Tag Archives: videos

Saturday video break: Groove Me

Posted on July 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

One of the great cover bands of our time, the Blues Brothers: It’s been over 33 years since John Belushi died. Every now and then I wonder what kind of career he would have had if he had managed to … Continue reading →

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What happened to Sandra Bland?

Posted on July 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This is horrible. There are big questions about the final hours of Sandra Bland’s life. The official story is that the 28-year old committed suicide by hanging herself in a Waller County jail cell. Her family doesn’t buy it. Bland, … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Hand In Hand

Posted on July 11, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

A couple of underrated songs by iconic 80s acts. First up, Dire Straits: Man, Making Movies is an awesome album. Not a bad song on it, and it starts out with three classics, then keeps it going with this tune. … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: A real live nephew of my Uncle Sam

Posted on July 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Taking a break from cover songs for a good, patriotic reason today: I’d love to see a modern take on that. Imagine Jay-Z interpreting and re-choreographing Jimmy Cagney’s song and dance above. Or Bruno Mars, or Justin Timberlake, or maybe … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: The Rainbow Connection

Posted on June 27, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Going out of order, inspired by a Facebook post by my friend Andy, here’s a classic song with a particular resonance for this week: From the original “Muppet Movie” of 1979, which I need to find on DVD and make … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: The Great Gig In The Sky

Posted on June 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

That Pink Floyd song from Dark Side of the Moon whose name you can never remember: That wasn’t the first video I watched for this. I looked at this one first, by The Australia Pink Floyd Show. It was so … Continue reading →

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“Roguish behavior”

Posted on June 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Saint Louis Cardinals admit they hacked the Astros’ proprietary database. Thursday’s tacit admission by St. Louis Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt Jr. that someone in his organization was involved in hacking the Astros continued a saga that holds the potential … Continue reading →

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Abbott signs pollution enhancement bill

Posted on June 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Still sucks to be us, Harris County. Gov. Greg Abbott has signed legislation that could make it tougher for local governments to sue big-time polluters – an effort that largely targets Harris County prosecutors. House Bill 1794, set to become … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Gotta Serve Somebody

Posted on June 13, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

One of the gospel songs of Bob Dylan: Couldn’t find a decent live version of that, sorry. Anyway, because this is a Dylan song there are covers aplenty. The one I have is by blues diva Etta James: I’m convinced. … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Got My Mojo Working

Posted on June 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s one of the great voices of American blues, Muddy Waters: As our subtitled narrator notes, Muddy Waters was a huge influence of many other blues artists, as well as on rock musicians. ZZ Top is a prime example of … Continue reading →

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Memorial Day video break: No Forgotten Man

Posted on May 25, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This great song by Solas seems appropriate for today: Have a happy and safe Memorial Day, everyone.

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Once again, drowning doesn’t look like drowning

Posted on May 25, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Time again for this public service announcement: The new captain jumped from the deck, fully dressed, and sprinted through the water. A former lifeguard, he kept his eyes on his victim as he headed straight for the couple swimming between … Continue reading →

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Ireland votes to approve same sex marriage

Posted on May 24, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

As the old song goes, when Irish eyes are smiling, all the world seems bright and gay. Irish voters have resoundingly backed amending the constitution to legalize gay marriage, leaders on both sides of the Irish referendum declared Saturday after … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Good Enough

Posted on May 23, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s Cyndi Lauper with a song from an iconic 80s movie: I suppose technically that’s called “The Goonies R Good Enough”, but it’s in my library simply as “Good Enough”, and that’s good enough for me. Here’s Sarah McLachlin with … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Gold

Posted on May 16, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

One from the kids, by Britt Nicole: Chad Orzel recently wrote about how having a six-year-old means he’s fairly up to speed on pop music today. I’m not quite as familiar with the Top 40 list he presented, but I … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: God Only Knows

Posted on May 9, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

An all-time classic from an iconic band: Remember when James Watt, Ronald Reagan’s idiot Secretary of the Interior, denied the Beach Boys a permit to play a Fourth of July concert on the Washington Mall? He’d never even heard of … Continue reading →

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Rangers to investigate Stickland

Posted on May 9, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s starting to get real. The Texas Rangers will investigate allegations that witnesses were improperly registered to testify last week on a bill banning red light cameras at a House Transportation Committee hearing. The House General Investigating and Ethics Committee … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: God Bless The Child

Posted on May 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Possibly Billie Holliday’s best-known song: Yeah, that song has no relevance to today’s society at all. Billie Holliday would have been 100 years old in April. Coverville had a nice tribute to her last week. “God Bless the Child” was … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Girls Just Want To Have Fun

Posted on April 25, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

In a world where music videos had plot lines, there was Cyndi Lauper’s 80s classic: Lauper went on to do several remakes and remixes of this song, which stands up pretty well 30 years later. While this is absolutely Lauper’s … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Gloria

Posted on April 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Settle in, kids, this is going to be a long one. We start with the original version of this classic, performed by Them, a “Northern Irih rock band featuring Van Morrison”, who are not to be confused with Them!, a … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: Parenthetically speaking, part 11

Posted on April 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

More great parentheticals coming right at you. 1. Remember (Walking In The Sand) – Aerosmith 2. Right Next Door (Because Of Me) – Robert Cray 3. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) – Bruce Springsteen 4. S.I.M.P. (Squirrels In My Pants) – … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Girl From Ipanema

Posted on April 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Easily the most famous bossa nova song ever, and possibly the most recognizable saxophone melody, here’s Stan Getz with Joao Gilberto and Astrud Gilberto doing their signature hit, “Girl From Ipanema”: I remember reading a “Peanuts” cartoon from a paperback … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Georgia On My Mind

Posted on March 28, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Legendary big band drummer Gene Krupa leads his troupe and an unnamed female vocalist in this classic: Of course, the version we all know is by Ray Charles: Some years ago I was visiting a school friend in Atlanta, and … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Friend Of The Devil

Posted on March 21, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

A vintage clip of a classic Grateful Dead song: That video is about three times as long as the studio version of the song, but hey, the Dead were a jam band. Anything less wouldn’t feel right. It’s also interesting … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: For You

Posted on March 14, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Some old school Springsteen, done acoustically by a more current version of The Boss: That’s from his debut album, Greetings From Asbury Park, New Jersey!. Did you know that three songs (that I know of and heard at least once … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Flashdance

Posted on March 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Tear up your sweatshirt and put on your leggings, it’s time to go back to the 80s with Irene Cara: You know my motto: There’s no cheesy 80s hit song that Big Daddy can’t take to completely unexpected places: Someone … Continue reading →

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Ezra Charles

Posted on March 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Great story about a local music legend. The Ezra Charles Band was playing tighter than ever in its decades-spanning history when its leader decided to pull the plug. Charles – a remarkable pianist from Beaumont – received a lifetime achievement … Continue reading →

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Republicans demand something for nothing on Medicaid

Posted on March 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Um, okay. Leading Texas Republicans on Monday asked the Obama administration for greater flexibility to administer Medicaid — a move that has gotten little traction in the past — while reiterating that they would not participate in an expansion of … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

Posted on February 28, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

You all know the Roberta Flack version: If you’re old enough to remember that song, you’re probably old enough to remember a TV ad or two selling a compilation of mellow hit songs that included this. (You may also remember … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Fire and Rain

Posted on February 21, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a James Taylor classic: But have you ever said to yourself “You know, I’d like to hear that song with a bluesier voice and a horn section backing it”? Well, then Blood, Sweat & Tears is here for you: … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Fire

Posted on February 14, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

A young Bruce Springsteen does an acoustic version of one of his classics: There’s a reason they call him the Boss. But for all his many virtues, I don’t think anyone has ever called Springsteen funky. For that, we have … Continue reading →

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Oklahoma, where the same-sex weddings come sweeping down the plain

Posted on February 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

One of the most commonly made arguments for expanded gambling in Texas is that as long as we don’t have casinos, Texans will travel to neighboring states to spend their gambling dollars there. Well, that same argument can be made … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Eye Of The Tiger

Posted on February 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s Survivor. Feel the awesomeness. You can’t top that – you can’t even come close to equaling it. There’s a reason Dave Bickler, the lead singer, went on to do those Real Men of Genius ads. The best you can … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Existential Blues

Posted on January 31, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I’m sure I have a few Dr. Demento fans in my reading audience. As such, I’m sure you’re familiar with Tom “T-Bone” Stankus and his stream of consciousness masterpiece: There are some better videos that show Stankus singing, with some … Continue reading →

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