Coolio Fans Everywhere Solemnly Half-Mumble Along to “Gangsta’s Paradise”

Posted on by Colleen Nerney

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Fans of the late, exceptionally talented rapper Coolio spent the last 12 hours muttering the lyrics they can remember to his hit song “Gangsta’s Paradise,” depressed white boys confirm.

“Man, Coolio was a fuckin’ legend,” local barista and hipster Grant Standish bemoaned while furiously uploading tributes to his Instagram stories. “Truly an icon. He was just making hit after hit after hit in the ‘90s. I mean, come on! ‘Fantastic Voyage,’ ‘1,2,3,4,’ and of course, ‘Gangsta’s Paradise.’ I remember the first time I heard that track. His flow…so impressive. I’ve been half-assedly singing along in the car, completely incapable of maintaining any rhythm or recalling a single verse lyric ever since. But hey, at least I tried.”

Local radio DJ Clint Homewood took the rapper’s death as an opportunity to flex his cultural awareness and appreciation.

“I’m telling y’all right now, it’s gonna be all old-school rap all fuckin’ day,” Homewood said, doing his best to not slip into a “blaccent.” “We’re starting off with Coolio’s debut and working through his whole discography. I plan on spinning ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ at least seven times today, and the lucky caller number 69 gets to come on the air and try their best to rap along. I expect to get some real badass homies up on the airwaves, for real.”

Venue owner Terrence Harris was less than pleased with the local Caucasian community’s insistence on public mourning.

“Listen, man, I’m the only Black person to own a musical venue on this side of town. I’ve literally had throngs of white people show up to my door and apologize personally for my loss. Coolio was obviously a fucking great musician, but like, are they really under the impression that we were like, friends? I didn’t know this man. None of us did. I’m just a Black man pushing 60, and apparently, that’s all they’re able to see.”

At press time, Standish was seen signing up for a slot at his local karaoke night to show off his deeply mediocre rap skills.

How Embarrassing: Everyone at This Liberal Arts College Wore the Same Phoebe Bridgers Shirt to Class Today

Posted on by Audrey Vieira

It’s always awkward when two girls show up in the same outfit but it’s even worse when nearly two thousand students at the same liberal arts college come to class wearing the same Phoebe Bridgers tour shirt.

To be fair, there was a Phoebe Bridgers concert less than a mile away from campus the other night. It should have been obvious that something was afoot when nobody showed up to Professor Johnson’s 5:00 lecture but nobody thought that all twelve of her students were camping out in front of the same amphitheater!

Besides, Phoebe Bridgers offers a lot of great merch designs at her shows. One would think that at least some of the student body here would have picked something other than the black tour shirt with the dates on the back to wear to class, but nope! They all needed to make it clear to everyone else that they went to that concert as if their tote bags and Doc Martens weren’t a dead giveaway.

Hell, half of them are also wearing the tote bags that they bought at the show last night! The poor professors have no means of telling any of the students apart besides remembering who has dyed hair and who has a bunch of bad stick and pokes.

At least some of my classmates saved themselves the embarrassment of unintentionally matching with their entire English lecture. My roommate didn’t even come to class today because she’s still in the hospital after passing out during “Moon Song.” She may not have hydrated before the show or even showered but she saved herself from further ridicule by not coming to class in the same shirt as everyone else. Good for her!

Since I have some time to kill before my next class starts later today, I’m heading back to my apartment to feed the cats and change into a different sad indie artist’s tour shirt. Hopefully, none of my classmates have heard of Lucy Dacus.

Band Takes Break in Middle of Set to Plug Sponsors Blue Apron and ZipRecruiter

Posted on by Bobby Korec

CORVALLIS, Ore. — Local punk band No Thank You took a quick breather in the middle of their set to promote their sponsors Blue Apron and ZipRecruiter, sources who’ve heard of those companies but couldn’t care less confirmed.

“It’s literally the only way we can get properly compensated for our art,” said lead singer Lee Treadwell before asking if he was allowed to swear on this thing. “We actually get a little bit of money thrown at us every time we mention one of our many sponsors. That’s why in addition to plugging them in between songs we have several lyrics specifically about our advertisers. Our song ‘Love Is a Four-Letter Word’ actually has several references to Stamps.com, and the chorus to ‘Leave Already’ is just the words ‘like a good neighbor State Farm is there’ said repeatedly. Some say it’s sad what we’re doing, but to that we say ‘cha-ching.’”

Members of the audience weren’t quite sure what to make of their choice of in-between song stage banter.

“Even their merch booth seemed to consist exclusively of hydro flasks and t-shirts with various sponsors’ logos printed on them. Still can’t believe they ran out of medium-sized Squarespace shirts though,” said Luke Stainwell, who was actually there to see a different band. “I mean, yeah, it was extremely cringe to see a band succumb to their capitalist overlords like that. But on the other hand, they gave me the promo code ‘punk4life’ to get 20% off my next MeUndies order. That’s pretty sweet.”

Local marketing analyst Judy Steinway believes this is only the beginning of advertisers’ attempts to encroach upon the arts.

“Sponsors are slowly figuring out more creative ways to infiltrate our everyday lives with these live product placements,” said Steinway. “First it was television commercials and social media. Now it’s during local shows. Next these companies are going to start paying people to promote them through everyday conversations. Don’t be surprised if one day a discussion with your therapist about your childhood trauma quickly devolves into a brief plug from one of the hundreds of meal prep kit companies out there. That’s Orwellian or Kafkaesque. One of those.”

At press time, No Thank You decided to maximize their advertising revenue by releasing an album called “Toyotathon” which will be followed up with a record called “Lexus’ December to Remember.”

Aristocrat’s Monocle Falls Into Bisque When Punk Shows Up to Banquet

Posted on by Tim Graham

LOS ANGELES — Archibald Van Heusen III’s shock upon seeing a guest in full punk regalia at a Getty Museum fundraiser caused his monocle to drop into his lobster bisque, waitstaff at the $10,000 per plate gala confirmed.

“My wife Beatrice was beside herself, she ended up pulling a muscle in her hand from clutching her pearls so hard,” said the still fuming oil magnate as he lit a cigar with a one hundred dollar bill. “We were assaulted by the stench of body odor and cheap beer from across the dining hall. Several attendees swooned upon being subjected to the profanity that this miscreant was spouting. In the commotion, my favorite cumberbund was spattered with béarnaise sauce! Why such an uncouth, foul-mouthed louse would ever be allowed within a mile of this hallowed institution is beyond me!”

Newly wealthy punk Ronnie Grabowski saw nothing wrong with his behavior at the soirée, where he surprised many by being one of the evening’s biggest donors.

“I was there ‘cuz my accountant said I needed to do some tax write-offs or some shit,” said Grabowski. “I’m just trying to figure out what to do with all this money I inherited from my rich uncle. He hated everyone in the family—except me, for some reason. His final ‘fuck you’ was to leave everything to me. So I guess I’m a fucking billionaire now. But I’m not going to let that change me. I’m still going to dress punk, go to shows, and spit in cop cars. I’ll probably stop getting furniture from the sidewalk, though.”

Wealth management consultant Trevor Cleese specializes in helping the nouveau-riche navigate their entrée into high society.

“Going from broke to multi-millionaire can be tough,” said Cleese. “My clients include TikTok stars, successful YouTubers, and yes, even punks who’ve inherited a fortune. It can be challenging for them to assimilate into the upper crust while maintaining their identities. They often come from under-priveleged backgrounds, so I help them to avoid what’s known as ‘Beverly Hillbillies Syndrome.’ For instance, I understand Mr. Grabowski used his salad fork to comb out his mohawk at the table. While I’d never want to curb my clients’ freedom to be who they are, I also try to gently guide them toward more acceptable behavior.”

At press time, Grabowski was in the process of converting his late uncle’s megayacht into a floating all-ages venue.

The Next Euronymous? This Metalhead Bought a Camera

Posted on by Audrey Vieira

Some black metal fans remember Euronymous for his work in Mayhem or as a pioneer of the early Norwegian black metal scene. Others know him as the guy whose first reaction to finding his bandmate, Dead, dead from a gunshot wound was to buy a camera and take pictures of the corpse. Love or hate the guy, there is nobody like him. At least, that’s what we thought until we saw his apparent successor rush into the photography aisle of a local CVS.

“As soon as I saw the corpse paint and long, greasy hair, I knew this guy was something special. But once he inquired about our selection of disposable cameras I was certain that I’d just met the next Euronymous,” said CVS cashier Seth Chamberlain. “But don’t worry, I didn’t sell him any matches so the churches should be safe for now.”

The successor in question, a metalhead by the name of Adrian “Hellhøster” Hunt, didn’t seem to understand what Chamberlain and other CVS employees saw in him when approached for comment.

“Hey, do you have experience using any of these cameras?” he asked upon noticing our stares. “Sorry if my makeup freaked you out, by the way. I don’t usually come here in full corpse paint but my friend just did something really cool and I have to get it on film.”

Chamberlain was quick to interject that Euronymous made similar remarks upon discovering Dead dead on that fateful day in black metal history, but Hunt disagreed with the comparison and even seemed disgusted at the mention of the late Mayhem guitarist’s name.

“The next Euronymous? I would never do the awful things that he did. The only thing I have in common with him is the fact that I got stabbed once, but that was just one time. Besides, I’m only buying this camera to take pictures of the really cool necklaces that my friend designed for her Etsy. The grainy film really emphasizes the vintage aesthetic of her work.”

Despite his protests, we still report major Euronymous vibes from Hunt, who quickly rang up his purchase at the self-checkout and ran home upon remembering he left a delicious stew on the stovetop.

Band’s Pre-Show Huddle Mainly Just Prayer That Allegations Don’t Come Out

Posted on by Doug Kolic

DETROIT – Local band Affirmation Rising revealed that their traditional pre-show huddle mainly consists of prayers that serious allegations about them don’t come out, confirmed sources already trying to distance themselves from the band.

“Back when we first started we would pray that the show went well, but lately our pre-show huddles are less about channeling positive energy and more about praying to God that all the bad shit we’ve done doesn’t get exposed,” stated the band’s bassist Tre Muncy. “Part of me wishes I could admit what we’ve done, but to be honest I’m in way too deep. Plus, I really need this gig, otherwise I won’t be able to pay alimony, child support, or all that hush money for that thing I did in upstate New York back in ‘98.”

Jack Bennington, a crew member who witnessed the band’s odd backstage behavior at a recent show, described what he saw.

“At first the band did what normal groups do and held hands in a circle while bowing their heads in what looked like a heartfelt prayer to the Almighty,” said Bennington. “But then I overheard the singer ask the Lord to protect them from all the crimes they had to cover because of some ‘woke culture being out of control’ and some bullshit about how ‘the definition of consent was different 15 years ago.’ Even more strange is that after their prayer they all talked ad nauseam about being atheists. It’s like they weren’t even religious at all.”

Local priest Father Walter Potter explained how it’s more common than people realize for musicians to ask a higher power to protect them from their mortal sins.

“You’re asking me, a priest, if people ask God to protect them from serious criminal allegations?” chuckled Potter. “Ah yeah, it happens all the time. So often in fact, that God is usually too preoccupied sorting through the BS requests to keep a drummer’s DUI quiet or to sweep a church band’s sexual misconduct under the rug, that he’s too busy for anything else. Now if you’d excuse me, we’re having our daily prayer huddle here in a few minutes for, uh, unrelated reasons.”

At press time, police were investigating the band after a new song they performed at their last show contained vivid details about a decades-old murder that only the real killers could have known.

All My Roommate’s Excuses for Not Doing the Dishes Ranked

Posted on by Chris Jones

We’ve all heard excuses for not doing the dishes and even gave them ourselves at one point or another. It’s only human to not want to spend your brief moments of bliss away from work cleaning dishes after already wasting so much time cooking. Nevertheless, we all learn to accept the misery by sucking it up and just doing the fucking dishes when push comes to shove. Unless of course, you happen to be the asshole who lives with me.

My roommate will go above and beyond to make sure he never does the dishes, even when crafting his excuses for not doing them is far more work itself.

Let’s rank the best of the best:

10: Dishes are like jeans – so they don’t need to be washed every time.
This is of course bullshit, but it does explain why he seems to have permanent swamp ass.

9: They Need to soak
It’s been 3 weeks. They are soaked. Some of them are rusting, actually.

8: He smoked me out at least once this week so I can actually pay him back by doing them myself.
I didn’t realize the resin hit I accepted out of politeness was transactional, cool.

7: He’s “getting ready” to see Hoobastank.
Apparently, I underestimate the level of physical and spiritual preparedness involved in watching Hoobastank rock the shit out of the free stage at the county BBQ festival, which was the FOLLOWING weekend mind you.

6: He was busy filling in as dungeon master for a crucial D&D campaign.
Apparently doing the dishes would break the “immersion” of the game. Thanks a lot, Stranger Things.

5: The Queen just died
All of a sudden he’s at least a quarter English and needs to take the day off from responsibilities to play FIFA, order Chicken Tikka, and process. Cheeky.

4: It’s 9/11
At least this one has to do with the actual country he lives in, but has this dingus forgotten that he told me time and time again that 9/11 was an inside job? Maybe that makes the day even sadder for him?

3: That kitchen is haunted, bro
His ouija board and tarot cards confirmed there’s a ghost in the kitchen so he’s playing it safe. Last month his ouija board also claimed it was best to pay rent on the 9th, not the 1st like it says in the lease agreement.

2: He’s an alien abduction survivor.
He’s not even bothering tying this one to the dishes, it’s just a thing he says when I bring them up sometimes.

1: “I don’t really eat food.”
He said this to me, just now. Looked me dead in the I and said it. I’m just gonna throw the shit away unless goodwill takes donations caked in 5-week old chili residue. Fuck this guy.

Teen Grounded for Referring to Tegan and Sara as Gay Elders

Posted on by Colleen Nerney

HARTFORD, Conn. — Local teenager Lauren Sneden has been grounded by her moms for calling indie-rock sibling duo Tegan and Sara “gay elders,” sources in her “close friends” Instagram circle report.

“This is literally the worst and dumbest shit ever,” Sneden said while furiously thumb-typing on her phone. “My moms act all understanding and forgiving and progressive or whatever, and then they pull this on me. I’m not allowed to go out after school for a whole week, and they hid my Switch, too. Like, I’m sorry you’re ancient, but Tegan and Sara are like, at least 35 now. Which counts as crazy old. And I’m just trying to show my respect for the lesbian community and tell people to listen to them because they have more ‘lived experience.’ I’m not going to apologize for telling the truth, Deborah.”

One of Sneden’s mothers, Deborah Melville, was quick to explain her reasoning for the harsh sentence.

“Lauren needs to learn that we do not tolerate ageism in this house,” Melville said, her arms crossed and pierced eyebrow arched. “While I can understand her argument that ‘elders’ is a term of deference in this context, the fact of the matter is that Tegan and Sara are 41, and I’m turning 45 this year, so therefore, she’s calling me and her mother elderly. There was a distinct snark to her tone, too, and she needs to realize that sass will get you nowhere in life. And oh, my god, ‘So Jealous’ came out the year before she was born. Jesus fucking Christ.”

Gretchen Anderson, a family therapist, offered her expert insight on the matter.

“Teen brains are hardwired to annoy adults by calling people younger than their parents ‘old,’” stated Anderson matter-of-factly. “In Lauren’s case, she genuinely, chemically, can’t help it. She’s 17. She has no choice but to really rub her moms’ noses in it. Next thing you know, she’ll start lamenting the fact that Billie Eilish will be able to legally drink soon, and that makes her practically the crypt keeper.”

At press time, Sneden was angrily texting her mother Sappho’s Wikipedia page, stating that she finally found an artist that rivals her in age.

Review: AFI “Bodies”

Posted on by James Knapp

This week we decided to take a look at AFI’s trace-punk opus “Bodies,” and in the process we were whisked away on a magical journey to a far-off and frightening land called Spooky World. Here’s our tale.

Near immediately after the first note of the album sounded we were interrupted by a talking crow, who cacawed that we should follow it to fulfill the prophecy. Seeing as we didn’t have much else to do that day, we agreed and the crow grasped us in its crow’s feet (we think they’re called bird hooks) and flew us into the horizon.

After several minutes, which from our perspective seemed to encompass the totality of recurring eternities, we arrived in a dark and hollow land the crow told us was called Spooky World. It also told us that Spooky World had come under constant threat by an insidious necromancer named Devil Dan.

“You see,” the crow explained, “Spooky World requires a precise balance of spookification to maintain itself, and Devil Dan has been trying to upset that balance to out-spook the Goblin Lords, the rightful rulers of Spooky World. Every night, which is all the time because it’s always night here, Devil Dan sends out his army of pumpkin apes to attack the cobweb people of south Spooky World, and spread about the witchroot plague to every corner of the land.”

It was at this point that we told the crow to hold the fuck on because that all sounds like way too much and, let’s be frank, kind of like none of it was real or sane. We argued with the crow for a bit before just giving up and informing it we really had to get back to the office so we could finish our “Bodies” review.

“Oh crap,” the crow gasped. “You’re reviewing ‘Bodies!’ I meant to grab the guy reviewing ‘The Art of Drowning.’”

We all had a good laugh after realizing the crow’s mistake and he gladly returned us to The Hard Times offices promptly. It was an odd journey that we took to Spooky World, but one we will surely not forget anytime soon.

Anyways though, “Bodies” – eh, it’s alright.

SCORE: 3 out of 5 talking crows

/**/

Metal Band Rushes to Take Promo Photos in Front of Burning House Before Fire Department Puts It Out

Posted on by Dan Kozuh

NARBERTH, Pa. — Local thrash metal outfit Gore Primordial hastily threw together an impromptu photo shoot when it was discovered a destructive house fire had broken out across town, friends of the band report.

“We had been really desperate to get a photo of the band in front of a really heinous fire,” Gore Primordial drummer Myra Byrd said after recovering from smoke inhalation. “We bought a police scanner and kept listening for when a real scorcher came over the radio. We missed out on a few because our bassist Cecil was at work and by the time we got there it was just piles of wet wood. This time we were ready and got a great picture just as the flames burst through the top story window.”

The fire department, however, was not particularly pleased with the band’s attempts.

“We have had a really curious rash of fires in recent weeks,” Narberth Fire Department Battalion Chief Emilio Campbell said after extinguishing the blaze and saving the life of a small child. “But whenever a fire breaks out these kids call 911 and ask if we can wait to put it out until they all get there. I will say that it is a real coincidence that these fires started just a few weeks before this band is set to release their new album. Somehow they all have alibis and are vouched for by the same Taco Bell employee every single time. Seems suspicious.”

Public relations expert Becky Caldwell applauded the band’s ingenuity.

“Pyrotechnics and controlled fires are actually really expensive and difficult to coordinate,” Caldwell explained. “If you can get the same shot in the wild, you are going to save tons of cash. Many bands on a budget go guerilla style by photographing poverty-stricken areas, the homeless, protest riots, and dive bar patrons. It saves you money and gives you a sense of gritty realism.”

As of press time Gore Primordial was seen loitering around the local cemetery in hopes of capturing a funeral for their next album cover.

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