Best of the Week vol. LIV

Quote of the Week: Guys, I can’t go in there, as a Young Republican I vowed to say no to pot... and fulfillment. (Jason, Glory Daze)

Song of the Week: O.P.P. – Naughty By Nature (Parenthood)

Big News of the Week: Please Touch My Junk: The loud minority was at it again this week with people whining about getting groped at the airport, and you can count me in the majority that would rather have my junk touch than blown up in a plane. Seriously, if you think this is such a violation of your right, drive, take a train, or boat. But I have come up with a simple solution for that loud minority, how about too planes, ones where everyone gets felt up, and ones where no does and not x-rays. Then lets see how full the non-groping planes are. Of course the TSA would not have this problem if they hire chicks that looked like Victoria Secret models and dudes that look like they came straight from their other job at the Abercrombie store. In a measure of full disclose, it should be noted that getting me on an airplane is about as easy as getting B.A. Baracus on one, so I have yet to be gropes and stepped onto a plane once last decade and that was only because someone gave me a most expenses paid trip to the set of Veronica Mars.

Gratuitous Token Hot Chick Picture of the Week:



New Album Release of the Week: Love Me Back - Jazmine Sullivan

New DVD Release of the Week: The Sorcerer's Apprentice (Two-Disc Blu-ray / DVD Combo) [Blu-ray]

Free Download of the Week: Music World Holiday Sampler (Amazon MP3)

Deal of the Week: Amazon Cyber Monday Deals: I would also like to point out amazing album deals that Amazon MP3 is currently running, I am not sure when these are set to expire, but as I write this, you can get albums from these artist for as low as $1.99 such as Kanye West, Sara Bareilles, Weezer, and Arcade Fire. Head over to Amazon MP3 to see if they have any new deals that low for today. If you want these albums for even lower or free in some cases, use the code "GET3MP3S" for a $3 credit from now until 11/30.



Video of the Week: I guess we have Betty White to thank for this, but the latest celebrity the internets have taken up in hopes to get host Saturday Night Live: The Cookie Monster? Alrighty. The hand puppet even made his own audition tape. And of course there is a Facebook page.



Next Week Pick of the Week: Terriers, Tuesday at 10:00 on FX: After its best episode of the series, it should make for an explosive season (hopefully not series) finale of Terriers this week.

The 9th Green's 2010 Holiday Schedule

To find out how to win an Amazon MP3 or iTunes gift card, keep reading.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, or as those outside the U.S. like to call it, Thursday. So I hope you have (or had depending on when you read this) a great Turkey Day. Just a heads up with the holidays upon us, here’s a look at the schedule the 9th Green will be taking the next couple weeks as well as a list of the best of 2010 and on day that are not listed, they will be filled by the regular reviews and such you have come to find at the 9th Green, and I may even try a couple new Best of the year lists (card subject to change):


November 25-26 - Off for Thanksgiving
November 30 – ABC Family’s 25 Days of Christmas Schedule
December 1 - Induction into the Scooter Hall of Fame
December 2 – Grammy Nominations
December 15 - Lyrics Quiz: Best of 2010
December 22 - Worst Songs of 2010
December 23 - Best Albums of 2010
December 24-25 - Off for Christmas
December 26 - Best Videos of 2010
December 27 - Best Performances of 2010
December 28 - Best Mash-ups of 2010
December 29 - Scooter McGavin’s Reader’s Best Songs of 2010*
December 30 - 100 Best Songs of 2010
December 31/Januray 1 - Off for New Years
January 2 - Induction into the Scooter Hall of Fame
January 3 - Best Movies of 2010


*As you may have noticed, on the 29th I will have a Reader’s poll on what you all thought were the best songs of the year.

I will be doing things a little different, which hopefully is easier. All you have to do is fill out the form below. If you have problems with it, feel free to e-mail me, ScooterKSU(at)aol(dot)com, your list. So if you would sometime time before Christmas fill out the form below, I will put a link at the top of the sidebar if you want to think about it. And as an added bonus, if you send me your list this year you can win a $5 Gift Certificate to iTunes or Amazon MP3. Please note, only people with American accounts can win but foreigners are still welcome to voice their opinions. Winners will be contacted sometime between Christmas and New Years.

(Scooter's Note: The list has been compiled and no longer taking entrees)

If you need a refresher of songs from the last twelve months, check out the list of the albums I reviewed for my Terror Alert Scale as all the songs from those albums are eligible, look through the music videos I highlighted the past year and of course any song released this year is okay too even if I didn’t talk about it. Your nominations will be confidential and I won’t disclose it here at the 9th Green, so if you enjoy the 9th Green please fill out the form by December 26.


And with Christmas coming fast upon us, check out Amazon's Black Friday page for your loved ones:

Is Hip-Hop Just a Euphemism for a New Religion?

There has never been a more appropriate sample in the history of rap than when Kanye West used King Crimson’s 21st Century Schizoid Man. Kanye has become the most mentally unstable pop star since Michael Jackson. He always had a massive ego but his music back it up and who didn’t agree with his assessment of how George Bush handled Hurricane Katrina. But dude went off the deep end after the release third album, recorded a horrible emo album, became an intern, ate fish sticks, a failed tour with Lady GaGa, started dating an androgynous chick, set up the most frantic Twitter account, and apparently was the only person that didn’t get the memo that the Video Music Awards are the least legitimate award show out there and made a teenage girl cry in the process.

But as Jackson(who West eulogized at the beginning of All of the Lights) showed us, even in your darkest hour and deepest disappear, great music can come out of it, and West rebounded with one heckova album and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy should have been the natural follow up to Graduation where he goes back and forth between the braggadocios of his first three albums and the self loathing of 808’s and Heartbreaks. And he went big for this album with all but two full song clocks under five minutes thanks to bloated crew tracks (Monster, So Appalled), deconstructing songs after most artist would have ended them (Runaway), and even a monologue from Chris Rock (Blame Game).

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy sees West rap over some of the best beats of his career, from the King Crimson mixed with a choir of ooo’s and hey’s and hand clap of Power, to the string infused Dark Fantasy which sounds like something left over with his collaboration with Jon Brion from Late Registration, but with a choir of ooo’s thrown in for good measure. In fact big choruses are on many of the tracks including All of the Lights that melds vocals of many name singers which most become unrecognizable, even to the singer like Elly Jackson of La Roux who could not even make out her own voice on the song. Then there is the lone note that opens the first twenty seconds of Runaway, which not much else for the other nine minutes but a drum beat and a jarring sample.

But just as any crazy genius, Kanye goes too far and most of those lengthy songs could have been chopped down to three or four minutes getting rid of the eccentricities. The Bon Iver assisted closer Lost in the World would have been better placed on 808’s where West bites Imogen Heap’s layered vocals. And he goes overboard with the guest spots, some of which do not click. I have never understood the appeal of Rick Ross who sounds like he is bored most of the time, and he shows up on to song here (Monster and Devil in a New Dress). And Nicki Minaj (also on Monster which not so coincidentally was the lone G.O.O.D. Friday free download I deleted after hearing it) continues to be the most annoying person on the planet. Then Fergie’s rap on All of the Lights is just straight out painful.

That is not to say all the guest spots are throw away. Pusha T of the Clipse is the breakout star of the album on Runaway who follows West’s apologetic verses about not being a very good boyfriend but saying in effect, yeah I cheated, so what? He also spits a couple of decent bars on So Appalled. But that track belongs to The RZA who brings the energy to the song but is all too short a verse.

West is back to his wiity wordplay on the album, the best being the diss from Dark Fantasy, “Too many Urkles on your team that’s why your wins-low.” Hopefully West follows this route for the next album and doesn’t take another unnecessary detour like the overly auto-tune of 808’s. If he doesn’t I’ll be sure to raise my glass and have a toast to this douchebag.

Song to Download – Power

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.

Feed Your iPod vol. LII: By Your Side

While watching Scott Pilgrim vs. the World this weekend (which comes highly recommended) there was a song that caught my ear when to characters were about to get very comfortable in one’s bedroom that distracted me because it took me a while to place the song (which is why I wait to watch movies when they come out on Blu-Ray, because I have yet to find a theater that will let me pause or rewind to re-watch something I may have missed). What threw me off was it was a cover and eventually realized it was an alt-rock take on By Your Side originally done by Sade.

When most people think Sade they think of her big eighties ballads, but for me, By Your Side from 2000 was her best outing which got plenty of plays when I was getting very comfortable in one’s bedroom. I am not sure the Beachwood Sparks, the version in the movie, will get the same consideration, but it is an interesting, if not trippy, take on the RnB classic.

A quick review of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: I had high hopes for this film and it totally lived up to it with plenty of Nintendo-era references mixed with comic book graphic and an adorable Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Sky High) as the object of Michael Cera’s (Superbad) affection. But it was the bit players like Cera’s teenage girlfriend Knives Chau and the hilarity of how they get around Aubrey Plaza’s (Mystery Team) dirty mouth that make the movie great. Now I need to download the 8-bit Double Dragon style game adaptation off the Playstation Network. The game better do something cool when I press up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, triangle, O.


By Your Side – Sade




By Your Side – Beachwood Sparks

57 Channels and Only This Is On vol. CLVII

The Walking Dead: I know the show is about zombies, but does the plot really need to move this slow. I thought going back to Racist McGee would not take the whole episode to happen. His soliloquy in the beginning went on way too long, same for the wifebeater scene. You think for a show that only had a six episode order, they would be in high gear at all times. Speaking of racist McGee, I understand that his brain was literally fried, but would have been that hard to kick that little bar loose he was attached to? Or saw through it when you get the hacksaw? You can download The Walking Dead on iTunes.

Chuck: Why hasn’t this show picked up a full time Nerd Herder since the loss of Anna Wu? It is clear with all the female guest stars from Kristin Kreuk, to Olivia Munn and most recently Summer Glau, they need a tokn hot chick to fill out the Nerd Herd uniform week in and week out. Which begs the question, what is Sarah’s cover these days, can’t she join the Nerd Herd as her cover? You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Chuck on iTunes.

How I Met Your Mother: Why is it that this show always has the lamest guest stars: Britney Spears, the annoying couple from The Hills, and now a Pussycat Doll. I really need to reexamine why I watch this show. Especially after how insulting their depiction of Cleveland was (sure the Big Chuck and Little John reference was nice, or least it would have been had they not retired a couple years ago). Also, we are doing alright with LeGone. You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com. You can also download How I Met Your Mother on iTunes.

The Event: Another what the frak ending, almost creepy as the old faced little girl. And I almost didn’t realize what was happening until I thought, wait, Hal Holbrook just got young, then old again. That means I will be watching for at least another week. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download The Event on iTunes.

Castle: These are the types of episodes the show does best, when Castle comes up with an absurd hypothesis that could actually be right, and with every clue Castle gets more giddy and Beckett gets more flustered. And having Lyle Lovett as a Man in Black made it all that better. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Castle on iTunes.

Sons of Anarchy: They are not really going to kill Tara off are they? I do not see how she can get out of that situation, should make for an interesting next episode. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Sons of Anarchy on iTunes.

Survivor: Nicaragua: When did this season get interesting? I still hate basically everyone left, I laughed when their camp burnt down, yet this episode was king of entertaining. I guess it has to do with the comeuppance for Brenda who was too cocky for her own good. I was actually a little shocked that Sash didn’t give her the Idol (and in fact even voted for her). This may set up for blind sides for the rest of the season because there are no strong alliances left. You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com.



Modern Family: I was kind of bored with most of this episode (sans Gloria with the BB Gun), but all was forgiven when Mitchell jumped into the Flash Mob, and the detest on Cameron’s face as he tried to join in because he was not invited in on it was priceless. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.



Terriers: This seems like an episode that should have happened closer to the middle of the season than at the end, but it was still a satisfying flashback. But I do not think we learned why Gustafson told Britt that Hank will let him down. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Terriers on iTunes.

The Challenge: Cutthroat: Finally next episode we will get the anticipated CT sighting that was promised at the beginning of the season. Can’t wait to see how he gets involved (although I will have to wait two weeks, stupid Thanksgiving). And when did Laurel become attractive? You can stream recent episodes on MTV.com. You can also download The Challenge: Cutthroat on iTunes.

The Big Bang Theory: Who knew Penny and Leonard fake dating would be so much more entertaining than them dating for real? Though I am surprised that Leonard did not try to get a sleep over out of the situation.

Community: Even though I saw it coming from a mile away, all the fake outs at the end were still hilarious. I was kind of hoping that one of the guns turned out to be real. Oh well. You can stream current episodes on Hulu. You can also download Community on iTunes.

Also check out my Preview of Glory Daze.