Showing posts with label Music Video. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Music Video. Show all posts

Monday, December 18, 2023

Musical Monday with the Pogues

Guest performer on "A Fairytale of New York" Kristy McColl has described it as " a Christmas song for those who hate Christmas songs". Others (unknown if they hate Christmas songs or love Christmas songs) stumble toward the fainting couch or wet themselves, because the lyrics are outrageous (OUTRAGEOUS!) and offensive because they include one character in the song insulting another as they fight by calling him a "faggot" (right after he calls her a "slut").

Kristy McColl and Shane MacGowan in "A Fairytale of New York" (1987)

We like the song and we think it's clear that those who are pitching fits over that word need to get over themselves and haven't actually listened to the lyrics or are too stupid to understand a thing called "context". 

And we hope they never come upon a whole host of rap songs. Or even some nursery rhymes.

Hell, if someone with a brain was looking for a reason to take offense at this song, there's a MUCH more serious reason to do so, if you choose to interpert the story of the song in a particular way. But requires listening and thinking... something most people don't do these days. (Now, we still think anyone who's wailing and gnashing their teeth are behaving like idiots and haven't put enough thought into their reaction, but at least they would have put SOME thought into it.)

But take a look at this great video and listen to this fine song. Or not.


A Fairytale of New York (1987)
Starring: The Pogues, Shane MacGowan, Kristy McColl, and Matt Dillon
Director: Peter Dougherty
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

Monday, December 11, 2023

Monday, December 4, 2023

Musical Monday with Matt Wheeler



Matt Wheeler is a Pennsylvania-based musician and singer who amuses himself (and entertains us) by posting videos of him performing aucoustic cover songs. He's here to help get the Christmas Season off to a good start with a medley of Christmas songs which includes one of my favorites, "We Three Kings".




Monday, October 16, 2023

Musical Monday in the Twilight Zone



As Halloween draws nearer, we bring you a nifty cover from that strange dimension, the Twilight Zone!

"Twilight Zone" by Golden Earring is a favorite in these parts (and this isn't the first cover of that fabulous 1980s tune that's been featured here), and while we can quibble with some of vocal presentations here, the video is just about perfect and John Cunningham & Crew give us an EXCELLENT version!




Monday, October 9, 2023

Musical Monday with The Police



Well... sort of. It's classic, creepy stalker song from the Police in a honky-tonk style via the fine folks at There--I Ruined It. Enjoy!

Monday, October 2, 2023

Musical Monday with Robbie Williams

Robbie Williams


Robbie Williams pokes fun at gonzo-style bands like Kiss and Alice Cooper in this nice tune (and even better video).

Let Me Entertain You (1998)
Starring: Robbie Williams
Director: Vaughan Arnell
Rating: Six of Ten Stars

Monday, September 25, 2023

Musical Monday with Tove Styrke

Tove Styrke

Swedish singer/songwriter Tove Styrke has been performing her peppy, poppy (although sometimes a little dark and creepy), 1980s-flavored, synth-infused pop music since she was in her teens. Her rise to fame began with a third-place finish on "Swedish Idol" and she's been climbing upwards ever since.

Since the video for her 2011 single "High and Low" is in black-and-white, we are able to bring you a sample of her music that is set to some very interesting visuals.

Monday, September 18, 2023

Musical Monday with Zeinapur


Zeinapur is a musical duo that delivers pop music with an alternative edge and an almost operatic quality at times. And then there's the excellent guitar work. In this video for their 2021 single "Miracle", they also demonstrate this blog's unifying theme.


Monday, September 4, 2023

Musical Monday with Polyphia

We're starting the work-week with some amazing guitar playing, a great tune, and an engaging video in which we need YOU to tell us what's going on.


"Chimera" is one of many great bits of genre-bending music from Texas-based band Polyphia. Most of their stuff is instrumental music growing from a hard rock base, but they stray in and out of all sorts of genres during their tracks. This song features a guest appearance by rapper Lil West, so it's got some vocals to it... but, oh my GOD--the guitar playing!


Chimera (2022)
Starring: Tim Henson, Scott LePage, Clay Gober, and Clay Aeschliman
Director: Jake Woodbridge
Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

Monday, August 28, 2023

Things You Should Know (from your friends at Shades of Gray)

 Because we care about the safety of our readers, we are beginning a new series of informative posts.

About banshees, by Lou Morales

And since this is Monday, here's a music video for a song themed with today's illustrated information. (Don't be frightened by the splashes of color!)

Monday, August 14, 2023

Musical Monday with Tom Jones

I heard on the top-of-the-news on Sunday that Tom Jones had died. Turns out, it was Tom Jones the lyricist/stage director not Tom Jones the singer.

THIS Tom Jones passed away at 95, from cancer.

Tom Jones



This Tom Jones is still very much alive (and only in his 80s). I should have realized I was making a mistake when I thought "I had no idea he was that old")


And here's the LIVING Tom Jones and his mighty voice, in an unusual video of him from the 1960s, performing his most iconic song, "It's Not Unusual".

Monday, August 7, 2023

Musical Monday with Brenda Lee

Brenda Lee in stripes 

On this Monday, we present a song in honor of those being celebrated on August 10, International Prisoner Remembrance Day. Maybe if some of them found in jails and prisons here in the U.S. felt sentiments along the lines of those expressed by Brenda Lee in this week's offering, there would be fewer of them locked up and less repeat offenders.


Monday, July 31, 2023

Musical Monday with Bond Street

Bond Street Performing


Bond Street is U.K.-based that performs "vintage" arrangements of popular music from the past 30-40 years. Here they are in 2017, performing an excellent swing version of Coolio's hit "Gangsta's Paradise"!

 


In as similar vein, here's the ghost of Frank Sinatra also performing an arrangement of "Gangsta's Paradise"! We hope you enjoy this special bonus tune (on this bonus fifth July Musical Monday!)

Monday, July 24, 2023

Musical Monday with Bamble B.


In my opinion, Mike Oldfield is one of greatest composers and musicians of the late 20th Century. He has yet to get the full credit and recognition he is due, but that will come some day, I hope.

In the meantime, we can enjoy his highly underrated music, as well as what few interesting covers that have been of it over the years. One of the most interesting ones is from 2000 and was recorded by Italian synthpop/dance outfit Bamble B. It was promoted with a black-and-white video that put me in mind of early Mario Bava films... which makes it a perfect choice for a Musical Monday and the ongoing string of cover tunes.



Crime of Passion (2000)
Starring: Marta Randon
Director: Dario Barezzi
Rating: Nine of Ten Stars


Monday, July 17, 2023

Musical Monday with Leo Moracchioli

The Shades of Gray Dancers are setting the mood for today's cover song by Leo Moracchioli--by being dust in the wind.


 
 
 

Monday, July 10, 2023

Musical Monday with the Yorkshire Kitchen Recordings

 Puppets. Shaggy puppets. Singing puppets. It's a something quirky to get the final work-week of June 2023 off to a great start! (It's actually a great cover of Tom Wait's "How's It Gonna End"... you might even find yourself thinking it's better than the original!)

Monday, July 3, 2023

Musical Monday with Albie Day

Albie Day performing "Everyone's an Asshole"

 
Albie Day is a singer, songwriter, and marathon runner who has posted a host of great cover tunes (and some originals) to his YouTube channel. Here's a hilarious sample of his work -- a cover of Reel Big Fish's "Everyone's an Asshole". Like all good cover tunes, Day has made the song his own, turning it from ska to folk rock.

 
This is the first of five great cover tunes that we'll be bringing out on Musical Mondays throughout July.

Monday, June 19, 2023

Musical Monday with Incubus

The band may be named after a male demon who preys upon the sexual urges of mortals, but none such creature is anywhere to seen in the video for a somewhat haunting song. Instead, we are treated to some beautiful dancing by Manaho Shimokawa while Brandon Boyd (lead singer of Incubus) croons about the strange and miserable situation he finds himself in. 

Dancer Manaho Shimokawa

Check it out! I'm think you'll enjoy both the song and the video!

Loneliest (2017)
Starring: Manaho Shimokawa and Brandon Boyd
Director: Julian Schratter
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

Monday, June 12, 2023

Musical Monday with Desperate Journalist


While doing a web-search for something completely unrelated, I discovered the existence of Desperate Journalist, a four-member band performing a style of music I thought had faded away with the 1990s! I thought of it as "jangly guitar rock" or "alternative rock", but, apparently, this sub-genre of pop/rock music is properly known as "post-punk" (for reasons that aren't immediately apparent to me, and that I am presently feeling too lazy to research). 

I've selected "Hollow" as Desperate Journalist's Shades of Gray debut song and video. I hope you find the curious storyline that is underscored by an intense, rhythm-driven, deeply melodic song that has that end-of-the-20th century sound that's been filtered through a 2010s aesthetic as entertaining as I do.

Especially since I intend this to be the first of several appearances by Desperate Journalist at this blog.

Hollow (2015)
Starring: Holly Hall and Desperate Journalist
Director: Jason Weidner
Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

Monday, June 5, 2023

Musical Monday with Boxing Mammas!


This week, we have not just one but TWO music videos to kick off the work-week. Both are versions of "Mamma Said Knock You Out" (a song I like mostly due to a number of spoof versions a friend came up with, such as "Mamma's Gonna Bail You Out" and "Mamma's Gonna Whore About").

I feel like this is the first time where cover-version master Leo Moracchioli has missed the mark; he's made the song his own, but he hasn't made it any better nor more interesting. But why don't you take a listen to both and share YOUR opinions in comment section below?