Best of the Week - 4/2/11

Quote of the Week: Far as I'm concerned, y'all deserve each other. (Raylan, Justified)

Song of the Week: Graveyard – Lucy Schwartz (Parenthood)

Big News of the Week: To the Cloud: If you bought any free music from AmazonMP3 this week you noticed something different, the music did not actually download to your computer. This is because Amazon unveiled its Cloud service this week and any music you buy on Amazon MP3 will be saved on the Cloud for free. You can upload an additional 5 gigs worth of storage to the Cloud for free. Of course that barely puts a dent into my over 50 gigs of music. But if you buy a full MP3 album from their store, you can be updated to their 20 gig plan for free for a year from the date you buy the album. In honor of this promotion, Amazon MP3 has deeply discounted albums from Kanye West, Coldplay (which were the top two spots on my list of The 100 Greatest Albums of the 00’s), Norah Jones, Beastie Boys, and more for $3.99 or less. Considering you need an Android to play the music mobilely (which I do not have, or any smartphone for that matter) and my oversized library of music, I do not see myself using the Cloud until it is unlimited for free. And wouldn’t be surprised between Amazon, Google, Apple or Microsoft, one if not more of the companies will do so at some point.



Free Download of the Week: Life On A Chain (2011 Remaster) – Pete Yorn (Amazon MP3: Get the song that ranked in at #83 on my list of The 1000 Greatest Songs of the 00’s for the low, low price of free.

Deal of the Week: 100 Albums for $5 Each: This month you can get albums from Boyz II Men, Alicia Keys, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Raphael Saadiq, all of which can cound to your free 20 gig Cloud upgrade..



New Album Release of the Week: Blood Pressures - The Kills

New DVD Release of the Week: Friday Night Lights: The Fifth Season

Video of the Week: Comedy Central is launching a new show this Wedensday at 10:30 called Workaholics featuring recent college graduate roommates who spend their days scheming together to avoid doing any real work and their nights looking for good times. Check out a preview of the show below:

Workaholics	April 6, 2011 at 10:30/9:30c
Preview - Countdown to Vaginatown
www.comedycentral.com
Jokes The Comedy Awards The Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump

Next Week Pick of the Week: Expedition Week, All Week starting at 8:00 on the National Geographic Channel: For a full rundown, check out my preview of Expedition Week, and here is a bonus preview from Wedensday’s Ben Franklin’s Pirate Fleet:

What Came First, the Music or the Misery?

If you are lucky, about once a decade a movie comes out that as if the filmmakers are saying, “Hey Scooter McGavin, this one is for you.” That was the case for High Fidelity, a borderlined obsessive compulsive who cases a little too much about music who seems to mess it up with every girlfriend. High Fidelity, this month’s induction into the Scooter Hall of Fame, was a romantic comedy where you were not quite sure if the romance was with the women of the film or the music.

High Fidelity follows John Cusack as he tries to convince himself that his latest failed relationship does not crack his top five most memorable break ups which leads him back to these ex girlfriends to see why exactly things went wrong. (Fun Fact: Justified’s Ava Crowder cracked the top five.) It also does not help that his latest, and possibly greatest, break up it currently shacked up with the hippie version of Tim Robbins.

High Fidelity also marked the breakout role for Jack Black who catapulted from bit player to headliner after the movie. This was well deserved because he stole every scene he was in through the movie as the bombastic employ of Cusack and was the perfect yin to Todd Louiso soft spoken yang. Black even got to show off his singing chops much to everyone’s surprise after every spent the whole movie blowing of his musical ambitions.

But the real scene stealers were the music. You knew from the trailer when Black broke out Walking On Sunshine, this was going to be a special movie and even includes a cameo from Bruce Springsteen. One segment that hit close to home was when a reporter asks Cusack his top five favorite song and he spend the rest of the movie (and a few bonus scenes) editing his choices. This went all the way to the end of the music where I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever) remains one of the greatest credit choices of all time. High Fidelity showed, it does not matter how simple a song is, it is how you interpret it.

Around the Tubes - 3/31/11

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Friday Night Lights, His Way, Canadian Blast sampler, The New Yorker, Falling Skies, and Mob Wives.

- NBC has sent along their first bit of videos hyping the last season of Friday Night Lights including talks with Adrianne Palicki (Tyra Collette), Aimee Teegarden (Julie Taylor), Madison Burge (Becky Sproles), Matt Lauria (Luke Cafferty), Taylor Kitsch (Tim Riggins), and Zach Gilford (Matt Saracen) about the new season. Below is the cast talking about their favorite moments of the series. Friday Night Light returns April 15 at 8:00.

FNL Cast on Final Season


- You may not recognize the name Jerry Weintraub, as a concert promoter he worked with Frank Sinatra and Led Zeppelin and brought such films like Karate Kid and Diner. Now HBO is looking back on his five decade career this Monday at 9:00 with His Way directed by Oscar nominee Douglas McGrath and features everyone from George Clooney to George H.W. Bush. Below is a trailer.



- For those that could not make it to South by Southwest this year, you can still sample songs from the best acts from Canada that trekked all the way down to Austin this year with this Canadian Blast sampler featuring tracks from Chromeo, Hollerado, The Sheepdogs, Hey Rosetta!, Said The Whale, Mother Mother, PS I Love You; 65 songs in all.

- If you subscribe to Time Warner Cable, you may want to head over to The New Yorker who has a detailed explanation of your bill. Also from the April 4 issue, Nancy Franklin watches the 8-part The Kennedy’s mini-series so you don’t have to.

- With just two and a half months until the premiere, TNT has released its second trailer to their new Steven Spielberg produced Falling Skies which sheds more light on the alien invasion show including the ominous diolouge, “all they wanted were the kids” and even better look at the four legged invaders and their mechsuits.



- Gamblers are the unspoken big losers of a potential NFL lockout and for those fearing not being able to bet of football next fall Bookmakers.com can now let you bet on whether the lockout will end before September 1, 2011 (-112 for both yes and no).

- Can’t get enough television shows with (House)Wives in the title? Well you are in luck, Mob Wives Sunday April 17 at 8:00 on Video Hits 1.

Previewing Expedition Week

If the video above was not tip off enough, it is the time of year again to go globetrotting with the National Geographic Channel for Expedition Week. This year they will be transporting you to the heights of the Himalayas to a couple leagues under the sea, and even centuries in the past. Naturally they kick off the festivities this Sunday at 9:00 with a hunt of cannibals that will takes Piers Gibbons (who last year went on the hunt for Headshrinkers) deep into seldom traveled jungles of Papua New Guinea to find some who has tasted human flash. (National Geographic was nice enough to send along a cookbook with a recipe to accompany each episode and Eating with Cannibals included “finger food” of hot dogs with a generous helping of ketchup. Shoot me an e-mail if you want the recipe.) Humor aside, it is chilling to hear someone talk about killing and eating two woman.



Below is a complete rundown of what to expect for Expedition Week. If you want even more on Expedition Week you can head over to NationalGeographic.com where you can also check out Expedition Granted where two young explorers are competing to win $10,000 to go to the expedition of their dreams. Head over to vote for who you thinks deserves the money.


Eating with Cannibals (Sunday 4/3 at 9): Last Expedition Week, author and explorer Piers Gibbon headed deep into the Amazon jungle to locate tribes that practiced headshrinking. In his newest adventure, Gibbon looks at one of mankind’s ultimate taboos: cannibalism. He’ll trek into the rain forest of Papua New Guinea to find tribe members who ate human flesh. Gibbon meets with members of the once-feared Biami tribe and witnesses their ritual techniques. Then he’ll learn who they killed and why, and if they still practice cannibalism today.

Finding Jack the Ripper (Sunday 4/3 at 10): Could Jack the Ripper have been the world’s first trans-Atlantic serial killer? Can 21st century techniques and CGI 3-D autopsies crack this 19th century crime spree, while reversing decades of investigative assumptions? Retired U.K. murder squad detective Trevor Marriott is determined to finally unmask the Ripper and possibly link him to other murders in Europe and the U.S.

Hunt for the Abomable Snowman (Monday 4/4 at 9): Across the Himalayas are stories of the yeti, or abominable snowman. Half man, half ape, the yeti is said to roam only the most remote peaks, where people rarely venture. Now, veteran explorer and climber Gerry Moffatt sets out to find proof in a hunt that will test his stamina. As conventional scientific theories challenge ancient beliefs and credible witnesses, he works to separate fact from fiction and find hard evidence that the legend is real.

Last Stand of the Templars (Monday 4/4 at 10): The Templars were considered the pope’s private army, protecting Jerusalem for more than 50 years. But their legacy came to a sudden end — casting them from the heights of wealth and power to the dark corners of history. Now, on the ruins of a 12th century castle near the border between what are now Israel and Syria, a team of archaeologists peel away centuries of sediment, uncovering signs of a six-day siege that could have led to the Templars’ demise.

Gladiators Back from the Dead (Tuesday 4/5 at 9): More than one million of history’s ultimate fighters died in the arenas of the Roman Empire, yet not a single complete gladiator skeleton has ever been found. Now, archaeologists in England have unearthed what is believed to be an ancient gladiator graveyard. It contains the skeletons of 75 adult males, all of whom died in the prime of life, with savage bone wounds suggesting lives of violence. Forensic anthropologists examine the evidence, and special graphics bring these superstar fighters back to life to uncover important clues about how they lived and died.

Egypt’s Lost Rival (Tuesday 4/5 at 10): It rivaled ancient Egypt but was lost to history. Now a team of archaeologists have made a major discovery in the Syrian desert: artifacts from a burial chamber deep within an ancient palace that paint a never-before-seen picture of a powerful metropolis known as Qatna. What became of its vast riches? And what brought about the final fate of this ancient superpower?

Return of the Ghost Ship (Wednesday 4/6 at 9): Underwater explorers in the Baltic Sea set out to bring a recently discovered “ghost ship” — one of the most intact ancient wooden wrecks ever found — back to life. By pushing the frontiers of maritime archaeology and using the latest technology, the team hopes to recover artifacts from the ship, take measurements and create a 3-D model of the ship with pinpoint accuracy — unlocking a treasure trove of information.

Ben Franklin’s Pirate Fleet (Wednesday 4/6 at 10): A lost piece of American history may have been uncovered deep in the sea — a shipwreck thought to have belonged to a fleet of American privateers. In the late 18th century, the Irish Sea was a cauldron of kidnapping, thievery and unrepentant skullduggery. Governments, including the nascent U.S., hired sea raiders, or “privateers,” to pillage and steal from merchant vessels. Is it possible that this ship was on a mission from Benjamin Franklin to capture British sailors to exchange for American prisoners?

Into the Iceland Volcano (Thursday 4/7 at 9): In spring 2010, the nearly unpronounceable volcano Eyjafjallajökull spewed ash clouds across Europe, bringing international air traffic to a standstill. Now, for the first time ever, a team of explorers descend into the nearby Thrinukagigur volcano crater — the only place on earth where it is possible to enter an old magma chamber. Inside the crater, the team finds crucial evidence revealing the inner workings of Icelandic volcanoes. With an even bigger eruption looming, the race is on to predict when the volcano will blow — before it’s too late.

Man vs. Volcano (Thursday 4/7 at 10): Journey into the mouth of Africa’s most active volcano, Nyiragongo, and stand on the shore of the world’s largest lava lake. Join an expedition with a National Geographic Magazine photographer and an international team of scientists as they reach the volcano’s summit — a near-vertical 11,385 feet — and then rappel directly into its mouth — 1,300 feet — nearly the height of the Empire State Building. With little doubt it will erupt again, the team hopes to take stunning images and gather geological samples to unlock the secrets of one of most dangerous and least studied volcanoes in the world.

Lost Land of the Tiger (Friday 4/8 at 9): Go in search of an undiscovered tiger population rumored to be hidden in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. This pristine country of lush forests, clear rivers and icy mountains could hold the key to safeguarding the future for these big cats. But first, the team must trek across Bhutan’s wildest terrain and face its extreme weather — pushing the expedition to its very brink. With cameras strategically placed, the team is closing in on capturing key evidence of the tigers said to be living here.

Tiger Man (Friday 4/8 at 10): A seemingly impossible dream: to create a new population of wild tigers outside their natural habitat. One man, John Varty, did just that. Starting with two young, zoo-born tigers, Varty now has more than 15 tigers at his Tiger Canyons reserve, and has used ever-present cameras to document two years of their lives. Whether mating, birthing or hunting, Varty shows these magnificent tigers with remarkable, “up close and personal” detail. His methods can be controversial, but it’s a gripping, intimate look at tigers as never seen before.

Death of a Sea Monster (Saturday 4/9 at 9): A sea monster cemetery lies at the top of the world — an incredible grave site containing countless fossilized remains of huge marine predators from the Jurassic era. Join an expedition to this remote burial ground via helicopter and boat. Paleontologists will contend with powerful polar bears and erratic Arctic weather to uncover yet another treasure trove of newly discovered predatory sea monsters. This time, it’s a complete ichthyosaur skeleton — the first of its kind.

Don't Call it a Comeback vol. IV: The Pharcyde

It seems like once a week I am listening to my iTunes library and I hear a song that makes me go, this artist really needs a comeback. So I thought I would start a new feature here on the 9th Green highlighting an artist that really needs to reenter the public consciousness. The only criterion is that the artist hasn’t had a legitimate hit in over a decade.

Due for a Comeback: The Pharcyde

Biggest Hit: Passing Me By



Last Hit: Drop (1996)

Where Are They Now: After two critically acclaimed albums, Slimkid3 and Fatlip left the group for solo projects after a third and the two remaining member released just one album without them. The group has reunited for a few concerts and hopped on each other’s solo projects, but no new music from the four of them since 2000.

Why the World Needs a The Pharcyde Comeback: Because rap has gotten bland these days aside from backpack disciple Kanye West. Slimkid3 (who now records under his government name Tre Hardson) and Fatlip have recorded some decent tracks in the past decade, but nothing like the give and go stylings of The Pharcyde. Really except the once and a blue moon that the Beastie Boys (who made cameos in the drop video) release and album, the rap group has disappeared from the musical landscape.

And speaking of comeback, whatever happened to Delicious Vinyl? They were set to be the next Def Jam with artists like The Pharcyde, Tone-Loc, Young MC and The Brand New Heavies but did not add any notable artists after that. You would think after all the buzz those artists generated, they could have picked up some new artists.

I Want My Music Television - 3/28/11

There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I thought I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.


True Faith – George Michael



Last week I defended Rebecca Black against claims that her song Friday was the worst song ever recorded saying, sure it is bad, but there are plenty worse songs out there. And just days later, George Michael released this True Faith song, which, as it turns out, is the worst song ever in the history of the world. And it isn’t a good sign for George when I say a still from the video, I originally thought it was Richard Hatch. Now if you excuss me, I need to poke something sharp in my ear.


When You're Young - 3 Doors Down



I saw that 3 Doors Down had a new video, and when I pressed play, I heard the opening riff and thought to myself, oh, they made a new video for When You’re Gone and looked at the title again and nope, it is apparently a different song with the same riff. And I have said this before and hopefully this is the last time: old dudes, stop trying to pull off the Justin Beiber, it doesn’t make you look younger, it just makes you look silly.


Heart Skips a Beat - Lenka



It is hard not to be down with a music video that sports an live action Operation homage. Thanks Lenka.


Changes - Dirty Vegas



I couple weeks ago I posted part one of a three part music video from Dirty Vegas, though just like part one; I am not entirely sure what is going on. Hopefully part three wraps everything up in a nice little bow.

57 Channels and Only This Is On - 3/27/11

Chuck: Wow, Volkoff tried to kill Chuck. Or did she? I have a feeling Leland Palmer may be the one behind the hit. Although I could do without the standalone episode unless the C.A.T. Squad reunites. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Chuck on iTunes.

How I Met Your Mother: Has the show run out of funny ideas that they have had to fill this season up with dramatic elements? Between Marshal’s dad (that they are still references) and Barney’s (who is getting really annoying when they focus on his search for daddy), it is getting too heavy this season. And they really glossed over that Barney has a college-aged half sister. Could she turn out to be Ted’s baby mama? You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com. You can also download How I Met Your Mother on iTunes.

The Event: Most unbelievable part of the episode: the Token Hot Chick poising as 41 wearing a dress that is way to gravity defying for someone that age to pull off. And I wonder why the alien’s do not just sing the building around the navy like they did the last time the government were closing in on them? You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download The Event on iTunes.

Castle: Holy Corbin Bernsen sighting! I bet there was no one more exited to hear Charlie Sheen talk about Major League 3 than Corbin. Until he realized that he already stared in the third movie entitled Back to the Minors. And poor Mac, I knew she did it as soon as her new boss hired as a staff writer. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Castle on iTunes.

Lights Out: Like I said back in the second episode, that picture at the kids birthday party was going to come back and haunt him. But he sure came up with a good plan to make it go away, although I am not sure how wise it was to put his fate on a guy with dementia. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Lights Out on iTunes.

Survivor: Redemption Island: Russell has gotten a lot of grief for his strategy of picking dumb hot chicks to do his bidding, but Boston Rob has done the exact same thing on his seasons to the detriment of his chances of even making the jury. Natalie and Ashley may out dumb blonde any of Russell’s dumb blonde alliances. He should thank the other tribe for throwing the challenge because he could have easily have seen Russell on Redemption Island at some point later. But much like last week, I am still waiting for something interesting to happen but we are probably too deep for them to swap tribes and may be two or three episodes away from a merge. You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com.



Justified: Even though I could have done without another Wynonna theft episode, this is the episode where things are going to get rolling when the mining company goes after the Bennett’s with the Raylan and the Marshall service caught in the middle. I can’t wait. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Justified on iTunes.

Community: I am not sure who was more upset that Abed’s dinner turned out to be another homage, Jeff or myself. It is really annoying when the show does parody’s of movies I have never seen. And I would have much preferred a Reservoir Dogs party to a Pulp Fiction one. You can stream current episodes on Hulu. You can also download Community on iTunes.

Best of the Week - 3/26/11

Quote of the Week: You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth! (Corbin Bernsen, Castle)

Song of the Week: I'm Not Calling You a Liar – Florence and the Machine (Pretty Little Liars)

Big News of the Week: Lights Out Lights Are Out: With just two episode left in the season, FX pulled the plug on its latest series Lights Out following in the footsteps of the similarly rated and critically acclaimed Terriers. Lights Out will air the final two episodes in its regular time slot on Tuesday. After two straight failures, FX looks to rebound with some big names. They recently inked a deal with Oliver Stone to produce and direct a conspiracy theory-themed drama and there is also previously announced American Horror Story from Nip/Tuck creator Ryan Murphy starring Connie Britton who herself is attached as producer as another drama in development for the network. But what may be the most buzzworthy is their comic book adaptation of Powers which could do for FX what The Walking Dead did for AMC. As for its current programming, FX is close to renewing Justified, which looks to take the title of best show on television now that Friday Night Lights has ended, for a third season.

Gratuitous Token Hot Chick Picture of the Week:



Free Download of the Week: The World Is Yours – Glasvegas (Rcrd Lbl)

Deal of the Week: Up to 59% Off ABC TV (Castle, Lost, Desperate Housewives)

New Album Release of the Week: vs. & Vitalogy 3 CD Deluxe Edition (Featuring Live At The Orpheum, Boston MA) - Pearl Jam

New DVD Release of the Week: Mad Men: Season Four

Video of the Week: Forget Rebecca Black, this will be the greatest internet video you will watch all week who takes The Song Otherwise Known as Forget You and turns it into a pro God song with a little MC Hammer thrown in for no reason beside raising its awesomeness. My favorite part is Tyrone Biggums on keyboards. And it is about time someone put Bravo on blast.

GMDOCNICE – Bless You


Next Week Pick of the Week: Shameless, Sunday (3/27) at 10:00 on Showtime: After last week’s duel bombshells of Lip and Ian getting arrested in Steve’s stolen car and Karen’s webshow with Frank, there are going to be a lot of repercussions in tomorrow’s season finale and after all is said and done, we very doubtfully will be seeing a couple of characters around at all next season. And with all the outrageousness in the first eleven episodes, the finale still manages the most shocking scene yet.

Around the Tubes - 3/25/11

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on NBC summer schedule, MTV Hive, 120 Minutes, Laura Jansen, Big Love, Monster Madness, Marcel’s Quantum Kitchen, Pusha T, Fairly Legal, Elizabeth Taylor, The Best of the Dean Martin Show, Leverage, The Hub, and The Wild Thornberrys.

- NBC announced its summer schedule earlier this week. America’s Got Talent will return Tuesday May 31 at 9:00, while The Marriage Ref will see its second season begin Sunday, June 26 at 10:00. New show The Voice, which premieres April 26, will continue through June. Without premiere dates are new shows Still Standing (no they are not bringing back the sitcom of the same name, this is a competition show) and Love in the Wild which is a reality show about, well you should be able to guess from the title. Another show It’s Worth What? will also be come your way this Summer. But the most important NBC Summer show will be the final season of Friday Night Lights starting Friday, May 7 at 8:00. Also in NBC premiere news, The Paul Reiser Show will be added to the Comedy Night Done Right Thursday April 14th at 8:30. No word on Friends with Benefits.

- I hope everybody made Monday unscaved as it was National Alien Abduction day. Sammy Hagar didn’t who told MTV Hive: “It was real. [Aliens] were plugged into me. It was a download situation.” I have a feeling someone has been drinking too much tequila. For those that do not know what MTV Hive is, it is, it’s “MTV’s newly launched standalone pure music destination curated for passionate music fans whose deep connection to the music has no boundaries. Hive takes fans onstage, backstage and offstage – and closer to their favorite artists – via exclusive and original editorial, interviews, videos, mp3s, innovative products, live concerts and beyond. Hive, quite simply, is an immersive, deep and boundless celebration of music.”

- While over at MTV Hive, you can also check out 120 Seconds, a companion of the recently revived 120 Minutes with Matt Pinfield (with MTV bring this back along with Beavis and Butt-Head, you wonder how long until they resurrect other 90’s classics Remote Control and The Grind). Below is the first episode featuring The Kills:

The Kills, Matt Pinfield
Tags:
The Kills, MTVHive

- For those that read my review of Laura Jansen’s debut album yesterday (see: I Have the Modivation to Be a Free Girl Now) and wanted to hear more, Laura will be on Livestream today at 3:00 for a stripped down set and will be answering fan questions.

- Big Love wrapped up its series last week and for those left wanting more, here is a After the Final Featurette.



- For those whose NCAA bracket are as busted as mine, you can participate in Syfy’s Monster Madness tournament in honor of their 200th original move Scream of the Banshee tomorrow at 9:00.

- Will over at Syfy.com, you can enter a contest to “meet and eat” with Marcel Vigneron, star of Marcel’s Quantum Kitchen in Los Angeles.

- Pusha T was the breakout star on Kanye West’s Dark Beautiful Fantasy and now he has dropped his own mixtape which you can download for free over at Grooveshack. If you only download one track, I would suggest Raid.

- Sarah Shahi of Fairly Legal recently shared with USA’s Character Blog the six things she cannot live without including Spanish plates from Toledo (Spain, not Ohio).

- In honor of the recently deceased Elizabeth Taylor, Turner Classics Movies will be running a 24 hour marathon of her most memorable roles on April 10 starting at 6:00 A.M. including her two Oscar winning performances Butterfield 8 (at 8:00 P.M.) and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (10:00 P.M.).

- For the first time ever, The Best of the Dean Martin Show will be released by Time-Life on May 24.

- What better name for a convention than Con-Con? The official Leverage event will return to Portland, OR this June 3-5. Tickets are available at Leverage Fans. Look out for the fourth season to begin June 26 on TNT.

- Fans of Yo Gabba Gabba will want to check out The Aquabats Super Show from the creators of the same show coming to The Hub for the 2011-12 season. Another show that caught my eye coming to the channel next fall is Clue based on the board game that will see six teens brought together when they believe they have witnessed a terrible crime. Considering I was one of the few people that liked the movie, I may have to check that out. The Hub also announced the acquired the rights to Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?

- Here is another one for the kiddies out there, The Wild Thornberrys: Season One will hit shelves May 17 on DVD and Blu-Ray.

I Have the Motivation to Be a Free Girl Now

It seems like every couple years Scandinavia imports some pre packaged pop act before they retreat back to the frozen tundra of their homeland such as Roxette, Ace of Base, and Aqua. But Dutch born Laura Jansen is a singer-songwriter right out of the mold of the Lilth Fair. The piano she plays will draw her comparisons to Sara Bareilles, Fiona Apple and Regina Spektor, but Jansen for the most part lacks the snark, edge, or quirkiness of those artist but with a more serene voice.

Jansen’s debut album is pure piano pop. Naturally Bells opens with The End which sets up the album with heartbreak that seeps into many of the songs. This is most notable on the first song off the album Single Girls where Jansen chronicles her newly single life which manages to be heartbreaking and touching at the same time. She even manages to make the Kings of Leon’s Use Somebody a beautifully stripped down song of yearning from a female’s perspective. Many have tried to turn the song into a balled, but no cover has come as good as Jansen’s.

Laura does try to speed things up throughout the album including on Wicked World where she bounces around on her piano while namedropping fairy tale characters but sound a little too much like Bareilles’ own Fairytale. Jansen starts taking more chances near the end of the album like on Elijah where she highlights song percussion and other instruments on the song. And the album closes with the moody Signal which ups the production, including a guitar solo at the end, and even lets go vocally compared to the mainly piano and voice of the pervious tracks. The music may not be there yet, but Laura Jansen has the kind of voice that you can put on and drift away while listening to.

Song to Download – Single Girls

Bells gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.

Feed Your iPod vol. LVI: Lies

You have to feel bad for two hit wonders, enough talent to conjure that elusive second hit, but not enough to sustain a career. Everyone can sing along with Lou Bega with just the mention of his name, but who remembers Nine Days? Then there are the strange class of one hit wonders whose other songs are forgotten by the annals of time despite being as big as the original. Seriously, Vanilla Ice’s Play That Funky Music was a top five hit, not to mention the show jam I Love You got plenty of airplay. EMF is also a group whose songs not named Unbelievable (which was #31 on VH1’s 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of All Time) vanished from conscienceless. This is a shame because Lies (which reached #18 on the Billboard’s Hot 100) is another great track from the band. Sure I may be part of the problem considering I got a couple arguments saying that songs on my 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 00’s did not belong, but let me rectify by reminding everyone that EMF does not deserve the one hit wonder status.

Lies - EMF

Got a Secret, Can You Keep It

Despite posting a list entitled The 100 Guiltiest Guilty Pleasures of the 00’s, I really do not feel guilty about any of the music I listen to or television I watch. Yeah I have Hilary Duff’s Come Clean on my iPod, if you don’t like the song than that’s your problem. But Pretty Little Liars during its first season really asked the question of when does a guilty pleasure becomes just plain guilty.

The premise was primed for guilty pleasurness: four friends who drifted away after their Queen B disappear are reunited a year later when she is found dead, each of who are harboring a dark secret of their own that a mysterious figure is harboring over them claiming to be the dead friend.. Best case scenario is the show would be a poor girl’s Veronica Mars, who was even mentioned during the first season. Unfortunately it turns out the four Liars have a combined IQ of the junior private detective.

The dumbest of the all being Aria, who, despite catching her English professor dad in a torrid affair with a student that ruined her family, carried on a torrid affair with her English teacher for the entire season. What’s worse is the writers made this seem like a grand forbidden love story on the lines of Romeo and Juliet instead of the creepy statutory storyline that Nancy Grace would have dedicated a month of shows to if it happened in real life.

The other liars didn’t have much better success with the opposite sex. Or same sex in the case of Emily who announced her lesbianess only to attract every other gay chick in a five mile radius. Hanna, who took over the mantel of Queen B when Allison went missing didn’t have much luck when she was trying to decide between the captain of the football team (who may have had his own sexual questions of his own) and the Yearbook nerd only to choose the skeevy bad boy who was paid to get close to her. But worse choose in boys goes to Spencer who kept on hooking up with her sister’s boyfriend (include the one who may have killed Allison (but probably not) and then tried to kill her) only to end up with the town pariah.

At least the season ended on somewhat of a high note when we got more back story about Jenna, the chick that Allison, who was aided and abetted by the other liars, blinded. The lead suspect for “A” since the beginning we learned that Jenna had to stay away from town because Allison was blackmailing her because she found video of Jenna blackmailing Toby that was made by Ian (or possibly not, it is never confirmed, Ian may had thought the video Spenser was blackmailing him with was the one where he “killed” Allison). This revelation may cross Jenna off the suspect list of being Allison’s killer because she never returned to town until Allison’s body turned up dead. But her hooking up with the cop adds to the theory that she is “A” with the officer being her eyes.

Unfortunately the season didn’t end with the curtain being pulled off of who is “A” though we may have gotten a look at her (him?) as the person who pushed Ian off the bell tower (worst death scene ever). Even though Jenna still remains at the top of the list, with Toby, Mona, Melissa, Lucas, or some combination of them also ranking high on the list, I still hope that “A” turns out to be a not so dead Allison. Though I am not sure I will still be watching when they finally get around to the reveal.

Pretty Little Liars gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.

I Want My Music Television - 3/21/11

There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I thought I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.

Rope - Foo Fighters



It seems like Foo Fighters alternate videos between cheesy dress up ones and artsy performance based ones and after the eightiestastic White Limo it’s time for artsy. And did I miss the memo that Pat Smear was back in the band?


I Do - Colbie Caillat



The whole (un)happy faced inanimate objects is cute and all for Colbie Caillat, but is there a credit card ad that already did that a year or two ago?


How You Love Me - Talib Kweli



Those credits seemed a little long for a music video featuring a dude and a chick in a bedroom. At least it was another killer track from Talib Kweli.


'Til The End of Time (Edited Version) - Timothy Bloom



For those that think like me that R&B died about a decade ago, here is a song by Timothy Bloom that might give you hope for its resurrection. And the music video is like a two person D'Angelo video. And for those wondering, yes there is an undited version.

57 Channels and Only This Is On - 3/20/11

Shameless: When Liam’s blood test came back with Frank as his father I was convinced that someone swapped it because I didn’t see how there were going to explain it any other way. I guessed the title of the episode, Nana Gallagher had an Affair should had tipped me off. Speaking of Nana, we actually get to meet the matriarch tonight.

Chuck: The top of the Greta crop were the Old Spice Guy and Stacy Keibler? Didn’t the latter get knocked out by Stone Cold Steve Austin? It is too bad Olivia Munn and Summer Glue were too busy slumming it on shows that are already doomed. Also not to producers in charge of finding Regis’s replacement: drunk Olivia Munn would be rating gold. (If you do not know what I am taking about, Google it.) You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Chuck on iTunes.

The Event: I really hate when show insult my intelligence. Just minutes after complaining that the prisoners at Innastranka didn’t have the security of the nuclear plant, they only guard the transported uranium with two guys and three drivers? If you still do not trust Sophia, how about using a small army as an escort? But I did like the unintentional comedy of the token hot chick being paranoid that guys were watching her. Of course every guy is tailing her, she is absurdly attractive. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download The Event on iTunes.

Lights Out: No better fight promotion that an impromptu brawl that probably hit YouTube before either fighter made it to jail. Almost makes you wonder if Barry K. Word did some puppet mastery behinds the scenes to make it happen. I know Don King is kicking himself for not thinking of it first. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Lights Out on iTunes.

Survivor: Redemption Island: We have finally reached the point in the season where it has gotten too predictable. No matter who wins immunity it is clear who will be going home. Hopefully there is a blindside or switched tribes, because this could get boring quick. You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com.



Mr. Sunshine: This show really needs to incorporate more lingerie football matches into the show. You can stream current episodes on Hulu. You can also download Mr. Sunshine on iTunes.

Justified: I am a little surprised that they are expanding the Wynona theft storyline into multiple episodes. I assumed that when Raylan found the bill that would be the end of that. I am not sure how more of this can continue being entertaining. But I guess if they can include something as funny as Art’s footrace with the guy who needs an oxygen tank in the next episode, it will be entertaining enough. You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Justified on iTunes.

Community: Jeff really needs a hair intervention. If you have a receding hairline, you have no business trying the Justin Beiber. You can stream current episodes on Hulu. You can also download Community on iTunes.

Outsourced: Why are we not celebrating Holi here in America? It could be right up there with the biggest drinking days in college along with Fat Tuesday, St. Patrick’s Day and the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. My college experience now feels incomplete having not throwing a Holi party. You can stream current episodes on Hulu. You can also download Outsourced on iTunes.

Best of the Week - 3/19/11

Quote of the Week: Yeah, I really got Jewish personed out of that one. (Peirce, Community)

Song of the Week: Love Will Keep Us Together – Captain and Tennille (as sung by Rajiv, Outsourced)

Big News of the Week: Bracket Busted Already: For the first time in over a decade I had one of my Final Four teams go out in the first weekend. Thanks St. Johns. I guess I should have gone all high seeds like BaChalke Obama did yet again this year. Seriously, what self respecting basketball fan picks all number one seeds? At least he didn’t shamelessly go with all swing states like he did last year.

Gratuitous Token Hot Chick Picture of the Week:



Free Download of the Week: Young Blood – The Naked and Famous (iTunes)

Deal of the Week: Save up to 50% on Hit TV Series: (Weeds, Mad Men, Boy Meets World)

New Album Release of the Week: Hello Fear - Kirk Franklin

New DVD Release of the Week: Ernest Double Feature: Ernest Goes to Camp & Ernest Goes to Jail [Blu-ray]

Video of the Week: Not to go all Leave Britney Alone on the internet, but I do not understand the vitriol hate for Rebecca Black’s Friday. Is it horrible, sure, with inane lyrics that for some reason details the sequence of days of the week but is it any worse than anything that Justin Bieber has put out in the past year? And the lyrics could be Dylanesque compared to Katy Perry’s Hot N Cold. So shut up internet and just be happy like I am that YouTube didn’t exist when you were thirteen.

Rebecca Black – Friday


Next Week Pick of the Week: Pretty Little Liars, Monday at 8:00 on ABC Family: The latest show from ABC Family may have been much more guilty than pleasure, but it did keep me watching all season. Hopefully the girls finally out “A” for the finale, but I doubt that will happen.

Around the Tubes - 3/18/11

I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Big Love, Parks and Recreations, The Cape, Outsourced, Yo Gabba Gabba!, The Dog Whisperer, Triangle: Remembering the Fire, Pee Herman Show on Broadway, Wilfred, Life After Film School, Big Brian: The Fortune Seller, Men's Health, and 16th Annual Gathering of the Vibes Festival.

- Big Love hits its dramatic conclusion this Sunday on HBO. For those that want a trip on memory lane before it ends, here is a half hour End of Days Show retrospective.



- Fans of Parks and Recreations will be happy to lean that starting today NBC.com will be hosting Super-sized Producers Cut. Head over there to see an extended version of last night’s episode. Also getting expanded editions will be the episodes airing 4/28, 5/12, and 5/19. Even better news is the NBC announced yesterday that it is picking up Parks and Recreations for the 2011-12 season along with The Office and Community.

- In other NBC.com news, the season (most likely series) finale of The Cape is now streaming their exclusively.

- Sometimes you just need some love advise, and here is some from the resident ladies man (albeit over the phone) on Outsourced, Manmeet:

Love Advise, Part 1


- While in other renewal news, Nickelodeon has announced they are picking up live-action preschool series, Yo Gabba Gabba! for thirteen new episodes.

- There will also be new episodes of The Dog Whisperer early in 2010 but will be switching networks to the more animal themed Nat Geo Wild. No word yet if one of the ten episodes ordered will see Cesar Millan heading here to the 9th Green to teach my dogs that the dining room isn’t their own personal bathroom.

- On Monday at 9:00, HBO will reflect on the 100th anniversary of The Triangle Shirt Waist Factory Fire with Triangle: Remembering the Fire. For those unfamiliar with the tragedy, up until 9/11 it was the worst workplace disaster in New York State where 146 had the choice of being burned alive or jump ten stories to their death. The aftermath sparked the modern labor movement (which we may be witnessing the death of in Wisconsin). For more information, here is a trailer:



- Just a reminder in news I broke a couple weeks ago, the Pee Herman Show on Broadway airs tomorrow at 10:00 on HBO. The channel has also created a Facebook app where you can have the childhood icon make a personalized phone call to your friends.

- While they have the best dramas on television, FX really hasn’t found a particularly funny show until Louis. We will have to see is Wilfred brings more funny to the network in June. Here is a promo:

Wilfred on FX – Friends


- This Sunday on the Fox Movie Channel, a new episode of Life After Film School will feature Brad Simpson and Nina Jacobsen, producers of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules.

- New Show Alert: Big Brian: The Fortune Seller premieres Monday on TruTV following the business of estate sales.

- Mixed martial artist Georges St. Pierre covers April’s edition of Men’s Health. Inside you can learn such things as his future goals: “The danger is not to set your goal too high and fail to reach it. It’s to set your goal too low and reach it.”

- For those in the Bridgeport, CT area, the 16TH Annual Gathering of the Vibes Festival will be going on July 21-24. FURTHUR featuring Phil Lesh and Bob Weir, Jane's Addiction and Elvis Costello are all set to perform. Single Day, Camping and VIP Tickets On Sale Now at http://www.gatheringofthevibes.com/. Over 40 bands will perform on multiple alternating stages at Seaside Park's 370-acre beachfront venue.