This collection pretty-well summarizes the kind of chaos that has defined the Calendar Year 2020; besides speaking to the future of The System that it's all playing out within. The track list is (more or less) in their order of appearance.
The title is from a line from a "Peanuts" cartoon (c. 1956), wherein Lucy is trying to disrupt the good mood that Snoopy is enjoying at that moment. Even though her comments were based on elements of the World Situation as it was back then (which wasn't all rosy, by any means), those elements didn't have the intended effect Lucy was aiming for. 
There seems to be a valid lesson in all of that.

With thoughts of The Silver Lining  -  ThrustOut

Egregious Phil's Bin - "Doom, Defeat and Despair"

This project features tunes that work well using a single loop only. 
-Use of "drones" and "trance-style" tonal and rhythmic ideas allow me freedom    to expand in a variety of improvisational directions.
-All selected tunes are arranged thematically--both in subject matter and in set list order - Thrust

Groove Crater Method - "PARTY IN THE PIT"

Well, it looks like the “Natural DisasterTrend” continues to play out in new and exciting ways:  the latest being unprecedented flooding in disparate locations around the globe.
I've always liked pretty much everything about the Led Zeppelin rendition of the McCoy/Memphis Minnie tune “When the Levee Breaks” (a tune originally written in response to the then record setting flooding along the Mississippi River c. 1927). 
With the musical situation that I have going on right now, I'm able to get music addressing current topics out in a fairly unobstructed and immediate way...like my take on this particular topic and tune.
A few highlights you may enjoy are my use of a phrase from the Jimmy Driftwood song “Battle of New Orleans” (popularized later by the Johnny Horton version) early in the tune, as well as the use of a Wah Pedal to simulate a “Jaw Harp” in the rhythm loop; not to mention the “audio wonk” I used in the Intro (as opposed to Zeppelin's use of their own brand of “wonk” @ the end of their version).

When The Levee Breaks (LookMaNoSlide Version) - Instrumental by Groove Crater Method  (Led Zeppelin)

Another "essential" Iggy Pop track. Many of us might call this one our own personal "theme song". I certainly do.
I tried to go with the whole "post-punk" feel here--warts and all--while working the solo improv thing for all it's worth. 
Managed to get it all said in less time than "The Ig's" original studio version, on top of that!
We'll have to call it "Good".

The Passenger - (Iggy Pop Cover)- Instrumental by Groove Crater Method

Having taken "Album Rock" to an institutionally epic level with the production of "The Dark Side of The Moon", Pink Floyd unquestionably has left a fairly indelible mark on the world of music -- and the collective psyches of music fans around the world. 
After so many decades of "leaving well enough alone" though, I finally developed an interesting take on one of my favorite pieces therein through the use of my looping rig -- honed down through years of experimentation and jamming to what I have posted here.
The reggae arrangement seems to have stood the test of time (no pun intended) along with all of the soloing viewpoints. I figured, as awesome a statement as D. Gilmour's two-chorus solo is, I'd take it "up to 11" with a little  additional insanity. Reversing the loop for the intro and outro gave it the needed thematic direction. 
I was able to record all of the guitar verse and solo leads in one massive straight-through take; and, as usual, I'm responsible for all playing, sounds and production efforts.

Time (reversing)- Pink Floyd Cover / Tribute - Guitar Solo Instrumental by Groove Crater Method

Speaking of the '70s, another of the many artists which got my attention during that period was Harry Nilsson. He had a lot more to do with Pop/Rock music during that period than many are aware of. 
The track featured here is one of my takes on a cut from his hit album "Nilsson Schmilsson", which was also released as a single.  Since I'm really interested in performing music featuring "loops", any good tune that can be easily adapted to this approach is right in my wheelhouse. Herbie Flowers' mother-of-all-basslines is the unshakable (and irreplaceable) foundation for this song. All of the sounds you hear I performed, along with all production tasks. This is another track where I've performed lead work along with the rhythm loop in a straight-through, "live" fashion. There are no overdubs, and editing only to get it to proper "single" length (under five minutes).
There's a useful message here too:  When attempting a move to improve a given situation, one should be careful that said move doesn't take them out of the "frying pan" and "into the fire"...

Compilation

Jump Into The Fire (Single Version) - (Nilsson Cover) - Instrumental by Groove Crater Method

During the '60s and '70s--my musically formative years--the diversity of what was available has proven to be truly unprecedented. Fortunately, living in the SoCal metropolis of Los Angeles (South Bay)at that time, I had access through AM and then FM radio, older friends and peers, and hang-out sessions at local record stores. 
Of course, Jimi Hendrix and Funkadelic came onto my radar in a fairly timely fashion.  It's funny, but only until more recently in life, I've finally felt like I could use my longtime experience with their tunes (as well as those from many other influential artists from that era) as a foundation for some of my personal expression.
Regarding this particular work:  I'm bouncing off of the fairly universal nature of Hendrix's "Third Stone from the Sun" (I can think of a bazillion different ways to "frame" this tune; it's just so, uh, "universal"...), and the deep groove and anti-drug vibe of Funkadelic's "Loose Booty". I feel they go well together.
Rather than tell you what I had exactly in mind as far as how the theme matches the music (or vice versa), I'd much rather have you interpret that. - Thrust

Loose Booty On 3rd Stone (Single Version)- Groove Crater Method (inspired by Funkadelic)

Where would all of us artist-types be without "The Wizard Of OZ"?!!
There have been so many interpretive artistic expressions based on this work, I'm sure I haven't heard anywhere near the half of them!
Considering the multi-faceted problems facing humanity (many of which the present pandemic situation has only highlighted), I really didn't have any trouble coming up with my dystopian take on all of it, employing inspiration from none other than the aforementioned movie.
One of the main reasons I enjoy expressing myself through instrumental music is that a wide "door" of interpretation is left open for the listener's imagination.  That said, I'll only tell you a few of the basic elements of my work:   I'm playing a riff based on the marching chant of the Winkie Guard over a reversed chord progression for the verse section of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow", with a marching rhythm I coaxed (ok, more like "beat") out of my Danelectro Hodad electric guitar (an "oddball" instrument, which is proving itself quite adept at performing in such roles) by raking a serrated metallic implement across the strings. I'm improvising in real-time over that "loop"--including the crazy special effects heard toward the end of the piece. As always, I'm responsible for all sounds and production tasks. There was very little post-production work involved in getting the sound you're hearing. 

The rest is up to you...

Meanwhile, Under The Rainbow (dystopian theme)- Egregious Phil's Bin (The Wizard of Oz inspired)

This work hits especially close to my--and many West Coast residents--home. The Creek Fire--to date, the largest single-ignition-point fire in California history--had us in the E. Sierra choking on smoke for most of September/ October 2020, with AQI's exceeding 2000 (not a typo) on numerous  occasions! We were very close to being evacuated, but a number of factors converged to save us from that eventuality.  In many other locales, however, residents were not spared from suffering the worst, including a late November blaze that severely impacted the town of Walker, CA (just to the North of us, on U.S. 395).  
The scale and frequency of these blazes (search "CA Dixie Fire" 2021", for instance) raises doubts as to whether "The Golden State", as well as the rest of the States West of The Rockies, will be able to return to the natural equilibrium we've enjoyed up until recently

Welcome To The Charcoal (formerly Golden) State - (wildfire soundtrack) - Egregious Phil's Bin

Well, 2020 seemed to continue to deliver in the "natural (and man-made) disaster" department right up to it's end. (It's looking like 2021 is going to continue with that theme...)
This tune seemed pretty relevant when it was released by the Pat Travers Band, way back in 1980. No argument that it's a lot more relevant today!
I've always liked the chord movement (Travers an excellent Hammond / Keyboard player, too), as well as "The Beat Goes On" bass line; but I have felt that there was room for more "crash" and  "burn" in the sonic department. 
I think I've taken care of that in my interpretation.
I'm using the chorus melody as a one-time intro theme: "We can't stop the World from it's..."

Crash And Burn - Instrumental by Groove Crater Method (Pat Travers inspired)

"It's that little souvenir of a terrible year." -- The Sundays

Rather than make any attempt at putting some kind of narrative on this subject--political, or otherwise--in my introductory comments, the real purpose of my arrangement here is merely to inform and hopefully, to generate some objective contemplation on the listener's part.

With thoughts of Peace -- ThrustOut...

Portland 2020:  Did You Feel It All Around? - Egregious Phil's Bin (inspired by portlandia theme)

Considering all of the heavy circumstances laid upon us in the Calendar Year 2020 (which I've used as themes for many of my posted works herein), it somehow seemed refreshing (and downright righteous) that I'd get inspired near the conclusion of the year to do a piece driven by nothing more than a malfunctioning dryer at the local Laundromat!
This tune is the second in the "Ritmo Secadora" (Dryer Rhythm)Series; which I intend to rotate as I create new tunes based on the same rhythm. They will all be titled as "versions" of the "Coincident 25" theme. 
The previous--and first in the series--is entitled "Coincident 25 (NoWaveDesertLandscape Version)". Eventually, it will be readily accessible, along with other tunes previously posted here on soundcloud.

Thanks for listening!

Coincident 25 (FEZ meets F.V.Z. Version 2.0) - Instrumental by Groove Crater Method (Zappa inspired)

Howard  is a guitarist, writer, arranger, multi-instrumentalist, live performer, producer, studio engineer and online/onairwaves radio host; emphasizing musical communication through instrumental interpretation in various forms--at times employing spoken word, storytelling, reading or other audio sources in complement or contrast. 
His solo live performances feature real-time multi-instrumentalism employing live recording and synching of loops and subsequent improvising over them.

Check out "Howard Thrust - SIDE 2"  https://soundcloud.com/howard-thrust-2/tracks for recent and future postings here on soundcloud.
Check out "Howard Thrust - Musical Monologues"  https://soundcloud.com/howard-thrust-monologues/tracks for "story" with Music here on soundcloud.
Check out "Howard Thrust Radio"  https://soundcloud.com/howard-thrust-radio for complete Music shows, also here on soundcloud!
Check out "Escape Velocity with Howard Thrust" on KRHV every other Monday from 9P - 10P @ www.mammothfm.com or @ KRHV 93.3 FM in the Owens Valley, CA.
Check out "Howard Thrust" on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpAfG_aFKB0dDyp5mNl35sQ/videos !

AND NOW (massive drum-roll, please):  You can visit my WEBSITE by going to  www.hthrust.com

Thanks for looking and listening!