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 Jim Parsons, Crash, Community, Green Porno, Lopez Tonight and My Boys.
- Nothing like opening up your most recent Newsweek and seeing Sheldon Cooper in the pages in-between (this being the issue with the tackless cover The Case for Killing Granny). This was for the weekly’s rountable of Emmy nominees. Joining Jim Parsons are Amy Poehler, Sarah Silverman, Toni Collette, and Jon Cryer. You can actually read the full text and a video on Newsweek.com.
- Tonight sees the return of Crash for its second tonight on Starz with new cast member Eric Roberts. For those that cannot wait or don’t have Starz and want to see if the show is as pretentiously bad as the movie was, head over to Starz.com to watch the premiere in its entirety and uncut.
- For those who cannot get enough of Community after it premiered this week, bid your time until the next episode by watching this behind the scenes video to see which cast members really likes to dance:
- Nothing like opening up your e-mail account and seeing a subject entitled “Green Porno.” And it wasn’t even from the old college buddy who’s crap you delete without opening. Apparently Green Porno is a show about reproductive habits of non-human species that is scientifically accurate yet extremely entertaining and brought to you by Isabella Rossellini. Head over to SundanceChannel.com to see the new season of the show.
- If NBC is correct and the public cannot get enough talk shows then you are in luck come November 9 when TBS launches Lopez Tonight with George Lopez. In other TBS news, My Boys has been renewed for a fourth season. Look for nine episodes to debute sometimes in 2010. Until then, here is a promo for Lopez Tonight:
- TVGuide.com counts down the top television moments of the week including Mad Men, Whoopi Goldberg’s tribute to Patrick Swayze and apparently there was some brush up as an award show last week. Who knew? Speaking of Swayze, here is a clip of when he ran into Hans and Franz:
Without any bells, whistles or catches of recent seasons, not even an Exile Island, the one thing Survivor: Samoa promised leading up to the season the “Biggest villain in Survivor history.” Really? A bigger tool than last season’s Coach Ben Wade? More facetious than Johnny “Fairplay” Dalton? More annoying than Boston Rob Mariano? More calculating than Lex van den Burghe? More pompous than the original Survivor villain Richard Hatch? It is hard to considering someone the biggest anything after one episode, but Russell Hantz might very well be.
Let’s rundown everything Russell did in the first episode. He poured out everyone’s water, put Jaison Robinson’s socks in the fire, made up a story of living in New Orleans as a fireman during Katrina in which his fake dog got swept away, created what he calls the “Dumb Blonde” alliance with three separate girls as well as well as another secret alliance with another then conspired to get one of them kicked off, Marisa Calihan, when she dared to say she is going to have to keep an eye on him who was as close to tears as anyone has gotten on their exit to the show. Yeah, it may be safe to say he is the biggest villain in Survivor history even if he gets voted off next week after being an angel all episode. But by the preview, at least the preview part won’t be happening.
Russell even overshadowed who should have been the breakout star of Samoa: Shambo, the forty something ex-marine that derived her nickname by mashing her God given name Shannon Waters and Rambo all the while sporting a greater mullet than Sylvester Stallone ever had. Other include the other Russell, Russell Swan who another contestant called a more attractive Lennox Lewis. Alrighty. Then there is personal chef Mike Borassi who has so much weird facial hair one has to wonder who would let him touch their food? And what would Survivor without hot chicks in bathing suits, and there are a plenty this time around even with the departure Marisa. But above all, Spa Salesman (huh?) Ashley Trainer takes home this season Chick Who I Would Have Dirty, Dirty Sex with Even if They Haven’t Bathed in 30 Days Award.
Swan was also a part of the small twist in that each tribe would pick, without actually talking to each other, their “leader.” Then the leader then in turn pick had to choose who they thought was the best swimmer, strongest, most agile, and smartest. Pretty cool twist with the winner taking back to their camp fire. With the evilness of Hantz running around the island, it is even harder to try and pick a winner this season. My preseason pick of rocket scientist John Fincher doesn’t look very wise after he botched his swimming leg of the relay. So I will put my fake money behind the moderately attractive law student Monica Padilla.
In terms of television, the 00’s will go down as the decade of anti-heroes, from Jack Bower to Tommy Gavin to Dexter Morgan, almost every major drama of the decade had a lead character that garnered major and minor awards were deeply flawed. The 10’s (and if we never came to a consensus of what to call the 00’s, what the frack do we call the next decade?) may very well be the rise of the anti-hero in sitcoms. If so, Showtime got the ball rolling with the pill popping Nurse Jackie this summer and NBC is jumping on the band wagon with Community.
The problem with Community, is where Bower at. el. typically go with the ends justify the means philosophy to to talk themselves into some of the bad things they do, the lead of Community, Joel McHale (The Soup), is just a humongous douche. McHale spends the whole first episode either trying to get out of doing any work getting a degree or getting into the pants of the resident hottie Gillian Jacobs (Choke). There are zero redeeming qualities to McHale here.
Luckily for Community the rest of the cast is stellar starting with comedy legend Chevy Chase (Fletch Lives) as a man after my own heart by being rich enough to just take classes for fun in his old age (something I would totally do if I were loaded). Breakout star watch goes to Allison Brie (Mad Men) as the perennial over-achiever who still manages to be a not well known by her peers including your token high school king turned Community College loser. Yvette Nicole Brown (Hotel for Dogs) and Danny Pudi (Road Trip - Beer Pong) also seem good for a few laughs. And even though he doesn’t show up in the first episode, the always funny Ken Jeong (Role Models) shows up as the crew’s Spanish teacher sometime this season.
Community airs Thursdays at 9:30 on NBC until October 8 when it moves to 8:00 on the same day. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Community on iTunes or Amazon Video on Demand (see below):
I never understand why record companies shelve album. I cannot cost that much to press CD’s and transport them to stores (certainly nowhere near the $18 retail price) and now it costs basically nothing to upload to iTunes and the like. But we have to wait eight years to (legally) hear the lost Q-Tip album, Kamaal the Abstract because his A&R man said, “I don’t hear a single.” So into the great wide open of the ether the album went until Q-Tip finally regained control of the rights to finally put out.
So now it gets its proper release so the obvious question is: Is it worth the wait? Well, yes and no. Had the album been released in 2002, it would have been a revolution with Tip bridging the gap between rap and jazz more than A Tribe Called Quest ever did thanks to the live jazz band backing him up while Q-Tip goes back and forth between rapping and singing. Now after Andre 3000, Kanye West and upstart Kid Cudi have all mixed the singing and rapping to mixed results it almost sound like another album if it weren’t for the jazz aspect to it whereas other backing music of choice ranges from emo (West) to electro (Cudi) to everything in-between (3000).
And as adventurous Tip was to branch out with a live jazz backing band, the actual jazz being played really isn’t that adventurous itself and is more of a Jazz for Beginners starter kit for those not familiar with the genre or consider Norah Jones part of the moment. And that is not on Q-Tip who has no problem stepping back from the mike on multiple songs to let the musicians jam a little. But it is decent as a starter kit for jazz version who find jumping straight into Miles Davis or John Coltrane too daunting.
This is the 50th Lyrics Quiz ever and to mark the occasion I thought I would tie the anniversary with my year long homage to the greatest of this decade. Here are the twenty-five greatest One Hit Wonders of the decade (according to me, many apologies to any of the artists to manage to get another hit in the next three and a half months). Once the decade actually ends, I will have a more comprehensive and longer list. But until then, as usual, place your guesses in the comment (or e-mail me), both artist and song title (make sure to get your guess to songs released in this decade), and if you are correct I will un-bold the lyric. Please keep in mind the lyrics quiz is for entertainment purposes only so please only use your own meandering mind to guess them. Now onto the quiz
1. I could tell she liked me by the way she started, and by the way she said, “You missed a spot over there.” (Stacy's Mom - Fountains of Wayne; guessed by blondedancer3457)
2. Get back you flea infested mongrel. (Who Let the Dogs Out - The Baha Men; guessed by Fran)
3. Not just urban, she likes the pop ‘cause she was living la vida loca. (Thong Song - Sisqo; guessed by Doug)
4. You sing a sad song just to turn it around. (Bad Day - Daniel Powter; guessed by Rose)
5. Whatever tickles your fancy, girl, it’s me and you like Sid and Nancy. (Butterfly - Crazy Town; guessed by Doug)
6. Annie are you okay, are you okay, are you okay Annie? (Smooth Criminal - Alien Ant Farm; guessed by Jo)
7. Save me from this prison, Lord help me get away. ‘Cause only you can save me now. (Heaven - Los Lonely Boys; guessed by Jo)
8. I don’t believe in Hitler, that’s what I said. So all of you skins give me more (expletive deleted). (Because I Got High - Afroman; guessed by Rob) 9. Stop making me feel bad. I’m the best thing you ever had. The only thing I’m guilty of is giving you too much love.
10. You. You’re still the whisper on my lips. Feel it in my finger tips. Pulling at my skin.11. I got so much left to say. If every simple song I wrote to you would take your breath away, I’d write it all. (Hey There Delilah - Plain White T's; guessed by Rose) 12. But since I came here, felt the joy and the fear finding myself making every possible mistake.13. You thought you could keep this (expletive deleted) from me. You burn (expletive deleted), I heard the story. You played me, you even gave him (expletive deleted). ((Expletive Deleted) It (I Don't Want You Back) - Eamon; guessed by Doug)
14. I’m only a man in a silly red sheet. (Superman (It's not Easy) - Five for Fighting; guessed by Jo) 15. Every night, every day. Just to be there in your arms. Won’t you stay? Won’t you lay? Stay forever and ever and ever and ever.16. In ‘77 and ‘69 revolution was in the air. I was born too late to a world that doesn’t care. (I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair) - Sandi Thom; guessed by Rob)
17. Oh I’m nervous. I don’t know what to do, light a cigarette? I only smoke when I’m with you. (I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked - Ida Maria; guessed by blondedancer3457)
18. I see the doorways to a thousand churches. And resolution of all my fruitless searches. (In Your Eyes (Live) - Jeffery Gaines; guessed by Anonymous) 19. I will find a way back to my hand. I’m the only one who can help me find my feet again.
20. Cry baby, cry baby, cry. Soaking down your… cry baby, cry baby, you can’t understand…
21. I don’t have a lot of money, though we’ll be fine. No I don’t have a penny but I’ll show you are real good time.
22. I know it might be right, I know it might be wrong but if I’m gonna have a drink it mght as well be strong.
23. Maybe I’m the joker, maybe I’m the fool in your eyes. Maybe I’m the weak one, maybe I’m the lion in disguise. (If You're Gonna Leave - Emerson Hart; guessed by Taylor Blue)
24. I am thinking it's a sign that the freckles in our eyes are mirror images and when we kiss they're perfectly aligned. (Such Great Heights - The Postal Service; guessed by AJ)
25. Out on the road today I saw a Black Flag sticker on a Cadillac. (Boys of Summer - The Ataris; guessed by AJ)
Usually at the beginning of each quarter I list what albums are coming out chronologically, instead, this time I am counting down the ten albums I am most looking forward to listen to this fall. Then the rest I sorted by release date. If you are interested in pre-ordering the record from Amazon, click the album name (or the album cover where available). Click the artist name to be taken to their iTunes page to grab their current work. And as always, all dates subject to change.
1. Battle Studies – John Mayer (November 17): When I get around to making the Greatest Albums of the 00’s list, you could make an argument for any of his first three albums to land near the top of the list. Hopefully he goes four for four with Battle Studies.
2. Kamaal the Abstract – Q-Tip (September 15): This should have been on the Most Anticipated Albums of Spring 2002, but the album got shelved by Arista. The record takes the jazz samples of A Tribe Called Quest to the extreme of live instrumentation and even sees Tip sing long before Andre 3000 or Kanye with production from the late J Dilla.
3. Draw the Line – David Gray (September 22): Even though he hasn’t gotten the mainstream following after striking it big with Babylon, Gray has put out consistently good music since. And from the signs of the first single Fugitive, it looks to continue.
4. Everything Comes and Goes – Michelle Branch (November 10): Branch started off her career by making what may end up being the greatest pop album of the decade. Like many other artists this decade, she went country with her duo The Wreckers. Now back with her first solo album in six years, it sounds like she will continue straddling the pop / rock / country fence.
5. Kiss and Tell – Selena Gomez and The Scene (September 29): Just kidding, making sure you are paying attention. But seriously, their first single is disturbingly catchy. Don’t tell Chris Hansen I said that though please.
6. The Seventh Seal – Rakim (September 22): Another rap album that has been taking too long to be released. I have been anxiously waiting for this album ever since Dr. Dre signed him to his Aftermath label back in 2000. He left three years later to sign with Dreamworks that folded shortly after. Hopefully there are no more snags between now and the 22nd.
7. I and Love and You – The Avett Brothers (September 29): I was first introduced to the band when Friday Night Lights used it as the soundtrack to the Landy/Tyra coupling. Now with a Rick Rubin produced, they are posed to be the breakout rock act of the year.
8. Play On – Carrie Underwood (November 3): Unlike #5, this is no joke. Her debut was the guiltiest of guilty pleasures and the follow was exactly what you expect, save the last track Wheel that pushed her boundaries outward. From the sound of the first single Cowboy Cassanova she might be pushing further with the song co-written by Mike Elizondo, one of Dr. Dre’s co-producers.
9. Man on the Moon: The End of Day – Kid Cudi (September 15): Consider me skeptic about a five act rap concept album, the recent three acts from Green Day was heavy-handed. But Make Her Say may go down as the best hip-hop track of year. And bonus points for being from Cleveland.
10. How I Got Over – The Roots (October 20): You would think after agreeing to be Jimmy Fallon’s house band, The Roots would rest on their laurels, but just a year after releasing their last album comes a new one.
Here are some other albums you can expect to drop sometime before Christmas. If I missed anything, let me know in the comments or tell me what fall release you are looking forward to:
). There are zero redeeming qualities to McHale here.
) as a man after my own heart by being rich enough to just take classes for fun in his old age (something I would totally do if I were loaded). Breakout star watch goes to Allison Brie (
) as the perennial over-achiever who still manages to be a not well known by her peers including your token high school king turned Community College loser. Yvette Nicole Brown (
) and Danny Pudi (
) also seem good for a few laughs. And even though he doesn’t show up in the first episode, the always funny Ken Jeong (
) shows up as the crew’s Spanish teacher sometime this season.
![Terror Alert Level: High [ORANGE]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhebDZ0qqwOVKMZj7oFSUe8Hm3ax54U9Hp1fThJPgiddTyzcdwx_5SV6E3b7hkKyxbaDiym4COmUXT2YJnsKCUjBHI_a2xZtNoY7qFQRslP5AGO5gLkJwn2ZbO0wIF80ycbKrgPPA/s400/small_high.png)
on my 
- Sisqo; guessed by Doug)
- Daniel Powter; guessed by Rose)
- Crazy Town; guessed by Doug)
- Plain White T's; guessed by Rose)
– 
2. Kamaal the Abstract – 
3. Draw the Line – 
– 
– 
6. The Seventh Seal – 
– 
8. Play On – 
9. Man on the Moon: The End of Day – 
– 
– 
- 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
(Box Set)
– 
– 
– 
– 
- 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
- 
– 
– 
– 
–