I Want My Music Television - 10/10/11

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.

Someone Like You - ADELE



I love the sparseness of the video to go with the sparseness of the song. Though it is still at its best when you just close your eyes and listen to the voice of Adele.


Countdown – Beyoncé



Seizer alert! I do not know if Beyoncé went with a frantic video to distract from her baby bump, but it seriously hurt my head. And maybe I miss it in the middle of my convulsion, but this video was seriously missing a Boyz II Men reference (for the kiddies who do not know what I am talking about, head over to iTunes and download Uhh Ahh).


The Walk - Mayer Hawthorne



Hot chicks and guns: it as if Mayer Hawthorne made this video just for me. I am too lazy to look it up, but I am pretty sure that is the Token Hot Chick from The Event. Even though it is an obvious Mr & Mrs Smith homage, they are both such a bad shots, they might as well have been in an episode of The A-Team.


Shake it Out – Florence + The Machine



If this song is any indication, the new Florence + The Machine album should be epic, but am not really digging the Eyes Wide Shut styled video.

Best of the Week - 10/8/11

Quote of the Week: Because you don't have a girlfriend? Good Lord, if that becomes a reason not to play Dungeons and Dragons this game is in trouble. (Sheldon, The Big Bang Theory)

Song of the Week: Hot in Herre – Nelly (as sung by Caroline, 2 Broke Girls)

Scene of the Week:



Big News of the Week: The Ax Finally Drops: Just last week the president of NBC said he came from cable where shows can build a fan base, this week he canceled both The Playboy Club and Free Agents (yet giving pull season orders to the unfunny Up All Night and Whitney). The Playboy Club suffered from poor writing and worse acting while competing against both Monday Night Football and wrestling, the two of the biggest male audiences on television. Even more painful was The CW got into the action by pulling the plug on H8R before my episode of H8R where the producers of H8R ambush me for H8Ting on H8R even aired. CBS sort of had a cancelation; the network headscratchingly had Rules of Engagement by itself on Saturdays but before it aired its first weekend episode, it has been moved to Thursdays behind The Big Bang Theory with How to Be a Gentleman banished to the Saturday timeslot, essentially canceling it when it runs out of episodes. So let’s cue up It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday and take one last look at Amber Heard in her bunny suit.



Free Download of the Week: No Strings – Mayer Hawthorne (iTunes)

Deal of the Week: Plenty of decent albums this month including a few noteworthy Greatest Hits packages from Huey Lewis, The Steve Miller Band, Styx, and possibly the greatest title for a Greatest Hits album from Jimmy Buffet: Song(s) You Know By Heart.



New Album Release of the Week: Ashes & Fire - Ryan Adams

New DVD Release of the Week: Chuck: The Complete Fourth Season [Blu-ray]

Video of the Week: Monday sees the return of Swamp Men at 10:00 on the Nat Geo Wild for third season and in the first episode back a novice gator handler learns to catch one with his bare hands while the other handlers try to rescure a baby alligator. Check out a preview below:

Baby Alligator Rescue


Next Week Pick of the Week: Last Man Standing, Tuesday at 8:00 on ABC: On paper this show does not look particularly good, nor does it look particularly good in motion either, yet for some reason I may end up watching this. It does star Loretta McCready, so maybe Raylan Gibbons may show up at some point. I and for the degenerate gamblers out there, I bet Vegas is already taking bets on when Zachary Ty Bryan and/or Jonathan Taylor Thomas show up.

I Want My Music Television - 9/7/11

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.

The Scientist – Willie Nelson



Just in case you did not think Willie Nelson covering Coldplay was random enough, here come the music video presented by Chipotle, that fast food restaurant you are familiar with but never actually visited, about, um, I have no idea. Are we not supposed to eat pork or something?


A Long Time - Mayer Hawthorne



The latest from Mayer Hawthorne is a good enough song, but the rediscovered VHS tap has been done before and better by multiple artists (see Snoop Dogg). Okay seeing some dude doing the Thriller dance is still entertaining and the random country jingle. I cannot believe Don Draper okayed that to air.


Love the Way You Walk Away – Blitzen Trapper



You may remember Blitzen Trapper from my Best of Neo-Folk and the boys have a new album coming out soon and here is their first single. Even though I have a bunch of their songs on my iPod, I new the band consisted of lead singer Josh Groban, keyboardist Napoleon Dynamite, and the dude from The Civil Wars on bass.


Hot Buns – Foo Fighters



Um, so the Foo Fighters created this video to promote their upcoming tour. Just do not ask me why they decided to do so by dressing up by Willie Nelson, Rob Zombie, and ZZ Top. For those braver than me, there is an uncensored version.

I Want My Music Television vol. LXXXII

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.


Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready) – Alicia Keys



As a white dude I am not sure what I am more offended by: that when Alicia Keys thinks of a token white dude, she thinks Chad Michael Murray, c’mon, when you are such a bad actor that you are not even good enough to star in One Tree Hill anymore you should just give up the profession, or when she thinks white dude in the eighties, he has to have a mullet.


Undo It – Carrie Underwood



You rarely the live performance spliced with non-live and miniskits, but Carrie Underwood gave it a try for some reason. And as much as I want to dislike this song, it just gets stuck in my head for way to long.


If it’s Love – Train



Wait, another storyline to live performance video? I guess this is a beginning of a trend. Not so fun fact: the latest music video by Train was directed by Pete Wentz. Why? Who know, or cares.


One Track Mind – Mayer Hawthorne



Alicia Keys thinks she has it bad, Mayer Hawthorne is stuck in a love triangle with the real girl from Lars and the Real Girl.

I Want My Music Television vol. LXXVI

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.


Do Wah Doo – Kate Nash



Just days after Barney Stinson mentioned that stewardess was the hottest profession of the 50’s, here comes a video from Kate Nash where she starts as a 50’s stewardess. Flight Suit Up.


In the Sun – She and Him



From the first single it sounds like Volume 2 from She and Him is going to sound much like Volume 1: kind of bland. But at least the music video is fun with Zooey Deschanel looking her Winnie Cooperest.


Wavin’ Flag – K’Naan



For all the soccer fans out there (or football to all you foreigners) prepare yourself to be hearing this song from K’Naan a lot this summer at is the official song of the upcoming World Cup.


I Wish it Would Rain - Mayer Hawthorne



Pretty cool concept for a video for the latest from Mayer Hawthorne, too bad The Swell Season came up with pretty much the same idea last year.

I Want My Music Television vol. LXXIV

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.

Giving up the Gun – Vampire Weekend



Sure the whole world is focused on Winter sports right now (and how the Americans went to Canada to upset the host nation last night), but Vampire Weekend are still stuck in the Hamptons mindset and featured tennis in their new video and who better than the RZA to be the referee. And as a tennis coach? Of course, Lil John, because he always tells the truth.


Maybe So, Maybe So – Mayer Hawthorne



Another summer pastime, instead of the thrilling snowboard cross, we get a leisurely skateboarding romp in the latest Mayer Hawthorne video.


Alice – Avril Lavigne



Straight from her ProActive commercial (seriously, how much money are they paying all these celebrities to go on television and say, “look how bad my skin used to be”) Avril Lavigne gets the theme to the new Alice in Wonderland movie. Considering his track record on reenvisioning (Sleepy Hollow, Planet of the Apes, Willy Wonka) I am not sure why Tim Burton is going back to that well again considering how inventive his original ideas are.


The Only Exception – Paramore



Get your lighters ready, it’s a Paramore power ballad.

Feed Your iPod vol. XXXXI: Just Ain't Gonna Work Out

When coming up with a list of anything that is 100 deep, I can understand how daunting it is to digest it and you may overlook things that you do not recognize it. If that was the case for my list of The 100 Best Songs of 2009 and you just skimmed over Mayer Hawthorne at #55 because he hasn’t gotten much radio airplay, here is hoping you give a look at him today and see why his soul-infused song landed on the chart. And I am still just getting to know him myself because I never checked out the video for Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out until writing this up leading to these two reactions, 1) I really should have had this on my 50 Best Music Videos of 2009 list and 2) what, dude’s white? Either way, here’s hoping Mayer gets his breakout in 2010.

Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out – Mayer Hawthorne