Hugh Laurie Can Sing the Blues
Hugh Laurie can sing the blues...Who knew? Such a pleasant surprise.
(:youtube 0XELb86iO8U:)
(This has gotta be the) Good Life ~ One Republic ~ Lyrics & Video
LOVE this song...
(:youtube jZhQOvvV45w:)
Leona Lewis ~ I Got You ~ Lyrics ~ Dance Video
Totally love this song, and the dance performance by Melanie and Marko on So You Think You Can Dance.
Touch of Grey (I will get by) ~ Grateful Dead
Got Touch of Grey stuck in my head the other day, but didn't know the lyrics. Remembered this video for my early days. Sadly, it's not great quality, but at least it exists.
(:youtube pmT6udys8Tc:)
Lyrics below...
I'm Yours - Lyrics - Jason Mraz
This was the CD my Mom had in her player when she got sick. I imagine this is the last album she listened to before she died. My sister gave it to her, and it's wonderful, particularly this cut, I'm yours.
Ocean and a Rock - by Lisa Hannigan - Lyrics
Let's get lost, me and you...Indeed...I think of the long distance courtship with my sweet wife when I hear those words. Hannigan's music and poetic words haunt me...To say I love her stuff doesn't do justice to my feelings. I want to live her music, body and spirit. Gorgeous in melody and sentiment.
Lisa Hannigan - I Don't Know - Lyrics
Lisa Hannigan - I Don't Know - I love the studio version of this song by Lisa Hannigan. It's amazing the group pulled this one off. Didn't sound too bad given the circumstances, though Lisa's voice seems a bit hoarse.
(:youtube 7WwaPv1rZiQ:)
Keep Me In Your Heart (for a while) - Warren Zevon - Lyrics

This would have been a good song for my mom's "momorial." Maybe I can have it for mine.
Shadows are falling and I'm running out of breath
Keep me in your heart for awhile
If I leave you it doesn't mean I love you any less
Keep me in your heart for awhile
When you get up in the morning and you see that crazy sun
Keep me in your heart for awhile
Ordinary Day - by Emilie Mover - Lyrics
Ordinary Day by Emilie Mover was used for a Bounce laundry sheet commercial. What I thought to be a simple commercial jingle is actually a neat little tune. How embarrassed am I that my musical tastes are seeded by Bounce, Apple computer (Feist 1234), and other commercials?
How to Stop MediaMonkey from Overlapping Tracks - Crossfading
I love the MediaMonkey player, but it bugged me that the beginning of the next track always plays over the end of the last track. This feature is called "crossfading," but it was not clear to me how to adjust it. Here's the path to the crossfading settings...
Across The Universe - Beatles Musical with Evan Rachel Wood

Jude and Lucy
Across the Universe
Across the Universe - Directed by Julie Taymor, Across the Universe is a classic "boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy finds girl" story--all presented as a musical containing 33 class Beatles songs. I'm not usually drawn to musicals, but the familiar and catchy Beatles tunes quickly got my attention. From there, the ensemble cast of young actors/singers (including Evan Rachel Wood from King of California) brought something genuine and earnest to the often psychedelic storyline that knitted together lyrics from Dear Prudence to Why don't we do it in the road.
Mad About You - Theme Song Lyrics
Mad About You is one of my favorite TV series. Here are the lyrics to that catching theme song, which I think is titled The Final Frontier.
The Final Frontier
Tell me why
I love you like I do,
Tell me who
can stop my heart
as much as you,
Tell me all your secrets, and I'll
tell you most of mine,
They say nobody's perfect,
well, thats really true this time
I don't have the answers,
I don't have a plan
All I have is you,
So darling, help me understand
(What we do) - you can whisper in my ear
(Where we go) - who knows what happens after here
Let's take each other's hand as we jump
in to the Final Frontier
I'm mad about you baby,
Mad About You...
"The Way" - Lyrics - by Fastball
"The Way" - Lyrics - by Fastball - I don't know what the hell this song is about...I read on 365.com that "Tony Scalzo wrote the song after reading a news article about an elderly couple who had disappeared in Texas. He imagined they were ran off on their own romantic trip. Later the real couple was found at the bottom of a canyon. Their RV had veered off the road killing them."
Yuck!
Christina Aguilera - Candyman - Video & Lyrics
Christina Aguilera - Candyman - Bumped into this high quality version of Christina Aguilera's Candyman video on Vuze. Totally hot. As always, Christina Aguilera's vocals are fantastic, but it's the style of this video, directed by Matthew Rolston, that caught my attention. It's a very sexy throw-back to the 1940's pin-up. The singing, editing, pace, costuming, choreography, cinematography, etc. all came together into a wonderfully eye-popping/ear-popping collage.
I'm far from the target demographic of this music video, but I loved it.
Rap Lyrics - Lost in Translation
Rap Lyrics Translated - Story goes that an Oakland High School student earned the school district’s highest honors at an Ebonics Translation Competition with this inventive translation of rap lyrics into....What? Honky talk?
WARNING - Lyrics and translations contain sexual and violent themes (which, sadly, can be heard coming from the mouths of grade-schoolers). I find it difficult to believe a school district would sponsor such a competition, but it's a kick none-the-less.
Feist
Feist - I'm loving what I'm hearing...and seeing from this Canadian Leslie Feist. This girl's got depth. The more I learn about her, the more I hear her music, the more I like her.
Below is the video for her 1,2,3,4 hit, which I first heard on an Apple Nano video Ipod commercial. Yuck! But it's okay. She gained another fan.
Favorite Music Videos
Most are from the 80's
(:youtube 9TA1lwWloQg:)
Take on me - A-Ha!
"1234" Lyrics - by Feist
1234 Lyrics by Feist - First heard this song on an Apple Ipod Nano commercial. The tune caught my attention big time. I found the original video for the song (see below). It's actually really clever little vid. Looks like it's a single shot (though certainly not the reality). I'm gonna have to investigate Feist a bit more.
Feist was on The Colbert Report in April 2008. Silly interview but she also performed a song, while Colbert wore the outfit she wore for her 1234 video. Feist said as part of the deal for using her 1234 song for Apple, Steve Jobs somehow managed to get the Canadian a U.S. passport, so Feist has dual Canadian/U.S. citizenship...At least I think she was serious about that.
Beyonce "Bidet" CD
Beyonce Bidet CD - What the hell were Beyonce's marketing people thinking? B' Day?

- Bidet - bi-'dA
- A bathroom fixture used especially for bathing the external genitals and the anal region
About the last thing I think about when admiring Beyonce is...well, actually...
Pachelbel Rant by Rob Paravonian
Pachelbel Rant by Rob Paravonian is totally hilarious! Wonderful video!
(:youtube JdxkVQy7QLM:)
Learning to Play Music Affects the Brain
"Scientists have uncovered the first concrete evidence that playing music can significantly enhance the brain and sharpen hearing for all kinds of sounds, including speech."
Music and the Brain - Interesting research results suggest that learning to play music early in life (especially before age 12) can affect the brain stem (and cerebral cortex) and lead to enhanced hearing and sound processing.
Fresh Feeling (Lyrics) by Eels
(I'm No) Superman by Lazlo Bane - Scrubs Theme Lyrics
Superman Zach Braff suggested this song by Lazlo Bane for the Scrubs theme, and creator Bill Lawrence saw the logic. I think the original is a little slower tempo than what's used most of the time on the series.
How to Save a Life (Lyrics) by The Fray

Scrubs Cast
How to Save a Life by The Fray - Totally love this song...the melody, the refrain "How to save a life." First heard it on an episode of Scrubs but soon learned it was the theme for Grey's Anatomy. My musical tastes seem constrained to tunes used in TV and commercials. Sad, sad, sad.
The Worthless Peons - Ted's Band, The Blanks from Scrubs

Ted's Band, The Worthless Peons, The Blanks
The Worthless Peons (also known as Ted's Band or the Blanks) are an a cappella group made up of hospital employees from different departments in the TV series Scrubs. The Worthless Peons are played by The Blanks, a real-life a cappella band made up of Sam Lloyd (who plays Ted), George Miserlis, Paul F. Perry, and Philip McNiven. The Blanks album, Riding the Wave, features guest performances from Bill Lawrence and members of the Scrubs cast.
I wonder if this the Riding the Wave album made any money...
Jake Shimabukuro - AWESOME! Ukulele Virtuoso
Jake Shimabukuro Ukulele - Totally cannot believe this guy. Virtuoso is the right word and his instrument is the ukulele. Astounding! Below are some links to interviews, websites, videos featuring Jake. All worth visiting.
(:youtube O9mEKMz2Pvo:)
Ukulele Virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro
Video: Johann Lippowitz Mimes Natalie Imbruglia's Torn
David Armand as "Johann Lippowitz" Mimes Natalie Imbruglia's Torn - Here's a fascinating and funny video performance of Torn by Natalie Imbruglia with mime/sign language assistance from David Armand (Johann Lippowitz). I was very impressed with how Natalie and Johann integrated their talents. Armand's Lippowitz character could have easily stolen the show, but Natalie managed to "get into the act." Excellent.
(:youtube 4TM3GbxaNLI:)
Van Morrison Opens The Rolling Stones

The Rolling StonesVan Morrison opened for The Rolling Stones at the Oakland Coliseum. A full moon complemented a gorgeous November night. Van's voice sounded as good (or bad) as it does in recordings he did 20-plus years ago. Wild Nights, Bright Side of the Road. Awesome set. However, Morrison was out of place performing in the Oakland coliseum....Seemed like he was just warming up at the end. Morrison's natural environment is after-hours in a smokey pub; I'd love to see him perform at 2 AM in a Dublin pub after proper intoxication. That's when we'd see some action, some soul. But still, it was great to see the 60-plus year-old legend. How many more performances are in that man?
And the Stones -- The Rolling Stones! Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ron Wood, and Charlie Watts. Absolutely fantastic. Mick is amazing -- how can Mick be 63 and jumping around like a spastic schoolboy? His energy (and limberness) must baffle scientists. Compared to Morrison's aged and stiff body, Mick appears to have some fountain of youth elixir coursing through him.
"I'll have what he's having."
We got some satisfaction.
Band of Brothers

I'm awed by the opening theme of Band of Brothers. Composed by Michael Kamen, it's haunting, uplifting...it expresses the emotional range of the nine-plus hour film in just a few minutes. The story goes that Kamen was working on the score for some piece of shlock (can't remember what), couldn't get anywhere, and was approached or referred by Hanks to do Band of Brothers. Hanks knew Kamen from the miniseries From the Earth to the Moon, which Hanks produced and Kamen scored.
Ocarina: Sweet Potato Hand Flute to Legend of Zelda

Anyone interested in the ocarina must visit the Songbird Ocarina website. The fellow that put the website together sells his handmade ocarinas (and other hand flutes), but he also provides history, videos and audio files on him playing, tips, sheet music, etc. I quickly got the sense that this guy loves what he does, which made paying the price for one of his ocarinas much easier to accept.