Ocelopotamus

News, culture, and politics. Not necessarily in that order.

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Entries Tagged as 'Music'

The Song Lyric That Made Me Cry Today

September 15th, 2007 · 2 Comments · Culture, Journal, Music, Poetry

This one: I guess all I’m really saying is how I think you’re wrong here and some things are worth the chaos that they come along with — Trembling Blue Stars, “Letter Never Sent” (which has a bridge worthy of Neil Finn)   (First installment in a possible recurring series … feel free to share […]

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Roundup: Pink Elephant Edition

September 10th, 2007 · 3 Comments · Activism, Books, Climate Change, Comics, Culture, Energy, Film, Foreign Policy, Health, History, HIV/AIDS, Human Rights, Internet, Journalism, Language, LGBT, Media, Music, Nature, News, Peace, Performance, Politics, Racism, Roundup, Science, Tech, Theater

General Petraeus says that “victory” in Iraq will require 9-10 more years. I’m trying to imagine how ten more years of bloody occupation can possibly work out to a victory. More on that subject here. A bill has been introduced in Venezuela to restrict baby names to a list of 100 approved choices. “The bill’s […]

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Music: Deborah Harry, “Two Times Blue”

September 7th, 2007 · Comments Off on Music: Deborah Harry, “Two Times Blue” · Culture, Music, New Wave, News, Video

From Debbie Harry’s forthcoming solo album Necessary Evil, which is due out October 9 in the US. I’m not entirely sure about the video, but I really like the song.   You can hear another track from the album, “If I Had You,” on Ms. Harry’s official MySpace page.  

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“Lord Have Mercy, I Think It’s the Cops”: Larry Craig and Madame George

September 4th, 2007 · 3 Comments · Activism, Culture, Essays, History, Human Rights, Journalism, LGBT, Music, News, Politics, Theater

Forgive me for posting twice in a row about Larry Craig. After the past week, surely it’s time for him to begin shrinking in the collective rear-view mirror of our culture. But I can’t help it. On Sunday, someone who goes by the nom de net Blueness posted an absolutely beautiful diary on Daily Kos, […]

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Clip and Trailer for Todd Haynes’ New Dylan Movie, I’m Not There

August 24th, 2007 · 3 Comments · Culture, Film, Music, Video

For those looking forward to Todd Haynes’ new film about Bob Dylan I’m Not There, in which Dylan is played by six different and very diverse actors, here’s a leaked clip from the movie with Cate Blanchett as Dylan and David Cross as Allen Ginsberg. If the whole movie is this much fun we’re in […]

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Review: Crowded House in Chicago, August 19, 2007, with Liam Finn

August 20th, 2007 · 5 Comments · Culture, Music, New Wave, Online Communities, Reviews, Video

Crowded Freaking House, man. Crowded Freaking House. Last night’s show here in Chicago was everything I wanted it to be, with a few very pleasant surprises along the way. In fact, the only downside to the evening was that it had to take place at the odious and uncomfortable House of Blurgggh (complete with worse […]

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The Oingo Boingo Video Vault: Gong Show, Flaming Bathtub, and an Urgh! Outtake

August 18th, 2007 · 1 Comment · Culture, Film, Music, New Wave, TV, Video

Via Gadget Girl, let us now thrill to this 1976 appearance by Oingo Boingo on The Gong Show, from the early part of their career when they were still called The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo. With bonus Bill Bixby!   (As the notes on the YouTube page point out, you might think that’s […]

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Boiling Some Cabbage with the Smothers Brothers

August 8th, 2007 · 1 Comment · Comedy, Culture, Music, TV, Video

Because I could use a little cheering up tonight … some classic Smothers Brothers. Remember, if you’re a folksinger, when someone says “take it” you are obligated to take it.   And here’s an updated version of “Cabbage” from the 80s. Now with bonus naked bacon!   Poor Tommy … all those years later and […]

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B-52’s Update: New Album, Cindy & Fred Interviews, and “Glove Slap,” Baby

August 6th, 2007 · 2 Comments · Culture, Music, New Wave, News, TV, Video

Yet another piece about the new B-52’s album, all recorded now with 12 shiny new songs, and just waiting for the right record deal to bring it to the public. The super-lucky-ducky writer of the piece got to sit around and listen to the new album with Cindy Wilson in her basement, and offers this […]

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Music: Catching Up to Yoko

July 24th, 2007 · 9 Comments · Chicago, Culture, Feminism, Human Rights, Journal, LGBT, Media, Music, New Wave, News, TV, Video

Something I’ve been meaning to post for a couple of weeks now … I’ve long thought that Monica Kendrick is the best music writer at the Reader and the spot-on writeup she turned in just before Yoko Ono’s appearance at the recent Pitchfork Music Festival only reinforces that notion: 9:00 Yoko Ono For decades her […]

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Roundup: Picketing Flamingo Edition

July 23rd, 2007 · Comments Off on Roundup: Picketing Flamingo Edition · Apple, Blogs, Chicago, Climate Change, Comics, Culture, Design, Essays, Foreign Policy, Health, HIV/AIDS, Illinois, LGBT, Music, Nature, New Wave, News, Politics, Roundup, Science, Tech, Travel

“Iraq hasn’t even begun”: Writing in the LA Times, Timothy Garton Ash, a professor of European studies at Oxford University, examines the long-term consequences of the debacle in Iraq, and concludes, “Looking back over a quarter of a century of chronicling current affairs, I cannot recall a more comprehensive and avoidable man-made disaster.” Digby on […]

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Fresh Toni Basil Salad

July 22nd, 2007 · 2 Comments · Blogs, Culture, Music, New Wave

Funny, Rubber Nun and I were just talking about Toni Basil. Now John at Lost in the 80s has “The Ultimate Toni Basil Post.” Is he spying on us?  

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Crowded House: For the World, Not for the War

July 19th, 2007 · Comments Off on Crowded House: For the World, Not for the War · Culture, iTunes, Music, New Wave, News, Peace, Politics

The new Crowded House album, Time on Earth, was released last week in the US and the week before in the UK. It’s available for download from iTunes (with bonus tracks!) and of course you can get the CD from Amazon. The band will be touring through December (including their two shows here in Chicago, […]

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Update: Internet Radio Gets a Reprieve

July 13th, 2007 · 2 Comments · Activism, Culture, Internet, Media, Music, News

For those who’ve been following the “Internet Radio Is in Danger of Being Shut Down Forever” story (background here), there’s some good news. According to Wired News, as a result of the massive outcry Congress heard from listeners, SoundExchange is backing away from the draconic royalty rate structure that would have put Internet radio out […]

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