Mp3 Truffles: MTV Get Off the Air!

Dang! It seems the biggest news in the mp3 blog world this week is right here. We're knocking them out with not one, but three volumes of the amazing Phonoanomalies all as totally free downloads. And then we went and sucker-punched you with the news that Beware of the Blog is now hosting the return of the 365 Days project. With that in mind, now is a good time to troll through the original 365 Project (also now also hosted by WFMU). Every time I think I've got it all, I find some new gem in there that I somehow missed - like this awsome song by Kristy and Jimmy McNichol (mp3). 

But my big find this week isn't even mp3s (though there are plenty of those after the jump) - it's music videos. I spent my Christmas holiday trying to watch music videos on digital cable and learned a harsh lesson. We all know that MTV has sucked for years now, but I thought there might be more options in this new world of a billion channels. Nope. Either there are no more videos (MTV2, which was originally started to show the damn things again), or "comics" are talking over everything (VH1), or annoying music-ignorant hosts share clueless "trivia" (an interview with Bow Wow Wow on VH1 Classics made me want to hop through the screen and poke the host's eyes out), or they just play modern crap (Fuse).

Well, the internet has been a life saver for us music video fans. And for an excellent music video fix, then I say head over to Mr Dante Fontana's Visual Guidance LTD. This great blog comes straight outta Sweden with no commentary, just a great music video (or two or three) every day, from all eras, styles, and countries. Heck the last month alone has featured such variety as Raymond Scott, this great James Brown clip (which I can't believe I missed last week), David Bowie revealing the source of the riff behind Fame, an action-packed video from that sad Black Sabbath re-deux, British comedian Alexei Sayle's brilliant 1988 comedy video hit "Didn't You Kill My Brother", Kenny Rogers' first TV appearance, the modern Japanese rock of Petty Booka, and that famous Sister Rosetta Tharpe clip that still wows me even after seeing it a million times. Heck, they're not even afraid to veer into Little Marcy territory. But Sister Sledge's "He's the Greatest Dancer" video has made it to the top of my list this week, not only because of those great moves, but their excellent use of early-era video effects.

And now for this week's best mp3s around the internet. Follow the jump!

For a look back at the dear departed of 2006, check out The R.I.Podcast, or read this soulful list of lost musical legends - starting with Kool & the Gang's Claydes E.X. Smith.

Ready for an afternoon listening to the Wurlitzer with grandpa? Then, you're ready for Larry! Fatty Jubbo's record-saving story makes me teary-eyed. 

To heck with lyrics, Crud Crud shows off a series of hard-to-find instumental 45s. 1 2 3 4

This week's Waxidermy picks defy genre. First, white kids defunkify funk. Yeah, it's kind of like Lounge disco. Then, watch out for Evil, which can take you anywhere. But topping them all? Gotta be yodelling reggae. You heard me...

Post-punk Junk does it right again with the masters of Japanese no wave Friction; Dee Dee Ramone's sad attempt at a solo album (Kid Rock totally stole this look!); and a riveting P.I.L. Peel Session

On your next visit to New York, listen to light jazz as you prey upon and destroy those who are finanially weaker than you, or climb to the top of the Empire State Building and cut a record for the folks back home.

Yodelling reggae! Just in case you missed that one...

Ever wonder what a grown man playing four homemade Pikachu theremins would sound like? Yeah, me too.

Killed By Death loses a blogger, but he leaves a great parting gift: 26 Swedish punk and new wave singles.

Marie Laforêt's French pop standard "Mon Amour, Mon Ami" becomes, in Turkish, "My name Flirty Girl, Flirty Girl".

Nothing says Euro-sleaze like a sexy romp that uses a sitar version of "Games People Play" for the title. Oh yeah, and the movie is called Come Together, and is directed by the star of 3-D "classic" Treasure of the Four Crowns. 

On a classier note, how about a lost late-60s album from Hoyt Axton. Or maybe you prefer your country music a little on the stranger side. Avon calling!

Any jazz musician who says, "It must have been a good one, because I don't remember it," is good enough for me.

Comments

[ecnalg1]

Odd. I thought Fame was Footstompin' with different words but that doesn't sound anything like Fame... Am I confused?

Is that Ava Cherry dancing in the Bowie video?

[Krys O.]

Which came first, Fame by Bowie, or Hot Hot Hot by James Brown? Listen to the latter if you can find it - it is exactly like Fame except for the lyrics and the vocal part.

I always presumed Bowie had ripped off JB, but I never got a chance to check the credits on each track properly...

# posted by Mike : 10:28 AM

I heard that the two tracks were recorded in neighbouring studios after Mr Brown had 'borrowed' some of Bowies backing band.
Or was it the other way round?

# posted by Anonymous : 1:09 PM

Here's one take on the Fame/James Brown story:

"[Carlos] Alomar based his guitar part for "Fame" on the song "Foot Stomping Pt. 1" by 60s R&B outfit The Flares. James Brown, who Alomar did some work with, would steal the riff (and pretty much all the instrumentation) for the song "Hot (I Need to Be Loved, Loved, Loved)." This blatant lifting led Alomar to state he wanted to sue the Godfather of Soul. Lennon added his own spin to "Fame" thanks in part to a series of jam sessions in which he played rhythm guitar and his own discussions with Bowie on the nature of celebrity. The apocryphal tales concerning the song's origin state that 1) Bowie wrote the lyrics in five minutes after Lennon said it was easy to write a good song quickly and 2) that the song was originally titled "Aim" until Lennon muttered something about fame."

From:
http://www.treblezine.com/reviews/846.html

http://musicthing.blogspot.com/2006/02/wonder-vs-jones-at-1985-grammy-awards.html

[ResidentClinton]

I clearly hear Fame at the beginning, but it changes a bit as the song goes on, probably because it's a live version with a bit more improve. I can't confirm who that dancer is.

Thanks for the details on the JB/DB riff swap. I'm gonna stick with Bowie ripping off Brown, just because the Godfather just died and all. We'll reverse that opinion when Bowie kicks. But we do need to give The Flares some more props (and I really need to hear their song now).

[Ferrus]

Hello, here 32 covers of the song "Stand by me", visit it!:
http://eguren-zone.blogspot.com/2007/01/32-stand-by-me-covers.html

[cheerios]

MTV the tv channel has very little to do with music videos anymore, but what do you think of the new mtv.com? Lots of videos..

[Nicholas]

I'm surprised people even do music videos anymore. Since to watch a whole video is, what, three minutes? Way past the current attention span of most of MTV's viewership. I never thought I would miss them, though. While a great deal weren't so great, some were fantastic and really imaginative.

[efd]

Thanks for the Kristy and Jimmy McNichol aside -- it reminded me that I've been meaning to play something from that album (which I've owned since it came out, I might add!) as a starting-with-the-70s show opener. I think the day is drawing near...

[Steve PMX]

I'm slightly partial to VH1 Soul (Soul School mainly/only sometimes though). VH1 Classics is generally useless, although I did enjoy a couple of the Classic Albums they ran specials on. Primarily the Pink Floyd, Bob Marley and Motorhead ones. Especially the Motorhead one!

[jerod]

I remember when I first checked out the original 365 days project: it was at the beginning of my romance with downloading from the internets - when I heard "Hot Tunes" I knew I would never be the same - I had been elevated. I'm glad that you underscored its ability to turn on the uninitiated... it IS bait, and it WILL catch someone.

[gblcd]

MTV the tv channel has a nice one who shows differn't variety of music.i like that