Brattleboro, USA

Apologies for the all-quiet on the blog. I've been out of town. Heading out for one more night this evening. I'm scheduled to give a talk on Pitch Perfect at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center in Vermont (town pictured here on your left).

More on that here. If you're in the area, come and say hello!

American Idle Returns!

Another season of Fox's American Idol is upon us! New judge, yes. But same old a cappella singers trying to make it big! The first to emerge this year is Anoop Desai of the UNC Clefhangers. (You can call him 'Noop Dawg, he says! Really!)

He's on to Hollywood. But you can check out his audition video here.

And here he is singing "The Only One For Me" with the Clefs:

SNC Sells 100,000 Albums?!

Yup. It's true. And Straight No Chaser is going back in to the studio to record a non-holiday album, due out in the spring.

Inspiring, no?

But first, to prove they're more than a Christmas kitsch act, the men of Straight No Chaser have recorded a little rap medley, covering Atlantic labelmates T.I. and Flo Rida. Listen with "Live Your LIfe and Flo with Whatever You Like." Listen it to the track on their MySpace page by clicking here.

Nice work, gentleman!

A Cappella is Having The Best Week Ever

Vh1's Best Week Ever blog asks a question: Is it possible to like a cappella?

So far, 59 people have commented! The verdict ain't pretty. Read it and weep here.

Rachel Getting A Cappella

The lovely actress Rosemarie DeWitt (right) co-stars in Rachel Getting Married, a hot ticket on the awards circuit this year. It's worth noting, however, that before she was in RGM, she starred in Sing Now or Forever Hold Your Peace, an indie about a collegiate a cappella group reuniting years after graduation to sing at a friend's wedding. (I wrote about that film's troubled path to theatres in Pitch Perfect.)

More trivia: Rosemarie DeWitt is not the only Sing Now... alum in a prestige flick this year. Co-star David Harbour has a supporting role in Revolutionary Road.

Check out the trailer for Sing Now or Forever Hold Your Peace here:

Viva Brattleboro!

The Brattleboro Museum & Art Center has invited me to read from Pitch Perfect.




Event details:

Date: Friday, January 23rd
Time: 7:30 pm
Cost: $4 for adults, $3 for seniors, $2 for students

Here's the text from Brattleboro's official listing:

To gain some hilarious, if somewhat disconcerting, perspective on the whole collegiate a cappella phenomenon, come hear author Mickey Rapkin read from his acclaimed new book, Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory. This is a great way to get the juices flowing for the upcoming A Cappella Weekend!

Click here for more info. Spread the word!