Some of you may recall the catchy viral strains of Rebecca Black’s “Friday,” which was popular on the Internet last year.

This year, journalist Jon Ronson visits “Friday” producer Patrice Wilson to conduct a viral experiment. Ronson’s theory is that journalists wield too much power in the subject/chronicler relationship. To subvert that dynamic, he submits entirely to the whims of Wilson.

The results, which are very funny, can be seen below.

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This post started out as a piece about the band Riot, whom I vaguely recall reading about in such magazines as Hit Parader and Hit Parader when I was a metal-obsessed youth.

Riot’s album covers were notable for featuring some kind of humanoid, polar-mammal guy.  At first I thought the guy/creature was a snow owl. But then I looked closer, and the features revealed themselves as mammalian, not avian.

The Internet informs me that the Riot guy is called “Johnny.”

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So, a friend posted the following Billy Joel video on Facebook the other night.

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So I’ve been reading The Air-Conditioned Nightmare by Henry Miller, which has an entire chapter devoted to French-born composer Edgard Varese. And it’s some great music writing.

“Some men, and Varese is one of them,” writes Miller, “are like dynamite. That alone, I suppose, is sufficient to explain why they are handled with such caution and shyness.”

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I’m back with a rare Thursday night edition of  the once weekly and now sporadic “Audio Files” column.  And look out, because I’m armed with the contents of my Google Reader, namely…

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We’re all familiar with the genius of YouTube; how it lets the unknown masses contribute to pop culture as freely and often as they’d like. But lately I’ve taken a particular shine to YouTube’s vast array of fan-made music videos (i.e. fan-chosen footage splattered onto musicians’ songs).

A few such gems recently caught my attention.

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In my time on Earth I’ve had some silly, stupid encounters with rock stars.

Backstage at a Triumph concert in the 1980s, I witnessed Yngwie Malmsteen stick his tongue down the throat of an appreciative female fan.* During that same backstage experience, Triumph’s Mike Levine shooed me away as I tried to get an autograph.

I got to attend several of these events because the dad of my best friend worked for a local concert promoter. For a few nights each year, half-deaf pal Jesse G and I rocked out at the Brown County Arena. Denim and leather.

Lovin’ every minute of it.

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One of my favorite songs of the past decade or so is “Star Witness” by Neko Case.

And you know what one of the most overlooked qualities of this great, amazing song is?

The drums.

John Convertino from Calexico bring its. Nothing showy but he’s got the right touch — warm, understated cymbals. Deft use of bundle sticks, a tasteful command of the kick drum. The works!

(Click image below for the YouTube version.)

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I cannot stop watching Katy Perry‘s “California Gurls” video. It’s addictive. The production values are sky-high. Gleaming.

See, as time rolls on, I find myself really liking vapid mall pop.  The more insipid the lyrics, the better. The more it feels like I’m in a department store, the better.

I call this genre “Impressive Tripe.”

Snoop Dogg‘s appearance in the Perry song/video is a stroke of genius. You’ve gotta admit that Snoop makes selling out look like the greatest thing ever — a commendable, ennobling act. Purposeful, wise.

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Today’s post wraps up my three-part “Audio Files” series devoted to Miles Davis’ musical tree.

Part One focused on former Miles drummer Tony Williams.

Part Two explored Planet Davis — as in Richard Davis — and though I originally intended to share one more Richard Davis story, I’ve decided to leave the old man alone.

That’s because there’s other things to discuss, as today’s post will be the last of my weekly “Audio Files.”

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