Now Available - Geek Wedding Vol. 2: The Sequel
By Jessica Apperson
Geek Wedding is back! The sequel to our wildly popular Geek Wedding Collection features more VSQ renditions of music from your favorite Movies, TV Shows and Video Games and is perfect for the couple who zigs when everyone else zags. Thrill your guests by having your wedding party enter to the “Raider’s March” from Raiders of the Lost Ark, experience an unforgettable first dance with the beautiful “Cara Mia Addio” from Portal 2, and leave your wedding in serious style with our rendition of Huey Lewis and The News’ “The Power of Love” from the Back to the Future trilogy.
- Halo - Opening Suite
- Raiders of the Lost Ark - Raiders March
- Doctor Who - Theme
- The Power of Love (Originally performed by Huey Lewis and The News)
- The Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough (Originally performed by Cyndi Lauper)
- Linus and Lucy (Originally performed by Vince Guaraldi Trio)
- Star Wars - Cantina Band
- Final Fantasy X - To Zanarkand
- Portal 2 - Cara Mia Addio
- Howl’s Moving Castle - Merry-Go-Round of Life
- The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind - Nerevar Rising
- As The World Falls Down (Originally performed by David Bowie)
The obvious forerunner here, the Talking Heads' 1980 masterpiece is one of Eno's most enduring productions. An intoxicating hybrid of Afrobeat polyrhythms, electronics, and the Heads' increasingly cerebral pop melodicism, Eno crafted a strange yet immediately accesible sonic landscape that remains his most distinctive achievement.
Co-produced with Daniel Laonis, The Joshua Tree is easily Eno's most commercially popular production. Marrying U2's soul-searching anthems with Eno's gorgeous electronic flourishes was a major coup for both, artistically and commercially; the record single-handedly turned U2 into rock superstars and launched Eno's mainstream career.
Of Eno's leanest and least obtrustive production jobs, Devo's debut record remains a high water mark for both parties. While Eno's trademark layered electronics are in short supply here, he allows the group's nervy deconstructionist pop songs to build and seethe, making for an exceptionally tense and memorable record.
A collection of melodic, funky instrumentals interwoven with a varied collection of vocal samples - from radio show hosts to preachers - Bush of Ghosts was an utterly original release in 1981. While sampling had been done before, Eno's idea to use said samples as "lead vocals" was new, influencing hip hop to modern dance pop and beyond.
Although not technically produced by Eno (due credit must be paid to Tony Visconti and Bowie himself), his presence on Low is crucial and unmistakable. Pushing Bowie's songwriting to bizarre new heights while offering the foreboding instrumental "Warszawa," Eno and Bowie reveal a window into the haunting future of rock 'n roll.
Considered by many to be Eno's finest solo release, Another Green World combines his underrated sense of pop melodicism with his increasing interests in ambience and expansive electronics. Foreboding, lovely tracks like "Becalmed" and "Zawinul" directly foreshadow the work Eno would be making for the next quarter century.
The new millenium sparked some of Eno's most mainstream production work yet, culminating with his, well, surprising collaboration with Paul Simon. As unusual as it might sound on paper, Eno's warm arrangements fit with Simon's songwriting like a glove, resulting in one of his most inviting works.
Eno's ambient releases explore a wide variety of moods and textures, but Apollo (Atmospheres And Soundtracks) is perhaps his most distinctive; a collection of moody atmospherics combined with Laonis's warm guitar tones, it gives the listener the distinct feeling of floating in space, making for a quintessential late-night record.
Eno's pioneering work in the mid-70s can't be understated; he was almost single-handedly responsible for pushing synth-pop and New Wave into the forefront of popular culture. Ultravox's debut record makes this clear, offering a hard-hitting early glimpse into the development of an exciting new genre.
Eno's second collaboration with David Byrne is markedly different effort than their first, forgoing the experimental route for a collection of sweet, homespun melodies. Marrying gospel with deep electronics and pushing the strongest vocals of Byrne's career into the forefront, it is perhaps Eno's most accessible and enjoyable album.
Oh, I really should apologize to Peter Gabriel. I had pretty much written him off. I thought he was done, at least in the current-pop-culture-relevancy context. I don’t mean to downplay the immense contributions he’s made over the years because, really, kudos to him, man. I just thought he was, ya know, done. But then he goes and pulls a Johnny Cash and surprises the hell out of all of us. But with once-a-decade studio LPs, nothing should really be all that shocking. That said, PG’s newest release, Scratch My Back, is shocking, in a great way.
First of all, the LP consists entirely of cover songs. And the picks are insane. No one would’ve pegged the former Genesis member for picking these 12 songs, out of all the songs in the world to choose. He credits at least some of his exposure to indie music to his daughter and after hearing Gabriel’s cover of Flume by Bon Iver, I’m about to send that girl some flowers or something; it’s amazing, quite simply.
His choice to use only orchestral arrangements in lieu of traditional pop instruments makes some songs simply more interesting, while really doing something amazing for others; He takes Regina Spektor’s Apres Moi, to newly dark, cinematic, lofty places that the original song hinted at, even if he does lack her signature stop-motion vocal acrobatics. Without getting all fangirl, it is sufficient to say that the rest of the album holds up just fine. Release date is February 15th, 2010.
Stream the album 
Chrissy H. came to CMH as a lowly intern and has since blossomed into a Customer Service superstar. Not only does she have a winning personality, but has the musical taste to ehttp://www.thevitaminstringquartet.com/blog/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=735nsure all your purchases are the right ones. Her mix-tape is a surefire winner with everything from the eclectic to straight up dance pop. If you ever see her boppin’ around Los Angeles, buy her a drink and she’ll sing you a song. She’ll try not to sing out of key.
1. Van Morrison - And It Stoned Me
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