actors who sing

I had no clue that David Duchovny even sang, but here's a brief article on his forthcoming album and a clip to a new song: [www.billboard.com]. It is amazing how many actors have side hobbies as musicians. I think Riz Ahmed, who raps in the group Swet Shop Boys, may be the only one who's just as talented at both crafts. (I love Childish Gambino's song "Redbone," but I think it's *way* better than anything else he's recorded.) I looked at one of Kiefer Sutherland's country music videos, and it was painfully bad. Claes Bang, the star of the acclaimed recent Swedish film THE SQUARE, released an album under the name This Is Not America, which sounded like a cross between the Postal Service and Pet Shop Boys, and it was interesting to hear once on SoundCloud, but I'd never pay for it.

I got a press release on the Duchovny album last week, and I gotta admit: I saw the headline and immediately thought, "There's a singer/songwriter with the same name as the X-Files guy? You'd think he'd change his name." Then I opened the e-mail and saw the photo. I can't bring myself to listen to the sample track included therein - life's too short.

I did listen to the Duchovny song. It's a perfectly adequate but 100% generic rock song. If his name wasn't attached to it, few record labels not owned by him would ever release it.

Gambino's "AWAKEN, MY LOVE!" really suffers from the fact that most of it sounds like the product of a COSMIC SLOP/STANDING ON THE VERGE-era Funkadelic tribute band and the rest sounds like Prince. I love that music and he does an OK job of imitating it, but "Redbone" actually sounds like a version of "psychedelic soul" that's not just a retread of older artists. (And I'm impressed that he can sing the whole song in that falsetto.)

There are plenty of actors who sing, and plenty of singers who act...those with a background in theater certainly blur the lines. Now, when guys who are primarily actors venture into rock and roll, things have often gotten dicey. Not sure I even want to know what a Duchovny album sounds like.

On a related note, my wife is in love with the music from the movie The Greatest Showman starring Hugh Jackman. She played me some songs from the soundtrack, and I have to admit Jackman has a great voice, somewhat reminiscent of Midge Ure. I can easily imagine Midge singing the same songs that I hear on that soundtrack. Apparently Jackman has a musical theater background so singing isn't something new for him. Now if he decided to cut a rock album...not sure how that would turn out, but he certainly has the vocal chops.

Steevee, you don't like Me and Your Momma? I have to say I dig that song a lot, play it multiple times every weekend in my mixes.

Not my cup of tea but Kate Winslet has a very good voice but it was only like one song for a cartoon movie. My wife likes it, no idea why she has not put out more. I guess that movie thing has worked out for her though!

Two words: Bruce Willis.

Molly Ringwald
Emma Stone
Kevin Bacon

Didn't Cybil Shepherd covet a singing career along with her acting career? I seem to recall she kept trying to get into musicals, and kept getting panned by the critics.

And one name to rule them all: William Shatner.