Random 80s Musical Bullying Scenes

Marls sent me a link to a BuzzFeed list of the 12 Most Amazing After-School Specials. There was a link to this dance fight from Ace Hits the Big Time:

And it's awesome (especially, "You're gonna look like cooked spaghetti!"), but it really just reminded me of my all-time favorite random music scene from the kick-ass Teen Witch. I used to know all the words to it.

Enjoy, people. Enjoy.

I Need

Ok, so out comes Microsoft with Songsmith. It's got the world's worst commercial, but give it a break already because the YouTubes are out. of. control. A brief 101: The program allows you to sing a track before it creates backing instrumental and percussion tracks. You can tweak the styles and such but...for real, all that is not the point. The point is that people have already isolated the vocal tracks for well-known songs and synced up new backing tracks thanks to Songsmith. And it's amazing. These are some of my favorites so see for yourself:
"Eye of the Tiger"

"Enter Sandman"

"Tom Sawyer"

"Hurt"

and, of course, "Running With the Devil"

Enjoy.

I Am Currently Obsessed With...

I encourage you to watch all of it. Repeatedly. Thanks to George over at Uncorrected Personality Traits for finding the video. I'd searched for way to long. We concur that "Fat Country Baby" and "Sweet Corn Memories" are gems.
Also of note on UPT for Doctor Who fans: Doctor Mew. I'm pretty sure the black cat is Christopher Eccleston.

Making Beautiful (Improv) Music

Everyone knows I love me some Andrew Bird. Fewer people know I love classical music. Now, I'm not schooled in it like my Mama, but this is a gem of a video. Apparently, Bird was slated to interview Yo-Yo Ma as part of some MTV artist-with-artist thing. Ma asks him to string a piece together, so to speak. Lovely.

null |MTV Music

This freaks me out so much...

Thanks to Matty for this incredibly bizarre fitness video. There's no way in hell we're ever posting documentation of our WiiFit shenanigans, so nibble on this nugget for a while. I have no idea what is up with the poodle-puff muscles and frankly, I'm not sure I want to.

Speaking of the Matt-tastic, though, I want to congratulate him and his lovely on their impending September nuptials! I've purchased a truckload of Kleenex and and waterproof mascara just for the occasion.

In other news, I'm a terrible blogger. My mid-year resolution is to stop over here more. In my lengthy absence from Alex, us DO music peeps busted out the Dallas Observer Music Awards issue, I got to go to an awesome narrative workshop in Archer City--where I was honored to meet THE Larry McMurtry, Texas' king of storytelling and I've inadvertently eaten cow's heart (just a peek at an upcoming food review). Now, with the timestamp urging me bed-ward, I'll say night-night and promise that I'll do my best to post more!!

Women's Chorus, Not Constantinople

Can't claim the find on this one. Pete at DC-9 gets credit. These ladies go to town on some They Might Be Giants. As I commented over there, I think the performance was lost on the audience. I could be wrong though. There could be a slew of TMBG fans at Women's Chorus events.

Welcome Stage Dumps

Don't know why I've never directed you to this site, because as bathroom humor-related as it is, it's freakin' brilliant. I admit I know some of the peeps that run the Stage Dumps blog, but that doesn't take away from the glory.
This is my personal favorite. (For the photo as well as historical reasons.)

Enjoy.

This Is Awful. Horrible. Just Gross.

Now, I like the Beatles, but I'm not a Beatles lover like some folks I know. I have favorite songs and whatnot but I don't worship at the feet of Lennon/McCartney/Harrison (the hot one, in my opinion)/Starr. But this American Idol performance is truly offensive. Maybe it's because "Eleanor Rigby" is one of those faves, but I'd like to think anyone in their right mind would find this atrocious. Here, the douchey David Cook butchers Ms. Rigby and Father MacKenzie. And shamefully, all three judges loved it. I was most disappointed in Simon. He is English after all.

Danzig? Is That You?

The Legion of Rock Stars has outdone themselves. I thought nothing could be "Anyway You Want It" or "Jump" but I was real wrong. Behold: "Mother"

OK, fine. Maybe it doesn't top "Jump." You decide.

Thanks to Matty for the linkage.

Happy Holidays, Peeps!

a sad day for dallas radio

Zac Crain had it first:

Josh Venable is Out at KDGE
(Exclusive: Must credit me.) Just got off the phone with my friend Josh Venable. He went in for his regular employee review today at the station. When he got there, someone from HR was waiting for him. He immediately knew what they were about to tell him: His position at the station — where he's been since he was 19 years old — was being eliminated. So he's out. No more 10 p.m-2 a.m. shift. No more Adventure Club. I am too close to the situation to comment rationally, but I'll tell you this: They made a mistake. I know it was a business decision, and I know station boss Duane Doherty would have liked to do just about anything else. But still, not good times. --Zac Crain

SHQ, RIP

I hate that some stupid, mindless act of vandalism ended up causing an awesome venue (with great plans on the horizon) to have to shut its doors. I loved every experience I had there. I love and respect the people that run the place and right now I feel for them that their vision has been lost in a senseless act and a subsequent rumor mill. Make Secret Headquarters your MySpace friends so you can be updated should a fundraiser be organized or if the PayPal button is still active.

And if you have any info regarding the vandalism of Secret Headquarters in Denton, please contact them via MySpace or Denton Rock City.

I Wanna Play My NES Right Now

Thanks Jake.

On a National Level

With many thanks to frame-makin' master and Yankee Hubby Tom for the tip, here's the National's set at ACL. I will say that of all the acts I saw there, they definitely stole the show and that's not something I'd say just because I really like them. Andrew Bird, Bloc Party, Crowded House, Common, Steve Earle--they were all fan-effing-tastic, but damn, the National was able to top their Emo's show Saturday night with a 1:30 p.m. time slot Sunday in glaring sun. I don't know how that's done, but they did it.

Way delayed sidenote (sorry, family reunion threw me off schedule): Check out my photos from the festival if you're bored (but beware they'll appear much darker on a CRT monitor than an LCD).

(photo of Matt Berninger © Merritt Martin, 2007.)

This Might Be

The worst idea ever.

His Beautiful Life

It's been a long week. It started with a call from a good friend telling me the nauseating news of Carter's horrible death and ended with a tribute to him on the Adventure Club that allowed many of us a bittersweet opportunity to hear his powerful speaking voice. In that span of time, I've gone from shaking and sobbing to randomly teary to grateful for knowing that incredible soul (and every combination and order of those).

I admittedly didn't know Carter well enough to call him up for a confessional chat or anything, but since I've been legal to get into most shows around here, the tall and talented one has been a fixture in my social scene. There are different types of musicians in the Dallas music scene: ones that figure a guitar and a threadbare shirt achieve enough rockstar cool, and the ones who have a no prints left on the tips of their fingers because they haven't parted from their instrument, well, practically ever. The latter are passionate ones that remember the names of people they meet at shows. The ones who think to suggest an album to you based on some conversation you had years ago when you said how much you loved both Neil Finn and Charlie Sexton and didn't know who you should place higher on your "If I Could Have a Celebrity Music Teacher" list. The ones who can slay your emotional soul with they way they sing that one "slave" in "Slave of Fashion" (you know the one - the slay-ee-aaave one) or rock away your hangover with Cuervo via song. That was Carter.

It's been weird. There are others who knew Carter far better than me. I find myself battling guilt for feeling that mourning sensation that probably should be reserved for those closer to him. And I think it's a combination of empathy and of feeling a loss of someone who brought so very much to my life in just those many brief encounters over the years. He did it through his music and through conversation, through generosity of soul and energy, and every so often a glance that said something of the moment like "Did you see that!? Please tell me you saw that!" He could put you on the floor laughing...or because you realized how freaking smart he was. I guess I mourn just as much for his very close friends (many of whom I know better than I did him) and family because I realize that if I feel the way I do for knowing Carter as peripherally as I did...well, I can't even imagine that loss.

I realize most folks have already made their tribute blogposts about Carter in a more timely fashion, but I felt like I had to go through the gambit of emotions, the wake, the funeral, listening to a lot of his music again and some time before I could do the man any justice. And yeah, I know I still haven't done him justice, so I'll just shut up now and go listen to more of his music...

To all of his friends and family (actual and musical), I hope peace may find you soon. To all of those fans and simple acquaintences like me, realize the treasure there is left in his music. And to Carter, I'll miss the comfort in seeing that knowing face around, but hope like hell it's looking down on us all here in Big D. May you continue to inspire, sir.

Carter Albrecht, RIP

Forgive me for the lateness on this, I spent much of today heading back from vacation along a traffic-jammed I-35. I found out the horrible news of the shooting of local musician and all-around great guy Carter Albrecht while I was standing in line in a small-town Dairy Queen bathroom--appropriate, since it is absolutely sickening.

Carter was an amazingly nice fellow to me and others...and incredibly talented. A studio musician for many major label artists, he also made Sorta, the Sparrows, even the Reunion Tower Revue at the Dallas Observer Music Awards (pictured above), better bands. I can't imagine how many people (bandmates, friends, family and fans) his death touches, but "very many" seems such an understatement.

I won't even bother summarizing the incident as it has already been done whilst I was making my way back to Dallas. Go here and here. When I hear more, I'll post again.

We here at Alex send our deepest sympathies to Carter's friends and family.


UPDATE: There have been many, many posts concerning the incident, his fellow musicians' feelings and thoughts on the matter and more at Unfair Park, The Fine Line, Frontburner, Boca Tinta and others. It's a lot to keep up with and other folks are doing waaaay better than we.

Tonight

Sing It!!!

OK, so Noah just tipped me off to my new favorite obsession: SingShot. I don't know which I love more, the peeps (like my friend from one of our favorite now-defunct blogs) that are obviously have more than a little fun with it, (Can't decide which of his renditions I like best but I think Love and Rockets might win. Ronnie Milsap's top notch too, though.) or the people who take the karaoke challenge a little, ok, way too, seriously.

Plan Ahead

Do what you will on your day off tomorrow (Happy independence, America.), but Thursday has a must-go show on the list:
Links for the listening: The Naptime Shake Daniel Folmer RTB2