Matt Marks Music

Ok.

Now,

Yeah.

This apparently is the counterpart to the Yes, We Can video for Obama.

Umm. This makes that video seem like fucking Kubrick.

P.S. Doesn’t the whole vibe seem a little culty? Like, after they’re finished singing they’re all gonna skip on over to the punchbowl and start downing the strychnine?

Saudi Arabia has asked florists and gift shops to remove all red items until after Valentine’s Day, calling the celebration of such a holiday a sin, local media reported Monday.
As Muslims we shouldn’t celebrate a non-Muslim celebration, especially this one that encourages immoral relations between unmarried men and women, ” Sheikh Khaled Al-Dossari, a scholar in Islamic studies, told the Saudi Gazette, an English-language newspaper.

I mean, really. There’s not much out there that’s more evil than that. I grew up reading 1984, Fahrenheit 541, and other dystopian novels. This is one of those worlds. The list of repressions and atrocities are staggering in this hellhole. This isn’t merely a cultural difference, this is oppression pure and simple, which is what makes it all the more insane that the Bush’s are close family friends with the Saudi royal family. As much shit as I talk about the democrats, it’ll be nice to have a president who, ya know, isn’t close friends with the Big Brothers of another country.

Update: Oops! Forgot the Link!

Wow. Just, kind of dumb, huh. I noticed that all of the comments on YouTube were positive. Then I tried to post one that was, um, not and it said “comment pending approval”. I guess no surprise that they seem to be only approving the glowing comments.

Here’s a funny Obama article by that guy you always see on VH-1. His feelings are similar to mine. He feels both inspired and embarrassed by the Obama phenomenon:

From his interview with actor Eric Christian Olsen, who inspires us all in the Yes We Can video:

When I started to make fun of Olsen, he said: “I get that it’s a movement. But it’s not like a movement for Nickelback. For the first time, we should feel justified in our passion. You don’t have to feel embarrassed about it, buddy.” It was a convincing argument until he told me he cried during an Obama speech. That did not help me feel less lame.

The City of Berkeley City Council passed a measure urging representatives from the Marines to leave their city. It is a fascinating story. On one hand I respect the fierce drive for autonomy and localism that Berkeley represents. On the other, I think their approach is simple-minded and somewhat offensive.

I believe a large problem of the anti-war movement is the visibility and audacity of the fringe elements. They are easy to report on, easy to make fun of, and easy to dismiss because, to be honest, their arguments often don’t subsist of much other than slogans and lofty ideals. In one of the photos in the article a lady is carrying a sign with that says: “Join the Marines: Travel to exotic lands, meet exciting unusual people, AND KILL THEM”. Yeah, that’s from Full Metal Jacket, which was not an anti-war film, Kubrick maintained this. I can’t imagine anyone who would have their mind changed by signs like these and: NO BLOOD FOR OIL, and BUSH = WAR CRIMINAL. I might even agree with many of these slogans, but you’re preachin’ to the choir man.

But, I also believe that cities should have the right to pass radical measures, as long as they don’t affect peoples’ basic civil rights. It is healthy to have cities challenging authority, specifically the government. I believe in localized policy, even localized currency, and as long as the measures aren’t directly harming individuals then let them be debated, and passed if they see fit.

Just once though, I’d like to see sensible radicals become the forces for change in this country. It almost never happens. Where are the Voltairine DeCleyre’s, the Ayn Rand’s, hell, even the Thomas Jefferon’s?

Watch and laugh your ass off:

This seems set up, but still, these kids are hilarious. I’d like to see them tear down a few more celebs, maybe some that deserve it a bit more.

New feature here on Mafoo Blog USA: Suck Band of the Week. Each week I’ll bring you… well I think you get the idea.

First off:

Bachman-Turner Overdrive

Farmed from members of The Guess Who, who were actually alright (American Woman), BTO rose to prominence, or notoriety, in the mid 70s. Their breakout single was Takin’ Care of Business, which I personally think is one of the lamest songs ever recorded. I live in New York, and in vicinity to New Jersey more importantly, and for some reason this song is like the fucking Star Spangled Banner to people out here. Anytime you go anywhere, it is there. They play it at every sporting event, on commercials; hell I heard it at Chuck E Cheeses this weekend! It literally means: getting something done; therefore it is applicable to every situation that has ever happened or will happen. Every time I hear this song I picture some community fair with a bunch of overweight Jerseyans gnashing out a near identical cover to the delight of banality-seeking, turkey leg-gnawing white people. Ok, I just had to let that out. Ironically, BTO are from Winnipeg. Hmmm.

Their next hit was, keeping with the trend of utilizing clichés in dialect for their songs, You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet. It’s a song about a guy who tells a girl, “You ain’t seen nothing yet”. Again the song is applicable in almost every situation, which is why it’s been whored out by every stadium, office supply store, and political party. BTO needs to just record a song called Stuff.

Luckily those were their only two significant hits. But the nightmare didn’t stop. For a time during the 80s, there where actually two BTOs, each led by a Bachman brother, leading to a lawsuit between brothers and bla bla bla a bunch of shit that you would expect lame, glory hog, rock musicians to do.

Luckily, they’re pretty much gone now. But, Randy Bachman has had a recent hit with his Christmas-themed tune: Takin’ Care of Christmas. Get it? It’s like Takin’ Care of Business but with Christmas instead. Yeah. Ha ha he hmmmmmmm…

Ok, so I couldn’t exactly keep up with the daily mp3s, but let’s see how weekly ones work. As always hook a brother up with some feedback as to what you might like to see featured.

This week: Ripped open by metal explosions – Galt MacDermot

Galt MacDermot is best known for the music from Hair, but he also made a career for himself scoring films in the 70s, notably Blaxploitation flicks. This tune is actually from Hair, but it is obviously more funk than rock. I think this is a later version as well, from his funk/soul days.