SOUNDTRACK: MICHAEL HAGGINS-“Daybreak” (2004).
If you’re a fan of the show Community, you know that they play around with all kinds of conventions. If you follow Community closely, you know that there are many recurring gags. If you really pay attention, you may have heard a recurring gag. There’s a song that has appeared in a number of episodes and each time it is heard, it is because a cast member is singing or hummng it. The first time I encountered it was in the Halloween Episode where Abed is telling a story. In his version, the kids turn on the radio and rather than hearing an immediate late breaking news story (which would never happen in real life), a song comes on the radio. When they flash back to Abed telling the story, he hums the tune that goes on longer than you might think. [I love that someone created an looped version of it].
The song appears again in various spots including at the end of an episode where Annie is on Troy and Abed’s show and she rearranges their bedroom. Troy puts up a technical difficulties sign and hums the song too.
Well, it turns out that it’s a real song. Forbes magazine (!) describes it as a relaxing number that could easily be played on any adult contemporary or smooth jazz radio station across the country. It’s by Michael Haggins and it’s called “Daybreak.” In the pillow forts and blankets episode when Real Neal plays the song over the radio, he announces it as “Daybreak,” which I guess is the real clue people needed to finding out the song (I assumed it was just something the staff made up). So the next time that someone on the cast whistles or hums a song, there’s a good chance it’s this.
Here’s a clip of all the uses of the song on the show:
[READ: November 20, 2012] Hand Glider & Mud Mask
Brian McMullen is the guy behind the McSweeney’s McMullens childrens book imprint. And this is his first book (I have no biographical info on Jägel).
This book has a terrific gimmick. It was bound like a letter S, so there is a front cover, a middle cover and a back cover, but when you get to the back cover, because of the design, it is once again a front cover. In other words, there are two short stories in this book Hang Glider and Mud Mask and when you get to the end of Hang Glider, the cover has turned so that you can now begin Mud Mask (no flipping necessary). And the stories are connected, so it all works together very nicely. (more…)
I Just Read About That... 