First off, Happy St. Patrick's Day, and Welcome Jackson!
*Again, me in black, Steph in Blue*
Tonight is important because the top 10 make the tour, but it is unimportant because it is country music night, which is terrible. I see a lot of fast forwarding in our future.
The skeleton of Randy Travis will be advising the contestants tonight. Randy Travis is a doll. His teeth! I could just eat him up with a spoon. Carrie wants him to be her grandfather.
Roughrider: Randy Travis' advice - "Don't lose the words in the lick" - that's what she said. I hate that song on Idol. It's just an exercise in saying a bunch of words. It's like The End of the World As We Know It, etc. I didn't care for that. Yeah, this song combined the worst elements of country and rap. It is called, "Ain't goin' down 'til the sun comes up," which I believe is the country remake of Elton John's "Oh let your son go down on me." (Still my joke.) Simon says, "Can't understand a word. Am I right Steve and Eydie?"
Allison: Sings a song by Linda Lovelace? Will it sound all gargly? She's so awesome. I like how the corners of her smile make her look a little like the Joker. Oh Kara- the cliche is "sing the phone book," not "alphabet." Singing the alphabet isn't a crazy notion- I do it daily! Carrie: "sings the alphabet - I hate that! Oh wait, that's the phone book." Simon: "Precocious". Randy: "Dope"
Cutie McYoungLife: Is this show over yet? I haven't recognized a song yet, and this bored me to tears. More Garth. Oh, this song is a cover, right? It was on the Hope Floats soundtrack. So embarrassing that I know that, but not any more embarrassing than the fact that I'm watching AI. OK, time to fast forward- I'm tired! Yes, this is the third straight we have fast forwarded. I'll just agree with whatever Simon says. . . Oh, he liked it? OK then. I guess it was good. Not only did the judges like it, but Randy said "tender moment from my dog Kris," which made me wish that Kris' name was Rover or something. Oh, and Paula has that weird cleavage separation thing working tonight. Paula looks good tonight. You just never know what she's going to bring to the table fashion-wise.
Lil: Sings that song about Bill Pullman. Randy Travis again says something to her about having more room for the licks you do - they are reaching Golf Channel amount of double entendres tonight. Looks like she's going to prom again. She's black and doesn't know country? What are the odds? Independence Day is awesome- she might be able to sell this. I don't want her to sing straight country, though. That seems counter-productive. She should have done I Will Always Love You! This started okay, then ended great. You just nailed that shit, Lil Rounds. Man, she can sing. But I can't look at this objectively in the least. I've got the Tigers winning my bracket and Lil winning AI. There is no limit to the Memphis pride right now. OK, I think Lil is short for Lillian and not Little. Whatever, Simon! Although I secretly agree with his assessment. (Shhhh! Don't tell Coach Cal.) Carrie and I had the same talk about objectivity with the Memphis girls, but it happened on the skinny chick, not Lil. (Which I think is short for Lilly. Although I am intrigued by naming our daughter Little and calling her Lil for short - would you need an apostrophe?)
Trainwreck: Takes a song about Johnny Cash's succumbing to his own desires, and subtly makes it about butt sex. OK, I can't believe this guy is a front-runner. Randy Travis, I agree with you- I don't need this. He does have a nice blouse/necklace thing going on. I am worried that the judges are going to fall all over themselves to praise this, since he is doing what they just told Lil she should have done. Kara said it was strange, but she liked it, which is not only what she said, but also jives with what I think Adam is making the song about. Simon- "WTH was that?" Ha! Love you, Simon! Chip loves when Simon uses the word indulgent. Score! But really- that was just horrible. Horrible! Indulgent is an understatement. Chip and Simon and me and Carrie and everyone else is right about that. (BTW - we paused and had a 20 minute discussion about why he is the front runner, and the following words were used: Twilight, androgyny, Pete Wentz, gay, bisexual, 14 year-old girls, Boy George, burning man, ecstasy, Hot Topic, the Jonas Brothers, and the phrase, "yeah I just don't get it either.")
Blindy McWonderCharlesHealy: Seriously, our 4th fast forward of the night. I love that Randy Travis is such an old-school guy- he's like, You can't sing a girl song! Hee! Hey Randy- what doesn't sound quite right is that Scott isn't a good singer. OK, I just don't like his singing, so I'm going to fast forward here. Ugh- Simon and Paula are arguing. I don't have time for this. Scott says that he keeps "losing hat picks" and doesn't get to sing his original song choices - maybe he should have someone supervise those in the future...
Memphis 2: We most certainly do NOT all like country down here in the south! No kidding - we both were like, speak for yourself, woman! I do love this song, though- it's my pick each year for country week! That is exactly what I told Carrie - I was like, I get Cold Cold Heart, Steph gets Jolene. I guess I do like some country. Just not the Toby Keith kind. Here's my other Tiger in the Final Four. Make it happen girl! OK, I feel like she is emotionally connected to the song, the first person I can say that about tonight. She strangely looks a little like Dolly to me tonight. THANK YOU - I mentioned it to Carrie, then more and more as the song went on, it became uncanny. Am I projecting, or has that always been the case? Never noticed before, but it was very odd and I am so happy you agree with us. I liked her, of course. What can I say. When they showed her family, it was strangely a cross section of every white person I see when I come into Memphis.
Gokey: Oh no- not this song. Make it stop. I like Carrie Underwear okay, as a person, but she's the kind of country I don't like to listen to. I mean really, there are okay country songs. Why sing this one? I think it is because it is about a woman who almost dies. I hate to say that, but the association was there for me, so I can imagine it stirs up sympathy again among voters, even if it is subliminally. Oh, I see- so that he can belt out the chorus and blow the roof off this mother. That too. If I didn't hate this song so much, I'd be impressed. But I'm not. Yeah, it is like, the woman in the song loses control of the car with her kids in it, and stops trying to save their lives and leaves it all in Jesus' hands? If your house is on fire, do you try to get the kids out, or do you toss your hands in the air and just leave it up to Jesus? It is so irresponsible. (You see where there are just one set of skid marks? It was then that I was driving for you.) I hate country music. I agree with Kara, and I'm not just saying that because she's hot- dude - the first half of that song sucked. Paula wants to be the next Mrs. Gokey. Simon and Kara really hate each other, don't they? Oh yeah, Carrie thought he was nasal-y.
Anoop: Randy Travis - "hard to get Willie out of your mind." I believe that was a direct quote from She. They are killing me for TWSSs this week, seriously. Anoop - please don't suck again this week. I need you to stick around to balance out the douchiness of the other male contestants. He is actually really good this time! I like this. I like Anoop. It is like, he stopped coasting and actually tried! As an aside, I'm really glad they're getting country night out of the way early this year. But then again, we have to hear 11 country songs instead of like, fewer than 11 country songs. Make next week "Disco" and we can get the uncomfortable crap out of the way. You are thinking of SYTYCD here - I don't mind disco if they choose the right songs. I mean, except for what Lambert is gonna do. I hate when country or disco knock out a real contender towards the end of the season- it's just not fair. Simon loves him too! Yay!
Teh Hawtnass - I love hearing Randy T. try to be diplomatic. Whatever - he said that Megan "has been done every way possible," agreeing with my assessment from last week. Oh, wait, he was talking about the song. Wow- she is freaking gorgeous. Really, it is starting to get ridiculous. Good job putting the girls front and center- it almost distracts me from the debacle of what's coming out of her mouth. My thoughts exactly - oh, did you say coming "out of" her mouth? But still - remember in The 40 Year Old Virgin when he says that breasts feel like a big bag of sand? That is what they look like this week! Chip is speechless. And wow- she's got a nipple ring! Oh yeah - I don't know about Chip, but my peenie just went "huh?" I agree with Simon- she looks flawlessly gorgeous and not quirky anymore. Chip said something to that effect earlier, actually. Like we expect her to sound better because she looks so good. It's weird. I will give the vocals a pass because of two reasons - one, she sounded good when working with Randy Travis, and two, the flu thing, for which I am guessing about half the coughs were caused by (the other half was for sympathy).
WMU G - This is fine. Carrie really likes him - again, I feel some sort of kinship based on regionalism, even if I have only been to Kalamazoo once, and that was just the interstate. I just hate modern country music that's not by the Dixie Chicks, especially the ballads, so I can't really comment on this. I like Matt. Kara says, "there's nothing small about you", which is again exactly what she said. Paula says that she likes his authentict...authenct...she thinks he is authentic. Simon seems to like him, but then compares him to Michael Bubbly, which is about as low of an insult as you can give, unless you compare him to a certain popera-star-who-shall-not-be-named. (Not even in a comment on this post!!!)
My top five are Allison, Memphis 1&2, Anoop and Matt. I don't care about the rest of them. Really I'm just glad country night is over.
I am starting to get disappointed in this season. Then again, I think that every year after country week. I like the Memphians and Chateau Giraud, and especially Teh Hawtness, but I just know that I have like 6 to 10 more weeks of Adam's douche-terity, VisionQuest sticking around longer than he should, Gokily Dokily following an Elliot Yamin tragectory, and Kris Allen's Mormonstrosity. I say the Roughrider goes home this week, but whatever.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
American Idol Top 13
So AI is back - here are my thoughts and Steph's thoughts - hers are in blue.
Seacrest walks on stage and says, "Last week the judges upped the ante - now up yours!" Kara, looks really hot. Italian chick top 5 for sure. 2 are going home this week, which is nice because I was worried that a top 13 would push SYTYCD back a week. Loved the judges intros! I'm such a dork. I just can't believe Simon actually dresses like that. I really do love him.
I've spent the day trying to figure out which MJ song I'd sing. Probably Working Day and Night! Just kidding. Say Say Say, obviously. (Or that duet with Janet from a few years ago, with the cool video? Or maybe Don't Let Your Son Go Down On Me? That's my joke! This is tough.) Man- I've already had a whole glass of wine and no one has sung yet! I would totally sing I Want You Back by the Jackson 5, if anyone cares.
Lil Rounds: Let's head down to Memphis! Hell yes! And drive across that bridge into Arkansas that no one actually ever drives over except maybe once every few years to a wedding in Hot Springs. Growing up in Memphis IS great! It is second only to growing up anywhere else in the world. Her house was destroyed in this tornado. That hotel is right by the Hickory Ridge Mall. Lil- your body is KICKIN! She's got an itty bitty waist and round thing in my face- Chip is sprung. Sweet Jesus her ass. Rounds, yes. Lil, no. Plus, yikes on the outfit! Glad to see she didn't need to use anything from wardrobe, unless wardrobe exists at a PTA conference in 1987. The way you make me feel is like voting, Lil Rounds! She said "baaayby" like she's from Memphis. She just sounds like home to me. Nice job, Lil. Must be so hard to open this show on the big stage, but she looks and sounds like she's done this forever. Chip just did the Vince Carter "it's over." Wooohooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah, seriously - this competition is hers to lose. I might have just booed Simon for the first time. Yeah, Simon - how is that a lazy song choice? What, did you want Thriller or something? She sang the hell out of that. But he did say, "give me 5 minutes, I'd sort her out." Which is much creepier when Clive Davis says it.
Blindy McGarfunkel: I would be more impressed if he was deaf, right? If this were a painting contest, I'd vote for him. They show his parents, who are like, "sucks that he is blind". His sister is blind too. At least Erin Brokovich got them that settlement money. OMG- the dancing with the also-blind sister almost melted my cold, cold Memphis heart! But not quite. Hey - that gets them triple the money begging in India! Slumdog FTW! OK, I've heard worse singing (me, earlier, singing Livin on a Prayer on Rock Band) but still- this can not be my next American Idol. Ooof. And the crowd goes wild! Whatever. Kara: "I'm so glad we get to see you. . . at the piano." Nice. Kara also compliments his "vision" - make that, his "message", sorry. Whatever, Paula- if I had a nickel for every time I've seen a man's instrument at his finger tips. . . Paula - tonight for her is what Hugh Laurie would call a "3 Vicodin scene" when shooting House. Seriously, her face is swollen. Elvis is embarassed by her tonight. Simon: "It's fine being artistic, just not on this show." FTW! Simon actually called a spade a spade and is right, that was kinda suck. We hit the fast forward for the first time on that performance.
Robert Downey Widower: While they are showing his family - Me: "He has like 400 people in his family. Used to be 401." Carrie: "Thanks, now I am going to die. Haven't I taught you about karma?" He was great as the Comedian in Watchmen. Widower != Jeffrey Dean Morgan. PYT! Oh, this is so fun. Dude, he BUSTED OUT with PYT! That was awesome. I hope the sympathy voters hitch their ride to this star and not the previous one. Go Paula- get down! Hard not to- really, this song rocks. The other guys are totally jealous right now. Chip: "He's been in front of a few worship services." Just like Kevin Paige! Also, ahem, this performance was better than just Gokey! Like Okay!? Anyone? Blog five!!!
You should know, I am just not going to be listening to all four judges every time. I'll listen to Simon, possibly Paula just to laugh, but I can't do it. I mean, that's 52 judges comments TONIGHT. Not gonna happen. Whatever - Simon just said that he is like Michael McDonald - a white man with soul. That led to a bunch of Michael McDonald impressions all over the country.
Roughneck: He was an oil rigger? A roughneck? You don't say! Eh. He's pleasant. Simon, again, with the money quote! "I just wish we knew what you did for a living." Yeah, Simon stole my joke. At this point, I think Paula's outfit is a knockoff of something Bjork wore at the Ice Capades. Brenda Warner is on line 2, calling to see where she bought that.
Jasmine: Cute black girl with Memphis connections. She is cute, but she has 270 degrees of vision - her eyes are so far apart. She has no blind spots while driving. When she gets pink eye, it doesn't spread to the other eye. "Let's go down South now." Tunica! Seriously- her family is GORGEOUS. That is the thing we remember the most about her, even from her very first audition. Chip would consider leaving me for that one sister, I think. Jasmine sings I'll Be There, a song that came out 70 years before she was born. Chip thinks this song is too big for her, before she even starts. Predicts that she'll go the Mariah route. Chip, with the shocking knowledge of pop music! Carrie had to tell me that Mariah did a version of this. This is a little pitchy for me. But really, she's such a doll! Oooh, Randy with the Mariah name drop. Well played, sir. Carrie doesn't like her shoes. Meow!
Kris Allen: Didn't someone by that name date Clooney? OK, he's cute, the guitar is cute, he sounds fine. He will get the J-Rich vote. Jason Richardson? Are Suns fans big AI watchers? Maybe shouldn't have shown us his wife, though. Yeah - he seems to be married to a chick in a scarf. They totally are active in Young Life. Chip: "Dude- he's kind of relevant! Could be douching it up like Jason Mraz!" Ouch - I am not a fan, but a comparison to Jason Mraz is kind of harsh. Yep. He sings a song that can apparently only be sung out of the right side of his mouth. Kara: "A whole other side of you." Yes! Not a whole nother! We sadly made this exact same comment, 700 miles away from you two. Simon- agrees with me about the wife! Randy- agrees with Chip about Mraz, heir to the Massingill fortune! Dude- we should be judges on this show! We're a great team. Kara notes that he helped the other contestants - odds are, it was by "saving" them.
Alone- It's just like, it's just like, a (Mexican) mini-mall! I said that it was the Mega Lo Mart. What's this song now? Um, is it Give It To Me, or Given To Me? I want to say the first, because it is funnier. I like her, I really do. Carrie likes her "rockin' attitude". Don't know this song at all, though. She should be doing Dirty Diana instead. But really, I like her. Carrie says that she should stop talking - then Paula totally motions for her to zip her lip. Nice.
Anoop! Anoop - totally tried out for this show as a joke, and now he can't get out of it. Chip: "Anoop shall COME again." That turns me on a little. Plus, if I met him, I would be like, Freida Pinto - I would wreck that chick. OK, I love Anoop. I'm letting the whole "Tarheel" thing slide. He's working the crowd, rocking the Members Only jacket- I love him. I wish I had been in the fraternity with him - oh, wait, UNC - maybe not so much. OK, I wish he was my drinking buddy when I was in my early 20s. Simon rocked Paula's world by making her go first. Oooh, negative from Paula! Wow. Simon is right about how it wasn't aggressive enough, but I still love Anoop. The judges totally don't get the joke. Ryan with his mom and nana is about the cutest thing I've ever seen.
Jorge- if I'm Hillary, I'm going with this and not Jackson. Just to be clear. It is a first name. JK - we get to meet Jackson sometime between now and the 23rd! Oh, I love when English is subtitled. Yes - it is a way of "othering", like when they subtitled on the Children of Appalachia 20/20. We can understand them! It is English! This is nice, the accent adds a little something to the song. Carrie - "so many eyebrows in tonight's episode". His voice is fine, but I am just not a fan. We actually fast forwarded. Simon is on fire! Jorge: "I'm not gonna sing Bad by Michael Jackson." Simon: "You kind of did." You know, my least favorite part of AI is when you can actually see someone's heart break, like Jorge's did when Simon said that. Jorge already seems on the verge of tears at all times.
Tattoo Sleeve- Okay, she is soooooo cute. And Shannon's right- I'm sure anything goes with her, with that tattoo and all. She is ridiculously hot. Seriously - she is already divorced, has a kid, and has tattoo sleeve. A note of advice for the next guy who dates her - when you have been together with her for a while, and you two are drinking, and you start talking about sexual fantasies, and she coyly asks you what your sexual fantasy is - dude, you probably can shoot for the moon here. This is the moment you have waited for your whole life. Nothing, I mean nothing, is off the table. You can probably go a little less Princess Leia in the gold bikini and a little more 2 Girls 1 Cup.
Her brother is her best friend! Me too! Aw! But her brother is apparently a 21 year old Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Utah, huh. I can't believe Utah hasn't kicked her out yet. BTW - I googled her, and there is apparently a porn star named Megan Joy. Another +1 in the WIN column. Dude- Mom. MILF. Her mom is a total MILF. Carrie said that before I could say it. What a hot family- too bad brother got fat. I think she's crying about her son because she feels guilty about how much fun it is to be away from him. Oh, just kidding Connor! Chip and I do her little dance all the time, BTW. I think it freaked out the people in the gas station the other night. OK, I like this. It's fun, she's cute, she sounds good, different, interesting. She's relevant for sure. But yeah, she is awesomely hot. Did she just caw at the end of that? WTF? There is a part of the song when she sings "every little swallow", and it totally worked in an NLP kind of way for me. Anyway, Chip can't get over how hot she is, and I can appreciate that. He thinks she should not worry about singing and just model- and he even liked her singing okay! We actually thought it was pretty cheesy! But yeah, I can't get over teh hawtnass. If something does happen to Carrie now since I made that unfortunate Gokey joke earlier, I have my backup ready to go.
*PS - really, if you are an older reader of this blog and are someone that I know or am related to, if you didn't get a joke from those last 2 paragraphs, just let it go. Seriously.
Gay- Hey - he climbed Mt. Everest! Wait, that was the second guy. OK, take those gross earring things out now before your ears are stretched beyond all recognition. Hate that shit. Unless it is in Incubus! OK, he's okay, but I don't love him as much as everyone else seems to. I think he forgot the words on one part. But wow, this is terrible. Over the top and terrible - Carrie is covering her face. What a horrible song choice too. I think he'll rock on 80's metal night, though. (Seriously though- when are they going to have one? That would rule! And be so challenging for the singers!) I have to say, I appreciate Paula's whole thing about letting each performer "take it all in." This really is his moment, and each of their moment- first time on the big stage, first time being cheered like this by a big crowd, etc. Wait, the judges think he's that good? I don't know about all that. The judges really liked that? Really? That was one of the 10 worst performance ever possibly. I don't get it.
Matt G: Kalamazoo in the house! They have a ping pong table in the garage - odds are, they have a pool table in the basement also, along with a bar they built with a keg fridge (with Bell's in it) and a dart board nearby. At least one person in his family owns a Red Wings starter jacket, and most of the people he went to high school with ended up at Western because either their applications were rejected by State, or they just wanted to save money by living at home. Matt has a much older brother who has a mullet and plays defenseman in an over-40 hockey league. Wait, is his mom black? I didn't know. Justin Timberlake is so jealous right now. I think she is just Michigan. But I think maybe that counts against him- it worked better when he was the funky white guy. (But come on, we've seen Lynn's hair- JT has a brotha somewhere on his mom's side.) Anyway, I like him- I hope he doesn't suck. He doesn't! He sings Human Nature - swish! Maybe that is the MJ song I would have chosen. I loved it, because that song makes me happy anyway. Good- I liked that. Chip did too. Chip thinks he lost a little control at the end, but overall was awesome. He likes him too. If he goes home early, then Carrie and I will lobby Frank and Hillary to stop by his piano bar on the way out to South Haven the next time we all go. Ah, Western Michigan. The home of Dutch settlers and a lot of Republicans.
Memphis 2: Memphis opens and closes the show! Hell yes again! I could tell by the external shot that her house is in Cordova. Dirty Diana! Suck it, Alone! Oh yes, she is rocking this. Damn she is skinny! And a little hot too. Seriously- the Memphis girls rule. I don't even think I'm biased. (BTW- man there are a lot of words in this song!) She totally went for it and nailed it. We liked her performance. Chloe has the same shirt her daughter is wearing- Old Navy in the house! Oh, shut up Simon. Oh crap- why did they screw her like that on the numbers? It isn't fair that she gets cut off since they are short on time. Also, when she is over the top, it is a bad thing, but when Lambert does it it is a good thing? Even though she sang well and Lambert was the gawd awful?
Chip: I have to say, I thought this season was going to be weak, be Lil and everyone else, but this show was jumpin off tonight. Was much better than I thought. It is still Lil and everyone else, but the gap wasn't as large we all thought. That's what she said.
OK, at this point in the season, it's hard to separate who was best from who I'm pulling for. Yeah, at this point, I don't care really. I just don't want Lil or hotness to go home yet. So I think the best two girls were Lil and Alone, but I voted for Alexis too. Plus I like Tattoo Sleeve. Guys, I think Robert Downey Wdr. was actually great. Silky Sullivan's was good too. Anoop is my man, so I like him even though he wasn't one of the best. I just didn't like Gay as much as everyone else- sorry about that. I think at this point, it's more about who I'd like to see go. Blind, Roughneck, Jorge, borderline Miss'ippi and Mormon. Any of those 5 would be fine by me.
Wooohooooo! I love American Idol! And I love recapping!
Seacrest walks on stage and says, "Last week the judges upped the ante - now up yours!" Kara, looks really hot. Italian chick top 5 for sure. 2 are going home this week, which is nice because I was worried that a top 13 would push SYTYCD back a week. Loved the judges intros! I'm such a dork. I just can't believe Simon actually dresses like that. I really do love him.
I've spent the day trying to figure out which MJ song I'd sing. Probably Working Day and Night! Just kidding. Say Say Say, obviously. (Or that duet with Janet from a few years ago, with the cool video? Or maybe Don't Let Your Son Go Down On Me? That's my joke! This is tough.) Man- I've already had a whole glass of wine and no one has sung yet! I would totally sing I Want You Back by the Jackson 5, if anyone cares.
Lil Rounds: Let's head down to Memphis! Hell yes! And drive across that bridge into Arkansas that no one actually ever drives over except maybe once every few years to a wedding in Hot Springs. Growing up in Memphis IS great! It is second only to growing up anywhere else in the world. Her house was destroyed in this tornado. That hotel is right by the Hickory Ridge Mall. Lil- your body is KICKIN! She's got an itty bitty waist and round thing in my face- Chip is sprung. Sweet Jesus her ass. Rounds, yes. Lil, no. Plus, yikes on the outfit! Glad to see she didn't need to use anything from wardrobe, unless wardrobe exists at a PTA conference in 1987. The way you make me feel is like voting, Lil Rounds! She said "baaayby" like she's from Memphis. She just sounds like home to me. Nice job, Lil. Must be so hard to open this show on the big stage, but she looks and sounds like she's done this forever. Chip just did the Vince Carter "it's over." Wooohooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah, seriously - this competition is hers to lose. I might have just booed Simon for the first time. Yeah, Simon - how is that a lazy song choice? What, did you want Thriller or something? She sang the hell out of that. But he did say, "give me 5 minutes, I'd sort her out." Which is much creepier when Clive Davis says it.
Blindy McGarfunkel: I would be more impressed if he was deaf, right? If this were a painting contest, I'd vote for him. They show his parents, who are like, "sucks that he is blind". His sister is blind too. At least Erin Brokovich got them that settlement money. OMG- the dancing with the also-blind sister almost melted my cold, cold Memphis heart! But not quite. Hey - that gets them triple the money begging in India! Slumdog FTW! OK, I've heard worse singing (me, earlier, singing Livin on a Prayer on Rock Band) but still- this can not be my next American Idol. Ooof. And the crowd goes wild! Whatever. Kara: "I'm so glad we get to see you. . . at the piano." Nice. Kara also compliments his "vision" - make that, his "message", sorry. Whatever, Paula- if I had a nickel for every time I've seen a man's instrument at his finger tips. . . Paula - tonight for her is what Hugh Laurie would call a "3 Vicodin scene" when shooting House. Seriously, her face is swollen. Elvis is embarassed by her tonight. Simon: "It's fine being artistic, just not on this show." FTW! Simon actually called a spade a spade and is right, that was kinda suck. We hit the fast forward for the first time on that performance.
Robert Downey Widower: While they are showing his family - Me: "He has like 400 people in his family. Used to be 401." Carrie: "Thanks, now I am going to die. Haven't I taught you about karma?" He was great as the Comedian in Watchmen. Widower != Jeffrey Dean Morgan. PYT! Oh, this is so fun. Dude, he BUSTED OUT with PYT! That was awesome. I hope the sympathy voters hitch their ride to this star and not the previous one. Go Paula- get down! Hard not to- really, this song rocks. The other guys are totally jealous right now. Chip: "He's been in front of a few worship services." Just like Kevin Paige! Also, ahem, this performance was better than just Gokey! Like Okay!? Anyone? Blog five!!!
You should know, I am just not going to be listening to all four judges every time. I'll listen to Simon, possibly Paula just to laugh, but I can't do it. I mean, that's 52 judges comments TONIGHT. Not gonna happen. Whatever - Simon just said that he is like Michael McDonald - a white man with soul. That led to a bunch of Michael McDonald impressions all over the country.
Roughneck: He was an oil rigger? A roughneck? You don't say! Eh. He's pleasant. Simon, again, with the money quote! "I just wish we knew what you did for a living." Yeah, Simon stole my joke. At this point, I think Paula's outfit is a knockoff of something Bjork wore at the Ice Capades. Brenda Warner is on line 2, calling to see where she bought that.
Jasmine: Cute black girl with Memphis connections. She is cute, but she has 270 degrees of vision - her eyes are so far apart. She has no blind spots while driving. When she gets pink eye, it doesn't spread to the other eye. "Let's go down South now." Tunica! Seriously- her family is GORGEOUS. That is the thing we remember the most about her, even from her very first audition. Chip would consider leaving me for that one sister, I think. Jasmine sings I'll Be There, a song that came out 70 years before she was born. Chip thinks this song is too big for her, before she even starts. Predicts that she'll go the Mariah route. Chip, with the shocking knowledge of pop music! Carrie had to tell me that Mariah did a version of this. This is a little pitchy for me. But really, she's such a doll! Oooh, Randy with the Mariah name drop. Well played, sir. Carrie doesn't like her shoes. Meow!
Kris Allen: Didn't someone by that name date Clooney? OK, he's cute, the guitar is cute, he sounds fine. He will get the J-Rich vote. Jason Richardson? Are Suns fans big AI watchers? Maybe shouldn't have shown us his wife, though. Yeah - he seems to be married to a chick in a scarf. They totally are active in Young Life. Chip: "Dude- he's kind of relevant! Could be douching it up like Jason Mraz!" Ouch - I am not a fan, but a comparison to Jason Mraz is kind of harsh. Yep. He sings a song that can apparently only be sung out of the right side of his mouth. Kara: "A whole other side of you." Yes! Not a whole nother! We sadly made this exact same comment, 700 miles away from you two. Simon- agrees with me about the wife! Randy- agrees with Chip about Mraz, heir to the Massingill fortune! Dude- we should be judges on this show! We're a great team. Kara notes that he helped the other contestants - odds are, it was by "saving" them.
Alone- It's just like, it's just like, a (Mexican) mini-mall! I said that it was the Mega Lo Mart. What's this song now? Um, is it Give It To Me, or Given To Me? I want to say the first, because it is funnier. I like her, I really do. Carrie likes her "rockin' attitude". Don't know this song at all, though. She should be doing Dirty Diana instead. But really, I like her. Carrie says that she should stop talking - then Paula totally motions for her to zip her lip. Nice.
Anoop! Anoop - totally tried out for this show as a joke, and now he can't get out of it. Chip: "Anoop shall COME again." That turns me on a little. Plus, if I met him, I would be like, Freida Pinto - I would wreck that chick. OK, I love Anoop. I'm letting the whole "Tarheel" thing slide. He's working the crowd, rocking the Members Only jacket- I love him. I wish I had been in the fraternity with him - oh, wait, UNC - maybe not so much. OK, I wish he was my drinking buddy when I was in my early 20s. Simon rocked Paula's world by making her go first. Oooh, negative from Paula! Wow. Simon is right about how it wasn't aggressive enough, but I still love Anoop. The judges totally don't get the joke. Ryan with his mom and nana is about the cutest thing I've ever seen.
Jorge- if I'm Hillary, I'm going with this and not Jackson. Just to be clear. It is a first name. JK - we get to meet Jackson sometime between now and the 23rd! Oh, I love when English is subtitled. Yes - it is a way of "othering", like when they subtitled on the Children of Appalachia 20/20. We can understand them! It is English! This is nice, the accent adds a little something to the song. Carrie - "so many eyebrows in tonight's episode". His voice is fine, but I am just not a fan. We actually fast forwarded. Simon is on fire! Jorge: "I'm not gonna sing Bad by Michael Jackson." Simon: "You kind of did." You know, my least favorite part of AI is when you can actually see someone's heart break, like Jorge's did when Simon said that. Jorge already seems on the verge of tears at all times.
Tattoo Sleeve- Okay, she is soooooo cute. And Shannon's right- I'm sure anything goes with her, with that tattoo and all. She is ridiculously hot. Seriously - she is already divorced, has a kid, and has tattoo sleeve. A note of advice for the next guy who dates her - when you have been together with her for a while, and you two are drinking, and you start talking about sexual fantasies, and she coyly asks you what your sexual fantasy is - dude, you probably can shoot for the moon here. This is the moment you have waited for your whole life. Nothing, I mean nothing, is off the table. You can probably go a little less Princess Leia in the gold bikini and a little more 2 Girls 1 Cup.
Her brother is her best friend! Me too! Aw! But her brother is apparently a 21 year old Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Utah, huh. I can't believe Utah hasn't kicked her out yet. BTW - I googled her, and there is apparently a porn star named Megan Joy. Another +1 in the WIN column. Dude- Mom. MILF. Her mom is a total MILF. Carrie said that before I could say it. What a hot family- too bad brother got fat. I think she's crying about her son because she feels guilty about how much fun it is to be away from him. Oh, just kidding Connor! Chip and I do her little dance all the time, BTW. I think it freaked out the people in the gas station the other night. OK, I like this. It's fun, she's cute, she sounds good, different, interesting. She's relevant for sure. But yeah, she is awesomely hot. Did she just caw at the end of that? WTF? There is a part of the song when she sings "every little swallow", and it totally worked in an NLP kind of way for me. Anyway, Chip can't get over how hot she is, and I can appreciate that. He thinks she should not worry about singing and just model- and he even liked her singing okay! We actually thought it was pretty cheesy! But yeah, I can't get over teh hawtnass. If something does happen to Carrie now since I made that unfortunate Gokey joke earlier, I have my backup ready to go.
*PS - really, if you are an older reader of this blog and are someone that I know or am related to, if you didn't get a joke from those last 2 paragraphs, just let it go. Seriously.
Gay- Hey - he climbed Mt. Everest! Wait, that was the second guy. OK, take those gross earring things out now before your ears are stretched beyond all recognition. Hate that shit. Unless it is in Incubus! OK, he's okay, but I don't love him as much as everyone else seems to. I think he forgot the words on one part. But wow, this is terrible. Over the top and terrible - Carrie is covering her face. What a horrible song choice too. I think he'll rock on 80's metal night, though. (Seriously though- when are they going to have one? That would rule! And be so challenging for the singers!) I have to say, I appreciate Paula's whole thing about letting each performer "take it all in." This really is his moment, and each of their moment- first time on the big stage, first time being cheered like this by a big crowd, etc. Wait, the judges think he's that good? I don't know about all that. The judges really liked that? Really? That was one of the 10 worst performance ever possibly. I don't get it.
Matt G: Kalamazoo in the house! They have a ping pong table in the garage - odds are, they have a pool table in the basement also, along with a bar they built with a keg fridge (with Bell's in it) and a dart board nearby. At least one person in his family owns a Red Wings starter jacket, and most of the people he went to high school with ended up at Western because either their applications were rejected by State, or they just wanted to save money by living at home. Matt has a much older brother who has a mullet and plays defenseman in an over-40 hockey league. Wait, is his mom black? I didn't know. Justin Timberlake is so jealous right now. I think she is just Michigan. But I think maybe that counts against him- it worked better when he was the funky white guy. (But come on, we've seen Lynn's hair- JT has a brotha somewhere on his mom's side.) Anyway, I like him- I hope he doesn't suck. He doesn't! He sings Human Nature - swish! Maybe that is the MJ song I would have chosen. I loved it, because that song makes me happy anyway. Good- I liked that. Chip did too. Chip thinks he lost a little control at the end, but overall was awesome. He likes him too. If he goes home early, then Carrie and I will lobby Frank and Hillary to stop by his piano bar on the way out to South Haven the next time we all go. Ah, Western Michigan. The home of Dutch settlers and a lot of Republicans.
Memphis 2: Memphis opens and closes the show! Hell yes again! I could tell by the external shot that her house is in Cordova. Dirty Diana! Suck it, Alone! Oh yes, she is rocking this. Damn she is skinny! And a little hot too. Seriously- the Memphis girls rule. I don't even think I'm biased. (BTW- man there are a lot of words in this song!) She totally went for it and nailed it. We liked her performance. Chloe has the same shirt her daughter is wearing- Old Navy in the house! Oh, shut up Simon. Oh crap- why did they screw her like that on the numbers? It isn't fair that she gets cut off since they are short on time. Also, when she is over the top, it is a bad thing, but when Lambert does it it is a good thing? Even though she sang well and Lambert was the gawd awful?
Chip: I have to say, I thought this season was going to be weak, be Lil and everyone else, but this show was jumpin off tonight. Was much better than I thought. It is still Lil and everyone else, but the gap wasn't as large we all thought. That's what she said.
OK, at this point in the season, it's hard to separate who was best from who I'm pulling for. Yeah, at this point, I don't care really. I just don't want Lil or hotness to go home yet. So I think the best two girls were Lil and Alone, but I voted for Alexis too. Plus I like Tattoo Sleeve. Guys, I think Robert Downey Wdr. was actually great. Silky Sullivan's was good too. Anoop is my man, so I like him even though he wasn't one of the best. I just didn't like Gay as much as everyone else- sorry about that. I think at this point, it's more about who I'd like to see go. Blind, Roughneck, Jorge, borderline Miss'ippi and Mormon. Any of those 5 would be fine by me.
Wooohooooo! I love American Idol! And I love recapping!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
...and men
I came across an interesting job posting in my search today:
http://www.ozonehouse.org/involved-jobs.shtml
Here is the part which made me do a double take:
"We strongly encourage the following groups to apply: people of color, individuals who possess an in-depth understanding of poverty or economic hardship, people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, and men."
In summation, the "groups" of people who are strongly encouraged to apply:
- people of color
- people who are or who have been poor
- homosexuals, bisexuals, transgenders
- men
To which I was thinking, no...maybe...no...YES!!!!!!
http://www.ozonehouse.org/involved-jobs.shtml
Here is the part which made me do a double take:
"We strongly encourage the following groups to apply: people of color, individuals who possess an in-depth understanding of poverty or economic hardship, people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, and men."
In summation, the "groups" of people who are strongly encouraged to apply:
- people of color
- people who are or who have been poor
- homosexuals, bisexuals, transgenders
- men
To which I was thinking, no...maybe...no...YES!!!!!!
Sunday, February 1, 2009
A Conversation With A Student
Teacher: Hey guys settle down. Sit on the couch and wait for your parents to get here, so you can go home for the day.
Student: Hey, teacher check this out.
Teacher: I wouldn't finish that if I were you. Both of your teachers are girls-ya know.
Student: Oh it's not what you think.
Teacher: Uh huh.
The kid starts talking to another kid for a couple of minutes. Then looks back up at the teacher.
Student: Hey, what planet rhymes with candy bar?
Teacher: (looking puzzled and trying not to giggle) Uhhhhh, well there really isn't one. Mars is a type of candy bar though.
Student: (thinking really hard) No, there's definitely one that rhymes with candy bar.
Teacher: (trying to hold back a smile and a laugh) If you say so.
The student starts talking to another student about Pokemon or something for a minute or so.
Student: Oh, my sister taught me this one. (He has two older sisters. One is a tween-and one is a teenager.)
Teacher: (looking puzzled and relieved) Umm, that's a good one.
Student: I know.
Student: Hey, teacher check this out.
Boys go to Mars to get more smart.
Girls go to Jupiter to get more
(Teacher interrupts)
(Teacher interrupts)
Teacher: I wouldn't finish that if I were you. Both of your teachers are girls-ya know.
Student: Oh it's not what you think.
Teacher: Uh huh.
The kid starts talking to another kid for a couple of minutes. Then looks back up at the teacher.
Student: Hey, what planet rhymes with candy bar?
Teacher: (looking puzzled and trying not to giggle) Uhhhhh, well there really isn't one. Mars is a type of candy bar though.
Student: (thinking really hard) No, there's definitely one that rhymes with candy bar.
Teacher: (trying to hold back a smile and a laugh) If you say so.
The student starts talking to another student about Pokemon or something for a minute or so.
Student: Oh, my sister taught me this one. (He has two older sisters. One is a tween-and one is a teenager.)
Boys go to Mars to get more smart.
Girls go to Venus to get more ....
(The teacher's eyes get really big. She is freaking out.)
What was it again? Oh yeah..
What was it again? Oh yeah..
Boys go to Mars to get more smart.
Girls go to Venus to get more candy bars.
Girls go to Venus to get more candy bars.
Teacher: (looking puzzled and relieved) Umm, that's a good one.
Student: I know.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Best of 2008: Music
Every year, I always figure out what my favorite song of the year was. This year for some reason was particularly difficult. I think this is because much of the "new" music I listened to this year was technically from 2007 or 2006, so those really don't count. On the way back from Memphis, Carrie and I had a discussion about what was my favorite song of 2008 that was either from an album released in 2008, or a single from a 2007 album that was released in 2008 - every time I came up with one, she would tell me, "no, that wasn't your favorite song this year." We decided that I would check the iPod when I got home, and scour over some other people's lists online (yes, even Pitchfork, the website I love to hate to love).
I don't know why, but it took me a solid week to figure it out, and then when I decided on #1, it feels like I was cheating a little, but you will see my rationale below. But because I thought of so many songs, I figured I would rank them and give some links to youtube where applicable. Also, I decided to not do that thing that so many lists do, with only 1 song per artist, like a VH1 list of best hair band songs - seriously, how can you pick just one Skid Row song? So here goes:
Honorable Mentions: We Are Scientists, Ghouls, Let's See It, and Lethal Enforcer; Hot Chip, One Pure Thought; Mogwai, Batcat; and CSS, Rat is Dead.
20) Vampire Weekend, Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa - OK, in all seriousness, I don't like to admit that I like this song. These guys seem like they are the whitest group of guys in history. Like, they vacation in the Hamptons or something. But the song is catchy, and I enjoy it for some reason. Never really a contender for song of the year, and Let's See It and One Pure Thought are actually better songs, but I just wanted to seperately mention how truly white Vampire Weekend. Really, it is epic.
19) M83, Kim and Jessie - This song is a guilty pleasure for me and would never have made the list, but a bunch of "best of" lists have this song on it, so that was all I needed to include it here. It sounds like those French guys Air from a few years back, but better and less obnoxious. Also, the video has fun roller skating.
18) She & Him, Why Do You Let Me Stay Here? - Zooey's song here, and it is okay, even if her singing style is a bit nasaly. Wait - I take that back - I have this on the list to impress her, because after I saw Elf she was top 5 worthy. Everything about you is awesome! Ben Gibbard doesn't know what he lucked into!!!!
17) Faunts, M4 (Part II) - Totally a song that I alone seem to enjoy. I don't know - probably the whole suspenseful build up feel to the song.
16) Bishop Allen, Click Click Click Click - This song came out around the wedding, and it is about a guy crashing a wedding and ending up in a wedding picture, so it has a special place in my heart. I even put it on the iPod playlist at the wedding. Then, a few months later this song is on and Carrie lets me know that she isn't a fan, and I explained that it was special to me because of the wedding and all. After that, she says that she felt bad about saying that and can't hate it anymore! But I think it is neat and cute, and anything that reminds me of the wedding will always be a keeper. Plus, I think the video is spiffy.
15) Portishead, Machine Gun - A song that I am just really getting into, but it was on most of the critics list for the year. I got some of their old stuff, and am digging it. This song is pretty kick ass if you ask me.
14) Cold War Kids, Something is Not Right with Me - Most of you will and probably should find this song pretty annoying, but I think it rocks. The lyrics are fun and the song makes me want to run through a brick wall.
13) Fleet Foxes, He Doesn't Know Why - Another group here that I am just getting into. I always liked another song by them (foreshadowing), and this song is really chill and all. The CD is really good too, and was on a bunch of critics' lists. Maybe this time in a few months, this song will rate higher. They aren't quite like Band of Horses in that they are more about singing and harmonies and such, but still there seems to be an obvious comparison. You might hear more on these guys in the next little bit.
12) Rihanna, Don't Stop the Music - I didn't actually check, but I think this single was released in 2008. At least, that is my story and I am sticking to it. Would normally rate higher, but I am always hesitant on dance songs.
11) Kings of Leon, Use Somebody - This was a pleasant surprise this year. KoL was always a band that I felt old for not "getting", but they put out a couple of songs this year that changed my opinion. I mean, I liked Four Kicks a few years back, but not enough to get the CD or anything. But they did this song on SNL, and I was impressed.
10) Ra Ra Riot, Ghost Under Rocks - I rank this here at #10, but at one point I decided this was my favorite song of the year. The weak final act of this song and the whiny voice of the guy put it at number 10 though. Still an awesome awesome song. Plus, strings. And a hot chick playing strings. There were a couple of months this summer that this was my favorite song. Probably should be rated higher, but I don't feel like changing it.
9) The White Stripes, Conquest - Really, I love to just belt out "Conquest"!!! Really a fun song, and was definitive for the summer months for us. If this song makes Rock Band, I call dibs on vocals.
8) Fleet Foxes, White Winter Hymnal - I was following the I was following the I was following the I was following the... No, but seriously, this song is incredible. I loved it initially, then forgot about it, then the other song came out, and I got the CD, and then even Pitchfork had this as their album of the year. This song is incredible - I am still getting used to it again, and it was at one point the frontrunner for song of the year. I really just need to listen to it more.
7) We Are Scientists, After Hours - OK, let's just get it out of the way - I am unabashedly a huge We Are Scientists fan. I love just about everything they put out. All of it is high quality pop stuff. Goofy, harmless, fun stuff. I have no idea how these guys aren't huge. They even put out fun videos, like this one - you all should watch it all the way through. The hot chick from 30 Rock is in it. But still - go get these guys' CDs, they are really fun escapist quality stuff. It feels weird having them in front of Fleet Foxes on this list, but it is the same way that I enjoy Wayne's World over Citizen Kane - I can recognize that Fleet Foxes is better technically and all, but I just love this crap! These guys rule!
6) Metallica, The Day That Never Comes - So how does this work, do I get sued for even linking to the youtube video of this song? Look, I know that liking Metallica anymore is like going to see a Tom Cruise movie - you don't want to support them, but they do put out good stuff and all. Still - this song is like old school Metallica - it kicks ass. The first 5 minutes or so are build up, but really - on this youtube video, at the 5:21 mark, it goes from a pretty good song to an absolute mess of kickassitude. The last 3 minutes rock.
5) Coldplay, Viva La Vida - I have written about this before, this song rules because it seems like a bunch of French Revolution imagery and I am a French Revolution guy. Plus, I think I read that they used a producer who worked with the Arcade Fire or something, which makes it okay to like a little bit more. I am not even going to look that up, and just assume it is true. I know they say Coldplay is music for people who don't like music, and Chris Coldplay is all spazzy and douche-y but I just get into this song when it comes on.
4) Hot Chip, Ready for the Floor - How can I not like a group called Hot Chip? This is really a great song and really fun too. It is a little techno and all, but it is also really high quality too. It makes me happy for the future of music that these guys are out there putting out stuff like this. I can't listen to this song without bouncing.
3) Kings of Leon, Sex on Fire - Yeah, I put this song at number 3. Speaking of Rock Band, I would absolutely belt this shit out. Even his squeaky thing he does. This song brought me around on these guys. Carrie would add that he is practically hot now, after he was really mousy on the other stuff we saw by them. Fun song - I like it. My favorite part is about at 2:35.
2) Santogold, L.E.S. Artistes - This was a tough one for me. Really was the favorite to be number 1, but I honestly don't know if I will still dig this song or this chick in a few years. She is very new to me - I heard this song on Subterranean a couple of times earlier this year, and liked it. Then it made all the critics' lists, so I gave it another listen. It really is incredible. I mean, the video is strange, and I think that it may have turned me off initially. But it is actually a really moving song. Listen to the lyrics - it is about all the lower east side folks who say they like her so they will sound cool, even though they never really appreciate the music. Or something. Plus, "I can say I hope it will be worth what I give up" - I don't know, I just really like this song.
1) Band of Horses, I Go To The Barn Because I Like The - You like the what??? Yeah, it is cheating - this was never released as a single and the album is from 2007. But still - my first dance at my wedding was to this song. I am getting teary eyed with it on now in the background. When I think of 2008, I will always think of this song. Thanks to all the others for playing, but this was a slam dunk.
Maybe in 2009 or 2010 I will get into an album from 2008 that I wasn't aware of this past year. Even Sigur Ros, Muse, and Jenny Lewis put out albums that I haven't even heard yet. But this is the list as of the end of 2008. I hope you enjoyed and maybe heard some stuff you haven't heard before, or heard something you think I am stupid for liking. Please comment!
I don't know why, but it took me a solid week to figure it out, and then when I decided on #1, it feels like I was cheating a little, but you will see my rationale below. But because I thought of so many songs, I figured I would rank them and give some links to youtube where applicable. Also, I decided to not do that thing that so many lists do, with only 1 song per artist, like a VH1 list of best hair band songs - seriously, how can you pick just one Skid Row song? So here goes:
Honorable Mentions: We Are Scientists, Ghouls, Let's See It, and Lethal Enforcer; Hot Chip, One Pure Thought; Mogwai, Batcat; and CSS, Rat is Dead.
20) Vampire Weekend, Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa - OK, in all seriousness, I don't like to admit that I like this song. These guys seem like they are the whitest group of guys in history. Like, they vacation in the Hamptons or something. But the song is catchy, and I enjoy it for some reason. Never really a contender for song of the year, and Let's See It and One Pure Thought are actually better songs, but I just wanted to seperately mention how truly white Vampire Weekend. Really, it is epic.
19) M83, Kim and Jessie - This song is a guilty pleasure for me and would never have made the list, but a bunch of "best of" lists have this song on it, so that was all I needed to include it here. It sounds like those French guys Air from a few years back, but better and less obnoxious. Also, the video has fun roller skating.
18) She & Him, Why Do You Let Me Stay Here? - Zooey's song here, and it is okay, even if her singing style is a bit nasaly. Wait - I take that back - I have this on the list to impress her, because after I saw Elf she was top 5 worthy. Everything about you is awesome! Ben Gibbard doesn't know what he lucked into!!!!
17) Faunts, M4 (Part II) - Totally a song that I alone seem to enjoy. I don't know - probably the whole suspenseful build up feel to the song.
16) Bishop Allen, Click Click Click Click - This song came out around the wedding, and it is about a guy crashing a wedding and ending up in a wedding picture, so it has a special place in my heart. I even put it on the iPod playlist at the wedding. Then, a few months later this song is on and Carrie lets me know that she isn't a fan, and I explained that it was special to me because of the wedding and all. After that, she says that she felt bad about saying that and can't hate it anymore! But I think it is neat and cute, and anything that reminds me of the wedding will always be a keeper. Plus, I think the video is spiffy.
15) Portishead, Machine Gun - A song that I am just really getting into, but it was on most of the critics list for the year. I got some of their old stuff, and am digging it. This song is pretty kick ass if you ask me.
14) Cold War Kids, Something is Not Right with Me - Most of you will and probably should find this song pretty annoying, but I think it rocks. The lyrics are fun and the song makes me want to run through a brick wall.
13) Fleet Foxes, He Doesn't Know Why - Another group here that I am just getting into. I always liked another song by them (foreshadowing), and this song is really chill and all. The CD is really good too, and was on a bunch of critics' lists. Maybe this time in a few months, this song will rate higher. They aren't quite like Band of Horses in that they are more about singing and harmonies and such, but still there seems to be an obvious comparison. You might hear more on these guys in the next little bit.
12) Rihanna, Don't Stop the Music - I didn't actually check, but I think this single was released in 2008. At least, that is my story and I am sticking to it. Would normally rate higher, but I am always hesitant on dance songs.
11) Kings of Leon, Use Somebody - This was a pleasant surprise this year. KoL was always a band that I felt old for not "getting", but they put out a couple of songs this year that changed my opinion. I mean, I liked Four Kicks a few years back, but not enough to get the CD or anything. But they did this song on SNL, and I was impressed.
10) Ra Ra Riot, Ghost Under Rocks - I rank this here at #10, but at one point I decided this was my favorite song of the year. The weak final act of this song and the whiny voice of the guy put it at number 10 though. Still an awesome awesome song. Plus, strings. And a hot chick playing strings. There were a couple of months this summer that this was my favorite song. Probably should be rated higher, but I don't feel like changing it.
9) The White Stripes, Conquest - Really, I love to just belt out "Conquest"!!! Really a fun song, and was definitive for the summer months for us. If this song makes Rock Band, I call dibs on vocals.
8) Fleet Foxes, White Winter Hymnal - I was following the I was following the I was following the I was following the... No, but seriously, this song is incredible. I loved it initially, then forgot about it, then the other song came out, and I got the CD, and then even Pitchfork had this as their album of the year. This song is incredible - I am still getting used to it again, and it was at one point the frontrunner for song of the year. I really just need to listen to it more.
7) We Are Scientists, After Hours - OK, let's just get it out of the way - I am unabashedly a huge We Are Scientists fan. I love just about everything they put out. All of it is high quality pop stuff. Goofy, harmless, fun stuff. I have no idea how these guys aren't huge. They even put out fun videos, like this one - you all should watch it all the way through. The hot chick from 30 Rock is in it. But still - go get these guys' CDs, they are really fun escapist quality stuff. It feels weird having them in front of Fleet Foxes on this list, but it is the same way that I enjoy Wayne's World over Citizen Kane - I can recognize that Fleet Foxes is better technically and all, but I just love this crap! These guys rule!
6) Metallica, The Day That Never Comes - So how does this work, do I get sued for even linking to the youtube video of this song? Look, I know that liking Metallica anymore is like going to see a Tom Cruise movie - you don't want to support them, but they do put out good stuff and all. Still - this song is like old school Metallica - it kicks ass. The first 5 minutes or so are build up, but really - on this youtube video, at the 5:21 mark, it goes from a pretty good song to an absolute mess of kickassitude. The last 3 minutes rock.
5) Coldplay, Viva La Vida - I have written about this before, this song rules because it seems like a bunch of French Revolution imagery and I am a French Revolution guy. Plus, I think I read that they used a producer who worked with the Arcade Fire or something, which makes it okay to like a little bit more. I am not even going to look that up, and just assume it is true. I know they say Coldplay is music for people who don't like music, and Chris Coldplay is all spazzy and douche-y but I just get into this song when it comes on.
4) Hot Chip, Ready for the Floor - How can I not like a group called Hot Chip? This is really a great song and really fun too. It is a little techno and all, but it is also really high quality too. It makes me happy for the future of music that these guys are out there putting out stuff like this. I can't listen to this song without bouncing.
3) Kings of Leon, Sex on Fire - Yeah, I put this song at number 3. Speaking of Rock Band, I would absolutely belt this shit out. Even his squeaky thing he does. This song brought me around on these guys. Carrie would add that he is practically hot now, after he was really mousy on the other stuff we saw by them. Fun song - I like it. My favorite part is about at 2:35.
2) Santogold, L.E.S. Artistes - This was a tough one for me. Really was the favorite to be number 1, but I honestly don't know if I will still dig this song or this chick in a few years. She is very new to me - I heard this song on Subterranean a couple of times earlier this year, and liked it. Then it made all the critics' lists, so I gave it another listen. It really is incredible. I mean, the video is strange, and I think that it may have turned me off initially. But it is actually a really moving song. Listen to the lyrics - it is about all the lower east side folks who say they like her so they will sound cool, even though they never really appreciate the music. Or something. Plus, "I can say I hope it will be worth what I give up" - I don't know, I just really like this song.
1) Band of Horses, I Go To The Barn Because I Like The - You like the what??? Yeah, it is cheating - this was never released as a single and the album is from 2007. But still - my first dance at my wedding was to this song. I am getting teary eyed with it on now in the background. When I think of 2008, I will always think of this song. Thanks to all the others for playing, but this was a slam dunk.
Maybe in 2009 or 2010 I will get into an album from 2008 that I wasn't aware of this past year. Even Sigur Ros, Muse, and Jenny Lewis put out albums that I haven't even heard yet. But this is the list as of the end of 2008. I hope you enjoyed and maybe heard some stuff you haven't heard before, or heard something you think I am stupid for liking. Please comment!
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