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Thursday, April 25, 2024
View from the Peak - Everything Coming to Paramount+ in May 2024
Sunday, April 21, 2024
57 Channels and Only This Is On: April 21, 2024
Shōgun: We finally get Crimson Sky and it was…
someone killing herself at sundown? Definitely
not what I was expecting. I thought the
ninja at the end were going to be Crimson Sky, but they were there to get Mariko.
The Challenge
All-Stars: Poor, Cyrus, shows up
only to be sent in. I really wish there
was a 40 year old age limit floor so the old folks like Cyrus could actually have
a chance. But I wonder if that elimination
is the new, safer version of Hall Brawl.
They tried and failed by adding puzzles and other lame things, but this
is more interesting alternative.
Survivor: We have had plenty of bad players to play this game, but no one has a further gulf between how bad they are and how good they actually think they are playing that Q. I never thought anyone would surpass Coach in this category, but here we are. That was just a clusterfork of a Tribal.
Ghosts: It was
kind of lame that a basement ghost was sucked off and no one even noticed just
to hide that Flower was still around. But
now we have a crazy Chekov’s Puritan Ghost floating in the ground somewhere. And just where was this hole they all fell into?
A Gentleman in Moscow: Just two short episodes Lena was a precocious
little girl, and now she is leaving a precocious little girl in the hands of Rostov. This show is moving really fast. I assumed the narrator of the show was Lena,
but I guess it may actually be her daughter.
Though I am still confused why Lena spent so much time as a child in the
hotel and why she had the skeleton key.
And then, what will become of Mishka? They arrested the guy they needed
to bring down to save him, but he was spreading news of the famine which I assume
the party does not want getting out.
Saturday, April 20, 2024
Around the Tubes: April 20, 2024
I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post includes blurbs on Pearl Jam, Taylor Swift, Elton John, Joy Oladokun, Nikka Costa, Blair Lee, Blair Lee, Frank Turner, Ariana Grande, Chestnut, You Can't Run Forever, and Reginald the Vampire.
- Already heralded as the band’s best in decades, Pearl Jam proudly present their anxiously awaited twelfth studio album, Dark Matter, available now via Monkeywrench Records/Republic Records. Listen HERE. From the kinetic opener “Scared of Fear” through the optimistic exhale of album closer “Setting Sun,” these eleven tracks find the musicians firing on all cylinders. A surge of energy underscores this body of work amplified by thunderous rhythms, skyscraping guitar solos, and vital vocals. Produced by GRAMMY® award winning producer Andrew Watt, Dark Matter, marks the band’s first release since critically acclaimed Gigaton (2020).
- Taylor Swift released THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT. The 16 track album of new recordings is Taylor’s 11th original studio album. LISTEN TO THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT HERE.
- Elton John is celebrating the 50th anniversary of his 8th studio album Caribou with rare footage of his first live performance of the iconic hit ‘The Bitch Is Back.’ The incredible video shows Elton on stage on May 5, 1974 in front of over 40,000 fans at Vicarage Road at his legendary Watford FC Benefit Concert, playing the song two months before its release on Caribou. The track would be the album’s second single and would reach No. 4 in the US and No. 15 in the UK charts. Elton had recently been appointed as director of Watford Football Club and put on the benefit concert to give the club a financial boost - tickets started from £1 and it included guests such as Rod Stewart and Nazareth. The concert was not filmed for official release, making the video a rare gem - watch the unearthed footage HERE. The resurfacing of this special footage comes just before Record Store Day on April 20th, which will see UMe release a special 50th Anniversary Edition of Caribou, Elton’s eighth studio album. The reissue will be released as a 2LP set on 180 gram limited-edition sky blue vinyl. The package includes the original album which features favorites ‘The Bitch Is Back’ and ‘Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me,’ plus a newly compiled LP of bonus tracks, including the previously unreleased ‘Ducktail Jiver,’ which is the only true out-take from the Caribou sessions in January 1974. Find your local participating record store where you can go to purchase the limited-edition sky blue Caribou 2LP vinyl HERE.
- In response to overwhelming demand from fans worldwide, acclaimed singer, songwriter, and maverick Joy Oladokun officially shares her anxiously awaited new single “questions, chaos, & faith” on all streaming platforms today via Amigo Records/Verve Forecast/Republic Records. Listen HERE. Joy first unveiled the song on Instagram Reels. It not only exploded as her second most-engaged post to date, but it also reacted with listeners, inciting over 125K views and counting. With the song, she pays tribute to the memory of her childhood best friend Casey by delivering a stark and soul-stirring anthem. Faint acoustic guitar echoes with raw feeling as she laments, “Nothing is certain, everything changes,” only to try to accept, “There are no answers, only questions, chaos, and faith.” The accompanying music video translates this sentiment to the screen with an intimate vignette. Soaked in tears and brought to life with memories, it offers a gripping elegy to a friend gone too soon. Recently, she contributed “I Wished On The Moon” for Jack Antonoff’s Official Soundtrack for The New Look on Apple TV+. Listen HERE.
- the LA-based soul and funk singer Nikka Costa releases her third single “It’s Just Love” after returning from a six-year hiatus with "Dirty Disco" and “Keep It High”. Known for her powerful vocals, dynamic stage presence, and diverse musical influences, Nikka Costa returns from a musical career break with future-forward disco-inspired sounds. “It’s Just Love” is “a song about being able to love who you want and everyone else should just mind their own damn business. Period.” Nikka says. These first three singles fully set the tone for her disco and soul-fused, progressive album Dirty Disco, which will be released on June 7th. It was recorded with and produced by Justin Stanley (Prince, Jamie Lidell, Beck, etc.).
- Toronto’s budding lyricist Blair Lee releases her second EP LIMBO. With her light touch of the pen, Lee crafts a sonic universe unbound by gravity. A masterclass in extracting the hopeful from the mundane, the six-song offering draws the curtains back to reveal a period of time for feeling caught in the in-between — Stream. Simply put, she says, “‘LIMBO’ is all about the in-between, indecision, looping, stalling, being stuck.” This EP arrives alongside an official video for “Don’t Wanna Leave.” Having written this song on her birthday last year during a phase where she was staying out too late, Lee admits that the song is, “about not wanting a night to end, but my friends would argue it was about my relationship at the time. Maybe it’s both.” In the video, Lee is spending a casual night out at the restaurant/bar she works at with friends and coworkers. It’s the kind of night that feels small at the time, but ends up being a moment you always look back on — Watch.
- Fresh off his first #1 album in the UK, English folk/punk rocker Frank Turner embarks on a groundbreaking journey to become the third person — and the first non-American — to perform concerts in all 50 states in the span of 50 days during the summer of 2022. As he plays with his full band, The Sleeping Souls, in the United States for the first time since the pandemic, The Work: 50 States in 50 Days captures an inside look at Turner and his tour family on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Featuring Fat Mike, Tim Barry, The Bronx, Pet Needs, The Bouncing Souls, AJJ and more, the documentary will exclusively premiere its first two episodes this Tuesday, April 23 at 9 p.m. ET via premier streaming platform Veeps, which will be preceded by a live Q&A with Turner and filmmaker Aaron Roberts. Episodes three and four will premiere on Veeps on Tuesday, May 21. Four-episode bundles are available for purchase for $9.99, which will also include the Q&A. Get all the info and access at FrankTurner.veeps.com.
- Ariana Grande’s grandmother, Marjorie “Nonna” Grande, receives special commemorative plaque certifying her history making achievement on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Ordinary Things”. Featured on Ariana Grande’s #1 chart topping album, eternal sunshine, Nonna becomes the senior-most artist ever to have appeared on the Billboard Hot 100.
- Chestnut, starring Natalia Dyer, Rachel Keller and Danny Ramirez, written and directed by Jac Cron. Opens in select theaters on June 21st and available on digital platforms on July 2nd. Watch the Trailer. Annie (Natalia Dyer, Stranger Things) just graduated college and she's stuck in her university town of Philly for the summer. She's ready to start her new job in LA come fall, but something is holding her back. As she falls into an aimless summer, she finds herself entangled with Tyler (Rachel Keller, Tokyo Vice), a woman she meets at a bar one night and Danny (Danny Ramirez, Top Gun: Maverick), Tyler's co-worker or best friend or…? Annie can never tell. Chestnut follows Annie through a summer of self-discovery as she, Tyler, and Danny each battle for unrequited connection, ultimately helping Annie find her voice in desire and independence.
- YOU CAN'T RUN FOREVER: Release Date: In Theaters on May 17, 2024 (In Theaters, On Digital and On Demand). Miranda, a young woman already suffering from acute anxiety due to a past tragedy, faces a new terror when a serial killer chooses her as his new target. In a harrowing hunt through the woods, Miranda finds strength she never knew she had as she tries to elude her murderous tracker. Academy Award® winner J.K. Simmons stars in a spine-chilling thriller about the strength of family and the astonishing power of the human spirit. Watch the trailer.
- Reginald Andres finally got his life together – when he was turned into a vampire. While he doesn’t fit into the stereotypical expectations of what a vampire looks like – he’s not chiseled or classically handsome – Reginald has found his place amongst an unlikely cohort that includes the cool vampire who sired him, the former vampire chieftain turned unexpected ally (or is she?), and his co-worker/former girlfriend. A show with a lot of heart and just enough blood, “Reginald the Vampire” proves the undead life is just as complicated as life itself. Season 2 Premieres on May 8th at 10pm on SYFY. Watch the Official Season 2 Trailer
Sunday, April 14, 2024
57 Channels and Only This Is On: April 14, 2024
The Regime: Good riddance to this dreadful show. It should have been good but just failed the
execution.
Shōgun: Considering the next episode is entitled “Crimson
Sky” kind of a filler episode with Tauranga sulking around defeated all episode
as if he is actually going to turn himself over to the council.
Survivor: Things looked very dire for Venus those first
couple episodes, but luckily her tribe never went to council. Now I think she just may end up being the
token no vote finalist this season.
Ghosts: Okay,
the Ghost stuck to the person was really funny.
Though we know the car ghost died in a car accident, just how exactly
does someone wearing a baseball jersey get stuck to someone?
A Gentleman in Moscow: It is
interesting that everyone in speaking English, yet all the text, the book, the
signage, is in Russian. Then the
precocious kid has turned into a weird teenager. Nina also interacted with another person and
we saw Rostov’s younger sister in a flashback and it definitely did not look
like Nina, so there goes that theory. So
the question with her goes back to just where is her family and how did she get
the skeleton key? Now I am thinking maybe
she is the child of one of the workers.
I am not sure why they bothered teasing Rostov killing
himself. It is only episode three; of course
he is not going to kill himself. But I
do wonder what will happen in the last episode.
He has to leave the hotel one way or another, be it through a door or
off the roof. If it is a door, is it
the front of side door? He got chummy
with his jailor; will Rostov help him so much that he will let him leave?
Saturday, April 13, 2024
Around the Tubes: April 13, 2024
I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post includes blurbs on Shardlake, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Contestant, Slash and Chris Stapleton, Stephen Sanchez, and Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story.
- SHARDLAKE: A Thrilling New Series based on the internationally popular Tudor murder mystery novels by C.J. Sansom. Premieres Wednesday, May 1 on Hulu in the U.S., Star+ in Latin America and Disney+ in Select Territories. Starring: Arthur Hughes (“Then Barbara Met Alan''), Sean Bean ("Game of Thrones," “Time”), Anthony Boyle (currently starring as John Wilkes Booth in "Manhunt," “Masters of the Air”) and more!
- For the first time ever, all episodes from HBO’s award-winning original series are brought together in one set with the release of Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Complete Series. On October 8, get ready to binge on all 120 episodes from the series’ twelve critically acclaimed seasons, along with all the previously released special features including The Seinfeld Reunion: It Could Only Happen on Curb Your Enthusiasm. For fans looking to complete their DVD library, Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Twelfth and Final Season will also be available to purchase on DVD on October 8. Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Twelfth and Final Season and Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Complete Series are available now to purchase Digitally from Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Vudu and more.
- THE CONTESTANT: The incredible true story will premiere Thursday, May 2, only on Hulu. This true story of a Japanese reality TV star left naked in a room for more than a year, tasked with filling out magazine sweepstakes to earn food and clothing, prompts innumerable questions about our culture of oversharing. Before the onslaught of reality television in the West, there was an ominous harbinger in Japan of what was to come in our oversharing-obsessed culture. "The Contestant" traces the experience of aspiring comedian Tomoaki Hamatsu, nicknamed Nasubi, who unwittingly became an extreme case study.
- SLASH the iconic, GRAMMY®-winning guitarist and songwriter will return with his star-studded debut blues album and sixth solo album of his career, Orgy of the Damned, May 17, 2024 on Gibson Records, pre-order HERE. Today, SLASH has released the new track “Oh Well” which features outlaw country star Chris Stapleton on vocals, and is a transcendent and electrified, bluesy folk-infused take on the Fleetwood Mac gem, written by original founder Peter Green. Stream SLASH’s “Oh Well” featuring Chris Stapleton on vocals HERE, and watch/share the visualizer for the new song HERE.
- Multi-platinum emerging artist Stephen Sanchez expands his acclaimed debut album, Angel Face, with Angel Face (Club Deluxe), out April 26th via Mercury Records/Republic Records. Pre-save HERE. Stephen is extending the LP with five brand new tracks, as well as the fan favorite duet version of his 3x-platinum smash “Until I Found You” [with Em Beihold]. On Club Deluxe, Stephen builds upon the story of Angel Face, showcasing the scope of his signature style and dipping into everything from cinematic balladry to boisterous rockabilly.
- PHOTOGRAPHIC JUSTICE: THE CORKY LEE STORY will be released theatrically in New York (DCTV’s Firehouse Cinema) on April 19 and in Los Angeles (Laemmle Glendale) on April 26 with a regional expansion to follow. For 50 years, Chinese American photographer Corky Lee documented the celebrations, struggles, and daily lives of Asian American Pacific Islanders with epic focus. Determined to push mainstream media to include AAPI culture in the visual record of American history, Lee produced an astonishing archive of nearly a million compelling photographs. His work takes on new urgency with the alarming rise in anti-Asian attacks during the Covid pandemic. Jennifer Takaki’s intimate portrait reveals the triumphs and tragedies of the man behind the lens. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imLE17IgWHc
Sunday, April 07, 2024
57 Channels and Only This Is On: April 7, 2024
The Walking Dead: The
Ones Who Lived: So do Rick and
Michonne need to go look for Daryl and Carol now? Who exactly was looking after those kids?
Shōgun: Well, not quite Danny Crowe stabbing himself
while trying to test out the 21-foot rule, but that was one of the most pathetic
exits in television history.
Survivor: Venus was right, though it was dumb of her to
make a woman thing out of it.
Resident Alien: So they are just going to leave the mom on
the moon? But I guess Harry is up there
too. But just when did the Mantis switch
out with Harry?
A Gentleman in Moscow: It is day 412, and I am surprised that Rostov
has not regrown his wings. He was so
proud of them. Maybe he wants to seem
less noble. I did get the inkling during
the premiere that the little girl was just a figment of Rostov’s imagination, and
her just appearing out of nowhere in the new room really made it seems more
likely. Then that scene directly
followed by flashbacks of Rostov’s curly redheaded sister really made it seem
like she was his vision of his sister when she was little. Except, then Anna had a conversation with her
and later the waiter acknowledged her.
Though, that was a little weird because the waiter did not really
directly address her, just slightly turned his head. But I guess that sort of makes her seem more
real.