Where Music & Dance Fall Face First Into The Internet

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

In My Head

Awhile back, Kevin Lien asked his subscribers to lip sync, dance or somehow perform to the Jason Derulo cover of "In My Head" that he did. Well I made a series of embarrassing lip sync videos & sent them off to Kevin. Probably not the smartest thing I've ever done, but here's what Kevin did with all the videos he received.



I just set the videos I sent to Kevin to 'public' on YouTube. So you can watch both the clips I sent Kevin & some bloopers. Normally I would have just sang along with the song, but I did this in the middle of the night while both kids were sleeping. So even when I was getting really tired & pissed off, I had to keep quiet. After doing these, I learned that I like to point at things....a lot. lol

First Verse - Chorus - Bloopers

Those will probably not stay on YouTube very long...

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Song Fight Review: When Did You Know

The last challenge over at Song Fight was titled "The Middle Part", and I predicted that King Arthur would win. Well I was wrong, and Architects Of Desire got the win. 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.)

Jon Eric & Friends - You do 'catchy' like New Result does 'uninspired'. Like the idea, and the off balance feel I get when listening. I will say I thought it was a little weak between the 2nd & 3rd chorus, but not bad. I don't think I should have listened to this first...the bar is now set high people...

Ross Durand - I like the idea of someone thinking they are about to break someones heart, only to have it happen to them. Overall the song didn't have me singing along or bobbin' my head, but it kept me interested the entire time. First song I've heard reach the bar that Jon set.

Others:
(Head over to Song Fight to listen to these songs.)

Berkeley Social Scene - Loved the music, and the lyrics. The vocals weren't bad, but I think they should have been a bit louder. They seem to get lost in the mix at times.

Feat - I don't usually go for these type of random lyrics, but it does work in this case. Enjoyed the simple beat, which seemed sorta dream like, and your delivery was pretty good.

Masterhyde - You might be one of my favorite rappers I've heard in Song Fight. Flow & delivery are top notch, but this time I thought some of the lyrics were a bit weak.

DJ Ranger Den - Shave about 35 seconds off that opening. Towards the end I start getting lost by some of the lyrics, and didn't get them. But this is a solid entry & not a bad way to throw your hat into the Song Fight arena for the first time.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Too Much Awesome Podcast #23

Mike Lombardo & Jeff MacDougall uploaded a new episode of their podcast yesterday. Check it out HERE.

Monday, August 23, 2010

SpinTunes #1 Round 3 Review

Here's my last unposted review from SpinTunes. You can listen to all the songs over on Bandcamp, and you can also download them all for FREE! To find out more about this competition, visit "SpinTunes". There's a permanent link right up above.

I was going to post these reviews as the competition was going on, but as some of you know, there's a good reason why I stopped after round 1. Since this competition is based on 4 challenges, my rankings will strongly reflect how well you met the challenge, and not just on how much I liked your song. These are ordered from favorite to least favorite, with reviews of the shadow songs at the very bottom.

Kevin Savino-Riker (My Daughter) - Loved the lyrics, but I really think you should have saved the line, "Could you trade one life for another?" until after the doctor gives the father the decision to make. It would have really hit the audience right in the gut if you would have held that back awhile. Also...end the darn song already. This could have been a 6 minute song instead of an almost 7 minute song. 6 is long enough. (TWSS) Very well done...you're right up there with Caleb in terms of getting an emotional response.
Challenge: Met


Caleb Hines (Will You Miss Me) - Man Caleb...you went for it. This is depressing as hell. I don't get all emotional over music aside from maybe using it to get the adrenaline going before a game. This was one of the closest to getting tears from me. Your voice worked well for this approach as well. Definately getting a vote.
Challenge: Met
<a href="http://spintown.bandcamp.com/track/will-you-miss-me">Will You Miss Me by Spintown Tunes</a>

The Offhand Band (Will It) - Interesting approach to the challenge. I just don't know if the story pulls hard enough on the average persons heart strings. I know it does for me...at least up through the second chorus, but then ending just doesn't feel dramatic enough. I'm let down at the end just a bit. The music was slick as hell, and this is one of my favorite songs of the round.
Challenge: Met...but ending felt weak.
<a href="http://spintown.bandcamp.com/track/will-it">Will It by Spintown Tunes</a>

Ross Durand (You'll Be Gone) - Another person I expected to produce something good...and he did. The emotion in your voice sells this. Much like Edric...you sing well from the female perspective. :p
Challenge: Met

Steve Durand (Her Mother's Eyes) - Most of the music felt way to happy. The 3 lines just before the horn instrumental was the best part of the song, and the only part that seemed really sad. It's a pretty song, and I enjoyed the music...but the music didn't really help the lyrics get the emotion across.
Challenge: Met

Charlie McCarron (A Song For Sam Bell) - The only person with the guts to stray from the obvious this round. (shadows not included *looks at Brian*) The problem with straying from the obvious is risking having judges maybe think you didn't meet the challenge. I went to Wikipedia for answers, but it would be helpful in the future to give notes. You don't have to, but when you write about something most people won't 'get'...it's a good idea. The song made no since the first time I listened, but like I said Wikipedia helped me out. I enjoyed it, but without actually seeing the movie I didn't get that emotional pull. Between the song & the wiki entry I would like to see the movie in the future.
Challenge: Met

Governing Dynamics (Revolving Door) - I expected good things from Travis this round, and I don't think he disappointed. It's not my favorite song of the round, and it might not even get a vote, but it's a 6 minute song that didn't feel like 6 minutes....so it must have been good right? I can't say it was the most moving of the bunch, but unlike many of the songs this round the music actually set the mood from the start.
Challenge: Met

Sara Parsons (Had To Be You) - This just didn't seem sad to me. The topic isn't exactly cheerful or the lyrics...but the music & at time the vocals didn't seems sad. The most moving part of the song was the verse you went accapella. The music wasn't bad, it was actually very pretty, but it didn't seem sad.
Challenge: Met

Edric Haleen (The Star) - Edric told me this probably wouldn't get votes...well I see why now. Not that it's bad, but honestly if I need translations & a lot of back story to 'get' a song....I'll probably stop listening rather than do the work to understand it. Great performance...but it didn't move me. (and it's no fun to sing)
Challenge: Met

Shadows:

Brian Gray (Not Even Close) - Brian...no way this is getting tears from people, but I don't care. Shadows should be allowed to bend the rules a little more if they want. If you were in the competition this would have ranked at the bottom...simple because it's a funny song about a sad topic...not a sad tear jerking song. But since you're NOT in the competition this is actually my favorite song of the round. I think people needed a good laugh after all the sadness, so thanks for contributing to the round.
Challenge: Funny Fail
<a href="http://spintown.bandcamp.com/track/not-even-close-shadow">Not Even Close (Shadow) by Spintown Tunes</a>

Dr. Lindyke (A Special Day) - Of the shadows, this one definately did the best job setting a mood, and pilling onions. Dr. Lindyke should have officially entered this contest...they would have made a good run at winning.

Emperor Gum (1983) - You've done a great job at improving your production value musically. I really enjoyed the music up until the line, "Will I see a blue sky again?" I don't know what comes in there, but make that noise stop. You're music has improved so much, that I'd like to hear you work on your vocals next. If you can improve on those like you have with your music...people will have to look out for Graham Porter in these contests. I also really enjoyed your creativity on meeting this challenge. It's a very narrow challenge, so great job on thinking outside the box...while staying inside the challenge.
Challenge: Met

JoAnn Abbott (Lullabye) - I hope you get all kinds of recording equipment for Christmas. The recorder may evoke some strong memories from people as a kid, but it doesn't really scream sadness in this tune.
Challenge: Met

Heather Miller (Promise To My Son) - In the 2nd round I know you struggled with transitions. I think you have the same problem here...although better. This is another good example of thinking outside the box a bit. It's a story about a mother giving up her child, but with a period twist.
Challenge: Met

These reviews were written long ago. After having listened to the songs more, and having time to reflect, the order may be a little different today. But honestly not much would have changed, and I don't feel like redoing my reviews or rankings since the contest is now over. Some new shadow songs were also submitted after the deadline, and after these reviews were done. So if you wrote a song, but weren't mentioned...that's probably why.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

SpinTunes #1 Round 2 Review

For those of you who have not been paying attention, you should know I started a song writing competition. The contest is now over, and you can listen to all the songs over on Bandcamp. You can also download them all for FREE! To find out more about this competition, visit "SpinTunes". There's a permanent link right up above.

I was going to post these reviews as the competition was going on, but as some of you know, there's a good reason why I stopped after round 1. Since this competition is based on 4 challenges, my rankings will strongly reflect how well you met the challenge, and not just on how much I liked your song. These are ordered from favorite to least favorite, with reviews of the shadow songs at the very bottom.

Edric Haleen (Love) - Does a great job of taking someone through the highs & lows of love. The performance is the best of the round, and I can sing it….well except the last line.


Caleb Hines (Insomniac Lullaby) - Loved the idea & story telling. The time signature changes worked to help tell the story wonderfully as well.
<a href="http://spintown.bandcamp.com/track/insomniac-lullaby">Insomniac Lullaby by Spintown Tunes</a>

“Buckethat” Bobby (Space Pirates) - Most fun song of the round…hands down. I’m more of a space ninja guy personally, but I’m coming arrrround to pirates. I no Bobby was rushed in finishing (we were in ArtiFiction as he was trying to submit his song), so I hope he gives this song some tender love & care later on. It’s more than a little rough at times, and a good recording would have knocked Edric off that #1 spot. Oh….and someone get the man a cough drop.
<a href="http://spintown.bandcamp.com/track/space-pirates">Space Pirates by Spintown Tunes</a>

Ross Durand (Waltz With The Devil) - First line was awesome for about 3 different reasons. The time signature changes didn’t work for me as well as some others, but I loved everything else about the song. Definitely one of my favorites this round.

The Offhand Band (Another Universe) - I didn’t rank it very high, but your last song did have me saying “Step Back Swooperman” at various times throughout the week. This time I enjoyed the whole song, and not just part of it. I really liked the transitions, which were smooth & helped the story along.

Jenny Katz (Miss You) - I love your voice. Is there someway you could sing me directions on my GPS? I can’t find anything bad to say about this, but at the same time my favorite thing about it is your voice. I have no clue where this will fall in my rankings. I have a feeling it’s a song that will move up a little with each listen. You can count on this ending up on my MP3 player.

Governing Dynamics (Eleyna Dreams) - Some of the lyrics I really dug, while others did nothing for me. Overall I enjoyed the song, and even the vocals. They still need work, but the performance is there. Styles being very different, you remind me of Jon Eric. I don’t usually like his vocals, but there’s feeling in the performance.

Kevin Savino-Riker (Here At The Door) - Is it me or is there a lot going on here? I liked the music & the performance a lot. However I’m not sure what the heck the song was about. I feel like copying & pasting a random review I’ve done for Denise Hudson in the past. This type of story telling just doesn’t do it for me. The music ROCKED though.

Charlie McCarran (Sleep On It) - I enjoyed the guitar work a lot. At times I thought you were onto something with the lyrics, but overall they didn’t do it for me. It’s a shame because I did enjoy the tune.

Steve Durand (Rara Avis) - Vocals need work, but this song was catchy nonetheless. I’m not sure why, but this song made me ‘feel’ cool while listening to it. I’m sure that doesn’t make sense, and it’s not helpful feedback, but it was a fun listen.

Sara Parsons (A Little Time) - Lyrcially this didn’t grab me (especially the chorus), but the music & singing were excellent.

Godz Poodlz (Identities Assumed) - I don’t know why exactly, but I couldn’t get into this song. I’m assuming it’s the lyrics being a bit ambiguous? Either way it’s a rarity for me not to jump on the Godz Poodlz bandwagon.

Denise Hudson (Flex Time) - Sexy voice is sexy. I was shocked there was no piano, and I’m thrilled Denise did something a little different from her norm.

Gorbzilla (Than Infinity) - Awwweeeee……it’s cuter than Justin Bieber petting a LOL cat. This song was written for his wife’s birthday more so than this contest. It’s cute, and your wife had to love it so it accomplished it’s main goal. I don’t know if it will get you to round 3, but thanks for sharing it with everyone.

JoAnn Abbott (Life) - The recording sucks. I really hope JoAnn finds someone to partner up with in the future. I really dig her work, but she doesn’t have the equipment or the ability to play music that could make her songs amazing. I’m betting she worked harder than most people this round, and I’m proud of her. Considering she didn’t know what a time signature was when the challenge was announced, she deserves a “Well done.”

Heather Miller (Bullseye) - I don’t associate the term “Bulleyes” with the game of pool…and I play a little bit. But maybe it’s just the people around here that don’t use the term. Anyways, the time sigs were a definite problem for you. It sounds like 2 different songs cut & paste together. Both of them sound like they could be good songs, but they don’t currently fit together.

Emperor Gum (Smoulder 'Yaoya Oshichi') - Some of the music is well…jarring. The transitions aren’t that smooth, but I do think Graham is improving. The production is better than his past entry was, but still needs work. I understood most of the lyrics this time without help. I don’t think he did enough to move onto round 3, but if he keeps improving I can see him getting there one day.

Shadows:

Dr. Lindyke (Minutes And Hours) - It’s pretty, but again I’m not into the lyrics. I like clear stories that don’t force me to decide what the song is about. The performance was typical of Dave….meaning it was great.

Boffo Yux Dudes (How Low Will You Go) - I got tired of the “How Low Will You Go” line, and it’s various mods. It made me laugh at times, but felt too repetitive overall.

These reviews were written long ago. After having listened to the songs more, and having time to reflect, the order may be a little different today. But honestly not much would have changed, and I don't feel like redoing my reviews or rankings since the contest is now over. Some new shadow songs were also submitted after the deadline, and after these reviews were done. So if you wrote a song, but weren't mentioned...that's probably why.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Music For Millions (1944)

Overall this movie was...alright. Worth watching if you're a Jimmy Durante or Margaret O'Brien fan, other than that it's just alright. I watched it because I AM a Jimmy Durante fan, and when I saw that June Allyson was in it, I figured I'd probably like it. Unfortunately I thought June's performance was unbelievable...in a bad way. Seemed too phony. I came away thinking Margaret O'Brien is probably the cutest child star I've ever seen. That kid could make the Grinch smile with her delivery.

The movie is about a young lady (June) who is preggers with her man off fighting in WWII. Her kid sister (Margaret) comes for a surprise visit, and causes some humorous moments. June's character is staying in a boarding house with a bunch of other girls who are all in a symphony orchestra....which is lead by Jose Iturbi. From the start I thought Jose was going to be a bit more of a villain in the movie, but it takes only minutes for Margaret to melt his heart. Jimmy is the man that basically gets things done, and I guess his official title would be manager of the orchestra? He provides some fun moments during the picture. The supporting cast overall did a fine job, but a couple stand outs were Marsha Hunt & Hugh Herbert. My biggest problems with the film were June's performance, and the ending. It's a happy ending...which I like, but you see it coming a mile away.

Don't go out and hunt this movie down, but if you happen to catch it on TV on a slow night...go ahead & watch it.

Umbriago
Jimmy Durante doing his thing, and his long time associate Eddy Jackson making an appearance.


Clair de Lune
Larry Adler on the harmonica.

Piano Concerto In A Minor
José Iturbi tickling the ivory.

Jimmy Durante & Eddie Jackson (1955)
Jimmy not only performed this act on stage numerous times, but on film as well. This is not from the movie. This is from some television show, but I can't say which.

Fun Fact: The member of the band at the Army base who breaks up Jimmy Durante's performance of "Umbriago" by singing in front of the microphone is Eddie Jackson (ne Edward Jacobs), Durante's long time partner in the night-club team of Clayton, Jackson and Durante. The trio performed for years on vaudeville and at New York's Club Durant (sic) but it was the bottom-billed Jimmy who became the star. Lou Clayton, who gave up show business to manage his partner's career, made Jimmy a millionaire. - IMDB

Friday, August 20, 2010

Song Fight Review: The Middle Part

The last challenge over at Song Fight was titled "Hardly A Moment", and my favorite entry was from Steve Durand. He didn't get the win, but the song I had ranked second did. Jon Eric ft. Manhattan Glutton proved to be a good team, as their collab brought them a FLAWLESS VICTORY. 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.)

King Arthur - You sir have been kicking major ass lately. Lyrics were clever, the story was smart & relatable. Enjoyed every second of it.

Ross Durand - Feel good, life lesson teaching, lyrically sound, title inspired song....well done.

Steve Durand - I was wondering the entire time..."How is this inspired by the title?" Of course at the end I got it, and it was kinda funny. It kept me entertained all the way through, and I was picturing a video for the song as I listened. You should go on Flickr & make this into a Picture Song. It would be incredibly easy.

Others:
(Head over to Song Fight to listen to these songs.)

MENBAH! - Fun...not great but fun. So simple & light that it sounds a bit like a theme song. I like theme songs...so this will probably grow on me with more listens. (almost voted for)

Jon Eric - Didn't really dig the song, but thought the vocals were some of your best.

The HATE Noise - I found myself really enjoying this, and you've got great flow. What the hell was up with 2:38 to 3:34 though? This was about to go on my MP3 player, but because of that stretch it found it's way into my trashcan.

Masterhyde - Not bad, but it's a song about a song. Been there, heard that countless times. It pretty much needs to be EXCELLENT if you're going to go this route.

New Result - Having listened to a few of your submissions in the past, I want to try something new with this review. I'm going to attempt to review your song without listening to it, and then see how on the mark I was by listening to your song afterwards. Ok...so hear we go:

"Did I just beat Contra? Oh, never mind it's New Result with another 8-bit sounding entry with no lyrics. I don't count the repeating of the title over & over as actual lyrics...sorry. Try putting some thought into telling a story, because the only thing your entries ever make me feel is the need to beat a classic NES game."

Now...to listen to the song...

w00t I did pretty well. If everyone else was that predictable I'd never have to listen to the fights before reviewing. That would save so much time. I think you moved from 8-bit to 16-bit, but other than that my original review is what I'd have said. You could have repeated "Noodles Are Slimey", "Michigan Sucks", "I Fear Chris Hansen" or any random statement and it would have made as much since with that music. *sigh* Change your name to "Same Result" already.

Architects Of Desire - Nice voice. Groove is alright...lyrics didn't grab me.

Bachelor Police - Maybe it was just because you ran out of time, but expand on the story a bit. The title was "The Middle Part", and it felt like you left out the middle part of the story...needed more. I know the guy says he missed the middle part, but the audience shouldn't feel like they just had a P&J sandwich without the P&J.

Side Notes:
- USE THE LYRICS FORUM...you know...for those of you that write lyrics. *looks at New Result*

Thursday, August 19, 2010

U Smile 800% Slower

I thought this was kinda neat, but I want to see someone slow down some GOOD songs next. I'm not a Justin Bieber hater, but really...that's the song you pick? Ah...nice work Shamantis.


Other Updates I Posted Today:

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Dance, Girl, Dance (1940)

This movie was fairly dull. I only watched it because I like Maureen O'Hara & Lucille Ball, but even as a fan of theirs I didn't care for it. You have Maureen playing a wannabe ballerina & Lucy playing a burlesque queen. They eventually fall for the same guy...mild drama...the guy picks option C (his ex-wife)...and then a rather dull ending. You can watch the entire movie on YouTube...but I don't suggest you waste your time.

One thing I did notice in the movie was that Lucy did her own singing. In most of the other musicals I've seen her in, they usually dub someone elses voice into the picture. As a burlesque queen I guess people don't expect great singing from you....just a little....attitude. Anyways...just because I found them interesting I'll put a couple of Lucy's numbers below.

Jitterbug Bite
I skipped to Lucy's number in this video, but if you're interested you can go back & watch Maureen dance a little.


Mother, What Do I Do Now?


Fun Fact: "Lucille Ball and Maureen O'Hara became inseparable friends while filming Dance Girl, Dance, and became life-long friends afterward, up Till Ball's death in 1989. Maureen was having lunch with Lucille when Lucille first saw her future husband Desi Arnaz." - IMDB

Monday, August 16, 2010

Lovely To Look At (1952)

"Lovely To Look At" is really just a fresh take on the Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers movie "Roberta". It's a bit hard to replace a song & dance team like Fred & Ginger, but using Marge & Gower Champion was a darn good choice. The movie actually stars Howard Keel & Kathryn Grayson, with Red Skilton & Ann Miller having large supporting roles. Zsa Zsa Gabor has a small role, as does Kurt Kasznar, but neither role or performance adds much to the movie. This movie nearly put me to sleep a couple times. The only high points were usually Red's gags, and the dance routines featuring the Champion's. If you want to watch this movie...do so with your thumb on the fast forward button.

Unfortunately I couldn't find many clips from the movie online, so I'll also share some clips from "Roberta".

I'll Be Hard To Handle
In "Lovely To Look At" Ann Miller handles this number herself. It's not one of my favorite numbers from Ann, but it's not bad. I couldn't find the clip on YouTube, so here's Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers dancing in "Roberta".


I Won't Dance
This dance number was my favorite moment of the movie...but again...I couldn't find the clip. So instead of Marge & Gower Champion you get Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers from "Roberta".

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
Well...at least I was able to find one decent clip from the film. Enjoy this Marge & Gower Champion routine.

Fun Fact: "The lavish fashion-show sequence, directed by the uncredited Vincente Minnelli, showcased the gowns of Adrian, the influential designer associated with MGM's golden age of Garbo, Shearer, Harlow and Crawford. Adrian's work on the entire feature concluded his 28-year film career." - IMDB

Sunday, August 15, 2010

I Know What You Did Last Summer Vacation

Brentalfloss runs a very interesting summer camp each year. I thought this was worth sharing.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Song Fight Review: Hardly A Moment

The last challenge over at Song Fight was titled "Hello My Old Heart", and I predicted that King Arthur would win. Well I was RIGHT this time, and not just once but twice. Because as I already mentioned, Jonathan Mann won the Live Fight, and I voted for him in that. To quote John Goodman, "Ya that's right, I'm bad". 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.)

Steve Durand - This song was catchy. Something I thought was lacking this round overall. There were some solid tunes turned in, but this one gave me a reason to listen again & again. Great work Steve.

Jon Eric ft. Manhattan Glutton - For some odd reason I normally don't enjoy collabs between 2 artists that I enjoy. In this case I think you both hit a home run, and should be in the running for a victory. I really thought the lyrics were well thought out in this song.

Cock - Nice vocals. Nothing really stood out about the music or the lyrics. I think this is a song I'd enjoy listening to multiple times, but it doesn't have anything that makes me want to seek it out. #CatchyFactorLow

Not Bad:
(Head over to Song Fight to listen to these songs.)

The Affirmative Mention - Really dug the music...A LOT. Unfortunately I didn't care for the lyrics & the vocals were just alright. (USE THE LYRIC ARCHIVE)

Berkeley Social Scene - I listened to all these songs right after waking up. And the 1 minute instrumental opening nearly put me back to sleep. To be fair I should mention that the next day it didn't, but I still thought it was a bit long. The music was kinda pretty, but any time I tried to focus on the lyrics I just got lost. I could get into them at all, and the song overall fell into the catagory of nice background music...too me at least.

King Arthur - I enjoyed the chorus...and felt extremely let down with the rest of the song. Just feels like you got an idea, and the deadline came before you could fully construct it.

queef mcbeef - For what this is it isn't bad. It reminds me of Eclectic Method. Unfortunately I don't care for Eclectic Method's music if you take away the video. For me, he's an audio/visual experience, and one without the other isn't good enough.

Sockpuppet - That was f'ing stupid...but I laughed. :p

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Spintown 10 with Andy Rehfeldt

Honestly this video is just something to remind my YouTube subscribers that I'm still alive. It will hopefully tide you over until my next "Spintown Interviews..." or "Pain For Laughs" video is completed. This isn't meant to be anything fancy...just a time waster.

You may think there's no wrong or right answers when you're being asked an opinion, but you would be wrong. The theme of this video is movie action stars. Find out Andy's Spintown Score, and figure your own out as well. Then tell me how many you got right in the comments.

Andy Rehfeldt is a Grammy winning musician who has made a splash on YouTube with some incredible dub videos. You can watch my real interview with him HERE.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Hollywood Or Bust (1956)

Recently I stumbled onto a movie on YouTube that I had been wanting to see for a long time, "Hollywood Or Bust" starring Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis. For whatever reason you can't find many of their movies on DVD & they rarely seem to be on TV. So it was a real treat to accidentally find the entire movie on YouTube. You can watch the trailer HERE or watch the entire movie HERE.

As with a number of their films this one starts off with Dean being up to no good, and being thrust into a partnership with Jerry. This particular partnership involves a cross country road trip in which they meet a girl (Pat Crowley). Of course the rest of the movie is Dean trying to make headway with the girl & slowly becoming a not so bad guy. During this time Jerry is being Jerry; doing nutty things like fighting a bull, winning thousands while playing craps, etc..etc... The best performance from the supporting cast probably came from the great dane who played Jerry's pet (Mr. Bascomb). A few of Dean's real life kids make screen appearances, including Deana Martin.

The opening reminded me of a Jerry Lewis movie...after the break up. Which is not a good thing, but it turned out to be a pretty typical Dean & Jerry movie....that is a good thing. I've had the soundtrack to this movie for about 10 years now, and I listen to 2 of the numbers all the time. My favorite part of the soundtrack is "A Day In The Country/The Wild And Wooly West". On the soundtrack it's just 1 long number, but in the movie it's broke up into 3 parts. If you play the first 3 videos below you can listen to the entire number. As soon as the number stops on 1 video, pause it, and then start the next.

A Day In The Country/The Wild and Wooly West (Part 1)
This 3 part number features Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Pat Crowley & Mr. Bascomb.


(Part 2)

(Part 3)

It Looks Like Love
This is only a fraction of the song, but this is just a sweet moment & number. Dean & Pat sound wonderful together.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Song Fight Review: Hello My Old Heart

The last challenge over at Song Fight was titled "Peace Is Rest", and my favorite entry was from Just In Case. Well I was wrong, and DUNCE got the win. There's a whole new batch of songs over at Song Fight, so I suggest you go pick your favorite songs for the current fight.

The current fight over at Song Fight had an extra twist. They had a 10 year anniversary get together recently, and at that get together they had a Live Fight. The title was "Hello My Old Heart" just as it's posted on the website. Jonathan Mann won the Live Fight, but now those live songs are also being judged with entries from other people across the interwebs. There are videos of each performance from the Live Fight, and you can find links to each video in THIS thread. My favorite songs from the fight are below.

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

King Arthur - I had my 10 year reunion not that long ago, and I think this song really captures the feeling of those moments. Best song of the fight.

Steve Durand - Cute...sweet...simple...enjoyable. I don't know why so many people hate ukes? When used right, they're great.

Ken's Super Duper Band 'N Stuff - I didn't really dig the live performance, but I really enjoyed listening to this version.

The Seamus Collective - This is another song I didn't really dig at the Live Fight, but found myself really into listening to this recording. I'm not really big on live music period, so that has a lot to do with me having issues with some of the songs at the Live Fight.

Not Bad:
(Head over to Song Fight to listen to these songs.)

McCalum - Lyrically I think you stumble around a lot, especially at the start. But the song picks up, and is pretty enjoyable. I liked the idea behind the song.

Abjure! - You had me with the line, "She'd dislocate her jaw at will". Funny shit.

Jonathan Mann - I was in the chat room cheering for you during the Live Fight, and you were extremely close to getting my vote in this fight as well. Phones really need to come with a breathalyzer to prevent drunk dialing.

Tailirine Irene - Music was interesting. The singing didn't really sit well with me, but the rapping wasn't bad....even though I couldn't pick up everything. USE THE LYRICS FORUM!

Videos:
Andrew Reist uploaded this video for his song.


This is a video of Jonathan Mann performing during the Live Fight.

JB performing during the Live Fight.

Frankie Big Face performing during the Live Fight.

Sock Puppet performing during the Live Fight.

Side Notes:
- I don't really enjoy live music much, so that took away some of the enjoyment of the songs played at the Live Fight. Listening to the recordings sent in of those same songs I was a lot more impressed than previously...with some.

- A Far Off Land featuring Field Of Bronze: I was somewhat into the song for the first 3 minutes...then whatever interest I had was kicked right out the door & wasn't allowed back in.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

By The Light Of The Silvery Moon (1953)

I updated every page of the blog....2 DAYS IN A ROW! I may have went away for awhile, but I'm getting caught back up. Expect more updates on Monday, but not every page. For this page, I'm once again going to share some of my favorite moments from a movie I recently watched.

"By The Light Of The Silvery Moon" (Watch The Trailer) is basically a sequel for the movie "On Moonlight Bay" (1951). Both films are packed full of songs, and this is another Doris Day/Gordon MacRae film. There isn't much star power other than Doris & Gordon, but the supporting cast is solid. Leon Ames & Mary Wickes do a fine job, and Billy Gray was surprisingly good in his role as the kid brother/Fearless Flanagan. It's not a GREAT movie, just your typical light hearted romantic comedy, but certainly a fun movie. If you keep your eyes open you might notice an uncredited appearance from Merv Griffin. As usual, I'll embed my favorite moments below. This time I was able to find basically the entire movie on YouTube.

By The Light Of The Silvery Moon
Doris Day & Gordon MacRae singing the title song.


My Home Town Is A One Horse Town
Gordon MacRae singing a number as he's returning from the war.


Be My Little Baby Bumble Bee
Doris Day, Gordon MacRae & Russell Arms singing around the piano.


Ain't We Got Fun
This is one of my favorite Doris Day songs, and I sing this often in the car. This is not the same version I have on CD, but it's not bad.


Just One Girl
Gordon MacRae is so happy to see Doris that he can hardly stay on the ground....can you blame him?


King Chanticleer
There wasn't much dancing in this movie, but I thought this was a cute routine.