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Author: David Robison

  • Wayne’s World/Almost Alive from Dustin’s Kitchen by Little Tiny Knife

    Wayne’s World/Almost Alive from Dustin’s Kitchen by Little Tiny Knife

    Album: Wayne’s World/ Almost Alive from Dustin’s Kitchen

    Artist: Little Tiny Knife 

    Released: July 31, 2025; Self Release 

    Little Tiny Knife is a band from the Sacramento area. They were founded by Josiah Masteller and include members such as Jim Soltero and Brianna Carmel. You may remember them from their solo work being featured on the blog last year. This will be their first full album release, having only a single and a feature released prior.

    Their album, “Wayne’s World/Almost Alive from Dustin’s Kitchen” represents a departure from Little Tiny knife’s perviously released work, which focused on delivering a chiptune accompaniment along side folkesque vocals. With this album, what they do deliver is a solid indie folk offering with a punk infused ethos. Probably the best display of this ethos is found in the song “Roll up Your Sleeves”. It is a melody driven ballad about making the world better by standing up to oppressors through actions like punching Nazis. This is the track that really sold me on the album. I was like, “damn, y’all I’m really digging your game”. This is my favorite song, hands down.

    “Spaceman” has pretty somber subject matter dealing with domestic abuse from the P.O.V. of someone struggling with the aftermath from outside the immediate relationship. Honestly, I was initially perplexed by the spaceman analogy and assumed that it was a reference for a specific person or an inside “joke” but the more I thought about it, the more I am convinced it’s a reference to the 1950’s sitcom the Honeymooners. The blow hard main character infamously used space travel as a threatening metaphor for domestic abuse. While the core message of the song is definitely stark, the song still manages to have a catchy rhythm in parts and has a great vocal delivery.

    The last song I want to draw attention to is “Tired of Driving”. This is because this particular song is a revision of a single they released in 2023 that originally came with a chiptune treatment. The new song is more mellow and the chiptune has been replaced with acoustic melodies, tambourine and a bass line provided by Jim Soltero on the up right bass that I would go as far as to say slaps. While I love me a good chiptune, I would willingly trade it for the up right base lines that are laced throughout not only this song, but the album. It is hard to deny that this version really brings it in every way that maters.  

    Despite “Wayne’s World/Almost Alive From Dustin’s Kitchen” being Little Tiny Knife’s first album, it presents a depth and maturity that you can only get from veterans of their local scene. The Little Tiny Knife Discography just leveled up, big time. Fans of folk should give it a listen or also if you are a fan of the kazoo. Yes, they’ve got a kazoo, some people are just cool like that.

    If you like the album I reviewed here and want to support the artist as well as this blog please consider picking up the album via this affiliate link—-> Purchase Wayne’s World/Almost Alive from Dustin’s Kitchen via Amazon Music

  • Live Free DIY Hard: The Next Generation

    Live Free DIY Hard: The Next Generation

    Playlist: LFDH- The Next Generation

    Featured Artists:

    Rainbow Kitten Surprise

    Jeff Buckley

    Robbie Williams

    Car Seat Headrest

    Eminem

    Nicky Youre & Hey Daisy

    There is a common trope among older music enjoyers that kids these days don’t know what good music is or that music isn’t “what it used to be”. I have a whole mess of kids and a curious mind so lets put this belief to the test. Here are the terms for our little “experiment”: I ask each one of my kids (the ones old enough to participate) to recommend me a song. It has to be one they enjoy and it can’t be a song that they like because I showed it to them. They had to discover it themselves. The majority of my brood agreed to this. The only hold out was my 16 year old who claimed “I don’t like music” to which his siblings replied. “You listen to it all the time!” He then went on the assert that while what they said was true he doesn’t like any of the music he listens to. I feel like he missed out on an opportunity to at the very least troll me by making me listen to some random meme song. We are probably better for that not crossing his mind. What I did get was 6 recommendations that I have listed here in order of oldest kid’s suggestion to youngest.

    “It’s Called: Freefall” by Rainbow Kitten Surprise. First off. Rainbow Kitten Surprise is an absolute boss of a name. I really enjoy the cadence and smoothness of the vocal performance. While I called it smooth. My son who suggested it said he’s never heard anyone describe it that way. We both decided that mellow works as well. I feel the song is about the anxiety of dealing with relationships. Not wanting to be a burden on friends and the intention behind your interactions with them. I think it is a pretty deep song with quite a few layers.

    Next on the playlist is “Lover, You Should’ve Come Over” by Jeff Buckley. This is a love song. It’s about the pining after a lost lover. I think the tempo and melody do a good job at conveying a sense of longing. The lyrics are very sorrowful. Seriously, this dude is working through some shit. Hopefully he becomes a better person when he comes through it all. This is definitely the kind of song I could see someone putting on after a break up when they need a good cry.

    The next song on the playlist is “Rock DJ” by Robbie Williams. I really don’t have much to say about this song, it is an upbeat party/dance song. Its good for what it is.

    “Fill in the Blank” by Car seat Headrest is probably the song that is most similar to my musical taste. Its got a really nice indie rock vibe. The lyrics are very sarcastic and talk about dealing with depression and life. Its tempo is upbeat which I obviously like and it really adds to the tongue and cheek nature of the song.

    When I ask my kids for suggestions, I guessed I was going to get an Eminem song. I find it endlessly amusing that my 12 year old kid discovered Eminem on his own and now a few times a week I get slim shady ‘factoids’ that are highly mythologized. Like he tells me stories about things I remember happening but with a highly fantastical and dramatic slant to them. It’s really great. Anyway, his song suggestion is “Lose Yourself” by Eminem. It’s originally from the movie 8 mile. I think most people know about it. If you like Eminem, you like this song if you don’t? Well nothing I say is going to change that.

    The last song is “Sunroof” by Nicky Youre and Hey Daisy. This is another song I think most people know about. It has gotten a lot of radio play. This is a upbeat pop song. When I listen to it I get the vibes of cruising around in my car with the windows down on a warm summer day.

    I think the propensity to believe that the youth don’t have good music tastes is really just a show case of some people’s refusal to discover new music after they graduate from high school or college. I think the kids are doing just fine. I really enjoyed this playlist and talking to my kids about the music they like. I think it is cool how the song each of them suggested seemed to fit their personality really well. I hope y’all enjoyed it as well.