Craig Stevens: Christmas Shoes

So Craig hasn't been making as many videos recently ever since his girlfriend moved to Scotland but he freaking DELIVERS with this RRRICH gem. It is no secret that "Christmas Shoes" is my least favorite Xmas song. I just feel like it's very manipulative and always seems to ruin my mood and come on the radio in between some really fun, cheerful music like "All I Want for Christmas" and Destiny Child's "Platinum Bells." I also love when I overhear people saying, "I was just driving in my car and that 'Christmas Shoes' song came on. Oh. My. God. I had to pull over on the side of the road because I was crying so hard. That song is so purty!" God Bless You Craig for intermixing that genius narrative with this caaampy song in a rendition that truly had me laughing out loud.

Santa 4 A Day

I'm not sure how funny this will be if you're not familiar with THE GRINCH musical, but at least watch it for the RIDICULOUS vocals. One of my new favorite singers Anne Fraser Thomas is currently playing Mama Who at THE GRINCH at The Old Globe. Along with Trixie Who, Ashley Linton, they do a rifftastic remix of the cloyingly cute song "Santa For A Day" sung by Cindy Lou Who. This song was forever stuck in my head last year when I was doing the show. Girls, you had me peeing my pants watching this.

A Rich Holiday Encore!

Check out this vid that I make a few appearances in. It's collaboration of Broadway youtubers singing the 12 Days of Xmas. It features myself, Natalie Weiss, Jonathan Reid Gealt, Michael Mahany, Jonathan Shew, Shelly Bort, Andrew Hodge and Natalie Hawkins who also did the hilarious editing. Yay Xmas!

These kids are freaking awesome!!

Just saw this on Rachel Maddow! A video editing class from Shorewood High made this incredibly intricate lip dub video. Notice that it's all a single shot and filmed completely in reverse. That means those kids are even singing the words backwards! What?!!? That's insane. I have a feeling there is a huge scholarship to NYU Film school for the kid that who directed and produced this. My High School was never this cool!

All I Want for Christmas Is...a STREAMY!

Ugh! What a rich treat from THE BATTERY'S DOWN! Mixing Jake's two favorite things on earth, Christmas and Shoshan Bean's riffs!


VISIT streamys.org TO CAST YOUR VOTE!

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2010 Streamy Awards. Votes count once a day in each category until January 15th. SPREAD THE WORD!

For Your Consideration
THE BATTERY'S DOWN
***************************
-BEST COMEDY WEB SERIES
-BEST EXPERIMENTAL WEB SERIES
-BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN A WEB SERIES
-BEST DIRECTOR OF A COMEDY WEB SERIES: Connor Gallagher
-BEST WRITING OF A COMEDY WEB SERIES: Jake Wilson
-BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY WEB SERIES: Jake Wilson
-BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY WEB SERIES: Nina Sturtz
-BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY WEB SERIES: Dani Spieler
-BEST GUEST STAR IN A WEB SERIES: Shoshana Bean, Sutton Foster, Deidre Goodwin, John Hill and Brynn O'Malley
-BEST MUSIC IN A WEB SERIES: Michael Arden, Nick Blaemire, Eric Day, Ryan Ferguson, Connor Gallagher, Kirsten Guenther, John Hill, Lance Horne, Steven Jamail, Glen Kelly, Tom Kitt, Lisa Lambert, Sean Mahoney, Ryan Scott Oliver, B.T. Ryback, Dick Scanlan, Micah Schraft, Jeanine Tesori, Adam Wachter, Jake Wilson, and Yorkey

Top 25 songs of 2009

2009 has been a great year for music. There have been a ton of breakout artists who've emerged this year as well some killer records cut by ones already established. I found myself downloading more music in 2009 than probably any other year in my life. So I figured I'd compile a list of, in my opinion, the 25 best songs of the year. This was determined by making a ratio between how well written the song is vs. the amount of time I spent listening/singing along to it. I'm sure you could argue that there were some better crafted songs, but if my year were made into a movie, these are the 25 that would be on the soundtrack.

25) "Islands" -- The xx
Where as "In the Waiting Line" by Zero 7 was totally the Indie make-out-with-your-boyfriend song of 2004, "Islands" picks up that slot for 2009

24) "When They Fight, They Fight" -- Generationals
I love the kind of retro Beach Boys sound of this track. A sweetly underwritten and simple song with a catchy clap track and Ooo-ooo chorus.

23) "Heads Will Roll" --The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
This song makes me want to grab my glow sticks and head to a rave. Orrrr myabe just run on a treadmill.

22) "Fables" -- The Dodos
My sister has been all about The Dodos for the past couple years but it wasn't until I heard this track until I totally fell for them.

21) "Cannibal Resource" -- Dirty Projectors
The Dirty Projectors are always super innovative (if not exactly accessible), but this album and track in particular are their most successful as far as musicality without sacrificing their inventive edge.

20) "LA" -- Gabriel Kahane
Gabriel is probably my favorite under-the-radar find of the year. More specifically his self-titled album has been among my top played of the year, but that was written in 2008. I recommend him to everyone, especially my theatre friends as his songwriting seems to be very lyric and story driven.

19) "And the Hazy Sea" -- Cymbals Eat Guitars
I'm not usually a heavy metal dude, or even a metal dude at all, but this song is killer! Currently the alarm on my phone as well as the awesome background music for my Urban Shorts: Cleveland video

18) "Blood Bank" -- Bon Iver
Bon Iver's debut album FOR EMMA, FOREVER AGO was undoubtably my #1 album of 2008. I was so glad to see that he was able to crank out a few more amazing songs as an EP for 2009. A macabre yet somehow romantic song.

17) "Empire State of Mind" -- Jay-Z (feat. Alicia Keyes)
I wouldn't count Rap/R&B in my top favorite genres, but come on! This song has an inescapably hummable hook and a HOT verse that gives ole Frank Sinatra a run for his money when it comes to New York tunes.

16) "One Day" -- Matisyahu
I can't believe this song isn't huge right now, or at least the soundtrack to Pepsi commercial or something. I mean, regardless of who you are you're going to be obsessed with this one.

15) "Speechless" -- Lady GaGa
I never thought I'd be as gaga about the Lady as I've become, but after watching her mind-blowing videos, articulate interviews and jaw dropping red carpets, she is truly one of my favorite new artists. I love how good her vocals are on this track and after hearing the backstory to the song it's quickly turned into my favorite on the album.

14) "Blow Away" -- A Fine Frenzy
Every year there's some awesome chick folk singer that I'm a little obsessed with and this year it's Alison Sudol of A Fine Frenzy. Her cheery tunes and whimsical lyrics make her one of the most promising singer/songwriters of the year.

13) "Lust for Life" -- GIRLS
GIRLS debut album made just about every top 25 list this year and it's not hard to understand why. Their music isn't overly orchestrated or pretentious, they're just freaking good old songs. I read in Rolling Stone that the lead singer escaped a cult when he was 16 and had been living on the streets prior to his success. Fair enough. Well, if that leads you to writing fun pop songs than sign me up! Or not.

12) "Summers" -- Loney, Dear
As I've learned this year, the Swedes know how to make some damn good music. This beautifully layered track is my fav from Loney, Dear's most recent offering.

11) "Cool Yourself" -- Thao
An energetic song with an infectious chorus that topped my iPod playlist for the 2 months that I spent in Texas.

10) "Tenuousness" -- Andrew Bird
Laid back and chill with acoustic originality. Another widely anticipated album that really delivered with this track.

9) "Party in the U.S.A." -- Miley Cyrus
HATERS, Back off! Hehe, okay let's just all come clean and admit that this was our guilty pleasure of the year. Say what you will but every time this song came on the radio (which was about every 15 minutes) I couldn't help but smile and sing along. And what can I say? I'm a sucker for a good story song!

8) "I And Love And You" -- The Avett Brothers
No year would would be complete with out that heart-wrenching Indie love ballad. I suspect this song will make it on the more Top 25 lists than any other on this list. It's the song we all love to love.

7) "Two Weeks" -- Grizzly Bear
The Brooklyn band that took the Indie-rock scene by storm three years ago managed to surpass all expectations with their new album, VECKATIMEST. This track is truly a triumph with it's harmonious vocals, inventive orchestrations and pop catchiness.

6) "All the Pretty Girls" -- fun.
I came across this song because it was offered as a free download on eMusic. I'd never heard of the band and figured if I got a couple listens out of it it'd be worth the effort to transfer it to my iPod. Little did I know it would become my official song for my time in Minneapolis. Like the name of the band, this track's pure fun. Period.


5)"Meddle" -- Little Boots
While this song might not be hailed as earth shattering song writing, I defy you to find a better beat. I'd like to dedicate this song to my abs as they've gotten their best workout while blasting this song on my iPod. Brian admits to putting this song on whenever he starts feeling fatigued at the gym and it never fails to give him that final burst of energy. Absolutely one of my favorite finds of the year.

4) "Animal" -- Miike Snow
Big thanks to the Urban Outfitters sampler CD for leading me to this one. It has the perfect workings with some great pop writing, a completely unique synth sound and a killer lead vocal. Do yourself a favor and buy this song. In fact, but the whole CD! I guarantee this band is going to be huge!

3) "Folding Chair" -- Regina Spektor
As a fan of Regina's back to when you couldn't even find her CD at Barnes & Noble, I was so proud of the impressive level of production on her newest release. Her song writing is miles beyond everyone else in her field and the let's face it; the girl can freaking jam. This is probably my fav song off of her new CD. With it's quirky lyrics and adorably catchy tune, it wasn't hard to be made into my official Summer anthem.

2) "Never Forget You" --Noisettes
It was really hard to choose a number 1 song for the year, and honestly, if I went by play count alone, "Never Forget You" would have taken the gold. Like a blend between Amy Winehouse and The Supremes, The Noisettes brought an infectious 60's pastiche charm that made them impossible not to fall in love with. I knew every word to this song the day after downloading it and somehow still get excited every time it comes on one of my playlists.

1) "Lisztomania" -- Phoenix
Alright, here's my #1. I heard this song for the first time when Phoenix played on SNL and I was like "Holy shit! These guys are freaking good! NOBODY sounds good on SNL!" This song has made guest appearances as my Blackberry ringtone, background music on my blog and on just about every mix I've made for anyone this year. With epic orchestrations and strangely catchy lyrics, WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART is truly one of this year's greatest masterpieces.

Battle of the Riffing Natalies

A duo that is both fierce and campy. Who doesn't love girls seamlessly out riffing each other via webcam? Get it done ladies!

Natalie Hawkins & Natalie Weiss "When You Believe"

OMG! I have a new amazing website!

Hey guys! I'm so happy to announce the official launching of andrewkeenanbolger.com! Check it out! Lots of fun stuff. Also in case you haven't noticed, you can now get directly to my blog by going to www.thisisandrewsblog.com. Sweet!

Also attention actors/bloggers/whomever, if you need a website designer I totally recommend my man Chris VanPatten. He is super creative and affordable. He's also a theatre guy so he was really easy to relate to and totally understands the needs and functions of actor websites. Check out his stuff at chrisvanpatten.com!

I am so $&%@ing confused!!!

Rich! So two weeks ago I found a video of a white lady playing Effie in a community theatre production of DREAMGIRLS. This week I'm tipped off about a DREAMGIRLS performance that may be even MORE mind boggling. Thank you Alex Heinen for this absurd/delicious treat. If Regis hadn't announced the song title at the beginning I would have had NO idea that she was supposed to be singing "And I'm Telling You," as her rendition bears ZERO resemblence to the actual song. Come on! This is the Miss America pageant! Don't the gays run this!? Where was one of them to tell her No, no, no, no way are you allowed to sing that song! Matter of fact, only a gay person would be campy enough to recommend it.

KEENAN BLOGGER: Episode 1 "Per Diem"

Hey guys! Check out my new webseries KEENAN BLOGGER being presented by MTI ShowSpace. I'm really proud of our pilot and am looking forward to many more episodes to come!

Be sure to add me as a friend and create your own profile.

Scarier than Paranormal Activity!!

Okay, please tell me someone else heard about this. A month ago a guy living in NYC couldn't figure out why food was going missing in his apartment. He thought it was his girlfriend so he set up a hidden camera to catch her in the act. What he caught on tape was WAY scarier than his girlfriend binge eating. Apparently a woman had been living in the deep storage crawlspace over the kitchen and had been there for what the police say could have been weeks. AHH!! Only in NY!

Playlist of the Month: LA

Hey guys, sorry this playlist is a little late but I've been up to my eyebrows in video editing. Anyways, these are the songs that I've been obsessed with since moving to LA. I know most of you are probably freezing your butts off so this is a great "August in December" type mix. I've also noticed that there are so many great songs out there with either the words "Los Angeles" or "California" in them. Something about that salt water air just makes ya wanna strum on your guitar I guess.

"Los Angeles, I'm Yours" -- The Decemberists
"405" -- Death Cab for Cutie
"The Faster the Treadmill" -- I Fight Dragons
"California" -- Rufus Wainwright
"New in Town" -- Little Boots
"L.A." -- Ellie Lawson
"Speechless" -- Lady GaGa
"LA (You Looked So Good) -- Cortney & Jake
"California" -- Joni Mitchell
"Bird of the Summer" -- A Fine Frenzy
"Los Angeles" -- Denison Witmer
"LA (Acoustic Version)" -- Gabriel Kahane
"Let's Go Surfing" -- The Drums
"The Cult of Dionysus" -- The Orion Experience
"The Ocean" -- Dar Williams
"West Coast" -- Gavin Creel
"Leave It All Behind You" -- Blueyed Son

Am I missing any amazing California/LA/Summer songs? Lemme know some of your favs.

akb

BOB & TERRY

HAHAHHA I somehow missed this when Randy first aired it but I'm so glad I found it! An absolute MUST for anyone who saw the WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE film.

Because who doesn't love high singing?

I recently went to see Natalie perform at Musical Mondays here in LA and caught this ridiculous performance. How sick is Anne Fraser Thomas?! I had never heard of her but she totally blew me away. I'm sure we'll be seeing more great stuff from her. Natalie sounds gorgeous as always even despite the fact that she had bronchitis and could barely speak. Um yeah, I hate you girl. I've never sounded that good WITHOUT bronchitis.

ThE BATTERY'S DOWN: Series Finale

Truly a beautiful end to a wonderful series!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Come check my new show on ShowSpace!

Hey guys, I'm thrilled to announce that I have a really fun new project on the horizon! I'm going to be creating a new webseries on
MTI ShowSpace! I'm currently shooting the pilot right now and so far it's pretty RICH. It's going to have some familiar flavors of Andrew's Blog but is also geared towards helping hopeful actors, directors, educators, etc. navigate the world of musical theatre. Expect a lot of your favorite characters from my blog and THE BATTERY'S DOWN to be making hilarious appearances and giving insight as to how they got to be where they are today.

I'm so thrilled to be teaming up with MTI on this. Ultimately, for the last 2 1/2 years I've been trying to find a way to create a job out of a hobby and thanks to their support, that dream has been fully realized.

Let's thank them by flooding their website with new members and letting them know that they've made a great choice by housing some amazing new online entertainment :D

Click here to add me as a friend and create your own profile.