Two quotes from the Bieb came across The Dunce Cap radar. They’re two real winners!
Justin Bieber channels Bob Dylan while on tour
“Barbara Walters just came backstage earlier. I hit on her. Think she liked it.” – Pop sensation Justin Bieber via Twitter following his visit to the set of The View
Bieber has a sense of humor! Who knew? The Bieb’s Twitter is actually pretty hilarious. Like LeVar Burton’s or Shaq’s (“VERY QUOTATIOUS. I PERFORM RANDOM ACTS OF SHAQNESS”), Bieber’s tweets are pretty witty slices of daily life, documented in under 160 characters. The teen heartthrob revealed on The View that Walters was his kind of women. Millions of preteen girls wept.
Here’s another more recent gem from the Bieber cannon.
“I miss being a trending topic 😦 ” – Bieber via Twitter on not being among the most tweeted topics (though this was later revealed to allegedly be a practical joke by a friend – real sad face)
Keep it up, little man. I’m liking you more and more.
So it should be abundantly clear by now that The Dunce Cap isn’t particularly well-versed in hip hop or rap. Every now and again, though, this girl will come across something so incredible in another genre that it deserves a dedication post. And so is the case with Eminem’s newest track.
Pretty melody:
Here’s the thing: I’ve always had an appreciation for Eminem, however peripheral. It started with my father, I would bet, who would belt out rather obnoxiously, “TWO TRAILER PARK GIRLS GO ‘ROUND THE OUTSIDE, ROUND THE OUTSIDE, ROUND THE OUTSIDE,” before gazing rather proudly upon us. Or he’d butcher the inspirational words of “Lose Yourself” as he piloted the car on family outings, and we had no choice but to listen and sigh. Plus, there were Em’s pretty hilarious videos for “The Real Slim Shady,”“Without Me” and “My Name Is.” That was my first real introduction to Eminem – a few misrepresented stanzas, a couple of funny but highly censored videos and a movie about poor Detroit starring that girl from Clueless (R.I.P. Brittany Murphy*). But there was so much more about Eminem that I was just missing.
Marshall Mathers is clearly a very talented lyricist, and he can spit rhymes so damn well, but he’s never put his talent to use, with the exception of hurling insults at his radio peers. And his last album, 2009’s Relapse, and the singles it spawned, the overwrought and (sorry!) melodramatic “Crack a Bottle” and the carnivalesque, trying-too-hard-to-be-tongue-in-cheek “We Made You” – the one where Slim Shady continues to cheese on Jessica Simpson and her pop culture ilk -, were a wash.
So now Eminem is back with Recovery, and the best thing about it all is that he agrees with me. Relapse sucked. On the album’s first track, “Not Afraid,” he angrily vows,
And to the fans, I’ll never let you down again, I’m back
I promise to never go back on that promise, in fact
Let’s be honest, that last Relapse CD was “ehhhh”
Pardon the language, but damn, Slim, you’ve got it right. And “Not Afraid” is a rowdy, raucous, emotional anthem set over a melody and beat which K’Naan would be proud of. It’s not Eminem at his best musically, sure, but lyrically, Slim has rarely been better. His rhymes are intense and sincere and here’s the kicker – they’re inspiring.
“Not Afraid,” Eminem
It’s an uplifting song of personal atonement, wherein Eminem unleashes all of his aggravation with addiction and struggles, praising his accomplishments and promising to come back bigger and better than ever before. He’s done with the skits and clever ploys, and he’s grown from his peers and even his contemporaries. Even Blink-182 had to grow up eventually.
It’s certainly a turn for the good ol’ browbeating Slim Shady MTV audiences grew familiar with, but it’s a refreshing reintroduction to a man with true talent. And, it seems, Eminem is approaching a real era of responsibility, as a father, as an MC, as a role model and as a true artist.
Shady’s back. Tell a friend.
For a glimpse at pop culture heckling Eminem, check out the hilarious 2004 D12/Eminem video for “My Band.”
[*editor’s note: Just minutes after publishing this post, it was discovered that Murphy’s widower, Simon Monjack, was pronounced dead in his Los Angeles home, just five months after the death of his wife. The immediate ruling as to cause of death is natural causes. Our condolences go out to the family.]
The Dunce Cap, Vol. 8: Hey you with the pretty face, welcome to the human race. A celebration. (mix via 8tracks)
1. “Summertime” – The Sundays
2. “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” – Vampire Weekend
3. “Promises” – The Morning Benders
4. “Lust for Life” – Girls
5. “Center of Attention” – Guster
6. “The Only Living Boy in New York” – Everything but the Girl
7. “Mrs. Jackson” – Marvelous 3
8. “Mr. Blue Sky” – Electric Light Orchestra
9. “25 or 6 to 4” – Chicago
10. “Stars are Blind” – Paris Hilton
Yeah, I threw you off with that last track, didn’t I? The truth is that I love “Stars are Blind.” It’s terrible and cheesy and breathless and over-produced, but it makes me want to belt it out. Frankly, so do all of these tunes. And, yet again, each reminds me of summertime, when the livin’ is easy. There are some classic rock throwbacks, even a really great Chicago track, despite my denunciation of all geographically named musical artists. There’s an Everything but the Girl cover of my favorite Simon & Garfunkel song and a Marvelous 3 (Butch Walker‘s old band) track that nearly brings me to tears.
And, due to my disappointment in Mayfest’s choice of a nighttime headliner for this year’s Dillo Day, I’ve included a good ol’ Guster track. Here’s to hoping CollegeACB was right about something. Guster and Regina Spektor may be able to salvage an otherwise lackluster line-up. Band-aids galore!
Pour yourself a glass of lemonade, find a comfy seat on the porch, pull out your favorite novel and take a breather. These songs will get you started, but feel free to explore. Peter Gabriel, too.
It seems Lady Gaga is no longer content to let others design her excessive headwear – she wants to get into fashion!
Vogue.com UK reported that the new queen of pop applied for an internship position with London milliner (that’s hat designer for you laymen) Philip Treacy, who collaborated with the artist on headpieces to accompany her outrageous stage get-ups. Representatives for Treacy confirmed that they had received an application from one Stefani Germanotta (though it remains to be seen if she simply applied under her stage moniker – can she get away with that?), but the rep denied requests to publish the application. Gaga allegedly demonstrated her humor in her resume, and I can only imagine the skills, experience and honors she listed. Occupation? International superstar. Awards? Six Grammy nominations, two wins. Skills? Deftly disguising a penis (rumored).
I applaud Gaga’s work ethic and determination, but it’s hard to imagine her fetching coffee, as is common in these kinds of internships. And, really, she’s not quite as demure or inconspicuous as one should be when acting as the gopher for an industry professional as high profile as Treacy. What’s next? Lindsay Lohan nagging Anna Wintour for a handout while clad in flannel from Sam Ronson‘s garbage? Wait – that one’s actually plausible.
The Dunce Cap, Vol. 7: ‘Cause no one ever looked as vogue as her, in green. (mix via 8tracks)
“Bloodbuzz Ohio” – The National
“In Green” – Volcano, I’m Still Excited!!
“Mr. Moon” – Kate Micucci
“Jenny and the Summer Day” – The Avett Brothers
“All My Friends” – LCD Soundsystem
“Astair” – Matt Costa
“You Wouldn’t Like Me” – Tegan & Sara
“Burrito” – Pete Yorn
“She’s Got You High” – Mumm-Ra
“Too Little, Too Late” – Grizzly Bear
It’s starting to smell a bit like summer! Except, you know, not in Chicago, where the weather has shifted back into the dreary 50s-ish twilight monsoons. But in normal places, even at home, the shift is noticeable, and fidgety students are eager to frolic in sprinklers and devour ice cream cones (hence the photo, lawlz). Or maybe that’s just me.
My point is – there are four weeks left before I can begin my TBA summer adventures, and these songs are helping me get there just a little faster. There’s new National and some super-adorable Pete Yorn, as well as a Volcano, I’m Still Excited!! track that strongly reminds me of summer camp 2006. It’s a fun little mix with a great JoJo cover – the original is nearly unrecognizable – which, I’m sure, will inspire you to run, not walk, to the Cupcake Mobile! It’s ten thousand times better than your shotty old ice cream truck, I promise.
In the mid-to-late-90s, Daria captivated our hearts with her no-nonsense attitude and unpopular misanthropy. She had a kooky cast of friends, from her airhead sister Quinn to her arty best friend Jane and all of the goths, jocks and rock stars (Trent, dreamy!) in between, and her life was set to a damn good ’90s playlist. Daria was truly the anti-hero of television girldom. She spoke in monotone, spoke almost solely in snarky quips and rolled her eyes – a lot.
Adapted from “Beavis and Butthead“, Daria was everything the original MTV cartoon wasn’t – intelligent, relatable, actually watchable. Plus, Daria lived in Lawndale, a town that, as The Frisky points out in their list of the Top 10 Reasons to Love Daria, could be anywhere – including my lovely hometown of Snellville, Ga. (motto: “Where Everybody’s Somebody”).
It’s about time the series finally be released on DVD. The show went off the air in 2001, and it’s finally resurfacing today with an eight-disc set. The set features all five seasons plus special features and the two Daria movies and is loaded with lots n’ lots of extras. I’m already scouring the web for cheap deals on the box set, which I’ve been coveting for a pretty long time. The only problem? MTV couldn’t secure the rights for the original music – think R.E.M., Alice in Chains, etc. – so the DVD replaced the tracks with bland background music. H-hey.
Tomorrow. Tonight, rather. Butch Walker. At House of Blues. Beyond thrilled. This will be my fourteenth (approximately) Butch Walker live show, and I’ve seen him through the various stages of his career, from Marvelous 3 to the Let’s Go Out Tonites to his stint with American Hi-Fi, and I cannot wait to take part in his newest endeavor with the Black Widows. To be frank, this whole blog endeavor could read as an endearing love letter to Walker.
In Nov. 2007, Butch’s Malibu home, which he was renting from bassist Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, was ravaged by a wildfire. The home, located in Southern California, is the namesake of his album “Sycamore Meadows,” so named for the street it was located on. All of his possessions, including the masters to every song he had ever recorded, were destroyed. He’s since experienced a rebirth musically, experimenting with glam-rock throwbacks, winding chord progression and homages to Uncle Tupelo‘s alt-country. The result is a gloriously catchy sound which fits perfectly into the growing retrospective which is Walker’s ever-burgeoning musical career.
I’m really thrilled for a night of legal debauchery with The Duckster & the only man I have ever proclaimed a “Rock God.” A video of Butch’s non-musical antics is below. He offered a variety of pre-order packages for his new album, “I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart,” and the result of a ludicrous (and likely joke) $25,000 package is this video, a collaboration with Panic at the Disco (sans exclamation point)’s Brendon Urie.
Levi, Bristol and brother Trig at the 2008 Republican National Convention
“Having sex has consequences, no matter how safe you are. If I could go back, I would have told myself that just because he’s good at sports and drives a cool truck, it’s meaningless — it’s pointless.” – Bristol Palin on her newfound abstinence at an event called “The Harsh Truth: Teen Moms Tell All.”
Oopsies, Bristol. Someone – probably Mommy‘s publicist – needs to script Bristol’s interviews. She just proved the sad inadequacy of abstinence programs in public schools – and the stupidity of teenage girls in rural America. Yuckfest x 1000.
Also, “Clearly, someone’s been doing the herbal” as Herbal Essence‘s new tagline? This seems like a poor choice, a la 1994.
“House of Cards” – Butch Walker & the Black Widows
“The Beach Song” – Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin
“Straw Dog” – Something Corporate
“Nothing on You” – B.o.B.
“Electric Feel” – MGMT
“Lost in Yichang” – Hilotrons
Another Thursday, another mix!
As you all probably know, I’m a sucker for anything that can make my hips swing!, and I think this playlist is full of ’em. Not all of them are intentionally dance-a-billy, but they’ve got a great beat, and, hell, they make me wanna cha cha. The mix kicks off with two of my favorite throwbacks, Elton‘s classic “Bennie and the Jets” and The Turtles‘ “Elenore” (almost as good as “Happy Together*” and surely less sappy), and moves onto a slew of solid tracks from modern artists, including Phoenix, Butch Walker (playing H.O.B. Chicago Sunday!), SSLYBY, B.o.B. (who butchered “Build Me Up Buttercup” when he sampled it for his “Don’t Break My Heart“) and MGMT. And the Butch track, “House of Cards”? Total shades of The Cars. Digging the track and the new album.
“Nothing on You,” B.o.B.’s track which was recently used in an ode to Betty White, is a cheerily sweet dedication to a one n’ only. The video, featured below, is wonderfully simplistic, and I especially love the shout-out to my fair city (and the poor, tornado-maimed Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel, where I had my senior prom). In a similar vein, I’ve definitely noticed a rebirth of the music video, an art form I have long appreciated. My family didn’t have cable as a kid, and I distinctly remember attempting to adjust the antenna to get a static-y music video station, and my earliest memories of music television were not of Carson Daly and MTV but of the edited version of Juvenile’s “Back That (Thang) Up.”
“Nothing On You” [The Adventures of Bobby Ray, 2010]
So check it out, and if you’re feeling a bit nostalgic, maybe even revisit “Bye Bye Bye,” one of my favorite music videos from youth. I’m thinking about making next week a “Best Music Videos” playlist, so keep an eye out for that.
As always, happy listening!
(*editor’s note: This video is so trippy. It’s astronauts in jumpsuits, 80s shoulder pads, psychedelia and general weirdness. Very amusing, definitely worth a watch, but bizarre.)
So technically, I guess, this should be put into April‘s Book Club, as the album was released last week, but I’m including it in May’s edition. Music may not usually be a facet of Book Club, but this time around, I’m profiling the album for nostalgia’s sake.
Pretty melody:
Played in Space: The Best of Something Corporate From grades six to eight, I listened to Something Corporate‘s “Leaving Through the Window” on repeat. I had this compact Sony boombox, blue and round and futuristic looking, and I played that album to no end. I would belt out every line from start to finish, imagining a future in which I were someone’s punk rock princess.
“Punk Rock Princess” [Leaving Through the Window, 2002]
In 2003, the band’s second album, “North,” dropped, and, while there were a few tracks with lyrics I doodled on TrapperKeepers and pocket folders, the album lacked the great appeal of the first full-length SoCo endeavor. Even today, when “Fall” or “Straw Dog” comes on shuffle, I’ll make no move to change tracks. Don’t get me wrong – “North” is good. It’s still one of my favorite albums, despite it all, but even with my love for both albums, particularly the band’s debut, I expressed a good bit of doubt upon hearing they would be releasing a greatest hits compilation. Do they really have enough hits to warrant a full-scale retrospective? And, if so, what does the release provide that I cannot get from their previous albums?
The answer to that question, simply, is very little. Sure, there’s a second disc with “Played in Space” that includes some “unreleased” tracks, but, in truth, there is no new track whatsoever, as even “Letters to Noelle” and “Wait” date back to the last decade (though these were both rerecorded for the 2010 release). So, sure, the album’s track listing is replete with singles I love and adore (and, finally, a release of “Konstantine”), but there’s little to no point in purchasing the album if you already own the majority of the discography.
According to Wikipedia, the title “Played in Space” is a reference to the fact that NASA control on Earth played the song “The Astronaut” as a morning “wake-up call” to space shuttle astronauts a few years ago. It’s cool and all, and I am certainly happy to see SoCo even re-releasing material, but what I really want is less reissues and more of Andrew McMahon‘s raw and emotional voice. It’s been too long (2004! I was barely in high school!) since I’ve heard Andrew in his SoCo capacity, and he’s finally returning to the band after his battle with leukemia. McMahon suggests there will be no more new Something Corporate material in the foreseeable future, but there are certainly live reunion shows in the works, including a mid-May date at Bamboozle Chicago. Long live piano rock!
coco keevan 