June 2010
5 posts
loose lips: top 5 moments in lip-synchery
For some reason, I had Wayne Newton’s “Danke Shoen” in my head a couple weeks ago. Let’s, for a moment, ignore the fact that I know the song well enough to have it stuck in my head in the first place.
Point is, this led me to think of the legendary parade scene through downtown Chicago in “Ferris Buehler’s Day Off.” (If you haven’t seen this movie,...
sick-nasty pop song of the moment iii: katy...
What better way to get t t j m d back up and running than with a SNPSOTM? Good answer.
Now, being a ultra-hip music blogger, I tend to avoid pop radio at all costs and listen to ultra-hip bands like the Smiths, the Raconteurs, and Hootie & the Blowfish. This leaves me pretty much completely out of touch with the music of our youth (read: still trying to figure out what a “Ga Ga”...
April 2010
1 post
way worse than cool hybrids, like zonies or...
Since the beginning of time (or at least since Paris Hilton), “celebrity” has been an amorphous concept. “Famous for being famous” has become the hip new brand of celebrity. I don’t want to tack off all the people who have gotten famous through no fault of their own, but the transgressors are plentiful. And they’re getting famous for more and more asinine...
March 2010
1 post
ok go- "this too shall pass": ushering rube...
Yes, you read that right.
The treadmill-cavorting dudes from Chicago have released a new - and once again very innovative - music video. While this video does not showcase an adeptness at treadmill navigation that makes most of the general population feel as uncoordinated as this guy, Ok Go’s new video is definitely badass enough.
How badass? Well, let’s just say it’s causing...
February 2010
3 posts
smash mouth steals things. from steely dan.
Listen to this part of the verse of the wholly underwhelming song “Then the Morning Comes” by the wholly underwhelming band, Smash Mouth. (Except their first song was pretty good.)
THEN, listen to THIS SAX SECTION from Steely Dan’s underwhelming song “Monkey in Your Soul” from their stellar album Pretzel Logic.
Am I too excited about this? Probably.
tale as old as time: the avalanches - "since i...
Belated thanks to Joel B-C for shooting this video to me.
Not sure what it is about this video from The Avalanches, an Australian electronic group, but I dig it.
Oh, I don’t know, maybe it’s that classic “grainy, portly 1910’s coal mine boy happens upon 2 hot girls in dance studio during an audition, boy knows girls’ dance immediately, boy sweeps girl 1 off her...
case study - pearl jam's sophomore slump: a...
The “sophomore slump” is a common refrain in music. The band (or artist) bursts onto the scene with a quality album, a top-to-bottom effort that highlights the band/artist’s unique background and message it wishes to convey. In a great number of cases, this “unique message” is angsty and gutsy as F. The band is lauded as the next big thing, and as their record...
December 2009
4 posts
robert goulet wants you to have a merry christmas
In the spirit of posting Will Ferrell-related holiday videos, I humbly present Mr. Ferrell as Robert Goulet performing “Favorite Things” on Conan a few years back. (Please note that Goulet wishes the audience a Merry Christmas, even though I’m pretty sure this appearance was in the dead of summer. Also note that he calls Conan “Johnny [Carson]” throughout the entire...
jimmy fallon's neil young: this generation's john...
Just an absolutely fantastic set of videos from my good friend Jesse.
—
Ever wondered what it would sound like if Neil Young covered the Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme song? I certainly have. (A lot.)
Well, wait no longer. Jimmy Fallon has taken out all the guesswork.
—
—
Literally didn’t believe it wasn’t the real Neil the first time I watched this.
Now,...
songs that couldn't be more different / openings...
Something I noticed recently.
—-
Listen to the first 10 seconds of this.
THEN listen to the first 10 seconds of THIS (0:15-0:25).
I KNOW. I FREAKED OUT TOO.
—
So next time you’re driving along, driving along, and over the radio comes the familiar thump-thump of that classic George Michael tune, wait at least ten seconds before jumping to any conclusions. Glad I...
“I mean, Led Zeppelin didn’t write tunes that everyone liked. They left...”
– Wayne Campbell
November 2009
6 posts
"thanksgiving time" - chris kattan & will ferrell...
Happy Thanksgiving everybody!
This delightful Thanksgiving-ey rendition is of course a re-imagining of the timeless adult contemporary classic “All Out of Love” by Air Supply.
“I love your new blazer; the sleeves are pushed up, that looks pretty awesome.”
Hope everyone has a great holiday. Even if you watched this video.
"take a chance" - the magic numbers
Came across this song last year…and it has remained in my oft-listened-to music rotation ever since.
Anyway, here’s “Take a Chance” by British band The Magic Numbers, from their 2006 album Those the Brokes. (Music video here.)
Maybe it’s my appreciation for songs with male + female combined harmony; maybe it’s my propensity for insane asylum-themed music...
miley cyrus; what have you done?
‘Tis with a heavy heart that I show the following video to you, located by my roommate James, who has been anti-Miley from the start.
Start at 2:50, go through about 3:30.
Interviewer: I have to ask you…your song “Party in the USA”: what Jay-Z song is it?
Miley: I don’t know; I didn’t write the song. So I have no idea. [Honestly], I picked that song...
“San Francisco? I asked you to find an actor from Middle America; a real person....”
– Jack Donaghy
sick-nasty pop song of the moment ii: owl city's...
After a hiatus since the first SNPSOTM post on Miley Cyrus’ infectious “Party in the USA” (which may or may not have spurred crowd surfing at a recent law school Halloween party), I return with another Sick-Nasty Pop Song of the Moment: Owl City’s “Fireflies.”
The official music video for “Fireflies” is a direct tribute to this scene from Close...
cartman feat. lady gaga - "poker face"
Words can’t express how great this song is.
October 2009
7 posts
top 11 saxophone moments of all time
I have prepared the following saxophone solo list partially in honour (with a “u”) of The Lonely Island’s “Saxman”, and partially in honor (without a “u”) of another song, which will be discussed below…
Please listen to all of the above song. You will laugh your face off. Have I ever steered you wrong?
Don’t answer that.
But in all...
'in the 80s, the leading cause of blindness was...
Had to share this phenomenal photo/table/graph, which analyzes the incredibly transformative power Kenny Loggins music had over 80s films. Check out the original image, along with a hilarious article cataloging the widespread effect of Loggins in the 80s.
And, in honor of Kenny Loggins-related items, I have to post a video or three (two), to remind modern Americans of one of the greatest...
we are scientists - liars inre: band title;...
Ok, first, to the super-hip music types: I know this band has already been out for a few years, but I’m just getting familiar with them. SO EASE UP.
At any rate, We Are Scientists is an American band that, unfortunately, seems to only find big success in the UK. (Sidenote: shame on us as a nation for allowing the Brits to beat us at anything, even if it is We Are Scientists fanhood.)
...
buzz aldrin - "rocket experience" (prod. by talib...
Thanks to Kenny Gantz for bringing this wonderful piece of media to my attention.
—
“I have only two passions: space exploration, and hip-hop.” - Buzz Aldrin
The following video does nothing to rebut that proclamation. Here is the making of “Rocket Experience” by Buzz Aldrin, produced by Talib Kweli & Snoop Dogg.
Making of Buzz Aldrin’s Rocket...
I think this is an entirely appropriate occasion...
"west coast" from coconut records
Check out this excellent song from Coconut Records, the side musical project of Jason Schwartzman, the driest comedian known to man.
Also, trust me when I say that Schwartzman’s new show “Bored to Death” on HBO, co-starring Zach Galifianakis, is phenomenal. Check it out.
the brilliance of marvin gaye's "what's going on"
What’s Going On is the groundbreaking tenth studio album from Mr. Marvin Gaye, released in 1971. Three reasons why I think What’s Going On is one of the best albums of all time.
—>First and foremost, the brooding, sometimes melancholic tracks on What’s Going On were a drastic departure from Marvin’s prior work (upbeat tracks like “It Takes Two”,...
the search for the worst music on the internet or...
The following collaborative project was made possible by extensive research from James Stevens, Will Moseley, and Joe Rose.
——-
When searching for the worst music on the internet or even the world (WMOTIOETW), it’s important to know what factors are important to the analysis so that one can create a proper rubric for ascertaining the relative badness of the music in question....
September 2009
13 posts
andy samberg re-invents hip-hop in one fell swoop
Check this SNL video out from a couple seasons ago. I came across this again, and wondered: combining the below video with “On a Boat” and “J.I.M.P.”, are we in the midst of a musical revolution, hosted by one Andy Samberg?
The below vid takes a while to heat up, but just wait til you see Andy’s (aka Blizzard Man’s) getup at about 0:45. And don’t fall out...
follow up: snpsotm i
The following video serves as perfect commentary in regard to my prior post on Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the USA.” Don’t you worry: in no way do I regret writing it. Keep bumping Miley.
Thanks to Joe Rose for spotting this. Enjoy.
public service announcement: sick-nasty pop song...
At the urging of my good buddy Kevin Weeks and his extensive Z100 and 92.3NOW shower radio research, I hereby unveil a recurring segment tentatively titled “Sick-Nasty Pop Song of the Moment.”
(P.S. If you don’t have a shower radio yet, get one. A healthy dose of pop radio every morning will allow you to get your figurative finger figuratively closer to the figurative pulse...
how springsteen's "born to run" nearly was "born...
Thanks once again to my friend Gabrielle (her blog here, her art portfolio here) for sending this my way.
——
A fascinating backstory on Springsteen’s “Born to Run” - one of the best rock singles of all time (hopefully Kanye agrees with me) - and how it almost went unreleased. That’s right, New Jersey: it woulda just been you and Jon Bon Jovi against the...
reckless sons win 'free the noise' in nyc
I posted an article a couple of months ago on t t j m d about my buddy Austin Schumacher’s band Burn Down The Mission. He’s also in two other pretty sweet musical projects.
The first is the mash-up duo Indian Giver, which I will write about in due time…
The second is his band Reckless Sons. Austin once again takes his spot as drummer with this quartet out of New York City....
don't roll over, beethoven.
Thanks to my college buddy Chris Mizell sending this one to me.
We all know the First Movement of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, or at least the first few seconds of it (as one professor in college put it, “The most recognizable four notes of all time.”). Past the first four notes, the other 7+ minutes of the movement is a fast-paced, loud, and aggressive piece in a primarily minor...
why the USSR lost the cold war
Thanks to my friend Gabrielle for this heads-up; she loves the same quirky things about music as I do. She is also an extremely talented artist, check out her portfolio at http://gabsportfolio.tumblr.com/, and her blog at http://drawgabbydraw.tumblr.com/.
——-
So Gab and I found the reason why the Soviets lost the Cold War. Some say it was the individual states’ movement towards...
"take me home tonight": eddie money reveals his...
So we all know the Eddie Money classic “Take Me Home Tonight.”
I mean who hasn’t belted this out at an 80’s party/dive bar/karaoke bar on a Friday? Sorry for partying. If you haven’t yet belted this here song, please go throw yourself an 80’s party and sing along. Right now. I’ll wait.
We all probably also know The Ronettes’ wall-of-sound era...
the 32-act musical guilty pleasure smackdown...
I must thank KWeeks for this one, who keeps finding great internet happenings and has become a solid contributor to t t j m d.
This bracket is, in a word, un-mazing. And contains a good amount of the crap music ever made (see Nickelback). Aaaaaand also some of the BEST music ever made (see Hall & Oates, Phil Collins/Genesis, Journey).
Keep track of the tournament’s progress,...
Teen's Love of Foghat's 'Slow Ride' Inspires...
Thanks to my buddy Will Moseley for finding and sending this to me. While the headline tells MOST of the story, you just have to read the entire article to get the full effect. This kid (“The Daniel”, as he was known) seems to be both a genius and quite the character. I think the Southern-rock-song-as-school-bell phenomenon could spread like the Macarena. Yeah, Macarena.
Anyway, to...
no words necessary: steve-o's rebuttal of awesome...
Here we go, folks. I’m honored to feature the first guest post in t t j m d history. This one comes from my very good friend Steve Belfiglio (aka Steve-O). Steve-O is a Philadelphia native whose resume is perfect for this esteemed publication: former Quizzo host (Pub Trivia for you Yay Area residents), former karaoke host, music trivia extraordinaire, “music choice” song...
“-So, Russell: what do you love about music?
-To begin with…everything.”
– Almost Famous
August 2009
14 posts
call me beacon blues: review of steely dan live at...
This is the second post related to my recent trip to Gotham. That means New York.
——
I used to hate Steely Dan. Like, pure, straight hate them. My parents were big into them, having been post-adolescents of the 70’s, and they played the album Aja fairly consistently around the house. It was too smooth; it was too jazzy; it was too elevator music-ey.
I was flying back to...
the h is o: review of hall & oates live in...
Wedged in between the end of my summer job in San Francisco and the start of class in the East Bay, I recently took in a long weekend in New York City. It was my first time back since I moved from the Fraternal Principality of Murray Hill in June 2008.
This is the first post of a few that are devoted to the events of that trip.
——
Hall & Oates are a unique pop duo. ...
“BILL KURTIS: If you could be any jungle cat, which one do you think you’d...”
– Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy Special Features: Interview with Bill Kurtis, the film’s narrator
oh.....whammy.
Compare the following line from Donald Fagen’s “Walk Between the Raindrops” at 1:19:
with:
Donald Fagen is of course the lead singer of Steely Dan, one of my favorite bands of all time. “Whammy” is of course my favorite one-word catchphrase inspired by a fictional comedic San Diegan sportscaster.
The universe is mysterious…
piano cover: the strokes - "12:51"
For some reason I dig this a lot. The pacing and tone of the original song are really well-suited to a piano sound. Here’s a link to the original “12:51”, from The Strokes’ Room on Fire album.
the one and only post about akon
Heard this song the other day:
Every time I hear it, at about 1:01, I can’t help but think:
It’s the remix to “Ignition” Hot and fresh out the kitchen Mama rollin’ that body Got every man in here wishin’…
Cool story, Hansel.
a milli a milli a milli a milli
No commentary needed. Watch this video to see how the producer Bangladesh took a tiny detail from an obscure A Tribe Called Quest remix and turned it into the unforgettable beat for Lil Wayne’s tour de force “A Milli”:
So tight. I want to go to producer school.
the guess who: the original mash-up artists?
From Almost Famous:
Lester Bangs: The Doors? Jim Morrison? He’s a drunken buffoon…posing as a poet. Alice Wisdom: I like The Doors. Lester Bangs: Give me The Guess Who. They’ve got the COURAGE to be drunken buffoons…which makes them poetic.
——
The Guess Who are undoubtedly known best for their phenomenal rock anthem “American Woman.” Or for...
mstrkrft gts krfty wth urshr
Putting vowels in titles is for losers.
MSTRKRFT is not.
These dudes from Toronto make some pretty sick remixes (such as Wolfmother’s “Woman”, Justin Timberlake’s “SexyBack”, and John Legend’s “Green Light” (the Legend one is the best of that group)), and the following is no exception.
Wasn’t able to embed, so...
music video of the year: nyle - "let the beat...
My buddy Mike sent this around a few months ago. Not only is the song itself a bold take on an already-solid original by Lil Wayne, the music video is shot in an amazingly creative and unique style. Well, just watch. You’ll see.
The artist is the up-and-coming Nyle, who you can learn more about at: http://www.nyleraps.com/
The video was shot all in one take, and in one long, sweeping...