Moving

If you've just found this site, the party's moved to a new location, Brian Raftery: Don't Stop Believin': How Karaoke Conquered the World and Changed My Life. And by "party" I mean occasional blog posts and blatant self-promotion.

Ted Leo karaoke setlist

As per Brooklynvegan, here's the setlist for the indie-rock karaoke event this Wednesday in Brooklyn:

OUTFIELD - Your Love
PRINCE - Kiss
THE WHO - My Generation
KELLEY CLARKSON - Since You Been Gone
STOOGES - Search and Destroy
RAMONES - Blitzkrieg Bop
MISFITS - Where Eagles Dare
BILLY IDOL - Dancin' With Myself
AC/DC - Dirty Deeds
CURE - Just Like Heaven
CLASH - Rock the Casbah
DAVID BOWIE AND QUEEN - Under Pressure
JOY DIVISION - Transmission
YEAH YEAH YEAHS - Maps
SAINTS - Stranded
ARETHA FRANKLIN - Respect
BLONDIE - Dreaming
THE BOSS - Dancin' in the Dark
THE BOSS - Born in the USA
STIFF LITTLE FINGERS - Suspect Device
MINOR THREAT - Minor Threat
CREDENCE - Fortunate Son
AMERIE - One Thing
STEELY DAN - Reelin' in the Years
SANTOGOLD - LES Artistes
THE KINGSMEN - Louie Louie

What, no Chisel?

Andy Dick is a Very Nice Man

He is! A few days ago, while flipping through a circa-1990 issue of Spin, I found this print ad for Pioneer's Laser Karaoke machines (I'm in the advance stages of hypernostalgia, during which I get more excited about old magazines than new magazines). Noting the resemblance to a certain star of The Andy Dick Show, I emailed Andy's website to find out whether or not it was him; a few hours later, he called to tell me that, indeed, this ad was one of his very first paid gigs, for which he received a mere $500.

The lessons here: 1) Every celeb has a long-forgotten karaoke past; and 2) if you've ever sent a drunken email to Andy Dick's website about how much you loved NewsRadio, he probably read it.

A Truth That's Hard As Steel

Violence is never funny. Unless, of course, it's spurred on by a karaoke rendition of Dio's "Holy Diver." And committed by a drunk guy named Drinkwine.

"My Thin Sides" is Sidesplitting (Zing!)

Army Navy's debut album is one of my top 10 favorite records of the year; Paul Scheer is one of my top 10 favorite members of Human Giant. Never did I imagine I'd get the chance to see them together at a karaoke bar.

Shake the Sheets

One of the appendices in Don't Stop Believin' is a wishlist of 30 songs I've always wanted to sing at karaoke, and yet could never find. Coming in at No. 12 is Ted Leo + the Pharamacist's "Where Have All The Rude Boys Gone?", one of my favorite tracks from the past five years. So imagine my surprise when I saw this announcement regarding New York magazine's upcoming indie-rock karaoke night:



Considering Leo's well-established cover-song credentials—and Andrew WK's ability to yell "party" over and over again—it's probably worth camping out at Studio B the night before, so you don't miss the sign-up sheet.

Karaoke 2.0

Time magazine's Josh Quittner endorses online karaoke as a mid-meltdown cost-saver.