morning

Morning Music #8 – Saturday’s a Mad World

Usually I do not like cover versions of songs. Especially songs I like. I really would prefer artists to create their own original songs over covers. Usually.

My daughter became obsessed with the movie Donnie Darko a few years ago. One of the featured songs in the soundtrack of this film was an updated version of Mad World as recorded by Gary Jules. It’s slower, moodier and altogether beautiful. I’m not going to say it’s better than the Tears for Fears version but it’s as good, yet different. Today I’ve included both the Gary Jules updated version of Mad World and the original Tears for Fears version from the 1980s. Let me know which you think is better.

Gary Jules version of Mad World

Tears for Fears version of Mad World

Oh and if you haven’t seen the movie Donnie Darko yet give it a look. It’s a difficult movie to describe. It leaves you with more questions than answers. It’s disturbing and surreal and despite my determination to dislike it.. I have to say I really did enjoy it. It’s got a very interesting cast and has become something of a cult hit. Enjoy your Saturday!

Some of the links on this site may be affiliate links. If you click on one of them and buy something I'll earn a few dollars. Internet marketing and affiliate marketing are a big part of my income but I only recommend products that I use or have used myself and recommend to my closest friends.

Morning Music #7 – the @davidusher edition

When I woke up this morning I really didn’t have anything specific in mind for today’s Morning Music. It’s raining and cold again after a week of sunshine and spring and I’d likely have gone with something moody to suit the rainy day.

As I was doing my usual morning caffeination and catch-up I noticed that Canadian music superstar David Usher had made a comment on Chris Brogan’s blog post this morning which inspired me to tell you a a little about David Usher and post a video for today’s morning music.

I’ve been a fan of David Usher since I first heard him as the singer for Moist in the early 1990s. Moist’s early cds Silver and Creature got a lot of play around my house in the 1990s. David Usher later went on to a successful solo career and he’s currently in studio working on a new cd.

I could tell you how David Usher has been successful not only in Canada but world-wide. I could tell you that he’s won 5 Juno Awards (the Canadian Grammy) and how he’s been involved in War Child International among other humanitarian organizations. All of these things you can learn about on his website. What I find really interesting at the moment about David Usher is not just his music (which I love) and not just his pretty face (he’s yummy) but the fact that he’s become interested and active in the social media world lately. Not only does he have a twitter account where he posts updates on his studio work but he now has, in addition to his official music site, a social media blog where he speaks about ebooks, digital music, and social media. He’s posting videos as he’s working on the new album, giving fans a taste of the cd to come and an glimpse into the recording world. I really admire how he’s using social media to interact with not only his current fanbase but beyond that into the social media community.

A fav of mine – from Morning Orbit – Black, Black Heart. Be sure to check out David Usher’s YouTube channel for more videos and an inside look at his recording. You can find where to buy David Usher’s cds on his official music website as well as on his YouTube channel. Enjoy! Happy Friday!