Category: music

I’m starting my Christmas shopping early

That's right.  I've found the perfect gift for ALL of my friends, and I do mean all.  Shopping for my friends is hard mostly because I'm very particular when it comes to gift giving.  I consider gift giving to be one of my strong suits.  It's a gift.  I have a knack for gifts.  Last year for Christmas I found fabulous patterned market totes and had them monogrammed for my scrabooking friends.  I also gave Mom Agendas and monogrammed Pottery Barn Christmas ornaments.  But not this Christmas.  This Christmas my friends will be cookin'.

I was perusing the Amazon.com last night and came across what has to be the most intriguing celebrity cookbook I've seen: Cookin' with Coolio.

Screen shot 2010-04-20 at 11.15.36 PM

 *I did not Photoshop this.  Seriously.

You know you need The Ghetto Gourmet.  Let's take a look at the Contents.

Screen shot 2010-04-20 at 11.12.54 PM

Now, who doesn't want to become a kitchen pimp?  Thank goodness that's chapter one!  I thought I'd have to wait 'til the end for that.  Appetizers for That Ass has to be a good one, as does Salad Eatin' Bitches (Crazy Pollo Salad "easily serves 4 crazy motherf****ers").  Coolio uses "dime bags" instead of teaspoons and has instructions such as "beat those eggs like a Mother#$%&er who crossed you" or "spin them around like a stripper on a pole."   Martha Stewart he is not.  

So, friends, start looking forward to your Christmas gift.  Oh, and don't worry, Will — it's on the Kindle as well.



sunday rewind: more favorites

So, I was all set to do a Vonda Shepard '80s Sunday Rewind (you know Vonda – she was the bar singer in Ally McBeal), then after a little research, realized the song she's known for, "Don't Cry Ilene" came out in 1990. Not the '80s.  I've been planning a Vonda post all week, but maybe that will be a Tunes Tuesday post instead.  

Today you're getting more personal '80s favorites because it's my blog and I feel like it.

Up first is the lovely "Life in a Northern Town" by Dream Academy.

 Marshall Crenshaw's "Someday Someway" is a great little pop song.  Love the guitars on this one.

This clip of R.E.M. doing "Don't Go Back to Rockville" needs to be saved for future generations.  This is one of my favorite songs.  

And finally, with one of my favorite first lines of any song, "Such a drag to want something sometime," it's The Pretenders with "Talk of the Town."  Fantastic song.  

 "Maybe tomorrow, maybe someday."  Love that song.  And just for fun, "Brass in Pocket," which is pretty fantastic as well.  

Enjoy your Sunday.

Hanson’s all growed up, y’all

When you weren't looking, Hanson grew up and made a new album due out June 8th.  Here is their new video "Thinking 'Bout Somethin'" — the video is a Blues Brothers tribute and I believe that's Weird Al on tambourine.  You know that  makes it awesome.


Thinking 'Bout Somethin'
http://mediaservices.myspace.com/services/media/embed.aspx/m=104317949,t=1,mt=video
HANSON | MySpace Music Videos

I like that.  Mmm bop.

tunes you need Tuesday: the bird and the bee

Every once in a while a band comes along and does something so genius that I feel is worth sharing with you people.  The Bird and The Bee have done that.  

Last week The Bird and The Bee released Interpreting The Masters Volume 1 (A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates).  Genius.  I can only hope they cover all of the bands I love from the '80s because this album is simply fantastic.  It's good times.  

Here are are a few songs for your listening pleasure.  Enjoy.

06 Maneater

03 Rich Girl

07 She's Gone

Here they are doing "I Can't Go for That" on Ellen last week.  Love it.

This is from The BIrd and The Bee's Wikipedia page:

The Bird and the Bee is an indie/Synthpop/alternative musical duo from Los Angeles, consisting of musicians Inara George ("the bird") and Greg Kurstin ("the bee"). Kurstin, a producer and keyboardist who has worked with Lily Allen, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Beck, The Flaming Lips, Kylie Minogue and Red Hot Chili Peppers, is also a member of the band Geggy Tah. George and Kurstin met while the two were working on her debut album and they decided to collaborate on a jazz-influenced electro pop project. Their debut EP, Again and Again and Again and Again, was released on October 2006 and their debut album was released on January 23, 2007 on Blue Note Records.

So, you're going to download the album on iTunes, right?  Good.

sunday rewind: Hall and Oates

Hall and Oates is a departure from the usual post punk/new wave I usually feature here on the Sunday Rewind, but there is a method to my madness – come back for the return of Tunes Tuesday and all will be revealed.  Truth be told, I love the Hall and Oates.  Love the blue eyed soul.  

As usual, I saved the best for last.  Get a load of this f*ckery I found.  I mean, gem.

Okay, wtf was that?  Chippendales Oates, Hall refused to sing, strappy sandals, the devil, the weird jacket the chick helps Oates into with the sleeves, and I'm pretty sure Hall was stoned.  The '70s were bad, people.  Just say no to time machines.

sunday rewind: Scritti Politti

Woo-hoo!  It's the return of '80s Sunday Rewind!  Let's talk about Scritti Politti.  This is a band I loved in the late '80s and looking back and watching the video "Boom! There She Was," I suspect it is because the lead singer, Green Gartside, reminds me of Prince.  Only white.  And how could I not love a band with a song called "Pray Like Aretha Franklin"?

Scritti Politti has been around since the late '70s and made their last album in 2006, but I have to say, I had no idea.  I'm not sure if y'all remember Scritti Politti.  Let's refresh your memory.  

Here's there hit, "Perfect Way" from 1985.  This song could be redone by the Jonas Brothers today and go to number one.  Not that I'm suggesting it.

Y'all, this is "Boom! There She Was."  Inspired by Prince?  You be the judge.  Maybe Morris Day, because someone brings Green a drink on stage and a giant book (wtf?).  And the dancing in this video is hot, white hot.  I think the guitars are for show, because this is all keyboards and synthesizers, but I love that hot pink guitar.  You're not fooling me, Green.

Are you ready for bizarre?  I'm only including this one because it's one of the most bizarre vids I've ever seen. "Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin)" not only features Green and company singing on a giant bed in their jammies – no, that's not all – we have a a ballet dancer, bee keeping, fencing, Green as an astronaut, and Green as Olympian.  For no reason.  

Seriously.  That is fresh off the train from Crazy Town.  

More '80s next Sunday.  Suggestions?

sunday rewind: level 42

Do you remember Level 42?  Sure you do.  I know you do.  They were a British pop band with a lead singer who played slap-bass.  Don't remember?  "Lessons in Love"  and "Something About You" were their two hits.  AH, now you're with me, aren't you?  

Here is "Lessons in Love," a great one for your '80s playlist.

http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x71ja

And it doesn't get much better than this.  I cannot tell you how much I adore "Something About You" and have since the first time I heard it on the radio in 1985.  This song still makes me melt. The alliteration, the way he sings "million," and the sense of desperation.  Good music makes you feel.  It's not that music is supposed to make you feel good, it's that good music is supposed to make you feel.  

http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/k4PZVC5S1tyJ5A2icZ&related=1

I do love the first part of this song, so here are the lyrics for you. 

now
how can it be
that a love
carved out of caring
fashioned by fate
could suffer so hard
from the games
played once too often
but making mistakes
is a part
of life's imperfections
born of the years
is it so wrong
to be human after all?

soundtrack to this mood

I've been in a mood all week.  As with everything in my life, there has been a soundtrack to this mood.  It's been generally an angry mood, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.  More on that later in another post.  

Usually angry moods are good for Ben Folds for some reason.  Maybe it's the cursing, I'm not sure.  Not all Ben's songs have cursing, but they're not to be listened to with the kids present.  What I love about Ben is that he can write emotionally, he can write harshly, he can say things in ways you don't often hear.  He also plays a mean piano.  Love that.  

I should have made it Ben Week on the blog.  I've done two Ben Folds posts.  I could have done a Ben Lee post, profiled my favorite Ben Affleck movie (Chasing Amy), and put up a recipe featuring Uncle Ben's rice!

This song is called "Zak and Sara," which Ben Folds has said is about about a boy in 1984 playing guitar and writing songs for his girlfriend, who sits on his amp all day watching him play, and in her head is discovering techno – not the music the boyfriend is playing at all. This is why I love Ben Folds. The video is typography set to "Zak and Sara." Shut up, someone took my two loves, music and graphic design and made a video. This is the kind of stuff that makes me happy, people. And the colors! If hot pink does nothing for you, I'm sorry, check your pulse. Something's wrong wit ya. The font is Helvetica. Yes, I know it on sight. Hel-to-the-vetica!


"Dr. Yang" is about all the alternative medicine voodoo witch doctor psychics out there. Coolness. I like the yelling.


Finally, "All U Can Eat," which sums up America in a sarcastic tone. Now, I am an American all-you-can-eat, never been camping kind of girl, but I totally get it. If you have sensitive ears, please move along. Nothing to see here.


P.S. Here's "Rockin' The Suburbs." Just because Ben Folds got an audience to yell "Preperation-H" and the F-word and he's the man. Goes without saying, They yell the F-word. Deal.


I'll have a real post with words later.


because I forgot it was Tuesday

I forgot it was Tuesday.  

How does one forget Tuesday?  

In lieu of a proper Tunes Tuesday post, here are some of my favorite Ben Folds songs.  First up is "Annie Waits" because I love it.  Because the clock never stops, never stops, never stops, never waits, she's growing old, and it's getting late.  And that's why.

Here's a much younger Ben with Ben Folds Five singing "Selfless, Cold, and Composed."  Love the lyric "you just smile like a bank teller, blankly telling me 'have a nice life.'"  It's a break-up song.  A bad break-up song.

And now for something completely different, this clip is from a real British morning show that obviously didn't know what kind of guy Ben was.  Ben and band lipsynched to the album track, a roadie sat in on drums, the drummer was a back-up singer, and Ben was awesomely cheesetastic.  Love it, makes me laugh.

And for those of you who may not be big Ben Fold Fans, there is one special song, a song you have to hear live.  Fortunately for you, it's on the You Tubes.  You see, Ben plays live A LOT.  Once in Chicago in 2001, a fan yelled out "Rock this bitch!" and being Ben, he busted out a song improv-style called "Rock This Bitch," and it became a running thing at his concerts for years until he retired it.  Here is the masterpiece with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra.