Line #22 Music/PinkMartini


1	->“Pink Martini is a rollicking around-the-world musical adventure … if the UsefulNotes/UnitedNations had a house band in 1962, hopefully we’d be that band.”
2	--> '''Thomas Lauderdale,''' Pink Martini's co-founder (with China Forbes), co-head songwriter (ditto) and lead pianist
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4	Not quite like anything else on the airwaves today, Pink Martini is a "little orchestra" of a band. It claims heritage from Portland, Oregon, and Harvard University, and draws musical inspiration from all over the world. They cultivate a classic vibe reminiscent of the 1940's or 50's. While they cover charming old songs like "Brazil" and "Amado Mio," China Forbes and Thomas Lauderdale also write plenty of their own material, with frequently hilarious results. As they gather members from all over the world, they regularly perform in English, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Arabic, Neapolitan, and many other languages. They have toured the world, and boast such impressive gigs as opening the Walt Disney Concert Hall (its first non-classical music act).
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6	Defining their music is a bit more difficult. Pink Martini is a [[GenreRoulette weird postmodern classical retro-kitsch international-lounge/Tropicália jazz outfit]] which they themselves have described as "music for children and dogs."
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8	Whatever it is, it sounds great.
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10	They currently have seven albums: ''Sympathique'', ''Hang On Little Tomato,'' ''Hey, Eugene!'', ''Splendor In The Grass,'', ''Get Happy,'', and '' Je dis oui!'', plus a holiday album, ''Joy to the World.'' Pages on this wiki featuring their lyrics include WholesomeCrossdresser, SongFic, and ManicPixieDreamGirl. Their song "Donde Estas, Yolanda?" also got a starring role in the series 3 premiere of ''{{Series/Sherlock}}''. Visit their website [[http://pinkmartini.com/ here]]
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12	In 2011 China Forbes announced that she was taking a sabbatical from Pink Martini because she needed surgery on her vocal cords (she has since returned). The band continued with guest vocalists, including the collaborative album ''1969'', with Japanese vocalist Saori Yuki. Their most recent album is the cheerfully titled ''Get Happy,'' featuring the return of Forbes as well as new vocalist Storm Large.
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15	!! Examples of Tropes Seen In Pink Martini's Work
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17	* AnAesop: In "Bitty Boppy Betty," a moral is lightly dropped at the end about celebrating variety and tolerating other people, mixed in with a GayAesop (Betty's a crossdressing man). As well, "Cante E Dance" has a message about accepting the unpredictability of life and enjoying it while it lasts.
18	* AlbumClosure: The final song on ''Sympathetique'' is a slow instrumental track named "Lullaby."
19	* {{Arcadia}}: an ideal retreat from the world is described in "Tea for Two" and "Splendor in the Grass" -- somewhere with little traffic, plenty of greenery, peace, and quiet.
20	* AttractiveBentGender: "Bitty Boppy Betty", about a drag queen.
21	* BasedOnATrueStory: According to [[WordOfGod China Forbes]], "Hey Eugene" was indeed written about a guy named Eugene who failed to return her call after a party.
22	* BilingualBonus: This is a very multilingual band. They've sung in English, French, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Croatian, Arabic, Portuguese, Turkish, Greek, Romanian, Farsi, Armenian... and with their holiday album alone they add Hebrew, Ukrainian, German, Ladino, and Chinese to the list.
23	* BreakUpSong: "And Then You're Gone" is, from Maria's perspective, definitely a BreakUpSong, as she asserts she's sick of Lorenzo's flakiness, and that their relationship is over. However, Lorenzo is in blissful denial, as expressed in "But Now I'm Back".
24	* ButLiquorIsQuicker: Part of the story behind "Hey, Eugene!" They were both buzzed (though Eugene's skinhead friend was smashed... and they were both buzzed enough to not notice a completely drunk skinhead staggering out of an elevator).
25	* ChristmasSongs: on their album "Joy To the World," including the original Ukranian "Carol of the Bells," and "Silent Night" and "Auld Lang Syne" in three different languages apiece.
26	* CityOfAdventure: "City of Night" -- in its romantic, nightlife aspect.
27	* TheCoverChangesTheMeaning - "Que Sera, Sera", which is done much more somberly and with an echo that makes the song sound like it's from a horror film soundtrack.
28	* GayAesop: "Bitty Boppy Betty" politely asks you not to judge the eponymous Betty, who's a crossdresser on nights, and a defense attorney by day.
29	* GenreThrowback: Their jazz, lounge, and old-fashioned pop style.
30	* GratuitousForeignLanguage: Includes "No Hay Problema" (Spanish), "Bukra Wba'do" (Arabic), "Où est ma tête" (French), and "Până când nu te iubeam" (Romanian).
31	* HilarityEnsues: at their concerts. Stilt-walkers, puppeteers, and an entire high school marching band have all made appearances.
32	* IronicNurseryTune: Their cover of "Que Sera, Sera", which is much more grim and creepy - fitting, as [[WesternAnimation/MaryAndMax the film it's from]] wasn't light at all.
33	* LoveAtFirstSight: "Sunday Table." Hard to say, but it might be a SubvertedTrope, as the last two words of the song imply [[spoiler: that the woman simply turns around, keeps walking, and the two of them go on with their day]].
34	* ManicPixieDreamGirl: "Lilly." The Lilly in the song is wild and rambunctious, and completely turns the nameless guy's life around. Disregarding the fact that the original Lilly is a dog -- "Lilly, stay!" -- the song could work very well.
35	* MundaneMadeAwesome: "Hey Eugene" tells a humdrum story about a guy who flirted with China Forbes at a party, got her number, and never called back. This is the basis for an ''epic'' slapping funk number.
36	* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: a Jamaican-style ''"[[ChristmasCarol Little Drummer Boy]]"''?
37	* ObsessedWithFood: Lorenzo in "But Now I'm Back" is so obsessed with food he has to interrupt his romantic rendezvous with his (increasingly impatient) girlfriend in order to get a snack with the boys. At least, food is his excuse...
38	* TheOneThatGotAway: A few songs, such as the melancholy "Kikuchiyo To Mohshimasu" and "Veronique," the upbeat "The Gardens of Sampson & Beasley" and possibly the tragic "Piensa en Mi." And of course, "Hey, Eugene!"
39	* RashomonStyle: "And Then You're Gone" / "But Now I'm Back."
40	** It's also possible that "Una Notte a Napoli" and "La Soledad" form the woman's and man's points-of-view in a similar way; the intro to "Una Notte a Napoli" is really the melody line from "La Soledad."
41	* RockMeAmadeus: And swing me Schubert.
42	** [[IncrediblyLamePun Tserenade me Tchaichovksy?]]
43	* RussianGuySuffersMost: in "Dosvedanya, Mio Bombino" the half-Russian, half-Italian boyfriend of the singer is constantly torn between his two natures and homelands, never ending up satisfied.
44	* SmokingIsGlamorous: The woman in "Sympathetique" pulls it off nicely. Fitting, as the song is about a depressed, recently broken-up woman despondently sitting in her room and smoking all day.
45	* SurprisinglyGentleSong: In this case, surprisingly sinister - "Que Sera Sera" sounds right out of a horror flick... and given it's originally from a thriller film where its upbeat mood and lyrics were at odds with the possibility of getting killed by a conspiracy, it's fitting.
46	* VocalTagTeam: There have always been {{special guest}}s and StepUpToTheMicrophone moments, with China Forbes being the first among equals. PM got something like a true VocalTagTeam when Storm Large came aboard.
47	* WholesomeCrossdresser: "Bitty Boppy Betty," about a charismatic district attorney who dresses as a woman on the weekends, and who is the toast of her local nightclub:
48	-> "You really can't ignore her,
49	-> And if you don't adore her,
50	-> There might be something wrong with you!"
51	* YouAreNotAlone: ''Hang On, Little Tomato'' is a gentle imploration to keep sticking to your guns.

Context Music / PinkMartini