The Pacific Miniseries

Well, I had no idea! As usual.

Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, the guys who brought you everything ever including Band of Brothers, are teaming up again to produce HBO's The Pacific, which will do, the advertisements are suggesting, for the Pacific Theater and the island-hopping campaign what Band of Brothers did for Europe. Hans Zimmer will be doing the score, and ignoring the fact that means that it will be a rehash of the Pearl Harbor soundtrack mixed with Pirates (which isn't a problem as long as people figure it out; in defense of John Williams he comes up with new themes and leitmotifs, if not filler, unlike Mr Zimmer, who does a fine job each time regardless), this is looking like a massive production that is slated to air March 2010. More and up-to-date info can be found at Pacificfans.com.

"We are able to visit the home front on this one and we're able to show the guys before the War and after" [Tom Hanks.]

So, cool. I'm stoked. With Ingloriuous Basterrrds coming out, or however you spell it, this should be a fun run in screen releases. And yet, embarrassingly enough, I still have to see Band of Brothers. There are a few reasons that I haven't. We didn't have HBO when it originally aired, and everything time they re-air it on the History Channel, I come in halfway through, or it is out of order. And even though Virgin is going out of business, I would still have to spend much more than is feasible to buy the thing, even thought I'm ready to make the dive from hype to purchase (just at a lower price.) And finally, I am for some reason terrified of bittorents. I don't know why. It might be for the same reason that my new bazillion terabyte harddrive scares me. Whatever that reason is. ANYWAY, any familiarity with the Pacific theater campaigns suggests that this will be a pretty harrowing television experience. And that I need to get on that whole watch Band of Brothers thing.

The trailer is up for you to watch, the series being pitched as depicting the "battle that saved Australia" which I guess is technically what that whole thing started as, though it ignores the rest-- the part where they advanced towards Japan and set up airbases and stuff and like yeah, I know you all saw Letters from Iwo Jima. Anyway, hopefully they'll get the marketing right, because about the only people that direction is going to attract is Australians.

• The Pacific Trailer [youtube]

Also, this is an interesting site; it's personally maintained and has tons of photos and information, including profiles of the real players, overviews of the books that the series will be based on (as Band of Brothers was), and a wealth of information including a cool side-by-side comparison of the actors and actual figures-- the casting people got some of those pretty close!

Let the Dominoes Fall Review

Rancid is previewing their upcoming album in its entirety on their Myspace! Go listen! The record doesn't drop til the beginning of June (when some pretty epic package deals will be available), so this is a great opportunity to get a taste of what the band has been working on for six years.

It's a typically track-heavy Rancid album (count comes in at 19), but in the grand tradition the songs hover around the two minute mark.

Let's get the bad out of the way first, because for the most part I'm starting to really dig this record. The few songs that don't work are messy and border on uninteresting ("Lulu" gets off to a great start. . .)-- which is the lamentable part, since Rancid is never boring. Single "Last One to Die" is still a weaker track, though it makes more sense in the context of the whole album, though "LA River," which was one of the first songs that was previewed live last year and which I want to like, either needs some work or just won't ever work-- I need to hear it a few more times-- though it has a fun psychobilly bass riff. "The Dominoes Fall," an almost celebratory "whatever" track, has a silly chorus ("No no no no no etc") but is otherwise enjoyable. What saves many of the weaker tracks is the interplay between the vocals ("Disconnected," which I think also deserves a few more listens before a decision is made) as well as classic Rancid imagery (in "Disconnected," nation as the prototypical Rancid lady) and the gracenotes of Tim's pronunciation, syncopation and energy ("Damnation" and "I Ain't Worried About a Thing") and Lars' ability to make any phrase anthemically melodic-- basically, Rancid doing what they've always been doing.

When the tracks really fall flat is when the lyrics drag them down, especially when vague political statements are dropped, though this doesn't happen often beyond the noisy "This Place." When Rancid sticks to the more pathos-alert storytelling (think "St Mary") that in turn are able, when designed, to convey political views, the lyrics really standout, as in the nicely produced, "Memphis"-like "New Orleans": "Yeah it rained all night in New Orleans."

As a note, I do like Indestructible so maybe you shouldn't be paying attention to me, but now I think I know how people feel about that album, in terms of my feelings about Dominoes. I like it, and the more I listen to it (second time as I write this) the more I'm digging certain tracks, but it will take some time.

Two sounds that really work: First, the bands' return to their trademark swaggering ska/reggae punk ("Up to No Good".) This time, they are treading heavily in the territory of Tim Armstrong's solo release ("Skull City" could have been a more rock n roll-oriented track-- by way of, say, "She's Automatic"--off of Poet's Life), and while I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing, the results are fun. Second: slower, contemplative, almost alt-country/western-influenced (in theme and sound) tracks like "Civilian Ways" (reminiscent of Ryan Bingham) and closing track "The Highway," a pleasant acoustic ballad complete with harmonica and generous feelings, are ths most surprising and characterize, perhaps, a new direction that the band could explore more. While it is a surprise that Rancid decided to indulge in this experiment, the exploration itself itsn't really a great leap of logic or geneology. A major component of Rancid's thematic material involves the outrageous boasting of rap and outlaw country, exemplified by the Transplants' work and also Viking, and punk tends to head south at some point (or maybe north, from Jamaica.)

I've been putting the new Green Day and Rancid releases side-by-side, mostly because of the proximity of release date and the anticipation. My final verdict? Rancid. I gave Green Day an ambivalent review because while on one hand there was nothing new, it was still a fun album on the tracks that got off the ground. On the other hand, Rancid, even though there are duds on the record, doesn't stray into self-parody or oversentimentality which is endemic in 21st Century Breakdown; my criticism of Breakdown is more concerned with fundamentals. Rancid has always had an earnestness to their songs that let's them get away with murder ("Radio"), whereas Green Day relies too heavily on shock value (oh, they said sodomy!), which might work for its new target audience but won't work for anyone else. in the world. Even though I held Rancid up to a much higher standard than I did 21st Century Breakdown, the rundown is that my more generous expectations were confirmed with Green Day--digestible, predictable and fun album unfortunately weighed down, much like American Idiot and songs like "Macy's Day Parade," by pontificating-- and were exceeded with Rancid--who don't let the few duds to be duddy enough to outweigh the good tracks.

• New Orleans

No longer available; sorry guys-- they killed my Green Day post (all that hard work put into the review! I guess free publicity isn't worth it anymore) because of the tracks posted, so it's better to be safe than sorry I guess; looks like another few weeks staying off the radar, but I'll do my best to find other stuff to write about ;) Don't forget, Rancid has been generous enough to make the album available on their Myspace!

LA Times Bitches About NPR's Sausage Party Book List

Carolyn Kellogg, who is obviously a smart lady or she wouldn't have this gig, recently posted on the LATimes Book blog about Dick Meyer's "100 Years, 100 Novels, One List" opinion piece on NPR.com. Beneath a truly tacky and reductive accompanying image (edited with just as juvenile a sensibility above) that makes Kellogg's piece seem more silly then it should be made to, her complaint is spelled out: there aren't enough women on the list. There's 7.

Who isn't there: no Flannery O'Connor, no A.S. Byatt, no Annie Dillard, no Margaret Mitchell, no Katherine Ann Porter, no Isak Dinesen, no Gertrude Stein, no Joyce Carol Oates, no Margaret Atwood, no Edith Wharton, no Zora Neale Hurston, no Eudora Welty, no Rebecca West, no Annie Proulx, no Nadine Gordimer, no Doris Lessing, no Simone de Beauvoir.

I could never lament the absence of Zora Neale Hurston on a list, the woman who wrote Their Eyes Were Watching God, one of the few books along with The Bean Trees- the most politically correct book you will ever read (Indians, adoption, ethnic people, women, there must have been domestic abuse- I can't remember)-- that makes me tear my hair out for having spent time reading. And writing five paragraph hamburger essays on.

Kellogg also points out that a lot of books on the list are "the kind that were assigned to be read in school, which indicates a kind of incurious reader to me." This is an unfair assumption. For the rest of us, say, those of us who attended LA-area public schools, only a handful of these were assigned for reading, and that's if they were taught at all. I was at least lucky enough to go through the joke that is the Honors/AP English track in high school, and only 9 of those were assigned, and only 1 on the Miss "missing" list (Hurston.) Kellogg has no way of knowing how a reader came to certain books. Frankly, you have to be a pretty curious reader to read most of the books assigned in school, especially in light of the mediocre quality of teacher-hires tend to be, along with lesson and classroom quality. Kellogg has no business making anyone ashamed for coming to a book through school. No matter how dismal the state of education is going to be, if she is going to disparage the quality of readers coming out of it, she should better spend her time trying to rectify the situation instead of harping on gender politics.

Meyer's list, which he states was formed around the concept of "how much the book hit me, moved me, made me see — and how it stuck with me" is fine because it is his list. A comment on Kellogg's piece makes a good point: "I'm afraid your article comes off like you're complaining that someone else's favorite color is green, when your favorite color is blue." Maybe Kellogg is trying to make her blog (or job) more relevant, but the fact that it is such a cop-out complaint (women! as Father Jack would say) makes it just more of the same. She should make her own list and give not just names but specific books. Not only will this make someone take her article more seriously, it will interest someone in actually reading the book. I agree that Katherine Anne Porter is a fine author, and Ship of Fools is a great book. In fact, I would put it on a "Best Of" list, but I have no way of knowing what Kellog thinks, or what book she is refering to. More importantly, what book am I missing out on? Right now, the reader just glosses over the usually gender bias complaint because it is the usual names. The inclusion of missing male authors, again as opposed to specific books, indicates that she is just picking a fight without providing specifics (again, which Henry James book would make the list?) If she makes a list, it will be just as fun to take a look at, and it will be just about as much as Meyer's- a list of his favorite books- means. Anyway, when did "Best of" lists actually mean anything? The fact that it is a group opinion compressed into one long list has always indicated that to take them seriously indicates you're taking yourself too seriously.

I just like finding out how dumb I am by seeing what 5 or 6 books I've actually read. That's the fun part. (I've read a lot of books. But remember, there are like 80 Hardy Boys books, and 15 Rogue Squadron books, and I totally count the Lord of the Rings as 3 separate books.)

The ones I've read: (You can see the complete list here. I've starred the ones I would add to my best of list.)

2. The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
3. The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger
4. Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad*
8. Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov*
10. A Passage to India, E.M. Forster
11. To the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf
12. U.S.A. Trilogy,John Dos Passos
14. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee*
16. All the King's Men, Robert Penn Warren*
43. A Soldier of the Great War, Mark Helprin (I'm reading this one now.)
44. The Big Sleep, Raymond Chandler*
46. Charlotte's Web, E.B. White*
48. The Secret Sharer, Joseph Conrad*
55. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, John LeCarre
72. Lord of the Flies, William Golding
75. A Confederacy of Dunces,John Kennedy Toole*
76. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,Ken Kesey
80. A Fan's Notes,Frederick Exley
84. The Maltese Falcon,Dashiell Hammett
88. Seize the Day, Saul Bellow
94. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy,John le Carre*
99. The Godfather, Mario Puzo*

Ok Bub (with or without FX)

On the eve of its release, the new Wolverine movie had 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. The reviews were mostly from online sites with a clear geek bias, and by the release date the percentage had dropped to a more sane 37%. The world once again made sense.

At the same time, I had hoped that the initial enthusiasm from reviewers who are clearly fans of the genre meant it would be at least be a fun watch for like-minded viewers. This is not the case. I watched it a few nights (ack! delay in posting: saw it about a week ago) ago online, and though the real movie had been out for about 5 days, it ended up being the infamous leak version. All said and done, I'm glad I didn't pay the $13 I don't have to see it bigger and with real airplanes. (How funny would it have been if not even Logan's snikt claws were in the leaked version?)

There was something incredibly bland about the whole movie, much like the other X-Men films, and too much drama rested on emotional relationships that were never established in anything but name. (The only time it was successful was with the old farmer couple, but there would have had to been serious problems with the film to not win sympathy in that situation. It'd be like watching Dumbo's mother get put in jail and be able to say, either thanks to your own blackened heart or a complete failure on the part of the film maker, "Well, it's just his moms. Whatevs.") Gambit, who I still think should be played by Ed Burns and definitely think should not be played by the heinously coiffed unknown they got, was awkward and uncompelling for the eight minutes he was on screen.

It's not unwatchable, just not engaging or compelling.

I still think Hugh Jackman makes a good Wolverine, if a little less feisty than the comic version, and he's clearly enthusiastic about the whole thing, but he is not being given (or will likely ever be given) the proper vehicle. And don't even ask about Deadpool or the completely unnecessary Blob-Logan faceoff, or the feeling that Will.I.Am was gonna bust out the Peas or his holographic communicator to save the day. Honestly, I don't regret watching it and as long as you're not going in with expectations there are no surprises. Phillip French of the UK Observer says, "It's dull, bone-crushing, special-effects stuff, of interest only to hardcore fans who've probably read it all in Marvel comics." I'm gonna call Phil out on that last point. I'm not even a hardcore fan and the unnecessary changes were just silly moves. I wasn't asking for because I wasn't expecting loyalty to the confused web of wackiness that is the X-verse; I doubt anybody was. But nobody could have "read it all," as in all the silliness that was in there, and French is just indulging in his genre prejudices.

But Gambit sucked. Hard. And he's so not supposed to.

Here's a good question:

NYMag's Vulture blog asks: "Does the world really need a No Doubt Comeback"?

Why go back? It's not like anyone is demanding that she write any more songs about her relationship with bassist Tony Kamal.

Which is a good point. From what I can tell, it's more a reunion tour than a comeback; efforts to record new material have failed, though according to publicist, it can't be a reunion tour if the band never broke up. But the nostalgia-fueled ticket sales smack of reunion tour, and the awkward imaging to introduce kids who came of age during the Gwen solo years makes it clear that the band might as well have disbanded. When No Doubt made it big, the band was never not about Gwen's headlining the group, but now anything No Doubt puts out will have to struggle not to be Gwen, and then the other guys, and the kids and the Bush guy, even music-wise, I think, if only to attend to a demand. Still, ticket sales are fantastic, and you could never fault them for bad taste: Janelle Monae will be opening for the group's NY shows.

Um. And I want her shirt. The pants can go away.

The American Presidency Project

[from the LIFE archives]

I just came across this resource in what was ultimately a failed bid to compare Iqbal and LBJ. But now I know about this site! You can search presidential documents and speeches, like LBJ's "Remarks At a Dinner Meeting of the Texas Electric Cooperatives, Inc.":

So we must be ready to fight in Viet-Nam, but the ultimate victory will depend upon the hearts and the minds of the people who actually live out there. By helping to bring them hope and electricity you are also striking a very important blow for the cause of freedom throughout the world.

It's easy to be dismissive of the policy and situation in Vietnam, and of LBJ-- whose one wish was to be remembered for his Great Society program-- but it's another thing to take a good long look at the history, as well as the history being written, and to have the opportunity to be able to read the documents and understand the context of the times, which is why this archive is such a great resource.

You can look at Executive Orders from as far back as John Quincy Adams, read party platforms dating back to the 1840s, watch and listen to the presidents including FDR's Fireside Chats, and look at charts of speech lengths; check out the Inaugural Speech Length chart, and be sure to squint and see where the chart peaks in 1841. Yup, the longest speech, clocking in at two hours to read on a very rainy wet day in March, was given by poor "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too" William Henry Harrison, who died after one month in office. You can read about what Harrison covered in his speech here.

The only downfall is that it is fairly hard to search documents, or at least not self-evident. The search function is the ity-bity magnifying glass in the upper left, and the text of the documents do not appear to be easily searchable themselves (or at least I had to find the LBJ speech by the title, rather than through the text.) But browsing through the site is a lot of fun, and as there is so much information (86129 documents) including up-to-date numbers all the way through Obama, I suspect it will take them a little bit of time to streamline the functions. Hopefully that will mean being able to easily click on a President's name and view all his data, documents, etc.

Lights Out Green Day + Foxboro Hot Tubs + the Network

Well color me sheepish. (Sorry, that is such a douchey thing to say.) Turns out Green Day is coming out with their 8th album in the next few weeks and I had no idea they were doing anything besides sorta pretending to be another band and making a musical-- they are, in the words of Billie Joe, "a bit more fruity than the Clash."

You probably all know this already, but here's the rundown. It will be another big ole concept rock opera album, following the story of a couple, Christian and Gloria, while they cope with a post-Bush America. Reviews so far are positive, and Rolling Stone says that it "makes [American] Idiot seem like a warmup."

I'm actually listening to some of their older stuff right now, and while I do miss that old sound, I'm glad we're able to say that Green Day is still good. While the stuff has been of a different breed, they have maintained their energy and musicianship, and those combine to make even familiar riffs and sentiments feel fresh and fun. Like everyone in the world except teeny-boppers, I got sick of hearing the American Idiot singles over and over again, but enough time has passed that I have started listening to that album again with fresh ears and the ability to really sit down and digest what's going on- not just the politics, which are predictable and will likely be again on this new release, but the pathos of the story and music. So the few years that have passed in between album releases was a smart move. If Green Day had just thrown this album out two years after Idiot, I really wouldn't have paid any attention to it. At this point, I'm excited to see what they have to offer.

I've heard two songs at this point from the new release, which will drop in mid-May. "Know Your Enemy", the first single, is catchy and anthemic, but it sounds more like one of the filler songs of that rock opera. I won't say it's boring, but it's nothing new. I will say that the video is boring; usually Green Day's vids are a lot of fun, quirky, and a pleasure to watch. This video is just Green Day playing the song. Somewhere. And then they catch on fire. But that's about it.

On the other hand, "Lights Out," also on the single release, starts with relentless drumming reminiscent of the opening of "California Uber Alles"-- and thus begs to be played quite loudly--then progresses into a song that references earlier Green Day within the framework of the big lush punk pop sensibility that now defines their sound. I'll admit that this sample has me more fired up for this release than the Rancid release. While my criticism for "Know Your Enemy" and "Last One to Die" is along the same lines-- nothing new-- Green Day at least makes sure it doesn't allow "nothing new" (for the band) to also be "nothing special" (in general), whereas "Last One to Die" is Rancid at their blandest. (I still have hope, though.)

Also, the new album will include 4 bonus covers of Social D, the Who, Bob Dylan, and Elvis. Awesome.

Here, is "Lights Out" off the "Know Your Enemy" single. Also, the Blanche-esque "Red Tide" from the Foxboro Hot Tubs release. And how about a Network track? (Because I love how he says "La Jolla?") [You can also preview the tracks on Divshare.]

• Green Day - Lights Out
• Foxboro Hot Tubs - Red Tide
• The Network - Spike
  

At Home with the Stars [LIFE]

Here's a cool set of photos from LIFE: candid (or not-so-candid) photos of some of our favorite greats like Mr & Mrs Newman, Sophia Loren, Olivia De Havilland, and Maureen O'Hara in their homes.

You go to my head

Sung by everyone from Dinah Shore to Rod Steward, including Ella, Louis, Judy Garland, and Ole Blue Eyes, J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie's (of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" fame)"You Go To My Head" is a charming alkie's serenade to a lover-- "I find the very mention of you like a kick in a julep or two."

• "You Go To My Head" by Billie Holiday

I thought I'd take the opportunity to pair Billie Holiday's sultry version of the song with a photo of Holiday by Herman Leonard. Leonard opened his first studio after WWII, and photographed all over the world, including spending time as Marlon Brando's personal photographer while Brando toured the Far East. His studio in New Orleans was damaged during Katrina, and he now works out of Studio City. His collection is on display at the Smithsonian. If you browse his website as well as the Edelman Gallery page, the source of the pictures in this post, you'll probably recognize not just the names (including Pearl Bailey, Sarah Vaughan, Chet Baker) but some of the shots, including a famous one of Ella Fitzgerald on stage being watched by Duke Ellington in the audience. As Quincy Jones said, "When people think of jazz, their mental picture is likely one of Herman's."

Moi je joue

So Sofia Coppola has finally done one thing right (though that doesn't make up for her awkwardly saying "Cuz" every other minute in the Godfather Part III to Andy Garcia.) And that is to have used Brigitte Bardot's sunny, flirty "Moi je joue" in an ad she recently made for Dior.

The ad I can take or leave, but the Bardot track is perfect for one of our on-again spring weekends. Enjoy the sun!

• Brigitte Bardot - "Moi je joue" [skreemr]
  

[Image from docMacro.]

I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris

A few things-- I haven't actually gotten around yet to listening to the new Morrissey album, shame on me. But as for this vid. . . well, the dogs are cute. And Moz has already written this song, but the new words help.

With Morrissey you walk a thin line between not taking him seriously and not writing him off as a big old douchey joke (personality-wise, not in terms of his undeniable talent, though some would disagree.) It's no real secret that Mozzers takes himself seriously (I mean, the man changed his shirt on stage 4 times when I saw him), but it's harder to excuse him for the posturing when he's doing Gene Kelly dance moves (not that that's anything new) and wearing the necklace of a bohemian-rich Upper Westside woman and enough eyeshadow to make him look like Dracu-moz.

But I guess when all is said and done, it is Morrissey. And we do love Morrissey.

I love the announcer, whose supremely confident voice in saying, "First blah blah, Morrissey is throwing his arms around Paris, and why not?" is actually masking how much of a cop-out that question is as a closing clause. Um, and sorry about the TLC-esque commercial at the end. . . this one lets you embed.

no, i totally need this.

And you do too.

ThinkGeek, which has a stupid amount of insanely awesome (or an insane amount of stupidly awesome) stuff, includes in their stock Japanese capsule toys-- those little toys you get from vending machines. We have them over here, too, but ours are small potatoes compared to these:

The entire line-up is the the fertility idol, the headpiece to the Staff of Ra, the Ark, Nurhachi's (spelling?) remains urn, a Shankara stone, the Grail, the WE WON'T MENTION IT, and the wee voodoo Indy doll.

And they all come on little keychains shaped like Indy's whip. And they are unfortunately all sold out.

They do have this little 1.5" guy, though.

Happy Easter!

(Gas station shut down during the 1973 oil crisis and converted into a revival hall.)

Entered "Jesus" into my iTunes, got a bunch of stuff (Green Day, Johnny Cash, Moz, Hank, the usual suspects) and then realized that I didn't have the one song I suddenly realized I wanted to post. So a few minutes later, and here we are-- Paul Newman singing "Plastic Jesus" off the Cool Hand Luke Soundtrack. You can read about the origins of the song, which was inspired by a radio-pastor's corny religious heal-all products, here, and see the clip from the film, here.

• Paul Newman - "Plastic Jesus"

Paul of STWOF just directed me to his excellent Jesus Mix, so you can party down with Jesus (and Billy Joe and Loretta)- and don't miss the Baby Jesus Grace, or as our brothers in the south call him, Jesús. I finally have the track so I can make people listen to it instead of me trying to approximate it :)

New Rancid Single: "Last One to Die"

This track was previewed on the 7th online (what's today?-- erm, looks like I'm a few days late) and on the 6th on KROQ. This is the first single off Rancid's perpetually-delayed 7th album, Let the Dominoes Fall, which is slated-- no longer tentatively it looks like-- for a June release.

I can't lie. I've only listened to a few times while writing this and I am pretty unimpressed. The beat is plodding and the music is uninteresting and a little messy. This could be okay, but in light of how exciting and groundbreaking Rancid has been in the past, I really hope that they chose the one milquetoast song off the album and released it as the first single as a joke. There's nothing even catchy about it; the anthem is uninspiring, just a trailing off progression that doesn't get the listening or the song anywhere.

Maybe it will grow on me, but if this is what the album is going to be like, it's just retracing old ground that a group this mature shouldn't be touching with a ten-foot pole. That's not to say there's anything wrong with the classics, but this isn't taking time-tested musical tropes and putting them to good use. It feels like things are on autopilot, and even though Tim tries to excite the listener with a few "come on!"s near the end, the song isn't rousing, urgent, danceable or affecting, which is an anomaly for a Rancid track. Maybe my expectations are too high-- it's not a bad song, per se, just lackluster-- but I think a group that has done such excellent work deserves high expectations. So I won't give up hope,-- I'm still excited about the new album and the other singles, and we'll see how it goes as we get closer to the drop date.

You can preview it at Rancid's Myspace, where it is also available for download. What do you guys think of it?

Also, as a heads up, Machete, who does Rancid's merch, is having a huge sale of Rancid tees starting at $5.

Who Got Me Dancing?

I could never really get into Lady Sovereign and this has kind of sealed the deal. The video for "I Got You Dancing" has her abandoning the side ponytail for a variety of familiar outfits (though all make her look like that chick from Matilda) to rap (?) in the voice of a computer with a cold while The Warriors is slowly reduced to a musical performed by the patrons of any restaurant in Chelsea. Sure it's catchy, but so is every other song with this beat.

A quoi ca cert l'amour

Set to the voices of Edith Piaf and Theo Sarapo, this video about a boy and girl is animated by Louis Clichy and produced by Cube. The animation is fantastic and clean, and Clichy makes great use of perspective and camera work. The result is a charming, highly cinematic short. You can see more of his art- likewise impressive and whimsical, some of it recalling Quentin Blake-- at his blog.

This just in: Youtube comments actually make you dumber.

But sometimes it makes you laugh. These kids and their zingers. (from this vid.)

OutKast

Sitting around the other night on one of the last days of my first week after spring break, which turned into a pseudo-spring break of its own, watching Youtube videos (the night started out because I just had to show my friend the video for "Roc Boys") I realized that I hadn't listened or really thought out OutKast in awhile. While the duo is still officially together (I believe), little has been heard from them in awhile. Their last collaboration was Idlewild, which came out in 2006. Statements from the two have confirmed that they are working on solo projects, which will be followed by an OutKast album proper, though this is looking like a longterm thing.

I can't really give any new information about the group. I think they are one of the more original artists around today. They prove again and again their savvy and intelligence. It's lucky that they have met a corresponding commercial success (6 Grammys, over 25 million records sold) that allows them to continue experimenting and pushing the boundaries of both music and pop. Their songs are always complex and evident of the two artists' considerable knowledge of music and its tradition. At the same time, I am not much more than a casual fan and an admirer so like I said, I won't be telling you anything new.

But I figured I'd throw up a few of their songs that were made into videos, which are always very impressive- everything from the sense of style to the narrative is spot on. I particularly recommend the West Side Story-influenced "Roses" which includes a very literal high school play interpretation of his vocal portions as well as "You speakerboxx guys! No speakerboxing. I hate speakerboxing!" Also, the track off the Idlewild sountrack has a great vid.

All tracks are through Skreemr.

• Ms Jackson [vid]
  
• Whole World [vid]
  
• B.O.B. [vid] [I'm looking for a version that does not have the '1-2-1-2-3' cut.]
  
• Idlewild Blue (Dontcha Worry About Me) [vid]
  
• Roses [vid]
  

The news just confuses me.

National Geographic is a good one for this, but in general, it's always funny to see headlines that make assumptions about your knowledge of the situation- and then see how it gets misunderstood when you had no idea it was even an issue. Case in point-

• "Rare Zoo Cubs Born, Not Killed."
• "Ancient Deformed Children Not Always Killed by Parents."

For headlines like the former, I usually assume its the publication making a correction to a previous article. Maybe some NG.com inadvertantly turned a joyous story of birth into one a tragedy ("Rare Zoo Cubs Killed!"), and then had to scramble to fixed the disgruntled, unpaid intern's mistake. Maybe Dewey defeated Truman. But it's also that split second between reading it and realizing that you were supposed to take as your basic assumption that zoo cubs are usually killed (right after they are born-- a failure on the part of succinctness in headlines) and ancient deformed children were also usually killed that makes them peculiar and sometimes funny, if morbid. The assumption that this rare zoo cub is brought into the world via murder rather than birth, or maybe the headline forces you to assume that they had once found a mass grave in the Netherlands full of little side show ice man babies, and that you should have known about it. Maybe what's funny is the heights people go to prove to even themselves that they are savvier than they believed.

As it turns out, those rare cubs are clouded leopard cubs, of a species that has a tendency towards violent captive behavior. Explains the article, "For reasons still unknown, breeding clouded leopards in captivity usually turns bloody. Males often kill their mates, and females tend to neglect their cubs or inadvertently kill them. " Likewise, ancient parents have always been assumed, like many mammals, to have killed their little freak babies. The 530,000 year old deformed skull of a ten year old recently discovered may prove otherwise. Again, I had no idea that this was a thing; I never assumed ancient peoples did that. Which just goes to show my ignorance. The only thing I can say to those who already knew that clouded leopard cubs are born, not killed, is that you sure are missing out on some interpretively wackadoo headlines that would have made you giggle. (And that's my defense for being a dummy.)

Also interesting is nature's tendency to cause NG to have theme headline groups. This time it was about homicidal parents. A few weeks ago, with all the crazy squid discovery and life in Antarctica stories as well as the rats are invading India thing, it was positively Lovecraftian.

So I'm Taking A Quick Procrastination Break

I realize I've been really really negligent and haven't done any of the posts I've indicated I would do like 2 months ago, nor the ones I promised B to do... but... here's a quick 'un:

Just another bit of Tennessee Ernie Ford that I just found on youtube-- just listen to the depth of that voice! The song is the lovely traditional "Shenandoah." I'm also wondering what's up with the ship background--- the two people on the left keep looking like they are talking....

best picture ever

Hey all- I've been on spring break right now-- houseguests, tourists, a lot of walking, exhaustion, papers due oops!-- but we'll be back up and running in the next week.

For now, this is my favorite new photo, taken at the Ellis Island museum (definitely worth the visit) where I was at on Monday. There's something about the pure tragedy of the girl's face and the bemused, edging towards the edge of patience of the boy that keeps me from deciding if I should feel pity, especially in light of the history behind it, or indulge in the humor. Either way, they need hugs. And they have tiny shoes.

	The Pogues - Thousands Are Sailing
	Found at skreemr.com

How not to celebrate women's history month.

• "Delia's Gone" [Johnny Cash] [Unearthed]
  
• "99 to Life" [Social Distortion] [Somewhere Between Heaven & Hell]
  
• "Mainlining Murder" [Lars Frederiksen & the Bastards] [Viking]
• "Oasis" [Amanda Palmer] [Who Killed Amanda Palmer?]
  

Since I can't decide if this theme is crass or sobering, I'm gonna go ahead and post on the merit of the music.

• National Domestic Violence Hotline

4 things with one theme. . .

1. Setting the Woods on Fire is midway through a great set of drinking songs, including Jerry Jeff Walker's "What Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made a Loser Out of Me)," so make sure to check that out.

2. On the other hand, all we got in the house is Colt 45 :(

• Afroman - Colt 45 [skreemr]

3. There are still Pogues tickets available for this weekend's NYC shows, as well as planned day-of sales. For the tour schedule, click!

• Pogues - Streams of Whiskey [skreemr]

4. and 1 more thing: they just opened a bar beneath the apartment. . . it looks like a douchebar. [edit:] It is a douchebar: $6.50/pint.

Tennessee Ernie Ford

I've always had a soft spot for Tennessee Ernie through my exposure to him via I Love Lucy and The Lucy Show though it was only recently that I actually sat down and listened to his stuff, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked his voice. On the shows, he is in full form as the hillbilly cousin Ernie, and his voice is notably different from his singing voice, which is rich and deep. Ernie Ford has stars in radio, television, and records on the Walk of Fame, and was an entertainer of the classic type. He had a major hit with Merle Travis' "Sixteen Tons," which includes the great line, "Saint Peter, don't you call me, 'cause I can't go;/I owe my soul to the company store." His version is great; the sparse arrangement and Ernie's vocals perfectly complement the fatalistic swagger of the lyrics and music.

While the ambitiously-named "Proper Introduction" seems to be missing "Sixteen Tons," it looks to be a good collection of songs (though the focus is more on the pop/country western stuff than his gospel songs.) Big hits included are "Shotgun Boogie" and "Smokey Mountain Boogie." There's also "Mule Train" and "Hey Good Lookin'," with Helen O'Connell. "Bright Lights and Blond Haired Women" makes me want to call Ernie the crooner of country-western. Check it out!

• Tennessee Ernie Ford: A Proper Introduction to Tennessee Ernie Ford: Rock City Boogie [2004] [rar]
  
• Buy
• "Sixteen Tons"

Youtubage:

• Ernie & Johnny Cash! on Ernie's show, the Ford Show, which referenced not Ernie's last name but his sponsor.
• And again, with June, too, on Johnny's show. (Johnny is visibly more at ease in front of the camera.)
• Ernie singing "Shenandoah," one of my favorite songs of all time, in a very, very deep voice (even the slightly corny nautical blouse doesn't distract.)
• On the Lucy Show (and the always fantastic Gale Gordon) [5 parts]
• Clip, Ernie on I Love Lucy. Lucy vamps him.
  

Cutest Sea Slug Ever

I've recently been really into underwater creature photography, despite my general dislike for sea creatures (they're CREEPY.) But not this little guy, he has a little hat!

And then there's my second favorite from this series: he's on fire! These photos are from a sweet collection of sea slugs prints from the National Geographic print store, starting at $20 for 10" unframed. Check them out! They're all really quite remarkable (and colorful.) It's interesting to see their camouflage evolutions.

Janelle Monae

I was really excited to find out that Janelle Monae has released something (and got a Grammy nod), so I'm bummed I'm only just getting around to posting about it. Janelle Monae is the vocalist on the only track I listen to still off the Idlewild soundtrack, and I was always struck by the purity of her voice.

Ms Monae's newest offering is an EP with the ambitious name of Metropolis Suite I of IV: The Chase. It's a concept album about a robot that falls in love and is consequently pursued across her futuristic city. The music is sweeping and orchstral without losing its pop and dance sensibilities. To get a better idea, check out the sweet music video for "Many Moons," which features a robot auction/fashion show and some sweet Michael Jackson-inspired dancing; she moonwalks forward AND backwards.

The Special Edition of the EP is really quite impressive. It starts off with a cinematic intro to the story and goes straight into the energetic "Violet Stars Happy Hunting," in which the chase starts. "Many Moons" is next, the catchy dance track where you feel most Outkast's influence. The track has some "Ghetto Defendant"-esque word association halfway through (and miles better than the Burroughs version) and Monae's voice shows off its flexibility, from operatic to a young Michael Jackson-type energy (you know, those creepy Jackson 5 songs where he's like, 5, singing about how he's got to be there when she wakes up.) Then my favorite, "Sincerely Jane," where Monae's vocals get to really (as if they hadn't) show their range over a nice syncopated chorus, Star Wars-like brasses and strings, and some good mixing. It also has a cool sultry opening. The next two tracks are the weaker of the group, but that's not saying their bad-- all in all it's a very strong offering, but when she does everything right, the results are stunning.

• Janelle Monae - "Sincerely, Jane" [skreemr]
  

Southern Gothic Wine

Hey all, my turn to apologize for the MIA- it's midterms time, which has come in the form of EIGHT BILLION PAPERS to write, and as you can see, it's been some time since the last post. The problem is actually deeper than that, because I was supposed to throw up a VD mix and some other things, but just completely ran out of spare time. So I'm gonna go back to smaller posts, and I will be doing my best to reply to comments, but just be warned things will be a bit spotty on both counts for the next week or so.

For now, as if James Jean's art wasn't good enough-- it now comes encasing alcohol. (Distraction: Is anyone gonna drink that Schaefer in the fridge? Will anyone notice that it's gone?)

Of the three triptychs being used, one of my favorites of his work, Southern Belle is being used as the label for a shiraz. So if you are wine inclined. . . I'm not, but if I get my hands on some discretionary income- ie, rob a bank- I might pick this up for the after party. It is, it seems, a "Deep crimson color with complex aromas of black currant, leather and molasses. Rich, dark berry fruit palate of cassis and fruitcake, finishing with soft oak spice."

I want fuckloads of diamonds. I heard people die while they're trying to find them.

I've been really warming up to Lily Allen recently. It's always hard to like celebrities' kids when they first start producing stuff. But I think it was a combination of finally seeing the video of "Smile" (who hasn't ever wanted to pay little hooligans to smash a boy who has wronged you's record collection?) and liking the sense of humor as well as the various juicy gossipy things surrounding her (weight, miscarriage.) I admit that latter factor is terrible-- why should reading about her insecurities on my People.com newsfeed make me like her music more? Shouldn't it stand on its own? I think it does, though. I think what it did was convince me to give her stuff a chance, and I've been pleasantly surprised ever since. I think she has a nice style, too. Except the whole tennie-runners with dresses things.

"The Fear" is the first single off her recently released album, It's Not Me, It's You, which I haven't had a chance to listen to the whole way but is getting good reviews. The song is about celebrity culture today, but is easy enough to pick up gems that not only relate to your life ("everything's cool as long as I'm getting thinner") but also make you feel very naughty for sniggering at (ie, see the title of the post. Hilarious.) The video is also good- has dancing presents.

• Lily Allen ~ "The Fear"
• "The Fear" Video
• Buy album

"Creator of iconic Obama portrait arrested"

I've been casually following this story (read the article) for the last few days, and since I've posted some of Shepard Fairey's art (the Obey guy) on here before, I thought I'd take a sec to address it and see how others feel. The basics are that Fairey admitted to using an AP photo to create the Obama piece that you couldn't avoid seeing for the last year or so, and AP has decided now (after the inauguration) to step up and demand compensation. I'm not sure about the legal wranglings about all that-- frankly, that will have to be settled however they settle it. Considering how much money both parties have, I would expect some kind of settlement or agreement.

The thing about the arrest is that Boston police arrested Fairey on charges having to do with graffiti. My attitude toward graffiti is ambivalent- and I make a clear distinction between so-called "street art" (at its basics, more often found in gentrified areas) and graffiti/tagging (including such species as dumbass graffiti and scary gang tagging). The law sees both as vandalism, which, admittedly, it is, and I figure if you get caught, you need to face the consequences, whether or not you feel the charges or the law itself is fair. Social contract and whatnot. But Fairey is a well known commercially popular artist and a public personality strongly associated with street art culture if only for his conceptual influence; clearly they could have arrested him a long time ago, or at any point during his career. Now seems awfully convenient. I don't believe "artists" are above the law, but the timing is way too blatant. Ah, cops. If AP hadn't brought Fairey to national attention, the arrest wouldn't have happened. Meanwhile, who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? Apparently the Boston PD is too busy to find out and stop all the other crime.

The other issue I think is interesting is that because Obama's campaign and the consequent beatification (it's getting out of hand; the man is a politician and will have to face a reality that is not in good shape), imagery such as "Hope" played a massive role in the face of the campaign. Fairey helped Obama's marketability, and it seems like bad form for AP to be throwing a hissy-fit now. On behalf of the original photographer, I don't know what to say, but if there is any settlement, it should be between the two individuals. Of course, this is not how copyright works.

I like Fairey's stuff. I think kids who are all about Obey are obnoxious, but his prints and designs are good, pop-commercial pieces. I especially like his Joe Strummer prints, (aw hell, I might as well post it here again; I mean, it's pretty fucken sweet) and I'm interested to see how this pans out.

.5 V-Day Mini Mix: And Good Riddance.

Well, since it's halfway to Valentine's Day, I thought I'd post a mini-mix that I slapped together awhile ago and never posted. Enjoy :) (A reminder, if you click on any of the links, it brings you to a playlist where you can listen to all the songs in the row, and download any of them.)

• [The Adicts] Steamroller [Buy the Complete Singles]
• [The Smiths] Girlfriend in a Coma [Buy the Singles]
• [The Offspring] Why Don't You Get A Job? [Buy the Greatest Hits]
• [The Vandals] My Girlfriend's Dead [Buy Hitler Bad, Vandals Good]

an excuse for another picture of joe

I realized Joe hasn't been around here much lately, but if you need to fill in the blank spaces in your library, P-Motion has got the Joe Strummer discography up right now.

• Mad Linkage: Joe Strummer Discography at p-motion

Lux Interior Dead at 62

The godfathers of psychobilly, having coined the named by taking the term from a Johnny Cash song, the Cramps are really the ones who do it perfectly-- the majority of those following in the psychobilly footsteps could never duplicate the perfect marriage of sounds that the Cramps achieved. And almost none of those bands had a lead with that old school NY punk voice that could achieve those Elvis acrobatics with their voice. In much the way everyone fails to ape the Misfits (who came after the Cramps started their monster movie vintage brand of fun), nobody is able to duplicate the level of violent, sexual, campy vibe and subject matter that the Cramps managed. Read more from the mtv obit.

That said, the Cramps have always been a band that I appreciate and respect but for all that can't sit through an entire album. But once you find the tracks you like, the rest is easy enough. Here's my favorite Cramps song from my favorite Cramps album, Stay Sick! Enjoy!

• The Cramps - Bikini Girls With Machine Guns

Hump Day Happy: Oscar Season Edition

Well, embedding is disabled, but take a look if you're not familiar with it, because, frankly, I think this woman deserves an Academy Award. And when I say Academy Award, I mean the special one they create for television roles after seeing this stunning performance (and that shopping bag action.)

• Father Ted on the Greeks

don't look now but i secretly like the (relatively) new spinnerette track.

Don't get me wrong- I'm still not impressed with the group. Brody Dalle's voice is processed to the point where she could be anybody (and, really, she could), and the songs aren't anything new. They're pop-- catchy hooks and well-placed "heys!"-- and listening to them makes you think, well, I guess this is what Courtney Love would be doing right now if she wasn't so busy being Courtney Love. Influences sited on the band's myspace include Roky Ericson and Black Flag, which are about as present in these tracks as warm weather is out here right now. (Frankly, it seems like Brody heard Mr Ericson and said, OMG he thinks of demons, and I sing about personal demons; we're twins!)

I would place these tracks ("Ghetto Love" and "Valium Knights"- the former being superior) under predictable but danceably grungy pop; "Ghetto Love" has a good heavy beat and "Valium Knights" is a more produced Distillers track, like if the Strokes had gotten to it. (But don't bother with the lyrics.) If it wasn't evident before, Brody Dalle feels like the vehicle, by virtue of her voice, for some better-than-standard pop, so don't expect too much.

Check it out, you might find something you like-

• Ghetto Love [skreemr]
  
• Valium Knights ["]
  

Some croonin for your Tuesday

As promised, though slow in coming, a little more Bing for ya! Bing Crosby is the premier male vocalist of ever, and don't let anyone try to tell you otherwise. Unfortunately, his fame nowadays is mostly around Christmas time, but Bing Crosby is definitely an all-year-round kinda guy. Every music collection should have a little of Der Bingle. Face it: having the Rat Pack on the jukebox makes you classy. Can't really argue with that. Having Bing on there? Makes you a classy motherfucker with good taste. A little bit on how awesome Mr Crosby was-

One of the first multimedia stars, from 1934 to 1954 Bing Crosby held a nearly unrivaled command of record sales, radio ratings, and motion picture grosses. He is cited among the most popular musical acts in history and is currently the most electronically recorded human voice in history.

Crosby is also credited as being the major inspiration for most of the male singers of the era that followed him, including Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, and Dean Martin. Yank magazine recognized Crosby as the person who had done the most for American G.I. morale during World War II and, during his peak years, around 1948, polls declared him the "most admired man alive," ahead of Jackie Robinson and Pope Pius XII.

Also during 1948, the Music Digest estimated that Crosby recordings filled more than half of the 80,000 weekly hours allocated to recorded radio music. Clarinetist Artie Shaw described Crosby as "the first hip white person born in the United States" [source].

This tracklist has a lot of famous standards that are essential listening, including "Birth of the Blues," "Along the Santa Fe Trail," and "Yes, Indeed!" one of my favorites. The disc is off a wonderful collection that C got for Christmas a few years ago, and at $25 for three discs of great music it's not a bad purchase at all. I've never seen it in stores; I believe it's a UK product, but it is available through amazon.com.

• Vocal Innovators and the Jazz Connection

Favorites from the LIFE Archive: Walter Brennan

left | right | All | Wiki

Gift Ideas for Valentine's Day

I don't make a big deal out of Valentine's Day, but like any holiday, it's up to you to decide whether or not you do something. Most holidays I consider an opportunity to have a little fun, and while some of these gifts are a little on the pricey side, you might see something that inspires some ideas. Everybody says that you shouldn't wait til Valentine's Day to show someone you appreciate them, but since you've hopefully been appreciating that/those someone/s (be it friends, significant others, family) all year round, you might have the time to do something a little special- even if it's stealing flowers from the park or drying out some old roses and putting them in a milk bottle or baking cookies for your friends.

Clockwise from top Left: Valentine Fondant & Cutter Kit [Williams-Sonoma] | Copper Cookie Cutter Heart Set [Williams-Sonoma] | "Flowers and Sparrows" Day Bag [Lux de Ville] | Sweet Heart Vase [J. Mendicino] | Clean Cartoonists' Dirty Drawings by Craig Yoe [Amazon.com] |

A Kick In The Head Playlist 01/31/09

Playlist:
1. Ain't That A Kick In The Head (Dean Martin)
2. Noise Annoys (The Buzzcocks)
3. I Gotta Know (Wanda Jackson)
3. Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) (Beyonce)
4. I'll Walk Along (Dinah Shore)
5. You'll Never Walk Alone (Adicts)
6. We're Coming Back (Cock Sparrer)
7. Time Was (Duerme) (Xavier Cugat)
8. Cindy (Alternate Version) (Ricky Nelson)
9. Queen of the World (Claudette)
10. Yer Still Blue (The Slackers)
11. Sick Boys (Social Distortion)
12. That's Sabotage (Glenn Miller)
13. Harvest Moon (Jason and the Scorchers)
14. Police On My Back (The Clash)
15. Brazil (Helen O'Connell)
16. I'm Telling You Now (Freddie and the Dreamers)
17. Blueberry Hill (Gene Autry)
18. This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak For You)(The Isley Brothers)
19. Cyrano De Berger's Back [Rehersal Version] (X)
20. Sweet Lorraine(Glenn Miller (voc: Artie Malvin))

Looking Ahead from Freezing-Land

1. It is so darn cold in Maine.
2. Another radio show again, this time on Saturday 10-11 am EST. Hopefully, playlists will be posted here again.
3. Reel Big Fish concert review coming soon. Once I stop being lazy.
4. Possible an Andrew Bird concert review soon-like?
5. It is still so fucken cold here. So much snow.

In the meantime:

James Jean at the Jonathan LeVine Gallery

As you guys know, I really love James Jean's work (you might recognize his Fables covers)- it's beautiful, exquisite, and never lacking in some element that is both exciting and puzzling, especially the strange mix of innocence and sensuality found in the details.

He's got a show down in Chelsea right now, and a few friends and I braved the cold (complicated by my complete inability to remember streets) to go see it. If you're in the area (I don't have any info about other shows in other cities, sorry!- but you can see all the pieces at his website), I strongly encourage you to check it out. It's one thing to see his stuff online, another to be able to step right up to it and see all the strokes and detail, full size. Some of my favorites were Vanity and Willow Horse.

INFO

• 529 West 20th Street, 9E New York (between 10th and 11th Aves)
• Tuesday through Saturday, 11am to 6pm
• Til Feb 7

The Beard Revolution

I'm not a huge fan of beards (yeah, I'm talking to you, guy waiting for the L train), but I was recently introduced to Australian band The Beards, who, as they say in their song "Beard Revolution," are determined to bring the beard to the forefront of facial hair culture. With songs like "A Wizard Needs a Beard" and "It Only Takes a Fortnight" and "No Beard No Good,"a separatist bearded anthem, it's easy to see that these guys are hardliner beard proponents, and they spread the message with what they call "bearded folk rock." Their influences, listed on their myspace, include "ZZ Top, The Beatles (during their bearded era), Kram from Spiderbait, The Bearded BeeGee, Abraham Lincoln, basically anyone with a decent beard."

The songs are absurd and clever, and from the sound of some of the live tracks they have on their page, they sound like they put on a fun show. There are six songs available for listening on their page. My favorite is "Beard Revolution," with lyrics like "My friend Eddie's got no beard, he wants to grow one but he can't!" (poor Eddie) and "A Wizard Needs a Beard," which lists various groups required to have beards, including "bearded thugs."

• Listen to the Beards on Myspace
• debut album available at cdbaby
  

Pretty Cookies!

This photostream has been torturing me for the past ten minutes- scroll down to see one of my favorites ("cookies iced with pale pink almond royal icing and crystal sugar") and then check out the rest at her flickr page. The artist/baker is a lady in Philly whose favorite ingredients are "flour, butter, sugar, [and] love," and the cunning detail put into her creations is stunning. You can purchase the products at her store. And don't miss the amazing sushi cake!

"dripping with mantra-like positivity"

[*quoted from Billboard]

Who is Jason Mraz? A name I always heard and saw ads for, but knew nothing about. Despite the similar singer-songwriter surfer-wear laidback image, turns out he is not like Jack "destroy the world by making the most boring music ever" Johnson.

Rather he has had a fabulous single out for awhile, "I'm Yours." And even after C played it maybe 20 times in a row at one point during the Taiwan trip, it's still a good song. The melody is simple and infectious. The instrumental accompaniment is likewise unadorned and perfectly underlines Mraz's disarming vocals. All in all, a sweet little sunshiney feel-good anthem that I highly recommend giving a listen.

Of course I haven't checked out his other stuff. I suck. But enjoy this anyway, it has become one of my top songs in the recent past (yet another undefinable period of time at Noise Annoys, where relative time goes to die. . .)

• Jason Mraz - "I'm Yours"
• Check out the video where Jason Mraz goes on the best vacation ever or something
  
• Buy the single

Dawn Penn - You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)

Hey everyone, I hope you guys are having a great, fun, and safe start to the new year- almost back up on a regular schedule. I'm back in NYC (it's cold) (and the internet is working ! for now) and will be starting the semester soon, so I will have settled back in and broke out the old external HD and more regular posting will resume. As noted before, things are a little rough in the world of posting mp3 files, so the amount of actual albums posted will still be kept to a minimum, but stick around for more single tracks and links to vids.

I'm really glad that everyone enjoyed the Bing Crosby post, and I realized that, in spite of my deep deep love for Der Bingle, I haven't posted many of his non-Christmas albums. This is a crying shame, so I hope to post a Crosby album/collection of tracks real soon.

But for something a little different, here's Kingston-born Dawn Penn doing the now oft-sampled "You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)." I'm pretty sure this is the 1994 version (the song debuted in 1967.) Dawn Penn's vocals are hauntingly refined over a great beat, along with some brass interludes- perfect rocksteady fun for you kids. If you enjoyed dancing to the Sister Nancy track I posted awhile back, you'll have a great time with this one. Check it out!

• Dawn Penn "You Don't Love Me (No No No)"
• Video on Youtube

Taiwan

Hey everyone. I hope your holidays were awesome! I'm in Taiwan for two weeks, so posting is on a little vacation. The connection here is pretty touch & go, so I'm about to try to upload some pics and see if that works. Been very busy eating a lot, eating some more, (delicious pastries!) and getting my wisdom teeth out (tragic hold on delicious pastries!)