Sometimes the iPod gets it right. This morning I put in my earbuds, pressed “shuffle songs,” and held my breath — then Band of Horses’ “Funeral” came on, and I knew it was going to be a great day. (more…)
Silversun Pickups is a band out of Silverlake, a young/hip neighborhood of Los Angeles. They’ve gotten a lot of positive attention for their album, Carnavas, and a lot of comparisons to Sonic Youth and Smashing Pumpkins. The comparisons are deserved. They’re one of those indie bands that wear their influences on their sleeve. It bugs me to no end.
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And what’d you give?
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It might be a slight exaggeration to say that Hulk Hogan should be executed for war crimes. After all, he’s never actually been in a war. But Santa With Muscles remains an unspeakable crime against all that we hold dear. (more…)
The Premise: At night, after the museum of natural history closes, the exhibits come to life, causing trouble for the night watchman. Mayhem ensues.
The Pitch: It’s like Jumanji crossed by Home Alone—but in a museum!
The Plot: Well, to tell you the truth, it’s pretty inconsequential and really wasn’t worth the time the movie spent setting it up. (And what plot does exist is pretty clichéd: A father must rise to the occasion to prove to his son that he’s worthwhile, while learning something about the virtue of perseverance. Or something. Frankly, the movie could have left the main character’s personal life on the cutting room floor and the movie wouldn’t have suffered.
The Point: A largely mindless, but fairly entertaining Holiday special effects extravaganza best enjoyed in the company of young children.
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Is the best film of 2006 here? (more…)
1) O Holy Night
2) Jingle Bells
3) White Christmas
4) Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer
5) Little Drummer Boy
NOTE: While I understand a few of these songs are inexorably linked to the artist who sings them I’m trying to keep this list to the song itself.
I’ve spliced together clips of songs to see how many you can all identify. This week’s clips all feature the word “kiss” in them. What can I say, I guess the mistletoe inspired me.
I’ll give you a day or two to make your guesses, then I’ll post the answers. There are clips from 18 songs this time.
Song clips are in the radio.blog: “Name These Smoochey Songs”
NOTE: You might want to listen and make your guesses before reading the comments, or other people’s guesses might spoil your fun.
UPDATE: I’ll paste the answers in down below. If you haven’t had a chance to make your guesses, don’t click on the “more” link until you have!
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The first half of the new TV season is pretty much over at this stage. So one is really able to gauge how TV is doing. I think that the last six years or so has seen a renaissance in television. It started with alternative networks like HBO or Showtime making really compelling movies. Then they started with alternative shows, usually with 8 - 10 episodes a season. Then that spread to basic cable and finally to the networks themselves. Whereas once I’d have ridiculed TV now I can honestly say that there is more good stuff on than I can watch. So here are my choices for new shows and then overall shows.
I went through my list of shows I saw this year, and it seems like I didn’t make it to that many, but I actually caught about 23. And the ones I saw were all excellent.
Some of my favorite shows I wasn’t able to take my camera to, though—including Mastodon w/Converge, Damien Rice w/the Swell Season, Bob Mould, and Iron Maiden w/Three Inches of Blood. Other big highlights this year for me were Opeth, the Hellacopters, and Calexico.
So here’s the year in shows… (more…)
My iPod has revealed it to me: “So Lonely,” from Outlandos D’Amour.
Just sayin’.
Underdog, the live action movie. (more…)
Top Ten lists are a tradition of the holiday season as much as egg nog or mistletoe. So permit us, as the Lords of Kulturblog, to present to you each our own Top Ten Three Albums of 2006. (more…)
Giant Magazine has a couple of articles on the best commercials of the 80s. I highly recommend you check them out, here and here. It’s chock full of YouTubey goodness.
Alfonso Cuarón hails from Mexico City and is the acclaimed director of many major motion pictures, including A Little Princess, Y tu mamá también, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and most recently Children of Men. I sat down with Mr. Cuarón as part of a brief round table of interviews earlier today — here are the two measly questions yours truly got to ask. I was going to transcribe the whole round table, but my typing fingers got tired. Note: Children of Men opens Christmas Day, Monday, Dec. 25th.
Supergenius: Thanks for the most depressing film of the year!
Alfonso Cuarón: oh. (more…)
Seriously, is there anyone out there who thinks the BCS is good for college football? (more…)
OK, I have to admit up front that after seeing South Park’s take down on Mel Gibson I’ve never been able to see him in quite the same way. After his recent “legal troubles” it seems like Trey and Matt nailed it. They even thought recent events proved what they had said. But realistically even if Gibson has an odd masochistic streak that sees redemption and judgment coming only through extreme violence one has to judge the film on its own merits. So here they are.
1) A Christmas Story
2) It’s A Wonderful Life
3) A Christmas Carol (George C. Scott)
4) National Lampoons Christmas Vacation
5) How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Runners up:
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
- Frosty the Snowman
- Miracle on 34th Street
- A Charlie Brown Christmas
- Scrooged
In honor of The Good Shepherd’s director, Robert de Niro, I’ll cut a quarter off of this review, as his film was 1/4 longer than it should have been. (more…)
A couple of weeks ago there was a post at M* by Ivan Wolfe on whether Battlestar Galactica had jumped the shark . Now I was one of the more ardent defenders of the show, despite acknowledging a few problems. I’d have some grave misgivings with the season finale last season but the first four episodes, despite their flaws, really grabbed me. However…
Since I have been delinquent in my promise to supply good Christmas music, I’m going to try and make up for it by putting up a lot of music to wash all that nasty ol’ bad music away. I am fascinated with how different arrangements of the same song results in completely different songs. This is something that really struck me when I first listened to the two songs featured here today. It is probably inevitable with Christmas music, as there are a number of standards that are redone by everyone. Luckily, people often get it right, as they did in the following two versions.
Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Judy Garland/Ella Fitzgerald
These two versions are night and day. Judy Garland’s version is a melancholy cry for help. She is trying to keep it together in the face of a depressing holiday, clinging to the hope that next year will be better. But you go out and have a good time, why don’t ya?
Ella Fitzgerald’s version is carefree and joyous. Though life is tough, you don’t have to cry about it. Have fun anyway! There is very little sorrow in Ella’s voice and when she contemplates “muddling through somehow,” she seems certain that she will.
Both of these are definitive versions, if such a thing is possible.
Once again, here’s what TV Guide has to say:
The heroes struggle to come to terms with the Texas tragedy; more is learned about the nuclear bombing predicted in Isaac’s painting; Matt and Audrey (Clea DuVall) pursue a new lead in their hunt for Sylar; Niki makes a difficult decision, which will allow her to keep her family safe.
Darling Niki. When will she and the undead spirit of her sister who possesses her realize that if your boyfriend walks through walls, shooting him will not do the trick! More live recap, gabbing and spoilers below the fold. (more…)
1) Blue
2) Red
3) Green
4) Orange
5) Pink
Note: Black and white are not colors, neither in light nor in pigment.
This will be the ultimate bad Christmas song. Not because it is the worst, but because it is the last. I unabashedly adore this song and this version. But it is bad; so, so bad.
The Hallelujah Chorus - the Oak Ridge Boys
The Oak Ridge Boys have long cornered the market on country-inflected barbershop. Additionally, they have quite the Christmas music market, having released four Christmas albums. This is a track off the latest, An Inconvenient Christmas. Someone apparently told them that it would be a good idea for the Boys to take the four parts of the chorus and sing it to some rousing electric guitar and synthesizers. Wow. That’s probably all I can say about that. While it may not be the most techinally proficient rendering, the Boys are singing their hearts out and their joy in singing this leaps out at you. I just wish that the bass-voiced Boy had more to do than sing along with the melody. Enjoy (and I mean it, this time).
I can already tell that I will end up hating all of you.
POLL UPDATE: I’ll be watching Santa With Muscles.
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