|
1/17/02 Somebody needs to remind me who it was that wrote that it was a shame that people think Alicia Keys is all that just because she can really play the piano and can really sing. Which is not to say her stuff sucks, because it doesn't, but she did get major props because of her appearance on the Video Music Awards last year (myself included) because she was really singing and no one else was, (except for J.Lo and I think we all know how that went.) And maybe her music is just ok. Maybe her music is only just a little bit better than all the stuff that sucks, but she's the only one who can back her shit up. Maybe if all those Britney types would stop dancing around and catch their breath they could sing, too. (Probably not.) Maybe Alicia's just smarter than the rest of 'em, maybe she's all: "Girl, I ain't sweating and having my tits move all around on basic cable. You want to see me do that, you have to pay me a little bit more." Maybe. Anyway, I just saw this video on MTV2 from someone named Vanessa Carlton. She looks like Michelle Branch. I am ashamed to admit I know who Michelle Branch is. Michelle Branch is someone who can really play the guitar and had some cute indie boy in her video from last summer/fall, and I swear, that's what I was looking at the entire time. Not her. Maybe the guy and her guitar. And now we have Vanessa Carlton, who can really play the piano like Alicia, (except she's white, which makes her less interesting.) In fact, her entire video is comprised of her flying around town on a (presumably; at least I like to think it is) magic piano, singing, batting her doe eyes, and really playing the piano. There are a bunch of shots of her hands playing. I mean, you can't miss it. I think she's wearing bright red nail polish. They want you to know. This girl can play. Really. For real. No matter that the song is average, real piano playing gets you prime time rotation on MTV2. In case you were wondering what it takes to get an only ok song on MTV2 at 8:30 PM on a Thursday night. I should get out more. The other thing I'm thinking about, which I acknowledge is totally unrelated, is that there is a war going on between the internet cafe and the deli a half a block away from my apartment. As we all know, I am always obsessed with deli life (Deli Life. I like that. Wouldn't that be a great name for my first novel or collection of short stories?), and, really, the life surrounding any small store in New York. (Microcosm of city life, etc. You get it.) So of course I noticed the sign in front of the little deli which read something along the lines of, "Remember when coffee was just 50 cents? It still is! Come inside!" Ooh, I thought when I read that. Burn! See, the internet cafe is totally overpriced and charges two bucks for a medium coffee. Once I went in there to get my morning coffee and I was a little annoyed when the counter guy rang me up. It's the same coffee as in the deli, but just a fancier cup. We all know these fancy coffee places overcharge, for sure, but I've never seen the little guy fight back so fiercely. Of course, I go to the deli now to get my coffee (when I decide to have coffee in the morning, which is not always), and today I noticed some sort of cease and desist order posted behind the register. Yes, that's right, the internet cafe people are trying to get the deli people to pull down the sign because they feel it is directed at them, which it is, but so what? Those internet cafe people are losers, I've decided. I've also decided to surreptitiously interview both the internet cafe people and the deli people and get their side of the story. This, I think, is fascinating, and I will report back. (Anyone with a digital camera want to come with me on my investigation?) As I said, I really need to get out more.
|