Previewing My Boys 4.x

My Boys isn’t Lost, but with a full year between new episodes it would have been nice if they started their fourth season with a “Previously On” segment as a nice remember of how we got here. It has been so long, I completely forgot that Kenny and Stephanie were an item and only vaguely remembered that P.J. and Bobby were still together. According to the press release, apparently near the end of last season Mike worked “towards what could be a life-altering decision” and Brendan decided “to start looking for a new place to live.” Who knew?

Tomorrow sees the return of the My Boys for its fourth season with back to back episodes. Apparently Andy has upped and moved to China with his family leaving the group short a poker player. This leads to a hilarious search for a new sixth and flashback of what they played before poker (though I thought they still played poker prior to Bobby arriving, but then again I can hardly remember what happened last season, let alone in the first). On the second episode, the couples head off to a fancy restaurant leaving Brendan and Mike left to debate the Citizen’s United vs. FEC ruling.

My Boys airs Sundays at 10:00 on TBS. You can stream recent episodes on TNT.tv. You can also download My Boys on iTunes.

Around the Tubes vol. LIX

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 Vampire Diaries, Smallville, Being Human, Project Runway, George Steinbrenner, Mad Men, Bon Jovi, DieHard, New Country, and True Blood.

- The Vampire Diaries is coming to DVD and Blu-Ray at the end of August and Warner Brothers wants fans to head over to its website:

So you’ve thought about it, dreamt about it, even fantasized about it…now, you get to share it.

Check out the official Vampire Diaries DVD site, http://bit.ly/bDNV6N for your chance to vote and let everyone know if you would take Stefan or Damon home. Also, get access to an exclusive email with a special message from the cast, sneak-peaks, wallpapers, cell phone backgrounds and the opportunity to pre-order The Complete First Season before it comes out on Blu-ray and DVD on August 31, 2010.

@ Comic-Con? – Stop by the Warner Bros. booth Friday or Saturday to pick up your Vampire Diaries: The Complete First Season tin of red hot mints with an exclusive code!”

- In other WB TV news, Smallville: The Complete Series is now available in HD on iTunes as the show heads into its tenth and final season.

- The second season of Being Human premieres tomorrow on BBC America (not to be confused to the upcoming Syfy remake). Here is a preview:

What Is Being Human


- Also returning next week is the new season of Project Runway on Thursday at 9:00 on Lifetime with a special 90 minute episode. Below is a sneak peak of the first challenge on the show:

A Sneak Peak Scene of Project Runway


- For those that could not get enough of the 24-hour coverage of George Steinbrenner’s death on ESPN last week This TV will honor the former Yankees owner by airing the newly remastered Pride of the Yankees at 7:00 tomorrow followed by four the 60’s television show Home Run Derby.

- Mad Men returns this Sunday and fan of the show who like to read will want to check out Mad Men Unbuttoned by Natasha Vargas-Cooper who runs a Mad Men blog of the same name.

- Here one for you eighties buffs out there, out July 26 is Sex, Drugs and Bon Jovi written by their tour manager Richard Bozzett. The book promises (of which gives me the feeling the book is unauthorized by the band):

• Bon Jovi’s managements connection to the largest cocaine and marijuana trafficking operations of their time, which led to multiple run-ins, while touring, with the DEA.
• Details on Bon Jovi’s use of speed prior to shows to get “amped up” and Halcion after shows to allow him to sleep
• Details on how the Living on A Prayer tour saved the band for financial chaos
• Never-before-released photos of the band touring, partying, family get togethers shedding a new light on the early days of these Rock Legends and a “Sex Scandal” that never leaked.

- I really cannot begrudge celebrities in commercials under one condition, it has to be creative; the recent Sir Mix-a-Lot Butterfinger ad doesn’t fall into that category. One that does is this DieHard commercial featuring Gary Numan playing Cars on Cars.

DieHard Battery vs. Gary Numan


- If you liked The Goodnight Anthem, you will want to check out New Country which features members of the band. You can stream and download the lead track off their EP Say What You Want on their MySpace page.

- Fans of True Blood will want to head over to the HBO store for newly arrived Jessica themed t-shirts, one of which is pictured below.

Feed Your iPod vol. XLIX: Gotta Get: Closer

There have been many bizarre covers in the history of rock and roll, but most of them are novelties (think Cake’s version of I Will Survive). There is only one really bizarre cover that really transcends novelty and is a legitimately great song on its own: Maxwell’s version of Nine Inch Nails’ Closer. Yes for those that didn’t see his Unplugged performance from back in the day, the RnB crooner did his own version of the industrial band’s ode to dirty, dirty loving. Maxwell makes the song his own, the first time I heard it, it took me to the infamous chorus, “I want to (love) you like an animal” before it clicked in my head that. And considering the original content, Maxwell goes even further into left field when halfway through the song; Maxwell takes the song to church with a gospel style in the middle before ending with a funky goodbye. And yet every second of his version worked brilliantly.

Gotta Get: Closer – Maxwell




Closer – Nine Inch Nails

The 50 Biggest Disappointments of the 00's

1. Bud Selig letting baseball become unwatchable (Big Head Barry becoming the home run king, A-Roid getting a ring, letting the Red Sox roid themselves up to break The Curse, the All-Star Game tie, etc.)

2. The death of Napster

3. The CW thinking shows like Farmer Takes a Wife, 90210, Melrose Place, Life Is Wild, The Pussycat Dolls, High Society, and Fly Girls were better alternatives that Veronica Mars

4. The football team formerly known as the Browns winning a Super Bowl in the second year of The real Browns expansion, who only won three games that year

5. Kanye West going emo

6. The rise of Ringtone Rappers and auto-tune

7. Here is something I could not understand: how Landry Clarke could just kill a man

8. The Writer’s Strike

9. Dave Chappelle going crazy; ending Chappelle's Show after only two seasons

10. Bill Belichicken cheating his way to multiple Super Bowls wins

11. Fox canceling The Lone Gunmen, Undeclared, Firefly, A Minute with Stan Hooper, Keen Eddie, The Jury, The Inside, Point Pleasant, and Reunion after (and sometime before) just one season

12. Having to constantly hear about American Karaoke

13. The entire Heroes series, and having Kristen Bell slum it on such a horribly written / acted show

14. The Steelers winning two ref assisted Super Bowl

15. TV Guide going bigger

16. Basically everything after the season one finale of Lost

17. 50 Cent deciding to make music for suburban white teenage girls

18. The Jay Leno Hour

19. Fergie joining the Black Eyed Peas

20. Having to wait fifteen years for the mediocre Chinese Democracy (and Dr. Pepper not delivering on their promise of a free can)

21. MTV deciding to cater to teenage girls who were too busy texting to care about their crappy shows

22. The Democrats unable to nominate someone competent enough to even beat George Bush

23. Superman Return

24. X & Y - Coldplay

25. The shrinking Rolling Stone

26. The Pirates of the Caribbean sequels

27. Y2K

28. Hollywood ruining my childhood (Transformers, Dukes of Hazard, etc.)

29. Trapped in the Closet; Chapters 13-22

30. Kate Bosworth Going Skelator

31. No Detox from Dr. Dre

32. U.S. Basketball Nightmare teams

33. Sam's Town - The Killers

34. Christina Aguilera starting to look like drag queen version of her Genie in a Bottle self

35. Bionic Woman reboot

36. Jay-Z’s Un-retirement song

37. Survivor All Stars

38. Smashing Pumpkins reunion

39. The Hockey lock out

40. The Shins not changing my life like Natalie Portman promised

41. Janet Jackson’s nipple

42. Working On a Dream - Bruce Springsteen

43. Joe Rogan version of The Man Show

44. Any celebrity documentary style reality show after The Osbornes first season

45. The XFL

46. Brett Favre in a Jets Vikings uniform

47. Jerry Springer banning fighting

48. Lindsay Lohan

49. Austin Powers in Goldmember

50. Tara Reid somehow being able to ruin Wild On

I Want My Music Television vol. LXXXVII

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.


Head Full of Doubt / Road Full of Promise – The Avett Brothers



Ladies and gentlemen: the story of Detroit with music provided by The Avett Brothers.


Laredo - Band of Horses



Keeping with the Americana theme, here is the latest video from Band of Horses.


Crossfire - Brandon Flowers



There have been plenty of unnecessary solo albums in the history of music, but just from hearing one song, Brandon Flowers may be in the discussion for most unnecessary solo album. The song sounds exactly like one from The Killers. Even the video looks like a like a completely absurd one from the band. But then again, if I had Charlize Theron coming to my rescue, I’d get myself caught by ninjas on a regular basis too.


All the Small Things – Jedward



Remember a couple months ago I posted an awesomely bad video by two twins that looked the result of a night of passion between Justin Timberlake and Buster Poindexter which mashed up Ice Ice Baby and the song it ripped off, Under Pressure, and even got Vanilla Ice to rap on it? Now Jedward are just plain bad with their follow up with a Blink-182 cover. Note to any guy reading this, it is not a wise decision to pay homage Lady GaGa, Britney Spears and the Single Ladies dance all in one video.

57 Channels and Only This Is On vol. CXXXIX

Quote of the Week: Man, I haven’t seen this many girls on a football field since the last time we played the Steelers. (Chad Ochocinco, Ochocinco: The Ultimate Catch)

Song of the Week: Tightrope – Janelle Monáe (2010 Espy Awards)

Big News of the Week: George Steinbrenner Died: It is natural whenever people die to remember the good times and gloss over their bad attributes (see Michael Jackson) but the George Steinbrenner coverage is downright bizarre where his worst attribute has be hailed as a positive. His collection of players that resemble a fantasy roster more than an actually baseball teams what has ruined baseball in my lifetime (along with steroids) to the point is almost unwatchable. Yet in the wake of his death, people are applauding his ruthlessness. This would have been like when Richard Nixon died had be lauded for having the wherewithal to spy on his opposition for political gain.

Leverage: How can they include a town called Arcadia and not have anyone named Joan from there? How disappointing. You can stream recent episodes on TNT.tv. You can also download Leverage on iTunes.

Rescue Me: It is always good whenever Shawn and Mike put their brains together and them coming up with a worthy charity may be the best conversation since discussing God with Katie after Conner died. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Rescue Me on iTunes.

2010 ESPY Awards: It was cathartic to hear LeBron get booed during the show. Even though the monologue was entertaining, some of the bit were pretty lame with Paul the octopus and the creator of the vuvuzalas. But my second favorite part of the night (after LeBron getting booed) was Lindsey Vonn calling out Marky Mark.

Persons Unknown: Me wonders if the new black chick is also a plant as a replacement for Joe. It is a little convenient for someone to have antifreeze in a town with no cars. You can also download Persons Unknown on iTunes.

Also check out my preview of Covert Affairs.

Free Download of the Week: 2010 SideOneDummy Records Summer Sampler (Amazon MP3): This set includes songs by The Gaslight Anthem, Flogging Molly and Anti Flag.

Deal of the Week: Save up to 44% on TV Shows (Rescue Me, Diff’rent Strokes, Damages)

Video of the Week: New show on the National Geographic Channel tonight at 10:00, Monstar Fish follows fish biologist Zeb Hogan as he tries to find the world’s largest fresh water fish. Tonight is just a sneak peak before settling in to its permanent timeslot tomorrow also at 10:00. Here is a preview:

Redneck Fishing Tournament


Next Week Pick of the Week: My Boys, Sunday (7/25) at 10:00 on TBS: It has been over a year since the last new episode of My Boys aired so I have completely forgotten what is actually going on with the gang (was it common knowledge that Andy took a job in China?) Look for more on the new season of My Boys this week.