Pentatonix: The Evolution of Music

Starting in the 1600's with "Beethoven's 5th Symphony" and ending in the 2000's with "Somebody That I Used to Know" by Gotye. Pentatonix's "The Evolution of Music" is a departure from their usual covers and mash ups.

Taking a mere snippet of their song favorites from each decade only whets PTX fans appetites for a full length version of each and every one of these songs through the ages.

My top three I want to see PTX do full covers of? "Beethoven's 5th Symphony", Avi Kaplan front and center singing all of "Old Man River" would be amazing and Kirstie Maldonado giving her spin on the Aretha Franklin classic "Respect" would be off the hook!

Give it a listen, enjoy the vibe and imagine what the full PTX treatment of your favorites in the bunch would sound like...

Better yet, let them know, there are no guarantees, but PTX does pay attention and use fan input, so if you put it out to them and the universe to lay a whole track down Pentatonix style of your pick, the forces of music out there in the great beyond might grant your wish!

R-E-S-P-E-C-T....PTX at: http://www.ptx-official.com/

R.I.P: Annette Funicello "Jamaica Ska"

"Do You Know How To Jamaica Ska"?

This quite urgent question was posed by Annette Funicello in the 80's revamp of her 1960's Beach Party Movies with Frankie Avalon, "Back to the Beach".

While too young for the originals, I was not too young for their repeated showings on weekend TV, the Beach Party Movies were something both my parents enjoyed and liked watching together.

Thus I was Beach Party Movie adjacent. I also was exposed to Ms. Funicello via old "Mickey Mouse Club" reruns, she was truly the most beautiful Mouseketeer and the one who, uh filled out quite nicely.

However my very personal memory of Annette will always remain "Back to the Beach" - My college friend Jenny DiMartino of the groovy band The Drews and myself decided to head out and see it one afternoon on a lark.

Settling into the theatre we hoped for the best. What a wonderful tongue in cheek treat we got, with a very game and fun loving Annette and her Co-Star Frankie.

My favorite musical Annette moment will always be her deadpan delivery of the line: "Do you girls know how to Jamaica Ska"? Like it was the most important thing anyone on earth could know, or say...

Now it's time to say goodbye....thanks for the memories my lovely Annette....xoxo

WebTV: In Bed With Joan

Sarah Silverman & Joan Rivers

While watching the reality show "Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best" on WE tv Joan, while performing her duties as a Guest Star on a radio talk show gets inspired by the DJ's who encourage her to start her own Internet Talk Show, because first and foremost she can do and say what she wants, without having to answer to Network Executives - You guys had Joan hooked from "doing anything she wants"...

Thus "In Bed With Joan" was born, to all you Rivers fans, of which I am one, this is brilliant news from the First Lady of Comedy.

Luckily for us, the first Guest who Melissa Rivers, Joan's daughter and Executive Producer booked, the notorious Kato Kaelin bailed. He seemed to think shooting a show on a bed and coming out of the closet as Joan's Guest Star was beneath him.

Uh, really Kato? That cheap bleach job you get must be seeping through your skull and giving you brain damage, I mean who are you really anymore and WTF else are you doing that this irreverent and entertaining show is "beneath you", loser?

So who ends up being the first Guest Star? None other than the amaze balls Sarah Silverman, thank you very much, take that Kaelin.

While sometimes I find Joan Rivers downright offensive, when she hits the nail on the head there is no one funnier! But that is what is appealing about her too she is not afraid to "go there" at the risk of offending or failing with a joke.

Ms. Rivers is a machine at the ripe old age of 80! I for one want to have her stamina and energy, but not her face lift, when I reach that age.

As a fan of her reality show - "In Bed With Joan" is a welcome return to The Talk Show format for The Queen of Gab.

Soon to be a Internet sensation (it's well on it's way) check out the latest episode of "In Bed With Joan" with "Entertain Me" friend and staple Margaret Cho.... Hey Joan, "Can We Talk"?

Get your gab on, and crawl into Joan's bed at: http://www.youtube.com/user/inbedwithjoan

Tom Goss + Macklemore & Ryan Lewis = "Can't Hold Us"

Tom Goss

Performer/Songwriter/Musician Tom Goss is back! After causing quite the stir with a strategically placed clock in the video for his last song "Make Believe"

Jump to that here! http://mshinafelt.blogspot.com/2012/11/make-believe-with-tom-goss.html

Tom brings us an acoustic cover of the red hot Macklemore and Ryan Lewis's "Can't Hold Us".

Being someone who is just becoming aware of their popularity and music, I asked Tom to expand on his love of them...Go for it Tom!

"I've found a new artistic lifeblood in watching Marcklemore & Ryan Lewis work. I have always loved hip-hop music but I have always been disappointed that rappers weren't using their influence to promote positive social change. In fact, I'm pretty disappointed with the whole industry in that regard. That's a big reason that I write music.

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are more true to their artistic expression then any artist I have ever seen. Because of that, they are able to put everything they have into creating something authentic and wholly their own. As a result, they take the artistry to a new level entirely.

Watching them, and their success, has reinforced my own artistic drive. I understand that in order for me to be the best artist I can be, I need to be uncompromising, in my message, approach and execution.

Watching Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' "Otherside." It will change the way you see hip-hop and music videos. Hopefully, someday I can create something as beautiful."

Well Tom judging by your take on "Can't Hold Us" I think you just did...

Grab Hold of Some Tom at: https://www.facebook.com/tomgossmusic

R.I.P: Roger Ebert - My Memories of Him & The Screening We Both Attended

When I was a kid one of my favorite programs was a movie review show called "Sneak Previews" on public access. It featured Gene Siskel and Pulitzer Prize winner for criticism, Roger Ebert....

I sat glued to the TV set every time it was on, well the show eventually evolved into the nationally syndicated network television hit "At The Movies" when Siskel passed away he was replaced with Richard Roeper, Ebert remained with it from the beginning until the end of it's run.

Roger Ebert's criticisms were some of my favorites, I always liked him more than Siskel, but sometimes Roeper gave him more a run for his money in my opinion.

Also I do have a personal story about Roger Ebert to share. I went to a screening of a movie titled: "White Sands" at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood, CA. starring, get this, Willem Dafoe, Mickey Rourke and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio.

When the movie ended and the lights went up, I saw Roger Ebert get up and try to walk down the aisle. Little did I realize how much sitting in a chair could hide just how overweight you are. Yep, Ebert's stomach was so huge he could not see his own feet let alone the ground, and he missed one of the stairs in the aisle, he stumbled, but did not fall. I laughed not out of any maliciousness, more about the absurdity of the situation.

Gene Siskel & Roger Ebert

He looked at no one in particular and said something about how he could not see the stairs. Well, uh....

Ebert was a class act who did not mince words in his reviews or in life, and he will always be a fond memory for me, he was part of the reason I love movies, his reviews not only criticized they would educate about the art of film.

TV Watch: Norman, Is That You? "Bates Motel"

Being a hardcore Alfred Hitchcock fan and having yet another spin-off made of my favorite Hitchcock film "Psycho" as usual, my curiosity was piqued, yet my dread was building...let's face it, no other Hitchcock masterpiece has been ripped off, paid homage to or had as many sequels or related projects made based on it than the king "Psycho".

With pretty much all of it being disastrous! OK all of it with the exception, of "Psycho 3" with the late great Anthony Perkins, which was genuinely disturbing and had religious imagery that Mr. Hitchcock would have been proud to call his own.

Now, what to say about "Bates Motel" a prequel of Norman Bate's formative years BKMC (before killing Marion Crane) - the fact that it is set in modern times, for me is a little distracting, but the essence of the story and characters are there, so I will give that part a pass.

Also on the plus side we should all be grateful Gus Van Sant has no part in this (the biggest and most horrible blemish on his resume a shot by shot remake of "Psycho") which as a huge fan I went to out of morbid curiosity...it was awful and really should have killed the careers of the the two leads (which seem finally dead now) being void of talent and charisma Vince Vaughn and Anne Heche.

Freddie Highmore & Vera Farmiga

That can not be said for this multiple take on Norman Bates and his Mother Norma...Freddie Highmore as Norman and Vera Farmiga as Norma are very talented, capable actors with charisma to burn. Oedipus didn't see his mother coming either...FYI.

Of course this is the central relationship to the story, and Norman seems like a fairly well adjusted young man despite his Mother's overbearing, control freak ways...until around episode three, yep we are starting to see the cracks in Norman's veneer...the more his Mother uses and abuses him and the more things in their world become unraveled, the more young Norman does too.

It does not help that our youthful Norman has some help pushing him, other than his "psycho" Mother, in the form of an equally unbalanced half brother named Dylan expertly played by Max Theiriot.

What do I think of the show overall? Other than the distraction of having it set in modern times, I am intrigued from week to week, the show plays to fans of the great film that was "Psycho" and is a stand alone for the uninitiated. Hey, it's been keeping me interested....and is the best use of the source material since the original and third sequel, let's face it no one will ever be Alfred Hitchcock, but they can at least do an honorable homage and not crap all over a classic like Gus Van Sant....

"Bates Motel' airs on A&E at 10pm on Mondays

Ponyboy Likes "Dick, Dick, Dick"

Lawrence, Kansas based trash rockers & "Entertain Me" favorites Ponyboy are unzipping their latest "Dick, Dick, Dick" a homage about their love of Dick Cheney on April 9th....NOT! April Fools, only the part about Dick Cheney.

Yes, the boys are releasing the abovementioned CD on April the 9th but it's about the fun kind of dick, not the jerk kind...

Here to tell us about it are Ponyboy themselves, Charles McVey and David Zey!

MS: You guys just got done rehearsing are you all hot and sweaty?

DZ: Yes Sir!

MS: This must be David, how are you boy?

DZ: Good Sir!

MS: That's my boy! It's interesting how with this CD you guys are back to where you started with your insightful, satirical social commentary of your first CD "Little Dick Demo" after venturing into really dark territory with your sophomore CD about serial killer Luka Magnotta "Pussy Killer".

CMcV: The songs from "Little Dick Demo" and "Dick, Dick, Dick" were written at the same time, within the first year of us being a band. That's why they have that familiarity to it. This album is a lot more representative of what we sound like live, I think, where "Pussy Killer" had a lot of bells and whistles in it.

This Shit is Bananas: Charles McVey and David Zey

MS: "Pussy Killer" was really brilliant, but very dark, I think you guys music goes above most people's heads.

CMcV: Sometimes we do piss people off, because they are not looking deeper into what our music is saying. That's OK with me, I was always interested in artists who had some sort of depth to them, we usually  have two layers of ideas involved in our songs. Whether it be satirical or with some kind of homo angst all kind of wrapped together, very tongue in cheek.

MS: It was interesting to me that you are back to the basic origin of your musical themes and you took a unexpected detour as soon as you did, with "Pussy Killer" - It still jelled with your identity as a band, but...

CMcV: Well, the "Dick, Dick, Dick" record was already in production when we did "Pussy Killer". "Pussy Killer" really would have been a later release, but we wanted to release it on Luka Magnotta's 30th Birthday. Therefore there was a time factor involved.

MS: You guys are influenced by a lot of classic imagery, it reminds me of classic Madonna when she would take older references and make them her own.

CMcV: Definitely! I like Madonna a lot! I don't really keep up with contemporary pop music but I like her better than Brittney Spears.

MS: You guys really push buttons, like Ms. M, what line wouldn't you cross?

DZ: No shit and no blood!

MS: Rumor has it Grumpy Cat hates Ponyboy.

DZ: Oh yeah, I saw that. Someone made a Grumpy Cat hating us. Was that you?

MS: Uh, no I saw it and laughed. Being hated by Grumpy Cat is very special actually.

CMcV: I think so too.

MS: What do you think of freeballing?

CMcV: I'm a fan!

MS: David?

DZ: I prefer it, generally speaking. I don't like underwear, it's just extra bullshit you have to wear.

MS: Unless I am going out to a function or something, I freeball the other day when I looked in the mirror I noticed I tent out. (laughs)

DZ: No one would see the ridge of my dick if I didn't do it otherwise. (laughs)

MS: Exactly! That's important. (laughs) One last question, how did you guys meet?

DZ: On Craigslist. My Ex-Boyfriend like to hook up with dudes off of Craigslist. I was never really into that it felt really awkward to me. Anyway my X was into that bullshit, and he came across an ad in the men for men section - it was an ad looking for other gay musicians in the area. He hollered to me: "Honey, look at this Craigslist ad that I found". I'm like, Fuck no seriously I'm not into it. He's like: "It's different, this one's different, it's asking for musicians". So, I just responded: "I am gay I like metal, hardcore and rock-n-roll...I play drums, guitar, etc"...We got together jammed a few times and it all worked out.

MS: Very cool. It's a good marriage, don't you think?

Both: Yes!

"Dick, Dick, Dick" releases April 9th.

Ride Ponyboy at:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ponyboy/143896842344210

http://www.youtube.com/ponyboymusicltd

 http://ponyboymusicltd.bandcamp.com/