Alarm :: Mucca Pazza

Possibly the coolest marching band ever. Hat tip to my friend Z for sharing them with me.

Mucca Pazza is a self-described circus-punk marching band from Chicago. They have electric guitars, violins, mandolins and accordions in addition to the typical marching band fare of trumpets, saxophones, tubas, trombones, and drum line. They also have cheerleaders?

While the videos are awesome and definitely show the hijinks and shenanigans that Mucca Pazza gets up to, I recommend checking out their website for some high quality audio delight. You can also check out their myspace page if that suits your internet surfing style better. I highly recommend them for listening at work, on the bus, while cooking and while blogging at work when you're supposed to be doing other things. Their repertoire ranges from Balkan-brass to covers of 60s television show themes as well as themes from Shostakovich and Bartok.

For those of you who are fans of the TV show Weeds, Mucca Pazza's song "Borino Oro" was featured in an episode in season 4.

Fan made music video for the song "Alarm"


Performing at Lollapalooza


At Rothbury.


Here's their NY tour video.

The Beat :: Ima Robot

happy tuesday everyone!!! i'd like to continue onto my happy summer music theme of a couple of weeks ago...and with the theme of jammin! i came across this lovely rock group from LA called Ima Robot. i first heard this particular song of theirs on pandora.com - an online radio 'do-it-yourself' station (which if you haven't checked it out, you totally should!). i had created a 'Cloud Cult' radio station and Ima Robot popped up after a couple of days of groovin. i found myself bouncin around in my office chair while i was putting together a media hit list and organizing some invoices.

Anyway...

Ima Robot put out their first full length album in 2003 - but have been makin sweet sweet music since the late 90s. They've also toured with some rockin bands like Hot Hot Heat, and The Sounds (two groups we need to blog about soon!!!) which must have been super fun.

this particular tune comes from their second album Monument to the Masses, which was released in 2006. what is fun about this particular group is that their really diverse in terms of style - and they're funny. you can't go wrong with people that can make fun music that can also make you laugh and feel giddy and silly and....summery :)

so, enough with my talkin! get to jammin. hope y'all enjoy Ima Robot as much as i have been!
the end.
love,
meggo.



(video disclaimer: i tried my hardest to find a video/audio version of this song that was from the band, but after trying various audio/visual websites, this was the best thing i could come up with! so, hopefully this person's fun-times pictures will accompany the song in an exciting way!)



The Beat :: Ima Robot
Julie’s clocking out at the station
hurry up and get your pay
a two day vacation
Friday, Saturday
down in the basement
shower up in the sink
throw on some lipstick and
look pretty in pink

short skirts in the cold
to the club
oh the night is waiting
getting closer you feel it shaking
on the dance floor

this is the beat, the beat we fight to
this is the beat we live and die to
here’s to the kids that get it off
we work all week to sweat it off

this is the beat we beat the pressure
throwing away the world with pleasure
we’re working hard to burn it off
so dj won't you turn it up

beat beat, beat beat
beat beat, beat beat

julie's doing shots at the counter
thinking 'bout his great escape
from his stupid job telemarketing
but he never can shake the weight
a little tap on the shoulder
the prettiest girl in pink
"Oh no, I can’t dance," he told her
as she dragged him from his drink

freeze frame in the heat
she moved
oh and it’s close to shaking
so close but the crowd is breaking
on the dance floor

this is the beat, the beat we fight to
this is the beat we live and die to
here’s to the kids that get it off
we work all week to sweat it off

this is the beat to beat the pressure
throwing away the world with pleasure
we’re working hard to burn it off
so dj won’t you turn it up

and we can be for city boys
and summer girls who dream
just like the kids with chinese rocks
and beating hearts
thank you boys

make some noise
make some noise

this is the beat, the beat we fight to
this is the beat that we get high to
this is the beat, the beat we fight to
this is the beat we live and die to
this is the beat, the beat we fight to
this is the beat we live and die to
here's to the kids that get it off
we work all week to sweat it off
this is the beat to beat the pressure
throwing away the world with pleasure
we're working hard to burn it off
so dj won't you turn it off

BONUS SONG!!! (just for fun!)
Hello I Love You :: Ima Robot

Oh :: Sleater-Kinney

Oh Sleater-Kinney. Your punky riot grrrl rock brings a smile to my face. Sleater-Kinney had a long, illustrious career. The band formed around 1994, and played up until 2006, when they went on "indefinite hiatus." The band is composed of Corrin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein, who both play guitar. Janet Weis was the primary drummer for the band, although several different drummers have played in Sleater-Kinney.

An interesting guitar-nerd tidbit is that both Tucker and Brownstein tune their guitars down a step and a half, putting them in C# tuning. This is nifty in part because it allowed Brownstein to play most of the lead guitar parts, while Tucker's style allowed her to fill out the bass line of the songs.

I knew that I wanted to blog about a Sleater-Kinney song, but had a difficult time choosing which song. So... what I did was go to iTunes and look at which song of theirs was the most popular and decided to blog about it. And that works out well because I do enjoy "Oh." I tried to find a live clip, but the sound quality on the youtube videos I found was not acceptable. So crank it up, play some air guitar, and enjoy!



If you're tired of the big so so
Get yourself into some self control
Play the game by putting on the brakes
Slow down and make less mistakes
Nobody lingers like your hands on my heart
Nobody figures like you figured me out
I would be lying if I didn't say to you
No one comes close don't worry you got it!
(There's fire if you want it let me know,
I'm sick and I'm tired of letting go)
The way I feel when you call my name
Makes me go crazy to sane
The way I feel when you're close to me
Finally not drifting out to sea
Come on now I wish you would
I'm the one who makes you feel good
Never mind those things they say
They don't know it but I'm here to stay