looking stronger than me ’cause you’re starting to make me look bad”. I just laughed and said thanks.

That’s the weird thing about bodybuilding/powerlifting or whatever, ya know? I can’t tell my own physique and my own strength. I just let other people do the judging.

I just lift and do my thing. Yeah, my goal is to get big, muscular and strong which is what bodybuilding/powerlifting is all about, right? I just lift ’cause I love doing it and it’s a lifestyle for me. After a hard day’s workout in the gym, you feel amazing for the rest of the day. Really, you feel good after.

I got into weightlifting ’cause I wanted something to do to get healthy and to try to get big, muscular and strong as possible. I just want to do it right and do it responsibly though ’cause too many don’t.

The lifting is going well and happy to be back doing it. I try to post lifting videos of myself ’cause my followers enjoy watching this stuff. I try not to mess with that video stuff much ’cause I rather spend more time lifting than wasting time, ya know? Every now and then I’ll post a video of me on instagram doing a heavy single or a 1 rep max on the big three and sometimes I post videos of me lifting with other workouts too. I post videos hoping to get honest feedback on my form but mostly people like watching them instead so I try to post more as much as possible.

With all this being said, I can’t tell how big I’m getting but people tell me all the time, “Damn dude you’re getting bigger each time I see ya”. I’m thinking to myself, “Um okay but I feel still kind of small” which is true. Instead, I tell them “Thanks, I work hard”. I’m my own worst critic I guess.

I just knew what to do in bodybuilding. I’m self taught pretty much. Taught myself how to do it all since I can’t afford a trainer so I taught myself bodybuilding by reading Arnold’s Modern Bodybuilding and watched a bunch of fitness channels on youtube.

I just lift ’cause it’s a lifestyle, a hobby, ya know? Just want to become the best shape of my life and that’s all.

Kev

movies, Stallone news

Sly Stallone Celebrates wrap up of latest movie “Samaritan” with Cast and Crew… cool video…

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Sylvester Stallone here, finishing up his latest and newest film “Samaritan” wrapping up after a little break due to covid.

Don’t know about you but Sly seems like a cool and stand up dude in real life. He seems fun to talk to and as you probably noticed, the man is so humble while on set. He shows more respect to the film crew ’cause love Hollywood or hate ’em, they are the hardest working people.

Of course, the cast and crew loves working with Sly ’cause he’s such a legend. Who wouldn’t be thrilled to be working with him?

I just heard that Sly got signed for an unspecified role in “Suicide Squad 2” which seems exciting and it’s probably gonna be another cameo appearance. After Sly’s cameo in “Guardians of the Galaxy 2”, I predicted that he’s probably gonna star in more superhero films after that one.

This film “Samaritan” is a superhero film and looking forward to seeing the film’s first trailer real soon.

Kev

music

Is Cardi B’s hit “WAP” the most offensive song right now??? Yes, absolutely…

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Out of curiosity, I had to look up the lyrics to the Cardi B hit “WAP” and then I listened to the song on youtube about halfway through and then stopped. The song is very dirty and sexual. Very inappropriate and overly offensive, yet it’s a hit in the music industry. I believe the song is still in the Top 10 in the Billboard hot 100 charts.

Geezer Butler the bass player of Black Sabbath is even disgusted by it ’cause he had a little something to say about it:

““A friend of mine didn’t know what the song was about,” Butler continues, “but his 10-year-old girl was singing it. I was, like, What?! To put it on [an] album, fair enough. But to put it out as a single? That’s a bit much. Then again, I’m 71. A bloody old goat!””

https://www.loudersound.com/news/black-sabbaths-butler-isnt-feeling-cardi-bs-wap-its-disgusting

Geezer is not wrong, though. It really is inappropriate for the music industry to release a song like that as a hit single.

Although, songs with dirty, sexual and explicit lyrics is nothing new… a rap group named 2 Live Crew did a song about “Pussy” and remember, they sparked a lot of controversy when it was released back in the 80’s, I think???

There were bands and artists that were able to write sexual songs but not make it in an explicit direction… for example, Ac/Dc “You Shook Me All Night Long”. That song was a very sexual song ’cause it’s a song about sex, yes but at least they wrote it in a family friendly way and not make it offensive. Kiss also wrote sexual songs but wrote them in a family friendly direction.

The industry releasing a song like Cardi B’s “WAP” is no surprise ’cause the industry is all about rap music with sex, drugs and violence all over the lyrics. Songs like those are big hits nowadays and it’s sad.

It’s sad that kids listening to music like that. Why can’t kids listen to real music like rock n’ roll and metal? Nope. They’re all about listening to garbage like country, pop and rap music. Honestly, I do like some country but not a lot of today’s stuff although I do think Luke Combs is actually pretty good.

The music industry continues to suck. It’s hard to find good music but I still find some good stuff, though.

Kev

music

Ac/Dc’s new album “PWR UP” is great… “Demon Fire” best song off the album, though…

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So the new Ac/Dc album “PWR UP” just came out today. I didn’t buy the album yet but I will. I listened to the whole album on the Ac/Dc official youtube channel and it’s a great record. Probably the best new album they’ve done since “The Razor’s Edge”.

I liked every song on “PWR UP” but I think the best tune is “Demon Fire”. Demon Fire is actually a little different sounding… kind of have that Bon Scott feeling a little bit. It’s the tightest and heaviest song on the album. The riffs are great and Brian’s voice is on fire in that tune. “Code Red” is another badass tune.

The boys in Ac/Dc still got it even though they went through some stuff over the last several years. Brian still got it even though he got some major hearing loss.

Will this be the final Ac/Dc studio album? A lot of speculation about that but I doubt this will be the final one. I predict they’ll keep going until they can’t do it anymore. Age is just a number, you’re never too old to rock. As long as you can still do it, why not?

Kev

Health and Fitness

Powerlifters lift with bad form and bad technique all over social media but yet it’s accepted by the public… what is going on???

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The sport of powerlifting training has blown up on social media. It has gotten pretty huge online lately and the sport continues to explode… it’s even more popular now than ever before.

Since I’ve joined the powerlifting community now and have been for the past few years, you can betcha, I follow other powerlifters in social media and have seen plenty of powerlifters training through their social media pages like instagram, facebook and twitter mostly.

Powerlifters post their lifting videos… posting their “personal best” videos, ya know like maxing out and all that stuff. Showing off their newest pr’s is what they do. These guys and gals train during their off-season leading up to their powerlifting competition.

All this is fine and good; however, I’m seeing too many powerlifters lifting the big three lifts in bad form and bad technique everyday. It’s crazy. You point something out to them, it’s either the lifter themselves or their followers/fanbase would get immediately defensive.

What is the bad form and bad technique I’m seeing with the big three lifts: squats, bench and deadlift???

Well the squat: not deep enough… either squatting parallel or above parallel is what I’m seeing a lot. Too many squatters don’t squat deep enough and they’re all calling it a “pr”. Squatting below parallel is the right way to squat, upper leg area or the hip crease getting lower than the top of the knee is the right depth but many powerlifters don’t go that deep. Why do you think they miss a lot of squat lifts on meet day?

For the bench, I’m still seeing a lot of benchers that bench with their butt off the bench which is very dangerous, in my opinion… yet so many think it’s okay to do it and it’s also cheating. So many benchers bench like that, butt off the bench, yet it’s still cheered upon and accepted. I also disagree with excessive arching ’cause that gives you less range of motion.

With the deadlift: I’m seeing many deadlifters online deadlifting with rounded backs all the freakin’ time. Yet once again, it’s cheered upon and accepted. You want to deadlift with rounded backs, you’re asking to be sent to snap city so be my guest if you want to deadlift like that. Plus too many rush their deadlift setup and they deadlift with their hips too low as if they’re squatting it.

Many powerlifters don’t care about their setup and form/technique but I do. I take technique very seriously. I’m always trying to perfect my form on the big three and I’m still learning. So many powerlifters are in such a rush to lift the big weights which is why they don’t care about their technique which is why a lot of ’em end up getting injured.

Yes, lifting butt off bench while benching will cause injury. There’s a pretty good reason why powerlifting competitions want you to bench with your butt on the bench. Butt lifting in benching is a problem and so many do it anyways. Not sure why. Yeah, it probably helps them lift more weight but that’s because they have a huge ego, ya know?

Nothing wrong with lifting weights that make you comfortable and lifting the ones you know you can hit safely and responsibly. Yeah I know, powerlifting is all about lifting the most weight possible but I’d rather be safe than sorry, ya know?

Powerlifting can be safe and easy as long as your technique and form is good.

The powerlifting industry trying to push out that butt off the bench and rounded back deadlifting is okay but man, they are setting their lifters up for injury.

I would much rather lift with good form every time. My numbers are kind of low in the big three lifts but hey, what can I tell ya? I just leave my ego at the door and just smash the lifts that I know that I can safely hit. I’m being patient and taking my time. I can’t bench over 300 lbs. and can’t squat/deadlift over 500 yet but I’ll get there. It’ll take more time with patience and consistency.

Kev

Random/off topic posts

Will be getting toontrack EZ Bass and EZ Drummer both real soon, definitely gonna go for ’em…

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Very soon, I’m definitely gonna be buying ToonTrack EZ Drummer and Ezbass… not at the same time but I’ll buy one those programs and get the other one another time. First, I’m planning on buying EZ Bass sometime this month. Toon Track Ezbass is a new program that ToonTrack just put out just recently. Toon Track is a bass player MIDI software… if you’re a recording musician and want to be a one man band but you don’t play bass yourself then that software is recommended.

I’m not a bass player at all by any means but for years I’ve always tried to find out ways I can be a one man band by making full band tracks myself. I was gonna buy a MIDI keyboard for my Focusright 2I4 interface that has MIDI connection and play bass lines through that way. For drums, I was thinking of using the Midi drums on Mixcraft or Garageband on my Ipod Touch. Now that I just discovered EZ drummer and EZ bass, it would be much easier for me to be a one man band.

I’ve researched both of those softwares pretty heavily so I know both are really good. On ToonTrack EZ bass, the bass sounds so realistic and you can play any genre of music with this including rock & metal.

As for EZ drummer, that software is very popular for musicians and they all recommend it. There are other drummer softwares out there but most recording musicians recommend EZ drummer than everything else. So I’m gonna go for that.

If I get both Ez bass and Ez drummer, I’ll be able to sound like an actual band with my music and that’s the goal I want to achieve. Someday, I want to make my own full band rock album. Start writing full band rock n’ roll is what I always dreamed of. Small baby steps, I guess.

I’m doing everything I can to get there. I’m going to buy Ez Bass first and then Ez drummer sometime in the near future. When I get these two softwares on my computer, I’ll be making full band tracks in no time. Can’t wait to get ’em, though and I’ve been looking into ToonTrack for a long time anyways.

People don’t think I’m capable of playing full band rock n’ roll, well, just you wait. You’ll be surprised to see that I do know my shit.

Will I be making metal songs? Yes, of course… but I’ll be planning on making prog rock metal so the songs I could be making could end up being pretty long. I could be making a concept album or whatever. I’ll be making some instrumentals too. Just whatever I come up with and make music whatever makes me happy. Hopefully it makes other people happy too.

Kev