I’ve awoken to an overcast Saturday and greeted on the WFMU blog with a lovely clip of one Kid Koala doing his koala thing. Invariably when I get engaged in a conversation of turntablism (which, granted, isn’t the standard bill of discussion with most people but it happens once in awhile), Kid Koala is usually the guy I bring up. More so than Q-Bert, or any of the other Picklz, or the Beat Junkies, or cats from the DJ Shadow school is cinematic perversion, Koala is “adding to the discourse” as one of my educational colleagues would refer to it. However, he’s also a really engaging performer, without resorting to physical flamboyance in his shows. He’s played bingo with his audience, presented goofy slideshows of comic books he has written, and last I heard his latest tour was a puppet show?? And while his newest album isn’t the greatest, here are a couple of vids that just made my day:

Koala playing Moon River. I’ve come to the understanding that you cannot improve on the film version of this song. It really is as good as one song can be. The history behind it is also fascinating to me. That being said, Koala’s take on the song is the most tastefully performed, emotional performances I’ve heard.

Music video for Koala’s Basin Street Blues. Fantastic song. Art reminds me of Jay Ryan.

Elsewhere on the net, one gossipy insider predicts that the big song cometh: Common featuring Lily Allen. I’m sold.

And Mario Vargas Llosa has a new book out? But it’s only available in the U.K.? Dios Mio!

Anyone else underwhelmed by this year’s panel list for the FOB?