I really need to see Pitch Perfect. The movie has become a cult hit and made a music star out of indie actress Anna Kendrick (who is a very cool and funny person, based on her Twitter feed).
And it spawned this ‘Cups’ sensation, which I’ve only experience in bits and pieces. I assume it comes from a scene in the film? It’s a very cute song, and the accompanying cup percussion is both an impressive challenge and pleasant to the ear.
Today’s Kurt Schneider clip is about seven months late but still a blast. Schneider (working with Victoria Justice and Max Schneider again) shot a one-take Christmas medley that mostly features a series of related images on three smartphone screens.
This is an example of product placement done right. Schneider gives a plug to Sprint at the end of the clip, and I have to say they earned whatever sales this gained them for agreeing to be involved in something this awesome.
I originally thought today’s video was directed by Kurt Schneider, but apparently it features him only as a musician. That actually makes sense, because it’s not as visually interesting (in terms of camerawork) as most of his clips.
The Internet is responsible for many an atrocity, from craigslist rapists to Rebecca Black, but it can also be a force for good.
I was reminded of that this week when a YouTube browsing session led me to the account of Mr. Kurt Hugo Schneider. Schneider is a 24-year-old Yale grad who directs music videos of mostly cover songs and medleys that he arranges for an array of talented singers.
In a year that, so far, has been pretty light on new music, Ashley Monroe’s solo debut Like a Rose remains one of the bright spots.
Monroe, one third of the Pistol Annies, has a lot of the wit and flair that have made her friend and band mate Miranda Lambert a big star. This album has received a ton of acclaim and performed modestly well on the charts, but I don’t know if Monroe will hit the mainstream (or if she even wants to).
