After four albums that didn’t stray very far from their signature sound all produced by Steve Lillywhite (for the sake of this argument, I am including The Lillywhite Session, which would later become Busted Stuff, in this group), this decade, the Dave Matthews Band has teamed up with a new producer for each new album leading to a deviation in their sound. In 2001 they brought in Glen Ballard for Everyday that was very pop oriented. For 2005’s Stand Up they teamed up with Dr. Dre collaborator Mark Batson for a funkier album. For their last studio album of the decade (presumably) Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, they signed up Rob Cavallo, best known for his work with Green Day, as producer leading to some of the heavier work that band has done since Halloween.
But the biggest change for the band since their last album was the death of founding member LeRoi Moore who died during pre-production. Moore opens the album that is named after him but it is unsure on which other tracks where he plays or if it is his stand in on the saxophone Jeff Coffin of Béla Fleck and the Flecktones. Also joining the band on the album for the first time Rashawn Ross on, who has been touring with the band in recent years, trumpet and for the first time since Before These Crowded longtime collaborator Tim Reynolds adds some electric guitar.
Aside from the extra rock vibe Cavallo brought, recording the album in New Orleans definitely brings out some Cajun flavor in which you can spot before you even press play just by looking at the cover of the album. But that still holds true as the opening with Moore’s sax highlighted with just some drums to accompany it on Grux. As the gut of the album starts with Shake Me Like a Monkey, Rosson’s brass extends that vibe, but it is Cavallo that gets Carter Beauford to bang on his drums maybe harder than he ever has and Matthews gruff voice that makes the track into a rock song.
In what seems to be a tradition for every album, there in another song where Matthews likes to get his freak on and this album Matthews gets over affectionate on Spaceman (certainly not to be confused by the recent The Killers song as DMB’s title character is just trying to get laid). Other highlights on the album and the epic Squirm, a song that just screams to be heard done by the band live. Then there is Alligator Pie that sounds like a leftover from Stand Up, but still is better than most songs on that set and is Matthews at his best incoherent. And it isn’t all rock, Baby Blue may be the sweetest song the band ever recorded.
Though we don’t know the extent of Moore’s involvement in the album, his presence is felt throughout the album. Matthews claims he is still dancing with the GrooGrux King and will see in heaven or hell when his time is up on Why I Am. And it could be deduce that the line from Funny the Way it Is, “Somebody’s heart is broken and it becomes your favorite song” is about Matthews and his fans when it comes to this album. While You & Me is a fitting end to the album that is in full that was a tribute to their fellow comrade.
Tomorrow sees the release of the first Dave Matthews Band album in four years and Hulu is celebrating by bringing you a streaming concert starting at 8:00 tonight. I am on the other hand is celebrating by induction another one of their albums into the Scooter Hall of Fame, their third time in. This time around the album at the height of their popularity, Crash, gets the honor.
Most of that popularity culls from the smash single Crash into Me which has disturbing been the soundtrack first dance at a few weddings I have attended of my peers. Of course most of the public mistook the ode to a stalker as some sort of love letter. That is not to say there isn’t any truly romantic songs on Crash as the twelve plus minutes where #41 bleeds into Say Goodbye should help anyone get into the mood and even provides you with a good suggestion starter in, “tomorrow, let’s go back to being friends.”
#41 not only is the romantic high on the album, it is the musical high where each five members are given equal moments to shine on the track. The bridge between the two songs even shows that not only is LeRoi Moore is proficient on all four types of saxophones, but he can even bring out a flute when needed.
Crash showed that they could appeal equally to the pop crowd as well as those drawn into the jam band quality. Aside from Crash into Me, So Much to Say and Too Much were quicker and more accessible to the masses than most on the major label debut. On the other hand, songs Two Step and Lie in Our Graves were sprawling epics that even become grander at their live shows usually going well over ten minutes. The disk also featured crowd favorite Tripping Billies that dated back to their independent releases.
If it is 9:00 or later on the east coast, you can watch the previously mentioned Dave Matthews Band concert below.
Looking at the track list on Troubadour you see your typically “featuring” guests like Chubb Rock, Damian Marley, Adam Levine, Mos Def and, wait, Kirk Hammett? Okay, so K’Naan may not be your typical rapper as seen by his biography: Somalia by way of Canada (insert your Snow jokes here). With those roots, K’naan has managed to make an African influenced rap album that actually works that is full with A Tribe Called Quest and The Pharcyde references to satisfy old school fans.
As for the Kirk Hammett appearance, it seems like every time a rapper tries mixing the genre with hard rock, they fail miserably or just come off cheesy (just ask Puff Daddy), but If Rap Gets Jealous actually can appeal to hip hop purists and metal heads the same. Oddly, he follows up that song with his most mellow song on the disk, Wavin’ Flag, a marching song that could do well as a nation anthem somewhere.
For those looking for a club banger, turn to the Adam Levine assisted Bang Bang where K’Naan takes a break from the political themes of the rest of the album, but still doesn’t sound tired like most rap songs on the radio. Other standout tracks are the album opener T.I.A., the shout and stomp along anthem and ABC’s that brings out Chubb Rock out of obscurity for a Jamaican themed jam.
Quote of the Week: I guess I’m never gonna go to Cleveland. (Mike, Rescue Me)
Big News of the Week: Showtime Does Some Casting: Following last week’s announcement that Alanis Morissette would guest star on the upcoming fifth season of Weeds (which will also feature Jennifer Jason Leigh) as Nancy’s obstetrician, Dr. Audra Kitson, comes news that John Lithgow will be appearing in all twelve episodes Dexter. He will be playing Miami’s latest serial killer, the Trinity Killer who likes to kill in threes, naturally. The fourth season of Dexter premieres Sunday, September 27 while Weeds returns Monday June 8. If your are too cheap to subscribe like me, their latest DVD’s are coming soon, Weeds 4.x is out this Tuesday but you will have to wait until August for Dexter 3.x. Both will also be available on Blu-Ray.
Coalition Links of the Week: Buzz counted down the top 10 reasons she's keeping her TV on this summer. (BuzzSugar)
This week, Sandie interviewed Amy Ryan who plays the adorable Holly on The Office. (Daemon's TV)
This week, Jace reviewed the full pilot episodes of such series as ABC's Eastwick, FOX's Human Target, and ABC's The Deep End. (Televisionary)
Dan came across this bizarre video of Heroes' Zachary Quinto getting doused with milk. He wants to know what could be done to make the erstwhile Mr. Sylar less sexy in this video. (TiFaux)
Matt isn't good at math, but Edie Falco + a drug-addicted, well-intentioned nurse = must-see viewing of Nurse Jackie. (TV Fanatic).
Greek: I never really understood the all nighter, I always valued a fresh mind from a good night’s sleep as apposed to cramming at the last minute. Granted, I have to admit I tried osmosis on more than one occasion. You can stream current episodes over at ABCFamily.com. You can also download Greek on iTunes.
Charm School with Ricki Lake: I really hate these eliminations where they don’t actually eliminate anyone that they pull on reality shows. And when people leave you can smell the non-eliminations miles away. That is why Survivor remains the best, when they have an unexpected exit, Probst just says no tribal council and that is that. Going through all the pomp and circumstance and not eliminate anyone is just cheap. You can also download I Love Money on iTunes.
Rescue Me: As bad as it sounds, much like Lou I prefer the drinking Tommy Gavin above the sober one. And that bar scene is pretty much the reason why as it is nice to see our dearly departed again. Although Conner got real old real quick. You can stream current episodes over at Hulu.
Free Download of the Week: Absolutely Still - Better Than Ezra (Amazon MP3) - Paper Empire may be the weakest Better Than Erza album to date as most songs are just mediocre pop, but at least the lead single is free.
Video of the Week: NBC launches three new shows this week, certainly everyone is aware of Conan O’Brien taking over The Tonight Show (click the link for an advanced look at his new set) and I will spare you the Spencer Pratt rap for the reboot of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! The other show is The Listener debuting this Thursday at 10:00. Below is a promo:
Next Week Pick of the Week: Royal Pains, Thursday at 10:00 on USA: A decent enough first episode airs this Thursday with a seventy-five minute limited commercial run. Look out for a full review sometime before then.
I will also like to point out Monday June 1st, Dave Matthews Band will be streaming a concert on Hulu. Look for a review of Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King later that week.
On her 2003 album Coverage, Mandy Moore covered plenty of songs from the seventies-singer songwriter era like Todd Rundgren, Cat Stevens, and Carly Simon which could explain why her latest album Amanda Leigh sounds like it was recorded during that era. And not to discredit her adult pop of her last album, the decent Wild Hope, but the music on Amanda Leigh is better for it.
Songs like Merrimack River and Song About Home float along and could be a great soundtrack if you are interested in a mellow summer lounging on a park bench. I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of the Week is a clap along that is much more fun than anything on Wild Hope (although I wonder what her newly husband thinks about the song being released right after they got married). Nothing Everything follows that trend but is more adventurous with Moore unleashing for one of the few times on the album while everyone in the studio just seems to have fun the longer the song goes on.
Of all of the songs, the one that could have fit best in the seventies is Pocket Philosopher which bounces along with its piano intro, some well placed flutes, and cutesy delivery to the point it borders on a song from a musical. There are a few hiccups along the way; Fern Dell just doesn’t come together as well as other songs on the album. While Everblue borders on smaltzy. Also at thirty-seven minutes, the album seems a little short. But for that half hour, everything can just fade away while watch the summer go by slowly.
Mike Judge has a pretty impressive batting average when it comes to comedy: Beavis and Butt-Head, King of the Hill, Office Space and Idiocracy (and looking at the trailer, the upcoming Extract starring Jason Bateman will extend that streak). So there were high expectations for his latest animated show The Goode Family that follows a family that try to live the most politically correct way they can, living by the motto WWAGD (What Would Al Gore Do).
Maybe it is that pedigree that makes The Good Family a disappointment, where the rest of Judge’s work can be measured in gut wrenching laughter, The Goode Family can only be quantified by the number of chuckles. This could be because this is the first work Judge has done out of his comfort zone; Beavis was based on people he knew and Hill was in his wheelhouse being from Texas and his work in an office culminated in Office Space, but his attempt in liberal, blue state humor just doesn’t translate as well.
Plus some of the characters seem one note. The family raises their dog as a vegan but ends up eating neighbor’s pets which causes some of the biggest chuckles, but how can they keep that funny in future episodes? Same as their adopted white African-American son (he was white born in South Africa so technically African American). Funny, but where do they go in future episodes? And why, if he has been in America over a decade, does he speak broken English.
The one bright is the first episode is the Hummer driving, meat eating father-in-law (and seemingly right out of King of the Hill) who makes a too brief appearance. Hopefully there is more of him later in the season and Judge finds his comical footing sooner rather than later. If not, at least Extract will be arriving in September.
Last year’s television season felt weird because the writer’s strike took a big chunk out of that season and the ripples were still felt this year as there were no new great shows and the shows that had been gone since December 2007 returned to a resounding thud in terms of ratings. And this year is when Saturday is becoming the new Friday with networks running off episodes there after canceling them. But anyways. Here are the best television shows of the past twelve months.
A nice even split among the networks this year with cable getting a larger share of the pie this year. Below is a breakdown as well as a running tally of the shows that led in numbers of Quotes and Songs of the Week from my weekly 57 Channels and Best of the Week rundowns:
Quotes of the Week
Chuck (6) The Big Bang Theory (5) Lost (5) The Middleman (5) Pushing Daisies (3) How I Met Your Mother (3) Eli Stone (3) Pardon the Interruption (3) Friday Night Lights (2) Greek (2) I Love Money (2) Gary Unmarried (2) My Name Is Earl (1) Leverage (1) Survivor (1) Ten Items or Less (1) Cupid (1)
Songs of the Week Chuck (12) My Name Is Earl (6) How I Met Your Mother (3) The Big Bang Theory (2) Eli Stone (2) Tool Academy (2) Lost (1) Pushing Daisies (1) Cupid (1) Saturday Night Live (1) Trust Me (1) 30 Rock (1)
Welcome to the 5th Annual Scooter Television Awards honoring show that aired new episodes between June 2008 and May 2009. Without further ado, here are the winners of the 2007 STA's:
Most Annoying Reality “Star”: Coach (Survivor: Tocantins)
Best Quote: Well, then allow me to put this to you delicately. You see, men are dogs. They come, you know, sniffing around, barking up your tree. But if they don’t see a kitty cat up in that tree, pretty soon they stop barking. Dwight’s not missing. He's barking up somebody else’s tree. (Emerson Cod, Pushing Daisies)
Show That Should Be Brought Back: Pushing Daisies
Biggest Question for 2009-2010: Will Lost have a satisfying ending?
Tomorrow is the unofficial start of summer where I hopefully am able to defend my McGavin family croquet title. Of course the official start of summer comes when I first hear Summertime by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. So adjust the bass and let the alpine blast.
Quote of the Week: For the last time, I am not Linda Knievel. I will never be Linda Knievel. (Lily – How I Met Your Mother)
Song of the Week: Captain Jack – Billy Joel (as sung by Will Ferrell; Saturday Night Live)
Big News of the Week: Upfronts: For thoughts on Upfronts and what I will be watching come fall, check out Scooter’s Fall Television Schedule.
Coalition Links of the Week: Season finales? What season finales? Buzz turned her attention to the months ahead and asked which summer TV show has you most excited. (BuzzSugar)
Vance had quite the reaction when Kris Allen won American Idol. (Tapeworthy)
This week, Jace reported on all of the goings-on at the 2009 network upfronts and offered up extremely advance reviews on the full pilots of such new series as ABC's V, Happy Town, and Modern Family, and NBC's Community. (Televisionary)
Scrubs may be back next season, but Jennifer said her goodbyes now. (Tube Talk)
After reading a few Melrose Place spoilers, Matt cannot wait for the reincarnation of this classic series. (TV Fanatic)
Greek: All the searching for the secret society stuff was pretty funny, especially when they heard Rusty and Dale talking, but I’m and not sure about the sceret bonding between Cappie and Evan. And doesn’t the Dean hate them and tried to get the Greek system thrown off campus? If so why invite to Greek presidents to join you society? You can stream current episodes over at ABCFamily.com. You can also download Greek on iTunes.
How I Met Your Mother: So the mother will turn out to be one of Ted’s students? Eww. I really hope the writers come up with something creative that makes that not true because once we meet her, I will be creeped out for the rest of the series, even more than the thought of Future Ted telling his kids about all his sexscapades. You can stream current episodes over at Innertube. You can also download How I Met Your Mother on iTunes.
Charm School with Ricki Lake: Wow, it is disturbing how the Real/Chance girls are so oblivious to how they are the epitome of the Mean Girls. Hopefully they get that when they rewatch the episode. You can also download I Love Money on iTunes.
Rescue Me: Proably the funniest episode of the season. All the stuff with Katie Katherine had me on the floor and the preceding road trip and dinner as well as Garrity’s, um, problems. Then there were the out of left field scenes with Tommy’s sister and uncle at the VA hospital. Although the ending was a little weird. Is Katie running away? You can stream current episodes over at Hulu.
Free Download of the Week: Delicious Vinyl Sampler (Amazon MP3): Delicious Vinyl was only second to Def Jam in terms of great hip-hop records from the eighties, and on this sampler you Young MC’s Bust a Move, a Tone Loc remix, songs from The Pharcyde and member Fatlip and more.
Video of the Week: Tuesday sees the season finale of My Boys featuring former Cubs player Mike Fontenot. Check out a clip below:
Next Week Pick of the Week: The Goode Family, Wednesday at 9:00 on ABC: Ironically just as Mike Judge’s redneck comedy King of the Hill ended its run just as George Bush left office, his show about tree hugging hippies debuts just as the age of Obama starts out.
All the news this week went to the major networks, but Tuner Entertainment Networks (TNT, TBS, TruTV) also held their upfronts earlier this week. Thier big news was that TBS was interested in picking up My Name Is Earl, a show they already syndicate. With their summer schedule set for a while (I will be talking more about those shows closer to their premieres), most of the shows in their pipeline won’t hit the air until 2010 at the earliest aside from the already announced Men of a Certain Age staring Ray Romano and Scott Bacula set to debut in December 2009 and Neighbors From Hell, an animated series coming in 2010. Here are the other programming and development plans in the works for the networks:
TNT
Scripted dramas
UNTITLED ALIEN INVASION PROJECT – Six months after a worldwide alien invasion, a group of everyday heroes must rise up to fight for their survival – all while maintaining their humanity in the process. This project has been ordered to pilot and comes to TNT from DreamWorks Television and filmmaker Steven Spielberg, who will serve as executive producer along with DreamWorks Television heads Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank and screenwriter Robert Rodat. Rodat, who earned an Oscar® nomination for his screenplay for Saving Private Ryan, is writing the script for the pilot from an idea he co-conceived with Spielberg.
CLASS ACTION (working title) – Steven Bochco, the mastermind behind many dramas, including TNT’s Raising the Bar, joins with Stephen Godchaux (Spin City) for this project, which follows a down-on-his-luck attorney as he fights for the disenfranchised.
ZAPATA, TEXAS (working title) – The husband-and-wife team of Kyra Sedgwick (TNT’s The Closer) and Kevin Bacon co-conceived and will executive-produce this project, which is the story of a small Texas border town and its newly elected sheriff, “favorite son” Zeke. ZAPATA, TEXAS will follow Zeke as he navigates the equally treacherous waters of small-town politics and the volatile world of the U.S./Mexico border. Bacon is attached to direct the pilot.
UNTITLED MATT WILLIAMS FAMILY DRAMA – Matt Williams, creator of Roseanne and co-creator of Home Improvement, takes a personal, passionate and ultimately heroic look at a loving, middle-American family that is keeping it together at a time when everything is trying to pull them apart.
UNTITLED DANIEL PYNE NOIR DRAMA – Daniel Pyne’s many credits as a writer include The Manchurian Candidate (2004), Any Given Sunday and Pacific Heights. This project from Warner Horizon Television is set in 1954 Los Angeles, where a private detective tries to do the right thing as the ever-changing world makes it more difficult.
PASTOR JAZZ – This drama focuses on a minister, his music and his passion for people’s hearts and souls, from the neediest to the wealthiest. Charles S. Dutton (The Express, Roc) is Pastor Jazz in this project, which is from Warner Horizon Television, Dutton, Mitchell Burgess (The Sopranos, Northern Exposure) and Robin Green (The Sopranos, Northern Exposure).
MACALISTER – Henry Shepard is a washed-up-novelist-turned-professor who tries to inspire the boys of The Macalister School. F.J. Pratt (Less Than Perfect) and Dan Cohen (Less Than Perfect) look into the minds and mischief of students at an all-boys school in upstate New York, showing how one man can have an impact on children of wealth and privilege.
PROOF – Dr. Geoffrey Pierce is an eccentric neuroscientist who uses his unique outlook to help the federal government solve complex cases. With an intimate knowledge of human behavior and a masterful understanding of the mind, this quirky, crime-solving doctor pulls lessons from an odd and imaginative view of the world. This project comes from ABC Studios, Kenneth Biller (Legend of the Seeker, Star Trek: Voyager) and Mike Sussman (Star Trek: Voyager)
unscripted dramas:
THE MAYO CLINIC – When someone is ill and has been told nothing more can be done, there is one place to go – the renowned Mayo Clinic, where hope springs eternal. This project will chronicle the lives of Mayo doctors and their patients. Bill Guttentag (Nanking) and David Kanter (Rendition) are executive producers.
TRIP OF A LIFETIME – Everyone has a dream or a wish unfulfilled. TRIP OF A LIFETIME will bring together extended, disconnected and deserving families. It could revolve around a lost family member, an unknown child, a missing brother or simply a returned keepsake. The project will be executive-produced by acclaimed author and travel expert Peter Greenberg and Rich Heller (Dallas: War of the Ewings)
TBS
THE GAME OF LIFE – This half-hour sitcom follows four Pittsburgh friends as they reunite in their early 30s, only to discover life didn’t turn out quite as planned. THE GAME OF LIFE comes to TBS from Sony Pictures Television, executive-produced by Kevin James (The King of Queens, Paul Blart: Mall Cop), Rock Reuben (The King of Queens) and Jeff Sussman (The King of Queens, Paul Blart: Mall Cop).
BIG TOW – This animated project from Sony Pictures Television, Tantamount and executive producer Clay Graham (The Drew Carey Show) will follow the life of J.D. Biggs, a small-town Tennessee single dad and local hero who runs a towing company.
WEE HOURS – From Second City TV and executive producer Lowell Mate, this slice-of-life sketch comedy employs the talents of the legendary Second City comedy troupe to tell stories of Chicagoans during the wee hours of midnight to 6 a.m.
TruTV
NFL FULL CONTACT (working title) – truTV and NFL Films will provide unprecedented, exclusive access to what really goes on behind the scenes in professional football, from draft day to the Super Bowl.
CONSPIRACY THEORY WITH JESSE VENTURA – He’s undertaken some of the most dangerous missions in the world as a Navy SEAL. He’s body-slammed giants in the wrestling ring as a WWE superstar. He’s even conquered politics as the governor of Minnesota. Now, Jesse Ventura is about to face his greatest challenge yet: uncovering the most compelling, modern-day conspiracy theories. CONSPIRACY THEORY is produced by A. Smith & Co. Productions (Hell’s Kitchen, I Survived a Japanese Game Show, Kitchen Nightmares).
U.S. SPECIAL OPS: DECLASSIFIED (working title) – From producer Tom DeSanto (X-Men, Transformers) and 44 Blue Productions comes a thrilling new series that unlocks the case files of America’s elite terrorist hunters. Through a mix of cutting-edge computer animation, action-packed recreations and hair-raising interviews with actual agents, this series will recount the shocking, formerly top-secret details of the people who keep us safe while we sleep.
FULL THROTTLE – This four-part series, produced by A. Smith & Co. Productions, will provide an inside look at the world’s largest biker bar. Mike Ballard, beautiful bartenders and a full cast of characters race against the clock to serve huge crowds at Ballard’s Full Throttle Saloon in Sturgis, S.D., during the town’s famed, nine-day motorcycle rally. More than 300,000 people visit the Full Throttle Saloon during the annual event, where Ballard and his team feel the pressure to make a year’s salary in a short time window, all while providing patrons an experience they will not forget. The series marks the first time cameras have been allowed to capture every minute.
There seemed to be less drama surrounding the Upfronts this year because it seemed like everything was leaked to be canceled or renewed sometime last week or before. But those last minute decisions have proved to be entertaining. CBS called NBC dumping Medium “inexplicable” which made NBC point out that Medium had smaller ratings than two shows (Without a Trace and The Unit) they canceled which CBS retorted that Medium had better ratings than five it renewed (Chuck, Law and Order, Southland, 30 Rock, and Parks and Recreations). Hilarious.
But line of the week goes to My Name Is Earl creator Greg Garcia who responded when asked about not making it on the NBC lineup; “It’s hard to be too upset about being thrown off the Titanic.” Classic. But it may be a soft landing for Earl as it may be picked up by Fox. Note to Fox: I have not watched anything on your channel since the series finale of Arrested Development; if you pick up My Name Is Earl, I will take you off the parental block on my television.
Garcia isn’t the only one to be burning bridges as Jimmy Kimmel brought his gas can to the Upfronts. The big difference is Kimmel is still standing on his bridge. To the ABC advertisers, Kimmel said, “You don’t need an upfront, you need therapy.” Did someone forget to tell Kimmel these are the people that pay his salary? He then went on to say of the new shows, “We’re going to cancel about 90% of them,” he said. “Everyone is full of (expletive deleted).” I am assuming Kimmel saw the V reboot preview clips that are laughably bad or Flash Forward which looks as good as V but without the unintentional comedy. And the current ABC line-up didn’t go unscaved when Kimmel offered, “Next year on Grey’s Anatomy, your product could kill Dr. Izzie. It just depends on how much you want to pay.”
In other network news, apparently The CW still exists (albeit down to nine hours of programming a week). Who knew? But anyways. Here is what I will be (tentatively) be watching this fall.
Mondays 8:00 – How I Met Your Mother (CBS) 8:30 – Accidentally on Purpose (CBS) 9:00 – Trauma (NBC) 9:30 – The Big Bang Theory (CBS) 10:00 Castle (ABC)
Oh, CBS, why do you smite me? The TBBT/HIMYM was a nice combination, I know you totally ruining that by putting a crappy new show and the unwatchable Two and a Half Men in-between. I sure TBBT will get an extra 3-4 million viewers at 9:30 than 8:00, but shouldn’t CBS care more that they are inconveniencing me? I guess I will give Accidentally on Purpose a chance to bridge HIMYM and Trauma but I have a feeling that I will end up just flipping to whatever crappy show on VH1 during that half hour instead. At least when Chuck returns after the Olympics, I can watch that at 8:00, HIMYM on tape delay at 9:00 then TBBT at 9:30. And much like last season, I will most likely be watching Castle via the internet. The first season was moderately enjoyable and the cliff hanger should make things interesting.
Tuesdays The day continues to the least interesting day on the TV schedule. I blame karaokers, has been’s and never were’s. And seriously, Jay Leno chews up five hours a week and NBC still devotes two hour blocks to The Biggest Loser and Donald Trump? Wouldn’t they get better rating if they were one hour and just a longer season?
Wednesdays 8:00 – Parenthood (NBC) 8:30 – Gary Unmarried (CBS) 9:00 – Modern Family (ABC)
Modern Family sounds like just a replacement for According to Jim except gayer. But it does star Al Bundy (who I assume isn’t part of the gay couple), Carol Vessey, and the token hot chick from Let’s Rob Mick Jagger (who I wouldn’t mind if were part of the gay couple), so hopefully it will be at least watchable.
Thursday 8:00 – Survivor (CBS)
Remember Thursdays were the biggest logjam of the week? Not so much for me anymore. I may turn into Weekend Update during the Survivor commercials, but how entertaining can that be in a non-election year?
Friday, Saturday, Sunday I got nothing. At least until NBC comes to its senses and gives an ax to Southland and puts Friday Night Lights in its place.
Midseason Chuck (NBC; Mondays at 8:00) Lost (ABC) I may also give Day One (NBC, Mondays at 9:00) and Mercy (Wednesdays at 8:00) a chance but will be on a short leash or reserved for Hulu.
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.
Can’t say I was too fond of the last album from Pete Yorn after his solid first two albums. Here is hoping that Back and Forth (due June 23) gets Yorn back on track. If your are interested in downloading Don’t Wanna Cry for free, head over to Spinner.com.
If I were to make a list of the best songs of the first half of the year, Kings of Leon would be in the discussion. And I would highly recommend hunting down the mash up of Use Somebody with Same Old Song by the Four Tops.
311 predated the horrible rap/metal fad of the late nineties and have seemed to outlast it and still is putting out decent music. Plus this video is great, seriously, sign-wielding ninjas! Learning that the sign twirling was CGI would be like learning that Manny Ramirez was trying to get pregnant.
Thanks to the ineptitude of the music industry, Eminem may be the last superstar it ever creates. After the teaser of My Name Is, Slim Shady exploded into the stratosphere of stardom with The Marshall Mathers LP with a mix of catchy disposable rap for the TRL set and more credible flows for the hip hop head. And during a time when ever rap album had over fifty percent of the songs having the word “featuring” attached to it, Eminem managed to fill full album with nary a partner except for a rare verse from his buddies 50 Cent and some beats provided by mentor Dr. Dre.
But it has been five years since Eminem has released a new album and in the rap genre, the years away can be counted like dog years. The Shady persona made it usually first appearance with the first single We Made You where Em does his usual run down of celebrities but raging on Sarah Palin, Jessica Simpson and Lindsay Lohan all seemed a couple months too late and even featured one of the weakest Dre beat to date. He even goes even more outdates bringing up with failed relationship with Mariah Carey on Bagpipes from Bagdad. But that does feature the best line when Em chants chucking corn much like the famous refrain about Chaka Khan.
The rest of the songs on Relapse can be put into different themes: murder and drugs. And for over seventy-five minutes and fifteen songs he goes over those topics over and over again. The former goes into gruesome detail playing out a special on Court TV to the point it is reminiscent of the horrorcore genre that failed to gain any acceptance, critical or commercial, during the mid-nineties. And most of the songs are just shocking for the sake of shock value and have no depth like say Stan.
Even more nonsensical is Eminem’s flow as most of the songs features the same nasal cadence that is featured on the first two singles We Made You and 3 A.M. Also Relapse seems Em tread the same subjects again and again with Lindsay Lohan, Hanna Montana, Kim Kardashian, Heath Ledger, and Christopher Reeves getting multiple references throughout the album. The last even Em knows he has gone to for even mentioning so later in the album blaming Reeves for having a last name that is too easy to rhyme. But on the bright side Relapse is Auto-Tune free.
The one thing that saves the album from being unlistenable is Dr. Dre’s beats which are as crisp as ever (sans the one for We Made You). Most of the songs have the trademark Dre bass attack while Bagpipes from Bagdad gets a Middle Eastern flavor. The best though is saved for last with the menacing strings of Underground. Hopefully this is a precursor for Detox whenever that actually comes out which is a running joke on the album with Eminem originally says 2010 but later postpones it to 2020.
For better or worse, Survivor: Tocantins belonged to Benjamin “Coach” Wade. Not since Johnny Fairplay has a contestant this annoying had last this long, two tribal councils away from landing in the finals. So every episode this season we got a heavy dose of words of wisdoms and honor that proved to be hypocritical like how he wanted to compete against the strongest but was quick to vote out Brandon right after the merge or how he played the game truthfully but lied straight face about trying to realign with Sierra after his Warrior Alliance failed.
Coach selling out Brandon (who in turned tried to blindside Coach at the same tribal council) set up the most improbably power triad in Survivor history in Stephen Fishbach, James “J.T.” Thomas, and Tamara “Taj” Johnson-George (SWV member and wife of Eddie) who went into the merge outnumbered by six to three (after Joe Dowdle had to drop up due to medical reasons) and preceded to orchestrate five straight Timbira eliminations to land themselves into the final four. Keep in mind I am not one of those instant historian that likes to throw hyperboles around, but that was the biggest upset in Survivor history. They became so confident they didn’t even bother to play their hidden immunity idol.
Then came the biggest shock in a jury full of blindsides in that J.T. and Stephen turned on Taj to keep around Erinn Lobdell (who is one of the rare chick who looked better after a shower then a month without one for some reason) which was one of many questionable moves the duo made this season. But in the end, they were the last two standing, so what do I know? Well I did know that J.T. would win as I predicted as such during my First Impressions of Survivor: Tocantins. So there’s that.
Next up is Survivor: Samoa, which from a visual standpoint should be good because the South Pacific tend to be the most beautiful destinations. And if I could make one suggestion: it is time for Jeff Probst to stop asking if the immunity winner wants to give it away because, to the best of my knowledge, it has only happened once and that was in the bizarre All-Star season. Even the most secure immunity holders have passed it on so stop wasting time in asking and do away with it.
The Big Bang Theory: A solid end to thje season and hopefully the season premiere gives us some more time up in the arctic with the boys because there is certainly a lot a laughs being in tight quarters with Sheldon for a long period of time. But I am not sure I am on board for another Penny / Leonard coupling. You can stream clips over at Innertube. You can also download The Big Bang Theory on iTunes.
Greek: So Evan actually has a heart. They have been writing him as the biggest tool in the world for the last season or so it is nice to see him more complex like in the first season. And the Cappa Tau reverse scavenger hunt was pretty funny. You can stream current episodes over at ABCFamily.com. You can also download Greek on iTunes.
How I Met Your Mother: So two weeks ago Future Ted makes a big deal about changing him normal routine that led to meeting the mother, only to bump into Stella whom we know is not the mother. Then this week that chance encounter only leads to learning that Stella is going to California. Hurumph. For the season finale we better learn how bumping into Stella led to meeting the mother or I will be thoroughly disappointed. You can stream current episodes over at Innertube. You can also download How I Met Your Mother on iTunes.
Rescue Me:It is really hard not to laugh at all of Shawn’s cancer stuff yet I always seemed to let some out every time. Although does he really plan to skim some money here and there to get his treatment? Mike is dumb, but he isn’t that dumb. You can stream current episodes over at Hulu.
Survivor: Finally after about six weeks after his tipping point, Coach has been slayed. Of course he goes out with a poem and more hypocrisy with his death before honor. I wouldn’t be against devoting half of the reunion show for Probst calling out Coach on all the lies and stuff he has been caught on. You can stream current episodes over at Innertube.
My Name Is Earl: I said it the last time he was on, but I wouldn’t be against Norm McDonald joining the cast. Or at least show up more than once a season (if there is somehow another season). You can stream current episodes over at NBC.com. You can also download My Name Is Earl on iTunes.
![Terror Alert Level: High [ORANGE]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhebDZ0qqwOVKMZj7oFSUe8Hm3ax54U9Hp1fThJPgiddTyzcdwx_5SV6E3b7hkKyxbaDiym4COmUXT2YJnsKCUjBHI_a2xZtNoY7qFQRslP5AGO5gLkJwn2ZbO0wIF80ycbKrgPPA/s400/small_high.png)
on my Terror Alert Scale.
(Amazon MP3) - Paper Empire may be the weakest Better Than Erza album to date as most songs are just mediocre pop, but at least the lead single is free.
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(and looking at the trailer, the upcoming Extract starring Jason Bateman will extend that streak). So there were high expectations for his latest animated show The Goode Family that follows a family that try to live the most politically correct way they can, living by the motto WWAGD (What Would Al Gore Do).
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(Amazon MP3): Delicious Vinyl was only second to Def Jam in terms of great hip-hop records from the eighties, and on this sampler you Young MC’s Bust a Move, a Tone Loc remix, songs from The Pharcyde and member Fatlip and more.
![Terror Alert Level: Elevated [YELLOW]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-iVFV0hXCTSYP16K_V0Rrxp3GqFrtBIJKeTUyQ2LpxZQ9XKHFj6QGtqqa7oxhLadLV8vUj8R84AftD8IKUSfN0u_u0CYDtJwhrpCPN2DBWquAIDv0jbVlhZL0mDFKlPKluGyxw/s400/small_elevated.png)
on my 
