Your Weekly Weekend Music Mix | 7/11/14 [MUSIC NEWS]

MUSIC INSTA-BABE: Katy Perry

Katy Perry is a babe. She’s been able to be both America’s sweetheart and America’s pin-up at the same time without having to bear more than she has to.  Class with curves. I’m hooked. Follow her on Instagram: @katyperry

KILLER COVER: Fiona Apple covers “Pure Imagination”

Written by the prolific composers and lyricists Leslie Bricusse  and Anthony Newley, “Pure Imagination” was written specifically for the movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and originally sung by Gene Wilder who portrayed Willy Wonka. Though I never imagined that Fiona Apple would agree to perform a song for advertisement to a fast-food chain (even a healthy fast-food chain), I am glad she did as it yielded this gem of a recording. Your welcome.

FOR THE TRUE MUSIC NERDS (LIKE ME)

Below is a video of “The Oldest Song in the World”. You can click through the Youtube links to read a more in-depth history of the music in this video, but long story short, a professor deciphered clay tables excavated in Syria. Her conclusion? The inscriptions on the clay tablets reveal the oldest existing song in the world. Pretty darn cool if you ask me.

JUST FOR LAUGHS

Of all of the late night hosts that graced our television screens, Jimmy Fallon is by far the most musically inclined. His impersonation of Neil Young is always spot on. His cover of Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy”? Hilarious. The fact that he got Crosby, Stills & Nash to join him in the performance? Epic.

MUSIC NEWS/STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT

I would have guessed that if you had a multiplatinum single that saturated the radio waves all of last year, your follow up album would AT LEAST have reasonable sales upon it’s release. Well, Robin Thicke proved me wrong. His opening week sales were dismal. In fact, in all of Australia, he didn’t even sell 100 copies of his album. Hell … I could sell 100 copies of an album out of the truck of my car. I guess cheating on your wife is, in fact, a momentum/career killer.

If your friend sleeps with your dad, she probably shouldn’t be your friend. Somebody should tell Beyonce what’s up.

Coachella made BANK this year. Over $78,000,000 for two weekends? I need to figure out how to set up a music festival.

Taylor Swift wrote a terrifically optimistic and smart op-ed for The Wall Street Journal. Yeah … I think I’m in love with her.

If you love watching professionally shot, live music clips, then you’ll love what Youtube has recently done. Youtube has worked out an arrangement with Wolfgang’s Vault (a private archivist/memorabilia shop) to publish over 13,000 amazingly classic never before seen live performances and interviews by historic and vintage acts. Everyone from Santana, to Aerosmith, Lou Reed, Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen … the list goes on and on and on. If you use youtube, YOU MUST subscribe to the Music Vault account. Trust me … it’s worth your while. Her’e a terrific video of Van Morrison performing “Try For Sleep” below. I’m thinking I’ll be posting a weekly video from this account.

 

Your Weekly Weekend Music Mix | 6/20/14 [NEWS]

MUSIC INSTA-BABE: JoJo

http://instagram.com/p/o7oysnHCyx/

Though her music career had been embroiled in contractual battles with her prior label, fresh off performing at South by Southwest and having inked a new deal with Atlantic Records earlier this year, it sounds as if JoJo’s music career is about to get some much needed major label support. I’ve always enjoyed her R&B infused pop music … and being easy on the eyes certainly doesn’t hurt. Follow her on Instagram: @translucentbrownsugar

KILLER COVER: Allen Stone covers Marcy Playground

Remember that Marcy Playground song “Sex And Candy”? I do. I first heard it on the radio at college. It was a HUGE college radio song. Allen Stone soul singer who is about to release his sophomore album, and he does a great job covering this song.

Here’s the original Marcy Playground track:

HAHAHAHA …. Just For Laughs

The POWER of Music! It seems like Terry Crews can do anything with his muscles … even make music.

OK Go with a NEW Ground Breaking Music Video

OK Go’s music videos are always amazing. The music video for their latest single, “The Writing’s On The Wall” is a both a sonically pleasing and visually amazing. And it looks as if they did it all in ONE take. Take a look.

MUSIC NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT

Bjork to have a 3-D fusion of film and music exhibit at the MOMA! She’s always on the cutting edge of art, so it seems only fitting that she’ll have an exhibit at a prestigious museum.

A family named their twin boys Ghostface and Raekwon. Is this taking fandom to a new level … or Nah … lol.

Iggy Azalea recently scored both the Number One and Number Two spots in the Billboard Hot 100. A feat only accomplished by one other musical act: The Beatles. Now firming entrenched in the spotlight, commentary regarding her rise to the top has been steady growing.A professor from my alma mater, Cornell University, wrote one titled “The Conspiracy to Whitewash Hip-Hop”. An interesting read, for sure, but do you agree?

Enjoy watching music videos on Youtube? What’ll happen if your favorite band’s music is no longer available to watch? Well, it may be happening sooner that you think. Youtube hasn’t been able to work out deals with certain independent record labels, and music acts like Radiohead, Sigur Ros, Adele and others may soon no longer be available to watch on Youtube. A damn shame if you ask me.

JACK WHITE WITHDRAWAL

Last week I posted a link to a Jack White show that I regretted missing. Over the weekend, I suffered from Jack White withdrawal when I kept seeing various twitter feeds explode with Jack White updates during his performance at Bonnaroo as it seemed to be legend … wait for it … ary. I was again heartbroken for not being at a Jack White show. See below and join in my sadness.

Your Weekly Weekend Music Mix | 6/6/14

 MUSIC INSTA-BABE: Rita Ora

http://instagram.com/p/o1iRhjxsxx/

Rita Ora is a British singer-songwriter who released her first album in 2012 and is currently featured on Iggy Azalea’s song “Black Widow” from the chart-topping album “The New Classic”. She is currently signed to Roc Nation and one can hope that a follow up album is forthcoming. Rita Ora is a babe. You should follow her on Instagram @RitaOra. And fellas … she’s newly single too!

KILLER COVER: Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan Covers Joy Division

I’m a huge Depeche Mode Fan. When I found this cover of Dave Gahan covering the Joy Division classic “Love Will Tear Us Apart” I lost my shit. Terrific cover.

Marvin Gaye Doesn’t Need Instrumental Accompaniment

The video below is a just the vocal feed of live performance. Who says you need instruments to sound good. This video proves that if you can sing …. you can sing. The first few seconds are silent (it’s just the vocal feed, so you can’t hear the introductory instrumentation. For your auditory pleasure, the a cappella track of Marvin Gaye singing “I Heard It Through The Grapevine”. You’re welcome.

MUSIC NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT

It’s been quite an eventful week for the Beastie Boys. Earlier in the week, in a very classy and moving tribute, the Beastie Boys announced that they will no longer record new music after the death of Adam Yauch pka “MCA”. On Thursday, a jury in New York’s Federal Court found that Monster Energy violated the Beastie Boys’ copyright and now has to pay out a $1.7 Million judgement. I guess this case is proof that a one word email of “Dope” can’t constitutes a sufficient meeting of the minds for contractual purposes. LOL.

New video of Justin Bieber singing racist lyrics to one of his songs surfaces, and all I can do is shake my head in disgust. How many second chances do you give a kid who seems to have a sense of entitlement? Personally, I’m just tired of it.

Chris Brown was recently release from prison after serving part of a one-year sentence for violating his probation. He has vowed to change his ways. Personally, I hope that he’s being sincere about his proclamation. I like his music, and he needs to keep his ass clean and stay out of trouble and just make good music.

Pharrell announces that the new album he’s working on with Snoop will win Snoop a Grammy. He even went as far as to say that the album he’s producing for Snoop is even better than his own latest effort. If that ain’t high praise, I don’t know what is.

BECAUSE IT’S AMAZING

This 8 year old from Norway is AMAZING. Angelina Jordan got her “start” performing on (and winning) Norway’s Got Talent. She has a voice that is beyond her years, and it blows me away every time I hear her sing. Ugh. Simply marvelous. If her voice impresses you as much as it does me, you really need to follow her on Facebook and check out her other videos.