I’m always running across really good indie musicians offering their music on-line (some for free, some for pay, some offer both). I decided I’d see about sharing these musicians one a week with the Dopers of the Straight.
My first offer is Jonathan Coulton. He does jangle guitar rock/pop music - like a mix between Jonathan Richman and Bare Naked Ladies. The lyrics however are the selling point.
From “That Spells DNA”
From “Ikea”
And my personal favourite “Skullcrusher Mountian”
He also did a genius cover of Sir Mix-a-lot’s Baby’s got back (which you can find with a google search)
WoW players will know him as “the guy who sang the all we wanna do is eat your brains song that someone synched with game video.” The song is called “Re: Your Brains.”
I first heard his cover of “Baby Got Back” before watching the WoW video and was pleased to find they were the same guy. I downloaded “Millionaire Girlfriend” and “You Could Be Her” too. He’s pretty entertaining, even when he’s not really trying to be funny.
If you like Jonathan Coulton, and you know who John Hodgeman is (even if you only know him as a PC in the Apple commercials), get the audiobook of “The Areas of My Expertise”. Instead of just reading the book, he keeps Coulton along, engaging him in conversation at times, and having him sing a few improvised songs now and then.
The best part is the facts about the 51 states, for which he sings all the state songs.
A few samples of the songs:
“Georgia, can we forget it? Can we forget about Georgia, now?”
“Did you ever have the feeling you were being sucked out into outer space? That’s Montana.”
“Pennsylvania - it’s not the place that’s overrun with vampires - come visit a brand new 'vania.”
“I hate California … there’s something out there I just don’t get.”
I had his “Tom Cruise Crazy” song stuck in my head last night. Just be glad it’s him not you. You’d be the only man on earth who couldn’t enjoy Tom Cruise.
I didn’t know it, but yes, though that song on its own is a pretty ‘normal’ song. The state song version is just what I posted; just the first few lines. (The same with the other state songs - I’ve posted the entire lyrics.)