Best of the Week: 8/17/13

Quote of the Week: She trusts me. I’m a cop. (Sonya Cross, The Bridge)

Song of the Week: Ain't No Sunshine – Bill Withers (as sung by Bridget Donovan and Marvin Gaye, Ray Donovan)

Big News of the Week: The Return of Crappy Music: 2013 has been a bad year for music. And not only has there been a lack of great music, there really has not been any horrible music either. Unfortunately we will have to wait a bit longer for some more great music, but horrible music came back with a vengeance this week when both new songs from Katy Perry and Lade Gaga leaked last week and then both rushed to iTunes on Monday.

Both made grand preoccupations of growth and expansions of their sound, Perry even went as far as burning relics from her California Gurls days George Michael style, except when Roar came out, it did not sound all that different from Firework (or Sara Bareilles’s Brave as everyone has pointed). While Lady Gaga has spent the last month trying to out hyperbole Kanye West but where Yeezus actually pushed the envelope for better or worse (I would argue worse) Gaga’s Applause is a crappy disco song that sounds like it got rejected from her first album for not being good enough. It does look like Perry is easily winning the battle of bad music as Roar has kept Applause out of the top slot all week and by Friday Applause had dropped to four after Blurred Lines and some country song.

Thankfully there is some good music on the way to join the stellar album by The Civil Wars next month by Janelle Monáe, Jack Johnson, Elvis Costello & The Roots, and for those looking for pop music that isn’t cheesy and boring, Haim and Lorde are both dropping their full length debut album on the 31 of September.

Preview Picture of the Week:

“Bring Down the Hoe” Pretty Little Liars Tuesday at 8:00 on ABC Family

Free Download of the Week: Pilot - Veronica Mars (iTunes): For those that have wonder what the whole Veronica Mars thing is about since a movie got Kickstarted, you can now watch the Pilot for the low, low price of free. And once you get addicted by watching the first episode, iTunes also currently has all three season at a discount. There is plenty of time to catch up by the time the movie is released.

Deal of the Week: Get twenty-five debut album for a discount including the first albums from Beastie Boys, Counting Crows, Norah Jones, and The Black Keys:


New Album Release of the Week: Paradise Valley - John Mayer

New DVD Release of the Week: Boardwalk Empire: The Complete Third Season

Video of the Week: This week TNT released its first trailer for the upcoming Mob City (formally Lost Angels), the first post-The Walking Dead show from Frank Darabont, which also stars that show’s Jon Bernthal. The fist look makes it seem very stylized, but I could not help but thinking about the underwhelming Gangster Squad while watching this. Still I am still skeptically optimistic. Mob City premieres December 4 on TNT.

Next Week Pick of the Week: Switched at Birth, Monday at 8:00 on ABC Family: It is wedding day on Switched At Birth and I put the odds at the wedding actually happening at fifty-fifty. Maybe the better question is who will be the one to call it off or who will be the people to finally reason with Toby or Nikki that getting married this early may not be the best idea. It probably will not be Daphne who is walking down the path of mutual destruction with Chip Coto. But what bomb could he lob at Daphne that could be as bad as knocking up with an intern? I am guessing her father's heart attack will be coming back into play.

Around the Tubes: 8/16/13

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 The Borgias, The Almighty Johnsons, Fangasm, Black Sabbath, Civil War 360, Jose Brown Group, Rachel Ann Weiss, In the Meantime, Trending Down, and TNT renewals.

- Neil Jordan, creator of the Showtime original series THE BORGIAS, has released a new e-book The Borgia Apocalypse: The Sscreenplay, based on his original, two-hour finale script for the critically-acclaimed period drama. Available via e-retailers now, the e-book provides fans with a final farewell to one of history’s most infamous families. You can download it now on Amazon.

- - Expanding its stable of international hits such as Lost Girl and Continuum, Syfy today announced it has acquired the first two seasons (23 episodes) of the popular New Zealand scripted series The Almighty Johnsons from independent television distributor ALL3MEDIA International. The action-packed comedy drama The Almighty Johnsons follows the Johnson boys, four typical fun-loving guys – who have inherited the power of Norse Gods. But these four brothers are no flashy superheroes. Everyday Gods have everyday struggles – searching for love, overcoming sibling rivalry and fulfilling their God-like destiny – while still enjoying a few beers with their mates. Season 1 of The Almighty Johnsons, consisting of 10 episodes, will premiere on Syfy in 2014.

- Syfy celebrates superfan culture with Fangasm (formerly titled Fandemonium), a new docu-series that follows seven very different people whose niche uber-obsessions run the gamut from comic books and collectibles to science fiction and fantasy to cosplay and live action role playing. Living together and working together at Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo, Los Angeles’ largest pop-culture convention, the cast must contend with each others oversized personalities and conflicting passions as they vie for a opportunities within Lee’s organization. Because when different passions come together – you get a real big bang. Fangasm debuts Tuesday, September 24 at 10:00 on Syfy.

- In celebration of Black Sabbath's nineteenth studio album, 13, Taylor Guitars is giving one lucky fan the opportunity to celebrate with an ultimate sweepstakes. One winner and a guest will fly from the domestic United States to see lead guitarist and Taylor player Tony Iommi and Black Sabbath perform in Las Vegas on September 1, 2013. Guests will enjoy accommodations at the MGM Grand, a Taylor GS Mini guitar signed by Iommi, a signed copy of 13, and a Taylor Guitars prize pack. Now through August 23, fans can enter-to-win by visiting the Taylor Guitars website.

- Smithsonian Channel is set to premiere Civil War 360, a powerfully moving three-part documentary miniseries that explores one of the most divisive eras in American history from multiple perspectives. Celebrity hosts Ashley Judd (“The Union”), Trace Adkins (“The Confederacy”), and Dennis Haysbert (“Fight For Freedom”) each helm an hour-long program that takes viewers back to a time when their ancestors – and those of many viewers -- were involved in the conflict. Through exploration of iconic and often poignant Smithsonian artifacts, the hosts gain insight into their own family’s experiences and uncover new dimensions of our nation’s history. The series debuts on Smithsonian Channel on consecutive Sunday nights at 8:00 beginning October 27, 2013.

- For anyone who likes the jazzy-pop of Harry Connick Jr. will want to give Jose Brown Group a try.



- While fans of female singer-songwriters may want to check out Rachel Ann Weiss.



- UP, America’s favorite channel for uplifting entertainment, presents the UP Original Movie In The Meantime (#InTheMeantime), starring Kali Hawk (Bridesmaids, Couples Retreat), Darrin Dewitt Henson (The Express, “Soul Food”), Terri J. Vaughn (Friday, “The Steve Harvey Show,” “Sugar Mommas”) and Grammy©-nominated artist Musiq Soulchild in his film debut. A romantic comedy with heart, In The Meantime will premiere exclusively on UP on Saturday, August 17, and Sunday, August 18, 2013 at 7, 9 and 11 p.m..

- Noted British actor and BAFTA Award winner Rhys Ifans (The Amazing Spider-Man, Notting Hill) is the most recent actor to join the cast of the SHOWTIME comedy pilot Trending Down. The pilot also stars Oscar® winner Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote) and acclaimed actress Kathryn Hahn (Revolutionary Road) in the lead roles of Thom and Lee Payne. Ifans will star as Thom Payne's (Hoffman) boss, Jonathan Clow. TRENDING DOWN is a blistering attack on our youth-obsessed culture, and centers on Thom Payne, a man facing his own obsolescence after his advertising agency is taken over.

- TNT yesterday renewed is summer programs Rizzoli and Isles, Major Crimes, and Perception (Falling Skies was also re-upped a couple weeks ago). So if you have been enjoying Maxwell and King, Franklin and Bash, and /or The Hero you may want to get prepared for a goodbye.

Previewing America the Wild with Casey Anderson 4.x

Casey Anderson, looking more and more like Jason Mraz these days, returns to Nat Geo Wild this Sunday for the fourth season of America the Wild at 10:00. And this Sunday Casey will be tracking an animal he knows oh so well as they left some teeth in his leg a couple years ago. But the difference between wolves in captivity, which gave Casey his stitches) and wolves in the wild is that the wild ones do not attack humans, they keep their distance from us. Except on Canada’s West Coast where wolf attracts are on the rise and Case and his America the Wild team head there to find out why.

Casey theorizes that these wolves are actually half wolf / half dog called, surprisingly wolf dogs, who are not as scared of humans as their canine ancestors (just think of what happens when you try to take Fido’s food bowl away mid meal). This leads Casey to visit some wolf dogs in captivity who humorous take the fuzzy part of the boom mike from the camera operator and uses it as a chew toy. It is almost as funny as the way Casey tries to obtain DNA, to confirm his beliefs, from what he thinks is wolf dogs in the wild.

Later this season, Casey travels to the American West to see if there is a way for the mountain lion and the bighorn sheep to make peace. Later Casey goes south of the border to the banks of the Rio Usumacinta in Mexico on the hunt of vampire bats in a cave that one caver has dubbed “the torture chamber.” Just the name alone is the reason Casey Anderson has a television and I am content with watching from my couch.

America the Wild with Casey Anderson airs Sundays at 10:00 on Nat Geo Wild. And if you want to go deeper into the show, Casey Anderson will be taking over the National Geographic Instagram account on Sunday to share his personal photos and behind-the-scenes anecdotes from his adventures while shooting the show, follow @natgeochannels to follow along. You can also check out a clip from tonight's episode below:

Feed Your iPod vol. LXXIV: If its the Beaches

The last album from The Avett Brothers may have just come out last November but the group is gearing up for another release when Magpie and the Dandelion dropping the Ides of October and will be their third straight produced by Rick Rubin. The quick turnaround is not surprising because the album was recorded during the same sessions as The Carpenter. The first time I ever heard The Avett Brothers was during the second season of Friday Night Lights when Landry finally chose Trya over the weird math chick, which, let’s face it, was not much of a chose at all, with If it’s The Beaches playing in the background. (Jason Katims, who was the showrunner for Friday Night Lights also really likes The Avett brothers too because he has already put two of their songs on his other show Parenthood, I wonder how long until they show up at the Lunchenette). To this day, If it’s the Beaches remains my favorite song by the group (with The Battle of Love and Hate a close second, but that is a story for another day) and if you just discover The Avett Brothers when they started working with Rick Rubin, you should go back and check out some of their more passionate earlier work. And if you have never heard of them up to now, you will want to send the next day on their Spotify page. You will not be disappointed.

If it’s the Beaches – The Avett Brothers

A Very Spoilery Review of the Red Dawn Remake

I have a kinship towards the alumni of Dillon High School so I will support their movies no matter how crappy they are (*cough*The Roommate*cough*). So this past weekend I had a Tyra Collette double feature of G.I. Joe: Retaliation and Red Dawn. I did not have high hopes going into either of them but G.I. Joe was enjoyable, it had Trya, The Rock, Channing Tatum died early on and there was a really cool fight scene on the side of a mountain, so it was an enjoyable two hours for the most part. Sure the film suffered from Blockbuster fatigue where every summer movie for the last five years has to feature at least one city blow up.

Full Discourse Notice: I should not before going into deal about the updated version, I have never seen the 1984 original of Red Dawn and really all I know about the film is from what I learned from the I Love the 80’s segment which was basically telling a story about how much Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey hated each other on that set and how ironic they went on to star together in Dirty Dancing. So if you have not seen the Red Dawn reboot (or The Avengers or Terminator 2), stop reading now or you are about to be spoiled.

Red Dawn started out enjoyable enough, it had Trya, Tim Riggin’s father, Thor, and some cool fight scenes. Sure the plot was flimsy, the way the North Koreans were able to invade an American city with no U.S. military backlash was a little silly and I never figured out why some Americans were in detainment camps while others were able to come and go in the city as they pleased.

But the movie moved into guilty pleasure territory when Jeffery Dean Morgan showed up with his Navy Seal buddies showed up and added some much needed comic relief. They also set up the climactic battle which came to a satisfying finale when Thor killed the big bad Korean who killed his father at the end of the first act with his father’s gun. So all is well, the Wolverines make I back to the base with the piece of technology that will help rid America of the Koreans, Thor goes over to Tyra for a celebratory make out session… and gets shot in the face. What the frack!?!

Obviously the writers wanted to go for a shocking ending and killing off the main protagonist does the twist. But where the surprise twist at the end of, say, Memento, makes you instantly want to watch the movie again as soon as the credits roll, the shock ending only makes people irate. It is bad to kill off the main protagonist just minutes before the ending but you certainly do not kill him off in a surprise attack, at least give him an honorable death like, well, I was going to say Agent Coulson in The Avengers, but he may not have actually died. The only example that is coming off the top of my head was the time The Terminator melted himself down for the good of mankind at the end of T2.

The writers apparently did this so Thor’s douchebag little brother would have this grand transformation from selfish douchebag at the beginning of the film to the leader of the insurgency at the end. But you know what writers; I still did not care about the douchebag brother by the end. If you really needed the douchebag brother to have some grand transformation, how about just shooting Thor in the leg? Then the ending is douchebag brother giving his big speech, then walk off the stage where Thor is in a wheelchair and says to his douchebag brother, “Dad would be proud of you. I am proud of you.” End Movie.

But no, you have to go with the stupid ending. There is a reason no other film kills off the main protagonist a minute before the credits run, because the audience does not want to see it. Instead of the audience telling their friends, “You should go see Red Dawn because of the surprise ending,” they are going to tell them, “Avoid Red Dawn at all costs, it has one of the worst endings of all time.”

Red Dawn gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.

I Want My Music Television: 8/12/13

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.

Hopeless Wanderer – Mumford and Sons


It was a shame someone already told me the video featured Jason Sudeikis, Jason Bateman, Ed Helms, and Will Forte because I otherwise I wonder how long it would have taken me to realize it was not exactly Mumford and Sons. But I feel bad for the bassist, he just had brain surgery and then gets stuck with Forte, who I think is a full foot shorter than him, as his doppelganger. Was Rhys Ifans not available?


The One That Got Away – The Civil Wars


Just days after dropping their album, The Civil Wars finally got around to releasing a music video for the lead single and not surprisingly it features neither of them as they continue to be on non-speaking terms. But the visuals seems so disconnected from the song. It basically looks like they took outtakes from The Bridge and repurposed it as a music video.


Supersoaker – Kings of Leon


When I first heard that the first single off the new Kings of Leon album was entitled Supersoaker, I thought it was a joke. And when I first listened to it, the chorus was clunky with the silly word stuck in it. But it has grown on my, I do like the “sentimental girls” line, and looking at the beginning of the video, maybe they should have gone with Sentimental Girls as the title of the song instead.


Claudia Lewis – M83

Get More:
M83, Claudia Lewis - Directed By Bryce Dallas Howard, Music, More Music Videos

A couple years ago MTV introduced the “Supervideo” to show they still care about music videos, but stopped after four or five and have not done one in a couple years (the last time I featured one in my I Want My Music Television series, a not so subtle dig at the network, was August 2011) but apparently they have relaunched the Supervideo for an M83 song which features some Ramona Flowers knockoff who glows when wet. Alrighty. Maybe MTV should have stayed out of the Supervideo game because not only does no one go to MTV for music videos anymore, certainly no one is going to MTV.com to watch music videos either. If there is a video on the internet that is not on YouTube, it might as well not even exist.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: 8/11/13

Falling Skies: Did they not just kill Karen two episodes ago? Being a sci-fi show I would not be at all surprised if we see her again. Maybe the Karen we saw die was not the real Karen and she was just some sort of real life robot the aliens were able to produce just to mess with the humans. I do not remember if it was ever explained why she still worked with the aliens without the harness on. And I wonder if there will be any resentment from Hal that Maggie killed Karen. Hall did seem shocked by the action even though that was the humane thing to do and really if Hal should be mad at anyone over Karen’s death it should be at his father.

And as creepy as baby Lexi was, school-girl Lexi is even creepier. I thought it was callous of Tom to shot Karen without trying to barter a way to get the bugs out of her, but I turned out Tom has his own creepy witch doctor in the family. I wonder if she will be a gull teenager by the start of next season. It may only make it even more creepy.
You can download Falling Skies on iTunes.

Ray Donovan: One of my longstanding pet peeves on television are dream sequences and drug trips are a corollary to that, but really, even I cannot hate a drug trip that features a monkey. But I was a bid disappointed that the cop that pulled him over did not morph into The Terminator as he was talking to the agent. And I did complain at the start of the show that I feared it would devolve into cheesy fake celebrity problems that Ray would have to solve every week (which thankfully for the most part it has not) that NBA lottery plan was disturbingly brilliant.

Under the Dome: So at the center of the town (which for some reason is a secluded wooded area, not downtown like normal cities) is a mini dome which encases an egg. Alrighty.
You can stream Under The Dome exclusively on Amazon Instant Video, free for Prime members.

Siberia: It is a little bothersome that the show does not notice the little things. There was an actual scene where the one chick is hunting for deer with the cameraman walking right in front of her. Seriously. No cameraman on a real reality show would walk directly in front of someone with a bow cocked back. At least the show moved the plot forward with the disappearance of everyone on the crew, aside from the cameramen on duty. But then that begs the question, what happened to the faux lesbian who “left” earlier in the day. Did she really make it out just before everything went down, or was she just wondering around for the day? Granted it is highly suspicious that we did not get to see her leave, so I have a feeling she may have been captured by the creepy kids lurking around.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Siberia on iTunes.

Pretty Little Liars: It looks like I was right, that Mona would essentially plea insanity and find herself back at the mental institution. I wonder if they will heighten security this stay after she admitting to sneaking out multiple times during her last stint.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Pretty Little Liars on iTunes.

The Bridge: Wow, that discussion on serial killers was profound. Too bad I had to read it. And as much as I find that Sonia lives somewhere on the autism spectrum, that meal with the family was actually entertaining in its uncomfortableness. Poor Marco, you really cannot come up with a good example as to why your wallet falls out of your pants innocently. The best thing I could come up with would be to cut a hole in your back pocket and hope she buys it just happened to bust while at the home of another woman to have her sign documents.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download The Bridge on iTunes.

The Challenge: Rivals II: The biggest problem with shows like this is that voting is extremely predictable (Survivor tried to shake things up with the addition of the Hidden Immunity Idol, but it really has only affected the outcome of a Tribal Council three or four times; I am pretty sure more people have gone home with an Idol in their pocket then have been saved by one) so it is always entertaining when a vote goes disastrously bad like when Teresa “threw away” her vote on her hook up LeRoy only for half the people after her following her lead and also voting for LeRoy, sending him into The Jungle. Not that it ended up mattering because LeRoy was saved by an even more rare occurrence with a disqualification in an elimination round (the only other time I remember this happening was to CT who crushed someone as he usually does, only to be sent home on a technicality).
You can download The Challenge: Rivals II on iTunes.

Best of the Week: 8/10/13

Quote of the Week: Entonces sólo eres un asesino en serie si te gusta. (Fausto Galvan, The Bridge)

Song of the Week: Get Lucky – Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams (The Colbert Report)

Scene of the Week:


Big News of the Week: Do Not Piss Off Stephan Colbert: Stephan Colbert has been hyping a Daft Punk appearance for a while now which was a pretty big deal considering the robot duo does not do much television. They have not done anything since releasing their last album in May. But Tuesday came and went and no Daft Punk. The reason was not some canned excuses like illness and Stephan was more than willing to tell everyone the real reason Daft Punk did not show up: they were already booked exclusively to make a surprise appearance on the Video Music Awards sometime in September on VH1 hosted by Chris Brown (at least according to Colbert). So, surprise.

Sure the controversy does not quite pass the smell test considering Viacom owns both Comedy Central and MTV and it took an entire month to notice the conflict of interest. Not to mention Colbert says he did not learn of Daft Punk’s cancellation until Monday but had enough time to book Robin Thicke, who has that other massive summer hit, to replace Daft Punk (oh yeah, and it turns out he taped that segment last week) and create a video featuring Hugh Laurie, Jeff Bridges, Jimmy Fallon, the cast of Breaking Bad and America’s Got Talent, Jon Stewart, Matt Damon, and Henry Kissinger. But hey, Daft Punk is essentially confirmed the VMA’s which means there will be at least one reason to watch it. That is one more reason that last year’s show.

Preview Picture of the Week:

"Asylum" Perception, Tuesday at 10:00 on TNT

Free Download of the Week: The Wrong Direction EP – Passenger (NoiseTrade)

New Album Release of the Week: Paracosm - Washed Out

New DVD Release of the Week: Emperor

Video of the Week: We are seven week out until the third season premiere of Homeland and the series premiere Masters of Sex and Showtime recently released full trailers for both. Not that surprisingly the Homeland trailer features bombings, congressional hearings (they blew up the CIA last season all), a crazy wall map, and Brody sheering his signature ginger hair (although the only people that will not recognize him are the same people who do not recognize Superman when he is wearing glasses). And as I predicted way back in the first season, it looks like Dana may finally be converting to her father’s religion. But also a few shockers most notably Carrie in a hospital gown and handcuffs. Uh oh. And Dana texting seems like a creepy storyline. But then again it cannot be worse than the hit and run storyline. Feel free to watch the trailer on a loop for the next seven weeks, I probably will.


Showtime also released the first full trailer for Masters of Sex, but to be honest, they already had me at Lizzy Caplan starring in a show called Masters of Sex.


Next Week Pick of the Week: Franklin and Bash, Wednesday at 9:00 on TNT: Another TNT shut up for the summer next week and Franklin & Bash will be going out with a bang as the promo monkeys promise a guest star so big they cannot tell you who it is. Um, I hate to break it to you promo monkeys, but anyone who watched last week already realize that it is Rob Lowe. Pinder has been stalking him all season and even popped up at the end of the last scene, just seconds before you hyped a guest star so big you cannot tell us who it is. I really hate promo monkeys.

Around the Tubes: 8/9/13

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 Heroes of Cosplay, Americans in Bed, Enough Said, Breaking Bad, Jack Black, Poor Remy, Bel Heir, Jessica Campbell, The Breedings, Haven, and PBS.

- The new Syfy series, Heroes of Cosplay premieres Tuesday at 10:30 (after a new season of Face Off) and here is a first look:


- The U.S. has one of the highest marriage rates in the developed world, as well as the third-highest rate of divorce, with as many as half of unions failing. Brimming with genuine emotion and honesty, Americans in Bed, premiering Monday at 9:00 exclusively on HBO spotlights some of the many reasons people come together - and grow apart. Check out the trailer below:


- Last week I shared the Enough Said poster and now you can watch the trailer for the film starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus and James Gandolfini over at Apple Trailers.

- My sources tell me the final season of Breaking Bad started up this weekend and Blip.tv has a parody video looking at what Jesse just might do after the show ends and he gets his own spin-off.

- If you are having a Breaking Bad viewing party this Sunday and want to make sure they did not bring any meth to celebrate, try Touch and Know USA test 22 illicit substances.

- Football Fandemonium is upon us! Kick off the season with Jack Black, the leader in premium grooming products! In celebration of the return of football, Jack Black wants to give you and a friend the chance to win tickets to a professional football game. Click here to enter to win tickets for two to a local 2013 NFL game, a Jack Black gift set and weekly random drawing to win Jack Black products.

- If you cannot get enough of the folk rock explosion boom, check out Ohio’s own Poor Remy below.



- If you enjoy the more moodier sounds of Daughter and The Neighborhood, give Bel Heir (no relations to the Fresh Prince) a try.



- Nashville-based singer-songwriter Jessica Campbell is taking part in the current installment of Crate & Barrel’s “Get The Download” offer. Campbell’s song “Be You” is available via free download from Crate & Barrel; the offer is presented on in-store cards (while supplies last), as well as online at the Crate & Barrel website and in Crate & Barrel catalogs. The promotion runs from August through October 2013.

- The Breedings are a brother and sister country duo based out of Nashville, TN. Originally hailing from Lexington, KY, the duo sings original material penned by singer/songwriter Willie Breeding, who released two solo albums while living in Brooklyn, NY. Big sister Erin, who was working as an accountant in Boston and singing occasional backup for her brother, stepped up in 2008 to become the lead singer. Stream their album Fayette at thebreedingsmusic.com.

- Emma Lahana (Hellcats, Emily Owens M.D.) and Christian Camargo (Dexter, The Hurt Locker) will join the cast of Syfy’s popular sseries Haven when the show returns for its fourth season on Friday, September 13 at 10PM (ET/PT). Both actors join Colin Ferguson (Eureka, Coupling) who portrays William, a handsome mysterious stranger whose secret agenda leads him to Audrey (Emily Rose), as recurring guest stars this fall.

- PBS had their TCA session earlier this week and announced a few new programs. Here are some highlights:

THE BLETCHLEY CIRCLE to Return to PBS for Second Season Bolstering Sunday Night Drama
THE BLETCHLEY CIRCLE is returning to PBS for a second season. The four-part series will air on Sunday nights in spring 2014. A production of World Productions (United, “Line of Duty”) and distributed worldwide by Content Television, the series premiered in the U.S. last spring to critical acclaim. The show will top off an evening of destination drama on Sunday nights on PBS, including season three of CALL THE MIDWIFE at 8:00 p.m. and season two of MASTERPIECE “Mr. Selfridge” at 9:00 p.m.

COMING BACK WITH WES MOORE EXPLORES THE PERSONAL STORIES OF VETERANS’ RETURN TO LIFE AT HOME
PBS announced the premiere of COMING BACK WITH WES MOORE, a three-part special that personalizes the experiences of returning veterans and celebrates the lives of this group of exceptional people. The special, hosted by combat veteran and New York Times best-selling author Wes Moore, is slated to premiere in May 2014 on PBS. The program tells the personal stories of returning U.S. veterans, the challenges they face readjusting to life at home and their courageous efforts to overcome obstacles in the quest to forge lives of meaningful service in their communities. The program adds touching and humanizing context to the reintegration process of our service men and women.

HOW WE GOT TO NOW With Steven Johnson
PBS announced the premiere of HOW WE GOT TO NOW with Steven Johnson in fall 2014. The six-part series, to be produced for PBS by Nutopia and hosted by the popular American science author and media theorist, explores the power and the legacy of great ideas. Topics explored in the series include why and how ideas happen, and their sometimes unintended results, including how the search for clean water opened the way to invention of the iPhone, and how the nagging problem of overheating in a New York printing business led to the invention of air conditioning, which inspired mass migration and a political transformation. Johnson explains how the answers to the questions he poses in each episode — such as “how do we make something cold?” or “how do we create light?”— have driven other discoveries through the web of ideas and innovations that made each finding possible.

PBS NEWSHOUR NAMES GWEN IFILL AND JUDY WOODRUFF CO-ANCHORS AND MANAGING EDITORS
Gwen Ifill and Judy Woodruff will be co-anchors and managing editors for the PBS NEWSHOUR. Ifill and Woodruff will anchor the broadcast together Monday through Thursday each week. On Fridays, Woodruff will anchor solo as Ifill hosts WASHINGTON WEEK that evening. This will mark the first time a network broadcast has had a female co-anchor team. It was also announced that Hari Sreenivasan will serve as Senior Correspondent for the PBS NEWSHOUR with Gwen Ifill and Judy Woodruff, reporting several times a week from WNET’s Tisch Studios in New York, along with his duties anchoring PBS NEWSHOUR WEEKEND Saturdays and Sundays beginning September 7.

Additional information was also shared today on two previously announced programs:

PBS Pays Tribute to President John F. Kennedy with Week of Special Programming
PBS announced today the details of a series of primetime special programs to commemorate the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s death that airs November 11-13. The specials will offer new perspectives on the life and death of President John F. Kennedy, as well as provide audiences with a comprehensive examination of timely issues.

PBS ARTS FALL FESTIVAL 2013 Kicks Off October 18 Festival Spotlights Broadway Shows and Top-Flight Stars
The 2013 PBS Arts Fall Festival returns in October with seven weekly programs that highlight Broadway classics, music from around the country, and legendary superstar Barbra Streisand. Underscoring PBS’ ongoing commitment to giving audiences a front row seat and a backstage pass to the best of the arts on-air and online, the series will be hosted by award-winning television, film and stage star Anna Deavere Smith (“Nurse Jackie,” “The West Wing”) starting Friday, October 18, 2013 at 9 p.m. ET (check local listings).

Feed Your iPod vol. LXXIII: Clarity

John Mayer releases a new album later this month which may be for the best because the last one released just fifteen months ago was a bit of a bore, and the one before that was his worst of his career. But his first three stand up as one of the best trio of first three albums by most artists so hopefully Paradise Valley rekindles some of that magic (first single Paper Doll is already better than anything on Born and Raised). It is a little disconcerting that Mayer’s second album Heavier Thing turns ten years old next month. My favorite track off that album was the second single Clarity which undeservedly floundered on the charts. It is an uncharacteristic John Mayer song, the guitar is pushed to the back in favor of piano and horns section (the song also features Questlove on the drums). As Heavier Things hits the decade mark, it is time to go back and give it another listen, especially Clarity.

Clarity – John Mayer

What Rhymes with Hug Me?

Had you told me back in January that the song of the summer would end up coming from Robin Thicke, I would have thought you were crazy (granted had you told me in January 2012 that the song of that summer would come courtesy of a Canadian Idol castoff, I would have thought you were much crazier). Nothing against Robin Thicke, but up to this point he had been making middle of the road blue eye soul that was much more suited for the bedroom than the block party. Yet here we are in the middle of summer and it looks like Blurred Lines will end up edging out the superior Get Lucky as the unofficial song of the summer.

Sure Thicke has an unfair advantage considering that the song was already an established summer jam when Marvin Gaye released the song under the title Got to Give It Up, Pt. 1 all the way back in the summer of 1977 (well that and hot naked chicks). Much like the song, the album Blurred Lines is Robin’s first full foray into dance music. There really is only one slow jam, and the Rest of My Life does not even show up until late in the album at track number nine.

Thicke’s transition into dance music is not as smooth as the song Blurred Lines the song would suggest. The lyrics can get very cringworthy like the obvious date-rapey vibe of the title track (though I find the lyrics to sound like that of a middle school boy hoping to get lucky by being persistent). Even worse is when he actually admits, “I want to shop for your underwear” during Take it Easy on Me. The beats are not much better. Unfortunately Pharrell only produced the title track while Thicke himself co-produced over half of the other tracks. Dr. Luke produced the worst track on the album Give it 2 U which sounded like a LMFAO castoff that Thick tried to imagine.

The album is so derivative, there are times where I actually thought I was listening to a new Justin Timberlake song (most notably Ooo La La), and that is not meant to be a compliment. The best track on the album is one of the few non-dance songs and is not even a baby-making song. The Good Life is a mid-tempo driving with the windows on a summer evening kind of song. Almost modern do-wop but not too much where it sounds like he is stealing Bruno Mars soun. The album would have been much better if there were more songs like this and fewer songs that were completely derivative of significantly better songs.

Song to Download – The Good Life

Blurred Lines gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.

I Don’t Want to Fight but I’ll Fight For You if I Have To

What exactly is going on with The Civil Wars? The release the best debut album of the decade so far, start winning Grammy’s with Taylor Swift, then out of nowhere while on tour in Europe, they canceled the remainder of that tour and went on hiatus due to “internal discord and irreconcilable differences of ambition.” What!?! Despite the discord they managed to record another album (or two if you count the predominately instrumental soundtrack to A Place at the Table with T-Bone Burnett). The discord continued with the lack of promotion of the album which so far has only involved two interviews by Joy Williams and a music video which is just a bare bones behind the scenes recording the song. The other half of the duo, John Paul White, has yet to say anything on the album or pretty much everything since the dilution of the tour last year.

In the interviews, Joy continually says that if you want to know to the group, just listen to the new album. We got a sneak peak last month when the duo released the first single of the self titled sophomore album The One that Got Away. As in “I wish you were the one that got away.” It actually reminded me of I Got This Friend from the first album with the line “If the right one came along” and The One That Got Away is the dark twisted sequel to I Got This Friend. The One That Got Away is that dark and ominous. Sure most of their debut was very moody, but The One that Got Away made most of Barton Hollow sound like I Want You Back. The Jackson 5 version.

On first listen as the album as a whole, it is hard not to dwell on the “irreconcilable differences of ambition” part of the statement because it is very noticeable who much more of Joy is heard on the album with John Paul relegated to just harmonies on half of the tracks. It is easy to assume that Joy is the more “ambitious” at least in terms of output which is backed up by she is the only one currently doing press.

After the first single the best song on the album is Dust to Dust (which follows the equally troublingly titled Same Old Same Old). The song features the closest thing the group has ever done to a groove, and it is a slow groove that could have become a Middle School slow dance staple if the subject matter was not so depressing. And to emphasize just how darker this album is (aside from the eerie cloud of smoke on the cover) is the choice of cover last time around. As previously mention lat time out, they turned I Want You Back into a ballad. On The Civil Wars, the do opted for Disarm, the one of the angstiest of all the angsty Smashing Pumpkins song which children of the nineties will remember as the song where Billy Corgan screamed over and over again, “I used to be a little boy.” The Civil Wars stripped the song of any angst, and pretty much everything else but an acoustic guitar and turned it into the most haunting song in the short catalogue. Which is saying a lot.

Much like Fleetwood Mac Rumours, the music The Civil Wars made out of internal discord is heartbreakingly awesome (The One That Got Away even features a similar bass breakdown from The Chain). Hopefully much like Fleetwood Mac, The Civil Wars can find a way to continue to make great music together for another decade. Or three.

Song to Download – The One That Got Away

The Civil Wars gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.

I Want My Music Television: 8/5/13

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.


Picasso Baby – Jay-Z


Last month Jay-Z performed this song for about six hours straight and now we get to see why, he was just rapping it over and over again for people to cut it together for a “performance art film” which apparently is just music video with credits (which thankfully were there otherwise I would not have noticed the legendary Fab 5 Freddy). But seriously, when you spend your time hanging out with the cast of Girls, you have really lost touch with reality.


Wake Me Up - Avicii featuring Aloe Blacc


As far as modern dance music is concerned, the new Avicii song is actually tolerable, but I still wish Aloe Blacc would release an “acoustic” version of the song. Seriously, this song is a ballad; you should not be adding an electronic dance breakdown to it. And the music video is borderline offensive. They completely ripped of the concept for the No Rain music video but replaced the Bee Girl with an impossibly cute girl and her absurdly attractive sister (I am assuming). I am sorry if I do not feel bad for outcasts who look like they stepped right out of an Abercrombie commercial.


Made To Love - John Legend


It looks like John Legend is jumping on the gratuitous nudity trend of 2013 though he does keep all the bits and pieces covered (it I only a matter of time before we get a “director’s cut”). Though it did distract me enough to forget to actually listen to the song. Is there any actually verses in the song or does he just repeat the chorus over and over for four minutes?


Hearts Like Ours – The Naked and Famous


The Naked adn Famous caught my ear two years ago with Young Blood, a song so catchy I informally created the Peter Bjorn and John Award for the Catchiest Indie Pop Song of the Summer (which I made a real thing the next year). The rest of the album was alright, but I wished there was more song that were upbeat like Young Blood and less drowned in synthesizers like the rest of the album. They have a new album In Rolling Waves coming out next month and though the first single is not as catchy as Young Blood, I think I do like it better than pretty much everything on Passive Me, Aggressive You. And the video reminds me of a darker version of the Young Blood video.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: 8/4/13

Falling Skies: So Tom was able to figure out who the mole is because someone said something similar to what he remember Lourdes said hours before but did not realize it did not make sense to him when she first said it? I hate when writers continually put these kinds of revelations into scripts. Way too cute, just have someone walk in on Lourdes trying to kill Cochise. The reveal would have been more satisfying and less absurd.
You can download Falling Skies on iTunes.

Ray Donovan: I wonder what exactly Ray’s wife thinks he does for a living. Is she just a she no evil her no evil, blind to the fact who just does not ask as long as there is food on the table. Or the kind that does know deep down, but will not say anything because she has grown accustomed to her lifestyle. Or does she really know, does not care, and is just mad that he may be cheating on her and that is the preverbal line.

Switched at Birth: ASL karaoke: who knew? And I am not sure if I should have laughed at all the cheesy ASL pick up lines that Travis was trying. It should be interesting to watch his date with MaryBeth which I have a feeling may devolve into the episode of The Big Bang Theory where Raj went on a date with the chick who plays Daphne with Howard as the interpreter.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Switched at Birth on iTunes.

Siberia: When the show first appeared I theorized that it would turn out to be a rip off of The Cabin In The Woods, and if that is the case, the Powers that Be sure pumped in the pheromones this episode because there were people hooking up all over the place. I also had to think of another horror movie, Evil Dead, when the Serbian dude found the book. I was screaming at the dude, you do open up creepy books that are hidden. But at least he did not try reading from it. Yet.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Siberia on iTunes.

Pretty Little Liars: Oh Mona, you sneaky devil. But did she fall on the sword to make it up to Hanna for all the A stuff, or does she have a devious master plan that she is not letting on. Either way, she probably could get off, she worked out the self defense claim with Hanna, and worse case scenario, she could just e declared insane again and go back to Bradley, which may very well be her masterplan.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Pretty Little Liars on iTunes.

The Bridge: So not only is the creepy trailer dude not a murderer, he is actually coyote for Mexican prostitutes trying to get up from under the thumb from an evil sex trafficking drug lord(who can easily get a million dollars to Marco to pay for his other stolen property). Oh yeah, and he is so compassionate, he will even help snakes across the street. Alrighty. And it took me about half the episode to realize that was a clean shaven and fully functioning Johnny Crowder as the FBI agent. Considering what happened to him, it may have been better had I not recognized him.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download The Bridge on iTunes.

The Challenge: Rivals II: When I saw the title of this episode was Mortuusequusphobia‬, I got excited because I assumed it would be another spelling challenge this week. Silly me, they would never use a word longer than five letters in the spelling challenge. I guess it is safe to assume that mortuusequusphobia‬ is the fear of ketchup or condiments in general. But as great as the Jemmye mental breakdown was, the Jungle was as equally disappointing. C’mon promo monkeys, you do not hype the most dangerious elimination round ever only not to have one.
You can download The Challenge: Rivals II on iTunes.

The Hero: Patty?!? Seriously America? Apparently the only people who watched (and or voted) besides me bored housewives who thought they were Patty. And Patty winning is probably the best reason why there will not be a second season. If only the casted the inaugural season better.
You can download The Hero on iTunes.

Best of the Week: 8/3/13

Quote of the Week: Who the (expletive deleted) are you Ray? (Abby Donovan, Ray Donovan)

Song of the Week: Bad Things – Meiko (Pretty Little Liars)

Scene of the Week:


Big News of the Week: If You Use the N-Word at a Kenny Chesney Concert, You May Be a Redneck: Last week, I have never heard the name Riley Cooper, but the guy ended up leading Pardon the Interruption three straight days this week (and may continue into next week) after using the derogatory term at security guard at a country concert. But to Cooper’s credit, he quickly apologized and took full responsibility for his drunken stupidity (unlike other racists this summer). But how does the NFL not give the guy an obligatory one game suspension? Hopefully the “sizable fine” he received was at least one game check.

Preview Picture of the Week:

“There’s No Place Like Home” guest starring Tim Conway, Paul Dooley, Ron Glass, Marion Ross, and Doris Roberts, Major Crimes, Monday at 9:00 on TNT

Free Download of the Week: Best Day Ever – Bob Schneider (NoiseTrade)

Deal of the Week: 100 Albums for $5 Each: This month’s discounted albums include greatest hits from U2, The Beastie Boys, James Brown, and Tears for Fears.


New Album Release of the Week: The Civil Wars - The Civil Wars

New DVD Release of the Week: Community: The Complete Fourth Season

Video of the Week: Bad Milo is a movie which features Ken Marino with a killer tumor that comes out of his butt. Why is this movie not out now? Please not below is the red band trailer, so you may want to avoid watching it at work, around your family, are around anyone without a sense of humor.


Next Week Pick of the Week: Falling Skies, Sunday at 10:00 on TNT: It seems like the third season of Falling Skies just started up, but here we are at the finale already (will the fall season just next month, I guess all the summer shows will be winding down soon). This season was all about spies and double cross with two (and maybe more) humans with bugs controlling them and we still not know what the Volm are really up to (but the promo monkeys would have us believe they are up to something). Hopefully the show can come up with another finale like last season that saw the introduction of the Volm.

Around the Tubes: 8/2/13

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 Hard Knocks, Dreamchaser: In Concert, Casting By, Face Off, Hawaii Five-O, Helix, Continuum, Enough Said, Howard Stern Show, Irocke, The Dough Rollers, and Rod Stewart.

- Yesterday may have been just the start of August, but pre-season football starts up next week end and with it comes the new season of Hard Knocks on HBO premiering Tuesday at 10:00. The five-episode edition features the Cincinnati Bengals again this year.

- Starting August 3, Sarah Brightman's PBS concert special Dreamchaser: In Concert will begin airing on PBS stations nationwide. The concert is inspired by the beauty of space and incorporates all of Brightman's major milestones- from her starring role in Lloyd Webber's original Broadway production of Phantom of the Opera, to fulfilling her lifelong dream: a space trip to the International Space Station. Check out the trailer below:


- Perhaps the foremost casting director, Marion Dougherty plucked several now-iconic actors out of obscurity, among them James Dean, Warren Beatty, Robert Redford, Christopher Walken and Glenn Close, giving them their first break in front of the camera. With strong, original opinions about authenticity and a knack for discovering unique talent, she turned the old Hollywood system on its head by using actors with a nuanced sense of character and individuality, rather than depending on typecasting, and broke racial barriers by pairing Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in the Lethal Weapon series. Casting By premieres Monday, August 5 at 9:00 exclusively on HBO.

- The new season of Face Off returns Tuesday, August 13 at 9:00 with Veterans vs. Newbies theme. There will also be a two hour Face Off: The Vets Strike Back, Tuesday, August 6 at 9:00 which will look back on the past seasons to highlight the veteran contestants’ best and worst moments. You can check out what the veterans have been up to below:


- TNT is hitting the beach this summer as the network adds the action-packed drama series Hawaii Five-0 to the primetime lineup. The series is set to air on TNT Thursdays at 9 and 10 p.m. beginning Aug. 8.

- Syfy’s newest original scripted series Helix from Sony Pictures Television began production this past weekend in Montreal, Canada. The 13-episode drama is executive produced by Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica, Outlander), Steven Maeda (Lost, The X-Files) who is also showrunner, and Lynda Obst (Sleepless in Seattle, Contact). Cameron Porsandeh, who wrote the pilot, will serve as a Co-Executive Producer. Helix is an intense thriller about a team of scientists from the Centers for Disease Control who travel to a high-tech research facility in the Arctic to investigate a possible disease outbreak, only to find themselves pulled into a terrifying life-and-death struggle that may hold the key to mankind’s salvation or total annihilation. However, the lethal threat is just the tip of the iceberg, and as the virus evolves, the chilling truth begins to unravel.

- In other Syfy news, since it was already renewed in Canada, it was only a matter of time before Continuum would get renewed by the American channel that airs it and Syfy confirmed it this week and will air the thirteen episode season starting in 2014.

- Coming to select theaters on Friday September 20, Enough Said is about A divorced and single parent, Eva (Julia Louis Dreyfus) spends her days enjoying work as a masseuse but dreading her daughter's impending departure for college. She meets Albert (James Gandolfini) - a sweet, funny and like-minded man also facing an empty nest.

- On Howard Stern Show this week, Howard interviewed Robin Thicke about creating a career in the shadow of his father, the genesis of his hit song “Blurred Lines,” how he has changed his wife and he gave a live performance. The complete, wide-ranging interview can only be seen on Howard TV On Demand now, but here is a brief clip.


- Irocke, the #1 source for live streaming concerts worldwide, announces the schedule of live streaming concerts to be broadcast during week-long Forever Festival, Earth’s First Live Digital Music Festival, from Sunday, August 4, 2013 at 5:00pm PDT to Sunday, August 11, 2013 at 11:59pm PDT. Live music fans tuning into the Forever Festival website 4evrfest.com and partner sites will discover and enjoy over 200 free and PPV performances by a wide range of artists in collaboration with more than 30 leading live digital concert venues in more than 10 countries around the world.

- If you are looking for some good old fashion rock and roll, naturally you will find it on Third Man Records artist The Dough Rollers. Check out Little Lily below:



In celebration of the 50th performance of Rod Stewart: The Hits., Rod Stewart today announced that he will extend his original two year contract at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace and will return with his critically acclaimed show "Rod Stewart: The Hits." for two more years beginning this fall. As the two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer wraps his summer run of performances this week, nine new November concerts have been added from November 6 through 24.

Take Me Where You Go Only Higher

If you were born the last time Toad the Wet Sprocket released an album, you may just received your driver’s license but the band recently reconvened and will be releasing their new album in the new reality in the new millennium, through crowd sourcing (their Kickstarter has already been funded but if they reach $250,000 by Sunday, all backers will receive Live EP from their August Tour). For those born before their time, Toad the Wet Sprocket was a college rock band in the age of alternative music, more R.E.M. than Smashing Pumpkins. Yet the same year, R.E.M. relented to the times and made its grungiest album ever with Monster, Toad stayed the course and made their best album of their career, Dulcinea which is this month’s induction into the Scooter Hall of Fame.

Granted by today’s standard, Toad the Wet Sprocket could be considered Dad Rock with mellow songs like the album opener Fly from Heaven, the plaintive Windmills, the playful Nanci, and the moody and retrospective Something’s Always Wrong. But to show you just how out of touch they were with the agro guys of the time, I remember the local disk jockey pronouncing the title “Dull-Cin-da” once even in front of the band during an interview. Apparently the guys at the alternative rock station were not familiar with the Don Quixote love interest.

That is not to say Toad could not rock, though they never went full agro, there was still some heaviness to songs like Woodburning, which may have been the closest thing the band themselves ever got to grunge. The best song on the album was the one Toad song that would not sound out of place in a mosh pit: Fall Down. The frantic track verges on paranoia and anxiety as we transitioned into the mid-nineties, but the song never lost control which many of the alternative bands of the time would have done. The upcoming album New Constellations may not live up to Dulcinea, but it is good to have Toad the Wet Sprocket back on the scene.