mb palaver

MusicPalaver: Merry Christmas from The Drifters, 2011 Version

Just in time for Christmas, my annual Christmas greeting to my Dad, via The Drifters.

 

RandomPalaver: Da Da Da

Apropos of nothing, I just started whistling this song.  (Who whistles?)  I found the old VW commercial, and it made me happy.  I still have the push-up toy Lynn gave me in the commercial's honor.  I only wish I could find the "Spin City" promo parody with Michael J. Fox.

 

MusicPalaver: Pandora, Begorrah

Photo of MB, Dubliner, two Guinnesses, and a Smithwick's,
at The Bailey, Duke Street, Dublin, by Mike, 2005

 

Pandora is offering three Irish-themed channels, just in time for St. Patrick's Day.

• "Irish Pub Rock Radio" is fun, at least in small doses, though your neighbors may kill you if you don't keep the volume down.  It's lots of Pogues (whom I've had a special place in my heart for since my friends met them in the Hotel Helix lobby a few years ago and they left tickets for us at the 9:30 Club box office), Dropkick Murphys, The Chieftains, Black 47, Stiff Little Fingers (whom I only know from my Belfast friend Joanne), and the like.  Nary a green alligator in sight so far, thank goodness (memories of a roomful of people upstairs at Murphy's in Old Town twenty years ago booing me and my youngest brother and his friends for not joining in).
• "Irish Pop" carries U2, the Cranberries, Sinead, Van Morrison, and an awful lot of music that sounds suspiciously boy band-like (though I must confess I love Ronan Keating's version of "When You Say Nothing At All," plus he's cute as a button).
• "Celtic Radio" tends toward the diddley-dee.  You've been warned.

They can be found under "Themed" stations under the genre stations list.  Or if have more energy, just create your own mix, starting with your favorite Irish artist or song.  And have a happy St. Patrick's Day!

 

MusicPalaver: Melbourne -- I Want To Go To There

It seems television coverage of every Grand Slam tennis tournament includes about five commercials, run about a thousand times each.  After watching untold hours of the Australian Open coverage, I could do without ever again watching men in meat ponchos trying to outrun hungry wolves while wearing Degree deodorant, and it bothers me that I find myself humming the Franklin Templeton Investments theme song.  But I loved the Melbourne tourism ad.  It showed people bundled up in a cold gray city, who look into a picture frame and see folks Down Under strolling on the beach and sipping cocktails in strapless dresses, while a woman softly sings "I wanna go, I wanna go where you go when you're gone."  It reminded me of a comment Dubliner posted on here about the Australian Open a few years ago:   "But perhaps what's most appealing to me is that I get a glimpse of sunshine and warm weather in the depths of winter here."

The song is "A Heart Divided" by Sydney native Holly Throsby.  You can watch Holly sing the song on youtube, and buy it on iTunes.

MusicPalaver: Pandora's Box of Christmas Music

Although, as I’ve confessed before, I’m nuts for Christmas music, I get tired of my own CDs, and the local radio station dedicated to Christmas music from Labor Day to Groundhog Day leans a bit heavy on Josh Groban and something terribly sad about a new pair of shoes.  But I just figured out how to get a good mix of Christmas songs on Pandora, either online or, even  better, through TiVo and my home theater system.  The key is to start a new station with a Christmas song or artist who’s released some holiday music that’s suits your tastes.  For example, I like The Pretenders’ “2000 Miles.”  I can select either “2000 Miles” or “The Pretenders (Holiday).”  You can then add variety – for example, I added The Waitresses (Holiday), inspired by their song “Christmas Wrapping” (ever listen to the lyrics?), Bare Naked Ladies (Holiday), Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson (Holiday) (to pick up the “Winter Songs” music I raved about last year), Sarah McLachlan (Holiday), and Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass (Holiday).  I’m getting a mix that includes those artists plus Cyndi Lauper, Queen, Burl Ives, the Ramones, Ella Fitzgerald, the Kinks, Judy Garland, and Zooey Deschanel and Leon Redbone singing “Baby It’s Cold Outside.”  And artists I've never heard of with kinda cool songs, like Rosie Thomas's melancholy take on "Christmas Don't Be Late" (yes, the Alvin and the Chipmunks song, and yes I did say melancholy).

You can say you’re tired of a song or artist so you won’t hear them for a month.  You can also skip songs, but only 6 an hour (and 12 a day), so use the skips judiciously.  I just used two on Michael Bolton and Celine Dion.  How’d they get in there?

One warning:  don't accidentally add a heavy metal artist to your Christmas mix.  Trust me.

Finally, my annual Christmas greeting to my Dad:

 

 

MusicPalaver: A Newish Take on Christmas Tunes

There's no shortage of Christmas songs to be heard on the radio this week, but if you're sick of Paul McCartney simply having a wonderful Christmas time and you like dreamy and slightly melancholic women's vocals (who doesn't?!), I recommend Winter Songs, a compilation by the Hotel Cafe.  Released last year, it's a mix of classics, such as KT Tunstall singing "Sleigh "Ride" and Fiona Apple's tremulous version of "Frosty the Snowman," and new songs by female singer-songwriters.

You can find an animated video version of the title track by Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson here (I warned you about the melancholy part).  They're not all sad, though.  You can listen to samples of the tracks (or buy from iTunes) here -- the third song, Lenka's "All My Bells Are Ringing," is downright cheerful.  And did I mention Fiona Apple singing "Frosty the Snowman"?

HistoryPalaver: "We Are One" Debriefing

I'd hesitated to head down for the We Are One concert and inauguration kick-off event yesterday, but I'm so glad I did.  Due to our lackadaisical attitude (and aversion to standing in the cold for hours before the concert), we got there too late to get into the secured area around the reflecting pool, but we staked out space on the Washington Monument grounds just about a minute before Springsteen kicked off the concert.  I felt a bit ridiculous taking photos of performers on the jumbotron, but it was great just to be in the half-mile presence of the Boss . . .

and the Boss . . .

When U2 came onstage -- a primary reason I made the trek -- we had a suddenly obstructed view.

We'd move a few feet into a sudden gap in the crowd on the right, and there he'd be. A few feet to the left, and again . . .  STURGILL!  I was envious of the view these nearby tree climbers had until I uploaded the photo . . .

and saw how tired and uncomfortable they look.  Enormously tall hooded men who appear from nowhere aside, the show was great.  It moved along at a fast clip and I even enjoyed performances by artists I don't care for that much.  The highlight for me -- surprisingly, since I went for Bruce and U2 -- was Mary J. Blige's rendition of "Lean On Me."  It's a wonderful song, and the crowd turned into one big dance party (well, we were really just bopping, since we were bundled up like Ralphie's little brother in "A Christmas Story").  Other highlights were the whole Mall dancing along to "Shout" (sung by Garth Brooks), and Stevie Wonder's keyboards on "Higher Ground."  The crowd was such a mix of ages and races, and it was funny to hear someone say "who's he?" when James Taylor (for instance) took the stage (though I admit I wouldn't have recognized Will.i.am in his non-hologram form).  There was something for everyone, though, as shown by the two dudes pumping their fists to John Cougar (Mellencamp?) singing "Pink Houses" and shouting "You've still got it! You've still got it!"

As we made our way east on the mall and looked back on the dispersing crowd . . .

I resolved to face the cold and the crowds tomorrow and watch the swearing in (albeit on a jumbotron) in a crush of deliriously happy people.  I'll just wear more layers.  In the meantime, if you want to see some actually good photos of yesterday's happenings, check out these great shots on my friend's blog, brettstyle.

HistoryPalaver: We Are One

This morning, as I was planning out the optimal way to go down to the Mall to see the We Are One: Opening Inaugural Ceremonies at the Lincoln Memorial with the least amount of exposure to cold, waiting, and porta-potties, I was reminiscing about President Clinton's inaugural festivities, including going to a concert at the Lincoln Memorial.  I remembered at the end the whole crowd walking toward the Memorial Bridge, where the Clintons were walking to or from Arlington National Cemetery.  I remember my friend Andrea clamping her hand on my shoulder and announcing to our group of friends we had to form a human chain so we wouldn't be separated in the throngs of people. (I think of this every time I'm in a massive, moving crowd -- "form a human chain!")  What I don't remember is the cold, or the wait, or the hassle.  I don't know if that's a trick of memory, or just the result of my having been 16 years younger, and lower maintenance.

As with all rosy memories like this, I was second-guessing whether this really happened or I imagined it, but some photos on a Smithsonian website confirm what I remember.  Above is a photo showing: an "aerial view of the Lincoln Memorial during the 'Call for Reunion' a two-hour outdoor concert kicking off the Clinton/Gore Inaugural. Hundreds of thousands of people crowded onto the Mall for the free concert which featured such entertainers as Aretha Franklin, Michael Bolton, Tony Bennett, Bob Dylan, Diana Ross and rapper L-L Cool J."  Below, "the Clintons and the Gores lead a procession of thousands across the Memorial Bridge from the Lincoln Memorial to Arlington, Virginia on their way to the Bell Ringing Ceremony which was part of the kick off of the Clinton/Gore Inaugural. The procession and bell ringing followed a Call To Reunion concert at the Lincoln Memorial."

 

Finally, the photo below shows an "aerial view of the 'Reunion on the Mall' held as part of the Clinton/Gore Inaugural. With tents stretching from the Capitol to the Washington Monument, it was reported to be the largest festival ever held on the Mall. This photo was taken from a U.S. Park Police helicopter hovering so the top of the Monument is in the foreground of the picture."  I worked as a volunteer at the festival, but instead of being assigned to one of the tents featuring musical acts like Los Lobos, Robert Cray, or Little Feat, I was assigned to the Family Fun tent, where Raffi and the muppets performed, and my most difficult job was trying to placate parents who got their children there too late to see Big Bird.  (Big Bird came out and did another impromptu performance.)  I still have my red baseball cap reading "SECURITY AID The 52nd Presidential Inaugural." I wonder if that'll get me special treatment today?

If you're not going to the Mall today, HBO is showing the concert live (starting at 2:30) and on tape (at 7:00 tonight), and I understand some cable systems and satellite operators will be making it available to those subscribers who don't subscribe to HBO.  You can also watch on HBO's website.

MusicPalaver: Shine a Light for Keith's Birthday

Today was Keith Richards' 65th birthday.  (This is one of those pieces of information that takes up space in my brain where an understanding of global warming should be.)  I'll mark the occasion by urging you to go out and buy Martin Scorsese's Rolling Stones documentary, "Shine a Light," for any Stones fans on your holiday gift list.  The film shows a private benefit concert celebrating Bill Clinton's 60th birthday at the Beacon Theatre in New York, interspersed with some backstage footage and television clips from the '60s.

After I saw this at the Uptown Theater last spring I was bursting with thoughts I wanted to post, but it only remained in theaters another five minutes, so I abandoned it.  Here's what I remember: 

• The clip of Mick being interviewed in the '60s on a Granada television show by a group of very serious-looking clerics with titles like the Archbishop of Canterbury.
• Keith singing a gorgeous version of "You Got the Silver" and then, instead of letting the moment speak for itself, saying "Cool, huh?" (I think Charlie then did an incredulous double-take, though it's hard to say since he always looks like he's doing an incredulous double-take.)
• Mick's duet with Jack White on "Loving Cup" was amazing; his duet with Christina Aguilera on "Live With Me" was kinda icky.
• Ron Wood's big expensive-looking wristwatch; I mean, does he have somewhere he has to be?
• Are those fishing lures hanging from Keith's hair?
• I am in love with Bernard the back-up singer.
• Though at the beginning there are scenes of the Clintons meeting the Stones (including Hillary's mother getting a smooch from Keith), we mercifully never see the former President doing the white man's overbite in the balcony.
• I forgot about the song "She Was Hot."  What other songs have I forgotten?  I should get a new turntable.
• Keith Richards still has a nice smile.

Last week Dubliner gave me the DVD of the movie.  I just watched Keith singing "You Got the Silver." I have to admit it wasn't as moving on my substandard TV as it was on the Uptown's big screen.  You might want to add an HDTV to the package if you give this as a gift.  (Hear that Dubliner?)

By the way, getting back to Keith, did you notice back in March I managed to post a photo that showed both Rufus Sewell and Keith Richards?

MusicPalaver: White Christmas, Drifters Style

Here's my annual musical Christmas card to my father.  I wish I had an animation of his reaction when a friend sent this to him a few years ago.  Merry Christmas Dad!