The Angry Bear

Okay, I realize that they are putting things like Spiderman with the musical stylings of fucking Bono and whomever his sideman is and that’s supposed to save the spiraling industry that is the performing arts on Broadway. They have lost millions in the past years, going from over 50 shows in a season to nearly 15 – and I understand that’s a scary thought. Kids grow up, they want their flashy 3D with their sexy little blue-kitties and all of their Bay-splosions and what have you.

But you have GOT to be kidding me when you put something like Green Day’s entire album, transfer that and then songs from the down-trodden 21st Century Breakdown (sorry guys, punk died three years ago, even though we enjoyed your company) and make this abomination of musical and theater. There is no creation here… there is no art: you have your actors swinging around from the ceiling like Peter Pan for no damned reason for what? Is that a metaphor for the world running away from you? Or perhaps youth is fleeting and you realized it, with the birth of this nonsense?

What’s worse is that they did receive two Tony’s from this (they are like the Grammy’s in the Theater world), but it was only for the Stage and Lighting. Not for acting, not for choreography, and not for the musical score. If you’re a student at Virginia Tech, there’s a professor here that has received three himself for two shows he has put up on Broadway – one just last year – in Directing, Acting and Stage Development. (In truth I’m gloating… leave me be).

So in the end, what have we learned kids? You don’t put up a show with any musical group on Broadway. It’s dumb and a waste of everyone’s time. Plus, it makes everyone dumber by comparison. I mean think about it. Do you really want your teens to think that American Idiot was the thing that went on Broadway, and not something like West Side Story, Chicago, Grease, or Rent? Hell, the Lion King or Cats (even though that last one scared the shit out of me…).

Tags: American Idiot, Angry Bear, Broadway, Green Day, Music, Musicals Tony's, Rants, Virginia Tech

I understand that this has become a trend on Youtube and other places… to cut yourself with the likes of iMovie and make songs and whatever and I’m okay with that. In the end it’s a Random Act of Nerdy and we all need that in our lives. So when I get this in my email directory of a kid doing the theme of Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, I have no idea what struck me… maybe it was my heart growing two sizes that day, but it worked.

It may have also been the fact that he was playing an accordion. Seriously, they still teach that? I mean… where do you even buy that in today’s world? That should be a game, Legend of Kev: Search of The Blow Keys. What’s sad is that this could be a game…

Tags: Acapella, iMovie, Mash-up, Nerdy, Wing Waker, Zelda

So I’ll admit that I care nothing for Dr.Who. I don’t know why – so don’t question my abstinence from the UK-produced show and my lack of understanding as to why the ladies ogle over the Doctor. Regardless of my awkwardness, I will admit that I find this entertaining. Now, while seeing the new guy Matt Smith bang out the show’s theme with Electronica duo Orbital makes me applaud him, one has to remember that it IS electronica. For all we know he could just be hitting the same three button sequences back there.

Regardless, the Glastonbury Music Festival was glad to have him close out the show and this is certainly one of the geekiest things I’ve seen today.

Tags: Dr. Who, electronica, Matt Smith, Nerd, Orbital, UK

Umm, I’m not sure how I feel about this.  Ke$ha doesn’t do my kind of music and I’m apparently a bad gay because I don’t really care for hers, Lady Gaga’s, etc.  But, I gotta hand it to whomever did this music video – it syncs with the various scenes almost freakishly well.  Anyone who knows me knows I love my Star Trek, to put it mildly, so seeing it melded – successfully, in my opinion – with pop music is a refreshing change for me.  It also goes to show you that Star Trek is applicable everywhere.  Anyone who says otherwise can eat hard vacuum.

I guess I DO know how I feel about this… it just makes me feel dirty to admit it.  Kudos to the video’s creator!  I’m going to go listen to some Final Fantasy VIII music to cleanse, now.

See the higher resolution videos here.

Tags: kesha, mashup, Parody, Star Trek, Tik Tok

For the past year, a man by the name of Tommy Tallarico has been going around in the bigger areas of New York and Chicago, putting together a musical symphony based solely on video games. Video Game LIve is a chance for people both young and old to celebrate and enjoy the simple act of music. Anyone that’s a gamer or has played some games like Mario or Zelda, knows that there is an inherent connection between the little red-overalled plumber jumping on screen and the tinkering of a marimba.

Lucky for the people that don’t live in these areas, PBS is on your side. Starting on July 31st, and then subsequently on the other minor stations, you can expect to find the symphony up through August. To get a little glimpse of what’s in store and to see the list of what’s in the performance, here’s the trailer after the jump and the press release.

(more…)

Tags: Music, Nerd, Video Game Live

Okay so I’m never allowed to drive home ever again… because it seem every time I do, I get caught up behind a wreck and have to wait for hours… then I hear the most annoying and God-awful things on the radio. This time around it was this little spitfire, La Roux (or Eleanore Jackson) out of London. Now what’s unique about her and her ‘band’ is that it’s synthpop that’s being played over mainstream radio. To that I say good job because frankly that doesn’t happen – at all.

To add to her claim to fame, she’s only been doing this for two years in the UK, and has hit the top of the charts twice already. Bravo, especially with style and a hairdo that will almost absolutely make your head tilt slightly to the left or the right when the wind blows. (Seriously, I think a flamingo would think that’s a mating ritual). The Brits have loved ‘em some electronic and synth for years and years, so it’s no surprise that she’s been popular over there… while we have never heard of her until just now.

Yet here is my problem. It’s bad. It’s to the point where I can’t decide if you’re singing or wailing, and then when I think you’re hitting the note, you then make your music go in a direction that it was never meant to go. You make me dislike synthpop and that’s a problem. Not only that, the song “Bulletproof” is more of a chiptune (think your original Gameboy game music – 8-bit style) beat than real synthpop, and that just hurts my brain.

My biggest concern is that you have now just started a fad of bad synth and chiptune bubble boys and girls here in the States, and for that I will have to find you, glue your hair down, and mail you back to the island you came from in a crate. Without holes.

Tags: Driving, La Roux, London

Lady Gaga has become an international phenomenon because of her avant-guard style, her interesting taste in music, and her fresh outlook in today’s music world. I personally don’t like her music (don’t throw rocks until you hear the whole message), but I do respect her for her creativity and her personality. There are few in today’s music industry that will essentially do what they will, without fear of consequence. Granted, her music is the exact same bubblegum-pop that you will normally hear and honestly, that’s what turned me off from her for the first three singles that were played on the radio – over, and over… and over. Seriously, it was like hearing she was the gateway to our salvation.

Then her performance on the VMA’s came out and it showed that she had something going on in that big, frizzy, blond hair of hers. Plus, the talks she has given for the LGBT community and support for any and every fan… she has some chops. So I give her some respect for being a performer. Now, this video has been talked about for some time. It’s not a new song per se – it’s the song “Telephone” and it has been crushing the music charts – but the video for it has been in demand for a while.

It takes some cues from some big names in the biz and pays some respects and the first thing people are going to see is… The Pussy Wagon. That’s right, the PW from Kill Bill is making a nice little showing and saying hello, all from the thanks of Quentin Tarantino (he actually owns it). The movie also pays homage to several big names throughout the years – jungle group Major Lazer and [adult swim]‘s Tim and Eric’s schizo flourishes, along with grindhouse film Caged Heat. It’s truly a big piece and almost too much to swallow, but with a near ten-minute runtime, Gaga possibly pulls it off.

Tags: Adult Swim, Beyonce, Caged Heat, Kill Bill, Lady Gaga, Major Lazer, Pussy Wagon, Telephone

In the new music video from Mos Def’s latest album, The Estatic, rapper and good friend, Talib Kewli, shows up and adds his own flavor to the video, bringing back some of the original feel that both had when they were first starting out. I bring this video up primarily because I think it was shot and done well, and that Mos Def is a very well done actor and artist that doesn’t get enough respect for it. Talib is just fantastic all around, and I early await his next album, with a knife in my hand just in case it helps things go a little faster.

It’s just a little food for thought, on an otherwise slow and pleasant day.

Tags: Def, Kweli, Mos, Talib

There is a video artist that goes by the name of Pogo. Pogo takes bass tones, repeated vocal clips and composite chords from the movie that he decides to splice up, and makes it into an electronic beat-garden. Now, he’s done many different videos form movies, like Batarang from the movie Hook, and UPular from UP!

His latest is from Terminator 2: Judgement Day, with the video entitled “Skynet Symphonic.” That one is below, and to watch the rest of them, go to his site at pogomix.net. Seriously just take the five minutes… it’s worth at least that.

Tags: Fun, Music, Pogo, Terminator, Up

There are few things in this world that will stop me cold in my sleep… and this is it. I’m going to quote straight from the source:

Christopher Lee, famed star of Hammer horror movies, Lord Of The Rings, and much, much more will be coming soon to some earphones near you. Videogum and The Guardian have the news that the 87-year-old actor plans to release a “symphonic metal” album about the life and career of Charlemagne, the first Holy Roman Emperor and a direct ancestor of Lee himself. “To my surprise and indeed great pleasure, I have suddenly found that there is another string to my bow,” Lee announced, though the samples available on Lee’s site suggest that the difference between Lee’s acting and singing isn’t that great. (Via AV Club)

So… to reiterate: Christopher Lee, the renowned actor and amazing human being, is going to create a METAL ALBUM ABOUT CHARLEMAGNE! I said it earlier, but I’l say it again that the amazingness of that singular thought is positively mind-blowing. Oh, and if you wanted to know how it sounds? Here’s the sample:

Tags: Awesome, Charlemagne, Christopher Lee, Metal