Owl City = Teddy Ruxpin?

Owl City, the brainchild of musician Adam Young, has been blowing up lately with the Death Cab-style hit, 'Fireflies.'

Recently, Owl City played to a packed house at a local venue, thanks in part to a surge in radio airplay. And it's no surprise; the single is catchy and whimsical, reminding me of growing up during the '80s.

And then, late last night, it hit me. The song sounds like it should have been the theme to The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin.

Remember Teddy Ruxpin?? Teddy was the animatronic, storytelling bear who was equally as creepy as he was lovable, and took over the good part of a decade with his popular toy line, cartoon, and live action TV series. His gentle voice and good-natured adventures wooed a whole generation of youngsters.

I hadn't thought of Teddy Ruxpin in a very long time, but something about Owl City definitely reminds me of him. There's a definite nostalgia in the song, a reminder of simpler times. After watching the official video to 'Fireflies,' I have to wonder if this connection was intentional.

Watch them both below, and let me know if I'm off my rocker.

Owl City - 'Fireflies' (official video, via YouTube)


Teddy Ruxpin - television intro theme

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The Lonely Note on Twitter

In case you didn't catch it on our sidebar, The Lonely Note is now a part of the ever-growing, microblogging network that is Twitter.

Come follow our tweets at http://www.twitter.com/lonelynote and say hello!

We have been using Twitter not only to keep you updated on our own blog, but to share music links and news tidbits that we scour from all over the web.

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LMFAO - I'm in Miami Trick'

'I'm in Miami Trick' is a pretty decent electro-rap tune. It's simple and to the point.

Stream 'I'm in Miami Trick' below:

Lmfao |MTV Music

PS: The 3:20 mark features a fairly entertaining sketch.

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Hockey - 'Too Fake'

Hockey has been one of my favorite discoveries of 2009. And 'Too Fake' is one of the reasons for the joy.

'Too Fake' contains chic electronic beats and subtle (but effective) synths. It's a great tune to both rock out and dance to.

View the video for 'Too Fake' below:

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Inward Eye - 'Day After Day'

'Day After Day' is worth at least one spin, if only for its quite infectious chorus.

Watch the music video for Inward Eye's latest high energy release below:

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Cage the Elephant - 'Back Against the Wall'

Cage the Elephant's 'Back Against the Wall' is a seductive blend of Blind Melon, Jane's Addiction, and The Kooks. The influences of Perry Farrell and Shannon Hoon are apparent as soon as the tune begins. Even the video for the song pays homage to the sub par video-grade and trippy effects of many grunge vids of the nineties. (Think 'Black Hole Sun' and 'I Stay Away').

You can watch the grunge-inspired video for 'Back Against the Wall' below:

Cage The Elephant |MTV Music

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How To Be A Jukebox Hero

Chances are, it's happened to you. You're out on the town, enjoying a tasty drink and good company when a song comes over the speakers that makes your skin absolutely crawl.

"It's okay," you say. "The next one will be better." But it's not. Some lush across the room has just pumped his life savings into the jukebox and the ear-torture shows no sign of ending. Ever.

As a public service announcement, we here at The Lonely Note have compiled a short list of the Top 10 Rules of the Jukebox, with the hope that this sort of behavior never has to happen again. Let the rules commence:


RULE #1. Pick songs that fit the general atmosphere of the establishment (ie: dive bar = classic rock/hair metal). You can't please everyone all the time, but don't go into a biker bar and play Spice Girls. Unless, of course, you enjoy getting your teeth kicked in.

RULE #2. Don't take over the jukebox by playing 10 songs in a row. Let someone else have a go at it. If you want to throw your money away, that's your prerogative. But, if you want to be a DJ so bad, throw a house party with your iPod or get a job with the local radio station.

RULE #3. Don't play more than a couple songs by the same artist, and when possible, try to space those apart. It just gets monotonous, and isn't terribly original.

RULE #4. If the jukebox has a "Play Next" option, use it sparingly. If the guy in front of you just played something, wait your turn. It's like jumping ahead in the line to the bathroom. Nobody wants to wait two hours and never hear their song. However, skipping someone else's song may be acceptable if that person has carelessly violated any of the rules on this list.

RULE #5. B-Sides and hit singles are both acceptable, but show some creativity and mix 'em up. The Rolling Stones have a lot of great songs, so don't feel obligated to play "Start Me Up" every single time.

RULE #6. Longer isn't always better. In other words, don't play "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" or "American Pie" unless the mood absolutely calls for it. It's probably one of the biggest jerk moves in the universe to monopolize an entire third of an hour with one long prog-rock song. Making somebody listen to a craptastic epic can be quite cruel.

RULE #7. Don't try to be an adjunct music professor by playing your obscure, super-niched music that nobody else has heard about. While you and your indie-trash friends may love to stay home and jam out to Clap Your Hands Say Yeah or The Fiery Furnaces, most people's musical universes haven't expanded beyond Top 40 Radio. If they wanted to be schooled, they would have stayed home and watched Ken Burns' Jazz documentary on dvd instead of going out.

RULE #8. Don't be afraid to indulge your guilty side. So what if you want to spend your hard-earned dollar on the cliche jukebox song that everybody always seems to play whenever you're out? The reason some songs are constantly spun in bars is because they are timeless classics that everyone knows. These tunes may be cheesy, but they'll get the ladies (and fellas) dancing in no time. And that's the whole point of a jukebox, right?

RULE #9. Don't expect the neighborhood Irish pub to accommodate you when you experience a jukebox malfunction or other rip-off. Anymore, most of these machines are rented by the establishment, and complaints have to be taken up with the jukebox company itself.

RULE #10. When you step into a bar, you need to realize that you are likely to get screwed on the jukebox. Don't get too upset if it isn't playing your favorite music all of the time. Some people just have bad taste, but those people pay for songs too. And they have just as much right as you do to express that. So, stay calm. Your best bet to avoid this scenario is to frequent bars with old-school jukes - ones preloaded with good albums. Touch-screen internet machines are bound to have a wider selection, but the downfall is that other patrons can request just about anything they want.


Now, most of these "rules" are common courtesies and etiquette that you should have learned in grade school. However, when booze is involved and emotions run high, these rules are likely to be abused. Don't be that person. Take the higher path... and be a Juke. Box. Hero.

Do you have an important rule that we let slip through the cracks? Please share!

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Dan Fogelberg - 'Missing You'

Like a lot of kids, I grew up listening to my parents' music collection. Early on, I developed a fondness for a lot of artists from before my era.

One of the favorites in our household was always Dan Fogelberg, the Illinois singer/songwriter who had success in the late '70s and early '80s with poignant, introspective hits such as "Old Lang Syne," "Longer," and "Leader of the Band."

One of my personal favorites from Fogelberg is "Missing You" - an uptempo jam with a rock groove not often heard in his bigger singles. Fogelberg, a talented multi-instrumentalist, was able to show off his guitar chops well with this track.

Dan Fogelberg passed away from cancer in late 2007, but left behind a legacy of classic songs few artists ever achieve.


Dan Fogelberg - "Missing You" (as performed on The Late Show with David Letterman, 1987)


*postscript: I had originally intended to write about Fogelberg following the sad news of his death. Instead, I am writing this as a 'Happy Birthday' to my mother, who first introduced me to his music. Thanks, Mom.

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The Duke Spirit - 'Lassoo'

If Grace Slick had stayed sober, she would have sung for The Duke Spirit.

Although the British-based outfit has been on the scene for at least a couple of years, the group is just now finally starting to get the attention it deserves.

Maybe its the band's Dandy Warhols-influenced arrangements? Or maybe its the fact The Duke Spirit has scored the opening gig for recent Incubus concerts here in the States? Or maybe, just maybe, it's Carson Daly?

Whatever it is, I'm not complaining.

Check out the video to 'Lassoo' below:

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Brokencyde - 'Freaxxx'

I had no idea who Brokencyde was until I watched a recent episode of The Digg Reel, featuring the band's video for 'Freaxxx.' If you've ever wondered what auto-tune plus roaring equals...well, just listen to the video below:

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Caught On Tape: Face To Face - 'I Won't Lie Down'

In case you were wondering what I was doing any random afternoon in the fall of 1996, there's a good chance I was playing roller hockey up the street with my friends.

It was sort of a ritual with us - we'd strap on our 'blades and scrap it out for hours, shouting, "Car!" and "Game on!" every 2 minutes or so.

I'd lug my boombox up to my friend's front porch and we'd all take turns broadcasting our favorite cds to the whole neighborhood. It was all about finding the best skating tunes - something hard and fast to get the blood flowing and the puck sliding.

Face To Face's eponymous LP - and in particular, the single "I Won't Lie Down" - was always one my favorite selections for such an occasion. The SoCal rockers played a brand of punk that was velocious and angry, yet not at the expense of tunefulness. Their songs had pop hooks without being part of a genre which has since been labeled "Pop-punk."

In the dozen or more years since I first heard "I Won't Lie Down," my musical tastes have shifted some and the old neighborhood street games have ended. However, I often long for those days, and the fond memories held in a song that I still consider to be one of my favorites.

Face To Face - "I Won't Lie Down"

White Rabbits - 'Percussion Gun'

White Rabbits originally hail from Columbia, Missouri, even though they've since moved to New York. And 'Percussion Gun' is the first track from their latest It's Frightening. The New-Wave inspired beats of the track, coupled with its pleading vocals, make for a helluva tune.

Watch the video below:

White Rabbits |MTV Music

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Amazing Baby - 'Headdress'

If you're a fan of neo-psychedelia, then 'Headdress' by Amazing Baby is the song for you. I'd say the intermittent guitar riffs are the tune's highlights.

Watch 'Headdress' below:

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Parody of Nickelback's 'Photograph'

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Jay-Z - 'Death of Auto-Tune'

Jay-Z takes it back to the golden age of jazz in his newest single and corresponding music video. As it's title suggests, 'Death of Auto-Tune' is a verbal backlash against hip-hop's current addiction to the now ubiquitous studio recording feature.

Attempting to single-handedly save rap, Jay-Z masterfully mixes in soulful clarinet with a sonic drum beat--in other words, he goes old school. And as always, Jay-Z reproves his lyrical genius with such zingers as:

You rappers singing too much, get back to rap you T-Paining too much.

and:

I know we facing a recession, but the music y’all making going make it the Great Depression.

The video also features a couple of cameos from a couple of well-known actors and athletes. But I'll let you watch the video on your own to find out who the guests turn out to be.

Watch 'Death of Auto-Tune' below:

Jay-Z |MTV Music

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The Takeover UK - 'Ah La La'

'Ah La La' is a boisterous--and catchy--three minute romp from the It's All Happening EP. The disc came out over a year ago, but this addicting single is just now garnering some serious radio play.

Stream a 30 second sample of 'Ah La La' by The Takeover UK below. If you want to hear the entire song, click on the link in the player:

Ah La La [Explicit Version] (Album Version) - The Takeover UK

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SWV - 'Right Here'

To demonstrate just how pervasive Michael Jackson's musical influence was, here is one fine example. 'Right Here' by Sisters With Voices (SWV) blatantly implemented MJ's 'Human Nature' as its backing melody in the early nineties. To say the least, it worked quite nicely.

Watch and listen below:

SWV |MTV Music

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Michael Jackson - 'Stranger in Moscow'

It has been impossible this weekend to avoid discussing the untimely death of Michael Jackson. As the tributes begin and the music elites speak out, it will be the prescribed course of action to begin identifying which one of his songs are his very best.

Undoubtedly, monster hits such as 'Thriller,' 'Billy Jean,' and 'Bad' will surely rise to the top. Notwithstanding these pop successes, however, it is some of MJ's deeper tracks that hold a special place in the collective music listener's consciousness. One such deep cut is 'Stranger in Moscow,' the King of Pop's captivating ballad from 1995. In the video, dramatic slo-mo shots of baseballs shattering windows, insects fluttering in the wind, and the pitter patter of rain drops show the viewer that whenever we may feel alone there is still music in the world. We sometimes just have to listen hard enough for it.

In sum, 'Stranger in Moscow' is but one example of Jackson's incredible gift to convey the beauty of the world through music. And for that, he will always be remembered.

Michael Jackson |MTV Music

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Nickel Eye - 'You and Everyone Else'

Nickel Eye is the side project of Strokes bassist Nikolai Fraiture. Although the new venture retains its root Strokes essence, you can almost feel The Cure creeping through on a few of the tracks.

'You and Everyone Else' is a great example of this.

Stream 'You and Everyone Else' below:

You And Everyone Else - Nickel Eye

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