the Hit On List

The Mantooth Saints

todd — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:32:29 +0000

I should also mention that my friend Bryan and I have formed a tiny instruments cover band called The Mantooth Saints. That is a cover band in which we play tiny instruments — he on baby guitar and I on ukulele. We rehearsed yesterday.

Our set so far:
“Just Dance” by Lady Gaga up to the part where the dude sings
the beginning of “Kids” by MGMT
the solo to “To Be With You” by Mr. Big
“My Name is Jonas” by Weezer

Shot up with fame like novacaine

todd — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:21:38 +0000

Oh my God. An email announcing new KidRobot stuff just arrived. I don’t usually salivate over vinyl figurines (the ones I have are just funny ones I like, not collectors’ items), but these De La Soul 3 Feet High and Rising ones are awesome:

I actually hesitated blogging about them because the set is a limited edition and I don’t want them snapped up before I can order them. I’m a huge De La fan.

I showed them to my friend Siobhan and she said, if there were KidRobot Johns from TMBG, I’d get them.

To which, I replied, that’s it we’re making TMBG Munnies.

To which, she replied, done.

Watch this space.

2nd Hole

todd — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:09:35 +0000

I can’t be the only one who thought this email subject was funny when he received it this morning.

A 2nd Hole show! Usually in LA, you have to pay extra for those.

If I were in a Hole cover band (which I never will be), I would call it “2nd Hole.”

Hipster news

todd — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:25:55 +0000

Does your morning news show use Passion Pit as bumper music?

Why would anyone do this to a pizza?

todd — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 08:41:39 +0000

Lara Croft and Slave Leia Snowball Fight

todd — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:55:31 +0000

I love you, intertubes.

[via Buzzfeed]

Tuesday Night at La Cave

todd — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 23:16:47 +0000

the Hit On List live at La Cave, 23 Feb 2010 from the Hit On List on Vimeo.

Sadly, the Local Music Showcase that happened each Tuesday at La Cave has ended. We had a great last show this week. I opened it with the songs you see above. I would like to thank Paul Hines for hosting a real quality evening of music, Boris Bengin for running the sound and shooting video each week and making sure we all sounded and looked as good as possible, and of course, La Cave for allowing us to hang out in their lounge and play tunes.

ThinkGeek plays Baba O’Riley

todd — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 22:48:11 +0000

Played entirely on instruments ThinkGeek sells. Awesome.

[via Monsters and Rockets]

Kirsten Dunst singing Turning Japanese

todd — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:15:12 +0000

I don’t really know what to think of this video of Kirsten Dunst singing “Turning Japanese.” It combines two of my favorites things — Kirsten Dunst and manga — with one of my least favorite: that damn song. But it would be cool to see Kirsten as a J-pop princess. She needs a reboot. I wrote a song about Kirsten Dunst years ago.

UPDATE: I’ve had to re-embed this video ~~three~~ four times because the content keeps getting removed. Most likely because whoever created it is trying to control its distribution. Which is fruitless and just upsets people like me who like the content and want to share in its distribution. It’s out. Share it.

PS: Here are some stills from the shoot.

This week at La Cave

todd — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:27:31 +0000

I played the Local Music Night on Tuesday at La Cave as I have been doing for 6 weeks or so. Unfortunately, they’re shutting it down after next week’s show.

I played Your Own Yoko, Women Round Me and Nina. Boris recorded the whole show, of course. Of those, only Women Round Me is fit for release (new mp3 on the page). I laughed in the middle of Your Own Yoko and forgot some lyrics. I wouldn’t have a problem with posting that video except that later the sound goes a little screwy on the video so I salvaged what audio I could.

Last week at Liquid Lounge

todd — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:20:49 +0000

My friend Allen invited me to play a show he and his band, Short Term Melody, do every month at Liquid Lounge in Long Beach. The highlight of my night was Allen asking, “Does anyone know Superdrag?” before his band broke into “Lighting the Way.” That was random.

I didn’t write down a regular set list just a bunch of songs I wanted to play. Boris made an audio recording and I’ve got video so I can go back and check on that set list but it’s been over a week and I keep forgetting to write this post so I just wanted to make some notes.

I played and updated recordings for Complain (an old Carter song), Women Round Me, News 4 U, Maureen, Solitary Man, and Out The Other.

I played a bunch of songs and afterwards realized I should have played even more. Next time, no banter, just song after song.

Nicole Joraanstad

todd — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:00:43 +0000

So I watch a lot of curling during the Olympics. I really love the sport. Of course the danger in watching a lot of curling is that there are so many cute curlers on whom one may become smitten. I wrote a song about one, Nicole Joraanstad from the US team. Oh well, it’s a dangerous sport, I reckon.

Video

Solitary Man (Neil Diamond)

todd — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 22:50:33 +0000

I play this Neil Diamond song. It only shows its face once in a while.

Audio

From the Liquid Lounge on 11 February 2010:

Download audio file (solitary-man.mp3)

download Solitary Man

This Week at La Cave

todd — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 20:15:05 +0000

I played the Local Music Showcase Tuesday night at La Cave. I’ve been playing there for the past month and it’s usually the same scene: the crowd fluctuates a little but it’s the same general character. Tuesday was different.

When I walked in at 9pm-ish, the back room was packed. There was a party of like 12 seated along the wall and another whole wall of people and the tables in the middle filled and people standing at the bar. It was loud already. I discovered that the party of 12 was a birthday party and they were all, you know, grown-ups. And pretty much everyone else was there to see one couple perform. Lovely people all, I’m sure. But maybe it wasn’t the right time to bust out songs about strippers and showering with other people’s girlfriends. There was also a child there. Whoops.

There was a little confusion on the line-up so I just volunteered to open the show. I was in that kind of mood, I guess. I felt like I played rough. I played three songs I hadn’t played publicly before. And I only learned the Lemonheads song last week. My apologies but I wanted to keep it fresh. Anyway, you can tell me what you think.

My set: I Just Took a Shower with Your Girl, Maureen, Outdoor Type (by the Lemonheads).

the Hit On List live at La Cave from the Hit On List on Vimeo.

Maureen

todd — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 01:00:22 +0000

This is an old classic. I have demos of this song from years ago but I sang it completely differently. I should dig that up. Anyway, here it is.

Audio

From Liquid Lounge, 11 February 2010.

Download audio file (maureen.mp3)

download Maureen Live at Liquid Lounge: 11 Feb 2010

From La Cave, 9 February 2010.

Download audio file (Maureen.mp3)

download Maureen

Video

My set at La Cave on 9 Feb 2010 is here.

I Just Took a Shower With Your Girl

todd — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:58:29 +0000

I have a vague memory of playing this for Ryan and Todd K and they were like “Meh.”

Audio

From La Cave, 9 February 2010.

Download audio file (i-just-took-a-shower-with-your-girl.mp3)

download I Just Took a Shower with Your Girl

Video

My set at La Cave on 9 Feb 2010 is here.

Outdoor Type (Lemonheads)

todd — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:54:07 +0000

My friend Chet mentioned this song on his blog last week. I’ve always been fond of it though it comes from a period of the Lemonheads after I’d stopped listening to them. I think I must have heard it in a soundtrack or something. Or possibly just on YouTube. It’s a great tune. So I learned it in a lower key than Frank Turner because… well, ouch…

Audio

From La Cave on 9 February 2010.

Download audio file (outdoor-type.mp3)

download The Outdoor Type

Video

My set at La Cave on 9 Feb 2010 is here.

Kinda sweet

todd — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:23:06 +0000

Fact

todd — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:20:05 +0000

Kellie Pickler > Carrie Underwood

You Got Lucky (Tom Petty)

todd — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 06:03:51 +0000

I’ve been working on this cover for a while but I still haven’t figured out what to do with the solo section. As you’ll hear. I played it for the first time at La Cave on February 2nd. Audio from that performance is below.

Audio

Download audio file (you-got-lucky.mp3)

Download You Got Lucky