posted November 29, 2019 #
Hey, it's Black Friday! Please don't let anyone in your zone go out and literally trample someone to death trying to get a deal. That sounds ridiculous
but it happens.
I'm having my own
holiday sale over at yk Records, so please do me a favor and pick something up. Details
here, thank you very much.
On to some distraction!
posted November 22, 2019 #
Last week, I thought this
Chris Gaines receeding into the bushes GIF was the
perfect way to wrap up all my feelings on the whole
Chris Gaines project from 20 years ago
but then I saw
this tweet in which Garth is quoted as saying "The Gaines project isn't done." WTF?!
I imagine this must be a misunderstanding because it's very difficult to imagine how Gaines would resurface in any way that isn't every bit as awkward as it was the first time. I guess time will tell. Gaines re-appears?
And now... distraction.
If you're in the Nashville area, please
come out to this show on Saturday celebrating 10-years of YK Records. Gonna be a good time.
posted November 15, 2019 #
I spent an inordinate amount of time making this Chris Gaines Homer Simpson mashup. All I can see are the rough edges but, frankly, I think they make it a bit more charming. It's dumb but it's
perfectly dumb.
As if you needed an excuse for more distractions...
- Christmas at Pirates Village - the true meaning of Christmas.. and pirates. via Forest.
- Andy Shauf - Try Again - another new track from the forthcoming album. Fun little animated video.
- Every Stefon Ever - this is a five part series of every appearance of Stefon SNL. I did not know he started off in a sketch (an awkward one). I suggest watching them all so that Part 4's parade of characters has maximum impact.
- Billy on the Street - 15th anniversary of the show? Insane. Now on Netflix.
- Facts - sometimes the best 6 second video is just a straightforward fact.
- Hey Blake! - what a great message to a nephew.
posted November 8, 2019 #
Two updates of note for ya:
1) I had the pleasure of seeing Sasha Velour's
Smoke and Mirrors show last night. If you have the chance, go see it. Honestly, it was a brilliant fusion of tech and performance.
2) Today is the last day that I can call
Forest Conner a co-worker, as he is leaving VHX (now known as Vimeo OTT). This may mean nothing to you
but it's a nice reminder that if you aren't following him on Twitter;
do so now. He's one of the best.
Alright, on to some vids.
Okay, now
watch this.
posted October 25, 2019 #
I *might* do a special Halloween playlist this year if I can get my act together but, in the meantime, please do give yourself some time to enjoy this
massive playlist of retro Halloween commercials. There are some real weird gems in there that you don't want to miss.
Here's some distractions for ya...
posted October 24, 2019 #
posted October 18, 2019 #
I'm doing my best to get into the Halloween mood. It's the 18th and I'm not quite
feeling it yet but I suspect spending some time with the
Disney Nightmare Mix will get me there. It usually does.
These videos aren't exactly
Halloween themed but they will provide a moment for your brain to escape reality and just be stupid for a few minutes.
posted October 11, 2019 #
I found myself explaining the delight of the
Inspector Rex intro this week so we're getting a little Rex here in the header. That pup can catch a flying treat! How many takes were involved in this? I like to believe only one. Rex is
that good.
Do yourself a favor and go listen to the
new Fetching Pails track, it's on the streaming platforms now.
On to the distractions...
posted September 27, 2019 #
If you're in the Nashville area around Sept 28th, 2019, take some time to
swing by Gainesfest; a celebration of the 20-year anniversary of Garth Brooks taking on a fictional pop persona. I have nothing to do with the event but I'll be there slackjawed and staring at a group of people that share such a strange fascination.
Enjoy some stuff I found...
- Terence Howard on the Red Carpet - it's hard to tell if this is a troll or if we should be legitimately worried for Mr. Howard.
- A perfect quadruple back tuck - I cruise /r/youtubehaiku fairly regularly looking for items for these Friday compilations and it is mostly awful... but sometimes you come across a solid gem.
- Spot Launch - the Boston Dynamics Spot Robo-Dog is now a thing that can be purchased. Admittedly, the technology is impressive but they are intentionally making this commercial feel like a dystopian horror movie, right?!
- Amazon Loop - they literally made a wearable ring that you whisper into it and hold to your ear. This implementation is pretty awkward (looking and behaving) but I give them credit for trying something new. Not a funny video, just one to marvel at.
- Octopus Dreaming - I will never tire of seeing an animal color shift. Unbelievable every time.
- Twen - "Damsel" - been very much enjoying this album lately, thought you might as well.
That's it! Short and sweet.. and, frankly, not all that weird. Hopefully still satisfying as you slide into the weekend.
posted September 20, 2019 #
Did you read that the news this week that Tom Delonge of Blink182 had leaked footage of UFO's and now the Navy has
confirmed they are unidentified? Sure, it's not confirmation of
aliens but still pretty neat. If you haven't seen the NYT piece on the footage,
check it out.
Sept 20th is, apparently, a very big day for musical releases. There's a ton of great new stuff that came out today -
Patrick Damphier's remix EP among them. I hope you'll take some time to listen to it.
And on we go to some distractions...
- Stoffle the Honeybadger - if you think you can contain a Honeybadger, you're wrong.
- Zelda Theme on Electric Toothbrushes - this entire channel is a ridiculous wonder. Do subscribe.
- Woo - a classic worth revisiting.
- Tornaders - please be a prank, please be a prank, please be a prank.
- Alienstock begins - you know about #StormArea51? The movement to have "thousands" of people storm the government base - running like Naruto - to find answers. It's become a music festival now and I can only imagine how much stupid footage we're going to get over the weekend.
- Radio Shack Vintage - a truly effective ad.
- "Dies irae" is everywhere - not exactly a wacky video but fascinating little VOX piece on a pervasive piece of music.
- Fire Frog, 10 Hours - kind of meditative, kind of bizarre. If you've been looking for a real life Hypnotoad, this may be your answer.
All that being said, the only thing you
really need to see this week is
this trippy stabilisation.
posted September 13, 2019 #
Hey, it's Friday the 13th! Fun fact, it's also the
apogee of the Moon, when it is furthest from the Earth
and it's a Full Moon. The criteria is all in place for some real wackiness, be on the lookout!
Kind of love that this
Stone Jack Jones record came out on a Friday the 13th, it feels extra appropriate.
Anyway, here we go with some distractions I culled together for you.
posted September 6, 2019 #
That
Raccoon yap is completely unrelated to anything but, damn, if it isn't pleasant.
Short and busy week. Here's to a laid back weekend.
- David Fincher: Invisible Details - I've been watching Mindhunter lately and it reminded me of this video essay on the insane amount of CG that Fincher uses; often in very subtle ways. If this entertains you, watch the Mindhunter VFX breakdown.
- NES Music Inspiration - don't love the narration here but this is a pretty fascinating piece on NES composer Koji Kondo's inspirations. Everything is a Remix.
- Supergrass - Alright - it was recently announced that Supergrass would celebrate the 25th anniversary of their first album by reforming for some shows. I have decided to use this as a valid excuse to revisit their fantastic catalog. Here's a playlist of their final setlist back in 2010.
- Ashley O - On a Roll - I find myself singing this ridiculous version of "Head Like a Hole" from the Miley Cyrus episode of Black Mirror. It's absolutely terrible but also an earworm.
- Don't Anger the Goose - stupid. perfect.
- Signs, Aliens - stupider.
- Stone Jack Jones - I'm Gone - a gentle reminder to watch this new Stone Jack Jones video. It's not fast paced or steeped in Internet Stupidity (which is why I assume you come here) but it is worthwhile. I think it's a beauty, even if it does require a little patience.
- Homer, Katrin and Janine Eat Their Way Through New Orleans - I don't know if this is legitimately entertaining or should be considered an Endurance Challenge. The Venn diagram overlap is deep.
posted August 30, 2019 #
This weekend is
Dragon Con down in Atlanta. I'll be there and, ideally, constantly picking my jaw up off the floor at all the costumes and masses of people. Watch the ole
#dragoncon tag for treats. I'll probably post to my
Instagram along the way as well.
As such, my hunting and gathering time for Friday Videos is short. Here's a few selections to take you through the weekend.
- Wosop - it takes a solid 45 seconds for this to really start but once you're in, I am confident you'll be in the duration. Via Baldwin.
- Last Ninja 2 (C64) [Oscilloscope View] - Davis hipped me to this Commodore 64 game soundtrack that is bonkers good. The video isn't standard Friday Video material but maybe you'll enjoy some incredible songs from 1988.
- Raccoon Pool Party - this delightful tweet led me down a very rewarding YouTube rabbit hole.
- Fifth Element Talent Show - I mean, what could be more appropriate before heading to Dragon Con?
- The Forbidden Music - this meme is taking over my Reddit's and this is absolutely the best version of it. Accept no substitutes.
posted August 28, 2019 #
@yewknee glad to keep the blog on life support. it's truly some of my best RSS content any given week and every time friday videos shows up in my feed i get a little happier.
posted August 23, 2019 #
I don't care much for the ax thowing craze going on right now but see
Gritty crush it really brought me back around to a refreshed enjoyment of All Things Gritty. Please let there never be a scandal with him.
Busy week! Busy past FEW weeks actually. Overwhelming you might say. But who's to blame but myself? Enjoy some distractions.
- Empire State of Mind - Lizzo has been on YouTube since at least 2010 and published this video where she crushes a flute solo to accompany "Empire State of Mind" - I doubt there's anything else you need to see this week.
- Bleary "Bug" - I quite enjoy this band and have been quite enjoying this ongoing series of studio sessions. Give it a listen.
- Love After Lockup: Unlocked - I don't watch much trash tv but when I do, it's Love After Lockup, Life After Lockup or 90-Day Fiance. Okay, so maybe I watch a good amount of it. BUT, regardless, WeTV started a recap show where Jamie Bradley is one of the hosts; and it's written by Ashley Spurgeon. So, as far as I'm concerned, this is a Hott Minute product.
- 3rd Times the Charm - I have been this person.
- Super Cat Bros Ultimate - stupid, loved it.
- The Great Mattress Migration of 2019 - it's that special time of year when all the mattresses make their way to a new home for the Fall and Winter.
- Beach Umbrellas - which of course reminds me of this gem, which I can never watch too many times.
posted August 16, 2019 #
It crept up on me but the past few weeks have been an absolute onslaught of work and random projects. I'm a bit overwhelmed to be completely honest so, if you're waiting on an email from me - please be patient.
Despite that, I must find breaks for sanity. Here's a sanity break for you:
posted August 9, 2019 #
Yes, another Garth Brooks GIF as our cover image. Are the videos below related to the above Shruggie? Only one way to find out.
- Thought Diaries "Enjoying Stuff" - Adult Swim often does small little short films but they generally lean into the "wow, that was weird" category. This one is shockingly optimistic. via Davis.
- Purple Mountains - Darkness and Cold - David Berman passed away this week. He wasn't an artist that I had much of a connection with but he clearly meant a lot to a lot of people. Sad to see someone go so early. I take it as a signal to dive a bit deeper into his back catalog of Silver Jews work. This song / video are fun, albeit clearly melancholy.
- Green Shirt Guy - During a bit of a ruckus at a Tucson City Council Meeting (voting on becoming a Sanctuary City, which some residents, apparently, didn't care for) this man in a Green Shirt is highly entertained. He is a silver lining of goodness in these dark times. Seriously.
- You've Been Struck By - ahhh, stupidity.
- Next Level Cinematography - I understand that this is an ad so I take bits of it with a grain of salt but it's undeniably cool.
- Jonathan Frakes Interrogates You - really buring the lede here. These supercuts continue to be among my favorite things.
posted August 2, 2019 #
Y'all, my Chris Gaines obsession is hitting critical mass. I bought a radio promo CD off discogs recently because it
might contain a little known dub remix of one of the first Gaines singles. I don't really even care that much about the music but I'm continuously fascinated by the world surrounding it. I'm going to stick with this and see where it leads.
In the meantime,
enjoy these GIFs I made or
find them on Giphy. I'm really contributing!
On to the distractions.
posted July 26, 2019 #
Announced a new addition to the yk Records roster today - go check out
The Medium. More importantly, watch their creepy video for "Good ol' Days" and then, maybe, pre-order their
new record. Thanks!
Up next... distractions!
posted July 19, 2019 #
Slow week on the ole yewknee blog. Been neck deep in work projects and other things! Like,
releasing podcasts,
dropping hints, helping get
new things out into the world. This all plays in to my constant contemplation about the role of blogs. Ideas are still forming around this but if you have thoughts on blogs, please
get at me.. that is, assuming you see this here on the blog.
Anyway, here's some funs.
- Where Are All The Bob Ross Paintings? - great mini-doc piece from the NYT investigating where the thousands of Bob Ross paintings went and why you can't buy them. Good to see Aaron Byrd pop up in there.
- CATS trailer - I was fortunate enough to see CATS on Broadway and, lemme tell ya, this is the correct way to make a movie of it. Absolutely insane mixed with unbelievably self-serious.
- Watching the CATS trailer - how you should feel
- A Spacesuit Ballet - this week was the 50th anniversary of the Moon Landing. Doing some research on the original space suits reveals that many companies bid on the job and came up with some pretty amazing designs. This ridiculous video compiles many of them.
- We Fixed the Worst VFX Shot Of All Time - these pieces from Corridor Crew have been popping up in my YouTube feed a lot lately and I'm bizarrely into them. They spend some time here re-working the infamously awful CG shot of The Rock as The Scorpion King.
- Bump It - I hate that I laughed.
- The World's Worst Translator - I didn't think I'd like seeing Arturo Castro as anyone except Jaimé on Broad City but his show on Comedy Central has been consistently entertaining.
- Bern Your Omission works every time.
If you didn't hear it, try out this
Endurance Challenge. Let the auto-play roll after it's over, pretty nice rewards for making it through.
