A Fantastic Trip to Penn. . .

Steve-O and I had a fantastic time at U Penn Off The Beat’s fall show, especially the part where we got a copy of the new CD they released! There were a ton of alumni there so we got to see some old friends and make some new ones, as well as check out the 09-10 group. Our personal fave was Alex Friedlander (a.k.a. the white guy with dreds) as Bono.

After the show we went out for a few drinks, such that drinking for fun is possible at Penn, and were delighted to find that our (read:my) car had been locked into the parking garage where it was napping.

Fortunately, my car’s CD player works! I thought it might have broken due to irrelevance and neglect. We rocked out to Evitative, OTB’s latest joint, while we waited for the Penn Police (no, seriously) to let us out of the car cage, then headed back to the Residence Inn and got crackin’ on the pictures and video we got. Half a bottle of Maker’s and an episode of Mad Men later, it was 2:47 and time for bed.

Thanks to OTB for having us down, and congrats on the BOCA nod guys!!! Video coming soon. . . .

An Open Letter to Our Listeners

In October 2008, Rymachine and I took an incredible trip through the creamiest bit of New England, winding through hill and glade, witness to an explosion of peak fall color all the while. The end of our trek was Dartmoth College, the most rustic and natural of the Ivies, and the Dodecaphonics 20th Anniversary Concert that we’d been invited to record. We had a wonderful time at Dartmoth, but tragically one of our tapes was lost in the process of packing our gear to leave, a horrible embarrassment which led to weeks of procrastination. Weeks turned to months, and procrastination turned into resignation ultimately resulting in the Sopranos-like hiatus of Acappella U as a whole.

Finally, after receiving a particularly heartbreaking letter from a student, we decided we couldn’t let Acappella U end on such a sad, despondent note. Episode 4 is a compilation of the footage we DO have from our fantastic Dartmoth experience, and though it’s certainly not as dynamic a piece as it might have been with the lost tape, it’s far better than the big pile of nothing Allie and all of her wonderful Dodecas have had this last 13 months.

Tackling a project like Acappella U when it’s been neglected for over a year is no easy feat, particularly when there are now so many wonderful a cappella podcasts to listen to. If you’re still interested in hearing us blast collegiate a cappella goodness across the internets, please click this link to send us an email and let us know!

- Joey

P.S - We just uploaded Acappella U Episode 53 and Acappella U:HD Episode 4!! We’re still working the bugs out with the media player for the website, but they’re up on iTunes for free or you can download them directly by clicking ‘download’ below!

Acappella U:HD Episode 4 - Dartmoth Dodecaphonics

‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody’ - OPB Whitney Houston
‘Happy Endings’ - OPB MIKA

Arranger & Soloist have been lost to antiquity. . . if anyone knows, please email acappellau at mac dot com and we’ll update the notes!

 Podcast Video: Download

Episode 53

Now that he’s gotten the global economy back on track, Joey hath returned, so stop worrying your pretty little heads about weather he was doing hard labor in a gulag, was dead, etc. . It’s the most wonderful time of the year, with the fall semester starting on college campuses everywhere, including Acappella U. In fact, we have a big announcement - the first scholarly work in the history of the University. More of a discovery really. We also ‘discover’ Mouth Off, a REAL a cappella podcast. Join us for some Capri Suns, spiral notebook party invites and a cappella tunes.

‘Don’t Stop Believing’ - Journey / USC SoCal VoCals
‘Chicago’ - Sufjan Stevens / NYU APC Rythym - arr. Emily Gu - thanks Josh!
‘The Luckiest’ - Ben Folds / USC Reverse Osmosis
‘Bad is Bad’ - Huey Lewis / Tufts Amalgamates
‘Day Dripper’ - The Beatles / Tufts Amalgamates

 Enhanced Podcast: Download

Episode 52

Welcome back from summer break - we got sort of a late start, but we’re gearing up for a great year. It’s our junior year of the podcast, which makes us a little smarter, a little cooler, a little more sexy.
Get ready - a new year of Acappella U starts now!

 

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We’re still here. . . .

. . . we’re just enjoying the last few weeks of summer vacation

Unless you’re an overachieving wanker trying to graduate in three years, you don’t go to college in the summer. You waste time and money just hanging out. In an effort to emulate our students, we like to do the same thing here at Acappella U. Why look - we even took all summer to write this post! Slackers indeed.

Ah but don’t fret. Just as the new crop of freshman hotties is rolling onto campus, Acappella U will once again be pumping out the beats for the good of all mankind.

Episode 51

Finally, the fabled Rock Band / Guitar Hero III episode hits the Internets. Along for the ride is Mickey Rapkin, author of the just-released docu-book Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory.

“More Than a Feeling” (Boston / Stanford Mendicants)
“My Name Is Jonas” (Weezer / U. Illionois Xtenison chords)
“Miss Murder” (AFI / U Penn Off the Beat)
“All the Small Things” (Blink 182 / MIT Logs)
“Dani California” (Red Hot Chili Peppers / Colorado College The Back Row)

 

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Episode 50

Acappella U turns 50 and we celebrate in style at the ICCA Finals in NYC. Check out the juicy footage we got of these amazing groups.

“Turn The Beat Around” (Gloria Estefan/FSU All Night Yahtzee)
“Whipping Post” (The Allman Brothers Band/NYU N’Harmonics)
“Welcome To Paradise” (Green Day/Ithacappella)
“All the Things You Are” (Gene Puerling/USC SoCal VoCals)
“Tusk/Alma Mater” (Fleetwood Mac/USC SoCal VoCals)
“Dirt Road” (Gabriel Mann/USC SoCal VoCals)

 Podcast Video: Download

Episode 49

We had some problems posting the part time version of this show, but it’s up in working order now. Here it is!

This is about as normal an Episode of Acappella U as you’re likely to find - great music, listener mail, inane commentary, everything that makes the show great and turned Joey into a celebrity (yeah right), and not a drop more.  Next week we’ll be hanging out in NYC for Episode 5-oh and the ICCA Finals, but for now much on some Rambler Bits dipped in Cream of Testimony.

“Take On Me” (Ah-Ha / SOU Dulcet)*
“Brighter Than Sunshine” (Aqualung / U of R Midnight Ramblers)*
“How to Save a Life (The Fray / Midnight Ramblers)*
“Breathe Me” (Sia / Stanford Testimony)
“I’m Not Going Down” (Jason Gray / Testimony)

* Available for download on acaTunes

 

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Boston U Interview

Joey was recently interview by a Boston University student for a newspaper there. Here’s the transcript for anyone who cares!

Q: Why is collegiate acappella so popular?

A: Well, you have to separate that into two questions: Why do so many people want to SING in groups and why do are so many non-singers fans of collegiate a cappella.

For singers, that’s sort of like asking why people eat ice cream - it’s awesome by its very nature! I think a lot if a cappella singers are drawn to the music because of the way it FEELS to sing as a part of a group and to harmonize with one another - it’s very pleasurable. I watched a surfing movie the other day and one of the guys they interviewed talked about going through the ‘tube’ of the wave. He said it was the greatest experience in his life, a visceral thrill and ecstasy that he couldn’t match anywhere else. That’s a cappella singing to a lot of us. There’s also those who revel in being a rock star without having to be able to play an instrument. In fact, I have it on good authority that a large percentage of male singers do it for the chicks. Continue reading Boston U Interview…