Swan Dive

I’ve written a piece for the MOJO blog on alter egos in pop music.

Alter Egos

What do today’s female country singers want for Christmas? To sleep with the King. Since that could be a decidedly sepulchral, moldy affair, they’re opting for the next best thing – virtual duets. The new album Elvis Presley Christmas Duets has beyond the grave vocal pairings with Carrie Underwood, Martina McBride, LeeAnn Rimes and others.

I’ve never liked these virtual duets. Even when family members do them – Natalie with Nat, Hank Jr. with Hank Sr. – they just feel wrong and exploitative somehow.

The creepiest one I’ve seen is Clay Aiken’s duet with Bing Crosby. Even Bing’s video ghost looks uncomfortable with it, as if he’s thinking, “What am I doing here with this kid?”

If you want to hear a great non-virtual Christmas duet, why not revisit Bing and David Bowie doing “Little Drummer Boy / Peace On Earth.”

As Bing says, “It’s a pretty thing.”

Little Drummer Boy

Here’s Molly with her newly acquired banjo ukulele. Coming soon to a Swan Dive album near you.

Someone left a comment in Japanese on YouTube about our video “Circle”.

Using Babelfish, it translates as: “Being refreshing, being lovely, with Shibuya system the highest!”