ObviousPop

The Outrageous Auto-Tune Atrocity

Auto-tune is very annoying, we all know it. Here's a video to help explain this outrageous atrocity of auto tuning, featuring our old pal Weird Al...

ObviousPopCast Episode 19 - New Episode, New Music!

Episode 19 of the ObviousPopCast is here with some amazing new music from Muse, Brendan Benson, Islands, The Shazam, They Might Be Giants and much more! Enjoy 50 minutes of music, mayhem and cheese that can be streamed or downloaded as a high quality MP3, and best of all, it's free!

To stream it now click play:

Download it now: ObviousPopCast Episode 19

Add it to your iTunes podcasts: CLICK HERE

(If you use the link to download it to iTunes, it may go into your podcast folder or possibly be listed in the main music library under the title: ObviousPop or the artist name: Dr. Tony Shore.)

The Beatles Box Update!

The remastered Beatles catalog has finally been released. I was able to secure and purchase the stereo version on Tuesday evening and the mono box today. So far I’ve listened through the stereo versions of Magical Mystery Tour, The White Album, Abbey Road and Past Masters. The sound of these newly remastered discs far surpassed my expectations. To put it simply, they sound incredible. There is absolutely no comparison to the original CD releases…when I a/b’d songs from the earlier versions with these new stereo remasters it makes me wonder what they could have possibly done to make those earlier versions sound so bad. The stereo box is a tall black hard bound box with a magnetic flap with 13 remasters, a documentary DVD and a thick booklet for each release with liner notes. The mono box has all 10 of the original mono albums plus a double CD collection. The mono box also includes a 44 page booklet that talks about the mono mixes.

 

I first of all want to thank those of you that helped make this possible. My call for donations was of course tongue-in-cheek, but a number of you came through and helped me out! Donations are still coming in and they will hopefully keep me out of hot water with the better half, if you know what I mean…!

 

I want to make sure I don’t miss anyone so I’ll thank all of you by name on my next podcast. Supporters include Dave Danglis, Andre Salles, Myche Worthen, and more! Also making the honor roll are the following stores: Down In The Valley, Electric Fetus, Cheapos and Best Buy.

 

It's All Part of the "fun."

Almost every year there's one album that is a "find"... the discovery of an amazing band that I know nothing about that blows me away with an incredible new release. Previous "finds" have included Dissociatives, Tally Hall, Sugarbomb, Bryan Scary, Self and more. This years "find" is fun. ...literally and figuratively. It's the new band called "fun." (the band name is all lowercase with a period at the end). As it turns out fun. has 3 members, all from other groups, but they're not a "super group" because the sum here is definitely greater than the parts. fun. is Nate Ruess from The Format, Andrew Dost of Anathallo and Jack Antonoff of Steel Train. These three put together the best release of the year so far, and they had a little help with arrangements from Roger Joseph Manning Jr. of Jellyfish fame. There are many sounds and influences that pop up here and there, like the Jeff Lynne/ELO vibe of the hot single and my favorite track "All The Pretty Girls." Those of you that want more than just fun power pop will enjoy all the instrumentation and originality of the cool and original "Be Calm" or the lyrical "At Least I'm Not As Sad (As I Used To Be)." Aim and Ignite is the debut release from fun. and it's a winner from start to finish, I love every song. Fans of ELO, Jellyfish, Fountains of Wayne and They Might Be Giants should definitely give this one a listen. You can also hear them on the upcoming episode 19 of the ObviousPopCast (coming soon).

For more on the band go here: http://www.myspace.com/fun

The Best of John Hughes - In Loving Memory

To me John Hughes will always be the greatest filmmaker of all time. No one captured the teenage spirit and teen angst like John Hughes (The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller's Days Off, Some Kind of Wonderful). He also wrote the funniest scripts (Vacation, Christmas Vacation and Plains, Trains and Automobiles), and he could touch the heart with amazingly moving moments like the endings to Uncle Buck and Plains, Trains and Automobiles. He's gone now. He passed away today, tragically, at the age of 59 of a heart attack. I used to go to see some of his movies as many as 6 times each at the theater during their first run. I can't imagine doing that for any movie now. I've probably seen the movie Vacation more than 100 times and it's still as funny today as it was the first time that I saw it. He was one of the first to put an emphasis on the music, helping to break new and undiscovered talent, even starting his own label for his soundtracks, taking a personal role in picking the music for his movies.

Here are my top 10 John Hughes movies... It's hard to put them in order, and hard to pick just 10, he's written and worked on so many...

1. The Breakfast Club
2. Vacation
3. Planes, Trains and Automobiles
4. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
5. Christmas Vacation
6. Uncle Buck
7. Some Kind of Wonderful
8. Sixteen Candles
9. Mr. Mom
10. Pretty In Pink

Favorite John Hughes Movie Soundtracks:
1. Some Kind of Wonderful
2. The Breakfast Club
3. She's Having A Baby
4. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (Never officially released)
5. Vacation
6. Pretty In Pink
7. Sixteen Candles
8. Plains, Trains and Automobiles
9. Weird Science
10. The Great Outdoors

ObviousPopCast Episode 18 is here! New Music and More!

Episode 18 of the ObviousPopCast is here and it is ALL NEW!! Brand new music from Bryan Scary & The Shredding Tears, Cheap Trick, Air, Ian Tanner and more! This is 50 minutes of music and mayhem that can be streamed or downloaded as a high quality MP3 and best of all, it's free.

To stream it now click play:

Download it now: ObviousPopCast Episode 18

Add it to your iTunes podcasts: CLICK HERE

(If you use the link to download it to iTunes, it may go into your podcast folder or possibly be listed in the main music library under the title: ObviousPop or the artist name: Dr. Tony Shore.)

Joe's Garage Act IV

They could jam in Joe's garage...

There was an amazing concert last night and you'll never guess where... In Joe Cote's garage in Stillwater, MN! Previously the most exciting thing that ever happened in Joe's garage was an oil leak or Joe trying to tackle an ill-fated handyman project. Last night was monumental for more than the location...Mike Roe of The 77's (on the right below playing the electric) and solo artist-songwriter extraordinaire Michael Miller (on the left below playing the acoustic) put on an AMAZING show.

First up was Michael Miller, who I'm now embarrassed to say I had never heard before last night. His songs were enchanting and melodic and his unique voice fit the music perfectly. He's a world traveler and had amazing stories to go with each song. The great melodies help underscore the fantastic and artistic lyrics. He works with the cream of the musical crop in California and his brand new album features Lyle Workman, Mike Roe and more. I highly recommend seeing him live and his new CD, "I Made You Up."
Find out more on his site: www.michaelmillercrusade.com

Mike Roe never dissapoints. Ever. He's one of the few people who doesn't need a band to keep me entertained live. His voice and his guitar are more than enough and more than you'll get at most major concerts. I would have said "his songs," too, but on this tour he is doing a lot of old gospel and blues standards, which to my power pop sensibilities would normally mean trouble but Mike makes them his own. They all end up sounding like The 77's or Mike Roe in one way or another. He also did 2 Gene Eugene songs and I have to admit I teared up when he talked about Gene and then played his Lost Dog's classic "Jimmy." He played his 77's hit "The Lust, the Flesh, the Eyes & the Pride of Life" but not his classic arrangement but the Terry Scott Taylor arrangement which Mike said he now prefers. Mike is one of the few performers not limited by the house concert format. If you caught him on this tour you were one of the lucky ones, and if you were in Joe's garage last night you were a part of something very special.
Check out Mike's latest release and get more info here: www.michaelroe.com

New Music Review: Ian Tanner - Things Never To Say Out Loud

Those of you that listen to the ObviousPopCast know him as the artist that wrote and performed the ObviousPop theme song. The rest of you need to get to know Ian Tanner. This brilliant songwriter, performer and producer is Canada's best kept musical secret. Ian is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter with a long career as an artist and as a studio musician. He was a founding member of a band in the 80's called The Awakening and the band One Hundred Days in the 90's. For the past 5 years he's been writing and recording his own material in between his studio and live work. He's finally releasing his first solo project, appropriately titled, Things Never To Say Out Loud. Ian's varied influences are evident and the album showcases numerous musical styles, the most prominent of which is power pop. The highlight of almost every track are the vocal arrangements and hooks. Ian's love of The Beatles and Beach Boys is in evidence, but the group I think of the most while listening is Crowded House. That probably has a lot to do with the fact that Ian's voice is similar to Neil Finn's. Then there are the lyrics. From sad songs about a tragic divorce and relationship issues, "A Broken Part of You" and "Signed, Witnessed and Delivered," to hilarious novelty songs about relationship issues "That's It, I'm Going Gay" and "Blow Me Kisses." But the best songs here are the trilogy of tunes on the first part of the record, "Ten Cartwheels," "Jade" and "Always True."

Every song here is well worth the price of admission and you can stream the entire thing on the widget below. The only negative about this release is that it is digital only, so you'll have to download it from iTunes or Amazon.

Concert Review: Fountains of Wayne | Live at the Cedar

After releasing a somewhat lackluster live performance on DVD to horrible reviews from critics and fans alike, they proceed to blow fans away with their new full band acoustic tour. I was fortunate enough to get great seats at their performance in Minneapolis at the Cedar "Cultural" Center. I put "cultural" in quotes for the same reason the band ripped on it all night. It's got a long and great tradition in the Twin Cities and has been home to legendary live shows, but it's basically a night club with some folding chairs and the band had some fun with the name. They were on fire with entertaining sarcasm all night and they tailored their comments to the Twin Cities. This is only one of the things that had the crowd eating out of the palms of their hands the entire night. All 4 members mastered their instruments and delivered their parts with zest, talent and flair. They were technically good while also entertaining and they just seemed to have fun. The crowd was as into the show as any audience I've ever seen. I'd say the closest thing I've seen are the last couple of Brian Wilson tours. This is one of the greatest American bands currently making music. The show was great and the selection of songs seemed like something that was handpicked...by me! All my faves were played! 3 of the best songs they played were brand new! They're recording a new album and they've got another classic song called "Summer Place" that I would put up against any song they've written. Other highlights included the lounge version of "Stacy's Mom," "Bright Future in Sales," "Someone To Love," and the medley of covers which included songs from The Cars, Blue Oyster Cult and of course, Peaches and Herb!

Here's the set list...This is roughly from memory...And there was the cover medley somewhere in there!

Set list

1. Please Don't Rock Me Tonight
2. Little Red Light
3. Someone to Love
4. The Summer Place
5. Fire Island
6. Cold Comfort Flowers
7. Hey Julie
8. A Road Song
9. Red Dragon Tattoo
10. Valley Winter Song
11. I-95
12. Hackensack
13. Fire in the Canyon
14. Bright Future in Sales
15. Radiation Vibe
16. Survival Car
    Encore
17. Cemetery Guns
18. Troubled Times
19. Stacy's Mom
20. Joe Rey

The 88 records entire song using an iPhone

The new single from 80's influenced inovators The 88 is good...but it's great if you consider the entire song was recorded on an iPhone using the killer new app "FourTrack." The song is called "Love Is The Thing" and it is available now on iTunes. While not quite as quirky as some of The 88's catchier singles, it's a good tune with plenty of harmonies, guitar and keys, all recorded on an iPhone. There is a great "making of" video that shows the process: http://the88.net/love.htm

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The list of things you can't do with an iPhone is shrinking rapidly!