I write this blog day in, day out, despite my daily dramas; maybe it can help me with one.
Today's birthday boy is Neil Hannon, the founder, long-standing, and occasional only member of the British band The Divine Comedy. He fits in that clatch of songwriters too clever for their own good; he'd be a bigger star if our world was a bit smarter, and still appreciated double entendres. He was a great opening act for Ben Folds in '97 (and Ben returned the favor on the other side of the pond, as well as covering "Songs of Love" a few years later.) Still, if you're an American, the most likely thing you've heard him sing is that dolphin song at the end of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie.
Anyway, I was trying to choose a clip for today... I saw this song, and immediately thought of a particular situation I'm currently in. And now, I post, in hopes that once again, a song can elucidate to someone in ways that my own words can't....
His/their next album is currently expected next March; there's plenty of time to catch up of what's he been up to so far...
Friday, November 6, 2009
November 6
Here's two for today:
Paul Gilbert is the prototypical B-Blog subject. He's a phenomenal talent that's sneaked under most people's radar for years. In this case, his biggest gig was playing for Mr Big, which has been just another bunch of hair metal balladeers to me. But he co-headlined the 3G Tour with Satriani and Eric Johnson, so he's definitely got powers.
Oh, okay; just listen to this:
Great; now I'll have to listen to a Mr Big album now. (Unless a reader can direct me to the good parts...)
Our second feature is to Trace Beaulieu, one of the co-conspirators on Cinematic Titanic, and the original voice of Crow T Robot for Mystery Science Theater 3000. Nobody debates about the merits of Trace's Crow versus Bill Corbett's Crow with the gusto of Joel vs Mike, but any MST3K fan knows to give props to Trace. Even if he was head writer for America's Funniest Home Videos...
Anyway, this may be as close to Christmas as I get to posting this song (Kevin Murphy's was three days ago, and Joel's is in March, I think.) And the World Series is over, so it's legal to play Christmas music in public again. So, as a birthday nod to Trace, a belated birthday wink to Bill, and a tribute to the Swayze, here's "Patrick Swayze Christmas":
Here's hoping we can keep that spirit on to Christmas, and the rest of our days....
Paul Gilbert is the prototypical B-Blog subject. He's a phenomenal talent that's sneaked under most people's radar for years. In this case, his biggest gig was playing for Mr Big, which has been just another bunch of hair metal balladeers to me. But he co-headlined the 3G Tour with Satriani and Eric Johnson, so he's definitely got powers.
Oh, okay; just listen to this:
Great; now I'll have to listen to a Mr Big album now. (Unless a reader can direct me to the good parts...)
Our second feature is to Trace Beaulieu, one of the co-conspirators on Cinematic Titanic, and the original voice of Crow T Robot for Mystery Science Theater 3000. Nobody debates about the merits of Trace's Crow versus Bill Corbett's Crow with the gusto of Joel vs Mike, but any MST3K fan knows to give props to Trace. Even if he was head writer for America's Funniest Home Videos...
Anyway, this may be as close to Christmas as I get to posting this song (Kevin Murphy's was three days ago, and Joel's is in March, I think.) And the World Series is over, so it's legal to play Christmas music in public again. So, as a birthday nod to Trace, a belated birthday wink to Bill, and a tribute to the Swayze, here's "Patrick Swayze Christmas":
Here's hoping we can keep that spirit on to Christmas, and the rest of our days....
Thursday, November 5, 2009
November 5
Who do we talk about today? Who gets to wear the paper crown at our little birthday party?
Johnny Damon? I liked you better when you looked like an Apostle. I liked you better when you looked like a Geico caveman. I liked you better when you didn't steal a World Series from my Phillies. Is that petty? Sure it is, but you just got another World Series ring, so you already got a present. No cake for you! Go drown your sorrows in your victory champagne, and your other World Series ring, and your hot baseball wife, and your mansion, and your money bin where you can swim like a porpoise in piles of Sacagaweas...
Ryan Adams? You really have the same birthday as Bryan Adams? Ryan, did your parents really not know? Or are they really really big fans? Or did they think it was funny? No wonder you're so surly...
It would be so easy to feature you today; you released that "Happy Birthday" song barely over a month ago! And now it's pulled? Because you can't decide if you're going to self-release, reunite Whiskeytown, or retire from music altogether? Heck, you turned Mandy Moore into Mandy Moore-Adams anyway, so NO CAKE FOR YOU!!
Bryan Adams? Didn't you used to be cool? Why did you write a song like "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You"? Why did you have to write a song like "(I Wanna Be) Your Underwear"? (What is up with) This Schtick? Anyway, you got your own postage stamp, so...
No; today, the birthday tiara goes to Angela Gossow. Not because she deserves to be more reknowned than she is. Not because she's attractive, even by Swedish standards. Not because she's the growler in the death metal band Arch Enemy. Not because she used to be a music journalist who gave the guitarist her demo tape months before the band needed a new singer. Not even because she's the voice of Lavona Succuboso on Metalocolypse.
No, she's our birthday girl today because she scares me.
Here, let her band scare you too...
Angie and the boys are celebrating her birthday in Australia; they'll be in the US in early 2010. You can check the tour dates here.
Johnny Damon? I liked you better when you looked like an Apostle. I liked you better when you looked like a Geico caveman. I liked you better when you didn't steal a World Series from my Phillies. Is that petty? Sure it is, but you just got another World Series ring, so you already got a present. No cake for you! Go drown your sorrows in your victory champagne, and your other World Series ring, and your hot baseball wife, and your mansion, and your money bin where you can swim like a porpoise in piles of Sacagaweas...
Ryan Adams? You really have the same birthday as Bryan Adams? Ryan, did your parents really not know? Or are they really really big fans? Or did they think it was funny? No wonder you're so surly...
It would be so easy to feature you today; you released that "Happy Birthday" song barely over a month ago! And now it's pulled? Because you can't decide if you're going to self-release, reunite Whiskeytown, or retire from music altogether? Heck, you turned Mandy Moore into Mandy Moore-Adams anyway, so NO CAKE FOR YOU!!
Bryan Adams? Didn't you used to be cool? Why did you write a song like "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You"? Why did you have to write a song like "(I Wanna Be) Your Underwear"? (What is up with) This Schtick? Anyway, you got your own postage stamp, so...
No; today, the birthday tiara goes to Angela Gossow. Not because she deserves to be more reknowned than she is. Not because she's attractive, even by Swedish standards. Not because she's the growler in the death metal band Arch Enemy. Not because she used to be a music journalist who gave the guitarist her demo tape months before the band needed a new singer. Not even because she's the voice of Lavona Succuboso on Metalocolypse.
No, she's our birthday girl today because she scares me.
Here, let her band scare you too...
Angie and the boys are celebrating her birthday in Australia; they'll be in the US in early 2010. You can check the tour dates here.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
November 4
Happy Birthday to Cedric Bixler-Zavala, one of the most frightening talented vocalists out there today. Not sure what to make of Octahedron, but it's only been out since June. And we can almost certainly count on Mars Volta album number 6 not sounding anything like the last...
November 3
Lots of great birthdays today; days like this, I defer to the ukelele players. Jake Shimabukuro is recognized as a ukelele virtuoso; he's lightning-fast on the strings, and he's fearlessly exploring the versatility of the instrument (he currently plays a custom-built electric.) He occasionally tours with Jimmy Buffett and he's jammbed with Yo-Yo Ma, but he's mostly busy with his solo work. He's big in Japan; he tours frequently, he's written music scores for two Japanese films, and what would probably be my favorite CD, his all-Beatles covers album Across the Universe, is a Japan-only import that goes for $40 bucks stateside.
Oh, well... at least I have "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." I first learned about Shimabukuro years ago, when I stumbled upon this instructional clip of him in Central Park.
Oh, well... at least I have "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." I first learned about Shimabukuro years ago, when I stumbled upon this instructional clip of him in Central Park.
Monday, November 2, 2009
November 2
No contest about today's birthday artist. Shahrukh Khan is one of the biggest stars in Bollywood - like Will Smith big. Seriously, Newsweek named Khan one of the 50 most powerful people on the planet. Personally speaking, the Indian movies that I've watched and re-watched all feature him.
For anybody who wants to dip their toes into Bollywood cinema, I'm going to recommend "Om Shanti Om". It's the perfect example of what Bollywood does best: offer a buffet of genres in one film, with exuberance and wonder. You can find the entire movie on Google video here; if you don't have two and a half hours, here's a sample...
For anybody who wants to dip their toes into Bollywood cinema, I'm going to recommend "Om Shanti Om". It's the perfect example of what Bollywood does best: offer a buffet of genres in one film, with exuberance and wonder. You can find the entire movie on Google video here; if you don't have two and a half hours, here's a sample...
Sunday, November 1, 2009
November 1
Welcome to November. Let's all sing "Happy Birthday" to Caprice Crane, wordsmith for the smirky feminine mind. She's on her third novel, which might get her a third consecutive Romantic Times Reader's Choice Awards. If you're not the type that would be caught buying a 'chick lit' book in a store, you can wait a little bit for the movie; Forget About It (novel #2) is turning into a Scarlett Johansson vehicle. If you can't wait that long, she writes scripts, too: she's written episodes for this year's 90210 and Melrose Place, and she's got a Dermot Mulrooney film starring Christopher Walken coming soon.
If you want some wisdom right now, her dog Max has an advice column on her website. And here's a film short that she wrote and directed, in case you're wondering what plateau she'll conquer in the next ten years:
Passing The Time
Passing The Time | MySpace Video
If you want some wisdom right now, her dog Max has an advice column on her website. And here's a film short that she wrote and directed, in case you're wondering what plateau she'll conquer in the next ten years:
Passing The Time
Passing The Time | MySpace Video
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
