We�ve been a little obsessed with the intersection between film and music on youtube.com/music this week -- we kicked off Monday with a playlist of music videos by the acclaimed director Spike Jonze, who just directed Kanye West and Jay-Z�s easy, playful video for �Otis� and is also known for his work on the big screen, most recently for Where The Wild Things Are. And then there�s Jeff Bridges...
The Big Lebowski...Sings
Actors can convince us of a lot of things, but historically speaking, it�s pretty hard to make us believe they�re actually musicians. (Remember William Shatner�s �music� career?) But after his portrayal of a washed-up country singer in Crazy Heart, Jeff Bridges got inspired to go back to a recording studio -- which he built on his own land -- and start writing songs again. With the expert support of producer T Bone Burnett, Bridges is proving himself to be more than an actor playing a part. His first single from his new album is catchy, smart and -- best of all -- convincing. Today we feature the man better known as �the dude� sharing a little bit about the music that has influenced and inspired him.
Actors: Wannabe Musicians?
In the spirit of Jeff Bridges getting his songwriting on, we thought we�d look at the track record of other actors who tried their hand at the music biz. You might be surprised by how many there are: from Keanu Reeves and Ryan Gosling to Minnie Driver and Zooey Deschanel, a lot of thespians have tried to cross the divide -- with mixed results. Wondering who soars and who falls flat? Only one way to find out: watch!
Fool�s Gold: Wild Window
Back in 2009, the L.A. band Fool�s Gold convinced reluctant indie rockers that they actually could enjoy music that wasn�t in English -- in part because the unholy mongrelism of the band's debut album was just too compelling to ignore. (Perhaps that was due to the incongruousness of a singer crooning in Hebrew over guitar licks that came straight of the Sahara.) The focus has changed on their follow-up Leave No Trace -- vocalist Luke Top sings primarily in English and the once-sprawling collective has become a tight five-piece. But if this charming video is any indication, change is a good thing.
Sarah Bardeen, Music Community Manager, recently watched �Feist - How Come You Never Go There.�
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