Random Radness 2

While doing Song Fight & Nur Ein reviews, sometimes I don't get to mention other things. It's time to catch up on a few things I've wanted to mention or shout out to.

1. Game Store Girl - Brent Black tweeted a link to this song, and I got hooked instantly. I checked out the rest of the album, and you should as well. Beefy is nerdtastic.

2. Ice Storm - Rhod Durre (@rhod_durre) & Russ Rogers (@RockingJamboree) make up the group GodzPoodlz (@GodzPoodlz). Recently they uploaded a cover of a Travis Norris (@travisnorris) song to their BandCamp page. I found it to be extremely awesome.


3. I found some edutainment that doesn't suck. Ever heard of AstroCappella? "AstroCappella is a marriage of astronomy and music, developed by astronomers and educators and professionally recorded by the rocking a cappella group The Chromatics." HERE's a link to my favorite song. You can find a download link for the MP3 in the left sidebar.

4. The other day I shared a site that could add cowbells & Christopher Walken to any MP3. Today I've got a link that shows you how to turn any song into a swing song. --> The Swinger <--

5. My pal Spencer (@spencersokol) tweeted a link to Sad Kermit the other day. It's been around awhile, but you'll lol at these kermit covers.

6. A new episode of "The Comedic Genius Of Martin & Lewis" was uploaded yesterday. It's probably my favorite episode yet. The gags are lol good, and Dean's singing was never better. Linda Darnell makes her 2nd appearance on the show in this episode. Enjoy Episode 69.

Song Fight Review: Jewel Of India

The last challenge over at Song Fight was titled "What Kind Of Love Are You Looking For", and The Jeremy Dean Band had my favorite entry. Well the voters went another direction, and Longfellow Street got the win. I had them ranked 2nd, and their entry was very good. There's a whole new batch of songs over at Song Fight, so I suggest you go pick your favorite songs for the current round. My picks are listed below:

Voted For:
(Right Click "Save As" on the artist's name for a MP3 of their entry.)

Dan The Man Band - I didn't like the echo or whatever it is you did to the last word in each verse. I think the vocals could have been stronger, but overall very enjoyable.

King Arthur - I enjoyed the story & performance. I think another mix is needed, and some of the lyrics didn't sound natural. Still one of the best this round.

Torrentz - I only disliked 1 thing about this track, and unfortunately it's a constant in the track. I don't know what it is, but during the break in the song it starts up again at 2:26. That sound just made my skin crawl...sorry.

Longfellow Street - Enjoyed the relaxing music & the vocals were pretty good. I don't know if it was the story or lyrics, but it didn't hold my interest. Maybe it was just too relaxing? Either way it's very pretty background music, but not something I'd listen to repeatedly.

Not Too Bad:
(To download these songs head over to Song Fight)

The Orange Collective - Story didn't grab me, but everything else was enjoyable. Solid.

Nur Ein 5: Round 5 Results

The results are in for Round 5, and Minty Handy wins the round. The judges apparently agreed with most of my review, because I got the top 3 spots right. Really my rankings just about matched the final results. Unfortunately more cuts had to be made, and Billy's Little Trip, Jon Eric & Therman have all been eliminated. All 3 have provided some really good songs in this Nur Ein, but it's getting close to the end & more tough cuts will be made shortly. Round 6 is now underway, so let's take a look at the new challenge:

Title: "Headphones"
Due Date: May 30rd at 11:59PM (Eastern)
Non-optional Challenge: A Judicious Use of Silence

I'm not sure what to make of this challenge. My first thought was, "Why not have this earily in the competition when some of the less talented people were still involved?" That may be a bit mean, but more silence was needed in some of those songs. The results of Round 5 are below:

Round 5 Results:
(A direct link to the MP3's of my favorite songs are provided.)

31 - Minty Handy
29 - Milo Dunderville
25 - Chris Cogott - Boop Boop
24 - Berkeley Social Scene
20 - Billy's Little Trip
18 - Jon Eric
8 - Therman

Round 5 Review
Round 4 Review & Results
Round 3 Review & Results
Round 2 Review & Results
Round 1 Review & Results
Round 0 Review & Results
Reminder: I have nothing to do with NUR EIN...I'm just a fan.

Nur Ein 5: Round 5 Review

Round 5 songs from Nur Ein 5 have been uploaded. The challenge was really cool this round:

Title: "We Need To Talk"
Non-optional Challenge: Must include an acrostic

My Favorites: (right click "Save As" on the artist to download their song)

Minty Handy - Fun nerdy song about an internet relationship about to take the next step. This is definately one of the best songs of Nur Ein 5.
Acrostic: "TELL ME NOW WHAT YOU WANT FROM ME WOMAN LOL", plus extra bonus letters "L" and "H".

Milo Dunderville - I LOVED the use of the acrostic...in that it didn't feel like the lyrics were forced while telling your story. Great entry, if you're voted out something is seriously wrong.
Acrostic: "WE NEED TO TALK RIGHT NOW BABY. RIGHT NOW."

Chris Cogott - Not my favorite song from Chris. The music was great, but the lyrics felt forced. I enjoyed the acrostic & the theme he went with, but I seriously pictured Chris as a cross between Weird Al & Yoda while listening to this.
Acrostic: "THIS NUR EIN SONG IS HARD."

Berkeley Social Scene - Few of the lines don't really flow, and seem stuck in the mud. The layering of vocals is something that I often dislike. In this case I'm not really sure how I feel about it. Wasn't a home run, but I think you hit for extra bases.
Acrostic: "WE REALLY NEED TO PILLOW TALK MORE BABY."

The Rest: (visit Nur Ein to download these songs)

Boop Boop - I thought it was a cool idea to pay tribute to Ronnie James Dio, who recently passed on. Unfortunately I didn't really get into the lyrics. The music definately had me rockin' though.
Acrostic: "WE LOVE HIM, RIP DIO. WE ROCK HIM. YEA! RIP DIO."

Jon Eric - Nice use of the acrostic, and I'm guessing it's an indication he struggled with the challenge. I think he managed to write a fine song though. I just didn't think Jon had the pipes for it.
Acrostic: "I AM GOING TO KILL MYSELF."

Billy's Little Trip - I really enjoyed the first 4 lines a lot & the music was solid. Just felt like the lyrics started getting forced after that. I also expected more then just a repeat of the entire song at a faster tempo to finish. Fast off the line, but faltered at the finish.
Acrostic: "WE NEED TO TALK. WE NEED TO TALK. TALK."

Therman - Worst use of the acrostic for this round, and Andrew admits that this challenge "totally raped" him. It's not really my cup of tea musically or lyrically. Sometimes you just have to send in whatever you have finished, and hope for the best.
Acrostic: "HUNT" & "SMURFS"

We Need To Talk
Andrew Reist made a video for his entry.

Side Notes:
- This was a very strong round from the competitors, and the judges have their work cut out for them.

Panama Hattie & Seven Days' Leave (1942)

This movie's story is held together by wire & duct tape. Not much too it, but it does include a few good musical numbers & funny moments. It stars Ann Sothern & Dan Dailey who are madly in love, and plan to be married. Before this can happen Ann's character needs to meet the daughter of Dan's character. The interaction & dialogue between these characters is so bad at times it's ridiculous. The comedic moments by Red Skelton, Rags Ragland & Ben Blue do a lot more to hold your attention between musical numbers. They play 3 sailors who are on the look out for spies, and who happen to be the best friends of Ann Southern.

The best moments in this film come from the guest stars or supporting cast. Virginia O'Brien performs a couple numbers with that frozen face of hers. The Berry Brothers are absolutely amazing in their dance routines & Lena Horne sings 2 numbers.

Berry Me Not
The Berry Brothers made my jaw hit the ground at the end of this routine.

The Sping
The Berry Brothers accompany Lena Horne during this number. Unfortunately the original audio was removed & replaced with crap. I have no idea why someone would rather hear this then LENA HORNE.

Fresh As A Daisy
Virginia O'Brien performing a Cole Porter song with Red Skelton, Rags Ragland & Ben Blue.

Seven Days' Leave (1942)
This is definately one of my favorite Lucille Ball movies. The writing & musical numbers during the first 15-20 minutes had me thinking it was going to be a stinker. But things got a lot better when Lucille Ball started playing hard to get with Victor Mature. Their chemistry was pretty good, and it shows why Lucille Ball became a HUGE comedy success down the road. Marcy McGuire was another reason the film got better after the first 15 minutes. The kid has spunk, and when she opens her mouth to sing you can't take your eyes off the TV.

The highlight number of the movie had to be "Tales From The Vienna Woods". It was played by Freddy Martin And His Orchestra & danced by Lynn, Royce & Vanya (don't know their last names). It's probably in my top 10 dance routines of all time. Not only is it full of laughs, but some of the tricks are flat out dangerous. Unfortunately I couldn't find any video to share from this movie, but you should definately watch it if you get the chance.

More Cowbells

Today I have to give a shout out to my pal Tom (@BoffoYuxDudes). He tweeted a link out yesterday that wasted about 30 minutes of my day --> http://www.morecowbell.dj/. This site allows you to add Cowbells & Christopher Walken to any MP3. Sounds stupid I know, but if you try it, you'll probably have fun (#MyGoToPickUpLine). At first I just added cowbells to a couple songs, but I have to say that "Big Booty Bitches" is awesome with a little Christopher Walken. A few of my experiments are embeded below.

Big Booty Bitches (Remix)

Today's The Day by Inverse T. Clown
Click HERE for a Christopher Walken mix.

Welcome To Spintown by Jonathan Mann

New Musical Instrument

This was mentioned on the blog recently, but this gives a little more information on the device.

Spintown Parade

If you subscribe to me on YouTube you've already seen this video, but I didn't mention it here yet. I found a really cool site called isparade. If you're hooked on Twitter like I am, you should definately check it out.

Nur Ein 5: Round 4 Results

The results are in for Round 4, and Chris Cogott wins the round. Unfortunately there isn't any more immunity, so he'll have to earn his way into round 6 like everyone else. DJ Ranger Den, Who Fly & Sid Denison were all eliminated in Round 4. DJ Ranger Den failed to entered a song, and the other 2 were voted out by the judges. Round 5 is now underway, so let's take a look at the challenge:

Title: "We Need To Talk"
Due Date: May 23rd at 11:59PM (Eastern)
Non-optional Challenge: Song must include an extended acrostic

This challenge is really interesting & tough. I'm excited to see if anyone can handle it in such a short amount of time. The results of Round 4 are below:

Round 4 Results:
(A direct link to the MP3's of my favorite songs are provided.)

39 - Chris Cogott
36 - Boop Boop
30 - Minty Handy
29 - Milo Dunderville
24 - Berkeley Social Scene
22 - Billy's Little Trip
19 - Jon Eric
13 - Who Fly - Sid Denison & The Harpooners

Round 4 Review
Round 3 Review & Results
Round 2 Review & Results
Round 1 Review & Results
Round 0 Review & Results
Reminder: I have nothing to do with NUR EIN...I'm just a fan.

Random Radness

- A friend of mine showed me a link to Mike Phirman's Bandcamp page a few days ago, and I decided I HAD to give him a quick mention. I suggest you take a little time to find out about him, and you can start by listening to the song below. I'll also throw one of his videos up on the "Music Videos" page today.

- Hate having to deal with the drama of having a band? Well just build your own robotic band like Pat Metheny did. Read more HERE.

- I discovered a blog called "Cover Of The Month" while checking out some of Charlie McCarron's videos on YouTube. I thought it was an interesting idea.

- Christin Meador teamed up with my favorite Rocketboom producer/musician Leah D'Emilio to record "Stand Up Kinda Man".

- I don't care how stupid I would look...I want a set of Rain Drums.

- Ok I'll post a couple videos below & that'll be it for today. I also updated the "Songs Of The Day" & "Music Videos" pages today.

The Future Of Musical Instruments
Well I still think you're going to see a lot more banjo, accordion & uke trios in the future...

Coolest Room Ever
Nevermind about the Rain Drums....I want a room like this.

Spintown’s Song Fighter Of 2001

Listening to every song in the history of Song Fight is proving to be very difficult. So far I've listened to all of 2000, 2001, 2009 & 2010. I've gained an appreciation for how long some of these people have been fighting. I've also seen a lot of growth from some of the fighters over the years. The songs from 2009 are so much better then those from 2001...in general. There's still some gems to be listened to, and I hope I did a decent job of finding them.

If you haven't noticed, my 'reviews' are more like outlines. I don't really review EVERY song. I listen to every song, but I just attempt to point you in the direction of what I find to be the best of the bunch. I also give away the completely worthless title of "Spintown's Song Fighter Of The Year" at the end.

Here's the 3 things I considered when picking the Song Fighter of 2001:
- How many songs each person entered in 2001.
- How many times each person won.
- How many songs from each individual made it onto my Song Fight play list, and which songs I liked the most. (this is obviously the most important factor)

Previous Song Fight Recaps:
Song Fighter Of The Year 2009: Ross Durand
Song Fighter Of The Year 2000: Kissing Contest

Here’s a list of who entered the most songs during 2009. My stats may be a little off. My fact checker died in a terrible golf cart crash last month.

Total Songs Entered:
25 - Octothorpe
21 - The John Benjamin Band
19 - Frankie Big Face
18 - Raised By Wolves (link not working)
17 - add
16 - Hoblit
13 - Gunn And Fames
12 - fluffy porcupine
10 - Patrick Clayton
9 - Broken Class
9 - State Shirt
9 - Xenon Light
8 - Monorail Racetrack
8 - Narbotic
7 - Balls To Monte
7 - Gil Sans
7 - Jippers

4 people entered 6 songs, 4 people entered 5 songs, 5 people entered 4 songs, 13 people entered 3 songs, 30 people entered 2 songs & 131 people entered 1 song. In total 204 people/bands/collabs entered a total of 509 songs during 2001.

Here’s a list of who won the most fights during 2001.

Winners:
4 - Raised By Wolves (link not working)
3 - Kompressor
3 - Milwaukee Youth Center Choir
3 - The Shortcakes
2 - add
2 - Duboce Triangle
2 - The John Benjamin Band
2 - MC Frontalot
1 - & And The Angle Brackets
1 - Analog Thought Process
1 - Banjo V
1 - Bravo Bros.
1 - Cap'n Swank And The Jesus Monkey
1 - CPR Review
1 - DJ Surly
1 - Doctor Worm
1 - Dog Traders
1 - drew
1 - Erin's Towel Goblin
1 - Frankie Big Face
1 - Gil Sans
1 - Hoblit
1 - Keado
1 - Ken's Super Duper Band 'n Stuff
1 - K-Line
1 - The Lifeguards
1 - Metalmags and her Dad
1 - Miss Mary Ellen
1 - Nil
1 - Octothorpe
1 - Ranch On Suede
1 - Reverie
1 - Status Cling
1 - Too Fat To Be A Rockstar

There were 47 winners from 45 different fights in 2001.

Here’s a list of who wrote the most songs I’m willing to listen to a 2nd time.

Total Songs On My Playlist:
10 - The John Benjamin Band
8 - Frankie Big Face
7 - Gunn And Fames
4 - Raised By Wolves (link not working)
3 - Balls To Monte
3 - Duboce Triangle
3 - Milwaukee Youth Center Choir
3 - Narbotic
3 - Ranch On Suede
2 - Aaron's Bowel Problem
2 - Ken's Super Duper Band 'n Stuff
2 - The Shortcakes

29 people had 1 song make it onto my Song Fight playlist.

In the end I decided to go with The John Benjamin Band as my Song Fighter of 2001. My favorite song probably came from another source, but I really dug the humor in his songs. Frankie Big Face was a fairly close 2nd, but in the end there can be only one. My top 5 songs from The John Benjamin Band will be linked to below, after that I’ll include a Song Fight 2001 guide. It'll show my favorites from each different fight.

The John Benjamin Band Top 5 Of 2001: (right click “Save As“ to download MP3)
1. New Planet
2. Husky Youth
3. Alright Alright
4. Red Robot
5. My Sister

Side Notes:
- The fight with the most songs entered (20) was “Birds Of Our Own”.

- It's Charging is dated 03/05/87 - 03/12/87 for some reason. I'm guessing it's just a mistake, and I included it with the 2001 review since it's posted in the middle of that year.

- For some reason Raised By Wolves has 2 Song Fight profiles. THIS profile is the one every link leads to, but it doesn't have any of the songs from 2001 on it. You can clearly see a 2nd profile HERE that has 50 tracks on it. However, even when you click on that you can't view the actual profile. It takes you to the first link.

You can click on the title of the fight to find any of the songs listed for that fight. I also provided a direct link to a few of my favorite songs below.

Husky Youth:
- Ken's Super Duper Band 'n Stuff
- prayformojo & Sucka MCs
- The John Benjamin Band
Alarm In The Graduate School:
- Narbotic
Experimental Fashion:
- Rewinder
Indie Rock Bottom:
- The John Benjamin Band
- Ken's Super Duper Band 'n Stuff (winner)
My Sister:
- Barber Boy
- Duboce Triangle Vs. John Benjamin Band
- The John Benjamin Band (winner)
Adaptation:
- prayformojo
- The Buttermilk Compleat
Acid Mouth:
- fluffy porcupine
- Gunn And Fames
It's A Shame My Binoculars Don't Work At Night:
- Factor T
It's Charging:
- MC Flow Nation
Snow Globe:
- Gunn And Fames
- Metalmags With Jonathan
Skyline:
- Gunn And Fames feat. Kate
- Milwaukee Youth Center Choir
- Raised By Wolves
That's The Spirit:
- Patrick Clayton
Highway:
- Balls To Monte
- Gunn And Fames
- Hoblit
- Monorail Racetrack
Alright Alright:
- Gunn And Fames
- The John Benjamin Band (winner)
Video Night:
- Gunn And Fames
Is It Cold?:
- & And The Angle Brackets (winner)
- Frankie Big Face
- Frederick Choi
Firecrackers:
-
Tiny Room:
- Aaron's Bowel Problem
- Balls To Monte
- Brick Pig
- Gunn And Fames
Down To The Atom:
- Aaron's Bowel Problem
- Duboce Triangle (winner)
- Frankie Big Face
- The John Benjamin Band
Birds Of Our Own:
- Erin's Towel Goblin (winner)
- Gunn And Fames
Do The Math:
- Balls To Monte
- Suede On Ranch
Watch Your Face:
- Frankie Pig Face
- Milwaukee Youth Center Choir (winner)
Red Robot:
- The John Benjamin Band
- Milwaukee Youth Center Choir (winner)
Do It For Captain:
- John Benjamin Big Face
I Can See You:
-
Tracks For Future Practice:
- Duboce Triangle
A Thousand Swords:
- add (winner)
- Raised By Wolves
Been To China:
-
It's Invisible:
- Frankie Big Face
Listen Close:
- Breaker Breaker
- Frankie Big Face
Dad I'm Changing:
- Duboce Triangle
- Frankie Big Face
New Planet:
- The John Benjamin Band
120 MPH:
- Frankie Big Face
- Raised By Wolves
- The John Benjamin Band
Stronger Than:
- The John Benjamin Band
Yellow Lasers:
- Frankie Big Face
- MC Frontalot (winner)
- Ranch On Suede
- The John Benjamin Band
Run Free:
-
Black Hole:
- Frankie Big Face
- Narbotic
- Raised By Wolves (winner)
On A Line:
- Ranch On Suede
Shipwreck:
- Ranch On Suede
- The Shortcakes
Don't Dance:
- Gaylord, Ltd.
- Peator
Midnight Rendezvous:
- The Bessemer Process
Repair My Heart:
- Miss Mary Ellen (winner)
- Narbotic
Eternity Without You:
- The Shortcakes (winner)
I LOVE YOU:
- Gil Sans
Zero To Phantom:
-

Nur Ein 5: Round 4 Review

It's time to share my favorite songs from round 4 of Nur Ein 5. Let's review what the challenge was this round:

Title: "'Not In This Lifetime"
Non-optional Challenge: Use the sample

Here's a sample created by Frankie Big Face. All you need to do is use it in your song. (We've included three versions of the sample, just at varied speeds)

Nur Ein Loop 2 - 96 BPM.mp3

Nur Ein Loop 2 - 112 BPM.mp3

Nur Ein Loop 2 - 132 BPM.mp3

The sample can be altered by tempo, duration, pitch, or timbre as long as it retains enough of its original character to be recognizable. It does not need to be looped.

My Favorites: (right click "Save As" on the artist to download their song)

Sid Denison & The Harpooners - Hated the intro, but then got over it once the music started. I love telling people to fuck off, so this song is a win.

Boop Boop - Liked the story/message of the song. Sounds like something I'd have listened to in the 80's.

Chris Cogott - Loved the production, but but found myself not really paying attention to the lyrics....don't know why. Just sort of jamming to it as I did other things. It was fun doing an air guitar bit towards the end.

Not Bad: (visit Nur Ein to download these songs)

Jon Eric - Although not great, one of the better vocal performances I've heard from you. Nice work.

Billy's Little Trip - Not bad, but not grabbing me yet. Liked it more the 2nd listen, so maybe it'll grow on me.

Song Fight Review: What Kind Of Love Are You Looking For

The last challenge over at Song Fight was titled "Down For Awhile", and I predicted that Jeremy Dean would win. Well I was right this time, but it was closer then it should have been in my opinion. He only won by 1 vote. There's a whole new batch of songs over at Song Fight, so I suggest you go pick your favorite songs for the current round. My picks are listed below:

Voted For:
(Right Click "Save As" on the artist's name for a MP3 of their entry.)

The Jeremy Dean Band - Nothing to complain about with this track. Found myself bobbin' my head along the entire time.

Longfellow Street - Loved the vocal performance. The music was simple, but catchy. Allowed me to focus on the vocals without being distracted, and in this case that's a good thing.

Jeff DeSantis - Very relatable for most people I would think. I kept saying "What kind of love are you on?" accidentally...

Ross Durand - Very sweet song, got a little teared up. I loved the piano.

Not Too Bad:
(To download these songs head over to Song Fight)

Nobody, et al. - I like the idea for this tune. I'd like to hear what this guy could do in a studio. He does a solid job with just a guitar & I'm guessing built in computer mic.

Mister Mann - Nice vocals. The guitar is a bit annoying. The music prevented me from getting to into the song unfortunately.

Bad Catholic Schoolgirls - Not too bad for what it is I guess. I mean it's juvenile & it seems like he's compensating for something...but I'm sure the typical white, middle class, middle schooler, who wears his pants around his ankles will love it. So well done, I guess.

Side Notes:
- I was a little disapointed with the last couple fights, but this time the Song Fighters came out swinging. Well done everyone.

The Mystery Of Grey Matters

Spintown News:
- Mike Lombardo mentioned a really cool album over in the DFTBA Forums. I haven't heard the album, but the idea behind it is really original. You can find the album HERE, and I'll put Mike's description below.

This guy, Charlie McCarron, has a 3-disc concept album called The Mystery Of Grey Matters. There's 2 discs, L, and R, and they tell parts of a story, and then they make sense when they're combined and played simultaneously, which is the third disc, L+R.

- Some Song Fighters recently put on a live show & they streamed it online. I missed the show unfortunately, but they did record it. You can watch it HERE.

Nur Ein 5: Round 3 Results

Well the results for Round 3 are in, and Therman wins the final immunity for Round 4. He barely edged out Berkeley Social Scene by just 3 points. Rabid Garfunkel, The Real Sign & Naked Philosophy were all eliminated from the competition. Rabid Garfunkel failed to entered a song, and the other 2 were voted out by the judges. Round 4 is now underway, so let's take a look at the challenge:

Title: "'Not In This Lifetime"
Due Date: May 16th at 11:59PM (Eastern)
Non-optional Challenge: Use the sample

Here's a sample created by Frankie Big Face. All you need to do is use it in your song. (We've included three versions of the sample, just at varied speeds)

Nur Ein Loop 2 - 96 BPM.mp3

Nur Ein Loop 2 - 112 BPM.mp3

Nur Ein Loop 2 - 132 BPM.mp3

The sample can be altered by tempo, duration, pitch, or timbre as long as it retains enough of its original character to be recognizable. It does not need to be looped.

More cuts will be made in the next round, but immunity is no longer up for grabs. From now on everyone will have to earn their way through every round. The results of Round 3 are below:

Round 3 Results:
(A direct link to the MP3's of my favorite songs are provided.)

53 Therman
50 Berkeley Social Scene
42 Christopher Cogott
37 Jon Eric
36 Boop Boop
32 Sid Denison
31 Minty Handy
30 Billy's Little Trip
26 Who Fly
25 DJ Ranger Den
17 Naked Philosophy
11 The Real Sign

Round 3 Review
Round 2 Review & Results
Round 1 Review & Results
Round 0 Review & Results
Reminder: I have nothing to do with NUR EIN...I'm just a fan. Oh, and I updated ALL the pages of the blog today.

Babes On Broadway (1941) & Athena (1954)

I watched some more old movies, which means you get the highlights...like it or not. :p

Babes On Broadway (1941)
If you like Mickey Rooney & Judy Garland movies, this is for you. It's a classic, and for a reason. Like most musicials, it's a light & fun movie. Even though it doesn't bring anything new to the format & uses a lot of clichés, it uses them to near perfection.

Besides Mickey & Judy, I thought the best performance was from Ray McDonald. His dance numbers were really well done, and it's at least the second musicial I remember him playing one of Mickey Rooney's sidekicks. If you pay close attention while watching this, you'll see a brief uncredited appearance from a young Ava Gardner & Donna Reed. I couldn't find many of the song & dance numbers online unfortunately, but you can watch the trailer HERE.

How About You?
This is the only full routine I could find with Mickey & Judy in it.

Romance No.2 In G Major, Op.40
This unknown kid makes a short, but memorable appearance. After the quick piano solo you can stop watching, the rest is just various clips from the film randomly thrown together.

Athena (1954)
I often find it hard to get into a musicial if it's TOO goofy, and this is definately a goofy movie...but without the animated talking dogs. Jane Powell & Debbie Reynolds are both sex on a stick in this film. However their looks, dancing & AMAZING singing by Jane wasn't enough to hold my attention. Vic Damone plays a supporting role, and squeezes in a couple songs, but whenever the singing & dancing stops, I'm left wondering how anyone thought this story would make a good musical. Watch the trailer below to get an idea of the stupidity involved.

Bonus:
Since I couldn't find many clips from the movies above, I thought I'd throw in this clip of Mickey & Judy performing years later on the "Judy Garland Show".

Nur Ein 5: Round 3 Review

It's time to share my favorite songs from round 3 of Nur Ein 5. Let's review what the challenge was this round:

Title: " '97 "
Non-optional Challenge: Bring a Guest

Who will win immunity this round & who will be eliminated? We'll have to wait to find out, but until then enjoy my favorite songs below.

My Favorites: (right click "Save As" on the artist to download their song)

Milo Dunderville (f/ Millie & Dave Dunderville) - I loved this entry. It's very catchy & easy to sing along with. The story was something I think most married guys can relate to. Even if they haven't killed their wife, I'm sure most have come close at times. The sax was amazing by the way.

Chris Cogott (f/ Jon Eric) - This was right up my alley. I like up tempo music with a shot of humor. That's one of the reasons I like Song Fu, the songs are generally more humor driven then Song Fight or Nur Ein.

Sid Denison and the Harpooners (f/ Wages, Fluffy, Caravan Harriet and more!) - This does a good job of getting a point across, and even if I don't agree with everything the song has to say it's extremely well done.

"I assume everyone knows that the Kyoto Protocol was initially adopted in 1997. I didn't bother spelling it out in the song." - Caravan Ray

I'm glad you mentioned that on the Song Fight Boards, because I knew that, but didn't make the connection while listening to the song.

Berkeley Social Scene (f/ Melvin & Frisbee) - Nice song everyone can relate to...or probably will once they're old enough. Well produced as usual, but not as catchy as some of the other songs this round.

Not Bad: (visit Nur Ein to download these songs)

Naked Philosophy (f/ Fluffy) - I really liked the idea for this song, and the hopeful ending after being mostly pessimistic was cool. However some of the music was a bit painful to listen to. I think this song could be great if it had some polish, but as it is it's just great in theory. *gives a very upright & proper round of applause*

Jon Eric (f/ King Arthur) - I loved this song, and it's a total nerd song. It's a shame it's not about a year, would have been one of my favorites if it met the challenge.

Boop Boop (f/Scott Loving, Joe Crow, Preston Spurlock, the Fools, Churchhill Downs & more!) - Cute little song that I enjoyed a lot. Ending in 97 seconds added some extra cool points, but the fact that the song didn't follow the topic kept it from being a favorite.

Therman
Andrew Reist made a video with his collab partners Maggie Kanuka & Fraser Stott.

Side Notes:
- I was a little disappointed that some people just said to hell with writing about 1997, and did their own thing.

- I thought it was a very solid round overall, and I'm getting excited to see how the 2nd half of the competition pans out.

Happy Mother's Day

Today I've got 4 songs for Mother's Day...enjoy.

Nothing On You
Chris Thompson made a B.O.B. parody for all the moms out there.


I Love You Mom
DeStorm, Mike Kalombo & Brent Morgan team up for an awesome Mother's Day collab.


All I Can Do
The Orr Brothers (6 subs) wrote their mom a song for Mother's Day. I actually found thi while doing research for the next "YouTube Treasure Hunt". Look for that to be posted on Monday.

Mom's Song
This is a cute song by Bryant Oden.

Interview With Jack Conte

HEY, they stole my interview format. Or I stole theirs...I'm too lazy to see who started first. Anyways, if you like part 1, you can watch Part 2 as well.

Random Shiz

I've neglected to mention some things recently that I want to take care of today. I don't have any Nur Ein or Song Fight reviews to post today, so it's a good opportunity to catch up a little.

1. I know I've mentioned the Brentalfloss CD a few times already. I got my copy last Friday & it's pretty amazing. My favorite tracks are "Tetris With Lyrics", "Corey", "Dr Mario With Lyrics" & of course "Good Example". It is about me after all, so I am a bit biased.

Some of the songs lose a little not having a video to back them up (like "Ducktales With Lyrics"), but they all sound amazing. Some of the tracks are also a bit short, so it's not like getting 20 regular full length songs. If you're a brentalfloss fan, it's a must buy to hear these songs redone. The new versions sound so much better then the YouTube originals. There's a lot of songs I would love to see on the CD that didn't make it, but I guess he has to save stuff for the next CD.

LOOK! I get mentioned on the inner sleeve!

2. Another videogame related CD I'd like to mention is "Super Mario Kart Album" by The OneUps. This is easily one of my favorite CD's ever. I've got a serious Mario Kart addiction, and now I find myself racing with the sound off, and this CD playing.



3. Brian Gray recently signed up to TMA, and from what I've heard he's pretty awesome. You should definately listen to his song Pi-Day, then check out "Staff Meeting".

4. Maybe the most important news today is that TMA...is moving. Too Much Awesome will be combining with a new forum over at DFTBA. So the DFTBA & TMA communities are now one and the same. The new site is still being worked on, so it'll look a little rough around the edges still. I guess that means I have to change the links on this site from "TMA" to "DFTBA".

The reason for the move is posted HERE (blame ning). There are a couple negatives about the move. One obviously is the name change, another being the limitations the messageboard system allows for personal profiles. I see a lot more positives then negatives though. DFTBA & TMA have a lot in common, and combining with them will mean a bigger & hopefully stronger community. The tech support & cost are also important factors. I can't wait to see all my old friends over at the new site, and make a lot of new friends. (I'll update the sidebar in the near future.)

5. Fellow TMA member Jack Shenker recently produced his first pop song. It's pretty awesome.



6.

Nur Ein 5: Round 2 Results

Well the results for Round 2 are in, and Milo Dunderville wins immunity for Round 3. He barely edged out Berkeley Social Scene by just 1 point. Johnny Cashpoint, Hoglen & Wages, and Noah McLaughlin were all eliminated from the competition. Hoglen & Wages entered a song, but the other 2 failed to finish their entry in time. Round 3 is now underway, so let's take a look at the challenge:

Title: "'97"
Due Date: May 9nd at 11:59PM (Eastern)
Non-optional Challenge: Bring a Guest
Note: The more interesting the guest, the better.

More cuts will be made in the next round, and immunity is once again at stake. The results of Round 2 are below:

Round 2 Results:
(A direct link to the MP3's of my favorite songs are provided.)

Milo Dunderville 60
Berkeley Social Scene 59
Therman 51
Chris Cogott 47 (TMA member)
Billy's Little Trip 42
Sid Denison 40
DJ Ranger Den 39 (TMA member)
Minty Handy 33
Jon Eric 32
Rabid Garfunkel 31
Who Fly 29
Naked Philosophy 24
The Real Sign 22
Hoglen and Wages 16

Round 2 Review
Round 1 Review & Results
Round 0 Review & Results
Reminder: I have nothing to do with NUR EIN...I'm just a fan.

Song Fight Review: Down For A While

The last challenge over at Song Fight was titled "Ease Your Storm", and I predicted that Herbitis billahhweetig would win. I was wrong yet again, and The New Original Titans of Song Fight got the win. I had them ranked 3rd I think, and they did produce a solid tune. There's a whole new batch of songs over at Song Fight, so I suggest you go pick your favorite songs for the current round. My picks are listed below:

Voted For:
(Right Click "Save As" on the artist's name for a MP3 of their entry.)

Jeremy Dean - Simple, well sung & recorded, and just plain purdy. This fight should be declared a no contest, because this was far & away the best entry. Well done sir.

Nobody, et al. - I'd like this a lot more if it was recorded better, but it sounds like a solid song. Just sounds like a rough draft & not a finished tune. I'd love to hear this re-recorded.

Steve Durand - I like all the references to other songs, and overall I enjoyed the track. Much like your last entry, I don't really think you've got the voice for the song though. I know that everyone can't be Frank Sinatra, but it just doesn't seem to fit you personally. You still deserve some props for a good song though.

Not Too Bad:
(To download these songs head over to Song Fight)

Heavenly Androgyne - I didn't hate this song, which is more then I can say for MOST this round. It was kinda bland, but it didn't annoy me. In this particular round, that's enough to get a mention unfortunately.

Side Notes:
- Another weak fight, probably do to a lot of the Song Fighters being busy with Nur Ein.

Nur Ein 5: Round 2 Review

It's time to share my favorite songs from round 2 of Nur Ein 5. A couple participants didn't get a song finished this round, so only 1 person will be eliminated. Immunity is once again up for grabs, so there's still plenty at stake. Here's the round 2 challenge:

Title: "Spanish Lessons"
Non-optional Challenge: Accelerando

The new Nur Ein website has uploaded 98% of the songs from past competitions now. There's still some things that haven't been updated yet, but the important stuff is there now. Remember I'm NOT the person who runs the site or competition. That honor belongs to Niveous over on the Song Fight Boards.

My Favorites: (right click "Save As" on the artist to download their song)
Chris Cogott - I'm getting sick & tired of having Chris at the top of my reviews, but he keeps writing great songs. I loved the topic for a number a reasons, but mainly because I've known people having to go through similar situations. The song was well produced as usual, and the change of pace at the end works better then others this round.

Billy's Little Trip - Right from the start I didn't like the crassness of the lyrics, and I thought I'd dislike the song because of it. However...the damn thing was too catchy. Halfway through the song I no longer cared about the direction the lyrics took, because I was digging the music & flow of the song.

Berkeley Social Scene - I was ease dropping on a conversation about this song yesterday in the TMA chat room. So I already heard a couple opinions about this song before giving it a listen. In the end I think I agree with most of what was said. It was well produced, I loved the vocals, and the relaxing feel. The change of pace feels like it was thrown in at the end just to meet the requirement. Doesn't seem to belong or fit. Overall I loved the entry though.

Not Bad: (visit Nur Ein to download these songs)
Milo Dunderville - I enjoyed the song, but after the chorus, it just seemed predictable the rest of the way. Felt like it was missing something.

Sid Denison And The Harpooners - I didn't like the ending...at all. I did however enjoy a number of lines in the song. Some of which will be stuck in my head for awhile. I don't like the phrase "near miss"....but this was a "near hit".

DJ Ranger Den - This was a real change from what I'm used to hearing from Denise. I enjoyed it for the most part, buy lyrically it didn't grab me. I did like the way she used the change of pace in the song, and the performance was great. I've always loved Denise's piano playin', but she doesn't have to use it as a crutch apparently.

DJ Ranger Den
Denise Hudson made this video for her entry.


Therman
Andrew Reist once again made a video for his entry.


Side Notes:
- I was a bit disappointed this round. Only because I expected people to write about Arizona & the headlines about the new state law there.

Spintown 10 With Meghan Tonjes

I'm calling in lazy today. I didn't update any of the other pages, but I did make a quick video for YouTube today. It's really just filler to remind my YouTube subscribers that I'm alive. When I'm between projects sometimes they begin to wonder. I would have posted Mike Lombardo's "Spintown 10"...but he hasn't sent me the final version yet. *hint/reminder* :p

You may think there's no wrong or right answers when you're being asked an opinion, but you would be wrong. Find out Meghan's Spintown Score, and figure your own out as well. Then tell me how many you got right in the comments.

Meghan's YouTube Channel --> HERE

Meghan On Twitter --> @meghantonjes

Buy her music -->

Fair Use

Spintown News:
- Walt Ribeiro uploaded another song for his "For Orchestra" project. This time he covered the Ramones, "I Wanna Be Sedated". You can listen to it HERE.

- The 2 videos for today are for anyone who makes videos on YouTube. I thought the first one could be especially helpfull to some of you.

- A friend of mine has a site called "The Happiness Board", and he would like you to share your happy thoughts. Afterwards, you can listen to some great music on the "Edric Haleen" section of the website. I added a link to the site in the sidebar.

- I updated the "Songs Of The Day" & "Music Videos" pages today.

PSA: Challenging A YouTube Take Down With Fair Use


The Downfall Of Downfall?