Come On and Get the Minimum Before You Open up Your Eyes

I never understood why musicians do not add more cover songs to their albums. Instead they usually have a couple of good songs and the rest fillers. Back in the day you would see major acts fill out their album with songs made famous by other singers, some of which were great songwriters in their own right. You would think all these televised karaoke contestants would think, everybody knows me for singing other people songs, why not I add some to my first album, if not an entire album of covers. I am assuming the reason why this is rarely done anymore is why anyone does anything these days: money. It is probably cheaper to commission someone to write a new song than record an established hit. And of course if you write it yourself, you get to keep all the royalties.

Joss Stone actually bucked that trend on her debut album The Soul Sessions when the then teenager updated some soul songs (and one surprise track) from the sixties and seventies for a new millennium produced by soul legend Betty Wright to much effect. Coming just after the teen pop boom, Stone’s sultry throwback was a welcome change from the overproduced and over-autotunes tracks from her peers.

Four albums of new material would come next to mixed results as she tried to reboot her career a couple times (her third album was called Introducing Joss Stone while her fifth was called LP1). Almost a decade after her debut Joss Stone is releasing The Soul Sessions, Vol. 2 where she has dug through her crate of soul songs from the sixties and seventies (and one surprise track) bringing them into a new century. This time around Joss is tacking classics from Chi-Lites, Womack & Womack, Sylvia, The Dells, and The Casinos.

In the middle of all the old soul albums on her first album sat a smoothed out version of the garage rock of Fell in Love with a Girl by The White Stripes which Joss made it almost unrecognizable changing the genders and almost as good as the original. This time around she tried converting Broken Bells’s The High Road into a soul standard. Unfortunately this time it does not work as well, the original is already smoothed out and the weirdness of the task is what makes The Broken Bells version great, but Joss strips the song of any weirdness.

Really Volume 2 lacks the magic that the first one did with many of the songs drowned out by unnecessary organ. Joss’s version of Labi Siffre’s I Got The… is novel but only because it is interesting when the track transitions into the same funk line that Eminem sampled in My Name Is… Joss is at her best when she keeps it simplistic with love songs like The Love We Had (Stays on My Mind) and Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye.

Song to Download – Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye

The Soul Sessions, Volume 2 gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.

I Want My Music Television - 7/30/12

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.

Runaways - The Killers




I wonder if their record company does not have much faith in the new The Killers album because their first video from their Battle Born looks very low budget. At any rate, it certainly needs more Eric Roberts.


Good Time – Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen



When Owl City teams up with Carly Rae Jepsen it is hard not to wonder what the ruling for duets when it comes to one hit wonders? Does just Owl City get credited as a hit or do both of them? If both, does that make Trey Lorenz a one hit wonder? Hopefully this does not become a hit so we do not have to worry about figuring it out.


Bottom of the River – Delta Rae



As I mentioned a couple days ago, Delta Rae may just be my new favorite new band, and the video that accompanies their song is awesomely creepy. I have watched it way too many times just to see where the shackles come off.


Laura – Bat for Lashes



Speaking of creepy, creepy is the only thing Bat for Lashes does and her new song video continues that. Even if she looks like she looks like she is morphing into Norah Jones.

Let the Games Begins: London 2012

I love the Olympics. I do not care what sport. Yesterday I watched woman’s ping pong, women’s fencing, woman’s soccer, tennis, rowing, swilling, woman’s beach volleyball (where the females were not even wearing bikinis; actually the Australians for some reason wore bikinis over t-shirts), and woman’s handball. Woman’s handball that even featured two foreign teams. And of course I watched every minute of the Opening Ceremonies, all four and a half hours. Here are a couple thoughts on the first two days of the games which is my first in HD (I bought mine just prior to the Winter Olympics two years ago).

- Let’s start off with a negative. Why the frack is Ryan Seacrest on the television? The guy has already ruined music and pop culture, why is he ruining sport. And why if he bringing up foreigner Justin Bieber when talking to Americans? Very few things can get me to tune out the Olympics; he is going to be one.

- As everyone pointed out already, the Queen / James Bond skit was the highlight of the Opening Ceremony. The not so highlight: Paul McCartney bumbling the one billionth performance of Hey Jude.

- You do not equate Olympics with funny, but the Mr. Bean bit managed to be cheesy and extremely funny.

- Call me old, but I did not really get the internet love story despite the great music. Even if when I think nineties British music, The Prodigy probably would not make the top ten. Really, were there any other breakout British bands from that time other than Oasis? And while I am on the internet segment, how dare the British suggest Al Gore did not invent the internet?

- And the winner for best Olympics theme promo for a new NBC show goes to Go On.

- In other ad news, I am already dick of all the political ads.

- I am ready to declare Alex Morgan’s ponytail the second greatest ponytail ever in the history of the world (second only to Lyla Garrity). She is also in the early lead for breakout star of this Olympics. Now if only NBC gives them channel. Yesterday they were stuck on something called NBC Sports (which used to be Vs.) which is not even on my basic cable package.



- If there is one sport I could not bring myself to watch was archery. They just have way too much crap on their bow. It is like those annoying golfers that have club heads the size of their own head. Use just a simple bow and a string, and I will be impressed that you hit a bulls eye.

- The American volleyball team has a member named Destinee Hooker. Seriously. I am too lazy to fact check, but I am pretty sure someone on a season of Rock of Love with Brett Michaels had the same name.

- It is surprising that Bob Costas opening the first prime time night by saying that everything you will be watching will be taped. It is weird they were so upfront about this (although the first couple minutes are the least watch). Sure anyone with half a brain can figure out prime time on the east coast is about 1:00 AM London time.

- John McEnroe did a special interest piece. It is becoming more and clearer the Mayans were right.

57 Channels and Only This Is On - 7/28/12

Quote of the Week: Wait, why am I asking you? You wear forks for earrings. (Ella; Pretty Little Liars)

Song of the Week: Istanbul – They Might Be Giants (Bunheads)

Scene of the Week:



Big News of the Week: A Melancholy Trails to Sherman Hemsley: It is hard to think my childhood would have been as funny without Sherman Hensley who passed away earlier this week. The Jeffersons was one of my early television memories. As soon as that show ended, Sherman quickly to Amen. Really only Hemsley could star in a sitcom about a church and make it funny. After that he was resigned to cameos and a stint on The Surreal Life, but in his prime, there were fewer funnier people on television.

Preview Picture of the Week:



Falling Skies: Poor creepy teacher from The Killing, you keep on getting tortured in new and violent ways. I was surprised they killed Lourdes’s boyfriend so violently in from of her so early in their relationship. Hopefully she snaps out of it because her emo sulking got annoying real soon. But then again Hal did not take very long to move on for Karen so maybe there is hope. But I am still unclear why the unharnessed Karen turned on her race. That needed to be better explained.
You can download Falling Skies on iTunes.

Bunheads: It am trying to figure out if Mindy Riggins is the best part of the show or the worst. But what was up with the creepy non sequitur dance sequence at the end. It seemed like they got done with th editing before realizing all the fast dialogue left them with three extra minutes to fill so someone suggested they fill it up with random dancing to They Might Be Giants.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Bunheads on iTunes.

Pretty Little Liars: The very first theory I ever had about the show was that Allison was alive. Then they went and found her body. But after three seasons I have steadfastly held onto the outside hope that maybe it was an Elvis situation where an evil twin was buried in the grave. Or would that be a good twin in the case of Allison? Seeing her outside Hannah’s window is the first time they alluded that I may actually be right which also helps my theory that Allison is the head of the “A” Team. Or maybe it was the new CeCe girl all along. But God bless Hannah. Last week her big plan to catch “A” in the act backfired miserably, so bad she became the lead suspect in Ally’s murder. Then the weakest link in the dumbest braintrust on television decided she was going to break into a mental institution. Awesome. How that came off without a hitch is befuddling though.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Pretty Little Liars on iTunes.

Dallas: In a very little shocking plot twist, Rebecca’s brother is not really her brother, putting the paternity of the twin in question. Sure the DNA test says Christopher, but this is a soap opera, so that could be easily changed.
You can download Dallas on iTunes.

Free Download of the Week: Bottom of the River - Delta Rae (deltarae.com; email required): I may just have a new favorite new band, give this band a try, it is as if The Civil Wars joined Mumford & Sons.

Deal of the Week: For Those About to Rock for only $2.99: Get some great rock albums for a low price including those from Metallica, Pantera, Social Distortyion and ZZ Top:



New Album Release of the Week: The Soul Sessions, Vol. 2 - Joss Stone

New DVD Release of the Week: LOL

Video of the Week: In a story I broke earlier this week, the Man of Steel trailer hit the internets and it is, um, rugged.



Next Week Pick of the Week: Olympics, All Week, NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, and NBC Sports: Seriously, this is all I am going to watch all week.

Around the Tubes - 7/27/12

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 new NBC shows, Grimm, About Face: Supermodels Then and Now , American Colony: Meet the Hutterites, School Spirits, The New Yorker, American Pickers, Kevin Nealon: Whelmed… But Not Overly,The Real Story, Dracula, Selena Gomez, and folk festivals.

You will not have to wait until their official premiere dates to watch the new series on NBC this fall. They will all be airing early on NBC.com, your cable on Demand channel, iTunes and the like. Here are the dates you can start watching them: THE NEW NORMAL (August 29), GO ON (August 9), GUYS WITH KIDS (September 13), REVOLUTION (September 4), ANIMAL PRACTICE (August 13), and CHICAGO FIRE (September 27).

- If you need to catch up on NBC’s new offering from last season Grimm, it is out on Blu-Ray and DVD August 7. While you wait, check out the clip below:



- The latest installment in the HBO Summer Documentary Series is About Face: Supermodels Then and Now! The film explores the lives and careers of legendary models, highlighting the complex relationship between physical appearance and the business of beauty. Check out the trailer below and tune in Monday at 9:00 to watch it:



- The season finale of American Colony: Meet the Hutterites airs Tuesday at 10:00 and check out a preview here: College for Claudia.

- Tune in this Wednesday at 10:00 for the season finale of School Spirits. Check out a preview below:



- I this week’s issue of The New Yorker, Emily Nussbaum takes a look at cliffhangers throughout television history and how they were influenced by classic literature.


- There will be a three hour marathon of American Pickers starting at 8:00 tonight on History where Danielle will take you through her favorite picks from the show.

- Be prepared to be Whelmed when Kevin Nealon’s new comedy special Whelmed… But Not Overly premieres August 4 at 10:30.

- The fourth season of The Real Story returns to the Smithsonian Channel this Sunday at 9:00. First up is the real story behind Saving Private Ryan with future episode focusing on True Grit, Apollo 13, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Braveheart, and Master and Commander.

- Apparently NBC did not get the memo that vampires are so last decade (the 10’s are all about zombies), but they are going ahead with a Dracula series starring that dude from The Tudors. No word on when the ten episode season will hit the network.

- Selena Gomez has recently teamed up with Case-Mate for their “Right Case, Right Occasion” marketing campaign set to begin September.

- There are a couple of folk festivals popping up around the country over the next two months, here are four of them:

Edmonton Folk Music Festival (August 9th – 12th) – Known as one of the leading folk festivals in the world since the 1980’s, the Edmonton Folk Music Festival, taking place at Gallagher Park, has a lineup of some of the best folk musicians in the industry. With 80,000 people in attendance over a 4 day period, this festival strives to minimize their carbon footprint by instating special green programs. US performers include: Mary Chapin Carpenter, Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris, Mavis Staple and many others. For more information, please visit: www.edmontonfolkfest.org

Cambridge Folk Festival (July 26th – 29th) - One of the premier music events in Europe and the longest running folk festival in the world (started in 1964), the Cambridge Folk Festival attracts more than 10,000 people, many of who return year after year. For people looking to widen their definition of folk music, this is the concert to attend. An intimate stage at the festival, The Den, has dedicated 15 minute slots for up and coming performers to show off their talents. For more information, please visit: www.cambridgefolkfestival.co.uk

Newport Folk Festival (July 28th – 29th) – Started in 1959, this festival is known for introducing a number of performers who have become major stars including Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash and Joan Baez. Taking place at Fort Adams in Newport, RI, the festival works to preserve the legacy of the Folk Festival through continuing the traditions of music education and collaboration. Musicians taking one four stages over the weekend include Wilco, My Morning Jacket, Deer Tick and Iron & Wine. For more information, please visit: www.newportfolkfest.net

Shrewsbury Folk Festival (August 24th – 27th) – Bringing together the finest acts from the UK and the around the world, this festival works to create an atmosphere the highlights both new and established performers. Besides music, concertgoers will enjoy loads of additional entertainment including workshops, a craft fair, open mic area and a children’s program with a folk band, craft tent, storytelling and theatre performances. For more information, please visit:www.shrewsburyfolkfestival.co.uk

The Ten Most Anticipated Movies of 2012-13

It is weird to talk about movies these days especially about Batman considering the massacre in Colorado. My heart goes out to anyone who was affected by the shooting. I actually planned to run this for a while and wanted it to coincide with The Dark Knight Rises hitting theaters because it had been on top of my most anticipated list since it was announced. So now that it is out, I need to figure out a new number one. So here are the movies I am looking forward to over the next year.

10. The Is 40 (December 21): I did not find the first trailer particularly funny, but Judd Apatow has yet to make a completely unwatchable movie so hopefully the promo monkeys are to blame and the movie will be as good as the rest of his resume.

9. Iron Man 3 (May 4): I was apparently one of the few people who enjoyed the second installment and am excited a Ben Kingsley enhanced third film even if I am more of a DC guy.

8. Man of Steel (June 14): Another teaser I am not much of a fan of. Couldn’t we at least get a glimpse of Amy Adams as Lois Lane? And I am not sure if I need a Superman movie the in the tone of Christopher Nolan’s Batman. Did they not learn from the moody Bryan Singer version that led to a quick reboot? But I am a DC guy, so I hope this succeeds so we can finally get a Justice League movie, even if that means a new Batman so soon.

7. Oz The Great and Powerful (March 8): Sure this may lead to a crappy The Wizard of Oz reboot, but I am really interested in what Sam Raimi can do with this world.

8. Django Unchained (December 25): Is it wrong that I kind of hope Quentin Tarantino worked in the line, “Where all the white women at?” somewhere into this movie?



5. The Hobbit (December 14): Peter Jackson and J. R. R. Tolkien. What could possibly go wrong.



4. The Evil Dead (April 12): This should be on my list of Movies You Cannot Pay Me to Watch because I hold the original trilogy in such high regard. And who could you possibly get to replace Bruce Campbell’s chin? The answer turned out to be the chick from Suburgatory. Since both Campbell and Sam Raimi are involved hopefully this will be the one remake that does not suck massively.

3. The Watch (July 27): Another movie with an unfortunate history. It was originally called Neighborhood Watch but quickly shortened it after the Travon Martin murder. But this movie is less about vigilante suburbanites and more about aliens. Sure I may be a bit optimistic considering the spotty track record of Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn of late, but at least the trailer looks extremely funny.



2. The Man with the Iron Fists (November 2): If there was one thing I have learned in my life is that you never, under any circumstance, trust a big butt and a smile. If there was a second thing I have learned, Wu-Tang Can ain’t nuthin’ to frack with. For those who do not know why, just check out RZA in this film.



1. Gangsta Squad (September 7): Another movie affected by the massacre in Colorado, the trailer, which was originally attached to The Dark Knight Rises, actually featured a theater being shot up. Now the trailer has been pulled and it looks like the scene will also hit the cutting room floor even though it was integral to the plot, so there are going to be reshoots and presumable the release date is no in questions. Scandals aside, after watching Crazy Stupid Love, I fully endorse any movie that features both Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone.

Turn the Record Over, I'll See You on the Flip Side

A reoccurring conversation my generation have these days is how the music of today does not mean anything. Everything these days seem to be either scantily clad girls taking about how slutty they are, rapper talking about how rich they are, whiny bands complain about… who knows what. Excuse my grandpa moment, but back in my day, Pearl Jam meant something. Counting Crows talked to me. Public Enemy were important. It has been awhile since I have heard anyone who sounds important. Sure this could just be a generational thing much like our parents complains about how no one makes music like The Beatles anymore, plays like Eric Clapton, or sings like Marvin Gaye.

But then I heard The Gaslight Anthem with every song sounding more important than the last. Seriously, how can you not get excited about lyrics like, “Give me the fevers that just won’t break and give me the children you don’t want to raise. And tell be about the cool he sings to you in those songs if it’s better than my love.” “You ain’t supposed to die on a Saturday night.” When they sing about having her name tattooed inside his arm, you want to head down to your local parlor. He may sing “Cool is dead go baby go on asleep,” cool may have been dead, but The Gaslight Anthem may just resurrect it.

If all is right with the world, The Gaslight Anthem will finally have some breakout success with the release of the first major label release Handwritten. And let’s face it; the world is in some dire need of great rock and roll music. Right now there is The Black Keys and that is it. And for those ready to rock, Handwritten is full of enough Aye’s, Whoa’s, Sha-la-la’s, Eh-hey’s, and Oh-oh-oh’s to get your fist pumping.

As the title track suggests, these songs have traveled from heart to limb to pen. The opening track "45" is a hard driving rumination of the ending relationship comparing it to turning a record over to something new. And the album does not let up from their with guitar riffs coming fast and aggressive. They may be on a major label now and are in the studio with uber-producer Brendan O’Brien (Rage Against the Machine), but these Jersey boys are still wearing their Bruce Springsteen and The Replacements influences on their sleeve.

Even though it does not take away from songs on this album, The Gaslight Anthem should be wary of becoming a parody of the heart on their sleeve lyrics in the future like Coldplay became a self-parody on their third album. They did come close of this album with lines like, “I’d just die if you ever took your love away,” and, “What’s left for you to take if I put too much blood on the page?” Actually some of the best songs on Handwritten are on the rare songs from the band that make you put your fists down and raise your lighters up like on the final two songs Mae where they “wait for kingdom come with the radio on” and the beautifully simple National Anthem. If these two songs are a hint of where they may go next I cannot wait to hear it.

Song to Download – "45"

Handwritten gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.

One Necessary Evil Leads to Another until One Day You Can’t Differentiate Between What’s Necessary and What’s Merely Expedient

Who would have guessed that a show that starts off with a character getting a very detailed diagnosis of a rare disease (it is kind of like Alzheimer’s crossed with Parkinson’s but not really either) would end up being the antagonist of the show. But there is Kelsey Grammer (X-Men: The Last Stand) at the start of Boss sitting in an abandoned warehouse getting his death sentence. Why an abandoned warehouse? Oh yeah, he is the mayor of Chicago and naturally would not want to be seen coming out of a doctor’s office, let alone a neurologist because it would be a sign of weakness.

Really the sickness could not have happened to a better person. Everything we fear that is happening behind closed doors, Grammer is doing: manipulating voting and voters, endangering constituents for personal and political gain, create fake scandals to hide his own, throwing anyone and everyone under the bus to save his political career, shutting down government instead of comprising, and pulling out every dirty trick in the book. And to make things worse, it looks like what little conscience he had left is slipping away as he holds onto his power as his mind slips away with his illness.

If there is one shred of humanity gained by Kelsey after his diagnosis is that he tries to reconnect with his only daughter Hanna Ware (Cop Out) after shunning her for years because of her drug use. Naturally their reconciliation is tense at first and culminates with the second biggest jaw dropping moment of the season so shocking I had to rewind a couple times to make sure I saw what I just saw. For all intents and purposes, the mayor is also estranged from his wife, but since Connie Nielsen (The Ice Harvest) also comes from a political family, she still puts on the mayor’s wife in public but stays clear of him in private.

As for the biggest jaw dropping moment of the season, that comes when Grammer sits down with his advisor Martin Donovan (Weeds) in the final episode of season. Really whenever these two do down to chew the fat it pretty awesome, but their final powwow of the season is particularly epic (for those that have seen the series and wonder what that final discussion meant, in the audio commentary, the creator says that you will know what exactly happened at the start of the second season).

Despite being a political show, it does not really make any political statement like The West Wing (or any Aaron Sorkin show). We never even learn the party affiliation of anyone on the show (although being Chicago, it I easy to assume everyone we see is a Democrat), there is no debate on health care, gun, abortions, or Michelle Bachman’s sanity. Really the only time they get into a hot button political subject is the handsome candidate for governor that Grammer is grooming who is quick to say the right thing to voters and even quicker to spot a female with a short skirt, which is a one of the few missteps the show takes when it veers to close to John Edwards (or any other philandering politician). Really I was more interested in his wife who steps out from the shadows later in the season (and I assume will have a bigger role next season as she is on the poster).

One other valid complaint and something I really hate on television shows are all the “dream sequences.” But since hallucinations are a side effect of the drugs he is on they are also necessary, especially because it is seems as though we are witnessing the whole show through his eyes. This means we get some shaky camera use and close ups so gratuitous and long it becomes claustrophobic as a viewer. Of course you should expect some weird things, even in a political show, when Gus Van Sant (Even Cowgirls Get the Blues) is the executive producer and directed the series premiere.

The special features on the Blu-ray are a little thin (the press release feature the same things although there are only two blu-ray dicks compared to three DVD’s), there is a featurette “The Mayor and His Maker” which features about a twenty minute discussion between Kelsey Grammer and creator Farhad Safinia. There is also an audio commentary with Safinia and director of photography for the premiere and Farhad is then joined by executive producer Richard Levine for the finale. With only eight episodes, it should be easy to catch up before the second season starts August 17. Although if you do not have Starz, it should be really easy to catch up by the time the second season is released on Blu-Ray and DVD is about a year. And for those that do not like the clutter of disks lying around, the series will also be available by digital download including iTunes starting today.



Full Disclosure Notice: This blu-ray was given to me by Bender / Helper Impact for the purpose of reviewing it.

Musings from the Back 9: AARP Edition

Whenever asked the eternal question: The Beatles or The Stones? My answer is always, “Snitch please; The Beach Boys are much better than those hacks.” They made the catchiest pop music of all time with their surf infused harmonies before going on to make more profound music. Then mastermind Brian Wilson retired from touring and later dropped out of the band, not to be seen or heard from until he finally dusted of the abandoned Smile album and even managed to tour behind it. And just in time for their fiftieth anniversary, Brian reunited with his cousin Mike Love for a reunion album and tour.

Did we really need a new Beach Boys album? Probably not, but the group recently released That's Why God Made the Radio and it pretty much sounds what you would expect a Beach Boys album would sound like five decades later. Where their early records celebrated the exuberance on teenage youth, surfing and chasing girls on the beach, the new collection of songs is a mellow look at retirement with your toes in the sand and maybe a grandkid or two running around. None of the new songs are as catchy as their early hit singles (or even as catchy as Kokomo) or as profound as anything on Pet Sounds but the harmonies are still tight, the songs will put a smile on your face, and will probably get massive rotation in retirement home. That is if grandpa can figure out how to download it from iTunes, get it on his iPod, and then get it to play on the docking player you bought him for Christmas.

That’s Why God Made the Radio gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.


If we were playing the old Remote Control segment Dead or Alive and Bobby Womack came up I may have actually had guessed “dead.” Even after he showed up on the Gorillaz song a couple years ago I may have just assumed that it was vocals from a track I was unfamiliar with. But as it turns out Womack is very much alive and released his latest album in over a decade. Gorillaz’s mastermind Damon Albarn produced The Bravest Man in the Universe and brought his electro-beats that he used for his own band. Unfortunately sometime this distracts from Womack’s voice which has aged into a creepy haggered sound that does not need all the bells and whistles behind it Albarn adds. Even more distracting is the appearance from Lana Del Rey (presumably recorded in the month and a half between when she went from internet phenomenon to laugh stock) who’s voice does not mix with Womack’s at. The album is at its best when the studio magic is pulled back and it is just Womack and a solitary instrument like the acoustic guitar on Deep River. Love Is Gonna Lift You Up is the only overproduced on the album that did no made me wish I could hear an acoustic version of it. It is not hard to wonder how much better the album would have sounded if Rick Ruban had produced the comeback instead of Albarn.

The Bravest Man in the Universe gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.


When you hear that Neil Young is singing kindergarten anthems like Clementine and This Land Is Your Land, you would probably think it is some lame sketch concocted by Jimmy Fallon. Nope, Americana is Neil Young singing these songs and other big among the Cub Scout set but adding some of the original darker verses routinely dropped out when sung by the youth. Much like the older Beach Boys album, Americana sound just like you would expect Neil Young singing campfire ditties with Crazy Horse (their first new album together in almost a decade) backing him up would sound. The sing-a-long choruses are there in-between fuzzed out guitar solos, some veering dangerously close to sounding like a Fallon parody. As weird as it sounds on paper, it probably does not even raking in Young’s top five weirdest albums. Do not fret Crazy Horse fans, after this album, Neil continued to work with them on new material they are writing.

Americana gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.

I Want My Music Television - 7/22/12

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.

Handwritten – The Gaslight Anthem



Wow, The Gaslight Anthem put out a video that is not tattooed dudes sing heart on their sleeve music and this has a coherent storyline (or as coherent as music video get). But it is really just another reason to get excited for their album release this week. Look for a review sometime soon.


Freedom At 21 - Jack White



Hype Williams directed the latest Jack White music video. Seriously. And it is as weird and stylist as you would actually expect.


The Wind - Zac Brown Band



And if that is not a weird enough combination for you, Mike Judge directed the latest Zac Brown Band music video. But I guess Zac Brown Band would not have been out of place on King of the Hill. Granted robotic Zac Brown would have been.


I Shall Not Be Moved – Public Enemy



And who would have guessed Woody Allen directed the new Public Enemy video? (Okay, that one did not really happen… yet). It is amazing they are still putting out music that is still pretty good though I find it odd that Chuck D put Basketball Wives on blast considering his partner shilled for VH1 for most of last decade. But I guess somebody needed to put the Basketball Wives (none of which are actually married to basketball players) on blast.

57 Channels and Only This Is On - 7/21/12

Quote of the Week: I’m only going to say this once boys, give me the... teddy bear. (Eliot, Leverage)

Song of the Week: Little Boxes – Steve Martin and Kevin Nealon (Weeds)

Scene of the Week:



Big News of the Week: Emmy Nominations Announced: The only nomination Justified got was for Dickie Bennett (and his hair)? Alright, I am back to ignoring the Emmy’s.

Falling Skies: Even though I knew it probably would not be the case, I was hoping Karen would come back normal, or at least as normal as a de-harnessed kid could be. Unfortunately it looks like she is still being controlled by the Overlords somehow. Sadly I have a feeling she may go the way of the black kid whose name I have already forgotten by the end of the next episode which is a shame because she was really the only character I actually cared about from the start of the series.
You can download Falling Skies on iTunes.

Weeds: Kids playing roller derby was probably the most entertaining this I saw anywhere this week. Well it was until the great Andy slap fight of 2012.

Pretty Little Liars: I love how stupid these girls are. Of course Hanna, the police man was there because of the note. Of course Spencer, Garrett was sending you somewhere that would help him get off (although I thought we already saw him confess to killing Allison with Jenna). Then you have Aria who finds a boat load of money in Ezra’s sock drawer (not his finest hour) and instantly thinks that he collected Jason’s reward money. She is that paranoid but actually believes his I let the guy pay in cash to avoid taxes excuse. And what could he have possibly tell Jason? Then there is Emily who just happens to remember a tattoo right before seeing it on Aria’s former beard. God bless stupid people.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Pretty Little Liars on iTunes.

Dallas: As I mention in my initial post about Dallas, there was going to be more to Rebecca and Anne than being doting brides to the Ewing men. We learned just was hiding in Rebecca’s closet earlier this season, and we finally (kinda) learned Anne’s deep dark season besides having an evil ex-husband and it looks like she had a kid. Of course there are a couple possibilities like she gave them up for adoption, they could of died, or my current favorite theory, she thinks her kid is dead but really grew up to become Rebecca. Didn’t her parents mysteriously died early in her life? If so then we would get the awesome Springer episode with Christopher marring his step-mother’s daughter. Sometime soap operas write themselves.
You can download Dallas on iTunes.

Preview Picture of the Week:



Free Download of the Week: Fly Like an Eagle – Steve Miller Band (Google Play)

Deal of the Week: $2.99 Soul Albums: This week’s absurdly low price sale on Amazon is dedicated to soul music including greatest hits packages from Prince, The Temptations, Al Green, and the new album from Frank Ocean.



New Album Release of the Week: Handwritten - The Gaslight Anthem

New DVD Release of the Week: Boss: Season 1

Video of the Week: Apparently Mansome is a real documentary (from Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and the Super Size Me Guy) and not a Funny or Die fake trailer. Now if you excuse me, I need to go add this to my queue.



Next Week Pick of the Week: 2012 Summer Olympics: Opening Ceremony, Friday at 7:30 on NBC: I am an unabashed Olympics fan, I will watch it all, no matter how obscure, I will be even watching handball at some point probably. Trampoline? Sure, why not? (Unfortunately for the second games in a row I will not be able to watch any basketball because I cannot bring myself to root for the likes of LeBron James and Kobe Bryant). If you cannot wait a whole week for the start of the games, there are a couple preliminary soccer games starting Wednesday including the American woman (welcome back to my life Alex Morgan) playing at noon on NBC Sports Network (which used to be called Vs). Head over to nbcolympics.com to get a full rundown of what sports will be airing when and what channel.

Around the Tubes - 7/20/12

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 Alphas, The Godfather Legacy, Sons of Anarchy, Breaking Bad, Lost Girl, In the Big House, Comic Con, The Last Ship, Killing Lincoln, The Dark Knight Rises, and Charlie Sheen.

- Alphas is returning for its second season on Monday at 10:00 on Syfy. The new season picks up eight months after last year’s stunning season finale with the stage set for an explosive turn of events at the Binghamton facility (the Guantanamo of the Alpha world) that could have devastating, far-reaching consequences. Dr. Lee Rosen, having exposed the existence of Alphas to the unsuspecting public, finds himself discredited and imprisoned by a government desperate to cover up his stunning revelation. Some of the team have disbanded and without Dr. Rosen’s care and guidance, have regressed to their old, destructive ways. They must now battle their individual demons, reunite and try to save their own. Check out a trailer below:



- Godfather fans will want to circle Tuesday on their calendars because History is airing a two hour special The Godfather Legacy starting at 9:00. It will feature commentary from those involved in making the film as well as those who love it.

- Sons of Anarchy finally got a premiere date in September, and now there is a preview to go along with it, check it out below:

Sons of Anarchy on FX - Before the Anarchy


- Apparently the wait was worth it because Breaking Bad returned for its fifth season on AMC with its most watched episode ever at 2.9 million viewers.

- Lost Girl moves to Fridays starting tonight on Syfy at 9:00 and check out a sneak peak below:



- New show alert! Premiering Monday on Logo is In the Big House, a docu-reality series which will reunite an old school Philly mobster with his all-too-modern family in West Hollywood.

- For those that did not make it to Comic-Con this year, do not fret because you can watch all of the NBC panels from the comfort of your computer including Community, Animal Practice, Grimm, Do No Harm, Revolution, and Brian Fuller who is behind both Mockingbird Lane and Hannibal.

- TNT is getting into the Michael Bay business as they announced they have just ordered a Pilot of The Last Ship which Bay will executive produce. The show will be based on the book of the same name that is about a global catastrophe that nearly obliterates the earth's population, forcing the crew of a naval destroyer to confront the reality of their new existence in a world where they are among the only survivors. If it get picked up, I would put mu money on a summer 2013 premiere.

- After the huge success of Hatfields and McCoys, other networks are getting in on the history miniseries. Recently The National Geographic Channel announced Killing Lincoln. Billy Campbell has been cast as Abraham Lincoln, Jesse Johnson will play John Wilkes Booth, Geraldine Hughes as Mary Todd Lincoln, Graham Beckel as Edwin Stanton, who served as secretary of war under the Lincoln administration, and Shawn Pyfrom as Private John W. Nichols in the two-hour upcoming television film set to hit the small screen sometime in early 2013.

- The Dark Knight Rises finally hit theaters and for those that cannot get enough of the Nolan Batman trilogy, be sure to check out The Dark Knight Manual: Tools, Weapons, Vehicles and Documents from the Batcave.

- Showing that he is not a completely horrible person, Anger Management’s Charlie Sheen recently donated $1 million to the USO, the largest contribution ever from an individual to the military aid organization.

Previewing Sullivan and Son

After trying to launch a brand around Conan that did not have the words “Tyler” and “Perry” attached to it, TBS finally had a moderate success with the recent renewal of Men At Work. Sure the show did not light the world on fire and was ignored by critics, but enough people did watch the traditional sitcom. The network tries to keep the momentum going tonight now that Men at Work had its finale last week with the introduction of Sullivan and Son.

Like the show whose timeslot it is taking over, Sullivan and Son is a traditional sitcom in the eightiest way possible. How eighties sitcom: The Wonder Years Dan Lauria plays the father. If that is not old school enough for you, the show also features Bill’s brother Brian Doyle-Murray. And it does not get more traditional than pluck the lead from a comedy club with minimal acting experience, in this case stand up Steve Byrne (who studied at my alma mater Kent State University).

On Sullivan and Son, Byrne is a successful corporate lawyer with the perfect job and perfect girlfriend who bringer her home to meet the family on his father’s birthday. It is while he is there he learns that his father (Lauria) had decided to sell the family bar which prompts Byrne to ditch his cushy New York lifestyle to move back to Pittsburg and buy the bar from his father. Unfortunate his girlfriend (played by the same actress that Kat Dennings nannied for on 2 Broke Girls) does not stick around because she was the most entertaining part of the premiere and much more entertaining than Byrne’s high school crush, and probable future love interest played by Valerie Azlynn (Welcome to the Captain).

Apparently the club in question is in the most racially diverse neighborhood in Pittsburg because it is patroned by every ethnicity you can think of (except for Indians; native or foreign), Byrne himself is a mix of Irish and Korean, while Murray plays the local racist who makes fun of all of them. And they are all brought together by their love of drink whenever they can. One of the first jokes is even a drinking while pregnant joke which is promptly followed up by a drunk EMT joke. Much like Men of Work, you probably will only want to tune in if you miss the more traditional sitcoms of the eighties and nineties. Or you just like watching people drink. Hey that worked for Cheers.

Sullican and Son airs Thursdays at 10:00 on TBS (with back to back episodes tonight).

My Life Been Good Since I Started Finding Peace

It seems like the last couple albums, Nas has made more headlines with his titles than the actual songs on the record. In 2006 the rapper declared Hip-Hop Is Dead while the follow up went Untitled after he announced he was going to title the album a word I am not allowed to use. His latest album Life Is Good may not sound as controversial as his previous two until you get a glimpse of the cover art where Nas has his ex-wife’s wedding dress (which Nas claims is the only think she left behind in their house when she left) draped across his lap.

Not surprisingly Life Is Good is heavily influenced by Nas’s marriage and subsequent divorce to Kelis. None more so than the song that closes out the album Bye Baby where he directly talks to his former flame and baby mama and recounts their history. Due to the subject matter, this is his most grown up album to date. For those keeping track at home, this is his tenth solo album, a rare milestone in hip-hop, especially as he remains relevant. Or close to it, some could argue he has not had a hit in almost a decade (which is probably why he has gone with controversial titles lately to stay relevant).

And Life Is Good probably will not change that trend either. When he gets around to releasing a Greatest Hits package, Nas will rival anyone in the history of rap, but it is hard to image anything from this album making his Greatest Hits unless he feels obligated to put one of these songs on it. Sadly one of the better songs, the old school Nasty is resigned to the Deluxe Album Bonus Tracks as it would not have sound out of place on God’s Son. For the album proper, the best song is the reggae tinged The Don produced by Salaam Remi who has also produces his great Made You look track.

The most noteworthy track on the album is Cherry Wine featuring Amy Winehouse (also produced by Remi who turned a Marvin Gaye song into her Tears Dry on Their Own) but it is weird hearing her posthumously sing about alcohol considering how she died. After that, the most talked about track is Daughters where Nas opens up his relationship with his and coming to terms with her growing up. Since I cannot relate I really cannot get into the song. But at least he did not sample or shout out John Mayer in the song.

Song to Download – The Don

Life Is Good gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.

Previewing American Gypsies

Like many people my age, I spend too much time wondering whatever happened to Ralph Maccio. He was an Outsider, the Karate Kid (the real one), and turned in a great performance in My Cousin Vinnie. Then he basically disappeared for two decades. And now he is back like every other eighties ex-pat, via reality television. Thankfully it is not in front of the camera like the painful to sit through Scott Baio is 45… and Single. Instead he is producing American Gypsies (answering the question, what ethnicity and / or occupation could reality television possibly exploit next?).

Honestly I did not know much about gypsies aside from what I learned from Stevie Nicks. Even then I learned more about lightning then the gypsy culture. American Gypsies follows an extended gypsy (or Romani if you want to be less offensive) family featuring five brothers and their fifteen kids (with two grandkids on the way). Despite being very a very insular culture (homeschooled, arranged marriage complete with a dowry and their own court) they look assimilated and would not be able to pick them out of a lineup. If face they look like they could have been a Jersey Shore feeder family.

The heart of the show are two brothers, Nicky is the traditionalist who wants to make sure every of their 5,000 year old traditions continue. While Bobby wants to become more America even allowing his daughters to take acting classes even though associating with Gaje (non-Romani; naturally one of the third generations on the show is secretly dating a Gaje) is shunned upon. This conflict seems to be the heart of the show and Nicky is very vocal about the kids taking acting classes. Granted every time Nicky complains about this I want to yell at the television, “Dude, shut up, you are on a reality show.”

Aside from a different ethnicity to exploit, American Gypsies does not add much new to the docu-series genre. There is fighting be it verbal or physical (the brothers even throw punches in a hospital sometime in the season) and shameless self-promotion (even though the daughters in the acting class have less charisma than the average Kardashian and even less of a worth ethic). It is a bit disappointing that even though the family is in the physic business, which is the most interesting part of the family, the actual business is rarely shown in the first two episodes and no one ever exhibits the gifts they claim to be bestowed upon them. But If you are fan of docu-series, American Gypsies will probably have enough to pull you in. But if you hate the genre, the show will not do anything to change your mind.

American Gypsies airs Tuesdays at 9:00 on the National Geographic Channel. You can download American Gypsies on iTunes including the first episode which is free as I write this. Check out a preview below:

I Want My Music Television - 7/16/12

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.


Breaking Down – Florence + the Machine



I would never have guessed that Florence + the Machine would go the old school Americana route for making a video. It just does not match the epicness of their music.


Two Way Street – Kimbra



It is a shame there is not a song on her album as good as Somebody that I Used to Know because Kimbra’s album as a whole is much better than the one Gotye put out. So she really has not had a single catch on stateside (although Warrior should have been much bigger than it is, I wonder if the sigma of being associated with Converse hurt it at all). Hopefully for her sophomore album she hooks up with some producers that can take her to that next level.


Man on Fire – Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros



Honestly, this is the last video I would have expected the hippie enclave Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros to released. It looks like more like a promo I would expect to see for some crappy Lifetime reality show.


Heartbeat – JJAMZ



For those that have never heard of JJAMZ, they are a supergroup of sorts featuring members of The Like, Phantom Planet, Maroon 5, and Rilo Kiley. As for the video, thanks to the synthy track, I am not surprised that the video is inspired by the 80’s but it is a little odd that they started off the video with a serious kidnapping message when the video itself plays like a campy, horror film from the decade.