Squidoo : Lenses by Not-Pop

The Top 10 Best Love Song Duets

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 15:36:02 -0600

Some of the most romantic songs recorded have been duets, chances for people who, romantically involved or not, enjoy performing together enough to create a love song that touches couples for decades to come. These songs create the perfect mood for weddings, anniversaries, or even a karaoke date. It could take you forever to wade through cheesy and badly-sung duets to create the perfect love song play list for Valentine's Day or a romantic evening. To save you the time, and the musical pain, I've compiled here the ten best love song duets (in reverse order) from the last forty years. You'll find the lyrics, music videos, and a place to sample and purchase each of them included here. Please vote for your favorite love song duet in my poll, as well. If you're looking for winter-themed love duets, try Baby It's Cold Outside and I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm. If the duet you love best isn't listed here, drop me a note in the guestbook at the bottom and I'll check it out. You never know if I'll bump it up on my list! In the meantime, check the comments for a lot of great suggestions from other readers.

The Top 10 Creepiest Love Songs

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:49:59 -0600

Some of the most popular love songs, if spoken to a lover, would be creepy or downright declarations of stalking. Professing your undying love and devotion shouldn't make your beloved consider a restraining order. Singing a beautiful love song, on the other hand, requires you to exaggerate. Take this lens as a reminder to consider the meaning behind a song before you dedicate it to the one you love. The lyrics might frighten him or her away rather than drawing the two of you closer together, especially if you're pining for your ex-love. On this lens, I'm going to nominate what I think are the Top 10 Creepy Love Songs, from the tenth-creepiest to the most-stalker-appropriate. I'll include the lyrics for each, as well as videos and places to get them, where I can find sources. If you've got a creepier song, let me know. I'll be happy to expand my list! In the meantime, watch out for The Police, Bryan Adams, and Blondie.

Mashups: Oldies Meet 80s Meet Top 40 Pop

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 21:38:06 -0600

DJs take songs and blend them together. Mashup artists are DJs that take that idea three or four steps farther: instead of stopping and starting songs in sync they play them at the same time for a wide variety of effects. Such mashups bring songs to kids in clubs who might otherwise never have heard the oldies and 80s gems that DJs bring into the mix with current pop and dance hits.Also known as bootlegs or booty for short, mashups use the the instrumental track from one song and the vocals from another to create unexpected and dance-able music. Some of the best mixes include classical music or folk music from around the world laid under modern pop or hip hop songs. Others take a classic song from Motown or The Beatles and mash it with classic rock or techno. You never know what you'll find when you're looking for a new mashup!If my word isn't good enough, try this piece from National Public Radio about Adele's Rolling in the Deep and how mashups and remixes made it #1! You can find plenty of mashes at The Not-Pop Jukebox, including my Mashup of the Month series.

Tips, Tricks, And Explanations For Complicated Grammar Rules

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 18:26:58 -0600

English grammar has a million confusing and contradictory rules. The language has so many words in so many forms that it can be bewildering to figure out which one to use and why. This page will help.Look below for specific tips and links on commonly-misused English words, why you should avoid the passive voice, English as a second language (ESL) and college-level writing labs and grammar courses, and other grammar topics from the basic to the complex. If you don't find what you're looking for, let me know and I'll post an answer or research and write one for you. Take a look at the Table of Contents below and wander through some of the various sections. If you don't find what you're looking for, please contact me or post in my guestbook and I'll post the answers.

Scat Singing and Nonsense Songs: Playing with Words

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 18:49:31 -0600

Folks have been doing the verbal two-step with scat singing for a hundred years. The creativity and virtuosity that scat allows a singer to display within the confines of any song make it a popular medium. And some of the most fun songs take scat to a new level, making an entire tune of nonsense sounds and creating a scaffold for vocal expression. Even slower, more bluesy songs are lifted out of the ordinary by the judicious application of a little (or a lot of) scat. Along the way, vocal copies of instruments included percussion. While at first glance beatboxing may not have much in common with its jazzier cousin, scat singing, in reality they follow very similar paths. Both are difficult to do, both are impressive when done well, and both are a part of the musical history of people playing with song. I'm a fan of scat singing. I also enjoy fun and frivolous nonsense songs. On this lens, I'm going to try to bring together examples of scat from across the decades, from such greats as Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald and from modern performers like Dianne Reeves and Dee Dee Bridgewater. I'll also include modern beatbox performances. Please let me know what you think of scat singing and beatbox, and share your favorites, as well. For a quick example of the fun that people can have without words, try Mumbles from Oscar Peterson, in which Clark Terry does just that.

Summertime By George Gershwin: The Greatest Cover Song Ever

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 14:16:56 -0600

Everbody who's anybody in the music world has covered George Gershwin's Summertime at one point or another. From mournful, operatic versions true to the original aria to Janis Joplin's throaty shout-blues to Billy Stewart's exuberant scat, Gershwin's masterpiece from Porgy and Bess has really made the rounds. This page explores some of the literally hundreds of versions of this song recorded and floating around out there. I've seen the total covers of Summertime officially released listed as high as nearly 3,000, so I'll have plenty to choose from. I'll also reveal my nominee for the single best cover of Summertime ever recorded. If I've missed your favorite version of the song, please let me know and I'll include it.

What's your favorite song?

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:50:25 -0600

I write a lot about my favorite songs, and I decided that it was time to give everyone else a chance to have some input. Tell me your favorite song and who performs it. If you just can't name one, post an album or a band that really moves you. Let me know what taps your toes, what makes you cry, what brings a smile to your face. If you want to share more, leave the information in the non-Twitter section in the middle of this page. If you've got a lens about a song you love, add it to the Great Songs group. I'll also add your favorite song to the sample box below, if at all possible, so that everyone can give it a try here. I love to find new and wonderful music. Your favorite song could become mine, or that of someone else entirely. You could find someone who shares your love for an obscure Earth, Wind, & Fire song or admits to loving that overplayed pop song that you secretly adore. Go ahead, post your favorite song and make a connection! I've got spots for those on Twitter, which automatically Tweets your updates, and another spot or two for everyone to use. All of the posted favorites will show up in the Sample section below.

What Ever Happened to K-Tel Records?

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 23:43:05 -0600

When I was a kid, K-tel Records published the sorts of compilations, on glorious, shiny vinyl, that meant I could get big hits of the day (or at least the day before) with my meager allowance. Well, if my sister and I pooled our allowances we could get a record from time to time. I still have some of those records and rejoice in watching my kids dance around to the same K-tel music I loved when I was their ages. In the spirit of nostalgia and the Internet indulgence thereof, I wanted to celebrate K-tel Records, share my favorites, and see what I missed along the way. I thought you might enjoy a place to share your memories of K-tel, buying those great round albums and spinning them on the turntable, and watching what I remember as remarkably cheesy commercials even for the cusp of the 80s as it was then. And of course I had to share what I uncovered about what ever happened to K-Tel Records. I had no idea what an enormous company it really was and I had a great time learning about K-Tel in general and their music arm in particular. You'll find information and links here explaining the company's history and what they're up to now.

Cover Songs and Standards

Sat, 11 Aug 2012 11:06:33 -0600

Great jazz and blues musicians share a common ground of songs, standards that fans and players know and love. The songs comprise a range of styles and moods but all have one thing in common: they're great music. But modern rock cover songs are tackling these jazz standards and making new songs part of everyone's music vocabulary. So why should you learn about jazz and blues standards? Here you will find reasons for musicians, music aficionados, and simple fans alike. You'll also find links to dozens of pages about jazz, blues, rock, and even bossa nova cover songs and standards. I've also included a section for holiday songs that have become as familiar as Santa's beard and Christmas trees. Each of these pages includes a little song history, a lot of music videos, lyrics, some guitar tabs or sheet music, and a place to sample dozens of versions of the best cover songs out there. If you're looking for information about a particular jazz or blues standard or just great cover songs, please let me know. I'm always building more pages. For a somewhat different take on making old songs new again, try mashups that combine tried-and-true favorites with unexpected songs to make something wholly unexpected!

One Note Samba: A Bossa Nova Standard

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 15:38:19 -0600

Antonio Carlos (or Tom) Jobim wrote the music--and translated Newton Mendonca's Portuguese lyrics into English--for Samba Uma Nota So, or One Note Samba, but the song was first recorded by Stan Getz for his 1962 album "Jazz Samba". The song went on to become a major hit in the United States and was at the forefront of a global bossa nova craze in the mid-1960s. The One Note Samba still captures the imagination of jazz singers--and indie rock bands--today. John Pizzarelli relased "Bossa Nova" in 2004 with One Note Samba as the first track (and including more of Jobim's seminal work). The Postmarks covered the song on their 2008 album, "By-the-Numbers", again as the first track. On this lens, you'll find cool, swinging bossa nova versions of the One Note Samba as well as some rowdier jazz covers of the song and versions of Samba Uma Nota So in the original Portuguese. I've included links to sheet music and guitar tabs for the song, as well as music videos and a place to sample some of them. Please let me know if I've missed your favorite version and I'll see if I can find it to include!

People Get Ready: A Gospel-Inspired Standard

Sat, 26 May 2012 10:37:50 -0600

Curtis Mayfield wrote People Get Ready for The Impressions, who had their biggest hit with the song in 1965. The song has been credited with changing the face of popular music, and dozens of singers and bands have recorded cover versions ever since. You'll find the song on The Rolling Stone's list of the Top 500 Rock Songs of All Time. It's no wonder, then, that people have been moved to record their own versions of People Get Ready. From Bob Marley's famed reggae take to The Housemartins' New Wave interpretation to Rod Stewart and Jeff Beck amping up the guitar, artists have been recording their take on a beautiful song. Aretha Franklin did a soulful version, U2 played the song in their own inimitable style in the 1980s and performed People Get Ready with Bruce Springsteen, as well.

Frankie and Johnny: A Murderous Folk Music Standard

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:50:34 -0600

Frankie and Johnny has been covered and recorded for a hundred years. While the music for Frankie and Johnny was copyrighted to Hughie Cannon in 1904, there have been various claims regarding the authorship of the lyrics. Some claim that the song goes back to the 1820s. The story may be based on a true murder, or on one of a pair of women named Frankie who were wronged and sought revenge, or even include the details of a third nefarious lovers' spat in St. Louis, Missouri. You can find an exploration of all three of these sources at Bluegrass Messengers. You'll also find an enormous list of recorded bluegrass cover versions of Frankie and Johnny and a different version of the lyrics than the one I've posted here (apparently a later version, as it mentions the electric chair). Here, you'll find clips and music videos of some of those versions. Hundreds of people, including such luminaries as Bill Bill Broonzy, Lena Horne, the Kingston Trio, Johnny Cash, Tah Mahal, and Louis Armstrong.

Top 10 Stranded on a Desert Island Songs

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 18:41:44 -0600

It's a perennial favorite question on discussion boards and during get-to-know-you exercises: if you knew you were going to be stranded on a desert island and could choose only ten songs to which you could listen, which would you pick? If you're a music fanatic who listens all day long this question may give you hives. But once I'd recovered from the horror of the idea I thought I'd re-frame the question and actually answer it. Let's try it this way: If you will be stranded on a desert island for a month, which ten songs would you bring? You see, this isn't necessarily a question of your favorite songs. It's the songs that you love but that wouldn't make you crazy if you heard them every day, over and over. I'll share my list of ten desert island songs with you and give you a place to vote for your favorite and to add your own songs and whether you agree with my take on it or not. Naturally, I'll include a video for each song as well.

Songs with One-Word Titles

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 18:48:32 -0600

You may be wondering why I'd make an entire page about songs with one word titles. As a music fanatic, I love to listen to great songs. Although I actively seek out new music, I sometimes find myself in a rut, listening to the play list of songs that I already know I love. While those songs are reliably enjoyable, sometimes I need to branch out in different directions. When I find myself in one of those moods, I try to think of criteria for creating a list of songs. I've got a list of every song with "You" in the title, for instance, and another for questions. Recently, I noticed a fair number of songs that I already owned but barely remembered. All had one thing in common: their titles consisted of a single word. Obviously, I had to create a play list of all of the songs with one-word titles in my music collection. While some of my favorites appeared on the list, like Terrence Trent Darby's Vibrator and Oingo Boingo's Capitalism, I barely knew many of the songs. As ever, the new play list offered a gold mine of fantastic and forgotten music, just what I like to share with you all. From standards like Summertime and Bolero to more obscure new indie songs like Esser's Headlock, listening to a set of songs with one tiny thing in common can lead you to gems that may have previously escaped your notice.

You Give Me Fever

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 18:47:40 -0600

Little Willie John had a Top 25 hit on the US charts in 1956 with Fever, a song written by Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell (under the name John Davenport). Two years later, Peggy Lee recorded her own version of the song with somewhat different lyrics, reaching number eight on those same charts and burning the song into the minds of millions. Two years after that, Elvis recorded his own cover of Fever. (Is it just me, or can you hear him thinking, "Hunka hunka burnin' love," between verses?) In the ensuing fifty-plus years, the songs has fired the imaginations of the singers of all kinds of music. There are few other songs that have been covered by everyone from The Cramps to Michael Buble, from George Clinton to Sarah Vaughan. The interpretations vary wildly, but the fuel for the fire remains the same. If you want a straightforward list of the dozens of performers who have recorded cover versions of Fever, you can see them at Wikipedia. If you want to hear them, read the lyrics, and otherwise enjoy the song itself, please keep reading. Vote for your favorite version, while you're hear, and drop a note sharing your memories of the song as well.

Easy HTML Code for Creative Pages

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 19:45:45 -0600

I'm not one to go crazy adding color and "splash" to a page, but learning a little CSS and HTML code to spice up your content makes it unique and appealing to readers. Here I'll share some of the code tidbits that help me to make professional and appealing pages, here at Squidoo and on my own sites, without blinding my visitors or obscuring what I've written. I'll also point you to more resources for such code. To start with, I've simply justified the text in this introduction (forced it to line up to straight edges on both sides) by adding < p style = "text-align:justify" > to the beginning--without those spaces, of course--and a < /p > to the end.Font Size and Color ◊ Changing a Few Words ◊ Making Links in Your Text Making Boxes around Text ◊ Placing and Sizing Pictures Picking Your Colors

The 100 Best Love Songs

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 14:16:28 -0600

While I have written a description of each of one hundred great songs with the word love in the title and included videos and ways to buy each and every one, I thought it might be nice to have the whole list in a single place. I'll link to each of the pages with the sets of ten but here you'll find a straight-forward list of all 100 love songs (eventually, though for now there are only the ones I've posted to date). You can, of course, submit your own recommendations on the page for that, as well. I always welcome new music and if you don't see your favorite love song listed here I'd be grateful to know about it. This is a work in progress as I create and organize the Top 100 Songs in the Key of Love but I'll keep updating it as I go. Please let me know in the comments below what you think of the list so far and if you've got any suggestions for making the whole pile of love songs even better. Thank you!

Caravan: A Jazz Standard

Tue, 25 Dec 2012 13:45:12 -0600

Although the original recording of Caravan was made in 1936 by Barney Bigard And His Jazzopators, Duke Ellington composed the music for this jazzy cover song and recorded it many times. Then again, Irving Mills wrote the lyrics and the song was based on a ten-bar improvisation by Ellington's trombonist, Juan Tizol, so you can give credit to many people for making Caravan a blues and jazz standard. On this page, you'll find the lyrics for Caravan, music videos for several versions (including jazz greats like Oscar Peterson and Valaida Snow as well as a rockabilly cover of the song from Brian Setzer), samples from dozens more covers, and sources for guitar tabs and sheet music so that you can play Caravan yourself (or with your favorite jazz ensemble).

The Peter Gunn Theme Song

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 15:13:14 -0600

Peter Gunn had a theme song, and it's been re-made and remixed since his television show debuted in 1958. Once it hit the airwaves, a new hit song began making its way through musical genres year after year. From the Duane Eddy smash in 1960 through mashups made last year, the Peter Gunn theme has called to music fans young and old with one simple appeal: you, too, can have a theme song like a super-spy. (I even heard it recently in a credit card commercial depicting hackers breaking into a computer/vault.) If you just want to listen to some different versions of the song, try this blog post about the Peter Gunn theme song. If you want more, stay and explore the different versions and covers spanning the past 50 years.

The Banana Boat Song: Day-O

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 19:52:06 -0600

The Banana Boat Song, also known as Day-O, grew out of a traditional Caribbean folk song. Trinidadian Edric Connor first recorded The Banana Boat Song in England around 1954, under the title Day Dah Light (Banana Loaders Song), then The Tarriers and Harry Belafonte each had hits with Day-O (or The Banana Boat Song by 1960. Since then, people around the world and across genres have recorded the song: Chet Atkins(country), Monty Alexander (jazz), Michiko Hamumura (Japanese), Nina and Frederik (Danish), Sudirman (Malaysian), Taj Mahal (blues), and others. Few people talk about why Caribbean folks were loading bananas on boats until dawn in the first place, or why they had a quota to meet. Those few tend to see Day-O as a song about exploitation and slavery, much like traditional songs and spirituals from the American south. I prefer to think of songs with such roots, especially those that have become wildly popular, as proof that music knows no boundaries.

Knockin' on Heaven's Door Cover Versions

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 19:12:42 -0600

Bob Dylan wrote Knockin' on Heaven's Door as a part of his soundtrack for a movie about Billy the Kid in the early 1970s. Whether it was the imagery of the lyrics or the global fascination with cowboys and bandits, the song was an instant success. Knockin' on Heaven's Door fired the imagination of musicians and fans the world over. It's been included in dozens of touching death scenes in the movies. The song was named number 192 on The Rolling Stone's list of the five hundred greatest rock songs of all time. There is even a German movie of the same name, containing a cover of Knockin' on Heaven's Door by Selig, and another cover version recorded by the Russian band called The Leningrad Cowboys. Knockin' on Heaven's Door has crossed many musical genres. Dolly Parton made a country version of it. Eric Clapton recorded a reggae-tinged cover of the song, which has been mistakenly attributed to Bob Marley in more than one place. Then there's Wyclef Jean, Warren Zevon, and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Here, I've linked to as many cover versions of Knockin' on Heaven's Door as I could find on-line. Should you know of one that I've missed, please drop a note in my guest book below and I'll add it. I know that there are over one hundred versions of the song out there, I just can't get my digital hands on links to include.

Old-School Rap and Hip Hop

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 18:32:34 -0600

The Beastie Boys, Run DMC, Ice T and Ice Cube, Midnight Star and Doug E Fresh: if these names make you want to start breakin' and pop-lockin', you've come to the right place. Old-School rap and hip hop took elements from funk, disco, jazz, and blues, stripped them of any pretensions, and made songs about enjoying music and life in general. If you weren't around in the 1980s, when all of this was coming to a head, you may have missed some inventive and highly entertaining music and trends. Here, I'll try to bring you up to speed on the old school you missed. I'll include music videos, full songs you can enjoy, movies, mp3 samples, and any photos that I can find to illustrate how closely fashion, rap, and hip hop music were connected back then.

Song Cover Versions Rock!

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:51:22 -0600

Song Cover Versions Rock! While there has been many a musical misstep over the decades, some songs just beg to be covered. Imagine if only Bob Dylan ever sang Bob Dylan songs like Knockin' on Heaven's Door or no one covered Leadbelly's fabulous Black Betty. What a loss that would be for the music world. If I hear a song that I love and discover that the songwriter has recorded their own version of it, I immediately seek out the original. Sometimes a cover does an even better job of expressing the song than the first version did. When the song is strong, a new version can make you think about it in a different way. And every once in a while, I'll find a song that has been recorded so many times and so many ways that I have to collect as many cover versions as I can get my digital tentacles on. (When that happens, I often make a lens about it to keep them all in one place. Check out my profile for some examples or even more on my blog, The Not-Pop Jukebox!) So, tell me, do you love song covers or do you hate to hear that yet another someone has butchered music that you hold dear? Take a look around and share your opinion! And if you've got a favorite version of a cover song that I've missed please leave it in the guest book below.

Sweet Georgia Brown: A Whistlin' Jazz Standard

Sat, 10 Mar 2012 12:42:00 -0600

Ben Bernie and Maceo Pinkard got together and composed a little ditty, for which Kenneth Casey wrote some saucy lyrics. Thus, Sweet Georgia Brown was born, a song which Bernie and His Orchestra recorded in 1926, at the height of the roaring 20s, and grabbed the attention of flappers, speak-easy goers, and musicians alike. In the intervening eighty-plus years, the song has been reimagined, re-recorded, covered, and re-written by jazz, country, bluegrass, and pop musicians alike. Then, in 1949, the whistle-filled version of Sweet Georgia Brown from Ben Bones and His Shadows became the theme song for the Harlem Globetrotters. The Beatles recorded the tune while they were still a back-up band for Tony Sheridan. Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra both swung the tune like mad, in their day. In short, Sweet Georgia Brown is a fun song that's been enjoyed by generations, in its various versions. Here, you'll find lyrics, music videos, samples of dozens of different versions, and a place to share your memories of this long-popular song.

The Evolution of Ska Music

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 11:37:05 -0600

Ska music has developed from its Jamaican roots in the 1950s and 60s into a worldwide phenomenon that has come in waves of change, incorporating jazz, bop, rock and roll, and punk music as it grew. Here, I've gathered some of the biggest names from those eras, including music videos and an exploration of why the distinctive styles developed along the way. Because this is such an enormous topic, this lens is still under construction and likely will be constantly changed and improved. I would love feedback on what I've written so far, on where you draw lines between the various eras of ska music, and which bands you like the most (or the least). There's a guest book at the bottom of the page where you're more than welcome to add your thoughts.

Baby It's Cold Outside: A Winter Standard

Sat, 24 Nov 2012 17:16:40 -0600

Frank Loesser wrote Baby It's Cold Outside for he and his wife, Lynn, to perform at a dinner party in 1944. The song was such a hit that the two were popular guests for years. They were so well known for the song, in fact, that Loesser decided to give it up for good by putting it into Neptune's Daughter, a film released in 1948. Thank heavens he did, for the song has worked its way into the winter repertoire of folks around the world. The combination of cute and somewhat creepy persuasion, where The Wolf tries to convince The Mouse to stay "safe" and warm with him (or her, as was the case in Neptune's Daughter, in which Esther Williams plies her feminine wiles upon Ricardo Montalban). On this page you'll find lyrics, dozens of samples and videos, and a poll where you can vote for your favorite version of Baby It's Cold Outside. I've shared my favorite cover, as well. Please let me know what you think of the song in the guest book at the end and Happy Holidays!

Sweet Home Chicago: A Blues Standard

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 17:55:42 -0600

Like many blues songs, Sweet Home Chicago has shadowy origins based in borrowed riffs and rhythms from older songs. The first recording under that name, however, came from legendary blues-man Robert Johnson and was released in 1937. Most sources suggest that the song was loosely based on Kokomo Blues, about Kokomo, Indiana and Baby Don't You Love Me No More, both songs for which Scrapper Blackwell was known. Sweet Home Chicago isn't exactly about Chicago, Illinois, as you can see from the lyrics below. It reads as more a tribute to a mythical paradise than an ode to a real city. Here, I've included cover versions of the song from blues and guitar legends from Robert Cray and Eric Clapton to Keb' Mo' and The Blues Brothers. You can learn the lyrics and check the guitar tabs, too. Vote for your favorite performance or let me know if I've missed one of the best.

The Fargo-Moorhead Derby Girls

Sun, 03 Apr 2011 12:18:37 -0600

If you thought that roller derby was a thing of the 70s, long past and never to be seen again, you've clearly not heard of the skating revolution taking over the US. In Fargo, the Fargo-Moorhead Derby Girls, or FMDG as they are known, have recruited dozens of women and skated several skirmishes and full bouts with other teams. In fact, they now have so many members that they've got four teams' worth. They've added the Battlescar Galacticas and the Haute Dishes to the Fighting Suzies and the Monkey Wenches. Here, you'll find scheduled bouts, some of the fantastic artwork done by Double Whiskey (one of the FMDGs herself), and some roller derby rules and videos. You can see a great picture of some of the ladies in their ad for a local magazine. I'll also include links to national and some regional derby organizations where you can learn more about the sport and the teams in your area. I'll be updating information about the FMDG charity of the month as it becomes available, too. If you're a derby girl, drop me a note and let me know! If you've got a web site you can include a link, as well.

Why Do Kids Love Justin Bieber?

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 17:17:55 -0600

Justin Bieber has taken the pop music world by storm, parlaying a few minor hits into a media presence of which music and singing form only a part. He's been a trending topic on Twitter for months and you can't visit a celebrity gossip site without seeing the words Justin Bieber relating to some tidbit on the front page. Those of us with certain musical prejudices can't understand the appeal of Justin Bieber. In my easy dismissal of his music as pop for pre-teens, I decided I was being unfair. I'd never actually listened to him, I'd simply seen pictures of his truly deplorable haircut and heard gossip on morning radio. In the interests of being fair to Justin Bieber and his art, if you can call pop music art and not business, I thought I'd take a deeper look and have a listen. And in the interests of helping people, I decided to share what I found here. Maybe I can help other music snobs understand the teen star's appeal or at least help them (and me) shore up our snooty take on pop music in general. This photo is from Wikipedia and used under the Creative Commons license outlined there.

Making a Christmas Music Play List

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 20:49:22 -0600

Whether you're having a gathering or simply want a soundtrack for your family's celebrations, Christmas carols and holiday songs help take the edge off winter's chill and remind people that holidays are for celebrating your beliefs and each other rather than getting "stuff". I've compiled a list of fabulous Christmas and holiday songs, and have even gone so far as to recommend a particular performer for some of them. Create your own play list as the background for your holiday celebrations, whether from your computer or on a modern "mix tape" on your stereo. You'll find much of this music readily available on-line for very little. It'll be an instant tradition, and one that you can pass along to your loved ones as simply as burning them a CD of the songs. Each song is linked to its lyrics, so if you've always wondered about the second verse for Jingle Bells, you can find the words here. You will also be able to understand what the angels we have heard on high were saying, sing O Tannanbaum and Adeste Fidelis, and learn a little history for some of these Christmas carols.

The Great Songs Group Headquarters

Sun, 02 Oct 2011 17:40:33 -0600

Great songs deserve more attention than the short shrift that commercial radio and ratings charts give them. In all of the pre-packaged, over-produced garbage that comes out these days, fabulous songs can get lost in the musical shuffle. Add your lenses about one specific song here and tell people what you love about it! Please abide by those guidelines, as I'll delete any submissions that are not about a single song. Other than that one quibble, I welcome your feedback and your favorite songs.