THUNDER ROAD Our favorite entertaining bits of whatever
By James Gabrillo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Last updated 17:18:00 08/22/2008
MANILA, Philippines—1. 8-Bit Operators: The Music of Kraftwerk
Whether or not you’re a Kraftwerk fan, if you can read and comprehend the phrase “performed on vintage 8-bit video game systems” on the CD cover and still need us to tell you why it’s awesome, please go to your room and play the original Nintendo Contra for 12 straight hours without blinking. There’s hope for you yet, dear child.
2. No More Kings’ “Sweep the Leg” Video
Take ’80s nostalgia in the form of a mediocre pop song (by No More Kings), add a video (directed by William “Johnny” Zabka) spoofing The Karate Kid and Raising Arizona—with cameos by Dennis “Mr. Belding” Haskins and Daniel-san himself, Ralph Macchio—and it becomes awesome nostalgia. It’s one of the coolest things on MTV (OK, just kidding—on YouTube) since “The Karate Kid” was in theaters.
NoMoreKings.com
3. Slingbox Pro and Hava
Don’t let a boring business trip get in the way of your important, pressing TV needs. With the Slingbox’s place-shifting technology, you can watch and control your entire home theater from anywhere in the world via laptop or mobile device. Check out Monsoon’s HAVA for similar features and wireless capability.
Slingbox.com or SnappyMultimedia.com
4. Readymech Flatpack Toys
Short on gift ideas and cash? Thanks to design firm Fwis, all you’ll need is double-sided tape, thick matte paper, and 15 minutes’ assembly time to build one of 22 boxlike creatures. Just download and print a PDF, cut around the edges, and fold/tape in place. Think Beanie Babies, but cheaper, trendier, and with names like Dodecaheathen, Headhunter, and Papercut of Death. But Readymech’s coolest products are their DIY pinhole cameras. Like the toys, all you gotta do is download and print a PDF, follow the instructions, and shoot away!
ReadyMech.com
5. I’m From Barcelona’s “Let Me Introduce My Friends”
I’m From Barcelona is a goofy, charming chamber pop from 1,500 miles northeast of Barcelona. Despite a lineup that rivals municipal orchestras (boasting 29 members at times), the Swedish indie gang makes a small, friendly, back-pocket kind of art. Yes, their sound blimps out when everyone chimes in on chorus hooks like the one driving their single, “We’re From Barcelona,” but the memorable tunes at base are simple and direct, with lyrics about oversleeping, stamp collecting, chicken pox, and other youthful rites of passage. Standing in the middle of the baroque arrangements (which feature trumpets, organs, glockenspiels, and kazoos), singer and songwriter Emanuel Lundgren comes across as an approachable guy who cares about the little things. What partly keeps the sweetness from becoming cloying is the music’s awareness and subtle humor, the references to singsong kiddie rhymes played for a chuckle. “I have built a tree house / Nobody can see us / Because it’s a ’You and me’ house,” Lundgren sings on “Treehouse,” which builds to another huge chorus so inviting everyone below will want to grab a branch and climb on up.
6. Once DVD
The “neo-realist musical” Jean-Luc Godard joked about but never made is an unadorned look at two Dubliners connecting through music. Starring The Frames’ Glen Hansard, it sounds like a folk-pop album and looks like a faded corduroy jacket. Try to get an original copy, all right?
