Previewing The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan: The Final Season

It is a sad day for those of us hoping to one day get Cesar Millan to Tsst our dogs into submission because the final season of The Dog Whisperer starts tonight. And just like the greatest athletes in the world, Cesar is off to London to make sure the likes of Michael Phelps do not get bit by the local canine population (although I would not mind if LeBron James gets nipped a time or a hundred by an angry Chihuahua). Cesar will be across the pond for four episodes including back to back episodes tonight including an owner who got a Dalmatian because of the movie (never a good sign), a rescue dog from Romania where strays roam the streets by the thousands, and a dog of an actress from Absolutely Fabulous.

Back stateside, Cesar will be helping some famous faces including Kelsey Grammer whose dogs are not as well behaved as his televised version Eddie. Fitness trainer may be able to whip humans into shape but will need Cesar’s help to quiet her barker. Cesar will also hit the road to help NASCAR drivers Greg Biffle and Kevin Harvick. And we know how good Cesar is with dogs, but we will also get to see how well he works with bunnies when he heads to the Playboy Mansion West to help Hugh Hefner’s King Charles spaniel get along with Miss November’s dog.

Even though there will be no new episodes of The Dog Whisperer after this season, Nat Geo Wild will continue to air the entire catalogue of episodes. And Cesar will not be going anywhere because he is currently in production on his new Nat Geo Wild competition series Leader of the Pack, due to premiere in early 2013.

The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan airs Saturdays at 8:00 on Nat Geo Wild. You can also download The Dog Whisperer on iTunes. Check out a clip from tonight:

Around the Tubes - 7/6/12

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 Hard Times: Lost on Long Island, Islamic Art: Mirror of the Invisible World, Comic Store Heroes, Syfy, Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell, Andy Griffith, H+, Blue Like Jazz, Dallas, Rizzoli and Isles, The Sound of Music, The Song That Changed My Life, Audio-Files, Beverly Hills Nannies, Border Wars, Horders, and Rhoda Vincent.

- This Monday HBO is airing their latest documentary Hard Times: Lost on Long Island focusing on the unemployed and underemployed is what is considered the the birthplace of post-war suburbia. Check out a trailer below:



- Premiering tonight on PBS is Islamic Art: Mirror of the Invisible World which explores 1,400 years of cultural history through Islamic art and architecture.

- If you are unable to make it to Comic-Con, you can live vicariously through Comic Store Heroes premiering next Friday (the 13th) at 8:00 on The National Geographic Channel.

- For those that are attending Comic Con, Syfy recently announced their shows that will be attending. Friday, JULY 13: DEFIANCE: PANEL: 6:45 PM- 7:45 PM ROOM 6DE. Saturday, JULY 14: WAREHOUSE 13; PANEL: 10:00 AM-10:45 AM BALLROOM 20. ALPHAS: PANEL: 2:00 PM-3:00 PM; HILTON BAYFRONT, INDIGO BALLROOM. BEING HUMAN: PANEL: 3:00 PM-4:00 PM, HILTON BAYFRONT, INDIGO BALLROOM.


- Totally Biased with W Kamau Bell is set to premiere Thursday August 9 at 10:00 on FX and you check out the latest clip below:

Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell


- We lost Andy Griffith earlier this week and TCM will be honoring the iconic actor Wednesday July 18 by airing four of his films starting at 8:00 PM with A Face in the Crowd which will be followed by No Time for Sergeants (10:15), Hearts of the West (12:30), and Onionhead (2:15).

- Coming to an internet near you in the newest digital series H+ from director Bryan Singer. The show is about the future human race who is hardwired to the internet with a cast that includes ast that includes Alexis Denisof (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Amir Arison (Law & Order: SVU) and David Clayton Rogers (Jane By Design). While waiting for the premiere, can subscribe to the H+ YouTube page.

- Based on the New York Times Best Seller List by Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz is coming to DVD and most other movie watching formats August 7 from Lionsgate Home Entertainment.



- They are not even half way down with it’s their current seasons, but TNT has already renewed Rizzoli and Isles for a fourth and Dallas for a second. Expect 15 new episodes of each coming your way in 2013.

- For fans of Broadway that cannot make it to New York City, you will be in luck because it was recently announced that NBC will present a live broadcast of the classic stage musical The Sound of Music. Casting and a premiere date are soon to come.

- On this week’s episode of The Song That Changed My Life, pop folk band Over the Rhine will be featured. While on Audio-Files, indie folk band Trampled by Turtles will take center stage.

- New show alert! Beverly Hills Nannies premieres next Wednesday on ABC Family.

- In other premiere news, the new season of Border Wars premieres July 9 at 9:00 on the National Geographic Channel.

- While on Sunday the fourth season of Hoarders opens up with an Elvis impersonator with a heartbreaking story.

- Rhoda Vincent has returned to her gospel roots with her latest album which you can currently stream for free over at music.aol.com until July 15

I Want My Music Television - 7/5/12

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.

Brendan's Death Song - Red Hot Chili Peppers



Ever since I started watching Treme, I became fascinated with the Second Line to the point that I have it written into my will. I do not know what the tradition never got exported from New Orleans but it is nice to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers incorporate it into the song written about their fallen friend.


50 Ways to Say Goodbye - Train



Why don’t I ever run into The Hoff while grocery shopping? Lucky dude from Train. Well at least I haven’t run into Death there. Yet.


One More Night - Maroon 5



I was content with nailing a new model in every new Train music video, but how dare he defile Lyla Garrity? Good for her for leaving.


National Anthem - Lana Del Rey



Even though everyone was content with Lana Del Rey to fade into obscurity after her abysmal performance on Saturday Night Live earlier this year, she is stick kicking and screaming trying to stay relevant like anyone one else with minimal talent does: with shock. So she is playing Jackie O (and Marilyn Monroe?) to a black JFK. Alrighty. And I am back to ignoring Lana Del Rey.

We've Lost Our Kindness, We've Lost Our Soul

We have all wanted to smack a mean person every now and then, be it the idiots who talk on their cell phones during movies, protest soldier funerals, talking heads on twenty-four hour news channels, reality stars, or people who want to be reality television. I’m sure a few of us have even contemplating murdering these mean people to keep them from repopulating their meanness but do not act on it because of because of morals and stuff. For those who have ever thought about killing a fan one of those crappy vampire flicks, I have a movie for you: the appropriately titled God Bless America.

In God Bless America, Joel Murray (Shameless) has had it. Every channel there is a worse person than the previous channel and work is no refuge because all they talk about are the mentally challenged people singing karaoke on the television. And it is probably a good thing his daughter does not live with him because she is turning into one of the people he despises. So after a terminal diagnosis and one more episode of Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen he has decided to end it all. That is until he gets a better idea: kill all the mean people of America, starting of course with the chick on Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen.

So he goes on a cross country killing spree of the worst offender of the decline of Western civilization and somehow picks up a teenage Tara Lynn Barr (The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Season 3) along the way to help with the carnage who may actually hate stupid people more that Murray does. Even when they are taking time off from killing people, they still take aim at everyone from Fall Out Boy, Diablo Cody and of course hippies. Sure Barr is no way near entertaining as Hit Girl, but a teenage girl killing and cursing is still pretty funny. Sure their relationship is a bit creepy no matter how many times Murray protest it is just platonic.

God Bless America does for mean people what Idiocracy did for stupid people (unfortunately there is no one as awesome as President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho, I cannot confirm or deny I would vote for Camacho if he were on the upcoming ballot this November). The kills are graphic and their failed attempts managed to be even funnier than when they succeed. The movie does lag at time in-between killings (you would think with so many potential targets, you would think they would not need so much time to try and figure out whom to gun down next). Oh yeah, did I mention that the movie was written and directed Bobcat Goldthwait? Naturally he is also listed as auteur in the bonus features. Sure there is some irony in a guy best known for his work in the Police Academy movies writing one killing people laughing at a mentally unstable person, but that only adds to its charm.

The DVD comes with an audio commentary featuring Goldwait, Murray and Barr (where you learn where Spongbob Squarepants has a cameo and all the ties to Mad Men aside the obvious Freddy Rumsen and Anna Draper being featured in the film) as well as a thirty minute Behind the Scenes special. There are some deleted scenes of from the television shows that send Murray over the edge, a gag reel, interviews with the cast and Bobcat that is also around thirty minutes. There is also HDNet’s A Look at God Bless America.



Full Disclosure Notice: This DVD was given to me by Bender/Helper Impact for the purpose of reviewing it.

He Was About as Popular as a Snake in a Sleeping Bag

When you think of Australia you probably think of The Outback, but like every other continent, it has many other terrains including the forests of Tasmania, an island just south of the mainland which is home to the Tasmanian devil. The forests there were also home to the Tasmanian tiger, the last of which died in captivity in 1936. And though they have been believed to be extinct for over seven decades, there remain many sightings across Tasmania.

That is the basis for The Hunter where Willen Dafoe (Auto Focus) plays the titular character looking for the last remaining Tasmanian tiger for a company that wants the elusive animal for nefarious reasons. Naturally the locals, especially the loggers, are not too fond of foreigners even when they are poising as zoologists. It also does not help they he is stuck renting at the home of a bed stricken women with two kids and a husband who got lost in the same woods Defoe will be going into to do his tracking.

Of course Sam Neill (Happy Town) plays a mysterious figure who is more interregnal to the story than his initial meeting would have you believe (basically every Sam Neill role). With his introduction, we slowly learn there is more to the story and the characters involved that a simple animal capture. Even though it takes a while to unfold, the shots of the Tasmanian wilderness are beautiful and breathtaking (and I would assume are even more so on the blu-ray). And Dafoe’s performance, who spends half the film alone on the hunt) is memorizing to watch as he starts to realize just what he is getting himself into and how he plots to get out of.

The Hunter DVD comes with an audio commentary track with director Daniel Nettheim and producer Vincent Sheehan. The deleted scenes, which runs about eight minutes total, also have optional commentary. There is also a four part Making of The Hunter feature that runs about a half an hour.



Full Disclosure Notice: This DVD was given to me by Bender/Helper Impact for the purpose of reviewing it.

With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

When they announced Marc Webb would direct the next Spider-Man I thought to myself, wait the dude from (500) Days of Summer? Yeah it was a good movie but I have no interest in seeing Spidy in a dance sequence to a Hall and Oates song. Seriously, why are we getting a reboot ten years after the last one when a fourth Sam Raimi would have been much better? What makes it worse is that a proposed fourth Raimi movie would have featured John Malkovich as Vulture in perfect type casting and Anne Hathaway as Felicia Handy, aka Black Cat (who ironically went on to playing a female cat person in another comic book movie). And since Webb cast Emma Stone in his movie I am going to have to begrudgingly rent it in a couple months.

Aside from a massive upgrade at love interest, I just cannot see the new version begging better than the Sam Rami version which is this month’s induction into the Scooter Hall of Fame. After the campiness of the later nineties Batman films almost killed off the superhero movies, they came back in a massive way in the early 00’s thanks to films like X-Men and Spider-Man who brought some seriousness back to the funny books and Sam Raimi’s love and respect for the story is shown throughout.

As cool as Spider-Man’s web slinging is, let’s face it, a superhero is only as good as his rouge’s gallery and Spidy’s is second only to Batman’s. And while some of my favorites were held back for future movies (Doc Ock, Sandman) , the Green Goblin was a worthy first opponent thanks to a stellar performance from Willem Defoe (even if he looked scarier with the mask off). And like any great nemesis, Green Goblin was a close relationship to Spider-Man as the father of Peter Packer’s best friend. J.K. Simmons also gave a great performance as Peter’s boss J. Jonah Jameson. And of course what Same Raimi film would be complete without a cameo from Bruce Campbell (who played three different roles in the three movies). Spider-Man is also notable for have one of the very few video game that not only did not suck massive but it was a really great game and even features Bruce Campbell as the Narrator all three game tie-ins.

57 Channels and Only This Is On - 6/30/12

Quote of the Week: How times can you hear Copacabana without totally siding with Rico? (Michelle, Bunheads)

Song of the Week: She's Gone – Hall and Oates (as tried to be sung by Peter, Franklin & Bash)

Scene of the Week:



Big News of the Week: Health Care for All, or Else: Who would have guessed it would have been the George Bush appointed Chief Justice John Roberts who would become the swing vote on the Affordable Health Care Act (known to its opponents as Obamacare nee Romneycare)? Of course he was able to get a little partisan jab in his decision saying the law was Constitutional because it was a tax and Congress is allowed to tax Americans even though one of president Obama’s biggest selling points was that it was not a tax. Oops. So if you do not buy health care in the next couple years you will be taxed for it (unless you are near the poverty line, then it is Medicare for you). Of course any so called heath care plan that does not treat carbonated soda and other sugary treats like tobacco is pretty worthless.

Preview Picture of the Week:



Falling Skies: This show and The Walking Dead both seem to suffer from the same problems, the characters are aimless. And whenever they get a destination to get to, another character comes in and says that place has been destroyed or overrun by non-humans. So I am very intrigued with the group heading down to the Continental Congress. Who know what will happen when they get there or if they get there (which may not end up being until the end of the season) but for first time in this series, I am interesting in where they are going with the story.
You can download Falling Skies on iTunes.

Pretty Little Liars: You would think after Mona blackedmailed herself as A, you would think the Liars would be highly suspicious of anyone else who is being blackmailed. Last week Jena said she continued to pretend to be blind because someone was after her. And this week Spencer’s sister claims she pretended not to be pregnant because someone was blackmailing her. I am guessing in the next episode we will learn that Hermy is being blackmailed too and that is why he is cranky. That and he was totally nailing Mona before she went into the nuthouse and is not getting any since then.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Pretty Little Liars on iTunes.

Dallas: What a cruel way to end the episode in mid confession. Thankfully TNT is airing a new episode on 4th of July because on their screeners they had no new episodes airing on the holiday. Granted since I had them at my disposal, I went ahead and watched the opening scene of next week’s episode which ended up playing out exactly how I expected.
You can download Dallas on iTunes.


Free Download of the Week: Brushfire Records Sampler (Noise Trade, e-mail required)

Deal of the Week: More $2.99 Albums: This week Amazon super-discounted some of my favorite albums (that I paid much more from) including The Black Keys, Mumford and Sons, The Civil Wars as well as the 24-song Led Zeppelin greatest hits package.



New Album Release of the Week: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter Soundtrack

New DVD Release of the Week: The Hunter

Video of the Week: In Looper Joseph Gordon Levitt plays a young Bruce Willis who is supposed to kill his future self. Alrighty. I am all up for a weird science-fiction except when I checked out the trailer, Levitt looked nothing like a young Bruce Willis but looked exactly like a young Ed Norton to the point I had to wonder if Norton was originally cast as the older version. It was as if Willis replaced Norton at the last minute and JGL decided that he spent months perfecting his Ed Norton show he just went ahead and did it anyway.



Next Week Pick of the Week: Weeds, Sunday at 10:00 on Showtime: I have already previewed the final season of Weeds, so click the link to read that and be sure to check out the second season Episodes directly following.

Around the Tubes - 6/29/12

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 Maroon 5, True Blood, Shark Wranglers, Comic Con, The BET Awards, Dallas, The Franchise, Full Throttle Saloon, Guinness World Records Gone Wild, Men at Work, Eve 6, Melanie Oudin, Mike Tyson: Unduisputed Truth, Ready for Love, Seventeen, and Redbook.

- Maroon 5 released their latest album earlier this week and earlier this month marked the 10 anniversary of their debut album Songs About Jane (for those that it does not feel like a decade since it was released, keep in mind Harder to Breathe did not become a hit until late 2003 and subsequent hits like This Love and She Will Be Loved were not released as singles until 2004) and it got a rerelease with a bonus second disk featuring demos of all the songs, for previously unreleased new songs and an alternative mix of The Sun. It is interesting to hear the demo because some are unrecognizable until Adam Levine starts singing, but nothing spectacular if you already own the original version of the album.

- A new episode of True Blood is coming your way this Sunday on HBO and you can take a sneak peak below:



- New show alert! Premiering this Sunday at 10:00 on History is Shark Wranglers. The series chronicles the most ambitious shark expedition in history - tracking down the world’s most deadly – yet threatened – sharks, maneuver them onto the cradle of their 126-foot boat in rolling waters, and tag each one – by hand. Their goal is 50 sharks in 40 days – a near impossible mission that will test the team’s resolve as they battle through every conceivable setback. Check out a promo below:



- For those heading out to Comic Con this year, make note that Falling Skies will be returning this year for a panel on Friday, July 13 at 4:30 in room 6BCF with an autograph signing at the Dark Horse booth at 6:00. Given the day, I will spend most the day hiding inside the confines of my house.

FX also comfirned their line up recently: Thursday, July 12, Wilfred, FOX Booth Signing – 1:30-2:30pm; Panel – 4:00-5:00pm; Room: Indigo (Hilton Bayfront). Moderator: Alan Sepinwall (HitFix). Archer, FOX Booth Signing – 2:45-3:45pm; Panel – 5:00-6:00pm; Room: Indigo (Hilton Bayfront). Moderator: TBD. Sunday, July 15, Sons of Anarchy: FOX Booth Signing – 1:30pm-2:30pm; Panel - 2:45-3:45pm: Room: Hall H. Moderator: Lynette Rice (Entertainment Weekly).

- The BET Awards are this Sunday and they announced a couple more presenters including Jamie Foxx, Quentin Tarantino, Tyler Perry, and Laz Alonso. The festivities are set to start at 8:00.

- It looks to be a hot one on the Fourth of July and if you do not want to brave the heat for the barbecue or fireworks, TNT will be airing all four episodes of Dallas starting at 5:00 leading up to an all new episode at 9:00 where you will learn juts what Rebecca confesses to Christopher (or builds a bigger lie depending how you look at it). Then at 10:00 on dallastnt.com, Jesse Metcalfe (Christopher), Josh Henderson (J.R. Jr.), and executive producer / writer Cyntia Cidre will be joining Cameron Mathison for the Dallas Round-Up post show.

- It should be an interesting season of The Franchise with the Miami Marlins thanks to outspoken manager Ozzie Guillen (who made some controversial Castro comments already this season. You can check out a preview below:

New Players


- If you are a fan of TruTV’s Full Throttle Saloon you will be happy to learn that it has been renewed for a fourth season.

- Also expect a new show coming to Tru-TV soon as Dan Cortese (yes, the MTV Sports guy) is set to host Guinness World Records Gone Wild which will look at the crazy lengths people will go to break a record.

- In other renewal news, Men at Work got renewed for a second season while the first season is set to end July 12.

- If you are on hand at the Olympics Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Organ today, at 5:00 Eve 6 will perform at TrackTown Plaza. Admission is free and open to the public.

- American tennis star Melanie Oudin recently took to YouTube to share some of her favorite Yoga poses. Check it out below:

WTA’s Melanie Oudin Shares Her Favorite Yoga Poses


- If you are unable to see the one man show Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth in its original run July 31-August 5, you are in luck because thwy have added six addition shows going through Sunday, August 6. A limited number of tickets are still available at telecharge.com.

- NBC has ordered up another dating show. Ready for Love is set to premiere Winter 2012-13 where preeminent matchmaker Amber Kelleher-Andrews, relationship author Tracy McMillan and professional dating coach Matthew Hussey will help Ben Patton, an international financier from Dallas; Tim Lopez, a member of the popular music group Plain White T's from Santa Barbara, Calif., and Ernesto Arguello, an entrepreneur with a social vision from Miami, the chance to find their soul mate.

- Pretty Little Liars’ Shay Mitchell will be covering the August issue of Seventeen on newsstands July 3.



- While on the Redbook August cover on Newsstands July 10, Anna Paquin opens up on her impending motherhood.

Previewing Weeds: The Final Season

It seems like every season since the gang left the suburbs, people have been ready for Weeds to end. But then we got the beach season. And then the Mexico season. And then the road trip season. And then the road trip season. And then there was the New York City season. And then finally they announced the eighth season, which was set up in the previous season finale as the Connecticut season, will be its last.

Of course the season finale ended with a bang. Quite literally as a sniper took aim at Nancy before the screen went to black. Naturally Showtime is not very keen on me sharing who got shot (so do not assume Nancy was the one that ended up getting shot just because she was in the crosshairs) or who did the shooting (there is a hilarious discussion about the number of enemies the family has) so I really cannot speak of any character specifically as not to spoil who took the bullet (if it actually hit anyone at all, which is a possibility). I guess I can say that before I watched the episode I was hoping that Isabelle Hodes took a short drive up from Chatswin to settle an old score or two.

If it did turn out to be Isabelle, she would not be the only one returning after a long hiatus, no I cannot say a different character is back, but Little Boxes returns as the theme song for the final season along with a new title sequences which redraws the Botwins’ trip these past eight years (and may actually be more entertaining than some of the seasons itself). And if Ben Folds is not the one who sings the song in the second episode, is sounds like someone exactly like him.

Maybe it is because the end is in sight or the family is back in the suburbs (albeit a much more upper class suburbs) for the first time since Agrestic burnt to the ground, the show feels fresher early in the season. There is plenty of funny bits early on despite (and mostly because) of someone getting shot. There are some noisy neighbors, someone accidentally finds religion, and someone who is known for being hilariously offensive may have outdone themselves in the premiere on the offensively hilarious scale. And for those fearing that finding out the identity of the shooter will last all season, after watching the first two episodes, I already who the shooter is though I cannot confirm nor deny that any of the Botwin’s find out in that timeframe.

Weeds airs Sundays at 10:00 on Showtime.

Previewing Chasing UFOs

In a measure of full disclosure I should start off by saying that even though I believe aliens have to exist somewhere in the countless galaxies in our universe, I do not believe that any of them have traveled across light years to probe the dumbest of our species. We do not even have the technology to get us to Mars so it very doubtful that little green men can travel a billion times that distance in their lifetime. Just because you cannot indentify a flying object does not mean it cannot be explained in a terrestrial way.

Even with my belief, that does not mean I cannot enjoy a show called Chasing UFOs because even though I do not believe alien aircraft have been seen by humans I do enjoy watching stupid people and their stupid theories. The show reminds me of those shows on The Weather Channel where you had nutjobs who would chase twisters, but this team is going from city to city where various UFO sightings to try and determine if these lights in the sky were created by ET or something more Earthly.

The Chasing UFOs team is made up of three members, James Fox, the self proclaimed UFOlogist is naturally the believer. Ben McGee is the skeptic as a geoscientist and brings more rational explanations to the show. Erin Ryder lies somewhere in-between (and possibly coined the term “skeliever” and is the technical supervisor on the team. They will be heading to Texas (complete with a theme song: Headed Down to Texas - Headed Down to Texas to See the UFO), California, Colorado, Arizona, and of course Roswell, New Mexico.

Two episodes air tomorrow back to back and after seeing both of them my previous statement has not changed and are still highly skeptical as these Unidentified Flying Objects are actually piloted by Extra-Terrestrials. But I did get a couple laughs at the people who thought they saw a UFO.

Chasing UFOs airs Fridays at 9:00 on the National Geographic Channel.

Love Has the Greatest Vision of All Time

Back in March R. Kelly released unto the internets a teaser saying that more Trapped in the Closet were “coming soon.” The vagueness was compounded by the fact that the teaser featured no new footage or music (well twenty-three chapters later and the music technically has not changed, but the promo featured no new lyrics or hints as to what “The Package” is). We are closing in on five years since we have been graced with a new chapter but it looks like we will have to wait a couple more months because now that Kells has released a new album we will probably have wait until the end of the promotion cycle before bestowing new chapters of his hip-hopera. Le sigh.

Since it could shorten the promotion time, I probably should not review R. Kelly’s new album in hopes that we would then get new Trapped in the Closet sooner, the only problem is Write Me Back is good. Really good (but still not nearly as good as Trapped in the Closet). It is about as good as his last album which I called his best album since the nineties. That is probably cause his new album Write Me Back is thematically and sonically related to Love Letter to the point they even have similar names.

So what you get is another twelve songs (not to be confused with a twelve-play) of old school baby making music in the vein of Marvin Gaye and other Motown classics from the sixties and seventies like Love Is and Share My Love where Kells sings “let’s get together and populate” over a Barry White style disco beat (of course “let’s get together and populate” is such a great phrase I may replace “baby making music” with “populating music”). Really Write Me Back is much more danceable that the previous retro album like Party Jumpin’ that is reminiscent of a Junior Walker song and the Ray Charles like All Rounds on Me.

Robert also expands the retro palette on the new album. The best of it is represented in the most contemporary song on the album Believe in Me which manages to sound current and classic at the time bringing to mind the best Michael Jackson tracks from the nineties. So congratulation Kells on your second straight great album. Now how about turning the “Coming Soon” that you tagged in the Trapped in the Closet from back in March into a firm release date sometime before the world ends (or so the Mayans would have us believe).

Song to Download – Believe In Me

Write Me Back gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.

I Want My Music Television - 6/25/12

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 Leave Me (Ne Me Quitte Pas) - Regina Spektor



Not to self: do not let Regina Spektor house sit for you. On a serious note, if I were to do one of those silly Best Songs of the First Half of 2012, this would probably be number two on the hypothetical list.


Houdini - Foster the People



Foster the People may not have scored that elusive second hit yet, but at least they are making some entertaining music videos why they try, even if their latest is a bit creepy. Although watching it begs the question, when is a Weekend at Bernie’s reboot coming?


My Life – Slaughterhouse featuring Cee-Lo



It is odd that the first two minutes of the new Slaughterhouse video is dedicated to Eminem who is not even featured on the track (note Slaughterhouse is signed to Eminem’s label)


Days Go By – The Offspring



If you had asked the sixteen year old version of myself who would have a better career, The Offspring or Green Day, I would have smacked you for suggesting Green Day would ever be better than The Offspring. Yeah, the sixteen year old version of myself got that prediction horribly wrong. I am not sure if this song and video are supposed to be semi or fully ironic like Pretty Fly for a White Guy, but is does not work either way.

Previewing The Great Escape

Survivor and its successors have built a cottage industry that mixes a social game with physical and mental challenges. The Great Escape asks the question, would this type a show be worth watching if you strip away the social aspect of these competition show. The Great Escape pits three teams of two against each other as they try to escape iconic places (the first two episodes involve Alcatraz and The USS Hornet) while solves puzzles with their minds or brute strength, with the first to do so taking home a $100,000 prize.

The Great Escape reminds me a lot of the final episode of The Challenge if instead of holding the final challenge outside involving a couple mile hike, but confined to a solitary structure. Of course the two member team is right out of The Amazing Race with less interesting racers (the show were created by the same people and it is hard to wonder if the contestants for The Great Escape were picked from The Amazing Race reject pile). You get your friends, siblings, father-daughter teams but the only memorable contestant in the first two episodes is a douchebag with a bandana.

One aspect that separates The Great Escape with the shows that came before it besides its local is that the contestants are not alone. There are “guards” loitering around to keep the contestants from their prisons. If they get caught they have to drop all the items they have obtained but their map and go back to the starting room and escape all over again (but they do not have to repeat the puzzle). My first thought when the guards were introduced was it will be lame if no one gets caught. By the end of the first episode, I wished there were actually less guards.

Even though there are only four tasks to complete, The Great Escape is a hard competition to complete. With the contest starting at midnight, the winner of tonight’s episode won just as the sun was rising over the San Francisco Bay as the winning team was crossing the finish line putting the total time it took to complete the escape at about six to eight hours (depending on the time of year they filmed it). Next week, the sun was well already out by the time the first team got to the flight deck.

Giving its rotating contestants and lack of a social aspect that make other competition shows, The Great Escape is not appointment television every week, and it is also a little disappointing that host Rich Eisen does not bring his trademark deadpan from his time on Sportcenter. Bu the show is a good diversion if you are flipping around channels Sunday night or have nothing better to do after Falling Skies. And given its special locations, you are going to be treated to at least one grand, picturesque moment every week. Plus the show is definitely better than Pirate Master.

The Great Escape airs Sundays at 10:00 on TNT.

57 Channels and Only This Is On - 6/23/12

Quote of the Week: The best way to get to know somebody is to talk to their friends… and their enemies. My friends are in the state house. My enemies are harder to find. (J.R. – Dallas)

Song of the Week: Picture In a Frame - Tom Waits (Bunheads)

Scene of the Week:



Big News of the Week: A New Member of the Asterisk Club: The Asterisk Club opened its doors to accommodate all the cheating that went on in baseball for the past two decades and has even opened its doors to Olympians, singing competition winners, and even a president. And this week it welcomed its latest member: LeBron James. As a Cleveland sports fan, we had the asterisk locked and loaded when he took his talents to South Beach so he could play with two other All-Stars, one of which was another top five talent in the league. But in the year he won his first championship, that asterisk got even larger. There shortened season, making it an abnormal win to begin with (keep in mind the last time there was a shortened season, an eighth seed made it to the finals). Then the asterisk grew even bigger when Derrick Rose, the best player on the best team, tore his ACL in the first game of the playoffs, giving the Heat an easy path to the championship, playing lower seeds. So enjoy your asterisk and say high to Barry Bonds for me. And if any of this sounds like sour grapes, that is because it is.

The Killing: After a bunch of painful to sit through episodes it was a total shock that the case of Rosie Larsen actually ended competently. A back room deal that Rosie overheard and Jamie had to get rid of her. But why did they wrap it up before the first commercial break. Of wait, this is The Killing and they had to find a way to screw it up. Just when Lynden went to the Larsen’s to tell them they found a broken taillight in a garage they had been in countless number of times. And that taillight was apparently enough evidence for the aunt to confess. Sure she could have lied about it, or gotten it fixed sometime in the last three weeks, or at least explain why the taillight was integral to the story (this is why you solve the case in the first season, everything we learned a year ago, most of us have forgotten). Now it is time to start up a class action lawsuit to get The Killing and AMC to pay therapists to erase any memory of The Killing from our collective minds.
You can download The Killing on iTunes.

Bunheads: A really weird way to start off a series based around someone’s death especially when that death is the husband the main character barely knew. One episode in and I am already content with the show jumping ahead a year where Michelle and Fanny are running the dance studio together with an Odd Couple living arrangement. But since it looks like there will be a fight, or at least some resentment over the estate (how could they be that shocked, even without a will, everything would have gone to the widow anyway).
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Bunheads on iTunes.

Pretty Little Liars: Yeah, Hermy the Hermaphrodite was totally nailing Mona. That is why he has been so moody lately. And I am beginning to think that it is not a good sign that three seasons in, I still have no clue what his real name is and have to resign to calling him Hermy every time.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Pretty Little Liars on iTunes.

Dallas: I am glad we got the silly e-mail storyline out of the way. And now that is out of the way, who exactly is Christopher’s new bride, and more importantly who is her brother and what is their agenda? And since this is a soap opera, it is safe to assume their parents are still alive, if they are even related in the first place.
You can download Dallas on iTunes.


Preview Picture of the Week:

The Great Escape, Premiering Sunday at 10:00 on TNT

Free Download of the Week: Love Don't Leave Me Waiting - Glen Hansard (Amazon MP3)

Deal of the Week: Going Solo for $2.99: This week’s ultra cheap albums all belong to group members who struck gold (and platinum) on their on including Lionel Richie, George Michael, Ben Folds and Kenny Loggins.



New Album Release of the Week: Write Me Back (Deluxe Edition) - R. Kelly

New DVD Release of the Week: Christopher Nolan Director's Collection (Blu-ray)

Video of the Week: Sometime when they announce a sequel to a movie you just have to roll your eyes. How many times does Brady Cooper have to get hunover before giving up drinking altogether? How many times are terrorists going to take over a building with Bruce Willis in it? And when they announced Taken 2 I could not help thinking, how many times will the Token Hot Chick from Lost get kidnapped? I originally thought that maybe the person that would be “taken” this time around would be the pop star at the end of the first movie. Nope. The trailer has been released and the family of all the henchmen Liam Neeson killed in the first movie is back for revenge (who knew redshirts had family?) and takes his (ex?)-wife and (presumably) the Token Hot Chick from Lost. But the biggest disappointment from the trailer is the lack of an epic monologue. They better be saving that for the actual movie because if what everyone talks about in the first movie is not in the sequel, you are going to be in trouble.



Next Week Pick of the Week: The Great Escape, Sunday (tomorrow) at 10:00 on TNT: For those going through withdrawals with no Survivor, The Amazing Race, or The Challenge on television for the summer, or wished those three shows would dump the social aspect from their shows and have stand alone episode will want to check out The Great Escape when it premieres tomorrow. Look out for my full review then.

Around the Tubes - 6/22/12

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 True Blood, The Newsroom, Parks and Recreations, Ice-T, Opening Act, Dexter, Audio Files, Flowers of War, NBC shows, Iceland Airwaves Music Festival, Stars Earn Stripes, Impractical Jokers, and 2 Broke Girls.

- The new season of True Blood continues to chug along this Sunday at 9:00 and here is the latest preview:



- In other HBO news, The Newsroom premieres this week and Emily Nussbaum previewed the Aaron Sorkin show in this week’s issue of The New Yorker.

- Parks and Rec’s fans can head over to nbc.com where you can design your own t-shirt to be sold at the NBC store. The top three designers will all receive a Parks prize pack.

- With his The Art of Rap documentary on the horizon, the legendary Ice-T has created a How to Rap channel for an About.com video series.

- A singing show with no auditions, no judges, no eliminations and no competitions? Not even twirling chairs? Alrighty. Opening Act premieres Monday at 10:00 on E! The show will feature Martina McBride, Pete Wentz, Jason Derulo, Nick Cooper and Antonina Armato who will choose acts to open for a superstar headliner during their current world tours including Nicki Minaj, Rod Stewart, LMFAO, Brad Paisley, Jason Aldean, Jason Mraz, and Gym Class Heroes, among others.

- Heading to Comic-Con next month? So is Dexter Morgan. Or least the person who plays him and other actors and producers of the show. In fact they are kicking off the convention Thursday July 12. Other Showtime shows will also be showing up to the yearly event including Shameless (July 14) and Homeland will share an exclusive first look at the second season.

- New Show Alert! Audio-Files will document the Indie music scene’s most ascending artists. First up in July 3 is Neon Trees with shows featuring Imagine Dragons, Paper Route, Mason Jennings, Joshua James, and Low to follow.

- Remember the “Leave Britney along” guy? Well Chris Crocker is getting his own HBO documentary Me @ the Zoo which premieres Monday at 9:00. Check out the trailer below:



- Before Christian Bale puts on the batsuit one last time, you can check him out in a very different story The Flowers of War based on the novel by Japanese author Yan Geling and directed by internationally celebrated director Zhang Yimon.



- If you missed Grimm, Parenthood, Smash and/or Up All Night, during the regular season, you are in luck, those and other NBC shows are streaming their full seasons on nbc.com.

- For the second year in a row, Reyka Vodka - the first vodka to ever be distilled and bottled in Iceland - will give two up-and-coming American bands the chance to play alongside some of the most cutting-edge names in music at the annual Iceland Airwaves Music Festival in Reykjavik. To enter, U.S.-based artists must simply upload three original tracks, as well as photos and a biography/website link to the official Reyka Vodka website. Iceland Airwaves will review and judge all eligible entries submitted.

- Last week I mentioned NBC’s newest show Stars Earn Stripes and now the show has its “stars” Laila Ali, Dean Cain, Terry Crews, Nick Lachey, Todd Palin, Dolvett Quince, Picabo Street and Eve Torres. Wait, Terry Crews? Is he not getting his fair share from the Expendable movies? Thankfully there are charities involved. The show will be hosted by General Wesley Clark (ret.) and Samantha Harris

- TruTV announced this week they have renewed Impractical Jokers for a second season.

- You will not be able to see it on the channel until 2015, but TBS recently obtained the off-net rights to 2 Broke Girls, televisions number one new comedy from last season.

He Excites Me, Must Be Like the Genesis of Rhythm

Only Fiona Apple can release an album titled The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do and have no one bat an eye. That is because she previously released an album whose title was so long it could double the length of this review if I printed it in its entirely. Weirdly enough the number of words in the album title is more than the words in the album tracks combined. And though it has been seven years since her last album, the new album sounds like a rawer version of Extraordinary Machine (which can be explain by Fiona self producing this album unlike the last with polished producer Mike Elizando). Even her vocals become more unhinged during her darker songs than we have heard before.

Only the vibraphone enhanced Every Single Night, which crescendos into a big chorus, is the new song that could have fit well on Extraordinary Machine. The only other song that comes close is the bouncy Periphery. Though the rest of the album is rarely just Fiona and her piano, there is sparseness all over her new album even when there is a full band behind her. Fans of the striped down Fiona will definitely appreciate songs like Valentine, Jonathan and Regret. These songs may be hard to listen to the first time around, butstart to grown on you after a couple listen throughs.

The album is at its best when Fiona pusher her boundaries like when she occasionally includes tribal beats like at the beginning of Left Alone before transitioning into a frantic jazz track. Anything We Want sound like it uses Coke bottles as percussion. She really goes all out for the final track Hot Knife where Apple makes a weird analogy where she is butter and the guy in her life the preverbal hot knife. That is pretty much the entire songs with her scatting over a weird drum circle beat for four minutes.

Song to Download – Hot Knife

The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.

The Five Most Anticipated Albums of Summer 2012

Usually I start off my quarterly music preview by complaining about the lack of good albums, but something strange happened last month, there was actually a dearth a good music released. And though the summer months may not see as many as we did in May, there may still be plenty of worthy music to bump at you cookouts and bonfires this year. Here are the five I am most looking forward to followed by a rundown of what else is coming your way soon. Click the album name (or cover art) to preorder on Amazon or click the artist's name to be taken to their iTunes page.

1. Handwritten – The Gaslight Anthem (July 24): Nas (who is also on this list) famously declared a couple years back that hip-hop was dead. Of course it was not dead, it was just bastardized by ringtone rappers and people who thought Lil’ Wayne, T.I. and Rick Ross were credible rappers. Rock on the other hand has been on life support for a couple years, basically since the month and a half when Kings of Leon was the biggest group in the world. The Black Keys (who also had a theory of why rock was dying revolving around people being fine with Nickleback being the biggest band in the world) brought rock back somewhat with their last two albums and if there is any justice The Gaslight Anthem will have their breakout with their upcoming album.

2. TBA – Mumford & Sons (September 25): Of course sometime the death of rock is not because no one listens to rock anymore, just the mainstream does not talk about it. I am sure everyone would think Katy PerryKaty Perry actually has sold the same amount as Teenage Dream since both were released two years ago. Of course this is what happens when you let teenage girls control the pop culture zeitgeist. It is doubtful the banjo strumming band will become “cool” after the release of their next album, but I bet they have a longer career than Katy Perry.

3. Life Is Good – Nas (July 17): But back to Nas. You want to feel old? The MC is releasing his tenth album this summer. Sure his albums have been hit or miss and sometimes uneven since his seminal debut Illmatic, but Nas has had four years to record a record so hopefully that was time well spent.

4. Write Me Back – R. Kelly (June 26): Kells last album was his best since the nineties and Write Me Back is a thematic sequel of more classic soul music of Love Letter, sharing a similar name. Hopefully more chapters of Trapped in the Closet, which Kells said were “coming soon” back in March will soon follow.

5. Uncaged – Zac Brown Band (July 10): As I grow older, I have been listening to more country music, especially the folksier side of the genre and the debut album from Zac Brown Band was heartfelt in the right place and fun in others. With any luck that continues on their follow up.


Yesterday
The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do – Fiona Apple
Rhythm And Repose – Glen Hansard
Oceania – Smashing Pumpkins
Attractive Sin – Del The Funky Homosapien & Parallel Thought
View From the Bottom – Lit
Cherry Thing – Neneh Cherry
The Crossing – Sophie B. Hawkins

June 26
LIVING THINGS – Linkin Park
Overexposed – Maroon 5
Suzie Cracks the Whip – Blues Traveler
Invisible Stars - Everclear
Days Go By – The Offspring
Mindy Smith – Mindy Smith
The Flaming Lips & Heady Fwends – The Flaming Lips
The House That Jack Built – Jesca Hoop

July 10
Murdered Love – P.O.D.
Loma Vista – Family of the Year

July 17
Channel Orange – Frank Ocean
Ol Razzle Dazzle – Missy Higgins
Delayed Reaction – Soul Asylum

July 31
A Thousand Miles Left Behind – Gloriana
The Soul Sessions, Vol. 2 – Joss Stone
Play Rock Music – Toadies

August 14
Based on a T.R.U. Story – 2 Chainz

August 21
Mature Themes – Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
Fragrant World – Yeasayer

August 28
Havoc and Bright Lights – Alanis Morissette
Music From Another Dimension – Aerosmith

September 4
North – Matchbox Twenty
Centipede Hz – Animal Collective

September 11
The Spirit Indestructible – Nelly Furtado
Sun – Cat Power
Coexist – The xx
Ludaversal – Ludacris

September 18
Tomorrowland – Ryan Bingham
I Bet on Sky – Dinosaur Jr.

September 25
Food and Liquor 2: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 - Lupe Fiasco
Uno! – Green Day

October 9
TBA – Fitz & The Tantrums
Wrote a Song For Everyone – John Fogerty

October 15
The Haunted Man – Bat for Lashes

November 13
Dos! – Green Day
Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors – Big Boi

January 15
Tre! – Green Day

No Release Date
Born Battle - The Killers
James River - D'Angelo
West Coast Time – Michelle Branch
Indicud – Kid Cudi
Age of the Machine – Goodie Mob
Undisputed – DMX
The Diving Board – Elton John
Country God, or the Girl – K'naan
Rooted - Scarface
Cruel Summer – G.O.O.D. Music
Dave Matthews Band
The Avett Brothers
Taylor Swift
Ben Folds Five
Diane Birch
Bob Seger
Alice In Chains

And of course let me add the obligatory, maybe we will finally get to hear Detox by Dr. Dre this summer.