I wonder …

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I wonder if Mark Wahlberg secretly wishes his rap career would have taken off instead of acting.

I wonder if he raps in the shower.

I wonder if he keeps in touch with the Funky Bunch.

Hmmmm …

Free mp3: Simple Mental Math

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OK, so I’m probably last to the party, but I stumbled across this 16-song sampler from PolyVinyl Records for FREE! (I actually saw it for $1.99 on iTunes, but did some other investigating and found it free.)

You can opt to include your e-mail, but you don’t have to, just put the download code (MATH), though it may automatically be provided.

There’s some pretty cool indie-type tunes on here, including The Headlights, Mates of State, Japandroids, etc.

If you’re looking to get a lot of new music quick (and, I think I mentioned it before … but it’s for free!), this may be the way to go.

You Tube Note: Band: The Headlights. Song: Get Going. Video for the first single from the Headlights album Wildlife. Produced by John Yaworsky. Directed and edited by Scott Marvel of Daily Planet.

Oh Snap, guess what I saw

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I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.

I’ll decide to laugh. After all, it is Biz taking care of biz.

But to keep the smile I’ll always remember this one:

Reading Bond: Back to the template

Recently finished my first-ever foray into the writings of Ian Fleming, who is, of course, the creator of James Bond (and, oddly enough, the author of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang).

Having only been exposed to the movie Bond, the book was a revelation. For example, Quantum of Solace? Nothing to do with the desert. A View to a Kill? Nothing to do with Duran Duran (or the Golden Gate Bridge). In fact, I found little similarity between my movie image and the template that created him.

It was all about the writing. The writing is what I like to call “classic.” It’s not fancy, it’s not frilly, heck, it’s not even that action-packed; but it’s solid. This is huge because while the movie Bond is all about the action, the written Bond is all about the plot. Fleming’s journalism background gives him a “just the facts” prose that is straightforward and recalls other greats of detective fiction (note: not spy fiction): Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett.

Fleming’s Bond has a soul that wrestles with his chosen profession, weighing out murder and loyalty. He’s a detective that visits scenes of the crime and is polished at the boring old stakeout.

In other words, this was a refreshing breath of fresh air. I saw Bond in a way that Connery, Moore, Dalton, Brosnan, and Craig (I won’t mention the other three … I’ll leave that to you) could NEVER replicate.

Sometimes, knowing the copy is nice, but getting to know the template makes the copy look pale.

Have you ever experienced that?

Free mp3: Echo & the Bunnymen

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Amazon free mp3 of the day is “Think I Need it Too,” the new single from Echo & the Bunnymen. Yes, that Echo & the Bunnymen.

For those who weren’t around in the 1980s, the Bunnymen were part of the second British invasion. Though they never hit it huge, they did have some hits, like “Lips Like Sugar” and “The Killing Moon.” Look ‘em up for yourself.

Anyway, the new single doesn’t seem to be a re-hashing of old glory. It’s pretty fresh and has a post-punk vibe that fits wintry days. Check it out.

It is free, after all.

You Tube note: Echo & the Bunnymen Perform “Think I Need It Too” on Jimmy Kimmel Live.