FLAT ERIC!!!

For years, I have been chasing a trifecta of 90s nostalgia.

The first was a song that I sang non-stop over a weekend camping trip at the Niagara whirlpool in 1994 (all I could remember was the "I like toast" part). I found the video on youtube about a year ago.

The second is a interstitial short that aired on Much Music (circa 1993) - it was a mixture of stop motion animation and puppets, and the crux was a plate of eggs telling a kid he was a "freak". The video ended with the kid screaming "I'm NORMAL" repeatedly as his plate of eggs continued to insist that he was a freak. I'm not doing it justice here, but trust me - it was hilarious. I have STILL never managed to see it again, maybe Much will digitize it's archive? If anyone knows how I can get my hands on this short, please let me know.

The third item was a video featuring a puppet dialing a phone, dancing, smoking a hot dog (not perversely) and using a blow dryer. I loved it because they had found a way to visually represent all of the samples used in the song, and I thought the puppet was adorable.

Ian, my hero, found the video for me last night, and I post it here for your edification. Please be sure to get in a 90s frame of mind before viewing. I suggest moping about the state of the economy and dwelling on the morbid coverage of a music super-star who died due to a drug addiction. I know it will be hard, but do your best.

Free is All the Rage

Check out this music video, that was produced with a budget of $0!

The directors are in NYC, but the band was in Japan. They recruited the talent via their website, offering their fans a chance to participate and appear in the video. Is this the next wave of DIY ingenuity? You tell me...

Sad Songs Say So Much

I love, love, LOVE sad songs. I don't know why they appeal to me so much but there's something about a particularly tortured song that just makes so... happy.

Here is a list of the top 100 most depressing Christmas songs. I'm glad to see that most of my favorites made the list, though they missed the Bright Eyes cover of "Blue Christmas." Check out the entire list and let me know if you have a super sad holiday song that didn't make the cut.

Girls Just Want to Have Fun!

I have loved this rendition, by Greg Laswell, of Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" since it was featured in an episode of The Hills. It always amazes me when an artists original take complete changes the tone of a song.

The video is un peu cheesy (I would have used a montage of homeless street kids) but even I can't deny that it's evocative. See what you think.

iRage

I thought you kids may like to know what I'm listening to these days on my iPod. I was watching a re-run of Degrassi the Next Generation yesterday and they featured a song I hadn't heard in years, "Basement Apartment" by Sarah Harmer. You've probably never heard of her, I don't think her first album was released in the States, but you should definitely familiarize yourselves with her now.

Just to whet your appetite, I've posted the video for "apartment" below. It makes me 50% nostalgic for my college days and 50% glad that I'll never have to wake up on the floor of some random apartment ever again. Well, maybe more like 90% glad. Enjoy!