Author: David Medsker (Page 41 of 59)

Friday Video – Lollapalooza rock block: White Lies, Foster the People, Muse

August 5, 2011 / David Medsker

Usually at this time on the first Friday in August, we’re in Chicago’s Grant Park, soaking up the sun (or, in 2009, a lot of rain) and tunes galore at Lollapalooza. This year, well, we’re not there. Don’t ask, as it’s still a sore subject, but we will tell you that it has something to do with a cat, bungee cables, string cheese, and a bread maker. The gag order prohibits us from saying another word.

Strangely, the lineup is looking better and better now that we’re not going, though once again they scheduled several of our must-see bands against each other (Coldplay, Muse and Girl Talk at the same time? Really?). One band we’d like to get a second look at is White Lies, a pasty London trio who released an iffy EP a couple years ago, but opened their new album Ritual with one killer alt-dance rock groove called “Is Love.” Give it a moment to breathe, and when the second chorus hits, get out your air guitars.

Next up: Foster the People, another unfortunately named band (all of the good ones, apparently, are taken) who absorbed every note of MGMT’s Oracular Spectacular as if it were the sun. To their credit, the best moments on their debut album out-do MGMT’s last album without breaking a sweat. “Pumped Up Kicks” is getting the airplay, but it’s second single “Houdini” that had us at the opening kick drum.

Which brings us to one of Friday’s headliners – come to think of it, all three of these bands are playing on Friday, which shows that Lolla once again front-loaded the festival, making it impossible to see everyone, or even half of everyone, you paid $220 to see – and one absolute must-see in concert: Muse. Lolla regulars know this already, since they headlined three years ago, but lest anyone be thinking of catching Coldplay, also a dynamic live band, the decision between the two is an easy one. Of course, the fact that anyone would have to choose between the two – one of these bands should be playing opposite Eminem. End of story – is just silly, but such is life. (Note: we wanted to go with the live version of “Stockholm Syndrome” here, but the damn thing isn’t embeddable, ugh.)

Happy Lolla, everyone. Don’t get too fried. Also, don’t get sunburned.

Music, Videos

Foster the People Friday Videos Happy Hour Lollapalooza Muse video of the week White Lies

Friday Video – INXS with Jimmy Barnes, “Good Times”

July 29, 2011 / David Medsker

Our friends at Popdose – which is the ‘editorial we’ way of saying this writer is involved – are assembling a list of the best cover versions of a song ever recorded. The submissions were a curious bunch, to be sure. From the looks of things, any song that is sung by someone other than the person who wrote it is eligible. This was good in that it opened up songs like “The Air That I Breathe” from the Hollies for consideration, as well as Nancy Sinatra’s Quentin Tarantino-endorsed version of “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down).” Who knew that song was written by Cher?

Image courtesy of thetelegraph.com.au

As we were culling our favorites from the list, though, there was one staggering omission, and that is “Good Times,” INXS and Jimmy Barnes’ smoking hot remake of a tune by the Easybeats (yep, the “Friday on My Mind” guys, which gives us an idea for another Friday Video piece). Recorded for the soundtrack to “The Lost Boys,” which featured quite a few covers, though only half of which hit the mark (Echo and the Bunnymen nailed “People Are Strange,” while Tina Turner saxman Tim Cappello had difficulty making the Call’s “I Still Believe” his own), “Good Times” didn’t crack the US Top 40, but it didn’t miss by much, peaking at #47. (The band would score a #1 hit a few months later with “Need You Tonight.”) Listen to it now, though. Damn, what were we listening to that prevented this from being a smash? You know what, don’t answer that. It’s better that those artists remain forgotten.

Parting shot: “Good Times” was co-written by George Young, the older brother of AC/DC’s Angus and Malcolm Young. Nice.

Music, Videos

AC/DC Easybeats Friday Videos Good Times Happy Hour INXS Jimmy Barnes The Lost Boys video of the week

Friday Video – Slade, “Run Runaway”

July 22, 2011 / David Medsker

The opening drums might be faker than 60% of Posh Spice’s body, and sadly you’ll have to look elsewhere to hear them, because they were cut off of this upload, but hot damn, does this song still sound cool to us now. Not every rock song made it out of the ’80s alive. Most of Tom Werman’s productions, in particular, sound hollow and dated, and when a friend played a homemade best of Dokken he had made, the question that kept popping into our heads was, “Didn’t we just hear this song?” Ah, but “Run Runaway” still sounds awesome today. Huge power chords, those chugging synthetic drums, the fiddle, the chain gang backing vocals…love, love, love. The clip the band shot, though, is just silly, with lead singer Noddy Holder just making goofy faces at the camera for a good 10 seconds straight. Imagine Michael Bay or McG putting a shot like that in a video. The urge to hyper-edit will surely consume them.

All right, so maybe this isn’t a video to watch, but rather to listen to. And remember, Quiet Riot’s biggest hit was written by these guys, which would explain why the band went back to the Slade well for their next album by covering “Mama Weer All Crazee Now.” (That one didn’t work out so well, peaking at #51.) Happy Friday, everyone. Rock on.

Music, Videos

Friday Videos Happy Hour Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply Noddy Holder Quiet Riot Run Runaway Slade video of the week

The kings of hot roast beef play it cool this summer, and just in time

July 20, 2011 / David Medsker

Is it silly that we are offered all kinds of nifty perks in the entertainment field, yet the one thing that gets us really excited is when someone asks us to write about food. (There’s a statement in there somewhere about the declining importance of music and film in the lives of the drivers of present day pop culture, but that’s a conversation for another day.) Our latest subject happens to be a restaurant we frequent quite, um, frequently. Get your pirate accents ready, kids, because we’re going to Arrrrrrrrrby’s.

From the looks of things at the store, they do not need much help from us in promoting the Angus Cool Deli sandwich, because two of the three people in line after us ordered the same thing. Clearly, it’s catching on, and we can see why. It’s Angus beef – there’s just something about that word Angus that makes something that much more awesome – and with the Italian dressing and banana peppers, it definitely hits the spot, especially as temperatures soar across the country. For those looking to cut down on the fat count (hey, guys have to watch their carbs, too), if you get the Cool Deli Sandwich and hold the mayo, you’ll save 19 grams of fat. Strangely, you’ll only save 10 grams if you get the wrap. They must use less mayo on those.

Check back with Bullz-Eye for your chance to win a $20 gift card to Arby’s and try the Angus Cool Deli sandwich for yourself. Until then, we leave you with one of our favorite silly sketches from “Saturday Night Live”: the pirate convention. Enjoy.

Food & Drink

Angus Cool Deli Sandwich Arby's

Friday Video – Tears for Fears, “The Working Hour”

July 15, 2011 / David Medsker

Friday Video is on vacation this week. Of course, by the time you read this, I will be back from vacation, but still on vacation. Big, big car trip in my future, and when I think of being in the car for a long period of time, I think of driving music. And when I think of driving music, I immediately think of one band: Tears for Fears.

It’s still mind-boggling to think that Tears for Fears were one of the biggest bands of the ’80s. Not because they didn’t deserve it – because they absolutely did – but because they had nothing in common with the other big-name acts. In a world where every female between the ages of 15 and 30 dressed like Madonna and guys listened to Ratt, how did these two shy boys from Bath dominate the pop charts? It’s one of those rare happy accidents. Or perhaps it goes back to my original point, which is that Songs from the Big Chair is one of the greatest driving albums of all time. Three of the four songs from its first side hit the US charts (two of which went to #1), but it’s the non-hit “The Working Hour” that really gets us going. It’s not a particularly happy song – the band were frustrated with how they had become a machine, which is why Roland Orzabal says in the chorus “we are paid by those who learn by our mistakes” – but you’d be wise to keep the car on cruise control when the drums hit, or you’re likely to put the pedal to the floor. See you next week.