If I Were a Carpenter

Don't tell anybody, but I really really like The Carpenters. Yes, Karen needed a hug and a cheeseburger; Yes, Richard was a little bitch who drank too much and was in love with jealous of Karen, but still had his own talents too--but I just really enjoy their sound.

You can see the "bitch" in his beady little eyes.

Recently, I stumbled upon a compilation disk full of Carpenters' covers by artists such as 4 Non Blondes, The Cranberries, and Grant Lee Buffalo. Naturally, my goal is to purchase it, covet it, and listen to it on repeat this entire summer. But that's only part of my great summer project for 2011.

Fun Facts: America's Got Talent and Timur Bekbosunov

Over the course of several months, Ted has received lots of favorable praise on his reviews of the L.A-based act, "Timur and the Dime Museum". (You can read one of his reviews here: "Blurring Musical Boundaries".)

The group has recorded covers of two very well-known songs, specifically David Bowie's "Life on Mars" and Nine Inch Nail's "Closer". What some may or may not know is that some time ago -- and I imagine it was some time ago, as Howie Mandel had apparently made his "comeback" after hosting the game show "Deal or No Deal", starring as The Sandman in the 2002 obscure children's film "Hansel & Gretel" (don't ask why I know this--but I saw the movie three times in one day with my niece and nephews), and going public with his obsessive compulsive eating disorder disorder and fear of germs -- Timur had made an appearance on Mr. Mandel's show, "America's Got Talent".

Of course, with only about 30 seconds to show off your featheriest of feathers and your spats-iest of spats, the pressure to perform and gain the support of the Taco Bell "Mexican" Pizza-eating American public is understandably... difficult.

I think it may have just been the song choice that put the judges off, and sure, Mandel was being his nasty little bald neurotic self, but certainly the costumes and theatrics were impressive.

Anyway, that was then and this is now--and I am happy to hear that Timur has garnered a rather large following and that his act is planning to tour throughout California, and perhaps abroad. Ted sent me a picture of Timur, taken from his show earlier this evening in L.A-- and it looks like Timur may have gained yet another fan.