Babu Forest

So this won't be funny to anyone but myself, Hubby and Bug, but I'm going to tell you all about it anyway. Just deal. Tis the season for all things Christmas (okay, and Hanukkah (or Chanukah?) and Kwanzaa too) so we've put up our tree, introduced Bug to hot chocolate (guess what, he loves it) and naturally,we've been watching all the traditional TV specials. Rudolph, Shrek the Halls (it's come on for several years in a row now so it counts as "traditional" in my book... plus it's funny,) and of course The Grinch! (And obvs Christmas Vacation is at the top of the list, but Bug can't watch that one quite yet..."Merry Christmas. Shitter was full.")

Sweet little Bug is mostly concerned with all of the "mad" characters, like the Abominable Snowman and the Grinch turning "happy" in the end, but I've also been trying to impress upon him the importance of learning the lyrics to all the songs so we can have family sing-a-longs! Oh, and also that Christmas isn't about getting stuff, it's about giving and being with loved ones and blah, blah, blah. Anyway, the songs. I haven't made too much progress on Rudolph, or Silver and Gold (ah, Burl Ives...sing me to sleeeeee...zzzzzzz) but Bug finds the Mr. Grinch song hilarious and the singing Who's down in Whoville quite delightful!

In fact, he's started singing the Who's Welcome Christmas song to himself sporadically. But Bug's version goes something like this: "Babu forest, Babu forest, welcome Babu please sit down..." I'm pretty sure these are not the actual Dr. Seuss lyrics (and yes, Dr. Seuss did pen the lyrics to all of the songs.) Now, like I said, this probably means nothing to most of you, but it provides an incredible mental image for those of us who are acquainted with Babu herself.

This is Babu.

Also, this. 

So, needless to say, envisioning an actual forest of Babus is, well, I can't say it's something I'd really like to encounter (I live with her and she's not always easy to be around) but to imagine it is really something. Just something.

So, Happy Whatever-It-Is-You-Celebrate! Now raise your eggnog and toast the "happy" Grinch as he prances around with his enlarged heart in Babu Forest. I'm sure he's having a wonderful time.

Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, kiss my ass. Kiss his ass. Kiss your ass. Happy Hanukkah.

I'm The Epitomy Of Public Enemy

Nope, not actually quoting Public Enemy today. I randomly called my dog El Scorcho this morning and it's been non-stop Weezer ever since. 

Despite what this album did (or more accurately didn't) do commercially (unless you lived in Australia apparently,) Pinkerton remains hands down their best record to date. I'm pretty sure if I listened to it right now I'd still know every word and would still sing every harmony I ever wrote in my head to go along with it. Actually I think I've always been partial to Weezer mostly because Rivers Cuomo and I have the same vocal range. It's just fun to sing along! Many moons ago myself and a former band mate of mine actually did sing the entire album (several times through and really loudly) on a late night drive from Fayetteville to Little Rock, AR. Not that anyone cares, but I'm just sayin'. And since the album was released right around the time I left for college, understanding all of the Madame Butterfly references scattered throughout made me feel like I was in on some inside joke that my new Phish-loving college friends just couldn't, wouldn't and shouldn't get. Although actually they should have since they were all theatre majors. (And yes, spell check, that is the correct way to spell theatre.) Anyway, Weezer made me feel superior! Wait. Maybe that's not a good thing. But how many of you actually know who Cio-Cio San is? See. Superior. 

Moving on. 

Here's a fun factoid for you. The name of this song supposedly came from a packet of hot sauce from Del Taco called Del Scorcho. Yep.

And for you total Weezer nerds out there, there's also this. Oh yes. Unfortunately my library doesn't have it, which is too bad because that would've been a really good way to look busy for a few hours. Dang.

So, I don't remember this video because MTV apparently didn't play it very much since the song was a flop and there's no Buddy Holly-ish antics going on here. But here are some fun video factoids: Matt Sharp is wearing an FC Barcelona shirt, which some folks (Hubby!) should appreciate. (Hubby's Barcelona football shirt that was actually purchased in Barcelona is so covered with holes and stains that it really should be demoted from 'T-shirt' to 'dish rag,' but that's another story entirely.) Also in the first 15 seconds there's a neon sign that says "Weerez," but at the end it says "Weezer." Now, go stare at the pretty lights!

Please Don't Take Him Just Because You Can

Dare I do it? Dare I be so bold as to put a post on this totally insignificant spec of the Interwebs about the ultimate goddess (at least this week) of Crazy? Oh heck, why not. Miley Cyrus. I'm going there.

So, like many of us middle aged folks with actual musical taste, I can safely say that I didn't know a thing about Miley until the infamous twerking incident on last month's VMAs. I don't even need to link the video. We've all seen it. But what's even more amazing is that apparently it was even worse than we thought. MTV had to edit almost everything she did, so what we did see was apparently considered tame. Oy vey. Anyway, I didn't grow up watching her and Billy Ray on whatever ridiculous show that was and I don't think I'd ever heard her sing anything before and if I did I wouldn't have known it was her anyway and if someone had told me I would have said "who?" or "stop talking" or "turn this awful shit down!" All that being said, the girl can actually sing. Too bad she spends so much time with her tongue hanging out of her mouth. As my voice teacher used to always say "you'll never be able to get into your head voice if you're straddling a wrecking ball in the buff with your tongue dangling around your ankles. Also, use your diaphragm."

Anyway, thanks to spending way too much time trolling Facebook on a regular basis, I was introduced to Miley in a whole new light. And, by Jehovah, she's wearing clothes! The "Backyard Sessions" took place in the summer of 2012 and feature Miley and her band playing some covers of her favorite songs. It's well done, the band sounds good (and they're cute!), the setting is lovely, and most importantly I discovered that Miley Cyrus is a singer. Who knew? There are several songs featured here that got great reviews, but the one that's sticking out for me is her cover of Jolene. It's hard to outdo the original by the fantabulous Dolly Parton (who, fun Friday factoid, just so happens to be Miss Miley's godmother!) but I think her raspy/crisp vocals do it justice. As my voice teacher used to always say "no one will care about you belting covers in your backyard unless you used to be Hannah Montana. Also, wrinkling your forehead won't help you hit the high notes."

Knee Deep In The Hoopla

People, it's been a busy summer. But don't fret. I'm determined to get back to the blogosphere as much as possible, starting now. I realize this makes all six of my readers ecstatic, so, you know, you're welcome. We've missed out on so much together over the past few months so let us not waste a minute more...

Starship. Not the Enterprise. The band. Which means, of course, that the earworm du jour is the Billboard No. 1 hit from 1985, We Built this City. I honestly can't tell you the last time I heard this song so how it got lodged in my brain is a mystery. But I think we're all glad that it did because now we can finally tease our hair and pull out our over-sized neon blazers (with shoulder pads, of course,) leg warmers, mini skirts and lace fingerless gloves, and start busting a move in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Thank God! Again, you're welcome.

So here's the interesting thing about this song. It was written by four people, none of whom was in the band Starship. So, first of all, it took FOUR PEOPLE to write this song. That alone is enough to give a person pause. Secondly, none of these people were from the U.S. (one was Elton John's long-time song-writing partner, Bernie Taupin) but the song makes references to only big American cities (as is so subtly shown in the video below.) And lastly, Mickey Thomas, the lead singer for Starship, is still touring (as Starship featuring Mickey Thomas...lame) and doing his really bad 80's-white-person-dance for crowds in such exotic locales as Shreveport, Louisiana and The Woodlands, Texas. I know, what a relief. As an aside, I am really good at 80's white-person-dancing and am happy to give a demo any time. Just holla.

And in case you ever wondered (and I know you have) what the hell "Marconi plays the Mamba" means well I still really don't know. But Guglielmo Marconi is largely credited with having invented the radio. And a Mamba is a highly venomous snake. So, hopefully that clears everything up for you. 

It Is Time For You To Laugh Instead Of Crying

Today we had one of those mornings. I was running late, Hubby was, uhm, "indisposed" (read "on the pooper") for an exceptionally long time, the dogs were barking non-stop at their own tails, and Bug was whining and crying about needing me to hold him, feed him and play race cars with him all at the same time, as I stood helpless, with nothing on but a towel dripping shower water all over everything. I still don't know what the hell Bug was on about, but almost immediately Stop Your Sobbing popped into my head and temporarily drowned out all the chaos. Thank you, Chrissie Hynde. Thank you.

So, I know this is a cover of a Kinks song (Ray Davies and Chrissie actually have a kid together) but, The Pretenders. Chrissie Hynde. There's so much to love here that I just don't know where to start. For one thing the Pretenders were one of the best rock shows I was ever lucky enough to see. And they played my hometown, no less! And with the B-52's. If you were there, you remember. We had fun. No doubt. As in, there was no doubt about the amount of fun being had, not as in Gwen Stefani. Anyway, I'm getting off topic here. My main point is that this lady rocks, her voice is hands down my favorite of any female rock/punk artist, and she's collaborated with just about everybody you can think of from Morrisey to Sheryl Crow, and Frank Sinatra to Bruce Willis. (Note to self: Check out the movie Rugrats Go Wild with Bug for a chance to see her voice an animated clouded leopard and duet with Willis.) Also she was on an episode of Friends. So, you know, she can check that one off the list.

But I think the best thing I learned about her today, even better than the fact that she once asked Sid Vicious to marry her so she could get a British work permit, or that she was actually attending Kent State during the shootings, or even that despite an ever-rotating list of band mates due to drug addictions and overdoses she kept the Pretenders band name alive, is her connection to Rush Limbaugh. Yep. So, apparently ole Rush had been using an unedited instrumental version of her song My City Was Gone for years until EMI caught wind of it and issued a cease and desist order. Eventually Chrissie heard of it to and decided that since her parents loved Rush Limbaugh's show that she didn't mind it's use. So for an annual payment fee of $100,000 Rush gets to use the song. And the $100,000? Yeah, Chrissie donates the lot to PETA. Ha! I don't know, maybe Rush is an animal lover too, but I seriously doubt he's even remotely vegetarian or has ever given any of his own dimes to such a loved-by-ultra-liberals-everywhere organization. Chrissie - 1, Rush - 0.

Hit Me Like A Ray Of Sun

Well that was a long hiatus! You know, I've just been so darned busy going on vacations that I just haven't been able to find the time to write. And I know, dear readers, that this upsets you. But never fear! I'm back. So calm down. Let's get straight to business, shall we?

Over the past month there have been so many earworms worthy of discussion, but I am forcing myself to live in the moment and go with the one that's actually stuck in my head right now. Beyonce. Halo. It was on the radio this morning and now it's lodged in my brain like a jelly bean in a kid's nose. God, I hope Bug never gets a jelly bean stuck up his nose. I hate jelly beans. Anyway, I digress. The unfortunate thing about this song is that it's completely uninteresting. There's no scoop. I'm bored. Apparently there was some hype from Kelly Clarkson that one of her songs (Already Gone) had the same instrumentation and made it sound like she was ripping of Beyonce, but the problem here is that the two songs were written by the same person, so naturally they sound similar. Let this be a lesson, divas. Write your own damn music. Let Cyndi Lauper be your muse! She just made history by being the first woman to win a Tony for best original score (for Kinky Boots, which basically won everything...just in case you were wondering) without the help of a partner. Take that! She also performed True Colors during the In Memoriam section of the awards while accompanying herself on the dulcimer (which was actually pretty frickin cool.) And now I have True Colors stuck in my head...

I mean even this video is just, meh. It's soft and sweet, nothing really to say good or bad. Again, I'm bored. And I don't really get the parts where she's floating under water. But she do have a nice booty. Oh screw it, I'm going back on vacation.

I Bless The Rains Down In Africa

This video may have just made me hate this song. Which sucks, cause we are mere days (hours even!) away from being on the beach with all our beloved classic soft rock hits playing on a constant loop. Toto's Africa is like the first song I want to play when I get here:

I don't know why. We aren't going to be any closer to Africa than we are now, but it's not the song's subject matter that's important here. It's that damned synth solo that sounds like steel drums. It just assumes that you are staring at an ocean, fruity beverage in hand, drunken grin on your face. Right? But this video is full of nerdy librarians in big glasses. And yes, I realize I am myself a member of that particular tribe, but these guys take things a bit over the top. According to the band, this is what the song is about: "A white boy is trying to write a song on Africa, but since he's never been there, he can only tell what he's seen on TV or remembers in the past." What? First off, why is this dude writing a song about a place he's never been? (Hmmm, Toto?) And B) if he's never seen or done Africa, what past is he remembering from? No, let's not try to get too real here, Toto. You guys weren't making a statement or saving any African children with this one. It's just a nice song to pass out in the sun to. OK?

So, note to self, watch this once (because the part where the "white boy" has some sort of revelation after finding the one book on the shelf titled Africa is so redonkulous) and then never watch it again. Just close your eyes and listen...and drink...and make sure the tide isn't coming in before you nod off. And for a refresher course on appropriate and top-rated beach jams for Hubby, Bug and I, just revisit last year's pre-vacay post. Some things just don't need changin'.





I Have Watched You On The Shore

Yesterday Hubby found a surfboard.

This is important because for the past two weeks he's been telling me he was going to buy a surfboard. And then yesterday he just found one. On the side of the road. On his way to take Bug to school. Seriously? Seriously. He found a frickin' SURFBOARD. In downtown Atlanta. Where there is no surf. Are we all clear on this? Ok, good.

So in his excitement over said surfboard (ok, in all honesty it's a wakeboard, but surfboard sounds cooler to me) he began to hum (ok, in all honesty he was full out singing and then I joined in with my perfect harmony) The Beach Boys' Surfer Girl. Yep, there we sat on our front porch watching Bug play a wicked game of T-ball all by himself, randomly singing Surfer Girl for all our neighbors' listening pleasure. It was a moment, people. A really special moment.

And naturally this lovely tune is still stuck in my head this morning. It really is a pretty song in all of it's beachy, romantic simplicity. And I hadn't heard (let alone thought) about it in a very long time. Probably since I threw away my Beach Boys Greatest Hits cassette tape sometime back in the 90's after realizing that the only "cool" Beach Boys album allowed in the realm of Indie/Punk rock fandom was Pet Sounds. So I think it's about time I revisit the pre-marijuana influenced music of these guys! Hey, does anybody else remember that made for TV movie about the Beach Boys (that was also sometime back in the 90's?) No? Well I do. The scene where a supremely intoxicated and depressed Brian Wilson tries to drown himself in a pool was riveting. Just riveting.

Anyway, here's what the Boys have taught me today. A Woody (as sung about in Surfer Girl) is not just a character in Toy Story or a reference to, well, you know. It's this. Which is pretty cool, man.

Now, let's hit the damn beach already!

Sundown All Around

In exactly two weeks we'll be heading to the beach. In my brain I am already there, so to celebrate my pre-vacation vacation, I played hooky yesterday and sat in the sun drinking cerveza and listening to my and Hubby's favorite beach jams. Granted I had to pretend the sound of the city bus going up and down the street was something akin to a crashing wave on the shore, but still, it was nice. And even though all I really wanted to do was listen to Toto's Africa on repeat for a few hours, I stumbled upon this little gem and decided it definitely needed to be added to the regular beach jams rotation. Sweet, sweet Belinda Carlisle with Circle in the Sand. I mean, it's about sand and the beach and also it's Belinda Carlisle so it works on several levels.

According to Wikipedia, there is absolutely nothing interesting about this song. Huh.

But if we're talking about Belinda then we have to mention the Go-Gos, and they can claim the fun factoid of being the first all girl band who wrote their own music and played their own instruments to have a No.1 hit record, Beauty and the Beat. Let's hear it for girl power and stuff! VAGINAS! Sorry.

Hey, remeber when Jane Wiedlin was on that show The Surreal Life? Yes? No?   ...   Well, I do.

So, you'll just have to pretend that the quality of this video is better. And is it just me or is she a bit overdressed for a beach stroll. Hubby, Bug and I could definitely give Belinda some pointers on the finer points of beach etiquette. Rule number one would definitely be something like: No Black Coats...or creepy abandoned crosses...or hard backed wooden chairs. I mean, come on girl, you're at the beach! Chillax!

Rule number two is: Always bring extra Doritos for the Donalds (that's seagulls to you land lubbers.)

Belinda Carlisle - Circle In The Sand by jpdc11

See you soon, Frank.

Enough Of The Jealousy And Intoleration

That's kind of an odd lyric, isn't it? You don't hear the word "intoleration" in pop songs all that often, do you? Ah, they just don't write the hits like they used to back in 1978...

So this morning I was awakened from a dream involving speedboats (don't ask) to a crying Bug demanding to sleep in our bed, (accompanied by Piglet and blankie, as per ushe) and also REO Speedwagon blasting in my ear. Not literally, of course. Bug was not rocking out at 5:00 a.m. or anything (we take away, a.k.a. reclaim, all of his iShit at night-night time.) But you know, inside my head. Yep, Kevin Cronin's very distinctive voice was saying "RISE AND SHINE!" at this ungodly hour, and even though I briefly fell back asleep, he just would not be deterred. Amazingly enough that voice still sounds pretty much the same as you can tell from this video. Side bar: Is it weird that he seems to play the majority of the song solely with his left thumb? No? Are you sure? Because it looks pretty weird...ok, just asking.

Anyway, it's quite possible the best thing about Time For Me to Fly is the title of the album from whence it came. You Can Tune a Piano, But You Can't Tuna Fish. Was this pun funny in 1978? I don't remember. I was one. But I can tell you that the album cover that goes with the title is definitely chuckle-worthy in 2013. Agreed?

Fun factoid for today: Dolly Parton covered this track on her 1989 album White Limozeen, which is also a pretty badass album cover. Go girl.

(It might also have been one of the first times someone purposely mispelled a word to make it cooler. Let's face it, the letter Z is so much more in your face than the letter S. Even Bug knows that. Thanks Sesame Street...er, Zesame Ztreet.)

And thanks Burt Sugarman and The Midnight Special. If I'd been alive I probably would have watched this too.

I Wrote A Song For You

A certain someone who will remain nameless by request (hint: he lives in my house and is over the age of two) is responsible for this morning's earworm. I don't know why this person is embarrassed to admit this song is stuck in his head, I mean the bizarre and random selection is what makes earworms so fun! But I promised to be sensitive to his request, so Hubby's name will not appear anywhere in this post.

Oh.

Oops.

Well, moving on. Coldplay's Yellow is today's tune despite the fact that there are a total of zero Coldplay records in our house and I'm pretty sure Hubby doesn't listen to the radio. The first time I remember hearing this song I was sitting on a bus full of strangers driving through Spanish countryside. I know, it sounds like I'm making this up. The yellow sun was shining on some fields and they were in fact, a little bit anyway, "all yellow," so I thought the song had some deep, intuitive meaning for me at the time. What that meaning was, I don't recall, so clearly I was incorrect. More recently GrandPop saw an interview with them on 60 Minutes and decided he liked this crazy new rock n' roll band. I bought him a CD for his next birthday. It remains unopened. Yes, I realize this is a fascinating story, but my point is I believe this band's music to be really interesting and lovely for a moment and then you can totally forget they exist and move on to getting drunk on Spanish wine. Or any wine of your choosing really.

Fun factoid of the day (even though it's not Friday:) The song is titled Yellow because Chris Martin happened to glance at a copy of the Yellow Pages in the studio when they were recording.  It could just as easily have been called Playboy. This sad truth makes me feel a little better that I never bothered to delve too deep into the lyrics to find that meaning I was looking for...pass me the wine.

This video is boring and not at all yellow. Go figure.

I Hope It Don't Kill You

OK, so really this was yesterday's earworm and would have been much more appropriate for a Monday, but I hate Mondays and couldn't get motivated and so I'm late. But I'm always late, so really everything is normal. And besides, none of you care anyway.

So, thanks to Hubby the earworm of the day is Welcome to the Working Week by the ever brilliant Elvis Costello. Elvis. Where to even start? The list of amazing songs by this "pop encyclopedia" is just too long to delve into in this itty bitty bloggy. At one point in time, This Years Model was a constant in my CD player. My first year of college I forced all of my new Phish-loving-wanna-be-hippy friends to listen to it in the vain hope of saving their musical taste. I think I got through to a few of them, but let's face it, if you have to be forced to see the genius that is Elvis Costello, well, you're probably too far gone to be saved. So in an effort to be brief, here's my list of:
Top 5 Reasons To Love Elvis (Costello, not the other one, although he's good too.)

1. All of his music (OK, that one's a bit of a cheat.)
2. His glasses.
3. He's married to Diana Krall (and she rules.)
4. He wrote a bunch of songs with Sir Paul.
5. His work with the Jazz Foundation of America to save the homes and the lives of America's elderly jazz and blues musicians, including musicians who survived Hurricane Katrina         (Ctrl C + Ctrl V = thanks Wikipedia.)

As for the song, it's catchy, poppy, upbeat and yet the lyrics are about something real (unlike so much pop fluff today, she says rolling her eyes with her nose in the air.) But, there's also this (and I know not everyone clicks on these links, but please, just do it.) Now, I'm not sure what's happening here, or what this is supposed to represent, or what on earth it has to do with the song, but I think I like it. I think. I'm not sure why these kids chose this song, but hey man, they're making art, so it's cool. NOT!!! What the f**k is happening here??? They look like a bunch of Teletubbies in an orgy gone wrong! Oy! So if you can figure that one out, you're a wiser man than I. Also, I'm not a man.

So this video gives you more than just the one tune (you're welcome) and I thought it was a better representation of his character than a video of him hocking a new album on Letterman. Dig?

I'll Try To Use My Words

If I'm being totally honest here, the real earworm of the past couple of months is the theme song from Go Diego Go! Bug is a toddler obsessed. And Hubby and I are going insane. I am so sick of Diego's high-pitched excitement over rescuing baby animals (one day that jaguar is gonna grow up and eat you, Diego) from ridiculous situations that they shouldn't have gotten themselves into in the first place that I refuse to let him have an entire post to himself. Take that, Diego! I do however enjoy the "rescue pack mambo," and have been known to force Bug to shake his tail feathers with me whenever it comes on. Which is OFTEN. Bug usually just yells "MOVE!" so he can see the TV. Ah, quality family time...

Fun Friday factoid: Rosie Perez is the voice of la camara in Go Diego Go! She sings the same song every episode. It makes me want to shoot things. With a gun. Not with a camera.

Moving on. What's really important today is that the Super Bowl is coming up, which means the Super Bowl halftime show is coming up, which means Beyonce. Will she be singing live or won't she?!? She says yes, definitely. Just talked to her. But in the meantime, there is this. And I am so, so, SO thankful for this. So, yeah, go team (watch out for that tight end penetration, y'all) and pass me the nachos. I think Beyonce's gonna win it this year.

Ah Ah Ah AAAHHHH Ah...

This is totally the sound of my soul, y'all. Yep.

You know, I started off with something else stuck in my head this morning. The song Human by The Human League (not sure what's making them SO sad, their lack of originality in titling things or the weight of their earrings) is on some commercial at the moment and I woke up singing it this morning.  But somehow that has now morphed into Spandau Ballet's True. Didn't Tears for Fears cover this song? Anyway, clearly the most bizarre thing about these guys (aside from the fact that they're still around) is the name of their band. What the heck does Spandau Ballet mean? Well, I'll tell you. You knew I would.

So they started out as The Cut (should've stopped there in my opinion,) then for a brief period they were The Makers (OK, not too shabby,) but changed their name again when a friend of theirs saw the words 'Spandau Ballet' scrawled on the wall of a nightclub bathroom in Berlin. So basically, they found their name in the toilet. Hmm. But wait, there's more! This name refers to Spandau Prison and the many suicides by hanging there. The victims were said to twitch and jump at the end of a rope, in some sort of morbid dance. How uplifting! And so, for whatever reason, the name stuck. Despite the fact that as far as I can tell their only real German link is that they liked to hang out in clubs and listen to Kraftwerk. Right.

It's a tough call deciding what I like best about this video. The cheesiness of dude's over dramatic lipsynching in split screen, or the totally unnecessary sax solo in split screen. Or the hexagonal drums. I give up. You decide.

You Make Me Testify

So I know that haters gonna hate and that I'm gonna get made fun of for this one in certain social circles, but let's just get something clear. If there is a dude, let's call him an artist, who performs music that makes people jump around and smile, and who performs with a backing band that busts out choreographed (and very well-synchronized) dance moves WHILE playing horns and guitars, and if that music has a good beat and I can dance to it, then I'm gonna be into it people. That's just the way I roll. None of you would argue with me if this was a post about James Flippin' Brown! But it isn't...

Bruno Mars, folks. That's what I'm into today. The only thing I really can't take about this guy is his ridiculously over sized fedora. (I mean, seriously guy, you are small and your head is largish. Big hats should not be a wardrobe staple. Just rock that fro, yo!) But his talent, I am digging. And for a little dude, he's got a fair amount of it. And even though Locked Out of Heaven is, like, way up there on the charts these days, I really had no idea who he was until I happened to see this little ditty on SNL a couple months ago. And this is where he got me. Bands that dance and play at the same time (and manage to sound decent on SNL) are guaranteed to entertain (me.) I can't vouch for any more of his music, maybe it's all total crap, but this song makes me want to get off the couch...to go pour another glass of wine! And on the way back to the couch I bust out some wicked dance moves of my own...without spilling the wine! I'm not necessarily lacking in talent myself, you know.

Anyway, here's a fun fact for today: B.M. (hee hee, B.M...) a.k.a, Peter Gene Hernandez, is the son of a hula dancer and a percussionist. Also, among other instruments, he plays the congas. Yep.

And apparently he got his nickname because his Old Man thought he looked like this guy. Maybe his dad needed glasses?

I Betcha Five Dollars He'll Kill You Dead

Happy New Year, ladies and gents! Let's ring in 2013 with a fresh little earworm from the Dixie Cups. Who are the Dixie Cups? Well, we'll get into that a bit later. First, the song. Iko Iko is in my brain because of a very music-driven movie I recently watched, and I woke up singing what I thought were the words this morning, only to find out that (shocker) I was wrong. But what is really more interesting than the fact that as per usual I am singing incorrect lyrics, is the fact that I had no idea this is a Mardi Gras parade song. And here I thought I new about all things Mardi Gras! Once again (shocker,) wrong. Supposedly it's about two Mardi Gras Indian tribes having a confrontation about who's flag should fly and who's should burn. The song doesn't mention this, but I'm pretty sure the resolution was something like, "Ah, screw it. Let's just get drunk and eat some crawfish. Ca c'est bon, cher!" I could insert some pretty embarrassing pre-Bug pics here of me and Hubby, in full Mardi Gras (throw me somethin' mister!) regalia, but I'll spare you. And you're welcome. Just beware of catching a chicken foot at your next Mardi Gras celebration. Trust me, it's gross. Now the sparkly purple thong on the other hand...

Anyway, as we dig a little deeper, (sorry, I'm feeling a bit librarian-ish today...occupational hazard I suppose) the story gets even more interesting (to me, anyway.) The Dixie Cups were originally from the Calliope housing project in New Orleans and grew up singing this song because they heard it from their grandmother. Not realizing the origin of the song or even it's meaning, it was just something they knew and sang as a matter of habit. Once in a New York studio they were clowning around and started singing it while tapping out the rhythm with drumsticks on ashtrays. Little did they know, the tapes were recording. Later session producers went back and added drums and bass, and, PRESTO, a song that so easily gets stuck in your head it's ridiculous!

So L'aissez les bons temps roulez! And in case you were wondering, Fat Tuesday falls on February 12 this year. Get your beads out.

I Wrapped It Up And Sent It

Feliz Navidad and stuff! I can say with absolute certainty that I am not at all ready for Christmas. Hubby has the flu, Bug's daycare is closed (which means he's at work with me, which means I'm not getting any work done,) and we have an eight hour (at least) car trip ahead of us tomorrow (which means I'll be driving all day while Hubby vomits out the window and Bug kicks the back of my seat and screams.) Also, I'm not packed and we're hosting a last minute cocktail party tonight. Clearly I have lost my mind.

But in the spirit of the season, I have a little holiday-themed earworm to pass along today. It's been stuck in my brain for about a week now, but I just haven't had the time to post it. You know, with all of my many social engagements to keep up with. And by social engagements I mean season one of Homeland. But I digress, today the stuck music is brought to you by Wham! (and George Michael's awesome hair...and his gay earrings.) As previously stated, Last Christmas has been playing on a loop for about eight days now (which might be significant if G.M is partially Jewish), despite the fact that I only know the words to the chorus. And actually I think I keep getting them wrong too. But still it's one of the less annoying Christmas pop songs, so I guess things could be worse. What I think I love most about this video (and this is a close runner up to the plethora of over sized coats from the 80's) is the fact that he's singing about some chick when we all know he'd rather be sticking it to the other dude in Wham. Also, the fact they they are all just pretending to take sips from their wine glasses is kind of hilarious. Were they not 21 yet when they shot this video? Was the director scared of things getting out of control with all the rampant Chardonnay sippage? I feel an investigation coming on...

So Merry Christmas and pass the egg nog! And thank you baby Jesus for another happy (most of the time) year with Hubby, Bug and of course, Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou. Peace out.

Climb Aboard, Get Ready To Explore

"We're going on a trip in our favorite rocket ship." If you don't have young children I bet you can't name that tune! Hubby and I, however, can name it in two notes or less. Beat that, bitches! We are so familiar with this little ditty that we actually both woke up singing it this morning. Bug just told us to be quiet. He can be so unappreciative of our morning duets.

So the earworm du jour is the theme song from Disney Jr.'s Little Einsteins, currently young master Bug's favorite show. For those of you who don't know (and are probably 112% uninterested) the concept of this show is actually right up my alley. It teaches famous composers and artists, music theory and terms, mixed in with a bit of geographic exploration of places with major architectural or historical significance. In reality it is totally bizarro. The rocket ship in which these four parent-less tots zoom around time and space (totally unchaperoned!) is fueled by Rocket Soup made of cheese, peas, and musical jumping beans. And yet somehow said soup is bright tomato red. This makes no sense. Neither cheese, peas, or musical jumping beans (I have seen them, so I know) are red. And still, red soup. This doesn't seem to bother Bug, but I just can't get past it. Anyway, all 13 of my readers should consider this their lucky day, because I managed to track down a video of the song sung in six (yes, SIX!) different languages BACK TO BACK!!! You get to listen to it six times in a row, people! English, Spanish, Italian, Japanese (my personal fave) and French. If you make it to the French without developing some sort of nervous eye twitch, you score 70 bonus points. Good luck in your mission. Start the count down...

Don't Call My Name

Blogging is hard work, y'all. Like, for reals. First off, where do I find the time? I am just soooooo busy! I mean, I have to pretend to work for 8 whole hours a day, then I have like 5 hours of TV to watch when I get home. Not to mention the fact that Hubby and Bug can be so needy with all the requests for food and water and poop-free diapers (those are mostly just for Bug.) Phew, what's a girl to do?! OK, so the reality of the situation is that I am lazy and uninspired and that's why the blog has been on hiatus. Now that we have that cleared up, let's move on.

Lady Gaga. I am fascinated, intimidated, grossed out by, and a little in awe of this woman. I do not understand the meat dress. I totally love the bubble dress. I like that she is an actual musician. I do not like that she has that fab body because of eating disorders. But all of that aside, what I'm here to discuss today is the song Alejandro. I just don't get what's going on here. Who the f**k is Alejandro? And if he's important enough to have an entire song about how irresistible he is, why does she also mention some other dudes (Roberto and Fernando?) Is she having a 4-way? Or trying not to have a 4-way? I'm confused. And the chorus. What's up with that? She just says his name over and over and calls it a day. Was she suffering from writers block while penning this little snippet of Americana? And the video does absolutely nothing to clear any of this up. I mean, we get it, you like to prance around in funky costumes (or your underwear) and fancy lighting while topless men dance-fight (or simulate raping you) for your enjoyment (don't we all?) But what the hell does that have to do with the damn song, woman?!? Eating a rosary? Now that makes sense.

Seriously, help. Somebody please figure this one out for me. In the meantime I'm going to go develop an eating disorder of my own. Why should she get to have all the fun?

We've Had A *Bleep* Day

So I'm pretty sure I heard this song three times yesterday. On the same radio station. Within only a few hours. Eesh. So needless to say, Pink's Blow Me (One Last Kiss) is the earworm du jour. I actually kind of like Ms. Alecia Beth Moore. She's got a killer voice, even if you don't like it. Hubby (is about to be outed) used to totally rock out to that song Get the Party Started way back in 2001. Oh yes he did! You go, girl! And I like that she's a pop star that actually plays instruments and writes her own music. Quel novelty! And of course the Lady Marmalade video...tres sexy!

And even though you expect things she does to be slightly against the grain in terms of pop trends and what all the other young skin-bearing h(st)arlettes are doing these days, this video is not at all what I was thinking it would be after hearing this song two dozen times. Way to throw us a curve ball, P!nk! Anyway, I just wouldn't be me if I didn't also give a heads up to the Glee cast (even though that show is getting lamer by the episode) when they covered this one. I mean, the guy who plays Unique hits all of Pink's high notes with less difficulty than I do when I'm in the shower and someone flushes a toilet. And he has a penis. So, yeah, you definitely go girl! Or boy? I think he prefers girl...I dunno, just watch the video.

Fun Friday factoid: In conjunction with PETA, Pink criticized the Australian wool industry for its use of mulesing. Yeah, just Google mulesing real quick. Yikes.

 

In other news, I need to learn to type French accents. Au revoir.