Tuesday, March 18, 2014

The 5 Most Anticipated Albums of Spring 2014



Beyoncé changed the game late last year dropping a visual album out of nowhere on a Thursday night about a week before Christmas. But that change looks to be slow because most of the albums released early this year were announced at least a month in advance aside the new Kid Cudi album (which went as quickly as it came) and Skrillex whose new album drops today after just announcing it last week. Granted there are still plenty of names that are supposedly at work at a new album that could break the internet much like Mrs. Carter (considering they just teamed back up at SXSW, could a second Watch the Throne album be far behind) like Adele and Taylor Swift. Here are some albums that will not be air dropping out of nowhere over the next couple months since they already have hard release dates. Click in the artists name to be taken to their iTunes page and the album tile or cover art to pre-order on Amazon.


1. Sheezus – Lily Allen (May 5): Forget Yeezus, 2014 will be the year of Sheezus. After teasing new songs for the past four months, Lily Allen finally announced her comeback album which will feature the previously released Hard Out Here, Air Balloon, L8 CMMR, Out Time (as well as the Somewhere Only We Know cover on the Bonus Track Version). I am most interested in the title track, if it is half as good as her takedown of Window Shopper’s Window Shopper off her debut, it will be a great start for the new album.

2. Ghost Stories – Coldplay (May 19): The band has always been considered the poppier version of Radiohead, but it still came as a shock when their first new music was the non-pop song Midnight which sounded like Radiohead by way of Bon Iver. A week later the released a more conventional Magic but with its throbbing bass and drum machine mixed with Chris Martin not in falsetto, it still was one of the least Coldplay songs the band has ever recorded it. It should be interesting to hear what the rest of the album sound like, will they be pushing their limits even further or is the rest what we have come to expect from the band?

3. A Dotted Line – Nickel Creek (April 1): 2013 was the year of the reunion and that has seeped into 2014 with the first new album from the Afghan Whigs in sixteen years and Outkast headlining basically every festival this summer. I am more interested in the reunited Nickel Creek who will be putting out the first album in almost ten years. Where most reunion albums are just an excuse to go on a more profitable reunion tour, the album's first single Destination is as good as anything in the band’s library.

4. Supernova – Ray LaMontagne (May 6): Ray started out as the folk guy but on his last album he recruited a full band for a fuller sound and produced the album himself. The Pariah Dogs are sitting the new album out and benched himself when it came to production. Instead The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach is doing the producing the album and if first single, and title track, are indication, Ray is going for a seventies pop-rock vibe.

5. TBA – U2: This album should be higher on the list but it is becoming more and more unclear just when we are going to hear the first U2 album since 2009. When they dropped Invisible during the Super Bowl, a spring or summer released seemed inevitable, but after the song was met with a resounding, “eh” it was reported by Billboard that the album and tour would be pushed back to 2015 and they would go back into the studio with Ryan Tedder (ugg) and Paul Epworth (Adele). But that story was refuted by a spokesman for the band who said, “U2’s album is planned for this year, is still on track and touring plans haven’t been confirmed yet.” Though still no date, or even timeframe was given. So maybe there will be a U2 album this year, but maybe not until the holiday season. Maybe after all this gossip, maybe they will just end up Beyoncing the album just before Christmas.


Here is a list of more albums coming out this spring that will at the very least worth a spin on Spotify.

Today
Symphonica – George Michael
SupermodelFoster the People
Good Road to FollowJohn Oates
Sex and Love (Deluxe)Enrique Iglesias
The Muppets Most Wanted

March 25
Out Among The StarsJohnny Cash (Lost 80’s Album)
Shakira. - Shakira
Teeth DreamsThe Hold Steady
About Last NightSleeper Agent
This Is What I DoBoy George
ColouristThe Colourist
Night SongsBarry Manilow
Rio 2: Music From the Motion Picture
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (40th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition)Elton John
Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia: Live at The WonderThe Dandy Warhols (first live album)

April 1
Himalayan – Band of Skulls
Life JourneyLeon Russell
CopeManchester Orchestra
The Infamous Mobb Deep – Mobb Deep
Education, Education, Education & WarKaiser Chiefs

April 8
DuetsLinda Ronstadt
Pure FictionEric Hutchinson

April 15
Rivers in the Wasteland - Needtobreathe
Do to the BeastThe Afghan Whigs
Make My Head Sing - Jessica Lea Mayfield
Lights OutIngrid Michaelson
Fools Gold – Duck Sauce
Boys Night OutThe Oak Ridge Boys (first live album in 37 years)
Illmatic XXIllmatic XX - Nas (twentieth anniversary rerelease)

April 22
Pop PsychologyNeon Trees
Food - Kelis
Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver EverettEels
SugarG. Love & Special Sauce
Shine On – Dwight & Nicole

April 29
Most Messed Up – Old 97's
Everyday RobotsDamon Albarn
Phosphorescent Harvest – Chris Robinson Brotherhood
ShriekWye Oak
Song in My HeadThe String Cheese Incident

May 6
Shine OnSarah McLachlan
Natalie MerchantNatalie Merchant
I Never LearnLykke Li
Nikki NackTune-Yards

May 13
Blue SmokeDolly Parton
Everything’s Corrupt – Ice Cube

May 20
Upside Down Mountain – Conor Oberst
California BreedCalifornia Breed
A Matter Of Trust The Bridge To Russia: The Deluxe Edition (2CD/Blu-ray)Billy Joel

May 27
Are We There - Sharon Van Etten

June 3
Platinum – Miranda Lambert
Road BetweenLucy Hale
Superunknown (20th Anniversary - Remastered CD) - Soundgarden

June 10
Manslaughter – Body Count

TBD
Plectrumelectrum – Prince & 3RDEYEGIRL
A Letter Home – Neil Young
You’re Welcome – De La Soul
4:13 Dream – The Cure
B.O.A.T.S. III – 2 Chainz
World Peace Is None of Your Business - Morrissey
AC/DC
Adele
Better Than Ezra
Bleachers
Charlie Wilson
D12
Deftones
Ed Sheeran
Florence + The Machine
The Gaslight Anthem
Grimes
The Jacksons
Jay-Z
Jenny Lewis
Jewel
Kendrick Lamar
Linkin Park
Miguel
Phoenix
Raphael Saadiq
Rihanna
Spoon
Taylor Swift

Let me end with the obligatory this may be the quarter when Dr. Dre finally releases Detox.

Monday, March 17, 2014

The Voice Season 6 Blind Auditions Power Rankings



In the first three seasons of The Voice I pretty much made it all the way through the seasons (I did skip the season two finale due to lack of interest of who made it) but for the first season Usher and Shakira joined the show, I was out after the Live Playoffs when American choose to save only country and RnB singers, along with the female Taylor Hicks. But that was further than last season when I stopped watching half way through the Knockout Round. But I actually had singers I invented in early who just did not go as far as their talent would suggest, this season really lacked that one stand out moment which would get me excited for the season that followed. I do not think any of the Blind Auditions would make the list of the ten greatest in the history of the show. Hopefully someone has a breakout moment in the Battle Rounds (which might not be likely considering I can count the number of great Battle Round performance on one hand) or I may be out earlier than I was last season. But I did make it through the Blind Auditions and here is how rank those that turned chairs.

1. Audra McLaughlin (Team Blake) – Back in season four I wanted to like Sarah Simmons, she had a great voice but she was always just way too much. Audra has a voice like Sarah but unlike Sarah, Audra has control. And since she is on Team Blake, I do not have to worry Adam railroading her for his chosen one or giving her a head scratching bad song to sing. But then again last season Blake made the worst decision in The Voice history when he dumped Holly Henry right before the Live Shows.

2. Sisaundra Lewis (Team Blake): There is definitely an Aretha quality to her. There was a point where I thought she was going to come off the rails and do a bunch of unnecessary vocal gymnastics but she stepped up to that line but never crossed it and that is a great quality for a soul singer. Could this be another Jermaine Paul situation with her going with Blake? (I am sure the producers shudder at the thought, the guy still has yet to release an album.)

3. Ddendyl (Team Shakira): Speaking of interesting voices, “quirky” have done fairly well on this show and no one this season, possibly ever than Ddendyl. If the show does not work out, give that family their own reality show.

4. Madilyn Paige (Team Usher): Oh Blake, where were you on this one. Nurturing this is the kind of voice that made you the best coach in the first two seasons. Then season four you go all country, and these last two seasons… who knows what you are doing. I really have no faith that Usher knows what to do with Madiyn and it may be a quick exit for her. Hopefully Blake at some point steals her.

5. Kaleigh Glanton (Team Blake): First off I am down with any chick who will bust out some Creedence on stage. But better yet, she has a very interesting voice.

6. Josh Kaufman (Team Adam): The show has had a bad age problem the last two seasons where only one singer over the age of thirty has made the live shows after they made up two thirds of the finals back in season three. Despite not having an age limit, the plus thirty crowd seems to be getting less Blind Auditions (while the under-twenty seem to populate the no chair turn montages littered throughout the seasons) and those that do make it through always seem to be gone by the Battle Rounds without a hint of a Steal. If Josh (38) or Sisaundra (44) does not make it through to the Live Shows than it will be extremely clear that there is a new unspoken age limit because in a fairly weak field this season, there is no way anyone could not think they not one of the top twenty-four singers. I would also say Patrick (35) and Ryan (33) Biff (45) are worthy of the Live Shows this season.

7. De'Shawn Washington (Team Shakira): How did this guy only get one chair to turn? This is the kind of guy who Cee-Lo could have taken from being the only guy to hear what is special to very far in the competition. Hopefully Shakira has the same effect on him. I love old soul music and this guy just embodies it.

8. Sam Behymer (Team Adam) – Sam reminds me a lot of Juhi from last season because I really want to like her, but both were a bit… much. They also both obviously have winning personalities. I do have high hopes for Sam because Juhi was the only contestant last season who got better with each of the pre-taped round, hopefully with the right coaching, she can improve with every performance and actually go further than Juhi did. Unfortunately Adam dumped Juhi for someone on a downward trajectory so she may have to jump to Usher’s team (or Blake or Shakira who I thought would have been a better fit than those that turned around) to go further. On a side note, you really need to go to graduate school to become a librarian?

9. Morgan Wallen (Team Usher): In an off season for dudes, his voice gruff stands out and sets him apart from the bland blue eye soul men populating Usher’s team this year.

10. T.J. Wilkins (Team Usher): Biz Markie pretty much killed Bennie and the Jets for me and it has been hard to listen to a “clean” version of the song ever since. But T.J. was very smooth and really hit those falsettos well. The world could use more pure RnB singers.

11. Cierra Mickens (Team Shakira): Maybe it was the song (you really have to try hard to ruin Crazy) but I really enjoyed her performance, but I would like to heard her do something with a higher degree of difficulty next time out.

12. Clarissa Serna (Team Shakira): I had an irrational fear of Zombie when I was younger; it probably was because of Dolores O’Riordan banshee wail. I am not sure if it is a plus or minus that Clarissa lacked that intensity. But I am intrigued to hear what she does next. But I am surprised that Shakira’s weird war metaphor worked.

13. Biff Gore (Team Usher): Oh Biff, your wife is about to give birth and you are trying out for The Voice? Although after five kids, maybe he is ready to get out of there. But another strong pure RnB singer. Unfortunately he also went with Usher like T.J. so that is a fairly obvious Battle Round match up.

14. Lindsay Bruce (Team Shakira): It was a bit rough at the beginning because the Will Hoge vocals were a bit too low for a female voice, but once she got into a range more comfortable, the performance became much more enjoyable.

15. Patrick Thomson (Team Adam): His growl really teeters between awesome and annoying. Hopefully he can keep in on the side of awesome.

16. Dawn & Hawkes (Team Adam): Duos have had a hard time on the show until The Swon Brothers made the finals. But Co-ed duos had had it rough. The Line were early front runners who were railroaded by Christina in the Battle Rounds. That is also where Elenowen were unceremonious dumped for a lesser artist. These two were good, but they seem to be way too subtle to go far in this competition.

17. Ryan Whyte Maloney (Team Blake): I did not get the Steve Perry comparison aside from singing his song, Steve’s voice is bigger while Ryan’s is higher.

18. Bria Kelly (Team Usher): Steamroller Blues is my second favorite James Taylor song after Fire and Rain so I was looking forward to someone polish off this lost gem (or as lost as a song on his Greatest Hits album can get), but Bria was a bit… much. There is promise there. Unfortunately it seems like Usher would be the worst possible coach for her of the four. She could have won with Blake and still could have contended with Adam or Shakira. There is always a Steal.

19. Emily B (Team Shakira) – I am not sure if she has a great voice or not, but Wicked Game is one of those rare songs where you have to try to ruin it. I am not sure if she will make it far (but she wisely picked one of the weaker coaches) but this performance was solid.
20. Melissa Jimenez (Team Usher) – A nice clean and clear voice, but is just lacking something special.

21. Paula DeAnda (Team Blake): I have to admit I missed the original Paula DeAnda era. The reboot was a bit iffy. It was a good but unremarkable voice and she somehow managed to suck most of the fun out of the Ariana Grande song.

22. Jeremy Briggs (Team Shakira): I am not completely convince that this is not Mark Andrews, who was coincidentally also on Team Shakira. Granted I think Jeremy will make it about as far as Mark did in season four, not past the Battle Round because both are pretty benign rock singers.

23. Brittnee Camelle (Team Usher): Song selection is so important so it is hard to take someone seriously when they are covering Demi Lovato. I did sort of like her voice so I would be interesting hearing her sing a song that is not absolutely horrible. I am not sure I can trust Usher to find one, most of his Battle Round selections last time were pretty lame.

24. Kat Perkins (Team Adam): Great song selection, but like a lot of performances this season I still want to see more to decide if I really like the voice or not.

25. Alaska & Madi (Team Blake): Loved the song selection but the performance came off as way too nice. Having two teenage girls trying to tackle the sexual tension and angst of The Civil Wars is hard enough, but it is impossible to do with a smile on your faces.

26. Deja Hall (Team Shakira): Just another reason why The Voice should raise its age requirements, Deja was decent but the performance was extremely shaky. More years of experience could have ironed that out. Instead she probably peaked as a teenage getting a round to or two on a reality show.

27. Christina Grimmie (Team Adam): After two lackluster singers, I was really hoping The Voice would go back to bringing more ringers. YouTube stars is not really what I had in mind. Much like the guy a few seasons ago who boasted being the most subscribed artist, Christina is just mediocre. I really cannot see Adam keeping her around very long so she may have to hope for a save so her two million subscribers can vote for her.

28. Ria Eaton (Team Blake): Shut it down, someone did Anna Kendrick on the show. Awesome. But I was extremely disappointed that Ria did not break out some cups while singing. How do you do a performance of Cups without actual cups?

29. Megan Rüger (Team Blake): started out well, but when she hit the pre-chorus she went into this head space that got annoying really quick.

30. Delvin Choice (Team Adam): No one last season really deserved a second shot except for Malford Milligan, but I guess if you had to bring someone else back from season five, Delvin may be the next choice. But he ended up ruining one of my favorite songs ever by oversinging at the end.

31. Cary Laine (Team Adam): Before the season aired, the show was hyping that this season had the most four chair singers ever. Of course this was not due to the talent this season but because Shakira just had to push her button right after someone else did and Usher seemed to push his button at the last second just to be an irritant. Half of those four chair turners did not deserve the honor especially Cary who is the least worthy four chair singer of all time after The Morgan Twins. There is probably a reason why Blake seemed to be fighting for the country singer the least. Best case scenario for Cary is probably the last, and only, country singer Adam beat Blake out for Warren Stone who won his Battle Round even though his opponent was better and got dumped in the Knockout Rounds when Adam realized he had four significantly better singers.

32. Jake Barker (Team Usher): His voice is alright, especially in the falsetto, but dude really needs to tone down the oversinging.

33. Caleb Elder (Team Adam): Is he entertaining? Yes. Was it an inspiring song choice? Definitely (really the song selection was a definite improvement over last season despite some cheesy pop songs and a couple overused soul songs). Was the actual performance any good? Eh.

34. Stevie Jo (Team Usher): Wait, both of his parents were in heavy metal bands and look like random people at the local PTA meeting? I remember back in the first season they actually had a couple contestants that we did not see until a coach pushed their button, they should have done that with Stevie. But it was severely disappointing that he sang Usher instead of Judas Priest.

35. Brothers Walker (Team Usher): Other than the novelty of being twins, there really is not much interesting about them. Much like The Morgan Twins a couple seasons ago (who inexplicably got four chairs to turn around) I do not expect them to go very far. But then again I thought the same about The Swon Brothers. But it is never a good sign when Blake does not turn around for a country act.

36. Noah Lis (Team Blake): An alright voice, just really boring.

37. Jake Worthington (Team Blake): I always seem to scratch my head as some of the singers they have brought back for a second chance but Jake is the least worthy ever to be brought back.

38. Kristen Merlin (Team Shakira): Yeah Kacey Musgraves just sang a pro gay country song on the Grammy’s but it is hard to think a lesbian could make it in a genre that only sings about beers, trucks, and dirt roads these days. But this is the Voice, and when it comes to Kristen’s voice, there is just too much vibrato to the point it got really annoying.

39. Lindsay Pagano (Team Shakira)

40. Tess Boyer (Team Usher)

41. Joshua Howard (Team Adam)

42. Lexi Luca (Team Blake)

43. Austin Ellis (Team Adam)

44. Josh Murley (Team Adam)

45. Cali Tucker (Team Blake)

46. Music Box (Team Shakira)

47. Dani Moz (Team Shakira)

48. Tanner James (Team Usher)

Like I always do, it is time to rank the teams to see who is the strongest. I gave a corresponding number to each with number one getting forty-eight while the last got one and so on; then added them up by team. And here are they came out to be:

Shakira – 304
Usher – 302
Blake – 300
Adam – 270

I was a bit surprised that Shakira was on top (she did pick up two of the best one chair artists, but just by a small margin over Usher and Blake with Adam pulling up the rear. But who cares what I think, here is how the contestants rank by how high they charted on the iTunes chart. Please note I did not contribute to this list for the first time since the first season which remains the only other time I did not buy at least song from the Blind Audition. And looking at the list I may not have been the only one. Only 31 of the 48 contestants moving on made the top 1500 this season compared to 39 last season. And there is also an enthusiasm gap as both Holly Henry and Preston Pohl spent most of the Blind Auditions in the top 200, as I write this, no Blind Auditions from this season is in the top 1000. Granted last season only had six montage contestants while this season had ten, so that did not help. That is a lot of fodder.

1. Dawn and Hawkes (24)
2. Christina Grimmie (73)
3. Clarissa Serna (86)
4. Bria Kelly (126)
5. Josh Kaufman (136)
6. Jake Worthington (140)
7. Madilyn Paige (175)
8. Morgan Wallen (184)
9. Alaska and Madi (220)
10. Emily B. (239)
11. Audra McLaughlin (252)
12. Delvin Choice (416)
13. Kat Perkins (451)
14. Kaleigh Glanton (482)
15. Stevie Jo (503)
16. Sam Behymer (551)
17. Biff Gore (602)
18. Caleb Elder (645)
19. Ddendyl (656)
20. Kristen Merlin (688)
21. T.J. Wilkins (714)
22. Sasaundra Lewis (740)
23. Jake Barker (754)
24. Cary Laine (755)
25. Ryan Whyte Maloney (917)
26. Megan Ruger (1131)
27. Deja Hall (1190)
28. Brothers Walker (1259)
29. Cierra Mickens (1262)
30. Noah Lis (1373)
31. Lindsay Bruce (1482)

Like I did my Power Rankings, here is how the teams stack up based on iTunes

Adam – 165
Usher – 133
Blake – 114
Shakira – 84

Despite have the most singers in the top 1500, Blake is a distant third (Paula being the only non-montage singer not to make it on the chart) but Adam (who had one more montage contestant this season; Patrick was his only non-montage not to chart) did have three ahead of Blake’s top charter. No one, on the other hand wanted to buy half of Shakira’s team as six of her twelve failed to chart (three were montage). Of course all you need is one to win and Clarissa was the third best charter this season. But keep in mind last year’s champion, Tessanne Chin failed to make the top 200 once in the three pre-show (she ranked 7th, 14th, and 10th overall in those initial rounds) which is probably why her debut single flopped. People may have voted for her, but had not much interesting to buy her music when it did not count as a vote. But anyway. Unlike last season, there were a few singers that did not get anyone to turn that are worth another (blind) look at next season, here is how I would rank them.

Second Chance
1. Allison Bray
2. Karina Mia
3. Keith Shuskie
4. Brendan Ryan
5. James Caveron

Now it is prediction time, here is an extremely premature prediction of who will make the Live Shows (I was 16 of 20 last season). I am assuming there will be a top 20 again like last season (but supposedly; we are getting a big twist this season). There could very well be less since they have already announced there will be less live rounds this season. But we do not know if they are just going to eliminate more singers each week. I have ranked them by how confident I am in my prediction. Just for fun I will bold those who I think will be the final three and put a dark horse in parentheses.

Adam: Josh, Christina, Delvin, Patrick, Dawn and Hawkes (Sam)
Blake: Sissandra, Ryan, Audra, Jake, Megan (Ria)
Skakira: Clarissa, Kristen, DeShawn, Ddendtyl, Deja (Emily B.)
Usher: Bria, TJ, Morgan, Jake, Melissa (Madilyn)

Now I am going to get a little spoilery as I predict how the next round plays out. Last year most of the Battles were revealed prior to the start of the round, this season, all of them were revealed. So if you do not want to know who is battling who, you will want to stop reading right now. I have listed each Battle with who I think will win listed first and ordered them in how confident I think I am right. Even though each season since season two has featured a montage contestant make it to the Live Shows, I cowardly did not pick any of them. But this season I am going to predict some Steals which will be designated by an S (although these usually really hard to pick because most coaches seem to purposely waste their Steals as for fodder in the next rounds; although last time, Shakira took both of her Steals to the Live Show and Usher did the same for one).


Adam
Josh K. vs. Austin
Christina vs. Joshua
Dawn and Hawkes vs. Josh M.
Delvin vs. Caleb
Patrick vs. Kat
Sam vs. Carey (S)

Blake
Jake vs. Lexi
Ryan vs. Cali
Kaliegh vs. Noah
Sissandra vs. Paula (S)
Megan vs. Ria
Audra vs. Alaska and Madi (S)

Shakira
Deja vs. Music Box
DeShawn vs. Dani
Ddendtyl vs. Lindsay P.
Kristen vs. Lindsay B.
Clarissa vs. Jeremy (S)
Emily B. vs. Ciera (S)

Usher
Bria vs. Tess
Madilyn vs. Tanner
Melissa vs. Brittnee
Morgan vs. The Brothers Walker (S)
Jake vs. Stevie (S)
Biff vs. T.J. (S)

Sunday, March 16, 2014

57 Channels and Only This Is On: 3/16/14



Once Upon a Time: Since everyone who gets more than one line is inevitably going to turn out to be a fairy tale character so from the first moment I assumed Emma’s new boyfriend was not who he said he was. Since the promos that reran ad nausea hyped the debut of the Wicked Witch of the (presumably) West, my first guesses were Oz related: maybe the Wizard himself, or The Scarecrow, Tin Man, or Cowardly Lion. Surprisingly we did not have to wait a season or two to find out who the boyfriend was as at the end of the episode he turned into a fracking bad CGI flying monkey. Awesome. (On a side note, when is NBC going to reboot Quantum Leap with Christopher Gorham, that dude can easily pass off as Scott Backula’s kid.)
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Once Upon a Time on iTunes.

The Walking Dead: Did we finally learn what Rick’s three questions for joining the group that was that was hinted way back in the season premiere? Daryl did ask Bob three questions when they met: 1) How many zombies have you killed? 2) How many humans have you killed? 3) Why?
You can download The Walking Dead on iTunes.

Resurrection: From the promos, the show did not look all that good, but I was intrigued by how they would explain it all. Except my sources tell me that the book the show is base on does not actually explain why these people come back. I did find the premiere compelling, but I am not sure how the story plays out over a whole season, let alone a series. And if there is no answer, that will be very frustrating. But I will probably stick with it because it is currently stuck right between my hate watching ABC Sunday’s schedule.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Resurrection on iTunes.

Revenge: So Nico captures Aiden and can easily avenge her father’s death (which make the show much better because the show has been on a steep slide since introducing Aiden) but instead concocts some James Bond villain sinister plan to kill his love in front of him before killing him. Of nothing goes as plan, and instead of Emily killing Nico, she is allowed to weirdly slink out the loft. Then you have Victoria killing her baby daddy and Conrad’s first wife is Jack’s mother. Ugg. Just end this show now.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Revenge on iTunes.

The Voice: So the Blind Auditions are done and not one singer really worth caring about. I may be out on this season faster than I was last one. But since I made it though the first round, my first, and maybe only, Power Rankings of the season will be posted tomorrow.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download songs performed this week with the widget at right.

How I Met Your Mother: So Lilly paid the bartender a lot of money to make sure she always has a non-alcholoic drink in her hand this weekend? Ugg, just end this show already.
You can stream recent episodes over at cbs.com. You can also download How I Met Your Mother on iTunes.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: The reason why we have not seen any of Marvel’s big named heroes was evident this week (well other than obvious monetary reasons). This was hyped as the Lady Sif episode, but really, it turned out to be more Lorelei-centric. And as it is with the movies, the villains are much more interesting and in the short time you have in an episode, you have to focus on the bad guy. If they brought in a bigger name than Sif, the show would have to self most of the cast to fit them in (Skye already spent most of this episode in bed). But I would not mind a Lady Sif spin-off.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on iTunes.

Pretty Little Liars: So Ezra thinks that A is Allison’s mother who is trying to make is safe for her to come back to Rosewood, but Allison verified her mother does not know she is alive. After a very heavy handed season, next week’s Ally Tells All episode better actually tell all. And let me go ahead and guess that the person under the mask is Mona (assuming it is not Allison at the beginning of the episode).
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Pretty Little Liars on iTunes.

Justified: Finally, Raylan has found a law enforcement agent as prickly as him, but before you suggest he get transferred to the Memphis DEA office, Dewey Crowe had to go and run over him before Danny could test out the twenty-one foot rule on Eric Roberts (but the promos suggests that Danny will get to ret that again next week on Raylan which I am sure will end humorously). But the scene where Raylan and Roberts entered Audrey’s was just one of those scenes that the show does just so well. Surprisingly the body count was low.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Justified on iTunes.

Survivor: Cagayan: Just like the Race Wars season, it seems like they are ditching the gimmick a little too soon but after the Brains lost four of five Challenges, three of which were for Immunity, it was inevitable. We will have to wait until next week if just the Brains have to drop their buffs and get absorbed or all three will be mixed up. If it is the latter hopefully my two favorites who were being targeted this week, Cliff and Morgan end up in cushier situations, maybe on the same tribe. But how exactly did Cops-R-Us (Philip Sheppard should sue for copyright infringement) think they could throw a basketball challenge with Cliff Robinson on their team?
You can stream recent episodes on cbs.com. You can also download Survivor: Cagayan on iTunes.

The Americans: After the tease at the end of season one, I was excited for potential of Paige to figure out her parents’ secret. But after three episodes of near misses, I am ready for her to finally learn the truth. I really hope they are not waiting for this season’s finale (or longer) for that to happen.
You can download The Americans on iTunes.

Nashville: Oh Juliet, pulling that kind of stunt is what got you dropped in the first place. Thankfully she has not learned her lesson because the show would be a lot less entertaining. The other big bombshell was Will proposing to his beard. Hopefully this means we are closer to somebody outing him because that would be a much more interesting storyline than him staying in the closet and hating himself.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Nashville on iTunes.

Parenthood: All the lackluster and annoying storylines this season were almost all worth it for that dinner scene where basically everyone came out in the opening for everyone, including Jasmine’s family and minister, to hear. And Drew, who was always low man on the Braverman Power Ranking, may finally be moving up after his roommate hooked up with his former bootie call. But it kind of sounded like they are actually going to ruin that awesomely awkward dynamic by having Drew move in with his sister, which could get really awkward too considering her place is only one room.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Parenthood on iTunes.

King of the Nerds: I liked the changed final challenge this season from the Survivor like popularity contest to an actual nerd skills competition. But for the second straight year, a girl one which makes me wonder if a guy will ever win this show. They might as well call it Queen of the Nerds at this point.
You can download King of the Nerds on iTunes.

Hannibal: I do not know what is says about me that I recognize that the bailiff was murdered the way that Will is accused of his victims before forensics made the same assumption. And by killing the judge, does that mean Hannibal wants to keep Will in a perpetual state of innocent until proven guilty but still in prison? I would have never had guessed a court room based episode would be this engrossing, but of course was able to pull out an epic one.
You can stream recent episodes on Hulu. You can also download Hannibal on iTunes.

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Best of the Week: 3/15/14




Quote of the Week: Miller, would you call this a herd, a gaggle, or a flock of (expletive deleted)? (Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, Justified)

Song of the Week: Chapel of Love – Dixie Cups (Pretty Little Liars)

Scene of the Week:


Big News of the Week: A Not So Melancholy Happy Trails to Brandon Weeden: Our long national nightmare is finally over, Brandon Weeden has finally got cut. Two years ago, not only did they waste a first round draft pick on the pushing thirty year old quarterback, they moved up to get him so they used multiple draft picks to get him. And since this is the Browns, of course he sucked, but Weeden somehow managed to not even meet extremely low expectations. The guy got tackled by the United States flag and on multiple occasions tried to throw an underhanded pass under pressure multiple times. So good riddance Brandon Weeden, you will not be missed (well except by people who like to make fun of the Browns). I feel sorry for the fans of which ever Canadian Football League team that picks him up. Now we have a month to see what quaterback bust the Browns will draft next.

Preview Picture of the Week:

“A Is For Answers” Pretty Little Liars season finale, Tuesday at 8:00 on ABC Family

Free Download of the Week: Lift Your Spirit – Aloe Blacc (iTunes)

New Album Release of the Week: Symphonica - George Michael

New DVD Release of the Week: Frozen

Video of the Week: Yesterday, TNT announced its full summer schedule which will be big as in ten original series, the most scripted dramas than any basic cable channel ever (and will probably be more than most, if not all the networks this summer). Below is the complete list of return days for those that want to mark your calendars now.

Major Crimes: Monday, June 9 at 9:00
Murder in the First (New Series): Monday, June 9 at 10:00
Rizzoli and Isles: Tuesday, June 17 at 9:00
Perception: Tuesday, June 17 at 10:00
Cold Justice: Friday, June 20 at 8:00
The Last Ship (New Series): Sunday, June 22 at 9:00
Falling Skies: Sunday, June 22 at 10:00
Dallas: Monday, August 18 at 9:00
Legends (New Series): Wednesday, August 20 at 9:00
Franklin and Bash: Wednesday, August 20 at 10:00

The first of those new series, Murder in the First just released its first trailer. The show, from Steven Bochco, will follow a single murder investigation across an entire season stars Taye Diggs (Private Practice) and Kathleen Robertson (Boss). Here is hoping that it is better than The Killing (or at the very least actually solve the investigation by the end of the first season). Check out the trailer below:




Next Week Pick of the Week: Pretty Little Liars, Tuesday at 8:00: The show has been hyping for weeks now that the season finale will be where “Ali Tells All.” The title of the episode is even entitled A Is for Answers. Hopefully it lives up it because the show has gotten convoluted lately with all the theoriews floating aroumd on the show and the different A’s and A Team members. Hopefully Allison sets everything straight and we can move forward next season. Although things will get more convoluted in Hanna’s love life next season thanks to the Ravenswood cancelation as her current love triangle will get expanded to a quadrangle because it was announced Caleb will be back to a series regular. I wonder if they will bother to wrap up the Ravenswood storyline or Caleb will just show up and say something like, “My father sold the house so I decided to move back to Rosewood. Oh yeah, and that chick I told you I was going to protect and made you think I was dating: she actually died the day after you left town so you do not have to worry about her.”

Friday, March 14, 2014

Around the Tubes: 3/14/14




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 Deal with It, Being Human, Susan Boyle: Her Secret Struggle, Rufus Wainwright, Billions, Masters of Sex, Bermuda Tentacles, Ascension, and the summer schedules for TNT and ABC Family.

- TBS has great news for comedy fans who just can't wait for the return of the network's popular hidden-camera prank show Deal With It, hosted by Theo Von and executive-produced by Howie Mandel, and the launch of the brand new competition series Bam's Badass Game Show, hosted by Bam Margera (Jackass). One week before the shows launch on TBS, the network is offering full-episode previews of the season openers via TBS's social media platforms, website and mobile apps. The season premiere of Deal With It is already available for viewing through TBS's YouTube channel, while the first episode of Bam's Badass Game Show will be featured on TBS's Facebook page beginning Monday, April 7. This marks the first time that TBS has ever offered full-episode previews of its shows via social media.

- DweebCast host Andy Riesmeyer interviews Sam Witwer, star of SyFy's Being Human. SyFy announced last week that the show's fourth season would be its last, to the chagrin of its devoted fan base. In the interview, Sam explains how the cast of the show has known of the impending cancellation for more than a year. He also explains some of the financial reasons for the cancellation and how the producers and actors are happy because they feel they get to end their show in the best way possible. Sam also mentions that there won't ever be a chance for the show to come back after the end of this season.


- On Wednesday, April 9 at 10:00, Ovation, America’s only arts network, will present the U.S. television premiere of Susan Boyle: Her Secret Struggle. This all-access, intimate and inspiring documentary travels with Boyle as she embarks upon her first tour and uncovers her battles with Asperger’s Syndrome.

- Operatic pop singer Rufus Wainwright has announced a PledgeMusic campaign for the pre-order of the upcoming Prima Donna album, a studio recording of his first opera Prima Donna with the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Praised lavishly for his emotionally raw lyrics and recognized for his "genuine originality" from The New York Times, Wainwright has been called "the greatest songwriter on the planet" from the legendary Elton John and has excelled in the worlds of rock, opera, theater, dance and film.

- Showtime has ordered Billions, a new complex, contemporary drama pilot from a script by Andrew Ross Sorkin (Too Big To Fail), and Brian Koppelman and David Levien (Ocean's Thirteen, Rounders), who will also executive produce. Billions is a fictional drama that focuses on the collision and, at times, collusion between an aggressive U.S. attorney in New York and some of the richest hedge fund billionaires in the country. Billions marks the first pilot pick-up for Showtime this year.

- Multi-talented performer Keke Palmer is joining the season two cast of the acclaimed Showtime drama series Masters of Sex. Palmer will recur in the guest starring role of Coral, the nanny hired by the Masters to care for their new baby. Production on season two will begin mid-March in Los Angeles.

- Linda Hamilton (The Terminator) will star as an Admiral of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier battling an ancient monster in the new Syfy Original Movie Bermuda Tentacles, premiering Saturday, April 12 at 9:00. When Air Force One goes down over the Bermuda Triangle, the Navy sends its best rescue team. But in saving the President, the team awakens a monster which threatens America’s entire Eastern Seaboard and, ultimately, the world.

- Syfy is reigniting the channel’s traditional long-form scripted programming event for 4th quarter with the greenlight of the 6-hour series Ascension, it was announced this week by Syfy President Dave Howe. Ascension is an ambitious original drama created and written by Philip Levens (Smallville) who will serve as Executive Producer and Showrunner. Said Howe, “Syfy is more committed than ever to bringing to life epic event television. We have a rich history in this arena, from Steven Spielberg’s ‘Taken’ to the highly acclaimed mini that launched the ‘Battlestar Galactica’ series, to reimagined takes on classic tales such as ‘Alice’ and ‘Tin Man.’ In keeping with that grand tradition, we are delighted to bring this thrilling, provocative and intelligent event to our fans later this year.” In 1963, the U.S. government launched a covert space mission sending hundreds of men, women and children on a century-long voyage aboard the starship Ascension to populate a new world. Nearly 50 years into the journey, as they approach the point of no return, a mysterious murder of a young woman causes the ship’s population to question the true nature of their mission.

- This week TNT unveiled its summer schedule. Here are the highlights:

The Last Ship (New Series): Sunday, June 22 at 9:00
Falling Skies: Sunday, June 22 at 10:00
Legends (New Series): Wednesday, August 20 at 9:00
TNT's summer slate will also include new seasons of the hit series Major Crimes, Rizzoli & Isles, Perception and Franklin & Bash; new episodes of Dallas; and the launch of Stephen Bochco's new crime drama Murder in the First. Premiere dates for those series will be announced later.

- ABC also unveiled its summer schedule. Again here are the highlights:

Pretty Little Liars: Tuesday, June 10 at 8:00
Chasing Life (New Series): Tuesday, June 10 at 9:00
Switched at Birth: Monday, June 16 at 8:00
The Fosters: Monday, June 16 at 9:00
Young and Hungry (New Series): Wednesday. June 25 at 8:00
Mystery Girls (New Series): Wednesday, June 25 at 8:30