favorite song friday: michelle pfeiffer as the zeitgeist

Vance Joy in "Riptide" and Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars in "Uptown Funk" are praising and celebrating the lovely actress Michelle Pfeiffer in each of their current hit songs.

I just wanna, I just wanna know
If you're gonna, if you're gonna stay
I just gotta, I just gotta know
I can't have it, I can't have it any other way
I swear she's destined for the screen
Closest thing to Michelle Pfeiffer that you've ever seen, oh

This hit, that ice cold
Michelle Pfeiffer, that white gold
This one for them hood girls
Them good girls straight masterpieces
Stylin', whilen, livin' it up in the city
Got Chucks on with Saint Laurent
Got kiss myself, I'm so pretty

If you need a muse, Pfeiffer is definitely a good choice. And it's kind of cool that a 50+ year-old lady continues to inspire.

favorite songs (of the year) friday

I will always be interested in popular culture, but having a ten year-old has also made me more aware and interested in popular music, too. It is fun watching her have favorites and swoon over current pop stars, as well as watch her come to appreciate some of my golden oldies (The Clash's "I Fought the Law" and Bowie's "Fashion" are favorites) when we give the car radio a rest. But for the most part I listen to the radio with her. I have to draw the line somewhere, however. I refuse to have to suffer some of the songs and artists that the music industry is trying to shove down our throats, like the marble-mouthed Ariana Grande. But there were some bright spots this year. Here are my Top Ten favorites of 2014, in no particular order.

The incomparable Pharrell

"Happy" Pharrell Williams — The song still makes me smile, and his 24-hour version of this video is a pretty amazing feat.

"Love Runs Out" OneRepublic — Just fun, fun, fun.

"La, La, La," Naughty Boy [featuring Sam Smith] — The first time I heard Sam Smith : )

"Night Changes" One Direction — The kid's favorite boy band has grown on me, and they have a folky edge that is coming more to the fore with each song they release. And yes, Harry is my favorite ; )

"Secrets" Mary Lambert — Quirky, clever fun.

"Uptown Funk" Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars — Look out, Prince ... this guy is the funk.

“All About That Bass” Meghan Trainor — Girl power music that is full of fun, too.

"Don't" Ed Sheeran — A twisted anti-love song that never seems to get old, even when you already know the story.

"Tennis Court" Lorde — The kid is talented, and this stripped-down song proves it.

"The Heart Wants What It Wants" Selena Gomez — Another artist inherited from the kid, but she sings this track with real emotion. I like it.


Honorable Mention: Awesome Mix Vol. 1, The Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack

Oh, and by the way, the kid compiled her own Top Ten. By next year I'll probably be guesting on her blog ; )

We did cross over on one song ...

favorite song friday: uptown funk

Channeling Prince, Outkast, and Funkadelic, producer Mark Ronson and wunderkind Bruno Mars have teamed up on a new song, "Uptown Funk," which is the first single from Ronson's upcoming album, Uptown Special, due to be released on January 27. It's fun, funky, and infectious. The pair, who have worked together before, on “Locked Out of Heaven” and “Gorilla,” are set to perform the song tomorrow on Saturday Night Live.

Ronson and Mars in the studio (Image from USA Today)

it's a matter of taste

People Magazine has once again released its "Sexiest Man Alive" issue, and the internets have been up in arms about its latest choice, singer Adam Levine from Maroon 5. The title itself is pretty ridiculous, but also designed for such debates. No matter what your opinion of the overexposed-in-the-media Levine, who seems to guest sing on almost everyone else's record when he isn't working on his own songs or is appearing as a judge on the uber-successful singing contest show The Voice, you undoubtedly should have your own candidates that you feel are more worthy. As do I. Some of my current favorite fellas include:

Benedict Cumberbatch

Bruno Mars

Tom Hiddleston

Steve Buscemi

The guys from Grimm

Jonathan Rhys Meyers

Lenny Kravitz

Peter Dinklage

Tom Mison

favorite song friday: prince vs. bruno mars (and the rest of the world)

Prince, Prince Prince. He's once of those artists that I love, but ... I have to admit that sometimes he is just a bit too much. He recently released a sneak peek at his new song/video, "Breakfast Can Wait." Talk about a hit or miss. The hit part is Prince showing his sense of humor by having Dave Chappelle impersonate his tiny purple majesty on the cover art:

The song, unfortunately, was not quite so impressive. Much has been made of the video for the song being directed by 18 year-old Danielle Curiel, who also impersonates the singer. But unfortunately the rest of the video's visuals — synchronized dancing in '80s-era black spandex, a strangely sexist interaction between a couple "the morning after," — leaves more than a little bit to be desired. Plus, the song sounds a little dated and strange. Prince's falsetto sounds practically helium-enhanced near the end of the song.

Prince isn't the only one trying to recapture the magic of Prince these days. Robin Thicke tries to channel early Prince in his blatantly Prince-like "Give it 2 U". He even rips off Prince's spelling technique, which the Minneapolis musician perfected long before we all started texting. It's O.K. ... but for something fun and sexy I much prefer the real heir to Prince's throne, Prince-ier than Prince himself these days, the über-talented Bruno Mars and his latest song, "Gorilla."

All three videos are on the lame side, but the sexiness and catchiness of "Gorilla" is not to be denied. It's a great song. Check it out, Prince.

today i don't feel like doing anything ..

the subversive stylings of bruno mars

Although everyone was up in arms last week about Miley Cyrus pole-dance-twerking on Robin Thicke, no one seemed to notice who was the truly subversive (and truly talented) musical artist in the room ... Bruno Mars. Mars has been quietly turning out hit after hit, for himself and other artists for the past few years. And while Robin Thicke may smarmily wink and croon about "Blurred Lines," Bruno doesn't need to be coy or pull any punches. His songs embody a true rock and roll spirit, many of them frankly sexual. Most importantly, they are consistently catchy as hell.

Born in Hawaii, from a musical family ("Everybody in my family sings, everyone plays instruments ... I've just been surrounded by it"), Mars has been performing since he was three years old. He made a splash in 2010 with his first album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, which featured the chart-topping "Just the Way You Are" and "Grenade," and followed that up in 2012 with Unorthodox Jukebox, which has already spawned three hits — "Locked Out of Heaven", "When I Was Your Man," and "Treasure." Besides his two hit albums, Mars has also sang on and/or co-wrote many other recent radio hits, including "Billionaire" by Travie McCoy, (featuring guest vocals from Mars) and "Fuck You!" by Cee Lo Green (co-written by Mars).

What Mars really brings to the table is his wanting to keep his love songs sexy. His lyrics don't just want to make one dance, but dim the lights. His love songs can be full of elation:

Never had much faith in love or miracles
Never wanna put my heart on the line.
But swimming in your world is something spiritual
I'm born again every time you spend the night 

Cause your sex takes me to paradise
Yeah your sex takes me to paradise
And it shows, yeah, yeah, yeah
Cause you make feel like, I've been locked out of heaven
For too long, for too long
Yeah you make feel like, I've been locked out of heaven
For too long, for too long — "Locked Out of Heaven"

Or despair:

If my body was on fire
Ooh, you'd watch me burn down in flames
You said you loved me, you're a liar
'Cause you never, ever, ever did, baby 

But darling, I'd still catch a grenade for ya
Throw my hand on a blade for ya
I'd jump in front of a train for ya
You know I'd do anything for ya 

I would go through all this pain
Take a bullet straight through my brain
Yes, I would die for you, baby
But you won't do the same — "Grenade"

Bruno Mars and Cee Lo Green, from BrunoMars.com

Sometimes he's just a posturing guy, bragging and trying to impress a girl (or anyone who will listen):

Ah yeah
Well, let me think, let me think
Ah, what should I do?
So many eager young bunnies
That I'd like to pursue 

Now even now they eating out
The palm of my hand
There's only one carrot
And they all gotta share it — "Runaway Baby"

Sometimes he's just a guy trying to be himself:

Today I don't feel like doing anything
I just wanna lay in my bed
Don't feel like picking up my phone, so leave a message at the tone
'Cause today I swear I'm not doing anything
Nothing at all, nothing at all 

Tomorrow I'll wake up, do some P90X
Find a really nice girl, have some really nice sex
And she's gonna scream out
This is great
(Oh my god, this is great)

I'll just strut in my birthday suit
And let everything hang loose ... — "The Lazy Song"

Sometimes he's just damned funny:

I see you drivin' 'round town with the girl I love
And I'm like, "F**k you!"
I guess the change in my pocket wasn't enough
I'm like, "F**k you and f**k her, too!" 

Said if I was richer, I'd still be with you
Hah, now ain't that some sh*t?
(Ain't that some sh*t?)
And although there's pain in my chest, I still wish you the best
With a f**k you — "F**k you," Cee Lo Green

Smart, funny, always profane.

Pundits can keep dredging up the Miley Cyrus/Robin Thicke number from the recent MTV Video Music Awards, but Bruno Mars kicked real ass, by performing the latest song from Unorthodox Jukebox, "Gorilla." I guess no one was listening too closely to the lyrics ...

Get More: 

2013 VMA, Artists.MTV, Music, Bruno Mars

Ooh I got a body full of liquor with a cocaine kicker and I'm feeling like I'm thirty feet tall
So lay it down, lay it down
You got your legs up in the sky with the devil in your eyes
Let me hear you say you want it all
Say it now, say it now 

Look what you doing, look what you done
But in this jungle you can't run
Cause what I got for you
I promise is a killer, you'll be banging on my chest
Bang bang, gorilla — "Gorilla"

songs in my head

I first saw Iceland's Of Monsters and Men on The Graham Norton Show a few month's back and liked their vibe. They reminded me a bit of one of my favorite bands, The Pogues. So I'm happy that the rest of the country has also signed on, as their song "Little Talks" is all over the radio these days.

Another song that I'm liking right now with a retro feel to it is Bruno Mars's "Locked Out of Heaven." I hear a little bit  of the '80s, Joe Jackson, Sting, and just a guy having fun.

runaway baby

My favorite song of the moment is Runaway Baby, by Bruno Mars. I like its retro feel, as well as Bruno's bad boy lyrics:

Well let me think, let me think, ah what should I do?
So many eager young bunnies that I'd like to pursue
Now even though they're eating out the palm of my hand
There's only one carrot and they all gotta share it

I love you so
That's what you'll say,
You'll tell me baby, baby please don't go away
But when I play, I never stay
To every girl that I meet here, this is what I'll say,

Run run runaway, runaway baby
Before I put my spell on you
You better get get getaway, getaway darling
'Cause everything you heard is true

I really liked Joshua Ledet's high energy version on American Idol, too.