Taste the (unofficial) beginning of summer!

Here's a snip of "Taste the Summer" from Andy's last show with Duran (boo!! Bring Andy back!)to celebrate the unofficial start of summer this weekend (at least here in the U.S.). It's a little Blair Witchy in the jiggle department, so you might want to take a Dramamine first!

Really, Pussycat Doll?...Really?

Oh my, have I got one for you today. I have to admit, when I first read the headline Glisten Up: A Pussycat Doll Waxes Brazilian, I thought it was going to be about getting a Brazilian wax. At least we don't have a bad anthem to smooth girlie parts, but we do have a really soulless cover of "Rio" performed by former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger, celebrating "the spirit of Brazil" (as well as Caress body products).

Now, I don't hate Ms. Scherzinger. In fact, I think she's got a good voice, and I thought the PC Dolls had their moments of catchiness (though substance was not their strong point. Pop music doesn't, after all, have to be brain surgery).

But this just sucks. It's rare I dislike anything this much, but this is right up there with coconut and the smell of poop for me.

Jimmy McCrackle's "Secret Oktober" in the middle of May.

When I released Glue: A Tribute to the Music of Duran Duran back in 1999, I got a lot of crap over having too many versions of a couple of the same songs on the CD. I get you, BUT, there are some songs that are just FAN FAVORITES. "The Chauffeur" is one, as is "Secret Oktober". Little known fact: I could have produced whole CDs of covers of just these two songs, from the submissions I got!

Here is another great version of "Secret Oktober", from someone who I only know on YouTube as Jimmy McCrackle. Jimmy, feel free to give me a myspace link or anything else you'd like to promote yourself, so my readers can check you out!

I really like this version, not just because it's a clear, acoustic cover that really proves what a great song this is (I <3 those the most), but it's shot in a really creative way that most cover songs on YouTube aren't. It also contains a little tidbit of another Duran song at the end...you KNOW you know what it is! Comment to him and get your free Duran points (I heard they're good for at least a high quality Nick Rhodes lean-in in a fan photo).

Duran Duran and Friends

Apparently Duran's latest shows have more cameo appearances lately than a rock'n'roll episode of The Love Boat. Enjoy both of these recent drive-by Charo'ings:

From the 1990's, we have Billy Corgan! w00t!



And from this decade, the lovely and talented, The Killers!



Note to the band: if you really want to play with a young band that wears your influence proudly, drop by Kansas City on June 5 at The Record Bar during KKFI's benefit organized by the lovely Sunshine (of the Retro Red-eye Express persuasion), and jam with Post Orgasmic Trauma! You never know what Duran song may come up...

(Oh, and here's the Love Boat opening, as an added bonus. Can you imagine a cruise with Halston and MacLean Stevenson? How sick and wrong! I'd spend the whole night with Gloria Vanderbilt trying to get the goods on her son.)

Pygar died!

I just read here that John Phillip Law, who portrayed Pygar in Barbarella (the origin of Dr. Duran Duran, as if all of you don't already know that), has passed away at age 70.

Pygar was 70?! Man I feel old.

Let's celebrate the life of one out there character, shall we?

Andy Taylor is the coolest person...ever.

Like, cooler than Gandhi. Ok, I might be pushing it, BUT, Gandhi never had a hand in creating a very musician AND music fan friendly music site. Check out Andy's page here (You can check MY page out, too to hear some new stuff).

Harsh, even for me!

This post on Best Week Ever has inspired today's postings...

Now, I'm not one to hold back from poking fun at LeBon, but Judd Hirsch?? Not the first comparison I would have made. My call would have been half Malcolm McDowell back in the day, half Bob Keeshan. Still love you, Simon!

Boo!

Nothing bums me out more (ok, a few things do, but they're pretty bad) than realizing that some of the lovely YouTube experiences I've posted here over the months are no longer available on YouTube. Thus, when you visit the older posts, you can't really see what I'm snarking at. As much as I like to snark, I have to admit that it's an anticlimactic experience to not get the video that accompanies it. Dear readers, for this reason, I will do my best to try to relocate in the coming weeks some of the old footage I've already posted, as well as keep the fresh content coming.

Here's a little nugget to tied you over for now, a live version of "Box Full o' Honey", one of my favorite Red Carpet Massacre tracks, but arguably one of the worst LeBon titles on record.

Tv. Vs. Radio. Vs. YouTube.

I really love this song, and I still think it's a shame that it wasn't on Astronaut. I've referenced Teknosapian before as one hell of a video maker, and he delivers here yet again.

Puttin' on the HitZ.

It's lip sync day! And a day of many videos, since I have been so remiss in posting lately.

First, I must be so late to the party that I'm stuck cleaning up empty wine glasses, but apparently there was a Duran-sponsored lip sync contest back in January. Here was the winner:



Then we have a classic Duran lip sync performance, which has Simon launching the microphone into oblivion at about 3:53 as a slap in the face to all who think lip syncing must be in any way realistic (including JT, who finds Si a new mic, but sacrifices his own bass sync performance to do it):



It all just makes me long for the days of Puttin' on the Hits. How were Alan Fawcett's teeth so white, before whitening was invented??

Whiskey A Go-Go?

Here's a Japanese ad for Suntory Whiskey from the 80's. If we only knew then that they endorsed whiskey drinks, we all could have saved ourselves Stoli hangovers!

Congrats to Herbie!

Congrats to the prolific Herbie Hancock for his Grammy win the other night! See what how successful you can be if you collaborate with Arcadia? If you want a Grammy recap, check out my other music blog!

I wish I could have found a Duran/Herbie-related video, but I couldn't even find Herbie's hosting stint on Rock School (am I going to have to dig out my VHS tapes and upload it myself, people?!?). Instead, I bring you a cool clip of Nile Rodgers and the trimmed down '86 version of Duran, talking about Notorious.

It's Super Tuesday...you know what's coming.

It's Super Tuesday here in the U.S., and you know any sort of election-related day is going to be celebrated here with some "Election Day" footage. It's just the way it has to be! I didn't make the rules, people, but I will uphold them.

Today's clip is an outstanding (and by outstanding I mean contrived, pretentious, and all kinds of other words Nick Rhodes probably uses before breakfast) "Making of Election Day" video. This "Making of..." is so great, they really should have done a "Making of..." the "Making of...".



Not enough "Election Day"? You can hear Eric Alexandrakis' version on Bangs...Sounds of the 80's (the goth/electropop version)!

Put on your time machine headphones!

Ever get the urge to listen to Duran playing Madison Square Gardens in '84 for free? Check out this link! Special thanks to my friend Harold for the link.