Stuff I'm Listening To (Morning Groove Edition) - Hugh Laurie

Title: St. James Infirmary (From A Celebration of New Orleans special)

Lyrics:
When I die, bury me a straight laced shoes
A box backed suit and a Stetson hat
Put 20 dollar gold piece on my watch chain
So the boys'll know I died standin' pat

Why?: My newsfeed on my FB sometimes brings me some new stuff that’s pretty freakin’ good and serves as my morning groove as I’m getting ready for work. Like this lovely piece.

Hugh Laurie is one of my favourite doctors and a damn fine pianist.

Link to song (in case you didn't want to sit through the whole show): https://youtu.be/AzEBH6DZJVk

So for reasons beyond my understanding, the person who posted the clip of the piece won't allow playback on other sites, which I suspect has more to do with driving traffic directly to his YouTube channel than anything else. Fortunately for me, i was able to clip a piece for my social media to share my newfound discovery with my friends and, it made me seek out the entire show, which blessedly does exist and it posted as the main feature here. So pleasant researcher, internet rabbit hole bonus. :D 

Hugh Laurie's discography (as of 2022): 

Let Them Talk (2011)

Didn't It Rain (2013) 

Live on the Queen Mary (2013)

Deezer, YouTube, Spotify, Hugh Laurie Blues Website

Stuff I'm Listening to - Delerium featuring the Mediaeval Baebes

 

Artist: Delerium (featuring the Mediaeval Baebes)

 

Title: Aria
 

Lyrics:

I have wist, sin i couthe meen,
That children hath by candle light
Her shadewe on the wal iseen,
 
And ronne therafter all the night.
Bisy aboute they han ben
To catchen it with all here might.
 
And whom they catchen it best wolde wene,
Sannest it shet out of her sight,
The shadewe catchen they ne might,
 
For no lines that they couthe lay.
This shadewe i may likne aright
To this world and yesterday
 

Why?: I’ve discovered over the years that there are songs, parts of songs, or even tones, that can instantly change my mood from utter despair all the way up to total euphoria. Some songs will even put me in a meditative state where I can instantly visualize things and relax. Some of the songs and tones are what you would expect. Choral songs, chants, wind chimes, percussion heavy music. The droning of a didgeridoo is soothing to me, as is the droning of bag pipes (I swear I must be a reincarnated Highlander!... I actually do like haggis... ). The 10 hours of Enterprise engine noise that you can find on YouTube? It is a white noise that keeps my geeky-self remarkably calm.

Delirium was introduced to me on the dance floor of Sanctuary where I learned it was a side project of one of the members of Skinny Puppy and Frontline Assembly. Fitting really as they performed the songs that would instantly unseat me from the booth or table and my friends and I would race to the dance floor to secure a roomy spot to flail about in the guise of dancing. Delirium was no different. It was a danceable sound and always made me happy to move along with it, but the dancing for a Delirium song was a little more joyful versus the angry pogoing I was used to doing. 

The first time I heard this song, it was the musical equivalent of the sunlight streaming through the leaves in a forest.

Stuff I'm Listening To - Holiday Road

 

Artist: Lindsay Buckingham

Title: Holiday Road

Lyrics: 

I found out long ago
It's a long way down the holiday road

Why?: 

Every great travel holiday starts off with some ritual. For the last fifteen years (for me anyway), the ritual was and still is to play this classic song at the start. I'm not superstitious by any means. Perhaps it's best imagined as a little 'prayer' to the vacation gods that our vacation will go more or less as planned and that we're not stuck having to break into an amusement park and hold John Candy hostage by the end of it all. 

So far so good! 

We've never endured any unfortunate situation from 'National Lampoon's Vacation', though admittedly, my husband will fully admit he wouldn't have issue with Christie Brinkley racing beside him in her Ferrari. I fully admit that I am as frantic as the patriarch of the Griswolds. During our first trip to Cuba with my husband, he was dismayed that I'd written up an hour by hour itinerary for our trip.

After checking into the resort in Cuba, he promptly headed to the bar, seated himself with 'dos cervezas por favour' and cigar, and told me he had no intention of doing anything else that day, except, perhaps, to eat dinner. I was frantic and ended up walking the resort twice over to burn off my frantic energy from the usual hustling and bustling Toronto pace I'm used to. I wasn't mad. He and I just have different ideas of what is relaxing. It took me two days to unwind, with the help of 27 pina coladas and a bout of hangover/schedule adjustment and minor 24 hour stomach bug that flattened both of us, to finally slow me down. The itinerary was reduced to one thing, the local bat cave. The rest of our trip was figuring out what to do over breakfast each day and it was unforgettable and amazing.

For this week, we're off camping in one of our provinces beautiful Provincial Parks, a waterfront site booked months ago, the same day that the government opened up the campgrounds in anticipation of loosening quarantine restrictions. The campsite was booked promptly by my husband and I was instructed to sort it out with my work later. Fortunately for me, my work is a great place and my bosses are incredibly accommodating. I've still written up a rough itinerary for the trip (read: I made up a detailed spreadsheet in Excel), but it remains unshared with my husband for the sake of his sanity.

Stuff I'm Listening To - Professor Elemental

Artist: Professor Elemental

Title: I'm British

Favourite in-song banter:

Well, at this point I'd just like to take a moment to apologise on behalf of Britain for all the things that we've brought to the world. Simon Cowell, for example, and eh, Jim Davidson. Fox hunting. Black pudding. Racism. But most of all, we're all terribly, terribly sorry about Piers Morgan.

Why?: A couple of years back I met one of my husband's... uh... second cousin once removed? I'm not sure how that works. Anyway... his whole family was nice. Here was this guy wearing a pin made up of gears and feathers... SteamPunk! Naturally I knew I was likely going to get along just fine with him. I feel like I did. We haven't really spoken since that family reunion but he certainly left an impact on me.

I introduced you to Bardcore a few weeks ago. Today, I present for your listening pleasure: Chap Hop.

This song comes up occasionally on my play list... but not often enough I think.

For what it's worth, Thanks Neil for introducing me to this bit of lovely weirdness. It's awesome.

Stuff I'm Listening To - Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love)

Artist: Joan Jett and Paul Westerberg

Title: Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love)

Choice Lyrics: 

And that's why birds do it, bees do it
Even educated fleas do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love

Why?:
I first heard this cover song when I was watching a mediocre adaptation of Tank Girl. I admit, I knew nothing of the comic before and am only mildly invested now, but the movie had an over the top and absolutely bored Malcolm McDowell (Alex from "A Clockwork Orange") as the main baddie. Malcolm can do no wrong. He killed Captain Kirk after all. I will forever love him for that (Sorry... of on another tangent... reigning my brain in). Tank Girl the comic and the movie are about a post apocalyptic world where the water is controlled by a giant corporation. Every now and then I stare at people drinking bottled water and I'm not sure Tank Girl is fiction at times.

Over the last few months we've all entertained the weirdest of fears because of all the uncertainties. In among them for me, some idea of needing to survive in some kind of post apocalyptic existence. 
 
Obviously, I felt better prepared to battle zombies than to deal with the skin on my hands dried, cracked and peeling from copious amounts of cleansers, hand sanitizers and soap.  Nobody told me the apocalypse was going to require moisturising hand lotion!

Tank Girl herself, remains a scarily accurate image of how I would likely deal with myself in a post apocalyptic existence. She's funny, cheerful and determined. I try to aspire to be that. I'm not one for sadness. Don't get me wrong, I'm here for you if you need, I just don't know what to do with crying people. Like crying babies... Do I hold you and rock you gently? Need a bottle? Need a nappy change? Teething ring? I just don't know! 

Stuff I'm Listening To - Les Misérables

Artists: Sacha Baron Cohen and Helen Bonham-Carter

From: Les Misérables 

Lyrics:

Master of the house? Isn't worth my spit!
Comforter, philosopher and lifelong shit!
Cunning little brain, regular Voltaire
Thinks he's quite a lover but there's not much there
What a cruel trick of nature landed me with such a louse
God knows how I've lasted living with this bastard in the house!

 Why?: This is a great stage production if you get a chance to see it. It is filled with some wonderful pieces. My first and only time seeing Les Miz, I was provided with two warnings: 

"Don't wear mascara. Bring Clean-Ex". 

My friend was not wrong. 

One of my favourite pieces from the show is Cosette singing "Castle in the Cloud" which, when done right, will bring me to tears. Yeah yeah... I'm a giant softy. I know. But it also seems, I have a soft spot for depravity and scoundrels. They seem to get some of the best lines and best numbers in stories.

I cannot remember who played Monsieur and Madame Thénardiers in the production I saw, but I quite enjoyed the number in the film and think that Cohen and Bonham-Carter did a great job of it. 

Castle On a Cloud - Original Cast Recording

I'm not crying. You're crying.

Stuff I'm Listening To - the Rocky Horror Picture Show

Artist: Tim Curry

Title: Sweet Transvestite

From: The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Lyrics:
Don't get strung out by the way I look
Don't judge a book by it's cover

Why?:
There isn't much I could write about this musical that hasn't already been said. Either you love this campiness or you don't. I personally knew about the movie when I was younger, but obviously did not appreciate it to its fullest until I went to the see it in the theatre with some friends when I was a teenager. Up until that point, I was vaguely aware of the steps for the 'Time Warp' dance and that you needed to bring rice with you to the theatre if you were going to go see it and none of that was ever fully explained to me. My ex-boyfriend's mother scoffed at me when I asked her to explain. At the time I was annoyed because I do ask many questions that might seem like common and obvious knowledge to most people and people think I'm kidding around. Honestly, I am really that naive and that unaware about certain things. But I'll forgive her that. You really have to just go to the theatre and see it and experience it for yourself.

Also, what is not to love about Tim Curry in drag? Tell me? 

Stuff I'm Listening to - Little Shop of Horrors

Artist: Steve Martin

Title: Dentist

From: Little Shop of Horrors

Lyrics: 
I thrill when I drill a bicuspid
(Bicuspid)
It's swell though they tell me I'm maladjusted
(Dentist)

Why?:
I had started a bit of a COVID-19 Playlist earlier that has since sputtered and failed so far as I am concerned. Apparently we're in the midst of what researchers dub the third quarter phenomenon, a period during long missions that have crew isolated (think Space, Submarines, Antarctica), that leave the crew isolated from family for long periods of time. It's a period of lower morale, unpleasant moods, a general down feeling. This COVID-19 stuff has taken it's toll. We are all under stress, so know that you're feeling meh is quite normal. So... Let me share some more guilty pleasures with you to maybe cheer you up. I discovered that Andrew Lloyd Webber has been streaming his musicals for us quarantined folk and also trying to raise money for theatre workers in times of need (like right now).

I like musicals. I've only ever seen two ('The Phantom of the Opera' and 'Les Misérables') live. The rest I've only watched as movies or only heard their soundtracks. 

Today my pick is 'Dentist' from 'Little Shop of Horrors'. It's a lovely dark comedy, directed by Frank Oz. Steve Martin is a great actor and does a wonderful job as Dr. Orin Scrivello, a stereotypical bad guy, who's a biker and happens to be a dentist as well. This is one of my favourite bits of the movie because it's hilariously over the top. The movie cast some amazing SCTV and Saturday Night Live alumnis (Rick Moranis, John Candy, Bill Murray, James Belushi) so you know the comedy performances are going to be gold.

It's a great bit of film except that the not-fairy-tale ending was cut since test audiences didn't like it, and changed up for the bit of fluff that's there now. 

That reminds me. They shut down all the dentists two months ago. I seriously need to go floss. 

Stuff I'm Listening To - Victoria Day Edition

Artist: the Kinks

Title: Victoria

Favourite Lyrics: 

Canada to India
Australia to Cornwall
Singapore to Hong Kong
From the West to the East
From to the rich to the poor
Victoria loved them all

 
Why?: Because it's Victoria Day in Canada, eh? I usually post the Fall's version because it was the first one I'd ever heard. But homage is clearly overdue to the original. Here's their performance taken from 'One for the Road'. Cheers all, Happy Victoria Day, the first May 2-4 without mass fireworks, gatherings and camping, but there's still beer, so yay!

Stuff I'm Listening To - Quick Fix edition - Human League

Artist: Human League

Title: Hard Times / Love Action





Lyrics: (I must admit I actually don't know these songs well enough to pick any at the moment)

Why?: Shamefully, in a blatant consumerist attempt to cheer myself up the other day, I was browsing through a independent Canadian record dealer's website (actually not long after Record Store day) and found a couple of albums to purchase to make me happy. This 12" single actually got added in last minute because it brought my total up to that magical point where I wasn't going to have to pay an arm and a leg for shipping. Also... my excuse...  As a Talk Talk fan, it was required for historical accuracy. I couldn't find the 7" so this was going to have to do.

Those of you who follow Rustin Man (and if you don't, why are we even friends?) will likely recall his two posts (here and here) about their pre-record deal performance at London's Blitz Club and tale of a certain solitary 7' single in the booth that was the pre-show entertainment. 

Stuff I'm Listening to - Kraftwerk

Artist: Kraftwerk

TItle: Neon Lights

Lyrics: 

Neon lights
Shimmering neon lights
And at the fall of night
This city's made of lights

 

Why?: I actually don't own anything by Kraftwerk outside of a single MP3. Before you all gasp in surprise, let me explain. I just never got around to purchasing anything because they were everywhere. From people playing their stuff around me or on the deck of many of the music paraphernalia stores I'd hit. They were often the alternative stations go to during the times I'd be listening. MuchMusic's main show for alternative music that loved Laurie Anderson, the Cure and the Residents also seemed to really love Kraftwerk. And it seemed every band I enjoyed listening to enjoyed Kraftwerk and you could hear that in their music. Kraftwerk was such a mainstay of my teenage years, as much as air was. They were always there, even when I didn't notice. 

As for this song, clearly it's a favourite, it's been on my iPhone for a long time, five star ranking and when they introduced those hearts, it got one pretty fast.  RIP Florian Schneider-Esleben.

Stuff I'm Listening To - Rain Tree Crow

Artist: Rain Tree Crow

Title: Blackwater

Favourite Lyrics: 

Blackwater take me with you
To the place that I have spoken
Come lead me through the darkness
To the light that I long to see again

Why?: Sometimes you're just going through your mass of accumulated music you find a song that all at once is nostalgic and fits into your current mood. For those not in the know, you might be more familiar with these guys by the name of their old band, Japan.

The first time I heard this song I was 16. Hearing it now just makes me long to be 16, with a driver's licence, a borrowed '87 Mustang and driving all around the city, listening to this and a strange mix of other music on hanging with my best friend, far too late at night, because that car stereo with it's one blown rear speaker, with window's open, was the best sound system in my world.

Stuff I'm LIstening To - Happy Birthday Roger Taylor

Artist: Duran Duran

Title: the Wild Boys

Favourite Lyrics: 
You got sirens for a welcome
There's bloodstain for your pain
And your telephone been ringing
While you're dancing in the rain
Wild boys wonder where is glory
Where is all you angels


Why?: If asked what my favourite single from Duran Duran is, this is quite possibly at the top of the list. It was that moment when Duran Duran went slightly edgier and darker and ... more science fictiony... for lack of a better word. But it was Roger who instantly made this song the instantly recognizable hit that it became. Thanks for this and happy birthday Roger Taylor!

Stuff I'm Listening to - Special Birthday Edition - Andy Bell

Artist: Erasure

Title: Fingers and Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day)

Favourite Lyrics: 

And life is a wonderful thing
When you're humming the words to a love song
Do what you want to do
Be who you want to be

 
Why?:
It's Andy's birthday today. That's why! I adore this song and those lyrics could quite easily fit into my own personal guide on how you need to live life. Andy has such an amazing voice and I've been quite in love with Erasure for many, many years.

A quick trivia bit: I think the video is beautiful and the subject matter very touching. I found out that the video is about a bunch of friends taking the ashes of their recently departed friend out for their last hurrah via motorbike. 

Happy birthday, Andy Bell. 

Stuff I'm Listening To - The Specials

Artist: The Specials

Title: Ghost Town

Lyrics:
This place (town) is coming like a ghost town
No job to be found in this country
Can't go on no more
The people getting angry

Why?: 
Today the City of Toronto finally made their decision and will be fining people who aren't following the rules of physical distancing. Three weeks into this and they are sort of putting their foot down. I say 'sort of' because I feel like we don't have enough people to properly enforce the rules.

On March 15th I posted about this song in an Instgram post, as my iPhone has this weird sense of the world and a wonderful sense of humour. It likes to make the soundtrack to my life relevant for the moment when I put it on shuffle. I had gone out for a ride and this was the song that kicked off my ride as chosen by my iPhone's ever sardonic Artificial Intelligence. Things were very quiet in Toronto because of the COVID-19 pandemic was becoming a very real and frightening reality. Normally the city would be busy and bustling. It would be two days later when the state of emergency would be declared in the province of Ontario and a week later when the province finally shut down all non-essential businesses. 

Today the city should have been like ghost town, but it wassn't. There are still crowds to be found. I am not against people going outside. You can't expect us to be cooped up. But if you see that some place is packed, move along. With the exception of grocery stores, I can't understand why the parking lot at Humber Park was full this past weekend. I can't understand why people aren't able to understand what physical distancing is. I've decided, if I need to go out to pick up supplies, I will probably have a hockey stick strapped to me and poke people who come too close. Thing is. I'm short so my hockey stick is most definitely shorter than two meters. Which also means if I take a swing and I connect, you were most certainly in my personal space. 

Hockey sticks aside, stay safe everyone, stay home if you can, avoid crowds if you can't and remember social distancing.

Stuff I'm Listening To - Bad Manners

Artist: Bad Manners

Title: Can Can 

Why?: Remember that scene in the movie 'Titanic' when the ship is sinking and the band is playing music? In a crisis situation, you need people to be calm. Calm means people need some sense of normalcy. Having the band play music was an effort to make things seem normal.

Right now, the ship is sinking. Which is why we're all desperately clinging to the things that make life normal. Which is why, in Toronto anyway, you're seeing people crowding into parks when they shouldn't be. It's spring here. Many people are either working from home or laid off with very little to do. Staying trapped inside your home, especially when you know something terrible is going on, is incredibly nerve-racking. 

I don't want to be the tragic doom-sayer. I would much rather stay cheerful because there's enough negativity in the world all around. But the world is sinking fast. Or, at least, Toronto is. We're Canadian, and we have a reputation for being nice. Unlike some other governments, we've had all levels of government politely and firmly suggest what the course of action should be, and for the most part, people have done their best to do so. But when you hear people moving gates so they can go to a closed park, or recreational areas teeming with people, who are clearly not physically distancing themselves, it becomes sadly obvious that we needed actual legislation placed sooner. These people are that kid who wouldn't stop talking and made the rest of the class loose out on recess time because he was an idiot. And we are going to pay for these recess-time cutting morons.

At this point, me being me, decided that if this ship is indeed sinking, and they gotta play Orpheus in the Underworld, then let it be this awesome ska version of it because it will bring a smile to your face because it's fun and ridiculous. Bonus! Bad Manner's appearance on Top of the Pops featuring Buster Bloodvessel in appropriate costume, whose skills as a dancer match my own.

Stuff I'm Listening To - Splogenessabounds

Artist: Splogenessabounds

Title: Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps Please

Lyrics:

Oi! Two pints of lager and a packet of crisps, please.
Ay! Two pints of lager and a packet of crisps, please.
Two pints of lager and a packet of crisps, please.
I've been here half hour
And I'm getting very thirsty!

 

Why?: Ahh... I bet you're all dreaming about when this will all be over and you can go back to your local crowded pub and continue to be ignored by the bartender who's too busy trying to get the girl down the bar's phone number or the barmaid who's been busy flirting with the drunk old guy at the other end of the bar for extra tips. 

Yes, yes. I know not all bartenders/barmaids are like this. But I've been to my fair share of pubs, clubs and bars. I know good service which is why when my favourite pub did close I pretty much never found another local hang out exactly for the reasons above. 

For the record, I wasn't much of a drinker back in the day. I was usually the designated driver. I didn't like soda/pop/whatever moniker Cola/Ginger Ale has in your part of the world. Our favourite watering hole, Cassidy's, had the best bartenders. One of them suggested hot chocolate. Then the next time, the barmaid added whipped cream. Then the bartender, who had heard about the whipped cream, added peppermint sprinkles. The next bartender decided to up the ante by adding shaved chocolate. I heard rumours that there were plans drawn up by the fourth bartender on how to make sparklers stand upright in the mug to serve it to me with a giant bendy straw to keep me safe. Unfortunately it never made it to the pyrotechnics part.

Have hope. We'll soon be packed in all the great bars/pubs/watering holes soon enough. 

Cheers.

Stuff I'm Listening To - Talk Talk

Artist: Talk Talk

Title: It's My Life

Lyrics: 
It's my life.
Don't you forget, 
It's my life.
It never ends. 

Why?: Leave it to a visionary like Mark Hollis to have left us a lesson in physical* distancing 36 years ago. Pay close attention! His hands are firmly planted in his pockets so he's not touching anything. He's also gone to the zoo but he's pretty much all by himself. Even his band mates aren't to be seen anywhere! There are in fact, people around, but he's keeping his distance... like football pitch distances, to the closest people. Physical distancing pioneer!

A reassuring wink and smile from him at the end of the video is sign that things will be all right in the end anyway.

It's not easy for people isolate. Years of evolution have made us the social animals that we are. But years of evolution also made our brains as big as they are, and gave us a greater understanding of the world around us. Mind over matter. We can do this.

Now's also a great time to sit back, relax, and appreciate David Attenborough's and the BBC's great documentary skills. Hey perfect, here's Talk Talk's video, filled with awesome animal documentary footage... Especially good if a: You're a Talk Talk fan, and b: You have a short attention span.

But if you have a good attention span, I recommend watching any nature documentary. They're all pretty amazing. And for the record, I'm still not sure why, with all the technology we have, that I can't have the option to have a channel of all nature documentaries with our choice of narration by David Attenbororugh or David Suzuki, and choice of Talk Talk music as the soundtrack. Hook me up! 

Link to the World Health Organization information about COVID-19: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

Link to my original non-COVID-19, rambly blog post about this song here: https://motorcyclepeanut.blogspot.com/2018/08/stuff-im-listening-to-2.html

*So apparently they've reworked the term 'social' distancing to 'physical' distancing to clarify that you don't have to turn yourself into a hermit. You just need to keep your distance from each other. Screaming across the street at your neighbours? Perfectly acceptable.

Stuff I'm Listening To - Howard Jones

Artist: Howard Jones

Title: Things Can Only Get Better

Favourite Lyrics: 

Treating today as though it was the last, the final show
Get to sixty and feel no regret
It may take a little time a lonely path, an uphill climb
Success or failure will not alter it

And do you feel scared, I do
But I won't stop and falter
And if we threw it all away
Things can only get better

Why?: If we are careful, we can control the rate of infection and things will get better.  These are dark times. You're right to feel upset, anxious and worried. We've never experienced anything remotely similar to this in our lifetimes. But we're fortunate. We know enough on how to effectively deal with it, so long as one follows the rules.

For me, I like to deal with my anxiety by reading up on the pathology of this virus. The science behind all of this is truly fascinating. And in many ways, it's very calming for me. It's very much a case of 'knowledge is power'. For example, you've probably heard that the virus is mutating. The problem here is most of us associate 'mutation' with negative connotations, unless you're a comic book reader. The way this virus mutates is, however, not dramatic enough to require a new vaccine every year (like influenza). Any vaccine developed will be able to be used for the long term and still be effective. 

I detest misinformation. Some of it is downright dangerous! Please! Don't take your cousin's sister in-law's best friend's half-brother's dog-groomer's boyfriend's nephew's babysitter's dad who never graduated from high school's advice on how to make your own hand-sanitizer from olive juice and tea tree oil. Just don't! Making your own hand sanitizer gives you a false sense of security. You are better off carrying a water bottle and bar of soap!

Remember, mental health is important too. Do things to cheer yourself up. I've always liked this song by Howard Jones. So catchy, cheerful, hopeful. 80s pop has always been my go to if in need of some cheering up. 

Link to WHO for COVID-19 updates and information: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

Educate yourself! Don't panic! Stay safe. Wash your hands! 
 
 

Stuff I'm Listening To - Peter Gabriel

Artist: Peter Gabriel

Title: In Your Eyes

Lyrics: 

Love, I don't like to see so much pain

So much wasted and this moment keeps slipping away
I get so tired of working so hard for our survival
I look to the time with you to keep me awake and alive

Why?: So more practice on social distancing. This has more to do with that scene in the movie 'Say Anything' than the actual song. But the song is great. Peter Gabriel is great. But let's just learn from John Cusack's character, who is demonstrating perfect social distancing by serenading with his boom box.