Who Says Classical Musicians Can't Be Hot?

Yes, I know. The Oscar nominations were announced today. I'll get to them, eventually (you know I have plenty to say about them, too). And I have the Second Annual Ariel Awards to get to, as well. I'd look for those this coming Sunday, if I were a regular reader of mine (which I am - how narcissistic is that?).

But tonight, I want to talk about music. In particular, cellists Stjepan Hauser and Luka Sulic. That's Luka on your right. The 20-Something Croatians have made quite a splash in the Classical Music world and their mad skills on the cello have made them stars in Europe.

Personally, I had heard of neither of them until a friend posted the video below on Facebook the other day. And that's a shame. I grew up on both classic Rock 'n Roll, thanks to Mom and Classical music and opera, thanks to Dad, so my personal choices in music are eclectic, to say the least. While I can appreciate and enjoy the club music of Lady Gaga, I still get goosebumps when I hear a particularly excellent recording of Ode to Joy or The Planets. Of course, the largest part of my personal music library consists of film scores by the people I consider to be the modern Classical composers: Bernard Herrman; Max Steiner; Jerry Goldsmith; Danny Elfman; James Horner and Hans Zimmer (among many others). So, when I find artists who are able to combine modern pop/rock with classical sounds and instruments, I go into paroxysms of Musical Joy. And such is the case with this video of Hauser and Sulic playing Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" on dueling cellos. And it doesn't hurt that they ain't hard on the eyes. 

I already shared this on Facebook, so forgive me for repeating myself, but when I come across something this exciting (to me, at least), I have to share with as many people as I can. Enjoy:

You must admit, no matter what your musical bent may be, these boys have talent. And I can't wait to hear what they have up their sleeves next.

More, anon.

Prospero

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Kid Cudi - VEVO Go Shows: Kid Cudi - REVOFEV

Music video by Kid Cudi performing VEVO Go Shows: Kid Cudi - REVOFEV. (C) 2010 Universal Motown Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc.

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Art from Derek Hess...

Original by Derek Hess on left... tattoo artist unknown on right.

"In 1993, while still booking bands at the Euclid Tavern, Hess’ flyers caught the eye of Marty Geramita, who suggested that Hess turn his flyers into a business venture. In the years immediately following, Hess, with Geramita as his manager, garnered the attention of countless bands as well as both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the infamous Louvre in Paris, who both have Hess’ art in their permanent collection. 

In addition to posters for bands such as Pantera, Thursday, Pink Floyd and Pearl Jam, Hess has also created CD covers for bands like Motion City Soundtrack and Unearth. He has also been featured on television show and in magazines - MTV, Fuse, VH1, Alternative Press and Juxtapose as well as many others. 

More recently, Hess started a clothing line, Strhess, as well as Hessfest and the Strhess Tour, a collaboration of music and art that features bands such as Thursday, Shadow’s Fall, Stretch Arm Strong and Taking Back Sunday. "

See more at www.derekhess.com

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The Gayest Songs of the Year?

Apparently, everything old is new again. OMG Blog has posted their list of the Top Ten Gayest Songs of 2010 (via). Among them is 'Somebody to Love Me," sung by Boy George and produced Mark Ronson (who I must assume is related LiLo's ex, DJ Samantha Ronson - please correct me if I'm wrong). The video features a young (and presumably female) Boy George look-alike, though I can't for the life of me figure out why a 25 year-ago androgynous pop-star's image is still relevant in the 21st Century. Especially given his recent prison stint and failure on Broadway. Bitchy? Maybe. Relevant? Hardly.

By signing the repeal of DADT into legislature this morning, President Obama took yet another step toward moving counter-culture into the mainstream. No longer are Americans shocked by images of effeminate men, masculine women and/or the androgynous in-betweens. Gay icon Cher has a transgendered son; America's most popular sitcom features a pair of gay dads; one the most critically admired films of the year features a lesbian relationship and the number one daytime talk show in America is hosted by a woman who is legally married to another woman.

Here's the thing: I personally cannot wait until the day when my "Gayest Thing" posts are no longer relevant. We are on the verge of the second decade of the 20th Millennium (according to the Julian calendar). We should have long ago gotten past this issue. Gay, straight, bi, transgendered should all be terms which have long fallen out of use, especially when music is concerned.

As an audiophile since I first discovered the power of music, I have long thought that music transcends race sex and class. If it makes you move, if it inspires you or if it relaxes you, then it shouldn't matter who wrote, sang or interpreted it. Like any art form (or maybe even more so), music is the one thing that should unite us. Why then, should we give music labels? 

I suppose labels are somewhat important, so we can make distinctions between genres and types. Still... do we really need o classify 'gay' music? I, for one, look forward to the day when 'gay' is no longer a special classification, but simply an adjective applied without prejudice, used to describe people who are not in any way abnormal. Is that too much to ask?

I think I may have gotten a bit off topic, tonight. But that's what happens when I'm tired, cranky and ready for an upcoming vacation. Don't look for anything new or pertinent from Uncle P in the next few days. I'm off to celebrate the Holidays. As I've said before, I'm tired. Rant over...

More, anon.

Prospero

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New Music Quickie

Regular readers know that I occasionally like to share new and interesting music with you. That's the gorgeous and amazing British singer Adele on your right, who at only 22 has the soulful voice of someone twice her age and twice as experienced in the pain that life can bring. She's either a brilliant performer (yes) or has had the kind of life I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. I honestly don't remember the last time a singer has had such an impact on me and I immediately added her upcoming CD "21" to my Amazon wish-list. Alas, the disc won't be out until February, so or now I will have to settle for the video for "Rolling in the Deep" (There's always my birthday...).

I first saw the video below on Towleroad and Adele's voice, combined with that pounding beat and powerful visuals all combined to make this bluesy/gospelly torch song one of my favorite tracks this year. When i saw it reposted on my friend Stephen's blog Post Apocalyptic Bohemian, I knew I had to share with my readers, as well.

Ladies and Germs, I give you Adele and her stunning video for "Rolling in the Deep:"

Breathtaking.

Of course, I was then compelled to seek out other works by this talented, Grammy-winning artist:

I'll be looking out for more great tunes from Adele in the future, as should you.

More, anon.
Prospero

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The Search for Appropriate Period Music

That's the cast of the upcoming JTMF production of It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, December 3rd through the 5th. Part of the proceeds from the four performances will be donated to our newest beneficiary, The Trevor Project, a charity near and dear to Uncle P's heart. In the photo, from left to right: Sean McGrath; Glen Calhoun; Damian Gaeta; Judi Parrish; Sarah Stryker; Jennifer Barron and John Maurer.

Part of the fun of doing a staged radio play is having a live Foley team, creating sound effects with physical props (tiny doors; cornflakes on a cookie sheet; a hand-cranked wind-machine). Joe Landry's script has plenty of opportunities for that kind of thing, but also calls for incidental music, underscoring and scene transition music. There are 20-odd scripted music cues, some of which I managed to judiciously cut, leaving me with exactly 20. The company that holds the rights to the show offers the show's original score on CD, but charges an outrageous royalty fee to use it. So, I am now scouring my (thankfully large) CD collection for public domain music that is appropriate for our needs (I'm listening as I type this, actually), a time-consuming task, to say the least. But one which I have done for plenty of shows I've directed and is usually quite effective when the right piece of music is found.

Luckily, rehearsals for the show (which only runs about an hour) are shorter than most, and I get home relatively early at night, so I should be able to finish by tomorrow night, giving our sound technician (not our Foley team) Tuesday night to burn the disc and Wednesday and Thursday to rehearse with it (I hope). 

And since the show opens Friday, my posts here will drop off a bit towards the end of the week, but I will be posting every night over at the JTMF blog, if you really need a fix. I'm off to listen a bit more prudently (nothing on this particular CD is hitting me, so far).

If you are in the greater Trenton, NJ area, we'd love to see you at the show. Tickets are available by calling the Kelsey Theatre Box Office at 609-570-3333, online at www.kelseyatmccc.org or at the Kelsey Box Office one hour before curtain. If you're unable to attend but would still like to help, you can make a safe, secure donation via Paypal at our website, www.jtmf.org. And don't forget to search for "James Tolin Memorial Fund" on Facebook and become a member. Okay, today's Shameless Self-Promotion is over and out.

More, anon.
Prospero

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Weird, Wild, Adorable and Gay, All in One Post

I was having issues with Blogger last night, so this is going to a big ole combo post.

That's the teaser poster for Apollo 18, the latest "found footage" movie. It's a fictional account of a real event, the 1970 aborted Apollo 18 mission to the moon. It's listed on IMDb as being in "pre-production," but with a release date of March, I must assume shooting is about to begin any day now. Written by first-timer Brian Miller and directed by Gonzalo Lopez (the 2008 Spanish thriller Enbrion), Apollo 18 apparently posits an alien encounter on the moon. I just love that tagline: "There's a reason we've never gone back to the moon."

Of course, it's certainly not the only 'found-footage' movie scheduled for next year. We've already seen the teaser for J.J. Abrams' next film, Super 8 (what the hell is in that train car?) and now comes this super-weird bit of whackness from District 9 director Neil Blomkamp:

It sort of reminds me of the whole Montauk Monster thing from a few years ago.

Now that I've covered the Weird and the Wild, let's move on to the Adorable. I've already gone on about how adorable I find "Glee"'s newest cast member, Darren Criss. His cover of Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" has become the fastest selling "Glee" single ever. And while last week's episode of "Glee" served to remind me of exactly why I love the show in the first place, this week's episode was actually even better. Not only did it finally address the gay-bullying issue, it had the wedding between Finn's mother and Kurt's father, which featured a tribute to the famous JK Wedding Dance viral video. And as an added bonus, the amazing Carol Burnett (who so generously donated to the JTMF 5th Anniversary Silent Auction) as Sue Sylvester's Nazi-hunting mother. Could it get any better? Maybe...

Here's a sneak peak of Criss and Chris Colfer (Kurt) performing Train's over-used "Hey, Soul Sister" (though in this case, I'm willing to listen to it again):

If I were 20 years younger...

Which weirdly brings us to the gay portion of tonight's post. Via Towleroad come these next two videos. First up, NYC drag performer Sherry Vine in a parody of Katy Perry's (why is she so parody-able?) "Firework." Here's "Firecrotch!":

And from the same boys who gave us the gay versions of Katy Perry's "Peacock" and "California Gurls," (see what I mean?) comes this version of Ke$ha's "We R Who We R:"

Did I miss anything? I don't think so...

Tomorrow will be the last Turkey of the Month posts and I think I've found something really special to celebrate the turkiest of holidays. 

I wish you and yours the very best, this Thanksgiving. Uncle P gets a bit sentimental this time of year, so be forewarned that there may be some uncharacteristic sentimentality in forthcoming posts. If you are reading this from outside the U.S. (as I know a few of my few followers are), you won't really get the turkey jokes, but trust me, here they are hilarious.

More, anon.

Prospero

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Songs in the Key of Me

Cyndi at Her 80's Best

So, I've started to put together a list of music I want to use for pre-show, intermission and scene changes for Top Girls. The play is set in 1982, so of course I went and pulled all my '80's CDs, looking for pieces that might be appropriate. Thinking I have to sneak "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" in there somewhere, I started listening to Cyndi Lauper's debut debut album "She's So Unusual" and came across a song I'd almost forgotten about: "She Bop." Which of course led Uncle P to think about other songs that deal with... um... well, pleasuring one's self.

While hardly the first song ever written about onanistic behavior, "She Bop" features some of the most overt lyrics ever written on the subject, including my favorite: "They say I better stop or I'll go blind."

Love her or hate her (and I so very much love her), Cyndi is probably an even more iconic '80's star than Madonna, Billy Idol (remind me someday to tell you about that concert) or Adam Ant.

 R.I.P. Captain Lou Albano (though I never really got the whole rubberband thing).

Of course, Cyndi wasn't the only one singing about the joys of being alone in the 80's. Billy Idol's biggest hit was about that very subject, no matter how many zombies he put in the video for "Dancing with Myself" And it wasn't just new-age punks singing about one-handing it. Classic rocker Billy Joel had his own take on the subject with "Sometimes a Fantasy:"

And quintessential '80's band Devo had this to say on the subject:



And then there's the Violent Femmes "Blister in the Sun:"



Mot to mention the Divinyls' "I Touch Myself,"  The Vapors' "Turning Japanese" and the Buzzcocks' "Orgasm Addict:"



Even Prince got into the act with "Darling Nikki:"

But by no means was masturbation (there I've said it) an exclusively 80's musical phenomenon. Chuck Berry explored the subject in the Mid '70's with "My Ding-a- Ling:"

Of course, "Darling Nikki" is about so much more than just self-love...

And in the 90's, the subject was still being explored (all puns intended) by artists such as Tori Amos:



Even Country Western stars sing about it (albeit disguised as patriotism):

Hell, if you don't love yourself, who will? So be proud of your toys, soiled hand-towels and waste cans filled with stiffened Kleenex... I'm not here to judge, but rather to comment, even if that comment is "Oh, yes!"

More, anon.

Prospro

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I'm Intrigued and Impressed

Being a late-night blogger certainly has its disadvantages. Often, the things I want to talk about have been covered all day long by other bloggers and I'm left with little more than my own opinions about what others have already posted. Occasionally I'll post something before one of the more well-read guys, but those instances are few and far between. This is one of those cases where others have posted about something before I did. Still, I get to put my personal stamp on whatever it is I'm posting about, for whatever that's worth.

Tonight's post is about two things. First: something that intrigues me.

If you attended a screening of Iron Man 2 (I did not, but hope to, soon) this past weekend, then you saw this teaser for J.J. "Lost" Abrams' next feature, Super 8 (which may or may not be a prequel to Cloverfield, depending on which movie bloggers you choose to believe). Personally, your Uncle P doesn't care. I just know that it's produced by the 20th Century's most successful filmmaker and directed by one of the 21st Century's most interesting creative minds.

Here's the very interesting and enigmatic teaser (via):

Okay - Here are my questions: If whatever is inside that freight car can turn the wheel, why does it need to bash its way out, too? Why does the truck driver deliberately crash head-on into the train? Is he/she suicidal or merely attempting to stop it from transporting whatever is in side the freight car? Of course, making the audience ask questions is always the point of a teaser trailer, so I suppose this one is at least successful as far that goes.

Next; something which truly impresses me:

As someone who basically started his theatrical endeavors in Musical Theatre and a lover of most music (don't get me started on what kinds of music I don't like) and a recent convert to the Haus of Gaga, I am just blown away by this 13 year-old's live version of "Paparazzi." See for yourselves (via):

Damn! I may never sing again.

Tomorrow night we are shooting the JTMF promotional video for YouTube. I am very excited and can't wait to see the finished product. You can bet I'll be posting here and on the JTMF Facebook page.

More, anon.
Prospero

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The Gayest Bears You'll See This Week

Just a quick caveat - this entire post may be NSFW. Don't say you weren't warned.

As a card-carrying, big ole hairy Gay Bear, I couldn't help but find the video below both entertaining and so very gay.

I can my hear my straight readers now: "What's a gay bear?" Normally, I'd say "Look it up, bitch!" But I'm feeling generous tonight. For those who are still completely clueless, you can read the rather superficial description at Wikipedia. But Bears are so much more than that. I, for one, usually hate plaid flannel and try to be as fashion-forward as possible. Sadly, the fashion industry for men seems to be right in line with the fashion industry for women in designing clothes for those who are either terminally thin or impossibly perfect. Personally, I'm much more comfortable in vertical stripes.

To your Uncle P, 'Bear Culture' seems all too caught up in creating a separatist group of gay men, rather than embracing the total LGBT community. Bears are stereotypically known for their predilection for plaid; leather; work boots and crew cuts. Indeed, there are even sub-groups within the Bear community. There are "Daddies," "Cubs," and even "Otters" (usually hairless young men who are attracted to older, hirsute guys ). There are Bear Clubs, Bear Bars and even Bear Campgrounds, where socially masculine gay men are free to express their sexuality without recrimination.

While the general (i.e. 'Straight') community may not understand why there are so many LGBT sub-communities (and don't even get me started on that subject), those of us who find ourselves, whether we want to or not, part of one of those sub-communities, and understand all too well. Everyone, no matter what his or her sexual orientation may be, longs to be both unique and socially accepted. If that means defining oneself by physicality, then so be it. Personally, I find myself attracted to all sorts or people; gay or straight; hirsute or smooth; buff or sporting 'a few extra pounds.' In the end, it shouldn't matter who or what we love, but only that we do.

All that having been said, please enjoy this NSFW music video from Pixie Herculon (via):

Agree? Disagree? Want a date? Leave me a comment. You should know by now how much I love hearing from you.

More, anon.
Prospero

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Music, Cartoons and a Much-Delayed Review

I really should have titled that in a different order, since I'm actually starting with the last item, first ("Oh, Uncle P, you're such a card!").

Anyway, while I finally was able to watch two episodes of Comedy Central's newest animated series "Ugly Americans," I had been putting off my official review for one reason or another. But I finally realized it's actually because I hate writing bad reviews. And I am sad to say that "Ugly Americans" is not very good, at all. That's not to say they don't try.

Set in an alternate reality version of New York City, "Ugly Americans" suffers most from trying to jam too many sub-genres together in one show. Mark works at the Bureau of Integration, trying to help various supernatural and extraterrestrial beings assimilate into life in Manhattan. He runs counseling sessions, job placement programs, etc., for beings other than human. His boss is literally from Hell (Daddy is the big S, himself), but that doesn't stop him from sleeping with her; his roommate, Randall, is a zombie (who turned for a fickle girl who only dated zombies, but had moved on to warlocks by the time he did); his co-worker is an alcoholic wizard and his clients are any number of beasties, monsters, aliens and robots in need of socialization.

Lord knows, I'm all for alternate realities; monsters; zombies; vampires; demons; aliens and robots. I'm just not sure how they all fit together. And, apparently, neither are the writers. One joke characters pop in and out with no rhyme or reason and the regular characters are simply tired cliches, stereotypes and been-there-done-that parodies. The first episode introduced us to the show's characters and the second dealt with a man accepting that he'd become a werewolf, while forgiving the werewolf that ate his arm, along with a "Meet the Parents from Hell" sub-plot. Neither episode was particularly funny (I may have chuckled a few times between them) and to be quite frank, I've seen better animation.

I suppose my biggest problem is with the show's central conceit. If this is an alternate reality where such beings are commonplace, then there would be no need for a Bureau of Integration. And if the Bureau exists because of a change in the status of "reality," then we need to why (or at least how) the status of reality changed. Yes, I know - "It's an animated comedy, fer cryin' out loud! Get over it!" I would, if the damned thing wasn't trying so hard. *1/2 (One and a Half Stars Out of Four).

It's a shame, because I really had high hopes for "Ugly Americans." And maybe it will get better with time, though I kind of doubt it. For now, I'll happily await the return of "Futurama."

And probably thanks to Sunday's Betty Boop cartoon, Q seems to be in a Max Fleischer kind of mood, because she posted the below video on Facebook today. Personally, I'm always in a Max Fleischer kind of mood, but that's just me. I am not familiar with The Real Tuesday Weld, but after hearing "The Day Before You Came," I intend to find out more about them and their music. It's an interesting song that fits amazingly well with the old Felix the Cat cartoon (even better than Dark Side of the Moon and The Wizard of Oz):

That sort of reminds me of this:



And finally, via Towleroad's Tuesday music roundup, comes this clever and just a little gay video from Diane Birch. "Valentino" is Bubblegum Pop Song fun, with a video that is sure to elicit a smile or two:

I think I may very well love this young woman. Or her art director.

More, anon.
Prospero

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Fever Ray (A Quickie Post)

I talk about music every so often here at Caliban's Revenge, and I wanted to briefly touch on my newest (newest as in, tonight) discovery, the Swedish dance band Fever Ray.

Yes, I know my musical taste might be considered by some as "odd." I also know that not everyone can appreciate the brilliance of bands like Grizzly Bear and Dead Can Dance or modern composers like Hans Zimmer, Laurie Anderson, Paul Schwartz, Karl Jenkins or even Avatar's James Horner.

But every so often, an artist or group comes along that simply demands my attention. Such is the case with Fever Ray.

Via Towleroad (one of my favorite blogs) comes this incredibly bizarre clip from a Swedish awards program, featuring an acceptance "speech" from their lead vocalist, Karin Dreijer Andersson:

Intrigued, I did a YouTube search and found some rather interesting videos from the group. Here then are some videoss from my newest favorite band:







More, anon.
Prospero

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The Gayest Thing You'll See This Week

I have not been a fan of most popular music for a very long time. Most of it is unoriginal, boring and downright crap. In fact, I've heard better lyrics in cereal jingles than the Black Eyed Peas' "I Got a Feeling." And some songs are unavoidable, though their inherent catchiness is soon outweighed by their over-exposure. And I never would have heard Chris Brown's not terrible song "Forever," if it wasn't for this infamous viral. While there are plenty of recording artists putting out all sorts of crap, as always, there are the rare few who are actually good.

And then there there is Lady Gaga. That's her in a Dominatrix Minnie outfit on your right. Now I know I've heard and could recognize at least one of her songs: "Poker Face" Not exactly a terrible song and certainly harmless enough. But I'm afraid that I know who Lady Gaga is more for her outrageousness than for her actual talent as a musician (which from all accounts is considerable). And to be fair, she is a fierce supporter of LGBT rights and proclaims herself a champion of outsiders and freaks everywhere. So, what does any of that have to do with the Gayest Thing You'll See This Week? Well, I'll tell you.

If you're a regular reader, you know Uncle Prospero loves him some homemade gay boy video karaoke (and shame on you if you mind leapt straight to porn before reading the word "karoake."). It all started with that damned Beyonce song and when I find great examples of it, I have to share. Here then (via) is homemade gay boy video karaoke of Lady Gaga's "Monster," The Gayest Thing You'll See This Week:

More, anon.
Prospero

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Mama! Just Killed a Frog?

Via everyone and too silly to resist, the Muppets take on one of my High School anthems; Queen's Wagnerian opus Bohemian Rhapsody:

Delightfully silly, eh? Of course, nothing will ever compare to the original, especially for an angst-ridden gay teen who was sure the song was written just for him:

70's Art Rock at it's finest. Well, there were a few others... and I promise to talk about them soon (maybe even tonight). See? Freddy Mercury continues to inspire.

More, anon.
Prospero

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The Gayest Thing You'll See This Week

It's been a while since one of these...

I can honestly say that I really hate most of today's pop music. I don't know if that means I'm getting old, or that popular music has degenerated into pure crap. I'd like to think it's the latter, because most for most of my life, I have rarely been a fan of most pop music.

And while I know who most of today's pop artists are, I have rarely heard any of their stuff. I never play the radio... DJ's are mostly morons and most of what they play amounts to what I consider "musical pablum;" easy to swallow, but low in intellectual nutrition. Does that make me a snob? Maybe. But I honestly don't care. No, I'm not against a great guitar riff or a terrifically danceable beat. Like so-called "popcorn movies," a truly great pop song can excite and energize. Though I usually prefer music that makes you think (hence my current adoration of Grizzly Bear), a great pop song can make me dance, sing and shout with the best of them. Unfortunately, these days, great pop songs seem few and far-between.

Like many recording artists today, I know of Shakira, but couldn't name one of her songs of you held a gun to my head. But after this, I will always know she recorded "She Wolf." Ladies and germs, I give you "He Wolf," undeniably the gayest thing you'll see this week (via - among others):

More, anon.
Prospero

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Synchronicity

Psychologist Karl Jung is credited with coining the term Synchronicity to describe a seeming random series of events that are related in enough ways as to appear to be part of a pattern. Jung is also father to the Jungian Archetype.

I notice Synchronicity in my own life all the time. Sometimes it's big and obvious, sometimes it's small and almost escapes detection. It almost always amuses me when it happens, because (for me, at least) it rarely happens surround unpleasant circumstances or events.

So what does any of that have to do with anything. Well, in my last post, I mentioned the old 70's game show The Gong Show, starring alleged spy Chuck Barris. And not too long ago (again, I'm too lazy to look it up and link to it right now) I referenced Danny Elfman's The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, which was later shortened to simply Oingo Boingo

Once again, I hadn't planned on posting tonight (it's very late, now), but I took a quick look at my YouTube recommendations and this was waiting for me, like a big Sychronistic musical kiss from the past:

I will admit to all that my sister and I adored The Gong Show when we were kids (which explains my fascination with America's Got Talent and hers for American Idol). I probably saw every episode on its first-airing. But I'll be damned if I remember seeing that particular episode. Yay to the late Bill Bixby for recognizing innovative and entertaining new talent, though.

BTW - Speaking of America's Got Talent, the astonishing Barbara Padilla was robbed! A beautiful lady with an astounding voice (and who will be far a bigger star than the actual winner), Ms. Padilla's voice literally brought me to tears every time she performed. A cancer survivor and suburban mom with no formal training, Barbara Padilla is an exceptionally talented woman with the voice of an angel. Her extraordinary performance of Ave Maria is below:

So, do you think Synchronicity is merely coincidence, or is it simply...

Or maybe I'm just feeling nostalgic for a simpler (or at least differently complicated) time in my life. Or perhaps I'm just mad as a hatter and no one has noticed yet. If you have, don't tell anyone else, okay?

"They're all crazy in 'ere, 'cept you an' me. An' sometimes I 'as me doubts about you."

More, anon.
Prospero

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And Still Another Quick One

Having now listened to the astonishing "Yellow House" for the second time, I have added the entire Grizzly Bear catalog to my Amazon Wish List. I've been trying for days to come up with a way to describe their unique musical style.

Obviously influenced by the Beatles and 70's "Art Rock" bands like Genesis (before Phil Collins ruined them); Yes and Pink Floyd, Grizzly Bear might best be described as "New Age Folk Rock ala Cirque du Soleil via John Lennon with Rick Wakeman on Keyboards. " Does that make any sense at all? I suppose to Grizzly Bear fans, it might. Still, it seems lacking somehow. How can one describe one of the most unique sounds in modern music? Like I said, it's been a long time since I've become so completely enamored of a band...

Anyway - Bridge opened well, I suppose. The house was small, but appreciative and the poor guy playing "Eddie" nearly amputated his thumb on stage, performing business (cutting an apple) he's been doing for weeks without incident. I am starting to enjoy myself, and find great pleasure in talking like (you should pardon the expression) a 'Brooklyn Guido.' I've even gotten myself a 1950's Flattop haircut and I now look like your high school's football Coach (Drop an' gimme twenny!).

I'm seeing Jennifer's Body Sunday morning (AMC has cheap tickets for shows before noon), and my review will follow, anon.

Prospero

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"...and then I wasn't so excited..."

This is not a post about bashing Kanye West. There are plenty of people out there doing that already, and even if he is an ego maniacal asshole who completely deserves the bashing he's getting both online and the "legitimate" press (which he totally is and does), this post is rather about an unassuming young, beautiful C/W singer who was more surprised than anyone by her win at the VMAs.

19 year-old Taylor Swift had won Best Female Video for her song "You Belong with Me." Imagine the excitement and joy, at 19, you would have felt upon winning what has become a pop-culturally iconic award, only to have some dickhead, who exists only to promote himself and his own agenda, jump up and snatch your joy away by proclaiming that someone else's work was better than that for which you had just won a pop-culturally iconic award. Ms. Swift has been quoted as saying "At first I was excited because I won the award. Then I was excited that Kanye West was on the stage... then I wasn't so exited..."

Today, at my age, I would have punched that jerk in the nose (or at least not relinquished the mike). At 19, I would have had a very similar reaction to Ms. Swift's.

And then there's poor Beyonce Knowles - obviously both flattered and embarrassed - who did the only thing she could and demonstrated the true meaning of "class" when upon winning an award of her own, called Taylor Swift out to finish her speech. Beyonce continues to prove that beauty, talent and graciousness always wins the day. You can see sweet Taylor Swift's adorable, award-winning video here. Beyonce's video may have been hot and oh-so-parodiable, but Swift's video was charming, funny, romantic and fairly universal.

In other news... I had a sort of breakthrough tonight (well, technically last night). I think I may finally have found this character's voice. The rest should soon fall in place. I thank my director, who allowed me to figure it out on my own. I may still really dislike the play, but I think I finally figured out how to play the role in a way that will satisfy everyone - even me. Whew! Talk about cutting it close! We open this Thursday night...

More, anon (very anon, actually)
Prospero

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A New Favorite Band

It's been a long time since I last fell in love with a musician or band. And I don't want to think about how long it's been since I've been to a concert (but damn, I saw some really great ones).



My musical taste, as eclectic as it is, runs toward older stuff these days. I like very little modern pop, simply because it's overplayed to death (the fact that I can still listen to Beyonce's "Single Ladies" without throwing up is a testament to the girl's genius). And most of today's indie music is crap (if I hear one more song off the Juno soundtrack, I WILL throw up). And let's not even talk about Lady GagMe; Miley; Xtina or any of the other bio-engineered pop stars out there (and God bless Joel McHale for letting me who these crazy biatches are, on his marvelous little basic-cable program).



Anyway - to the point. I recently discovered these guys when someone (and forgive me for being too lazy to look it up) posted a fan-made video for their song "Two Weeks." They are Grizzly Bear and the more I hear of their stuff, the more I want to hear more. Funky, moody, weird and so listenable. Here's a repost of that gorgeous papercraft-animation for "Two Weeks:"

I just love that song! Then today, the always insightful JA at MyNewPlaidPants posted this video of his favorite song from their latest album:

How to describe these guys and their sound? The visuals in their label-produced videos, like the one above, are certainly striking and somehow, oddly appropriate. Even more surreal is the video for the song "Knife," from their earlier CD, Yellow House:

That's an amazing song! I'm finishing this post and going to Amazon to buy Grizzly Bear CDs. I suggest you do so, as well.

More, anon.

Prospero

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Why Have I Not Seen Him Before?

Warning - this post would probably be rated "R" by MPAA for language.

This is British comic musician Tim Minchin. Raunchy, clever and downright hysterical, Tim writes and performs hilarious songs that many would consider risque. Obviously classically trained, he is a clever lyricist and brilliant pianist.

I just discovered him after Jonco over at Bits&Pieces posted a video clip from an appearance on the Graham Norton Show. Norton is an hilarious, openly gay and rather naughty Irishman with his own chat show on the BBC. He's not above placing speakers and cameras in public toilets as pranks and often manages to have major celebs like Dustin Hoffman and Cher take part in his impish shenanigans. If you've never seen it, I suggest you check his show out on BBC America.

The first clip below is the first one I saw of Minchin in performance, and it made me laugh so hard, I had to seek out others.

Not for the prudish or easily offended, Minchin's songs make fun of everything from weird sex to racism and movies. In fact, while searching for clips of his work, I realized that his excellent cover of Tears for Fears' "Mad World" was used in one of my favorite modern films, Donnie Darko, the film in which I first fell in love with Jake Gyllenhaal.

Enjoy these clips of Minchin in performance (some of which may be NSFW).

First, "Inflatable You," the clip that made me love Minchin:

And then "If You Really Loved Me," a song about... well... golden showers:

Next, a parody synopsis of Donnie Darko:

And the music video for Minchin's beautiful and haunting Donnie Darko cover of "Mad World:"

And finally, a favorite silly song, from which Minchin must have taken inspiration:

You can be assured that I will be on the lookout for more from this talented and hilarious performer.

More, anon.

Prospero

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