MOG - BecauseYouAreHere's Posts

Cat fur & cheeto's?!? Holy High Jinx Batman...

BecauseYouAreHere — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 01:51:03 GMT

So I saw two crazy headlines this week about people seeing the likeness of good ol' J.C (that's Jesus Christ to you) in two crazy spots: cat fur and cheetos. I'm thinking folks need to get their prescriptions checked : for their eyes AND their meds.

Here's the Cat Story

Here's the Cheeto Story

Woo Hoo Songs - A Playlist of sorts

BecauseYouAreHere — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:22:41 GMT

One day, when the spouse came home from working retail, this was the question posed to me, "Wonder how many songs have 'woo hoo' or 'woo woo' as a major component to them?". Thus this little playlist was born.

Why is it in THIS list format and not a regular playlist you might ask? Well it's actually very simple - MOG was being persnickety and wouldn't let me make a new playlist - so this is what you get!

See how many you would have immediately chosen yourself and how many more make you stop for a second to rewind the lyrics in your head.

1. C'mon N' Ride It (The Train) - Quad City DJ's
2. Sympathy For The Devil - The Rolling Stones
3. Black Horse And The Cherry Tree - KT Tunstall
4. Witchy Woman - Eagles
5. Can I Get a F*&% You - Jay-Z
6. Edge Of Seventeen - Stevie Nicks
7. You Should Be Mine (The Woo Woo Song) - Jeffrey Osborne
8. Don't Worry Be Happy - Bobby McFerrin
9. Next Time I Fall In Love - Peter Cetera & Amy Grant
10. 1985 - Bowling for Soup
11. It's All Been Done - Barenaked Ladies
12. Song 2 - Blur
13. Woo Hoo - 5.6.7.8’s
14. The Ocean - Led Zepplin
15. Steam Engenius - Modest Mouse
16. Buddy Holly - Weezer
17. Learning The Hard Way - Gin Blossoms
18. That's Alright Mama - Foghat
19. Hey Kids - Jet

Mash-ups and Mixes

BecauseYouAreHere — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 19:52:29 GMT

What can I say but I like 'em! You can hear them on the radio, and in my neck of the woods, that would be mainly on the high school based local station.

They add a fun twist to some already well loved tunes as well as sometimes providing the answer to those nagging feelings inside when you hear a song that begs you to ask, "What does that remind me of?"

For the past few years, I've been a big fan of Party Ben who is a remixer, producer and DJ, known for his semi-popular mashups, most notably the Green Day/Oasis combo "Boulevard of Broken Songs" (2004), which eventually received airplay on hundreds of radio stations worldwide.

Party Ben also DJs live, producing full-fledged shows featuring his mashup productions and other stuff. He has DJed in Plock, Warsaw, and Krakow, Poland; Liege, Belgium; Munich, Germany; Bordeaux, Toulouse, Tourcoing and Paris, France; Montego Bay, Jamaica; Toronto, Canada; Puebla and Monterrey, Mexico; Las Vegas, Seattle, New York City, Los Angeles, Indio, and all over the Bay Area.

His mash-ups are just the thing for a blue day, or when you want to dance while cleaning the house, or get that head a bopping while driving!

Roller skates and hot pants or "I live on the boardwalk in Venice!"

BecauseYouAreHere — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 21:19:41 GMT

Rediscovered and my favorite this week. Makes me wanna go get my roller skates out, but then I get to laughing so hard with Ron Jeremy's narration that I'm afraid I'd trip and fall!

IT'S THE PLUMMER!

ARTIST: PORNOSONIC

ALBUM: UNRELEASED 70'S PORNO MUSIC

GENRE: FUNK, KITSCH, SEX

YEAR: 2004

WHY:

A true gem - sleezy soundtrack music that almost every comedian (Pablo Francisco?) pranked with at least once is here - remastered and carefully selected for your enjoyement. Inserted narattions by porno-super-tzar Ron Jeremy are gorgeously simple, awful, sleezy reminders of vintage 1970's porn movies with a "back-story haha" (hairy plummer suddenly appears at a half-naked-just got of a shower blonde's apatrment to repair her "pipes").

Simply said - wah-wah sex classic!

REVIEW:

by Jason Ankeny from allmusic

If the smiling visage of smut film icon Ron Jeremy that adorns the cover of PornoSonic isn't in and of itself enough to convince you to buy the record, then you need to seriously recalibrate your value system -- the Hedgehog is a veritable trademark of quality, and one listen to this collection of vintage porn music will no doubt prove enough to keep you coming back for more. These ten instrumentals are from the classic "boom-chicka-pow-wow" school of skinematic debauchery, loaded with funky drums, bone-rattling basses, and guitars that squeal and moan like starlets in heat -- best of all, the esteemed Mr. Jeremy contributes spoken material guaranteed to keep the ladies in the mood. Highlights include such theme songs as "Laying Pipe," "Sex Starved Secretaries," "Cramming for College," and "Prepare for Take Off."

SLEEZY TRACKLIST:

1. Dick Dagger's Theme [From Dick Dagger's Big Dick Dilemma]

2. Cramming for College [From Cramming for College]

3. Nice n' Sleazy Does It [From "If It Ain't Easy It Ain't Sleazy"]

4. Spiderpussy [From Spiderpussy]

5. Special Delivery [From a Happy Ass]

6. Sex Starved Secretaries [From Takin' Dictation]

7. Prepare for Take Off [From Mile High Club]

8. Her Magic Carpet [From Donna Does DeNise]

9. Laying Pipe [From Plumber's DeLight]

10. Spiderpussy (Slight Return) [From Spiderpussy 2: Caught in the Web]

Jazz legend, Ernestine Anderson's home temporarily saved from foreclosure

BecauseYouAreHere — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 19:36:35 GMT

Update to a previous post regarding Ernestine Anderson's home that was slated to be sold for public auction on July 11th.

More than $43,000 poured in to help her out on Monday, June 30th, including donations from Quincy Jones and Diane Schuur.

A friend of Anderson, Carmen Gayton said that donations ranging from $5 to $5,000 streamed in after her story broke. Gayton added that a financial manager is working pro-bono to look for ways to restructure Anderson's loan, which has monthly payments of more than $4,400.

Gayton also said Anderson will try to sell a second house next door to the home she's trying to save.

Soprano Dame Joan Sutherland hospitalized after fall

BecauseYouAreHere — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 18:36:07 GMT

Soprano Joan Sutherland hospitalized after fall

Monday, July 07, 2008 2:03:21 PM By ELIANE ENGELER

Opera legend Joan Sutherland is recovering well after breaking both legs during a fall at her Swiss home, her agent said Monday.

"She had an accident while doing the gardening, and somehow managed to break both her legs," agent David Sigall said.

The 81-year-old soprano is now in a Swiss hospital undergoing rehabilitation, Sigall told The Associated Press by telephone from London.

"She has been moved to the rehabilitation section," he said, adding that Sutherland would likely remain there for up to eight weeks before being allowed to put any weight on her legs.

"All is well except I'm sure she's not pleased," said Sigall, who had not yet spoken to Sutherland himself.

The accident occurred June 24 while the Australian singer was picking flowers in the garden and lost her balance, an assistant reached at Sutherland's home near Montreux, told the AP.

The assistant, who asked not to be named, said Sutherland underwent successful surgery at a nearby hospital and was in good spirits.

Sutherland's husband, conductor Richard Bonynge, initially canceled a planned performance with Opera Australia later this month but was convinced by Sutherland to carry out the engagement, the assistant said.

"Mr. Bonynge has now gone to Australia" to conduct Gaetano Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor," Sigall said.

Sutherland's performance in the difficult title role in a 1959 Covent Garden revival widely is seen as her breakthrough in an international career that lasted until 1991.

Sigall said Sutherland had no previous accidents. "She's always been in pretty robust health."

Jazz vocalist, Ernestine Anderson faces foreclosure in Seattle

BecauseYouAreHere — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:01:26 GMT

One of our good friends, "Uncle" Norm Bobrow (Pat Suzuki & Brothers Four fame) always said she thought she was just entitled to everything...He was suppose to make her what he made Pat.....only difference was Pat worked, she didn't. Like so many others, drugs and alcohol also played a large role in her daily life.

--------------

Jazz vocalist faces foreclosure in Seattle
Wednesday, June 25, 2008 9:01:09 AM
By MANUEL VALDES
Jazz vocalist Ernestine Anderson is facing foreclosure on her home in Seattle in yet another sign that the mortgage loan crisis is hitting traditional working-class neighborhoods hard.

Anderson, who once sang with the likes of Quincy Jones and Ray Charles, is more than $30,000 in arrears in payments and penalties, public records show.

Friends and family have started a last-ditch effort to save her Central District home by pleading for donations. They hope to raise $45,000 for the 79-year-old in less than a week to cover the back payments and taxes, said Carmen Gayton, a friend of Anderson's family.

After that, Gayton said, they hope to buy enough time to figure out a way for Anderson to sustain herself.

James Kelly, president of the Urban League of Seattle, said counselors will try to find out how Anderson got a loan that now asks for a monthly payments of $5,000. Gayton said Anderson's monthly income is $1,000 from Social Security, and at her age, her performances are limited.

"She never should have gotten that loan," Gayton said. "It's a difficult issue for her. The house is her mom's and father's home, since 1946."

Public records show a principal balance of more than $450,000 on the house. Details of the loan were not immediately clear.

The home is slated for public auction July 11.

"Since 1946, I have been going out on the road, but this is home base," Anderson told KING5 television in Seattle. "I can't tell you how wonderful people have been to me. People I don't know."

Associated Press efforts to reach Anderson by phone Tuesday were not successful.

After 30 albums and four Grammy nominations, Anderson is one of Seattle's most respected names in music, part of a jazz scene the flourished in the city well before grunge and alternative rock took the stage.

Anderson is one of dozens of people facing foreclosure in her neighborhood, an area of Seattle that has been traditionally African American. More than 200 houses face foreclosure in Anderson's zip code, according to Realty Trac, a Web site that tracks foreclosures.

Vacuum cleaners vs. Death Metal/Grindcore

BecauseYouAreHere — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:42:59 GMT

So my spouse has a theory about women and vacuum cleaners (how when using a vacuum they tend to bump into furniture etc) being directly related to how a woman typically drives her car. Scary as it may sound, it's pretty right on for a good majority that I've witnessed.

I have a similar theory regarding Death Metal/Grindcore and guys. I like to call it "rar-rar" music, due to the special way most of the lyrics sound unless you pull out the liner notes or are a guy. It seems to me more guys than gals are able to comprehend the lyrics the first time around - makes me think it's a special genetic trait - kind of like how only dogs can hear certain frequencies.

Guys, being the target market, are genetically enhanced to understand words that sound "enraged" or "warrior-like", which makes me think it's because of testosterone and eons of evolution.

So, vacuum cleaner theory vs. "rar-rar" music theory. Sounds like a new topic of discussion for a party environment....

High-Fidelity, Stereo Fidelity, New Orthophonic & Dynagroove

BecauseYouAreHere — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 23:57:40 GMT

While ripping more vinyl (this time my Reader's Digest "Musical Adventures for Young People" ca. 1968, which my grandma bought for me,) for my soon to be 4 year old niece, I spent some time re-examining the cover. Not only were these recordings "Pleasure Programmed", but they were "Recorded in the magnificent NEW DYNAGROOVE® SOUND".

Being raised and now currently working in the design/marketing world, I couldn't help but giggle to myself. Why don't recording companies have such colorful names for their latest "Techniques"? Is it because companies like Dolby, THX, Ambisonics and PanAmbio have forgotten the "joy" of recording and focus more on the licensing?

I know they are all about the techincal strides that have been made since the early days of sound,- which don't get me wrong, I DO appreciate - but I think I'd almost enjoy it more if they had some whimsy put back into their taglines. The flying little robot contractor is fine in a movie theater to "show" the coolness of the THX brand sound, but instead their tagline just states "The audience is listening".

It's kind of like, when you saw the "Filmed in Glorious Technicolor" brand in the beginning of a film, you KNEW the colors were gonna burn your eyes out of their sockets and you were gonna LOVE every second of it!

For now, I will continue to sit here and enjoy my scratchy, poppy vinyl record, rotating on it's spindle, playing back on my speakers while being converted digitally... pleasurably programmed in magnificent DYNAGROOVE® for my listening enjoyment.

Special Effects Guru, Stan Winston dies at 62

BecauseYouAreHere — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 06:36:40 GMT

I know that this isn't a musician, but in my life, special effects guys rank right up there as being important to my formative years as musicians. I've always been a sucker for great special effects - who cares what movie it is if the effects are well done, or even ground-breaking like Harryhausen.

Today we lose Stan Winston to cancer....

FROM GARGOYLES TO IRON MEN
http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1815235,00.html

I will be sad now...

And YOU thought they were just video game soundtracks

BecauseYouAreHere — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 04:40:40 GMT

I am sure most of you are familiar with movie soundtracks - compilations that either help or hurt a movie; add that missing element or heighten an emotion being portrayed. The same can be said for some video game soundtracks.

Two soundtracks that are that way for me are for the Katamari Damacy video games. These Japanese games seem a bit bizarre to the uninitiated, but there is actually a method to the madness. The premise for the game is simple: your dad, the King of the Cosmos, got drunk one night and destroyed all the stars. You have to go all over the Earth rolling up items into large balls (katamari) to make the stars so he can put them back.

The nice thing about these games is their soundtracks. Many times, we turn off the sound on the games we play in my house, because it's just annoying after hours of listening to the same songs over and over again - but not so with these.

So much so that I had to get the soundtracks for my everyday listening pleasure. From swinging jazz to contemporary lounge tunes, samba's and "mood" music - it's all there.

Most of the lyrics are completely in Japanese, with a few containing some great Jap-lish for those true connoisseurs. You will find yourself trying to sing along with your favorites after a while - really!

Both of them grow on you the more you listen to them, and after a while you might almost forget that they were created specifically for a game (until you hear the reference in every song to Katamari Damacy).

Check them out - Katamari Fortissimo Damacy and Katamari wa Damacy - you might be pleasantly surprised.

(The lyrics if you want to sing along!) You! Ha! Get up! You! Ha! Get up!

Hashitta, magatta, sokorajuu kakemegutte mita Mawashita, mawatta, teatari shidai ni korogashita Kuttsugeta, kumikonda, ironna mono o get shita Sakete mita, nigete mita, ikioi amatte tonde mita Oshite mita, hiite mita, chikara o kagiri nagete mita Butsukatta, hajikareta, monosugoi shogeki ga hashitta

[Goal wa hate shinaku toukatta, susumu koto o tomenakatta Itsumade mo korogashi tsuzuketa, hito toshite okiku seichou shita Iroiro na koto ni ki ga tsuita, minna ga hitotsu ni natta Egao ga machi ni afure, kudaranai akui ga kage o hisometa]

Check it up, funk it up, minna damatte ore ni tsuite koi, yeah Check it up, funk it up, minna hisshi de ore ni tsuite koi, come on

repeat x 3

Uchimaketa, hekotareta, chikara nasa ni zetsubou kanjita Sunete mita, ochikonda, kuyashiku natte to koto n naite mita Kangaeta, nekoronda, sora mite ochitsuki o torimodoshita Nagameteta, me ni ireta, sora ni ukabu tsuki ga mabushikatta Dekaku shita, hagunda, ooki na kirei na hoshi ni shita Ganbatta, doryoku shita, arittake no chikara o dashikitta

[Kikikan o kanjit tachiagaru, kokoro no kabe o toriharai Jiyuu na mind to afureru soul, spirit o kokoro ni yodoshita Chikara o awasete ganbareru, minna de hitotsu no koto o nashi togeru tameni Otagai o hometataeta, ima made yori hitomawari okiku natta]

Negative na wadai o kuchi suru na Tsurakute mo susumu koto o yamerun ja nai Peace na vibration de arc o egaki Kono earth ni makenai object o tsukure

*repeat x 4

"La Vie en Rose" should have been titled "Aimez n'importe qui et ayez-le tout déchiré loin de vous."

BecauseYouAreHere — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 06:17:45 GMT

Translation - Love anyone and have it all torn away from you, over and over and over again.

Watched this film tonight with my mom on our 10 ft screen. Wow! Nothing like being totally depressed while watching a film and NOT being able to just get up and leave.

A great film that chronicles a completely hard and trying life. She seemed to embody that Japanese proverb "Fall down seven, get up eight."

Of course, she looked like 84 at 44, but other than THAT, she held up well - so what if liver cancer finally killed her a day before Jean Cocteau died?

The film skips around a bit, and there are large chunks of time that seem to be missing, but all in all it still manages to makes sense out of her non-sensical life.

A persistent, driven lady through it all, even if she was a bit damaged - but then don't those seem to be the truly talented ones in the end?

I was a big Edith fan before this (can't study french for 11 years without being some sort of fan), and even more so after seeing this film. Reality is truly a matter of perception.

Children of the 70's - Scarred for Life?

BecauseYouAreHere — Thu, 29 May 2008 01:15:52 GMT

Oh no! What now, right? Three names: Neil Diamond, Neil Sedaka & Barry Manilow.

These three men have been a big influence in the lives of 70's kids and on, although only a few will admit it. Not only have they all had hits in their own rights that torment the teens of the 60's, some crafted in the halls of the Brill Building, but written songs for and produced many other artists not to mention the commercials!

Not matter how cool you may THINK you are, if you can identify with knowing that "You need a break today" and where, or know why you are "Stuck on BandAid Brand..." you are a Manilow fan. If you know why "Red, red wine" goes to your head or "believed" in the Monkee's...you are a Neil Diamond fan. If you just knew that Captain & Tenille's "Love Would Keep Us (them) Together" or thought Clay Aiken was covering Elvis when he sang "Solitaire", you are a Neil Sedaka fan.

These three still draw sold out crowds of ALL ages at concerts and leave them all wanting to go to another. I don't care who you are - Connie Francis, UB40, Bette Midler, McDonald's and BandAid all owe their thanks to one or more of these fellows - and our brains can associate will at least one if not all of the above listed artists/companies.

Many artists today boast having one or more of these guys in their playlists and some even have been quoted as using them for inspiration when writing an album.

I say, stand proud, stand tall and when the chance comes around to see any one of them - TAKE IT! Maybe then you can get closure and know that it's okay that you catch yourself singing along to those songs you hear in the elevator.

I'm probably going straight to hell for this...

BecauseYouAreHere — Wed, 28 May 2008 22:30:52 GMT

...but I have to admit that I have always been one of those folks who think that the Grateful Dead and Phish are both equally blase.

I can't think of any of their songs that you could whistle if you were doing something that might elicit the joys of whistling or even humming for that matter.(Of course, there are a few other artists in that category as well)

Maybe it's because I never had much fun with drugs - not that I didn't try them, most were not as much fun as my normal joy of being alive and acutely aware.

Yeah, granted, both bands could jam for hours - but then so could the musicians who used to hang out at the Last Exit cafe in Seattle's U District, at someone's home on non open mic nights. I don't find their lyrics mind-bending or enlightening in any way unique.

I will give credit to Jerry Garcia for being able to make certain all the lines rhymed, and to Trey for being able to write a college thesis and figure out how to make money off of it for years, but I still can't remember any of the songs it inspired or their tunes.

Like I said, in many folks opinions, I am going to hell.... but at least I am happy!

Ambient, Avantgarde, Darkwave, Electronica/Dance, Indie...

BecauseYouAreHere — Fri, 16 May 2008 04:56:18 GMT

In the midst of ripping and converting my music collection, I again became painfully aware of classifications for music genres.

It's always been something that can make me cringe or even become completely befuddled, bemused and bewildered - how do I classify my music? Do I really have to pretend that I am in a record store looking for this album just so I can have it randomly pop up in a playlist dedicated to a specific type? Typically I have it in alphabetical order in little boxes for cd's and helter-skelter on the shelves for my vinyl.

In one year they would have been called Ambient, yet in another Avantgarde. Darkwave...when did THAT become a viable classification? I mean, should we treat them like ingredients on a food label? You know, that axiom that if you can't pronounce it or your grandparents didn't have it in their kitchen then you shouldn't eat it?

Oh, sweet merciful music ...how many genre's can I stand to stick onto the end of each song before I turn around and say "F" it?

Who are The Legendary Pink Dots, really, besides a musical group I enjoy? It's all their fault that I even went here tonight.

Timeless Tunes for a rainy Sunday...now Tuesday

BecauseYouAreHere — Tue, 13 May 2008 19:02:37 GMT

Thanks to the MOG glitch, I too lost my previous post regarding this band.

In honor of rainy days, Sundays and cleaning, I had mentioned that I once again picked up the herculean task of ripping my vinyl. Now it's Tuesday, but the weather and the sentiment still hold true.

What album inspired this post you ask? Why Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks, "Where's the Money?". Recorded in 1971 at the Troubadour in Hollywood CA, this album was part of my childhood Sunday cleaning house soundtrack, but it's one that holds the test of time. Of course, it was a new recording when I was first introduced to it!

Every song has a definite story and the fun vocal harmonies, violins, upright bass and toe tapping tunes keep you moving at a nice pace. It's one of those albums that was a bit different from the rock and folksy vibe that was happening at the time. It's been called a cross-pollination of jazz, folk and cowboy/western swing. I think it's one of those albums that anyone and everyone can enjoy at any time, even in the same room!

Track Listing (by side for those who still know how to operate a vinyl record)
Side One I Feel Like Singing Coast to Coast News From Up the Street where’s the Money? Caught In the Rain Shorty Falls In Love
Side Two By Hook Or By Crook Reelin’ Down The Buzzard Was Their Friend Traffic Jam Is This My Happy Home? Dig a Little Deeper

My little Tribute to Eddy Arnold

BecauseYouAreHere — Fri, 09 May 2008 01:52:46 GMT

Eddy Arnold was and still is a part of my original 45 collection. When I had my first little orange and white plastic record player (with a closing lid as it was portable and very sleek), I used to play my 45 of Eddy Arnold singing "Tennessee Stud" and act out the song with my model horses and my Barbie dolls. My Johnny West articulated neck Palomino horse "Buckskin" was the "Stud" and my Breyer model Palomino was the mare. Ahh the good times we had....

If you take the time to look this little 1959 gem over, it was written by Jimmie Driftwood and produced by Chet Atkins. With Eddy's velvet voice, you can't get much better than that - unless you count Tex Ritter's "Blood On the Saddle" but I digress...

UB40 - A staple for anyone's collection in my opinion!

BecauseYouAreHere — Sat, 03 May 2008 19:14:21 GMT

UB40 has always been in my top list if I had to choose music to get stranded on a deserted island with and this album is probably my all time favorite of theirs...

-----------

ARTIST..........................UB40
ALBUM..........................Geffrey Morgan (Likes White Girls)
GENRE..........................REGGAE
YEAR..............................1984

I have to agree with H. F Merritt as he stated in his review on Amazon : ALBUM INFO:
"Geffery Morgan" was the follow-up to UB40's breakthrough album "Labour of Love". It had favorable sales, but I think it was a disappointment to those buyers looking for another "Red Red Wine". As such, its been sort of an overlooked release, sandwiched between UB40's purer reggae/dub releases earlier in their career and the less-adventurous radio-friendly "reggae karaoke" they seem to be into these days. But "Geffery Morgan" is one of the great UB40 albums, with some of the best original material they ever did. The opening trio of tunes, "Riddle Me", "As Always You Were Wrong Again" and "If It Happens Again" are incredibly strong, and set the tone of quality for the rest of the album. Other highlights include the beautiful "Seasons", the jazzy experimental "the Pillow", the superb "I'm Not Fooled So Easily", and one of their great closers "You Eyes Were Open". This is truly UB40's transitional album. While the reggae groove is still strong, in many songs ("Riddle Me", "You're Not An Army") you can sense their movement to the mainstream. Note that their next U.S. release, "Little Baggariddim" featured their Top 40 remake of "I Got You Babe", followed by the "Rat In The Kitchen" album, full of watered-down reggae hits. If you're looking for the last, best representation of UB40 as accessable but authentic REGGAE BAND, this album is highly recommended.

TRACKLIST
01 Riddle Me
02 As Always You Were Wrong Again
03 If It Happens Again
04 D U B
05 The Pillow
06 Nkomo A Go-go
07 Seasons
08 You're not An Army
09 I'm Not Fooled So Easily
10 Your Eyes Were Open