New Dawg, New Trick: The Diner blog is BAAAAACCCKKK!!!!

Here is our new mascot for The Diner!!!!

He is an amazing music supervisor!

E. Tyler Harp - Raised on the Music of the Tube - Part 2

When I was in grade school there was a magic hour between the time that I finished my homework and dinner time.  Looney time!  Nickelodeon, the then fledgling children's cable network, was transitioning from You Can't Do that On Television! and Double Dare to the Spongebob/iCarly world we know today.  It seemed like they weren't quite sure what to show between the kids programing of the daytime and the Nick at Nite programming of the evening.  Their decision?  One solid hour of classic Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies cartoons!  Thus began my love of classical and orchestral music.  The brilliant use of classical favorites (Morning Mood from Peer Gynt by Grieg for sunrise or Fudd's Kill the Wabbit version of Flight of Valkyries in "What's Opera, Doc?") and the genius original tunes composed by legendary scoresmith Carl Stalling.  I was thoroughly intrigued and often physically dragged away from the tube to the dinner table. (These days I'm usually dragged AWAY from the dinner table)  Here are a few of my favorites that I hope you'll enjoy!

Rabbit of Seville  

(For some reason Bugs and Elmer Fudd wander their way into the Hollywood Bowl during a performance of The Barber of Seville by Rossini.  I love how the conductor seems surprised when the curtain opens early, checks his watch, shrugs off the whole situation and counts off the pit!)

Baton Bunny

(Bugs conducts A Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna by von Suppe at The Hollywood Bowl despite constant wardrobe malfunction and being bothered by a fly.)

What's Opera Doc?:  
Link

(Kill da wabbit, kill da wabbit!)

Three Little Bops: 

(My favorite of them all!  The story of The Three Little Pigs in new jazzy, swingin', hepcat way!  "The Big Bad Wolf, he learned the rule!  You gotta get hot to play real cool!")

Finally, a montage of Looney Tunes arrangements of Raymond Scott's "Powerhouse"

E. Tyler Harp - Raised on the Music of the Tube

Like most toddlers, my best friends were the characters on Sesame Street.  Bert, Ernie, Grover and my favorite Oscar the Grouch (even though my mother  thought he was a bad influence)  When I really look back on it, what I really enjoyed most from the educational and often sacrine-y sweet Children's Television Workshop production was the musical guests.  Be it on a rooftop all Beatles farewell style or just down in front of Hooper's store, I can remember boppin' in my Huggies before our giant, wooden, floor console TV (with the cigarette burn on the top.  Busted Pop!)  There was always an abundance of kids dancing frenetically (the way only little kids can) and also the occasional duet with a monster or two.  The list of performers is surprisingly long when you really think about it.  So in this first blog article focusing on time spent with my 3rd parent, television, I'd like to share with you (through the magic of Youtube) some of my most favorite Sesame Street musical guests:

(You gotta love the front-of-the-brownstone performance and the little girl ad-libing)  

Billy Joel, Marlee Matlin and Oscar The Grouch - Just the Way You Are

(Classic Oscar, givin' Billy the business)

Stevie Wonder - Superstition

(Stevie at his best, plus some weird kid havin' a fit up on a fire escape)

Last but certainly not least...

James Taylor and Oscar the Grouch - You're Grouchy Face

(Up-on-the-roof duet.  James changes the lyrics to match Oscar's generally rotten disposition) 

This blog post is brought to you by the letter's L, S, D and MP!

Tune in next time when we talk about the music of Looney Tunes and how I didn't really care who Carl Stahling was when I was 5.

20 Questions With Eric Hillebrecht, Music Supervisor

Name:    Eric Hillebrecht 
Title:     Creative Director, Senior Music Supervisor, President 
Companies: The Music Playground  (www.themusicplayground.com)
The Lodge (www.thelodgemusic.com)

1. Song I Wish I Synched:  Ou Est La Femme - Louis Vertigo Remix (Hear it below).  Also, Incredible Eyes by Ben Hartley from Special Blend Records. This is one of the most synch friendly tracks I have ever heard.

2. Favorite Music Placement:  Not something I placed, but rather wrote for a short film called Carrot Vs Ninja (See it below).

Carrot vs Ninja from Cedric Nicolas-Troyan on Vimeo.

3. Most Requested Creative Direction: "I'll know it when I hear it

4. New/Emerging Artist/Bands I Am Listening To: Pretty Lights. These guys are well known through a cult following and I just can't get enough of their sound. Their music just makes me feel cool walking down the street.  Watch it here.

5. Last Concert I Attended: Dapuntobeat a funk, disco, dance band out of Mexico City. Tonight I am seeing Wishes and Thieves and next week Jviewz.

6. My Favorite Online Music Web Site: I like Tumblr cause its just for the people by the people and exposes me to more then just music. It's like a content friendly twitter feed.

7. My Favorite Mobile Music App: I use my ipod to conserve battery life.

8. Number of Music Tracks I List To Everyday: Roughly 200.

9. My Favorite Music Synch Curveballs:  Mah Na Mah Na (The Muppets).

10. Favorite Cliche Movie Trailer Music Track:  Not sure what this means.

11. Favorite Cliche Action Sports Music Track:  Not sure what this means either.

12. Music Track Least Likely To Be Used Mom/Daughter Movie of The Week:  I Touch Myself - The Divinyls

13. Music Track Most Likely To Be Used in a Pharma Commercial: "I've Want A New Drug" - Huey Lewis and The News

14. Instruments I Play: Guitar, bass, drums and some piano and trumpet.

15. Radio Station I Listen To Most:   I don't in this market cause it smells like payola. If I hear Adele one more time I will cry. Radio is misused.

16. Favorite 80's Song: "We Dont Have to Take Our Clothes Off" Jermaine Stewart is up there:

17.  Most Un-Licensable Track Ever:   I Touch Myself - The Divinyls.

18.  Biggest Licensing WTF Ever By A Major Artist:  Not sure.

19. Desert Island iPod Mix: Ratatat and Trentemøller.  Cinematic non-lyrical stuff cause the same lyrics would probably drive me insane. The break at 2:12 is sick.
 

20. Desert Island Film Soundtrack:  Punch Drunk Love, and I Heart Huckabees cause Jon Brion is the best.

A Night Out with Eric Hillebrecht from The Music Playground

Tag along with music supervisor Eric Hillebrecht as he listens to two great new bands.

Read his reviews here.

Music Sync Video Poll