Well, indeed. Jamie has sent me this to post for my birthday, which is tomorrow.
I wasn't sure anyone had noticed these posts over the years, but I've done them pretty routinely. I guess you can download the songs and make yourself a "decade in the life of" playlist.
From Jamie:
While combing through League archives in search of posts for the 10th Anniversary Spectacular, I kept coming across the special birthday entries where Ryan would post the lyrics to a song each year on his birthday. I found it fascinating to go back and discover which songs he had chosen, so I decided to collect them all and share them with you in honor of the League's birthday. Happy Birthday, Ryan!
A League of Melbotis/ The Signal Watch Retrospective: Special Birthday Edition: The League's Birthday Playlist
Year: 2004
Age: 29
Song: Streets of Laredo
Film. Comics. Sci-Fi. Superheroes. Pulp. Noir. History. Superman. 20th Century Archaeology.
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Monday, April 1, 2013
Signal Watch Watches: Phil Spector
I think i figured out who Phil Spector was while I was in high school and had subscriptions to Spin and Rolling Stone. He got name-dropped a lot, but it was in college that I figured out what The Wall of Sound was, and identified it with Darlene Love, The Crystals, The Ronettes, et al. I'm no music aficionado, but I know what I like, and I was and am a Spector fan.
Recently, HBO aired a film by writer-director David Mamet, a movie based on speculation around the Lana Clarkson murder.
Of one thing I am certain: David Mamet is a much, much smarter person than me, but he can write a script that I can keep up with while still surprising me with what he sees in characters and situations, both micro and macrocosmic. And whether his script hews to reality or not is irrelevant. What's on trial here is less about Phil Spector, but 20 years of celebrity cases, of what it means to have reasonable doubt in the make believe world of Los Angeles and show business. And, of course, the masses who pass judgment knowingly from watching snippets of news or seeing headlines in their RSS readers.
Recently, HBO aired a film by writer-director David Mamet, a movie based on speculation around the Lana Clarkson murder.
Of one thing I am certain: David Mamet is a much, much smarter person than me, but he can write a script that I can keep up with while still surprising me with what he sees in characters and situations, both micro and macrocosmic. And whether his script hews to reality or not is irrelevant. What's on trial here is less about Phil Spector, but 20 years of celebrity cases, of what it means to have reasonable doubt in the make believe world of Los Angeles and show business. And, of course, the masses who pass judgment knowingly from watching snippets of news or seeing headlines in their RSS readers.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's Superman: The Musical!
Holy cow.
I've known about It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman! for around 10-12 years, but I had never seen it in any form. Originally produced as a campy Broadway spectacular in 1966 (it debuted the same year as the Adam West TV show), the show ran for about four months before closing. I think that, these days, the show has mostly been forgotten.
In 1975, because nobody was paying attention, ABC broadcast a version of the musical. Reportedly the program aired a single time, fairly late at night and in a dead zone where networks were often trying to figure out how to fill the airwaves*. To the best of my knowledge, there is no legally obtainable copy of the broadcast available. For Superman fans, the musical is about as close to an intentionally obscure artifact as I can think of to that king of pop cultural ephemera, the Star Wars Holiday Special. Superman fans have all seen clips or stills, but we haven't seen the actual full program.
This week, I did obtain a copy. We'll keep it a little shrouded in mystery, but my source knows who he is, and knows how awesome he or she is. As the existence of this video may not be entirely on the up and up (and so offended am I that I have immediately burned the DVD so that NONE may find yourself tainted by the sheer audacity of it's illegality), I'm keeping the gifter's name out of it.
But, thanks, man. That was SUPER of you!**
The video itself is a transfer from tape. Tape from 1975. So, it's got some rough edges and the sound is occasionally wobbly because: aging analog media. It's not the drug-fueled nightmare that the Star Wars Holiday Special devolves into within minutes of the opening, and, frankly, the Star Wars Special had about 20 times the budget of this show. It's also an oddball bit of nerd media, and would fit nicely on your shelf next to the shelved low-budget, very 90's Justice League pilot, the Legends of the Superheroes, the Captain America TV movies, etc... etc... But the musical is pure hammy schmaltz, but intentionally so, and it's oddly charming, even if it's not much of a musical.
I've known about It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman! for around 10-12 years, but I had never seen it in any form. Originally produced as a campy Broadway spectacular in 1966 (it debuted the same year as the Adam West TV show), the show ran for about four months before closing. I think that, these days, the show has mostly been forgotten.
In 1975, because nobody was paying attention, ABC broadcast a version of the musical. Reportedly the program aired a single time, fairly late at night and in a dead zone where networks were often trying to figure out how to fill the airwaves*. To the best of my knowledge, there is no legally obtainable copy of the broadcast available. For Superman fans, the musical is about as close to an intentionally obscure artifact as I can think of to that king of pop cultural ephemera, the Star Wars Holiday Special. Superman fans have all seen clips or stills, but we haven't seen the actual full program.
 |
| Can you read my mind? |
This week, I did obtain a copy. We'll keep it a little shrouded in mystery, but my source knows who he is, and knows how awesome he or she is. As the existence of this video may not be entirely on the up and up (and so offended am I that I have immediately burned the DVD so that NONE may find yourself tainted by the sheer audacity of it's illegality), I'm keeping the gifter's name out of it.
But, thanks, man. That was SUPER of you!**
The video itself is a transfer from tape. Tape from 1975. So, it's got some rough edges and the sound is occasionally wobbly because: aging analog media. It's not the drug-fueled nightmare that the Star Wars Holiday Special devolves into within minutes of the opening, and, frankly, the Star Wars Special had about 20 times the budget of this show. It's also an oddball bit of nerd media, and would fit nicely on your shelf next to the shelved low-budget, very 90's Justice League pilot, the Legends of the Superheroes, the Captain America TV movies, etc... etc... But the musical is pure hammy schmaltz, but intentionally so, and it's oddly charming, even if it's not much of a musical.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Monday, March 11, 2013
Baltimore
No, I've never watched The Wire and your references will be lost on me.* Yes, I'll get to it.
I am headed for Baltimore from Tuesday til Thursday. I haven't been there since a day trip from DC when I was a kid where I saw an 18th Century Man-o-War and the rest of my family got lost in the projects looking for Edgar Allen Poe's house.
In honor of the trip, here's a cut from the super-depressing Lyle Lovett album, Joshua Judges Ruth
I'm going for work, not pleasure. But I hope to have fun working, which, you know, weirder things have happened.
*The only characters' names I know from The Wire are Omar and Bubbles and I know what happens to Omar because the internet is full of people who hate narrative payoff, I guess.
I am headed for Baltimore from Tuesday til Thursday. I haven't been there since a day trip from DC when I was a kid where I saw an 18th Century Man-o-War and the rest of my family got lost in the projects looking for Edgar Allen Poe's house.
In honor of the trip, here's a cut from the super-depressing Lyle Lovett album, Joshua Judges Ruth
I'm going for work, not pleasure. But I hope to have fun working, which, you know, weirder things have happened.
*The only characters' names I know from The Wire are Omar and Bubbles and I know what happens to Omar because the internet is full of people who hate narrative payoff, I guess.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
SXSW is here again - and, no, I am not going, again
I've never paid for a SXSW badge. The only SXSW badges I ever got were through work for (a) the relatively new SXSW Interactive around 2000 and (b) about three years ago I returned to Interactive. I've never paid for film or for music.
I've never been to a SXSW screening of a movie, and the few times I saw music at SXSW, it was near accidental and incidental. It's probably safe to say that I'm not particularly interested in the scene, and the idea of dealing with the crowds, the lines, and sheer volume of people at all of these events has been off-putting enough that whatever appeal there might be to seeing bands or movies is significantly reduced when I weigh the cost factor of dealing with the scene around SXSW.
For those of us in town, SXSW is an annual period where we sort of just avoid downtown between certain blocks and as locals who feel the presence of the tide, we know to brace ourselves for:
I've never been to a SXSW screening of a movie, and the few times I saw music at SXSW, it was near accidental and incidental. It's probably safe to say that I'm not particularly interested in the scene, and the idea of dealing with the crowds, the lines, and sheer volume of people at all of these events has been off-putting enough that whatever appeal there might be to seeing bands or movies is significantly reduced when I weigh the cost factor of dealing with the scene around SXSW.
For those of us in town, SXSW is an annual period where we sort of just avoid downtown between certain blocks and as locals who feel the presence of the tide, we know to brace ourselves for:
- The bizarre take on Austin that journalists mistake for Austin but which is really just the bubble of SXSW (East Sixth is not "no-man's land". It's a few hundred feet from regular Sixth. By the way, no one really goes to Sixth anymore but tourists)
- The number of people who, based on the drunken revelry to be had during SXSW, associate those good times with a need to move here - and they do
- The handwaving that SXSW isn't, basically, spring break for three industries and that this is somehow work
- People who are the True Believers in SXSW seeming shocked and indignant (and often demanding answers) when you say you don't want to spend the money or time
Friday, March 8, 2013
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Whatever Happened to The Girl in the Stop Sign Shorts?
On Wednesday night I posted a comment to facebook about how we don't spend enough time celebrating the dancer in the trademark "Stop Sign" shorts from the Young MC video for "Bust a Move". I was about 14 when this song was big, and I knew enough then to know that the bassist in the video was Flea from the California-based Red Hot Chili Peppers (who might be a thing one day).
The video is below. You can find the dancer in question around the 1:05 mark.
Well, in 1989-ish, you couldn't not hear this song, and from 1989 until the end of time, you couldn't not like the song. It's a staple of Gen X music consumption that was sort of universally beloved, kind of like the work of Tone Loc (also written by Young MC) and "The Humpty Dance" by Digital Underground.
It was a different time.
Lets just say that the performer left an impression, enough so that in 2013, if you say "Stop Sign Shorts", I know exactly what you're talking about.
But who was the woman behind the shorts? (so to speak)
Turns out her name is Cindyana Santangelo. This is some minor league Google search wizardry, and you can thank me later.
What I didn't know is that she's also the voice from the beginning of the 1990 Jane's Addiction album, Ritual de lo Habitual. And if you were a sulky kid in 1990, chances are, you know exactly what I'm talking about.
Just watch the first part of the video and it'll come back to you here 23 years on.
Well, I assure you that video seemed relevant at the time.
LA must have been a bit smaller of a town than I realized back then, what with all the Jane's Addiction/ Chili Peppers/ Young MC cross-pollination going on. Oddly, I feel less awkward watching a Young MC video today than I do remembering being really, really into Jane's Addiction from about 1989-1993.
I'm shocked to learn that the two were so close together as, in my mind, they seem incredibly separated, but I'd moved and made the passage to being a bit older and more sullen by the time I was anticipating new Jane's Addiction albums, I guess. But, dang, we all still loved Young MC! Everyone find a way to send Young MC a dollar on paypal.
Anyway, point is: After imprinting herself heavily upon my malleable 14 year old psyche, I now know who this person is (Cindyana Santangelo!) and a wee bit about her. Because she's got a website. She's an actress!
Look here.
She's apparently been on CSI and appeared on a reality show as a client on Million Dollar Listing and was on a show that didn't get picked up about Housewives of Malibu.
She also appears to run something called "Mermaid Cove Sober Living" in Malibu.
So, wherever you are Cindyana, we salute you.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Remembering Patsy Cline on the 50th Anniversary of her Passing
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the passing of Ms. Patsy Cline.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Happy Birthday, KareBear
Today is my mother's birthday.
In her honor, here is Neil Diamond singing "America". I welcome you to clap along slightly off beat with the song, knowing that, wherever she is, The KareBear will be doing the same.
and, because, it's her b-day, let us all enjoy the 1973 Hawaii performance of "Suspicious Minds" by King Elvis.
Dang, yo. There is nobody else like The King, is there?
Happy birthday, Ma! We love you.
In her honor, here is Neil Diamond singing "America". I welcome you to clap along slightly off beat with the song, knowing that, wherever she is, The KareBear will be doing the same.
and, because, it's her b-day, let us all enjoy the 1973 Hawaii performance of "Suspicious Minds" by King Elvis.
Dang, yo. There is nobody else like The King, is there?
Happy birthday, Ma! We love you.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
For Pope Benedict as he departs office
Apparently, in 2005, I welcomed Pope Benedict XVI to the job with this post...
So, so much has changed since 2005.
We lost Jackson, YouTube became a thing you could embed....
As Pope Ben leaves office, let's hear it one more time...
That's right, I've been blogging longer than a Pope's tenure in office.
So, so much has changed since 2005.
We lost Jackson, YouTube became a thing you could embed....
As Pope Ben leaves office, let's hear it one more time...
That's right, I've been blogging longer than a Pope's tenure in office.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Monday, February 18, 2013
On behalf of all tall people, if you don't like standing behind us at concerts: tough luck
I saw this comic strip thing today, and it's actually very good. It's about the annoying things people do at concerts (ie: why I quit paying money to go to shows in my late 30's).
I'd point to number 5, "The Sun Blocking Giant" and I thought I'd clear something up.
The world was built for smaller people. Most of you are those smaller people, and I appreciate that most of you attend shows and expect to basically be within a certain height range. I know you think that there's some great advantage to being a bit taller, but in a world that mostly relies on your ability to be a jerk in a board room or your ability to manage java code to get ahead, being bred for being the lynchpin in a goon squad of some barbarian hoard doesn't really pay off so much.
I was 6'3" by the ninth grade, and somehow put on two more inches by the end of my freshman year of college. I didn't measure myself in between. Tall people don't really know nor really care about how tall they are.
Since I was a kid, I also like(d) live music and attending shows. I live in Austin. It's sort of a thing here.
The average bar in Austin that would host a show (let's say, Liberty Lunch or La Zona Rosa) had three zones:
1. The area right by the stage with the cow-eyed fans pressing up against the stage because that made them bigger fans and let them sing the lyrics right back at the singer's face.
2. The mid-range where most everyone else stood with elbow room enough to hold a beer and still lift it to their face without putting out someone else's eye.
3. The place in the back where, for reasons that baffled me, people would huddle and shout over the music, like it was a huge inconvenience that there were all these speakers blaring music when they'd come out to this music venue for a quiet night of conversation. Also, they're usually trashed.
The cartoon bemoans:
I'd point to number 5, "The Sun Blocking Giant" and I thought I'd clear something up.
The world was built for smaller people. Most of you are those smaller people, and I appreciate that most of you attend shows and expect to basically be within a certain height range. I know you think that there's some great advantage to being a bit taller, but in a world that mostly relies on your ability to be a jerk in a board room or your ability to manage java code to get ahead, being bred for being the lynchpin in a goon squad of some barbarian hoard doesn't really pay off so much.
I was 6'3" by the ninth grade, and somehow put on two more inches by the end of my freshman year of college. I didn't measure myself in between. Tall people don't really know nor really care about how tall they are.
Since I was a kid, I also like(d) live music and attending shows. I live in Austin. It's sort of a thing here.
The average bar in Austin that would host a show (let's say, Liberty Lunch or La Zona Rosa) had three zones:
1. The area right by the stage with the cow-eyed fans pressing up against the stage because that made them bigger fans and let them sing the lyrics right back at the singer's face.
2. The mid-range where most everyone else stood with elbow room enough to hold a beer and still lift it to their face without putting out someone else's eye.
3. The place in the back where, for reasons that baffled me, people would huddle and shout over the music, like it was a huge inconvenience that there were all these speakers blaring music when they'd come out to this music venue for a quiet night of conversation. Also, they're usually trashed.
The cartoon bemoans:
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Taking the Night Off - The League is Your Valentine's Evening Co-Pilot
It's Valentine's Day. I had a hell of a day, and I'm not social media-ing at all tonight.
That doesn't mean I can't provide all you good people with the finest in Valentine's Day music, sure to brew up some romance.
Ladies and gentleman, the Reverend Al Green.
Mr Stevie Wonder
Ms. Minnie Riperton
and the killer app of romantic musicians: Sade
and, more Sade
That doesn't mean I can't provide all you good people with the finest in Valentine's Day music, sure to brew up some romance.
Ladies and gentleman, the Reverend Al Green.
Mr Stevie Wonder
Ms. Minnie Riperton
and the killer app of romantic musicians: Sade
and, more Sade
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Here's a Random Thing I Did: Glenn Miller Orchestra in Austin
Lately a coffeehouse not so far from my house expanded into the next retail space over and opened the Strange Brew Lounge. Jason pointed out the new venue to me, and a few weeks back I was driving to work and noticed they claimed they had the Glenn Miller Orchestra coming.
You might find yourself saying: "But, The League, Glenn Miller died in 1944!"
Indeed he did.
But the orchestra played on!
The Glenn Miller Orchestra still plays around the country, with an all new line-up that probably refreshes quite frequently as they're on the road 48 weeks per year.
My pal Julia said she was interested, so we got us a pair of tickets, and we attended the 6:00 PM show. (Seriously, they started promptly at 6:00. It was crazy town.).
The venue is pretty great. It's really intended for the singer/ songwriter scene Austin cultivates, but apparently the uncle of the owners of Strange Brew was once did arrangements for the Glenn Miller Orchestra, and so they decided to take a risk and book the band.
You might find yourself saying: "But, The League, Glenn Miller died in 1944!"
Indeed he did.
 |
| and thus, I payed to see an empty stage |
But the orchestra played on!
The Glenn Miller Orchestra still plays around the country, with an all new line-up that probably refreshes quite frequently as they're on the road 48 weeks per year.
My pal Julia said she was interested, so we got us a pair of tickets, and we attended the 6:00 PM show. (Seriously, they started promptly at 6:00. It was crazy town.).
The venue is pretty great. It's really intended for the singer/ songwriter scene Austin cultivates, but apparently the uncle of the owners of Strange Brew was once did arrangements for the Glenn Miller Orchestra, and so they decided to take a risk and book the band.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
The 2012 Not-a-List Rundown
author's note: 2012 is a year I have been looking to put behind me for quite a while for any number of reasons. Obviously the events in my personal life marked a very sad end to the year for us at our house. Perhaps we should declare 2012 Annus Horribilis and move on.
With recent events weighing so heavily on me right now (and with this post started a long, long time ago), I'm going to stick to pop culture and the original, intended tone of the post - and this blog - and take a look back instead at... yeah, I guess comics and whatnot.
here we go.
My relationship fundamentally changed with my hobbies and past-times, and superhero comics have begun to dip below the horizon to the same place Star Wars went circa 2002. Because of travelling and the fact I was sick a lot this year, I also didn't really make it out to the movies very often.
With recent events weighing so heavily on me right now (and with this post started a long, long time ago), I'm going to stick to pop culture and the original, intended tone of the post - and this blog - and take a look back instead at... yeah, I guess comics and whatnot.
here we go.
The 2012 Not-a-List Rundown
 |
| My Totem for Everything About my Pop Culture Hobbies in 2012 |
My relationship fundamentally changed with my hobbies and past-times, and superhero comics have begun to dip below the horizon to the same place Star Wars went circa 2002. Because of travelling and the fact I was sick a lot this year, I also didn't really make it out to the movies very often.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Halloween! "Frankenstein" and Edgar Winter!
If you finish listening to this all the way through, get yourself some Halloween candy as a reward.
Happy Halloween! Monster Mash!
You are now legally allowed to play this song until midnight, and then it needs to go back in the vault for another year.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
So, Friday Marshall and I went to see David Byrne and St. Vincent
It is not a secret that I am a fan of the work of musician/ artist David Byrne. I think I've written before about becoming a Talking Heads fan, and I have a hard time believing that over the years I haven't mentioned that I have avidly followed Byrne's career since the band dissolved and continue to be a fan.
I missed Byrne when he came through and played ACL Fest about two years ago with Brian Eno, but I've seen Byrne play a few times over the years, and I have a couple of concerts on DVD. The man puts on a good show (ie: we recommend).
However, I knew far less about St. Vincent other than that in 2009, when I posted on Amanda Palmer, Marshall suggested I check her out. Unfortunately, when I attempted to learn more about St. Vincent, I accidentally bought an album by someone else who also goes by the name of St. Vincent, and I never circled back to buying the St. Vincent I intended to listen to in the first place.
I missed Byrne when he came through and played ACL Fest about two years ago with Brian Eno, but I've seen Byrne play a few times over the years, and I have a couple of concerts on DVD. The man puts on a good show (ie: we recommend).
However, I knew far less about St. Vincent other than that in 2009, when I posted on Amanda Palmer, Marshall suggested I check her out. Unfortunately, when I attempted to learn more about St. Vincent, I accidentally bought an album by someone else who also goes by the name of St. Vincent, and I never circled back to buying the St. Vincent I intended to listen to in the first place.
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