Saturday, June 30, 2007

Music: Letterman

Bryan Ferry covering "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" on Letterman.

From the following night, Ryan Adams and the Cardinals play "Two". There's a bonus performance of "I Taught Myself How To Grow Old" at the CBS web site. (Thanks to Zoe for the heads-up.)

From earlier this year, Elvis Perkins sings "While You Were Sleeping" (and borrows the Talking Heads trick of the band members joining one by one).

Moving back in time, Natalie Merchant doing "Because The Night". (I love the comment, "Its so weird.....I'd love to bone her but she's not supermodel sexy. Its something else....I just cant figure it out.....kinda like a home economics teacher doing a striptease or something ;-)").

From 1983, Talking Heads and "I Zimbra".

And finally, Andy Kaufman singing "Rosemarie".

Celebrities: John Stamos

John Stamos slurring in an Australian press interview, and then on Australian TV. That's some jet lag.

Did you know that Rebecca Romijn's mother is a member of the Simplified Spelling Society?

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

News: Unfortunate Wording

Is it just me, or does this headline sound wrong? "Family of girl whose feet were severed in amusement park accident says she's stable". So she doesn't wobble when you bump into her?

And on the amputee theme, Heather Mills testified in court that (photographer) "Jay Kaycappa has assaulted a lot of people and upset people and I’m going out on a limb."

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Music: "Teenage Kicks"

How many versions of "Teenage Kicks" do you want?

Saturday, June 16, 2007

Advertising: TV Commercial Roundup


  • Sounds like Blockbuster has replaced Alec Baldwin with Albert Brooks for their TV commercial voice-over. Presumably because he was calling renters at home, chastising them for their overdue videos. "Once again, I have made an ass of myself trying to get to a phone to remind you that your movie is four days late. I am going to fly out there to Des Moines to straighten you out, you rude little pig. You do not have the common decency of a human being to return 'Oceans 11', or 'Oceans 12', or whatever it is. You have humiliated me for the last time." (Credit Robb with the Oceans joke.) Anyway, this switch is ironic because Baldwin actually replaced Brooks on "Glengarry Glen Ross".
  • That American Express commercial with Martin Scorsese, Sheryl Crowe, Andre Agassi, Alicia Keys, Ellen DeGeneres and Carrot Top - is that the best they could come up? The non-actors sound so dead, the whole thing drags, and who thought Ellen's "punchline" was remotely funny?
  • I don't like that Ask.com "chicks with swords" ad either. The guy is creepy. And the whole concept is hinky. Did they think, "let's appeal to straight guys by showing half-naked women, and gay guys by doing a musical number"?
  • Here's a web news item on a commercial campaign that Ask.com ran in the UK. It's interesting only for the little monkey reading the news. She has a terrible voice (and says "Brit-ain" in an odd way) but she's got something.
  • Here's a great ad - for British mobile phone company Talk Talk.
  • Another good one - VW ad with hand shadows.
  • And by the way, Wilco sold out and are allowing VW to use their songs. (CMJ story.)
  • iPhone commercial from Conan O'Brien.

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Music: Nicole Atkins

Sort-of-country singer Nicole Atkins (recommended by Chromewaves). Her MySpace page has 3 songs you can stream, and a video of her covering "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" live at SwSW.

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Movies: Angelina Jolie

The trailer for "A Mighty Heart" features another jarring line delivered by Angelina Jolie in a dicey accent. It's when she says "I love you". Brings back memories of that ridiculous line from the "Alexander" trailer, when she says, "Never will there be an Alexander like you..Alexander the Great!"

In this "Original Sin" trailer, she lost the crazy-line-reading-in-a-bad-accent contest to Antonio Banderas.

This "Tomb Raider" trailer has her say, "Men are coming for the box. Unlike me, they won't look at it with fear or respect. They will open it. They want to use it." And it shows her punching a shark in the nose.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Newspapers: Bad Headline

Humourously ambiguous headline from the Dallas Morning News: "12-year-old's liposuction raises eyebrows". I don't think that plastic surgeon knows what he's doing!

Monday, June 11, 2007

Music: Pitchfork Round-Up

Some good stuff on Pitchfork today.

Lyrics Quiz: Bad

Can you name these "bad" songs?

  1. I make a rich woman beg, I'll make a good woman steal. I'll make an old woman blush, and make a young woman squeal.
  2. You ever love someone so much you thought your little heart was gonna break in two? (I didn't think so.)
  3. Well they say the sky's the limit. And to me that's really true. But my friend you have seen nothin'. Just wait 'til I get through.
  4. All those downtown ladies call him "Treetop Lover". All the men just call him "sir".
  5. If I could throw this lifeless lifeline to the wind. Leave this heart of clay. See you walk, walk away.
  6. I ain't got a fever, got a permanent disease. It'll take more than a doctor to prescribe a remedy.
  7. Friday night and the strip is hot. Sun's gone down and they're about to trot. Spirits high and they look hot. Do you wanna get down?
  8. Easin' down the highway in a new Cadillac. I had a fine fox in front, I had three more in the back.
  9. Hope you got your things together. Hope you are quite prepared to die.
  10. I know you're looking for a ruby in a mountain of rocks. But there ain't no Coupe De Ville hiding at the bottom of a Cracker Jack box.

By the way, when will movie studios stop using #1 in movie trailers? It's currently being used to advertise the DVD of "Ghost Rider".

Saturday, June 09, 2007

Photography: News Photos

Movies: "United 93"

Watched "United 93" last night. Very well made, but the cowardly German character was a definite misstep. There was a German passenger on board, so unless there is evidence to back up this portrayal, it seems defamatory. The Atlantic Review, a German-American relations project, has a full summary, albeit with a clear bias towards the German.

The German actor who portrayed him (and improvised his role) defends himself.

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

News: TB Guy

That Andrew Speaker guy, who put other people's lives in jeopardy - what a tool. (Anagram of his name: "Speared wanker".) Does anyone else think that his TB expert father-in-law might have deliberately infected him? I'm not the only one to wonder. "I saw his picture and he totally looks like a mad scientist! Ack!!!"

His wife looks better with the surgical mask.

Monday, June 04, 2007

Music: Shivaree

Chromewaves brings news of a covers album from Shivaree. Shivaree's lead vocalist has the greatest name in music history: Ambrosia Parsley. The album, "Tainted Love: Mating Calls and Fight Songs", features songs by Phil Spector (on trial for murder), R. Kelly (indicted for producing child pornography), Gary Glitter (convicted peedophile), Ike Turner (admitted spouse-abuser) and Spade Cooley (convicted murderer), among others.