Cavemen & Celebs Singing, Badly

Continuing with my peripheral dancing around of songs that could potentially be used for your Halloween mix tape, I bring you the Neanderthals. They are led by guitarist Eddie Angel, owner of Spinout Music and awesome guitarist for Los Straitjackets, the kitschy surf-influenced men in Mexi wrestling masks (who, when they sing or talk, which isn't often, mostly do so in Spanish.) The Neanderthals play more garage rock and they do so in caveman outfits. The Neanderthals CD is really fun, push all the furniture to the walls dance music for kids and adults alike. Plus, they sing in caveman outfits. Lots of twisting songs, but of course the one that is a la perfect for Halloween? Their cover of "Purple People Eater." I've included an instrumental (save for the wolf-like moaning) from Eddie Angel's solo CD, Guitar Party, another good one for Hallow's Eve. And a fun taste of Los Straitjackets' slightly klezmer influenced surf fiestas.

The Neanderthals, "Purple People Eater"
The Neanderthals, "Twist To The Moon"
Eddie Angel, "The Panasonics Meet The Wolfman"
Los Straitjackets, "Tabouli"

Eddie also has a CD called Eddie Angel Meets the Beatles which is not him covering Beatles songs but rather Eddie covering songs that the Beatles covered early in their career. I like the twist. All are available on eMusic or via Eddie's label, Spinout.

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Unexpected Dreams: Songs From the Stars came out earlier this year. It's bad. I mean, you'd expect, not unexpect and you'd be right with the first instinct. The concept in case you don't know is a bunch of stars, um, singing. I don't believe that's really Scarlett Johansson singing. I mean, I'm sure she walked up to that mic and opened her mouth, but the end result has been so tweaked and knobbed that I suspect it doesn't resemble the actual sounds that came out that day. Ewan McGregor sounds like Clay Aiken with a slightly diff accent, Jennifer Garner sounds like another American Idol second or third place winner, John Stamos is John Stamos and it makes me laugh because when I was a pre-teen and he was on General Hospital I thought there was no one else for me. Teri Hatrcher makes me wince and wince again. I will say, the John C. Reilly track is do-able, he's lovable and can sing in that I'm on Broadway and deserve to be here sort of way, but it's not like Great with a capital G. This CD is for a good cause, Music Matters, a music education program founded by the L.A. Philharmonic. Still, this is for lovers of American Idol (those who watch for the music and not the spectacle) and celeb gawkers of the most intense kind. The track list...

Scarlett Johansson – “Summertime”
Ewan McGregor – “The Sweetest Gift”
Taraji P. Henson – “In My Daughter’s Eyes”
Jennifer Garner – “My Heart Is So Full of You”
Jeremy Irons – “To Make You Feel My Love”
John Stamos – “Goodnight My Angel”
Lucy Lawless – “Little Child”
Marissa Jaret Winokur – “The Wish Song”
Eric McCormack – “The Greatest Discovery”
Victor Garber – “No One Is Alone”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus – “The Nightshift”
Nia Vardalos – “Golden Slumbers”
John C. Reilly – “Lullaby In Ragtime”
Teri Hatcher – “Goodnight”

But you're curious (and so was I) so here you go, the Ewan McGregor track:

Ewan McGregor, "The Sweetest Gift"

More info: Music Matters