Tag: Music

Coffee Talk #599: When Wrestling Used Real Music

There’s a whole generation of pro-wrestling fans that have no idea that wrestlers made their entrances set to popular music. That used to be one of my favorite aspects of pro-wrestling. There were certain guys that I liked or hated because I liked or hated their entrance music. These days, the vast majority of pro-wrestling entrance themes are in-house creations (with most WWE songs being penned by Jim Johnston). Back in the ’70s and ’80s, wrestlers  (and management) picked popular songs that felt appropriate for their characters. Instead of paying for music licenses, the WWF/WWE started writing in-house songs that they could sell. It makes total sense on a business level, but I still miss wrestlers using…continued

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, your early NFL picks, Disneyland marriage proposals, or Sloppy Joe vs Manwhich, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

There’s a whole generation of pro-wrestling fans that have no idea that wrestlers made their entrances set to popular music. That used to be one of my favorite aspects of pro-wrestling. There were certain guys that I liked or hated because I liked or hated their entrance music. These days, the vast majority of pro-wrestling entrance themes are in-house creations (with most WWE songs being penned by Jim Johnston). Back in the ’70s and ’80s, wrestlers  (and management) picked popular songs that felt appropriate for their characters. Instead of paying for music licenses, the WWF/WWE started writing in-house songs that they could sell. It makes total sense on a business level, but I still miss wrestlers using “real” music. (To be fair, ECW used real music prior to landing on TNN and several indie promotions continue to do so today.)

Let’s take a look back at some popular songs used as pro-wrestling entrance themes back in the day.

Hulk Hogan “Eye of the Tiger” — Even though I sometimes use “Real American” as my ringtone, Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” is still my favorite Hulk Hogan entrance theme. It’s a high-energy song and it always got the crowd going. Plus, it’s a nice homage to Hogan’s appearance in Rocky III, which helped take his career to a new level.

Junkyard Dog “Another One Bites the Dust” — JYD was awesome. Queen was awesome. Ergo this pairing was awesome.

Kerry Von Erich “Tom Sawyer” — Lyrically, this pairing made total sense. Before he was “The Texas Tornado,” Von Erich was “The Modern Day Warrior.” Musically, it wasn’t the most riveting entrance them, but I love Rush and I was a mark for Kerry in the WCCW days.

The Road Warriors “Iron Man” — Before the WWE neutered them and made them the lovable Legion of Doom, The Road Warriors were — by far — the most bad-ass tag-team in the world. Using a bad-ass Black Sabbath song was an outstanding choice.

The U.S. Express “Born in the USA” — Another appropriate pairing, the tag-team of Barry Windham and Mike Rotundo was pushed as a couple of all-American boys. Too bad they never turned into cowardly heels and used Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run.”

Jimmy Garvin “Sharp Dressed Man” — Something of an ’80s Gorgeous George, “Gorgeous” Jimmy Garvin was a flamboyant wrestler that wore tacky robes and had an outstanding ’80s perm…that could almost pass as a ZZ Top beard.

Rick Rude “Smooth Operator” — The Ravishing One could do whatever the hell he wanted, which apparently included walking to the ring to a Sade song.

Bruiser Brody “Immigrant Song” — Wrestling marks know that Brody was one of the original “monster” wrestlers that has influenced today’s monsters. It’s a shame that he was murdered by a shady promoter before the big wrestling boom. Still, he’s a legend and using a legendary Led Zepelin song totally works.

Lord Humongous “War Machine” — Before Taz used this Kiss classic as his ECW entrance music, Lord Humongous used it in Mid-South Wrestling. For those of you not familiar with Lord Humongous, it was a masked persona used by several wrestlers, including the man that would become “Psycho” Sid.

Midnight Express “Chase” — Of course the Midnight Express used a track from the movie Midnight Express. It actually worked really well as a pro-wrestling entrance theme.

The Steiner Brothers “Welcome to the Jungle” — There are many wrestling fans that have no idea that Scott Steiner used to be the smaller Steiner brother. They probably didn’t know that they marched to the ring to this Guns n’ Roses song too.

Austin Aries “Personal Jesus” — Yeah, this isn’t from the classic era, but I’m putting it here because he’s a pal and the song fits. He didn’t like the idea of using Depeche Mode for his entrance music, but saw that it made sense for his Ring of Honor character. The crowd loved it too.

Anyway, those are just some of my favorite real songs used as pro-wrestling entrance themes. What are some of your favorites? Kindly list them in the comments section when you have a chance.

Twerk Added to Oxford Dictionary (Miley Cyrus!)

Twerk has been added to the Oxford Dictionary. This pains me on multiple levels. First of all, it’s not a real frickin’ word. Secondly, this is clearly Miley Cyrus’ fault. Her whorish, twerk-filled performance at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards made millions of people aware of the twerking phenomenon. This pains me more than when “immersive” was deemed a proper word, instead of some PR-flak concoction used to hype a videogame. Anyway, here’s the official Oxford Dictionary definition of twerk Continue reading “Twerk Added to Oxford Dictionary (Miley Cyrus!)”

MTV Video Music Awards 2013 Highlights (VMAs)

There were several memorable performance at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs). From Lady Gaga to Katy Perry to Justin Timberlake, the VMAs had something for everyone. Let’s take a look at some highlights and kindly talk about your favorite performance at the 2013 VMAs in the comments section.

‘N Sync Reunion
There were so many things that I loved about this VMAs performance. It started with Justin Timberlake repeatedly saying, “You asked for it.” To which I wondered, “Really?!? That’s news to me.” The celebrity crowd reactions were excellent. Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga looked like they were genuinely marking out (though Swift could have been salivating at five potential boyfriends/songwriting toys). One Direction looked positively bored. As for ‘N Sync, I was a little worried about the ones not named Justin Timberlake; Joey Fatone looked more like Joey Fat One and I was impressed/relieved that he made through the act. While Timberlake also had a solo performance, I thought it was incredibly generous of him to share the stage with the four other clowns members of ‘N Sync. Good on him.

Miley Cyrus Medley
If Cyclops from the X-Men and Gizmo from Gremlins had a giant lovechild, it would be the thing that Miley Cyrus emerged from at the beginning of her 2013 VMAs performance. Amazingly, that wasn’t the strangest thing in this bizarre set. I was amazed by how much unintentional comedy Cyrus packed into this act. Her outfit was garish, her dancing was whorish, her vocals were poor, and the stage was full of funky stuffed animals. Some of it was just uncomfortable and I felt bad for Billy Ray Cyrus; it was half a step away from him seeing his daughter perform at a strip club. It was awful, but also mesmerizing — the musical-performance equivalent of a car wreck.

Lady Gaga
You guys and dolls know that I’m a mark for Gaga. I love what she does for people that feel different and I love how she treats her fans. While I enjoy some of her music, there’s a lot of it that’s just okay to me. “Applause” fits into the latter category. That said, she put on a great show at the VMAs. It started with Gaga channeling Liza Minnelli show-tune vocals before shifting into the pop version of the song. Halfway through the act, she unveiled a seashell bikini, which is always hot (you know you wanted Ariel from The Little Mermaid). I thought it was a well-choreographed number and I really enjoyed watching it.

Katy Perry
Closing out the 2013 VMAs was Katy Perry singing “Roar.” It was cool to see an outdoor performance under the Brooklyn Bridge, but I didn’t enjoy this one was much as Gaga’s. The set looked like a LEGO version of the MGM Grand and putting Perry in boxing gear negates her sexiness. The most interesting part of the act was the silly jumprope exhibition in the middle of the song. I figured that there was a 69-percent chance that Perry would knock herself out with one of her boobs. Sadly, that didn’t happen.

Get Your Kesha Rose Penis Jewelry (Ke$ha)

Pop sensation Ke$ha has released a line of jewelry called Kesha Rose by Charles Albert. The Kesha Rose line includes all sorts of pendants, rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces, including numerous penis-shaped items. Fans of phallic jewelry can treat themselves to penis charm pendants, petite penis rings, penis drop earrings, penis post earrings, and more. Best of all, these penises are made out of fake gold. Here’s an excerpt from the description:

Kesha Rose by Charles Albert is handcrafted using Alchemía or “Zero Karat Gold”, as we like to call it. The collections use natural & man-made stones and are set in a blend of base metals that has the look and feel of 18K gold. Alchemía is not a plated metal; the color is through and through. Alchemía is nickel free, lead free and lacquered for extra protection, thus making it hypoallergenic. The strong ?exible lacquer is used to protect the metal from turning or tarnishing, while still allowing rings to be easily adjusted.

Will you show your loved ones just how much you care by gifting them some Kesha Rose penis jewelry?

Lady Gaga’s “Applause” vs. Katy Perry’s “Roar”

Two major pop stars have new singles out. In the red corner, Lady Gaga tries to get your adoration with “Applause.” In the blue corner, Katy Perry gets fierce with “Roar.” Which song do you like better? Kindly give them a listen (videos for both songs embedded below) and vote in today’s poll! Continue reading “Lady Gaga’s “Applause” vs. Katy Perry’s “Roar””

The Pirate Bay Launches PirateBrowser

The Pirate Bay has launched PirateBrowser, a barebones web browser that helps users reach the popular torrent-file service when using Internet service providers (ISPs) that block it. PirateBrowser is a mix of Firefox, FoxyProxy, and Tor. Here’s the description from the company’s blog:

Do you know any people who can’t access TPB or other torrents-sites because they are blocked? Recommend PirateBrowser to them. It’s a simple one-click browser that circumvents censorship and blockades and makes the site instantly available and accessible. No bundled ad-ware, toolbars or other crap, just a Pre-configured Firefox browser.

While PirateBrowser should unblock The Pirate Bay for many users, it’s important not to mistake it for a product that offers truly anonymous browsing. It’s a potentially useful tool for people that like to…uhm share files, but a good virtual private network (VPN) is the way to go if you want your Internet activity masked from your ISP, the government, nosy martians, etc. Don’t get me wrong. I love that this free product is being offered, but I fear that some people will overestimate its capabilities.

Any of you thinking of giving PirateBrowser a whirl?

Source via BGR

Britney Spears Negotiating For Meatball (Spot)

In addition to being in negotiations for a Las Vegas residency show at Planet Hollywood, Britney Spears is in negotiations to open a Meatball Spot. According to People, the pop star is friends with the owner of the restaurant, which will be opening a new location outside the Planet Hollywood auditorium, where Spears will be performing. The restaurant has teased that it’s partnering with a major celebrity for its new location. Hopefully it’s not Christina Aguilera, because that would be awkward.

On one hand, I would eat at Britney Spears’ Meatball Spot because the name Britney Spears’ Meatball Spot is frickin’ hilarious. On the other hand, I don’t know about trusting a woman born in Mississippi and raised in Louisiana with Italian food. That said, the restaurant’s menu looks fantastic. Of course I have to ask you the question — would you eat Britney Spears’ meatballs?

Naturally, this article was an excuse to “research” Britney Spears photographs and post them here.  A lot of people say that she was adorable before she went crazy. I actually love that she went a little nuts. The multiple cosmetic surgeries, however, were a damn shame. She was so naturally cute before Michael Jackson-ing her face! *sigh*

Source

Lady Gaga Naked For Kickstarter

The sexy, bold, brave, and eccentric Lady Gaga makes a naked cameo in a video to promote the Marina Abramovic Institute’s Kickstarter pitch. It’s some kind of artistic meditation method that purports to “heighten participants’ awareness of their physical and mental experience in the present moment.” To be completely honest, I didn’t read much about the method in the video’s description because…naked Lady Gaga! Besides, I don’t want to heighten my physical and mental awareness. That would only lead to depression. Ha!

Anyway, check out the NSFW for work video below. It features strangely soothing chanting and full-frontal Gaga. *sigh* When is she going to marry me so that I can legally change my name to Lord RaRa and take my blog to new heights by riding off of her coattails?

Source via The Verge

Danica McKellar Gets Sexy in Avril Lavigne Video

I’m excited for Avril Lavigne’s video for “Rock N Roll.” I don’t care about the song. I’m excited because the video features Danica McKellar showing off her stomach, wearing leather, and sporting turquoise fishnet stockings. Danica McKellar is hot because she was the adorable girl next door in The Wonder Years and grew up to be a published math geek. That’s so sexy. Check out E! for a pair of photos of Danica dolled up for the video. That’s definitely not the Winnie Cooper Continue reading “Danica McKellar Gets Sexy in Avril Lavigne Video”

Coffee Talk #597: Distinct Voices in Pop Music

With “Always on My Mind” closing out s2e2 of The Newsroom, lots of my Internet nerd friends were raving about Willie Nelson. They praised his distinct voice that used behind-the-beat timing and unique phrasing. While I dig Willie Nelson on multiple levels, the surge in his popularity (in the nerd world, anyway) got me thinking about voices in popular music that I find unique. Of course there are obvious ones like Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix. For millions of people Elvis Presley’s voice is synonymous with rock and roll. After thinking about it for a few days, three vocalists stood out — Roy Orbison, Barry Gibb, and…more

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the salivating possibility of Alex Rodriguez getting a lifetime ban from Major League Baseball, product review requests from naughty companies, or Wolverine excitement, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

With “Always on My Mind” closing out s2e2 of The Newsroom, lots of my Internet nerd friends were raving about Willie Nelson. They praised his distinct voice that used behind-the-beat timing and unique phrasing. While I dig Willie Nelson on multiple levels, the surge in his popularity (in the nerd world, anyway) got me thinking about voices in popular music that I find unique. Of course there are obvious ones like Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix. For millions of people Elvis Presley’s voice is synonymous with rock and roll. After thinking about it for a few days, three vocalists stood out — Roy Orbison, Barry Gibb, and Freddie Mercury.

Keep in mind that I’m talking about distinct voices, not necessarily the most powerful or ones with ridiculous range (though Mercury definitely possessed crazy power and range). I’m talking about singers that are so unique that you can identify their voices after two notes and can’t imagine anyone else singing their songs (other than homages).

Roy Orbison — Depending on the song, Orbison’s voice could be ethereal or haunting (and sometimes ethereally haunting). I was always amazed by how expressive he could be while being so controlled at the same time. While I love lots of his solo stuff, hearing him in the Traveling Wilbury’s “Handle With Care” is one of my favorites. It’s a very good song that’s made great by Orbison’s bridge.

Barry Gibb — I love the Bee Gees. While the Aussie trio’s harmonies were awesome, Barry’s voice is what made the band stand out. What makes his voice so memorable to me is that he had two distinct styles that were both fantastic. There’s the falsetto that everyone knows from songs like “Stayin’ Alive” and “Night Fever” but there’s also the deeper, breathy voice he used for “How Deep is Your Love?”

Freddie Mercury — Best. Rock. Singer. Ever.

If geneticist and sorcerers teamed together to make the perfect rock-and-roll singer, you’d have the second coming of Freddie Mercury.

So those are my picks for some of the most distinct voices in pop music. I’d love to hear about yours! Kindly use the comments section to share the voices that stand out in your head (not the voices in your head).