MONTHLY REVIEW: July

We sure enjoyed our July here at Zonino! Lots of sun, breeze, cook-outs, and letting summer do what summer does best...

MUSIC

Nashville-based family band, The Bridges, bring their own brand of poppy folk music to the stage with their debut album, Limits Of The Sky.

Kristin Andreassen's quirky alt-country charm is a winner with her album, Kiss Me Hello. Check out the single "Crayola Doesn't Make A Color For Your Eyes" to see why!

Who's arguably the most rocking married couple? Why, The Weepies of course! We here at Zonino! have been loving their 2006 album, Say I Am You.

Newcomer Shane Wyatt brings back the old school feel of genuine country music with his debut album, The Last Cowboy.

The always great Michael Franti (with long-time band Spearhead) has been recently discovered by the masses because of a new hit single, "Say Hey (I Love you)," and their album, reggae-tinged All Rebel Rockers.

Brad Paisley had us all reminiscing about a time not too long ago when you somehow found your friends in a crowded room without a cell phone and no one freaked out when you were five minutes late with his newest single "Welcome To The Future."

Not that summer is winding down, but don't let it end without putting "Toes," by the Zac Brown Band, on your playlist for the remainder of your beach-going days!

BOOKS

Jonathan Safran Foer's sophomore novel Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close about a boy looking for meaning in a mysterious key owned by his recently deceased father, who die in the 9/11 terrorist attacks touched our hearts and awakened our child-like wonder.

The quickly advancing field of genetic science brings with it many moral, ethical, and political questions. Next, by Jurassic Park author, Michael Crichton illustrated them all in this layered novel.

RECIPE

Kick up your next grill-out with some Blue Cheese Burgers! Pour yourself a cup of Beerquila and you've got a party!

Add some Arroz con Coco to your dinner the next time you need a tropical touch!

Rain got you inside? How about some tasty Chicken Pesto Pizza to brighten the mood!?!

EAT OUT

In the Big Apple? Start with a stop at New York City's oldest functioning bar, McSorley's Old Ale House. Then head over to Crif Dogs in the East Village for a prohibition era hot dog and more!

MUSICAL

While you're in Metropolis, swing on by Broadway and check out the award-winning musical, In The Heights.

WEB

Love proving people wrong? Skeptical about an email forward? Take it to Snopes and check it's validity...or lack there of.

Thought your wedding cake tasted bad? That's not the least of it! At least it looked nice and not like some of the travesties at Cakewrecks, one of the funniest food blogs out there!

Speaking of, food wrecks, how about taking something already hideous and making it look better? The people at Fancy Fast Food do just that, and you can too!

YOUTUBE

How did people ever think these music videos were good in the first place?!? At least the creative people who made these Literal Videos had the opportunity to improve them.

In between gigs in the country music capital of the world, Canaan Smith apparently dabbles in street interviews for his "show" Donkey In A Box.

Who doesn;t love a good parody? You'll think of this video the next time your friend changes their relationship status on Facebook.

And who doesn't love the newest Foot-By-The-Foot television spot? (Who new they even made this stuff still???)

WORD

It would not be pernicious to this autonomous blog that we did not include any movies this month for lack of lassitude.

YOUTUBE: Urban Legend ER

You can murder someone by dropping a coin off the Empire State building. People have been drugged to wake up an find their kidneys missing. Urinating in a chlorinated pool turns the water black. Eating pop-rocks and Coke will cause your stomach to explode.

You know all those urban legends you heard as a kid and believed and still hear now and don't believe (hopefully) but don't necessarily know why they aren't true? The good people at College Humor have put together a webisode dramedy about a hospital ER inundated with emergencies all related to various urban legends. They come at you pretty fast so fee free to watch it a couple time to appreciate them all.

Say, do you know what sneezing seven times in a row might do?

Sergio del Limónar

WORD: Lassitude

A perfect word for a hot summer day, this noun, related to "lethargy" and "indifference," can be used to express the absolute extreme of both these conditions.

The lassitude of the setting July sun made it difficult to imagine a cooler temperature.


With great lassitude the cat rose to its feet, slowly wandered a few paces to the other side of the hallway, and flopped back down again.


Sergio del Limónar

YOUTUBE: "Facebook Match"

A couple of years ago I was forwarded this parody and then recently I randomly received it again. Although the good people at Facebook have no doubt changed the formatting of their site numerous times since this was made, it's still pretty relevant.

This video parodies the relationship status feature of the social networking site under the guise of one of those Match.com television ads. It also pokes fun at the "groups" one can join and the ridiculous idea of "poking." Of course I'm guilty of all these, including the fake marriage, it's still good for a laugh. Even if it is at yourself.

Sergio del Limónar

MUSICAL: In The Heights

After sweeping the 2008 Tony Awards, the musical, In The Heights, has been playing on Broadway to sold out crowds and redefining the modern musical. A touring production hits the road at the end of October.

The show, set in the north of Manhattan in a neighborhood known as Washington Heights, tells the stories of the people of the community. Predominately made up of people from Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic, the characters represent several generations all struggling to attain the American dream and, while each defines "success" a little differently, the desire and hope felt by each is the same. Written in a mixing of Spanish and English, the show captures the immigrant experience with heart, humor, and reality. Many of the songs, "Inutil," "No Me Diga," "Sunrise," and "Paciencia y Fé," among others, use both languages heavily.

Another underlying theme is the fact that a winning lottery ticket was sold by lead character, Usnavi (named after the ship that saved his parents while immigrating - US Navy), at his corner bodega. The whole cast fantasizes about what they would do with the winnings, while the barrio's resident grandmother, Abuela Claudia, wonders what she can do with it, as she has the coveted ticket. At the same time a power outage resulting in Usnavi's store being looted, the local salon moving downtown, and the owner of the car service business selling it so his daughter can go back to school all add to the drama.

The story and music, written by the original Usnavi, Lin Manuel Miranda, in his dorm room at Wesleyan University infuses a mix of merengue, hip-hop, rap, salsa, and a few good ole broadway ballads for good measure. One of my favorite scenes was set in a salsa club where the dancing was music made me feel as if I had been transported to Havana! (A subsequent blackout utilizes cell phones in a neat piece of choreography.)

Check out this performance from the 2008 Tony Awards while you're waiting for the tour to come to your city! It's a combination of two songs from the show, the leadoff anthem, "In The Heights," and the rousing "96,000."

Sergio del Limónar

MUSIC: "Toes"

Put this on your next beach playlist!

Country newcomers, The Zac Brown Band, have been quietly gaining popularity with their laid-back front porch rocking songs. Their newest, called Toes, should be the song of the summer. It's got it all: "bikinis and palm trees," "toes in the water, ass in the sand," "beer in my hand" and some tropical island Spanglish thrown in for good measure. Too bad it didn't come out until the end of July!

The video (linked above) is pretty bizarre. Maybe the thugs are after him because he's wear shorty short cut-off jean shorts, not because of his new-found wealth...

Sergio del Limónar

MUSIC: "Welcome To The Future"

Brad Paisley is definitely one of the most talented people churning out country music these days. While some of his stuff is a little too mushy or topical for me, he is, without a doubt, an incredibly creative and insightful song writer. Although my favorite Paisley tunes are "Letter To Me" and the Alison Krauss duet, "Whiskey Lullaby," his latest single is worthy of a Zonino! if not for its poignancy than for it's near-universal relatability.

When I was in 1st grade, a man from NASA came to talk to our school. I remember he took out his wallet and said that "in the future" everyone would be walking around with phones the size of his wallet. I also remember distinctly thinking that the guy was nuts and that all astronauts must think we're going to become the Jetson's. (I mean, even the Jetson's had normal phones!)

"Welcome To The Future," off Paisley's recent album, American Saturday Night, talks about how things have changed in a relatively short period of time. From having television in cars and video conferencing to Tokyo, to electing Obama as President, Paisley covers all that we've accomplished to bring us to the future.

Sergio del Limónar

RECIPE: Arroz con Coco

This is a nice little Caribbean twist on your standard rice side dish.

ingredients:

-rice* (1 cup)
-water
-coconut milk
-raisins (1/2 cup)

what to do:

1) pour as much rice as you want into a pot
2) the ratio of liquid should be about 2 parts coconut milk, 1 part water (you can do it with more coconut milk and less water for a sweeter rice)
3) bring to a boil, stirring so as to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pan
4) if liquid boils away and the rice is still a little hard, mix in more water until rice is soft.
5) fold in the raisins and let sit for a few minutes**

*brown rice is a more traditional option if you want a more authentic culinary experience
**an additional option is to also fold in some fresh coconut flakes

Sergio del Limónar

MUSIC: All Rebel Rockers

Toiling from the masses in relative obscurity for years, lead singer of Spearhead, Michael Franti and his band mates have released an album that is actually getting airplay on Top 40 radio. I almost drove off the road when I head the DJ announce the next song, breakout hit single "Say Hey (I Love You)," was by the group. I'm a little bit saddened too since there will be millions who think this is a "new band" and will not get to experience great songs like "Love is the S***". Too bad...

Spearhead's newest effort, All Rebel Rockers, is a nonstop reggae/rock party from track one to thirteen. The aforementioned first single is a good choice as it is one of the discs best tunes. I'm intrigued by the production behind "Hey World (Remote Control Version)" which would make current creative geniuses in pop and hip-hop like T-Pain and the Black Eyed Peas insanely jealous. Another track that I've had on repeat is "The Future" which finds Franti singing intellectual lyrics so deep at such a rapid fire pace, you need to listen to it a couple times to grasp the whole meaning of what he's trying to say. My favorite: "They take all your privacy give it away / and for musical piracy lock you away / They tell you that war is a permanent thing / and American Idol kids really can sing!"

Fight the man...get this album!

Sergio del Limónar

EAT OUT: McSorley's Old Ale House

Next time you're in the Big Apple, set aside some time to visit "New York City's oldest continuously operated saloon." Opened in 1854, McSorely's Old Ale House, located at 15 East 7th Street, is a unique bar in that they serve only two types of beer - light or dark. Don't try getting a Budweiser or even a gin and tonic here, the only thing you'll be getting is the boot! Also, be prepared, because this is one place that always has a two for one special that is not optional; you will be receiving two beers.

According to the website, not much has changed since the likes of everyone from President Lincoln to John Lennon have paid a visit. (The 1925 poem, "Sitting At McSorely's, by e.e. cummings, was about this very place!) Seating consists of large circular wooden tables that seat eight to ten people and, on a busy day, the bartenders will seat you with an already gathered party so prepare to get social! The floors are covered with a dusting of sawdust and, appropriately enough the chandeliers and picture frames are covered in dust older than Grandma. Speaking of Grandma, women were not even allowed into the bar until a Supreme Court ruling in 1970.

A sign on the wall decrees McSorley's golden rule: "Be Good Or Be Gone." This also means that if you finish your beers and don't want any more, it's time to "be gone" as well.

Sergio del Limonar

WEB: Fancy Fast Food

I was having trouble filing this one. It's a website, so it could go under WEB, but it contains recipes so it go under that heading too. But, since all the ingredients you need for the recipes need to be purchased at a fast food establishment, it could also easily go under EAT OUT. I should be thankful this is the biggest problem I have to face today.

The gist of Fancy Fast Food is pretty simple: make gross fast food appear to be from some place muy expensivo! Readers can submit their own culinary fast food masterpieces, complete with photographs and instructions, to share with the world! According to the website, the rules are simple: "no additional ingredients are allowed other than a simple garnish." It's crazy how a couple breakfast sandwich meals from Burger King can be made into a pair of respectable looking quiches.

Sergio del Limonar

BOOK: Next

I'm not a huge fan of science-based novels. Sometimes it seems like authors either don't really get the subject matter at all or they get it too much and go too far. While I've come across some medically-themed books in the past that worked well, most of the time when an author wanders into the fanciful nature of science writing - I guess one would call it science fiction (shutter) - they lose my interest.

Michael Crichton's layered story of genetic science was not what I had anticipated. Next is a novel about the perils, pitfalls, misconceptions, and marvels of the genetic engineering field. A little ADD at times, Crichton jumps between a myriad group of diverse characters, all the while informing and cautioning the reader about this new frontier.

The opening page reads "This novel is fiction, except for the parts that aren't." With this ominous disclaimer, Crichton creatively sprinkles real news articles or clippings in between various chapters, often foreshadowing coming action. While everything that happens might not be one hundred percent realistic, it probably is not that far off base. Curing drug addiction through one's genes, genetically modified animals that can compute or even speak, the legality and ethics behind the concept of patenting parts of DNA are all addressed in this story in a way that takes the fiction out of the science fiction.

Sergio del Limonar

WEB: Cakewrecks

This is a great guilty pleasure: Cakewrecks is a site that basically makes fun of professionally made cakes that should not look like crap but, for whatever reason, do. From the bizarre to the illiterate to the disgusting, "Jen" provides daily postings for the reader to laugh and feel superior over. (Especially since most of us couldn't even make a "wreck" cake if we tried. However, I maintain I would at least use proper grammar.)

As a humble and respectful bonus, the site highlights superiorly created cakes each Sunday. Some of these I wouldn't want to even cut into; they are truly works of art. The others though, that's a whole other story!

Sergio del Limonar

MUSIC: Shane Wyatt

Lately it seems as if anyone who's ever dressed as a cowboy for Halloween can put out a country album. The charts are becoming so saturated with pop-country acts that the real country artists, the ones who paved the way, are getting little airplay. Where's Alan, George, and Wynonna? Every once and a while a fresh honest country-lovin' voice comes along; someone who could actually tell you who Hank Williams or Patsy Cline were and knows more that "Ring Of Fire" from the Johnny Cash catalogue.

Oklahoma native Shane Wyatt's debut album, The Last Cowboy, is at once new and current as it is traditional. His song writing is real and meaningful, carried on simple melodies you might find at the local county fair band shell. Honest and unpolished, Wyatt seems to take the what-you-see-is-what-you-get attitude to heart.

My favorite track is "She Could Do Better" which tell the story of a love lost to another who is not worthy. I think we can all relate to a friend who has been in a relationship that everyone can see is wrong, but them. In it he sings "She’ll never make you happy, aw ‘cause you just can’t be pleased, so I’ll love her from a distance, and pray someday she sees."

The rest of the tracks are striking in their honesty as well. "Whole Lotta Love" and "The Big Bad Dog" are sure to get toes tapping and the title track might tug at some heartstrings. With the way things are going in country music, Wyatt may end up living up to his disc's name...but I hope not!

Sergio del Limónar

WEB: Snopes

I don't know if the age of social networking sites has lessened the amount of the spam or just redistributed it, but I, for one, feel less inundated with trash messages about help finding missing teenager Ashley Flores, how California wildfires will lead to a shortage of toilet paper, or how a kid is doing a "science experiment" about first names and needs yours on their list.

Which makes them that much more irritating when they do show up. Just the other day I received a forwarded message about a "trailer park wedding" complete with a photograph of the happy toothless couple. Skeptical, I immediately went to my favorite modern urban-myth-busting website, Snopes, and soon found this picture and story to be a complete fabrication!

I've used this site before and been surprised to find that the claims of the forwarded message are indeed true, or not far off from the truth. I remember an email of sports-related trivia once that claimed the Matterhorn in Disneyland housed a basketball court. I checked with Snopes and it turns out that that top of the faux mountain does indeed contain a hoop and floor markings, although the term "court" is a bit exaggerated!

The site does a great job of giving readers the possible versions of the rumor that are out there, and then either confirming or refuting the claim. Often times a detailed explanation or why the rumor exists or how it came into being is also included. This is definitely a site to have bookmarked for the next time someone sends you a message informing you that Applebee's in giving away $50 gift certificates.

Sergio del Limonar

YOUTUBE: Donkey in a Box

this is hilarious fa sho. my friends adam and tyler's friend canaan smith borrowed equipment from none other than troy gentry, his "boy" and headed downtown w/ a faux camera crew etc and hooked up w/ this random guy who believed canaan was a reporter and the following interview ensued.

in other canaan smith news, check out his music. canaan is singer/songwriter w/ a writing contract w/ disney. he cowrote "runaway" for up and coming country-pop group "love and theft."

blogging is exhausting :)

Mrs. Fitz 1

ps: i wish i was having beers over lunch w/ mrs fitz 2 and sergio del limonar right now!!!

RECIPE: SLR's Chicken Pesto Pizza

ingredients:

-pizza pie of your choice (you can make it but that's all you, i prefer bobali thin crust)
-approx 6 oz diced chicken
-slr's pesto
-2 tomatoes (i like the kind off the vine)
-1 crown of broccoli
-1 bag shredded mozz cheese
-1 jar roasted red peppers
-seasoning of choice for chicken (oil and salt and pepper or lawrys etc)

what to do:

1. sautee chicken until it's not raw, leave on low heat
2. preheat oven to whatever the pie crust says (around 400)
3. lather (haha i do not know how to talk shop in the kitchen) the pizza crust w/ pesto
4. slice up tomatoes and cover base of pizza crust
5. cut broccoli up into little florets and sprinkle over pizza
6. slice up 2 or 3 red peppers (depending on size and how much you like them) decorate pizza crust
7. add chicken to pizza
8. cover in mozz cheese . . .i mean it, GO TO TOWN
9. cook in oven and serve and you'll have friends for life (but not if they're vegetarian. in that case, make 2 pizzas . . 1 sans chicken . . or ask them politely to leave)


mrs. fitzsimmons 1

MUSIC: The Weepies

How about this awesome duo?!?! The Weepies are a sultry married couple who rock the tunes w/ quality music and amazingly insightful lyrics. "The World Spins Madly On" I love and was the first song I heard off their 2006 album Say I Am You. My friend, Rachel, who just lost her dad, gave me the CD and said that song is hers. I also love "Nobody Knows Me At All" and the song "Painting By Chagall" w/ the line "sometimes rain that's needed falls."

Mrs. Fitzsimmons 1

DRINK: Beerquila

Don't judge, just try this at your next summer party...if you're over 21, of course. Otherwise just stick to your sippy-cup and fruit punch.

In a punch bowl or empty (clean) cooler, mix 1 part tequila, 1 part lemon juice (straight up), and 2 parts beer. Serve over ice but don't add it to the mix or it will water it down.
Your friends will ask what it is called and I've heard many names for this concoction, including Beerquila, The Bull, and Kirby Fucket (?) so feel free to make up your own since no one seems to really know anyway.

Sergio del Limónar

TV: Foot By The Foot Ad

The first time I saw this ad I at once laughed and celebrated the fact that the good people at Fruit By The Foot did not shoot down the creative genius of this awkwardly unique and awesome television spot. I only wish it was shown more often. At least there's YouTube, though, eh?

Sergio del Limónar

WORD: Autonomy

Autonomy: n. to demonstrate ones independence, being autonomous

It's not that this word is obscure or anything, nor will it make you look pretentious if you use it, it's just that it is a good word to throw in every once and a while to show you have something functioning inside your skull. Plus, you know, others might be impressed and secretly wish they thought to use such vocabulary without hating you for it.

Try and throw it into your conversation sometime today!

Sergio del Limonar

EAT OUT: Crif Dogs, East Village

Crif Dogs in the East Village in NYC (113 St. Mark's Place btwn 1st Ave and Avenue A) is THE place to enjoy a deliciously deep fried hot dog.  It may sound grossly overdone, but if you look past the caloric gain, the delicious combinations will have you hooked in no time.  

Some to try:

-The BLT (bacon wrapped deep fried hot dog with tomato, lettuce and avacado)

-The Good Morning (another bacon wrapped deep fried dog topped with cheese and a fried egg)

-The Redneck (MORE bacon wrapped deep fried dog topped with chili,  coldslaw, and jalapeño) 

There is also the amazing side option of tater tots.  

The place is a bit of a hole in the wall, but is BYOB and totally recession friendly with prices between $2.00-$5.00.  It's also scattered with video games and some great artwork.  The bathroom isn't one to be impressed with (also, has no mirror, kind of weird), but really, it's the hot dogs that count.  

Also very cool about Crifs (although it probably loses it's novelty after the first time you do it), is the only accessible via a phone booth Prohibition Era-style bar next door, PDT (Please Don't Tell).  The soul way to gain access is to call by 3pm the same day to snag your reservation.  The phone line is usually always busy, but a friend and I managed to nail down one of the first reservations of the night last year, and all of the secrecy is worth it.  The cocktails might be overpriced, but you can order some of the Crif Dogs through a pass through window between PDT and the kitchen, and the decor is awesome.  Dimly lit, bartenders dressed to the nines preparing intricate cocktails, leather booths and all sorts of taxidermy hanging on the walls.  

All in all, a definite stop for a great snack, and if you can manage, some Prohibition cocktails next door.  

New York Magazine write up: http://nymag.com/urr/urr.pl?rm=all_reviews&listing_id=2573&listing_type=nyml_venue_restaurant

Please Don't Tell site: http://www.pdtnyc.com/

Mrs. Fitz 2 

RECIPE: Blue Cheese Burgers

Tired of the same ol' same ol' summer grill out? Try this twist on the backyard burger!

ingredients:

-lean ground beef
-blue cheese, crumbled
-minced chives
-Worcestershire sauce
-ground black pepper
-salt

1. In a large bowl combine the ground beef, 4 ounces of blue cheese, 1/2 cup of minced fresh chives, 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon of coarsely ground black pepper, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt.
2. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours before grilling.
3. Form into patties and grill to your liking.

*This recipe was adapted from one found on allrecipes.com

Sergio del Limónar

BOOK: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer is the insanely unique story of a precocious 9 year old boy named Oskar who has lost his father in the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks on the Twin Towers.

I read Safran Foer's debut novel, Everything Is Illuminated, a few years ago and found it amazingly inventive, although challenging to follow at times unless it was read in large chunks of time, like on a trans-Atlantic flight, for instance. I found this, his second book, published in 2005, in the school library while during a lull in Parent/Teacher Conferences and was instantly hooked yet again.

While both books have a certain amount of fantastical whimsy in them, this one stays a little closer to reality than the first novel. The dialog and thought process that Safran Foer has used to capture that weird uber-smart kid that sat next to you in fourth grade and asked the questions that kept you from getting to lunch or recess on time is genius.

The other characters that surround Oskar, his Grandma, mother, upstairs neighbor, doorman, as well as relatives from the past, are all worthy of an invitation to dinner. At the end of each chapter I kept changing my mind about who I liked the best!

Sergio del Limónar

MUSIC: Kiss Me Hello

Any record with a song titled "Crayola Doesn't Make A Color For Your Eyes" is worth a listen if you ask me. If you dare, try and not love this song. You will fail. Or have no soul.

Kristin Andreassen's 2007 album "Kiss Me Hello" is full of folk-indie-country goodness from start to finish, however, honestly, all the tracks could be horrible drivel after the aforementioned opening tune and it wouldn't matter. (The song is pretty much all hand slapping and whistling! C'mon, how can you go wrong?!?!)

Some other personal favorites are "Dancing In My Sleep," "Your Ex-Life Calling," the titular "Kiss Me Hello," and the quirky "Hello Where Are You?" which I actually kind of hated at first but now can't remember why...

This is great record to have on in the background, as it is mellow and chill, and also sing along to. Or you know, just put "Crayola" on repeat and try unsuccessfully to replicate the hand slapping rhythm.

Sergio del Limónar

WORD: Pernicious

I was reading the Gabriel García Márquez Nobel Prize-winning "One Hundred Years of Solitude" and came across a word I had never heard before: pernicious.

After visiting the American Heritage Dictionary I learned that this adjective is used to describe anything that can cause great harm or be destructive in nature. In the story it is in reference to terrible insomnia-like disease.

Not that I'm in horrible fatalistic situations on a frequent basis, but I'm going to attempt to work this word in to conversation at least once this week.

The rumor started by the cheerleader about her ex-boyfriend was pernicious to his reputation on the football team.

Sergio del Limónar

ON HOLIDAY

The Zonino Staff will be on holiday celebrating the independence of the USA from Friday, July 3rd through Sunday, July 5th. Your regular Zonino updates will resume Monday, July 6th.

MUSIC: The Bridges

During a recent meeting of the far-flung ZONINO! staff in music city, USA, Nashville, Tennessee, we had the accidental pleasure of hearing a band that will hopefully be huge one day in the mainstream music world's conscious. While attempting to see another band, we got lost and arrived late to find The Bridges, a group of siblings and their cousin, playing instead. We had missed the group we wanted to see but our ears got another treat instead.

These five relatives, Natalie, Stacey, Isaaca, Jeremy, and Brittany (the cousin) all play and sing either lead or backing vocals to create a unique fusion of country/rock/pop. While one of the highlights of the show was a cover of Carly Simon's "You're So Vain," the group's debut album, 2008's Limits of the Sky, is just as wonderfully addicting.

Check them out and be as pleasantly surprised and entertained as we were!

Sergio del Limónar

YOUTUBE: Literal Videos

I may be spending a little too much time on YouTube recently...

Never since MTV's Pop-Up Video show have legitimate music videos been this hilareous. Literal Videos turn music videos from established artists that actually (sometimes surprisingly) aired to represent the song when it was newly released, into play-by-play accounts of what is being watched.

Some of the better ones include a rewritten version of Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart" involving "zombie choir boys" and the question of "why do they play football inside?" and the great "Making Love Out Of Nothing At All" from Air Supply with "magic photos" and missing shirts.

Meat Loaf's "I Would Do Anything For Love", Starship's "We Built This City", and the more recent "You're Beautiful" by James Blunt are also worth a few laughs. What's really amazing to think about is the fact that these videos were all considered to not be entitrely bizarre in their content when originally debuted.

Mrs. Fitzsimmons 1