Best of the Week vol. XLVII

Quote of the Week: He’s out there on the street and he’s kicking (expletive deleted) like Batman. You’re married to Christian Bale. Or Michael Keaton at least. (Katie, No Ordinary Family)

Song of the Week: American Girl – Tom Petty (as sung by Jimmy T, Survivor)

Big News of the Week: The Baseball Playoffs Begin: Who knew? I really haven’t watched the sport since I realized that everyone was medically enhanced. Maybe when they finally clear the sport of the cream and the clear and add a cap so I actually think my team may have a chance to make the playoffs, I start paying attention again.

Gratuitous Token Hot Chick Picture of the Week:



Free Download of the Week: Law & Order: Los Angeles, Season 1 - Law & Order: Los Angeles (iTunes): For those the missed the first west coast version of the franchise, here it is for free.

Deal of the Week: The Happy Birthday Sale (The Big Bang Theory, Eastbound and Down, The Hangover [Blu Ray], The Wire)

Video of the Week: ABC Family’s syndication of Friday Night Lights has soften the blow that I will have to wait another four to seven months for the start of the new season. Of course for those with DirecTV, you only have to wait another two and a half weeks. Below is a promo for the DirecTV return featuring The Black Keys When the Lights Go Out.

Friday Night Lights Season 5 Promo


Next Week Pick of the Week: Rubicon, Sunday at 9:00 on AMC: Rubicon really kicked into gear last week and with only two episodes left (tomorrow and next week), we may be in for an explosive season finale. Quite literally with an extremist entering the country and the API boss apparently profiting from catastrophes his group identifies.

Around the Tubes vol. LXIX

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 Haven, The Office, Suzanne Vega, Nowhere Boy, Outlaw, Djibouti, Mariah Carey, Rod Stewart, Michael Feinsein’s American Songbook, Sons of Anarchy, and a Tony Curtis marathon.

- Tonight is the season finale of Haven on Syfy at 10:00 which was recently renewed for a second season. Here is a preview:



- The Office will be releasing its latest webisodes The 3rd Floor October 21 and here is a trailer.



- Today at noon, Suzanne Vega will perform at the Borders in Ann Arbor. For those not within driving distance can watch via Livestream below:

borders on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free

- Tonight is the release of the John Lennon coming of age bio-flick Nowhere Boy. Below is a clip featuring Lennon and Paul McCartney write their first song together when they were called The Quarrymen.

Exclusive Nowhere Boy Clip. Watch more top selected videos about: Nowhere Boy

- On the small screen tonight in a new episode of Outlaw featuring guest star Tom Schanley (Dexter) as a “surviving husband of a woman who is suspected of committing suicide after warning her employer, a car manufacturer, of unsafe conditions in the car. Turns out Carl may have played a role in her suicide as well.”

- The guy who wrote Fire in the Hole of which the FX series Justified is based on, Elmore Leonard will be turning 85 on October 11, a day before his latest novel, Djibouti is released. Lean more in the video below:



- I would venture to say most everyone has a few Mariah Carey Christmas tunes on their iPods and she will finally give us some new holiday cheer with the upcoming release of Merry Christmas II You. You can preorder the album and an exclusic DVD over at hsn.com/mariahcarey now or tune in to HSN Oct 20 during the 8 am, the 2 pm, and the 10 pm hours for more Mariah Carey surprises.

- In other HSN news, Rod Stewart will debut his latest album, Fly Me to The Moon…The Great American Songbook, Volume V, exclusively with HSN. He will be performing live during a one-hour primetime special on October 9 at 8 p.m. (ET) on HSN.

- Stewart isn’t the only one going back into the American songbook, next Monday the Michael Feinstein Foundation for the Preservation of the Great American Songbook debuts an extraordinary free website, Michael Feinsein’s American Songbook, in which music aficionados, music historians, teachers, and cultural researchers.

- SAMCRO fans rejoice, Sons of Anarchy has been renewed for a fourth season.

- This Sunday TCM will pay tribute to Tony Curtis with a twenty-four hour marathon of his films. Here is the full rundown:

6 a.m. Beachhead (1954) – with Frank Lovejoy and Mary Murphy
7:45 a.m. Kings Go Forth (1958) – with Frank Sinatra and Natalie Wood
9:45 a.m. The Vikings (1958) – with Kirk Douglas, Ernest Borgnine and Janet Leigh
11:45 a.m. Operation Petticoat (1959) – with Cary Grant and Dina Merrill
2 p.m. Who Was That Lady? (1960) – with Janet Leigh and Dean Martin
4:15 p.m. Sex and the Single Girl (1964) – with Natalie Wood, Lauren Bacall and Henry Fonda
6:15 p.m. You Can’t Win ‘Em All (1970) – with Charles Bronson and Michèle Mercier
8 p.m. Sweet Smell of Success (1957) – with Burt Lancaster and Martin Milner
9:45 p.m. The Defiant Ones (1958) – with Sidney Poitier and Theodore Bikel
11:30 p.m. Trapeze (1956) – with Burt Lancaster and Gina Lollobrigida
1:30 a.m. The Great Race (1965) – with Jack Lemmon and Natalie Wood
4:15 a.m. Don’t Make Waves (1967) –with Claudia Cardinale and Sharon Tate

Previewing The Dog Whisperer 7.x

I thoroughly enjoy watching The Dog Whisperer because not only does it gives me tips for my dogs; it is a nice reminder that there are much worse behaving dogs on the planet than mine. Like on tomorrow’s season premiere we are introduced to a lamp shade eating dog. My dog has chewed on socks, CD’s and even paper, but never has she jumped up to take out one of my lamp shades.

For his second case, Cesar Millan gets offered a deal to tame Howie Mandel’s Chihuahua Lola, who Howie fears is going to kill him because she lunges at him every time Howie tries to sit next to his wife. As a Chihuahua owner myself I understand just how angry the dog can get, but lucky for me I am the one mine is protected so everyone around me gets the ankles gnawed on a little. Check out Howie getting flew from a one pound fur ball below:



Tomorrow is the first of fifteen all new episodes to air Fridays at 8:00 on the National Geographic Channel. Also this season, Cesar will be visiting Astronaut Suni Williams, who once received Cesar’s coaching while serving on the International Space Station. Actress Rhoa Mitra (The Gates) and her French bulldog, Oscar. Meghan Plunkett, daughter of former NFL quarter back and Heisman Trophy winner Jim Plunkett, who has been caring for a pit bull that belonged to her brother Jimmy, who, prior to his unexpected passing in 2008, had cultivated a close relationship with his dog based on Cesar’s relationship with his dog, Daddy. And even wildlife experts like Casey Anderson, a Nat Geo Wild host, will call on Cesar, along with his wife Missi Pyle to help with their two dogs.

Previewing HDNet and A&E Shows

Time Warner Cable dropped HDNet long before I upgraded to high definition so I am unfamiliar with the network and cannot actually watch earth of these show, but the channel has a couple premieres coming up. Tonight at 8:30 is the start of 24 episodes of Drinking Made Easy. Granted, as a former alcoholic, I probably should watch a show called Drinking Made Easy anyway. Here is a preview:




Premiering tomorrow at 8:00 as part ofHDNet’s Guys Night In is Get Out! which is heading north for the season with a Canadian season. Check out a preview below:



If reality crime fighters are more your speed, Dog the Bounty Hunter is back for its seventh season followed by the second season of Steven Segal in Lawman both on A&E tonight starting at 9:00. Check out previews for both shows below:

I Only Want to Be in Your Record Collection

If it is possible to invent music that is actually forty years old, then Mark Ronson invented the Motown sound for a new generation by hooking up with Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen and the brass section from the Dap Kings. His sound launched a new genre of retro leaning British singers including ADELE, Duffy, and most recently The Like. Which makes listening to his latest album a bit jarring.

On Record Collection there is nary a horn on the album. Instead Ronson jumps ahead two decades to the eighties with a synthesizer heavy album and even recruits eighties refugees Boy George and Simon Le Bon to sing on the album. It takes a listen or two to Record Collection just to get adjusted to the new sound which doesn’t quite reinvent a genre much like his work with The Dap Kings did.

Unlike his previous album, Version, which relied heavily on reworking cover songs ranging from Ryan Adams to Britney Spears (featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard, no, seriously), Record Collection is made up entirely of new songs mostly written by Ronson collaborator Alex Greenwalk of Phantom Planet. But much like his previous album, the songs of Record Collection live and die by the guest vocalist.

The album starts off strong enough thanks to three guest raps from Q-Tip, Ghostface Killah, and Spank Rock. Q-Tip, dependable as ever, which makes you wonder how he doesn’t get more guest turns, gets the party started on the French electric Bang, Bang, Bang with hooks provide by New York duo MNDR. Ghostface Killah brings the energy Lose It (In the End), with Greenwald on the vocals, which sounds like an electronic version a song from a western movie. The trifecta ends with The Bike Song, a weird ode to two wheel transportation by Kyle Falconer which sounds like something that belongs on Yo Gabba Gabba! before Spank Rock rescued it with an old school rap.

After that, songs on Record Collection gets more precarious, D'Angelo crawls out of obscurity when he spent most of last decade to sound like Cee Lo Green on Glass Mountain Trust. Introducing the Business is a haunting tract buoyed by London Gay Men's Chorus and Newcomer Atlanta rapper Pill who is someone to look out for. But for most of the rest of the album you just wish Ronson would have stayed with the horns as his instrument of choice.

Song to Download – Lose It (In the End)

Record Collection gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.

I Want My Music Television vol. XCII

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.


Loca - Shakira featuring Dizzee Rascal



It may be time for Shakira to take a vacation because it wasn’t that long ago I was finish being underwhelmed by her last album, and by the sound of the first single off the next one, I am set to be underwhelmed once again. But is nice to see Dizzee Rascal get some work on a mainstream artist’s track.


Mama's Song - Carrie Underwood



Carrie Underwood has sang some overlycheesy songs in her short career, but Mama’s songs make take the prize for her cheesiest yet.


White Knuckles - OK Go



Here is yet another awesome OK Go video (now with 100% more dog) set to another mediocre at best songs.


Obsession - Sky Ferreira



I have no idea who Sky Ferreira is, she seems to be some sort of cross Avril Lavinge and the creepy chick from Gossip Girl who thinks she is Courtney Love. Whoever she is she gets points for the Reservoir Dogs reference, which I guestimate a movie that may actually be older than she is, even getting Mr. Blonde himself Michael Madsen to appear.

57 Channels and Only This Is On vol. CL

Rubicon: C’mon, all the bombs go off at 4:20 EST and no one makes the easiest connection all? Of course this is the day Tanya in on her rehab assignment; she surely would have gotten it. You can download Rubicon on iTunes.

Chuck: Was that really Balki Bartokomous who showed up for half a second? The show is really going overboard with their guest stars. This week The Hulk, a Victoria’s Secret model (okay, I do not have much problem with that), and the Old Spice guy. There are even recycling them next week with the return of Stone Cold Steve Austin, Nicole Richie and whoever Greta will be that week. I am all for bringing familiar faces, but it is beginning to be too much. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Chuck on iTunes.

How I Met Your Mother: So how exacklt did Barney talk everyone in to helping him move out his mother? But anyway. I am totally on the underselling things. Just set the bar so low that you can walk over it. You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com. You can also download How I Met Your Mother on iTunes.

The Event: I may already be off the bandwagon. When the skevvy hairy dude was killed off I wondered to myself was he a pawn used by the ht brunette, how was he chosen. Then realized that his death will be the end of it and I doubt we will ever hear from him again and will just go down as a red herring. And of course my biggest complaint about Lost is that 90% turned out to be red herring.. I don’t expect every loose end to be tied up, but I am disappointed that I am already resigned to not getting an answer to the show.

In none disappointing news, I was totally right about the alien angle and that Sophia’s buddies were the ones that diverted the plane. What I didn’t see coming was the one CIA agent was an alien all along as seen in the graphic vein removal scene. Which begs the question, who is the hot brunette and who is she working for? You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download The Event on iTunes.

Castle: If there is one thing I learned from Lost (besides never end a series in a church) is that I really hate the argument between fate an free will. And as fun as having a psychic possibly predicting her own death, I treally6 disliked Castle and Beckett debating for and against back and forth. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Castle on iTunes

Parenthood: Wow, Sarah’s really getting around, first she flirts with the boss and now a warehouse worker. You know this cannot end well for her, but the question is will she bring her brother down with her. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Parenthood on iTunes.

Survivor: Nicaragua: I couldn’t watch this episode live and managed to go most of Thursday without being spoiled, avoiding websites that cover the show, starting conversations by saying I missed it and the such. But of course this was the week Jimmy Johnson gets voted off and I get spoiled by PTI when they wish a Happy Tails to the former football coach. Hurnph. And on a side note, can please go back to separate Reward and Immunity challenges please? You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com.



Modern Family: The correlation between how much the families interact and how funny an episode hold up again as this was much funnier than last week mostly thanks to Al Bundy slapping the evil out of the chickens. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.



Terriers: So the person living in Hank’s attic is his crazy sister (played by Donal Louge’s real twin sister). Didn’t see that one coming. And Hank and his partner just seem to continue to fail upward uncovering big and bigger fish in some weird conspiracy. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Terriers on iTunes

The Big Bang Theory: I really hate it when the show dips into my own personal life for storylines. Not only am I as limber as Sheldon, I have been preparing for the Singularity also. And yes this is a real thing but by estimates, as long as we make it to seventy, we might be able to make it as long as we stay away from any rogue badgers.

Community: Annie and chloroform may be the greatest gag this show has ever down. Yes even funnier than anything in the paintball episode even if I knew it was coming once Abed pulled it out of his caper bag. You can stream current episodes on Hulu. You can also download Community on iTunes.