There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I though 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.
You may remember Peter, Bjorn and John from their whistling song, and if you don’t, what hole were you hiding in back in 2007? Naturally there new song isn’t as catchy but at least the video is classic, featuring choreographed, Japanese, Elvis bikers. Brilliant.
I have never seen Flight of the Conchords before on account that I am too cheap to order HBO. But this chorus of ex-girlfriends may get me to throw the DVD into my queue. Granted it may two to three year to get through it.
Just Go – Lionel Richie featuring Akon
Why? Why Lionel Richie Why would you stoop so low to recruited Akon to make music? He has had his hand on some of the worst music of the 00’s. You need to just go back to writing and producing your own music. And if you need a duet partnet, just get the Commodores back together.
Listening to All I Ever Wanted I feel I may have been a little to harsh when reviewing Kelly Clarkson’s last disk My December (see: You're Going Crazy, Running on Empty). My big complaint was that she tried to do too much herself, even if she had no ability to create a memorable melody, almost defiantly resulting in a bland cumbersome album. But on her new disk, the best tracks are actually the one with her hands on it.
The album starts off with handing the reigns over to other writers an d producers almost saying, if you want another Since U Been Gone, here you go” with first single My Life Would Suck Without You even opening up with the exact same guitar riff. Sadly the truly excellent riff from Gone, the ripped off one from The Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Maps, is nowhere to be found. But in the end the song doesn’t even sound like Clarkson, instead sounds like Katy Perry trying to imitate her.
Perry actually shows up twice co-writing two of the weakest tracks on the album I Do Not Hook Up (co-written by Kara DioGuardi) and Long Shot (co-written with Glen Ballard). Both songs are dumbed down and riddled with over reaching clichés, pretty much your token Katy Perry song. And Since U Been Gone isn’t the only song that gets recreated as Don’t Let Me Stop You starts up with the same noted as Behind These Hazel Eyes.
Things don’t get much listenable until the Clarkson written Already Gone. But keep in mind the song was co-written and produced by the dude from One Republic, so it is about as adventurous as your typical Musak track. Actually, Save You sounds like Stop and Stare in the beginning and features the “I wish we were Coldplay” riffs in it too. Two of the songs Kelly didn’t write with Ryan Tedder are a bit poppier, and better. In fact I Want You may be the best late nineties teen pop songs never written and even harkens back to the girl groups of the sixties.
The album ends on a high note with the Keri Noble scribed If No One Will Listen which Clarkson could have written herself after the debacle surrounding her last record. And is a much better balled than the overdramatic and over dramatic Cry which will probably polluting the airwaves for the year and a half. But it will be If No One Will Listen that American Karaokers will be butchering for years to come.
It is hard not to get a distinctive case of déjà vu while watching Castle. We have seen it all before: a woman who takes her job a little too serious gets stuck with a guy who doesn’t take anything serious. This has become so overdone it is hard to remember the last time television put together a stuck guy and a free spirit chick.
What the show does have going for it is the characters are someone likable. The all too serious detective Stana Katic (The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice) gets stuck with bad boy writer Nathan Fillion (Two Guys a Girl and a Pizza Place) after someone has gone on a killing spree that mirror those in his books. And naturally the sparks fly.
And if that isn’t enough clichés for you, then we meet Castle’s family, his mother the drunken Martha Rodgers (Dharma & Greg; hey, there’s an answer to my question earlier). Then there is his fifteen year old daughter who is more mature than her father, naturally. Also in the cast are some of Kanic’s coworkers, but none of which were interesting enough to really mention.
What hurts Castle the most is a symptom that has been plaguing a bunch of new shows lately where the premise is a decent idea if it were a movie, but it doesn’t seem built for the long run. For Castle, had they extended out a couple more murders, it would have made a decent movie. But I am not sure how they can keep Castle following around the cops entertaining week in and week out.
Castle airs Mondays at 10:00 on ABC. You can stream current episodes over at ABC.com.
“I’m sorry, you’re just a Tool” may never reach the pantheon of parting snarkiness of reality shows like “The tribe has spoken” but that certainly hasn’t stopped me from uttering the phrase ad nausea for the past two months. From Michael Phelps and Alex Rodriguez for their “young and stupid” excuses, to Rush Limbaugh and Rohm Emanuel arguing over who wants to get us out of economic mess less; there are no shortage of Tools out there.
With the overabundance of Tools around these days, VH1 (naturally) rounded up the nine biggest Tools in America who were stupid enough to think they were actually competing for the title of Mr. Awesome. But much like life, the joke was on them as their girlfriends had enrolled them in the Tool Academy to make them better people and boyfriends. But on the bright side, to get into this charm school they didn’t have to make out with Bret Michaels or Flavor Flav.
Nor did they have to be judged by one of the least classy person in America, or England for that matter in Sharon Osborne. Instead we get “relationship expert” Trina Dolenz, who may or may not be related to the dude from The Monkees. Granted she was just a pasty because like all of these “better one’s self” shows, the eliminations were arbitrary and inconsistent where most eliminations were not because they were the biggest Tool but they made for the least interesting television. Which is what kept Tommy and Shawn around to the final four when they should have been the first two out based on their actions.
The one misstep the show took was they each Tool their own moniker, such as Tiny Tool and Naked Too for the two finalists, but still had the host go by their own name, or silly self given pseudonym like Matsuflex and Celebrity, when they should have taken a page out of Flavor Flav’s notebook and continually call them by their Tool given name. Other than that, there were not any other flaws aside from the stupid girls who decided to stay with their Tools despite getting kicked out early (two of the nine decided to not break up with their expelled Tools despite stating the Tool Academy was the last stop). Although we will have to wait until next week at the reunion show to see if they kept their snap judgments.
In the end Josh was the lone Tool to graduate and got his very first diploma ever. And in a twist I would guest the other Tools were happy to avoid, the host said that their families were waiting to get married right there and then. Granted I debate the validity of the union because what self respecting minister would officiate a wedding on a show called Tool Academy? And he conspicuously didn’t mention who vested the authority of him to deem such a thing legal. But in the end IO hope they rush into production Tool Academy2 and if we are really lucky we may one day get a Celebrity edition featuring some of the earlier mentioned Tools. Or possibly a spin off realty show where Matuflex, his girl Jenna Fenton move in with her Deacon father.
Tool Academy: There was nothing more entertaining than to see Ashley give the verbal smackdown to Shawn. The guy remained to the end the biggest tool on the show so it was good to finally see him leave. And even though it was a bit toolish, Josh calling out Aida for being a hooker was classic. Really, he had two girl, but Shawn’s were two of the most unattractive on the show. Can’t wait for the reunion special. Oh, as fo a prediction of winner and who is getting married, Josh for both of them. You can download Tool Academy on iTunes.
The Big Bang Theory: It felt like we have already seen this show with Penny messing with Sheldon’s spot. And she didn’t even lose any points for disrupting it. And are we really supposed to believe Wolowitz has been with different girls? You can stream current episodes over at Innertube. You can also download The Big Bang Theory on iTunes.
Chuck: Chuck is lucky that Sarah saved him from moving in with Morgan, that was a bad idea to end all bad ideas. Speaking of bad ideas to end all bad ideas, it was nice to see Brooklyn Decker on NBC after the network stupidly didn’t pick up her pilot Lipshitz Save the World. What moron thought that Kath & Kim was a better idea? Oh yeah, Ben Silverman. Thanks for depriving me of weekly installments of Brooklyn, you moron. You can stream current episodes over at NBC.com. You can also download Chuck on iTunes.
Lost: Just when you thought the show couldn’t get any more unbelievable: Sawyer gets domesticated. And did Horace have Amy’s husband killed? He has a truce with The Others, and Richard is pretty mad that two of his men were killed but in defense, Horace never mentioned they killed the husband first, then Horace promptly marries her. And shouldn’t little Ben be wondering around somewhere at this time? And why hasn’t Jin and Sawyer found Rose and Bernard when searching the island for Locke?
And I think I figured out why Locke and Ben didn’t flash with the Oceanic Six (assuming that Sun and Sayid did, and by the previews, he definitely did). We already know The Others aren’t doing the time warp so that is why Ben isn’t, and by turning the frozen donkey wheel, Locke got his Others inducted card. Of course I cannot account for Lapidus or Charlotte’s corpse, who will end up being the chick people saw leave with Lapidus. You can stream current episodes over at ABC.com.
Survivor: Thankfully the Token Hot Chick got saved from getting voted off. They seem to be dropping early from recent Survivors. Hopefully she can at least make it to the jury. And I wonder if the secret alliance is going to crumble before it ever gets started. Taj looks like she is going to crack and the dude forgot to talk to Sierra. Hopefully they can make it to flip the game on its head and that Coach is their first casualty. You can stream current episodes over at Innertube.
My Name Is Earl: Holy Booger Sighting! And really the show is much better when it is about Earl and his list. You can stream current episodes over at NBC.com. You can also download My Name Is Earl on iTunes.
Friday Night Lights: Darn you Friday Night Lights, yet another emotional exit this week. It was hard not to yell at the screen hoping that would help Jason get a job. Hopefully with his exit, they at least find a way to work Herc into more storylines. Maybe the Riggins and him can flip more house. Or maybe he can turn out to be Jacob on Lost (it took me to recognize him up and dancing). You can stream current episodes over at NBC.com.
Big News of the Week: I Got Nothing: You know it is a slow week when the most headlines go to the spat between Rush Limbaugh and the White House as they battle to see who can look dumber. I could talk about the World Baseball Classic starting, but like much of the world I just don’t care unless they figure out a way to incorporate fantasy leagues. Or that Jimmy Fallon started his tenure as Late Night host, but dude just isn’t entertaining. Or I can rant on how Daylight Saving should be abolished again (see Daylight Fading). At least it hit 60 this week so I didn’t need to stay inside and find something to occupy my time.
Gratuitous Token Hot Chick Picture of the Week:
Coalition Links of the Week: Buzz had a blast moderating the Chuck panel at WonderCon in San Francisco — check out her recap of the proceedings! (BuzzSugar)
Vance has his dukes claws up and is ready to totally defend The Bachelor's Jason Mesnick for dumping that harpy Melissa and getting back with Molly. Maybe it's a guy thing (and sees nothing wrong with it), but Vance is totally ready to take this outside. (Tapeworthy)
This week, Jace took another look back at the New Romantics era by taking second look at BBC America's Ashes to Ashes. (Televisionary)
Dan may have misgivings about musical comedy as a genre -- but even he is excited about the idea of Victor Garber and Kristin Chenoweth on the new show Glee. (TiFaux)
Matt's hidden camera inside the bedroom of Jennifer Love Hewitt proves she isn't actually knocked up - so there must be a little Ghost Whisperer in Melinda Gordan's future. (TV Fanatic)
Special relationship or not, we Brits get to see Lost a week or so later than our cousins across the Pond. And so, better late than never, Ben tries to make sense of The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham. (TV Spy)
Don't miss any of March Sweep's big TV events with our downloadable and printable March TV 2009 Calendar. (The TV Addict)
Free Download of the Week: Oscar Wilde – Company of Thieves; I mentioned this earlier this week when I highlighted the music video, so here is a reminder to pick up the song.
Video of the Week: It seems like every funny movie made in the last four years has Judd Apatow’s name on it but those or mostly producing titled and has only also had directing and writing credits for 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up. Number three is Funny People which actually looks to ironically be enough the least funny, if not by design (it is about a stand up comic who is dieing). But hey, it has Adam Sandler and Seth Rogan so it should be entertaining.
Next Week Pick of the Week: Castle, Monday at 10:00 on ABC: I am not entirely sure how to gage this show. It looks entertaining but the concept seems like it would have made for a better movie plot than an episodic television show. I guess the good thing about that is I doubt the show will be around for a second season.
I rarely listen to the radio anymore but occasionally will turn it on in the car when I forget the iPod or a CD. Even then I will flip through the fifteen preset stations without finding anything before signing to talk radio. Mostly because the radio playlist are so consolidated but the local rock station for some reason (thankfully) dusted off The Rugburns Hitchhiker Joe which took me right back to college when I played their album fairly often and even saw them in concert one. Fun fact: Rugburn Steve Poltz was the dude in Jewel’s You Were Meant for Me video (not the one directed by Sean Penn) and co-wrote the song. And who knew there was a video for Hitchhiker Joe?
Who knew the biggest animal ever to inhabit the Earth is still around? Not that many people have ever seen a Blue Whale which is longer than a basketball court and weighs as much ads twenty-five large elephants. In fact their heart is the size of a Mini Cooper, their lungs and you could actually walk through their major arteries.
This Sunday at 8:00, the National Geographic Channel takes a closer look at this elusive animal and for the first time get a look at an infant Blue Whale Calf underwater which is getting harder and harder to do as the population dwindles thanks to whaling (which has been banned internationally since1960’s even if Blue Whale meat can occasionally be found in Japanese markets) and shipping lanes crossing their natural migration.
Kingdom of the Blue Whale follows academic teams from Oregon State University tracking the mammals from the coasts of California, where beached whales are on the rise, to Costa Rica, where they are on the look out for a calf. All the while the special is narrated by Tom Selleck. The special is also available in HD. Check out a clip below:
There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I though 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.
One of my favorite songs of the moment is this song by Andrew Bird which gets me thinking there are not enough whistle solos in pop music these days. Granted I figure everyone thinks they aren’t going to top Axl Rose so why try. And the video is as quirky as the song is. Andrew should consider rerecording the song with the live marching band featured here.
Had this video sent along to me and it is pretty cool in a Rushmore sort of way, which is not surprising because that film is what inspired the video. Of course I could have used some more dodgeball. If you are interested in downloading the song, chick this link to get it for free courtesy of the band’s label: Download Oscar Wilde. Fun fact about Company of Thieves: they have been featured on Live From Daryl's House. And if you are not sure who Daryl is, his last name is Hall. And if you still need help, he has a friend named Oates.
Pop is universally recognized as the worst album in the U2 catalogue. The album was a little too polished and they thought they would be tongue in check with their Village People homage for the first Discothèque but the whole world just never got the joke. Even the accompanying tour when over like a lemon; literally as the band descended onto the stage in the oversized fruit that was more Vegas than arena rock.
The thing about Pop is that it still better than ninety percent of music ever made. If God Would Send His Angels hits the emotional chord the band is known for., Please is a heart wrenching plea, Staring at the Sun is right up there with anything on Achtung Baby. And if you don’t take it too seriously, Discothèque is the most danceable, fun song from a band not known for those traits.
With that said, No Line on the Horizon is not a bad album compared to other music that has been released this decade; it is just not a good U2 album. Part of that is for a band that is constantly reinventing themselves, we have heard some of these songs before. First single Get on Your Boots sounds like the first single from their last album, Vertigo, but with The Edge making his guitar more fuzzy (and a funkier baseline from Adam Clayton) and really sticks out like a sore thumb at number six on the track list. While Magnificent sounds like a couple of songs of off How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb.
Then when the band tries something new, like on organ, French horn mix of Unknown Caller, it just doesn’t work with the weird chanting chorus. But I’ll Go Crazy if I Don’t go Crazy Tonight is one of those absurd idea the band comes up with that actually works when they actually law it down. Stand Up Comedy will be the early stand out live song on their upcoming tour. And Cedars Of Lebanon continues their streak of quasi-religious songs closing out their albums and ends up being one of the album’s best as it is a haunting end to the album especially the last two lines Bono sings. But the rest of the album really misses that emotional investment that every other U2 album has.
Of course this being U2, they do know how to iron out songs on the road with songs like The Fly and Origin of the Species, as well as most of Pop, not the best studio of songs, end up get better in front of live audiences. So hopefully by the end of their upcoming tour, some of these tracks from No Line on the Horizon would make for killer live album additions.
Saving Grace is back for another round of episodes tonight starting at 10:00 on TNT (for those wondering what happened to Trust Me, it has been moved to Tuesdays at 10:00). Christina Ricci (Penelope) pops up for the first three episodes as Grace’s new partner, a uniform cop and single mother making a rotation through the squad while Bobby is on an undercover assignment. Ham then gets teamed up with Butch.
The guest starts don’t stop when Ricci’s run is up F. Murray Abraham (Star Trek - Insurrection) shows up as one of Earl’s fellow angels, Malcolm David Kelly (Lost) turns out to be Leon’s son while Leo’s execution date comes closer, and Kathy Baker (Boston Public’s hook lady) starts dating Grace’s brother in law. Then next week Jessy Schram (Veronica Mars) shows up on a very special episode of Saving Grace as Grace’s niece who is arrested at a Scavenger Party, but the kids aren’t hunting for silly list items, but for drugs.
Tonight the crew is on a fairly gruesome case that is attracting some sickos and may turn out to be the work of a serial killer. Not the funniest subject but the fright does create some funny moments between Grace and her sister and features maybe the least erotic pillowfight ever put to film. For more on the series, check out the clip below:
It is sometimes weird how a premature death alters history. In the late seventies The Beatles were just that band Paul McCartney was in before Wings then they became the biggest band ever with the murder of John Lennon, who himself went from the third most successful artist to its first. Yet had it been Brian Wilson who was gunned down we very may have considered The Beach Boys the most influential band of all time.
In my lifetime it is weird to see the hero worship around Kurt Cobain (how does he crack the top fifty in Rolling Stone's Greatest Singers of All Time?) when Pearl Jam completely overshadowed them in the early nineties. I was one of the million people that bought Vs. the week it came out (which I can prove as it lacks a name on the cover which the first shipment didn’t have) while Nirvana’s sophomore album was pretty much a flop. Then Cobain puts a shotgun in his mouth and he is a voice of a generation.
But it was Pearl Jam that was making the better music and later this month see the reissue of Ten on two CD’s (the original version on one and each song remixed by Brendon O’Brian on the second with bonus tracks) and a DVD (featuring the band’s Unplugged performance). And the album is this month’s Scooter Hall of Fame inductee.
The album starts off with a jolt in the arm, Once featuring Eddie Vedder’s controlled growl that is part scream but never loses its melody. The song even reduces into almost a jam band kind of groove before getting back to rocking. Maybe it was the moody teenager in me, but I cannot count the times I would let loose with the chorus of the second track letting anyone know, “Whoa, I’m still alive.”
The song that got the most play time thanks to an over abuse of the repeat button was Black, a heavy handed song that was a great soundtrack for almost any event for a teenager in the early nineties. But the true stars of Ten were the duel guitars of Stone Gossard and Mike McCready who really shined in that Unplugged setting highlighted by Porch. Yeah the camera focused on Vedder scribbling on his arms, but it is the solo in the song, with help from Jeff Ament, that got full attention from my ear and may be the worth double downing on the reissue when it comes out.
Chuck: So last week Chuck downloaded a whole other Intercect into his brain and saved the Token Hot Chick from a mind melt. And this week no mention of either this week. Not that I really care because I was too busy jamming to Jeffster to notice. Fernando really made that scene though. Unfortunately it didn’t distract enough from a heavy dose of Morgan whom Chuck should have let die. But I have to admit those two and Jeffster spying on Anna while the Token Hot Chick and Casey spied on them was pretty funny. You can stream current episodes over at NBC.com. You can also download Chuck on iTunes.
Lost: I hate these episodes where we know everything that was going to happen. We knew Locke was going to get rejected by the Oceanic 6 yet we spend a whole hour seeing him do just that. But Holy Walt sighting! Of course that ended up being a waste because Locke didn’t bother to ask him to go back. The only things that happened were we found out that Locke was alive with the second castaways (which I predicted, well the separate events happening) and that Not-Henry killed Locke (which I didn’t predict).
And I really dislike the seemingly arbitrary time travel: the Jack, Kate, Hurley, Jin, Sawyer, Juliet, Faraday do; Ben, Lepidus, the Others don’t; Locke did, but doesn’t now. Then there are Sun and Syaid who are yet to be determined (my guess is they are even though everyone thinks Sun is the one that ran off with Lepidus, my guess it is a not son dead Charlotte.
But my biggest complaint is Ben lying about not going to Locke, basically meaning that we cannot believe anything he says, and Whitmore for that matter. In fact, I seriously question if Helen is really dead (was that Peg Bundy?) but just an elaborate hoax perpetrated by Whitmore to make sure Locke had nothing to live for. So basically half the things we “know” on Lost could just b be a lie created by either Ben or Whitmore. My hopes of a satisfying ending to the show decreases wit every passing episode. You can stream current episodes over at ABC.com.
Survivor: If Coach gets voted off in the next couple of weeks he can rest in the solace that he can be cast in the next season of Tool Academy. He is starting to tread into Johnny Fairplay territory. I wonder just how long until his tribe turns on him, and if the switch teams I have a feeling he would be the first to go if his tribe losses. I love the secret alliance and I cannot believe it has taken this long for someone to start one. I just wonder if the dude Taj recruits will be down but I am sure Sierra will be up for it. You can stream current episodes over at Innertube.
Friday Night Lights: You really fault Landry for making a move on the lesbian: how can you resist a chick that serenades you with She Don’t Use Jelly by The Flaming Lips. Although I’m not sure I like the musical direction Crucifitorious is taking. And is there any bigger slap in the face to Buddy Garrity to have his kids be into soccer and Veganism? It was hard not to feel bad for the guy (and I certainly didn’t need to hear about his daughter’s lady parts). And I wonder what the Over/Under is on the games before Mr. McCoy is banned from the football field. You can stream current episodes over at NBC.com.
Quote of the Week: You’re like the poster child for friendly fire. (Casey - Chuck)
Song of the Week: Africa – Toto (as performed by Jeffster; Chuck)
Big News of the Week: NBC May Bring Back I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!: It may just be a coincidence, but interestingly enough word leaked a day after I posted my interview with John Lehr about his tenure hosting I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! that NBC is considering resurrecting the show for the summer. Maybe NBC agreed with me that the show was before its time. And hopefully the network agrees with Lehr that the show shouldn’t be taken as serious an d let the host mock the contestants. Hopefully the show doesn’t become too successful because we may end up with weekdays of the Jay Leno 10:00 hour preceded by Celebrity at 9:00 next with only 8:00 for scripted shows on the Peacock. Check out our full discussion of Lehr’s involvement in the show:
Coalition Links of the Week: Does Nick "Normund Gentle" Mitchell deserve another chance at the American Idol crown? (BuzzSugar)
Vance loved the season finales for Privileged and Leverage. While Leverage has been picked up for Season 2, here's hoping Privileged returns too. (Tapeworthy)
This week, Jace was thrilled by Lost and Damages but also admitted his secret love for animated series like Batman: The Brave and the Bold and Wolverine and the X-Men. (Televisionary)
What's a hipster to do? Marisa pre-emptively fought back against those who would ridicule her devotion to American Idol. (TiFaux)
After watching the Grey’s Anatomy-Private Practice crossover, Jennifer came to one conclusion: Addison Montgomery needs to go back to Seattle Grace. STAT. (Tube Talk)
Raoul talked to Charlie from Hell's Kitchen about making sauce, hitting the sauce and everything Ramsay. (TV Filter)
Free Download of the Week: Barenaked Ladies (Amazon MP3): Amazon is offering up five free songs from those quirky Canadians but keep in mind the songs all come from the Ladies’ children’s album. Some Fantastic I Can Sing Off The Hook Maybe Not In The Car
Video of the Week: In a story I broke a couple months ago, Ben Silverman is batting .000 over at NBC (see: Your New Most Inept Executive Is…) but he may of actually found something watchable to put on his network that may get him close to the Mendoza Line in Kings. Being a history buff (the story is a reimagining of David and Goliath) the show looks epic and appropriately enough premieres on the Ides of March at 8:00 (that is the 15th for those not up on your Shakespearian plays). Here’s a clip:
Next Week Pick of the Week: Tool Academy, Sunday (March 8) at 10:00 on VH1: It has been a fun ride so far and the final three of Matuflex, Shaun and mini tool will get cut down to two for the Tool Academy finale on next week. And if NBC is reading the 9th Green, hopefully VH1 was poking around when I suggested Celebrity Tool Academy featuring Ashton Kutcher, Terrell Owens, Sean Hannity, Pete Wentz, Spencer Pratt, Al Gore, Sean Avery, Donald Trump, and Alex Rodriquez.