http://coconuttimes.com Coconut Times - Ocean City's Entertainment Web Magazine - Nate Sounds Off en http://coconuttimes.com/ http://coconuttimes.com 14261432870175 http://coconuttimes.com/articles/OC-Sounds-Off/Six-Songs-of-Summer-to-Celebrate-the-Start-of-the-Season
Wow. That’s all that I can say, as I am pretty much speechless after the craziness of the past two weekends. Summer has officially begun, and I think I can speak for all locals that this has already been the busiest summer in a very long time. After a long winter, locals have been craving this season’s action, but I don’t think anyone has prepared for this many visitors. Still, I don’t see this so badly as others; this truly could be the most memorable summer in recent memory. As we prepare for the onslaught of the summer season, I would like to share with you my six favorite songs with the word “summer” in the title you should jam out to while making great memories in Ocean City this season.

“Deadbeat Summer”
By: Neon Indian
Off the album: Psychic Chasms (2009)

Do you recognize that opening passage? If so, you are probably the world’s biggest Todd Rundgren fan. The trippy, yet chill electronic band Neon Indian from Texas sampled the intro of Rundgren’s song “Izzat Love?” and distorted it to make you feel like  you are in the middle of living the “Deadbeat Summer” life. This was the first full-length song on Neon Indian’s debut album Psychic Chasms. It sets the tone of the dreamy, retro-like sounds you hear throughout the album. It is a great record to put on while relaxing at the beach.

“Summer Nights”
By: John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John
Off the album: Grease: The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture (1978)

From the moment I step out of my place to go out at night in Ocean City, there’s only one voice I want to hear: John Travolta’s. One of the three mega-hits of the Broadway musical-turned-Hollywood musical, Grease, this version of “Summer Nights” hit #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. However, its charting in the UK was even more impressive. Combining this song’s seven-week run as #1 and the nine-week #1 stint of “You’re the One That I Want,” Travolta and Newton-John were the #1 artists in the UK for 16 weeks in 1978.

“Summer of ‘69”
By: Bryan Adams
Off the album: Reckless (1984)

After hitting the club with a John Travolta ego boost, I’m in the mood to…wait, this is a family magazine! It seems that everyone knows the answer about the meaning of this song, and I’m here to tell you all that you’re wrong. This song was written as a 50-50 collaboration between Adams and his songwriting partner Jim Vallance. According to Vallance, who has said the line “Summer of ‘69” appeared once in the original draft and that the song was first titled “Best Days of My Life,” the number was a reference to his favorite music of that year by the likes of The Beatles, The Byrds and Bob Dylan.  Yet, Adams admitted in 2008 that the song title was in reference to what everyone thinks it was referencing. So, it’s a song that was written by two different people with two different meanings.

“The Boys of Summer”
By: Don Henley
Off the album: Building the Perfect Beast (1984)

This song’s sound is a little easier to identify than our first example. In the process of writing “The Boys of Summer,” Henley walked into the studio where Pat Benatar’s husband, Neil Giraldo, was recording “Love Is a Battlefield.” Henley got the approval of Giraldo to use a similar up-tempo beat, and the similarities are apparent. Although many think of the song as a story of growing up and losing innocence, Henley has said it is more about reflection looking back at your youthful days. The “Deadhead sticker on a Cadillac” line is a reference to an experience he once had while driving on the highway. Henley was passed by a rather expensive Cadillac car that represented upper-middle-class stature at the time, only to notice a Grateful Dead sticker was on the car.  He loved the irony of the scenario.

“Summertime Blues”
By: Eddie Cochran
Off the album: “Love Again” B-Side (1958)

I bet you got the blues after realizing this song wasn’t written by The Who. Originally the b-side of his own cover of fiancée Sharon Sheeley’s “Love Again,” it peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at #8 when it was released in 1958. There have since been several famous covers of this song. Most famously, it was a concert staple of The Who in the ‘60s and ‘70s, and their live version was officially released on the band’s famous Live at Leeds live album. While the song was still played live at times in shows after the ‘70s, the band has not performed “Summertime Blues” live since bassist John Entwistle’s death in 2012.

“Last Dance”
By: Donna Summer
Off the album: Thank God It’s Friday Soundtrack (1978)

Alright, you caught me. Yes, I love to cheat while making these lists and Donna Summer has so much soul, this column could have been comprised of entirely Donna Summer songs. When writing the song, co-producer Bob Etsy wanted the introduction of the song to be a ballad similar to the structure of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” According to Etsy, this was never done before in a disco song. “Last Dance” was an instant hit, reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and winning both an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original song (remember, it was first released on the soundtrack of the film Thank God It’s Friday). This is a fitting tune while winding down a wild night in Ocean City.

]]> Fri, 29 May 2015 00:00:00 -0400 14211432228729 http://coconuttimes.com/articles/OC-Sounds-Off/A-look-at-the-future-of-late-night-TV-after-Lettermans-departure
After more than 20 years of David Letterman’s “Top 10 List,” “Will It Float,” and “Know Your Current Events,” the late-night talk show host with the best grin in the business just aired his last Late Show episode this week. Last Wednesday’s final show was a fanfare featuring classic moments during Letterman’s reign, with each skit reminding us of the great legacy he is leaving. With Letterman leaving the Late Show and Jay Leno exiting The Tonight Show in 2014, the two late-night giants we have heard jokes from for two decades are now enjoying retirement. The absence of both personalities on television has made many ask if late-night television will ever be the same.  I can confidently say that while there will always be people grumbling about the new late-night talent, the new hosts taking the place of our favorite legends have the talent to be just as popular as Letterman and Leno. Not only that, but there are also a handful of non-network late-night shows that are worthy of your attention, especially now that there is no definite “king” of late-night television. Here’s a brief synopsis of the prominent late-night television shows airing that will convince you these programs are far from dead.  

Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Channel: CBS
Air time: 11:35 p.m.

Alright, I know I’m getting ahead of myself, but Stephen Colbert is awesome. Of course it will be a challenge for Colbert to fill Letterman’s shoes, but the former Colbert Report (both T’s are silent) host has the talent to improve on his already great legacy. The comedian will be dropping the nutty character personality he had on his previous Comedy Central show, but will surely still have us in stitches with his witty humor. Even though this show will not air until September this year, Colbert’s cult fan base is one of many reasons to trust his taking over of the show.

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Channel: NBC
Air time: 11:34 p.m.

Many grew to love Jimmy Fallon as a musically-talented comedian who breaks character easily on Saturday Night Live, and his goofy personality is every bit as charming as the host of The Tonight Show. After taking over for Jay Leno early 2014, Fallon has received impressive ratings, beating his main competition of Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel week after week, and even improved on Leno’s ratings his first year. The show is almost exactly the same format of when he hosted Late Night, including popular segments such as “Egg Russian Roulette” (contestants take turns smashing eggs on their face, not knowing if it’s hard-boiled or raw) and “Thank You Notes” (Fallon writes sarcastic thank you notes to people and organizations in current event headlines).

Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Channel: ABC
Air time: 11:35 p.m.

Jimmy Kimmel has hosted this program since 2003, but it wasn’t until 2011 that its original time slot was moved from 12:05 a.m. to better compete with first round of late-night talk shows. Kimmel’s show isn’t actually recorded live, and has the same format as a regular late-night show. There is a history of hilarious segments that have been popular for years such as “Mean Tweets” (actors read mean tweets sent to them on Twitter) and his ongoing (fake) feud with actor Matt Damon.  His show is currently the longest running late-night talk show in ABC history.

Conan
Channel: TBS
Air time: 11:00 p.m.

Following Conan O’Brien’s disastrous tenure as Jay Leno’s replacement for The Tonight Show, many thought Conan’s humor was more appropriate for a later crowd. However, much like Stephen Colbert, O’Brien also has a major cult following that supported him after getting booted by NBC. That support led to the creation of his own show in 2010. Some of his most popular sketches include “Fan Corrections” (fans send in a video exposing an error Conan made, but the host always refutes the claim giving an absurd excuse) and “Clueless Gamer” (Conan, who is not skilled at playing video games at all, attempts to play new releases).

The Daily Show
Channel: Comedy Central
Air time: 6:19 p.m.

Although its time slot isn’t exactly “late-night,” Jon Stewart has competed in the ratings with the talk show giants for many years. His show is more politically-oriented than any of the previously mentioned programs, but comedy is still the main ingredient. As we are discussing a great talk show host exiting the spotlight, Stewart himself will be leaving The Daily Show in August this year. He will be replaced by Trevor Noah, who has been a recent frequent contributor on the show. Noah was in headlines soon after it was announced that he would replace Stewart because of some controversial jokes he posted on Twitter. Noah did not apologize for his statements and Comedy Central supported him, so this new version of The Daily Show could have interesting politically incorrect humor. Noah’s Daily Show is expected to air late this year or early next year.

Real Time with Bill Maher
Channel: HBO
Air time: 10:00 p.m.

HBO is the channel to watch if you’re interested in an edgier and uncensored late-night show. Maher has been hosting the program since 2003, which has a political focus much like The Daily Show. Real Time features fewer celebrities than the average late-night show, with most of the guests being experts on the subject being discussed, whether they are politicians, journalists or professors. Also, unlike the average late-night show, this only airs on Fridays, so it’s not hard to catch up if you have missed an episode or two.

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Channel: HBO
Air time: 11:00 p.m.

Continuing the theme of political late-night talk shows, John Oliver is yet another Daily Show contributor who has gone on to host his own show. While Jon Stewart went on hiatus to direct the film Rosewater, Oliver filled in as The Daily Show’s host and audiences fell in love with him. The result of that experiment was HBO offering Oliver his own show, where he had full control over what he wanted to discuss on the program (making it apparent that he had some restrictions while on Comedy Central). The show only airs on Sundays and is only a half hour long, but network officials have stated they plan on extending the show’s length to an hour once Oliver has found his groove.

]]> Fri, 22 May 2015 00:00:00 -0400 14171431647021 http://coconuttimes.com/articles/OC-Sounds-Off/DISNEY-INFINITY-New-Disney-game-lets-kids-play-with-all-franchises-in-the-same-world
    After an outnumbered Anakin Skywalker uses the force to get through a wave of stormtroopers, Captain Jack Sparrow jumps out of the crow’s nest atop his ship to battle enemies spawned from the deep ocean. And once those threats have been taken care of, Iron Man flies off the Avenger’s Tower to rid New York City of frost giants sent to destroy the Earth. I am not reading you the beginning of my latest fan fiction, but a description of what happens when kids play Disney’s new “interactive toy box” video game series called Disney Infinity. Released in 2013 with new expansions coming out each year, these games gather all of your favorite Disney characters, new and old, together to give kids hours upon hours of entertainment on almost any video game console you can think of. With the newest release just announced this week, I’d like to share what has made this series so insanely popular, and explain why all kids should be having fun with one of the coolest and most unique products to hit store shelves in a long time.

OK, so what exactly is Disney Infinity?

There are two main aspects of Disney Infinity. First and most importantly, is the video game that brings these worlds to life on your TV. Almost every game console is compatible with Disney Infinity, including Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita. And even if you don’t have any of the recent platforms, there are versions released for iOS and Windows PC.  As compatibility differs depending on what version you purchase, double check that your specific platform is supported.

The other part of Disney Infinity is what makes it so fun for kids. Figurines depicting a plethora of popular Disney-owned franchises are available that connect to the game and let you play an adventure as that character.  This is what is truly remarkable about the game. The figures alone are great collector’s items, but now kids can play with them in their own virtual world, and the customizable possibilities are nearly endless. The first release of the series mainly features classic Pixar films such as Toy Story and The Incredibles, while the 2.0 edition focused on adding many of the Marvel super heroes and villains. The just-announced 3.0 edition that releases later this year expands the universe even more with the addition of Star Wars characters from the original and prequel trilogy, as well as the upcoming sequel trilogy.

I have the game and some figures; how do I play?

The video game comes in what is called a Starter Pack, which includes the portal that is used to transport the physical figures into the video game world. Simply placing the figurine on the pad will allow you to play with that character in virtual reality. Once your character is in place, there are a couple of different ways to play.  

What most kids will dive into first is the single player story mode. The Starter Pack and other character packs come with Play Sets that build the world you explore in the video game. Just as you do with the figures, placing the Play Set on the portal loads the world. Each Play Set brings you to a familiar location, such as Monster’s University for Monsters, Inc. characters and Manhattan for The Avengers characters. In most of the single player adventures, your character fights through bad guys in a series of events that culminates in a final boss battle. Players can also explore the land for collectables that can be used in the other game mode that I will explain next. Each campaign provides hours of entertainment, and select characters are compatible with several Play Sets, meaning Iron Man can explore the world inhabited by Guardians of the Galaxy characters. There is also a cooperative two-player mode available, letting siblings do battle together or giving parents the opportunity to spend some quality time with their children.

The other playing mode of the game is what makes Disney Infinity a truly unique experience, and will keep kids occupied much longer than the single player campaign. Called Toy Box, this mode lets you explore the world any way you see fit. Using items and accessories to build your own custom world, it can be inhabited by any Disney Infinity figure. These items can also be used for characters, making the customization possibilities almost endless. Want to fight wave after wave of enemies as Groot? Go right ahead. Want to fly through the sky as Buzz Lightyear? The sky is yours. Want to fly through the sky as Groot wearing Buzz Lightyear’s wings? Have a blast. The customization options are fun, and it’s great to have the ability to do something so unique without having to purchase several physical accessories for a figurine.  

The release of the 3.0 edition expands on the fun had in Toy Box mode. Two new variants of Toy Box mode will release at the same time as the 3.0 edition, called Speedway and Toy Box Takeover. In Toy Box Takeover, the story goes that the villain Syndrome from The Incredibles has obtained the power to create worlds just like you can in the regular Toy Box mode. The result is an environment mixed with aspects of each franchise, as your character fights bad guys and levels up as they progress. Speedway is exactly what it sounds like, giving you the opportunity to make your own race course using items from any franchise you have collected. While these new game modes greatly extend the play time you can get at this game, each must be purchased separately.

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