Cool Shit 5/6

Grooveshark, a music service that was skating by on the fringes of legality, recently shut it self down. But as is the case with just about everything in an internet world, it is not dead.

Jimmy Fallon and Jack Black redid the song my mom and I danced to at my wedding? How can I not share?



I love stairs.

Amazon for stolen identities.

Oh good, a new Indiana Jones sequel is confirmed, being as the the last one was so good.

A chilling account of one man's descent into darkness at the Big Buck Hunter championship.

Let's just say when I explore attics, I don't find stuff like this.

Cool Shit 3/20

Want to see what the George Saunders hoopla is all about (he's an author)? Check out ten of his stories here.

While I agree right now that television is really kicking out the jams, another police procedural about a woman who gets really tangled up in the case so soon after The Killing has me worried slightly.

In just a few short years, Jimmy Fallon went from the guy who couldn't keep a straight face in an SNL skit, to the hot commodity in late night television. And he did it all with a smile.

The drug gangs of Mexico have implemented many ideas in order to get drugs into the US. And I'm sure however they're doing it now is just as creative.

Oh yeah? I once skipped breakfast like 3 days in a row!

Jimmy Fallon - Successful Late Night Host?

Sure, he got a lot of shit when it was announced that Jimmy Fallon was replacing Conan at 12:30 on NBC. Known mostly as being the cute guy during his SNL stint that could never keep a straight face in a sketch, people were outraged that he was getting such a cushy gig. And really, 12:30 at night is a cushy gig. Free of the spotlight that the 11:30 hosts have to endure, 12:30 is a place where you can spread your creative wings a little more as well. Which is exactly what Mr. Fallon has been doing. Not only was getting The Roots to be his houseband an excellent move to force the hipsters to begrudgingly give him some credit, he has also focused on his skill/talent of parodying music. Here's just one recent example of that...

Sure, it's not going to set the world on fire with humor, but getting Gwyneth Paltrow to go along with a cheesy 80s hip hop sketch and make fun of herself is no easy feat (I assume - maybe she gets moist thinking about Kid n Play and this was all her idea).

But it's videos like these...

that not only show off Fallon's skill, but also shows off that Fallon gets what his audience wants, and understands how to create a buzz on the Internet. And for that, he should be getting more accolades.

Insert “Cover” Pun Here: My Top 6 Live Covers of 2010

Whether or not I write up a comprehensive review of 2010 in music, I got a wild hair up my ass to share this with you.

Somewhat pretentiously, you could call it an account of a blind man’s view of an elephant’s leg.

Much less pretentiously, you should call it the best live cover songs I saw this year.

After the jump, an explanation of why this picture was chosen…

Are you kidding?

This picture was on my Christmas card this year (email me if you want one, I’ve got extras thanks to UPS).

I’m thinking of eating nothing but photo cakes with this image.

I’m starting a math rock band that does nothing but play 20+ minute jams based on the binary information stored within the JPEG of this picture. 

While it may be nothing more than a stolen moment in/near a hot tub on the roof of a Vegas hotel, it makes me smile every time I see it.

Much like when a band I love annexes a song from another band and makes it their own.

Thanks to everyone who recorded these songs (including me). There are some cases where the specific version I saw doesn’t exist, so I found clips of those songs from other shows.  Hopefully you can forgive me.

Now let’s 15% Casey Kasem this shit!

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6. Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit – Otis Redding – “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay”

Oct. 22 – North Star, Philly

Tough choice between this and “Atlantic City” (see below), but I gotta go with this perfect example of Mr. Isbell’s Southern Soul.

This was part of a legendary 9 shows in 11 nights run that I wrote about and of which you can read if you click the link contained in this here sentence.

 

5. Unnamed Supergroup (Rhett Miller, Nicole Atkins, AC Newman, & A Guy I Don't Know From The Wrens) – Traditional Gospel Song - “Long Road to Freedom”

Jan. 27 – Bell House (Haiti Benefit), Brooklyn

On a night of good covers (see #1), this breezed through the room and gave us hope for a Cowsills reunion.  Rhett Miller (Old 97s) was the only artist I was familiar with as an individual, but have been eager to check out more Nicole Atkins).

 

4. My Morning Jacket – Bob Dylan - “Tonight, I’ll Be Staying Here With You”

Oct. 21 – Terminal 5, Manhattan

MMJ has always delivered good covers.  An earnest, straightforward, somewhat obvious version of a Dylan song wouldn’t normally take precedence over a Lionel Richie cover (see below), but well, here we are.

 

3. Titus Andronicus – Weezer - “Undone (The Sweater Song)”

Apr. 15 - The Barbary, Philly

This is the second post in a week I’ve included this clip.  It’s that good.  I love the impromptu reimagining of the spoken word banter.  So damn good.

 

2. Corin Tucker Band – Elvis Costello - “Party Girl”

Oct. 28 – First Unitarian Church, Philly

Another tough choice (yes, see below).  A rocking punk cover and a raucous version of “The Glamorous Life” provided stiff competition.  But this… this…

This is sexy.  This is forceful.  This is playful.  This is a torch singer breathing hot fire.  This is 5 pounds of quadraphonic sound stuffed into a 2 pound bag.

This fucking rules.

 

1. Lauren Ambrose & The Leisure Class– Bob Dylan - “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright”

Jan. 27 – Bell House (Haiti Benefit), Brooklyn

This definitely wins the award for most unexpected delight. Didn’t know the actress from Six Feet Under and Can’t Hardly Wait (see below) was musically inclined, but apparently is a classically trained opera singer.  This, however, is not opera.

She leads a kick-ass swing/ragtime band and this Dylan cover blew me the hell away.  Her energy is infectious and the joy on her face is as wide as the Great Wall and equally visible from space.

 

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The Rest

Ted Leo – The Impressions - “Keep on Pushing”

Jan. 27 – Bell House (Haiti Benefit), Brooklyn

 

Jimmy Fallon as Neil Young – Will Smith - “Fresh Prince Theme”

Jan. 27 – Bell House (Haiti Benefit), Brooklyn

 

Unnamed Supergroup – Seekers - “A World of Our Own”

Jan. 27 – Bell House (Haiti Benefit), Brooklyn

 

fun. – Queen - “Radio Gaga”

Jan. 27 – Bell House (Haiti Benefit), Brooklyn

 

Quasi – The Who – Medley

Apr. 23 - Johnny Brenda’s, Philly (from a different show, however)

 

Levon Helm & Friends (members of Felice Brothers, Edward Sharpe, Low Anthem, and others) – Bob Dylan - “I Shall Be Released”

Aug. 1 - Newport Folk Festival, Newport, RI (a recap of my Newport weekend)

 

April Smith – Melanie - “Brand New Key”

Aug. 1 - Newport Folk Festival, Newport, RI (from a different show, however)

 

O’Death – Pixies - “Nimrod's Son”

Aug. 21 – Rock Shop, Brooklyn (from a different show, but it’s the same borough)

 

Those Darlins – Johnny Kidd and the Pirates - “Shakin’ All Over”

Sep. 19 – Kung Fu Necktie, Philly (different show)

 

Two Cow Garage – The Replacements - “Can’t Hardly Wait”

Oct. 19 – Mojo on Main, Newark, DE (different show)

 

Greg Dulli – The Who - “Pinball Wizard”

Oct. 20 – Johnny Brenda’s, Philly

 

My Morning Jacket – Lionel Richie - “All Night Long”

Oct. 21 – Terminal 5, Manhattan

 

My Morning Jacket – The Band- “Makes No Difference”

Oct. 21 – Terminal 5, Manhattan

 

Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit – Bruce Springsteen - “Atlantic City”

Oct. 22 – North Star, Philly

 

Corin Tucker Band – Au Pairs - “It’s Obvious”

Oct. 28 – First Unitarian Church, Philly

 

Corin Tucker Band – Sheila E - “The Glamorous Life”

Oct. 28 – First Unitarian Church, Philly

Tracy Morgan Explains Star Wars

I'm not really sure Tracy Morgan ever saw Star Wars. I mean the inaccuracies are stunning!

Links of Interest 11/25

When it comes to food, it really is all in the name.

AV Club does it again, turning their attention to the best books of the decade.

Interview with a crazy man. You might know him as Werner Herzog.

Are these the 6 creepiest places on Earth?

The Muppets sing Queen!

Just fucking make a turducken tomorrow. Here’s the recipe. You’re good to go.

4 ways we may or may not evolve. Or if you don’t believe in evolution, 4 ways God may or may not give us magical gifts.

No big fan of Jimmy Fallon, but if he can keep hitting home runs like this video, then he’ll win me and others over. I’m just afraid his hits are too few and far between.

Bests television guest appearances. Oprah on 30 Rock though? No. It was forced at best, as if the writers found out at the last minute that Oprah was a fan of the show, happened to be in New York, and demanded to be in the episode.

I love goop (Gwenyth Paltrow’s blog on how we should all live). And this entry is especially exceptional. It’s like pretentiousness took a bath in pretentiousness.

Links of Interest 11/24

Places you might want to check out in case the shit goes down.

What a cheery thought – praying for the death of others. In this case, Obama.

Interview with Wes Andersen.

Who doesn’t like awesome vans?

Super powers that were maybe uh, not so super.

This Thanksgiving the most important recipes might be for the drinks.

My new favorite thing: Backyard roller coasters.

1979. The year everything changed. I guess the Smashing Pumpkins were right.

?uestlove talks about his favorite Late Night with Jimmy Fallon moments.

That sushi you’re eating? Could be endangered. It’s like The Freshman only in reverse!