All posts by Chris

About Chris

Chris is a digital producer based in Toronto, but don't worry, he's American. He enjoys karaoke and video games that are old enough to cost under $20. He used to be a master of the pit and live shows but can hardly keep up with anything new nowadays, so he usually goes to his happy place of media from his wayward youth. Chris is still trying to figure out what to be when he grows up.

October Soundtracks: Pump Up the Volume

Music, , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Pump Up The Volume
Pump Up The Volume

Pump Up the Volume
1990
Buy the album on Amazon

Since the theme choice is mine, it means I get to swoop in and do this entry before Lance does, since I know it would be at or near the top of his list as well (which is not to say he might not write his own entry about it). Maybe not the soundtrack to end all soundtracks (though it may just be), but certainly the movie of movies to me, and it’s tough for me to express just how important this movie and soundtrack were to me in my impressionable youth. I’m going to try hard not to write too much about the movie, because some day I’ll write a proper entry about it in the Movies category, but this came out right around the beginning of my freshman year of high school,  when I was just starting to become the MNP person I am today.

Continue reading October Soundtracks: Pump Up the Volume →

Theme of the Month: Soundtracks

Music,

I’ve dropped the ball on the monthly theme the last couple of months. No good excuse, just busy and also sometimes less motivated to make the time for the audience of one (Lance). However, I’m back in it, and with a whopper. This time we’re not just going for a simple song but rather the whole enchilada. That’s right, it’s time for October Soundtracks (I was originally going to post this in September, because September Soundtracks rolled off the tongue much easier, but oh well).

It could be an overall killer soundtrack, a few great songs, or a single song that’s only available on a soundtrack.

To the posts!

Cover Friday: “Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Music, , , , , , ,

Crucify“Smells Like Teen Spirit”
by Tori Amos (originally by Nirvana)
from the album Crucify
1992
Buy the album on Amazon

I had something else totally in mind and was working through what to write, and then I got busy and forgot to post until Lance just reminded me. I’m late for EST and probably Central, but I’m going to make it in Mountain Time. Even though I had already thought through my other choice, this pick just came to me in a flash and seemed like the better choice.

Continue reading Cover Friday: “Smells Like Teen Spirit” →

Karaoke Tuesday: “Jackson”

Music, , , , , , ,

The Essential Johnny Cash“Jackson”
by Johnny Cash with June Carter Cash
from the album The Essential Johnny Cash
1967
Buy the album on Amazon

I can’t remember how or why Lance and I first did this as a duet. I feel like maybe our group was having a Johnny Cash-off/medley, but I’m not sure. Also, this had to have been sometime just after the movie Walk the Line came out, because I admittedly didn’t know a thing about Johnny Cash or really know his music until the movie Walk the Line. Up to that point, the only reference point I had for him was that one of the characters in Swingers had a father who was a big fan.
Continue reading Karaoke Tuesday: “Jackson” →

Karaoke Tuesday: “Add It Up”

Music, , , , , , , ,
Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes

“Add It Up”
by Violent Femmes
from the album Violent Femmes
1983
Buy the album on Amazon

I wasn’t sure what to post today, and then, no lie, all three versions that I have of this song came up in a row on shuffle on the way home, so I’d better post it or the universe is going to have me get hit by a bus tomorrow or something. How have I not posted any Femmes yet? I love #KaraokeTuesday and #CoverFriday, but Lance is right that we need some other day for everything else (and yes, next month I will try to post another monthly theme, though even that may not be open-ended enough).

Continue reading Karaoke Tuesday: “Add It Up” →

Cover Friday: “Talk About the Passion”

Music, , , ,
Surprise Your Pig
Surprise Your Pig

“Talk About the Passion”
by Samson & The Philistines (originally by R.E.M.)
from the album Surprise Your Pig: A Tribute to R.E.M.
1992
Buy the album on Amazon

Continuing with the R.E.M. week, here’s one from a tribute album from way back (pre-Out of Time). I was a big R.E.M. fan for quite a while (I started waning with Automatic for the People), so when this came out I had to have it. As I’ve mentioned before, like with most albums of this sort, the results are very hit or miss, and mostly miss, but I liked a couple of them. The album is comprised of generally obscure bands (at least to me), but I did appreciate that most of the bands gave a unique spin to their versions. I probably still have a copy of the album somewhere, but this song is for some reason the only one currently in my iTunes library. This particular cover isn’t amazing, but it does become interesting to hear it in a different language (errr..spanish?). It certainly doesn’t trump the original, but is worth a listen.

Continue reading Cover Friday: “Talk About the Passion” →

Karaoke Tuesday: “Losing My Religion”

Music, , , , , , , ,
Out of Time
Out of Time

“Losing My Religion”
by R.E.M.
from the album Out of Time
1991
Buy the album on Amazon

Sure, this was a big hit off of a big album that really brought R.E.M. into the mainstream, but the only really important thing is that this is the song that represents Brenda losing her virginity to Dylan. I’m pretty positive they played parts of this song somewhere around 87 times during that episode of 90210.

Continue reading Karaoke Tuesday: “Losing My Religion” →

Karaoke Tuesday: “Only”

Music, , , , , , , ,
With Teeth
With Teeth

“Only”
by Nine Inch Nails
from the album With Teeth
2005
Buy the album on Amazon

Totally ripping of Lance today, since I thought I should as soon as he posted this and since he actually called out this song pick in his post (even if he did also bad mouth Pinkerton). I’ve only actually done this song once or twice, and I remember it made me happy that Lance thought it was a great pick (I’m sometimes ok with completely obscure songs that no one else will appreciate as long as he gets it), but I wouldn’t call it a karaoke success.

Continue reading Karaoke Tuesday: “Only” →

Karaoke Tuesday: “Everything Zen”

Music, , , , , ,
Sixteen Stone
Sixteen Stone

“Everything Zen”
by Bush
from the album Sixteen Stone
1994
Buy the album on Amazon

I posted another Bush karaoke song (“Glycerine“) almost 3 months ago to the day from today. How the hell have we been doing this blog for 3+ months? I won’t rehash my thoughts on Bush, other than to say that if I remember right this was their first single, and what got me into them.

Continue reading Karaoke Tuesday: “Everything Zen” →

Cover Friday: “I Want U 2 Want Me”

Music, , , , , , , ,
How to Clean Everything
How to Clean Everything

“I Want U 2 Want Me”
by Propagandhi (originally by Cheap Trick)
from the album How to Clean Everything
1993
Buy the album on Amazon

I grew up not really knowing about Cheap Trick at all. Maybe in a peripheral way, but that’s it. Some time in the past 5 years I picked up their Greatest Hits album, but it was a combination of the That 70’s Show opening + hearing some people sing their songs at karaoke + seeing a guy from a company we used to work with (hello Hothead!) sing this song at a live karaoke night for our former coworker Jen that drove me to it.

Continue reading Cover Friday: “I Want U 2 Want Me” →