Tag Archives: Proto Zoa

Boy Bands, Friday Five, Movies, Music

The Friday Five: Our Favorite Fictional Bands

Leave a comment

As long as true musicians have existed within the television and movie realm, parody artists and even purely fictional bands can eventually turn into real recording artists!  No genre is immune to this trickery either.  Here is our list of our top five favorite fictional bands!

1. The Oneders
One hit wonders are nothing new and they will always be a strange phenomenon in the music industry and pop culture in general.  “That Thing You Do!” follows the rise and fall of a one hit wonder band, The Oneders (Wonders).  This is one of our favorite movies of all time and for the amount of times the song gets performed in this movie, it’s a WONDER we don’t get sick of it! (see what I did there?) On a serious note: if you are in a band, want to be in a band/the music industry, or even just love music…spend some time with this movie and remember that fame is fleeting but you can make the most of it while you have it.    You guys look great in gold, have I told you that?

2. 2ge+her
Was this band a joke?  Yes. What their hit song catchy?  Yes. Do we still catch ourselves singing it?  Yes. Would we go see them on tour? DUH!!  They caught us everything we need to know in life about math:  You + Me = Us.  Calculus.

3. Microbe
Zenon – Girl Of The 21st Century spawned one of the most awesome ideas for a pop star ever – to perform a concert in space!  Protozoa, his band Microbe, and Zenon Karr team up and pull it off, in a true 1999 iconic DCOM.  We know you can still sing all the words to “Supernova Girl.”  Zoom zoom zoom makes my heart go boom boom…

4. Mario And The Brick Breakers (real life band – Patent Pending)
They went from plumbers in Brooklyn to the biggest rock stars in the world.  Then it all came crashing down.  This 30-minute documentary follows the rise and fall of the band, Behind The Music style.  You never think that a band of brothers will break up but obviously family isn’t always forever!  Catch Patent Pending headlining their “Brighter UK Tour” this fall.  Watch the Mario And The Brick Breakers trailer below.

5. Spinal Tap
Contrary to popular belief, Spinal Tap is not actually a real band! They were completely formulated for the1984 mockumentry “This Is Spinal Tap” and oddly enough, the band took on a life of its own.  Spinal Tap is still a huge pop culture phenomenon and we’re totally guilty of using their name as a verb before.

 

Friday Five, Movies, Music

The Friday Five: Best DCOM Musical Moments

Leave a comment

Tonight marks the premiere of yet another soon to be classic DCOM (that’s Disney Channel Original Movie), “Zapped!”  In the movie, Zendaya gets a new smartphone app that lets her control boys with the touch of a button.  It sounds amazing, and also reminds us of one of our favorite DCOMs of all time, “Stuck in the Suburbs,” where in a pre-iPhone/app world, stars Brenda Song and Danielle Panabaker accidentally end up with a pop star’s cell phone, and manage to run his entire life, eventually changing it for the better.  (And proving that fans know artists better than managers.)   It’s totally fine to cancel all your plans for tonight to watch “Zapped,” especially since it’s followed by the long-awaited premiere of “Girl Meets World!”    We’re hoping there will be at least one iconic musical sequence in the movie.  Here are our favorite DCOM songs and musical moments!

1. “Make a Wish” by Jordan Cahill – “Stuck in the Suburbs”
This is actually Taran Killam singing….Yes, Taran Killam from SNL.  Not enough people remember that he was in this fangirl fantasy movie!   Taran played Jordan Cahill, a spoiled popstar who kind of hated his life but didn’t know how to say “no” to his manager.   He did gather himself enough to spit out this witty quip in response to his manager telling him he was famous because of his perfectly highlighted hair – “Then dress it up, and make it sing your lousy songs!”

2.  “Strut” by Cheetah Girls – “Cheetah Girls 2”
Any movie that takes place in Europe is more than likely one of our favorites.   The Cheetah Girls get the chance of a lifetime to go to Spain and it involves a half baked plan, some gorgeous scenery (we’re not talking about the mansion here) and a happy ending for our Amigas Cheetahs!   We find ourselves singing this on our way to work in the mornings – it’s got the perfect beat to STRUT to!

3. “Zoom” by Microbe – “Zenon Girl of the 21st Century”
If you say you don’t know all the words to this song, then you’re either too old(or young) to remember this movie or you’re lying.  This movie is still a fashion disaster MAJOR!   But zetus lupetus, we wish Microbe (esp. Proto Zoa) was a real band because we would totally go to a space themed concert and wear neon spandex leggings under a ridiculous looking  mini skirt (holographic vest and all).

4. “Slam Dunk the Funk” by 5ive – “Smart House”
Cheesy outfits? Check.  House party hosted by a 14 year old boy? Check.   Choreographed dance moves in the cheesy outfits at a house party hosted by a 14 year old boy?  You got it!   “Smart House” was one of those movies where it was so bad it’s good (usually our favorite kind of movies).   Ryan Merriman (AKA that creep Ian Thomas  on PLL) is the genius behind the “let’s put on some tunes and do choreographed dance moves” scene here.  Thank god time was good to him.  Do yourself a favor, after you watch this clip…go Google “Ryan Merriman” and thank us later.

5. “Bet on It” by Zac Efron – “High School Musical 2”
I don’t know if we need to even say anything about this clip.  It’s been parodied so many times that it keeps getting funnier as time goes on.  Zac Efron totally nailed this song and performance.  The running, the skipping, the twirling while skip-running…there’s a reason this clip made our Friday Five list! Also, if you’ve have never reenacted the Bet On It scene….you’re lying.

PSA:  You can find most of these classic films on Youtube, or check your TV listings and get your DVR ready because Disney Channel airs old DCOMs in the middle of the night!   (And High School Musical 2 and Cheetah Girls 2 are on Netflix).