Thursday, March 29, 2012

Elise Testone does "Whole Lotta Love" on American Idol



Talk about coming from out of nowhere – Wednesday night American Idol contestant Elise Testone went from being kind of interesting to blow-me-away great. One of my favorite all-time Idol moments.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

'Free' - Haley Reinhart debut single


The best singer on last year's American Idol is out with her first single, "Free," and it's a tasty little treat. Even tastier is this live performance of the tune accompanied only by a pianist. Good stuff!

Monday, March 26, 2012

Announcement

Doing some spring cleaning and assessment, and I have come to the conclusion that the Myke Phoenix emagazine has not been successful enough to continue for the time being. Therefore the release of Myke #4 is postponed indefinitely.

The good news is that lessons learned in developing this project can be applied to my various other projects. And I am too fond of Paul Phillips, Dana Dunsmore, Hi Dawson and their host of evil adversaries to let them sit in limbo forever.

You can speed the day toward their return – or catch up on what you've been missing – by taking a look at Myke #1, Myke #2 and Myke #3 or even Myke Phoenix Quarterly #1, and then sharing your enthusiasm with the world.

As for my other projects, they include the Uncle Warren's Attic podcast, a growing stable of ebooks and a slew of paperbacks that are worth reading.

Thanks for checking out Myke Phoenix over the years, and please know this is just a detour, not the end of the road.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Uncle Warren's Attic #72

I know what it's like when you have to wait for another edition of Uncle Warren's Attic - and wait - and wait - and wait. That's why I committed to putting out a show every Sunday - and here is the 72nd episode and seventh in a row. Yes, Uncle Warren is really back to stay, kids. Deal with it! Or better yet, subscribe! subscribe! subscribe NOW, you fool!

Click on the pod icon or right here to listen to/download Uncle Warren's Attic #72.

What you'll hear this go-round is built around the March 2, 1944, broadcast of the Academy Awards, with a few appropriate clips from a certain film that was up for an Oscar that year. You must remember this ...

Also:
"Barney Google" - Jones and Hare
Poetry Corner
"16 Old Ladies Locked in the Lavatory" - Herbi Hardt and his Jovial Jesters

What more could you possibly want?

Click on the pod icon or right here to listen to/download Uncle Warren's Attic #72.

And again, subscribe now. If you don't subscribe now, you'll regret it, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Uncle Warren's Attic #71

Music with a food theme, and the debut of a couple new features: This Terrifying Report and Poetry Corner, are among the highlights of our weekly tour of cyberspace together.

Click here to listen to/download Uncle Warren's Attic #71.

Some of what you will hear, most of it spun at 78 rpm on my vintage, lovingly preserved Dual turntable:

* * This Terrifying Report (Remember, Refuse to be Afraid!) * * 
"Sweet Potato Piper" - Bing Crosby and John Trotter's Pan-Fried Five
"Pumpernickel" - Doris Day with Frankie Yankovic and his Yanks
"Hotta Chocolotta" - The DeJohn Sisters
* * Poetry Corner - featuring my little computer friends * *
Malted Milk - Robert Johnson
A Stein Song/Glorious Beer - The Singing Waiters
Monahan's Mudder's Milk - Marc Gunn
Vintage ads for Anacin, Coca-Cola and Schlitz

And because I knew Poetry Corner would leave you desperate for more, we close with the immortal opening credits from the Roger Corman classic A Bucket of Blood.

Click here to listen to/download Uncle Warren's Attic #71.

Are we having fun yet? Remember, if you subscribe you won't miss any of the thrills, chills, spills and other benefits of rummaging around in my Attic of eclectic delights.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Coming Sunday, news and food songs

All signs in this little corner of the universe are pointing toward an early spring. Temperatures are running more than 20 degrees above normal, which would make a case against climate change skepticism if we didn't remember the 16-inch snowstorm last April.

The warmer weather has heated the creative juices a bit, and this weekend's show features a couple of new things – a little newscast I'm informally calling This Terrifying Report, full of odd stories that would be scary if we didn't all Refuse to be Afraid, and also The Poetry Corner, kind of a robot beatnik hangout.

In between is the usual assortment of musical tonalities culled from my pile of 78s and downloaded from here and there. I must have been hungry when I chose this week's songs, because they're all about food this week.

All of this is to encourage you to start your week with a visit here on Sunday morning, or better yet – subscribe to the RSS feed so you don't miss a single episode!

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Myke Phoenix #3: The Strange Ultimatum of Quincy Quakenbos

 This just in from the Myke Phoenix blog: A new edition of my monthly superhero sensation.

An odd duck-man tests the limits of our mysterious superhero by holding Astor City hostage. Well, how else do you determine what the big guy can do? The latest edition of our free adventure e-magazine is now live! Read it below – read/download it on Issuu – or download a copy by clicking here

Two things to know: Watch for the cover of Myke Phoenix #3 to change from what you see as this edition is released on March 15, 2012. That’s all I’m sayin’ for now.

Also: April will bring something new. If you’ve followed the adventures of Myke Phoenix so far, you know that these first three issues have been essentially the same stories that appeared in the now out-of-print book The Adventures of Myke Phoenix. From now on, it gets more interesting.

Be around on the Ides of April for the first completely new Myke Phoenix story in, well, 20 years: “The Decline and Fall of Alan Pinkstaff.” If it doesn’t rock your proverbial socks off, well, then.

And remember you can purchase an authentic, collectible dead-tree edition of the first three stories in Myke Phoenix Quarterly #1, available for the ridiculously low price of $7.99 plus shipping at this address.

And now, sit back and enjoy "The Strange Ultimatum of Quincy Quakenbos":

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Uncle Warren's Attic #70: Sure and begorah

Here we are once again approaching March 17, which is always a treasure trove of nifty old music. And so the Emerald Isle takes over the Attic.

Click on the pod icon below or this link to download/listen to Uncle Warren's Attic #70.

The lineup:
"When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" - Allan Jones
"A Little Bit of Heaven" - Charles Harrison
"Sweet Rosie O'Grady" - Hildegarde with Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians
"Who Put the Overalls in Mrs. Murphy's Chowder?" - The Singing Waiters
"I'm Looking Over a Four-Leaf Clover" - The Harmonians (Irving Kaufman, vocal)
"Danny Boy" (Londonderry Air) - Glenn Miller and his Orchestra
"When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" - Riley Puckett
"Two Re Lour A Loura (An Irish Lullaby)" - Chauncey Olcott
"Mother Macree" - Charles Harrison

We also read from "The Lives of the Saints" and revisit a commercial music theme that will be familiar to listeners of a certain age.

Click on the pod icon or this link to download/listen to Uncle Warren's Attic #70. And remember you can always ask your computer nicely to do it automatically for you by subscribing.

Friday, March 09, 2012

Coming Sunday, a London Deriere

There are certain songs that are always fun to hear but are more likely to get dusted off at certain times of the year. As we approach March 17, this week's edition of Uncle Warren's Attic features songs that recall the Emerald Isle, shamrocks and shades of green.

If you're looking for something to get you in the mood before Sunday morning, here is a link to an appropriate and lovely Pandora playlist compiled by our friend Pint of Stout. The things you can find on Twitter these days ... speaking of which, have you "liked" Uncle Warren's Attic on Facebook yet?

Sunday, March 04, 2012

Uncle Warren's Attic #69


The 1912 presidential candidates state their case, including the incumbent's plea for an end to war ... we hear from one of the biggest singers of songs during World War I ... and we head to a galaxy far, far away that's on the brink of war. Kind of a thread going on there this week in Uncle Warren's Attic.

Yes, you'll hear the voices of President William Howard Taft, along with challengers Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, in recordings from 100 years ago. Then we'll shine the spotlight on Billy Murray, the biggest recording star of the early 20th century, as he sings "Over There," "I'd Feel at Home If They'd Let Me Join the Army" and the immortal "K-K-K-Katie" from the WW1 era.

What? What did you say?
Then, using the screenplay for Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace, we recreate some key scenes featuring Viceroy Nute Gunray, whose alien accent was so alien as to be unintelligible in the original film. I think I finally understand what was going on in those scenes!

Also included in this jam-packed episode are the legendary "How'd You Like to Spoon With Me" by Franklyn Wallace and vintage ads for Mountain Dew and Mr. Clean.

What are you waiting for? Click the pod icon or THIS LINK to download or listen to Uncle Warren's Attic #69!

Friday, March 02, 2012

The 69th episode arrives Sunday

Presidential politics as only a podcast devoted to really old stuff can portray it – that's this weekend's show. Listen for a debate among William Howard Taft, Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, who were running for president 100 years ago today.

I've also got some memorable World War I music, and my computer friends help me decipher the dialogue in Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace.

This particular episode is unusually well organized. Don't worry, I'll try not to make it a habit.

If you haven't yet subscribed to the Uncle Warren's Attic podcast, what's taking you?

And if you haven't yet heard that UWA is back, here's where to find

Number 66,


Number 67,


and Number 68.

Thursday, March 01, 2012

The music of possibilities

Myke Phoenix Quarterly #1

The adventures of Myke Phoenix are available every month absolutely free in electronic form – but some people just like the feel of paper in their hands. There's something about turning pages to see what happens next ...

For those who like their old-fashioned superhero adventures the old-fashioned way, Myke Phoenix Quarterly will collect these adventures three at a time – and released two weeks before the third e-magazine in the series. In this case, the timeless tale of "The Strange Ultimatum of Quincy Quakenbos" will be available only on paper until the ides of March.

Click here to buy your collectible Myke Phoenix Quarterly #1 for a mere $7.99 plus shipping.