‘Video’ archiveCommercial Madness: Marvin Gaye Puts the Pressure on the US Basketball TeamThis commercial for the United States basketball team is incredible. It features Marvin Gaye’s version of the Star Spangled Banner mixed in with video of the US Team getting ready to reclaim gold in Beijing. Frankly, it doesn’t get any better than this. I bow to you almighty Nike. Unfortunately I could not find an MP3 of Gaye’s performance - if someone has it, please share!
David Byrne & Brian Eno Release “Everything That Happens Will Happen Today”Today, David Byrne and Brian Eno announced the release of their new album, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today. The release marks the first time the two have collaborated since 1981’s My Life in the Bush of Ghosts. The album is currently only available through their website, which also features a free download of the single “Strange Overtones.” You can stream the entire album in the player above. Track list:
Commercial Madness: Chevy Malibu and Oren LavieIn my opinion, this commercial is kind of creepy. But still, I have to hand it to Chevy and other car companies for spending some serious cash on song selection. This whole Commercial Madness series would be pretty boring without them. Enjoy the peaceful stylings of Oren Lavie’s “Her Morning Elegance” in this commercial for Chevy’s Malibu. MP3:Oren Lavie - “Her Morning Elegance”Lewis Black, Sarah Silverman in Bay Area Next Month
We all love live music, but live comedy is really one of the most underrated ways to spend an evening. Yeah, the shows are short, but like the late, great Mitch Hedberg said, “As a headliner, I gotta do 45 minutes of comedy. That’s a long time – that’s a sitcom and a half.” If you’ve never seen a good comic live, there’s two great chances to pop that cherry in September. Both Lewis Black (of “The Daily Show” and “The Root Of All Evil”) and Sarah Silverman (”The Sarah Silverman Show”) are going to perform in the Bay Area: Black at Zellerbach Hall at UC Berkeley on Sept. 20 and Silverman at the Nob Hill Masonic Auditorium in San Francisco on Sept. 7. (Yes, I just linked to Ticketmaster twice – pretty sure I’m now going to hell.) Both have different styles, but are equally effective. Black is in-your-face political humor (”Sept. 11 was a national tragedy – unless you’re a deaf and blind pig, you know this. But, as soon as it happened, everyone – everyone – had that one little moment where they went, ‘Oh. Well that really fucks up my plans.’”), while Silverman hides seriously blue humor beneath a thin good-girl act (”I was raped by a doctor. … Which is so bittersweet for a Jewish girl.”). Check out both after the jump, and check them out when they’re in town. Jose Cuervo Air Guitar Finals TOMORROW!What else do you have to do on a Friday night besides watch the Jose Cuervo Air Guitar Finals at The Grand Ballroom in San Francisco? If you said nothing, you’re correct. The top 25 air guitarists will compete for a spot to represent the U.S. in the 2008 World Championships in Finland.
Where: The Grand Ballroom (1290 Sutter at Van Ness) When: Friday, August 8 @ 7:30 PM Radiohead Does Cool Stuff Pt. XLVIIAs with seemingly everything they do, Radiohead have always pushed the limits with videos for their music – check out the video for “Knives Out,” directed by Michel Gondry (who directed “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and “Dave Chapelle’s Block Party”), or “No Surprises” which is straight creepy. The group’s new (-ish, it was released a couple weeks ago) video for “House of Cards” isn’t so much inventive in story or structure, but in technique – it’s done entirely without cameras. Radiohead - “House of Cards”
As they mention, its a new process and the video is more jaw-dropping because of context, rather than content, but still very cool stuff. Commercial Madness: Nike Football “Leave Nothing”I know, I know. But this Nike commercial is badass and it has that Last of the Mohicans song in it. You know, THAT song. MP3:Randy Edelman & Trevor Jones - PromentoryCommercial Madness: Sir Mix-a-Lot Likes Big BackpacksBackpacks from Target, that is. Can it be? Wait for it… Yup it is. An actual remix of “Baby Got Back” by Sir Mix-a-Lot for a 2007 Target ad. (And don’t think I forgot about that Two Sheds rumor. Still couldn’t find it.) MP3:Sir Mix-a-Lot - Baby Got BackCommercial Madness: Look What the Cat Dragged In
As stated in previous posts, I’ve begin to hunt by artist in an effort to prove that no one is safe from the sellout. NO ONE. I will not rest until my task is complete (or until our capitalist economy crushes under its own weight). Anyways, back in the day, Cat Power was featured in not one, but two commercials: a very uplifting Cingular commercial (ahhhh… cellular love) and an extremely powerful diamond ad in which all us men get the point: she won’t love you until you purchase some ice. Interestingly, both songs are covers. The Cingular commercial features “Hanging on the Telephone,” originally by The Nerves and made famous by Blondie (from Parallel Lines). Cat Steven’s “How Can I Tell You” was the focus of DeBeers’ ad. It’s Time for CampaigningThis has little to do with music, but is based on Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are a-Changin’” and therefore fair game. Plus, it’s awesome. You may remember JibJab from its presidential election parody in 2004. Well, they’re back, and hold on, because it’s pretty sweet. |
