YouTubilicious

Let's talk about YouTube. As of late, YouTube and I are having a torrid love affair. I can't get enough of searching for songs and seeing what pops up. I'm like a kid at the arcade with an endless amount of quarters.
But not everything I find puts a smile on my face.


When I search for songs it is inevitable that along with the "official music video" and numerous live recordings, there will be a frightening amount of home videos. These include lip syncing, sing-alongs, and the very scary a capella versions. What is curious to me is, what is their motivation? Do they think Simon Cowell is scouring YouTube for the next big thing? Is this the only way they see fit to artistically express themselves? I don't understand which voice in their head is telling them that it's ok to put such rubbage on the internet for all to see.


If you haven't taken time to peruse the neverending sea of musical waste, I'd like to share a couple of my favorites I've electronically stumbled upon.

The best part of the homemade goodies is the expression on their face at the beginning of the song. The music has cued up, but it's not time to sing yet, so they stare into the camera with an expression that says, I'm a natural performer. I am not intimidated.


This first girl is lip-syncing to the song "Mr. Larkin" by State Radio. Note the lead singer is male. She is female. Doesn't seem to bother her.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TByvvw93Opo


If you liked that, be sure to catch her seductive rendition of "Save Tonight." It will make you swoon.

Through further YouTubical research I found this enjoyable nugget of 90's pop. This girl does all the hits of then and now including "I'll Be" by Edwin McCain. It's deliciously breathy.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enJqb1OyrDE

These are some examples of the worst of YouTube. So what's the best thing about YouTube? Being able to watch music videos like this that will never be seen on MTV of VH1. It makes sorting through the trash totally worth it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ipo9SXBDLw0

On His Way Up?

Don't ask me how it happened, but through some sort of online search I suddenly entered Ryan Cabrera's Myspace page and was absolutely aghast at what I found.

Let's all take a trip down memory lane...it was 2004 and Joe Simpson, the business man/father he is, somehow convinced MTV to bring America into the life of his youngest daughter Ashlee's drama-ridden life. As if Jessica and Newlyweds wasn't enough for us. We got a front row seat to the ups and downs of her new life as a musician and her awkward, PDA-filled romance with Ryan Cabrera. It seemed so convenient that Ryan was also an aspiring artist who just happened to be getting national exposure because of his business...I mean romantic relationship with Ashlee.

What I remember most about Ryan is not his melodious voice or his killer guitar riffs--I remember his hair. It was out of control. To this day, I do not know another person (famous or not) who has the need to spike their hair to such heights. I mean it was out of control! And with the blonde highlights to top it off, only delusional teenie-boppers with their raging hormones could call him attractive. Needless to say, he needed a makeover.

Once he broke up with Ashlee and the rest of America realized he was a piece of crap musician, we didn't hear or see from our spiky-haired friend for a very long time. So what HAS he been doing for the past four years you wonder???

Reinventing his image.

Please observe the picture to the right. That is indeed the same strapping young man who wowed the world with "On The Way Down." Makeover much? Can you understand my utter shock when I saw the new Ryan Cabrera?!?! While he is going for the I-look-like-I-don't-care-about-my-looks-so-that-makes-me-super-sexy look, I promise you he spends more time time coloring his hair, scrunching it with various gels and mousses, and keeping his unshaven look shaved, then he ever did before with his flat iron and hair gel. Seriously. You can find more proof of Ryan's drastic changes at http://www.myspace.com/ryancabrera.

And to Ashlee...Pete Wentz is a major upgrade. Even with the eye liner. Good work.