ChordStrike

Mariah Carey: The Accidental Comedienne

 Mariah Carey is the Rainman of pop music. Focused, blank faced and sometimes capable of genius. Each toothpick lying on the diner floor is a hit song; each cheese puff is a music video featuring a greased-up, jiggling Mariah bearing an expression that translates to either a)Tabula Rasa; or b) “I’ve had too much turkey dinner.” I can’t tell. My Latin ain’t so good.
It goes without saying that Mariah Carey is an undisputed talent who has achieved greatness. She has a reported 5-octave voice and has sold something in the neighborhood of, what – like 200 million records?  Amazing! I used to get chills listening to she and Whitney Houston dominate radio in the early 90s with pop songs that showcased considerable soul and range. Like major powerhouse vocal business. It just knocked me to hear voices like that. Whitney disappeared from the scene and Mariah stole it, supplementing her vocal range with some kind of fantastical Hip Hop genie oil that, when applied directly to skin, creates MTV and radio perfection. A quick scan through music video history finds Mariah in all manner of locale (a school, a countryside hoedown, in water, in posh cars, on various silk beds, in her knickers, in bikini in front of Vuitton luggage, in mansions, etc.), jiggling awkwardly and touching herself prettily while wearing a bloated, vacant smile that reminds me a bit of Patrick Swayze’s smile in Ghost when his spirit left Oda Mae for the last time. Perhaps the smile is just a way of coping with the interminable breeze that seems to follow the poor woman around onscreen (it’s always windy in her videos, which is perplexing considering many of them take place indoors.).  A couple vids from the early years are below, but the new ones, the really gross/awesome ones ("Don't Forget About Us," "We Belong Together," "Say Somethin'," "Touch My Body"), cannot be shown here, sadly. "Embedding disabled by request." (Sigh*).

"Someday": (School):

"Dreamlover" (Countryside): 


The lips parted, peekaboo glances and self love that mark her music video performances could be almost lovable if there were something substantial -- like her shining TALENT, for example -- to anchor it. There's not. The last few albums have been produced within an inch of their digital lives, her vocals seemingly quadruple tracked and Pro-Tooled to bits, only to be ultimately sidelined by Hip Hop glitterati guest appearances. I’m all for double-tracking vocals (Dave Gilmour in Dark Side of the Moon, anyone?) and collaborating with your buddies but at some point it becomes a major bummer. 
The vocal legend’s latest (with its straight-faced title), Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, provides no reprieve on the bummer front. More breathy vocal business. More songs with barely any sung words. More tiny dresses fit to burst. More indoor breezes. More self-conscious touching of the face and hair. More lazy grins. More killer song titles like “Angels Cry” and “H.A.T.E.U.” (although to be fair, "H.A.T.E.U." is  one of the finest songs on the album). A quick aside: while Memoirs… came close to winning the award for Best Accidentally-Comedic Album Title, the trophy still stays safe in the harbors of Mariah’s 2008 release, E=MC2.
I know the new album has sold a quarter of a million and that my opinion may elicit derision from some, but folks - please be gentle. I am an imperfect angel; Don’t H.A.T.E.ME. Love me, love me…

--Leslie Beattie

Interview: Matt McCormick Discusses Music's Role in New Film

Part of Portland indie film darling Matt McCormick's heart has always belonged to the music scene. In between creating and screening his own experimental film projects, managing international film label Peripheral Produce and directing the PDX Film Festival, he's found time through the years to collaborate with musicians, compose soundtracks for some of his own short films, and direct music videos for The Shins, Sleater-Kinney, YACHT and other acts.

So it's not surprising that McCormick recruited some musically-minded friends to collaborate in his first full-length feature film. James Mercer of the Shins and Carrie Brownstein of the recently disbanded Sleater-Kinney play the lead roles in Some Days are Better Than Others, and Portland-based Matthew Cooper, better known as Eluvium, is scoring the film. The trailer was released this week. Watch it below for a taste of the four Portlanders' collaborative work.

Matt was kind enough to answer a few of our questions about the roles that music--and musicians--play in Some Days are Better than Others.

How did you decide James and Carrie were right for the two lead roles?

There were a lot of factors. The storyline of James' character actually derives from a music video I made for the Shins a long time ago ("The Past and Pending") and throughout the writing process I sort of had his image as that character. I also had worked with him on a couple other video projects and knew he was good in front of the camera, so when the time came to cast the film I gave him a shot to audition and he nailed it. Carrie originally came in to audition for a smaller role, but she asked if she could also read for the bigger role (Katrina) which she also nailed. The character Carrie plays works at a local dog shelter, and in real life Carrie works at the Oregon Humane Society, so she had a very acute understanding of the story line.

What did they bring to the table as musicians that made them interesting to work with, or different from actors without that background?

I have worked with so few actors that it's hard to say, but Carrie and James are both very smart, creative people who I think were able to bring a larger artistic sense to the process. It really just felt like one big artistic collaboration.

You've scored some of your own short films in the past - how did you approach the scoring of this film, and how did you decide to work with Matthew Cooper?

Matthew Cooper (who performs under the name Eluvium) is kind of a hero of mine. I recently met him and we realized we were mutual fans of each other's work, and it almost seemed like we were just destined to do this project together.

Several other local musicians appear in the film as well. How did that evolve?

There are some little bit parts that musician friends of mine played, but nothing too serious. I guess a lot of it comes down to the fact that I just have a lot of friends who are musicians, and it's always fun to work with them in one way or another.

Watch the just-released trailer for Some Days are Better Than Others here, find out more on the Some Days are Better than Others site, and check out more of Matt McCormick's work (including music videos for the Shin's "The Past and Pending" and "Australia," as well as Sleater Kinney's "Jumpers") on Matt McCormick's site.

Some Days are Better than Others (trailer) from matt mccormick on Vimeo.

-- Courtney Powell

Erich Kunzel dead at 74

Conductor Erich Kunzel died today, at the age of 74, in a hospital near his home on Swan's Island, Maine.

Four months ago he announced to a stunned classical music world that he had been diagnosed with liver, colon and pancreatic cancer.

Born in New York City, Maestro Kunzel began his conducting career with Santa Fe Opera in 1957, but he will be remembered best for his stewardship of one of America's most successful and active pop programs, The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra.  It came with over-sized flags, indoor fireworks, circus animals and Hollywood stars, but Erich introduced and welcomed untold numbers of new concert-goers to the world of classical music.

 An inductee into the classical music Hall of Fame, he sold more than 10 million records and was awarded the classical crossover artist of the year by Billboard magazine for four consecutive years.  A search under his name will give you some idea of how diverse his reach was. Choosing a favorite from all these is next to impossible, but I'm shamelessly fond of his version of Ron Goodwin's score for the 1969 film "The Battle of Britain."

Here are a couple of the most complete website tributes, currently.  The Cincinnati Enquirer and The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra website.

Paper Planes: the 1927 Version

I have no idea why, but some evil genius has reimagined M.I.A's smash hit "Paper Planes" as a flapper jam performed by Al Jolson. Behold:

Apparently this isn't the aforementioned evil genius' first foray into Back-to-the-futuring songs you know and might even like. For further enjoyment, you might consider his version of Harvey Danger's "Flagpole Sitta," transported back to the 1960s. I kind of want to send that to @seantroversy to get his take on it, but I'm afraid roughly 10,000 other people have done the same thing.

-- Jeff Reguilon

Eddie Vedder and Yoga

I tend to discover music in the most unlikely of places.  While the vast majority of my discoveries these days come from surfing the 'Net, I remember discovering The Juan Maclean when I wandered into a teenybopper fashion shop (I had to ask the teenage cashier what she was playing), reggaeton duo Jowell & Randy on the streets of Puerto Rico, and awesome French cabaret/swing/jazz group Paris Combo in French class. 

The other day I had the opportunity to rediscover an artist that I thought I knew in yoga class of all places.  I'm used to practicing yoga to new age-y albums like Yoga Groove (Soulfood Music) or The Essence (Deva Premal), but I encountered something unexpected in this last class.  As class was winding down, the teacher turned up the volume on the small stereo in the corner of the room and I found myself captivated by the haunting melody and lyrics of an utterly gripping and strangely melancholic song sung by a male singer with a slightly husky voice. 

The singer sounded vaguely familiar, but I couldn't quite place him, so after class I asked the teacher who he was.  I was shocked to find out that it was Eddie Vedder.  The song turned out to be "Guaranteed" off the Into the Wild soundtrack.  I'd heard of the album, but not this particular song, and I'm frankly surprised by how long it took me to discover it.  But that, I think, is the beauty of music--there's always something new to discover.

Check out a clip of "Guaranteed" below.

--Bri Nguyen

The Pussycat Dolls Take On "Jai Ho"

I'm a big fan of Bollywood (or "filmi") music, so I was intrigued (and admittedly a bit incredulous) when I heard that the Pussycat Dolls were recording a version of A.R. Rahman's Oscar-winning "Jai Ho" (from the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack).

Now that the PCD single has hit the airwaves, I have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised.  Slick and radio-friendly, the PCD's version actually works for them, although this might be due in part to A.R. Rahman's skill as a composer--he collaborated on the remix (and the original melody is irresistibly hooky).

Check out a video of the PCD performing "Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)" live, then watch a video of A.R. Rahman (and his backup singers) performing the original version of the song. 

Which do you prefer? 

-- Bri Nguyen

Nick Cave's Gladiator Ambitions

"The last thing I ever wanted to get involved with is Hollywood," Nick Cave once told Variety, but somehow it sucked him in anyway. As well as being a prolific songwriter and singer with The Bad Seeds, Grinderman and formerly The Birthday Party, Cave has co-written scripts for three films, including the widely acclaimed 2005 drama The Proposition. Now details have emerged of a rejected script Cave wrote for a sequel to Ridley Scott's Oscar-winning epic Gladiator. Cave's biggest challenge was how to deal with the fact that [spoiler alert!] Russell Crowe's central character, Maximus, dies at the end of the first film - so he dispensed with realism altogether in favor of turning Maximus into a war-mongering version of Dr. Sam Beckett from Quantum Leap. According to film blog Gone Elsewhere, who reviewed the script, it features "a damned Maximus paying for his transgressions against the Gods by serving as an eternal warrior," meaning he has to fight in medieval and modern wars such as World War II. Towards the end there's a "highly-ambitious, crocodile-packed battle sequence," and a final shot shows Maximus working in the Pentagon. Sadly, but not surprisingly, Hollywood wasn't willing to fund the movie, but Cave doesn't mind: “I’m very comfortable in my day job as a musician... and I have a lot to do.”

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' first four albums are being reissued on May 19 in special double-disc Collector's Editions. Which is your favorite?

--SoundUnwound

Best Classical Albums of 2009 - so far

Leopold Stokowski: Bach Transcriptions, Vol. 2
Conductor: José Serebrier
Orchestra: Bournemouth Symphony

As the authentic performance movement started to gain momentum 35 years ago, these transcriptions became a common point of derision. Why would you take the hallowed works of J. S. Bach and bastardize them with "modern" instruments? One of the marks of a Stokowski or a Beecham is that they took great works (as did Bach) and re-voiced them for their orchestras. Also, as the D minor Toccata and Fugue that opens this recording reminds us, through Mickey Mouse, Stokowski brought transcribed works to a massive audience.  These transcriptions are good, but it's the Olympian grasp of ensemble that is what this disc is all about. This is amplified by the fact that José Serebrier knows the Bournemouth Symphony like the back of his hand, and he was mentored in his youth by Stokowski, himself. There is no new ground here, just a stunning and ravishing exercise in orchestral beauty, recorded and staged with excellence (thank you Naxos). These sounds are good enough to eat.

Vivaldi
Soloist: Daniel Hope
Orchestra: Chamber Orchestra of Europe
I'm in two minds about encouraging this sort of album, but the playing and the repertoire have won me over.  It teeters close to the type of vehicle superstars use to strut their stuff.  I'm referring to the glossy, themed production, with a lush cover, with only one or two words in the title, that contain repertoire from all over the place, to show what a particular race horse can do.  Although Daniel Hope's recent offering looks the part, further comparison would be unfair.  His theme is Vivaldi that hasn't been beaten to death, and there is a great selection of well and lesser well-known works here.  Get it right and Vivaldi is a home-run.  He has a sense of theater and dance that the other Italian Baroquers never quite capture, and Hope latches into both in these pieces.  It's not exactly a bonus track, but Anne-Sophie von Otter - joins the band with the subdued, but beautiful aria "Sovvente il sole". I was sorry when the album came to an end.

The Guarneri Quartet
The Hungarian Album
Where's the American music?  I don't have a slew of new world compositions but I have returned to this album a few times.  A couple of years ago the Guarneri announced that they would stop performing as a quartet in 2009.  I don't know whether this will be their last release, but if it is, one of my favorite American groups is going out on the right note.  On offer are three quartets, two of which are by Ernö Dohnányi (D flat major and A minor, respectively), but it's the middle offering from Kodály that I keep going back to.  A little more challenging, tonally, this gem does not look west for influences, but is a rustic exploration of Hungarian folk idioms, even bird-song and musical fragments that build to a full-blown Hungarian dance at the climax of the second movement.  Distinct and different music, given a clear, cohesive voice, by a group that will be missed.

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 11 "The Year 1905"
Conductor: Vasily Petrenko
Orchestra: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Finished in 1957, the eleventh symphony commemorates the massacre of hundreds of Russian demonstrators by the Imperial Guard, outside the Winter Palace, in January, 1905.  Part of the brittle terror locked in this work comes from the fact that while Shostakovich was working on this piece, Soviet tanks were dealing with Hungarian students and demonstrators, with a similarly cruel hand.  That terror is not locked in there anymore.  Conducting phenom', Vasily Petrenko was still 20 years away from being born when this was written but he brings a level of cohesion and understanding that makes this one of the most accomplished, dynamic readings of this work, I have ever heard.  I've got goose-bumps just penning this.

100 Film and TV Theme Tune Challenge

This has me captivated.  I'm lost on too much of the TV stuff, to go for the prize, but if nothing else it tells you what American TV shows did strike a chord with Rick, growing up in England in the 70s.  That and he has a real penchant for Bond movie scores.  What is it about recognizing tunes from movies and TV that I find so enjoyable?

A Conversation with Ziggy Marley

I recently had the chance to speak with Ziggy Marley, son of the legendary reggae star Bob Marley, and an accomplished musician in his own right. Listen to what he had to say about his dad, Barack Obama, and life on other planets.

--Renata Sadunas

P.S. Here's Ziggy's recommendation for a good read.

I recently had the chance to speak with Ziggy Marley, son of the legendary reggae star Bob Marley, and an accomplished musician in his own right. Listen to what he had to say about his dad, Barack Obama, and life on other planets.

--Renata Sadunas

P.S. Here's Ziggy's recommendation for a good read.

Even in a Recession, Some People Have Too Much Money

To further my argument that bad can indeed be good, I offer as evidence this post from The Stranger's Line Out blog, which must be spread as far and wide as possible. Lindy West's excitement is palpable and contageous:

"Click here. PLEASE. I am literally begging you.

The amount of money that went into this blonde lady's vanity project is INCREDIBLE. Helicopters! Dragons! Swordsmanship classes! Also, this is the best thing I've ever seen. Also, can someone explain the storyline to me? Also, sleighride!!

Every time you watch it you will find a new favorite part."

I have watched this 5 times already this morning and forwarded it on to virtually everyone in my mailbox. This may possibly top "Thriller" as the most epic music video ever made. It's like Lord of the Rings meets Pirates of the Caribbean all starring some random dude who really loves his green sparkly guitar. They should make movies of people's reactions to watching this.

--Alan Wiley

UPDATE: for those of you with slower connections here are the small and medium sized, as well as  youtube versions.

Random Music Obsession: Movie Songs with the Same Name as the Movie

My friend Pasuit and I share a lot of interests in common: trivia, obscure music, and all things '80s (the more ridiculous, the better). We've somewhat inadvertently combined all three of these things into an odd hobby, some might say obsession, that we both pursue: Collecting '80s movie soundtracks that contain a song with the name of the movie in the title. You know what I'm talking about--they usually play them over the credits.

You don't have to say anything, really.  I've been accused by other editors of "intentionally" liking bad music (and movies), but it's just plain not true--and I fully recognize that much of this music could be considered "bad". Maybe it's my OCD, but I honestly enjoy hunting down, finding, and dwelling in these odd little musical treasures, and that's what matters. Anyway, I'd like to share a bite of the fruits of my labor with you--here are a handful of my favorite finds:

Garbage Pail Kids - The Movie featuring the song "You Can Be A Garbage Pail Kid" performed by Jimmy Scarlett:

My Science Project featuring the song "My Science Project" performed by the Tubes:

Sometimes they even make real music videos for these songs.

Twins featuring the song "Twins" performed by Little Richard & Philip Bailey:

And here is Pasuit's favorite--Spies Like Us featuring "Spies Like Us" written and performed by none other than Sir Paul McCartney:

There are plenty more, believe me. Do you have any favorites?
--Alan Wiley
P.S. I'm also pretty serious about collecting sports training montage songs from '80s movies. Look for a post on that in the future.

M.I.A.'s Grammy Nod, Plus a New Track

Congrats to M.I.A. who was nominated for a Grammy last night for her smash hit, "Paper Planes." I was super ecstatic to stumble across the soundtrack for Danny Boyle's new film, Slumdog Millionaire, last night to discover that M.I.A. has a hand in it. Goodie gumdrops! Here's what she had to about the soundtrack say in a recent interview with MTV:

M.I.A noted that she had just announced her retirement plans at Bonaroo when Boyle called her and offered the gig. “How could I turn it down? You want to slow down, but then you get offered a chance like this and Danny’s brilliant so I couldn’t say no. The film was just wonderful.”

Her new song, "O Saya," is featured in the film (click here to listen). Now I am even more excited to see the film, which is set in Mumbai. I've enjoyed learning about India over the past eight years through my bestie, Seema, whose parents were born there (though in the North), and like many I was saddened to see what transpired there over Thanksgiving weekend. Another reason I'd like to catch a different glimpse of the city...before I go to see it for myself.

--Renata Sadunas

P.S. If you are in need of a good read, here's a recommendation: White Tiger, also set in India. I would have breezed through it days ago if it wasn't holiday time here at the 'zon. Oh, and here's the link to the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack.

Happy Birthday, Britney Jean

Britney Jean Spears turned 27 today. It's hard to believe she's been a pop sensation for 10 years now: her hit, "...Baby One More Time" topped the charts in January of '99.

No doubt, if you have a television, a radio, or a internet access, you probably know that her new album, Circus, releases today. It's hard to escape the hype machine. Even underground-artist-friendly NPR aired a blip about it this morning. I read this review of it last night,  and it pretty much mirrored the opinion I had of her new documentary that MTV aired on Sunday night (I haven't heard the album yet): not enough juice! I guess I wanted to see the dirty bits. A little bit of crazy. But Spears appeared reflective about her past tumultuous year, slightly downtrodden, and altogether composed. Even had me feeling sorry for her. Everyone interviewed had glowing things to say about her. Even Madonna waxed poetic about Britney's talents. Yawn. It made for slightly boring television, but, it left me with the impression that Ms. Spears may truly be poised to take back the helm of pop princessdom.

Have you heard the album? Seen the documentary? What are your thoughts? Is Britney still relevant?

--Renata Sadunas

Milestones: 10 Best Soundtracks Since 1998, Minus Garden State

As we continue to roll back the clocks, celebrating the best moments of the last 10 years we've been open for business, our thoughts turn to soundtracks. Once for collectors only, soundtracks now stack up high on the charts, an outcome of the popularity of Hannah Montana, High School Musical, and well, Zach Braff. Take the scene in Braff's movie Garden State where Natalie Portman's character utters what is, depending at how you view the world, the most damning or most celebratory thing that can be said about a pop band:

And the rest is history. The Garden State soundtrack went on to dominate charts and year-end lists, sold tens of thousands, increased the audience for the Shins, earned Braff a Grammy, and (if you pretend Hans Zimmer never got his hands on a piano) changed the niche soundtrack section into a mega-selling enterprise.

But, enough about Garden State. Here are my picks for the 10 most-important soundtracks of the last 10 years:

1999: The setting of Rushmore, the movie about the kid with all the right ambition directed in all the wrong places, wouldn't be as complete without Wes Anderson's hand-curated soundtrack that created a new audience for vintage Cat Stevens, the Kinks, and the instrumental works of Devo's Mark Mothersbaugh.

2000: The soundtrack to the inimitable Lars Von Trier musical Dancer in the Dark--a definite must-see about a Czech immigrant mother going blind amid a workaday existence--finds Bjork at her finest. Exuberant, heartbreaking, and at times even uncharacteristically restrained, her post-industrial Broadway reveries outperform all expectations of her acting abilities.

2001: Any movie that includes a subplot about a rabid record collector requires an excellent soundtrack. Ghost World introduced many would-be music addicts to undiscovered 1950s Bollywood gems, New Orleans swing, true Delta blues, and of course the unforgettable send-up in terrible nu-blues bar band, Blueshammer. 

2002: Weaving together the lives of three different women living in different eras, Phillip Glass's driving, haunting compositions for The Hours perfectly matched the tenuous urgency of Michael Cunningham’s narrative. It is as plaintive as it is exquisitely sumptuous, memorable even beyond the construct of the film.

2003: Did people even buy TV soundtracks before The O.C.?  This quintessentially sun-dappled soundtrack no doubt set the scene of many a backyard BBQ well outside the county line of that particularly fascinating Southern California drama hotbed.

2004: By this point, filmgoers knew what to expect with a Wes Anderson film: imaginative plots, hilarious dialogue, Bill Murray, and a soundtrack that featured the Kinks and Mark Mothersbaugh. Musically, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou strayed from that formula, adding Brazilian singer Seu Jorge’s bossa nova covers of the best of Bowie's Life on Mars to the mix.

2005: The first of three soundtracks to the show about some seriously randy Seattle doctors made more new fans of below-the-radar artists like the Postal Service, Tegan & Sara, and Inara George than all the college radio stations, hipster boosters, and indie music blogs put together.

2006: Try as you might, you can't not love Jennifer Hudson's rendition of "You're Gonna Love Me" or nearly period-perfect Berry Gordie-inspired originals like "Love You I Do." Also, lest we forget, this movie and soundtrack redeem Eddie Murphy's former pop-music crimes (see: "Party All the Time (My Girl Wants To)."

2007: Comprising Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, the Swell Season starred in Once--both the movie and the soundtrack--and became one of music's true-life fairy tales when the two unknown, unsung talents took home a Best Song Oscar for "Falling Slowly."

2008: Looking back, it's hard to tell what was more surprising: the success of the little indie movie about a plucky pregnant teen who says the darnedest things, or K-records artist Kimya Dawson's becoming an overnight sensation (we’re talking Moldy Peaches reuniting on TV’s The View).

--Gabi Knight

Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains

For the punk rock and B movie lovers in the house, a 1982 film has recently surfaced with your name on it. Ladies and Gentlemen the Fabulous Stains stars a 15-year-old Diane Lane as Corinne “Third Degree” Burns. The recently orphaned and angst-ridden teen rallies her sister (Marin Kanter) and her cousin (Laura Dern) to start a punk rock band called The Stains. The trio then takes to the road with fictional bands, “The Metal Corpses” (featuring Fee Waybill of The Tubes), and “The Looters” (starring members of real-life legendary punk bands, the Sex Pistols and the Clash), and on their short tour experience every rock band's greatest dreams and worst nightmares. Reviews claim that the cult-status film “went on to inspire a generation of female rockers,” and though I can’t validate that claim, I can tell you this; a Friday night viewing of the movie inspired even someone as far beyond their riot grrrl years as myself, to head straight-away to the nearest live music venue for a much needed dose of rock ‘n’ roll.

These Stains are fabulous, see for yourself: 

 

 

--Shelby Earl

Top 8 Music Videos That Keep Me From My Work

The Raconteurs

Operator Please

The Fashion

We Are Wolves

Architecture in Helsinki

ShitDisco

Fiona Sally Miller

Knorke Südfrucht

Behind the Mic: Scarlett Johansson Interview

You know and love her from the big screen, but more than just a lovely face on camera, Scarlett Johansson also has a powerfully evocative singing voice. On her first album of Tom Waits covers, Scarlett proves that she knows a thing or two about picking good music to showcase her voice while surrounding herself with talented musicians including TV on the Radio, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, as well as the one and only David Bowie.

Check out Chordstrike's latest new music interview to learn more about Scarlett Johansson's self-defined inner free bird, her baritone singing voice, her approach to covering venerable Tom Waits tunes, and the collaborative partners she worked with to foment a solid soundscape for her sultry vox.

--Lucas Hilbert

Snoop Dogg Makes Bollywood Debut

My friend Seema, sent me this eye-catching article from the BBC this morning, with the subject line reading "Good god!" I suppose if she'd  had the chance to finish her first cup of tea, the caption may have read, "Good Dogg!" (Get it, dog is god spelled backwards!) Apologies, it's Friday. My sense of humor is becoming distorted...

Anywho, my first reaction was "good God!" indeed. Upon further reflection, however, I have to chalk this move up to another example of Snoop's business prowess. I mean, India has a population of 1.3 Billion compared to the U.S.'s paltry 300 million-ish. That's a lot of rupees just waiting to be deposited in his bank account.

I have to admit, the sequence of facts in the latter part of the article did make me giggle, painting him to first be a lauded musician, then concluding with his criminal charges and travel plans: Snoop Dogg was honored last year for his musical achievements. He was arrested on suspicion of carrying marijuana. He was charged with gun possession. He now plans to tour India.

M.I.A., Panjabi MC (here is a link to one of my favorites), DJ Rekha and others have enjoyed success by mixing East with west. I for one, am a fan of this musical concoction. Snoop Dogg in a turban, however, may take me a while to digest.

--Renata Sadunas

Ricky Gervais: Comedian, Actor, New Wave Heartthrob?

Two weeks ago, I cracked wise about James Hunter looking like Ricky Gervais' stand-in. While it was weird to see someone who looks like the Extras creator sing like Sam Cooke, it's infinitely weirder to see the actual '80s-era Ricky Gervais singing like, um, Mike Score from Flock of Seagulls:

Hat Tip: Scanner

-- Jeff Reguilon