Previewing Devious Maids

Even though I was not in its target demographic, I have to admit I did watch Desperate Housewives. Hey, Eva Longoria spent quite of bit of time in her underwear. Plus the show was cheesy fun with a dark undertone; the show did start off with one of the characters committing suicide in the quiet suburban town. After two or three season, not even Eva Longoria’s underwear could keep me watching as the premise got stale. My sources tell me that Devious Maids is a Desperate Housewives spin-off (but not in a Frasier vein where a main character gets their own show but in a Just the Ten of Us kind of spin-off where a random guest star sets off the new series). The show ended up not getting picked up by ABC but ended on Lifetime.

Considering that again I am not really in the demographic that watches the network for woman, I still gave Devious Maids a try because, well, it features the equivalent of five Eva Longoria’s in their underwear, nary an old housewife among them, even if not of the cast members are attractive as Eva and barely reach her beauty cumulatively. Much like its predecessor, Devious Maids stars off with a death, but this time it is murder but the deceased does not end up narrating the show. And if you think the guy with the bloody knife they find staggering out of the room is actually the murderer, you obvious do not watch enough television.

It is a bit odd that the big murder mystery is already solved within minutes because let’s face it; none of these girls are Veronica Mars. Sure some of them have bigger ambitions than cleaning toilets, and one has a very huge secret, but solving a conspiracy is not something any of them I suspect could uncover. The maids range from one that is told by a potential employer that she sounds like she went to college (Ana Ortiz, Big Mommas: Like Father Like Son) but coming from the upper crust of Beverly Hill that actually comes off as an insult. Another is an aspiring pop star (Roselyn Sanchez, Rush Hour 2). While one (Dania Ramirez, Rush Hour 2) want to bring her child stateside while she raises some rich chick’s kid. Lastly there is the single mother (Judy Reyes, Scrubs) who tries to keep her daughter from hooking up with the boy whose sheets she washes.

One big problem Devious Maids has is its humongous cast, like HBO huge. You have the five maids and the five families that they work for making for a main cast of fourteen actors (thankfully one of the houses is usually unattended), that lead to some confusion early on of who is who, and who is working for who. But like the early seasons of Desperate Housewives the show is quick witted with an in-depth murder mystery with rich people, The Powell’s, who steal any scenes may be even more devious than their maids who are quick to ask the police who will clean up the mess after their maid was murder. The only question now is how long until the show falls off the cliff creatively like its predecessor did. Hopefully we can get one entertaining season out of it.

Devious Maids airs Sundays at 10:00 on Lifetime. You can stream the show on Hulu. You can also download Devious Maids on iTunes.

Previewing Franklin and Bash 3.x

I am too lazy to do any research but I am pretty sure that Heather Locklear holds the record for most shows an actor has been added to mid stream be it a drama (Melrose Place) or comedy (Spin City). Now she joins the cast of Franklin and Bash which is a bit of a hybrid in its third season. And it is a pretty big addition because the firm that the titular characters work out has even been rechristened Infeld, Daniels and King. With the addition, it seems like Hanna (Garcelle Beauvais) has been moved to the New York office permanently.

Locklear plays the straight laced new partner who naturally wants to rein the goofball lawyers back in and bring back structure to the office after a humorous run in on a talk show at the beginning of the premiere. Ironically Infeld is going even further out there this season, forcing his nephew to take on a case of a fast food worker. And that is not the only big change this season as the boys are in for another adjustment that happens in the two hour premiere tonight. They will also be getting a new moderately attractive neighbor tonight in the form of Nikki Whelan (the chick Owen Wilson tried to use his Hall Pass on in that movie) and naturally catches the eye of one of the lawyers.

The first case the boys take on tonight is a magician (Adam Goldberg) who is accused of stealing but clearing his name would involve revealing a trade secret. Later in the night the duo represents a veteran who is declared dead due to a clerical error and need his lawyers prove that he is, indeed, alive. Also be on the lookout for a Ghostbusters reference in tonight’s premiere. Later this season funnymen Martin Starr and Thomas Lennon will seek the legal representation of Franklin and Bash.

Franklin and Bash airs Wednesdays at 9:00 on TNT. You can Also download Franklin & Bash on iTunes.

I Want My Music Television: 6/18/13

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.


Tears Always Win – Alicia Keys


When the background singers appeared behind Alicia Keys I actually expected to see Jermaine Paul there. Where has he been since winning The Voice? I get the feeling Cassadee Pope will end up getting her album before he does. Danielle Bradbery may even have her album out before he does (there is no way she loses to the two other lackluster singers in the final, right?).


God Is Dead? - Black Sabbath


When Black Sabbath gave Ozzy the boot MTV was still a couple years from launching and to think, by the time the group reunited the MTV era is already completely over. And for some reason, the production value of this video looks like it is from the heyday of MTV during the early nineties.


Ways to Go – Grouplove


I would never had guessed we would get a Kim Jung-Un origins story in a Grouplove music video. Too bad they could not work Dennis Rodman into it.


Wear Me Out - Skylar Grey


I actually thought there was going to be a twist at the end of this video where you realize it was a prequel to the last Skylar Grey video where she was walking around covered in mud. Thankfully it was not because music video prequels are a bit silly. But of the three singles she has released from her upcoming album, this is probably my favorite.

The Five Most Anticipated Albums of Summer 2013

It has not been a very good year for music. If you think about this time last year we had Fun. and Gotye blowing up while The Lumineers were still bubbling up. This year: nothing. There is not even anything this year as annoyingly catchy as Call Me Maybe (sorry Macklemore). It is probably not a good sign that were are almost halfway through the year and my personal favorite album so far was a traditional country album (Kacey Musgraves debut). Hopefully that will change soon, possibly as early as tomorrow as there are a few worth wild albums coming our way in the second half of 2013. Unfortunately most of them are currently listed under the dreaded TBD which usually means we will not get them until around Christmas. Here are five or six albums that we should hear before the leaves start turning.

1. The Civil Wars – The Civil Wars (August 6): The duo put out one of the best debut albums this decade but a couple months ago they canceled their tour due to “internal discord and irreconcilable differences of ambition.” They were not breaking but it was ominous nonetheless. But as Fleetwood Mac showed “internal discord and irreconcilable differences of ambition” can lead to great music. You could not claim anything on their debut to be cheerful, but first single The One That Got Away (as in I wish you were the one that got away) actually sound darker than their first batch of songs. Who knows if we will ever get a third album (The Mac did manage to release six after Rumours), but the second one is shaping up nicely.

2. From Here to Now to You – Jack Johnson (September 17): Jack got some early promotion for the new album when he filled in as the headliner for a last minute cancellation by Mumford and Sons. First single I Got You is another laid back acoustic, sitting on the deck at the end of the day song that Johnson excels at. It is too bad we will have to wait until the end of the summer to hear most of the rest of the album.

3. The Blessed Unrest – The Blessed Unrest - Sara Bareilles (July 16): I am not totally sold on the first single Brave which was co-written with one of the dudes from Fun, but Sara’s first two album s were solid, so hopefully there are better things to come on her third.

4. Yeezus – Kanye West (Tomorrow): This would have been number one on my list, and then I heard Kanye perform two songs on Saturday Night Live and got a horrible 808's and Heartbreaks flashbacks. But instead of the crappy emo and auto-tune drenched songs inspired by the mope rock of last decade, New Slave and Black Skinhead sounded like Kanye was listening to way too much Joy Division and other moody new wave acts of the early eighties. Not a very good first impressions. Hopefully the rest of the album is much better.

5. Haim / Churchill (TBD): Neither new band has had the bust out moment that Gotye or Fun had last year, but both released solid four song EPs over the past year and are both are aiming at a full length debut later this year that hopefully live up to the early hype building around both bands.

And here are the rest of the albums worth at least one stream on Spotify coming your way this summer. Click on the album name to pre-order the album on Amazon or the artist’s name to go to their iTunes page.

Tomorrow
Anthem – Hanson
More Light – Primal Scream

June 25
Love Is the Future – John Legend
Vh1 Storytellers – Alicia Keys
One True Vine – Mavis Staples
Moonlander - Stone Gossard
Sound The Alarm – Booker T.
Gifted – Wale

July 4
Magna Carta Holy Grail - Jay-Z

July 9
Dont Look Down – Skylar Grey
My Name Is – Pusha T

July 16
Last of the Great Pretenders – Matt Nathanson
Where Does This Door Go – Mayer Hawthorne
Amelita – Court Yard Hounds
Electric – Pet Shop Boys
Lickety Split – Robert Randolph & The Family Band
Walk Through Exits Only – Philip H. Anselmo and The Illegals
White Teeth, Black Thoughts – Cherry Poppin' Daddies
One – Sarah Miles

July 23
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Stars Dance – Selena Gomez
A New Era Begins – Mariah Carey

July 30
In a World Like This – Michael Franti & Spearhead

August 6
Give The People What They Want – Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings

August 13
Paradise Valley - John Mayer

August 27
Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action – Franz Ferdinand
Electric Slave – Black Joe Lewis
Age Against the Machine – Goodie Mob

September
Mechanical Bull – Kings of Leon
Wise Up Ghost – Elvis Costello and The Roots
The Last Ship – Sting
New Constellations – Toad the Wet Sprocket
Hesitation Marks – Nine Inch Nails
Spreading Rumours – Grouplove
The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You – Neko Case

October
Mountains of Sorrow, Rivers of Song – Amos Lee

TBD
& Then You Shoot Your Cousin – The Roots
The Last Zulu – Q-Tip
Speak a Little Louder – Diane Birch
The Electric Lady – Janelle Monáe
A Better Tomorrow – Wu-Tang Clan
The Diving Board – Elton John
James River - D'Angelo
Girl Power – Cee Lo Green
Fly International Luxurious – Raekwon
Fading West – Switchfoot
Crystal Meth – Method Man
Blackout 3 – Method Man & Redman
Matangi – M.I.A.
Broken – Nelly Furtado
Street King Immortal – 50 Cent
All Over the Place - Avril Lavigne
AC/DC
Arcade Fire
Beck
Beyoncé
The Black Keys
Broken Bells
Eminem
Foster the People
Lauryn Hill
Pearl Jam

And of course, let me end with the obligatory this may be the season we finally get to hear Detox by Dr. Dre.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: 6/16/13

Falling Skies: Wow, that baby is extremely creepy. And why is it taunting Anne? I am guessing she is not really hallucinating or gone crazy and we are seeing her crazy. So why is it advancing faster than normal and only revealing her skills to Anne? Is she really an alien like Anne suggests? Is it an alien implant? Did Karen or the mole do something to her? Speaking of the mole, I did not want to theorize in my preview of the season for the spoilerphobes out there, but I am guessing that it will not turn out to be the obvious choice Hal. I have a feeling it will turn out t be Gloria Rubin’s character.
You can download Falling Skies on iTunes.

Mad Men: Sally really needs to stop going into the city. This week she catches her dad “comforting” a neighbor with his man region. Add that to the time she caught her step-grandmother “comforting” Rodger with her mouth, her black grandma who robbed her, the Martin Luther King riots, and, um, when she became a woman at the museum. And to think, I spent most of this episode thinking I would spend all my time talking about how they actually brought up Peggy and Pete’s love child for the first time in four or five seasons.
You can download Mad Men on iTunes.

Switched at Birth: It was only a matter of time before the daughters started migrating to their original parents now the question is who will get jealous first? Probably Regina, if there is someone to be offended, it will be Regina.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Switched at Birth on iTunes.

Pretty Little Liars: The writers are just taunting me at this point. I was cheering when they were finally leading Mr. Fitz away in handcuffs, something that should have happened back in the first season. But of course that was just a fracking dream sequence. But at least the writers admitted how wrong their relationship is, a felony in the state, and acceptance is the first step. And I would just like to go ahead and predict Paige will not be making it out of the season alive. C’mon, like A will really let her take Emily to California. She is totally going to die.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Hannibal on iTunes.

The Hero: We have our first temptation of the season. And so we can basically write him off as the winner of the season because I do not see America voting for someone who sabotages his team. If they were stupid enough to cast me on the show, I would seriously consider sitting my cast mates down and say I believe in us, if we are ever offered a temptation, take it because I believe that we can overcome any obstacle. But if we do not complete the challenge in time, whoever took the money has to pledge $10,000 to the Red Cross they would have gotten if we won. It is really a win-win for everyone except for whoever would end up winning the whole thing who would probably have a much smaller pot because of all the loss challenges.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Pretty Little Liars on iTunes.

Hannibal: I have long thought that we would not be seeing Abigail Hobbs next season, she would either move back to Minnesota, college, or would be dead. Sadly it was the latter. I usually do not believe someone is actually dead until I see a body, and sometimes not even then, but I believe that Hannibal will live up to his word and kill her just to make Will look even guiltier. Sad because I found her the most interesting character on the show. Even more sad is that Hannibal (presumably) killed Georgia in the same episode. I was really hoping Georgia and Abigail would become roommates in the second episode.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Hannibal on iTunes.

Best of the Week: 6/15/13

Quote of the Week: You don’t make a lot of friends Don so I’m going to assume this is important. (Ted Kough, Mad Men)

Song of the Week: Kill of the Night – Gin Wigmore (Pretty Little Liars)

Scene of the Week:


Big News of the Week: The Triumphant Return of Madison Sinclair: Until recently, the only ones officially signed on to the Veronica Mars Movie were Kristen Bell, Enrico Colantoni, and Jason Dohring. With filming starting Monday, they have been releasing more cast members every day this week including some obvious Neptune alums like Percy Daggs III (Wallace), Tina Majorino (Mac), Francis Capra (Weevil), Ryan Hansen (Dick) some fan favorites like Amanda Noret (Madison Sinclair!), Darrin Norris (Cliff McCormack), Brandon Hillock (Deputy Sacks), Krysten Ritter (Gia Goodman), Jonathan Chesner (Corney), and a few surprises. Rob said that Piz and Parker had parts in the outline despite not being tied to Neptune High and Chris Lowell is official signed on (Julie Gonzalo, who may be busy with Dallas, has not yet signed up to reprise her role as Parker).

There were a couple of Neptune residents who appeared in three or less episode who will also be resurrected on the big screen. Kevin Sheridan appeared in three episodes as an 09er whose family ended up working for them. Sam Huntington, who would go on to play Jimmy Olsen in the ill fated Superman Returns and currently stars on Being Human, was a buddy of Logan who was not seen since the first season.

The most surprising cast addition was Christine Lakin (who will always be Al from Step by Step to me) who had a blink and you would miss it cameo during the first season. Her character actually had ties to two actors who would go on to becoming household names. Her best friend was played by Leighton Meester and was knocked up by her teacher played by Adam Scott. Me thinks Lakin returning may just be an excuse by Rob Thomas to bring in Scott who also starred in his Party Down series as the baby daddy in a surprise cameo. I would also not be surprised if Jane Lynch, who was also on Party Down and played the student council adviser in one episode of Veronica Mars, also makes an appearance if it does not conflict with that horrible game show she is doing on NBC.

That leaves some only three former cast members names yet to be officially announced aside, from Gonzalo there is Tessa Thompson (Jackie) and Teddy Dunn (Duncan) who I doubt will be announced because the statute of limitations for kidnapping probably have not expired yet making it hard for him to show up (though I would not be surprised if he makes an unannounced cameo in the movie with a ten year old Lily). Hopefully before Monday we will get conformation on some recurring actors like Ken Marino (Vinnie Van Lowe), Max Greenfield (Deputy Leo), and / or Duane Daniels (Principal Clemmons), And though they did not graduate with the rest of them, I would not mind seeing Aaron Ashmore (Troy), Jessy Schram (Hanna), and Adam Hendershott (Butters) again. Also no word on the show's future award winners Jessica Chastain (who played Ronnie’s neighbor), Melisa Leo (who played someone’s dad; no seriously), or Aaron Paul (who played someone who videotaped college girls flashing him). I am also hoping they pull in a name to be the fourth actress to portray Shelly Pomroy. I would suggest Lizzy Caplan.


Preview Picture of the Week:

Franklin and Bash, "Coffee and Cream" Wednesday at 9:00 on TNT

Free Download of the Week: Beekeeper - Aoife O'Donovan (iTunes)

Deal of the Week: 100 Albumd for $5 Each: Get discounted greatest hits albums from Elton John, Crosby Stills and Nash, The Cars, and Donny Hathaway.


New Album Release of the Week: Anthem - Hanson

New DVD Release of the Week: Inside Combat Rescue

Video of the Week: 300 was pure awesomeness, a historical drama with stylize drama. And now there is a sequel. Sure the protagonist from the original is dead and the original director who gave it the distinctive look was off filming the Superman reboot and is only a producer this time around so hopes were cautiously optimist. At the very least the trailer for 300: Rise of an Empire looks epic. Although Eva Green as a Persian seems like a bit of a stretch.


Next Week Pick of the Week: Hannibal, Thursday at 10:00 on NBC: We finally learned why Hannibal alerted Jacob Hobbs and it was because he wanted to see what he would do. Since then he has been taunting Will, slowly driving him crazy to the point where everyone would think Will was the copycat killer. So all is left in the season finale is to see who really takes the fall for the murders. I am guessing Will will finally realize that his shrink is the one who did it, but will anyone believe him? Or maybe season two will be Will trying to prove that Dr. Lecter is a serial killer.

Around the Tubes: 6/14/13

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 Killing Kennedy, Vice, AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Mel Brooks, Spell-Mageddon, Kristin Errett, Sublime, BET Awards '13, Crowning New York, and Guinness World Records® Unleashed.

- John Kennedy, Jackie, and even Harvey Lee Oswald’s wife have already been cast in National Geographic’s upcoming Killing Kennedy and now the man who (supposably) pulled the trigger has been cast and will be played by Will Rothhaar last seen on Last Resort. Robert Kennedy has also been announced: Jack Noseworthy who I will always know as the dude from Dead at 21, as Robert F. Kennedy. And if that is not enough, we now have our first look as Rob Lowe as JFK and Ginnifer Goodwin as his wife:

First look of Rob Lowe as President John F. Kennedy on the set of National Geographic Channel’s KILLING KENNEDY, which started production this week in Richmond, Va. The television event will air on Nat Geo this November. Photo by Kent Eanes/National Geographic Channel

First look of Ginnifer Goodwin as First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy on the set of National Geographic Channel’s KILLING KENNEDY, which started production this week in Richmond, Va. Nat Geo will air the television event this November. Photo by Kent Eanes/National Geographic Channel

- Vice heads to North Korea for its season finale tonight at 10:00 on HBO. But do not worry, the show will be back for a second season. Until then, here is a preview of what you will see tonight.


- TNT and Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will present the AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Mel Brooks, a star-studded special celebrating the comedy legend. The highest honor for a career in the movies, the American Film Institute bestowed the honor on Brooks during a black-tie gala held in Hollywood on June 6. Many of Hollywood’s most revered luminaries turned out for the tribute, which will premiere on Saturday at 9:00.

- In a story I broke last week, ABC Family is going through with Spell-Mageddon (the show based on The Challenge spelling challenge) and now they have a host: Alfonso Ribeiro who may be better known as Carlton Banks. The show is set to premiere Wednesday July 24 at 9:00.

- If you are in the mood for some new music in the pop area like Sara Bareilles, check out Kristin Errett who just released her debut album Confessions of a Songbird which you can grab on iTunes.

- On Monday, June 17, a global online viewing party will occur to celebrate the eagerly anticipated DVD and CD release of Sublime’s 3-Ring Circus: Live at the Palace – October 21, 1995. This concert catches the trio of late frontman / guitarist / songwriter Bradley Nowell, bassist Eric Wilson and drummer Bud Gaugh in top form before a packed house at the legendary Hollywood, CA venue. The classic concert will be broadcast live on Facebook to over 1 billion Facebook users and on sublimelbc.com. For $1.99 viewers can watch, listen and interact together on facebook.com/sublime and sublimelbc.com starting at 9:00. The show will be out on DVD and CD the next day.


- The BET Awards ‘13 is shaping up to be the most explosive yet, with rapper Kendrick Lamar recently announced as a performer live from the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles on Sunday, June 30th at 8:00.

- Smithsonian Channel is in production on a one-hour special that reveals one of modern day’s most daring engineering feats: the installation of a 408-foot spire atop One World Trade Center. Crowning New York will air later this year to coincide with the official ceremony that will mark the lighting of the beacon atop the historic skyscraper.

- truTV will go into production on brand new episodes of its hit series Guinness World Records Unleashed on Wednesday, June 19, at the historic Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. Hosted by Dan Cortese (MTV Sports), the series features daring and fearless record hopefuls as they attempt to secure their place in history by breaking some truly outrageous world records. All new episodes of Guinness World Records Unleashed are set to launch on truTV later this year.

Previewing Sullivan and Son 2.x

TBS has hit its stride with its old school sitcom that put the situations in comedy. Sure they are not going to win any awards or critical acclaim, but you will laugh a couple times each episode. Men At Work just wrapped its second season and now TBS’s other traditional sitcom Sullivan and Son is back for a second round. And little has changed from the first season.

For those that like looking at episode titles, do not let the title of the second season premiere fool you, The Pilot, One More Time is an all new episode, it is not even a reboot of the show, in fact all the characters are the same and in the same state of arrested development where we left them. We finally do get to meet Susan’s husband who shows up in the form of Community’s Ken Jeong who get inspired by Steve job change from high stress.

Later in the season, Steve, Melanie, and Owen make a pact to be more accepting of potential significant others after spending one too many nights alone in the bad, and needless to say the guy and girls they end up with have some pretty huge character flaws. But that does not stop Owen from fighting with Ahmed for the affections of a hippie chick in a later episode. And since the show airs int between episodes of The Big Bang Theory, it is only apropos that one of the nerds from the show pops up and Kunal Nayyar will do just that. Nayyar will play a character that considers himself the ultimate ladies man later this season. While attending the bar's first-ever "Ladies Night," he tries to hit on multiple women using different personalities.

Sullivan and Son airs Thursdays at 100 on TBS. You can also download Sullivan & Son on iTunes.

Musings from the Back 9: Music Edition XVI

To put into perspective just how long it has been since Black Sabbath put out an album with Ozzy Osbourne, I had not even been born yet and I am old enough to remember when Dr. Dre started working on Detox. Really, when I think of Ozzy, I think of his cheesy power ballads from the lat eighties / early nineties. Which I guess is better than the generation or two that came after me who think Ozzy only as a reality star. But their reunion album 13 got me intrigued if only because it was being produced by Rick Rubin who may have the greatest batting average among producers since the band last released an album together. Unfortunately unlucky 13 is a rare swing and a miss as it turns out sounding exactly what a bunch of sixty year olds playing heavy metal would sound like. A Johnny Cash redefining album that Rubin produced, this is not. And it is mostly Ozzy’s fault who sounds phoned in (anyone who saw his reality show probably knows why) even though Tony Iommi’s riff are for the most part still haunting as ever. I just wished Rubin pushed them more. The most intriguing song on the album is Damaged Soul where the harmonica sends the song into a bluesy direction before getting drowned out by Iommi’s guitar. I just wished 13 had more moments like that.

13 gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.


Back in the late nineties, electronic music became such a big fad even Eric Clapton and R.E.M. were making albums that relied heavily on drum machines. At the same time, Barenaked Ladies were enjoying their biggest success creating music more organically. Fifteen years later we are in the second electronic boon and the Ladies finally jumped on board with the trend on their tenth studio album Grinning Streak (depending how you count them). They never drop the base or any of those other annoying trends in EDM these days, but the album is easily their more electronic embracing to date. Well that is primarily the opening song Limits, after that all the hints of electrics are tempered down. The rest of the album may have been more interesting if it were more like the opening track. And despite the title Grinning Streak, the trademark wit the band usually has is once again downplayed. I always thought the token rapper Ed Robertson was the fun guy in the group, but ever since Steven Paige has left the group, their album as much less fun.

Grinning Streak gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.



Tom Petty once sang about the ups and downs of being a rock and roll star during Into the Great Wide Open and one line that always stick out to me is when he sings, “their A&R guy said ‘I don’t hear a single.’” That line comes up occasionally when I listen to albums like the last Jimmy Eat World album. Invented was good, but nothing on the album really stood out as being particularly great. Same goes for their latest Damage. You are still getting a solid ten song, which really does not add anything new to their catalogue. But alas I do not hear a single worth downloading and if you already own Bleed American and Furtures, you really do not need to add Damage to your library.

Damage gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.

I Want My Music Television: 6/11/13

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.


Everything Has Changed - Taylor Swift featuring Ed Sheeran


They psyched me out, I thought the kids were going to be the younger versions of Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran but it turned out to be their kids, or more likely little siblings. I pretty much ignored Red because it was way too poppy for my taste, but this song reminds me there were a couple good songs on it. It is a shame that there not more songs like this on the album, it would have been much better.


Diane Young – Vampire Weekend


Pot use getsa bad rap for killing brain cells but we all knew that guy who could build a bong out of anything. Though I am not sure how practical the saxophone bong in the Vampire Weekend video is, seems like a lot of smoke would escape the keys holes.


Boomarng – Barenaked Ladies


I know the Barenaked Ladies has not had a big hit here in a decade, but I have to believe that made enough money from the Big Bang Theory Theme that they could afford to make a music video that look better than something that could have been made for the Super Nintendo.


The War Within - Churchill


Churchill were already in the running for the 2013 Peter Bjorn and John Award for Catchiest Indie Pop Song of the Summer with their song Change and they may have some competition with their new single whose outro gives me a very Where the Streets Have No Name vibe. I keep re-watching the video just trying to figure out which famous person the female in the group looks like. A grown up Millie Kentner maybe? But I am beginning to think she is just an amalgamation of every super cute chick I went to college with. If you like this song, you can download it for the low, low price of free on Noisetrade along with four remixes of Change.