Catching up...

First of all, I managed to pick up (or download, I guess I should say) some new music this week.

On September 29th Ben Folds released his newest album, Lonely Avenue, a collaboration he did with British author Nick Hornby. Hornby is the author of High Fidelity, 31 Songs, as well as a number of other novels, collections of short stories and non-fiction books. He is also a huge music geek and Ben Folds fan.

One of my favorite artists and one of my favorite authors working together? Yeah. I can definitely dig that.

I was going to tell you all about how this project came to be and all that jazz, but then I found this: Click it! It's a video of Mr. Folds and Mr. Hornby discussing how the project and their friendship came to be.

As a whole (with all biased aside, I swear), the album is good. I can't say that I'll be able to add it to my list of albums I can listen to from beginning to end, but like I mentioned in that blog, not every album by your favorite artist is going to be spectacular from beginning to end.

Lyrically, Hornby writes primarily about love; lost love, current love, the love you have, the love you want, the love you can't have but want, etc. It seems there are lyrics to which everyone can relate to somewhere on the album. Musically? To be completely, brutally honest with you, it's nothing Folds hasn't done before, though the string section is a lovely addition. I'm not saying it isn't good musically, I just mean that it totally sounds like Ben Folds - and I'm OK with that.

My favorite track? From Above, the single - which, I hate to admit, is hard to admit....If you know what I'm saying. I could go on to describe what the lyrics are saying and what they really mean, blah, blah, blah. I'm not going to do that. What I am going to do is tell you to check out the music video and listen to the lyrics yourself. Lyric interpretation is a personal thing - what they mean to me could be completely different than what they mean to you.

Click it! Ben Folds and Nick Hornby, From Above

Speaking of interpretation....
Have you seen the literal music videos? No? Before I go on, please, please watch this.

Click it! Literal Music Video presets Total Eclipse of the Heart


Moving right along then...

This just wouldn't be SayWAM without a little Gaga, am I right?

It was announced last week that Lady Gaga and Giorgio Armani have signed a multi-million dollar deal. Apparently Armani is going to be designing Gaga's costumes for her upcoming tour which will begin in December of this year. A quote from Vogue.com :

It wouldn't be possible to give Gaga a look from the collection because she wears pieces of art. It's theatrical.

- Roberta Armani, Giorgio Armani's niece and head of VIP relations

Theatrical is right, Roberta. I think it'll be interesting to see what interesting looks this new deal will bring to the stage.


That's it for now, kids. Until next time, keep on rocking in the free world,
- SayWAM

Ben Folds on chatroulette? No....

Yes!

Ben Folds broadcasted LIVE from his concert in Charlotte, North Carolina, with 2000 audience members on Chatroulette! Folds improvised a song for every new user that he came across on the infamous chat program.

How awesome is that?

For those of you that may not know what Chatroulette is, I will explain. Chatroulette is a website that allows you to "anonymously" video chat with completely random people that are also on the website at the same time. You simply go to Chatroulette.com, click 'new game', and you're suddenly face-to-face with Ben Folds...

OK. You're not always going to get a celebrity, but more and more stories of people digitally running into celebrities such as Paris Hilton and the Jonas Brothers are getting more frequent. Chances are you're going to end up face-to-face with some totally average dude, hopefully not in the bathroom (probably on his bed), with his shirt off, likely doing inappropriate things. Because that's what the internet is apparently for, according to most totally average  shirtless dudes on Chatroulette.

Check out the Ben Folds/Chatroulette video below and as always, readers

keep on rockin in the free world -

Jenna

All in a name

I have been in three bands (unless you count the few groups in junior high we pulled together in a desperate attempt to hop on the talent show bill). Naming the band, it seems, is always the most difficult part of getting a group of musicians together. OK, maybe not the most difficult but it definitely falls close to keeping the band together...But we'll not get into that just now.

An article I came across seems to have an explanation for why naming a band is so difficult to do these days. It was published last week in the Wall Street Journal and discusses why naming a band is so difficult to do these days. It includes some pretty interesting internet statistics as well. Check it out, readers.

Click it: ABBA to ZZ Top

With that, I leave you with this silly little cartoon.

Love,
Jenna

What I'm listening to now: Gracie, by Ben Folds