Sir Mix-a-Lot raps his infamous hit, backed by an orchestra

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Ah, Sir Mix-a-Lot. You wrote a song that has given adolescents to grind for 20 years. You’ve been banned by MTV. You coined the phrase “little in the middle but you’ve got much back.” And now, with your collaboration with the Seattle Symphony, your cult status continues to burn brightly. Continue reading

The ultimate mashup? 56 songs of 2013 in 10 minutes

When a new year arrives, there’s always a tendency to revisit the year that’s ending.  There’s all sorts of ways to do this, from the fun to the serious, but I think Robin Skouteris‘ mashup, featuring more than 50 pop songs from 2013, not only shows the tenor of pop music this year, but expertly blends songs that don’t on the surface seem like they should match together. Continue reading

Creating a used marketplace for digital?

One of the great things about the printed word, the vinyl record, or even the CD, was that the item always retained some sort of value. The fact that you owned that item meant you could also sell that item, and the proliferation of options to buy used books, CDs, or even hunting through a stack of vinyl at a flea market had its moments of joy. Continue reading

Nicole Westbrook is back…

The girl who brought us “It’s Thanksgiving” (produced by Patrice Wilson, the guy who also brought us such gems as Rebecca Black’s “Friday”) is back with a song not nearly as gimmicky, “Smile.”  It’s fine as a pop song but doesn’t really have the same redeeming sing-along factor as “Mashed Potatoes… EY!” so I doubt this will catch on to the same level.  But hey, gotta keep plowing ahead (and actually, I suspect Westbrook probably can sing relatively well without all the vocal effects).  “It’s Thanksgiving” embedded after the jump: Continue reading

Christmas Present: Fitz and the Tantrums’ “Santa Stole My Lady”

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Our last Christmas Present of the year is the first recommendation to come from a Facebook friend and co-worker, Ashley, who shared some of her own selections with me recently and, added bonus, they were made available as free downloads this season.  Of them, I love most her recommendation of a 2010 track from Fitz and the Tantrums, “Santa Stole My Lady.” Continue reading