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Pop Rock Nation

Category: People

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  • Garfunkel and Oates…

    Garfunkel and Oates…

    I discovered Garfunkel and Oates the same way I discovered my husband… by hanging out in a place I’d least expect them to be.

    Just a warning, today’s post features songs with NSFW lyrics that may be very offensive to some folks… Proceed with caution.

    Some time ago, I was reading posts on the Recovery from Mormonism message board when someone posted a very funny video starring two lovely young singer-comediennes. Their act was called Garfunkel and Oates, after “two famous rock-and-roll second bananas”, Art Garfunkel and John Oates. Garfunkel and Oates are really Kate Micucci (Oates) and Riki Lindhome (Garfunkel), and they are quite an irreverent pair who will either offend or delight their audiences, depending on the mix.

    The very first song I ever heard these two woman sing was entitled “Pregnant Women are Smug”. The video for this song about annoying pregnant women was posted on the message board, a place where former Mormons gather to discuss their issues with the church and with organized religion in general. Though I am not myself a former Mormon, my husband is one. I have learned a lot about the LDS culture from interacting with some of the regular posters on that board and if there’s one thing Mormons are stereotypically known for, it’s having babies… and lots of them. So maybe it does make sense that someone in that group posted this video…


    This low tech rendition was the first one I saw…

    But then, I guess once their star started to rise, Garfunkel and Oates released this official video…


    If the lyrics weren’t potentially offensive enough, pairing them with this wacky video put the song over the top funny…

    I happened to post this on Facebook and one of my several friends who happens to be pregnant right now seemed to take offense. But I have to say, I think Garfunkel and Oates sort of have a point. On the other hand, I have never been pregnant myself, so what do I know? Besides, these women have such angelic voices and harmonize so beautifully.

    Some time later, another member of the message board posted yet another potentially offensive yet hilarious video by Garfunkel and Oates.


    “The Loophole” is an incredibly rude song about Christian girls who want to stay virginal, yet still want to have sex. They discover a “loophole” in the scriptures which allows them to have anal sex, which is not specifically prohibited in the Bible.

    Garfunkel and Oates take on lame parties with this next video for the song, “This Party Took Took a Turn for the Douche”. I’m not really a fan of the term “douche” to describe something that’s lame, mainly because a douche is really just a good cleaning. I can think of more accurate terms for stupid parties or people. I do admire the way these ladies rap, though.


    I can’t say I have experienced a party like this one… but then, I was never cool enough for parties, anyway.

    Perhaps a song that we can all get into is “Save the Rich”.


    Come on, you know the rich need saving, right?

    Actually, I am impressed by the commentary this song seems to have sparked on YouTube. While it’s meant to be a funny song, it makes a bold statement that gets people talking about the economy. While I can’t say the comments are always kept to a dignified standard, they do inspire thought which hopefully learns to education.

    Count me among those who enjoy Garfunkel and Oates’ brand of sharply profane wit. I don’t always agree with them, but I admire their ability to make statements with their shockingly funny songs. I see I’m not the only one who likes them, either. Their songs have been featured on Comedy Central, the television show, Scrubs, HBO’s Web site, and the IFC network.

  • The X Factor USA Recap: Season 3 – And Then There Were 8

    X Factor usa recap

    Last weekend’s vote was a surprise for me. I’ll admit that Khaya Cohen was stiff, but vocally, there’s no way she should’ve been eliminated yet. And while I was the opposite of a Tim Olstad fan, I don’t think he should’ve left the show before Carlito Olivero. However, since that last elimination was a mentor vote based on the sing-off, I guess it was Tim’s own fault he left earlier.

    But so far, out of all the voices, the only voice eliminated who could’ve actually won this show was Cohen, so I guess we’re doing a good job at keeping the right voices on the show.

    It’s time for the X Factor USA recap.

    Performances of the night

    I’ve never been a Jeff Gutt fan. I’ve always found him too pouty, too depressed and overly dramatic. But, with his performance of Feeling Good, he finally won me over. The guy is a single dad with a great story, but until that performance, I felt like he was pretending. That dude is real now.

    Ellona Santiago may have tied Jeff for my favorite performance of the night with Mamma Knows Best. She’s a vocal powerhouse. Just watch.

    Duds of the night

    Once again, there wasn’t really a dud on the show. I may have to change the title of this portion of the post. If I were to rank the bottom two, it’d probably be Carlito Olivero and Josh Levi. And yet, both performances were the two strongest of each so far. They just aren’t as strong as the rest of the competition.

    Who are the front runners?

    After tonight, it’s definitely Ellona. She was the favorite of each mentor. Rion Paige is also having a heck of a competition. Her performance of Swingin’ opened the show strongly. She looked super nervous and then by the end, was rocking out. She’s really the heart of this show, which counts.

    Alex and Sierra

    I have decided to discuss them (well, specifically my new wife Sierra) each week as long as they’re around. How adorable is Sierra? So what if Alex sings better than her? Sierra’s the money behind the act. And yes, even with boring Alex, they are who I’m rooting for.

    They also had the most creative choice, doing a big band version of Taylor Swift’s I Knew You Were Trouble. While I don’t think it worked 100%, it was pretty ballsy. And yes, Sierra rocked it.

    Who goes home?

    It has to be Carlito right? Or will his fans vote for him in droves because they saw how vulnerable he was last week. I’d also worry about Josh. An outside chance to leave this thing is Lillie McCloud even though I really enjoy her.

  • Led Zeppelin… live on film

    Led Zeppelin… live on film

    Last night, I happened to catch Led Zeppelin… live on film. What a treat that was!

    I happened to be flipping channels last night and happened across AXS, a mysterious channel that seems to show a lot of concerts and such. Led Zeppelin circa December 2007 was playing. I didn’t know it at the time, but what I was watching was Celebration Day, a concert film that had the aging but still brilliant surviving rockers performing together for the first time in many years. There they were in living color. Lead singer Robert Plant is still sexy as ever with his wild mane of curly brown hair. Still boyishly handsome John Paul Jones was there, playing bass guitar and keyboards. Guitar god Jimmy Page was ministering to the crowd, masterfully playing lead guitar and appearing to enjoy every minute of the performance. Drummer John Bonham, who died in 1980, was replaced by his son, Jason, who was keeping up just fine.

    This concert film was made from footage taken at the Ahmet Ertegen Tribute Concert on December 10, 2007. It was filmed at London’s O2 arena to a packed and very enthusiastic crowd. While I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed being in that huge crowd myself, it was pretty cool to watch them react to the music, which was played in lower keys to suit Plant’s aging voice. I have to admit, Plant’s voice was in impressive shape for that concert. He doesn’t hit the notes he used to, but he comes close enough.

    I read some criticisms of Celebration Day on Amazon.com and some folks claimed that the band had gotten “sloppy”. Given the fact that three out of the four guys on stage were in their sixties at the time this show was filmed and were putting on an energetic show, I thought they did damn well. As of late 2007, it had been a long time since Led Zeppelin had worked together putting out fresh material, but I didn’t see any evidence that these guys had lose their mojo.


    Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir”…

    I’ve always loved Robert Plant’s charisma and vocals, but I have to admit that it was Jimmy Page who captured my attention as I watched this film last night. He looks like he’s having a blast as he effortlessly plays his guitar. John Paul Jones is also very impressive as he moves from bass to keyboards and back again. I may be wrong, but it seems to me that they don’t make bands like this anymore.


    I love this interview. Jimmy Page comes off as such a gent.

    Apparently, Jimmy Page broke his finger right before this concert was filmed, causing it to be postponed a couple of weeks. Knowing this, I am all the more impressed by how well he plays, since it takes time to recover from broken bones. If you are a fan of Led Zeppelin’s and haven’t seen this film yet, I highly recommend it.