On top of letting Nintendo users draw pictures MS Paint style by using the SNES Mouse peripheral device, Mario Paint gives musical gamers (not necessarily needing a high level of musical ability) a blank canvas to compose songs on using Mario sound effects like mushroom and star power.

YouTube has archived several of these compositions, but note they’re not originals. Hilarious Internet/video game nerds have re-created tunes of the beloved 80s and recent top 40 hits, among others.

Check out this rendition of Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’:

Here’s In Da Club by 50 Cent, Mario Paint style:

And finally, another cute version of The Office theme:

You’re lying if you don’t think this is all pretty effing cool.

Ottawa band Hilotrons is featured on Oh Henry!’s latest advertisement.

Marketers behind the nutty, caramely chocolate bar asked “over 25 emerging bands to express hunger through music,” and got some great home-grown talent responding.

That Girl With Dark Eyes (also known as Tiffany Garrett Sotomayor, drummer of Vancouver-based Mint Records band Bella) landed a TV spot also. Though I adore the dreamy electropoppy title We’re So Young, the tune isn’t nearly as fitting for the commercial as my boyfriends in Hilotrons.

Don’t quote me on this, but I’m pretty sure Crave was written specifically for Oh Henry!’s contest. I mean, the content is totally relationship/love/lust/whatever-centric, but come on–a song submitted for a “Feed Your Hunger” song competition called Crave? I saw the new record (released April 1 on Kelp Records), Happymatic, in Sonic Boom today, but don’t remember whether or not the track is on the album.

Either way, it’s no big secret that Ottawa bands aren’t ashamed to write a jingle for commercialism’s sake. Perhaps you remember this Old Navy ad, featuring music from the effortlessly lovely storyteller Andrew Vincent and his pirates:

I hope that doesn’t come off sounding negative. ‘Cause I would totally write a song for a commercial–probably for a lot less dolla bills than Andrew Vincent or Hilotrons received.

I just get super happy seeing bands from the nation’s capital get some recognition. Congratulations Hilotrons!

I leave you all with the Hilotrons’ video for Born a Dancer–a 100 per cent accurate portrait of the fun that is Hilotrons:

P.S. I definitely stole the title of this post from user Obey on punkottawa.com.