By the way, what's with the hair? Is that part of the new image?

September 18, 2012 11:05 AM

When it came time to make Aimee Mann's new video for the song Labrador, director Tom Scharpling dragged a reluctant Aimee Mann into making a shot-for-shot remake of the 1985 video for 'til tuesday's Voices Carry. The results are even funnier if you watch the original video immediately afterwards.
posted by jonp72 (73 comments total)

The experience is also enriched if you listen to this skit they did with Aimee Mann and Patton Oswalt, which also involves jokes involving Jon Wurster's obsession with "Voices Carry."
posted by steinsaltz at 11:11 AM on September 18, 2012 [3 favorites]

Or maybe at the same time
posted by 2bucksplus at 11:12 AM on September 18, 2012 [18 favorites]

"It was so collamborative." "The new Stanley Klubrick movie."

Such great little touches.
posted by mhoye at 11:12 AM on September 18, 2012 [3 favorites]

She's such an awesome songwriter. Love the dog motif.
posted by mudpuppie at 11:18 AM on September 18, 2012 [2 favorites]

She also hates playing vampire towns.
posted by kmz at 11:19 AM on September 18, 2012 [8 favorites]

More evidence that Jon Hamm makes every thing even better. Even something already super great.
posted by tittergrrl at 11:20 AM on September 18, 2012 [1 favorite]

When exactly did she cut off the long thin braid thing she had in the Tuesday days?
posted by Egg Shen at 11:23 AM on September 18, 2012

Wow, I feel like I've had a crush on Aimee Mann for twenty years. Oh, wait...
posted by Sphinx at 11:25 AM on September 18, 2012 [4 favorites]

Is that really Scharpling? I recognized Wurster's voice right away, but I've never heard Scharpling do an accent like that before.
posted by benito.strauss at 11:25 AM on September 18, 2012 [1 favorite]

I love Aimee Mann. That is all.
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 11:28 AM on September 18, 2012 [2 favorites]

Gosh, it's especially funny because Aimee Mann looks so much like the singer from 'Til Tuesday.

[Googles "'Til Tuesday"]

Oh.
posted by etc. at 11:41 AM on September 18, 2012 [27 favorites]

Two words: 80s hair.
posted by tommasz at 11:41 AM on September 18, 2012

I do not have enough favorites to give out for this post, and its comments.
posted by DigDoug at 11:45 AM on September 18, 2012 [1 favorite]

When exactly did she cut off the long thin braid thing she had in the Tuesday days?

In an interview I read a long time ago, it apparently happened when a fan took a picture with her and insisted that she hold the braid up - more to the point, when that happened for like the nine millionth time, and she said fuck it, and cut it off.
posted by FAMOUS MONSTER at 11:50 AM on September 18, 2012 [1 favorite]

Wow, it is indeed possible to make Jon Hamm look not amazingly handsome.
posted by mathowie at 11:53 AM on September 18, 2012 [3 favorites]

Meh. The concept is funnier than the execution. Credit where it's due though, Scharpling's videos for Wild Flag's "Romance" and New Pornographers "Moves" are amazing.
posted by joseppi7 at 11:55 AM on September 18, 2012 [1 favorite]

Didn't Scharpling also just do the video for "Charmer" featuring Laura Linney as her robot double?
posted by whuppy at 12:02 PM on September 18, 2012

While I liked the intro, I wish they didn't give away what was going to happen. IMO it would have been funnier to suddenly realize what was happening with the video while watching it. It was still a good re-enactment though.
posted by stifford at 12:03 PM on September 18, 2012

jonp72: “The results are even funnier if you watch the original video immediately afterwards.”

Everything is funnier if you watch the original video of Til Tuesday's "Voices Carry" immediately afterwards.
posted by koeselitz at 12:04 PM on September 18, 2012 [8 favorites]

I just came to this thread to say that I too, love Aimee Mann, even if those glasses make her look a little like Garth Algar.
posted by mecran01 at 12:13 PM on September 18, 2012 [12 favorites]

Okay, it's obvious this woman found a fountain of youth somewhere. I loved both videos, unironically. Which scares me a bit.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 12:15 PM on September 18, 2012 [1 favorite]

Aimee Mann '85 looks like something Tim Burton dreamed up.
posted by roger ackroyd at 12:20 PM on September 18, 2012 [3 favorites]

I, too, love Aimee Mann. She's obviously got a wicked sense of humor. But she always comes across as dour whenever I see her in a video.
posted by papercake at 12:26 PM on September 18, 2012

Oh, this is brilliant. I didn't recognize Jon Hamm for a good 20 or 30 seconds.

Everything is funnier if you watch the original video of Til Tuesday's "Voices Carry" immediately afterwards.

Until this moment, the only shot I remembered from that video was her boyfriend shushing her in the theater. Love that she did this.
posted by zarq at 12:41 PM on September 18, 2012

Her backing band is Malcolm Gladwell and Barack Obama.
posted by clvrmnky at 12:44 PM on September 18, 2012 [2 favorites]

I wish I liked Scharpling's radio show more, because (with the exception of his recent Pink Floyd piece, which was basically "You should like Pink Floyd because I do" with a few links) I've enjoyed pretty much everything else he has done. Smart, funny guy.

Whose radio show makes me want to shoot dogs on the street.
posted by beaucoupkevin at 12:49 PM on September 18, 2012

Things like this help restore my faith in the world. Thanks for posting!
posted by El Sabor Asiatico at 12:50 PM on September 18, 2012

Her backing band is Malcolm Gladwell and Barack Obama.

I think the guy with the Gladwellesque hairdo is Aimee Mann's husband, Michael Penn, who is not only Sean Penn's older brother, but has a 1980s one-hit-wonder of his own ("No Myth"). He also has a cameo as the audio engineer who records the demo of "You've Got the Touch" for Dirk Diggler in Boogie Nights.
posted by jonp72 at 12:58 PM on September 18, 2012 [6 favorites]

Oh, this is brilliant. I didn't recognize Jon Hamm for a good 20 or 30 seconds.

Um, I didn't recognize Jon Hamm long enough to make a post in this thread asking if he was Tom Scharpling.

Not watching Mad Men is seriously cramping my MeFi cred, isn't it?
posted by benito.strauss at 1:06 PM on September 18, 2012

Don't feel bad benito.strauss, I'm another one who didn't know that Aimee Mann used to be in 'Til Tuesday.
posted by Curious Artificer at 1:08 PM on September 18, 2012 [2 favorites]

The Gladwellesque hairdo guy is Ted Leo, who has a few Scharpling-directed videos himself: Bottled in Cork & Colleen.
posted by unsupervised at 1:23 PM on September 18, 2012

That was pretty funny. I like how they flipped the boyfriend's controlling obsession around; like he's obsessed with '85 Aimee in a similar way that the video is.
posted by chococat at 1:32 PM on September 18, 2012 [2 favorites]

I wish I liked Scharpling's radio show more, because (with the exception of his recent Pink Floyd piece, which was basically "You should like Pink Floyd because I do" with a few links) I've enjoyed pretty much everything else he has done.

Have you tried the Best Show Gems podcast? It's highlights from the show's ten year run, usually featuring John Wurster, usually hilarious. The full three hour show is a different experience, but honestly a bit trying if you're not in the mood for it (and I rarely am currently).
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 1:32 PM on September 18, 2012 [4 favorites]

Have you tried the Best Show Gems podcast? ...

And if you do, why not start with "A Visit from Del the Pizza Guy (with In-Studio Guests Aimee Mann and Patton Oswalt)," released 10/7/11 on that podcast stream, where Wurster plays a pizza guy who, it turns out, has a huge knowledge/obsession with Aimee Mann's back catalog!
posted by NolanRyanHatesMatches at 1:37 PM on September 18, 2012

Another Mann crush here.
posted by Red Loop at 1:39 PM on September 18, 2012

Love both songs. Love both Aimees.

And yet I live in a constant fear that "Funny Jon Hamm" will one day destroy the power of "Serious Jon Hamm", while a tiny part of me says, "It's okay if it does, because 'Funny Jon Hamm' is perfection." But but BUT! Doesn't the existence of "Funny Jon Hamm" depend on the existence of "Serious Jon Hamm" to play against?

And why can I only think of funny guys who have done well when they get serious (Robin Willimas, Steven Martin, Little Tommy Hanks), but when I think of serious guys who tried to be funny, all I can come up with is Robert "Bobby" DeNiro?
posted by ColdChef at 1:55 PM on September 18, 2012 [2 favorites]

I wonder how many people she is responsible for having rat-tails (I admit to being one of them).
posted by deborah at 2:01 PM on September 18, 2012 [1 favorite]

Like many, I came to appreciate Mann via Magnolia, and its album cousin Bachelor No. 2. Then I collected her entire oeuvre. (Some of my favorites are from her earlier solo albums.) I can't find it now, but a web review a decade ago for either Lost in Space or The Forgotten Arm was so frustrated with coming up with ways to praise her -- I think -- that it just sarcastically dismissed it as "another perfect album of perfect Aimee Mann songs, so there".

Also, Aimee Mann motif, the song that is either about an abusive|controlling|dismissive ex-boyfriend ... or the music industry; you're not sure. Discuss.
posted by dhartung at 2:21 PM on September 18, 2012 [2 favorites]

I was lucky enough to catch two of her shows when I lived in New York. She's just as good live, and funny too.

I am not as big a fan of her last two albums, mostly because I haven't been able to give them as much time as they demand, no longer being a sad 20 something.

What's amazing is that the lyrics on "Voices Carry" and other Til Tuesday stuff are merely ok, pop-standard, but the lyrics on albums like Lost in Space are so so good, and haunting and true.
posted by emjaybee at 2:28 PM on September 18, 2012

You can't talk about Aimee Mann without mentioning Time Stand Still
posted by readyfreddy at 2:37 PM on September 18, 2012 [5 favorites]

My boyfriend's two favorite artists are Rush and Aimee Mann, and I secretly suspect that he got into Aimee because of "Time Stand Still."
posted by rhiannonstone at 2:41 PM on September 18, 2012 [1 favorite]

The Gladwellesque hairdo guy is Ted Leo, who has a few Scharpling-directed videos himself: Bottled in Cork & Colleen.

And who is touring with her this fall!
posted by psoas at 2:43 PM on September 18, 2012

This was great, cheers.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 3:01 PM on September 18, 2012

I loved both videos, unironically.

St. Alia, you and me both. The 1980s production aside, Voices Carry is a killer song.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 3:04 PM on September 18, 2012 [1 favorite]

Aimee Mann is great.
posted by MarshallPoe at 3:13 PM on September 18, 2012

I'm another one who didn't know that Aimee Mann used to be in 'Til Tuesday.

This is crazy to me. I’m old.
posted by bongo_x at 3:17 PM on September 18, 2012 [2 favorites]

Another fabulous video for the new album, after the wonderful Charmer, featuring Hodgman and Laura Linney. It's nice to see her having so much fun with these.
posted by jburka at 3:24 PM on September 18, 2012

I love her so much. Let us not forget amazing turn in Portlandia.
posted by King Bee at 3:45 PM on September 18, 2012 [1 favorite]

Thank you for this. It made my afternoon. Another Aimee Mann crush here.
posted by UseyurBrain at 3:51 PM on September 18, 2012

Yep. It took a re-watch of The Big Lebowski last night to realize that she's the toe sacrificing nihilist.
posted by newpotato at 3:58 PM on September 18, 2012 [2 favorites]

Aw, Asshole Jerk 2012 gave her earring back.
posted by Spatch at 4:04 PM on September 18, 2012

Also, thank you for reminding me that this record is now available. I know what I'm listening to on my trip this weekend!
posted by King Bee at 4:11 PM on September 18, 2012

Tom Scharpling is undoubtedly America's foremost comic genius, and perhaps the best person ever. I used to encourage my wife to schedule her late meetings for Tuesday nights so I could listen to the Best Show on WFMU.
posted by rikschell at 4:13 PM on September 18, 2012 [1 favorite]

Oh, and Aimee Mann is great, too. She just keeps getting better.
posted by rikschell at 4:13 PM on September 18, 2012

Can I also add that the song itself is amazing? I've had it on repeat for like 30 minutes.
posted by King Bee at 4:52 PM on September 18, 2012 [1 favorite]

Oh, this was so fabulous. I bought the album on my way home today, listened to it in the car, and had just finished a good full listen at home when I saw this post. How fucking amazing is she.
posted by fiercecupcake at 5:52 PM on September 18, 2012

I think my favorite part from the "Labrador" video has to be when he holds up the braid, which is clearly not attached to her head and he's been carrying around with him.
posted by fiercecupcake at 6:06 PM on September 18, 2012 [1 favorite]

And why can I only think of funny guys who have done well when they get serious (Robin Willimas, Steven Martin, Little Tommy Hanks), but when I think of serious guys who tried to be funny, all I can come up with is Robert "Bobby" DeNiro??

Leslie Nielsen!
posted by ODiV at 6:37 PM on September 18, 2012 [5 favorites]

I was growing up in Boston in the 80s and I remember when they won the battle of the bands for 'BCN. I haven't seen that video in years and I'm having flashbacks right now.

Once I'm done with the flashbacks I'm going to run over to the other part of the internet where I can buy her new album. Thanks for making music for so much of my life, Aimee! Thanks for the post, jonp72!
posted by rtha at 6:51 PM on September 18, 2012 [1 favorite]

"Voices Carry" "was originally written and sung by Aimee as if to a woman."

Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford from Squeeze played on several songs on Mann's I'm With Stupid, and "Long Shot" uses the music from "Up the Junction."

Aimee Mann's husband, Michael Penn, who is not only Sean Penn's older brother, but has a 1980s one-hit-wonder of his own ('No Myth').

Which is nice, but I prefer his "Brave New World."
posted by kirkaracha at 8:48 PM on September 18, 2012

> Wow, I feel like I've had a crush on Aimee Mann for twenty years. Oh, wait...

Yep, that was my thought too.
posted by desuetude at 9:44 PM on September 18, 2012

newpotato: "Yep. It took a re-watch of The Big Lebowski last night to realize that she's the toe sacrificing nihilist."

Holy shit.
posted by deborah at 11:14 AM on September 19, 2012 [2 favorites]

In the "serious who also does funny" category, we'd be remiss not to mention Alec Baldwin. It may be he's made the transition to yucks permanently, but there was a time when he did both.
posted by uberchet at 11:54 AM on September 19, 2012

I'm just amazed they got her playing bass again.

She's on my bucket list of people I'd like to talk to for ten minutes.
posted by digitalprimate at 1:10 PM on September 19, 2012

I listened to part of it on the way to work this morning and will listen to it again on the way home, and will do the same tomorrow and the day after and so on. I love her music in no small part because it always makes me want to sing along right away, before I've even learned the words or the tunes.
posted by rtha at 1:14 PM on September 19, 2012 [2 favorites]

And for the record, here's the balls to the wall definitive version of the original song.
posted by digitalprimate at 1:17 PM on September 19, 2012

Ok, swear I'll stop posting now - but does anyone know if she's always used SM57s instead of 58s for vox?
posted by digitalprimate at 1:22 PM on September 19, 2012

Ok, swear I'll stop posting now - but does anyone know if she's always used SM57s instead of 58s for vox?

"Security!"
posted by bongo_x at 7:35 PM on September 19, 2012 [1 favorite]

I listened to part of it on the way to work this morning and will listen to it again on the way home, and will do the same tomorrow and the day after and so on. I love her music in no small part because it always makes me want to sing along right away, before I've even learned the words or the tunes.


That's why that part of Magnolia works so well. I can't imagine it working for anyone else.

(If you want to argue that that part of the movie doesn't work, please don't. I'm sure you can make a good argument that would be absolutely valid to someone less biased, but it would be wasted on me. It'd be like trying to tell me the sky is not actually blue.)

It's weird that Aimee Mann was somehow my ideal woman at both 11 and 37, but there we are.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 1:28 PM on September 20, 2012 [3 favorites]

MCMike: I know, right? My wife did her master's thesis on the threshold between theater and worship, and wrote and directed a play to demonstrate her ideas. The centerpiece was creating a "Magnolia Moment." It's something that totally takes you out of the space you thought you were in, but totally works. There's nothing more transcendent in Art than when that happens.
posted by rikschell at 1:09 PM on September 21, 2012 [1 favorite]

Okay, that's pretty damned amusing. And, yeah, growing up in Boston in the 80's, I have such a soft spot for Til Tuesday and that video. In particular, I think of it fondly whenever I am in Symphony Hall (where the final scene was filmed). In local trivia, I'm pretty sure Aimee Mann rang me up a few times way back when she was a clerk at Newbury Comics, unless it was another clerk with that fabulous 80's hair. And speaking of 80's hair, yeah, I had a (short) rat tail for a while in the 1980's, which I did not dye when I dyed the rest of my hair, so it was slightly varied in color. Along with my year or two of "dyke perm", it was one of those phases I went through.
posted by rmd1023 at 7:17 AM on September 22, 2012 [1 favorite]

Also, further proof that Aimee Mann is awesome is that she played at The Bronze.
posted by rmd1023 at 7:21 AM on September 22, 2012 [2 favorites]

gah. not symphony hall. strand theatre. what the hell, brain?
posted by rmd1023 at 7:34 AM on September 22, 2012