Good Job at Failing, Gigantic Crumbling Music Biz

OK Go have a new single-take video that's sure to tear up the internets. Except their record label doesn't understand how to do this, and they've disabled embedded video for blogs and sites and whatnot. It's amazing that people with degrees in marketing and PR have no idea how Web 2.0 works, or how to use it as a promotional tool. The record industry will be dead in ten years. Tops.

...Oh, and the lists still exist. Just somewhere not called this blog.

The other (other) black guy: Kenan Thompson

This is exactly what ought to happen when the kid from All That and the 1997 smash hit film Good Burger takes over Saturday Night Live.



p.s. Happy Thanksgiving

Friemblies: Jeff Magnum and Elephant 6

Jeff Magnum at the Knitting Factory in 1998 courtesy of Merge Records [via Pitchfork].



Jeff Magnum's disappearance is still one big ball of mystery to me. I didn't get into Neutral Milk Hotel until after Jeff stopped touring and recording, but I can see why he still has such a rabid fan base. He's the kind of performer he throws himself completely into his act. And on top of that, his affiliation with the Elephant 6 Collective puts him into that awesome-est of musical cliches that really, actually work: friends making music together. It's why, ten years later, I'm still obsessed with David Bazan, Damien Jurado, Rosie Thomas, Sufjan Stevens and Daniel Smith, even if some of their recent material has been a bit uneven. They're not the sort to be unaffected by their music. And they don't mind handling background vocals for their peeps.

Too cool

While you were busy freaking about Lea Michelle and Chris Colfer killing "Defying Gravity" on last week's Glee, Toshiba was sending armchairs into space. Yes, I realize that this is a commercial for a television set that I do not care about and won't be able to afford until 2027, but it's still 82 flavors of awesome. Video is below. Plus bonus video further down about how they pulled it off.





"Blah, blah, blah. Toshiba's the shiz. I'm such a wanker."

Great commercial though.

Date Night

I hope to Jebus this is rated R because I don't think I can handle a PG-13 version of Pineapple Express minus the stoner comedy and gratuitous violence, no matter how much Tina Fey it's got.

Watch the trailer for Date Night via Apple.com

Sometimes, you've gotta break the rules.

I don't get this. How is it kosher for American actors (Serious Actors!) to do 30-second spots, overseas, for high-end European coffee machinery, but not for, say, Burger King?

...

I just answered my own question, didn't I.

via TV Squad

This. Is. Real.

I don't have cable. I don't have DirecTV, either. While Comcast is 97% evil, DirecTV always seemed like a sesnible alternative, and their commercials were kind of funny.

Then they got creepy.

One thing to remember, in those shots of David Spade where he's talking about DirecTV with Chris Farley's back in the foreground, that is a body double playing Chris Farley. Someone else's body is in that shot. In other words, David Spade shot his lines with a fake version of his old chum "acting" in front of him. A fake Chris Farley. While David Spade is talking. And getting paid to rave about DirecTV. With his dead friend. Or a body double of his dead friend. A friend who is dead. Paycheck words with dead friend body double. Fat guy who is not Chris Farley. Because he is dead. Paycheck David. High five.

Day Seventeen: Commercial These Days

I believe this commercial to be creepy as hell. Indeed. I still love Fruit by the Foot. Indubitably.

Day Sixteen: What's a Panini, Etc.

Oh, Tim & Eric. The first 1:57 is the funniest fun you'll see all funday. Continue after the clip for more fuhn, but the first fuhn is the best fuhn. Channel 5! Steve Brule!

Day Thirteen: Swing That Axe, Twice On Sunday!

Since yesterday's video was so unbearably cute, today's needed to be scary, but in an inappropriate way. Introducing: Inappropriate Soundtracks: The Shining: Web Edition.

Semicolons are all the rage.

Day Twelve: Babies that laugh like 80-year-old man-midgets

I don't have anything to add. Have a nice day.

Day Eleven: Marvel v. DC

Make geek vids! You normal people lose! Yes, it's sooo old. But I promised my mom to show her the original I'm a Marvel / I'm a DC parodies. It's like multiple day 11's with all these vids!

P.S. The original Mac/PC commercials, which I might delve into later this month, have led me to the conclusion that PCs are much cooler than Macs. It's Apple's fault. Casting uber-geek Jon Hodgman? What did they expect!?!

Day Ten: Marvel Comics, Disneyfied

In case you didn't hear, and you don't read this blog, because even I, in my blogging laziness, posted something about this: the folks at Disney bought the folks at Marvel. What a second. No, actual people were not purchased, I promise. It did sound like I said that, but I didn't mean it. I realize I could have backspaced and saved us the trouble of this paragraph, but where's the fun in that?

This is from the same guy who brought the intertubes the I'm a Marvel/I'm a DC parody. What's that you say? You've never seen that video? Oh, Mom. I guess you'll have to come back tomorrow!

Day Nine: Underground

Remember when Ben Folds was seriously effing cool? And he had that punky/jazzy trio thing going on? I remember hearing this song on 96.3 the Edge just months before Brick dropped and blew them into the stratosphere. At the time, I didn't get most of the jokes. Having spied on the "scene kids" from time to time over the past ten years, I recognize it's brilliance on a whole different level. But even in 1996, this song kicked serious ass.

Day Eight: Spider-Man, the British Sitcom Version

I have to admit. I like the funny books. The ones with panels and capes and people who talk in balloons. But movies like Spider-Man 3? Those I don't like. Not so much. Or at all.

Day Seven: Glenn Beck, Behind the Music

Admittedly, I know very little of Glen Beck...other than he's sort of a know-it-all blowhard that are sort of a dime-a-dozen on cable sort-of-news these days. I, for reasons concerning miserliness and disinterest, don't have cable (they I still looooooove the TV box), so maybe he's a nice guy? But probably not. I'm sure he had this coming.

P.S. I know I'm cheating. You know I'm cheating. But let's just pretend that I have a time machine. Because that would be so much cooler than backposting.

Day Six: JoHo Jesus - Sort of Like an Evil Wizard in Space

I don't even know where to begin with this video.

Granted, Catholic/Protestant Christians believe in some really weird stuff (Communion? Baptism? Holy Spirit?), but this Jehovah's Witness cartoon about the life and times of Jesus Christ is so far out there...you'll either laugh with glee or scream in horror, never to visit YouTube again.

P.S. When your Jesus starts blowing up churches and Volkswagon vehicles, it's time to question how you got from theology point A to theology point B.

/mini Jesus and violence rant

Day Four: Pop Songs Are Always Better With Muppets

Remember 2008, when you couldn't take two steps without hearing those damn iPod commercials, and you sort of stopped listening to Feist because her numbers song get kind of annoying for a while? Well, even Sesame Street got into the action, and I think maybe sort-of kind-of that their version is 200 gajillion times better, because while 1234 is a catchy little fricker, it works much better as Kids Bop than it ever did as a straight-up "adult" pop song. Because let's face it, adult artists kind of suck.

Day Three: Your Favorite New Band

Matt & Kim have been one of my favorite little rock bands for going on two years now, and while "Lightspeed" doesn't rock as hard as some of their other stuff, this fan-made video certainly turns it into one of their funner tracks. And yes, I just typed "funner". It's a blog. Get over it.

Day Two: The BBC would like to apologize for the next announcement

Walk On The Wild Side "combines the comedy talents of Jason Manford and friends together with some jaw-dropping natural history footage."

This is from an actual program (or programme, as theye licke to calle it) on BBC One. British folks dubbed over funny looking animals. Brilliant. While the shark bit falls a little flat, that talking marmot kills me every time.