Happy Birthday Shirley Jones

It's been a while since I've taken the time to do a birthday post, and since she's family (along with Quincy, James Earl, Rickie Lee, etc.) I figured it was a good opportunity to start.

Shirley is an Oscar winning actress (Elmer Gantry), and starred in some classic movie musicals (Oklahoma, The Music Man, Carousel), and I've never seen any of her movies. Some of you might question my credentials as a homerselectual, but I will point out that I saw Hugh Jackman in The Boy from Oz on Broadway, AND I stayed awake the whole time, and I travelled to another country to see Cher in concert (even if that country is Canada, it still counts). I think Oklahoma probably counts as her biggest movie.


But Elmer Gantry made her an Oscar winner.


[NOTE: In the description of the Elmer Gantry clip it says: "Shirley Jones won an Oscar for playing a manipulative and vengeful hooker in Elmer Gantry." And since everything I know about women, the economy and race relations I know via Rush Limbaugh, I'm pretty sure that sentence translates to "Shirley Jones won an Oscar for playing a typical woman girl in Elmer Gantry."

She's done a little work on Broadway, but only originated 1 role (which is what's required for Tony eligibility), so no Tony love. I'm not finding any Grammy awards or nominations (she and David Cassidy presented a Grammy to the Carpenters back in 1971 or 1972, but that doesn't count toward EGOT either, Liza). I'm actually a little surprised that I'm not finding something, like a traditional pop recording or something from a big band with vocals category (seriously, until this year, they had over 12,000 categories, which makes Liza's lack of a competitive Grammy even sadder... but not as sad as the David Gest marriage).

She has done a little television, receiving a handful of Emmy nominations, and a (cough) Daytime Emmy nomination when she, Phyllis Diller and Martha Stewart all lost to Steve Thomas from This Old House, proving once again that the Daytime Emmys are racist homophobic antisemitic sexist. Of her 3 actual Emmy nominations, 2 are from the past 10 years, and none is from the show.

Appropriate rock band attire

Oh, quick side note. I remember going to watch a rock band a million billion years ago, when I was like 4 or 5, so probably 1993. I'm sure it was not a band anyone would know, and doubt my dad would remember, but let's pretend it was Three Dog Night because, you know, 1993... probably Three Dog Night.  As we saw them in a park in St. Petersburg FL and came and went without tickets, I don't count it as my first rock concert, but I do remember asking my dad why they weren't dressed like rock bands are supposed to.

I don't recall seeing that band's tour bus, but it's likely I would have also asked why Piet Mondrian didn't paint it (assuming he hadn't but one never knows in the dizzying world of "rock and roll" [term applied loosely as the Partridge Family are being discussed]). If you don't get that reference, read a book.

The Partridge Family and The Brady Bunch were Friday nights for, um, people alive back in the early 70s. Or so I've read. Sadly I can't find a clip with Shirley singing "Black Bird" so here's a melange.


Speaking of that pairing of shows, Shirley and Florence Henderson are both these very talented performers who got painted into a corner with those roles. They actually did a two-woman show of Broadway standards back in the day, and occasionally do concerts together (so look for them next time you're in Branson). But since Shirley has an Oscar and Emmy nominations while Florence has a TV Land award, do you think there's any jealousy or spite? Me neither.

Happy birthday cuz! Rock on!

Song of the Day: "Standing Out in the Rain"

I've been meaning to post something from Rycopa since I bought it early last month. Until Chris Wilson mentioned their show I had no idea that the Uncle Green boys (the same way I will always be "little Rich" to uncles and aunts, the now middle-aged men from Uncle Green will always be the Uncle Green boys to me) recently resurrected some thought-to-be lost music.

Details here, a heartwarming tale of loss, adversity and recording technology. Some dude named Peter McDade is mentioned in the article... I wonder if he's related to Pete McDade from the band.

I missed the gig* at Smith's Olde Bar (pronounced Smith's OLD-Y bar). I told all the peeps in my Atlanta office to go, as many of their are into music (I think our procurement department considers record store experience  a requirement of the gig, which is fucking awesome--it's a far cry from working with an avowed Michael Bolton fan), and surprisingly the dude least into music went all fan boy crazy, talking about how "Bellingham" was his song back in high school. A gentle reminder that I am old.

This track is one my favorites, in part because it's a perfect specimen from the catalog: a brilliant 2 minute power pop song. In an ideal world these guys would open for a sober Robert Pollard.

Or at least a less lecherous Matthew Sweet.


Song: "Standing Out in the Rain"
Artist: Uncle Green and/or 3LB. Thrill and/or Uncle Thrill

* My consolation prize, since I didn't make it to Smith's, was the mimosa brunch at the Mexican restaurant in Colorado with Sonya. Bottomless mimosas, chile rellenos, Sonya... did I mention the chile rellenos? Damn that was good.

Song of the Day: "The Wave"

This is the second single from Miike Snow's second album, Happy to You. Apparently it was released a couple of weeks ago, so I am, once again, losing track of bands I dig.

I wonder if the library has it ordered yet (I was thrilled to find they had Six Cups of Rebel already ordered). [UPDATE: it's been ordered, and I'm 5th in line.]

I dig the snare drum. The dudes wield some trippy percussion, in my never-humble opinion. FUN FACT: they won a Grammy as producers of Britney Spears's "Toxic" (which is the Britney Spears song I like).



Song: "The Wave"
Artist: Miike Snow

Song of the Day: "Staircase"

I will never understand Radiohead, so don't expect me to explain.

This is awesome music from a chase scene in some 70s movie.

Admit it.



Song: "Staircase"
Artist: Radiohead

I blame the schools

For Tim McGraw's poor reading comprehension. How else can one confuse my sage career advice "cover Tom Petty" with "cover Lionel Richie"?

See people, THIS is how we end up invading Iraq over "weapons of mass destruction" (FUN FACT: when we rebuilt Iraq, we gave them universal health care!!!!).



On the upside, Tim duets with Lionel on this song, on Lionel's "new" Tuskegee album (it's all Lionel hits, sung as duets with country singers, just like all the other times that's been done, yawn). But it's Tim following my advice on the duets thing, as with NeYo.

Oh, and here's what's really funny: I typed "Kenny Chesney" 3 times before I corrected it. Kenny's on the Lionel album as well, and I guess he's "Always on My Mind" (that's not really an applicable song).

Song of the Day: "Change the Record"

The consensus is that B.o.B. is better than the Lil's (Wayne and Jon), and possibly better than, or is at least on par with, Akon. Melanie Fiona, on the other hand, is well on her way to rocking it. She picked up a Grammy, along with Cee-Lo, a couple months ago, and I've featured her here before (OMG, twice! here and here). She's no Macy Gray or Mary J. Blige, yet, but with enough sun and fertilizer, she could easily be alongside Toni Braxton and Brandy.

It may or may not be spring, and everyone needs a little spring cleaning music, but nothing too intense because, at our age (27, what?) we don't want to get too winded while cleaning. That's just embarrassing.



Song: "Change the Record"
Artist: Melanie Fiona/B.o.B.

Song of the Day: "First of My Kind"

I have like 3 or 4 things I was planning to post--I got the new Weller this morning (continuing my 30 year love affair with the dude's music), I got the new Madonna yesterday (proving again that a little nepotism goes a long way, thanks for nothing Lourdes), and a handful of other stuff that is a hot topic for me, and thus for you, my dedicated reader(s).

But weirdly fucked up is this: I sent myself an email with all releases for next month's Record Store Day (list here). And no matter how many times I open the email, hours later it appears as unopened. It's fucking haunted.

Haunted!

Nibiru! (Or not, still, possible.)

So I'm no fool, and I have decided to say "Hail email overlord!" and do its bidding. Here's a track from Miles Kane and the reason Miles Kane stuck out from a rather large list is that there was some quote from Weller that I saw this morning saying he'd like to work with him (he Weller, him Kane, duh).

And also because someone says this song sounds like he's singing "my cunt." Rock on!

UPDATE: IT DID IT AGAIN!!!! Seriously, I read the email for the 20th time and this afternoon after 3:00 p.m. it was unread again. Spooky.

UPDATE 2: AND AGAIN!!! Seriously, the email is marked as unread at 7:50 p.m.



Song: "First of My Kind"
Artist: Miles Kane

Someone needs a blog...

My big mistake was in not checking with Eric

Here's my pathetic Final Four:

My Final Four

And Eric, who laughed derisively at my brackets, what with me having Davidson advance (DAVIDSON, AS IF!!!!) and who told me to check with him next time, because he knows about such things (he treated me like I was some kind of female: unable to fathom numbers and merely there to look pretty and make coffee), well here's his Final Four:

Eric's Final Four, if you scratch your monitor you can smell the insight

Now if they look suspiciously identical to you, you're probably a girl or you don't understand basketing balls or something. I mean, they look exactly the fucking same to me, but what do I know... Davidson. Turns out the really big difference between my idiot bracket and his super-knowledgeable bracket is that I've been ahead of him pretty much the entire run.

And he's got UNC winning the whole thing.

So if Kentucky beat Louisville, we both get points. And if Kentucky happens to win, I get more points but he does not. In any Final Four scenario, I will have more points.

There is an absolute shitload of topics on which I am clueless, and basketing balls may, in fact, be one of them (it totally is--I have no idea what a point guard does, are the points at risk of escaping?). But if you're gonna criticize me on Davidson, this is where we go.

Song of the Day: "California"

It's easier for me to tell the difference between Delta Spirit and The Duke Spirit what with Duke's sad first round loss in this year's basketing balls convention.

This is Delta Spirit who may not make this year's Final Four of singles (the top 10 list, duh), but they certainly will be invited to the large dance ("big dance" is trademarked, probably, by an event that doesn't even have dancing... sad).



Song: "California"
Artist: Delta Spirit

Song of the Day: "Chapel Song"

The name of the band is We Are Augustines.

So *they* are Augustines and I (and you, probably) are not.

Remember that and things should work out fine.

If they don't, I blame you. Cause I wasn't doing anything to anyone. Just blogging. Some harmless, harmless blogging.


Song: "Chapel Song"
Artist: We Are Augustines