Pop Goes the Mousey

So, once again, I need to make a confession. Despite being unabashedly obsessed with pop culture, I am somewhat of an elitist about it. And I get pretty vicious about stuff that I'm not a fan of. Tom and I have gotten into some pretty heated conversations because neither one of us really has a filter when it comes to saying what we mean and meaning what we say. On top of that, we have wildly different tastes when it comes to most things- save Disney, of course. That's where our fandom converges and it's partially what brought us together.

I'm so surprised! I had no idea these huge
sparkly Mickey ears would be here, too!

That being said, one of the things that has irked me the most over the past few years is the new crop of Disney Channel stars and the mania that surrounds them. Recently, I have come to the realization that it's just my inner Carl from Up taking over. Who knew that you could get curmudgeonly at age 30? I moaned on about how Disney used to give us stars like Hayley Mills and Annette Funicello and now we get Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez? What the what? Back when I was growing up, they even gave us Xtina and Brit Brit. Grumble, grumble, blah blah blah.

One of the things I am most adamant about is that you should never judge anything before you have given it a fair shake. I realized lately that I have barely listened to any music by or watched TV shows starring these kids. It's been all blustering and knee-jerk reactions. In the interest of equity, I decided to give some of their music a chance and I was actually kind of surprised by what I discovered.

Firstly, let me say that if I look at it objectively, Hayley and Annette are not exactly supernaturally talented singers. Both have made it very well known that they did not consider themselves singers and were rather uncomfortable behind a microphone. I love listening to my Let's Get Together with Hayley Mills CD. It was part of a series, called the Disney Archive Collection, of classic albums that were re-released on CD in the late nineties in limited editions and are now out of print. They are all awesome, but the Haley Mills album holds a very special place in my heart. Check out this track from the CD.

Not exactly a masterpiece. And it's very typical of the album's sound. Hayley Mills singing is really just Hayley Mills speaking rhythmically. And I adore it. Never once did I ever dare to say, "Um, dude. She can't sing." The voice was not the point. The personality was. Her music is charming and instantly takes me to another time and place- one that I was never even alive during- and I love it for that.

Hayley Mills is like comfort food for my heart. There's something so adorable about her and the sound of her voice instantly puts me in a good mood. I am waiting very patiently for some of her unreleased Disney output to see the light of day on DVD. I am particularly a fan of Back Home and Parent Trap Hawaiian Honeymoon, which were both Disney Channel movies from the nineties. I am extremely tired of watching them in ten minute sections of YouTube, thank you very much.

Annette has an extremely similar effect on me, though not quite as strongly as Hayley does. Disney studio composers the Sherman Brothers, of Mary Poppins fame, wrote the hit "Tall Paul" for her when she was rocketing past the other Mouseketeers as the breakout star of The Mickey Mouse Club. Annette's voice was so small, they had to find a way to beef it up. They had Annette re-record the song several times and layered the vocal tracks to create what became an icon sound for the performer. Not much different than the auto-tuning and other forms of studio magic used today, huh? Once again, nostalgia does much to cover up the flaws.

Once again, this is not challenging, boundary pushing music from an extraordinary vocalist. It's pop music. It's frothy, fun, silly, and geared towards young people who aren't concerned with the sturm und drang of adult life. I am actually a huge fan of pop music. I love a great piece of fluff (Katy Perry) and challenging, forward thinking pop (Robyn) in equal amounts. So why was I being so hard on the latest crop of Disney talent?

Baby as Yoda. I say yes!

I think it probably started with Hannah Montana. The title alone triggered my gag reflex, though it did inspire a hilarious Amy Poehler punchline on the Weekend Update on SNL.

Amy: One of the hottest concert tours in the country now is Miley Cyrus, the star of Hannah Montana. While the least popular? Yoda Minnesota. 

Ha! Then there was the fact that the premise seemed posed to encourage young girls to aspire to be famous as validation for their worth. What happened to shows for kids where the kids we saw were just like us? I also had bad memories of her Achy Breaky dad from his mulletastic days. He made me think of unhappy times filled with huge, Confederate flag bumper stickered pickup trucks and cammo cap wearing country punks flipping me the finger and calling me "fag". These were the days before I learned to embrace my Southern heritage. Miley Cyrus seemed to me an awkward, not particularly talented, young girl who was famous because she was lucky enough to have a famous dad with good connections and a need for cash flow.

Wow. Reading that last paragraph makes me sad about what a total douchetool I was being. Hayley Mills had a well-connected dad, actor John Mills who starred in Swiss Family Robinson, who helped her get her break. Annette was an awkward everygirl who emerged from the Mouse pack out of sheer luck. Kids just gravitated towards her. There's no solid answer as to what it was about her. She had that intangible something that drew other kids to her. I still haven't watched an episode of Hannah Montana, so it's ridiculous for me to pretend to know how it handles the subject fame. And no one has any control over my past associations with ignorant rednecks. It was never fair of me to judge the poor girl so harshly.

Then this summer rolled around. For one reason or another, I listened to a Miley Cyrus track from a 2009. I'm sure you've heard it. It goes a little something like this.

Yes, folks. I am no longer afraid to state that two years after it was released, "Party in the U.S.A." has become my summer jam of 2011. It is kind of a perfect pop song. (It was co-written by an awesome British pop singer named Jessie J, who you need to give a spin if you don't already know her, cuz she's awesomesauce. Start with "L.O.V.E.", "Price Tag" and "Do It Like a Dude" and go from there. You're welcome.) It makes me strut down the street when it's own my ipod. It's just a breezy, karaoke-ready good time. And now it sits comfortably in my Top 100 Most Played Songs.

And as for the young lady who sings it, I have a helluva lot of respect for her. Her awkwardness is endearing to me now. I'm fascinated by watching her mature from a gawky pre-teen into a young woman trying to define herself as an artist and person. The year is different, but, once again, the story hasn't changed. Miley sexing it up a bit isn't far removed from Annette doing the Beach Party movies. And of course, what really endeared me to her was the tattoo she got in support of marriage equality and the twitter conversation that followed where she stood firm in her beliefs. On top of all that, she has a good sense of humor, as evidenced when she appeared on SNL during one of the fully hilarious "Miley Cyrus Show" sketches. She gets major snaps for that. Anyone who is able to laugh at themselves seems like good people to me.

From there, my interest spread out to Selena Gomez, from the Disney Channel series Wizards of Waverly Place, and her new album. I have become kind of obsessed with "Love You Like a Love Song".

Once again, this is a damn fine pop song. And the video is fully fantastic. This and "Party in the U.S.A." have been in constant rotation all summer. Little by little I've listened to more of their albums, and, be still my heart, they are actually pretty darn good. It makes me feel completely foolish for being so reluctant to giving them a spin before now.

I can't say that I understand the system that creates child stars, but however it works, the pattern has always been basically the same. Normal kids are plucked from obscurity and thrown into a spotlight. Some are talented, some are not. Some have that indelible spark that is capable of being cultivated into celebrity, some do not. And all of them have to grow up and navigate the waters of either stardom or obscurity. It's not an enviable position to be in and they deserve the benefit of the doubt more often than not.

Except Lindsay Lohan. I'm done with her. Emma Stone found her career and seems to be actually making something of it. Sorry.

All of this also brought back to mind a Disney Channel actor from my childhood. We all know about all of the stars who emerged from MMC. I, however, used be particularly enamored with Kids Incorporated. A few stars broke out of that show, namely Stacy Ferguson (Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas) and Love Hewitt (before she added the Jennifer). But one of my favorites on the show was always Martika. But mostly I adored her for her big hit after she left the show, called "Toy Soldiers". It's a fantastic eighties-licious pop song. Yes, I know Eminem sampled it. Please don't judge her harshly for that.

Ultimately, I think the moral of the story here is that I need to stop being such an old fuddy-duddy. Times change and unless I want to be that old dude waving his cane and griping about how much better things were back in the day, I need to get off my high horse and stay open to new things. In fact, I bought a Jonas Brothers and a Demi Lovato CD today. And maybe one of these days, I'll actually watch an episode of Hannah Montana. Preferably one where Dolly Parton is guest starring.

I shall leave you with two more niblets to enjoy while I prepare for an impending hurricane heading towards New York City. The first is part of a motivational video for teens with Mr. T called Be Somebody...or Be Somebody's Fool. No I'm not joking. This section focusing on Mr. T giving fashion advice. Nope. Still not kidding. Pay attention to the young lady following Xena and Zena, the opening duo of models. No! I promise I'm still not kidding! It's a young Martika, then known as Marta, taking the A train to fashion. It's amazing.

And lastly, if you've never seen the Bad Lip Reading videos on Youtube, you are missing out. My favorite one is "Gang Fight" based on Rebecca Black's "Friday". They take the videos, remove the sound and then write a new song based solely on what it looks like the singer is saying. This is the one that they did for Miley Cyrus' "Party in the U.S.A."

So, have you given these kids a shot? And are you over the age of 20? What have your thoughts been? Oh! And if you're under the age of 20, same question! Anybody else find themselves surprised? Or is my third-life crisis just making me find weird ways to stay young? Is Miley Cyrus my red convertible?

That's all, for this week, kids! Assuming I haven't blown away in Hurricane Irene, our next DATE Night will be on Tuesday. Hop a ride on Casey Jr. and visit Dumbo with me!

Papa Bear

Love this poster art. Those Marc Davis
characters are just so full of life!

The Country Bear Jamboree is rather controversial among Disney parkgoers. There are who hold it close to their hearts and will defend it to the death and there are those who emit a resounding "Meh..." and avoid it at all costs. Which camp, y'all ask, do I fall into? I fall squarely into the former. 

For me, no trip to the Magic Kingdom is ever complete unless I have made my pilgrimage to Grizzly Hall. I enter the waiting room, which is wonderfully detailed, down to the bear claw marks of audiences past covering the floor. I remember noticing that they were there when I was a kid, fully convinced that bears made them, and now it stands as one of my favorite bits of architectural storytelling in the park.

The wood interior warms my soul, transporting me to a rustic time and place where woodland creatures sing songs for me, even when they only exist from the neck up. The theater is equally simple and cozy. And the show that plays there is like a salve for what pains you. You just have to sit back, relax, and wallow in the pure joy of knee-slapping silliness.

At a certain point, you flat out give up
on replacing the floorboards.

On my last trip to Walt Disney World my big pin trading goal was to collect all six of the Country Bear Jamboree hidden Mickey pins that were circulating around. Tom and I kept our eyes peeled for patches of brown on cast members' lanyards. By the end of our second day, we had found them all and I displayed them proudly on my puffed out chest. Tom and I literally jumped up and down and cheered when we finally found the last of the set.

I finally got a vinyl copy of the attraction soundtrack on eBay, which now graces my wall. I even own the much maligned movie on DVD. I haven't watched it in years. I remember being severely disappointed when I saw it the first time, so I am curious to revisit it and see if that opinion has changed at all. Do you need any more convincing about what Country Bear JamborFan I am? I thought not.

I would venture to say that most people who don't like the show either haven't seen the show recently, refuse to do so because they don't like country music, or are scared away by other bear bashers. Disney itself is guilty of mocking these poor ursine performers, lampooning the attraction unabashedly (and quite cleverly, I must admit) in A Goofy Movie with the Lester's Possum Park scene.

Don't get me wrong. I will admit that the show can use a bit of sprucing up. The fur has gotten a little matted. They bears sometimes do that weird, one-eyed blink that only animatronics who need a tune-up do. The cracks show around the edges and the thing can tend to look a bit threadbare and janky. But that's not the show. That's upkeep. And that's a shame.

I would love to see our friends be treated with a bit more care- especially since this is the very first attraction to originate in Walt Disney World before moving elsewhere. As a Florida boy, it's a matter of home state pride to me. Now that the Disneyland version is gone, WDW alone holds the Country Bear torch. Apparently the three heads- Buff, Max and Melvin- still live in the Winnie the Pooh ride that has taken over their old home in Critter Country. I tried unsuccessfully to find them on my last trip and will try even harder when I go back next month.

Big Al and Al Bertino. Striking resemblance, eh?

Underneath the layers of dust, the attraction that is there still shines and I would argue that dismissing the Country Bear Jamboree so quickly is doing yourself a disservice. I think that it is one of the most subversive, funny, weird, and original attractions in the park. Imagineers like Marc Davis (one of my personal faves) and Al Bertino (Big Al, who memorably sings "Blood on the Saddle" in the attraction is based on him) infused the show with a wicked sense of humor and a big, beating heart.

Every one of the songs in the show, whether original or not, really gives you an insight into who these characters are. You come out having a very firm sense of all of the characters' personalities after a very short time with each. It manages to be appropriate and engaging for kids, who are taken by the fun songs and the big Audio-animatronic bears. They also have my favorite character, little Oscar clutching his teddy bear, as an absolutely adorable stand-in for them to relate to. He acts as an observant child who just soaks up all the craziness oozing out of the adults that surround him.

At the same time, it winks slyly at the adults in the audience. If you're a gay man, a show filled with bears takes on a whole new meaning. It's a no-brainer. Moonshine flows and the bears imbibe, both to forget their man troubles or just because that's what hillbilly bears would do. Any parent who's had a long day in the park with a pain in the rump child will appreciate the sentiment of not whupping little Buford, but shooting him instead. It's also very easy to relate to the Sun Bonnets when they lament that "all the guys that turn me on, turn me down." Liver Lips McGrowl shares his acceptance that his woman ain't pretty, cuz he ain't, too. And married Earnest admits that when he flirted with a lady bear, she told him "If ya can't bite, don't growl." Sage advice, indeed.

Yup. This lives on my wall now. Jealous?

These bears aren't singing cute little bear songs about cute little bear things. These are bears that act like real people. Ladies are bein' sexy. One even looks like Mae West beckoning us to come on up and see her and is a swinger, for heaven's sake! Guys are noticing and hollering their approval. Everybody jammin' to music they love. They are performing mostly old school folk, country and blues songs, with originals perfectly blended in, including "The Bear Band Seranade" by George Bruns and X. Atencio, who co-wrote "Yo Ho, A Pirate's Life For Me".

These songs are tongue in cheek, raw, and full of black humor. They are singing songs that stem from the everyday experiences of real people, mostly revolving around their relationships. This is not the most politically correct attraction in the park, and has is pretty much unchanged over the years, thank heavens, save the occasional vacation hoedown show and the holiday incarnation which are only in Japan now. This is as close to sex, drugs and rock'n'roll and you will ever get in the Magic Kingdom. And it's purty darn close, at that.

This is the music of the common folk of America, which is, of course, why it fits comfortably in Walt's vision of the park. Instead of the more well-to do yesterday on Main Street, here in Frontierland it is more down and dirty. The struggles of working class people that broke their backs to lay the foundation of this country and what they did to leave forget their hardships for a spell. I hope that just as pirates have come back to the forefront lately, that Davy Crockett and his ilk will have a resurgence soon, but that's a whole other blog entry.

Having said all of that, I have a confession to make. Don't tell anyone, but I used to be a full on Country Bear hater. I wandered far away before I finally came back into the fold. There were years that I would turn my nose up at the thought of sitting down to a twenty minute show of country singin', weird winkin', twangy talkin' robotic bears. And it had as much to do with my own journey in life as it had to do with anything else. I can admit that now. Before I would have said that it was boring and dumb just so I wouldn't have to confront the fact that if my Dad was an attraction at Walt Disney World, he would be the Country Bear Jamboree. No question.

Almost any Southern gay boy will tell you that their relationship with their dad is fraught, to say the least, and mine was no exception. My dad is a good ole boy who comes from a large family in Eufala, Alabama. I'm sure that the idea of having a gay family member had never even crossed his mind, much less having a gay son. Things were tough for a lot of years and that resulted in me turning my back on anything that made me think of my dad.

The Five Bear Rugs (plus Oscar- toot toot!)

For all those years I rejected anything country. Music, culture, and even the accent. I worked very hard to hammer out any bit of that giveaway lilt from my voice to make sure that my heritage couldn't be pegged down.

To be fair, it wasn't just Dad. I lived in a town where the majority of cars proudly display Jesus fish or Confederate flags and the people in them proudly display the homophobia that oftentimes accompanies those bumper stickers. It was a hard place to grow up, but in the end I have no doubt I am stronger for it.

A few years ago, as I was approaching my thirties, I started to gain a lot of respect for Dad. It was the kind of respect that only life experience allows you to glean. Part of it was from my own contemplation of being a father. As I imagine what it is like to raise a child, I tip my hat to those brave souls who step into the wilderness of parenthood, knowing that it will be hard, amazing, exasperating, exhilarating, trying, and ultimately gratifying. I know it was hard for Dad to look at his son and not understand the person that he was becoming. It was equally hard for me knowing that he didn't and wondering if he ever could.

It's like a little patch of heaven.

It was soon after that I started to feel a real connection to the South. I was drawn to the music, the lore, the kindness that was everywhere if you looked for it. My love for roots-influenced music by folks like the Indigo Girls, Brandi Carlile, Patty Griffin and Alison Krauss caught fire. Now country and folk leaning artists are among my favorites. I started getting into southern books, like The Help, and southern TV shows like True Blood. I also started missing Tallahassee, Florida, where some people were closed minded, but many more were accepting of anyone as long as they're good people. I missed the feeling of community, the importance of family, and the smell of honeysuckle when you drive down the canopy road on your way home to sit on the back porch with the family and sip sweet ice tea while the crickets make music and the fireflies dance.

I know, I know. Her eyes are wonky.
I don't have the heart to tell her.

My dad is pure country, with a bigger than life laugh, belly and sense of humor. Everything about him is over the top and silly. He also has a deep love for roots music- blues, country, folk, jazz. He goes out every chance that he can to play his huge bass and sang songs. It don't pay him much, but he does it because he loves it. The house is always full of music- sometimes annoyingly loud. Harmonicas at nine in the morning. Bass at three in the afternoon. Singing all night on the back porch. I think that the two great loves of his life are his family and his music.

As I began to make peace with Dad, I began to appreciate the simple joys that are within the doors of Grizzly Hall. He is the Country Bear Jamboree personified. He even kind of looks like a Country Bear, to tell the truth. And "liver lips" is a term of endearment / annoyment that has been so imbedded into my psyche from Dad saying it that it's hard to tell whether I heard it from him, he heard it from the show or it came out of a collected Southern consciousness that's bigger than any of us. He takes joys in the simple things, enjoys what he does without shame or apologies, jams hard and loves even harder.

There is a stuffed Oscar and
I don't own it. Unacceptable.

With the same fervor I used to walk right past the attraction because it reminded me of Dad, I walk directly for The Country Bear Jamboree now. It makes me think of him and the moments I spend listening to him tell hokey jokes or play the harmonica with more heart than skill. Dad and I will never be exactly on the same page about everything. Just ask me about his addiction to Fox News. But we now have a mutual respect that the teenage me would never have expected. I genuinely and without hesitation love my dad like crazy.

Disney has done something pretty spectacular by taking a piece of Americana out of the trunk and putting it on display for thousands of people every day. For me, it is more than just that. It's a piece of my history that I get to spend time with. It doesn't matter how loudly the gears grind while Henry and the gang entertain, beneath the clack of an animatronic eyelid, if you let yourself listen, you hear the story of a culture. And as I make my way back to that pine-filled auditorium, I am making my way back to my dad, one corny joke and mouth harp solo at a time.

And sometimes, usually when I talk to my family, a southern drawl sneaks back into my voice and it makes me smile when I catch it there. I am proud of my family, especially my dad, my heritage and that twang. Dang proud, thank you ma'am.

Alt Disney World: Brandi Carlile

These three are even sexier with guitars in their hands,
believe it or not.

I have been a huge fan of Brandi Carlile for a few years now. I saw her do a gig in a small club supporting her first major label album, Brandi Carlile, back in 2005. She writes with the Hanseroth twins, who are the tall, talented, bald, handsome devils who play at all of her gigs with her. The show was intimate, acoustic, and one of the most stunning live sets I've ever seen. Just Brandi, the twins and an hour of the most exciting live performance I had seen in forever. I knew then and there that I was witnessing something special.

They did songs from the first album and covered "Hallelujah", which is a bold move. Usually when someone performs that song all you do is think about how you wish you were listening to Jeff Buckley sing it. When Brandi sang it, all I thought about was how grateful I was to be there, in that moment, watching an incredibly talented artist on the ascent.

Brandi is not only an amazing singer, but also a stellar songwriter, writing or co-writing every song on the disc. Her musical style has it roots in classic rock, blues, folk and country, blending them all into a chunky stew of sound that is all her own. Also, she has been out of the closet since she started her career, focusing press more on her music and making her personal life a non-issue, but admitting that she hopes to be an out gay role model for the next generation as the Indigo Girls and Elton John were to her. And me for that matter. She is just a year younger than I am and has been influenced by a lot of the same musicians and role models as me over the years.

Her first album, like all of them, is pretty spectacular. I would be hard pressed to choose a favorite track, but I am quite fond of "Closer to You", which shows her more funky, bouncy, lighthearted side.

Her second album, The Story, got a good bit of attention because it's title track was featured prominently in Grey's Anatomy. The yearning tune is kind of astounding. I have heard this track butchered by many who don't posses the right mix of power, emotion and openness to pull it off. I'm talking to you, American Idol contestants. Leave it alone, ok?

Also on this album is a great hidden track, "Hiding My Heart". It is heartbreakingly lovely.

Just for compare and contrast, and because I heart her, here is a fantastic cover that Adele did as a b-side. Y'all know I'm a huge ole Adele geek, but I must say that I give Brandi the (slight) edge here. She has a certain weathered quality to her voice that adds to the aching quality of the song. But dang, Adele can sing pretty much anything, can't she?

Her third album, Giving Up the Ghost, is more of the same, which is a very good thing. She has a distinct musical voice and is an artist who knows better than to stray too terribly far from it. The music that she makes sounds both old fashioned and fresh, owing to her affinity for time-tested musical styles and her fresh take on them. I have fond memories of the song "Dying Day" because when I saw her perform live on a double bill with the Indigo Girls (my little Lilith Fair loving gay boy heart damn near exploded from the sheer awesomeness of that evening) in Tallahassee, my hometown, she and her band came down to the edge of the stage and did the whole song acoustically- completely sans amplification. The song, and her powerful voice particularly, filled the venue, which was holding probably around 1,000 people. Even though it was unplugged, it was electrifying. You can catch a glimpse of them doing this in a live venue during the video for the song.

Also on this album is a fantastic song called "Dreams". When Disney was doing promotion for Tangled, which was the 50th full length animated feature from the studio, they released this video, using Brandi's song, to both pay tribute the past and build excitement for the new addition to the canon.

When I watched the video, I was a little bit amazed. The first time I saw it, I got rather weepy, which shouldn't be too surprising. As the video swept over me, I was genuinely moved. I watched pieces of my life flash before my eyes and was overwhelmed by the breadth and quality of the Disney animated catalogue. Then, like the Disney dork I admittedly am, I watched again to see how many I could name off the top of my head.

At that point, it started to sink in that part of the reason that the clip is so powerful really is the song. The steady drum that pounds like a heartbeat. The soft, playful beginning that crescendos into an exuberant celebration and then slows itself back down to a sweet denouement. It tells it's own two minute story. The editing is brilliant, matching the clips to the feel of the song beautifully. The repetition of the word "dream" in the song is also key. Dreams have been a Disney staple from "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" all the way through the new Disney Dream cruise ship. Whoever came up with the brilliant idea to pair the emotional power of Brandi Carlile with this Disney retrospective is a flat-out genius.

The tattoo on her arm? AURYN from
The Neverending Story. Hot, huh?

If you enjoy Brandi's music, which you must, since I consider you all friends and no friend of mine doesn't love her, you should check out her new album, Live At Benaroya Hall With the Seattle Symphony. As fantastic as her albums are, Brandi really shines live and this live album really captures a performance beautifully. Plus, she's backed by a symphony, which really makes you feel the scope of the music that she's making. Strings make everything better. It'll knock your socks off, I promise.

It also captures one of my favorite moments from her live show, which is during her performance of "Turpentine" from The Story. She leads the audience in a sing along, which is often nothing short of annoying, but when she gleefully gets a thousand people to sing in three part harmony, it is really one of the most amazing things I've ever experienced at a live show and it's wonderfully captured on this CD. You can tell how much joy Brandi gets from feeding off of an audience's energy.

What do you think of Ms. Carlile? Are you now a convert or have I been preaching to the choir? What other artists have surprised you in a good way when they've popped up in something Disney-related?

Score One for the Mouse

You know how I feel about being in Disney parks. It brings me a sense of calm and joy just to be on Disney property. But specifically when you are within the parks, there is an important detail that it's easy not to even notice if you aren't paying attention- the music. It's everywhere. And it's themed. And it envelops you. Walking down Main Street you hear ragtime. In Adventureland there is the constant sound of drumbeats. Frontierland has tunes with a twang.

How gorgeous is this limited edition poster
by artist Tom Whalen?!? Deco-tastic!

Disney is wise enough to understand the importance of the score to the success of any movie. Their movies have always incorporated songs and music exceptionally well, from Steamboat Willie's whistled ditty to "A Dream is a Wish Your hearts Makes" to "When Will My Life Begin?" to the scores of George Bruns and Randy Newman to the company-defining sound of the Sherman Brothers. Ask anyone of any age what their favorite Disney song is and they will have an answer, however begrudgingly they may give it.

By underscoring your day in the park, they are heightening the feeling that you are living your own movie. Who hasn't wished that their lives had been scored by a great composer? Who hasn't wanted to break out into song in the middle of their day? It can't just be me. Can it? Especially in NYC, we do it for ourselves. Many people, including me, walk out of their doors plugged in to their iPod, choosing the music that will underscore their adventures that day. Disney just takes that a step further, using the music to support the story they are telling in the park, hiding the speakers so that music seemingly drifts from everywhere. You are, in effect, living in a movie. It is a subtle, but effective way of making the day special.

In part because of this and in part because the music in the parks is so awesome, just listening to the music helps comfort me. I love listening to any Disney music, really, but park music has a way of transporting you to being somewhere that is removed from the reality of the moment. Somewhere that you are happy. And it does so instantly.

A literal Disney radio. As opposed to all this talk
of Disney radio. Deep.

Lately this music has become a real lifesaver for me. While I was at my last job, one that I actually enjoyed by and large, I stumbled upon an online radio station called Mouse World Radio on Live365 and my head exploded. Disney park music all day every day. I would put it on at random times just to bring a smile to my face. After I lost that job, I got an admin job that is a little bit... well... how about we go with soul-crushing. One day a month or so in, the online Disney park radio station floated back into my consciousness. I found a coping mechanism to help get me through my days. Now, for as many of the 8 hours a day as I can get away with, at least a small part of my brain is in a Disney park, far away from the office in midtown Manhattan that I actually am in. It has saved my sanity.

Along with Mouse World Radio, Live365 has other stations like Reedy Creek Radio, DIS Radio,  Mousejunkies Radio, and Magical Mouse Radio that all play the same genre. They play full ride throughs recorded on the sly, background music from the different lands, songs from the attractions and other such goodies. When you play one of them in its own window, the others are listed on the side under related stations. When one station isn't playing something that floats my boat, I switch to another one. I'm not going to lie, some of the Tomorrowland loops are kind of hard to take (we thought the furture sounded mighty synth heavy and blippy back in the nineties), but there's always something awesome playing on one of them. Plus, it's free and with only a few scattered commercials. There is also an iPhone app that will stream the music wherever you go.

Best fried chicken and sassy waitresses. What's not to love?

If you are like me (an emotional eater) and need some comfort food for the soul (I can't help you with the real stuff at the moment, but I can recommend where to get the best fried outside of my Aunt Ree's kitchen and it's in Disney's Hollywood Studios), fire up the computer, turn on the interwebs and take yourself over to one of these online stations. It is a perfect salve for days ranging from humdrum to crummy and makes a good day even better. Right at this very moment, it is playing Mickey, Minnie and friends singing "We Go Together" from Grease, which is apparently part of the Every Day is a Holiday show that happened at the Magic Kingdom. Come on. You know that's adorable!

At any rate, if hearing the theme to Soarin' (which has become one of my favorite pieces of music ever thanks to repeated listenings on these stations) or an entire ride through of the Haunted Mansion doesn't brighten your world, then I don't know how to help you. But I will give you a hug next time I see you and hope it's a start.

Alt Disney World: Jonatha Brooke

Disney doesn't have the best rep with (non-Disney) music fans. Say the word and images of questionably talented tweens singing not terribly good pre-fab pop trash. I am guilty of it, too. Though I once judged them quite harshly, I must say I've come to have a soft spot for many of them as they've grown. Miley Cyrus may not be much of a performer, but she's a strong supporter of LGBT rights. Raven Symone has grown into an amusing comedy actress. Britney and Christina and Justin broke away from the MMC factory to become legit pop superstars. And, admittedly, when I was little, even I was all about MMC and Kids Incorporated with their cheese-tastically awesome nineties-ness.

I have a feeling that we will probably grow to appreciate some of the Disney pop music of our time the same way that I'm now completely charmed by Annette Funicello and Haley Mill's pop music from back in the day. Nostalgia has the magical ability to coat everything in a glittery sheen. Now nineties throwback is already happening, kids. Thirtysomethings, brace yourselves. We're that old now. (See Katy Perry's new video for "T.G.I.F." if you don't believe me. Aw, heck. I'll just put it here. Please to enjoy.)

I say all this to say that Disney is not exactly the place that most people look to for songs by legitimately great pop, alt-rock and folk songs. I am a huge, somewhat pretentious, music fan. My tastes run rather Lilith Fair, but are on the whole pretty wide reaching. I am just as likely to be jamming out to Pattty Giffin, a film score, Beyonce, or Aerosmith on my iPod. That's how I've always rolled. I take pride in being the person that introduced my Mama, and thus all her friends, in Tallahassee to Amy Winehouse and Adele months before they broke out nationally. I have pretty high standards for my music.

I decided to start this series of entries, Alt-Disney World, to discuss some of the really great musical artists that Disney has collaborated with recently. It's a way for me to marry my love of the Mouse with my love of music. I think you will be surprised by how many seriously great musicians, some established, some breaking, some indie and comfortable there, Disney has brought in to contribute music for assorted projects. I will be casting my net pretty wide, combing Kingdom to find the unexpected troubadour, rather than focusing on how Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson covered "A Whole New World" on the Aladdin Platinum Collection DVD. Snicker. Shudder.

Give the folks in these columns a chance, you may find Disney introducing you to surprisingly great music that you won't have to be ashamed to admit that you love.

Jonatha Brooke. Ready to pounce, apparently.

First up is Jonatha Brooke. I have been a big Jonatha Brooke fan since high school. I have a very clear memory of my introduction to her. I was leaning against a wooden railing on a gorgeous spring day with her song "Nothing Sacred" drifting from a nearby window. An amazing breeze and this amazing song washed over me. It was perfection.

I have seen Jonatha perform twice. She is fantastic on stage. She can raise the roof or make you cry. She started off as part of a duo called The Story, which morphed into Jonatha Brooke and The Story, and finally she went solo, making some of the best folky rock music of the last ten years and staying under the radar. One of my favorite of her songs is this gorgeous ballad, "Because I Told You So" (which coincidentally was covered by Nick Lachey- not great).

All of her albums are worth checking out. I am particularly fond of 10 Cent Wings, which "Because I Told You So" is from, Careful What You Wish For, which has a bit of a harder, poppier edge and The Works, which is an album where she brilliantly sets words by Woody Guthrie to music.

The first time I saw her live a couple of years ago, she sat down at the piano and talked briefly about writing a song for Disney. I have no idea how I missed it, but I was blissfully unaware of such goings-on. She sang the song "I'll Try" and brought me to tears. The combination of this one woman, a piano and this amazing song was so powerful that I literally wept. The whole concert was great, but the performance of that song in particular renewed my love for Jonatha and kickstarted my consciousness of the alt-Disney phenomenon. This live video of the song has great patter about her writing the song.

In the great tradition of "The Age of Not Believing" it captures the emotions running through someone who is too young to know but too old to know better. The lyric is stunningly moving and adult. The melody as simple but sweeping. She gives voice to emotions in a way that is achingly accessible to both those who are experiencing them and those who have been there. It is easily one of my favorite of her songs, period. It probably fell through the cracks for me because I don't hold Disney's direct-to-video sequels in terribly high esteem. This is from Return to Neverland, which I still have not seen, though I'm sure I will one day just to see how the song is used. On the soundtrack she also performs a haunting reprise of "I'll Try" and a gorgeous version of the classic "Second Star to the Right".

"I'll Try" has become one of the better known recent Disney songs. It has been covered pretty often and made it onto several compilations. Since then, Jonatha has kept it in the fairy realm for Disney, writing lovely songs for both Tinkerbell ("Be True") and Tinkerbell & the Lost Treasure ("It's Love That Holds Your Hand"). She is a spectacular singer and songwriter who has made a singular impact in the music of the Magic Kingdom and who is highly underrated outside of it. Give her a listen!