Around the Tubes: November 30, 2019

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 Motown Christmas, Oh Wonder, Keb’ Mo’, Maelyn, Anna Sofia, otta, and Gossip Starring Cindy Adams.

- Three of Motown’s biggest Christmas classics – The Jackson 5’s “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” The Supremes’ “My Favorite Things” and The Temptations’ “Silent Night” have been brought to life with a series of official animated videos illustrating the magic of the holiday season. The videos are the latest from UMe, Universal Music Group’s global catalog company, which has partnered with legendary artists and estates to create vibrant new visuals for holiday songs that have never before had a video. The initiative launched earlier this month and includes animated clips for Bobby Helm’s “Jingle Bell Rock,” Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree,” Burl Ives’ “Holly Jolly Christmas,” Dean Martin’s “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” and Frank Sinatra’s “Jingle Bells.

- Oh Wonder reveals the video for their latest single, “I Wish I Never Met You,” taken from their upcoming third album, No One Else Can Wear Your Crown, set for release on February 7th, 2020. The new album will include their first single “Hallelujah” and more recent follow-up “Better Now.” The duo has also unveiled international dates for the “Wear Your Crown Tour,” which is on sale now at www.ohwondermusic.com. See a full list of dates below. WATCH THE “I WISH I NEVER MET YOU” VIDEO HERE

- Recently recognized for his GRAMMY nomination in the Best Americana Album category, Keb’ Mo’, helps the Scrooges of the world ring in the holiday season with the release of his music video for the tongue-in-cheek track, “Christmas Is Annoying.” Off his debut holiday album Moonlight, Mistletoe & You, now available (HERE), the anti-Christmas song has grown in popularity, holding a warm place in the hearts of those who may have a heart two sizes too small for Christmas season festivities. Watch the video HERE.

- On the heels of her international breakthrough as winner of NBC’s The Voice Season 16 and recent chart-topping success, Maelyn shares a spirited and seasonal take on the holiday classic “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. Get it HERE via Republic Records. Layered above lush piano, her angelic delivery emanates warmth in between the timeless hook. All at once, she channels the nostalgia of the original, while infusing her own style and soul. Representing a full circle moment, the tune forever holds a special place in her heart.

- After releasing her recent single “No Fun” to critical acclaim, today Anna Sofia has released the official music video for the track via Electric Feel Records/Republic Records. Check out Anna Sofia’s official music video for “No Fun” Here!

- South-London artist otta has released new single "small hours" and also announced a debut 5-track EP titled after it all blew over that is due for release on January 24th, 2020 via [PIAS]. Listen to the new single HERE . The British-Finnish artist will release their debut EP via [PIAS] and Warp Records producer kwes’(worked with Loyle Carner, Mica Levi, Damon Albarn, Solange Knowles, Tirzah) label BOKKLE. While all songs on the EP have been written, recorded, produced, engineered and performed by otta, kwes also lent additional production and mixing to the EP.

- SHOWTIME Documentary Films today announced a new limited docu-series, Gossip Starring Cindy Adams (w/t), profiling the longtime columnist whose work at the New York Post made her the reigning queen of gossip. Imagine’s Brian Grazer and Ron Howard are executive producing, with Emmy and BAFTA® nominee Jenny Carchman (THE FOURTH ESTATE) producing and directing. Scheduled to premiere in 2021, the series will be produced by Imagine Documentaries in cooperation with the New York Post. The announcement was made by Vinnie Malhotra, Executive Vice President, Nonfiction Programming, Showtime Networks Inc. Gossip Starring Cindy Adams will chronicle the history and rise of Adams and her gossip columns in Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post, the longtime nexus of New York’s quotidian news. Not only will the project celebrate Adams’ legendary, four-decade career, it will examine the cast of celebrated and often notorious characters that have emerged from her writing, as well as the legacies of other storied journalists within her orbit.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: November 24, 2019

Ray Donovan: The back and forth of Ray hating and helping his father got played out a couple season ago and I have long thought the show would be much better without Mickey, but I am shocked that they may do the show without him. I say “may” because even though the explosion was so big it could be seen miles away, I will not believe Mickey is dead until I see his corpse. And even then I may not believe because the bodies may be too charred. We also know that back door was broke, he could have slipped out when he saw the tanker coming at him.

Supergirl: What the fork is going on with Lena? Ehy is she so mad at someone who keeps saving her life? This plot just makes no sense. Okay I get being mad at first but after she saves your life, maybe it is time to forgive her?
You can download Supergirl on iTunes.

Watchmen: Some well circulated fan theories turned out to be well founded this week. First is that Ozymandias is being jailed on the moon by Dr. Manhattan. Okay, we do not know exactly who put Ozymandias hidden on the moon, but who else has that ability? The other which seemed far-fetched at the time was that the senator was 7th Kalvery. I mean he almost got kidnapped by one of them. Although he claimed to join to keep the peace in Tulsa with Don Johnson controlling the police. So did he orchestrate his kidnapping or did does the 7th Kalvery do not know that is him under the mask. Clearly none of the masks are fooling anyone.

The Walking Dead: Here is the problem with the last couple seasons of the show: I do not care about any of these new people For the last couple episode, the doctor guy kept on having dreams which left me wondering, is this guy important now? He just seemed like a background character; got a little more screen time and now he is dead. And I am not entirely sure who killed him. That guy looked vaguely familiar but am not sure why.

Shameless: Debbie was able to guilt someone out of sexual pleasures? And then uses that lesson to ease up on the male parts of the family? Alrighty.

Mr. Robot: Well this show got really depressing fast. Although if his father was doing that to him, why did Elliot use his likeness as another personality? Seems like a weird choise. And where did the therapist go at the end where she was able to get a knife and killing drug dealer guy. Did I fall asleep? But I thought for sure that the therapist was going to make her big reveal a third personality. They seemed to drop that big reveal from earlier this season.
You can download Mr. Robot: on iTunes.

His Dark Materials: Wait, do those Deamon things just go up in smoke if their owner dies? And dude just throws himself down an elevator shaft, seems extreme.

Castle Rock: I kind of had to assume that the dude who was hooking up with the main witch was who the dude Annie killed ended up being, but they really had to make that abundantly clear with the first scene in present day. If it not for the subtitles, I would not have mind if that was the whole episode. But we finally got Tim Robbins to Shawshank (though I thought they said early in the season it was shut down, but since his brother-in-law said he was back, maybe it was reopened).

We get our first real tangible link to season one and… um, so what happened to the creepy dude from last season? He just disappeared? Did he somehow go back to the other dimension? But he was the leader of the cult this whole time? Is he going to be resurrected like the other cult members? Is that why he is still around, because he just keeps on being resurrected? And then since he is a higher being he gets to keep his same form? And what about Henry Dever? We do not even get a mention of him. I kind of have to re-watch the first season.

But we did get an answer to why the cult did not just nab Annie already; it apparently has to be on the anniversary. But one more big answer I want to know is just what do these body snatchers know about their former bodies? Ace seemingly knew to visit his father, but was it just to get to where the creepy cell was? But as many questions that were answered, they just set up a bunch more. Hopefully they can finish this season stronger than the last.
You can watch Castle Rock on Hulu.

Survivor: Island of Idols: If handy Dan did not go home, I guess Misty and Aaron were decent
You can download Survivor: Island of the Idols on iTunes.

The Challenge: War of the Worlds 2: Stupid promo monkeys giving me false hope that Cara Maria and Paulie could go home in one fell swoop. Though it was apropos that Joss got eliminated when he stupidly kept Kaleigh over Georgia a couple weeks ago and was party to throwing the challenge last week that eliminated that chick whose name I have already forgotten.. I do wonder if having so few people will actually benefit the “Brits” (with one whole Brit left), kind of a less cooks in the kitchen situation. So we have one more female elimination before the finale. I take it that it will end up being Tori vs, Nany no matter what? Meh, this season is so boring.
You can download The Challenge: War of the Worlds 2 on iTunes.

Almost Family: Okay, Brittany Snow’s new ring tone was just hilarious.
You can download Almost Family on iTunes.

Stumptown: So has Friendsgiving just been three people up to this point? Do Dax and the other dude not have any other friends? Where was food truck guy?
You can download Stumptown on iTunes.

The Good Place: It is episodes like this that makes me made that we are not getting ten seasons of this show because they really could have had a bunch of seasons that were just reboots. I would have really enjoyed an entire season with Chidi’s soulmate being the goth chick. Though I have to wonder why Vicki and her acting chops did not demand that role.
You can download The Good Place on iTunes.

The Blacklist: I think the new chick is basically the viewer at this point. Just a great addition to the cast pointing out the stupidity of it all at every turn. Though she was not there in the bathroom to point out the stupisity of that scene. So just how did Lizzy’s mom get that body out of a public restroom without being noticed and did she not have cleaners to eliminate any trace of the body afterward?
You can download The Blacklist on iTunes.