Mac Sabbath
Who knew there was a McDonald’s themed band that covered Black Sabbath songs (with appropriately re-worked fast food lyrics).
The musicians behind our best hits
Everyone should check out the 2008 documentary film called The Wrecking Crew – because it astounding this story has gone untold for so long.
Popular music of the 1960s was dominated by young bands like The Beach Boys, The Mamas & the Papas, The Monkees, Simon & Garfunkel, Dean Martin, Cher, Elvis, Tina Turner, Frank Sinatra, and many more. Turns out, these bands sometimes didn’t even play their own records. At times, the only members of the band on a song was the vocalists. The Wrecking Crew were the Los Angeles studio musicians that played for almost all of them. They played and shaped hundreds of now-classic records and are likely among the most recorded musicians in history. The movie shows just how influential these musicians were in creating the songs we now know and love.
To give you a taste, check out how many classics of rock they were the ones that performed and created.
Some good working music
Each of these Japanese trace mix volumes is pretty darn good work music. I like Shingo Nakamura’s on the first track best so far.
Volume 1 “Land of The Rising Sun” : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHlqS…
Volume 3 “Perception”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_kNj…
Volume 4 New 2021 Mix: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OIiS…
Kiwanuka – I’m Getting Ready
This song. Man. Brings me to tears more often than I’d like to admit. Such a hope filled song that everyone that on the journey of faith understands.
Israel Kamakawiwoʻole
Israel Kamakawiwo’ole sadly died at the age of 38 due to problems stemming from his extreme obesity, but he created some beautiful music. Here he sings his famous rendition of ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’
If you find him haunting, I recommend Geoffry Gurrumul Yunupingu that I wrote about earlier.
Barcode scratching
Scratching with Barcode Scanners at the Maker Faire Tokyo 2020
Cybertronic Spree
The Cybertronic Spree is a cover band that performs as stylized Transformers. Beyond their impressive cosplay, they’re also talented musicians. I can’t wait until the end of COVID to see them live.
Deck the Halls?
A pretty unique rendition of Deck the Halls – as sung to the tune War Pigs from Black Sabbath.
GWar has new competition
Cybertronic Spree is a Transformers-themed tribute band who plays a variety of cartoon, videogame, and anime theme songs dressed in awesome costumes. During a 2019 concert, they also performed a truly entertaining cover of Led Zeppelin’s emphatically chanted Immigrant Song.
Funky Melon
French musician MEZERG kicks out some groovy sounds using one of the silliest musical instruments – a watermelon.
2022 Update: Want to try this yourself? Makey Makey has a directional/gamepad like circuit board with inputs that allow you to hook up anything you’d like to your pc – including fruit.
