Top 8 Songs: Week Ending March 29, 2008

1. "Soldier," Erykah Badu (New Amerykah, Pt. 1 [4th World War])
2. "The Night Is Young (Acoustic)," Van Hunt (from The Popular Machine--EP)
3. "You Sent Me Flying/Cherry," Amy Winehouse (from Frank)*
4. "One Flight Down," Norah Jones (from Come Away with Me)
5. "Cheap and Cheerful," The Kills (from Midnight Boom)
6. "Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!," Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (from Dig, Lazarus, Dig!)
7. "Toast," Tori Amos (from The Beekeeper)
8. “Cell Block Nine,” New Birth Brass Band (from New Orleans Second Line)

* Songs fused on European version

Name that Voice: Dennis Quaid

Ah, life! Rarely simple, never easy, and always worth trying at least once. It is for these reasons, among others, that it (life) takes Visa. Or so the commercial would have you believe. And I believe it--especially since the voice in the commercials belongs to the hunky, humble, and perennially hot Dennis Quaid.

That's right--Dennis Quaid--who my friend Sosumi and I refer to as "the Quaid." The object of our shared affection, noteworthy for his turns in such films as Great Balls of Fire (...leaving that alone, so should you), Far From Heaven, Postcards from the Edge, and Jaws 3-D, among others. The crowning jewel in my Quaid-inspired desire was his cameo-cum-eye candy appearance in Bonnie Raitt's "Thing Called Love" video.

Somewhere in there, the Quaid's marriage to Meg Ryan fell apart, and she left due to a purported affair with Russell Crowe. The Crow, for chrissakes! You don't leave a hunka-hunka burning Quaid for the Crowe! Brother Randy Quaid, perhaps, but not the Quaid!

But I suppose all works out in the end; He's happily married father of twins, and the son he had with Ryan, whose career took a serious hit for the Crowe liaison.

Notes from Insomnia: March 27, 2008--2:06 AM (EST)

The thing I like most about this clip is the giddy smile that lights her dimpled cheeks as she bashfully introduces the song. It's one of those moments--benchmarks, really--early in a career where the dream becomes a reality that vaguely resembles the dreams of yore.

Flight: from the pain that led her to write the song, to the solitude of songwriting, to the rehearsals required to give it life, to the recording studio, to the completion of the masters, to the marketing plans, photo sessions, and finally--release; to interviews, to finding oneself little under seven months later in the UK studios of AOL at their behest to participate in the popular Sessions series. Hell, I'd be flying, too.

The rest of it is a tale of talent that, when cornered by the microscopic lens of celebrity, morphs into derangement--and a transcontinental trail of blues, booze, drug use, and bad behavior.

I'll play it another thousand times (I'm obsessive like that) and hope the genius and derangement don't do her in.

...Plus Four Equals...Fuck!

I knew when I heard the teaser on Bloomberg TV this morning (which I've since forgotten) that the number of US casualties had broken the 4,000 mark. And yet, I managed to feel sorry for myself and the enforced psychophysical limitations of my postsurgical body...

If ever there was a reality check, the ever-mounting body count would--should--be it.

The (New) Name Game: It Is Risen

I'd been having a bit of an identity crisis regarding this blog. In its first year, the blog featured essays which were supposed to examine/document "the rutted road from aspiration to achievement."

Overwhelmed by the performance anxiety of producing more than one essay a week while temping and editing a novel, I ditched the essay shtick and rolled 'em out in a more random style--with images, YouTube videos and everything! The downside: They infrequently addressed the aforementioned rutted road.

As the third year of blogging rolled around, I was forced to reckon with the reality of the title--which, while illustrating a typical bourgeois dork flamboyance, was simply too damned wordy. It was novel, but even I found my attention waning--in the middle of saying it, even!

During my search for a shorter name, I realized the blog lacked a manifesto--a raisond'être. The fault was my own. In transitioning from the essays, I had failed to address the fact that the blog had long since ditched its original agenda. I wanted to write about popular culture--hell, I lived in Los Angeles, pop's megamall--and yet...my attempts were too far behind the ball to hold any real weight.

I did see a pattern, however; the blog examined random bits of miscellany that held my ever-fleeting Sagittarian curiosity. With that in mind, I resumed the search for a new name:

• Sag-Colored Lenses: I liked the idea, but it read like Sag as in saggy. Not a good look.

• CentaurScopic Vision: Better, but had a little too much of the "Dispatches" arrogance. And really, would you want to remember a title like that?
  

• L Is for Lunatic: A name that seemed amusing and read like one of those children's picture dictionaries. And yet....(shrugs)

• L is for Lenses: This one even made it out of the gate. I had it up for two/three days and grew bored.

• Once upon A Culture: The name appealed to the storyteller and culture junkie in me. But it left a dry, academic taste in my mouth that wouldn't go away.

• Once upon A Lunatic: It spoke directly to my storyteller--as well as my essential self. After toying with the marquee, I was hooked.
  

And so it was--and is: Once upon A Lunatic. I'm still working through my issues with the lowercase preposition thing, but...I'm sure I'll eventually get over it. And really, if that was the biggest crisis in my life, I'd be the recipient of the sweetest life ever...

Top 8 Songs: Week Ending March 22, 2008

1. "Soldier," Erykah Badu (New Amerykah, Pt. 1 [4th World War])
2. "Twinkle," Erykah Badu (New Amerykah, Pt. 1 [4th World War])
3. "Master Teacher," Erykah Badu (New Amerykah, Pt. 1 [4th World War])
4. "When It's Sleepy Time Down South," Louis Armstrong (from Louis Armstrong: All Time Greatest Hits)
5. "When the Saints," Sara Groves (from Tell Me What You Know)
6. "The Night Is Young (Acoustic)," Van Hunt (from The Popular Machine--EP)
7. "Cheap and Cheerful," The Kills (from Midnight Boom)
8. “Walk Like An Egyptian,” The Puppini Sisters (from The Rise and Fall of Ruby Woo)

AmazonMP3's New Music Tuesday: March 18, 2008

I'm no good with Easter songs (are there any?), else I'd sing you a song of hidden eggs... On second thought, that sounds kind of gross. ANYWAY--check it out:

Yeah--anyway, here are this week's goodies:

Single of the Week

• "Yeah - Yeah," The Brian Jonestown Massacre (from My Bloody Underground)

Have a Happy New Music Tuesday, folks.


Blogger's Note: Due to the tangled web that is legal copyright, I am unable to post the MP-spoils of AmazonMP3.com--because I am not authorized by either Amazon or the featured artists.

Top 8 Songs: Week Ending March 15, 2008

1. "The Cell," Erykah Badu (New Amerykah, Pt. 1 [4th World War])
2. "Soldier," Erykah Badu (New Amerykah, Pt. 1 [4th World War])
3. "The Night Is Young (Acoustic)," Van Hunt (from The Popular Machine--EP)
4. "Master Teacher," Erykah Badu (New Amerykah, Pt. 1 [4th World War])
5. "Stranger on the Shore of Love," Stevie Wonder (from In Square Circle)
6. "Mr. Magic (Through the Smoke)," Amy Winehouse (from Frank)
7. "Who Dat Called Da Police," New Birth Brass Band (from New Orleans Second Line)
8. “The Stranger,” Billy Joel (from The Stranger)

Top 8 Songs: Week Ending March 2, 2008

1. "The Night Is Young (Acoustic)," Van Hunt (from The Popular Machine--EP)
2. "Me," Erykah Badu (New Amerykah, Pt. 1 [4th World War])
3. "Sad Sad World [Non LP Track]," Cheryl Crow (from Everyday is A Winding Road [Single])
4. "My People," Erykah Badu (New Amerykah, Pt. 1 [4th World War])
5. "Still in Love Song," The Stills (from Rememberese - EP)*
6. "Baker Baker," Tori Amos (from Under the Pink)
7. "Suite for 20G," James Taylor (from Sweet Baby James)
8. "Orion in the Sky," Shawn Colvin (from Fat City)

* Songs fused on European version

No Paybacks: As the Sharper Image Blurs

You know times are tough when the truth about gift cards makes the news. The Sharper Image's recent bankruptcy meltdown has left gift-card holders with a bitter souvenir--because the cards are worthless. This can't fare well for clients who bought product protection/warranty packages. In a word: OUCH!

And yet...they're having quite the fire sale on their Web site: up to 50% off! Put that bittersweet filter in your ionic breeze and soak it...in.

Top 8 Songs: Week Ending March 1, 2008

1. "The Night Is Young (Acoustic)," Van Hunt (from The Popular Machine--EP)
2. "Honey," Erykah Badu (Digital Single)
3. "Don't Pass On Me," Woods (from At Rear House)
4. "All I Want," Joni Mitchell (from Blue)
5. "You Sent Me Flying/Cherry," Amy Winehouse (from Frank)*
6. "Same Situation," Joni Mitchell (from Court and Spark)
7. "Night Creature," Woods (from At Rear House)
8. "So Far Away," Carole King (from Tapestry)

* Songs fused on European version