Wedding Wednesdays - Ben Folds - The Luckiest

Here it is, the final song from our wedding, and the one that had the most potential to make me cry. Ben Folds (official wiki AMG) is from Winston-Salem, NC, and is best known to pop audiences as the guy who wrote "Brick," though that might be his most solemn song ever.

When we sat down to start compiling wedding music, I played this for my lovely wife. It was a song she'd never heard before, but Ben's words and sentiments almost had her in tears, something I totally understand. The narrator of this song is an awkward guy, one who can't necessarily express his emotions well in words, but he stumbles around until he manages to say what he feels. (Live video here.)

I'm terrible at that myself, but I just hope that I can help Tiki feel loved, and cherished. I hope I can make her see how much I appreciate her -- everything she does for me, and everything she is. If she feels even half the love I have for her, this marriage can't help but work.

Ben Folds - The Luckiest
Removed due to my 4th DMCA takedown
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Silly Sundays - The Asylum Street Spankers - You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch

The Asylum Street Spankers (official Myspace wiki AMG) are an Austin-based group of bluesy, folkie swingers. This track uses each verse of the song to highlight a different side of their musical versatility. Besides the country verse I excerpted as a hidden mystery track here, they also take on lounge crooners, oldschool ska, and Mr. Tom Waits. And they acquit themselves admirably in each style.

The whole album is, yes, this good. Make sure to click on the buy link down there -- if you like this track, you'll love the whole thing.

The Asylum Street Spankers - You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch
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Stagger Lee Saturdays - Johnny Moeller

Johnny Moeller (archived official wiki AMG) grew up in Texas listening to his father's blues collection, along with the standard rock and pop. He's best known these days as guitarist for The Fabulous Thunderbirds, but here's a version from a few years before he joined that band.

This is a strolling blues cover of Lloyd Price's version of the song, and is credited to Logan/Price on the CD. While Moeller is the artist of record, both the vocals and rockin piano duties were performed admirably here by Moeller's friend Shawn Pittman (official myspace).

Johnny Moeller - Stagger Lee
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Disney Day 3: Soarin' Over California featuring Patrick Warburton

We only went to Disneyland's other park, California Adventure, for three reasons. One of them was Soarin'. And that was before we knew it featured Patrick Warburton, who most people know as Putty from Seinfeld, but who I prefer to think of as... The Tick. (Or Johnny Johnson on alternate Thursdays.) This attraction was scored by Jerry Goldsmith.

I've edited together six separate files (most from the insane completists -- and I say that with huge respect, tremendous gratitude and not a little awe -- at www.mousebits.com) but sadly I couldn't find a master recording of Patrick's introductory safety spiel, so you get to hear audience reaction to that. I've put in the maximum amount of Warburton-y goodness here, though I had a hard time getting the varying audio qualities to match.

If you visit a Disney park and don't see Soarin', you will make me sad on a deep personal level. Before you listen to this file, get out an orange and a bottle of Pine-Sol. Open the Pine-Sol at 2:06, and take a big whiff. Then peel the orange at 4:03. Wanna see the whole video? The quality sucks, but go ahead and click here.

Jerry Goldsmith and Patrick Warburton - Soarin'
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