Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts

Monday, December 20, 2010

72 Posts Roundup at Dennys Blogs - 20 Dec 2010

Check out news analysis, political humor, funny quotes, funny videos, cartoons, recipes, science news, music and poetry.




From Denny: This is about three week's worth of posts. Be sure to check out this post over at the science blog, The Soul Calendar, for the rare 500 year total lunar eclipse coinciding with the Winter Solstice tonight.  I like to write my science with a bit of wit.  It's so much easier to absorb facts when the writing is funny.

Also, lots of funny videos, comedy, jokes from the late night comedians lampooning the news and our crazy Congress. Their idea of "logic" is questionable sometimes. :)

For the Christmas and holiday season there are plenty of music videos to soothe the stress after rushing around shopping and visiting.

I've also started developing the arts blog, Dennys Art Sanctuary. It has been languishing far too long. The plan is to feature various artists along with the arts news.

What's also new is that I've started gathering all my poetry onto one blog, Poems From A Spiritual Heart. There are even poems there that have not posted on The Social Poets first.

So, take a look around, decompress, and enjoy yourself! Thank You for all your support this year. It's been a delight to write for you! What a wild ride! :)




The Social Poets: news and political humor

Crazy Week of American Politics Cartoons - 18 Dec 2010 - What a political week. Now check out how the cartoonists lampooned it all.

What Is The Truth About Unemployment In America? - Check out the status of unemployment across America and how high the figure is for the long term unemployed.

17 Christmas Music and Fun Videos - Enjoy some popular and traditional sacred music for the Christmas season, along with some funny holiday flash mob videos.

Gordon Brown Book: 9 Big Banks Manipulating World Economy - Check out the crooked world of global banking.

The International Spy poem - Libations Monday 13 Dec 2010 - Step into the world of the spy and witness the effect they have upon the people they meet - until one day they meet someone who poignantly affects them. A true story from my travels - and childhood.

WikiLeaks, Obama Tax Cuts, Political Humor - 11 Dec 2010 - More Santa and WikiLeaks cartoons for fun.

Sellout Obama and Bush Tax Cuts Firestorm Angers America - Obama continues to bully a bad tax plan down the throats of America.

Funny Lite: Roundup of Late Night Jokes and Videos - 8 Dec 2010 - Check out how the comedians view WikiLeaks and Santa.

36 Christmas Posts: Music, Humor, Poems, Stories, Quotes - Explore a bonanza of Christmas offerings from music to humor to quotes to food and lots of good stories - and poems, both original and traditions from the past.

Funny WikiLeaks Cartoons - WikiLeaks never fails to entertain and outrage the world. Check out the cartoonists lampooning with glee.

American and World Politics Cartoons This Week 4 Dec 2010 - Lots of tax cuts cartoons to make you laugh - or cry.

A Thought poem - Libations Friday 3 Dec 2010 - Have you ever thought about the hidden words behind the words spoken out loud?

Obama Presidency: Dead On Arrival in 2012? - Obama faces a hostile Democratic Party for 2012 reelection.

Funny Situational Hunh?! Cartoons - 29 Nov 2010 - Enjoy some simple humor courtesy of our national cartoonists owning some seriously cracked minds.

North Korea Throws Dangerous Temper Tantrum: Why? - North Korea bombs its neighbor to get the attention of a weary, and increasingly indifferent, world.

American and World Politics Cartoons - 27 Nov 2010 - Lots to lampoon this week for cartoonists as they poke fun at crazy North Korea, the buffoon of the world.

Friday Lite: Best Of Funny TSA Cartoons - 26 Nov 2010 - Check out what America is thinking about those TSA Pat Downs supposedly guarding us against terrorism.

Funny Thanksgiving Presidential Pardon 4 Turkeys Apple and Cider - Check out some funny trivia about presidential turkey pardons.

Funny Thanksgiving Quotes, Video, Cartoons and Food Posts - Enjoy some Thanksgiving humor along with more delectable recipes to make your mouth water waiting for the next holiday.

Monday Lite: Late Night Jokes, Thanksgiving and TSA Cartoons - 22 Nov 2010 - Check out the late night sarcasm about the TSA Pat Downs, Thanksgiving turkeys of the political kind like the Palin pride and Bush Who?

American and World Politics Humor - 20 Nov 2010 - Check out the national mind and the national conversation about politics and American culture this week from our favorite cartoonists.

TSA Pat Downs: PC Sexual Assault? - Furor over invasive sexual airport security measures has thousands across the country furious at the groping.

Posts Roundup at Dennys Blogs - 17 Nov 2010 - Check out news, opinion, silly political humor and funny cartoons, jokes, recipes, poetry, photography, science, spiritual thoughts and great quotes.

American and World Politics Humor - 20 Nov 2010 - Check out the national mind and the national conversation about politics and American culture this week from our favorite cartoonists.





Signe Wilkinson






Dennys Funny Quotes: funny videos, jokes, all silly


Funny Video: WikiLeaks Reveals Santa Naughty List - View a cute problem-solving session on the school playground.

Funny Video: Jimmy Kimmel Pokes Fun At WikiLeaks Assange - Comedians rip silly WikiLeaks founder Assange.

Music Video: Christmas Carol Flash Mob Sarcastic British Style - Hear The 12 Days of Christmas like you never heard it before.

Funny Video: NYC Folate Carolers Flash Mob Sings Christmas - Funny and clever singing and dancing takes New Yorkers by happy surprise during Christmas season.

Funny Video: Jon Stewart Mocks FOX on War on Christmas - Check out glib Stewart as he blasts crazy Fox News for the imaginary War on Christmas brigade marching into their studio.

Funny Video: Jon Stewart On Prez National Displeasure - Stewart pokes fun at the wrong Obama attitude toward Democrats by mocking him.

Funny Video: Jon Stewart Mocks Confederate Commemoration - Enjoy a little North-South humor from Jon Stewart lampooning the Confederate reenacting

Funny Christmas Cartoons - Check out the irreverent cartoonist offerings for the holiday season.

Funny Life Cartoons - 30 Nov 2010 - Enjoy some funny observations about our lives from cartoonists. The names have been changed to protect those who think themselves to be innocent.

Lampooning Crazy North Korea - See what fun cartoonists have had with world politics and that crazy uncle running North Korea.

Funny Life and Pet Cartoons - 27 Nov 2010 - Do you know what your dog is really thinking about you? The cartoonists know. Read on.

Funny Thanksgiving Cartoons - Get a grin at the best turkey cartoons sure to make you laugh.

Funny Holiday Fashion: Gluttony Pants - Get the latest holiday clothing to ensure comfortable holiday feasting.

Funny Life Cartoons - 19 Nov 2010 - Enjoy a grin from the cracked minds of some of our favorite cartoonists.







Beautiful Illustrated Quotations:  soothing music, inspirational thoughts, spiritual

Soothing Piano Music: First Love by Utada Hikaru - A great way to wind down after a busy day, listening to this selection.

36 Christmas Posts: Music, Humor, Poems, Stories, Quotes - Explore a bonanza of Christmas offerings from music to humor to quotes to food and lots of good stories - and poems, both original and traditions from the past.

Music Video: Wheres The Line To See Jesus? by Becky Kelley - Check out the newest addition to Christmas music this season born out of a true story - and a YouTube viral hit.

Music Video: Mary, Did You Know? By Clay Aiken - When you need some inspiration to lift your spirits or soothe your nerves during the holiday rush.

Music Video: Pie Jesu by Celtic Woman - Learn the meaning and history of this traditional song, Pie Jesu, which hails from ancient Christianity, rearranged by composers throughout the centuries.

Music Video: You Raise Me Up by Josh Groban

Music Video: The Prayer by Josh Groban, Celine Dion, Charlotte Church

Music Video: In The Arms Of The Angel by Sarah McLachlan and Josh Groban

Music Video: O Holy Night by Celine Dion

Music Video: Note to God by David Foster and Charice

Music Video: The Christmas Shoes

Music Video: Where Are You Christmas? by Faith Hill







Visual Insights:  music, arts, photography, humor

Funny Flash Mob Video: Dancing Elf Horde Invades New York City - Get into the holiday spirit with a dance flash mob horde of Santa Christmas elves making mischief in NYC.

Music Video: Christmas Tree by Lady Gaga

Music Video: The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole

Music Video: Michael Buble, Jennifer Hudson Christmas Duet - Christmas music for everyone to enjoy.

36 Christmas Posts: Music, Humor, Poems, Stories, Quotes

Fun Break Dance Battle Video: Milky vs. Lil Demon - Check out this fun competition between a little kid and an adult who can barely keep up.





The Soul Calendar:  science news and tech humor

Rare 500 Year Lunar Eclipse Gets Viewed By 1.5 Billion - Check out this incredible and rare cosmic show.

Funny Christmas Tech Cartoons - 18 Dec 2010 - Cartoonists have fun with how our social lives are so intertwined with technology.

Big Show Geminid Meteor Shower In Winter Sky Tonite and Tomorrow - Check out the spectacular show of Geminid meteor showers this week.






Dennys Art Sanctuary:  arts news (finally developing this blog and plan to feature various artists)

Antiwar Street Artist Censored By LA Musuem - Is it censorship of artists or was the director correct?

17 Christmas Music and Fun Videos - Enjoy some popular and traditional sacred music for the Christmas season, along with some funny holiday flash mob videos.

5 Jerkin Dance Tutorial Videos - Learn the how to of the latest dance trend around the world: Jerkin'





Poems From A Spiritual Heart:  all my "little word gifts" in one easy place to view :)

Louisiana Summer Sigh

Eyeing Think Time

Life Of Words

36 Christmas Posts: Music, Humor, Poems, Stories, Quotes - Explore a bonanza of Christmas offerings from music to humor to quotes to food and lots of good stories - and poems, both original and traditions from the past.

Conversations - How much it is to watch people in the act of talking.

People Words - Ever thought about how the air feels when we talk?

Gifts From The Heart, A Christmas Poem - Waging war in our society: the warm simplicity of gifts from the heart vs. the insecurity of goliath consumerism.

Rock, My Children - A poem written during the 911 anniversary that talks about dealing with profound loss, the death of a child.

Rain Blessings - Native Americans divide rain into the two categories of nurturing Mother Rain and destructive Father Rain.

Walk The World - A poem story about sharing our life with others - when we are both in need - to receive the greatest gift.  Though it was written in the summer this is really a timeless story and especially poignant during the holiday season.



*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

*** Check out Holiday Recipes From Dennys Food and Recipes

The Social Poets - news, politics
The Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychology
Visual Insights - photos, art, music
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophy
Best Spiritual Posts - my own best as well as links to other spiritual posts from all viewpoints
Poems From A Spiritual Heart - poetry
The Healing Waters - health news
Dennys People Watching - people in the news
Dennys Food and Recipes
Dennys Funny Quotes - humor

Thursday, December 16, 2010

17 Christmas Music and Fun Videos

Enjoy some popular and traditional sacred music for the Christmas season, along with some funny holiday flash mob videos.




From Denny: A person could spend a lifetime sifting through all the offerings over at YouTube and be happy. What fun to explore, looking for interesting Christmas music to fit a wide variety of reader interests.

Here are the offerings I've gleaned for this year. The first song, YouTube sudden viral hit, is from a newcomer, Becky Kelley, whose father wrote the song after Becky related a conversation from her nephew while they were standing in line to see Santa at the mall.  It's their first published song, a real shock to the music industry who came asking for more of their work.  I guess they had better get busy. :)

And now you have plenty here to help you stress down from  the holiday rush, make you laugh, and even get you pumped back up feeling inspired.


Music Video: Wheres The Line To See Jesus? by Becky Kelley - Check out the newest addition to Christmas music this season born out of a true story - and a YouTube viral hit.

Music Video: Mary, Did You Know? By Clay Aiken - When you need some inspiration to lift your spirits or soothe your nerves during the holiday rush.

Music Video: Pie Jesu by Celtic Woman - Learn the meaning and history of this traditional song, Pie Jesu, which hails from ancient Christianity, rearranged by composers throughout the centuries.

Music Video: You Raise Me Up by Josh Groban

Music Video: The Prayer by Josh Groban, Celine Dion, Charlotte Church

Music Video: In The Arms Of The Angel by Sarah McLachlan and Josh Groban






Music Video: O Holy Night by Celine Dion

Music Video: Note to God by David Foster and Charice

Music Video: The Christmas Shoes

Music Video: Where Are You Christmas? by Faith Hill

Music Video: Christmas Tree by Lady Gaga

Music Video: The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole

Music Video: Michael Buble, Jennifer Hudson Christmas Duet - Christmas music for everyone to enjoy.

Funny Flash Mob Video: Dancing Elf Horde Invades New York City - Get into the holiday spirit with a dance flash mob horde of Santa Christmas elves making mischief in NYC.

Music Video: Christmas Carol Flash Mob Sarcastic British Style - Hear The 12 Days of Christmas like you never heard it before.

Funny Video: NYC Folate Carolers Flash Mob Sings Christmas - Funny and clever singing and dancing takes New Yorkers by happy surprise during Christmas season.

36 Christmas Posts: Music, Humor, Poems, Stories, Quotes - Explore a bonanza of Christmas offerings from music to humor to quotes to food and lots of good stories - and poems, both original and traditions from the past.



*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

*** Check out Holiday Recipes From Dennys Food and Recipes

The Social Poets - news, politics
The Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychology
Visual Insights - photos, art, music
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophy
Best Spiritual Posts - my own best as well as links to other spiritual posts from all viewpoints
Poems From A Spiritual Heart - poetry
The Healing Waters - health news
Dennys People Watching - people in the news
Dennys Food and Recipes
Dennys Funny Quotes - humor

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

36 Christmas Posts: Music, Humor, Poems, Stories, Quotes

Explore a bonanza of Christmas offerings from music to humor to quotes to food and lots of good stories - and poems, both original and traditions from the past.




From Denny:  The adventure of blogging began two years ago and I've never looked back. Talk about fun! Christmas will always remain my favorite time of the year. Yes, I'm one of those people who holds in their heart the mantra of "I Believe!" Santa represents the goodwill spirit that humanity needs to cultivate and spread in abundance from generation to generation.  Goodwill is the fuel we all need on the Path of Hope as each generation struggles to learn and grow.

These posts represent two year's worth of posts. If I keep at it, just think, in a couple of more years I might make it to 100 Christmas posts! :) Take a look and take your pick to nourish your Christmas Spirit and help soothe your stress that always seems to visit during the holiday season.

Thank you for all your support on all my blogs this year! And may you and yours enjoy a wonderful New Year as well!



Lots of Christmas season humor to make you laugh during the stressful holiday rush:


Funny Christmas Conversations Story - Do you remember the funny and downright lame excuses your parents used to give you when talking about Santa coming to visit on Christmas Eve? 3 videos, Cajun Night Before Christmas video poem.

Funny Christmas Cartoons - Check out the irreverent cartoonist offerings for the holiday season.

Funny Holiday Fashion: Gluttony Pants - Get the latest holiday clothing to ensure comfortable holiday feasting.

Funny Life Cartoons This Week - 6 Dec 2010 - Enjoy some laughs while you shop til you drop this holiday season.

The Funny Side of Christmas - Cheeky Quote Day! 16 Dec 2009

Cheeky Quote Day! 23 Dec 2009

Funny Christmas Quotes and More Holiday Fun

Funny Story: Lovable Inflatable Christmas Louise - Don't you just love it when your friends send you these hilarious emails by anonymous authors?

Santas Curmudgeon Version of The Christmas Story

Funny Essay on Why Santa Must Really Be A Woman - Check out the funny reasons why someone thinks Santa might really be female (warning: slightly risque Photoshop photo)

Roundup of Late Night Funnies 28 Dec 2009

Lampooning Late Night Funnies Roundup 21 Dec 2009

Roundup of Late Night Funnies 7 Dec 2009

Editorial Cartoons 5 Dec 2009

Fun Christmas Blog Post Dividers and Animations



Holiday Food:

Holiday Recipes From Dennys Food and Recipes






Serious Christmas posts, poetry and music:

Gifts From The Heart, A Christmas Poem

A Man In Love - A true story of just how far a man will go to survive when he is in love during war time - a holiday poem story about the struggle for love reunited.

Christmas Poem: Some Children See Him

Christmas Love Story: The Burglars Christmas

Christmas Story: The Gift of the Magi

Christmas PEACE Poem by Longfellow: Christmas Bells

Original Christmas Poem Story: The Night Before Christmas

The Nativity Christmas Story Retold Thru Unusual Questions

Christmas Story: Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus

Christmas Story: Christmas Day in the Morning

Lanugages of the World: How to Say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Original Story by Dickens: A Christmas Carol






Music videos:

Music Video: You Raise Me Up by Josh Groban

Music Video: The Prayer by Josh Groban, Celine Dion, Charlotte Church

Music Video: In The Arms Of The Angel by Sarah McLachlan and Josh Groban

Music Video: O Holy Night by Celine Dion

Music Video: Note to God by David Foster and Charice

Music Video: The Christmas Shoes

Music Video: Where Are You Christmas? by Faith Hill

Music Video: Mary, Did You Know? By Clay Aiken




*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

The Social Poets - news, politics
The Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychology
Visual Insights - photos, art, music
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophy
Best Spiritual Posts
Poems From A Spiritual Heart - poetry
The Healing Waters - health news
Dennys People Watching - people in the news
Dennys Food and Recipes
Dennys Funny Quotes - humor

Holiday Recipes From Dennys Food and Recipes

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

(12.02.08) Recommends:

The Hackensaw Boys.

It's been a rainy/misty/foggy start to the holiday season here in Los Angeles. And, for some reason, rainy/misty/foggy holidays makes us want to listen to bluegrass and drink beer with friends in a setting that features lots of wood, or fake wood paneling if wood is too expensive (and what with the economic crisis we're in, this is probable). We're completely serious about this. We're not sure why we feel this way, but we do. Sort of like how listening to the Strokes' album Room on Fire makes us think of driving around Kansas City with a gentle snow falling.

Well, as an aside, now that we think about it, we actually understand that Strokes connection. We were in the year between graduating college and moving on to our next adventure. We lived in a part of town that was ostensibly hip and as a result our car was broken into three times. The first two times, during the fall, just the windows were smashed but nothing was taken. We actually took this somewhat as an insult because we had hundreds of CDs strewn about the car and not a single one was taken. We figured the thief thought we had bad taste in music and were deeply offended. The third time was during the early winter, and apparently wanting to preserve energy during the cold season, the thief got tricky/steathy. We entered the car. Started it and headed to work. Silence. This seemed weird so we looked down at the car stereo. Only to see that the car stereo had been stolen. Again, all of the CDs we had were entact, but we happened to have the aforementioned Strokes album in the CD player so that one was lost. And in the interim, rather than just going to buy a new car CD player and a new Strokes CD, we would drive around with our laptop open, playing the CD through our laptop speakers (we happened to have, cough cough, downloaded the album prior to purchasing it). Because the part of town we lived in was more ostensibly hip than actually hip (we mean seriously, if this was an actual hip part of town the thief would have left us a goddam thank you note for allowing him/her to behold such an impressive CD collection; at the least s/he would have taken them all to look cool around friends. Not that we haven't gotten over the snub or anything), there were many nights were we'd have nothing interesting to do. So we'd drive a long loop around the city, listening to the Strokes Room on Fire as a light snow fell. The end.

Anyway. Moving on. Here are some pictures of a show that the Hackensaw Boys recently put on at the Redwood Bar & Grill, a random pirate-themed bar downtown. Pirate bar, of course it is. The Hackensaw Boys are a rowdy countrypunkbluegrass band and they put on a very entertaining live act.






















We also recorded some sound. We like this first song because it's about The End Times Coming. And with transformative American authors commiting suicide, and worldwide financial meltdowns, and major/historic elections, and stories of pirates hijacking ships appearing with near daily regularity in the NY Times, and bad-action-movie-plot style attacks in India, all occuring within months of each other, it kinda sorta seems like this song might be on to something.



We like this next song because the band announces they're from Virgina, and if you listen closely, you can hear people in the crowd saying, in a nod to the McCain/Palin campaign and a nod to the memory of George Allen, "Welcome to America" and "the realVirgina?"



Finally, this last clip we like because, well, because the singer insists on making "Pirate noises" as the band looks for its missing fiddle player, and because the banjo player -- we've got a rather large soft spot on the banjo -- seems to get a little bored waiting and breaks into some killer banjo soloing. Yes, we went there: we just said killer banjo soloing.



Now, if you've gotten this far you may be saying to yourself: Man, it's kinda strange that you're into bluegrass music played in a manic style. Or: Man, it's kinda strange that there's a pirate-themed bar so far away from the craggy coastline of Somalia (Note: we think it's some sort of rule of AP Style that the NYTimes cannot draft an article about pirates without mentioning said pirates' proxmity off the "craggy coastline of Somalia," craggy being a word I've seen used in print perhaps never prior to Pirategate '08).

However. We submit that the strangest thing to come of all of this is that when we took the subway home -- from Union Station to the Hollywood/Vine station -- we noticed the top of the inside of Union Station is covered with hanging -- strategically or otherwise -- male manequin/blow up dolls -- or, omg, is it possible that they're Real Dolls; oh yikes, please say no. We're not kidding around:















Monday, December 1, 2008

(12.01.08) Recommends:

WSO Update.

Holy moly it's been, like, years since we've updated here. So much has been going on in the world since September that the blog felt a little uncalled for. Plus, we've been cheating on Blogger and spending much of our online time spouting nonsense on Twitter and Tumblr. But now we've gotten over ourselves, and figured we could start sharing here again. It's the holiday seasons. Recommendations are needed. So last time we updated it was about the WSO show at the Hotel Cafe. Below are some of the sites and sounds we captured. (Note: we are on the verge of converting a bunch of .mpg files to .mp3 files, so the days of you having to click on a video that has little or no visible video and only sound are almost over. Recommended: patience.)

Some sites:









Some sounds:
Tilt



Ten Dead Dogs





Wednesday, October 15, 2008

(10.15.08) Recommends:

Wild Sweet Orange at the Hotel Cafe.

We're lifting our head above water here to let people know that tomorrow a blog fave band, Wild Sweet Orange, plays at a blog fave venue, Hotel Cafe.

Here's some WSO tunes to get you in the mood.

Wild Sweet Orange -- Ten Dead Dogs -- mp3.

Wild Sweet Orange -- Either/Or -- mp3
.

---


Previous write-ups on the band can be found here and here.

Previous write-ups of Hotel Cafe can be found here and here.



Wednesday, September 24, 2008

(09.24.08) Recommends:

Thoughts Ahead of President Bush's Address to the Nation Regarding Our Current Financial Crisis.

Okay, so we just heard that the President is going to address the country tonight. Obviously he's not known as the most articulate and/or thoughtful president that our nation has ever produced. So who knows what he'll say. But for some reason we now have a particular section from the Andrew Bird song Tables and Chairs stuck in our heads. Can't you just picture an episode of the Simpsons where an animated President Bush addresses a weary nation with the following:


I know we're going to meet some day
In the crumbled financial institutions of this land
There will be tables and chairs
There'll be pony rides and dancing bears
There'll even be a band
Cause listen, after the fall there will be no more countries
No currencies at all, we're gonna live on our wits
We're gonna throw away survival kits,
Trade butterfly-knives for Adderall
And that's not all
Oh, there will be snacks there will
there will be snacks, there will be snacks.



Maybe tonight, when the president begins to speak, we should turn down the volume on him and listen to this song instead.







Monday, August 11, 2008

(08.11.08) Recommends:

Some Updates.

1. Matthew wrote in to update us on the missing song titles from our Horse Feathers post. The post now has the updated titles.

2. The other day we had this to Twitter. We went back to the scene of the crime when it was more light out and discovered that it's actually an MBW. But it's very Banksyesque. Here's a look:




3. Re Sunday's Obey post. This is less an update than a call for help. What we really want to be able to do is have the big picture of the mural, and then be able to click on each piece of the mural to have that individual piece pop up. We swear we've seen this done in Flickr but cannot figure out how to do it. Is this something that requires Photoshop? If anybody can help us out with this drop us a comment/email.



Tuesday, August 5, 2008

(08.05.08) Recommends:

Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band.

Last night Conor Oberst put on a free in-store performance at the Amoeba Records in Hollywood in conjunction with today's release of his new solo album. [The album can be streamed here.]
There was a huge and hugely appreciative crowd on hand -- we got their half-hour before the start time and and place was already packed -- and the band did a high energy run through the songs on the new album. This was one of the first shows for the new backing band, but they sound like they've been playing together for years, so this tour is certain to be very entertaining. For those in LA, the band puts on a sold out show this evening at the Troubadour and then is back in September for two nights at the Music Box.

We recorded some video of the show. Our standard video caveat applies -- the video is not really good -- and now we have an additional caveat: the band nearly blew the roof off Amoeba with its energy and the sound pretty much overwhelmed our modest little camera. Luckily the show was webcast via Amoeba's website, so once the webcast is archived we'll replace these videos with the cleaner, crisper webcast feed.


I Don't Want to Die (In the Hospital)



Sausalito




Monday, August 4, 2008

(08.04.08) Recommends:

An Evening of Horse Feathers.

Horse Feathers are a devastating two-piece band out of Portland, Ore. We were introduced to their music two-years ago next month by an impeccably-eared friend. We first blogged about them here.
So it was a foregone conclusion that, two years later while again living in the same city with our music discoverer friend, when Horse Feathers played the Troubadour we'd be in the crowd.




We've been listening to this band for two solid years, and until Saturday night had no idea that the violinist bares a striking resemblance -- at least in the dark from the balcony of the Troubadour -- to Harry Potter.




We recently began playing around with the video recorder function on our camera. So we tried to shoot some video of the show. The picture is obviously no good here, but the audio turned out decent. We'd like to figure out a way to turn these files into just sound files, but until then we present them below (we're not sure the name of the last two songs -- can anybody help? UPDATE:song titles have been corrected). We've been listening to them as background music since yesterday. We really love this band. They have a new record coming out next month and we could not be more excited for it.

Finch on Saturday


Walking & Running


Albina


Rude to Rile





Wednesday, July 23, 2008

(07.23.08) Recommends:

The Track "Ten Dead Dogs" from Wild Sweet Orange's "We Have Cause To Be Uneasy" (Canvasback Music, forthcoming, July 29, 2008).

As we mentioned in our last update, we haven't been blogging here lately as much as usual, as we've been playing around lots on Twitter and we've been fumbling around on Tumblr -- one anonymous tumblr that if you're savvy enough and/or have too much time on your hands you can find by scrubbing this blog, and another double secret Tumblr that we can tell you right now you'll never, ever discover, so don't even bother asking.

In addition, we've been listening almost exclusively to this WSO track, Ten Dead Dogs. We first saw WSO back in March -- my goodness, has it really been over four months since that show?? -- and about a month ago their full-length debut showed up in our mail boxes.

Let's back up though. When we say we've been listening almost exclusively to this track, we actually mean we've been listening almost exclusively to the first forty-five seconds of this track. As we Twittered earlier, the first :45 might be our favorite music released this year. Not an understatement: on the rare occasions in which we drive to work, our commute takes up to forty five minutes, which means we regularly listen to this part of the song 60 times in a row. But it's not just us who are crazy: we introduced this song to Law School Friend -- one of the few humans whose picture has ever appeared on the blog here, here, here -- during her ridiculous July 4th cookout. Last weekend, when we hung out with her again, she informed us that she had not been able to stop listening to the song. We may or may not be exaggerating when she said she listened to it 45 times consecutively.

While that may sound quaintly amateurish compared to our devotion, it is still a sign, we think, that this song is like E. Coli: some people will come in contact with it and won't notice anything every happened; others will have their bodies completely overtaken for 5-7 days before returning to a normal state; large numbers will die. Okay, probably this song won't kill you, but it will vanquish any chances you have of being productive, because you'll find yourself having to stop to hit the "back" button to start the song over. You'll do this repeatedly -- so you can try to copy his enunciation on "apartment," so you can try to hit the high note on "omen," so you can do that little "buh da doom" part, so you try to match his voice on "I watched the sky turn from blue to black to red and yellow, too," they'll be others, trust us -- until you notice that it's an hour later and all you have to show for it is the sad realization that, despite your best protestations, it probably wasn't lack of time committment to singing in the shower that prevented you from being a rock star.

Okay. Enough talking. On to the music, maestro.

Wild Sweet Orange -- Ten Dead Dogs -- mp3.



Wednesday, July 16, 2008

(07.16.08) Recommends:

Not Choosing the 'Format' Option on Your Camera.

Hitting format, it turns out, formats the camera's memory stick. Formatting the camera's memory stick, it turns out, erases everything on the memory stick. See, it's technology. It's all so obvious.

Anyway. In addition to playing around elsewhere in the blogospohere lately, we've also been silent around these parts because everything we heretofore were going to post now no longer exists. Enter: slow, pained, expression. So, what you would have seen, had we not been so Webst2.0pid.

1. A self created photo-tour of the street art of LaBrea Avenue, including all your street art faves -- Shepard Fairey! Banksy! MBW! The band Slayer! (the effing band Slayer!! Not even kidding about that one. Sigh)

2. A video of Albert Hammond Jr. + band performing at Spaceland.

3. Sheaprd Fairey's new Kobe Bryant pieces at Hollywood/Gower.

4. A Fourth of July photo-blogged cookout.

5. A photo-blogging adventure of Mazinga-Z,host of the finest happy hour in Korea Town, if not all of Los Angeles. This place is festooned with comic book wallpaper and robots and full of impossibly beautiful Asian women, at least three of whom will be smoking cigarettes. Indoors. And in blatant contravention of all California laws. Because Mazinga-Z is, apparently, its own sovereign Asian territory.

6. Pictures of Stevie Wonder at the Hollywood Bowl. (doh! doh! doh!)

7. And about 80 other pictures about which I either cannot remember or am repressing from memory.

Man, man, man. Losing lots of pictures, it turns out, is crappy.



Thursday, July 3, 2008

(07.03.08) Recommends:

Airborne Toxic Event's video for the acoustic version of "Moving On".

Okay, that title was a bit of a mouthful. But regardless. This is probably the coolest music video we've seen since that awesome video of Arcade Fire playing in an elevator (here).

Also: it's brining back memories of the Smashing Pumpkins video for 1979. (here)

Furthermore: it reminds us of our own concert photography, which is to say it's a bit too dark to see clearly, but you're convinced that something awesome is going on in the picture.





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[link via the essential radiofree silverlake]


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more airborne toxic event:
here.
here.
here.


Sunday, June 29, 2008

(06.29.08) Recommends:

The Petrojvic Blasting Co.

We came across this band in the very best manner one can possibly come across a band. We were out on an early Friday evening, walking around our neighborhood, taking photographs (and taking advantage of another rare warm Los Angeles evening), after celebrating happy hour with a friend. All of a sudden, we hear the distant sound of accordion. So we kick around a few buildings, walking up stairs and peeking around corners until we stumble into the back patio of something called Crane's Hollywood Tavern, where we witnessed players of fiddles, accordions, and the occasional and sundry brass insrument entertaining a crowd gathered for something called The Honeybee Lounge, which is some kind of party that outfits guests with one dollar glasses of beer. No joke, that. It was one of those completely lovely moments destined from birth to be a Friday Evening. Perfection very nearly distilled.








The band is made of two brothers. They appear to be in some sort of negotiations to acquire the fiddle player. We think the fiddle player should acquiesce. Or the brothers should make him an offer he can't refuse. WWTGD? [1] Because this threesome is killer. Yes, we just said killer.

Unfortunately for us, we could only stick around for about an hour. Also unfortunate for us, we know nothing more about this band than what we've gleaned from the band's cryptic website, which is to say, we really don't know much at all. (In defense, we're not sure the website is actually "the band's website"). But we are very hopeful that we'll see these guys playing around town again soon. Yesterday we posted some audio of the show that we recorded. Check it out.







Finally: If anybody reading this knows more about the band, please write in and give us the low-down!


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[1] Make it work, obvs.