Ah, this one was on the brilliance scale with the French song. (more…)

OK, the radio.blog is back up, let’s get some music posted. What have you been into lately?

I recently discovered a band that I saw open for Pelican called Your Black Star. Kind of a stupid name, but I haven’t been able to stop listening to their albums I picked up at the show. Very 80s influenced but in a way that I love. They don’t sound like any one band in particular, like some current indie bands I could name. (*cough* Interpol *cough* Joy Division wannabes *cough*) They have a swirling guitar sound that is sort of like the Cure/Chameleons/U2—any number of 80s bands.

I’ll post a couple songs to the radio.blog. What have you been into? If I have it, I’ll try to post songs to the radio.blog.

1) Transformers
2) Star Wars
3) Electric Football
4) GI Joe
5) He-Man

This Summer’s movies were pretty blah in my opinion. There were two great movies: Bourne and Ratatouille. I didn’t get into (nor see) Transformers. Just not my thing. Most of the movies I did see (Harry Potter, Spiderman 3, etc.) were either big disappointments or just plain bad. There were a few fun films like Oceans 13 or Live Free or Die Hard, but they weren’t memorable in the least. Yet next year. Oh baby…
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Just for fun, I ran the current US box office top ten through the Fug-o-meter. Here are the scores:

1 Superbad — 81
2 Rush Hour 3 — 55
**3 The Bourne Ultimatum — 85**
4 The Simpsons Movie — 80
5 The Invasion — 53
6 Stardust — 74
7 Hairspray — 81
8 Underdog — 36
9 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix — 74
10 I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry –50

Good bets have 80 or more Fugs. All in all a pretty evenly divided week: some good, some ok, some stinkers.

Underdog?!

****
The Fug Score averages the Metacritic score and the IMDB user rating. The Fug Score does not lie.

My DVR is picking up ACL whenever it comes on, and I’ve had a chance to catch some bands that I’ve listened to for a long time, but have never seen live. Here are a few observations I have made:

1) Isaac Brock (Modest Mouse) does not appear to be very good at singing and playing the guitar at the same time. (Which, hey, I can’t do either one separately, so I feel for Isaac.) Also, Modest Mouse opened with the worst version of “Float On” imaginable. Either they’ve grown to completely hate their one hit song, or it’s not a song that they are capable of reproducing well outside of the studio. Or the band members were wasted. Hey, speaking of wasted …

2) Robert Pollard (Guided By Voices) was certainly very drunk during his set, and the rest of the band might have been too. But they still sounded fantastic. (Or, as fantastic as they could sound with the sub-par audio signal that my local PBS station puts out.) I didn’t realize that Pollard doesn’t play guitar when the band performs on stage. Maybe Brock should take note.

3) Wayne Coyne (Flaming Lips) sure does seem to be enjoying himself on stage, even when most of his songs are about death. The puppets, toys and props seem to help. Also, the Flaming Lips and Cat Power do a really good version of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs.” Who knew?

4) Despite being a very talented song writer, James Mercer (The Shins) might be one of the least charismatic stage performers I’ve seen since I went to see New Order in the ’80s. When the bassist has to handle the between-song banter because the lead singer is too busy wincing the night away, you know something’s not right.

5) ACL gets some good acts. When I was younger, I thought it was mostly boring folk and country.

the pet people up the ante. Not only is it now socially acceptable to dress your pets, push them in their own strollers and not vote for a presidential candidate because he let his dog ride on top of a car, but now there’s this and this.

Folks, what the hell is going on???

Very Short Review of Flight of the Concords: New Fans

In this episode, the world of Mel implodes. Highlights: the drawing in her bathroom of Bret & Jemain, and the acid trip sequence. First time I’d ever say that a story about being on drugs was interesting, if not entertaining.

Generally this one made me giggle more than the On the Tour. To me, the threesome plot was a bit tired. Best part was (spoiler warning) the camera on their beds and whether Jemain “looked” during the night.

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Well it’s almost September and the fall premieres are already being advertised. Yes some of our favorite shows won’t be here until January or February. (Lost, I’m looking at you) But there are plenty that will. While I confess there are no new shows I’m terribly excited about (Bionic Woman? Come on) but there are some returning ones I’m pretty excited about. So here’s the place to rant and rave about your anticipation.
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OK, I know many of you probably haven’t watched So You Think You Can Dance. I confess my wife and I have been fans even though I normally hate shows of this type. (Dancing With the Stars or American Idol) This one I really like primarily because most of the dancers have had enough training that they are good. (Some are amazingly impressive at what they do) Yet they are taken so far out of their comfort zone that it is very challenging. Anyway, tonight we find out who wins. Here are my thoughts on the season.
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I’m really losing my steam- after all of those copious recaps I just don’t have the energy to write minute by minute “watching from your cube” recaps. So I guess I’ll open it up- what did you like about this episode? Or not like?

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Cinematical has a good article about Nathan Fillion, the actor from Firefly, etc. that has had plenty of big breaks but still has not managed to really emerge as a popular figure. The article’s right on, I think, about Fillion but makes me wonder about great artists, bands, etc. that deserve success but never quite seem to find it. Tim Minear strikes me as such a guy, and of course any Canadian will tell you that The Tragically Hip should be big stars in the States as well. Who are the other masters who deserve recognition?

I was really looking forward to this show. Good thing it didn`t disappoint.
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What are some of your faves?

I like the attention-grabbing ones.

Looking up from your wayside ditch now…
“All New Low” - Hellacopters

‘Show me how you do that trick
The one that makes me scream’ she said
“Just Like Heaven” - the Cure

It’s only the end of the world again…
“Endsmouth” - Agents of Oblivion

I don’t mind you coming here, and wasting all my time
“Just What I Needed” - the Cars

I hate Harry Potter movies. I always have. In fact it took some strong persuasion for me to even read the books. Boy was I shocked. The books, while definitely juvenile literature, are great. Yes you have to turn your mind off on a few matters. (Like the very idea that not only these wizards but all these magical creatures could exist undetected in our world and without significantly affecting our world) But they are great. Perhaps not quite up there with classic literature of my childhood like The Hobbit or The Phantom Toll Booth. But I definitely think they deserve the place in popular culture they hold. But then we come to the movies…
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“Girlfriends”

The French lesson musical dance number, “Foux la fa fa” or “How to sing in French while only knowing useless textbook phrases” is the best bit in this episode!

In this episode Bret learns the meaing of, “She’s just not that into you,” as he is picked up and tossed like a toss rag (ref: kiwi-isms).

And now, for the painfully in-detail recap:

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I was waiting until after the latest Bourne movie to post this–which was awesome by the way. But here is a list of all the movie trilogies I could think of off the top of my head. Try to compile a top 5: (more…)

“Girlfriends”

The French lesson musical dance number, “Foux la fa fa” or “How to sing in French while only knowing useless textbook phrases” is the best bit in this episode!

In this episode Bret learns the meaing of, “She’s just not that into you,” as he is picked up and tossed like a toss rag (ref: kiwi-isms).

And now, for the painfully in-detail recap:

(more…)

Important things to consider:

• Be prepared to run from the Moroccan police. They are way better than anybody elses’.
• In a fight between specially trained combatants, book beats candlestick.
• The Bourne Ultimatum is the best action movie so far this year.

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One of the best concert albums you can buy is online for free. NPR’s All Songs Considered is now streaming The Swell Season’s latest show. The Swell Season, in case you live under a rock, is composed of The Frames’ Glen Hansard and the incomparable Markéta Irglová, playing for the most part their music from the film Once. It’s an hour and a half long concert that you can download to your ipod or listen to streaming online. Don’t miss it.