Re: Prince. Am I missing something here?

News broke at work that Prince had died. My officemate seemed a little upset as she and her husband seem to be big fans. Me, not so much. I wasn't into much of his music.

Towards the end of the night, I got into a conversation with a UPS driver while his truck was was being loaded. We got onto the purported cause of death being the flu. He was under the impression that Prince was gay and that he had AIDS.

Now I can understand the perception that Prince was gay. His flamboyancy and androgynous features had made that impression on me years ago too. I must admit that the cause of death being the flu did cause me to think of a compromised immune system. By now, however, I have learned enough about Prince to doubt that he was gay or that he had AIDS. Drugs are what came to my mind.

As I watch some of the tributes roll in on facebook and other sites, I am a bit bothered especially by those coming in from the queer community. You see, I think that Prince was rather a homophobe. He was against gay marriage and even brought up Sodom and Gomorrah-that God was justified in killing gays. His death doesn't seem like it is something I need to get worked over.

Torn

Have you ever thought that some record company decides to resurrect some once-popular song?  Like some sort of conspiracy to squeeze some more money out of an audience that loves nostalgia   I swear sometimes, I'll be listening to a radio and song from the 90s will start playing.  It will have been a long time since I've heard it and it'll be a wonder why they've put it into the day's playlist.  Then something weird happens--the song starts cropping up elsewhere.  You'll hear it again on the radio, then on a different station.  Then you'll here it a commercial or this week--an episode of Glee.

So here is Natalie Imbruglia's Torn.  Haven't heard it since high school/early college.  Now I've heard and seen it quite a few times in a number of places.

Still enjoying it.

Hairy Situations

Every time that comes on, I want to throw my speakers out a window. What evil is Mr. Smith unleashing upon the world!

So this thing in Egypt has gotten really interesting. The democratization of the middle east does pose some problems for the US. If free.. okay relatively free elections were to be held in countries all over the region. What are the odds that those popularly elected governments would be better alternatives to US interests than the ones they just replaced? Not very good. Still, it may be in the long term interests for the US for letting these governments go. Eventually they are going to fall and it could further aggravate the populations there if America continues to be viewed as propping up oppressive regimes.

A Cup of 80’s New Wave

Last week I tweeted this picture daring someone to identify what movie I was watching with the hint that it was from the 1980s. Sadly no one responded but it is from The Flight of the Navigator, one of my favorite movies from when I was a kid.

In the movie, a kid named David falls into a ravine and loses consciousness. When he wakes up, it is 1986, eight years later. He hasn’t aged and everything and everyone around him seems to have moved on. Meanwhile, NASA has taken custody of a disabled UFO and eventually make a connection between David and the spacecraft. Wanting to know more, they take David to a base where he is given a room as the tests NASA plans to do will take place over a couple of days. When David turns on the television with his “remote control wand,” he sees something odd to him—a music video.



I did not know this group nor the song that was playing and as far as I know, I never heard the song on the radio. Whatever it is, all I know is that it tends to linger in my mind. At first, I thought I would track it down by something another character in the movie (played by a young Sarah Jessica Parker) mentioned: Twisted Sister. Yeah… it didn’t take me long to figure out that the song that I was looking for was not by Twisted Sister.

But I have now found it and thanks to UltimaThule8888 for posting it.



Blancmange? Nope, I never heard of them except for that one time in that one movie.

When I don’t listen to the radio.

I wouldn’t say that I’m a Grinch but I do not listen to the radio when they start broadcasting Christmas music. Most of the Christmas music they play makes me cringe-they’re so horrible. Off the top of my head, I thought I would share with you some of my most hated of the bunch.

Wham – Last Christmas
Mostly I hate the synthesizer in this. I guess you can say that it’s not even really a Christmas song as the real focus is on that bitch of a girlfriend that George had. Oddly enough though, there was a cover done by Scala & Kolacny Brothers and loved it. It’s all about the packaging, I guess.

John Lennon – Happy Xmas (War is Over)
I don’t have anything against the song and its artistic value but if there is one song that I’m burnt out on—it’s this one. Turn on the radio and see how long you can go before hearing it and then hearing it again.

Paul McCartney – Wonderful Christmastime
Lennon could at least write a respectable song. Paul McCartney’s offering is total shit. Again with the synthesizers but it is then drilled into you with “simply having a wonderful Christmas time” over and over again.

NewSong – The Christmas Shoes
I feel bad for not liking this song because I get sentiment but, really, I don’t want to take trip on the sob train at this time of year.

Elmo & Patsy - Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer
As a very young kid, I probably took this song way to seriously. Why would anyone sing a happy song about a grandmother getting killed by Santa? I loved my grandmothers and I found the song distasteful.

There are plenty more, I’m sure but this is all I got right now. Do you have any to add to this list?

After almost a decade, I now know what that damn song's name is!

I think I was a sophomore in high school when my parents signed for internet access. Since we lived in the sticks, dial-up was the only offering. Still, the connection was good enough to allow us to listen to streaming radio from around the world. The audio quality wasn't the best but the variety in music was great. There isn't much variety on American radio, I can tell you that. One of my favorite stations was Radio Pilatus coming out of Switzerland. There was a particular song that I would hear from time to time. Obviously it must have been a hit and the more I heard it, the more I liked it. Eventually, I was able to record about 2/3 of the song. I was never able to find the information for the song so I could obtain a copy. It was in German (or at least Germanic). I kept that file thinking that one day I would come across someone who also knew the song or could listen to it and give me information. I tried a student studying German and even a student from Germany. Nothing. That is until today.

It occurred to me a couple days ago that I have had this German guy sitting in my contacts list and I never asked him about the song. Well here was a chance, and I was going to take it so I sent him the song file and by this morning, I had my answer. The song that I have liked for over ten years, clipped and with degraded audio, was So Bist Du by Oli. P. Check it out:

Hearing a higher-quality and complete version is kinda weird. I don't know how to properly describe it but it just wasn't the same song that was going through my head all this time. I still liked it, although I think the beginning could have been better. I'm finally glad to have my answer.

h/t to keira0tash for posting the vid.

Go after the elementary schools too while you’re at it.

"Down Under" became one of my favorite songs back in the 80s. I was a little sad to hear that the group, Men at Work, has lost a copyright infringement suit. Apparently a part of the song contained a tune from the kid song “Kookaburra Sits in an Old Gum Tree.” It’s that fluty section. Here’s the video. Listen for it:

I never made the connection although now that I’ve listened, I do hear it. Still the decision disgusts me. First of all, who knew that Kookaburra was even in copyright? Seriously, what other childhood songs that we learned are copyrighted? (Did you know that Happy Birthday to You is in copyright?) It’s ridiculous. I think that songs such as Kookaburra have entered into the public domain and ought to be free from infringement suits. Kinda like generic trademarks – asprin, thermos.

The plaintiff, Larrikin Music Publishing, is presumably going to be rewarded damages although due to statute of limitations, they’re not going to get back royalties for the entire time the song has been out. The Australian reports that Larrikin is seeking 40-60% royalties which is, to me, outrageous. First, there aren’t any damages that I can tell. Who confused the two songs? As I said, I didn’t even make a connection until it was pointed out. Second, the infringement is a small part of the song. Finally, it’s a freaking kid song whose only commercial value lies in music books in elementary schools and maybe episodes of The Wiggles.



h/t to alliewolfgal for posting the vid on youtube.

Like Grandpa said, they're all jerks!

Polish this gem up!

Another blogger, Edro Edro, tuned me into an artist I never heard before. Please check out Matt Alber:



I haven't gotten around to listening to all the songs that he has available on his sites but based on what I've heard so far, I'm really digging him. If you like him too, please spread the word. Matt Alber is definitely someone I'd like to hear more material from.

In all colors of the rainbow

Life in Technicolor is my favorite track on Coldplay's album Viva la Vida. I wished that it was longer and, perhaps, part of an actual song. Well why the hell didn't anyone tell me about this!



As Kacey would say--gawd!

Continuous Ends and Beginings

At high noon at the United States Capitol, a transfer of power occurred and it was done quietly and beautifully to music.



h/t newsstoryoftheday for posting this video

Better than the original.

Don't get me wrong, I like the original, but I like this cover even more:








h/t to kemlye1 and, of course, David Sides assuming they are not the same person.

So Ridiculous… I Like it

You know how you can experience something that is so bad/wrong/awful and yet you still like it on the whole?

First up (because it is not as fun as the second) is the Motorola Aura.

Motorola has taken $50 phone and repackaged it in an “exquisite” body to sell for $2,000USD. Insanity. And yet, it is appealing. Let’s see if I was insanely rich and sociable, this would be my going-out cell phone. Kind of like you have a rugged every day watch and a nicer dress up watch.

My favorite parts of these Aura vids are where they talk about the features. It makes me wonder if they are talking to me as if I never owned a phone before, if they’re trying to cover up the fact that this phone has pathetic features, or both. For example, the following had me howling in laughter:

“Here’s another hidden gem: to bypass all the menus and simply return to the home screen it only takes one step—press the red “End” key. That’s it. One press. Viola! You’re back at the home screen.”


Then we have this cover of Country Roads by Hermes House Band.

There’s so much about this video that I do not like: the cover (I’m a purist), the period dress, the cuts that threatened to bring on a seizure, and the freaking bobbing up and down and into the camera. But one thing that I can not deny is that it is fun.

America

Last night I watched The West Side Story. The last time I saw that, I think was in fifth or sixth grade music class. America still remains my most favorite part of that musical.




See also: "Do they make movies like this anymore?"


h/t to krissit13 for posting this video

Why don't I hear this on U93?

I hear it whenever I drive through the west side.


One of the vloggers that I watch had this playing on his MySpace page. I really like it. It reminds me of what I view are the failings of the current adminstration. I'll leave you to interpret out what I mean by that.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I don't listen to the radio very often and it is not how I discover the songs that I end up buying and listening to. So if you are in anyway connected to the RIAA it might help for you to know that where I do find music that I like are when they are used in television, movies, blogs, social networking and of course, word of mouth.

An album to hold.

I’ve never been one to go out and buy CD albums because I never really got into music before I went off to college. Whatever B99 or U93 churned out was fine with me and if I really liked a song, I would record it with a cassette (wink to Kapitano). When I got to college, I was able to—well, I’ll leave it to your imaginations… After that I downloaded using Napster and iTunes.

As for physical albums, I don’t have many. My experience has always been hit or miss with them. I scored big with Dido’s No Angel and Coldplay’s X&Y. The Killers’ Hot Fuss okay—I liked most of it but there were a number that I didn’t care for. Sting’s Brand New Day and Jon Bon Jovi’s Crush were so horrible I would have asked for a refund if store policies would have allowed it.

Coldplay’s new album Viva la Vida was released today in the United States and I think that I’m going to go ahead and get the physical copies. Even though it’s easier to just buy them through iTunes, I still will make exceptions. As Captain Picard said, it’s about the connection.

How about we change it up, huh?

For almost two weeks now, I have been working in a different part of the complex on a different project for a different company. I make boxes mostly. Yeah. A BA under my belt and I'm making boxes. Swell.

Given the monotonous nature of what others and I are doing, we've been permitted to have music as long as it is through speakers rather than headphones. A coworker brought in his iPod and some portable speakers and we have been listening to his library all this time.

He has an iPod nano. It is probably only filled to half capacity. That doesn't last very long.

I swear if I have to listen to Michael Jackson's Thriller or more of Evanescence/Fuel/Nickelback for one more day, I'm gonna cut someone. I like his music selection just fine but after day two, there needs to be "fresh" music.

I'm going to bring in my stuff but I don't think they will appreciate my eclectic tastes. Going from Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" to Nat "King" Cole's "L-O-V-E" to Rammstein's "Amerika" might not sit well with them. But whatever, they can have their music. I'll enjoy something a little different and who knows, maybe those by me might listen as well.

Two music vids from the Irish.

Here are two songs that I like while finding their videos... "interesting."





They are Damien Rice's "9 Crimes" and Guggenheim Grotto's "Philosophia."

He reminds me of someone.

My blogroll is by no means a complete list of sites that I visit. If you so choose, you can follow the links to two blogs that I really like.

This past weekend, I was watching this video:

It's "Apologize" by Timbaland featuring One Republic.* As I watched the singer I was wondering who he was reminding me of. I'm certain that I never met the singer before but there was something familiar about his face. It was still bothering me up until yesterday when I figured it out when I went through my large blogroll. He reminded me of Sean Bugg. Okay so maybe they aren't so similar but you know... all white guys look alike. I joke. Hey, I never claimed they were twins just that one reminded me of the other.

I don't know whether I should like or hate "Apologize." It stays in my head, particularly that "It's too late" part but at least I'm not pulling my hair out because of it. If you want to listen to some great stuff, head over to Duane's site and this post. If you like Hem, check out her song "Half Acre" too.



*It should be titled "Apologize" by One Republic featuring Timbaland.

Finding Music

We all know that Microsoft is evil but so is Apple! They are tempting me to cross over to the dark side... from the dark side. Hmmm... how does that work? Anyways, I really wanted an iPhone but the price and the AT&T contract pretty much sunk it for me. But now comes the iPod Touch. Ooooh. I was this || close to buying one over the internet the day they did a story on it. This || close. Unfortunately for them my VISA bills were on my computer desk reminding me that I still owe them a couple thousand dollars. I did my best to suppress that little voice in my head that said, "What's $300 more?" Anyone who is planning on upgrading, I'll gladly take in your old iPod. :)

On a related subject, I don't listen to much radio music anymore. Since high school, really, I have lost interest in the latest pop music. You have those damn Backstreet Boys, Brittney Spears, and their clones to thank for that. So much of it seemed to be the same and there really wasn't much variety playing on the airwaves. I used to listen to U93 all the time and thought that they kept a good number of songs playing. Although they were a pop hits station, they managed to cycle in good songs that used to be popular and deeded to be dusted. Now, it seems like it's the same shit over and over again.

For a brief time, I listened to internet radio. I tuned in to radio stations in Europe because they provided some hing different. It was music that I never heard before and a lot of times it was so much different than the American stuff that I savored it. Now that I've got high(er) speed internet, I can listen to internet radio once more and the other night I did just that using iTunes. (I used to use Windows Media Player but that's gotten to be way too much of a hassle to bother with.) I listened to the Bear Radio network, a GLBT station out of San Francisco. That was a hoot. But the one I wish I had paid attention to was this one station that plays hit music from the 90's and today from the Americas and Europe.

One of the great things that I've noticed about many of these stations is that they provide song info on what is currently playing. If you like the song, you can jot down the info and look it up. I did just that with a song by Eros Ramazzotti. Apparently he's a big star in the Latin world. I've never heard of him but I like his song Cosa Della Vita. So I looked it up on YouTube. I found a clip of him and Tina Turner. I know, I probably should have found the version of him only to show his talent only, but c'mon it's Tina Turner. She's hot. Yes, I said that.



Although it sounds like a lot of songs from the 90's, I would have at the time, found this to be quite refreshing. It's too bad that local radio stations are largely confined to 1.)Public (where you find news, classical, and jazz), 2.)Pop Hits/Alternative, 3.)Oldies, 4.)Classic Rock, 5.) Country ,6.)Easy Listening and 7.)Christian. Maybe if you live near a city you can get a little extra.