Category: Videos

Die Schnabelperchten

12 drummers drumming won’t stop them.

With a gentle “Ga Ga Ga”, they make their way from house to house, checking that homes have had the appropriate upkeep, whether the floor has been properly swept and every corner has been dusted. Heaven forbid you don’t clean your house correctly – the ancient version of the legend says that, if that’s the case, the Schnabelperchten will slice open your stomach with a long pair of shears and empty all of the rubbish inside!

Let it be said, however, that the Schnabelperchten are generally welcome guests – especially since they bring happiness and blessings for the coming year.

Schnabelperchten (more than one beaked Perchta) roam around the Alpine region of Austria in midwinter, appearing on or before the eve of the Twelfth Night, the last of the “Twelve Days” of Christmas, the “Haunted Season.”

[h/t Mme. Jujujive. Top image and caption found here. More Perchta lore here and here.]

Update: Just spotted this, and I wasn’t even looking for it.

Saturday Matinee – Boston Dynamics, The Contours, RT n’ The 44s, Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys & Roomful of Blues

Our whole crew got together to celebrate the start of what we hope will be a happier year: Happy New Year from all of us at Boston Dynamics. http://www.BostonDynamics.com.

Over 18M views and 97K comments since 29 December, and you’ve probably seen it already. I wonder what The Contours think of it.

The Contours‘ chart-topping 1962 hit Do You Love Me became a major hit again in 1988. I bet it scores a third time.

RT n’ the 44s has a laid back retro vibe with a large dollop of Johnny Cash. They’ve been described as “a vintage country band with dark obsessions.”

Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys have been jammin’ it since 1988, and here’s their cover of Colin James‘ Jumpin’ From Six to Six.

One of the best big brass blues bands in the land is Roomful of Blues. More than 50 musicians have played in the band since its inception in 1967, and I’m not sure of this 2013 lineup.

Have a great weekend, folks, because there’s more on the way. See you tomorrow.

Pendulum Wave – Complete Cycle

Simple Pendulum wave animation. You can see the wave go from travelling waves, to standing waves, to a (briefly) beating pulse, and then chaotic motion, and back to travelling. Perhaps its just me, but this is clearer on the real thing.

“This animation may be subject to floating-point errors.”

But it’s beautiful. | credit to Jeff Irwin

[Found here.]

The Fuzzy Wonder Goat… & More!

The DeMoulin Bros. Co. supplied hazing equipment for fraternal organization initiations in the early 1900s. Some of the gaffes were truly bizarre.

Apparently the company is out of the fraternity prank business and has moved onto other products: scary marching band uniforms.

[Top image from here; tiled images from .pdf found here; more info here.]

Bonus: Here’s a restored “Fuzzy Wonder” (and a “Spanker”).

Saturday Matinee – Floorboarding, The Paul Whiteman Orchestra, The Jubalaires & A Burberry Ad

Great animation followed by “the making of” [via].

Paul Whiteman was known as the King of Jazz, and no one as yet has come near carrying that title with more certainty and dignity. – Duke Ellington

Remastered footage from the 1930 movie King of Jazz (filmed entirely in two-color Technicolor) featured the Paul Whiteman Orchestra performing Happy Feet. Some amazing dance moves in that clip.

The Jubalaires – Orville Brooks, Ted Brooks, J.C. Ginyard & George McFadden – were a gospel group who recorded in the 40’s & 50’s. This version of Noah has a unnecessary modification towards the end, but it sorta works.

Singin’ in the Rain is one of the better ads I’ve seen, and I’m still not sure what they’re selling. [via].

I guess that’s eclectic enough for this edition. Have a great holiday weekend, see you tomorrow for the the post-Christmas sales.

Saturday Matinee – Santa’s Roundeer, Greenies Snowman, The Rocker Covers, The Tractors, Postmodern Jukebox & Sleepy Man

Santa’s Roundeer (Rollin’ Wild).

Pure Calvin. [h/t Corrine L.]

Straight outta Gloucestershire, The Rocker Covers covered Carey in Bath, England.

The Tractors‘ Santa Claus is Comin’ (in a Boogie Woogie Choo-Choo Train) has a nasty intro, but keep with it because it rocks and the vid is cool.

Early Postmodern Jukebox:
Scott Bradlee on keyboard, Ben Golder-Novick on saxoblaster.
[Previously posted here in 2013.]

Sleepy Man, formerly Sleepy Man Banjo Boys, aka the Mizzone brothers, polish up this overwrought standard.

That’ll do for now. Have a great weekend, folks and we’ll be back tomorrow for all your last-minute Christmas browsing needs.

The Iceman Goeth

Paradox of Praxis 1 (Sometimes Making Something Leads to Nothing). Francis Alys. 1997.

[Found in here. Video here.]

Saturday Matinee – Christmas Songs from the Bands of the USN, USA, USAF, USCG & USSF

United States Navy Band featuring
Senior Chief Petty Officer Keith Arneson, banjo
Petty Officer 1st Class Joe Friedman, guitar

This bluegrass medley by the United States Army Band featured
SFC Dean G. Woods, vocals, guitar
SFC Marlisa D. Woods, vocals, fiddle
MSG Michael J. Ford, vocals, harmonica
SFC Kristopher C. Armstrong, string bass
CW5 (ret.) Charles Vollherbst, banjo

The United States Air Force Band jazzed it up a bit. None of that hillbilly crap for them (even though they’re all rednecks).

The United States Coast Guard Band played one of my favorites. Kinda.

The United States Marine Band did a good job with this one.

The United States Space Force Band is still in it’s infancy, but this works as a placeholder.

Have a great weekend, see you back here tomorrow if I’m not at the mall.

Saturday Matinee – Gillian Hills, Delbert McClinton, The J. Geils Band & Bobby Womack

“‘Tut Tut Tut Tut’ is indeed the Franco-phonetic way of imitating a busy signal. In the course of this two minute song, Hills huffs 7 TUTs in a row, four different times for a total of 28 TUTS. Then she adds another 15 or 20 during the fade. Who doesn’t love her TUTS?”

The song is featured in the 2020 TV miniseries “Queen’s Gambit” starring Anya Taylor-Joy, but Gillian Hills recorded “Tut Tut Tut Tut” in 1960, featured in the movie Beat Girl. An English version, Busy Signal was recorded by The Lollipops in 1965.

[Update – Corrected factual error. That is Gillian Hills in the video.]

“McClinton sounds EXACTLY like Peter Wolf!” – video comment

Delbert McClinton is the sound of Texas soul, and has the credentials, backing the likes of Sonny Boy Williamson II, Howlin’ Wolf, Lightnin’ Hopkins, and Jimmy Reed. Eventually he had a national hit, playing harmonica on Bruce Channel‘s “Hey! Baby” in 1962.

“Wolf sounds EXACTLY like Delbert McClinton!” – video comment

The J. Geils Band on The Old Grey Whistle Test 1973 (before all that garbage they put out in the 80s). They also covered this song:

Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2009, Bobby Womack was slowing down by the time of this 2013 performance, and he passed away the following year at age 70. He first recorded “Lookin’ For A Love” with his brothers as The Valentinos.

Guess that’ll do it for now. Have a great weekend while you can, see you back here for dessert.

Saturday Matinee – Andre Antunes, The Cleverlys, Ricky Skaggs & The Whiskey Gentry

Hold onto your earflaps people. Andre Antunes has a hit on his plate, and he included the lyrics so everyone can sing along.

The Cleverlys Who’s That Knockin’ At My Door is pure gospel bluegrass. Awesome happens at 02:30 with Irl Hees on bass. He’s no longer with the band.

In November 2019, Mr. Hees was charged with felony domestic battery in the second degree and felony aggravated assault of a household member.

“Hees said the argument was over his communication with an ex-wife. He said at some point during the argument, Heather DuBroc walked into the kitchen, picked a pistol up off the kitchen table, and pointed the weapon at him.” [Source]

Ricky Skaggs is one of the greatest mandolin players to come out of the 1980s bluegrass revival, and Highway 40 Blues is one of my favorite early morning roadtrip songs. Skaggs continues performing at the Grand Ole Opry.

Another of my favorites is the ballad of Colly Davis, written by Steven F. Brines and Jim Smoak. I’ve heard a few versions, but this one by The Whiskey Gentry blew me away.

That should keep you rollin’ a while. Have a great weekend folks, and do whatever seems righteous. See you back here tomorrow for more things to click on.