Taking Back Sundays – 11.20.16

1. Jimmy Eat World – The Middle
2. Manchester Orchestra – Shake It Out
3. Blink 182 – She’s Out Of Her Mind
4. Weezer – El Scorcho
5. Saves The Day – At Your Funeral
6. SR-71 – Right Now
7. Sunny Day Real Estate – In Circles
8. American Hi-Fi – Flavor Of The Week
9. Thrice – Deadbolt
10. New Found Glory – Hit Or Miss
11. The All-American Rejects – Dirty Little Secret
12. Dashboard Confessional – Hands Down
13. Fall Out Boy – Sugar, We’re Going Down
14. My Chemical Romance – I’m Not Okay (I Promise)
15. Against Me – Thrash Unreal

Twenty One Pilots: In Honor Of The AMAs, 10 Of Their Cover Tunes

Twenty One Pilots are performing and up for some awards at tonight’s American Music Awards.  (7PM on ABC7Chicago, by the way.)

Speaking of performing, the band is known for their cover song prowess.  For instance, check out their take on Oasis’ “Wonderwall.”  A little bit better than everyone else in the world who has covered this song.

Billboard details what they believe to be the band’s Top Ten cover tunes.  Videos for all of them (everything from Van Morrison to Tears For Fears to Daft Punk) are available to check out.

Football Bumming You Out? This Trick Basketball Shot Is The Cure

 

Umm…damn.  And apparently, that was only the third attempt.

An Australian stunt crew has been battling it out with some guys from Oklahoma for the longest trick basketball shot. They just reclaimed the (unofficial) World Record for this amazing shot…591 feet up, on top of a dam.

So, to recap:  dam…and damn.

The full story and video here. (The Daily Mail)

VIDEO: Alec Baldwin is back as Trump on ‘SNL’

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Another home run sketch from last night’s ‘Saturday Night Live’ saw showbiz treasure Alec Baldwin reprise his wonderful role as President-elect Donald Trump. Kate McKinnon complimented the HUGE sketch, which also saw SNL alum Jason Sudeikis make a brief cameo as 2012 Presidential candidate Mitt Romney. This week’s episode hosted by Kristen Wig is already getting some solid reviews, here is a full recap with videos from EW. 

In the ramp up to the Election, there was a lot of spoofing the Donald with Baldwin’s big time impression getting the most buzz but a really underrated performance by comedian Tony Atamanuik who release a faux comedy debate between Trump and fellow comic James Adomian’s Bernie Sanders in a special on Fusion. Watch below and see his ridiculous spot on @Midnight.

Comedian Jay Pharoah brings the comedy to American Music Awards

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Former ‘SNL’ cast member Jay Pharoah takes over hosting duties tonight at the American Music Awards 7pm C on ABC. The comedian will be joined by super model Gigi Hadid in being the master of ceremonies, but Pharoah is expected to deliver the laughter. He  is teasing what he has planned for tonight with Billboard, so we are sure to see one of his signature pop star impressions which should be interesting with some of those same stars in the same room.

“You might see a musician impression. You might see a couple more that you didn’t expect. I would think about the ones that you wouldn’t expect more than the ones that you would expect. If that makes any sense, I know it doesn’t, but it will.” said Pharoah in an interview previewing tonight’s AMAs. Read the whole chat here. 

More from the AMA’s 

Pharoah chatted with Brian & Lou earlier this year when he was in town headlining Zanies. And check out a little confusing video where the guys don’t know when Jay is not doing a character voice.

Beer Pong? More Like Bacteria Pong…

As it gets colder in the area, Chicagoans of various legal drinking ages will like be looking for ways to inbibe without venturing out.  Perhaps, a nostalgic match of beer pong amongst friends?

This word of caution, however:

Beer Pong Science

(Original Photo: Popular Science/Sara Chodosh)

Your beer pong cup is teaming with bacteria.  Yum.

Popular Science conducted an experiment to see how much yucky stuff existed before and after a game on various surfaces:  the ball, the table, the gross washing cup (!), among others.  Turns out while those surfaces tested fine, the beer cups themselves had the biggest change in bacteria.  Their working theory in the matter points to the people transferring the microbes via their hands and mouth.  You can read the entire study here.

Oh, and don’t think for one instance that the alcohol in your beer “sanitizes” things.  They also point out that while most beers are 5-10% ABV, an alcohol solution of 70% is needed to sanitize surfaces in laboratories.

Happy drinking!

Shazam: Always Listening On Your Mac

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So, you have to toggle Shazam’s microphone on/off with either the iOS or Android versions of the app.  And it should default to off.

However, if you have the music identification service installed on your Mac computer…it is ALWAYS.  LISTENING.  Allow that to sink in.  That’s some Big Brother-type stuff.

Now, Shazam says they aren’t recording or listening in on you…but still.  Creepy, right?  I don’t know about you, but I checked all my microphone settings on all my phone apps just to be aware of who exactly can put their ear on what I do.  Not like its really interesting or anything.  What you do with the Mac version of the program is up to you.

Find out how a former NSA operative found out about this (from Consumerist).  And in the future, just text “SONGS” to 312101 if you want to know what we are playing.

VIDEO: Orchrestra kills it with Rage Against the Machine cover

 

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The guitar-crunching grooving moving monster that is Rage Against the Machine would never strike anyone as have anything to do with classical violin string sections, horn sections, and the grandiose nature of an orchrestra but Metamorphestra, an musical group that previously posted unique takes on music by Tool and System of a Down have proven any doubt wrong this week with a rousing cover of ‘Bulls of Parade’. You can see more on this Youtube channel

RATM may not be active at the moment, but Prophets of Rage the super group of Rage members Tom Morello, Tim Comerford, and Brad Wilk playing with duel front men Chuck D of Public Enemy and B-Real of Cypress Hill. Watch them here.   Tom Morello also popped up at Lollapalooza earlier this year in his hometown Chicago, to do a kick-ass performance with X-Ambassasdors.