Hibbidy-Wah?! The Difference Has Never Been Made So Clear (And Catchy)
Thank you, thank you, thank you Parry Gripp! Now I know what makes a turtle a turtle and a tortoise a tortoise!
This is a real Blastoise.
(More real Pokemón here.)
Music
So, Duh! Pop Quiz… Song Sequels Edition
If movies can have sequels, why can’t songs? After all, the film industry stole the idea of remakes from the music world (this is pure speculation). And Aerosmith did create a song trilogy (Amazin’, Cryin’, and Crazy).
I don’t know who’s to blame for the concept of reboots…
Anywhoistoblameforsampling, here are a few songs that are follow-ups – see if you can guess the originals:
1) The Limousines’ Internet Killed the Video Star
2) Veruca Salt’s Volcano Girls
3) Rihanna and Eminem’s Love the Way You Lie (Part II)
4) Third Eye Blind’s Semi-Charmed Life
5) Peter Schilling’s Major Tom (Coming Home)
(As usual, answers – and some explaining – after the jump.) Read More
Musical Musings… Red Hot Chilly Michigan
I’m ashamed to admit that I have a copy of Red Hot Chili Pepper’s Stadium Arcadium and… I’ve never listened to it. So imagine my surprise when I discovered that they had a song called Especially in Michigan:
Apparently, lead singer Anthony Kiedis is from Grand Rapids, hence the tune’s existence. Albeit the ditty could have existed without him coming from here. (Filmmaker Paul Schrader is also from Grand Rapids, and he set half of Hardcore there. But that’s neither here nor there. Well, I guess it is here… moving on…)
What I’m equally surprised by is that nothing locally ever uses it for promotion. I suppose it doesn’t contain the most uplifting lyrics in the world, with gems like this:
Lions and Tigers come running just to steal your luck…
I guess the moral of the story is I’d rather listen to anything other than more Rebecca Black…
A Handful Of… Songs About Days Other Than “Friday”
By now, everyone (or at least 21 million people at the time of this posting) have seen Rebecca Black’s Friday. If not, it’s after the jump below.
It’s inane, mundane, insane lyrics and musical progression made me think of every other song about days of the week. Here are those that came to mind:
- Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting) – Sir Elton John
- Sunday Bloody Sunday – U2
- Manic Monday – The Bangles
(SIDENOTE: In retrospect, this is barely better than Ms. Black’s song.)
- Ruby Tuesday – The Rolling Stones
(SIDENOTE: Yes, I am aware that it’s not about the day itself. Or is it?)
- Waiting for Wednesday – Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories
(SIDENOTE: The alternate for this one was Digital Underground’s Humpty Dance. Because it’s hump day, you see.)
- Understanding in a Car Crash – Thursday
(SIDENOTE: There are no songs about Thursday, so I had to go with the band. I think Ms. Black really missed an opportunity here. She could have had the only song about Thursday – even though Thursday’s aren’t as fun-fun-fun – and then the last day of the week could have been left to The Cure’s Friday I’m in Love.)
Drunken Recollection… Wait, That Was Her? And What’s Her Deal?
I’ve mentioned it before – I love IFC’s Portlandia. It’s finished its six-episode run, and will be back some time next year, but one night while drinking, I learned something about one of its guest stars, Aimee Mann. Here’s a sample of her appearance:
I thought I never heard of her, since I never saw Magnolia or heard her song from it:
But as I said, I thought I never heard of her…
I had no idea the lead singer from ‘Til Tuesday was the same person in Portlandia!
Also, another drunken night, I watched Letterman or Fallon and this performer came on:
Soooo…
I had no idea the lead singer from ‘Til Tuesday was the same person in Portlandia!
JusWondering… Why Cast So Many Lookalikes In The Lincoln Lawyer? (Say That Three Times Fast)
There’s a new flick riding into town next week entitled The Lincoln Lawyer:
I didn't get the name 'til seeing the poster. Thanks, Poster.
It’s based on a book (Hey Poster, now that we’re buddies, you got my back on this one, right? Cool…), and if I learned anything in all my years as a writer is you need to make your characters’ names unique. They need to stand apart from each other.
(SIDENOTE: Yes, I am an as-yet-unpublished writer, aside from this blog. The reason I’m not published isn’t because I haven’t finishing anything I’m completely happy with yet… It’s because I have authoritis.
*bows head* *tips hat*
Pardon the interpuntion.)
For example, use names like Mickey, Ted, and Louis. As a reader, these names can’t be quickly mixed up.
(SIDENOTE: How pretentious is Author! Michael Connelly for naming his main character Mickey? That’d be like George Lucas naming his main character George Skywalker instead of — oh…)
So it’s left me wondering why in the backseat of a Lincoln would the film’s producers cast three (sandy) blonde-haired, blue-eyed guys that look very similar in the same movie? You get not only Matther McConaughey as Mickey, but Josh Lucas as Ted, and Ryan Phillippe as Louis:
Three Peas in Courtroom Thriller
The only actor missing is this guy:
He's been voted, "Most Likely to Have You Naked by the End of a Song."
Because The Lincoln Lawyer already has this guy:
Nope. Doesn't count. He has green eyes.
Musical Musings… More Liberal Borrowing To Report
My job is getting easier and lazier easier. Since officially declaring my mission to be the champion of originality, I thought:
To illustrate how musical acts steal, er, liberally borrow from others, is there no better way than for me to liberally borrow previously produced mash-ups to illustrate my point?
This was stumbled upon one night while driving to the bar with friends. The Alan Parsons Project’s Eye in the Sky came on the radio – somehow – and we noticed a striking similarity to Lady Antebellum’s Need You Now. Here’s the work of another:
As for this one, I read about it on the TripleDoubleU, but I’d be a very sad panda if I didn’t include any mention of how Justin Bieber’s Love Me liberally borrowed the chorus from The Cardigans’ Lovefool:
Fortunately (for him), my arch-enemy Dr. Luke had nothing to do with either of these songs… Although DJ Frank E (what is it with all these tools and their stupid names) produced Bieber’s tune, and he once worked with Dr. Luke to produce Flo Rida’s highly original Right Round (which also introduced the world to Ke$ha)… Hmmm…
I'll get you next time, Dr. Luke... Next time!
(Original songs after the jump) Read More
So, Duh! Pop Quiz… Songs Written By Other Artists Edition
Battle of the Brands
I’ve been trying to figure out how to go about this edition of the So, Duh! Pop Quiz, so I decided to be graphic.
Graphic… in the sense I’m using pictures of both artists or groups that share a bond. Namely, their bond is a song the one(s) on the left wrote and the one(s) on the right made famous. In most of the cases, the one(s) on the left still made their own version, as it wasn’t initially intended to be for the one(s) on the right.
Get it? Got it? Gut it. Git-R-Done.
1) Neil Diamond and The Monkees
Forever in Blue Jeans (Not Leather or Knit Caps)
2) Rivers Cuomo of Weezer and Cold
So Dork and Brooding
3) Avril Lavigne and Kelly Clarkson
Different Photographers? U B the Judge
4) Prince and Sinead O’Connor
They Could Be in a Sci-Fi Film
5) The Beatles and The Rolling Stones
Remember When Everything was Black and White?
(Answers – and videos – after the jump) Read More
Worth 1002 Words… Robocop Video Edition
Vodpod videos no longer available.
KID ROBBED
(SIDENOTE: Seriously, how could Peter Weller miss Kid Rock in his list of famous Detroiters? He’s one of its staunchest supporters! For shame, Robocop, for shame…)
The Sh– And Just Sh–ty… A Day In The Life Of The Hanks Family
It’s safe to say that Tom Hanks is beloved. (It’s an easier call than saying that about Grimace.) But does that extend to his family? Tough call. (His wife, Rita Wilson, probably would feel some love. She’s at least beminusloved. And maybe son Colin Hanks has some fans…?)
After the Oscars, it was really nice to see Tom Hanks playing up his comedy skills again on the Jimmy Kimmel Live. For the record, this is filed under The Shit:
Let it be known, Sophie Hanks is not his real daughter. (She’s played by Actor! Nikki Hahn.) But Rapper! Chet Haze is his real son:
Guess what this is filed under…
monkeyBLOG monkeyDO 