Around the Tubes: January 25, 2020

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 Pearl Jam, The Go-Go’s, JP Cooper, KIANA LEDÉ, Black in Space: Breaking the Color, The Circus, Mo’nique and Friends: Live From Atlanta, The Trade, Our Cartoon President, and Outcry.

- "Dance of the Clairvoyants", the first single from Pearl Jam's forthcoming album, Gigaton, is now officially available. Listen to "Dance of the Clairvoyants" HERE. "I can’t tell you how proud I am about this group of songs, " explains Jeff Ament. "As you know, we took our time and that benefited us taking more chances. 'Dance' was a perfect storm of experimentation and real collaboration, mixing up the instrumentation and building a great song, and Ed writing some of my favorite words yet, around Matt’s killer drum pattern. Did I mention Mike’s insane guitar part and that Stone is playing bass on this one? We’ve opened some new doors creatively and that’s exciting." To accompany the single, Pearl Jam have released mysteriously titled video "Dance of the Clairvoyants" Mach I. Watch the video HERE.

- The multi-platinum Los Angeles rock band The Go-Go’s announce 11 North American summer dates in conjunction with the release of THE GO-GO’S, a new Showtime documentary directed by Allison Wood which chronicles the meteoric rise to fame of a band born of the L.A. punk scene. Kicking off on June 25th at Humphreys in San Diego, CA, and performing at intimate venues across North America gives fans a chance to see the band up close and personal. Tickets go on sale this Friday, January 24th at 10am local time with the Los Angeles dates going on sale next Friday, January 31st at 10am PT. For the latest ticketing information visit facebook.com/OfficialGoGos/.

- JP Cooper follows singles ‘The Reason Why’ and ‘Sing It With Me’ with ‘In These Arms’, out on the 24th of January. ‘In These Arms’ is an all-powerful torch song ballad, with Cooper’s voice soaring above a grand wall of sound. The lyrics pivot between unquestioning love and paranoia, whilst the verses classic, uncomplicated descriptions of precious time sets the scene for a sucker punch of a chorus. To accompany the release of the single, JP has also shared the visuals for the track – watch them HERE.

- After emerging as one of 2019’s boldest and biggest breakout R&B starlets, KIANA LEDÉ returns with a new single entitled “Mad At Me” today. Get it HERE via Republic Records.

- The race to get to space is long over, but buried in time is the revelatory story of the world’s first black astronauts. For many Americans, the 20th-century Space Race was a Cold War competition over rocketry and technological feats, but the world’s two superpowers were also engaged in another high-stakes race – one whose impact is still being felt today. Black in Space: Breaking the Color examines the crucial moment when America’s history of racial prejudice became a critical vulnerability in the effort to win hearts and minds around the globe. Confronting a Soviet foe determined to show that communism was the face of the future, the U.S. would need a new generation of astronauts. Black in Space: Breaking the Color barrier premieres Monday, February 24 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Smithsonian Channel and will also be available to stream on Smithsonian Channel Plus beginning February 1.

- With less than two weeks before the Iowa caucuses, The Circus gets a rare behind-the-scenes look at Senator Amy Klobuchar’s efforts to campaign in Iowa while stuck in Washington serving as a juror in the Trump impeachment trial. Click here for a preview: https://youtu.be/-TcuhlZ2Fc8.

- Bold and unapologetic, comedienne Mo'Nique is back hosting her first stand-up special in almost 10 years, Mo’nique and Friends: Live From Atlanta, premiering Friday, February 7 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME. Filmed at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, the hour-long special features a variety of talented newcomers including Prince T-Dub, Just Nesh, Tone-X and Correy Bell alongside veteran comedian Donnell Rawlings (Chappelle's Show). To watch and share a clip from Mo’nique and Friends: Live From Atlanta, go to: https://youtu.be/8k0OBNfnU24.

- Showtime has released the trailer and key art for the upcoming season of the IDA Award-winning series The Trade ahead of its premiere next week at the Sundance Film Festival. Directed by Emmy® and DGA Award winner and Oscar nominee Matthew Heineman, the four-part series follows Central Americans on an odyssey to the United States (including some heading back home after being deported), while also delving into the shadow industries that prey on them every step along the way. By shedding light on the smugglers and traffickers who take advantage of the migrants’ vulnerability and on law enforcement pursuing them at the border, THE TRADE brings audiences inside the rarely seen underbelly of the migrants’ world and humanizes their struggle to survive. THE TRADE premieres on Friday, March 6 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Showtime.


- Showtime has released the key art and trailer for the upcoming third season of Our Cartoon President, premiering on Sunday, January 26 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT. Executive produced by multiple Emmy® winner Stephen Colbert, showrunner R.J. Fried and Late Show executive producer Chris Licht, Our Cartoon President kicks open the doors of the White House for a satirical look at President Trump, his family and the power players in Washington, D.C. and beyond.


- Showtime announced it will air Outcry, a five-part documentary series examining the gripping story of high school football star Greg Kelley, his controversial conviction and the quest for truth and justice as the case unfolds. Produced and directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Pat Kondelis (DISGRACED), OUTCRY will have its world premiere at the South by Southwest (SXSW®) Conference and Festivals in Austin, ahead of its television premiere on Friday, April 3 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Showtime.

The Twenty-Five Best Movies I Saw in 2019

I have a completely rational hatred of movie theaters so I am content to wait and watch movies when they come to services I already pay for. These are the best movies I watched in the past twelve months:


1. A Simple Favor

2. Avengers: Infinity War

3. BlacKkKlansman

4. Aquaman

5. Spider-Man: Homecoming

6. Thoroughbreds

7. Anna and the Apocalypse

8. Blockers

9. Spider-Man: Into the Spideyverse

10. The Edge of Seventeen

11. The Favourite

12. The Long Shot

13. Booksmart

14. Pitch Perfect 3

15. Brooklyn

16. Ant-Man and the Wasp

17. Mr. Right

18. Always Be My Maybe

19. Now You See Me 2

20. Ready Player One

21. Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates

22. The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

23. The Predator

24. The Day Shall Come

25. Don’t Breathe

Previewing Project Blue Book: Season Two

My big problem with the first season of Project Blue Book was that it seemed like the real life version of The X-Files but where the X-Files could actually do aliens and bile monsters, Project Blue Book has to stay in the realm of reality. So they hinted at it and other weird stuff, but we never did, and likely never will get any real aliens or other weird stuff. But they do certainly push the bounds of what we think we see.

Although the second season does delve into two of the biggest mysteries involving UFO’s in America’s history, the two part season premiere dealing with Roswell, New Mexico where people believe a UFO crash landed at a ranch near the town. That is then followed up with an Area 51 episode where some claim the US government is hiding proof of alien life and a group actually planned on storming it last year except no one actually showed up. Although I really doubt the validity of that conspiracy theory now considering the guy who now knows all the country secrets has not let that slip yet but was quick to declassify the JFK assassination and told Russians Israeli state secrets in the Oval Office.

The Roswell episode involves someone claiming to have proof of an alien encounter and is going to share that information with the public which includes metal that was not made by men. Of course that brings to town the Project Blue Book duo to try and figure out what is really going on. It also turns out this is not the first time General Harding has been to the Arizona town which only deepens the conspiracy. But the end of the two episodes we do get an interesting theory as what could be behind the spike in UFO sightings. Although the show would be even more interesting if there was a bile monster every once in a while.

Project Blue Book airs Tuesdays at 10:00 on History.

57 Channels and Only This Is On: January 19, 2020

Ray Donovan: Ray has gotten out of some sticky situation, but being caught on tape admitting to killing multiple police officers, then assaulting one of the officers taping you seemed like a very hard predicament to escape. But apparently even murder can be forgiven if you can help take down the dirty mayor. Alrighty. Seems like some jail time would still be warranted.

Dare Me: Still mostly bored, but I am now predicting the Queen B chick hurting herself turns out to be the forshaddowing from the beginning of each episode.

Shameless: Debbie living the dream of hooking up with a mother and her daughter. Great like from her friend about Debbie is going down. But will Lip really be going down… to Wisconsin? A free house is a free house. Although the renting it seems like a decent option. Or maybe sell it and buy something closer to Chicago. I do not see Lip living out in the country.

The Outsider: I think I may have cracked the case while making a joke on social media. While Jason Bateman was getting arrested, I commented that of course he was a child murderer; he has an evil doppelganger goatee. Which made me think, oh, maybe the twist is that actually is an evil doppelganger out there.

Crisis on Infinite Earths: So the Green Arrow died and became The Spectre and then died as The Sprectre? Huh? And what happened to his hot daughter? Shouldn’t she get his chair? But really, had it not been for all those cameos (oh wow, movie Flash), this crossover would have been a complete and utter mess that made little to no sense. Okay, the comics it was based on made little to no sense so I guess it was faithful. But if Gleek is in for the next crossover sign me up.
You can download Supergirl on iTunes.

Almost Family: Is the show implying that Britanny Snow’s mother is a homosexual? I guess if she looks anything like Brittany Snow, she could very well turn and gay dude straight.
You can download Almost Family on iTunes.

Vikings: Sure Lagatha went out kind of weakly last week being done in by a crazy person after surviving an epic fight but at least she got a hero’s send off this week. I guess that leaves Bjorn as the only original character still alive. Maybe Floki. We never got a definitive answer either way other than we last saw him stuck in a cave and he has gone missing. I guess a very old Rollo is out there somewhere in France.

The Good Place: So after showing up at the end of the Crisis, Gleek’s name shows up on the blackboard of potential humans that could work in the new system that could get into the Good Place. Obviously that had to be Jason’s suggestion. But add Vicky running the new Good Place evaluation system to potential spin-off I really want to see. Granted, I do not believe Team Cockroach will stay in the Good Place and will eventually run the new system with Michael by the finale.
You can download The Good Place on iTunes.