Blog Archives

Discover Some New Music – DaPhunk

My brother and his friends started a group back in 2009 called DaPhunk. It just for fun, but I like a lot of the tracks they came up with. Here is one of my favorites, ‘Young Turkey”.

If I Hear “Wiggle” One More Time I Might Actually Commit A Horrible Crime

So we’re at the point where not only did this song get made, but you can’t turn on a radio station without hearing it. It’s horrifically sad that’s that where we’re at as a society. Snoop Dogg or Snoop Lion or Snoop or whatever the hell his name is now is apparently following the Adam Sandler career plan and just mailing in songs. “Hey Snoop can you come to a tropical island and say the word butt and wiggle over and over again and smoke a lot of weed? Also we’ll pay $5 million.” I don’t blame him for saying yes, but it doesn’t change the fact that this song is terrible. Let’s take a look at the transcendent lyrics.

You know what to do with that big fat butt

Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle
Just a little bit of… swing

I thought ‘Hotel California’ was a powerful song, but it’s got nothing on ‘Wiggle’. I feel like a general rule of thumb should be that you can’t just say the same word nine times in a row and call it a chorus. I’m not music major but that just seems right. Hearing this song so much has finally convinced me to do something that is long overdue: rip the radio out of my car and listen to myself sing cover versions of my favorite songs. At least I know I’ll never be disappointed.

– Ryan

Music Monday: Sam Smith – How Will I Know (Whitney Houston Cover)

Sam Smith hopped onto my radar earlier this year when he was the musical guest for Louis C.K.’s second stint as host of SNL, especially with his live version of ‘Stay With Me’. Now he’s crossing over into the cover song game, and if this version of ‘How Will I Know’ is any indication, he’ll be fantastic.

– Ryan

Michael Jackson Performed as a Hologram on the Billboard Music Awards Last Night Because That’s Something That Happens Now

I enjoy Michael Jackson’s music. Personal allegations aside, he was an amazing singer/performer. He had a ton of number one hits and sold millions and millions of albums all while influencing a generation of musicians. To say having Michael Jackson resurrected as a hologram for a performance last night was unnecessary would be the understatement of the century. I thought the same thing about Tupac at Coachella and my stance isn’t changing. Not only is it haunting, but I watched both Tupac and MJ’s hologram performances and both crowds seem equally confused and horrified. It comes off weird to the live crowd and it’s really eerie watching it on TV. The only hologram I’m interested in is resurrecting Marvin Gaye to sing every national anthem at every sporting until the end of time. Until then, let’s stick to human beings singing and dancing.

– Ryan

Robin Thicke is Reason #1000 Why It’s Easier to Be a Celebrity

AlanRobin Thicke will stop at nothing to get his gal back.

The 37-year-old singer has reportedly written a new song in effort to work things out with his estranged wife, Paula Patton, and will perform it at Sunday’s Billboard Music Awards, according to TMZ.

“I should’ve kissed you longer/ I should’ve held you stronger,” are some of the lyrics from the hearlfelt ballad titled “Get Her Back.”

“All I wanna do is make it right,” the track continues via the gossip site.

“I gotta get her, go get her back/ I gotta treat her right /I gotta cherish her for life”

This is not the first public attempt Thicke has made to make things right with Patton, who he has been involved with since his teenage years.

He has opened up at several of his concerts since the pair’s separation announcement, made in February after eight years of marriage, stressing how he wants to work things out.

Patton, 38, recently spoke out about the split in Vanity Fair’s June issue, telling the mag, “there’s a deep love there — always was, and always will be.”

quizzical

Wait, am I supposed to feel bad for Robin Thicke? If you play the game you can’t get mad when the game ruins your life. That’s how it works. You can’t travel around the world seducing everybody and having sex with every girl who gives you the eye and expect your hot, actress wife to be OK with it. Also, let’s not forget that Robin Thicke has the one thing working for him that can heal this marriage: he’s a celebrity. Your wife caught you cheating? Write her a song that you can perform at an award show so she has no choice but to watch it. Make the lyrics all lovey dovey so she REALLY knows you mean it. It really is that simple. If I wrote my ex girlfriend a love song and tried to sing it to her I’d be trespassing and breaking probation. But Robin Thicke does it and he’s a hero. Game ain’t fair. Game ain’t fair.

– Ryan

 

Monsterblog Wednesday: Flair Bartending Routines

For those of you who don’t know what “flair bartending” is…   The Average Nobodies very rarely turn down a chance to drink during the week, so we attended the Flair Bartending Flip Out On Cancer charity event Monday in Providence, Rhode Island. The logic is simple: you pick a song or two and you bartend your ass off. While we were watching the competition, we thought we’d throw our hats in the ring and pick a few songs and create a routine in case there ever comes a day where we need to flair bartend to save our families from a Russian super villain bent on world domination.

Ryan

Flair bartending is all about energy, and with these two songs I’ll have it in spades. Return of the Mack will get the people on their feet and Dance With Somebody will literally have people dancing with each other. If you can’t jam to these two songs, you have no soul and I don’t want you apart of my flair bartending routine. Another good thing about these songs is that they will distract the audience away from my routine. A lot of the bartenders we saw were all hands and arms, so I’m thinking I use a feet heavy routine. Do people want their bartenders feet near their drinks? Probably not, but I’m the flair bartender and they’re not. At some point I’ll probably roll multiple bottles on the ground and kick them like a soccer ball. Add in a couple hip thrusts and some obscene gestures, and you have yourself one hell of a flair bartending routine.

Matt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThOXlmVbQGs

From what I saw at the flair bartending event your music can make or break your performance in two ways: 1. The music doesn’t speak to your inner showman or show-woman and you come up short. Using the music to get the juices flowing is like a natural adrenaline shot to the heart. You ever hear about mothers that gain ridiculous strength to save their children? Well i’m pretty sure I could jump over a small building while listening to 80’s hair metal. and 2. The music doesn’t get the people going. Nothing’s worse than getting ready to perform something in from of some people and the crowd isn’t cheering your every move. Look back at some Stone Cold Steve Austin entrances. When that glass breaks there isn’t one ass in one seat in the whole arena! Handicapped sections included (if that’s terrible of me I am sorry, but I need to prove a point). That’s the kind of energy a flair bartending performance deserves!

Having said that, my choices were easy. I start off with some ‘Twisted Sister’ followed up by the ultimate party song, Cherry Pie. I figure I will use a lot of ice in my routine. Like throw it around and keep the eyes off the action at hand. That way I can lean on some simple bottle flips and cup twirls throughout my performance. Smoke and mirrors people, that’s the first rule of magic school. I also will be yelling pretty loud so that should create an additional distraction. Like so loud that people will think i’m hurt, but I won’t be..I think.

Side note: Veteran flair performer, Lauren, said that Cherry Pie is too slow of a song to flair to. I didn’t listen, so I could be off to an awful start to my flair career. I regret nothing.

-Matt

Let John Mayer Serenade You With His Live Acoustic Cover of Beyonce’s ‘XO’

John Mayer popping up from Australia to remind you that he still rules the world. I honestly think I could listen to him play anything on an acoustic guitar, and it doesnt even have to be music. If he came to my house one day and told me my dog got hit by a car while playing the guitar I think I’d be alright. Obviously I’d still be devastated and it’s probably a horrible example but that’s the power of John Mayer. Just making people forget about their handicapped dogs.

– Ryan

Reason 34,642 Why Dave Grohl is a Music Visionary

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