My Bird Performs

For the past few weeks, I've been saving this update for use as a potential lull-buster. You know, in case things get a little to stale around the ol' website. Well, as you can see by the sporadic updates of the past couple of weeks, now is just such a time. We have big updates on the horizon, however; in the coming weeks, you'll be treated to previews and reviews of music events like the Pitchfork Music Festival, Lollapalooza, and the Midwest Music Summit, interviews with Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow of the Posies, and a site redesign that'll either blow your balls off (if you have them) or cause you to grow balls (if you don't). For now, though, enjoy a quick trip back to elementary school via some off-the-wall covers of even more off-the-wall songs. Ladies and gentlemen, I present... Schoolhouse Rock! Rocks.



In those often-awkward years of middle school and junior high, I was, well... often awkward. As an overweight, Catholic school bookworm with thick glasses and a Python-esque sense of humor, I probably could've been used as the nerd template in a cross-cultural education program on the subject of social outcasts. Unfortunately, I didn't really have many fellow nerds with whom to commiserate. I spent most of my time in front the television, where I either a) played Final Fantasy or b) watched an alternating combination of Comedy Central (because being funny kept me from getting picked on even more) and cartoons (because I like cartoons).

Schoolhouse Rock! was in its second run on ABC when I was a kid, and that was certainly ok by me. Their funky combination of folksy pop and public access educational material appealed to my Junior Dean's List nature, while their music video-like setup brought to mind images of MTV. I remember distinctly asking my mom to rent each of the VHS collections that came out in 1996. In my pre-friends, pre-Internet existence, finsing those tapes was a huge deal; with those, it was Saturday morning whenever I said so, homie.

Though my fondness for the songs grew steadily throughout those heady 6th grade days, it wasn't until a chance encounter with MTV changed everything. was a huge MTV mark in those days; I figured that, since it was my only obvious gateway to the world of "cool", I should make it my duty to watch as much Real World: London and Buzzkill as possible. Anyway, unbeknownst to me, MTV loved Schoolhouse Rock!, too. Upon the release of Atlantic's Schoolhouse Rock! Rocks, the network commissioned a special half-hour block of videos that paired the original animation with its updated music track. When I first saw these videos, I was blown away. I mean, here were cool kid bands like Blind Melon and the Lemonheads, singing my songs. It was almost too much to handle. For once, I felt like I had the drop on the hipsters, with Skee-Lo and Pavement backing me up.

Though I loved the songs, I never actually bought the CD when it came out. I'm not even sure why. Probably figured that, since I hadn't heard of most of the bands, I wouldn't like their songs. That was, of course, folly. However, 10 years and some file sharing later, I can finally put the debate to rest: this compilation is amazingly fresh. There really, truly, isn't a lame track, which is a testament to both the performers' love of the material and the songwriting skills of songwriters Bob Dorough, Lynn Ahrens, George Newall, and David Frishberg. If you remember these songs fondly at all, check out this CD. I'm sure at least one of the tracks will bring back memories that mean something. Amazon has copies starting at $2.49 used; even Andy Butler couldn't scoff at that price.



Moby - Verb (That's What's Happening!). Before Moby's celeb cred blew up like a Thanksgiving balloon, he was still pretty awesome. Witness the way he turned this song, whose original incarnation was awash in unfortunate disco-soul grooves and Shaft-level backup voacls, into a pounding cut that could probably slip into club rotation today without feeling totally out of place.

Skee-Lo - The Tale of Mr. Morton. Oh man, Skee-Lo. What a guy you are. Most famous these days as an answer in a one-hit wonders trivia game, the man responsible for "I Wish" turns in a surprisingly effective performance on this song. I always identified with Mr. Morton. I mean, at heart, we're both just shy dudes who like cats and poetry. As Skee-Lo will tell you, you gotta respect that. Songs like this are probably the reason I was an English major.

Pavement - No More Kings. Most people write this song off as the worst on the comp, but I tend to disagree. True, it does sound like a Pavement song, but since when is that a) out of the ordinary or b) a bad thing? Instead of rehashing the original version of their given song (I'm looking at you, Man or Astro-man?), Pavement actually turns their contribution into something that's actually on par with most of their later work.

BONUS: Biz Markie - The Energy Blues. Since the planet seems to be trying to burn us alive as payback for our collective industrial transgressions, I thought this song seemed like an appropriate listen. Plus, who doesn't love the Biz?

Part One of my Pitchfork Music Festival preview comes up tomorrow, so come back! You might like it.

Posted by Tyler on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 at 3:10 PM | Permalink