Is McDonald's looking to abandon their infamous chicken McNuggets? It seems like they are at least trying something new with their recent launch of Chicken McBites. These are very reminiscent of KFC and their Popcorn Chicken. They are just all white meat breaded bites of chicken. You have probably had something like these before and know what to expect. Little chicken and lots of breading. Well I recently learned through grubgrade that they are testing a spicy version at the McDonald's next to my house. Anytime there is a test item I have to go try it, if only for the reason there is a large chance it will never be seen again.
I just got a "snack" order for $1.99. it was a pretty good portion for two bucks. I would rather of had two McDoubles but it is still way cheaper then what the freaking McNuggets cost. As I mentioned, there is little surprise here. They are your typical "popcorn" chicken. Lots of breading and little bits of chicken. I will say they did a good job with it though. The "spicy" came from the breading which was a lot like the spicy McChicken breading. I thought they were going to be saucy but I guess McDonalds wants an excuse to flaunt its sauces. The chicken itself was always juicy and never dried out which happens a lot with popcorn chicken. There were not as many tiny pieces as I expected either, which was a nice surprise.
Rating: 3/5 "It's Just Meh"
I wouldn't call them bad. They provide a nice little 'real chicken' substitute to the McNugget. Are these things going to replace the McNugget? HELL NO. Anyways check em out if you get a chance, they are worth a peek. Also props for giving me a place to put my sauce.
I love this time of year because now I can bust out the Christmas music anywhere I go. In the mall, in class, in the shower, on the toilet, anytime is good for Christmas music! I wanted to share some of my favorite and most memorable christmas tunes with all of you and I would like to hear some of yours as well! Here is my top 5!
1. Bing Crosby- White Christmas
A freaking classic if there ever was one. There are not too many guys as charming as Bing as he belts out a song about getting some snow on christmas. I can guarantee if he sung this to any girl, even in the middle of summer, he got them.
2. Trans-siberian Orchestra- Carol of the Bells
A ton of bands and musicians have covered this song. There have been the classical version and there have been a ton of hard rock version. This one was one of the original that rocked out to a classic christmas tune. It is still a great pump up song as you get ready to charge the mall and do some holiday shopping.
3. Capital Lights- His Favorite Christmas Story
So this one is from a little band that nobody has ever heard of. They put out one so-so album and then disbanded. Before that happened, they wrote this little heart-warming jingle. It is like a more romantic and less depressing version of "Christmas Shoes" that gets me every time. It is corny as hell but a great tune that is catchy beyond belief. Please check it out if you have not heard it.
4. WAM- Last Christmas
This is the song you break out after having those big family arguments that come from too much togetherness. Whether it is the original or some really bad dutch cover version (the one I put below is my personal favorite) you cannot listen to this song without cracking a smile. Maybe it is George Michael's boyish charm, or maybe it is because the song is so stupid. Either way, it will cause a laugh.
5. The Barenaked Ladies- Jingle Bells
One of the most creative versions of what might be the most popular Christmas song of all. The guys of Barenaked Ladies start it off on a very serious, mellow tone only to break out the crazy about a minute in. Throwing in the Batman verse doesn't hurt either. These guys were always known for their humor and it shows why in this cover.
Honorable Mention- House of Heroes- All I Want For Christmas Is You
They get huge points for making a version of this super-catchy song that I can listen to and sing to without looking like I lost my man card back at The JCPennys. Thanks Boys.
Cover songs are dangerous territory for bands. Taking songs that, most of the time, people love and giving them a bands revision does not always work. At best, it succeeds and you are known for a song you did not even write (Alien Ant Farm anyone?), and at worst you look like a pompous ass who thinks you can touch a classic but fail miserably (Limp Bizket's cover of Behind Blue Eyes).
Like I said, dangerous territory.
There are two ways to go about cover songs. You can either stay pretty close to the original recordings, and just throw in a bit of your bands sound, while not straying out too far. While this can work and is the safe route, a lot of times songs just come off boring. A band that did it well is House of Heroes, covering the classic "All I Want For Christmas is You" (see below video).
Then there is the path of just going crazy and not following anything near the original. While this can distance you enough from the original to get away from comparison, this can also lead to butchering of songs. A success of this method is The Devil Wears Prada's metal version of Big Tymer's rap hit Still Fly (below). If you doubted the ability to make rap into metal, listen to this. Some bad examples, well check out Brittany Spears. She has done some hideous things to some classic rock songs.
As far as Relient K goes, they stayed somewhere in the middle. The band has been known to burst out in random covers during their shows, some of which are much goofier than others. Regardless, a cover album is a good fit for the band. The best thing I can say about this album is it covers a HUGE variety of tunes. From recent hits like Justin Beiber's "Baby" to the seldom heard They Might Be Giants' "Doctor Worm". The band has all the bases covered. Are all of the songs good? It is pretty close. Most of the songs stick to the vibe of the original enough that they are all immediately recognizable. Some get more modern makeovers, like Toto's Africa, but these are welcome modifications.
The hits include: Justin Beiber's "Baby", just because you cannot listen to this song and not laugh at the fact it somehow became a hit. The words are horrible. The Wallflowers "One Headlight", Toto's 80's hit Africa, and Weezer's "Surf Wax America.
There are a few misses. They are not bad covers, just they do not stick out. Third Eye Blind's "Motorcycle Drive By"and "Crazy" by Gnarles Barkley. Neither of these songs really did anything for me and I would much rather just listen to the originals all the time.
Rating: 4/5 "It's Just Swell"
Definitely worth checking out, if not just for a few songs. There is something here for everyone though. If you played this on a road-trip with a bunch of friends, I can guarantee everyone would say "hey I know this song" at least once. Relient K has managed to make a whole covers album without butchering any songs. Impressive.....
Track List
Girls Just Want To Have Fun (Cyndi Lauper) (2:48)
Baby (Justin Beiber) (2:49)
One Headlight (The Wallflowers) (4:17)
You're The Inspiration (Chicago) (3:45)
The Distance (Cake) (2:54)
Crazy (Gnarls Barkley) (2:51)
Motorcycle Driveby (Third Eye Blind) (4:14)
Doctor Worm (They Might Be Giants) (3:00)
Interstate Love Song (STP) (3:38)
Here Comes My Girl (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers) (4:05)
Africa (Toto) (4:57)
Surf Wax America (Weezer) (3:02)
Inside Of Love (Nada Surf) (4:03)
Everybody Wants To Rule the World (Tears for Fears) (3:55)
I just got a "snack" order for $1.99. it was a pretty good portion for two bucks. I would rather of had two McDoubles but it is still way cheaper then what the freaking McNuggets cost. As I mentioned, there is little surprise here. They are your typical "popcorn" chicken. Lots of breading and little bits of chicken. I will say they did a good job with it though. The "spicy" came from the breading which was a lot like the spicy McChicken breading. I thought they were going to be saucy but I guess McDonalds wants an excuse to flaunt its sauces. The chicken itself was always juicy and never dried out which happens a lot with popcorn chicken. There were not as many tiny pieces as I expected either, which was a nice surprise. 
