French Blonde

You may remember my post from a few months back about Deal Casino.  Since then, they have released a full length album that still transports me to a different place.  This past Wednesday they released a video for the NPR Tiny Desk Contest, featuring an unreleased song, "French Blonde," that is nothing short of a musical masterpiece.

Review of Deal Casino's EP

I like comparing new music to old to help paint a better picture of what I think a band was trying to achieve.  I have to say, though, that Deal Casino is a band that I have a hard time doing that with, mainly because of how original and creative their music is.  Their self-titled debut featured elements of classic rock, including '70s harmonies and a rich guitar presence.  While they are keeping their roots evident in this song, you immediately feel a sense of evolution and maturity.  Like most alternative rock bands, they are starting to become more experimental with different vocal and instrumental styles and techniques.  The spoken words in the verses, the pedal on the bass, and the added effects throughout the track all bind together in a way that I have never seen (or heard for that matter) before in any song.  While hearing things like this might get some people thinking that this song is an acquired taste, it's not.  Anyone with an appreciation at all for the art involved in music will find their own individual love for "French Blonde."

[Video:  Deal Casino, YouTube]

Lyrically, "French Blonde" is very unique from what they have released in the past.  The spoken words in the beginning and the rhyme schemes feel as if a Charles Bukowski poem has come to life:

I'm a dead animal

You're used to seeing my guts

You just pass me on the street

And drive right over me

While you're puttin' on...your makeup

I'm the next holiday

I'm your team, down by 6

I'm all your meals at once

A French blonde at Sunday brunch

They're strange (not in a bad way at all), yet oddly charming and intriguing, so you want to keep listening--something that Deal Casino has landed several times before...just never like this...and it's incredible.

I'm going to leave you off here, since I want you to enjoy this unreleased track for yourself.  Comment down below with your thoughts!

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Do You Want to Build a Boy Band?

I have my internet back!!  WOOHOO!!!

So, my friend Amelia from Twitter showed me a video a friend of hers showed her.  Let me just say that I fell in love... with a Disney prince (Prince Eric to be exact).

The boy band IM5 and singer Todrick Hall (you may know him from American Idol) created these "Disney Dudez" videos.  Each member of IM5 portrays a Disney prince, while Todrick Hall plays Mickey.

In the first video, Ariel, Cinderella, Belle, Mulan, and Jasmine break-up with their princes.  Mickey the Janitor walks in and tells them, "Hey, why not form a boy band?"  Each song they sing is to a hit like "ABC" by Jackson 5 and "What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction.

[Source:  YouTube]

In video two, Prince Charming leaves the Disney Dudez.  I would take that as the actual boy left the actual band IM5.  Because he leaves, they hold auditions for a new member (this video's my favorite).

[Source:  YouTube]

In the third video, fame has gone to the heads of the princes and their girls are not happy.  The Disney Dudez need to get their acts together.

[Source:  YouTube]

Anyway, I think these videos are so clever and the boys sound amazing together.  

You can purchase the songs "Disney Dudez 2" and "Disney Dudez 3" on iTunes, as well as IM5's new song "Heartless."  Todrick is currently on a nationwide tour and you can purchase his songs on iTunes, too.  Check out Todrick on Twitter here and IM5 on Twitter here.

Christmas in Hollis

Merry Christmas!  It has been a little hectic the past two days so I haven't been on.  Look forward to my post tomorrow - it goes along with one of my Christmas presents!  But I do not want to keep you completely hanging, so I'll give you a little something.  I guess you could say it's your Christmas present from me!

Here is the music video to Run-D.M.C.'s "Christmas in Hollis."  Enjoy and have a very Merry Christmas!!

[Source:  YouTube]

Hot N Cold

I don't think I have ever spoken about Katy Perry on my blog.  So in honor of the beautiful singer, I'll give you all of her music videos.  Yeah, all of them.  Really.

Roar

Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)

Part Of Me

Unconditionally

Hot N Cold

The One That Got Away

Thinking Of You

Wide Awake

E.T.

Firework

Teenage Dream

I Kissed A Girl

I really hope I got them all.  All of her videos aren't on her Vevo on YouTube.

All credit goes to YouTube and the channels used.

Grim Grinning Ghosts

I thought I'd refer back to those Disney Sing-Along Song videos I used to watch.  In the Halloween one I spoke of earlier this month, there is this song called "Grim Grinning Ghosts" that a few Disney villains sing on the front lawn of Haunted Mansion Disneyland.

When you're young, you find a lot of things frightening, and this was one of them.  But, since music has always been the love of my life, I did quite enjoy it.

[Source:  YouTube / Disney]

It is not necessarily the song that is creepy, I think it is the creepy characters.  I mean, Disney chose the scariest villains like the Big Bad Wolf.  Just look at him!  Does anyone else feel like he is going to eat you?!  That tongue, though.

So, I'll be out tomorrow night, considering it's Halloween, so I won't promise that I'll post.  If I do not, then HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

So Close

So I remember hearing Jennette McCurdy's song "So Close" in 2009 on YouTube when it first came out.  I had no idea she could sing so well!

The song is country and she really sounds amazing in it.  Here's a video [Source:  YouTube]:

I literally have not listened to the song in years and I have no idea what made me think of listening to it the other day, but I did and I forgot how amazing it actually is.  Her voice is absolutely flawless and her range is incredible as well.  Job well done, Jennette.

Wrecking Ball

I have been a fan of Miley Cyrus since her Hannah Montana days.  It is upsetting to see everything she has recently done, but that will not stop me from buying her new album Bangerz or from even talking about her on my blog.

She has had several music videos in the previous years.  In honor of Miley Cyrus and her, as some would say, "better days," here are her music videos.

We Can't Stop - 2013

Wrecking Ball - 2013

Who Owns My Heart - 2010

Can't Be Tamed - 2010

Party In The U.S.A. - 2009

When I Look At You - 2009

The Climb - 2009

7 Things - 2008

Fly on the Wall - 2008

Start All Over - 2007

Fresh Snips

Marcus Johns and Cody Johns (yes, they are brothers) are two of my favorite people on the famous smartphone app Vine.  They have recently released a comedy song on iTunes entitled "Fresh Snips."  Now, I find the song very funny, but maybe that's just because I am a huge fan.  The song starts off with the eldest brother Cody, I guess you could say, rapping.  He walks into a beauty salon which is where the whole video takes place.  I mean, the whole song is basically them singing about getting their hair cut.  They're comedians so it is supposed to be silly so they're not being serious...well, let's hope.

For those who have a Vine account, other famous viners are found in the video like Curtis LePore and Jason Nash as well as others.  Here's the silly video:

[Credit:  Marcus Johns]

Beauty and a Beat

How can anybody forget about "Bieber Fever"?  His first two albums were very good.  They had a teen-pop sound to them, but the Biebs is growing up.  His most recent album, Believe, which was released this past June, has a very different sound.  He's going for a little bit of a rap/hip-hop sound this time around with featured artists Nicki Minaj, Ludacris, Big Sean, and Drake.  But the one I will be focusing on for now is Nicki Minaj.  Nicki Minaj is one of the biggest female rappers of the current time and has several hits like "Starships" and "Super Bass".  On Bieber's album, she sings with him "Beauty and a Beat", written by famous song-writers Max Martin, Anton Zaslavski, Justin Bieber, Savan Kotecha, and Nicki Minaj (source: wikipedia.com).  The music video for the song was released on October 12 on vevo.com and youtube.com/JustinBieberVEVO.  Here's a look:

Tell me what you think of Bieber's new song compared to his previous songs!