Unsought Input

Jonathan Coulton is a folk rock singer-songwriter. He is also a former computer programmer and a full time geek. Coulton is known for his quirky irreverent songs about a variety of topics. He kind of sounds like a one man They Might Be Giants for a reference point. He first rose to fame with his laid back cover of “Baby Got Back” and has produced his own solo hits with songs like “Code Monkey” which was featured on Slashdot, Penny Arcade and the title song of G4 TV’s “Code Monkeys”. He is also a contributor to popular mechanics and a collaborator with NPR and the Daily Show’s John Hodgman. He also wrote the end theme “Still Alive ” from the hit Orange Box game Portal.

So visit Jonathan Coulton’s website and myspace to download free songs and also buy other ones. They are definitely worth it. And try and catch him at a show coming to your town.

http://www.myspace.com/jonathancoulton

Baby Got Back

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The year was 1992. Although we didn’t know it at the time, America was on the tipping point of a major paradigm shift in fashion, music, and body image. For years, Cosmo had been telling women that they were fat, and a self-reinforcing stereotype of beauty required that there be little, if any, junk in the trunk if a woman was going to be considered attractive.

Sir Mix-a-Lot burst upon the scene with his seminal song and video, “Baby Got Back.” Watch the video below and marvel at the audacity, the boldness of his declaration: “I like big butts and I cannot lie.”

“Baby Got Back” has gone on to be one of the most frequently covered songs of all time. You may have noticed this if you’ve ever gone to a bar with karaoke. Baby Got Back is almost inevitably sung. This retrospective is not, however, about the drunk and deeply embarrassing crooning of your uncle about his anaconda. There have been many skillful reinterpretations of Sir Mix-a-Lot’s masterpiece that we will examine today.

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