Cyndi Lauper Praises Lady Gaga

Photo by Ellen von Unwerth for MAC Viva Glam

Lady Gaga makes an appearance on Time Magazine's "The 2010 Time 100" most influential people list. Cyndi Lauper praises Gaga as "performance art," and refers to her as the "art" itself and as a "sculpture." Lady Gaga proclaims Deepak Chopra as someone who has influenced her.


"The less you open your heart to others, the more your heart suffers."
-Deepak Chopra

M.I.A. "Born Free"

THEY CAME FIRST for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.

THEN THEY CAME for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.

THEN THEY CAME for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.

THEN THEY CAME for me
and by that time no one was left to speak up.
-Pastor Martin Niemöller

The new M.I.A. video is NOT SAFE FOR WORK or CHILDREN...

M.I.A, Born Free from ROMAIN-GAVRAS on Vimeo.

The Monks "Cuckoo"

The Monks were formed in 1964 by a group of American soldiers based in Germany. They were considered a bit of an anti-Beatles with schtick that included wearing robes with ropes around their necks and, more famously, shaving a monk's bald spot into the top of their head.  Part of The Monks' unique and rhythmic sound comes from Dave Days decision to swap out his guitar for a six string banjo.  He sweetly chops out some classic Monk sound in this version of "Cuckoo" from German television in 1965.





Thanks to stdrange for the upload to YouTube.

The English Beat "Save It For Later"

I don't know how The English Beat ever found themselves in this club full of poseurs, but at least you knew it wouldn't be long before they were able to knock some sense into them, get them on their feet and out on the dance floor.





Thanks to DocSavage for the upload to YouTube.

Lou Reed "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean"

Dordogne, France. Photo by Stitcher.

There's two white horses standing in line
They're gonna take me to the burying ground

Lou Reed jams out Blind Lemon Jefferson's "See That My Grave is Kept Clean." From the Martin Scorsese produced PBS series on "The Blues" - this performance was captured and directed by Wim Wenders for the episode called "The Soul of a Man."



    

Thanks to im4out for the upload to YouTube.

Thrilla Killa Klownz "Magical Mysteries"

It looks like Saturday Night Live liked the Insane Clown Posse video for "Miracles" as much as I did...

Check out this "positive message that really makes you think" by Thrilla Killa Klownz.

Fionn Regan "Be Good or Be Gone"

I love this clever video for Fionn Regan's beautiful song "Be Good or Be Gone."  A real performer standing in a real world for better or worse. In this case it happens to be for the better or possibly even the best! The power of the instrument, the power of the voice...even nature itself eventually succumbs to Fionn's words.

RIP Peter Steele

Type O Negative's frontman, Peter Steele, has died. Although I was not much of a Type O Negative follower I did love Peter's first band Carnivore.  Sometime in the mid-1980's I saw Carnivore open for Suicidal Tendencies in New York City.  I'm pretty sure the venue was Irving Palace. This had to have been the most memorably violent punk rock show I ever attended.  It didn't matter where you were standing, right in front of the stage, in the back of the room or up in the balcony, the "pit" could and would explode anywhere, and before you knew it you were standing (and better be dancing) in the thick of it.  It was a night I will never forget and Carnivore played an amazing set.  They were fast, tight, super tough and the lyrics blew my mind - it was Brooklyn Macho Metal on overload!

Here's a small taste, albeit twenty years later, of what I got to see that night.  I think it's a different lineup but here's Peter Steele fronting Carnivore and performing "Sex and Violence."  Warning:  This clip is NSFW!



Thanks to jttama for the upload to YouTube.

Insane Clown Posse "Miracles"

If you thought you might go through this life and never get to see the sensitive side of the Insane Clown Posse...boy were you wrong. There are some things in this life that those two clowns don't understand and they definitely don't want those things explained to them either. It's pure poetry gold!!!

Here's a small sampling:
Fucking rainbows after it rains
There's enough miracles here to blow your brains
I fed a fish to a pelican at Frisco Bay
It tried to eat my cell phone, he ran away


I see miracles all around me
Stop and look around, it's all astounding
Water, fire, air and dirt
Fucking magnets, how do they work?
And I don't wanna talk to a scientist
Y'all motherfuckers lying, and getting me pissed!


Magic is everywhere in this bitch!


















Thanks to PsychopathicVideo for the upload to YouTube.

The Vaselines "Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam"

Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee were Kurt Cobain's favorite songwriters. Cobain covered at least three of The Vaselines' songs including this beautiful song about coming to terms with one's disenchantment or loss of faith. Of course, Kurt added a "Doesn't"  into the title for his recording, but the sentiment of the lyrics remained true. Here, The Vaselines perform their original tune "Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam" live on KEXP.



Bonus video:  Little Marcy never faltered in her faith...




Thanks to kexpradio and wdzr for their uploads to YouTube.

RIP Malcolm McLaren

Yesterday it was reported that Malcolm McLaren died at the age of 64 from a rare form of cancer.  Malcolm is best known as the manager of the Sex Pistols. He is considered a punk pioneer, a charismatic instigator and someone, who at least for awhile, always seemed to have his finger on the pulse of what the next big thing was going to be. When I think of Malcolm McLaren I normally think of the  mastermind of The Great Rock and Roll Swindle, however today I choose remember Malcolm as the showman with this great video featuring the best of New York City double dutch jump ropers.

From his 1983 album "Duck Rock" here's a kimono-wearing Malcolm leading the ladies in a wild round of taking to the ropes in "Double Dutch."


Bonus video: From the same album, Malcolm's amazing interpretation of Madame Butterfly.


Ever get the feeling you've been entertained?
















Thanks to VitaminQT and betterthepast for the upload to YouTube.

Cliff Richard and The Shadows "The Young Ones"

Cliff Richard is the biggest selling singles artist of all time in the UK.  He holds the record with Elvis Presley of having made the UK singles charts in all six of the first six decades (1950's-2000s).

Here Cliff performs "The Young Ones." He also starred in a film by the same title in 1961. Although he stood as a great inspiration, he did not, however, star in my favorite 1980's British sit-com called "The Young Ones."



Bonus clip of Rik Mayall reciting his poem about Cliff Richard:


     

Thanks to Siroceandeep and IAMCyberman for the uploads to YouTube.

Capsula "Voices Underground"

Hailing from Argentina, via Spain, Capsula makes a landing at SXSW to rock Texas up just a bit. This performance was recorded by KEXP.org from Seattle at the Day Stage Cafe last month on March 18, 2010.

Capsula performs two songs, "Voices Underground" and "All To Be With You" for a radio show and probably a few press people since it's clear when the camera turns to the audience there are only a few people present. I can only imagine what a show is like with a full audience bouncing in front of them.






Listen to more Capsula on MySpace.
Photo by Jon Rodriguez Bilbao.
Thanks to kexpradio for the upload to YouTube.

Local Natives on KCRW

Hometown favorites Local Natives play a really nice set on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic. I predict that this will be the next band to hit big out of the Silver Lake neighborhood in Los Angeles. Local Natives kick off their US Tour at Coachella on April 18. They are promoting their debut album "Gorilla Manor." Check out the tour dates here.

Stream the album and watch more videos here:

  

or download from Amazon:

Charlie Rich "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World"

As a kid, no song ever made my skin crawl more than Charlie Rich's "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World." I would scream and race to the radio to turn the station any time it would come on.

...so with a sense of dread I now post something far far away from my true sensibilities, and with that I'll just have to say: Happy Skin-Crawling April Fool's Day from Modern Neon Sound!

It is my sincere wish that this song does not stay with you all day...as I am sure it will with me!

Thanks to bpsconcept for the upload to YouTube.