My New Obsession: Live From Daryl's House

Thanks to the hegemonic campaign of cultural oppression carried out by my parents (and yours too if you count the Boomers as your immediate predecessors) I have an asynchronous fondness for all things before my time and that totally includes Hall and Oates. Recently having moved to Philadelphia has only accelerated my appreciation for the '80s, and perhaps all of recorded history's greatest blue-eyed soul duo. The fact that they met at Temple University while my father-in-law was wrapping up his residency there somehow entwines our destinies. Like it or not, I feel close to Hall and Oates in a spiritual way.

So, of course I'm obsessively digging LiveFromDarylsHouse.com. Please enjoy at your leisure as Daryl hosts artists of all shape and size at his home in upstate New York for transcendent jam sessions interspersed with candid segments where Daryl schools his guests on topics ranging from 1980s recording techniques and music journalism to home restoration, indoor pools, and the merits of New York state chardonnays (as opposed to that swill they make in California).

Since it's Friday, and I want to slide all funky-style into my weekend, I'm watching Episode 10, featuring Chromeo and it's completely awesome with new and exciting versions of classic Hall and Oates tunes, as well as a few Chromeo joints. The closing 'No Can Do' number is sensational.

Mao Asada's Olympic Music: Rachmaninoff Prelude in C Sharp Minor Op. 3

The women's free skate program on the Olympics last night was an altogether impressive show. During which, I was really intrigued by the dark music that accompanied Mao Asada on her silver-medal performance. So a little Google magic later, I've identified it as Sergei Rachmaninoff's Prelude in C Sharp Op. 3.

Originally a composition for the piano, Mao skated to an orchestral version like the one shown below by the Kremlin Chamber Orchestra.

Busta Rhymes on the Slide Trombone

While watching this video of a live, Philadelphia performance of John Legend's Slow Dance on MTVMusic.com yesterday, I was shocked in a delighted kind of way to see Mr. Flip Mode himself, Busta Rhymes, playing back-up on the slide trombone. (Forward to 3:00 in the video for the sultry, surprise cameo.)

Apparently Busta Bust isn't just about the fast lyrics and bomb ass beats, but also prone to the sexy soul of the backup brass. One more layer of texture to his musical melange, and that I can appreciate.

I saw Busta Rhymes in college, playing the high-school intimate Leede Arena, where he stopped the show in the middle of a song to upbraid some poor white kid he'd noticed wasn't really feeling the flow. Apparently the kid wasn't bobbing his head, or tapping his feet, nothing; just apparent physical indifference to Busta's beats and rhymes. So Busta turned the spot light on this guy, laid into him for about 30 seconds with a shocking screed laced with F*** words, finished him with the race card, and then went back to his jams as if nothing unusual happened. I seem to remember the crowd being a little wigged-out at first, but then obediently getting back into the groove for fear of seeming not down with Flip Mode.

So it's good to see he has a softer side, even if he keeps it on the D low.

Though I looked in the John Legend video, I didn't notice Busta's typically ever-present sidekick Spliff Star (who was most definitely in the house that night at Leede Arena). His Wikipedia page is worth a read because it betrays his thoroughly un-street backgound as William A. Lewis holding a BA in Communications from Franklin & Marshall College it tidy, exurban Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I wonder how he got in with Flip Mode Squad on the weakness of that Amish-country cred?

Orbit Gum Flavor Explosion

That's Orbit's new 'Pina Colada' (l) and Citrus Mint (r), discovered at Wawa this weekend while driving from Philadelphia to Sag Harbor. Since then I've bought more packs of gum this week than the average for the upper quintile of teenage girl gum-chewers. (A shot from the hip, that, and not true statistical fact. But it sounds true. Seems that teenage girls always had gum on them. Not that that prevented them from splitting pieces to share. Too bad you can't do the same with smokes.)

Thanks to Wawa's ever-prescient placement above the coffee condiment bar (where you start thinking about two things: 1. the pending enjoyment of your hazelnut cream-laced Brazilian world brew; and 2.the consequences of such caffeinated indiscretion - bad breath.) I've been a fan of Orbit for a while now, judging it to be the longest-lasting and of the juiciest taste across the familiar line of evocative mint varieties (pepper, spear, winter...). 

This isn't meant to be a critique of the work week I had in front of me, but I was more excited than I should have been to see the new line of Orbit flavors augmenting the staid old mint and cinnamon parade common to sugarless gum. The variety and boldness borders on the ridiculous from the above, Pina Colada, to Maui Melon and some energizing blends involving acai, pomegranate. More on the naughty side, there's Sangria and something flirtatious called 'Fruitini.' Now that we've breached the barrier of alcohol flavored gums, I'm anticipating upper and hallucinogen line-extensions next quarter. 

Jayson Werth Has MLB's Best Facial Hair

Apparently, Jayson Werth spent the entire off-season concentrating on his beard. And to spectacular effect!

More at Philly.com.

David Byrne - This Must Be the Place

I was watching an MGMT cover of this very same song, but nobody did it better.

Facebook Account Hijacked

Just remember that when you leave yourself signed-in to Facebook you risk reputation-damaging misrepresentations. In this case, my wife took a quarter-pound bite out of my street-cred by posting lovey-dovey remarks about miracles, birth and love and babies and blessings. Look at my company on this wall, and I think you'll have to agree this isn't my kind of tea party.