Around the Tubes - 7/23/11

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 Entourage, Dennis the Menace, JEM and The Holograms, America’s Got Talent, The Smurfs, CBS, Awake, Happily Divorced, and Community.

- Entourage returns for its eighth and final season this Sunday at 10:30 on HBO. Below is a look back with Gary Busey (no, seriously). If you need some extra Entourage to tide you over until Sunday, head over to the show’s Facebook page to try out their video mash up app. It may even get featured on HBO.com and its YouTube channel.



- Out this week on DVD is classic television show Dennis the Menace: The Second Season. The five DVD set includes original promos.

- Also coming to DVD shelves near you soon is JEM and The Holograms: The Truly Outrageous Complete Series! DVD box which will include eleven DVDs that will have all the episodes in he order they were intended to are and a DVD filled with bonus extra. The set will be released October 11.

- If you watched America’s Got Talent this week, you know the Smurfs are trying to get on the show and you can help one of them do so by voting below.

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- Think you are CBS’s biggest fan? The network and Parade are teaming up to find just that. Head over to the Parade Facebook page and post an essay describing why you are its biggest fan for a chance to travel to Los Angeles to go behind the scenes of a CBS show, blog about your experience on parade.com, and receive $1,000 in spending money.

- My sources tell me that Awake is the best pilot of the new season although I am not sure if I want to watch such a heavy show on a Friday night. But I guess I have until at least January to figure that out. And if you need to make up you mind, here is the Awake Comic Con panel from yesterday.



- Fran Drescher recently talked to dot429 about her new sitcom Happily Divorced and gay ex-husband that inspired it.

- Lastly, did somebody say pop pop?

Clear Eyes, Full Hearts… We’ll Deal with that Later

In my 2000 plus posts her on the 9th Green, I am sure I have made my fair share of stupid statement; it is probably a weekly occurrence (if not more often). But none is dumber than when I trashed the Friday Night Lights pilot equating it to one of the funniest unintentional comedy of all time. Let’s hop into the Scooter Time Machine all the way back to 10/10/06:

I’ll have to admit, there were a few chill scenes throughout the first episode like in practice like the guy that fumbled the ball who had to go in front of the tackling squad. But the show is brought down by the same reason I don’t watch sports movies, it is filled with too many cliché. The worst being the quarterback predictably going down, I knew this was going to happen the moment the backup quarterback came on screen. Then they had the backup comeback from not just a touchdown deficit, but two in the final six minutes to win the game. You know, just like Varsity Blues.

And if that is not bad enough, I even predicted that Friday Night Lights would be canceled before the then new to NBC Sunday Night Football aired its final game of the season. And here we are five years later and I do not know why I continued to watch after such a bad first impression (probably Lyla Garrity’s ponytail, the single greatest ponytails ever in the history of ponytails) but it is a good thing I did because the show finished its run as one of the five greatest shows ever to grace out television screens, topping my list of the Best Television Shows the last four year and racking in seventeen Scooter Television Awards (the most of any series).

In defense of my first impressions of Friday Night Lights, my main problem with the show was the football, from the Varsity Blues rip off of the first episode to the sixty yard hail Mary in the last one, the football was riddled with clichés throughout the series’ run. Seriously, the Panthers won way too many games in the final seconds that a perennial Texas state championship contender had any right to win. There had to be a few tomato cans on their schedule.

But Friday Night Lights was not about football, it was about the people that inhabited a football town. And the show created more characters worth caring about then any show in the history of television. Jason Street adjusting to his new life. Tim Riggins sacrificing himself for his brother. Matt Saresen balancing his new position and life at home. Trya Collette getting herself into college. Vince Howard, with one foot in prison, turning his life around. Becky Sproles dealing with the hardest decision of her life. And with many television shows unable to create even one character to root for, Friday Night Lights even had a multitude of recurring characters that could have a whole show focused around them: Buddy Garrity, Mama Smash, Grandma Sarasen, Billy Riggins, Mac McGill, Herc, Tinker, all of which I would have watched a spin-off featuring them.

As great as those previously mentioned characters are, at the heart of Friday Night Lights were Coach Eric Taylor and his wife Tami. There is a good reason why many of the characters listed them as role models individually or what they inspire to be in a relationship. They managed to support each other but still managed to keep their own voices. In a show that had depth in great relationships (Eric and Buddy, Landry and Tyra, Landry and Matt, Matt and Julie, Tami and Julie, Tyra and Tami, Trya and Lyla, Coach and Lance, Tim and Billy, Tim and Becky, Billy and Luke, Vince and Coach, Tim and Jason, Tim Jason and Lyla, Smash and Tim, Smash and Mama Smash, Matt and his grandma, Vince and Jess, Coach and Jess) the coach and his wife stood above them all and may be the greatest duo in the history of television. To do all these relationship’s justice would require a 400 page book to cover them all rightly.

Sure there were a few hiccups throughout the shows run aside from the football, most notably the second season. Landry killing a dude gets plenty of hate, but people seem to forget that season two also gave us Matt hooking up with his grandmother’s nanny and if it were not for the writer’s strike, Julie could very well have hooked up with her English teacher (which I guessed just got postponed for four seasons). But it was the strength of the characters that whenever the writers took a misstep, the characters were still worth rooting for. It is because of that it was a little disappointing when a handful did not show up in the final montage.

Since reboots are all the rage these days, is 2012 too soon for a Friday Night Lights reboot? C’mon, FX, how about fast tracking that. And for those that missed the series, were watching the ABC Family re-airs before they were yanked (then why are you still reading), or just want to watch the series again, ESPN Classic just began rerunning the series from the beginning.

Friday Night Lights 5.x gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.

Friday Night Lights the series gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.

I Want My Music Television - 7/21/11

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.


Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win (feat. Santigold) - Beastie Boys & Santigold



When you hear Beastie Boys and Spike Jonze in the same sentence it is hard not to get excited, but is hard not watching their latest collaboration and not think of Team America: World Police. But then again it is hard to be disappointed with anything that involves Nazi Zombie Dolls.


Helena Beat – Foster the People



Foster the People has the surprise hit of the summer with the catchiest song about school shootings ever (sorry P.O.D.), Pumped up Kids. And they keep the violent kids theme for their new video which is like Lord of the Flies seen through a Mad Max filter.


Brighter Than the Sun - Colbie Caillat



Speaking of summer hits, I was reading an article debating what the summer anthem of 2011 is and concluding that it may be Rolling In the Deep by Adele which is pretty bad sign for the summer that a dark breakup song released just before Christmas may be the summer anthem. Since we are still a month and a half away from Labor Day, how about we throw the new Colbie Caillat song into the ring for the title. It is her catchiest song yet, even has “Sun” in the title, and handclaps; who doesn’t love handclaps in the summer?


Sugarcane – Shaggy



Speaking of summer anthems, Holy Shaggy Sighting! Sure this is not his best work, but we should write our congressmen and have them make a law requiring Shaggy to release a new song every summer. It is not like they have anything else important on their docket right now.

Previewing Issues

In a story I broke yesterday, Web Therapy debuted on television last night and if that is not enough psychoanalysis for you, today sees the premiere of Issues which you can watch over at Crackle.com. Issues follows psychologist Josh Cooke (Committed) as he analyzes animated superheroes. And when I say animated, I am talking actual cartoon characters.

There is the Superman like Captain Magnificent (voiced by Rob Riggle, Going the Distance), Robin gets spoofed by Sidecar (Seth Green, Old Dogs), the blind K9 (Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family) brings to mind Daredevil, The Dark Kodiak (Greg Grumberg, Love Bites) is the bear version of Batman, Nothing (Ron Livingston (Office Space) is basically the Invisible Man, while The Incredible Flame is the Human (Eddie Kay Thomas, American Wedding) Flame with a little Dr. Manhattan mixed in.

Unlike most therapy shows, Issues gets off the couch from time to time, most humorously when we see K9 trying to stop a burglary. And even though the episode are aired on the internet, Issue wisely utilizes the censor button, making Sidecar’s profanity laden rants against his mentor even that much funnier when half of his speech is bleeped out. With six episodes under five minutes each, you will be able to bang out the show in a lunch break once all the episodes are uploaded. Hopefully there is a second season featuring supervillians coming soon. Check out the trailer below:

From Crackle: Trailer

Previewing Web Therapy

The transition from internet to television has not gone very well so far. NBC optioned Quarterlife during the writer’s strike and pulled in The CW type ratings. $#*! My Dad Says went from Twitter to CBS to canceled over the course of a year. But my sources tell me the third time is the charm so maybe Web Therapy may buck the trend.

Web Therapy, just like the internet version, stars Lisa Kudrow (The Comeback) as an inept therapist who decides instead of the sit in the office for an hour session to do three minute sessions via chat over the internet and the show is shown solely from the vantage point of Kudrow’s monitor. The Showtime version will be a combination of the “sessions” featured on the internet version mixed with new scenes that deal with her personal life including Victor Garber (You Again) as her husband and Lily Tomlin (The Pink Panther 2) as her mother.

The show does boast an impressive list of guest stars including Rashida Jones, Jane Lynch, Steven Weber, Alan Cumming and Kudrow’s good friend Courtrney Cox. But the thing that made Web Therapy the internet show, may be the drawback of Web Therapy the television show. Watching someone’s computer monitor on your monitor makes sense, but seems too contained of an idea when watching it on a big screen HDTV. But some of the patients, most notable Lynch’s character with anger issue, make some episodes worth tuning into.

Web Therapy airs Tuesdays at 11:00 on Showtime.

57 Channels and Only This Is On - 7/16/11

Quote of the Week: Texas forever. (Tim and Billy Riggins, Friday Night Lights)

Song of the Week: Heaven – Brandi Carlile (Friday Night Lights)

Big News of the Week: America Comes Up Short: Augments could have been made after the USA beat Brazil that it was the best game ever of any sport, right up there with the Miracle on Ice. Now that they came up short in the World Cup final, the Brazil match sits squarely in the second tier with all the other “Yeah, but” games. And the Japan win was eerily reminiscent of the US beating Brazil (sans any controversial referee moments) with a late goal in extra time and pulling out the win in penalty kick. They even got a red card, but only had to be down one player for seconds (and America was just about a foot away from possibly getting a penalty kick win in regulation). And if Alex Morgan is reading this, you are more than welcome to cry on my shoulder as long as you like.




Leverage: I would not have been opposed had they done an entire segment devoted to the team trying to get the douchebag to do something heroic. That was comedy gold. You can stream recent episodes on TNT.tv. You can also download Leverage on iTunes.

Falling Skies: The creepiest moment of the short series has to be when the skitter led the children into the room and nested on them like a mama bird. It creeps me out just writing that. You can stream recent episodes over at tnt.tv. You can also download Falling Skies on iTunes.

Rescue Me: with just two months worst of episodes left, I am ready to say goodbye to this show. The part where Tommy took a drink so he could hear the dead people, just to spit it out was a little too much for me. Considering the show will end with the anniversary of 9/11, I am sure there will be a touching sendoff, but I fear the lead up will be too cumbersome. Granted the firehouse discussion of offensive stereotypes on reality television was entertaining. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Rescue Me on iTunes.

Friday Night Lights: The finale is still a little fresh and am still formulating my thoughts (which will be too long for this space) so until I get the digital version of pen to paper (fingers to keyboard?) check out Grantland’s Oral History of Friday Night Lights, which hopefully is a precursor of a 250-page book. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.



Free Download of the Week: Pilot - Alphas, Season 1

Deal of the Week: Favorite HBO Shows for Up to 65% Off (Deadwood, Eastbound and Down, Six Feet Under)

New Album Release of the Week: Universal Pulse - 311

New DVD Release of the Week: Young Justice: Season One V.1

Video of the Week: Earlier this week I reviewed her band’s Cocoon album (see I Gave Up on Giving Up on Me) and for those that that want to relive her time on the Voice, here is the Best of Dia Frampton (though you should go to Hulu and search her name for her full performances, or just go to iTunes and buy her songs).



Next Week Pick of the Week: Rescue Me, Wednesday at 10:00 on FX: With everthing going on last week, I almost forgot that Rescue Me was returning for its final season. First episode back was a little rocky (if I am not mistaken, the last two seasons were originally supposed to be one, but the network broke them up so the show could end just prior to the tenth anniversary of 9/11), but hopefully it ramps up for its series finale just days before we memorialize that tragic day.

Around the Tubes - 7/16/11

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on The Sing-Off, Dallas, Leverage, The Indestructible, Mann vs. Ford, It's Worth What?, Conan, Falling Skies, Turner Sports, Star Trek, and The Lying Game.

- Please, if you will, step into the 9th Green Time Machine (patent pending) and set the dial way back to 5/21/2011 when I wrote: “I am glad NBC took my advice and made The Sing-Off a weekly show, but two hours seems a little cumbersome (I know NBC is in trouble, but why are all their reality shows an unnecessarily two hours long?). At least the show should up its credibly now that the Pussycat Doll is not available as a judge. Since there are down a judge, may I suggest Sara Bareilles.” And let’s get back to present day when a press release dropped in my e-mail that read, “Sara Bareilles joins THE SING-OFF.” Seriously NBC, if you keep on taking all my suggestions, how about sending me a consultant’s fee? Or just green-light my proposed Friday Night Lights sitcom spinoff featuring Billy Riggins and Luke Cafferty.

- I cannot say I have been very interested in any of the recent television or movie reboots (I am still holding out for a She’s Out of This World reboot), and though I was a too little young when the first Dallas ran, I may check out the TNT do over because it features the very likeable Julia Gonzalo of the canceled too soon series Veronica Mars and Eli Stone. And watching Jordana Brewster trying to act is always entertaining.



- In other TNT news, this Sunday Beth Riesgraf (Parker) and Aldis Hodge (Hardison) will be having a live video chat before the next new episode of Leverage at 8:30 on Sunday on the Leverage Facebook page or tnt.tv.

- When the National Geographic Channel sent over the descriptions for the episodes of their new show, The Indestructible, one caught my eye more so than the others: 15,000 Foot Free Fall. Here is of that episode airing tomorrow at 10:00 and followed by another episode featuring a flying car crash.

Deadly Skydiving Accident


- Here is look at HBO’s newest documentary, Mann vs. Ford about a small community’s epic battle against two American giants: the Ford Motor Company and the Environmental Protection Agency, It premieres Monday at 9:00.



- New show alert! It’s Worth What? featuring Cedric the Entertainer permieres Tuesday at 8:00 on NBC.

- Heading to Comic Con this year? So is Conan O’Brien, well, fan art of the guy will with COCO MoCA Presents: The Fine Art of the Flaming C featuring more than sixty specially selected pieces created by Conan fans from all over the world.

- Also coming to Comic Con this year will be Falling Skies with preview clips (Friday at 3:15 in 6BCF), autograph sessions (Friday at 5:00 at the Dark Horse Comics booth) and collectible pin series.

- Shaquille O’Neal is joining Turner Sports so be sure to save up your allowance so you can bet on who gets the boot first, him or Charles Barkley. You now it will happen within five years.

- Star Trek fans note that the official Star Trek PADD app for the iPad has hit the iTunes store and can be yours for $4.99.

- If you have Comcast as your television provider, look out for The Smithsonian channel which will be added to markets in Boston, Baltimore, Detroit, Hartford, Pittsburgh, Richmond and more.

- The Lying Game has its first key art, take a look below:

Lyrics Quiz: Mystery Theme

I have been working on my next countdown, but I am not quite ready to announce what that is just yet, but I thought I would tease some of the songs that will be on the list for this month’s lyrics quiz. As always leave your guesses, both artist and song title, in the comment section or e-mail me. If you are correct I will un-bold the lyric and give you credit. Please keep in mind the lyrics quiz is for entertainment purposes only so please only use your own meandering mind to guess them.


1. He spoke to me in the voice so sweet. I thought I heard the shuffle of angel’s feet. He called my name and my heart stood still.
2. Rap critics that say that he’s money, cash, (expletive deleted). I’m from the hood stupid, what kind of facts are those? (99 Problems - Jay-Z; guessed by Rose)
3. Today is gonna be the day that they’re gonna throw it back to you. (Wonderwall - Oasis; guessed by Doug)
4. I heard that prom night is the bomb night with a hood rat you can hold tight. Really though, when I am in my car I can’t even get a “hello.” (I Wish - Skee-Lo; guessed by Doug)
5. With my jeans on, and my team strong. Get my drink on, and my smoke on, then go home with something to poke on. (The Next Episode - Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg; guessed by Doug)
6. I remember when, I remember, I remember when I lost my mind, there was something pleasant about that place. (Crazy - Gnarles Barkley; guessed by Rose)
7. As I walk this land of broken dreams, I have visions of many things, but happiness is just an illusion filled with sadness and confusion.
8. You’re sweet as a honey bee, but like a honey bee stings. You’ve gone and left my heart in pain, all you left is our favorite song. (It's the Same Old Song - The Four Tops; guessed by Angie)
9. Here I am, once again. I’m torn into pieces. Can’t deny it, can’t pretend, just thought you were the one broken up deep inside. But won’t get to see the tears I cry. (Behind These Hazel Eyes - Kelly Clarkson; guessed by Rose)
10. And when he died, all he left us was alone. (Papa Was a Rollin' Stone - The Temptations; guessed by Angie)
11. Before the cool done run out I’ll be giving it my bestest. Nothing’s going to stop me but divine intervention. (I'm Yours - Jason Mraz; guessed by Rose)
12. Tennis shoes don't even need to buy a new dress. You ain’t there, ain’t nobody else to impress. (Crazy In Love - Beyonce; guessed by Rose)
13. Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial. For what it's worth it was worth all the while. (Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) - Green Day; guessed by Doug)
14. She grew up with the children of the stars, in the Hollywood hills and the boulevards. (Lullaby - Soul's Core - Shawn Mullins; guessed by Angie)
15. Now I believe in miracles and a Miracle has happened tonight. (Black or White - Michael Jackson; guessed by Doug)
16. Rollin’ in my 5.0 with my ragtop down so my hair can blow. (Ice Ice Baby - Vanilla Ice; guessed by Doug)
17. Look fat chicks I don’t mean to sound rude. I tell her nice hit the gym and don’t eat so much food. But no “Your shallow, you need to run the course of unconditional love and so forth.”
18. I had a dream, I had an awesome dream, people playing in the park playing games in the dark. And what they played was a masquerade. (Say You, Say Me - Lionel Richie; guessed by Angie)
19. Generals gathered in their masses, just like witches at black masses. Evil minds that plot destructions, sorcerer of death destruction.
20. You can tell when the music starts to drop. That’s when we take it to the parking lot. And I bet you somebody’s Gonna call the cops.
21. I’d roll out of bed in the morning and throw on what I wanted and go drink beer with the guys. (If I Were a Boy - Beyonce; guessed by Rose)
22. Who’s gonna tell you things aren’t so great? You can’t on thinking nothing’s wrong. (Always On My Mind - Willie Nelson; guessed by Doug)
23. When I get older, I will be stronger. They’ll call me freedom.
24. Maybe I didn’t love you quite as often as I could have and maybe I didn’t treat you quite as good as I should have. (
25. And the Jay-Z song was on. (Party In the U.S.A. - Miley Cyrus; guesse by Rose)

Previewing The Green Room with Paul Provenza

The Green Room with Paul Provenza returns for its second season tonight at 11:00 on Showtime. For those that have never seen the show, Provenza (director and co-producer of The Aristocrats) conducts a roundtable discussion (sans actual table) with a bunch of stand up comedians with nothing off limits, this is Showtime.

Tonight Paul pulls out all the stops by bringing in Ray Romano, Garry Shandling, Judd Apatow, and Bo Burnham. Some stand out bits to look forward to, of all things, is the 1990 Grammy Awards which was one of Apatow’s first writing gigs with Shandling acting as host. Shandling would later repay Apatow by appearing in his movie Knocked Up leading to another funny story when Gary brought a monk to the set during the birth scene. We are also treated with a performance of Art Is Dead by Dead by Burnham.

Next week’s episode may not be as star studded as tonight as they may need some introduction and the most recognizable is also the least funny. In the Green Room will be Dana Gould (writer for The Simpsons), Greg Proops (Who’s Line Is it Anyway?), Franklyn Ajaye (the jazz comic), and Ka Griffin (the unfunny one). Even though they are lesser know, there is plenty to laugh at like Steven Hawkings visiting The Simpsons, Ajaye putting current comedy on blast (and learns who the president is), and someone actually makes fun of Joan Rivers face then all the other conic try to make Griffin feal as if her cosmetic surgeries have still left her looking normal even though she has not looked human in over a decade.

The Green Room is a great look into the minds as comedians as the talk shop and allow us to listen is. The show is a great mix of humor (and much funnier than most sitcoms these days) and education look into the profession of a stand p comic.

The Green Room with Paul Provenza airs Thursdays at 11:00 on Showtime. Check out a clip below.

I Gave Up on Giving Up on Me

When scrolling through some of the blind auditions from The Voice that caught my eye, I immediately recognized Dia Frampton (or at least was able deduce who she was from her not so popular first name and her sister / bandmate Meg in the friends and family room) from the rock band Meg & Dia. Though just barely did because the band was an afterthought for me in the bland emo chick rock genre that eventually got popularized by Paramore (who I once labeled the most mediocre band).

Then Dia popped up on The Voice performing the antithesis of emo rock, the breezy Bubbly which Dia found a folksier version of the song, changing the phrasing ever so slightly to make it interesting (and wisely dropped the cheesy “Will you count me in” intro). Where most singing competition contestants pick songs where they can sing with their hands, Dia went the other way and paid off with Blake Shelton set the record for fastest button press on the show and became one of only three singers from the blind auditions I cared about. Granted she almost lost all the goodwill she built up from the blind auditions when she was part of the single worst performance during the first season of The Voice when she “Battled” Serabee during Can’t Hurry Love (which was not all her fault, but unlistenable nonetheless). The performance was so bad the judges, that never met a superlative that did not want to over use, could not find anything positive to say. But all that changed with one single performance.

When Dia performed Heartless, it was a jaw on the floor performance which I instantly called the gold standard for singing competition performances and any hyperbole couldn’t do the performance justice. Alright Cee Lo Green’s “greatest rendition of a song I ever heard” may have been a bit overboard (for more thoughts on Heartless see: You Got a New Friend, I Got Homies). It was at this point when I thought maybe I should give Meg and Dia another listen starting with the Meg and Dia YouTube page where Dia uploaded some amazing and interesting covers by the likes of some of my favorite artists like The Avett Brothers, Mumford and Sons, and Adele.

Also up on their YouTube page was a video for My Ugly Mouth from their It's Always Stormy In Tillamook EP. The infectious track will have you singing along by your second listen with its Beatle-esqe chorus, folksy verses and a high point when the sisters do their own little battle in the bridge. And as it turned out the EP, as well as the full length follow up Cocoon, which the band put out independently just prior to the premiere of The Voice, is one hundred percent bland-emo-chick-rock-free.

For those going through Dia withdrawals now two weeks after The Voice wrapped up, Cocoon is a great album to subside the shakes while waiting for her to make new music (seriously record executives, pick her and her band up already, she had the number one song on iTunes for goodness sake). And there are plenty of tracks that can transition you from her time on The Voice. If you liked her version of Bubbly, check out the bouncy I Need You in It. If you liked the vulnerability in her Heartless performance, go to Mary Ann where Dia pleads with another woman not to take her man against a bluesy barroom backdrop. And for anyone who found themselves clapping along with Losing My Religion on their couch, you will be clapping along with the more upbeat Unsinkable Ships.

But as the name Meg and Dia suggests, the band is not a one person band (or even a two member group). Dia’s sister Meg even takes over the vocal duties on Better Off. Sure Dia has the more distinctive voice which is why she is the lead singer (and tries out for vocal competitions), but Meg has the sweeter voice (check out the free download of Weeding Through the Rubble on Bandcamp), but elects to go sultry for Better Off that simmers in jazzy lounge background music. Then the sisters trade verses on the next track Said and Done and the contrast of their voices make you wish they would do this more often.

Dia’s voice aside, musically Cocoon is an eclectic mix of different styles of music but never sounds scattered. The album starts earnest enough with just Dia and an acoustic guitar on Love Is before bringing in a wall of sound around the three minute mark with piano (really, whenever the band breaks out the piano is a high point on the album), harmonies and, of course, handclaps. Breakdown (which is the song that Dia mention on The Voice where you can hear a dishwasher humming during the song) could fit right in at adult contemporary stations today next to Norah Jones and Sara Bareilles. Bandits (which you can hear sirens blaring at one point, but with the title, the sirens may be intentional unlike the previously mentioned dishwasher) sounds like a refuge from college radio in the early nineties. While Teddy Loves Her closes out the album with a guitar solo worthy of a seventies arena.

The two standout tracks on Cocoon could not sound any different. Summer Clothes sounds like the most fun Meg and Dia have ever had on a song before and it is a shame that Dia never brought out this side of her during The Voice (a bigger shame is that the show picked Inventing Shadows as her original song instead one of her own original song that she or her sister wrote like this one which is much better than Inventing Shadows). Summer Clothes is then follows up by the melancholy Separate which allows us to hear what the Fleet Foxes may have sounded like if the Fleet Foxes were fronted by females. And much like a Fleet Foxes song, Separate flips in the middle of the song musically into a fuzzed out interlude like something off the latest Coldplay album when they deviated from their signature sound. If you were one of the people who put Dia Frampton at number one on iTunes, or are just a fan of indie pop in general, you owe it to yourself to check out Cocoon (and It’s Always Stormy in Tillamook for that matter), you will not be disappointed.

Wow, I actually made it through an entire review of a Meg and Dia album without mentioning that Dia was totally robbed on The Voice finale. Oops. Nevermind.

Song to Download – Summer Clothes

Cocoon gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.



Article first published as Music Review: Meg and Dia - Cocoon on Blogcritics.

I Want My Music Television - 7/12/11

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.

Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall - Coldplay



Coldplay Wang Chungs tonight!!! But serious guys, how about a seizer warning before this video?


Best I Never Had – Beyoncé



No better way to divert the attention of mediocre reception to your latest album than to open up your video with you wearing very thin lingerie. Touché Beyoncé. (Though I still think 4 is her strongest album, see You a Bad Girl and Your Friends Bad Too)


Dance Without You - Skylar Grey



I think I am the only one who knew Skylar Grey as Holly Brook when she made dark folksy music. Then came a name change and high profile guest spots on rap hooks from the likes of Dr. Dre. And now it sounds like she is still making dark folksy music seen through the prism of Trent Reznor. I guess I will have to wait for a full album until I decide which I like better.


Up Up Up - Givers



If you are like me and spend nights wondering stuff like if Rusted Root and Vampire Weekend managed to have a kid and raise her My Two Dads style (which begs the question, when is Hollywood going to get around to making a My Two Dads reboot?), what would she sound like? I present to you Givers. You’re welcome.

Previewing The Closer 7.x and Rizzoli and Isles 2.x

Do not get suspicious that you tuned into the wrong channel or were mistaken as when it actually returns, yes, The Closer returns for its final season tonight even though it opens up with a lengthy shot of a rap video which is the basis of the case that Brenda Leigh Johnson and her team investigate. And naturally when a rapper shows up dead on a crime procedural, a Suge Knight type is not that far behind and The Closer brought in Terriers’ Rockmond Dumber to play the menacing record executive. When Brenda finally gets her (wo)man, the moment was so tense I fear for everyone in the room.

Elsewhere in the episode, Brenda gets her first look at the department’s new organizational chart right around the time something from her past comes back to haunt her. Also Mary McDonnell, who has been guest-starring the last two seasons as Captain Sharon Raydor, has been officially added to the cast before getting her own spin-off when the show comes to an end. And there is a twist ending so big, TNT has forbidden me from mentioning by penalty of death (or something to that extent). But I can say for those that need to be caught up on The Closer, there is a nine-hour marathon preceding the season premiere.

The Closer airs Mondays at 9:00 on TNT. You can stream episodes over at tnt.tv. You can also download The Closer on iTunes. And if you are on Twitter tonight while watching the episode, Kyra Sedgwick (@kyrasedgwick #thecloser) will be live chatting during the show, both 9 EST and 9 PST so those on the left coast do not get left out.




Also returning tonight is the second season of Rizzoli and Isles which picks up while Jane Rizzoli is still on the mend after the seize on the police station in the season finale (and if you missed it, do not worry because there are plenty of flashbacks throughout the episodes. But no injuries or friendly concerns will keep her from investigating a bomb that went off at a celebration of her valor. And the cases keep coming to her in the second episode when a stab victim stumbles into the spa where she is getting a mud bath with Maury.

But the best episode of the early return features Ernie Hudson (Holy Winston Zeddemore Sighting!) as Frost’s father / naval officer who butts head with his son when a sailor becomes a prim suspect during Fleet week and also features a humorous storyline where Maura tries to hook up with one of Jane’s childhood friends. Also this season, the due investigates a murder carried out during a Revolutionary War re-enactment, a killing in a professional baseball team’s locker room, a complicated case involving a surrogate mother, and a case involving the Salam witch trials. And naturally Jane’s archnemesis Charles Hoyt will make an appearance along with talking head Bill O’Reilly as a potential murder suspect.

Rizzoli and Isles airs Mondays at 9:00 on TNT. You can stream episodes over at tnt.tv. You can also download Rizzoli & Isles on iTunes.

Previewing The Indestructible and Deadly 60

If you watched the Bruce Willis movie Unbreakable and thought to yourself that would make for a great reality show, well you are in luck because tonight on the National Geographic Channel premieres its new show The Indestructible featuring people who should not be alive and explains how they managed to survive certain death. Tonight at 10:00 there are back to back episode featuring a helicopter crash followed by a guy crushed by a SUV.

Each episode features eyewitness accounts (and multiple replays of the accidents), but waits until half way through the episode until we hear from those directly involved (which is surprisingly heart pumping considering from the title of the show we know they survive). Then the last half of the episode features crash specialists who dissect the accident to give scientific reasons as to how anyone could possibly walk away sometimes with just minimal injuries. Later in the season will feaure episode like a skydiver instructor who survive a 15,000 free fall, a man who’s car flew over a median and broke into pecies, an electrocuted skydiver, and a baby who survived a horrifying car crash. Check out a clip from tonight’s episode:

Chopper Disaster


In other premiere news, tomorrow is the debut of Deadly 60 where British naturalist Steve Backshell travels the globe in search of the sixty deadliest species on Earth. The show debuts with back to back episodes at 10:00 on Nat Geo Wild where Steve goes on the prowl for a wild leopard in Namibia then heads off to Thailand in search of a king cobra whose bite could kill an elephant. Check out a clip below:

Warthog Kill

57 Channels and Only This Is On - 7/9/11

Quote of the Week: Let me tell you something, you’re gonna be the quarterback of the Dillon Panthers next season. And you’re gonna shine. (Coach Taylor, Friday Night Lights)

Song of the Week: Devil Town – Tony Lucca (Friday Night Lights)

Big News of the Week: Casey Anthony Trial: So I have no clue who Casey Anthony was before this week, and honestly still not entirely sure why she is national news, but for some reason white woman have not been this mad at a verdict since O.J. Simpson was deemed not guilty. I do not know why someone that no one knew before this trail could get everyone up in a frenzy (seriously, America how about caring more about our fallen soldiers dying for our freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan than some random chick in Florida) but now I am going to Vegas to see what the Over / Under on the number of seasons until Casey Anderson makes it onto Celebrity Rehab.


Leverage: It is a shame that the killer was clearly recognizable to me from the second flashback because other than that it was a fun silly little episode. You can stream recent episodes on TNT.tv. You can also download Leverage on iTunes.

Falling Skies: After last week’s creepy ending I kept waiting for a twist ending and it was a little weird ending the episode on a normal dinner scene. I guess sci-fi shows has engrained in me that something shocking would close out every episode. Andb I do not care if they are just kids, if someone is shooting at me, I am firing right back. I’m also killing the sleeping skidders. If the skidders control the mechs and the skidders are dead, the mechs are useless. You can stream recent episodes over at tnt.tv. You can also download Falling Skies on iTunes.

The Nine Lives of Chloe King: For those taking part in my Chloe King Drinking Game (take a shot whenever you thing of Buffy) probably got really tipsy this week when Chloe got super hearing just like Buffy in the episode when Jonathan was going to go on a killing spree. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download The Nine Lives of Chloe King on iTunes.

Pretty Little Liars: I feel a little cheated that they have spent the last couple episodes playing up is Ian really dead or not storyline just to find out that he was a live, but wait he “shot” himself (though probably did not). Plot twists upon plot twists are a little tedious. And I wonder when everyone is going to realize the reason “A” is always one step ahead is because “A” is tapping their phones. It is the only logical answer assuming the show does not go supernatural (or “A” turns out to Aria which is my second guess as who is “A” after Allison is still alive). You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Pretty Little Liars on iTunes.

Friday Night Lights: Grandma Saracen and Tyra Collette. Sigh. It is good to see them one last time (and it is a shame we will not be seeing Tyra in a Wonder Woman costume every week next fall, I would have tuned in no matter how bad it was). But it is weird that they are playing Tim and Tyra up as some grand love when they did they same thing with Lyla last season. I would gladly go to jail if I had those two fighting over me when I got out. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu.




Free Download of the Week: Dangerbird Summer Sampler 2011 (Amazon MP3): This sampler includes songs by Fritz and the Tantrums, Minus the Bear, and Beady Eye (which is just Oasis without Noel Gallagher).

Deal of the Week: $5 Indie MP3 Albums: Amazon currently has almost 500 indie albums for only $5 including ones from The Civil Wars, Broken Bells, Lissie, and Band of Horses.



New Album Release of the Week: Red River Blue - Blake Shelton

New DVD Release of the Week: The Lincoln Lawyer

Video of the Week: For the latest installment of HBO’s documentary series, Love Crimes of Kabul goes inside the Bagh Woman’s Prison where half of the prisoners are there for “moral crimes” like running away from home, adultery, and premarital sex. Check out a trailer below and tune into Love Crimes of Kabul Monday at 9:00.



Next Week Pick of the Week: Friday Night Lights, Friday at 8:00 on NBC: Earlier this week, Friday Night Lights racked up its fourth straight Scooter Television Award for Best Scripted Show (it was keep from a clean sweep from the final season of Veronica Mars) which sadly be the last time it wins that award as the series run comes to an end next week. And while you are waiting for the last episode to air (or want to relive the series for you lucky DirecTV viewers), head over to NBC.com to flip through the Friday Night Lights Yearbook.

Around the Tubes - 7/8/11

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 Around the World for Free, Alphas, Design Star, Eureka, Warehouse 13, Killer Shots, The Car Show, Falling Skies, The Office, Motley Crüe, Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon, Reggae Summerfest, and Rocco DiSpirito.

- After taking the million dollar prize on Survivor (as well as a hefty consolation prize as runner up on another occasion) you would think Survivor’s Parvati Shallow would not need to borrow money any time soon. But she will be embarking on a trip around the world for free on the aptly titled web show Around the World for Free. Starting today at 2:00 PST Parvati will take off on a hundred day adventure with nothing but a backpack and a smart phone and tablet (and of course a camera crew). Since she has the smart phone, you can follow her in real time over at Twitter or CBS.com. Who know, she may be stopping in your hometown and may need a place to stay.

- Alphas, the new Syfy series, finally premieres Monday at 10:00 and here is a sneak peak:



- Monday also sees the return of a bunch of shows including Design Star on HGTV at 9 while over on Syfy will air new seasons of Eureka at 8:00 followed by Warehouse 13.

- Ever thumb through National Geographic and wonder to yourself how they get such beautiful pictures, well you are in luck because on Nat Geo Wild Killer Shots will follow photographer Andy B. Casagrande as he captures amazing and rare moments from nature. Here is a look at what you can expect if you tue in tonight at 10:00.

Shark’s Eye View


- While Wednesday on Speed there will be the series premiere of The Car Show hosted by Adam Carolla. Speed says of the show, “Funnyman and automotive freak Adam Carolla brings you the ultimate car lover's show, featuring awesome cars, epic driving adventures, and the best of automotive culture. It's the perfect mix of comedy, shop talk, and eye candy brought to you by Adam and his co-hosts, Pulitzer Prize-winning automotive journalist Dan Neil; "TheSmokingTire.com" founder Matt Farah; and former NBA Champion John Salley.”

- It only took three weeks, but TNT finally renewed Falling Skies for a second season. Look for the ten episode season to air again next summer.

- The Office has finally found a replacement for Michael Scott, James Spader will be reprising his role of Robert California for its next season.

- If you think you are a Motley Crüe superfan, Nikki Sixx is looking for just that. Enter the On the Road with Nikki Sixx contest and you can win an all expence paid trip to Los Angeles to meet the bassist.

- Showtime recently secured the rights to Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon. Look for the documentary that follows that band from its Bible Belt beginnings to superstardom August 21 at 10:00.

- The Jamaican Tourist Board recently secured R. Kelly, Nicki Minaj and reggae legend Beres Hammond for Reggae Summerfest July 17-23. For more information, head over to ReggaeMusicfest.com.

- On newsstands next week is the latest Redbook when they talk with Rocco DiSpirito on what scared him into getting healthy, how his cooking changed, and even one of the first dishes he ever made (spoiler alert: lobster bisque). My first dishes I ever made: grilled cheese.