I once wore pixie short glasses and yellow rimmed hair

The Mikey Mobile has provided a setting for many a communal moment with U2. But aside from great comedic moments, more than just U2 was awed upon last night.

Because Daryl was handling my iPod, he one rock hit from the 90's led to another rock hit to another until I asked him to look for one peculiar piece of work with Robin Williams singing "Come Together" with the spectacular Bobby McFerrin. That should be enough for you to go and download.

Daryl then searched for something old and stumbled upon Mr. Big. I urged him to look for a cover of 2 Become 1. A male version. Performed by former Mr. Big guitarist Paul Gilbert. With solos and riffs from Black Sabbath and Led Zepellin. Shakespeare says it better, as I try to think of a way to describe 5 grown men singing a slow, sexy, Spice Girls hit:

"Never have I heard/so musical a discord. Such sweet thunder."

At the end of the whole thing, everyone was simultaneously groaning in a communal auditory orgasm. Go and download.

In celebrating the sabaw-ness factor of the people of the Mikey Ride, I take the liberty of adding more to the list...

Jazz god Chick Corea sat together to record "Armando's Rhumba." Both artists make way for each other's improvisation as Corea sounds like a bird rustling across a puddle of water and McFerrin sounding like a jeepney barker, or some barking dog altogether. Nakakaaliw siya kaya't dapat i-download!

This version of Bizet's Carmen overture....is beatboxed. Yes. Beatboxed.

William Shatner is one of my favorite performers. Evarr. I saw him on Conan recite "The Insy-Winsy Spider" while Max Weinberg 7 jams to some jazz groove. In "Mr Tambourine Man," Shatner rambles to Nemoy and in the end, begs for the Tamboring Man.

Indie Blockedappella does everything on GarageBand. Indie covers songs and records them. In this version, we hear Indie sing all parts accurately and to the note and cadence of the original "Livin' On a Prayer." Even the face out at the very end is recorded to the last moment of face out.

Anja Garbarek is from the Netherlands, one of the few places on earth where pop music is actually intelligent. "The Last Trick" is a sad song, but the chorus takes us on a lighter mood, as if a promise to do better while swaying your head sideways with a goofy smile.

Abraham's "Blue For The Most" is ambient and soothing, easily mistaken for zero 7 or maybe William Orbit.

Marit Larsen is half of the former M2M. While the brunette one (Marion Raven) has tried to make her own angsty guitar-slinging niche in the music industry, this blonde half of M2M takes the charm from their former music producing life and turns it into something more mature, and maybe even more elaborate with "Under The Surface" and "The Sinking Game."

I couldn't make out if Smoosh was being dissed among music blog circles, but given the fact that one of those blogs actually posted a track from their EP they must be something amazing. The all-sister group started recently, and pretty much the same way that the Hansons did. Mind you, these little girls are in the middle of their teens, and "Find a Way" was recorded when they were barely 13 and 14. Now that they're 15 and 16 (or somewhere there), a younger sister joined them.

Go download!

One of the themes of this song was used to underscore the first road trip scene from "Little Miss Sunshine." The fourth song in this list the original song from the album "Come On! Feel The Illinoise!". The second one in this list is my first encounter of "Chicago," a slower and therefore more bare rendition; while the first is a simple acoustic version with his sweet voice accompanied by his signature banjo, in the same original tempo.

Because Sufjan (again, pronounce soof-YAWN) is the musical genius that he is, he rearranged the melodies, shuffled them around, and made another masterpiece out of it.

So I present to you Chicago by Sufjan Stevens.

I have never heard of the Windy City Nights until last night on a goofy chat with Matt. This band has been around for a year, as far as I know, and are based in Memphis.

Andrew Bird is an enigma. His voice has this lazy, nasal quality to it, fitting his tall, lanky built. He plays the guitar, and an awesome clear-cut violin (my kind of sexy). He whistles in some of his tracks, and that even sounds haunting. Imitosis is one of his best recordings evar!

The songs "Orange Crush" and "This Month Day 10" are notorious Last Song Syndrome-inducing specimens. The former's contagious chorus holds you captive, while the latter is just plain happy.

Srsly. These make for cool guessing games. AND a great iPod-based personality impression. These things make me laugh.

Billy Boyd graced Sharon Osbourne's show a few years back and indulged the audience in an awesome Britney Spears tune. A lot of guys have done this song and with greater comparison than the original, but this one seems to stick.

I am coming to the conclusion that men singing covers of female songs result in sexier cover versions. Especially if there are three of them and they all blend well. This is a quick track, but it works: the subtlety of the acoustic guitar, the firmness of the vocal blending all together building a tension all too perfect for seduction. Go download.

Beck and Sia Furler rehearsed this not more than 10 minutes of this live performance. I don't remember whose idea it was to to this version, but it seems to be Beck's idea. They switched everything. Guy sings girl part, girl sings guy part. Not that that makes it quaint enough. Changing Major key to minor gives it the off-beat mystery that makes "Every Breath You Take" its stalker quality. Beck and Sia seem to be moaning the chorus to each other. Perfection.

At that Glastonbury Festival in 2005, Kylie Minogue backed out due to cancer (Thank God she's okay now!), which brings us this Coldplay live recording of "Can't Get You Out of My Head" out of respect for Minogue. Just as jumpy and happy as the original. Another testament to the sexiness of men singing female songs.

Paul Gilbert, guitar rock royalty. Spice Girls.
Worth it.

Four Women is performed by the incomparable Nina Simone. Nina tells the story about Four women from the annals and histories of African American women. As serious as this song seems to be based on the stories of the women in these songs, Nina has an awesome sense of humor. I belt out the last verse of this song sometimes. It feels great.

Rufus Wainwright is brilliant and so is the melodies in this song. I had this song for forever but didn't get to "know" it until I was home alone at the condo. Perfect for cleaning up and keeping busy. Maybe even picking out what to wear.

Hushabye Mountain is a gorgeous lullaby performed by my most favorite old person in Hollywood, Dick Van Dyke. He must be more than 60 years old, but he still sounds like Bert in "Mary Poppins." It was a tremendous joy seeing him in "A Night at the Museum," and I didn't even care that he turns out to be one of the bad guys. This song, however, is from the film "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," a film I grew up watching as a kid. Singing this out loud is like avoiding crying just because it's silly. Essentially, it's a sad sounding song that makes you feel happy.

My iPod was on a continuous alphabetical play, and I came across a few songs that I'd love Jack Black to cover whichever way he wants.

5 Man Electric Band is a Canadian rock gorup from all the way back in the 70s. They sound like hippies gone political and quirky based on this song. I got this track from a compilation that includes Bread and Van Morrison. Rod and I can't get enough of this song. It's crazy enough to be recreated by Jack Black.

"Minor Variation" is cut number 4 from his "River of Dreams" album. I thought he sounded a lot like Jack Black in this song, which nearly made me conclude that Both Black and Joel have the same quirk when it comes to creating lyrics. Jack tends to be more narrative, and Billy (I think, especially in most of his songs from "River...") tends to be more pragmatic.

Pronounced "soof-YaHn," he should not be missed. This blogger dreams of him. Too much even. Most people don't like his music for sounding too folky, but for a self-taught musician, you've got to be impressed. Awestuck even.

Vito's Ordination Song is one I just downloaded today. It sent happy-high vibes all over my skin one moment while on the next loop it makes me cry happy tears the way it gives something of an affirmation. For the curious, it was composed for his best friend, an ordained minister (not the celibate kind). It's based on Psalms 139, and a bit of Song of Solomon is in there, if not Revelations.

Majesty Snowbird, has been proclaimed by bloggers as "the new Stairway to Heaven." It's a live version, and there has not been a studio version released just yet. Bloggers also describe it as epic, others as magnificent, others just write a short sentence and upload the link. Any song with Sufjan's name on it just makes it something worth to behold...or keep on a loop on your iPod forever.

Far from typical Christian music, The Psalters are branded as Experimental Folk Rock, but putting a label on something that is nothing but amazing and body slamming in an edgy and ethnic kind of way deserves no confinement in any category.

The Psalters began as a group of musicians, ethnomusicologists, anarchists, theologians, students, teacher and drop outs in 1996 in Philadelphia. They are a group that desires transformation and change through music and prayer morphed into a cry out to God to free the world from different forms of oppression. They live a nomadic existence all over the US, experimenting and playing music in and from a black bus.

I discovered them on a podcast, and I couldn't help downloading everything in there. This is just a sampling.

Stuff that can't get out of my head lately...