Florida are the 2024 NHL Cup Champs. For real, a shoutout to Edmonton however for their resilience in erasing a 3-0 deficit to force a game 7 (last done in 1945). They put up a fight and it would have been great to see Lord Stanley return to Canada for the first time in 31yrs (1993 being the same year idiot Gary Bettman became League Commish) but it was not to be. Still, congrats to the Oilcans all the same for giving everybody 2 bountiful reasons to cheer them on... LOL.

LOL. And to the uptight Panthers fans who criticized the flasher, lighten up. How quickly you forget that it also happened with you dummies...

Sonic alterno-rock that always first & foremost with them was melodic, deep heavy groove. This is a stop/start-on-a-dime precision duo of massive crunching chords and drill-pounding percussion that combined for galvanizing & swirling crescendos. For its very talented musicianship of bluesy noise and avant-gardeness, singer Paige repeatedly said his specific approach in playing was because of his love of jazz giant John Coltrane. Although received lukewarmly at first by critics, the album has long since been re-discovered with high praise showered from fans & critics alike. And it was also both the first & last with guitarist Rob who left to join BIOHAZARD. Happy 30th Anniversary.

Tight & unusually harmonic teutonic thrash from one of the German 'Big 4' pillars (the other 3 being SODOM, DESTRUCTION and TANKARD). With raspy growling, rage-filled vocals that also bleeds into ear-piercing shrieking, punchy high-pitched guitars and production-wise a more improved sound. EA is perhaps the most bickered about in their discography as to whether one deems it a step down from the previous 2 records for lacking freshness in a still-evolving direction that is somewhat restrained or... was an overall more consistent effort that angrily was a high point in one of the last of the late 80's great & catchy essentials. Happy 35th Anniversary.

La Roja de España sale victoriosa.

Congrats Spain, 2024 Euro Champs. And congrats also to Argentina for their back-to-back Copa América win.


So now in the meantime as we await the big show in 2026, in the World Cup of porn below, which bracket is your group of death?...

GROUP A
GROUP B
GROUP C
GROUP D
GROUP E
GROUP F
GROUP G
GROUP H

With this debut of downtuned doomy nihilism swirling in fuzz-toned chugging guitars and the singer's bellowing drawls, absolutely nobody foresaw that just 2yrs later, Seattle grunge & the alternative scene would come into such sweeping prominence to completely upend rock music and put NIRVANA center stage. Happy 35th Anniversary. R.I.P. Kurt Cobain.

With a strong cast, top notch and funny script, permission to use the title name from the unrelated 1975 CBS live-action kiddie sitcom, a # 1 hit song & video, and its instantly recognizable cartoon logo, GHOSTBUSTERS like STAR WARS, BATMAN and JURASSIC PARK launched an insanely mega successful, worldwide multi-billion dollar media & marketing franchise. Happy 40th Anniversary. [After a 5yr wait in hopes of being another massive money juggernaut, GHOSTBUSTERS II opened on Jun 16, 1989 to mixed reviews and lower box office. And because of the particularly poor reception, the sequel was blamed for the drop in popularity with the notion of the novelty having worn off].

6/6/44. The Longest Day. Normandy or bust.

Positive youth crew punk who were regarded as the first band to call themselves hardcore. Their melodic & maturing progression in several albums over the next decade would see them come full circle in returning to the roots of their old school sound. Happy 40th Anniversary this month.