Pace Hi

Clintonville, Ohio

The Cardigans - I Need Some Fine Wine And You, You Need To Be Nicer

Mural

Hudson St.
Columbus, Ohio

Hot Chip - Colours

Outlet Center

Clintonville, Ohio

Lily Allen - Nan You're A Window Shopper

They're Cutters

Clintonville, Ohio

Scissor Sisters - -I Can't Decide

Peep Shows 25¢

Dayton, Ohio

Beck - Sexx Laws

Goodyear

downtown Columbus, Ohio

Michael Buble - Come Fly With Me

GTE/Verizon

GTE (Verizon) Building
Marion, Ohio

The Servant - Cells

Lions

London, Ohio

The White Stripes - My Doorbell

Area 51

Port Columbus International
Columbus, Ohio

Sacred Harp Singers At Liberty Church - I'm Going Home

Music - Here's To Love, Ewan McGregor & Renee Zellweger

For those unfamiliar with it, the movie Down With Love is an homage to sixties sex comedies, two in particular. Pillow Talk's the one everyone seems to mention, but the plot's been lifted pretty much entirely from Sex And The Single Girl.

The soundtrack is entirely worth buying, but the two standout tracks are the opening theme, "Down With Love" by Michael Buble' & Holly Palmer, and the closing theme, "Here's To Love," by the stars of the movie.

"Here's To Love" is full of alcoholic double-entendre. The lyrics are certainly cute, and everything about the song comes off like the producers intended; it seems exactly as though it's the real theme to a real sixties sex comedy. McGregor & Zellweger are adorable in it, and the music's dead-on perfect. My only complaint is that the lyrics could be just a little crisper, a little less nonsensical.

But I love it anyway -- it's light and bubbly and sweet, and if it's not perfect, it's still fun.

Cheers!

Ewan McGregor & Renee Zellweger - Here's To Love

Music - Idina Menzel & Kristin Chenowith, What Is This Feeling?

So a couple of weeks ago, I read Gregory Maguire's Wicked, the "true story" of the Wicked Witch of the West. Whose name, and she does have one, thankyouverymuch, is Elphaba. Elphie to her friends. I'm a straight female, but I think I fell a little in love with Elphie. I think it's the dry, blunt, no-bullshit tone of voice.

Such a good book. I haven't read anything this enjoyable in a long time. Ok, so I haven't read much in general lately. Shut up, you.

So anyway, after reading that, I had a very hard time imagining how anyone could possibly put together a Broadway musical from it. For one thing, it's a little dark. For another, I had a hard time envisioning where the hell the musical numbers could be wedged in. I got my hands on the soundtrack and gave it a listen, and the music's not bad. I mean, most of the things I don't like about musicals are there in full force (at least there's a blessed lack of Andrew Lloyd Webber!) , but still, the songs are enjoyable. In fact, I admit, I spent an entire day listening to it on repeat.

It seems like the big showstopper number that everyone loves is "Defying Gravity," which is okay, but I'm not in love with it or anything. No, for me, the real standout song is "What Is This Feeling?" Elphie & her brand new college roommate, Galinda (the future Glinda, the Good Witch), sing it upon their first meeting. (One of my favorite authors, Dorothy Parker, hated Billie Burke, who played Glinda in the "The Wizard of Oz." I imagine she'd be amused by the portrayal of Glinda in Wicked -- the musical, if not the book-- as ditzy.) Anyway, while Elphaba & Glinda end up dear friends, they get off to a rocky start, as this song demonstrates.

Galinda: What is this feeling, so sudden and new?
Elphaba: I felt the moment I laid eyes on you
Galinda: My pulse is rushing
Elphaba: My head is reeling
Galinda: My face is flushing
Both:
What is this feeling?
Fervid as a flame
Does it have a name?
Yes...
Loathing
Unadulterated loathing
Galinda: For your face...
Elphaba: Your voice
Galinda: Your clothing!

It's not only highly amusing (Galinda, for God's sake, calls her parents "Momsie and Popsicle"), it is also the catchiest song on the soundtrack by far, and the vocals (Idina Menzel as Elphaba, and Kristin Chenowith as Galinda/Glinda) are great.

Read the book, listen to the soundtrack, whatever. It's all good.

Idina Menzel & Kristin Chenowith - What Is This Feeling?

Music - Jonathan Coulton, Skullcrusher Mountain

Jonathan Coulton is an interesting guy. He has an unusual business model going on at his website, and since he's registered at eventful.com, you can even put in your request to have him come do a concert in your area.

Why would you want to do that? I'll tell you. Because he's a good singer, songwriter and musician, and because he has a sense of humor. You will be entertained.

Take, for instance, "Skullcrusher Mountain." It's sung from the point of view of a mad scientist, talking to the woman he thinks he could love, if she'd only relax and learn to open her heart to him. And why shouldn't she? If only because the mountain is covered with wolves.

It contains what may be the finest verse of any song ever written. Consider:

I made this half-pony half-monkey monster to please you
But I get the feeling that you don't like it
What's with all the screaming?
You like monkeys
You like ponies
Maybe you don't like monsters so much
Maybe I used too many monkeys
Isn't it enough to know that I ruined a pony making a gift for you?

Jonathan Coulton - Skullcrusher Mountain

Music - The Pipettes, Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me/Pull Shapes/ABC

So I finally get around to posting Pipettes songs, which is a little belated of me. Still, the CD's not due out til either July 17 or the 20th, depending, so I suppose I still have a tiny bit of a jump.


The Pipettes are a throwback to the days of Phil Spector-produced girl groups; they sing delightfully poppy, hand-clappy music, they wear darling polka-dot dresses, and they visually quote "Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls" verbatim in their video for "Pull Shapes." They are perfect in every way.

Every song I've heard from them (and as every other blogger out there has beaten me to the punch featuring them, I've heard many) is cotton candy in digital form.

If you're in England, you can go here and get Pull Shapes on CD and a pair of Pipettes sunglasses for £7.99. Also white vinyl 7" singles. And the full CD shown here, We Are The Pipettes for £9.99. And I am bitterly jealous of you.

If you're not in England, you can order here, of course, but as it's an import and damn expensive, perhaps it's more worth your while to order through Recordstore and get the sunglasses.

Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me

Pull Shapes

ABC

Music - Natasha Bedingfield, These Words

This song is magic crack. You will hear it and be hooked instantly. You will play it again and again, and if you should have never heard it before, you will, in the future, identify it strongly with this summer, for it's one of those summery pop songs. You know, the silly ones that the first few notes of will take you back, all the way back.

That said, silly it is. Good God, but the lyrics are horrific. Yes, I have an English degree, and that makes me a little pickier than average, but come on. The premise is that she can't come up with decent lyrics for a song she's writing.

You're not kidding us, Natasha. Dear God in Heaven, I wrote better shitty poetry in high school. But not by much, which should tell you all something.

Read some Byron, Shelly and Keats
Recited it over a Hip-Hop beat
I'm having trouble saying what I mean
With dead poets and drum machines

How very ... very. How too too.

Nonetheless, her voice and the music create such a sunshiny little song, you may find yourself obsessed for a while. She may not be able to write lyrics, but she's capable of all the other pop music requirements in spades.

Don't hate me if it gets stuck in your head. Just do what I do; love it, sing along with it until whatever verse you hate the most comes along, cringe and fall silent, then begin singing again afterward.

Natasha Bedingfield - These Words

Music - Geri Halliwell, Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps

Once again I post with a Doris Day cover. Once again, the cover is much better than the original. I keep this up and no one will believe me when I say how much I adore her. Poor Doris.

But really, the reason I post these is because they're excellent. These songs have to be to be better than Doris's versions.

I'm inclined to think Miss Former Ginger Spice does good work anyway, but her version of Doris Day's "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps" (from her 1963 album Latin For Lovers), is part bubbly Doris homage & part ABBA homage, with a little bit of disco thrown in.

Geri's 2000 CD single "Bag It Up" includes "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps" and a cover of Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'." The latter is, of course, not quite up to Nancy's, (but then, I consider that one of nature's perfect pop songs) but millions of miles better than that damn Jessica Simpson's. Get your hands on this CD single if you can.

Geri Halliwell - Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps

Music - Harry Connick, Jr. & Kelli O'Hara, There Once Was A Man

You may have heard that Harry Connick, Jr. just finished his run in The Pajama Game on Broadway. You may know more than you ever wished to know about him, if you know me in real life.

The cast album's been out for a couple of months, but since it hasn't been pimped enough in the popular media, as far as I'm concerned, I will do my teeny tiny bit to help the cause.

Listen, I very much love Doris Day, but I have the soundtrack from the movie version in which she starred, and as cute as it can be, it's not as polished or vocally impressive as the revival. If you really really like the movie, go get Harry On Broadway, Act. 1, which includes Pajama Game's soundtrack.

To whet your interest, I will provide both versions of "There Once Was A Man."

John Raitt & Doris Day - There Once Was A Man

Harry Connick, Jr. & Kelli O'Hara - There Once Was A Man

Music - Lily Allen, Not Big

Lily Allen - Not Big

"Not Big," by cute little English girl Lily Allen, is a poppy, boppy little ball of fluff that will take you forever to get out of your head, and the lyrics will be stuck in there, resulting in your wandering around singing this absently everywhere you go for days.

Which is really unfortunate, because the song is cruel. And hilariously filthy. You see, the poor narrator of the song got broken up with, and rather coolly begins listing all the ways in which the guy was a big sexual zero, and the hurtful ways in which she intends to get back at him. Publicly.

Sample lyrics:

I can see it in your face as you break it to me gently that you really must think you're great
Let's see how you feel in a couple of weeks when I work my way through your mates

And the chorus:

I never wanted it to end up this way
You've only got yourself to blame
I'm gonna tell the world you're rubbish in bed now
And that you're small in the game

If you do nothing else this week to put a smile on your face, download this and have a good laugh. If you like it, you could go to her MySpace page and download four more songs ("Smile" is also quite good) or you could go here and watch some video or check out tour dates. You can also go here to buy the CD, "Alright Still" -- it'll be released July 20.

Music - Elvis Presley, A Little Less Conversation

From the CD "Elvis: 30 #1 Hits"

It's Elvis, but it's not Elvis. That is to say, it's Elvis, but it's remixy and danceable and modern. You'll shake your ass, you'll grow addicted, you'll listen to it over and over.

Elvis? If you really are still alive somewhere, you need to come back and do a whole album like this. Pretty much any producer would be happy to work with you.

Besides, he uses the word "satisfactioning" with a straight face and it works. It really must be heard to be believed.

Elvis - A Little Less Conversation

Music - Fatboy Slim, Wonderful Night

From the 2004 album "Palookaville." (Buy)

You know how sometimes you need to haul ass when you're trying to get something done, and it helps if you have a brisk, fun soundtrack for it? This song is always on my personal Ass Hauling soundtrack. Especially if I have a lot of typing to do; it always bumps up my WPM.

It has an unusual sound all its own. I'm not sure what genre you'd narrow it down to, if you felt driven to do such a thing. Alt funk? And the lyrics are fun -- light and inconsequential, but smart & a challenge to sing along to.

If you're wondering, it sounds nothing like "Praise You." Which I also like, but not as much as this.

Take it & have yourself a Wonderful Night.

Music - Nelly Furtado, Maneater

So I'm a little late discovering this one, but better late than never. This is catchy, poppy dance music and highly addictive. Thank God I never signed up for Last.fm so you cannot see how many times I've played this recently.

Nelly Furtado - Maneater

Buy the CD:"Loose"