Quote of the Week: It would be (expletive deleted) stupid if we made an alliance, gave it a name, bandied the name about, talked about ourselves being warriors and then chickened out at the last second. (Coach – Survivor)
Big News of the Week: Draft Day: One of the great commercials ever in the history of advertising is the NFL’s “Everybody’s Undefeated Tomorrow” ads they run during the Super Bowl. This gives fans of the other thirty teams hope for the next season. And that hope usually sticks around until draft day where some teams lose their season before the first play is ever ran. Unfortunately the draft this year will be without the most entertaining character from the past decade, Matt Millen. And what would have been better if he would have taken Michael Crabtree with the number one overall pick. Oh well.
As for my hometown Browns I would like to see them take with their number one pick… nobody. My dream scenario is for Sanchez to still be on the board and Washington throwing all their picks at the Browns to trade up for the pick. But as long as the Mangenius era doesn’t start like the Butch Davis era (wasting their first two picks on Kellen Winslow Jr.) I will be happy.
Gratuitous Token Hot Chick Picture of the Week:
Coalition Links of the Week: Buzz took a look back at some midseason replacements (Dawson's Creek! The Wonder Years!) she's loved over the years. (BuzzSugar)
Going to use this time as a last minute plea to watch Chuck on Monday at 8pm EST. That's all. (Give Me My Remote)
Vance enjoyed Kris Allen's disco schtick on American Idol. (Tapeworthy)
This week, Jace reviewed the final three episodes of Pushing Daisies and had exclusive interviews with showrunner Jane Espenson about next year's Caprica series and former Veronica Mars writer/executive producer John Enbom about the hilarious Starz comedy Party Down. (Televisionary)
Time for a mid-season wrap-up! Marisa gave all the new shows an evaluation, from Demitri Martin to Surviving Suburbia. (TiFaux)
It's early, but after seeing the series premiere on DVD, Matt is willing to give Caprica a chance in the fall. (TV Fanatic)
Free Download of the Week: Barsuk Records Digital Sampler (Amazon MP3): Features songs by Death Cab for Cutie, Ra Ra Riot and more.
Deal of the Week: Horror DVD BOGO (Evil Dead, Creepshow, Hellraiser)
Video of the Week: We are still a couple months away from the start of Star Gate Universe, but here is a first look at the latest Sci-Fi SyFy show:
Next Week Pick of the Week: Chuck, Monday at 8:00 on NBC: In a cruel twist of fate, my local NBC affiliate here in Northeast Ohio pre-empted the penultimate episode of Chuck this season, this just a week after pre-empting the season finale of Friday Night Lights. But on the bright side, I ended up watching the episode on Hulu so I got to watch it on the only LCD screen in the house and unlike my television, NBC knows I watched the show (but I’ll save my ire of the Nielsen ratings for another post). Maybe I and everyone without a Nielsen box will want to do the same for the finale, or just watch them both live on TV and on Hulu the next day. Here is a behind the scenes look at the finale:
I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on the MTV Movie Awards, Parks and Recreations, The Tonight Show, Gorillaz, and Waking the Baby Mammoth.
- This year MTV is even letting you choose the nominees to this year’s award show. Head over to MTV.com for that. What could be better than actually choosing the nominees? Actually going to the show and be part of the MTV News team. Click the banner below to learn how to enter. And if you win, feel free to give me an on air shout out for helping you.
- If you watched last night’s Parks and Recreations you will want to check out these deleted scenes:
- Conan is really pulling out all the stars to promote his move to The Tonight Show. Here is the latest spot:
- The Gorillaz may be the best animated band since The Banana Splits and now they have gotten their own documentary Bananaz. You can stream it in its entirety for free at Babelgum.com.
- Very few baby mammoth have ever been discovered and the latest National Geographic Channel takes a look at a recent one month old that was was discovered and look to see if what she can tell us about the Ice Age and the changing global climate. Waking the Baby Mamouth airs this Sunday at 9:00. Check out a video below:
There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I thought I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.
I would have loved to be in the pitch meeting with Chuck Liddell. “Alright Chuck, you walk in then Mandy Moore flashes you then kicks you in the manhood area.” I have a feeling Chuck stopped listening after “Mandy Moore flashes you.”
Speaking of Clarkson, when did Ashley Tisdale turn into her? Not only is the video and song a complete rip off of Since U Been Gone, she even stole her hairstyle from the video. I hope this doesn’t turn out like Michael Jackson trying to turn into Diana Ross. On the bright side, the song is catchier than anything off her first album.
Now it is time for the latest indie blogger flavor of the month: Bat for Lashes complete with weird video. But where Feist gave us a cute weird video, this is creepy weird in a I felt like I should take a shower after watching kind of way. With that said, if you can find it, download her cover of Kings of Leon’s Use Somebody.
Today is Earth Day which begs the question: why are you even on your computer? Okay, rule number one of being eco-friendly is don’t beat yourself up when you do something not so eco-friendly. I can rest in the solace that I am currently on a Hybrid computer that uses seventy percent energy than a regular desktop. And certainly do not feel bad if you fire up the television tonight to see Garbage Moguls at 9:00 on the National Geographic Channel.
The special follows a company, TerraCycle, who tries to turn garbage into cash. Their current projects include trying to create a kite made of used Oreo wrappers that they are trying to sell to Walmart. The other is to make a laptop carrier out of billboards and seat belts in hopes that Office Max will order them.
If all the do-gooding isn’t enough to get your eyeballs to the show, then watch because it is hilarious in a The Office kind of way. The hour is filled with sibling rivalries (one employee is just known as Dara’s sister), mild racism, a military type dude (who really need more screen time) opera singing in a laundry mat, and pranks that Jim would be proud of. And not even Michael Scott would send his whole team out to a landfill but the guys and girls all suited up and when scrounging for ideas. Check out a clip below:
All you need to know about the debut album from Asher Roth, Asleep in the Bread Aisle is that instead of being released on the traditional Tuesday, it hit the shelves a day early on 4/20. Get it? If not, you may want skip the album. If you do, go straight to track number two, Blunt Passin’.
Despite that song and the special release date, the album isn’t all about the sticky-icky. Roth attacks what he calls the elephant in the room in that he has the skin tone as Eminem on As I Em. But the thing about Marshall Mathers is that like many of the rappers before him is that he knew about the struggle, how it is to either get a record contract or not be able to feed his child. The suburban stories that Roth tells just don’t carry the same weight. But Roth doesn’t address the second elephant in the room in if he had an uncle named David Lee.
Bad Day (which doesn’t sample Daniel Powder) is a boring romp that could have used some patented Eminem wit. Even Roth seems bored on the track. The ode to his father, His Dream, falls flat especially when you consider Kanye West showed us that songs dedicated to parental figures can avoid being cheesy and lame. And on Lion’s Roar, Busta Rhymes does just that but Roth just whimpers in comparison.
Roth may not have the life experiences that make other rappers stars, but the few stories he has do make for decent songs. Most notable is I Love College which got reworked on the album after being unable to secure the Say it Ain’t So sample (presumably Rivers Cuomo didn’t want his family problems turn into a drunk frat boy anthem). But it is hard not to reminisce about those days on campus and sing along by the end of the song.
Asher’s witty side does show up on the opening track Lark on My Go-Cart, an ode to Scheech’s favorite girl where he is able rhymes bumpkin with Tim Duncan all over a fuzzed out beat. Asher was able to clear a sample from Ben Kweller for Fallin’ where he thinks back to his day in middle school which works much better then when he tries to sound like other rappers of the day. It is too bad Asleep in the Bread Aisle doesn’t feature Roth Boys where Asher hijacks the Jay-Z beat because it would have been the second best track on this album.
We are a decade and a half since the heyday alternative rock when Lollapalooza was the lone traveling circus of semi-homogeneous musical acts. It was also the first to die out after Metallica overtook the headlining reigns turning the show into the cooperate entity that many early fans despised. Now back into its roots, the show now in festival form in Chicago, home of Company of Thieves, a band that would have fit right in during the early tours with the release of its debut album, Ordinary Riches.
The trio, fronted by pixie Genevieve Schatz, crafts poppy alternative rock that sometimes takes its time to gestate with some songs passing the five minute mark but manages never to seem that long thanks to changing tempos and deliveries. Take Under the Umbrella, a bouncy love song that turns into an arena rock shout along to the point you may think it’s two different songs. Then Oscar Wilde (the album title comes from one of his quotes), a song that starts off with a classic rock riff that turns into a groove before you hit the chorus where you will want to sing the ironically chipper delivered, “We are our own devil.”
Other standouts include the smooth Pressure which continues to build throughout the song before breaking during the chorus only for the song to end with a sweet acapella coda from Schatz. The album closes out New Letters, a soothing song the ebbs and flows for its six minutes as it builds up steam for an ending that will leave you wanting more.
The Big Bang Theory: Penny in a comic book store: it’s about time. But if she is going to slum it with a geek, why not have it be Sheldon? Maybe there is something there as he obvious was nerd blocking him with the Batman question. You know if the show lasts long enough it will happen. You can stream current episodes over at Innertube. You can also download The Big Bang Theory on iTunes.
Chuck: That was one of the more entertaining gun fights in recent memories. And I am down with any girl who can do a little double fisting. But how pathetic is Fulcrum that they would clear a whole building with two intruders? Seriously, you outnumber them 1000:1, you don’t need to retreat. You can stream current episodes over at NBC.com. You can also download Chuck on iTunes.
How I Met Your Mother: For the record, Scooter McGavin is better known as Stat Guy at work, the guy who plays with spreadsheets for fun. You can stream current episodes over at Innertube. You can also download How I Met Your Mother on iTunes.
Castle: So for an episode on voodoo they bring in Ray “Voodoo” Tatum. Now that is what I call great casting. You can stream current episodes over at ABC.com. You can also download Castle on iTunes.
Cupid: Nothing more entertaining than watching Republicans and Democrats go at it. But that took a back seat to the casting: holy Anna Chlumsky! And it really makes me feel old to find out she is pushing thirty. She’s the little kid from My Girl for goodness sake. You can stream current episodes over at ABC.com. You can also download Cupid on iTunes.
Lost: Well there goes my Sun is Candle’s kid theory. And of course Miles also has Daddy issues. But the big news of the week was Miles was once the star of Hook. The second biggest being is there may actually be another faction to keep track of with the What Lies Behind the Statue people. Or the Other, Other, Other. Yippie. You can stream current episodes over at ABC.com.
Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Duel II: Why didn’t anyone tell me this show was starting up again? But the better question is why isn’t CT in jail by now? Or when is Congress going to call Bumin/Murray in for their own steroid investigation? Or do they really think that MJ and Nehemiah weren’t already in New Zealand knowing CT would be gone before they even started? You can also download Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Duel II on iTunes.
Survivor: This may have been the most depressing episode ever. I thought Coach was going but know we probably have at least another month of him and Tyson. I may have to stop watching. You can stream current episodes over at Innertube.
My Name Is Earl: The scene with Randy and the needle may be the most disturbing thing I have ever witnessed on television ever. Ever. You can stream current episodes over at NBC.com. You can also download My Name Is Earl on iTunes.
(Amazon MP3): Features songs by Death Cab for Cutie, Ra Ra Riot and more.
(Evil Dead, Creepshow, Hellraiser)
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