Cant You See Me Standing Here I Got My Back Against the Record Machine

It does not take a math genius or even a calculator to realize that this year is the thirtieth anniversary of 1984, as in the Van Halen, not the book which turns 65 this year. Up until that point, Van Halen was mostly an underground band whose biggest hit up to that point was a cover of a Roy Orbison song that bordered on novelty. Then 1984 arrived with four massive hits on radio and a new music video channel. Unfortunately the band got too big and we did not get a proper follow up to the album by the collaboration of the Van Halen brothers and lead singer David Lee Roth (even then founding member Michael Anthony was let go for a third Van Helen member) and even that turned out to be the underwhelming A Different Kind of Truth.

1984, this month’s induction into the Scooter Hall of Fame, was a shock to the fans of the guitar virtuoso of Eddie Van Hanel they came to love as the first single and opening track Jump was very synth heavy, borrowing from the New Wave movement of the time but still was able to sound like a rock song. It was a smooth transition as a short guitar solo does come in at the end of the song. That single was followed up but another synthesizer heavy I’ll Wait which was more menacing than the jukebox anthem that preceded it.

Rock purists finally got the rock heroes they were used to when Panama dropped. A hard driving song with one of the greatest breaks in rock history when the band slows it down, and David Lee Roth purred, “We’re running a little bit hot tonight. I can barely see the road from the heat coming off of it. I reach down in between my legs… ease the seat back.” Before the song comes roaring back for a triumphant finish. Both Van Halen brothers shine on Hot for Teacher, possibly drummer Alex’s best work ever while Roth was never on his friskiest than on the song. Of course who could forget one of the early great music videos on MTV that probably has you wondering right now whatever did happen to Waldo?

After the album Roth embarked on a only memorable because of the music videos solo career while the Van Halen with Michael Anthony dominated the soft rock landscape for the second half of the eighties after recruiting singer Sammy Hager. Neither was able to recapture the hard rock flamboyance magic of 1984. Roth was brought back into the fold when the band was working on a Greatest Hit package which was short lived after the brothers Van Halen were embarrassed by his antics at the MTV Video Music Awards. Of course that was not nearly as embarrassing as the Gary Cherone era.

Best of the Week: 1/31/14

Quote of the Week: Are you a midget because that’s a midget shovel. (Dewey Crowe, Justified)

Song of the Week: The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh) - The Tokens (as sung by Sheldon Cooper and James Earl Jones, The Big Bang Theory)

Scene of the Week:


Big News of the Week: #DeportBieber: When Barack Obama was elected president he promised a new era of transparency (six years later and an NSA scandal, that is debatable). One initiative he unveiled was a petition site where if you collected 25,000 signatures, the White House would respond to the petition. This led to a bunch of Star Wars geeks to petition the government to make their own Death Star. The White House humorously responded by saying it would not be fiscally responsible to spend on trillions of dollars that "can be exploited by a one-man starship." Everyone got a good laugh and the White House soon raised the signature threshold to 100,000 and had to reach that number within a month of its launch.

Well twice that number this week signed a petition to deport Justin Bieber after his (alleged) drug filled drag race in Miami last week because, "(Bieber) is not only threatening the safety of our people but he is also a terrible influence on our nations youth." For comparison, the inevitable do not deport Bieber petition, of which there are already three of as of Friday, the most of which topped out at 3,000 signatures. Of course even though the deport Bieber petition has hit the signature threshold, do not expect much of a response from the White House other than something along the lines of not being able to comment on an ongoing investigation. It certainly will not be as entertaining as their Death Star response.

Preview Picture of the Week:

“Along Came a Spider” Ravenswood Winter Finale, Tuesday at 9:00 on ABC Family

Free Download and Deal of the Week: Halftime All-Stars (Google Play): In honor of the big game, Google Play has free songs and discounted album from halftime performers past and present including Bruno Mars and his guests Red Hot Chili Peppers as well as U2, Prince., and many more.

New Album Release of the Week: After the Disco - Broken Bells

New DVD Release of the Week: About Time

Video of the Week: Super Bowl tomorrow which means Super Bowl commercials. Some have already hit the internet (although I refuse to acknowledge any Full House reunion that does not involve Kimmie Gibler) as well as a few that you will not (sorry Scarlett Johansson, you cannot throw other soda brands under the bus). Unfortunately we will not see Anna Kedrick in a beer commercial this year, but we can her Anna Kendrick talk about not being in a Super Bowl beer commercial.


Next Week Pick of the Week: 2014 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremonies, Friday at 7:30 on NBC: Forget the football game tomorrow (although the cold weather does make it more intriguing even though it does not look like it will snow tomorrow; but I do have a prediction: Seahawks by 10), the better sporting event will start Friday with the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics. Okay, the actually Olympics start with Figure Skating (Team Male and Team Pairs short programs) Ladies’ Moguls qualifications, Snowboard Slopestle qualifications. As for the marquee event, hockey starts up Saturday while the United States opens up its Olympic Hockey tournament February 13 against Slovakia (not to be confused with Slovenia which they take on 2/16). Host country Russia is the other team in their pool which will go down 2/15. Unfortunately Curling does not start up until Monday, but be on the lookout for the Norwegian team who will be hard to miss with their zigzag uniforms.

There will more than just sports to watch out for this year, and I am not talking about Figure Skating which not a real sport. Terrorism has hung its head over every Olympics since 9/11 but this is the first Olympics where there is a specific threat and recent attacks in Sochi. And after Vladimir Putin gay propaganda ban, it will be interesting if anyone will have a Tommie Smith / John Carlos type moment.

Around the Tubes: 1/30/13

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 Pete Seeger: The Power of Song, Hannibal, Chopped, The Saturday Evening Post, Plan C, Cute Him Up, Mobb Deep, Haven, Saint George, and Fish Bowl.

- PBS and Thirteen's American Masters series present a special in memoriam broadcast of the 2008 documentary Pete Seeger: The Power of Song beginning tonight at 7:30 nationwide on PBS (check local listings). The film will also stream online atpbs.org/americanmasters.

- Hannibal will be returning right after the Olympics are over, February 28 to be exact, and here is a six minute recap of the first season to refresh your memory (or give you a primer for those that want to jump in and do not want to watch the first season in it entirety):


- Pizza maestro Bruno DiFabio will join top chefs Amanda Freitag (Empire Diner) and Alex Guarnaschelli (Butter) to preside over the first-ever pizza episode of Chopped. The chefs have pizza dough as a basket ingredient in every single round. The chefs learn the will be expected to make a pizza perfect meal. In the first round one of the competition, competitors take a loose interpretation of the theme: How will the judges react? Then some unusual toppings must make their way onto the entrée pizzas. And the finalists must make pizza for dessert, with candied mushrooms and salted caramel sauce. The special episode premieres at 9:00 Super Bowl Sunday on the Food Network, with an encore next Tuesday, February 4th at 9:00.
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- One of the most highly anticipated flights touched down 50 years ago this February and The Saturday Evening Post reports in its latest cover story that America has never been the same. With the arrival of Pan Am Flight 101 at New York’s Kennedy International Airport, the Beatles landed to the roar of an adoring teenage audience and their parents’ consternation.

- Saturday Night Live cast member Beck Bennett stars in the riotous animated short film, Plan C from Writer Todd Waldman (ABC's "Happy Endings", "Awkward") and Director Joey Boukadakis("Dinner with Raphael", "Lucy in the Sky with Diamond"). The half live-action, half animated comedy explores a "Planned Parenthood" type scenario with an unexpected twist.


- Fujisankei, the production company behind Iron Chef, has just launched their second foray in online programming. The series is called Cute Him Up, and is a short and sweet male makeover show. You can view the series on YouTube.

- Seminal hip hop duo Mobb Deep consisting of artists Havoc and Prodigy, has announced a pre-order campaign for their upcoming double disc album The Infamous Mobb Deep, choosing to work with direct-to-fan platform PledgeMusic to better reach their loyal fans with this release. The Double Disc CD set features a brand new full length Mobb Deep album on one disc and a second disc featuring a digitally re-mastered version of the group's classic platinum album The Infamous.

- The series premiere of FX’s newest 10/90 model comedy, Saint George, has been set for Thursday, March 6, 2014 at 9:00. Saint George is a half-hour, multi-camera ensemble comedy that follows the chaotic life of “George Lopez,” a recently divorced working class Mexican-American turned successful entrepreneur caught between two cultures. He struggles to balance the parenting demands of his All-American Anglo ex-wife, “Mackenzie,” and the cultural expectations of his overbearing Mexican-American mother, “Alma.” As George attempts to relate to his 11-year-old son, “Harper,” his life is further complicated by his fun-loving but freeloading uncle “Tio” and cousin “Junior.” As a wealthy businessman, George also gives back by teaching history to a multi-cultural classroom at a night school in downtown Los Angeles, where he’s supervised by tough and sexy Assistant Principal “Concepcion.” Ultimately, Saint George is a celebration of a multi-generational family that humorously wrestles with cultural differences.

- Syfy has greenlit 26 new episodes of its hit series Haven, which posted growth in both Adults 18-34 and Adults 18-49 last year. The first 13 episodes of Season 5 are set to premiere this fall with the remaining 13 episodes scheduled to air in 2015.

- Nat Geo Wild’s newest star, Goldie, welcomes us into her “bowl” for an intimate look at how she is prepping for her debut on Fish Bowl, premiering Sunday, Feb. 2, 2014, at 6:00. They sat down with Goldie to get a better idea of what we’ll see, who she’ll be wearing for the red carpet, and how she is preparing for the big day.

Q: What can we expect to see on Fish Bowl?
A: Fans at home will see me take the stage in the first ever Fish Bowl. My special guests include puppies, cats, kids, a scuba diver, crazy red crabs and even a surprise visit from my good friends at Nat Geo WILD, Dr. Pol and Cesar Millan. We’re not holding back, this event will be complete with plenty of salsa, guacamole, pizza and chips for all!

Q: How did you land this role?
A: I auditioned a few months back in Los Angeles. There were so many upcoming goldfish actresses who wanted the part, I was so pleased when I got the call from Geoff Daniels, Nat Geo WILD’s EVP and General Manager. What an honor!

Q: What are you doing to prep for Fish Bowl?
A: I’ve been watching my water intake to ensure I don’t get dehydrated and making multiple laps around the bowl to keep the endurance up.

Q: What do you plan to wear for the red carpet?
A: I’m really excited to wear a new designer called au naturale.

Q: Any tips you can give us on getting ready and staying relaxed?
A: I always get my beauty sleep and make sure I have the best hair and makeup team at my side.

Previewing Billy Joel: A Matter of Trust – The Bridge to Russia

By the time I bought Billy Joel’s Kohuept, his live album that he recorded in Russia, the cold war was all but over. I really never put any thought in to what Joel’s presence in the communist country meant while listening to it, I just enjoyed the music. I was a kid when the concerts happened which was at the end of the cold war, long after the Cuban Missile Crisis and the other events the escalated the feuding countries over the end. As an adult, I can put the almost century old conflict in perspective as we currently wage a war on terrorism that looks to never die down.

Last year marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of those Russian concerts and tomorrow Showtime is airing Billy Joel: A Matter of Trust – The Bridge to Russia a documentary and retrospective on the first rock act to perform in Mother Russia. Touching down in former Russian state Georgia (not far from the site of this year’s Winter Olympics), where Joel would visit Gregorian chanters who he would then introduce doo-wop to. Joel would bring his three and a half hour show to the capital Moscow and Leningrad (a place we would write about on his next album Storm Front).

But it was a rocky start as he got booed in New Jersey when announcing the trip. Just image what the 24-hour networks would say if they were around like they are today. Might look like how they covered Dennis Rodman going to North Korea, but with less nipple rings. Then there were not enough seating in the venues he played and show promontories had to bring in chairs from local churches and union halls. And in true American rock and roll tradition, some of the concerts featured unplanned stage crashers and smashed instruments.

The documentary also features modern day interviews from Joel himself, ex-wife Christie Brinkley who accompanied him on the trip with their young daughter (who apparently was too young to remember anything because she is absent from the film), band members, Joel’s personal translator on the trip, Wayne Isham who was documenting the trip at the time, and even underground Soviet rock artists from the era. The documentary is a facilitating look at another small ray of sunshine that helped melt the cold war. But still a little depressing to think that anyone born the last time Billy Joel last released an album of new material is now old enough to drink.

Billy Joel: A Matter of Trust – The Bridge to Russia premieres Friday at 9:00 on Showtime.

I Want My Music Television: 1/28/14

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.


Sleeping with a Friend – Neon Trees


I always Neon Trees would have fit in well during the pop-rock band of the late ninties (as signified by having a McG directed music video), but the band went full eighties with their latest video and I am not sure if it make me nostalgic or is giving me bad flashbacks.


Hold On - Colbie Caillat


Who would have guessed the Lilest Lilith Fair music video would be made by Colbie Caillat in 2014. How did Paula Cole not make this video seventeen years ago?


You Sound Good to Me - Lucy Hale


Late last year a video circulated the internets claiming to be every country song of 2013 which features every song which sang about trucks driving down dirt roads, chicks in blue jeans named “Girl,” cold ones and about ten other country clichés. Really the video could have been every country radio hit of the past thirty years. And even though every country song that gets played on the radio sounds the same, Pretty Little Liars’ Lucy Hale somehow managed to come out with the most bland country song possibly ever. Even the music video looked recycled from some Carrie Underwood outtake. It somehow managed to be the most bland country song possibly ever.


M.A.A.D. City / Radioactive – Imagine Dragons and Kendrick Lamar


I am not the biggest fan of Imagine Dragons or Kendrick Lamar and was weary when it was announced they were going to perform together at the Grammy’s but not only was it was the best performance of the night it also gave up the most GIF-able moments with many cutaways to Taylor Swift dancing and what may have been the first public appearance of Lorde smiling. I got excited when I saw a Kendrick Lamar Remix of Radioactive hit iTunes after the performance. Unfortunately the studio version just sounding like someone cut and pasted a random Kendrick rant that sort of had some time signature and put it in the middle of Radioactive. I never understand why artists do not put their award show performances on iTunes. I would have spent about ten dollars on this year’s Grammy’s alone. Instead I have to debate on whether to hunt down crappy version that someone ripped from their television. It certainly would have been nice to buy a high quality version of this performance without the lengthy bleeps or the Copy of A / My God Is the Sun closer without getting cut off (hey Grammy’s seriously just start at 7:00 and go four hours because that is how long the show overruns every year anyway).

We on Award Tour: 2014 Grammy Awards

After a lackluster 2013, this year's Grammy's was surprisingly not horrible. Only two performances had me reaching to switch to the Pro Bowl. Of course the no defense game had me back on CBS quickly. Here are some quick thought on the show.

- Beyoncé gave me a serious seizure. Not a very good way to start a show. Plus I do not really like the Grammy trend of opening up the show with someone who is not nominated but just promoting an album.

- LL Cool J has to be the most boring host ever. Seriously, can you get a host next year that will make at least one Justin Bieber joke. Why did they not have Anna Kendrick host? She was more more entertaining in two minutes than he was all night. Or at least have her present with Kendrick Lamar?

- Um, Lorde already did Royals at the nomination special. How about let her do something else. At least they did not force her to perform with Madonna.

- Remember how Best New Artist was a joke but last decade they managed to get it right ever year for almost ten straight year from Alicia Keys to Adele? Well it looks to being back to being a joke.

- Should I know who Hunter Hayes is, that performance was not very good. If that was The Voice, no one would have turned their chairs.

- Oscar winner Juicy J should be brought up at every award show. Katy Perry, not so much.

- Was Pharrell Williams the first interpreter at the Grammy's? I guess it should not be a surprise they did not speak, they are French.  He certainly was the first real life human to wear an oversized Dudley Do Right hat.

- Kevin Hart was in the house and still they had LL Cool J hosted?

- So Robin Thicke sings blurred Lines with Earth, Wind & Fire on the nomination special and with Chicago on the big show. Hey Grammy's how about stop double dipping. At least they were both an upgrade over Miley Cyrus.

- Having YouTube performances during the Pop categories was stupid.

- After Steve Hyden of Grantland suggested that a potential Lorde acceptance speech could be a mix between Pearl Jam circa 1996 and Fiona Apple on MTV, her acceptance speeches were a bit disappointing. But she definitely deserved it.

- I have a feeling one day we are going to learn the last twenty years or so of Ozzy Osbourne's life was a Weekend at Bernie's situation.

- Jamie Fox was only a little bit awkward focusing on Beyonce.

- I feel bad for Kacey Musgraves for having to follow the Imagine Dragons / Kendrick Lamar song. Whoever sequenced that did a really bad job. I still would have had Kendrick perform a mash up with Anna Kendrick instead. But I did love how Imagine Dragons did not bother to clean up after their performance. And Kacey's boots were awesome.

- Why does Taylor Swift not have her own dedicated dance cam stream? It is 2014 people.

- Mike Ditka on a wrecking ball during the "halftime show": something I will not be able to unsee.

- Where was Taylor Swift during the massive Daft Punk dance party? She could not have been pouting over losing the Best Country Album. Not only was Kacey Musgraves' better, it was an actual country album.

- Does Lars Ulrich really have a mullet?

- Same Love needed more Trombone Shorty and less Madonna.

- It is interesting that Miranda Lambert performed The Everly Brothers song with Billie Joe Armstrong instead of Norah Jones considering they just recorded an Everly's cover album together. Come to think of it I do not even remember them performing together to promote the album.

- Get Lucky is a great song but not great enough to get an otherwise underwhelming rest of the album worthy of Album of the Year. But then again it was a weak category this year.

- A solid closing performance, I really enjoy the Lindsey Buckingham enhanced version of Copy of A better than the original. Get that version on iTunes soon before I have to get a copy through nefarious means.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: 1/26/14

Shameless: Of course Frank has an as to known unseen daughter. But this begs the question just how many kids does Frank have. Really the paternity of all the Gallagher’s is in question obviously Liam is not his) and who knows how many other kids out there he had out of wedlock? He may have to hunt down all of them this season looking for a donor.

Revenge: Coldblooded that Emily would bring in Sara’s mother to win her battle. But a bit of a dissatisfying ending because it was not full takedown. Has she even completely ruined anyone lately (I guess Lydia could count)? Maybe we will get a takedown when Takeda’s daughter puts two and two together and realize Aiden was the that killed her father and puts that practice of separating skin from flesh to good use. We two cliff hangers, Emily suffers her second blackout, the second of which results in her waking up in Conrad’s bed. Then we are left with a fist look at Conrad’s first wife. Hopefully she is the one to finally kick the show out of the rut it has been in for about a season and a half.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Revenge on iTunes.

House of Lies: Monica getting stabbed was all sorts of awesome. I am guessing she will be fired, but I kind of hope they find a way to bring the stabber back. Certainly Marty may not have much of a problem hiring someone who would stab his ex-wife. Oh well, they at least still play the stabber's AT&T commercial in heavy rotation.

The Blacklist: The promo monkeys pulled a quick one on me this week. I actually thought that the chick in the black wig was Lizzie but just turned out to be a victim of The Alchemist. But why exactly did Red need The Alchemist to uncover the mole. Does this mean Meera changed her DNA and is not who she says she is?
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download The Blacklist on iTunes.

Castle: The reason why Justified is the best crime drama on television is that the criminals on the shows are idiots. So I got a good laugh this week when killer got caught because she did not bother to “burn” her burner phone. And is there any chance they keep the starlet around to be Alexis’ new best friend? Or even better have a spin off where the starlet starts imitating her art and becomes a optically challenged P.I. at night with Alexis as her sidekick. They can air it on ABC Family. I would watch that.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Castle on iTunes.

Pretty Little Liars: Are there really places you can go to throw plates at walls? That cannot be cheap.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Pretty Little Liars on iTunes.

Justified: I am glad Rachel brought up the theory that Raylan’s booty call just may have been working with the baseball bat guy. It certainly crossed my mind because that scenario has happened to Raylan before with the waitress and the UFC fighter which ended hilariously with a bean bag shotgun. Speaking of non lethal projectiles, it was seeing Wynn getting back to his psychotic ways. It seems like after Robert Quarels show up as the obligatory psycho, Wynn let him to all the evil stuff.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Justified on iTunes.

Nashville: That Zac Brown Band segment was really awkward. But Scarlett calling out Raina for having a co-dependent relationship with her exes was awkwardly awesome.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Nashville on iTunes.

Community: Despite being another paintball-type episode, the lava floor episode was still thoroughly entertaining. At least it was until Annie went out way too soon and Britta got her way and got Troy and Abed to talk about their feelings.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Community on iTunes.

Parenthood: After a yawn fest of a first half of the season with boring storyline (Camille in Italy) after boring storyline (Drew’s bootie calls) after excruciating storyline (Joel and Julie long and played out separation), I finally got excited for one of the rare times this season for a potential storyline: Kristina starting her own school. Hopefully this pulls the show out of its doldrums.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Parenthood on iTunes.

Best of the Week: 1/25/14

Quote of the Week: That was my fault. I shoulda been clearer. Standing up ain’t the only way to get me to take this bat to you. Calling her a (expletive deleted) will get us there too. (Raylan Givens, Justified)

Song of the Week: Satellite Call – Sara Bareilles (Pretty Little Liars)

Scene of the Week:


Big News of the Week: Peter Pan Coming Back to the Small Screen: Haters be damned, After The Sound of Music Live! put up monster numbers, the question was not if they would put on another live musical but what would it be. I had my money on West Side Story but NBC instead went with what I thought would be the second most likely: Peter Pan. Of course as soon as the news broke, casting wish lists came flooding in (the NBC president jokingly said he wanted Miley Cyrus as the titular character; at least I hope he was joking).

Ever since The Sound of Music, I have been posting fake musical casts and a couple weeks ago I even did one for Peter Pan that was a little Scott Pilgrim vs. The World heavy. For Peter Pan I had Brie Larson and Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Tigerlily. Unlike Carrie Underwood, who has a great voice but limited acting experience, both of my choices are good actresses with singing experience, Larson sang in Scott Pilgrim and actually released a Avril Lavigne type album as a teenage (yes there is a video on YouTube and yes it is awesomely bad and I cannot confirm nor denied I downloaded the song), while MEW supposedly has an album with Dan the Automator coming out sometime this year. Then for Captain Hook, I suggested another actor who dabbles in music, Jack Black.

Of course NBC wants to screw Peter Pan up because after the Miley Cyrus joke, the president said they are actually looking into casting a young male as Peter Pan. Yeah the character is a young male except the role was written for a young woman. That is what the music is written for, a woman’s voice. And more importantly having a grown women pretending to be a teenage boy pretending to be a woman who seduces Captain Hook like in the screenplay is creepy enough, but having an actual teenage boy seduce a grown man may mean Chris Hansen will get involved. Plus what young boy is famous to put on a marquee? The only one that comes to mind is Justin Bieber, but he may be detained for the foreseeable future and may not even be allowed in the country by the time the special is supposed to air in December.

Preview Picture of the Week:

"Fountain" Switched at Birth, Monday at 8:00 on ABC Family

Free Download of the Week: Hangout Festival Sampler (Noisetrade): The Hangout Festival is hitting the Gulf Shore of Alabama starting May with headliners The Black Keys, The Killers, and like every other festival in 2014, Outkast. Okay, those three artists are absent from the sampler, but you can still get free tracks from Jack Johnson, The Avett Brothers, Los Lobos, and twenty other acts playing the festival.

New Album Release of the Week: B-Sides - The Gaslight Anthem

New DVD Release of the Week: Bonnie & Clyde

Video of the Week: As previously mentioned, before going on to be a critical darling, teenaged Brie Larson was an aspiring pop singer. And there is even video evidence (what would we do before YouTube). At least her participation in Scott Pilgrim redeemed her musically.




Next Week Pick of the Week: The 56th Grammy Awards, Sunday at 8:00 on CBS: I came to the realization while making my list of the 100 Best Songs of 2013 that it was a horrible year for music. Case in point: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are nominated in the Grammy’s Big Four. How Lorde did not get that honor is a bit befuddling especially her omission from Best New Artist especially over James Blake, who garnered no other nominations, and Ed Sheeran, who was nominated for Song of the Year last year (and also nabbed no other nominations this year). Of course that could mean Lorde can grab Best New Artist at the 2015 show. But this year those two will be performing along with Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Kacey Musgraves, Madonna, and a bunch of duets: Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams, Niles Rodgers, and Stevie Wonder, Imagine Dragons and Kendrick Lamar, P!nk and Nate Ruess, Merle Haggard, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, and Blake Shelton, John Legend and Keith Urban, Metallica and Lang Lang, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, Robin Thicke and Chicago, Sara Bareilles and Carol King, Billy Joe Armstrong and Miranda Lambert will pay tribute to Phil Everly, and the grouping of Dave Grohl, Lindsey Buckingham, Nine Inch Nails, and Queens of the Stone Age closing out the show. So all those, some weird, pairing it may be worth checking out the show despite what may have been the worst year in music since 1999. Well that and to see if Grohl will pick up what will only be Nirvana’s second Grammy ever (Best Alternative Music Album for MTV Unplugged is currently their only gramophone) for Best Rap Song. Seriously. They are listed as songwriters because Jay-Z sang a line from Smells Like Teen Spirit in Holy Grail.

Around the Tubes: 1/24/14

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 House of Cards, Herblock: The Black and the White, The Strain, Syfy's Mondays, Super Skyscrapers, ShortsHD, Conan, The Band Called FUSE, Reader's Digest, and Kidz Bop.

- House of Cards has released a bunch of cinemagraphs (I am thinking there are supposed to be the new Gif’s) over on it Tumblr page as it readies for the February 14 release of season 2. I dare you not to spend your next hour staring at Kate Mara blinking.

- Herblock: The Black and the White traces the life of Herbert L. Block, who started cartooning in his teens in Chicago and went on to win four Pulitzer Prizes and the Presidential Medal of Freedom during his 55 years at the Washington Post. For the better part of the 20th century, his cartoons were a must read for those in Washington and syndicated across the country. The film features interviews with political and journalism luminaries such as Ted Koppel, David Brooks, Gwen Ifill, Tom Brokaw, Jules Feiffer, Tom Friedman and Bob Schieffer, as well as comedians Lewis Black and Jon Stewart, who describes Block as a “touchstone” for political comics and satirists today. Herblock: The Black and the White debuts exclusively on HBO Monday at 9:00).

- The latest promo for The Strain was released this week and it is ominous.


- Syfy fans take note Bitten and Lost Girl will be swapping timeslots. Starting this Monday Bitten will air at 8:00 while Lost Girl will air at 10:00. Being Human will remain at 9:00.

- Urban planners around the world are building higher and faster than ever before, creating a new generation of skyscrapers that push the limits of engineering, technology and design to become greener, stronger and more luxurious. PBS announced today the premiere of Super Skyscrapers, a four-part series that follows the creation of extraordinary buildings and showcases how they revolutionize the ways we live, work and entertain ourselves. Part of PBS’ new Wednesday night science lineup that expands programing into the 10 p.m. hour, Super Skyscrapers episodes include One World Trade Center, Building the Future, The Vertical City and The Billionaire Building. The series premieres Wednesday, February 5, 2014, 10:00 on PBS.

- ShortsHD, the world's only Short Movie Channel in high definition, working with Magnolia Pictures, will open "The Oscar® Nominated Short Films 2014" in over 250 theatres across the United States, Canada and Europe on Friday January 31, 2014, with more than 400 theatres slated to screen the films during its theatrical release. In its 9th year, "The Oscar® Nominated Short Films" showcase the Live Action, Animation and Documentary nominees as three separate theatrical events. This will be the only opportunity for audiences to watch the nominated shorts prior to the 86th Academy Awards® ceremony on Sunday, March 2, 2014.

- TBS's Conan, starring Conan O'Brien, will welcome the cast of AMC's smash hit The Walking Dead on Thursday, Feb. 6, for their first-ever joint interview in late night. Joining O'Brien in the studio will be Andrew Lincoln (who plays Rick Grimes),Norman Reedus (Daryl Dixon), Lauren Cohan (Maggie Greene), Steven Yeun (Glen Rhee), Danai Gurira (Michonne) andMelissa McBride (Carol Peletier). The cast is making this exclusive appearance in anticipation of the mid-season premiere ofThe Walking Dead on Sunday, Feb. 9.

- Representing Belgium, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Panama, New Jersey and New York City, The Band Called Fuse is a diverse group of hip hop, rock and soul performers changing the face of New York's underground music scene. Following the path of The Roots, Rage Against the Machine and The Fugees and inspired by the spirit of Jimi Hendrix, the funk of Parliament and the bluesy soul of Nina Simone, The Band Called Fuse draw from a broad range of influences to shape an eclectic new sound dubbed Soul Rock. Check out Soul Rock Anthem below.


- If he’s wearing a parka, you know it’s time for another Winter Olympics. This month, Bob Costas hosts his tenth Olympics, leading coverage of the Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. To get Bob’s inside scoop on this year’s Olympic Games, Reader’s Digest caught up with the sportscaster in his office at 30 Rockefeller Plaza to talk figure skating, snide remarks, and the last story that made him cry.

- KIDZ BOP 25, the latest volume in the best-selling KIDZ BOP audio series, entered the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart at #3. KIDZ BOP 25 is the 7th consecutive KIDZ BOP title to debut in the Top 3 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart and the 18th title to hit the Billboard Top 10 since the series launched in 2001. The album is also #1 on the Billboard Children’s Chart, where there are currently two other KIDZ BOP albums in the Top 10. In 2013, KIDZ BOP sold more than one million albums, outselling top artists such as: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Kanye West, Maroon 5, Rihanna, and Miley Cyrus. For the fourth consecutive year, Billboard named the KIDZ BOP Kids the “#1 Kids’ Album Artists of the Year” and KIDZ BOP 23as the “#1 Kids’ Album of the Year.”

Previewing King of the Nerds: Season Two

The first season of King of the Nerds was a lot better than it should have been. Going in I thought it was just going to be Beauty and the Geek without the eye candy. The show somehow managed to not take itself too seriously and give proper due to the geek culture. All the while the show was hosted by quite possibly the two biggest nerds Robert Carradine and Curtis Armstrong better known as Lewis Skolnick and Booger.

Both are back for a second season (though they did not take my suggestion to bring in The Ogre to have a nerds vs. jocks season… yet) with eleven new nerds. Yes, an odd number of nerds again which leads to the hosts letting the contestant know that they know there was a twist last season which just plays with their minds and leads to the most entertaining part of the premiere where everyone is freaking out if there is going to be the same twist this season, a different one, or none at all.

Of course no reality show is anything without some entertaining contestants and King of the Nerds certainly restocked their cupboard well for the second go around. There are more intellectuals (chemist, bioengineer, aspiring space explorer, aerospace engineer, historian), geek culture enthusiasts (puppeteer, fantasy writer), gamers (LARP enthusiast, vlogger) and wherever a Japanophile falls under. The other key ingredient are the challenges and tonight is a Harry Potter inspired game which surprisingly involves some athleticism (naturally both in the Nerd Off do not do very well). Other challenges this season include Robot dodgeball, Nerdiocart, and a Science Fair.

Guest stars set to appear throughout the second season of King of the Nerds include Bill Nye (the Science Guy), Mayim Bialik (Blossom), Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite), Kevin Sorbo (Hercules) and Kumail Nanjiani (Franklin & Bash). The season will also feature a Revenge of the Nerds reunion (hopefully The Ogre) and return appearances by George Takei (Star Trek) and Yaya Han.


King of the Nerds airs Thursdays at 10:00 on TBS. You can download King of the Nerds on iTunes.

Previewing Lizzie Borden Took an Ax: A Dude's Review of Lifetime vol. IV

Up to now I have reviewed a couple Lifetime series, but let’s be honest, the bread and butter of the channel are ripped from the headline original movies and remakes so I thought I would give one a review. Their latest ripped from the headline movie is actually comes from the headlines in the 90’s, the 1890’s. Even if you are unfamiliar with the story of Lizzie Borden, the title Lizzie Borden Took an Ax kind of explains it all (Spoiler Alert!: she did not become the world’s first lumberjack).

Lizzie Borden was one of the first media murder suspect sensations, the OJ Simpson of her time, a Sunday school teacher accused of brutally killing her father and step-mother with the titular murder weapon. The trial was front page news with an outcome never a given. Questions still remain to this day as the CSI team was not as thorough as they are today. Back then detectives would have suspect reach out their hands so they could inspect for blood splatter. Though vague throughout most at the movie, the movie does take a definitive stand at what exactly happened at the end.

Picking up the ax for Lifetime is Christina Ricci (Addams Family). While Billy Campbell (who stays in the time period after last year’s Killing Lincoln) plays the lawyer whose main defense is that women are not capable of such a heinous crime. The movie is overdramatic and exactly what I thought a Lifetime movie would be. But I will give the movie points for the completely out of place soundtrack of modern blues-rock songs like the appropriately titled Psychotic Girl by The Black Keys.

Lizzie Borden Took an Ax airs Saturday at 8:00 on Lifetime.

I Want My Music Television: 1/21/14

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.


Bound 2 - Kanye West


Since there really are not any new music videos to talk about this year, I am going to mention some that I never got around to featuring last year. There really is nothing I can say about Bound 2 that was not already said in Bound 3 but I do have say something about one of the complaints of the video. I do not understand why people were disappointed that Charlie Wilson was not featured in the video. Charlie was smart to sit this one out. What did the critics want, Charlie riding in a sidecar? Would you want to be in that sidecar?


Who You Love - John Mayer featuring Katy Perry


"Yo John and Katy, I'm really happy for you, I'mma let you finish, but me and Kim had the most uncomfortable video of all time. OF ALL TIME!!!"


Skinny Love – Birdy


Speaking of old songs, this dates back to 2011 when fourteen year old Birdy covered Skinny Love and became a hit throughout Europe and gained a cult following here in the states. Birdy just released her second album across the Atlantic a couple months ago but it looks like her first single is finally getting a push in America as she just released a new music video for the song. I have a feeling it may be due to another alternative mononymous foreign suburban teenager hitting it big last year (Birdy is six months older than Lorde).


Talking Dreams - Echosmith


Since there probably be not that much new music of not for the next couple weeks, January is a good time to go back and look for some music from the past year. I recently discover Echosmith, a family band much like the buzz of 2013 Haim. Their debut album was decent but seems to go a little too hard for the Warped Tour power-pop where the most interesting tracks are the songs that do not fit that sub-genre very much. It seems like they are pushing Cool Kids as the single probably because outcast lyrics have been big on radio lately. My favorite song off the album is the title track Talking Dreams. The video gets bonus points for the croquet and if there were an MTV today to put this video in heavy rotation, those close up shots at the end of the lead singer could have made her this millennium’s Suzanna Hoffs. Echosmith seems like one of those bands that could be a lot more interesting on their second or third album when they out grown the power pop sound. That is if they can get to a third album in today’s musical climate where you can get dropped after one underperforming album. Granted if that happens, the singer could always go on The Voice because the show loves female Warped Tour veterans.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: 1/19/14

Revenge: Last week we had to sit through the silly temporary amnesia storyline and this week it was Emily moping through the episode Well that was until Victoria told her she was infernal And now she is all revengy (did the promo monkey really use that word). Hopefully she starts taking down people again. Takeda’s daughter is now in the revenge game so hopefully she quickly takes Aiden down for what he did to her father. He was never a good addition to the show and he being around is one of the reasons behind the drop in quality for the show.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Revenge on iTunes.

Switched at Birth: I am disappointed that we did not get to see Daphne in jail aside from a quick dream sequence. Granted I guess that she is now essentially going to school at a juvenile detention facility. But wouldn't these pretty much be the same students she lived around since she was young?
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Switched at Birth on iTunes.

How I Met Your Mother: The slap bet has been going on for seven years? Seven Years! SEVEN!!! Ugg, and there still have one left. How many were there to begin with? Oh well, at least we got a Boyz II Men appearance out of this episode.
You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com. You can also download How I Met Your Mother on iTunes.

The Blacklist: With the rise of serialize television, shows started adding the much needed “previously on…” package about a decade or two ago. The older I get, the more I think they may need one after every commercial break. When Alan Alda popped up at the end of the episode as so congressional guy, I went, “wait, who was he in the last episode again?” So Alda is part of big cabal that Red can expose and works inside the government? So was he the mole or was the guy Red killed the mole? And who exactly did Red kill? Who is Newton Philips?
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download The Blacklist on iTunes.

Castle: It is still pretty vague as to if Papa Castle really is deep undercover or really just wanted by the CIA.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Castle on iTunes.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Ever since we learned that Skye’s mother was probably a SHIELD Agent it was way too obvious that Mae was her mother. That was until this week when we learned that the lady that dropped Skye off was not her mother but was protecting the 084: an object of unknown origin is followed by death wherever she goes. Of course that does not completely rule out Mae as her mother, but could technically be true, but it is becoming more unlikely.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on iTunes.

Justified: Oh, Loretta, why are you stuck in sitcom hell? Hopefully next season, which sadly will be the show’s last, will be Raylan rescuing Loretta from the evil clutches of new bad guy, The Toolman.
You can download Justified on iTunes.

Suburgatory: I wonder if they had a different plan for the premiere that they had to change when Tessa’s mother got cast in another show. Undoubtedly Tessa would end up back with George in their old house eventually because that is the show, but this seemed a bit rushed and I wonder if it had been at the end of the first episode instead of the beginning. But that was a very appropriate use of Royals at the end of the show. Though I do not like the new title sequence, way too creepy.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Suburgatory on iTunes.

Nashville: Well that was a quick death for Peggy, I would have expected her to be on life support for a full episode and teased her or Will ending up being the dead one a little longer. Unfortunately Will survived the episode and is back to being a closeted guy he has been all series. Hopefully Layla will give TMZ another call and out him so that character can finally be interesting. And is Juliet the first person to go up against the crazy religious picketers and come out looking worse? Anyone who they picket in the real world always ends up looking better.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Nashville on iTunes.

Community: So we get a farewell to Pierce and Troy in the same episode. Pierces parking gift was funnier than it had any right to be. Chevy Chase was kicked off the show but I am confused at why Donald Glover is leaving. Does it really taking up too much time that he cannot do his music and the show at the same time? After hearing his last album, he probably should not have quit his day.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Community on iTunes.

Parenthood: It was not advertised, but we got our first look at the upcoming About a Boy remake when the lead popped up at the poker game (it will get a proper premiere during the Olypmics before settling in on Tuesdays after The Voice). Of course he makes a joke about never having kids. Other than that, the episode was a big downer between a drunken Amber and the continuing marital problem between Joel and Julia. Ugg.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Parenthood on iTunes.

Grimm: C’mon promo monkeys, when you say the episode “delivers” with images of a pregnant character on the screen, she has to at least go into labor at some point of the episode.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Grimm on iTunes.

Helix: Again, my main take away from the second episode is that the younger CDC chick is quite attractive, even with a massive scar on her back. So did she have major back surgery, is she infected and that is a symptom? Since this is a sci-fi show, I am sure we will find out long after we stopped caring about it.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Helix on iTunes.

Best of the Week: 1/18/14

Quote of the Week: Unless Hitler has risen from the grave, and is in my whorehouse, go away right now, Messer! (Dewie Crowe, Justified)

Song of the Week: The Man Comes Around – Johnny Cash (The Blacklist)

Scene of the Week:


Big News of the Week: Veronica Mars Coming Back to the Small Screen: Shortly after the success of Kickstarter, creator Rob Thomas talked about he was looking ways to reboot the television series. This seemed plausible because unlike when the show went off the air, there are more cable channels getting into the scripted game not to mention nontraditional channels like Netflix. Except there was one huge obstacle: Kristen Bell is already under contract with House of Lies and cannot star in two shows simultaneously. You really cannot have a Veronica Mars reboot when the titular character only shows up about as often as Alison Brie on Mad Man.

So if you want to bring back the show to the small screen without the main character there is really only one way to do it. And The CW, the network that canceled the show seven years ago so they could put Farmer Takes a Wife on the air, announced earlier this week that they were going to make a Veronica Mars spin-off for their internet division CW Seed (whatever that is). It did not take very long to theorize who would star in the spin-off (I was hoping would take his web series success of Burning Love and bring it to a Vinnie Van Lowe show; maybe in a case that forces him to team up with Keith Mars again) when Rob Thomas announced that the show would star Ryan Hansen as himself as he tries to put together a Dick Casablancas series. Awesome. So basically it will just be a longer version of the hilarious Kickstarter video with probably even more cameos. No word on whether this will hit the internets before or after the movie on March 15 but I hope that The CW actually picks up the Dick Casablancas show. It cannot possibly be worse that what it currently on their network. Seriously, my sources telling me coming later this month is a show starring Julie Taylor as Juliet to an alien Romeo.

Preview Picture of the Week:

“Your Body Is a Battleground” Switched at Birth, Monday at 8:00 on ABC Family

Free Download of the Week: Country Greats (Google Play): Even if you are not a fan of the genre, you should at least give a listen to Will Hoge and Ashley Monroe. There is also a free Sheryl Crow song from her recent country turn. And also Kenny Fracking Rogers.

Deal of the Week: Cash Albums for $5: Earlier this week Amazon ran an advertisement of, “If you give us $5 we'll give you Cash back.” When I clicked on the link, it ended up being a bunch of Johnnty Cash albums. It only took me a couple seconds to get the joke.

New Album Release of the Week: The U.S. Albums - The Beatles

New DVD Release of the Week: It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (Criterion Collection) (Blu-ray/DVD)

Video of the Week: I am a little late to this, but if you are like me and have not watched wrestling in years, I have a treat for you: the return of Jake “The Snake” Roberts. And of course wherever Jake goes, Damien is there too. The best part is the other guy was so excited that he could not help but smiled while getting accosted with a snake. Sadly it looks like this was a one night only affair. Even sadder was the news that Mae Young passed away this week. She continued to pop up on screen even in her nineties, wrestling in nine straight decades, a feat that will doubtfully ever be matched let alone beaten. The sight of Mae “giving birth” to Mark Henry’s “baby” will forever be etched on my mind.


Next Week Pick of the Week: King of the Nerds, Thursdays at 10:00 on TBS: The first season of King of the Nerds was just plain fun and now the show is back with ten more geeks fighting to sit upon the Throne of Games. Look for a full preview of the premiere on Thursday.

Around the Tubes: 1/17/14

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 Showtime premiere dates, House of Cards, True Detective, Grammy Prediction Special, Outside, The Saturday Evening Post, Opposite Worlds, Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Challenge, You Oughta Know, and Fish Bowl.

- For those that plan their television watching schedules in advance, Showtime announced the premiere date for their spring programming. Nurse Jackie will return for its sixth season Sunday April 13 at 9:00 followed by the seventh and final season of Californication at 9:30. Then at 10:00, new docu-series Years of Living Dangerously follows a star-studded roster of major film, television and renowned journalists traveling the globe, tackling an enormous range of subjects on the hot button topic of climate change. The correspondents are Jessica Alba, Mark Bittman, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, America Ferrera, Harrison Ford, Thomas Friedman, Michael C. Hall, Chris Hayes, Olivia Munn, Dr. M. Sanjayan, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ian Somerhalder and Lesley Stahl. New series Penny Dreadful will take over that 10:00 timeslot starting May 11. Showtime also released a first look at Penny Dreadful which you can gander at below:


- Showtime is also planning well past spring ordering two new shows two series. The Affair, a one-hour drama series starring Golden Globe® nominees Dominic West (The Wire) and Ruth Wilson (Luther), as well as Emmy® nominee Maura Tierney (ER) and SAG Award® nominee Joshua Jackson (Fringe), received a ten-episode series order. Happyish, a comedy starring Academy Award® winner Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote), Kathryn Hahn (Revolutionary Road) and Rhys Ifans (Notting Hill) also received a 10-episode order.

- Netflix will be airdropping the entire second season of House of Cards on their sit February 14. Check out the trailer below:


- For those hooked on HBO’s True Detective after just one episode, here is a look at episode two to tide you over until Sunday.


- As the world readies for the biggest night in music, The Recording Academy®’s GRAMMY® Awards, AXS TV is giving fans a precursor for what to expect, gathering a prestigious panel of experts to predict winners of the most prestigious categories. Hosted by AXS TV’s Ryan Stout, Grammy Prediction Special is a one-hour LIVE program that features expert opinion from renowned music critic Bob Lefsetz, music newsmaker DJ Skee, and research entrepreneur John Dick of CivicScience. Grammy Prediction Special airs Wednesday, Jan. 22 at 8:00 with rebroadcasts throughout the week.

- Meet Julia Mancuso, the greatest athlete in the history of the U.S. Women’s Olympic Ski Team. A three-time medalist, Julia will be one of the most-watched athletes this upcoming Winter Olympics, which air on NBC starting February 6. With Lindsey Vonn out, the Sochi lights will shine bright on Julia, who graces the cover of Outside magazine’s February 2014 issue, now on newsstands. Check out the cover below:

- One of the most highly anticipated flights touched down 50 years ago this February and The Saturday Evening Post reports in its latest cover story that America has never been the same. With the arrival of Pan Am Flight 101 at New York’s Idlewild Airport (which is today known as JFK), the Beatles landed to the roar of an adoring teenage audience and their parents’ consternation.

- Syfy this week revealed 12 of the players who, in two opposing teams, will compete head-to-head in the fast-paced, intense weekly challenges on Opposite Worlds. The final two players will be decided by a viewer vote on Syfy.com. Adding to the drama on Opposite Worlds is a glass wall dividing the house into the two environments, allowing the teams to watch, envy and dread each other's every move. Viewers can contribute to the chatter about Opposite Worlds – and affect each weekly challenge - by following the handle @syfyoppworlds and using the hashtag #oppositeworlds on Twitter.

- In other Syfy news, they have announced their ten hopeful creature designers who have come to Los Angeles with an incredible shared dream: to land a job working in Jim Henson’s Creature Shop™. The new reality competition series, Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Challenge, premieres Tuesday, March 25 at 10:00 following an all-new episode of Syfy’s acclaimed Face Off. The eight-episode series provides a fascinating window into the imaginative and wildly creative environment of world-class creature design, fabrication and mechanization. To find out more about the cast, see bios, photo galleries and video, visit syfy.com/creatureshop.

- In a first-time endeavor, VH1 has put together some of its esteemed alumni from its You Oughta Know franchise on a compilation CD, VH1 You Oughta Know Volume 1, which will be available exclusively at Whole Foods Market stores nationwide in early January 2014.

- From the award-winning team that launched the careers of The Dog Whisperer and The Incredible Dr. Pol, Nat Geo WILD is proud to announce the latest face of the network — “Goldie.” New to the Hollywood scene, this up-and-coming “actor,” who also happens to be a goldfish, snagged the leading role in Fish Bowl, the highly anticipated four-hour reality special premiering Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 2, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Previewing APB with Troy Dunn and Cold Justice

Troy Dunn has made a living locating hard to find people after helping his mother find her biological family. Now he is doing it with television cameras in tow. With new show APB with Tony Dunn, he will be using his expertise and experience to find a new group of people. In tomorrow’s premiere Troy and his team helps siblings find their older brother who was given up for adoption by then teen parents. The also try to find a drunk driver for a daughter of a man he killed sixteen years ago when she was just six years old. The show is heartwarming and manages to keep the exploitation that a show of its ilk tends to revel in to a minimum.

Later this season Troy and his team tried to track down the young couple who risked their lives to pull her from the burning car crash that killed her mother and 5-year-old niece, a sister the state took from her mother twenty-seven years ago, and the team works against the clock to grant a woman's dying wish to find the daughter she gave birth to in secret fifty-one years ago.

APB with Troy Dunn airs Friday at 9:00 on TNT.

Preceding APB with Troy Dunn is another season of Cold Justice. Though the second season premiere was not available to watch prior to the date, I have seen next week’s episode. The first eleven episodes, there have been two confessions, five indictments and one felon sentenced to twenty-two years in prison. And next week Yolanda McClary and Kelly Siegler investigate a murder, and possible rape that dates back almost a decade but local law enforcement could not afford a DNA test that could have ID’d the suspect.

Cold Justice airs Fridays at 8:00 on TNT.

C'mon We Got to Keep the Fire Burning

Considering it was a Bruce Springsteen concert staple throughout the 00’s, it is a bit surprising that American Skin (41 Shots) never got an official studio recording until now. High Hopes is not truly a rarities album but more of a hodgepodge of rarities, covers, and reimaginings of older songs in Bruce’s catalog all recorded on his most recent tour, the first time Springsteen ever recorded an album on the road.

American Skin (41 Shots) is the most notable inclusion since it dates all the way back to 2000. The song is about the police shooting death of an unarmed twenty-three year old Guinea resident Amadou Diallo who was shot forty-one times by four plain clothed officers while reaching into his pocket, pulling out what turned out to be a wallet. Like it live counterpoint, the new version of the song is slow simmering but starts to soar with a Tom Morello solo in the middle of the song taking it to heights the older versions of the song never reached.

Morello of Rage Against the Machine, who was subbing in for Steven Van Zandt who was off filming Lillehammer during the most recent tour, contributes to eight of the twelve tracks. This includes an updated version of Ghost of Tom Joad which appeared on Rage’s covers album. The new version splits the difference between the folksy original and the high octane of the Rage version which sees the two singers trading verses.

Since some of the rarities date back a decade and a half, two fallen members of the E Street Band make a couple of appearances to the album. You can hear Clarence Clemons’ saxophone on Harry’s Place while Danny Federici plays organ on The wall. While both can be heard on Down in the Hole which sonically recalls I’m on Fire but lyrically would have sounded out of place on The Rising. Like most rarities album, High Hopes is mostly for completist as most of the songs, despite being good, were probably left off the albums they were written for because they were just not good enough to be included then.

Song to Download – The Ghost of Tom Joad

High Hopes gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.