Around the Tubes: May 8, 2021

          

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting:

- Pearl Jam has once again made history, releasing a digital collection of music from a staggering 186 live shows that includes 5,404 individual tracks. Spanning two decades of shows, this gargantuan drop consists of the most sought-after bootlegs from fan favorite tours during 2000, 2003, 2008, and 2013. The release is sure to appeal to the band’s diehard fan base while also giving access to a new generation of Pearl Jam fans in the streaming era.  Check out the release HERE.  Continuing to engage those diehard fans worldwide while also appealing to fans who may not be familiar with the band’s tenured live history, Pearl Jam also launched the immersive live web hub, Deep, on Deep.PearlJam.com. By accessing this hub, fans may search their favorite shows by category and listen to fan-curated playlists, including “Best of” Tours, “Covers”, a politically charged playlist “Know Your Rights” & many more. Deep will enable easier discoverability across the catalog and allow newer audiences to experience the best of the band suited directly to their personal preferences. Each live bootleg on Deep has the added bonus of show descriptions written by Ten Club superfans adding a personal fan story to each and every record. 

- Buckle up! Check out the new red band trailer for Hulu’s Original Film PLAN B. Directed by Natalie Morales in her directorial debut, follow Sunny and Lupe on their hilarious quest. The Hulu Original film premieres on May 28 on Hulu.  After a regrettable first sexual encounter, a straight-laced high school student (Kuhoo Verma) and her slacker best friend (Victoria Moroles) have 24 hours to hunt down a Plan B pill in America's heartland.

- Multi-platinum award-winning singer, songwriter, actor and author Jann Arden announces her livestream event, Jann Arden On Stage, set for May 20 at 5 p.m. PDT / 8 p.m. EDT.  Widely known for her numerous hit songs and many laughs, Jann Arden will perform some of her biggest hits and share first-time performances of her interpretation of Paul McCartney’s “Lavatory Lil” and a cover of The Cure’s “Lovesong.” Tickets for Jann Arden On Stage are on sale now at JannArden.com with additional options that will give fans access to an exclusive VIP meet & greet, limited edition commemorative merch, and more.

- GRAMMY® Award-winning, multiplatinum singer, songwriter, producer, and actor, Anthony Hamilton returns with a new single and music video entitled “You Made A Fool of Me.” Get it HERE via his own label My Music Box in partnership with BMG.  The song came to life during a recent studio session between Hamilton and legendary GRAMMY® Award-winning producer and the second hip-hop artist to be inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame Jermaine Dupri [Mariah Carey, JAY-Z, Aretha Franklin], and is co-produced by longtime Dupri collaborator, Manuel Seal. Together, the song’s writers Hamilton, Dupri, and Seal, along with Ramon Montgomery, nodded back to Hamilton’s biggest tune and rekindled “the emotions people felt from ‘Charlene’.” 

- Platinum selling, chart topping, pop singer and songwriter Conan Gray returns new track “Astronomy” today. Stream the track HERE, watch the lyric video for the track HERE, and later today watch the official music video HERE at 12 noon EST.

- The official music video for emerging singer, songwriter and musician Joy Oladokun’s new song, “sorry isn’t good enough,” is debuting today.  Watch/share HERE.  Her first release since signing a joint partnership with Amigo Records/Verve Forecast/Republic Records, “sorry isn’t good enough” is from Oladokun’s highly-anticipated forthcoming major label debut album. Of the track, Billboard praises, “Singer-songwriter Joy Oladokun is ready for a new era of her career. On ‘Sorry Isn't Good Enough,’ the rising talent trades in her soft, acoustic musings of the past for some excellent pop production—complete with slamming drums, keyboard riffs and an enchanting melody, the track treads new ground in Oladokun’s career. But one thing certainly remains, and that’s the star’s songwriting; taking a half-hearted apology and using it as fuel to her fire.”  

- A new era of hope, survival, and prosperity comes calling with the release of CRASH OF THE CROWN, STYX’s new studio album, which was written pre-pandemic and recorded during the trying times of the pandemic.  The legendary rockers--James “JY” Young (lead vocals, guitars), Tommy Shaw (lead vocals, guitars), Chuck Panozzo (bass, vocals), Todd Sucherman (drums, percussion), Lawrence Gowan (lead vocals, keyboards) and Ricky Phillips (bass, guitar, vocals)--will release their 17^th album June 18 on the band’s label, Alpha Dog 2T/UMe, which will be sold as clear vinyl, black vinyl, CD, and on digital platforms. Fans can pre-order it here and at Styxworld.com starting Thursday, May 6.

- American Documentary is proud to announce the national broadcast premiere of PBS alumnus Loira Limbal’s (Estilo Hip Hop) second feature documentary, Through the Night, premiering THIS MONDAY, May 10, 2021 on PBS at 10 p.m. ET (check local listings) and at pov.org as part of the program's 33rd season. The film will also be available to stream for free at pov.org until June 10, 2021.  An official selection at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival as well as at DOC NYC and AFI DOCS, Through the Night is an intimate cinema verité portrait of three working mothers whose lives intersect at a 24-hour daycare center in New Rochelle, New York: a mother working the overnight shift as an essential worker at a pediatric hospital; another holding down three jobs in order to support her family, and a woman who, for over two decades, has cared for the children whose parents have nowhere else to turn.

- POV returns to PBS in July with its 34th season, a slate of films that reaffirm public media’s vital role as a platform for the people and in sparking national dialogue. America’s longest-running documentary series’ newest season follows artists, activists, elders, comedians, frontline workers and politicians across the globe as they navigate their personal stories and the larger histories under which they take shape.  The season kicks off with writer and comedian CJ Hunt’s directorial debut, The Neutral Ground, on July 5. All films are accompanied by educational resources and will be available to stream on all PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS Video App. Premieres continue through fall 2021, with primetime specials in early 2022. 

- All-time boxing great and 2020 International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee Floyd “Money” Mayweather will make his return to the ring as the undefeated, 12-time, five-division world champion squares off in an exhibition bout against social media sensation and pro boxer Logan “The Maverick” Paul, headlining a blockbuster SHOWTIME PPV event on Sunday, June 6. The anticipated clash pits superstars from two different worlds in a must-see showdown for sports and entertainment fans around the globe.  The event is presented by Mayweather Promotions, Fanmio and Mavathltcs and will take place at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. The pay-per-view event also will feature a pair of intriguing professional boxing showdowns, as WBA Light Heavyweight Champion Jean Pascal and two-division world champion Badou Jack meet in a 12-round rematch in the co-main event. Plus, former unified super welterweight champion “Swift” Jarrett Hurd returns to the ring to face Luis Arias in a 10-round bout.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: May 2, 2021

 

The Nevers:  I have been pretty “meh” on this show, but that fight on the river was one of the most innovative fights I have seen in a while.  Unfortunately later in the episode there was the dumb sequence where the guy with the hand gun was able to gun down the singer but could only manage to nick the cop running at him.  I was assuming there would end up being a Touched that could reanimate the dead, but the previews suggest there is a burial.

 

Fear the Walking Dead:  Umm, so what really happened.  We clearly heard Daniel tell Grace to go to the fishing shed.  The main show just did an unreliable narrator episode making this extra annoying.  And it also split up the group into four different settlements just like this show now has.  Meh.  So did Daniel actually take the guns.  And just how does one man take all those guns while everyone is with him in a meeting? And why did not one bother to ask how Strand got his gun?  Was that gun part of Daniel’s delusion too?  Way too many unanswered questions about this episode.

 

Mare of Easttown:  Well that was a pretty surprising ending.  Now, I am really bad at names and I thought the friend was referring to the dead son being the father.  While researching the math trying to figure out how old the son was, I realize the Sheehan she was talking to was Mare’s ex-husband, which is even creepier.  It also puts a bigger spotlight on that conversation they had about the girl in the middle of the episode.  Yet, didn’t he have that engagement party all night?  Granted old people parties do not last as long as teenaged ones so I guess that party ended by midnight(ish) when the last people say the dead girl.  But the best scene was when Mare just went full spite in arresting the girlfriend in her parent’s restaurant while a befuddled Ralph Bohner looked on.

 

City on a Hill:  Well this season turned on a dime.  After going after each other for four episodes, Jackie is now willing to hunt down who shot Siobhan.  Decoursey is smart not to trust him, but I have a feeling he is going to ask for Jackie’s help eventually.  Then we will get to see what exactly Jackie’s game is because no wat he is altruistic, he is going to need a favor in return.  I would not be surprised if it involves taking down Jackie’s boss so he can stay in Boston.  I really cannot see him going somewhere else.

 

Debris:  Well that is an interesting take on Groundhog’s Day, one where the person chooses to reset the time when they do not have to.  And I think this may be the first time they attempted to be funny with the montage of the different partners.  But I do not understand why they shoved the scene with the divorce in it,

 

Cruel Summer:  I found it interesting that Jeanette and Kate mothers had a reverse relationship with each other back in high school.  At least according to Jeanette’s mom, I believe her as much as I believe her daughter.  As much as I have like these first couple episodes, I do not see how this set up could go very long.  I wonder if they are setting up a future season with the mothers back in high school in the seventies.

 

The mystery of the show seems to be who is telling the truth and Jeanette turned out to be a huge liar this week.  She said she flushed the weed when she did not and she had been going into the house a lot without telling anyone.  But did she see Kate?  That is still the big question. 

 

Supergirl:  There is plenty of competition, but this may have been the single worst episode in the history of the show.  And it is a two part-er.  Meh.  Maybe not center a whole episode or two on the two worst characters on the show.  I hope the blue aliens just put them into their zoo never to be seen again.

 

Big Sky:  So the daughter staged a suicide and is still blackmailing her other brother?  She moved the body.  And how did Ronnie get out of the house with a dead body without anyone noticing?  And why did the sister even open the door if she knew who he really was?  And if the PI’s are not answering the phone, how about calling the police?  So stupid.

 

The Handmaid’s Tale:  What really drug down the second and third season of the show was that they just rehashed the first season, the only changes being they amped up how tortured the handmaids were.  What gave me hope going into the fourth season was it seemed like they blew up the show.  The Waterford’s were in custody in Canada, and June became a fugitive that no doubt were be hung if she were caught for rescuing all those children.  And then June was captured by the end of the second episode.  Meh.

 

But then she escapes again at the end of the very next episode.  And it was pretty gratuitous to murder all those handmaids that way.  First off, why was the guard shooting at them?  If you did not hang them in the first place because you need more babymakers to replace all the kids you lost, maybe do not murder them.  Maybe at least fire a couple warning shots.  And how was June the last one out of the van by a while, yet was the only one to outrun the trail besides Janine?  Are the other girls really that slow?  And speaking of June running, what was with the weird, rom-com scene of her running back to Nick to kiss him. 

 

And one more question, just who is Serena’s baby daddy?  It has been two years, so my recollection is fuzzy.  But I do remember Fred was shooting blanks; that is why June had to hook up with Nick.  So did she hook up with the American dude?  Could Fred really be the father?  If he actually was not shooting blanks, doesn’t that throw into question of who the father of Nicole is?

 

The Challenge: All-Stars:  Oh that TJ twist was cruel.  And I loved it.  I was pretty suspicious why Kendal did not go to vote if she did not have the Life Saver.  Instead of the Life Saver she was instead safe from elimination.  Although hopefully the duos get sent in together in future weeks because getting to pick your partner seems like an unfair advantage.  But double eliminations from here on out will speed things up.  Thankfully, the main show drags on when you eliminate twenty-two players mostly one week at a time.  With only sixteen players left there will probably only are four or five episodes until the final.  But TJ did say he definitely will see Beth and Cyrus again, hopefully that is a good sign we will be getting more seasons of The Senior Tour.

 

Manifest:  One of my running jokes is question just how the blind chick on In the Dark always has straight from a shampoo commercial hairstyle and I thought of that when Mick was doing that raid.  Seriously, why the long glorious hair that can easily blow into your face why going into a raid.  How about a ponytail or a bun?  But anyway.  At least we are done with the three shadowy figures; none of them were particularly strong actors. But kind of silly that Olive was able to decipher that they would all perish if they did not all pass their trials.  At least I got a good laugh at how stupid that scene was.  But was this all a set up that all the 828’ers have to pass trails for all of them to survive their death dates?

 

The Blacklist:  I feel like I missed something.  I remember the last episode ended with Red’s hook up breaking her skull on the end table as Red tended to her while Lizzie still has the gun.  Lizzie just let Red leave.  And at what point between when the hook up found out Red was a wanted man and dying did she have time to tell her daughter to go into hiding.  But I finally figured out what is going to end this death feud between Red and Lizzie.  She is finally going to realize how bad her new partner is, maybe even find out he was really the secret Russian asset, and go back to the FBI and Red to stop him.

Around the Tubes: May 1, 2021

         

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting:

- Based on The New York Times bestselling book by author Liane Moriarty, Nine Perfect Strangers takes place at a boutique health-and-wellness resort that promises healing and transformation as nine stressed city dwellers try to get on a path to a better way of living. Watching over them during this ten-day retreat is the resort's director Masha (Nicole Kidman), a woman on a mission to reinvigorate their tired minds and bodies. However, these nine “perfect” strangers have no idea what is about to hit them.  The series stars Nicole Kidman, Melissa McCarthy, Michael Shannon, Luke Evans, Bobby Cannavale, Regina Hall, Samara Weaving, Melvin Gregg, Asher Keddie, Grace Van Patten, Tiffany Boone and Manny Jacinto.

- New Zealand’s platinum sensation BENEE drops the music video for her song “Happen To Me”—watch it HERE. “Happen To Me” stands out as the fan-favorite track from her critically adored full-length debut album, Hey u x.  The gothic visual finds BENEE at the center of the table during a surreal The Last Supper-style royal feast. She sits on a throne alone as guests enjoy medieval delicacies. As she flips through tarot cards, she turns over the death card only to be greeted by a man on a pale horse before finally disappearing from the table. As the song grapples with her own fear of death, the video personifies this existential struggle. Over a soundtrack of hummable guitar and lithe synths, she confesses, “I think about these things too much. My mind likes to wind itself up. And I don’t get a lot of sleep. ‘Cause what if they happen to me?” Ultimately, BENEE upholds what has become a tradition of captivating and cinematic videos with “Happen To Me.”
- Welcoming friends into the mysterious embrace of Whispering Pines Studios today, Lord Huron uncover a new single entitled “I Lied” [feat. Allison Ponthier]. It’s the latest tune to be shared from their anxiously awaited fourth full-length album, LONG LOST, out May 21^st via Whispering Pines Studios Inc./Republic Records.  Pre-order Long Lost HERE, listen to “I Lied” HERE, and watch the official music video HERE.
- 19 year old Molly Burman made a striking first impression with her debut single proper, "Fool Me With Flattery", arriving as she did a fully formed prospect last month. Today, she follows up that significant promise with a further slice of empowering, woozy slacker-pop in "everytime". Listen and watch its accompanying video HERE.
- Unconventional pop star Ali Barter has released her new EP Chocolate Cake. Following on from singles "Twisted Up" and "You Get In My Way", the 4-track EP is out now on Inertia Music / [PIAS]. Alongside its release is a lyric video for the title track, made with the same creative team for her previous singles, We Made That. Watch and listen HERE.  The Chocolate Cake EP was written across both hemispheres. Barter engaged in writing sessions in Los Angeles and Nashville before the crushing reality of COVID-19 jeopardized her first US tour and forced her back home to isolate in Melbourne. The EP was rounded out remotely with the help of creative minds Harlan Silverman, Lost Boy, K-Flay, who co-wrote the EP title track, Brandon James and lockdown buddy/ husband Oscar Dawson.
- SERGIO MENDES & FRIENDS: A CELEBRATION, a joyfully tuneful salute to the pioneering Brazilian musical artist – producer, composer, keyboardist, vocalist – and Oscar®-nominated songwriter will make its world premiere as part of special programming on PBS stations in June 2021 (check local listings). This program, presented by WNED PBS, was created especially for PBS and is derived from the forthcoming feature documentary Sergio Mendes: In The Key of Joy by acclaimed filmmaker John Scheinfeld (The U.S. vs John Lennon, Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary, and The Happy Days of Garry Marshall). The deal was negotiated by WNED PBS and the film's distributor Brainstorm Media.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: April 25, 2021

  

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist:  The show was on a string of great episodes since I came back from hiatus but this felt like one of those pre-hiatus episodes.  My problem with those episodes is there seemed too much screen time without Zoey.  I did not care about Maggie’s business and I do not care about what seems to be a new gambling problem.  Just fast forward to where Zoey helps her.  Though Zoey seems to be having a problem with helping lately, this week I just kept getting annoyed with her trying to get Emily to talk when clearly Emily just wanted to blow off some steam.  Let get get her dance on, then talk it out later.

 

The Nevers:  Why exactly are most of the Touched ladies?  So all we met is the doctor and the three eyed raven?  Maybe the singer will expose more.  But if the three eyed raven followed the electricity lady, did he just let her get captured? Then his mother is evil?  And just what did she do to the Italian chick?

 

Fear the Walking Dead:  So last week John is ready to die but decides he wants to live only to be shot.  Then this week, Ginny is ready to die, get a reprieve, only to be shot.  Way to recycle plot.  But why didn’t Ginny get in the car with her hostages?  Did she want to stay in the middle of v shootout where people wanted to kill her?  And where did those mask people come from and how were they able to find Morgan?  And how did Morgan escape on foot.  And how did everyone find his hidden compound so easily?  They had the entire pandemic to write these episodes and yet they seem sloppier than usual.

 

Good Girls:  Getting caught robbing a jewelry store so the Secret Service will pay you seems like a really bad plan.  But is grandma the real boss or was that just a term of endearment?  Or both?

 

Mare of Eastown:  This was one of the first times I remember they actually gave an episode to a victim on one of these dead girl shows.  That actually got me to care that she is now dead.  But it seems almost obvious that Guy Peirce did it.  Not that anyone I assume did it after one episode ever turns out to be correct.

 

City on a Hill:   I wonder Siobhan knows her client is very guilty.  I guess it helps us as the viewer tthat we know for sure.  But sometimes lawyers do not care either way.  If only Decourcy could get a confession.  But he could not even get the chick that killed Jimmy to turn informant when she was the one that actually pulled the trigger.

 

Cruel Summer:  From the trailer I thought this show was going to be a mystery show about who adducted Kate but then they answered that question by the end of this first episode.  So then I thought the mystery was going to be who was lying, Kate or Jeanette.  But then Kate admits she was lying about something in the chatroom.  Now I guess the mystery is just what exactly is Kate lying about, and if she is lying about Jeanette, just how did she get the necklace?  I do have a sinking suspicious the old friend is involved somehow.

 

But man, did this show move at a breakneck speed.  Those two closing shots to each of the episodes were just epic.  I just hope they do not move too fast and just run out of plot like the first season of Homeland.  Or turn into The Affair and constantly give us multiple points of view of the same scenes.  But after two episodes I am definitely hooked.  This show is also doing a very good job scratching that nineties nostalgia itch.

 

Debris:  Um, what happened to the chick from the beginning?  They just found her and then were back to look for daddy.  But I do not sure happened to the dude that was helping them, he was clearly shot point blank in the check, but when they got to the car, he was bleeding from the neck.

 

Supergirl:  What a shameless rip-off of Ghostbusters.  I am deeply offended by that.

 

Big Sky:  What is wrong with family, first the mother bites her daughter over drugs.  Then one brother goes all Cain over the other one.  But at the show did not make us wait to figure up what the now dead son and his father were cryptically talking about.

 

The Challenge: Double Agents:  I cannot remember a time when a musical supervisor buried someone like they buried Fessy this episode.  First they play Boys Don’t Cry while he pouting on a rock.  TJ guilts him to help his partner then disqualifies them after he eats more bull testicles. Then the music supervisor twists the knife by playing Karma Chameleon for the guy who kept dragging his female partners all season only to lose because he was pouting like a little boy, refusing to complete a checkpoint.  I do not know how Fessy comes back from that (though, unfortunately he is rumored to be on the next season).  CT wearing Johnny like a backpack is still the greatest Challenge moment of all time, but this montage may make it into the top five.  Oh yeah, and speaking of CT, he won again.  Meh.  And what was with that end credits scene?  What challenge was TJ activating twenty-four hours later?  Was that supposed to be a teaser for the Senior Tour?  Does that mean they are continuing the spy theme into the next challenge?  It was just confusing.

 

The Challenge: All-Stars:  When the trailer came up with TJ telling someone, “Hope to see you never” I thought for sure that he was talking to Beth.  Well, I was close; Beth was in the Crater when Arissa decided to go off on everyone.   But another pretty entertaining daily challenge, even the elimination looked interesting, why do all the ones on the original show look so boring or overdone?

 

Manifest:  I always wondered how the doctor was able to cover up a murder.  I think this was the first time they mentioned he knew.  I guess he was the one that got the garbage truck to pick the body up.

 

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier:  People have been saying Sharon was the power Broker since she showed up but I never bought into that theory because it never really made much sense.  She was so strong in her convictions she was willing to become a traitor in her country’s eyes just to do the right thing but now she is funding actual terrorist?  Well that turned out to be the case and everything she did makes no sense.  Unless another popular theory is true: who we are seeing is not the real Sharon but a Skrull and this is setting up the upcoming Secret Invasion show.  Maybe her pulling off the face was a huge Easter Egg.

 

The Blacklist:  So Lizzie rams Red’s girlfriend’s car and all of the sudden they are share a cabin close?  And why not set her up in the cabin and lure Red there?  And why is Red’s girlfriend fighting an armed assailant? Considering Lizzie has been gone for so long, I was expecting more in her return.  But there she is with Red an easy target, and I am sure they will figure some stupid reason why she does not kill him.

 

Around the Tubes: April 24, 2021

        

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 Unbreakable, Homeroom, Cream, The Weeknd, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, Def Leppard, and Taylor Swift

- Fuse is premiering its newest series, Unbreakable, on May 4 at 11 PM ET/PT.  The show follows the lives of young adults with disabilities as they overcome extraordinary obstacles to reach their dreams. According to a soon to be released study from Fuse Media, people with disabilities ranked #1in regards to needing the most representation of all under-represented groups in media.  An inspiring cast of people with disabilities set out to achieve ambitious life milestones. Whether it's breaking into modeling, inventing a revolutionary mountain bike, launching a craft beer or starting a family, these individuals with dreams face challenges and overcome extraordinary obstacles. They must find the power within themselves to reach their personal goals.

- Hulu has acquired the U.S. distribution rights to Emmy Award–winning director/cinematographer Peter Nicks’ 2021 Sundance Film Festival official selection HOMEROOM.  HOMEROOM is Peter Nicks’ final chapter in a trilogy of films examining the relationship between health care, criminal justice, and education in Oakland, CA over the past decade. Hulu is thrilled to also have the U.S. streaming rights to THE WAITING ROOM (2012) and THE FORCE (2017) so audiences can experience all three projects of this groundbreaking trilogy together. 

- UMe/Polydor is delighted to release the limited edition, blue, 2LP release of Cream's show Live at the Forum, recorded at the Los Angeles Forum during their Goodbye Tour of 1968. Taken from the 2020 full version of the 4-CD set of the Goodbye Tour 1968 and produced by Bill Levenson, this sumptuous 2LP set is the first authorized release of the full concert on vinyl and is available today, April 23, HERE. It captures Cream at their virtuosic best, at the end, and at the height of their career.

- The Weeknd unveils the much anticipated “Save Your Tears Remix” with Ariana Grande via XO/Republic Records. Listen to “Save Your Tears (Remix)” HERE.  Watch the official animated video with both stars directed by Jack Brown and produced by Blinkink HERE.  The diamond-selling icon paired with Grammy winner Grande, continuing a tradition of epic collaborations together such as “Love Me Harder” and “off the table.”

- Capitol Records/UMe is pleased to announce Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band’s ‘Live’ Bullet will be reissued in its original 2LP format celebrating the 45^th anniversary of this classic album.  Hailed by critics as one of the best live records of all time, including the June 1976 review from The New York Times,  “This music roars on and on until at the very end of the performance, Seger—still raring to go—bellows: ‘I’m going to rock and roll all night long.’ He means it and ‘Live Bullet’ is proof positive that he’s a living dynamo.”  ‘Live’ Bullet will be offered in two versions: a 2LP album in a standard version 150 gram black vinyl with a lithograph, and 2LP translucent orange and red swirl vinyl only available at independent record stores, Bob Seger’s Official store, and Capitol/UMe store. The lithograph is a reproduction of the Live Bullet cover of Seger onstage from the show taken by well-known Detroit photographer Robert Markliwitz. The album has been remastered by GRAMMY®-nominated mastering engineer Robert Vosgien.

- On June 11, 2021, legendary British rock ‘n’ roll icons and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame®inductees Def Leppard will release Def Leppard – Volume Three, a new limited edition box set UMe/Virgin.  This set marks the third of four volumes of the band’s complete recorded output in both 180gm vinyl and limited-edition CD box sets. They contain all the recordings from the band in the 2000’s and features the original packaging on both formats. To date, X, Yeah! and Songs from the Sparkle Lounge have never been available on vinyl before.

-  Returning to #1 around the world and breaking numerous records, Taylor Swift has made history yet again with Fearless (Taylor’s Version). Notably, she's the first woman with three new No. 1 albums in less than a year. Moving over 1 million units worldwide, Fearless (Taylor’s Version) logged the “biggest first week debut of any album this year,” “the biggest first week debut for a country album since 2015” and “the biggest female country streaming week ever.” Fearless (Taylor’s Version) is the only No. 1 album of its kind: a re-recording of an artist’s (own or another’s) previously released album.  Generating 50 million-plus streams on release day, it also achieved “the biggest first day streaming debut for any album on Spotify this year” and marked her fourth consecutive album to exceed 50 million Spotify streams in 24 hours. Fearless (Taylor’s Version) also becomes the first country album by a female artist to reach #1 on Apple Music’s US Albums chart.

Previewing Cinema Toast

 

I am a simple man with simple pleasure, so when I see Alison Brie’s name, my brain goes, sure, I will check that out.  Maybe I should have paid more attention to the Cinema Toast press release than just seeing Alison Brie.  When I skimmed the non- Alison Brie parts of the press release that said the show was a reimagining of movies in the public domain, I was under the assumption they would be re-filming the scripts.  But it turns out the actors are coming up with new dialogue to put over the action of old films.  Other voices include those of Nick Offerman, Fred Armisen, John Early, Christina Ricci, Megan Mullally, Chloe Fineman and Chris Meloni.

 

But all you really need to know is that all ten episodes are being released on Showtime’s streaming service and On Demand page today.  Today as in 4/20, the most celebrated day for stoners.  You have to be pretty high to enjoy this show and unfortunately recreational legalization has not come to my state yet.  It probably also hurt that I am not much of a cinephile of movies older than I am so of the ten episodes, the only movie I recognized was Night of the Living Dead.

 

That movie gets turned into Attack of the Karen’s where the zombies are repurposed of whiney while ladies.  There are a couple episodes that reappropriate these movies into modern tales; the first episode features a family that reluctantly invited a Qanon believer to Thanksgiving.  Others stick to their times like the one where gay marriages comes to town where one brave straight dude tries to protest it by… sacrificing straight people off a giant ladder.

 

Another episode turns John Wayne into a gay cowboy… I think.  Is it gay if the actors are both dudes, but one is voiced by a woman?  You probably have to be high to properly answer that question.  But the strangest of all the episodes (which there is plenty of stiff competition for) features Ronald Reagan watching a film with Ronald Reagan where he watches a film that features… Ronald Regan.  My brain hurts now.  Maybe I can get my doctor to prescribe some medical marijuana to dull the pain.  At least that is legal here.

 

All episodes of Cinema Toast are now available on the Showtime streaming app or their On Demand page.

 

57 Channels and Only This Is On: April 18, 2021

 

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist:  For the third week in a row I have to say this episode is now the best episode of the season.  Since last season’s glitch was the best of the first season, they really need to figure more ways to make Zoey’s powers glitch.  It was a pretty big missed opportunity earlier this season when Zoey got high but only sang the one song.

 

I thought for sure that it was the physic that was the one that was supposed to be singing Max’s really sad song.  Simon was the first thought but there was no reason for him to be that sad, even if Zoey canceled on him.  But she also blew off Emily that should have been the big tip off. 

 

But as great as everyone singing someone else’s songs and trying to figure out which song went to which person, I kind of want to see how that songs should have gone.  Like the programmers doing the Anything song to each other.  Or Rose singing a song about drinking to a server instead of some kiss off song.  Also a shame they could not work her having a naughty word being cut off by the title card.  But I guess that is the price to pay to hear Simon sing the stupid Fox song.  I have not laughed that hard in a long time.

 

The Nevers:  Something felt off with this show, and not because the writer/director/creator got canceled.  Actually it seems more like it did not feel like one of his shows more.  The show was missing his usual witty banter.  Hopefully things pick up and soon.  But some of these powers seem pretty lame.  They are like the D-List X-Women so far.

 

Shameless:  So they actually went and killed off Frank.  I was actually expecting that after they shut the door on the cremation, Frank was going to start knocking on the door.  Instead they went for he was filled with too much alcohol to light on fire gag.  I guess he will not be back for the inevitable reboot… unless Frank had a twin brother no one knew about.  Frank did not know about that daughter that showed up for a season or two before disappearing without anyone noticing and did not even get a mention in the letter. 

 

It was a little surprising how the rest of the storylines ended kind of vaguely.  Lip and Kev had offers but neither sold the house or bar by the end credits.  Debbie got an offer to go to El Paso but did not commit.  Then it was weird the chick who raped Carl popped up last week pregnant, claimed it was not his but who knows if she was telling the truth, and was not brought up again. As finale as Frank’s storyline was, I do wonder if this was all left vague for the possibly of a reboot.

 

Fear the Walking Dead:  Wait, so Dakota is just as evil as her sister now?  That escalated quickly.  I still do not understand why she shot the dude.  He is no longer a ranger, he was not planning on going with her, what exactly did she think he would do?  And for someone who wanted to die, he sure held on for a while.  So does Morgan just turn Dakota over to her sister now as a punishment?

 

Good Girls:  Just how many evil businesses does Rio have?  And if he has a boss, how many Rio’s does the big boss have and how many evil businesses are they running?

 

City on a Hill:  Wait, did they not only recast Kevin Bacon’s daughter but also the husband?  It has been so long, I forgot if he was arrested or killed.  But at least the daughter almost looked the same.  This dude looked about a decade or two older, bigger, and had a shaved head.  Maybe they should have killed him off if this was the best replacement they could find.  Yet, they kill off the brother-in-law at the end of this episode.  Certainly did not see that coming.  Will the person the brother-in-law owes money to come after her now?  But I did like that speech Decourcy gave Jackie when Jackie confronted him.

 

Debris:  Watching the lame powers on The Never made me realize just how stupid this show is, all these different things the debris do are pretty stupid.  Did the aliens have plans for Earth?  Is this there plan?  Where there even aliens flying the ship?  Was the ship sentient?

 

But this episode featured one of the worst tropes.  Some evil person with mind control power has a bunch of people kill themselves except for no apparent reason they let the main character go unharmed.  The the one dude was apparently the first person to think; maybe I should just fight the urge to kill themselves.  Then out of nowhere his young niece just brutally murders him.  Alrighty.

 

Supergirl:  So the married gay vampire had three roommates?  Was the husband the breadwinner of the family?  Do gay vampires have harems that they call roommates?  I actually do not remember much else from this episode other than the gay vampire’s living situation.

 

Big Sky:  So this loner trucker who has to resort to kidnapping women for human contact was able to get a live in girlfriend who does not notice he is wearing a bad wig within three month.  But I do like this new family, they are weird.  Hopefully this case is more entertaining than the first one. 

 

The Challenge: Double Agents:  What a horrible place to put a cliffhanger.  Does it really matter that much who they choose?  And is it not obvious that they pick Kam and Corey who were in second place?  But the “Next Time On” pretty much spoils that Fessy and Casey are the ones eliminated as they are the only ones that are not featured in scenes past the eating contest.  Granted not much a spoiler than a confirmation of what everyone assumed after Casey heard a pop and Fessy refusing to eat.

 

But that could not have happened to a better team.  Fessy has been whining all season about his partners weighing him down even though he has not brought anything to his team.  Then finally gets the partner he wanted only to push her too hard and makes her get injured.  Then being the punk he is, gives up in the eating challenge even though the last person who won the checkpoint was able to pick a new partner.  Hopefully TJ views this as quitting and treats Fessy according and put him on the ban list.

 

The Challenge: All-Stars:  One of the things that has drug down the parent show (besides recruiting too many boring or annoying people) is that the actual challenges are not as fun.  The melt a block of ice with your body is one of the most iconic challenges ever and it took way too long for them to bring it back.  Unfortunately TJ just gave up halfway through and just gave everyone hammers.  But TJ makes up for that with just randomly pulling out a bag of peppers at elimination.  You knew those peppers were rough when TJ had to put on gloves just to handle them.

 

Manifest:  So now the 828ers are inadvertently helping the meth heads now?  So stupid.  As stupid as the cliffhanger.  Of course they are showing him the reconstructed plane.  They already showed us that in the trailer, why play coy now?

 

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier:  The introduction of Elaine was pretty cool.  It would have been cooler if I had a forking clue who that character was.  But she has to be the Power Broker, right?  So the only question is just what is Sharon up to.  Is she trying to get back at the American government for branding her a terrorist?  Is she just deep undercover?  Hopefully it is the latter because evil Sharon just does not feel right.