This has racked up a few million hits since being posted on Friday, so maybe you’ve already seen it. But if you haven’t, and if you’ve spent any time at all over the last few years looking at the various famous YouTube videos, you should take a look.

It’s the video for Weezer’s new single “Pork and Beans” (album hits stores next week), and it features cameos by an impressive number of YouTube celebrities: the “leave Britney alone” guy, the fat kid who lip-syncs the Romanian pop tune, the “Chocolate Rain” guy, Miss Teen South Carolina (”Some U.S. Americans don’t have maps”), and on and on. (There are several I’m not familiar with.) They’re the real folks, not impersonators, and they really interact with Weezer and with each other specially for this video. It’s cute, and it’s a terrific song about individuality from the always-terrific Weezer to boot.

This letter appeared in The Oregonian on April 3, in response to coverage of the Bruce Springsteen concert in Portland several days earlier:

Bruce Springsteen’s band member tells us that it is a rush to him to “turn your guitar amp up to 11 and scream and shout and be presenting amazing music.” Amazing to me that anyone older than a demented 6-year-old can call that racket “music.”

True, my standards are high, as they are generated by the Metropolitan Opera. But the reaction to the Springsteen noise proves the truth of the old adage that “some people grow up, others just grow old.”

Robert E. Vanderzanden
Woodburn, Ore.

Assuming this letter is legit and not meant as a joke, I have to conclude that Robert E. Vanderzanden is the following things:

1. Very, very old. Anyone who was younger than about 20 in the mid ’50s, when rock ‘n’ roll came around, would almost certainly have succumbed to at least SOME of its charms. To have such disdain for the entire art form — and Springsteen isn’t even “niche”; his stuff is pretty much basic, pure rock ‘n’ roll — you’d have to have been already set in your musical tastes in 1955. At least generally speaking.

2. A pompous crotchbag.

For the record, being a fan of the Metropolitan Opera does not automatically make you a pretentious, insufferable jerk. But citing it as a credential does.

The other day I was driving to pick up my friend Lady Dawn so we could go to lunch when I heard my new choice for Worst Christmas Recording Ever. It was a version of “Silent Night,” sung by a vaguely country-ish female artist whose voice was just flat-out ugly. It wasn’t that she was off-key or anything; she simply had an unpleasant voice.

To make it worse, she added some words. Between “Silent night” and the next line (”holy night”), she added, “It was a …,” which made me laugh out loud, which I do not believe was the intended effect. It reminded me too much of a blues singer who will ad-lib “I tell you!” or “Lemme tell you ’bout!” or “I’m singin’!” between lines.

When I picked up Dawn, I described the song to her and did an impression of what the singer’s voice sounded like to me as reproduced here:

[Sample]

Dawn said, “Are you sure it wasn’t Stevie Nicks?” I said, “No, no, I’m pretty sure it was a country singer. She had backup singers that I assume were her sisters or something.”

When I got home, I checked the radio station’s website and discovered that IT WAS STEVIE NICKS!! My impersonation of her was so adept that Dawn recognized it instantly.

Here is the song. I encourage you to listen to the whole thing. Does her voice strike anyone else as grating and unlistenable? Does she sound to you, as she does to my mom, like a slowed-down chipmunk? Do the random fills (”Well, it was a!”) make anyone else laugh?

["Silent Night," by Stevie Nicks; vocals by fingernails on a chalkboard]

Luciano Pavarotti died early this morning in Italy, at home in the town he was born in 71 years ago.

He was famous as one of the Three Tenors, of course, and was probably responsible for causing more normal people to listen to opera than anyone else in the 20th century.

He was also famous for being hugely fat, for being somewhat temperamental and prone to canceling performances … and for raising millions of dollars for charities, for being named a United Nations Messenger for Peace, and for founding a school for young singers in his hometown.

Maybe opera isn’t your “thing.” It’s not generally my “thing” either. But watch this clip of Pavarotti singing his signature song, the beautiful “Nessun Dorma” from Puccini’s “Turandot,” and see if you’re not moved by the incredible power of his voice. The climax, in particular, is amazing.

YouTube link.
CNN story on his death.

It’s Labor Day and I’m still visiting friends and kinfolk in Utah, but I thought you might like to see this delightful YouTube video of Leslie Uggams completely blowing the lyrics to “June is Bustin’ Out All Over” at a Rodgers and Hammerstein tribute concert. Listen carefully to what she says. Also, watch her face while she’s messing up. It gets all pinched and scrunchy. Then keep watching, because whoever posted the video has made some helpful additions during the instant replays.

This has been posted a few places around the Internet over the past year, but it was only yesterday that I stumbled across it. Further research determined its source.

It’s from “The Beatrice Arthur Special,” which aired Jan. 19, 1980, on CBS. The clip features Rock Hudson and Bea Arthur singing about how nowadays everybody does drugs, whereas in the good ol’ days, all you needed were cigarettes and alcohol to feel good.

It’s hard to tell whether the song is endorsing drug use or discouraging it, especially since the song’s only real gripe with drugs is that the terminology used to describe them is hard for middle-aged people to grasp.

Regardless of its message, I love this song!

Continue reading…

The Oregonian ran a great story on Sunday about a local woman who was sued, harassed, and stalked by the RIAA for allegedly illegally downloading music — and now she’s suing them back for the two years of harassment they caused her.

Tanya Andersen is her name, and when the Recording Industry Association of America accused her in 2005 of having downloaded thousands of songs, she responded, quite truthfully, that she hadn’t downloaded any songs. She didn’t even know how. She still belonged to a CD mail-order club, for crying out loud.

She offered to let the RIAA inspect her computer, which would have settled the matter then and there. The RIAA refused, telling her the only way to end the case was to pay them thousands of dollars.

Continue reading…

The Zimmers are a British rock ensemble in which the members are an average of 78 years old. The lead singer, Alf Carretta, is 90, and there are 100-year-olds. The BBC is airing a documentary about them this month, coinciding with the release of their album. In the meantime, here’s a music video for their first single: “My Generation,” of course. This is inspiring enough to make me rethink my policy on old people (i.e., that I hate them).

(Thanks to Madam Dawn for the link.)

Some people on a certain message board were making mix CDs for each other in a flagrant violation of copyright laws, and I got to thinking what I would include if I were to make a mix CD to send to all my friends. It should have a particular theme, I thought, and the theme I chose was: Happy Songs.

These are songs that make me happy. In most cases, it’s because they’re just so darn peppy that I always feel like dancing when I hear them. (Please note that I seldom dance in public. But I often WANT to.) Some of them even go a little beyond that, with moods and melodies that actually inspire me, in addition to being toe-tappers.

So here’s the track list for my mix CD. I’ve uploaded it as an iMix at iTunes (follow this link), where you can hear 30-second samples and download songs if you want to.

What tunes would you put on your Happy Songs iMix? Discuss.

1. “Bizarre Love Triangle,” New Order (1986). This is probably my favorite song from the 1980s New Wave movement. The mix of drums (OK, drum machines) and strings (OK, synthesized strings) is the very definition of dance-floor happiness. (There are extended versions, but I prefer the 3:51 original.)

2. “Hey Julie,” Fountains of Wayne (2003). One of the few songs on this list whose lyrics matter. (In most cases, it’s just the music I love.) Not only is the tune catchy and cute, but the lyrics are sweet and heartfelt, about this swell gal who helps make the guy’s life livable.

3. “Hey Ya,” Outkast (2003). Man, did this thing get overplayed in 2003 and 2004. But man, is it ever a fun song.

4. “All of Me,” Jon Schmidt (1991). This is a piano solo by Jon Schmidt, a Utah native whose music is somewhere between pop-rock and Mannheim Steamroller. Some of his compositions could be considered schmaltzy, but “All of Me” is a brilliant piece of work. After a tranquil opening, it launches into a rapid-fire barrage of harmonies and counter-rhythms, as catchy and energizing a song as I’ve ever heard. Every time I hear it, I catch some new rhythm or melody I hadn’t noticed before.

5. “Hourglass,” Squeeze (1987). I defy you not to tap your toes or bob your head. Oh, and sing along with the patter-y chorus.

6. “Starry Eyed Surprise,” Paul Oakenfold, vocals by Shifty Shellshock (2002). In this case, it’s not that the song makes me “happy,” exactly, but that it’s impossible for me not to boogie just a little when I hear it. When I used to do music for ComedySportz in Provo, I would often play this song as exit music after a show. As the audience filed out, I would always see many of them dancing as they did.

7. “Best of My Love,” the Emotions (1977). One year at the Sundance Film Festival’s low-key, super-fun awards ceremony, a technical glitch caused a delay in starting the show. To keep the energy up and everyone happy, they told us to stand up at our seats and dance (”Sun-dance,” get it?). This is the song they played, and sure enough, everyone danced, including Roger Ebert.

8. “Sing, Sing, Sing,” Benny Goodman (1937). You’ve definitely heard this swing tune, whether you know the name or not. It has lyrics, but the best recordings don’t use ‘em. Not only do I want to dance when I hear Goodman’s version, I want to be a bandleader, too.

9. “I’m the Man Who Loves You,” Wilco (2002). A little bluesy (what with all those 7th chords and the general structure), a little rock ‘n’ roll, even a little country. It feels groovy, you know? Oh, and the words are about a guy who is trying to put his feelings into a letter, but he can’t seem to do it. “If I could, you know I would just hold your hand and you’d understand I’m the man who loves you.” Beautiful.

10. “Walking on Sunshine,” Katrina and the Waves (1985). Overused? Overplayed? Yes. Ridiculously upbeat and shiny? You betcha!

11. “New York City,” They Might Be Giants (1996). I could put one of about 30 different TMBG songs on this list; the band is practically synonymous with fun, catchy tunes. But this one (a cover of a song by the defunct girl group Cub) is one of my favorites, with happy and sentimental lyrics about one of my favorite places in the world.

12. “In Between Days,” Ben Folds (2003). Another cover, this time of a song by the Cure. I like the original, but I love Ben Folds’ piano-tastic version. The syncopated rhythm of the main piano riff played against the steady beat of the drums is great.

13. “Do Your Thing,” Basement Jaxx (2003). Some of the best dance songs are about dancing. (See also: “Starry Eyed Surprise.”) This one says the best way to get happy is to shake your money-maker (or words to that effect). It’s the piano-heavy sample that makes it a stand-out, though.

14. “Right Back Where We Started From,” Maxine Nightingale (1976). You hear this one a lot in movies. It’s a good all-purpose feel-good happy song.

15. “We Close Our Eyes,” Oingo Boingo (1987). I’m not a huge fan of Oingo Boingo’s particular brand of ’80s synthesized merriment, but this song’s hummable tune and earnest lyrics always put a smile on my face.

16. “You Got It,” Roy Orbison (1988). Orbison’s career spanned 30 years, and this was one of the last songs he recorded. The lyrics are simply sweet (”Anything you want, you got it”), and the chord progression in the chorus gives the song an added plaintiveness.

17. “Friday I’m in Love,” The Cure (1992). The Cure is most famous, and rightfully so, for being depressing. But this song is just the opposite: One of the things I like best about it is that the upbeat tempo never stops, not for a bridge, not for a coda, never. It starts happy, and it’s happy for the whole 3 1/2 minutes. It perfectly captures the thrilling feeling of being in love.

18. “Endicott,” Kid Creole & the Coconuts (1985). This delightful island-tinged dance tune came to my attention when the video for it was featured in a Dr. Demento TV special many years ago. (It’s not a particularly “funny” song, but it is lighthearted.) It’s the bass line that makes your bootie shake.

19. “Murder (or a Heart Attack),” Old 97s (1999). More relentlessly peppy music. Just fun.

20. “Mr. Brightside (Jacques Lu Cont’s Thin White Duke Mix),” The Killers (2005). Jacques Lu Cont is a producer and DJ whose real name is Stuart Price. The Killers’ album version of this song is great, but this 9-minute remix expands on it in amazing ways, somehow making it feel introspective, anthemic and hopeful all at once. (The 30-second sample iTunes uses doesn’t accurately represent the song, though, because the drums haven’t kicked in yet.)