the post that presumably will kill any shread of indie cred this blog possesses. just keepin' it real folks.

Say what you will about "Weird Al" Yankovic, but he has endured for more than 30 years, only recently finding his greatest chart success. He has even branched out into internet videos like this one which I happened upon randomly earlier today:



A lot of entertainers have burned brighter, but many of them have burned out quickly. Yankovic has slowly built a following and taken full advantage of the internet to broaden that fanbase still further. It seems as if only now at this advanced point in his lengthy career has he reached his peak. There are a lot of uncool people in this world, and he appeals to those people as one of their own, as an average-nerd-made-good who has risen above the fray to moderate amounts of fame and fortune, all the while remaining a good guy. And that, my friends, is something to admire.

I mean, when the guy's parents died from carbon monoxide poisoning a few years ago, he could easily have canceled a run of shows, but instead he carried on and performed anyway. How much dedication to your fans and craft does that show? How many other artists would do that? (certainly not Moz)

In middle school, being an offbeat kid, you could say that I was fan. In 5th grade, my teacher, who had gotten wind of my fandom and who also happened to be a fan, taped a live special he had on VH1 so I could watch it. A nice gesture in the days before YouTube and broadband, for sure. Hell, to this day I don't know the real words to "Lump," but you better believe I have a pretty good grasp of the lyrics to "Gump." I couldn't give you much of "American Pie," but I remember the vast majority of "The Saga Begins." "Pretty Fly For a White Guy"? More like "Pretty Fly For a Rabbi." I know I'm not isolated case here. If you experience the same symptoms of childhood Weird Al fanism, fess up in the comments, s'il vous plait.

I don't listen to much of Al anymore (I just looked it up and last.fm says I have 38 plays over the last two and a half years), and a lot of the stuff I thought was brilliant in my youth hasn't aged particularly well, but what do you expect from a man whose career has been built largely on songs about food and television? That said, "All About the Pentiums" is especially hilarious given the last several years I've spent working in collegiate IT.

So kids, heed the words of Al and don't go making phony calls.

Or refuse to eat sauerkraut, for that matter.

The Halls are Decked, the Boughs are Hollied

I have a hard time believing that it's Christmas tomorrow, it certainly doesn't feel like it to me...and yet, I am surrounded by abundant reminders that it is indeed that time of the year once again. Thus, I will supply you a non-militaristic installment of music for the blog. I do have to say to my Jewish friends that I would have liked to put up a Hanukkah-themed post as well, but unfortunately I lack a sufficient number of relevant selections. Perhaps one day when my music collection has grown more voluminous I'll make up for this transgression.

So, here are some tunes. A merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, fun-filled Festivus, and joyous Kwanzaa to all, and to all a good night.

Casiotone For the Painfully Alone - Cold White Christmas (From Etiquette)
It's a downer, but it's awesome.

Neutral Milk Hotel - Two-Headed Boy (From In the Aeroplane Over the Sea)
It's a downer, and not really relevant until the very end, but still awesome.

"Weird Al" Yankovic - The Night Santa Went Crazy (From Greatest Hits, Vol. 2)
It's no "Amish Paradise," but when I was ten, the images of bloodshed, destruction, and venison this song evoked seemed pretty cool.

Sufjan Stevens - Sister Winter (From Peace: Vol. 5)
A song that slowly builds to an apex of holiday epicness, as only Sufjan can do it.

Zooey Deschanel & Leon Redbone - Baby, It's Cold Outside (From Elf: Music From The Major Motion Picture)
Elf is a mehhh film, but Zooey Deschanel has a very nice voice.

Modest Mouse - Jesus Christ Was an Only Child (From The Lonesome Crowded West)
Isaac Brock, putting the Christ back in Christmas!

Everclear - Santa Monica (From Sparkle and Fade)
Ok, this is a stretch. But a clever pun, no?

Buy 'em up:
Tomlab
Merge
Amazon.com (Because Scotti Bros. went belly-up years ago)
Asthmatic Kitty
Up Records
Capitol