If I were a famous singer, I’d do this all the time

Good on Funny or Die for coming up with this video, which was pretty entertaining. Jewel, disguised as frumpy, mild-mannered Karen, absolutely kills at karaoke doing songs by…Jewel. Love it!

Wednesday warm and fuzzies

Here’s a video of Lenny Kravitz randomly hearing and joining a teenaged choir who were performing one of his songs. I found this link via this Metafilter thread, which features several people questioning whether this occasion was staged. My take: no. The production values were pretty…rough, and the circumstances seemed less than ideal for a truly awesome outdoor performance. I mean, it shouldn’t matter anyway, but why not take something like this at face value? What does it hurt us to go out on a limb and trust sometimes? What would one lose by believing that this was real, and having it turn out not to be true? Even if watching this video added nothing to your life, it certainly didn’t subtract anything.

Anyway, another reason I liked that Metafilter post was because through the comments I got to read this story about Mel Tormé (if that name is not familiar to you, just know that Mel Tormé was awesome), and I found it enjoyable and moving for no particular reason at all.

Happy Wednesday!

But can the Proclaimers do this???

What does Sottish rap sound like? No, that’s not the set-up of a joke. The answer is, “Who really knows?” This interview with Gavin Bain tells the story of two talented Scottish rappers (Bain and Billy Boyd) who were mocked and laughed at when they performed in their native accent. Moving to the United States, inventing new biographies for themselves, and pretending to be American got them the recognition they couldn’t get before. I love a good hoax story, but the underlying prejudice that allowed (forced?) them to do this is pretty awful. Still, I cannot believe how many people they got to believe them. To paraphrase Bain, you can indeed kid a kidder.

This is me drawing the line

I don’t care if it means that I’m ancient, but I cannot get on board with that Ke$ha song “Tik-Tok.” I guess I should have been tipped off by the fact that every time I’ve seen it mentioned online, it isn’t accompanied by an mp3 or video. That’s a sign, right? Even the people whose jobs it is to talk about stuff like this don’t actually want to hear it.

Just to be clear, it’s not that I hate all new music indiscriminately.  I know what I like, but there’s always room in my heart, and on my mp3 player, for some new tunes. I like good pop, and I’m pretty much a lock when it comes to fun party songs. So, even if it didn’t replace “Just Dance” in my heart, it was entirely possible that I wasn’t going to hate “Tik-Tok.”

But the reality is far different (and worse) than what I’d imagined. The song is Autotuned to death, so much so that I have no idea whether Ke$ha can actually sing. I’m not rushing to listen to any of her other songs to find out, either. Plus the lyrics are lazy. As if that wasn’t bad enough, it also features the most insipid, Valley Girl-sounding talk/singing since Moon Unit Zappa (and that was parody; what’s Ke$ha’s excuse?).

I contrast the awful “Tik-Tok” with “How Do You Do,” by Natasha Bedingfield. Why? I’m not going to pretend that these songs have anything in common, but the former is awful and popular, while the latter is good and (at least according Amazon mp3 and iTunes, where it can’t even be purchased) not popular. I heard it the other day while I was at the mall, and was totally blown away by it. I was trying to converse with my friend and still listen to the song at the same time, so that I could memorize the lyrics and buy the song when I got home (that’s right: I’m so old, I BUY my music). I thought that I recognized Bedingfield’s voice, but I wasn’t positive. I googled her name and what I remembered of the lyrics, and came up with nada. I thought that maybe I’d been wrong, but then I remembered the “if you won’t say it, I will” line, and when I gooogled that, I hit the jackpot. It seems that this song was included on an import CD that failed to go far. I’ll have to buy the CD if I want the song, and I’m almost willing to do that.

Anyway, I’m sure that there are people who will prefer “Tik-Tok” to “How Do You Do?” and those who will not like either of them. But just to make it easy for you to form an opinion, I’m including both of the songs below. Neither of these videos are really videos; they’re just the songs.

Now get off my lawn.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, everybody! I hope your 2010 is off to a lovely start.

Satanski and I were watching videos online and I realized that I never posted this one. Jason Mraz + Sesame Street = Two great tastes that taste great together. My nephew was really confused as to why Jason Mraz was on Sesame Street, but thought it was cool to see Mraz singing with Elmo and Big Bird.

Awwww

He’s no 3-year-old Korean kid, but Jason Mraz is pretty freaking cute himself.

Want!

This video, which only the Amish and Osama Bin Laden haven’t seen, has only strengthened my desire to have an Asian child. The kid’s talent is undeniable, but for me, the real selling point is the faces that he makes throughout.

Also, as adorable as this is, I’ve seen it a lot in the last several days, so all of those who know of my obsession with Jason Mraz should feel free to cease sending it to me.

Awww

Between this and this, Orrin Hatch is SO the man!

Random thoughts

1) I am definitely not going to Rhinebeck. Sad face.

2) Somebody took the space on the bus that I gave up, so I will be getting a refund. Happy face.

3) Brandi Carlile having the Twins is almost as awesome as Jason Mraz having a Toca.

Week o’Concerts

I saw the Beautifiul Small Machines on Tuesday night. They were at Ella Lounge, in the venue’s tiny basement, which was filled with smoke (machine-made, not from cigarettes). We walked in on the tail end of the previous set, which featured a DJ on a MacBook Pro and some guy on a guitar. Pass. One couple was even playing with a light saber-ish thingie that looked cute in the smoke, but kind of made people freak when the beam landed on them. When it landed on me I waved, and the girl scowled. Who knows what that means?

BSM’s set was great. The band seemed to be having a great time, although Bree Sharp got really emotional and said that she thought it would be her last show with the band, which was also going to be getting some new members. What does this mean? She wasn’t clear, and the band’s web sites aren’t elaborating. Bummer!

On Wednesday, I saw Ingrid Michaelson. She was fabulous! I’ve gotten over my confusion from this past summer, and have decided that Jason Mraz is definitely my favorite singer; still, she’s a close second. In my mind, Ingrid Michaelson is actually the female Mraz. She’s a great singer with an amazing voice, she’s funny, she a little hippie-ish, and she talks incessantly between songs. I wasn’t in the mood to be expansive and open-minded and did not end up seeing the opening acts, but she performed for a really long time and I was more than pleased with the quality and amount of music I heard last night.

Also, funnily enough, after I said last week that I wouldn’t recognize former Project Runway contestants if I passed them in the street, who did I pass on the street but Nicholas! Granted, he’s part of the current crop of designers, so I see his mug every week, but it still cracks me up. Look at the power of my mind! Here’s another one: I wouldn’t recognize a million dollars if it landed in my bank account. Okay, universe, it’s your turn again.