My fiancee and I went to the movies this weekend. We saw "Men In Black 3". In 3D. I always insist on waiting through the closing credits and watching for anything at the end. Tip: If you see "The Avengers", wait for the end of the credits.
Anyway, this song, which heavily samples the Mickey and Sylvia classic "Love Is Strange", was playing over the closing credits. I really enjoyed it, but didn't know until the end that it was Pitbull - an artist I haven't enjoyed in the past - that performed it. It's a clever use of sampling, and it's a clean, family-friendly song that goes to great lengths to be that way. All in all, a fine song. #16 on the Billboard charts already, too!
Also, the movie wasn't bad. Better than the first, and from what I hear, light years better than the 2nd.
Allison Goldfrapp has made quite a name for herself in the club scene. Her music, or, at least the music that she makes as part of her band, Goldfrapp (technically, Will Gregory is the other half of the group) is synth-heavy and a throwback to an earlier era. This song happens to be my favorite of theirs, as well as their biggest hit. It reminds me pretty heavily of Doctor and the Medics, with a hint of Kate Bush.
Even her look is very late-80's Madonna! And I think the disco ball horse would have been used a lot more in the 80's if the technology had been there.
For this week's Hair Metal Thursday I thought I'd feature one of my favorite hair metal acts - Poison. While I never got to see them back in the day, I did see Bret Michaels perform live twice - for free - in the last two years. Both concerts had a great party atmosphere - as expected - as he mixed well known rock covers with a ton of Poison hits - including today's song. It was a great time even if I did secretly miss C.C., Bobby and Rikki. Maybe next time.
Anyone who saw Smokey and the Bandit knows this song. Not many people know that it was such a classic artist - Jerry Reed, who is also in the movie! - who performed it. The pop-country harmonies and banjo picking that accompanied late-70's country music are clearly exhibited in this gem!
I just learned that today is World Goth Day. So, uhhh, happy World Goth Day? Let's celebrate with a Gene Loves Jezebel video. Talk about a guilty pleasure. I never really took to them back in the day. I kind of thought they were cheesy. And while that attitude hasn't changed, there's a part of me that actually enjoyed seeing this video again for the first time in about 18 years. It's a World Goth Day Miracle!!!!
And this one by Barbra Streisand -which won her a Grammy nomination AND an Oscar - is a big-show throwback that is bold and exciting and shows the enthusiasm and determination of the Fanny Brice character quite clearly. Generally, I am not a fan of Streisand, but this song - for this, I make an exception.
Today, it is my fiancee Lisa's birthday. I gave her the opportunity to pick today's song. She chose the biggest solo hit by one-half of Gnarls Barkley.
The song, despite its angry and profane title, is a spot-on soul throwback by a singer with a huge voice. If not for a few of the lyrics, I could easily see a group like The Four Tops play this song. The subject matter is straight out of blues - rejection and heartbreak, with a little revenge mixed in. As Nick Levine called it in his review for Digital Spy, the single is "a middle finger extending from the fist of a pop single - and a gloriously catchy Motown stomper of a pop single at that."
The video is a gem, too! I love the gloriously profane young Cee-Lo walking into this little diner.
Yes, there were two clean versions released so this could be a huge hit, so if the above offended you, try this version instead:
This song was so huge, it was performed on the hit television show Glee. By an Oscar winner! And the reason that 1. this song is getting posted in this blog and and not Totally Covered and 2. this post isn't getting the Guilt-Free Sunday tag is that I really love the Gwyneth Paltrow version of this song. She did a fine job!
And, for those who thought 1. Cee-Lo wouldn't be a fan and 2. Gwyneth Paltrow could not sing need only watch this performance from the 2011 Grammys, when the did the song together. And told each other that they really hated each other's ass right now. Surprisingly, THIS performance worked. And Gwyneth knew the words better than Cee-Lo.
