Lookalikes: John Turturro as Billy Martin

In the new ESPN mini-series, "The Bronx Is Burning", John Turturro is fitted with prosthetic ears to play Billy Martin. Is it just me, or does he look like the Late Night character, Preparation H Raymond?

Doesn't look much like Billy Martin, from what I can see.

Music Video: Ironic Rap Covers

Under The Covers discusses "Ironic rap covers vs. unironic rap covers".

• Alanis Morissette, "My Humps" (The Black Eyed Peas)
  
• The Gourds, "Gin And Juice" (Snoop Dogg)
  
• Nina Gordon, "Straight Outta Compton" (N.W.A. - still the best cover, IMO)
  
• Ben Folds, "Bitches Ain't Shit" (Dr. Dre, this just sounds sordid to me)
  
• Jill Sobule, "Hot In Herre" (Nelly, live with her Mom)
  
• Richard Cheese, "Milkshake" (Kelis)
  

Music: Old Men

You know what's hot in music right now? Geezers.

• 58-year-old Nick Lowe has released the aptly-titled "At My Age", an "utterly fantastic sad-sack country record" (Village Voice). It gets 83 on Metacritic. (Listen to "The Club") And he recently became a father for the first time, telling The A.V. Club, "But he's a lovely fellow. He might be a blooming nuisance, but he is a lovely fellow."
  
• 61-year-old Bryan Ferry has released his album of Dylan covers, "Dylanesque". (70 on Metacritic.) And he gave a great performance of "Let's Stick Together" at that Princess Di concert. Although a tad inappropriate considering her (and his) marital history.
  
• 80-year-old (on Saturday) country music legend Charlie Louvin has released a self-titled album. It's one of those round-up-the-guest-stars deals (including bloody Elvis Costello - does he ever say "no"?), but it's still a solid record. Although Charlie's voice is worn, it still packs an emotional punch.
  
• 60-year-old John Prine and 82-year-old Mac Wiseman have recorded an outstanding record of duets, "Standard Songs For Average People".
  

Lyrics Quiz: 4th of July

1. A real live nephew of my Uncle Sam's, born on the Fourth of July.
   
2. Funny days in the park. Every day's the Fourth of July.
   
3. Today's the Fourth of July. Another June has gone by. And when they light up our town, I just think, what a waste of gunpowder and sky.
   
4. Who fell into you at a quarter to two, with a tear in your eye for the Fourth of July, for the patriots and the Minutemen, and the things you believe they believed in then.
   
5. Sandy, the fireworks are hailin' over Little Eden tonight. Forcin' a light into all those stoned-out faces left stranded on this Fourth of July. Down in town, the circuit's full with switchblade lovers so fast, so shiny, so sharp. And the wizards play down on Pinball Way on the boardwalk way past dark.
   
6. On the stairs I smoke a cigarette alone. The Mexican kids are shooting fireworks below. Hey, baby, it's the Fourth of July.
   
7. I stayed at home on the Fourth of July, and I pulled the shades so I didn't have to see the sky. And I decided to have a Bed-In. But I forgot to invite anybody.
   
8. Well she lit up the sky, that Fourth of July. By the time the firemen come, they
   just put out the flames and took down some names and send me to the county home.
   

Lookalikes: Chris Farley Baby

The Chris Farley lookalike baby. It's sad, but you'll laugh. (As seen on Defamer.)

Musique: Mareva Galanter

Stumbled across a post on Between Thought And Expression that mentioned Mareva Galanter. It was the part about "former Miss France (and Shannon Elizabeth look-alike)" that got my attention. And yes, she's a looker. She's also a singer.

You must visit the official website for her album, "Ukuyéyé". Very well-designed, in a '60s Op-Art style. The last link on the middle row is the video for "Pourquoi Pas Moi?". The last link on the bottom row is for six "Scopitone" videos (apparently, a 16mm film jukebox). All are worth watching.

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?

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."

Music: "Teenage Kicks"

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

• The Undertones - the original and best.
  
• The Undertones in the studio - but some of the commenters cry "Fraud!"
  
• Snow Patrol (acoustic, for Sessions@AOL).
  
• Ash (with an Undertone on guitar).
  
• KT Tunstall (with audience singalong - not bad).
  
• Supergrass and Carl Barat (The Libertines) busking (a shambles, baby).
  
• Nouvelle Vague (bossa nova version, with visuals from a NZ TV show with lesbian..um..undertones.
  
• The Raconteurs (sadly, the one who isn't Jack White handles lead vocals).
  
• The Ukelele Orchestra Of Great Britain (I like when they all sing the chorus).
  
• Really bad American High School band ("We don't do drugs give us a break. If you want anything explained we didn't have enough practices before that night. OKAY!").
  
• Quite good English schoolboys.
  
• Green Day (abbreviated).
  
• Seabear (Icelandic band, slow it down and add violin - it works!)
  
• Prison Love (Irish bluegrass band - they won a radio contest for best "Teeange Kicks" cover. Also, check out their "Sussudio".)
  
• The Undertones, 2006 (with replacement vocalist - slightly sad).
  

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.
  

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.

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.

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!

Music: Pitchfork Round-Up

Some good stuff on Pitchfork today.

• Interview with Tony Wilson includes a new track from the Happy Mondays, with typical lyrics, "Now that I am naked, I'm a lady", and "It's good to press my tits against the floor".
  
• Prince reunites with Wendy & Lisa! Is it because he's envious of their success with "Heroes"?
  
• Bonnie 'Prince' Billy performed "I See A Darkness" in its entirety at a video store. There are photos but (sadly) no audio.
  
• Arcade Fire members in the audience of "The Price Is Right".
  
• Bluegrass version of "Young Folks", covered by Dawn Landes and friends. (Here's the orginal.)
  

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".

Photography: News Photos

• From Gizmodo, a nuclear submarine being transported on a British road. It is huge. Commenter says: "I wouldn't worry about it.....it'll be on the back of a pikey lorry by the end of the day!"
  
• From Defamer, one of the AP photographers covering Paris Hilton's return to jail is the guy who took the famous photo of Vietnamese villagers running from a napalm attack.
  
• From Yahoo News, the Michigan man whose wheelchair got caught in the front grill of a semi, and got pushed along for four miles.
  
• From The Smoking Gun, mug shot of a Tennessee woman with an impressive 'do.
  
• From The News Hole, some of those Google Maps Street View candid shots. More at Stretviewfun.
  

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.

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.

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.