Bonus Halloween Music Video: Doing It All For My Baby By Huey Lewis And The News

Okay okay okay. So the song isn't technically Halloween-like. But the music video for it certainly is. It pays homage to, I think, just about every B-movie cliché ever done. Plus this was during the golden years of music videos, when artists didn't take themselves nearly as seriously or cynically as they do now.

So sit back, grab some popcorn, turn the lights down, and enjoy!

Happy Halloween!

Music Video Friday: Zombie Jamboree (Back To Back) By Harry Belafonte

I know it's late in the day for this but I promise you'll enjoy it for the next four days.

(Yeah, I know the video sucks.)

Happy Halloween!

Thoughts On "Upscale Karaoke"

On Friday, I read an article on TBD by Jenny Rogers titled "The art of upscale karaoke". It's a good filler piece for the online publication. And it rankled my feathers.

To bring more high-end, upscale polish to this activity of the stars, the W promises plenty of Top 40 song options and the presence of Tommy McFly, host of Fresh 94.7’s morning show.

I had an immediate reflexive reaction. But now that I've had some time to think about it, it still upsets me. See, I can't help but be reminded that I live in Washington DC. And in this city, "upscale" means

[...] chattering women in straight-from-work pencil skirts and sharp dresses, juggling iPhones and martini glasses. Guys in ties [...]

And all of that reeks of pretension and self-importance. "Upscale" doesn't have to mean people in fashionable evening wear sipping on martinis and singing to Top 40 hits at a production hosted by a morning radio show personality on the rooftop of a very fancy hotel steps from the White House.

We have fashionably-dressed people. We have Top 40 hits in our song collection. We serve martinis. We have a personable host. We have a friendly staff. We have seating. We stage lighting. We have wireless microphones and a sound system that draws world-class DJ talent. We have a very talented group of regulars.

What we don't have is a rooftop venue. And a fancy hotel. And steps from the White House.

Does that make us any less "upscale"?

Maybe I'm so possessive and protective of Wednesday Night Karaoke at Cobalt that I imagine slights where there are none. It's not like she's been to every karaoke venue in the area. She certainly has never been to WNKC.

But hopefully she will one Wednesday soon.

UPDATE 10/27/2011 13:02: Uh oh ... I've been called out. Guess I'll need to put up or shut up.

Music Video Friday: Bohemian Rhapsody By William Shatner Feat. John Wetton

Remember when I said this a couple of years ago? Well, I still stand by what I said about that album and that song wholeheartedly. It would be a shining gem in anyone's music collection.

When I heard that Mr. Shatner was working on a follow-up album, I was cautiously optimistic. Perhaps, I thought to myself, he has learned from Ben Folds how to craft a solid music album built on original songs that play to his vocal strengths, a talented surrounding cast, and a visionary producer that will best utilize his limited talents.

But, Bill, you've quickly eroded any faith I may have had that your previous album was a fluke. Please, PLEASE, tell me that the rest of your new album isn't as nightmare-provoking as this:

Music Video Friday: Muppet Numbers

In honor of an upcoming national theatrical release, I offer to you these classics:

Some Judo And Karate


I'd Trade 'Em All


High On A Hill Was A Lonely Goatherd


Animal, Keep It Down!


No, No, No, I Don't Work With A Deadly Tarantula


And, finally, arguably the funniest bit in all The Muppet Show!

Music Video Friday: Eyes By Kaskade Featuring Mindy Gledhill

Until two years ago, I hadn't really heard of Kaskade. I may have heard a song of his or a remix he had done, but I wouldn't have known it. Over the past two years, my boyfriend has slowly introduced me to the music of Kaskade and I've become a fan.

Today's musical interlude is the first single off his soon-to-be-released album. The instrumental track is soothing, foot-tapping, and hypnotic. In short, it's all the good things that a Kaskade's underlying groove has to offer. Mindy Gledhill's vocals are wispy and dreamlike. She delivers the lyrics with a sweet, naïve (in a good way) aching that pulls you in like a gentle tide.

Eyes may indeed be the windows to the soul but ears are the channel to it.

Music Video Friday: Stand By R.E.M.

I'm certain that you've heard the news: R.E.M. is calling it quits after over 30 years of music making. I wouldn't call myself a dedicated fan, but I am a fan. I have all of their albums. I enjoy the vast majority of the music they've made. While their post New Adventures in Hi-Fi music was still good, the band called "R.E.M." was over when Bill Berry left. Michael, Peter, and Mike carried on for five more solid albums and 15 more solid years as something that very closely resembled "R.E.M." but not quite.

It's hard for me to pick out just one song to showcase. There are just so many. But the one I've got for you today is up in my Top 10 from the band. It's a bouncy tune with an important message about becoming actively involved "in the place where you live". It's up to you to decide to what degree and in what ways you will be.

And also, dance steps. We could all use a little more exercise, right?

Now face North.

Happy Pastafaria!

Today be t' Pirate high holy day. It be on this day, among others, that we pay our repects t' his Noodley Greatness in booty and rum. In honour o' me most favourite o' holidays, here be a tune from one o' t' most piratey o' modern pirates. Listen t' him cover a song from one o' t' most landlubbery o' landlubbers. Arrrrrrrrr! And RAmen!

Death Came Knocking

My neighbor passed away. She rented the unit next to mine from a non-resident owner. Her unit was newly renovated. She moved in a few months ago. She was a 50-something 38 year old woman who took trips for dialysis treatment three times a week. She was on Section 8. She was a smoker who frequently locked herself out of her unit. She had a male friend who visited on multiple occasions. This is all I really know of her.

The smell was noticed on Thursday evening. Her body was discovered on Friday evening, when the MPD and EMS were called in to break into her unit. EMS said that she had been dead for a few days.

Let me explain why there was a day's delay between discovering the smell and breaking into the unit. I cannot think of anyone who has not smelled the distinct scent of rot. It happens all around us every day, mostly in the form of trash that needs taken out. That is the level of stench Thursday night. Everyone who spoke to the police said the same thing, "I smelled it on Thursday night but I thought that someone either needed to take their trash out or had just taken their trash out." On Friday evening, one was smacked with it upon entering the front door. It was gag-enducing. I'm honestly surprised it didn't seep into my unit, either through the wall or under the door. Gag-enducing smells are plenty enough to call the authorities to come break your door down.

Not one of us in the building could name any of her relatives or her male visitor. None of us had a spare key to her unit. None of us had any emergency numbers. Not even the owner was any help. As of Saturday morning, no friends or family members had been identified. No one other than us knows of her death.

I don't really have a life-changing point to make here. I'm simply noting the passing of a neighbor, one I knew very little about.

Well, let me change that. I do have one point. None of us live in a vacuum. It's important to know your neighbors. It's important to know their families. It's important to know their friends. You don't have to be all buddy-buddy, but you do have to know them.

Because you need to know the people you're living around. And you need to know with whom to contact should something horrible happen.

I express my condolences to my neighbor's family and friends. I hope you find out soon and that you find comfort soon after that.

Music Video Friday: A Roy Orbison Bonanza

He is undeniably one of Rock 'N' Roll's greatest male voices. I've picked four of my favorite Orbison tunes. Enjoy!

Oh, Pretty Woman from Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night


Crying with k.d. lang


Walk On official video


Not Alone Any More as Lefty Wilbury of the Traveling Wilburys

Music Video Friday: Stone In Love By Journey

It's raining in the D.C. metropolitan area. It seems like it's been raining for months and will continue to rain for months. Depression is setting in all around me. I'm starting to grow moss in my armpits.

I think it's time for a pick-us-up.

Every once-in-a-while I get infected with an earworm. Some of them are chronic. "Stone In Love" is one of my chronic earworms. Steve Perry's unearthly vocals. Steve Smith's thundering drums. Neal Schon's and Jonathan Cain's powerful guitar work. Ross Valory's grounding bass riff. And the harmonies in the chorus. This is Journey in their chart-topping prime.

Music rarely gets better than this.



Actually, while it may not be better, the current version of Journey with Arnel Pineda at the vocal helm certainly holds its own.

ZOMG! I'm Being Gentrified!

Development is always something that happens somewhere else, like St. Elizabeths or the Southwest Waterfront or the Navy Yard area. But word came down this weekend that development was coming closer to home ... literally.

[Developer Tim Chapman] said he is under contract to purchase an auto body shop at 1708 Good Hope Road in Southeast D.C., on the border between Anacostia and Fairlawn, that he plans to develop into a 188-unit apartment complex with 25,000 to 30,000 square feet of retail. He would not disclose the price.

I'm of a mixed mind about this. On one hand, we need development (and redevelopment) East of the River, especially if the development includes retail. More, better, housing is always welcome. New retail opportunities are always welcome.

Sidebar: Mr. Chapman has not said whether this would include retail. So there's that. Actually, he did say. It's in the friggin' quote I used from the article. Yes, faithful readers, reading is fundamental.

That said, this development will be displacing, or possibly closing altogether, an excellent auto body shop. I recently needed some auto body work. And since 1) Murphy's is within walking distance of my condo and 2) Murphy's is a GEICO (my insurance company) partner, I went with them. The work was stellar and the customer service was the best I've ever had for auto body work. I was planning on taking my car back to them for additional body work that needs to be done once I had the finances to do so. I can only hope that Murphy's will find a new home and nearby.

Progress is painful. But it is necessary. And it is ... well ... progress. While I will morn the loss of Murphy's Auto Body, I will openly welcome new apartments/condos and (hopefully) retail.

Music Video Friday: 5 Songs For A Hurricane

In case you didn't know, the East Coast is going to meet an angry lady named Irene this weekend. Here's some music to help you through.

1. Beatles - Rain




2. Garbage - Only Happy When It Rains




3. John Fogerty - Who'll Stop The Rain




4. Madonna - Rain




5. Gene Kelly - Singing In The Rain

Music Video Friday: I Wish By Skeelo Vs. Stevie Wonder (A Mashup By Roel "rrremix" Regelink) (Plus A Bonus Video)

I've had a crap day. So I'm sharing a mashup that always brings a smile to my face.

If you don't know what a mashup is, it is a song that is comprised of two or more songs "mashed" together. I've posted a mashup before on this site and spoke a little more about them.

So enjoy!



BONUS VIDEO: Jimmie, now that you've heard it, you can never unhear it.

Music Video Friday: Uprising By Muse (Plus A Bonus Video)

To set off this week's music video, I regret that I'll need to get a little political.

I'm pissed off at my government. Maybe I'm making a big thing of nothing here, yet I can't help but feel that the people we've picked to speak for us aren't listening to what we have to say. It's full steam ahead with the same failed politics, the same failed arguments, the same failed games. The whole sorry circus came to its latest head this week, when S&P downgraded the country's credit rating for the first time in our country's history.

My faithful readers, I've had it. And so has a great number of people. I don't think anyone has put it as eloquently as comedian Felonious Munk. WARNING: This epic rant is generously peppered with colorful language; if you're reading this in a sensitive location (i.e. work, church, so on and so forth), you might want to put the headphones on.



He puts to video what, I believe, a lot of people are thinking. Frankly, I don't care who started rolling the snowball from the top of the mountain. We didn't elect these people to their roles in government so that they can finger-point. You, the people in Congress and the White House, are at the wheel now. Fix this mess or we'll find other people who will.



LEGAL DISCLAIMER: I do not advocate violence as a solution. Nor do I advocate releasing an army of Naughty Bears on the world. If you want to change the system, get yourself educated on the truth of the issues and on the candidates running for office then VOTE wisely!

UPDATE 15 Sugust 2011 13:31: What? No one was gonna tell me the Muse video didn't work?

Tuna Steaks With Tomato And Basil Raw Salsa

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling, plus 2 to 3 tablespoons
4 (1-inch) steaks, 6 to 8 ounces each
Salt and pepper
6 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
A handful parsley leaves, chopped
1/2 cup torn or chopped fresh basil leaves, about 10

Combine raw tomatoes, onions, parsley, and basil in a bowl. Dress with 2 to 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, enough to coat the tomatoes evenly. Season the salsa with salt and pepper, to taste. Let the salsa set in a covered dish in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes.

Heat a grill pan or indoor/outdoor grill to high. Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over the tuna steaks and season with salt and pepper.

Grill tuna steaks 2 minutes on each side for rare, 3 minutes for medium, and 4 minutes for well done.

Stir salsa then serve liberal amounts on top of the steaks.

Robbie's Spicy Chicken Pasta

2 cups of penne pasta
6 cups of water
Salt and pepper
Vegetable oil
2 chicken breasts, cubed
1 jar of favorite canned spaghetti sauce
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tube of Gourmet Garden Italian Seasoning Herb Blend
1 glass of red wine
Hot sauce


Combine vegetable oil, salt, pepper, and water in a deep pot. Bring water to boil. When water reaches a boil, add pasta and let cook for 4 minutes. Drain pasta but do not rinse.

While pasta is being prepared, season the chicken in a bowl with salt, pepper, 1 tbsp. of hot sauce, and olive oil. Combine garlic and half of the diced onion in a separate bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Put 3 tbsps. of olive oil in a sauce pan and bring to a high heat. Add the onion/garlic mix and sweat until onions start to become clear. Add the chicken and cook until brown. Reduce heat to low. Add spaghetti sauce, diced tomatoes, 2 tbsps. of hot sauce, other half of the onion, and 1 oz. of the Italian herb blend. Use the wine to "clean" the sauce jar and add. Stir until all ingredients are thoroughly integrated. Let simmer under lid for 15 minutes. Remove lid, add pasta, and let simmer for an additional 8 minutes.

Serve in a pasta bowl (or a regular bowl or a dinner plate). Garnish with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Serves 4.

Music Video Friday: Drum Duet And Los Endos By Genesis

I'm not exactly sure, but I think this live performance was taken from the last Genesis tour a few years back. Phil Collins is acknowledged as one of the greatest percussionists to have ever sat behind a drum set, and rightly so. But, come on. Chester Thompson deserves a bit of recognition too. There aren't too many people who can keep pace with Phil.

And those other three guys on guitars and keyboards aren't too shabby either.



By the way, I love the set. It's most certainly a blatant nod to a previous concert tour's set design.

When The Cab Is At The Door, You Have To Take That Ride

Last night I got to thinking about the sudden yet not-completely-unexpected death of Amy Winehouse. She was 27 years old and joined an inauspicious group of famous people who left this physical plane at a young age.

First, I want to note that I didn't say "she left us too soon". Amy died when she was meant to die, not a moment too soon or too late. The world may not have been ready for her to go. But that is our fail of expectation. People die. Sometimes we're ready for it, as when someone suffers from a long-term illness. Sometimes we aren't, as when someone makes a quick exit that we didn't see coming (but should have). That's life.

My grandmother died of heart failure at the young age of 69. She was a feisty woman. She embodied life. But her time was done. I don't agree with it. My mother doesn't agree with it. My father doesn't. My siblings don't. My uncle and cousins don't. She was the dearest person in the world to me and I still hear her laugh, see her smile, smell her perfume and cigarettes. I wanted her to stick around long enough to see me married and with great-grandkids for her to enjoy. But them's the breaks. Her time on this earth was over.

One of my heroes and role models, Melvin Ray Batten, died around the same age and the same time. Mr. Batten was my high school music director. He introduced me to choral music. He taught me how to sing and how to read music. He planted in a small, frail, insecure boy the seed of self confidence. He showed me that the only thing that stands between me and what I want to achieve is me. I wasn't ready for him to go. A good number of people weren't either. But it was his time.

All of that is to say this: people die. We wish they could stick around forever. But they can't. That's not the way this universe was arranged. All we can do is honor their lives, acknowledge their memories, and share their love.

At some point during my week, The Lord Bless You And Keep You will play in my head. I always wear a locket with a picture of my grandmother in it. And I have Back To Black in my iTunes library.

We best honor those we've lost by never forgetting them.

Music Video Friday: I Am Glad, Cause I'm Finally Returning Back Home By Eduard Khil

You may not recognize the name of the artist or the title of this 1966 television performance, but I guarantee you that you've seen the video. There have been a ton of parodies and remixes to this Internet meme and I've watched or listened to a fair number of them.

But this remix by Bob Rovsky is my favorite of the bunch. It tactfully combines the playfulness and rib-poking that an Internet meme shows the artist with a reverence to the artist and the original material.

Without further ado, I present to you the earworm of the day. You're very welcome.