Dear Followers,As you may have noticed, I've only posted one blog in December. My explanation has nothing to do with research or inspiration (you should see the huge pile of "Blog subjects" waiting to be attacked!), but everything to do with our medically motivated trip to New York. The photo above is of Tony and me in Albany, and was taken the night before my CCSVI procedure.
CCSVI stands for Chronic Cerebro Spinal Venous Insufficiency, a term coined by Dr. Paolo Zamboni of Ferrara, Italy. When his wife developed MS, he explored the disease from a Vascular rather than Neurological perspective, and discovered that most people with MS have a congenital restriction of several major veins. This stenosis interferes with the venous blood flow, and that causes a back flow of iron molecules.
This angioplasty-like procedure is (finally) being performed in the U.S., and after spending 54 weeks in search of a skilled American doctor, Tony and I hit the jackpot. Our friend Bea Lewis introduced us to Dr. Gary Siskin, who has performed more of these procedures than any physician in North America.
We travelled to Albany with Ed Broderick, and learned that both Jugular veins and the Azygous were all compromised. Dr. Siskin and his staff completed the CCSVI procedure the next day, and two days later we flew back to Florida.
There are several CCSVI YouTube videos (see The Reformed MS Society) where patients have had dramatic improvements. In my case, I'm having small positive changes in my ability to move my right hand and left foot. And even though it's hard to explain, I just generally feel better and a bit stronger. In theory, if the veins remain open the improvements will continue.
Next week The Self-Empowered Woman blog will continue with more stories about amazing women, but for now here's hoping 2011 will be a fabulous year for all of us.
A picture of a popstar trying to look like a popstar
Apparently Taio Cruz has been hanging out at the Christina Aguilera School Of Over-singing lately, because his cover of John Lennon's 'Imagine' is kind of a mess. Rather than pump up the backing instrumentation into something unique and interesting, Taio - whose output we usually love - has instead decided to do some DEFCON-1 VOCAL GYMNASTICS over a cookie-cutter piano-and-string karaoke track.
We totally understand the urge to "make the song your own," but the way to do that isn't by creating the EXACT SAME melismatic nightmare of runs and whoops that every other "listen to how well I can sing" singer chucks out.
The shocking thing about this is not that former Backstreet Boy Nick Carter has a song. Rather, it's that Nick Carter has a song that is ACTUALLY VERY GOOD. We're genuinely taken aback that it is not some faux R&B shit-hop mess, and as a result of our shock we really don't have a lot to say about it.
So here's the video for it - a slightly-out-of-focus 'artsy' thing that is adequate at least and good at best, but does accomplish the important feat of showing us that Nick is no longer fat.
There are a lot of top 10 lists at the end of each year. It can be difficult to decide which one to rely on as GOSPEL TRUTH - a problem which inevitably leads to new-year depression and shame-sex. Luckily, though, ScopiSat has the solution to this very real social malady: just use ours.
CRISIS AVERTED. And now you have to blame your shame-sex on something else.
So here we go - the details: we've limited the applicant pool to those songs that were released as singles (although who the hell knows what that even means anymore) during the 2010 calendar year, and which placed in the official singles chart in either the UK (Official top 75), the US (on the Billboard Hot 100, Pop or Dance charts) or Europe (Billboard top 100 aggregated from all European charts, including Germany, UK, Spain, etc.). Our list order was determined by a host of hazy criteria, starting with the number of plays each track received on ScopiSat's iTunes and iPod but also taking into account some boring things like sales and charts and "artistic accomplishment."
Really, all you need to know is that these are all songs from 2010 that WE VERY MUCH LIKE and accordingly, must be QUITE GOOD INDEED.
Anyhoodle, enough with all that - you're here to lazily browse an article written at an 8th grade level, and far be it from us to delay your gratification. So without further ado...
THE TOP 10 OF '10
10. Dancing On My Own - Robyn (UK: #8, US Dance: #3)
Robyn really came into her own in 2010. She was all but written off after her brief but intense stint as a BIG POP STAR back in the 90s, and only began to return to prominence with her 2007 UK and European hits 'With Every Heartbeat' and 'Be Mine!'. It wasn't until this year, however, that the whole world came (back) under her spell. The song that kicked it all off, 'Dancing On My Own,' was, for the unindoctrinated, the ideal introduction to the star's downtrodden but still somehow uplifting beats, and yet managed to stay completely true to what her die hard fans expected. This year it might have been often imitated (yeah, we called you out, Alesha), but at the end of the day 'Dancing' is still the absolute epitome of "weeping at the disco" pop, and ain't nobody can cry into an appletini like our girl Robyn.
09. I Like It - Enrique Iglesias (US: #4, UK: #4, EU: #4)
Our number nine pick is another comeback of sorts. Enrique Iglesias' career fell completely off right about the same time his mole did, so he did what any sensible Latin act would do - he went back to his roots and chucked out some Spanish-language hits. By all accounts those releases were pretty successful, but in the English-speaking world he faded into the collective memory as a relic of the early-2000's Latin Invasion along with...well, pretty much everyone else connected to that whole thing. Then something really strange happened. And no, we're not talking about him waterskiing naked. We're talking about him, years after fading from relevance completely, pulling an ACTUAL POP GEM out of his tight little ass and flinging it to the top of the charts. 'I Like It' is an autotuned Frankenstein combination of pop cheese, sceney credibility, and even a rap by Pitbull....you know, for the kids. Add in a video featuring the Jersey Shore cast (we're looking at you, Vinny...with your big muscles and pouty lips...) and you have a perfect pop culture storm. Way to go Enrique. And seriously: Vinny.... you can call us. Any time.
08. My Wicked Heart - Diana Vickers (UK: #13)
Since losing the X-Factor in 2008, Diana Vickers has become somewhat of a musical genius, churning out tunes that are both inventive and credible, and also relatively commercially successful. Her #1 debut track 'Once' is 4 minutes of unique, personality-driven pure genius, and barely missed the cut for this chart itself. 'My Wicked Heart,' released as her third single/launch of her debut album re-release, took the quirk factor and dialed it up to 11, and in the process eclipsed all her other tunes to become one of our favorite jams of the year. It's one of those songs that is both challenging and familiar, and in this age of cookie-cutter Gaga rip-offs is a true breath of fresh air. The video's fun and stuff, but nothing to write home about - the real way to enjoy this baby is to strap on some headphones, close your eyes, and let the song take you to whatever weird-ass place it came from.
07. Wonderful Life - Hurts (UK: #21, EU#10, US )
Not too long ago, Hurts were the up-and-coming band to watch according to "the blogs" and "the critics" and a couple people on Twitter with too much time on their hands. Then they were sort of cool among annoying hipsters and "Pitchfork-is-the-Bible" types and then the hipsters got high and forgot they existed and then all of a sudden everyone loved them and they had an actual hit for some reason. 'Wonderful Life' is that hit, and it is very good. We've chosen to post the Freemasons mix of the track - not because the original is bad, but because the remix is equally as delightful and essentially was the "official radio version" for much of the song's chart campaign because while people do like to cry and be melancholy, a far greater number of people like to cry and be melancholy while DANCING.
06. One - Sky Ferriera (UK: #64)
This baby just barely satisfied our entry criteria (it eked out one week in the UK official top 75) but we are super glad it did because otherwise we'd have to change the rules completely so that it could be included and that's just a hassle for everyone involved. Though 'One' barely charted upon release in the UK, it is universally revered as a masterpiece of pop by all fourteen people lucky enough to have heard it. The song has the notable advantage of being accompanied by one of the best music videos since the medium's 80's heyday, but even sans visuals it stands up as its own work of art. It has soaring synths and addictive riffs, and while 'One' didn't set the charts on fire, it certainly made us VERY EAGER to hear what this girl has in store for us when her album is released on 1-11-11.
05. Lose My Mind - The Wanted (UK: #9)
Every so often, a song comes along that dares you to not love it. 'Lose My Mind' is that kind of song, and considering its source - a wet-behind-the-ears British boyband, that's a bit surprising. It has a lazy verse that draws the listener in, only to blindside their ears with a killer chorus before anyone knows what's happening. It kind of musically roofies you - coaxing you into a state of delightful, hazy calm until BAM you wake up in an Arizona State frathouse bunkbed and can't find your Umbro shorts you wore for the previous night's "Bros-only" Twister party that ended up just being you and that guy who said his name was Tony and his "cousin" who was like 40 and bought you beer.... Anyhow, while easily more than half of this track's appeal is its production, every note and transition is mixed to poptastic perfection. The group's other songs aren't half bad, of course, but this jam really rises to the occasion. We have a feeling that 'Lose My Mind' will go down as The Wanted's equivalent to N*Sync's 'Pop' - a glorious standout amongst an above-average catalog that will never be matched, mostly due to the fact that one of the greedy douches in the band will go solo and RUIN EVERYTHING before the group has a chance to try.
04. On A Mission - Gabriella Cilmi (UK: #9, AUS: #16)
Gabriella Cilmi, who made a name for herself with worldwide hit 'Sweet About Me,' returned this year with her sophomore album and its lead single 'On A Mission.' And on a mission she certainly was. Abandoning the laid-back jazzy vibe of her first offerings, Gabriella jumped, Cinderella-style, into the sparkly glass slipper of a bona fide pop diva, and the whole world watched as she fit into it perfectly. It's synthy and 80's and boasts an anthemic chorus, and coupled with her booming voice and banging body, this track certainly gets its 'Mission' accomplished.
The most successful of all the songs on our list, 'Dynamite' was pretty much inescapable this year - and for very good reason. The track managed to cross nearly every musical boundary, showing up on R&B stations, top 40 playlists and AC compilations - and miraculously didn't drive everyone crazy in the process. It is one of those rare songs that everyone in the world can sing along to, and not feel like a sell-out or scenester while doing it. This jam is just a fun slice of musical heaven, mixing urban elements with straight-up pop in a sundae of gooey goodness that does many things - not least of all reminds us just how much better we can all do than the goddamned Black Eyed Peas.
02. Satellite - Lena (EU: #1, UK: #30)
After winning the Eurovision Song Contest with our number two jam, 19 year old Lena - previously an unknown German schoolgirl - was rocketed into superstardom on the back of one of the most enduring tracks in a great while. Some tracks rely on glitz or fancy production or flashy music videos, but even with none of those things on its side, 'Satellite' rose to the top of the heap by just being a damn good song. For her part, Lena, who at first appears to be an unlikely pop star, has a natural charisma that injects something really special into the song and elevates the whole thing from an adequately delicious glazed donut into an absolutely heavenly custard eclair that we have been more than happy to gorge on all year long.
01. All The Lovers - Kylie (UK: #3, EU: #4, US Dance: #1, US: #102)
That's right, kids, our number one single of the year is Kylie's 'All The Lovers.' A slow burner - both musically and commercially - the track launched K-Mo's 'Aphrodite' album to worldwide success, including a shockingly impressive top 20 debut on the Billboard 200 US album chart and number 1 placings all over the globe. The track hung around the British charts for months and eventually became her biggest selling single there since 2001's 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head.' Even in the US the song kept chugging along, and is perched firmly as Billboard's 3rd biggest dance song of the entire year. Not content to just chuck out a brilliant tune, though, Kylie also gave us one of the most iconic videos of the year to boot, and we think it's safe to say the track owes at least a little of its success to a 50-story sex volcano, some well trained doves, and a giant goddamn floating white elephant.
So yes, here you have it. Our ten picks of 2010. Well done to you all, champagne all around, etc. Except for you, Lena. We all saw you make a drunken fool of yourself at Eurovision and we can't have any of that nonsense up in here even if it IS the holidays.
Hugh Hefner's Christmas was extra, extra jolly this year: He's engaged again!
The Playboy founder, 84, is engaged to Crystal Harris, his 24-year-old girlfriend and Playmate, a Playboy rep confirms to UsMagazine.com.
Hefner first Tweeted about it on Sunday. "When I gave Crystal the ring, she burst into tears," the Girls Next Door star wrote. "This is the happiest Christmas weekend in memory...I got what I was hoping for for Christmas...Crystal's love."
The year's biggest engagements
To make his news absolutely clear, the mogul then added: "Yes, the ring I gave Crystal is an engagement ring. I didn't mean to make a mystery out of it. A very merry Christmas to all."
It will be the third marriage for famous bachelor Hefner. He wed first wife Mildred in 1949 (they have grown children Christie, 58, and David, 55) before divorcing in 1959. In 1989, he walked down the aisle with Playmate of the Year Kimberley Conrad, and they went on to have sons Marston, 10, and Cooper, 9. The duo's divorce was finalized last year.
The SUPER HETEROSEXUAL Sam Sparro is back, and...well, not as good as before. But he's back, and there are probably a few people (his parents and other immediate family) who care.
He first burst onto the scene with CERTIFIED TUNE 'Black and Gold,' and then did absolutely nothing except release a crap follow-up track that flopped on its ass right out of the gate.
Cut to 2 years later, and Sam has decided that if he can't be a mainstream pop star, he'll do what every struggling pop act does in their darkest moments - go for the gays.
Sparro's new track, 'Pink Cloud' is an almost vocal-less dance ditty that throws in all sorts of 90's synths and riffs and is kind of fun but also completely forgettable. The video, on the other hand, is actually pretty alright - albeit in an art-school-project kind of way. There's a lot of paint, and faces, and painted faces, and some other things that are kind of cool but not really interesting enough to write about.
So yeah, here's the video.
Also, Sam is offering his full new EP for free download if you go to THIS LINK.
Y'all already know that it's a red letter day for ScopiSat whenever Kylie comes out with something new - hell, we'd probably buy tickets to watch her do a shit as long as there were some screen projections and hot dancers - and today is no exception.
K-mo is fast rivaling self-proclaimed Queen Of Christmas Mariah Carey in the "festive output" department this year, as after chucking out a brand new holiday song, 'Let It Snow', Kylie has GONE BACK IN TIME and given us a video for her old recording of 'Santa Baby' for some reason.
There are no bells and whistles except for a GROUNDBREAKING (read: not groundbreaking at all) kaleidoscope effect that we think came for free on our MacBook Pro. Sure, it's better than Mariah's disastrous 'Auld Sang Lyne' mess. But a three minutes of our grandmother singing 'The Time' would be better than that, so we suppose it's not the best measuring stick....
Long story short, it's Kylie sitting in a leotard by a tree and it is VERY GOOD.
It is that time again to start looking for holiday gifts for your friends and family that you have included on your Christmas list if you have prepared one. Holiday gifts for the men in your life can be difficult to determine but there are several lists that you can review to help you come up with the best Christmas gifts for 2010 for the men in your life self based on their interests and hobbies. For additional help with Christmas gifts, review the top 10 best Christmas gifts 2010 for him listed below.
1. Kindle
One of the best Christmas gifts for 2010 are e-book readers that are growing in popularity and are an excellent option for any readers of books, magazines, etc. This is the top bestselling item on Amazon and the latest version is faster, smaller and with more contrast making it one of the best holiday gifts for 2010 for men.
2. Weber 10020 Smokey Joe Silver Charcoal Grill
For the men in your life that enjoy grilling, this smaller and highly portable grill is perfect for tailgating, camping, fishing trips, etc, is one of the best holiday gifts 2010 for men. This is also one of the cheaper holiday gifts for 2010 for men that will be appreciated and used frequently because of its portability. This reasonably priced but effective Christmas gift is one of the top 10 best Christmas gifts 2010 for men.
3. iPod Touch 4th Generation
The latest generation of this iPod is perfect for any man especially the outdoorsy man in your life and makes one of the best Christmas gifts 2010. It is a multi-tasker that is a great iPod, game player, as well as being a computer at the tips of your fingers.
4. iPad
The iPad continues to be one of the most sought after gifts and much appreciated gifts which makes it one of the top 10 best Christmas gifts 2010. It allows users to surf the web, send email, photos, video, etc using the latest technology as well as a large touch screen making this one of the best holiday gifts for 2010.
5. Golf Club Drink Dispenser from the Sharper Image
For the avid golfers in your comes this innovative product. It allows golfers to dispense both hot and cold beverages on the golf course and is in the shape of a golf club. One of the best Christmas gifts 2010 for men that will also be a great a conversational piece. Very easy to store and clean making it one of the best holiday gifts 2010 for men.
6. LG 32-inch LCD HDTV
Men love their TVs which makes this one of the best Christmas gifts 2010 for the man in your life that he will appreciate. This is a very reasonably priced HDTV when compared to others that are similar on the market. Being an HDTV ensures that the viewing pleasure in second to none making this one of the top holiday gifts 2010.
7. Sporting Event or Concert Tickets
If the man or men in your life are sports enthusiasts, sporting event tickets are the perfect holiday gifts for 2010. If they enjoy a particular singer or band and would like to see them in concert, getting them concert tickets will be much appreciated and will make one of the best holiday gifts 2010 for him.
8. Men's Air Force A-2 Flight Leather Bomber Jacket
A good leather jacket is a must have for anyone and makes one of the top 10 best Christmas gifts 2010. This bomber jacket is made of the softest lamb nappa leather making this one of the best holiday gifts 2010 for him. The manufacture of this leather jacket adheres to the same standards as the authentic A-2 military version making this one of the best Christmas presents for men.
9. Beats By Dr. Dre Headphones
These are some of the best and truly exceptional headphones that allow you to hear music the way it was intended by the music artists and producers making this one of the best Christmas presents for 2010 for men. The exceptional noise canceling makes them one of the top holiday gifts for 2010 for him.
10. Dragon Naturally Speaking Premium 11 with Digital Recorder
Natalia Kills, the British recording lady whom US audiences may know from her recent gig opening for EFFING ROBYN, has a new song out.
It's ok.
Like, it's not terrible by any means. But it's also not particularly great. We went on a whole tangent a couple weeks back about how Jessie J's single sounds like the tuneless R&B garbage that littered the pop landscape a few years ago, when being "authentic" and "street" was more important than a hook, and while 'Activate My Heart' doesn't quite scrape that soul-destroying barrel, it's not a long way off either.
It's kind of like if Rihanna's 'Rated R' album was a little more boring and had a little less budget.
That's right ScopiSubjects, we're bringing back the feature where it all started (the feature that, coincidentally, gave us our name) with one of our favorite Scopitones.
Yes. Yes we're excited too.
Scopitones were the first real music videos, back in the 60's, but were produced on special film that could only be played in jukebox-like video machines that were set up in bars and bowling alleys and the like all over the world. Because that made them super practical.
Anyhoodle, the boxes were generally located in drinking establishments, so the videos were allowed to be racier than just about any other media at the time. Scopitones were wildly popular for a brief time (we think it was a week in January of '67) and almost all the biggest artists of the day recorded at least one. Eventually the format died out, but not before we were left with a treasure trove of ACTUAL MUSICAL GEMS, like this subtle and understated classic - maybe our favorite Scopitone of all time.
It has all the things you'd expect from a mid-century adult-themed pop video - sex, overt racism, overtly racist sex, and a giant spiderweb made of boating rope because, why not?
This particular Scopitone holds a special place in our heart, because it foretold nearly every music video device we take for granted, like the liberal use of boobs, the co-opting of religious imagery, and singing in a birdcage with some wings and shit stuck to you. So basically everything Miley has ever done.
Feast your eyes on Joi Lansing, as she gets caught in a 'Web Of Love'
Leighton Meester, who musically fornicated with Robin Thicke, slummed it with Cobra Starship, and chucked out some BONA FIDE CORKERS from her still-unreleased electropop debut album and then inexplicably forgot all about the fact that she could sing, is FINALLY back on the pop radar. It's just a bit....different than what we expected her next move to be.
Not so long ago, Miss Meester was poised to become the American Sophie Ellis-Bextor, with some top shelf jams and her already cemented fashion icon status. But alas, somehow the project got shelved, and she's been all quiet on the music front for quite some time.
From her new movie "Country Strong," 'Summer Girl' is a sort of post-Taylor Swift pop-country effort with those kind of lyrics that are so insipid that they almost become clever and the hooks that you just can't deny. It's certainly not bad, and oddly Leighton makes quite the convincing country chick.
We still love our Leighton electro, but in the meantime we'll take what we can get.
"Country Strong" gets its nationwide release January 8
It's that time of year again, ScopiSubjects: The season for stress-eating, winter-weight, family lunacy, and some of the most ridiculous moments of recorded sound ever flung into a microphone.
But luckily these few days in December are also the time for giving crap gifts, receiving crap gifts, fashionably layering, and, most importantly, loving the hell out of some songs that at any other time of the year would be laughed off the airwaves.
So in honor of our second Christmas on the interwebs, we bring you the ScopiSat Top Ten Holiday Songs of All Time, based on a series of arbitrary criteria including how "Holiday Spirit-inducing the track is" and always remembering this is a blog that celebrates POP.
We warn you, there's a lot of cheer up in this bitch.
10. Run DMC - 'Christmas in Hollis'
In a world overrun with "traditional" holiday tunes, Run DMC shoved a little Queens in our stocking back in 1987, and it's been a classic ever since. It's such a jam, in fact, that they played it at the beginning of GODDAMNED "DIE HARD." Enough said.
09. The Carpenters - 'Merry Christmas Darling'
This is one of the few understated tunes you'll find on this list - if you haven't noticed, we have a fondness for the slightly ostentatious - but its subtlety and barely-contained emotion are what turned this 1970 track into a perennial favorite. Such a favorite, in fact, that just this year it was covered by Lea Michele on 'Glee.' With...uh...less subtlety. The video features a creepily-thin Karen Carpenter with a winter monster on her noggin. So....just putting that out there as a heads up.
08. Bill Nighy as Billy Mack - 'Christmas Is All Around Me'
Billy Mack Christmas Is All Around Me Uploaded by Bitoulamarmaille. - News videos from around the world. Alright, we know we're going to get some crap from purists on this baby, but it's nothing we haven't heard before from Ke$ha fans (who, incidentally, have SHOCKINGLY FOUL MOUTHS), and no objection will change the fact that few tunes make us feel as much in the Christmas spirit as this one. Recorded by fake washed-up rocker Billy Mack for the 2004 film 'Love, Actually,' this bona-fide jam is a hastily reworked version of The Troggs' 'Love Is All Around Me.' Though it was intentionally bad - Nighy's character refers to the song as a "festering turd of a record" - it's got a certain earnestness about it that just can't be denied.
07. The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl - 'Fairytale of New York'
Pogues Fairytale Of New York Uploaded by stevanhogg. - News videos from around the world. We heard this story once about how the woman who recorded the voice for the possessed kid in 'The Exorcist' was actually some 80 year old who prepared for the role every day by smoking a ton of reds and chugging whiskey. Well if she ever called in sick, Pogues lead singer Shane MacGowan could easily step right in. He's one of those singers that isn't an actual singer at all, but he and Ms. MacColl give this song a heart and soul that injects it with a life of its own. Maybe it's Shane's connection to Christmas that really shines through - he was born on Dec. 25. Tragically, and eerily, MacColl died in 2001, one week to the day before Christmas. These two artists have some crazy ties to the holidays for sure, and 'Fairytale' ensures this time of year is what we'll always remember them for.
06. Michael Buble - 'I'll Be Home For Christmas'
There may not be anything tougher than to make a truly classic song your own, but that's just what Michael Buble did when he rerecorded this holiday staple for his 2003 'Let It Snow!' (the "!" is because he's REALLY SERIOUS about it snowing, eh?) EP. To be fair, Buble could sing the phone book and we'd still daydream to it over a glass of wine and some Klonopin, but whatever this is a damn good track, and we won't hear another word about it.
05. Amy Grant - 'Grown Up Christmas List'
Ok, let's just get this out of the way - we heart Amy Grant. Hard. Sure, it's not surprising, considering our hyper-Christian upbringing, but it's also well deserved as she is quite an accomplished songwriter and seasoned performer. While most of the other singers on this list just showed up and did their job warbling to someone else's tune, Amy (that's Ms. Vince Gill if you're nasty) had a hand in writing a timeless song that has gone on to be rerecorded, translated and updated as the years pass. (As a side note, one of her entirely self penned tracks from the same parent album nearly made this list instead, but we deemed 'Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song)' to be a little too niche.) Back in 1992 Amy chucked out this tune, and it's hard to imagine a world where it isn't a certified Christmas classic. Countless cover versions have come and gone (including one by our number 6 entrant, Michael Buble), but this cheesy electric keyboard schlockfest is still our go-to incarnation.
04. The Waitresses - 'Christmas Wrapping'
In 1981 the Akron, Ohio New-Wave band The Waitresses, who gave us 'I Know What Boys Like' and.....well, nothing else, foisted this tale of ski shops, sunburns, and tragic missed connections, onto an unsuspecting world just settling in for the Christmas holiday. It didn't even chart in their native country, and it hit biggest in the UK with a non-canon #45 placing. Still, nearly 20 years later this track has taken on a life of its own in every mid-tier department store and self-serve-soda-fountain restaurant in the English speaking world this time of year. It's the perfect mix of sass and sentiment, and we'll take a big helping what these Waitresses are serving up.
03. Kylie - 'Santa Baby'
Kylie Minogue - Santa Baby Uploaded by JFr62. - See the latest featured music videos. Pop princess Kylie Minogue redefined the HO-lidays when she included this slutted up, jazzed down interpretation of the 1953 classic as a B-side to her 2000 UK top 10 hit 'Please Stay.' Since then it's recharted over and over, hopped across the ocean to the States, and, presumably, continued on to the North Pole where it seduced Santa, all of the straight male reindeer (there are 3, FYI) and then made off with the sleigh - presents in tow. A full decade later it's still selling like holiday hotcakes, because - Christmas or not - Santasex sells.
02. Adam Sandler - 'The Chanukah Song'
Surprised? You shouldn't be. This ode to the Jewish Festival Of Lights has become a staple of the holiday season. Despite its jokey inception, 'The Chanukah Song' filled a void in the lives of countless people who, understandably, had tired of the incessant banging-on about Saint Nick and Jesus and all of that junk that clutters the radio waves starting at about midnight on Halloween every f*cking year. But the song is really much more than just a Chanukah carol - it's a sort of anti-establishment holiday rallying cry for anyone who has ever felt out of place during the holidays. Don't feel like you and that fat-uncle-who-makes-you-sit-on-his-lap-even-though-you're-31-now-and-you-KNOW-he's-not-really-your-uncle really "get each other"? Listen to this list of other people who are holiday outcasts - you're not alone! Other people have been cast aside by Christmastime society! FAMOUS people! A lot of which undoubtedly have creepy uncles too. :(
01. Mariah Carey - 'All I Want For Christmas Is You'
Yeah, we know. You could see this coming a mile away. But you also can't deny that it really, truly, deserves to be here. It's the seminal example of pop music grabbing on to a deeply emotional, undeniably spiritual, definitively personal event and completely looting all its viable parts in aid of selling some goddamn records. In short, it is POP. But that shouldn't take away from the fact that for millions of people the world over, and, we're sure, one very fat Mariah, this tune has come to be synonymous with all things tinseled. Consistently the highest charting perennial holiday tune, we're obviously not alone in our assessment of the track's virtues. A true modern classic, there's really not a lot more to say about it, other than that despite the original video's iconography, we actually prefer the above clip with a bunch of gays mouthing the words. Because nothing says "festive" like some homos in scarves.
So there you have it. The definitive (read: not definitive at all) list of the ABSOLUTE BEST holiday tunes ever recorded.
BUT WAIT! It wouldn't be the holidays without presents, now would it? (readers: "no") So as a sort of runner-up/randomly tacked on addition, here is a totally free download of Hurts' new holiday track 'All I Want For Christmas Is New Years Day.'
Mariah at home (in outer space for some reason) with her pet Nick Canon
After her ALL CONQUERING (read: ratings flop) Christmas Special on ABC the other night, which barely edged out bona-fide viewer sinkhole 'Skating With The Stars' in terms of aging gay tv-watchers, Mariah has somehow already moved on to the next major holiday, New Years' Eve.
To celebrate the upcoming calendar change, Team Butterfly has knocked together a sort of "U.S. dance music in the 90's/Russian dance music now" rendition of traditional NYE anthem 'Auld Lang Syne'. Because, why not?
The video would be hilarious if she didn't seem to ACTUALLY BE TAKING HERSELF SERIOUSLY, but with tens of dollars and dozens of cleavage inches behind it, at least it's better than 'I Wanna Know What Love Is.'
Alexander McQueen was a rare, unique and controversial talent in the fashion world. His death was a shock and a loss to the entire fashion community. Somewhat belatedly, celebritographer Nick Knight has produced this rather stunning tribute to the designer, and tapped another rare and unique talent to score it: batshit insane Icelandic paparazzi-hunter and sometimes-songstress Bjork. To be honest we'd prefer something a bit more celebratory, but you can't please everyone all the time and we're not the easiest of critics, admittedly.
Luckily the video is just as impressive when played on mute. RIP, McQueen.
ScopiSat has been under the weather the last week (read: ACTUALLY DYING) so we apologize for the lack of posts. But to make up for it we have a doozy for you.
Scissor Sisters' current album campaign didn't exactly go to plan, with lead single 'Fire With Fire' missing the UK top ten and the follow up single 'Any Which Way' charting outside the Top 75 all together. Since they don't have to (can't really) worry about commercial success at the moment, the Sisters have decided to go super ARTSY and CUTTING EDGE and ALIENATING in a bid to either exorcise some of their inner sex demons, reclaim their status as cultural "outsiders," or both.
'Invisible Light' is a disco-electro (let's face it, it's Scissor Sisters, we all know what we're getting) romp but to be honest it's nothing particularly special. Perhaps that's why they chose to pair it with a video that combines some pretty dark themes with full-on nudity and turkey-eating.
We have to admit we're totally digging the video, and the song is growing on us. Maybe the Sisters haven't shot their wad after all?
There is a thing called a Japayork and though we initially thought it was some fusion of the infamous literary 'Jabbawocky' and a very posh J-pop band it is not. It is something almost as brilliant though, as it is the latest band to debut on the DEEPLY EXCITING Popjustice Hi-Fi label.
It also should be noted that Japayork is not actually a "band" as such, but is rather an ACTUAL PERSON by the name of...something irrelevant...and who does some very decent pop tunes in the vein of Frankmusik and MGMT.
His latest song, 'Teenagers,' is a super "now" track with a video to match, with kids doing all manner of things they are not supposed to but are completely expected as they are KIDS and that's just how they roll.
Unfortunately for U.S. listeners, they will have to acquire a bootleg (Rough Trade stocks the single FYI) or something, since no North American release is currently planned.
Everyone reacts a little differently when they see carbs.
Remember that ACTUALLY BRILLIANT 'Party In The USA' video by the group of rather sexy "confirmed bachelors" that took over the internet a few months back? Of course you do, you perverts - why else does the internet exist if not for watching grown men writhe around shirtless to the music of underage girls?
And if you're really going to pretend you haven't watched it at least once a week since the summer, here it is again in all its glory:
Well those guys are BACK and BIGGER THAN EVER (not physically, though, as one gentleman illustrates in the video, singing longingly to a tray of baked goods). They've launched a gosh-darn-super website called Firecrkr (click, and you'll be magically teleported there through the power of Jesus or something), on which the boys post their favorite videos, memes and general whimsy. Luckily for everyone, they also throw up some original content every so often, like this FESTIVE YULETIDE TREAT.
It's gay boys lip syncing to Mariah while wearing fashionable layers and a variety of hats, gloves and scarves.
As you may have noticed, I've only posted one blog in December. My explanation has nothing to do with research or inspiration (you should see the huge pile of "Blog subjects" waiting to be attacked!), but everything to do with our medically motivated trip to New York. The photo above is of Tony and me in Albany, and was taken the night before my CCSVI procedure.
