June, 2009

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Top 5 funny ha-ha songs

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

Top 5 funny ha-ha songs

In light of recent releases by both Spinal Tap and “Weird Al” Yankovic, theFiver is taking a moment for solemn reflection on that which makes us all snort-laugh.

1. “Business Time,” Flight of the Conchords
There’s a lot of Conchords to choose from, but when Jemaine Clement gets down to just his socks, you know it’s business time.

2. “Hell Hole,” Spinal Tap
I’ll admit some personal bias in that this song provided the nickname of my old high school.

3. “Afternoon Delight,” Will Ferrell
The ’70s gave us so much–Watergate, boots with goldfish in them, Billy Beer, but they will most likely be remembered for the Starland Vocal Band’s “Afternoon Delight,” i.e., a musical tribute to makin’ lots of love before the sun goes down. Ferrell and his Anchorman co-stars brings the song to new heights, as if it actually were propelled by a skyrocket. (Note I couldn’t find Ferrell’s version on Imeem, so we’ll have to make do with the original, which is still kinda funny.)

4. “Weasel Stomping Day,” “Weird Al” Yankovic
“Weird Al” gets a lot of play for aping songs and artists that are popular at the moment, but what gets sadly overlooked are his genre parodies, and for that, I’m honoring “Weasel Stomping Day.” The song’s instrumental bridge, augmented by what one can only assume is the helpless cough of a weasel with a crushed face, is enough to bring it to greatness. (Apologies to Mystery Science Theater 3000.)

5. “Re: Your Brains,” Jonathan Coulton
I know zombies are all hip and stuff, man, but I have a feeling that the brain-eating walking undead have always been close to Coulton’s heart.

Top 5 funny ha-ha songs

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Tags: "Weird Al" Yankovic, Flight of the Conchords, Jonathan Coulton, Spinal Tap, Starland Vocal Band, Will Ferrell

Hobbits, wallabies, Mothra to enjoy nights of ’60s nostalgia

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

SGtour Venerable folk duo Simon & Garfunkel reportedly kicked off the Australian leg of their summer world tour in Brisbane June 17. The two are touring Australia, New Zealand and Japan through July. Writing for Billboard, Lars Brandle said, in part, of the Brisbane show, “The legendary N.Y. singer-songwriter duo were never about smoke and mirrors, and never particularly glamorous. They’re music’s enduring odd couple, endowed with the gift of song and harmony. And what a gift. Back on stage in Australia for the first time in 25 years, Simon & Garfunkel gave the sold-out arena a lesson in songcraft. The years, it seems, have caressed their sound, in particular Garfunkel’s voice.”

I had the pleasure of seeing Simon & Garfunkel during their 2003 reunion, and I’ll echo Brandle’s comment: What a gift.

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Tags: Simon & Garfunkel

Top 5 sophisticated pop tunes

Friday, June 19th, 2009

Slate magazine on Tuesday ran an interesting story on Lady Gaga, specifically her level of sophistication/pretension. I’m the first to say I’d be wary about giving props to a starlet who was raised on a diet of Britney Spears, but I was curious to see what all the hub-bub was about her 8 minute video for Paparazzi. Low and behold, this techno princess has got something to say.

1. “Paparazzi,” Lady Gaga

2. “The Grass Is Green,” Nelly Furtado

3. “Cruel Summer,” Bananarama A more somber approach to vacation season.

4. “Brick,” Ben Folds Five

5. “Good Vibrations,” The Beach Boys Brian Wilson’s lyrics during the Pet Sounds/Smile era were simple and earnest, belying incredibly sophisticated musical arrangements.

Top 5 sophisticated pop tunes

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RIAA burns listeners … again

Friday, June 19th, 2009

riaa

The Electronic Frontier Foundation is questioning whether RIAA’s recent $1.9 million award against a single mother of four will stand up to a constitutional challenge. In a retrial, a jury concluded that Jammie Thomas-Rasset willfully infringed the copyrights of 24 songs to the tune of $80,000 per recording.

In a statement on its web site RIAA spokeswoman Cara Duckworth said: “We appreciate the jury’s service and that they take this as seriously as we do. We are pleased that the jury agreed with the evidence and found the defendant liable. Since day one, we have been willing to settle this case and we remain willing to do so.”

However, the EFF says the suit could be dismissed if a higher court finds the damages were grossly excessive. The foundation also says: “recent Supreme Court rulings suggest that a jury may not award statutory damages for the express or implicit purpose of deterring other infringers who are not parties in the case before the court. In other words, the award should be aimed at deterring this defendant, not giving the plaintiff a windfall in order to send a message to others who might be tempted to infringe.”

The Times of London reports that RIAA declared it would stop suing people in December, choosing instead to pressure internet service providers to take action. Given this change in direction, it’s unclear to me as to why RIAA would even consider continuing the suit. The recording association, it seems, has repeatedly given the PR equivalent to poking itself in the eyeball several times over by suing (but usually settling) people with limited means for ridiculous sums of money.

So the question is: Is RIAA at all concerned about its image? Since it started suing people in 2003, the association has more than stepped into the stereotypical image of an evil corporate conglomerate – it’s run right into it.

— JS

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Tags: RIAA

The best so far?

Friday, June 19th, 2009

Those crazy hipsters at the AV Club have sounded off on what they think are the best albums so far of 2009. As for me, I’m with Kyle Ryan picking Neko Case’s Middle Cyclon. What do you think? What’s your favorite?

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I like it, I love it … well “love” is a strong word (so is “like”)

Thursday, June 18th, 2009

Grammy award winning singer, actor, and author Tim McGraw has a new cologne called, originally, “McGraw.” I can only speculate that it smells like a subtle mixture of old Taco Bell wrappers, stale cigarettes, and the oily band of a black cowboy hat.

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Top 5 songs performed by so-called “Supergroups” (Longform)

Thursday, June 18th, 2009

Top 5 songs performed by so-called “Supergroups.”
Longform

Every once in a while the stars align in a way that, frankly, puzzles the bejesus out of me. I’m referring to the Supergroup. Sometimes they are created when artists are slumming it. Sometimes they’re made when old band-mates get sick of their dynamic frontman’s obsession with drugs, alcohol and underaged girls, and go their own way. And every so often, a disaster of such monumental and heart-breaking proportions occurs to warrant the brief formation of a supergroup to cobble a song so appalling as to make the actual disaster pale in comparison (think the musical holocaust that was “Voices That Care”). The supergroup category is a perilous box of chocolates, whose taster is sometimes rewarded with the creamy goodness of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, or the anthrax ripple of U.S.A. for Africa. With that in mind, theFiver presents, in no particular order:

Top 5 songs performed by a Supergroup:

1. “Oh Yeah,” Chickenfoot Those looking for a quirky cover of Yello’s seminal ’80s hit “Oh Yeah” should look elsewhere. One of the newest/oldest groups in rock, Chickenfoot is made up of by former Van Halen members Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony, drummer Chad Smith (of Red Hot Chii Peppers) and guitar super-virtuoso/Coldplay nemesis Joe Satriani. Complete with corny-as-hell hand signs and a dumpy-looking Hagar rocking out in a Smart Car, the video for “Oh Yeah” (available here) leaves an aural/video aftertaste akin to dunking your head in a pitcher of Cabo Wabo. Gentlemen: Get your mullets ready.

2. “Slither,” Velvet Revolver What happens when you throw G’N'R members Slash, Duff and Sorum; STP’s Scott Weiland and Wasted Youth’s Dave Kushner? Something surprisingly rocking. Things seem to be up in the air for the band since Weiland’s departure, but here’s hoping future supergroups look to Velvet Revolver as an example as to what works.

3. “C-lebrity,” Queen + Paul Rodgers Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor are very keen on pointing out how irreplaceable Freddie Mercury is, which explains why they viewed their latest incarnation with Free and Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers as a new band. While touring successfully together, their album, “The Cosmos Rocks” and its single “C-lebrity,” was met with a cool reception in the United States. Whatever you think of the lineup, it’s clear that Rodgers keyed into the band’s, and Mercury’s, penchant for being larger-than life.

4. “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” Band Aid No supergroup list would be complete without a nod to the industry’s attempt to feed starving children in Ethiopia. Heavy hitters like Bono and Bowie were among the many, many big-name participants in the project. And as we know, since the 1984 release of “Do They Know It’s Christmas,” there have never been any problems in Africa since.

5. “Handle With Care” and “End of the Line,” The Traveling Wilburys Not so much a supergroup as they were a gift from God, music history was made when Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, George Harrison and Jeff Lynne released 1988’s “The Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1.” The songs “Handle With Care” and “End of the Line” that more than stand up to the challenge of bookending an album by one of the most beloved supergroups of all time.