Tag: Music

Learn Guitar with David Brent

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The British version of the Office only went on for two seasons, plus a special. The American version just ended after nine seasons, long enough to jump the shark. (Tim and Dawn didn’t get together until the very end of the Christmas special – Jim and Pam got married in season 6. David Brent had left Wernham Hogg by time of the special, but he was a part of the show – Michael Scott disappeared after season 7).

But now that both are done, Ricky Gervais, who played Brent and co-created the series, has revived the Brent character through a series of YouTube videos called “Learn Guitar with David Brent“. You don’t really learn how to play guitar, but Brent’s awkward and clueless arrogance comes out loud and clear. 

Here’s an appropriate one for today – language NSFW. I find ’em. I find ’em. 

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLDyugzWk1s&w=640&h=360]

Four Chords

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Thanks to my former WNYMedia.net colleague Chris Charvella for posting this on Facebook, this Australian trio makes the case that all it takes to make a pop hit is four chords. 

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOlDewpCfZQ?list=PLB5D4364384A31264&w=640&h=360]

Food for Thought

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Two additional items I came across this morning: 

1. Rod Watson’s column in the Buffalo News is fantastic. It succinctly breaks down our civic outrage, and how we prioritize nonsense and largely ignore really important stuff. 

2. This story from the BBC details how Jewish composers imprisoned in the Theresienstadt concentration camp during World War II wrote music in cabaret style – music that has been largely forgotten, until now. A show in Tel Aviv features that music, which was recovered almost archeologically through interviews and demonstrations the organizers conducted with about 20 survivors from that camp. The survivors say that the finished product faithfully recreates what the music sounded like at the time. It’s a testament to the human spirit even at its most hopeless. 

Friday Videos

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Here are some videos I favorited recently on YouTube.  

Last week, I had this song in my head for no reason whatsoever. I thought this rendition from 1994 – just a year before Jerry Garcia’s death – was particularly good. 

 

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJJCQ4dtAlw&w=640&h=480]

Check out this French guy “EKLIPS” beat boxing:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0_2vmkTmf0&w=640&h=360]

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a pilot. Watch this incredible compilation video done by a pilot for a Brazilian airline. I love how the newer Airbus aircraft have a joystick controller, and the panoramas of Rio de Janeiro are breathtaking.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYDba1UsgHc&w=640&h=360]

This man witnessed the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and went on a game show in 1956 to talk about it. This is the sort of real-life time travel described in this article.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_iq5yzJ-Dk&w=640&h=480]

I’m not a huge fan of Bob Dylan as a performer, but he is a great songwriter. Here’s another video from the Dead performing “When I Paint My Masterpiece”. It’s a favorite of mine.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2HukzKoQ44&w=640&h=360]