Liner Note #32 (WeSeWriMo #2)

Okay, ctan here. All right, as of today, the month of August comes to an end, and with it Web Serial Writing Month. You’ll be happy to know we’ll have one more story post tomorrow, though, to wrap up the 3x a week thing we promised, just to be on the safe side.

We also promised two liner notes in the month, and here’s the second and final one of those. Daron, take it away.

Daron: What, I’m starting?

ctan: Is there a reason not to?

Daron: You start. I’m not ready.

ctan: All right. But the first thing I wanted to share with the group was a simple link. Have you ever wondered how many songs there are about Los Angeles? Including Hollywood of course. Well, Wikipedia has a list of them: Songs about Los Angeles.

Daron: That is a lot of songs. Too many for me to count.

ctan: And yet it’s probably only a fraction of the list of movies set in Hollywood.

Daron: Or merely filmed there. Hey so, I have a movie I want to see. I haven’t seen it yet, but I saw the trailer, and here it is. For a documentary on backing singers: Twenty Feet From Stardom:

ctan: Ooh, you’re right. We need to see that. I have a music business documentary to share, too. This one I stumbled across while researching settings. And discovered Dave Grohl made a documentary about the studio where Nirvana recorded Nevermind, the legendary Sound City. I ended up buying the entire movie off iTunes after watching this trailer:

Daron: Cool.

ctan: The Sound City movie Youtube channel/website also has a ton of clips asking musicians in the film what their first musical memory is. Tom Petty’s is hilarious.

Daron: I have to go see that. Okay, now I have something that is especially for you, because of your whole “demented librarian thing.”

ctan: (For those not in the know, I describe my public persona as “demented librarian.” Hence the bun, glasses, and cardigan.)

Daron: It’s the only time you and I don’t dress alike.

ctan: It’s my only “femme” persona, really. Now that I think about it, she’s straight from the Adam Ant “Goody Two Shoes” video. But what’s this you have for Ms. Demented Librarian?

Daron: Okay, first of all, you are already familiar with the Beastie Boys “Sabotage” video, which was a knockoff of 1970s cop movies?

ctan: Yeah.

Daron: Here it is again, re-enacted by some badass Chicago public school librarians.

M&D 2013 Sabotage from Mike and Duane Show on Vimeo.

ctan: Oh, man, school librarians are the toughest! Okay, I have something for you and your love of songbird female vocalists. Here’s comedienne Christina Bianco doing a very special “Diva” rendition of Total Eclipse of the Heart:

Daron: Clearly I have to counter with this:

ctan: OMG, anyone who hasn’t seen the “LIteral Videos” can spend a lot of time on them. The other one I thought was really excellent was A-Ha, Take On Me. Um, did I put that in a liner note two years ago?

Daron: I don’t remember. Here, have it again in case you missed it:

ctan: All right, let’s play sound-alike. I’ve been hearing this track from the Foo Fighters, “Times like These,” a lot lately, and I can’ t put my finger on what it reminds me most of. What song am I thinking of?

Daron: Hmmm. It’s not quite School of Fish, Three Strange Days, although it has some resemblance…

ctan: Wait! I think I have it, how about The Cult, “Wild Flower”?

Daron: Hm, it could also kind of be one of the other hits from The Cult. I can’t quite put my finger on it either. Maybe someone will comment with what we’re clearly missing.

ctan: Okay, so, to wrap up, you want to talk about the Jersey Shore?

Daron: Maybe. So. We’re posting this from Seaside Park, which is the little town next to Seaside Heights. Seaside Heights is where MTV’s Beach House used to be back when, and where the show Jersey Shore takes place now. Last night we walked the entire length of the boardwalk, including past the store where Snooki and them work.

ctan: I hear from the neighbors around here that Ortley Beach is still pretty messed up. And Mantaloking is never going to be the same.

Daron: Mantaloking won’t be the same because it was all giant rich people’s houses that were wiped away, and those folks are going to put their money elsewhere now.

ctan: Well, to hear the locals here tell it, it’s that Mantaloking didn’t have dunes. They wanted a nice clear view of the water from their expensive beach mansions. Over here, they’ve got nice five or six foot dunes and a $1,000 fine if you walk on them. And so most of this was protected.

Daron: It’s still kind of jarring to see the Funtown Pier mostly gone, and the drop tower ride still standing but no boardwalk around it.

ctan: On the other hand, the Casino Pier is pretty much back in operation. It’s a bit weird how the other carousel pier though, has been truncated. The carousel is still there, but, sadly, the entire wing of that building where the 1980s vintage arcade, is gone. Fell into the water, I guess.

Daron: Oh man. That was the arcade that had all the classic cabinet games still running. Asteroids, Pac Man, Tempest.

ctan: And a working Star Wars machine with the hydraulics in it. Sad. Honestly, pretty much everything else has bounced back. All the Kohr’s Frozen Custard Stands. The Coin Castle, Lucky Leo’s, Park Seafood, Jimbo’s…

Daron: You remember how you said the Shore basically never changes?

ctan: Yeah.

Daron: It’s still true. Well, okay, I saw one thing new tonight I never saw before. Someone busking, with her guitar case open and her CDs for sale, on a bench on the boardwalk just on the Seaside Park line. I gave her the two quarters I didn’t use in Skee Ball. Corporate America hasn’t taken over this place yet, and it sure looks like it’s not about to.

ctan: Well, we always said the reason they never would is because one big storm could wipe out the whole island.

Daron: Still true.

ctan: It’s amazing how many family businesses are still here, too. The Park Bakery, the White Oak Market, B&B Department Store.

Daron: Okay, I know you love vacationing here. But personally, it’s still New Jersey, and I’m ready to get out.

ctan: It’s all right, dear, we’re leaving in the morning. By the time people read this, we’ll be on the train to New York City.

Daron: Great.

ctan: But let me ask you something. Which do you hate more, New Jersey, or Los Angeles?

Daron: Los Angeles.

ctan: Are you sure? You answered that without even thinking about it.

Daron: That’s how I know it’s the right answer.

ctan: All right then! Thanks, folks, for being here all month for WeSeWriMo. In September we go back to our usual twice a week posting schedule, with a third post triggered in any week where donations top $50. Volume 5 of the ebooks will be coming soon, and I’ll post other news as usual when I have it.