Sunday, November 29, 2009

Heading towards the (Green) Light.

If one of my five year old students howls their lungs out while curled in the foetal position because their shoelaces are tied together, have a mosquito bite or they have jam in their sandwich instead of Vegemite, their cries are met with a chorus of “Ricky Resilience, not Cathy Crumble!”

Their peers advise that they adopt ‘Green Light Thinking’, a term that our school system uses to encourage positive thinking. Most of the time the Green Light Thinking words, although sometimes the only thing that can make a kid smile during this type of dilemma is a big sparkly sticker of a ladybird.

I like to think that I’m positive. I’m smiley. I see the bright side. I still hang on to the dire hope that Hamish Blake marry me.

Despite this, for no apparent reason, I sometimes tend to go a bit five year old foetal position tantrum myself. (Normally in the privacy of my own home, not in a classroom, you’ll be glad to know).

What’s my Green Light Thinking?

I’m thankful that it wasn’t my two year old who I witnessed licking the floor at ‘Bed, Bath & Table’ this afternoon.

I’m wrapped that on Friday I got given a free ticket to the Britney concert. I’m doubly wrapped that I shared the experience with one of the most amazing people I know, who chuckled with me about poor old Brit’s woeful lip synching attempts and danced her little hips off with me when ‘Hit Me Baby, One More Time’ was performed.

I have a secret giggle remembering how one of my friends told a lady that while her baby was cute, he preferred his iPhone. He has a point, you can’t hold a baby up to the radio to tell you which song is playing.

The knowledge that one of my colleagues didn’t know what fruit cheese was. I had to explain that it was just cheese with fruit in it.

I think about planes and how I will be on one in 2 months.

The fact that mangoes, cherries, houses decorated in Christmas lights, children wearing elf hats and 30*C days are currently in abundance.

Two words: Taylor Lautner.

The thought of freshly laundered sheets, late night DVDs and no alarm clock.

Knowing that there are so many people I know who put the happiness of other people (and the introduction of quality literature to children) above everything else.

What’s your Green Light thinking?

[Via http://laura251.wordpress.com]

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Lista: As 10 músicas POP da década!

O site Popeater, um portal bastante conceituado em música POP elegeu as 10 músicas mais POP da década. Como nós, falamos muito da música Pop e seus derivados, resolvi postar essa listinha aqui e ver qual a opinião de vocês!



10.  Gnarls Barkley – Crazy (2006)

Quem diria que a mistura de um Dj e um Rapper não viria bem a calhar?! Apois, e com seu primeiro single Crazy, eles conseguiram o 10° lugar na lista. Crazy conseguiu ficar 10 semanas consecutivas em 1° lugar no TOP SINGLES do Reino Unido. A música é ótima, uma mistura deliciosa de POP com Jazz.

09. Justin Timberlake – Cry Me a River (2002) Uma música mais que direta pra Britney Spears, sendo um dos primeiros sucessos do Justin no qual revolucionou muita coisa no cenário Pop. Trazendo uma batida que misturava harmoniosamente o r&b com o puro POP, coisa que se aflorou mais com a ajuda do compositor Timbaland no Future Sex/ Love Sound. 08. Gwen Stefani – Hollaback Girl (2005) Depois de ter saído do grupo No Doubt, Gwen Stefany arriscou sua carreira solo e consegiu conquistar o coração do público com seu primeiro trabalho individual. Trazendo assim uma mesclagem muito mais pop e dance, diferente dos trabalhos feitos na banda. Hollaback Girl , que foi seu terceiro single, foi um fenômeno nos EUA, conseguindo vender mais de 1 milhão e emplacando de vez a carreira solo da cantora.

07. Franz Ferdinand – Take Me Out (2004)

Uma banda de rock alternativo com boa batida indie com uma levissima entrada no Pop. E assim eles conseguiram colocar o seu single Take me Out em 3° lugar na Billboard, fazendo assim seu grande surgimento pro mundo! A música é uma boa representação de como é a propagação da banda e a mistura de suas músicas. 06. Rihanna – Umbrella (2007) Quem não conhece essa música?! Quem nunca deixou subscrito no msn “You can stand under my umbrela!”. A música foi uma febre nos EUA e foi a que definitivamente emplacou de vez a carreira da Rihanna já depois de 2 álbuns… Tava na hora, né?! 05. Kylie Minogue – Can’t Get You Out of My Head (2001) Com uma batida super eletropop e ritmo contagiante, é assim que começa Can’t Get You Out of My Head da Kylie Minogue. Com a faixa ela alcançou a posição #1 em mais de 40 países e conseguiu 7° na Billboard. Além do mais, ela ficou conhecidissima nos EUA e emplacou sua carreira lá, afinal ela só Bombava na Austrália. 04. Usher – Yeah! (2004) O que sai da mistura de Hip hop com Pop? Músicas como Yeah! do Usher que conseguiram 1° lugar em todos os charts de países que foram lançados. A música foi febre em todo lugar e claro, marcou o mundo da música e fez do Usher um cantor muito mais conhecido. 03. Kelly Clarkson – Since U Been Gone (2005) Uma das músicas que foi um dos maiores hits de 2005 e que consagrou a carreira da cantora. Cantada pela Kelly Clarkson, uma american idol que resolveu uma mudança meio radical de estilo, mudança na qual a fez entrar nas paradas. 02. Britney Spears – Toxic (2004) Nada melhor que uma música da princesinha do Pop pra ficar em segundo lugar! Toxic, um dos maiores e melhores hits da Britney, além de ser consideradas um dos marcos em 2004. A música é um ótimo exemplo de batida pop chiclete e até hoje faz sucesso. 01. OutKast – Hey Ya! (2003)

Produzida pela própria dupla de cantores, a música teve uma ótima aprovação pela crítica musical. Com influências do Pop/rock e do Funk a música foi um sucesso mundial, ficando em 1° na maioria dos charts e posterior, fazendo um nome mais consolidado da banda, na qual passou a ser muito mais aclamada. Sabemos que a lista pode não agradar a muitos, porém essa foi a seleção, eu não concordo plenamente com ela, mas adoro todas a músicas! Fonte: http://www.popeater.com/2009/11/24/best-pop-songs-of-the-decade/ por Riick

[Via http://getbox.wordpress.com]

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Adam Lambert AMA Performance

In a jaw-dropping performance, Adam Lambert:

  1. dragged a female dancer around by her ankles.
  2. pushed a male dancer’s head into his crotch simulating oral sex.
  3. walked a pair of males around like dogs on a leash.
  4. feverishly made out with his (allegedly  straight) male keyboard player.

In response to his performance, Lambert received over 1500 complaints, was taken off Good Morning America, replaced with woman-beater Chris Brown, and ridiculed by many.  Like Lambert, I feel that female performers have pushed the sexual envelope for years.  We have the infamous Britney Spears,Christina Aguilera, and Madonna Kiss, Britney’s body suit, and Janet Jackson’s nip slip.  While Lambert may want to use the double standard and the fact that he is a gay male in his defense, I am not going for it.  He has blamed the parents for letting their children watch a show that is for the fans, while many fans are children.  I believe in learning by example.  The examples set in past performances have led to great ridicule and controversy.  Did you think your racy, jaw-dropping, and inappropriate performance would not generate the same results?!

[Via http://bloodorwater.wordpress.com]

Thursday, November 19, 2009

CD inédito de Britney poderá sair em maio

Que Britney vai lançar um CD com os singles de sua carreira, isso não é novidade. A grande notícia é que o mês de maio de 2010 pode ser marcado pelo lançamento de um CD com músicas inéditas da cantora. O anúncio foi feito pela Jive Records. O produtor Max Martin e o compositor Sean Garret já estão produzindo as músicas para Britney.
Galera! Bora ficar ansiosos! Mas, antes do novo CD, o Brasil espera a cantora, com ou sem playback!

Artista da Semana: Estilo

O estilo da Britney é bem”personalisado” gosta de estar sempre com as pernas de fora, e, raramente com calcinha! Gosta de usar o transparente e de estar sempre meio tosca, meio elegante!Fazem parte dos seus acessórios: meia arrastão furada, chapéus de palha, faixas de cabelo pra domar o mega hair etc.

Britney, nada normal!

Loira???

Brilha? SIM!

Oi!

Magrinha hein?

Ui! Sexy!

Então, essa é a Britney, num estilo livre e despojado! Seja sempre assim, nos emocione com seus figurinos!

Gostaram?

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

O cabeleireiro das estrelas

Para muitos homens e algumas mulheres ficar careca é uma comprovação inexorável de que estamos cada vez menos jovens e o fim está cada vez mais próximo. Algumas pessoas levam isso tranquilamente e gozam suas vidas aceitando esse fato, mas outras não. Ficam paranóicas e depressivas.

A questão da calvície, além de estética esbarra no ego e vaidade e pode ser muito séria. Pessoas comuns e até os artistas que vivem e comercializam suas imagens precisam, às vezes, dar um tapa no shape para se manterem no padrão de beleza. Com isso, a indústria dos tônicos milagrosos, xampus colorantes e próteses capilares (perucas?!?) têm o seu filão garantido e vai de vento em popa.

Nosso amigo e leitor Fernando Fogaça encontrou um desses oásis capilares e registrou para o Cidade Louca.

Protese com SS é francês?

Eu não queria falar nada, mas reparem em quem são os satisfeitos clientes que gentilmente cederam suas imagens após instalarem suas próteses capilares. Très Chic, não?

Parece que o Bruce Willis vem no mês que vem.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

King Says, Benji Says (Week 10)

Townspeople rejoice! The Curse of 13 (games played) has finally been lifted. I may not have figured out a way to get a date with any of the actresses from House, but I did break The King’s spell by correctly picking Pittsburgh to win on Monday Night Football. I don’t know about you all, but I am celebrating in style in my new digs. With a Vermonster in hand, and my former enemy (His Majesty) at my side, I am ready to tackle the 14 Sunday/Monday match-ups…

Last Week:

Peter King (11-2)

Benji (9-4)

Brian (11-2)

Overall:

Peter King (81-35)

Benji (77-39)

Brian (68-48)


Dallas Cowboys (6-2) at Green Bay Packers (4-4)

King Says:

If I were the FOX director doing this game, I’d have a WadeCam (because Wade Phillips is always good for about eight agonized expressions during a game), and I’d dedicate one to Jerry Jones, seething, in the final two minutes. I don’t love Green Bay, but I like them here because they’ve got to look at this game as a last-gasp playoff hope.

Prediction: Green Bay Packers 30, Dallas Cowboys 27

Benji Says:

Since I’m in a good mood (The King and I signed a peace treaty and swore on a pair of Vermonsters), I’ll respectfully agree with His Majesty here. I like the way the Cowboys are playing on offense and defense right now, but if the Packers don’t win here, their season is pretty much over…

Prediction: Green Bay Packers 30, Dallas Cowboys 27

Buffalo Bills (3-5) at Tennessee Titans (2-6)

King Says:

Biggest fallacy on the NFL planet this morning: Vince Young wouldn’t be playing unless Bud Adams did an interview when the Titans were 0-6 and said he thought it was time for Young to play. Every little barb helped, but this is a decision Jeff Fisher was on the verge of making either that week or the next.

Prediction: Tennessee Titans 25, Buffalo Bills 17

Benji Says:

Regardless of who made the decision to start Vince Young and when the decision was made, the Titans are playing infinitely better with Young as the starting quarterback. The Bills’ offense is completely inept, and their defense is allowing a league worst 5.1 yards per carry to opposing running backs. Look for another solid game from Young and a dominant performance from running back Chris Johnson…

Prediction: Tennessee Titans 30, Buffalo Bills 13

Kansas City Chiefs (1-7) at Oakland Raiders (2-6)

King Says:

You’ve got a choice, viewers of Kansas City. Your PBS affiliate is showing “A Walk in the Sun,” a movie about the randomness of war set in WWII, at 3 p.m. local time. In other words, there might be better ways to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Prediction: Oakland Raiders 24, Kansas City Chiefs 11

Benji Says:

I’m not sure who should feel more insulted: PBS viewers or Kansas City and Oakland football fans? We get it, Your Majesty—you want to play up the clichéd storyline that both of these teams are really bad. I guess there isn’t really that much else to talk about here though…

Prediction: Kansas City Chiefs 20, Oakland Raiders 13

New Orleans Saints (8-0) at St. Louis Rams (1-7)

King Says:

There’s an X factor here. I wonder how Sean Payton keeps his team focused these next two weeks, with Rams and Bucs on the road preceding the big Monday nighter with New England.

Prediction: New Orleans Saints 33, St. Louis Rams 10

Benji Says:

The Saints won’t need much “focus” against a team whose only win was a nail-biter against the hapless Lions…

Prediction: New Orleans Saints 35, St. Louis Rams 10

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-7) at Miami Dolphins (3-5)

King Says:

I’m not sure whether it was Bill Parcells or Tony Sparano. But I can bet you a Gloria Estefan CD that one of those men, sometime in the past three or four days, said something to Chad Henne along the lines of: “Son, if you’re going to complete 54 percent, like you have over the past three games, and take as many sacks as you’ve been taking, and not get us into the end zone, you’ll never make it in this league.” Lucky for Henne, he’s got the Bucs coming to Fishland on Sunday.

Prediction: Miami Dolphins 27, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16

Benji Says:

I’ll see your Gloria Estefan CD and raise you a Britney Spears one that neither Bill Parcells or Tony Sparano said anything of the sort to Henne—for a young quarterback who has started fewer than half a season’s worth of games, I think he has done quite well for himself. The Dolphins may be 3-5 but their schedule has been extremely tough thus far and I still think they have an outside shot at a playoff berth if they play at the same level they have shown in their first eight games. Oh, as for this game? Enjoy your lone win, Tampa—you won’t get another one for a long while…

Prediction: Miami Dolphins 28, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 13

Detroit Lions (1-7) at Minnesota Vikings (7-1)

King Says:

Brett Favre really needed the bye, and the banged-up Adrian Peterson was pretty happy to have it too. On the other side of the ball, I hear the Lions are battling rumors that the two big stars, Calvin Johnson and Matthew Stafford, are sniping at each other. Calvin, it’s nothing personal; the kid’s just not all there yet. And he has thrown 49 balls your way in five starts when you’ve been on the field together. What’s the gripe? That’s 2.5 balls per quarter.

Prediction: Minnesota Vikings 30, Detroit Lions 14

Benji Says:

As far as obscure stats go…why break down the number of balls thrown to Johnson per quarter? What additional information does that statistic provide for the reader? Maybe you would be better off, say, telling us what percentage of Stafford’s total passes are directed toward Johnson? Ah, what does it matter? The Lions stink…I just wish you wouldn’t waste words in this situation that could be better used to explain your other more noteworthy picks…

Prediction: Minnesota Vikings 30, Detroit Lions 13

Jacksonville Jaguars (4-4) at New York Jets (4-4)

King Says:

Rex Ryan, getting whiplash watching Maurice Jones-Drew sprint by him a couple of times, will turn to an assistant and say, “You have no idea how much I miss Leon Washington.”

Prediction: New York Jets 23, Jacksonville Jaguars 20

Benji Says:

Correct me if I’m wrong: one would assume that if a high-profile sportswriter spent an entire paragraph of analysis describing the dominance of a player on one team and a notable injury on the other team, that the former would be the team he picked to win, no? Hmmmm…well, I’m taking the Jets (the home team) because I don’t trust the Jaguars, who have shown themselves to be the most inconsistent team in the league at the halfway point of the season…

Prediction: New York Jets 20, Jacksonville Jaguars 17

Seattle Seahawks (3-5) at Arizona Cardinals (5-3)

Arizona 28, Seattle 21. “Hey, hey, come on now,” Kurt Warner said to me when I began a conversation the other day with, “Well, it’s been feast or famine for you.” Five picks, then five touchdowns. He’s right-two of the five picks were fluke jobs. The will of Jim Mora might make this closer, but a month ago, in Seattle, the Cards won by 24.

Prediction: Arizona Cardinals 28, Seattle Seahawks 21

Benji Says:

Way to kill the suspense by giving us another copy of your predicted score before your analysis. Also, last time I checked, other than the last two weeks, Warner hasn’t been feast or famine—he’s been consistently a bit above average. I feel like a broken record here, but…it’s all irrelevant, because the Seahawks stink…

Prediction: Arizona Cardinals 38, Seattle Seahawks 16

Cincinnati Bengals (6-2) at Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2)

King Says:

I find it amazing that the Bengals are 4-0 in AFC North games, 3-0 against the Big Two (Ravens, Steelers) and if they lose this game, they’ll be a game out of first in the division. This is a much bigger game for Pittsburgh than Cincinnati, because a loss by the Steelers would put them two games out, in effect (one plus the head-to-head tiebreaker), and the Bengals have Oakland, Cleveland, Detroit and Kansas City as four of their final seven games. Sense or urgency, plus playing at home, plus a good shot to stone Cedric Benson ??? that’s why I’m a Steeler man Sunday.

Prediction: Pittsburgh Steelers 20, Cincinnati Bengals 13

Benji Says:

I too find it amazing that the Bengals are undefeated in the NFC North, but I’m not nearly as convinced that the Steelers have a “good chance to stone Cedric Benson.” What is your justification for that statement, Your Majesty? Benson has run well against every team he’s faced this season, including the Steelers in Pittsburgh when he rushed for 76 yards on 16 carries. That being said, I do think the Steelers will find a way to pull this one out…the Bengals can’t be this good, can they?

Prediction: Pittsburgh Steelers 20, Cincinnati Bengals 17

Philadelphia Eagles (5-3) at San Diego Chargers (5-3)

King Says:

Philip Rivers has gotten much love for his clutch throw to beat the Giants, and rightfully so. But the San Diego defense is finally well in the team’s three-game win streak, allowing 43 total points and only 13 of 42 third-down conversions. And Shawne Merriman’s awake. He sacked Eli Manning to end the game at the Meadowlands. If I were Donovan McNabb I’d feel better if I got Brian Westbrook back, to help with blitz pickup in this one.

Prediction: San Diego Chargers 26, Philadelphia Eagles 13

Benji Says:

As long as the San Diego Chargers continue to start LaDanian Tomlinson’s reanimated corpse, I can’t pick them to beat two desperate teams in back to back weeks. Philip Rivers is a great quarterback, but he can only do so much when his running game is generating three yards per carry. The Eagles have the better, more balanced team and are getting starting running back Brian Westbrook back for “blitz pick-up” and much more…

Prediction: Philadelphia Eagles 28, San Diego Chargers 20

Denver Broncos (6-2) at Washington Redskins (2-6)

King Says:

Why is it this close? Because the Redskins are exactly 1.4 total yards per game worse than Pittsburgh on defense. Washington’s going to give Kyle Orton multiple headaches Sunday.

Prediction: Denver Broncos 17, Washington Redskins 15

Benji Says:

Perhaps the “multiple headaches” comment was in poor taste, considering the fact that two top tier players (Washington’s Clinton Portis and Philadelphia’s Brian Westbrook) have left with concussions in Redskins games over the last three weeks? That being said, I agree with your prediction, Your Majesty, if not your analysis. Denver’s offense is suspect and Washington’s defense is surprisingly good. This one will be close…

Prediction: Denver Broncos 17, Washington Redskins 15

Atlanta Falcons (5-3) at Carolina Panthers (3-5)

King Says:

If I’m Jake Delhomme, I think I’d rather be running in the open field with three Falcons bearing down on me that taking my chances running out of bounds into the middle of a bunch of Falcons. That Atlanta sideline is a dangerous place to be.

Prediction: Atlanta Falcons 23, Carolina Panthers 20

Benji Says:

Why explain your prediction for a tight game between divisional foes when you can make silly jokes about a sideline altercation from a week ago? My take (I’m sorry that King doesn’t feel comfortable sharing his) is that the Falcons are in trouble here. The Panthers are running all over everyone right now and Atlanta’s defense is allowing 4.5 yards per carry. Also, quarterback Matt Ryan has been making some curious decisions as of late.

Prediction: Carolina Panthers 28, Atlanta Falcons 20

Baltimore Ravens (4-4) at Cleveland Browns (1-7)

King Says:

Somewhere, Mike Holmgren will be watching.

Prediction: Baltimore Ravens 33, Cleveland Browns 9

Benji Says:

Somewhere, Benji Thurber will be watching…House.

Prediction: Baltimore Ravens 30, Cleveland Browns 6

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Twitter de Britney é hackeado mais uma vez.

O twitter de Britney Spears foi hackeado mais uma vez. Dessa vez, seu perfil foi invadido por um adorador do satanás. Isso mesmo! Mensagens de adoração a Lúcifer foram postadas, mas, nada que não pudesse ser excluído pelos gerenciadores da conta de Britney.

 A ousadia foi tanta, que o hacker alterou o plano de fundo e a imagem de exibição. Nesta manhã, o empresário da cantora, que é um dos que tem acesso a conta além de Britney, se é que ela tem acesso, pediu desculpas pelo ocorrido.Seu perfil é o segundo mais popular do twitter. São quase 4 milhões de seguidores.

11.12.09 - A Thursday

WORD

platitude [plat-i-tood, -tyood] n. 1. a flat, dull, or trite remark, esp. one uttered as if it were fresh or profound 2. the quality or state of being flat, dull, or trite: the platitude of most political oratory

BIRTHDAY

Bartomoleo Bandinelli (1493), Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815), Auguste Rodin (1840), Karl Marx (1897), Jo Stafford (1917), Kim Hunter (1922), Charles Manson (1934), Mills Lane (1936), Booker T. Jones (1944), Al Michaels (1944), Neil Young (1945), Megan Mullally (1958), Sammy Sosa (1968), Tonya Harding (1970), Tevin Campbell (1976), Ryan Gosling (1980), Anne Hathaway (1982)

STANDPOINT

One things that bugs the shit out of me is when someone, after finding I lean toward the indie rock persuasion in terms of music listening, will classify me as a “music snob.”

The reason it irks me is because it’s simply not true. Well, not completely true anyhow. There’s truth to the idea I look down my nose at artists like Pink, Britney Spears and Kanye West. But it’s only because I think that those artists (and about a million more) really concentrate on finding new ways to suck. And not just at music. At life, as well.

However, if you like those artists and want to listen to them, feel free. Yu can turn them on and dance around your living room and scream the moronic lyrics at the top of your lungs for all I care.

You see, because while I have discerning musical tastes, I am all for you listening to whatever makes you happy. Even if that same music makes me uncontrollably sad. Listen to what you like. It’s your choice.

The problem I have is when someone like you tries to engage me in some sort of debate about musis, lecturing me on the finer, more subtle points of music. Here’s where I gotta stop you.

As I stated before, listen to what you like. But, please, for both our benefit make no attempts to persuade me one way or another about the musical merits of the new Green Day album or how I don’t really understand what Taylor Swift is really singing about. I do. I get it. And, as you’ve made a conscious decision to like that kind of thing, I’ve chosen to go the exact opposite way with my listening pleasure.

So when you call me a “music snob,” you should not be too surprised when the next 30,000 words that come out of my mouth are directed squarely at you, your intellgence and your lack of depth.

Because, really, what’s the difference between you accusing me of being too deep to understand the simplicity of simple music, and me accusing you of being too much of a simpleton to understand the simplicity of great music?

Guess that clears that up. Glad we had this talk.

QUOTATION

What is the feeling when you’re driving away from people, and they recede on the plain till you see their specks dispersing? It’s the too huge world vaulting us, and it’s good-bye. But we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies. → Jack Kerouac

TUNE

Seems like a ton of bands are doing the return-to-rock thing. (See Kings of Leon, My Morning Jacket) Usually, I dislike these trends. Furthermore, I hate being told what to like by anyone. But, being the music geek I am, forcing myself to listen to everything I possibly can (within limits) is something I just need to do. And, sometimes, I stumble upon a band that, despite myself, I kind of really dig. Like Alberta Cross, the NYC-based via London band that just released its debut album, Broken Side of Time. Check out “ATX.”

GALLIMAUFRY

→ THR.com has published a list of the top male TV earners. Tops? Simon Cowell at $75 million a year. No surprise there. Number 10 was a bit of a surprise, though. David Caruso at $9 million per year. All you hammy actors out there have some hope. (Personally, I love watching Caruso in CSI:Miami.)

→ I posted this on Facebook yesterday but I had to share it again here. This is one of the most ridiculous commercials I’ve ever seen. And up here in Phoenixville PA, it’s on like non-stop. It’s for KIA of West Chester and it’s almost making me want to got there and pretend I want to buy a car. Just to see if these dudes are equally hopped-up off camera. My favorite part is when the one dude, Anthony, gets cut off in the middle of the catch phrase, “THAT’S CRAAAZY!” Indeed.

→ The dude who started the Twitter account @shitmydadsays has signed a TV deal with CBS, after signing a book deal recently. Congrats, brother. I love it when stuff like that happens. My favorite tweet of his so far? “Son, no one gives a shit about all the things your cell phone does. You didn’t invent it, you just bought it. Anybody can do that.”

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Lady Gaga Releases "Bad Romance" Video; World Collectively Dies in Awe

After much delay and hype, Lady Gaga has finally released her video for “Bad Romance”, virtually proving she is the most visually entertaining artist in pop music right now.

Currently, I’m in such a state of shock and awe, that I’m incapable of writing a review other than to say my mind is blown.  Everything in this video is over the top, edgy, fierce and absolutely crazy.  The ending is also pretty freakin’ epic.  So I really have nothing else to say other than I have never been more honored to have her following me on Twitter.

Image Source

Weekly Countdown #118

New Entries
10. OneRepublic – All The Right Moves
8. Mario – Thinkin’ About You
7. La Roux – I’m Not Your Toy
6. Britney Spears – 3
4. Dashboard Confessional – Belle Of The Boulevard
.
10. OneRepublic – All The Right Moves
9. Beyoncé – Broken-Hearted Girl
8. Mario – Thinkin’ About You
7. La Roux – I’m Not Your Toy
6. Britney Spears – 3
5. Leona Lewis – Happy
4. Dashboard Confessional – Belle Of The Boulevard
3. Amanda Blank – Something Bigger, Something Better
2. Alicia Keys – Doesn’t Mean Anything

After 7 years Whitney Houston decided to vacuum in career, she is finally back with the latest album “I Look To You” and now hits #1 with “Million Dollar Bill”.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Girl Groups, Girl Culture: Popular Music and Identity in the 1960s by Jacqueline Warwick

Cover to Girl Groups, Girl Culture (Routledge, 2007); image courtesy of routledgemusic.com

For financial reasons, I was only able to swing one day of Fun Fun Fun Fest so I’m blogging while many in this fair city are catching some good music in Waterloo Park. Although, admittedly, if you’re gonna do one day of the festival, I think yesterday was the way to go. I got to check several bands I’ve never seen before off my list: No Age (who I’ve missed by a marrow margin at least three times), Jesus Lizard, Pharcyde, Les Savy Fav, and Death.

But if you have the scratch, please make sure everyone sees one of Mika Miko’s last shows ever on the black stage at 2:55. I might try to get down there later just to hear it from the other side of the fence.

Mika Miko’s exceptional presence on this year’s bill seems as good a place as any to remember that, as Melissa at GRCA astutely pointed out in her recent post, this year boasts a very dudecentric line-up. So I’ll review Jacqueline Warwick’s book Girl Groups, Girl Culture: Popular Music and Identity in the 1960s book in the hopes that at least one historically significant girl group or all-female band will reunite for next year’s FFFF like Death did this year. And like the Shangri-Las did at CBGB’s in 1977.

As much as I hate comparing women’s work so as to pit them in opposition, Warwick’s book is a tremendous example of how effective it can be to narrow the scope of the cultural moment being covered, something I wish Charlotte Greig would have considered when penning her book on girl groups. While Greig truncates the history of the girl group era in order to broaden the definition of what a girl group is, Warwick focuses primarily on this brief but important moment in history (roughly between 1958 and 1965), considering its ongoing influence as an epilogue.

By taking this approach, Warwick considers the girl group era and its participants from several different, often surprising, areas of inquiry. As a result, she proves the cultural signficance of a popular form dismissed by many as superficial, polished, and phony who instead tend to favor rock music’s supposed transcendent raw authenticity, and argues strongly that this binary construction is inherently gendered. Duh, and amen.

Warwick posits that one of the most important things about the girl group era was its insistence on putting girls and young women in the spotlight, introducing a complex, celebratoryn and at times contradictory performance of what the author calls “girlness”. Often, these ladies were working class, and of African American or mixed racial and ethnic heritage. They had few options for financial mobility and minimal career prospects being marriage, motherhood, clerical jobs, and day labor. Forming vocal groups together and cutting records gave them access to other opportuntities toward professional advancement and personal growth, expanding the idea of girlhood as an identity across race and class lines. 

Sometimes these groupings resulted in the cultivation of considerable, devoted fan bases that, in The Supremes and The Ronnettes’ cases, were comparable to Beatlemania. Some of those fans were even other male-only rock bands, like The Beach Boys, The Beatles, and later, The Ramones. Take that, pop-rock, girl-boy binaries!

In other words, I’m telling you to read this book.

One thing I appreciate about Warwick’s book from the outset is the celebration of the female voice. As I’ve long believed and argued extensively in this blog, we cannot give short-shrift to singers. While they can assuredly be tokenized and objectified, but they can also be empowered, embodied, and forge their own agency. Heartenly, she finds much going on with the voice, a distinct instrument no matter how it may have been manipulated or homogenized by label owners like Motown’s Barry Gordy and producers like Phil Spector and his overwhelming wall of sound. She hears the genteel precision of Diana Ross’s soprano, the urgent purr of Ronnie Spector’s husky alto, the untrained wavering of Shirelle Shirley Owens’s pitch, the gutteral inflections on Supreme Florence Ballard’s tone, the put-on nasal affectations of Broadway-trained groups like The Angels, the racial dimensions of Dusty Springfield’s blue-eyed soul, and the teenaged monotone of Shangri-La Mary Weiss.

She also hears these girls singing to one another, often in their own forms of feminine dialect and for the purposes of providing support and advice. On record, acts like The Dixie Cups, The Crystals, Betty Everett, and The Velvelettes would pepper their songs with seemingly nonsensical words and phrases like “iko iko,” “da doo ron ron,” “shoop,” and “doo lang doo lang,” often provided by backing vocalists as a means of support for the lead vocalist, who might be intimating her feelings about burgeoning romance or her conflicted feelings in the aftermath of a break-up.

Often, these girls were providing one another moral support and providing advice as well. While Warwick notes that advice songs tended to be the domain of girl groups with African American members like The Velvelettes, The Shirelles, The Chiffons, and The Marvelettes, they often imparted wisdom to their audiences that they learned from their mothers or their sisters, as well as sharing what they’ve learned from their own experiences. In doing so, these songs provided a counterargument to the assertion that girl groups only sang about boys and also expanded female discourse in popular music by including the words and experiences of generations of women into then present-day pop songs by girls.  

It cannot be ignored that while many girl group songs were written by men, not all of them were. As mentioned elsewhere, Brill Building stalwarts like Cynthia Weil, Ellie Greenwich, and Carole King were of paramount importance to the era. Many of these women, like Greenwich, wrote about seemingly teenage issues like young love and treated it as legitimate, at times giving it life-and-death importance, as she did on The Shangri-Las’ “Leader of the Pack.” 

King is a particularly interesting case as well. Before striking out on her own as a solo artist, she wrote many important songs for girl groups. Some songs, like The Crystals’ “He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss)” address the troubling and dangerous aspects of patriarchy and oppression, and have been covered to harrowing effect by bands like Hole and Grizzly Bear.

Other songs King penned gesture toward the era’s prescience regarding shifting cultural attitudes toward feminism, female agency, and sexual autonomy, as on The Shirelles’ anthemic “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?” 

Girl groups were also clearly singing with one another, as girl groups often were comprised of siblings and relatives who wore matching outfits and performed intricate choreography to suggest that these girls were a unit, despite at times having clearly defined lead singers and stars who (especially in Diana Ross’s case) were thin and had a more conventional look and sound.

It was this image coordination that made The Ronnettes able to ingratiate night clubs when they were underaged, gave them the confidence to perform at those night clubs, and provided them with a sense of belonging that made them tough enough to brave any New York City street. It also makes this sense of actual or engineered sisterhood and camderadie seem especially fragile when success encroaches on it, as the tragic dimensions of Estelle Bennett and Florence Ballard’s post-girl group lives remind. 

Warwick shies from making any explicitly queer connections to girl groups beyond passing references to Springfield and Lesley Gore’s orientations and their relationships with the closet. I would have liked a bit more discussion of the queer dynamics of the groups’ homosocial bonding both on- and off-record. A brief appraisal of queer fandom (seemingly most pronounced among certain circles of gay men, though not exclusively) would also have been appreciated.

That said, I do appreciate Warwick reminding her readers of girl groups’ continual impact. As this is the section of the book that gets less focus, it would be worthwhile to read Warwick’s and Greig’s books together to get a larger sense of how punk, hip hop, and contemporary pop music were influenced by girl groups.

I would hasten to add country music to the list of genres that were shaped by this era. Given last night’s Saturday Night Live, which featured crossover star Taylor Swift as both host and musical guest (a rare opportunity for most pop stars, unless they are Justin or Britney). Watching her play a brace-faced teenager in a skit about parents who are worse drivers than their kids and her performance of “You Belong To Me” complete with careful, song-appropriate gestures, it was clear to me that the girl group era continues. As Mika Miko performs one of their last shows later today, I’ll wonder where it’ll permeate next.

It's Britney Bitch

Hmmm, the title is because I can’t think of anything nice to put there!

Lets just say, I am was getting excited about the upcoming Britney Spears Concert. Well, that was until I heard how shit it is. PEOPLE ARE WALKING OUT!

my good friend Jules said “verdict on britney concert ABSOLUTE SHIT!!!!!!!!! she cannot entertain a crowd for shit!!” (facebook)

So, here are the reasons why I think people are walking out:

  • People don’t want to pay roughly $300 australian dollars for a ticket to a show that isn’t top-notch (ticket pricing depends on where you are sitting, for full pricing list go to ticketek
  • People go to her for a concert, they are a little let down when she so obviously doesn’t sing a single note.
  • Everyone made such a hype about it, things are living up to their expectations
  • P!nk “wowwed” the crowd so much from May to August, Britney can’t keep the standard.
  • She is just plain shit!

I would like to believe that she really is good, just not as good as what Australia has seen lately (such as P!nk).

Anyhow,  I will post an update of how her concert was after I go!

For now, Cheerio!

x

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Tonight!

I got a feeling that tonight’s gonna be a good night
that tonight’s gonna be a good night
that tonight’s gonna be a good good night ooh hoo

See ya tonight, Britney!

P.S. I juz came across today’s Fox News that Britney Spears is actually lip-syncing during her down under tour here & causing quite a commotion that Australian government is apparently now considering enforcing new measures that would involve artists notifying fans on their tickets if they intend to lip-sync. Imagine those who paid $1500 tickets to see her lip-sync …

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Para Britney "3" No Son Multitud.

La princesa del Pop, Britney Spears está cáda día sorprendiendonos, sacando nuevos discos y con sus sensuales videos. En su nuevo video clip, “3″ muestra que Britney sólo quiere divertirse un poco, ¡qué traviesa!

En su video aparece ella haciendose la linda, posando muy sexy para la cámara (como siempe) y derrepente ¡Wow! abre espacio para sus grandiosas coreografías con bailarines musculos.

En el video el tema en el que se basa es verse sensual a todo momento, agregando también amor (y sexo) entre tres personas. Esperemos que a la pequeña diva no se le vallan las cosas de las manos.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

I Jonas Brothers sbarcano in Italia...

Nick, 17 anni, è l’anima musicale della band, mentre il belloccio Joe 20 anni cattura per  vivacità e spirito, Kevin, il più grande è già superfidanzato a soli 22 anni…  Loro sono i Jonas Brothers, un’autentica industria musicale a conduzione familiare, con le radici piantate a Wyckhoff nel New Jersey. Il padre, Kevin senior che in passato era un pastore evangelico, è il loro manager.

I tre giovincelli fanno parte della grande famiglia Disney, la stessa di Hannah Montana-Miley Cyrus, come di Britney Spears o Justin Timberlake quando erano ancora in fasce. Il marchio Disney, è da sempre sinonimo di successo e conferisce ai  Jonas Brothers buone probabilità di cavalcare l’onda del successo anche quando le ragazzine, che ora scalpitano e strillano per loro, saranno cresciute. E poi… non hanno esordito facendo innamorare le ragazzine anche i Beatles?

Mick Jagger, Freddie Mercury e Jim Morrison sono i punti di riferimento dei Jonas Brothers che con i loro album hanno catturato anche il parere positivo dei critici.

I Jonas arrivano oggi in Italia per il loro primo tour nel nostro paese: Milano stasera, Pesaro domani, Torino il 6 novembre.

Buon delirio care fans… noi di 10piegamenti vi regaliamo un’anteprima tratta dal tour americano…