Weekend fun time

Hey everyone. I have two things for you this weekend, both are by The Cure.

Here's a mashup of The Cure "A Forest" and Fisherspooners "Just Let Go"
click to listen, right click to save

"Just a forest"

And as promised, here's the video for Lullaby.

I'm taking a couple of days off, so I'm not going to post until Tuesday after American Idol. Thanks for visiting, and have a great weekend.

HEY, WHERE DID THE VIDEO GO?

Well, I took it off, as I do at the beginning of every week. Stop by on Saturday for another video offering.

A special message from Eric (click to play)

Thompson Twins powers, activate!

I'm going to end '80s week by showing off something cool from my collection. I used to be a big fan of the Thompson Twins, that wacky trio from Britain that spawned the international hits "Hold Me Now," "Doctor Doctor," and "Lay Your Hands On Me."
Back when they were popular, and records were still around, I found these (this photo is by Sam Castro). They are special edition singles of "Lay Your Hands On Me" in the shape of puzzle pieces that, when connected, make the Thompson Twins logo.
I originally found them at the Musicland (now Sam Goody) in the mall near where I grew up, along with a couple of other cool picture discs. But I didn't buy them right away, so when I returned to get them - they were long gone.
About ten years ago, I was in a used record store in Milwaukee (I'm pretty sure it was called Sonic Boom and I'm equally sure the store no longer exists) and there it was in the T section.
The entire three-record set, unplayed, in plastic, for $10.
Needless to say, I didn't pass it up again.
These records have never been touched by a needle, amd then never will. They are probably worth nothing, except I think they are pretty cool.
I still pop a Thompson Twins disc in on occasion, but I am not as fond of them as I used to be. The trio of Alannah Currie, Tom Bailey and Joe Leway became a duo after Leway left before the 88 release fo "Close to the Bone."
Bailey and Currie released several more records as the Thompson Twins, before forming the dub group Babble.
The two were also married for several years, but (according to Wikipedia) they have since divorced. Bailey still records under the name International Observer.

Listen to the Thompson Twins (click to listen/right click to save)

"If You Were Here" (from Side Kicks)

Listen to International Observer

"London"

Rubik's Revenge

This is actually a funny 80s story. Like many kids, I begged for - and received- a Rubik's Cube for Christmas. Not an actual Rubik's Cube, but one of the many puzzle cubes sold at the time. (this is it in this picture taken by Sam Castro at the Press - thanks Sam). When I mixed it up, my dad said he would give me a couple of bucks if I solved it. I thought, 'hey, a couple of bucks would be nice.' There was only one problem, I couldn't solve the thing to save my life. I tried everything. I turned the left side clockwise. I turned the top side topwise. I could solve two, maybe three sides, and that was it. Then I started thinking. You know, I bet they had to put this thing together, and if they put it together it can be taken apart and put back together in the right order. So I cracked the thing open, put the pieces back in their right order and ta daa, puzzle solved. I collected my winnings...but then my dad found out how I "solved" the cube, and demanded his money back. I eventually got a book on solving the Rubik's Cube, and solved it legit. I even got a couple of bucks from my dad for doing it. He still brings the cube incident up. And I still maintain that I did solve it. Back then it may have been the wrong way, but today they call it thinking outside of the box.

Bye Bye Kellie

Who called this one? I did. Kellie, who warmed the hearts of millions of Americans with her bubbly charm, failed to wow anyone with her performance Tuesday night. I liked Kellie, but after tanking two weeks in a row, it was her time to leave. So long Kellie. Did anyone catch the theme of next week's show?

Another first record story

This isn’t my story, but I think it’s pretty cool. My wife told me the first record she ever bought was by Joan Jett. She and a friend took a long bus ride to the music store to get it. She was thrilled to hear a woman play rock and roll.
As it would happen, two years ago Joan Jett was playing a show at the Oneida Bingo and Casino in Green Bay with Pat Benatar. I gave my wife tickets for the show.
At the time, I was an entertainment reporter, and I interviewed Jett’s longtime collaborator Kenny Laguna for an article. When the interview was done, he said that we should stop by and say ‘hi’ before the show.
An hour before Joan Jett and The Blackhearts took the stage my wife and I were sitting in Joan Jett’s trailer. We were talking with Kenny about his life on the road with Joan, and some of the music he was into at the time. Joan was in back getting her voice ready. She had a cold.
Joan came out and introduced herself, squabbled with Kenny for a little bit, and then went back to work. Kenny got a call about 15 minutes before the show. He was talking on his cell, Joan was screaming in back, and my wife leaned toward me and whispered ‘this is so cool.’
We watched the show from backstage — which I have to admit was really amazing — and we left after two Pat Benatar songs.
But this is what makes the story interesting. A couple months later, my wife was at a point where she was wondering what to do with her career.
She stopped at a coffee shop and the person behind the counter was wearing a T-shirt that said “What would Joan Jett Do?”
Having witnessed it firsthand she knew exactly what Joan Jett would do. She would get things done her way, tell Kenny to get off her back, and rock out harder than hard. Two weeks later, my wife quit her job and started her own business.
And it all started with a bus ride to the music store. Do you see how important your first record is?

Ummmm.

What was that?
Four of the contestants forgot to bring it to American Idol tonight, including two of it's most solid performers. Katharine and Taylor tanked. What were they thinking?
Geez, act like you want it. To be fair, they both just picked the wrong song, but there's only a couple of weeks left. Here's the rule. Whitney Houston songs are out of the running. That's like the star of a WB sitcom giving Shakespeare a try. It ain't gonna work.
And then there's Kellie. This was the second week in a row Ms. Sall-mon blew it big time. Paris was forgettable.
Chris and Elliot were the only ones who went for it. Elliot worked it out. Chris, as much as I hate to say this, kicked it up a notch. A whole notch.
Bottom three. Katharine, Kellie and Paris - with Taylor as an alternate for Paris. I think this week, Kellie is going to get pickled (I've been waiting to use that one).
Now that I have your attention, are there any women in the music business anymore. American Idol certainly has used a lot of men this season to guide the contestants. A female artist would be nice. (Shakira doesn't count because she only performed.)
A lot of women have albums they would like to promote. Why not get one of them? It's nice to see that Stevie Wonder and a few members of Queen are still alive, but is one woman too much to ask for?
Cathy Dennis isn't doing anything (except living off of the residuals from the American Idol theme and "All Night Long (Touch Me)." Cat Power would be good. Heck, even Ashlee Simpson would have been fine - she could have told the contestants what not to do.
Well, maybe next week.

Why Can’t I Be You?

The first time I heard the modern rock band The Cure, I laughed. I thought it was a joke.
The Cure’s lead singer, Robert Smith — who wore makeup and teased up his long black hair — had the whiniest voice I had ever heard.
At the time I was to listening to a lot of British pop bands, heavy on the synthesizers and over production, so The Cure was an oddity.
A friend of mine in high school, I think his name was Richard, made me a copy of “Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me.” He told me it was one of the best tapes had ever heard.
Needless to say, my first impression was not has high as his. But over the next month or so, I started to listen to it more. While it was strange sounding, both vocally and musically, there was a sonic quality to it that was undeniable.
The tape spawned a few hits, including “Why Can’t I Be You?” and “Just Like Heaven,” and hearing those songs on the radio probably helped nurture the group’s appeal.
During my senior year, I bought a lot of Cure tapes (again with the tapes—scroll down). Like locusts, The Cure took over my music collection. I can now even say that I may have gotten a little obsessed with The Cure, not an unhealthy obsession, but an obsession nonetheless.
I stopped listening to The Cure around the turn of the century. The band, which has been around since the late 1970s, got geezeritis —that special time in a rock band’s life when they should just hang it up.
But, when I got my iPod, I loaded all of my Cure CDs into iTunes, and started rediscovering The Cure. They really had some solid music, especially on “Disintegration” from 1989 and “Head on the Door” from 1985.
The band is still making music, and they released an impressive self-titled CD in 2004 (produced by Ross Robinson who also worked with Korn and Limp Bizkit).
I no longer have that taped copy of “Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me,” but I have the whole CD loaded on my iPod. It rocks. So much for first impressions.

Listen to an acousic version of "Just Like Heaven"
click to listen, right click to save

Let there be '80s

The year was 1984. I was getting ready to go into the eighth grade, and I was standing in the aisle in K-Mart looking at Huey Lewis and the News’ “Sports.”
I had been listening to music for about a year, but I had yet to buy my first cassette (I didn’t own a record player, so a cassette would have to do).
I had decided that “Sports” would be my first purchase.
In the months leading up to my purchase, several options went through my head. I could by the new Billy Joel tape, or Michael Jackon’s “Thriller,” or Cyndy Lauper’s “She’s So Unusual” or the Thompson Twins' “Into the Gap.”
Huey Lewis won. There were four songs I had heard and liked on the tape, and I was sure I would like them all.
The tape cost $4.44 on sale and it came in this strange plastic theft-prevention case. I remember listening to it over and over and over again on a mono Panasonic tape player, the same tape recorder I would hold up to the radio speaker and tape music with—constantly hoping and praying no one would speak and ruin the song.
This tape, “Picture This,” was recorded earlier, and purchase several months after I bought “Sports.” To be honest, I still thought I had “Sports” in my case of tapes.
Until the late 1990s, I bought a lot of tapes. In fact, at one time I had probably two copy-paper boxes filled with them. But, around 1998, I went through this anti-nostalgia phase. It was at that time I started getting rid of my tapes.
I sold some, gave some away, and threw out more than a few. I still had “Sports” in 2001, which was the last time I listened to it. It had lost its appeal, and during one of my many moves, it disappeared.
“Picture This” is the only Huey Lewis and the News tape I have left. I don’t listen to it (in fact I no longer have a tape player), and I can’t say I still like Huey Lewis’ unique blend of bar rock and pop.
But Huey Lewis is where my appreciation for modern music began. It was the beginning. I am going to get another copy of “Sports” and hold onto it this time. Until then, “Picture This” will have to do.


Click here to listen to "The Heart of Rock n' Roll" from "Sports" (you will need a Real Audio Player).

Kelly Clarkson mashups

Hey everybody. I had these on earlier, but I couldn't get the links to work right. But they are now up and running. They are two mashups by Aggro1 of Kelly Clarkson's "Walk Away." They are really cool.
Don't forget to check out the other stuff I posted this morning. And check back in the evening for something else.

Kelly Clarkson vs. Van Halen "I'll wait (for you to) Walk Away"

Kelly Clarkson vs. Junkie XL "Walk Away Today"

It's the weekend!!! Happy happy, joy joy

It's 9 a.m. on a Saturday morning and I'm staring at my computer screen. I can already tell it's going to be a good day! Not just because it's Earth Day, a true Wisconsin holiday, it's going to be good day because I have some really cool stuff for you guys!

First of all, I am jamming out right now to one of the best Internet radio stations I have found - The Mix 24-7 (Click Here to go there). Right now the station is playing dance music with just a hint of jazz. The music is upbeat, and non-stop. It's awesome! I highly recommend checking it out. I have to warn you Windows users, I could not get the station to work with the Windows Media Player, but it works great with iTunes (which all of you should have anyway because it's the best program to organize your music).
I am putting a permanent link to The Mix 24-7 on the right side of my blog.


And for you remix fans, I have two mashups from Team9.
(click to listen - right click to save)

The Killers vs Corey Hart "Somebody told me to wear my sunglasses at night"

The Pixies vs Britney Spears "Me against the Monkey"

The future's so bright

Hey, I know we’ve been talking a lot about American Idol this week, so for those of you non-fans who keep checking back ... disappointed ... I’ve got some big plans for this weekend and next week.

First of all, I’ll be posting some really cool stuff on Saturday — a couple songs, a link to one of the best online radio stations I’ve found, and maybe even another music video.

And next week, it’s ‘80s week. Not like that happy-go-lucky VH1 “I Love The ‘80s” stuff, the real 1980s. I’ve pulled some cool stuff out of my closet, and I’ll be showing it off next week.

Of course, on Tuesday and Wednesday we may have a little coverage of that American Idol show, so for those of you fans out there, I’ve got you covered!

Have a great weekend!!!!

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

Boy, did I snooze on this one

I don’t know how I missed this one, but Taylor Hicks, one of the five finalists on American Idol, already has several CDs out. His first CD, “In Your Time” is currently unavailable according to the online music store Laser’s Edge (I did a quick search and found a copy on eBay going for $200), but Laser's Edge has plenty of copies of Taylor's second CD, “Under the Radar.”

Wanna hear it? Of course you do.

Well, you can buy it by following this link to Laser’s Edge.

Or, if you can’t wait that long...

Here are three MP3s posted by National Public Radio station WBHM in Birmingham, AL. Click on links to listen or right-click to save.

Hell of a Day

Heart and Soul

Soul Thing

Ace...has left the building

Well, I don't know what to say. I'm just, so happy.
Ace, the Constantine Maroulis of this year's American Idol, is gone. America ... it's about time!
Now, I could go into some long treatise about how Ace shouldn’t have been in the top 10 and had the personality of a walnut, but I’m not going to.
I’m not here to do that.
Well, maybe just a little.
I don’t know what bugged me more about Ace — maybe it was the slightly off-key falsetto, or his utter lack of a personality, or his pretty-boy looks, or that hat thing he wore, or the way he buttoned his shirt and wore shoes — but something irked me about him from the start.
What really irritated me was seeing Madisa, Kevin and Bucky leave before Ace. Ace brought nothing to a TALENT competition. Talent people! And America finally got fed up with him. The proof of that was Kellie totally tanked Tuesday night, and Ace was sent home! Kellie was in the top three, and Ace was sent home.
(Say it with me one more time) Ace was sent home.
Well, that’s enough out of me. Thank you America. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Defending American Idol

Before American Idol hit the airwaves in 2002, I was against it. Reality TV was at the height of its popularity, and I was sick of it. Idol sounded like a bad idea.
I skipped out on the first few episodes, which was easy because I was working second shift at the time. But then I had a night off. I flipped around the stations, and Idol was the least objectionable program on. I watched, and wasn’t immediately impressed.
The hosts, Ryan Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman, were annoying, Simon Cowell was a pompous jerk, Randy Jackson said ‘aeieet’ too often for my taste, and - was that Paula Abdul, boy I wondered what happened to her.
But the contestants were really giving it their all. I became a regular viewer, and remain one to this day.
So what is the appeal of American Idol? For me, it’s like minor league baseball.
When you watch a major league baseball game, what do you see? For the casual viewer like myself, who isn’t obsessed with the statistics of the game, I see a bunch of overpaid players, who have nice contracts and no need to show a little hustle.
In the minors, players dive for the ball, throw it as hard as they can, and push themselves to the limit. They are trying to get noticed so they too can have a shot at the big leagues. The minor leagues are what baseball should be—a fun game to watch.
The music industry is the same. After watching performers like Oasis, the Spice Girls, Hole, Smashing Pumpkins, the boy bands, the teen girls, and so on, I was becoming bored with the music industry. Musicians weren’t trying anymore.
Idol, whether you like it or not, was just what the industry needed. It allowed us to have a personal connection with these emerging artists.
We got to hear their stories, like how Kelly Clarkson moved to California for her shot at stardom, only to return home with her tail between her legs.
We saw Justin Guarini shamelessly flirt with Paula.
We watched in horror as early favorite Tamyra Gray was voted off after one bad performance. For the casual fans, who were used to having ‘hot new’ artists thrown at them from out of nowhere, Idol was an entirely new experience. We had a hand in creating a pop star.
Kelly Clarkson is still my American Idol, and I don’t care what anybody thinks about that. Clarkson rocks. She has two great CDs under her belt, and she is a solid performer.
None of the other Idol winners — Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, and Carrie Underwood, runners up — Clay Aiken, Diana DeGarmo, Bo Bice, or this year’s contestants hold a candle to her, and probably never will.
Idol is still an interesting show, but it’s not as good as it was. The talent pool is becoming depleted, and the format is slowly getting stale.
But Idol is still an important show, especially to the casual fan who want's to connect with music.
It's like watching VH1’s Behind the Music, before the music has had a chance to happen.

American Idol Sucks?

I was just having a lively discussion with Nhia Yang, who writes the Nhia's Niche Blog for the press, and she said, and I quote, "American Idol sucks."
"What?" I said - like I was Lil' Jon.
First of all, American Idol does not suck, it rocks. Rocking is the opposite of sucking in the music world.
Where else can you watch two weeks of people hilariously failing, and then three months of young, talented people fighting for the top? And more importantly, viewers get to vote for their American Idol (Don't vote for Ace!).
I will be the first to admit that American Idol isn't as good now as it was the first year, but it still rocks. Nhia said she likes CSI because it's "educational."
Here, let me describe the next episode of CSI.
Investigators enter a crime scene. They find bodily fluids. Through the miracle of modern science they solve the crime. End it with a smart comment (possibly a jab on society) and that's a wrap, roll the credits.
Crime shows are this decade's sitcom, minus the laugh track.
But American Idol, now that's a show. You never know what's going to happen!
You don't know if Randy will say a performer was "pitchy" or they "worked it out." You don't know if Paula will do an above-the-head clap or an arms-fully-extended-in-front-like-a-seal clap. And you don't know if Simon is going to agree with the other judges or not.
It's all up in the air.
So, here's where we need you to settle this. Tell us: Does American Idol suck or does it rock?

The Simpson Movie teaser trailer

Oh My God!!!!! This is going to be HUGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Click Here (Quicktime only)

Click Here (Windows and Quicktime via Yahoo! )

Photo courtesy of Fox and The Simpsons.

Scary Movie 4 has record-breaking weekend

The horror movie spoof "Scary Movie 4" isn’t frightening off audiences. The comedy starring Anna Faris and Leslie Nielsen grossed $41 million at the box office this weekend according to estimates, more than double the second-place film, “Ice Age 2: The Meltdown,” which pulled in another $20 million to bring it’s three-week total to $147 million.
The Scary total finished slightly under "Scary Movie 3," which pulled in $48 million in 2003, but managed to beat “Panic Room” (2002) for the best Easter Weekend opening. The other major opening last weekend was Disney’s “The Wild.” It finished in fourth place under geek-sports comedy “The Benchwarmers,” grossing a mere $9.6 million. With a budget of around $80 million, it’s going to take a lot of DVD sales for Disney to make its money back on this one.
Next weekend, "Scary Movie" will be up against the American Idol-esque "American Dreamz" starring Hugh Grant and Mandy Moore, the thriller "The Sentinel" starring Michael Douglas and Kiefer Sutherland and the scary looking “Silent Hill” starring Radha Mitchell.

Photo of Anna Faris in courtesy of Dimension Films.

Thanks for stopping by this weekend

I promised you I'd put some crazy stuff on the blog this weekend, and this is the pièce de résistance. Let me introduce you to the mashup. Some of you have done your homework and know that a mashup is a song that's created when a DJ takes the music of two distinct artists and mashes the works together. The most famous mashups were done by DJ Danger Mouse who created "The Grey Album" by taking The Beatles "White Album" and mashing it Jay-Z's "The Black Album." The result was an amazing experience. Of course, this set off flurry of lawsuits (even though Danger Mouse's CD has never been sold), but it also sparked an interest among DJs all across the world.
This mashup, which combines No Doubt's "Hella Good" was done by Washington DC based DJ Solcofn. Enjoy, and I'll be back on Monday. Happy Easter.

"The Groove is Hella Good"

10 things I can’t believe!

I can’t believe Disney didn’t stop production on “The Wild” after DreamWorks released the incredibly similar “Madagascar” last year.
I can’t believe what "South Park" continues to get away with (but I’m happy for it).
I can’t believe gossip shows are still jammering about Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’ baby.
I can’t believe Tom Cruise left Nicole Kidman! (I’m just never going to understand this one).
I can’t believe people can’t believe it’s not butter.
I can’t believe Ace is still on American Idol.
I can’t believe Guns N’ Roses’ Greatest Hits CD, released two years ago, has sold over two million copies when the band only had three CDs.
I can’t believe “Law and Order” (“Conviction” is just “Law and Order” part 4)
I can’t believe it took ABC, CBS and FCC, which fined the networks for indecency. read here.
And ... I can’t believe how much Matt Lauer get paid (a reported $15 million a year each) ... to read and talk.

Movie Trivia!!!!

This question appeared on the Internet Movie Database the other day, and I thought it was kind of a stumper.
What was the first movie to have an official Web site?
Do you know? Well do ya? If you do, post your answer as a comment. I'll tell you the answer on Monday! Plus keep checking Mad Mad Media all weekend for more craziness!
-Eric

Scary Movie 4

This weekend, the Scary Movie franchise returns to theaters. Scary Movie 4, which again stars Anna Faris and Regina Hall (the only two who have been in all four films) with Leslie Nielson, Craig Bierko, Simon Rex, Dr. Phil and Shaq, looks funny, especially if you’ve seen “Saw,” “The Grudge,” “Brokeback Mountain,” “The Village,” and “War of the Worlds” (and probably about 50 other movies that will be referenced). Milwaukee-born director David Zucker (of “Naked Gun” fame) took over the series after the Wayans Brothers abandoned it in 2001. I’m guessing this film will end up on top this weekend's box office (Disney’s “The Wild” is also opening, but it looks like a stinker). One thing you won’t have to guess about is that the people watching Scary Movie 4 won’t have to think about it a whole heck of a lot. This ain’t no "Citizen Kane." Hey, if you see it this weekend, drop a comment and tell me what you think!

Photo courtesy of Dimension Films.

Boy, is it nice outside

I don't know if you've noticed this, but it's beautiful outside. If you're sitting at a computer right now, stop it. Go to the beach, go for a walk, get outside...now! I'll put plenty of mad mad stuff on the blog the weekend so you have something to do when it starts to rain. But for now, get outside and do something constructive!

Bucky's gone, and Ace has got to go!

OK. Parents, I need you sit down with your kids tonight and talk to them about something important. They need to stop voting for Ace! We all know Bucky wasn’t going to be crowned American Idol, but he was much better than Ace! Tons better. The way I see it, the only people who are voting for Ace are teens who think he’s cute (and Colorado, but we can’t do anything about them). Parents, on Monday, when your kids do that one thing that angers you ... you know what it is, that thing that you always let slide because it’s Monday and you’re tired ... ground them from the phone! Just until Wednesday morning. That’s all we need. Without the teen vote, Ace is going home! With the teen vote, the next one going home could be Taylor. We wouldn’t want that now, would we?

Photo courtesy of American Idol.

Nelly Furtado's new track

She's like a bird. She turned off the light. And now she's back. Nelly Furtado's new CD, "Loose," will hit stores on June 20. But you don't have to wait that long to hear one of the new songs from it.

Ms. Furtado has been nice enough to post "No Hay Igual" on her Web site. The spanish language dance track is a jam and a half. The song should load up right away when you get to the site. Check it out!

This photo is courtesy of Nelly Furtado and Geffen Records.

Idol-ing the engine

The music of Queen, that’s what the remaining eight American Idol contestants had to work with last night. To quote Randy Jackson, the night was pitchy. Kellie looked like a zombie, but she did a pretty good job with “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Bucky, Katharine and Paris didn’t do too bad either, but boy did Chris tank. I don’t want to call him a one trick pony, but that pony has only got one trick. Ace, once again, bombed. “We Will Rock You,” good choice Ace (this line was written dripping with of sarcasm). Taylor rocked the house, but I kind of have to agree with Simon Cowell - he looked drunk. Elliot passed, but was it enough to make it next week? My prediction for this weeks bottom three is Ace, Paris and Elliot, and I think Ace will be performing his swan song tonight. Tune in at 7:30 p.m. for a special 1-hour American Idol, which will more than likely boil down to 15 minutes of show and 45 minutes of Ford commercials.

Photo courtesy of American Idol.

Proof killed in nightclub

The Associated Press is reporting that Proof, a member of rap group D12 and a close friend of rapper Eminem, was shot to death Tuesday.
Police told reporters Proof, 32, was shot while he was inside a small bar after an argument escalated into gunshots.
Two men were shot in the incident. The other victim lived.
Proof, whose real name Deshaun Holton, formed D12 with Eminem in the mid-1990s. Though not as successful as the multi-platinum selling Eminem, D12 did have a sizeable following as was signed to Interscope Records.
Proof also had a small role in Eminem's 2002 award-winning film, 8 Mile.

Photo courtesy of Associated Press. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

The Sounds are coming

One of my favorite indie groups, The Sounds, will be playing at The Rave in Milwaukee on Saturday, April 22, at 7 p.m.
The Swedish pop-rock import combines influences from the Missing Persons and The Donnas, with just a dash of Blondie and The Cars, to make one incredible sound.
I tell ya, it gives that old ‘80s vibe a much-needed kick in the head! But I can sit here all day and tell you how good The Sounds are, or you can hear them and judge for yourself.
The group has several songs from its two New Line Records releases online (click here). Check them out and let me know what you think.The Milwaukee show is all ages, and tickets are $13 each (plus any applicable charges). Action Action are opening the show.

Photo courtesy of The Sounds and New Line Records

Hot Dog that's good

I ended up watching the Food Network this weekend, because Ham on the Street, hosted by George Duran, was doing a show on hot dogs. I love hot dogs. In fact, my wife refers to our second trip to New York as a whirlwind tour of hot dogs since we ate them just about every day (the best were from Nathan’s on Coney Island). While all of that is interesting, Duran had a recipe for Venezuelan-style hot dogs. Now I’ve eaten Chicago style dogs, New York style, Cleveland style, chilidogs, Coney Dogs in Milwaukee, angus beef hot dogs from Usinger's and turkey dogs, I had never heard of Venezuelan-style hot dogs.
I made them, and they are out of this world!
Here’s how. Start with ingredients. You’ll need hot dogs and buns (we used Oscar Meyer Beef Franks and store brand buns), green cabbage (uncooked), a medium onion (uncooked) and a bag of plain potato chips (regular of ruffled), ketchup, mayo and yellow mustard (all three should be in squeeze bottles).
Start by boiling the dogs and steaming the buns. Finely chop some green cabbage and an onion (you can use a food processor, but keep the two ingredients separate). Crush some potato chips (you’ll need about two or three large spoonfuls for each dog).
Put the dogs in the buns. Take a large spoonful of cabbage and run it down one side of the dog. Take a spoonful of onions and run it down the other side. Take two or three large spoonfuls of potato chips and layer them on top of the dogs. For the finishing touch, put a stripe of ketchup, a stripe of mustard and a stripe of mayo on top of the chips.
Eat. I have to say, this is probably the best hot dog recipe I have ever eaten!
If you try them, let me know what you think about them. Enjoy.

Ham on the Street airs regularly on Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. central on the Food Network.
Photo courtesy of the Food Network and The E. W. Scripps Company.

Sarah Sharp, simply one of the best

Last fall, my wife and I had the pleasure of seeing Sarah Sharp perform at a house concert in Appleton (thanks again John and Janell for the invite!). I first heard Sarah when I was reviewing music for another newspaper. We were a small paper so record companies weren't exactly breaking down our door to give us music, which is what they do with larger newspapers and magazines - in fact, large newspapers and magazines get so much stuff they usually review only a few discs and give away or throw out the rest. Everything we got we reviewed. I would find music by going to Ice Magazine and listening to Internet radio stations, seeing what the new releases were, and finding a track or two from the ones that sounded interesting it on the Internet (usually at the artist’s Web site or on Amazon). If I liked it, I would request it from company and sometimes, if I asked nice enough, they would send it to me.
That was the case with Sarah Sharp. I heard the first single “Run” off of her debut, “Fourth Person,” and instantly I connected with it. Her voice was delicate, the music was eerie, and it fell into what many refer to as the perfect song. Red Distribution sent me her disc, and it put it into heavy rotation in my collection (and gave it a great review). It’s an amazing disc.
In fact, I ended up buying her disc (even though I already had it) at her show in Appleton.
When Sharp performed, it was just her and her guitarist. The show was intimate, and she talked about her songs, how she writes a lot of them late at night in a little coffee shop in Austin, Tx. We talked with her for a while in the kitchen. She was totally cool, really laid back (like a lot of her music). Her husband, Andy, is a fan of horror movies and “Red Dwarf,” so I ended up talking to him more.
Wow, did I get off of the subject. Sharp hasn’t released anything since “Fourth Person” (though she was being courted by Capitol Records) and she doesn’t make it to Wisconsin too often. “Fourth Person” is worth checking out.

Here’s a link to her song “Run” posted by the online PR firm Sonicbids.

Cover courtesy of Sharp and Red Distribution. Photo by Mark Knight, design by Kevin Ryan.

Films this weekend

Looking for a movie to see this weekend? We have four opening up in the area.
"Benchwarmers" a little league comedy starring David Spade and Jon Heder (rated PG-13), the dancing drama "Take the Lead" starring Antonio Banderas-who is also hosting Saturday Night Live this weekend (PG-13) , "Lucky Number Slevin" - a case of mistaken identity starring Lucy Liu and Josh Hartnet (Rated R), and "Phat Girlz" a plus-sized comedy starring Monique 'Mo'Nique' Imes.
All four are playing at the Sheboygan Marcus Theater.
And if you venture out to see any of these films, log onto Mad Mad Media and let us know what you think about them.
Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures

South Park wins Peabody

South Park, the Comedy Central cartoon that prides itself on offending just about everyone, has won the prestigious Peabody Award.
For 65 years, the Peabodys have recognized outstanding works exhibiting excellence, distinguished achievement, and meritorious service by radio and television networks, stations, cable television organizations, producing organizations, and individuals.
The University of Georgia’s Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, who present them, called South Park the “boldest, most politically incorrect satirical series.”When asked for a comment, series regular Eric Cartman said “&*@#%)$) Sweet!”

Photo courtesy of South ParkStudios and Comedy Central.

Idol Shock, Part 2.

So, I had to work again last night, so I missed American Idol. Needless to say I was in SHOCK when I found out who went home. Mandisa? That girl's got some pipes! Why not ACE. I guess we can't vote against someone, but people...please...tell the kids to stop voting for the Pretty Boy party! Goodbye Mandisa...we hardly knew thee.

Photo courtesy of American Idol. Download this image and more here.

Mac users of the world...unite and take over

The end is near. This week Apple introduced Boot Camp, a program that will allow new Macs with the Intel chip to run in either Apple OSX or Windows XP. With this, I think Apple is poised to begin their takeover of the home computer market. Why? Macs have always been more user friendly, but because of a lack of software developers (Macs only had 1 or 2 percent of the home computer market share) Windows-based computers have dominated the marked. While Windows had software giants in their corner, making games, word processing programs and business applications, Mac concentraited on things real people use their home computers for ... surfing the Internet, watching movies, listening to music, and sharing pictures ... and creating software to bring out the artist and musician in everyone ... specifically iLife. Things began to shift when Apple introduced the iPod and iTunes (two of the greatest inventions known to man). Windows music software on the other hand left something to be desired. Now that Macs can run Windows, oh boy! It's like peanut butter and chocolate baby. Two great tastes that taste great together!
Photo courtesy of Apple.

Welcome...Again

Nobody was more surprised than me to see my big head in The Sheboygan Press and on the Web site today. For the two or three of you curious enough to visit Mad Mad Media, I say welcome!
Allow myself to introduce ... myself. My name is Eric LaRose, and I’m a media junkie. I love movies, American Idol, music, my iPod and surfing the net on my Mac.
I will be writing about all of these things (and more) as often as I can. Also, when I hear anything about movies, concerts or events coming to the area, I’ll let you know about them. As you can see, I've already gotten a head start.
Feel free to comment on anything I write, but keep it clean. And thanks for stopping by. Also, be sure to check out the other Sheboygan Press blogs! So tune in, turn on, and blog out!

Idol shock!

So. We had this thing called a general election last night, so my normal work duties forced me to miss American Idol. I was able to see some of it on my lunchbreak, but since I didn't see all of it, I will not be making any predictions on who will be taking the walk of shame. (I still hope it's Ace) The two performances I did see that I liked were Kellie (who was in her element singing country songs) and Katharine. But I just can't hold my tongue on one thing (or maybe my fingers because I'm typing this; not saying it). What is up with Kenny Rogers? I couldn't tell if he got plastic surgery or botox or both, but he looked wickedly weird! Now, I understand it hurts to get older, especially when you see your face on TV and you know everyone sees you that way, but Kenny Rogers? Kenny, your act wasn't about being young. It was about being The Gambler, and the Coward of the County, and selling chicken. And what about the chicken, Kenny? What about the chicken?
Tune in tonight to see who goes home, and remember check out the American Idol Web site for more information on the show. You too can download this picture of Simon Cowell. You can just feel him cutting you down right now can't you?

Basic Instinct Flops...Ice Age Rocks

So, in an amazing stroke of luck...I was right. Basic Instinct flopped like a fish on the deck. The $70 million sequel pulled in a whopping 3.2 million, barely beating the gross-out comedy "Larry The Cable Guy: Health Inspector." No big shock. Also, in from the "anyone could have seen that coming" file, "Ice Age 2: The Meltdown" came in on top of the box, pulling in $68 million. That's a lot of green!
Two other new releases, the urban drama ATL and the James Gunn directed horror-comedy Slither, managed to both end up in the top ten, with ATL grossing $11.5 mil. and Slither grossing $3.8 mil.
Next week, Ice Age should be getting some competition from Disney's The Wild and Scary Movie 4.