More Lilith Fair-esque live music today. I have a deep love for Lisa Loeb. She's great. Nice mix of acoustic pop with enough quirk to be interesting without being over the top.
"Do You Sleep?" has always been one of my top songs ever. It came out when I was about ten and I have to relay this bit of childhood nostalgia. When she says "You sat on the corner of my bed/And you smoked with the ghost in the back of my head", I always would get a mental picture of Casper the Ghost sitting on teh corner of a bed smoking a cigarette. You're welcome for that look into this twisted mind.
Awesome.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
TV Tunes Tuesday: The Woefully Bad, Yet Woefully Addictive Instant Star
This week's TV Tunes Tuesday sees another tv show aimed at the kiddies. What? I'm immature, I know.
Canada makes some awful tv shows. The kind of awful that gets you sucked in and makes you want to watch weekly to see more terribly written episodes(ie. Degrassi). One of said shows that is no longer on TV would be the feature of this week's column: Instant Star.
The show focuses on Jude Harrison (yes, because it is a music related show it's chock full o' Beatles references). She is the winner of an American Idol type tv show and follows her through the ups and downs of four years in the music business. It follows her relationships (often ultra cheesefest drama style) with everyone from family, friends, and dudes, to business associates, fellow artists, and fans.
I can't pretend that this show is great. It's not. I really can't even pretend that it's good, because so much happens that has you furiously exclaiming "That would never happen!" Ridiculous moments happen with her family and especially with her producer/love interest Tommy, a much older, former boy band guy. But I gotta admit, it is quite entertaining. Every episode is heavy on original music and I believe each season has its own soundtrack available for purchase.
Star Alexz Johnson has a pretty haunting voice. It's not something I would generally dig, but the emotion that's lacking in her acting is apparent in her songs. I gotta say, I want to hear more from her post Instant Star.
I LOVE THIS SONG:
The caps were so necessary.
Other stars include her best friend Jamie (who's a guy and on/off love interest) played quite well by a guy named Krsitopher Turner. I just checked his IMDB and he's not in much that you would know, but I have to say he went from her dorky sidekick in season one to a smoking hot guy in season two. Mad impressive.
Another hot hot hottie from the show is previously mentioned Tommy Quincy, played by Tim Rozon. I can't say he plays this role that well, but it's ok, because most of his screen time consists of looking ridiculously attractive. No joke. This guy has to be one of the most beautiful people in the world. Get him some acting gigs, because according to his filmography over here, he's not in too much worth noting these days.Waste of a pretty face.
The relationships between Jude and her many men seems to take center stage over everything else and at times it gets borderline outrageous. I think there was a point where in 4 episodes she was in love with 4 different guys. Everything always comes back to Tommy, though, which is even slightly weird as he's supposed to be like 6 or 7 years older than her. The age difference is brought up occasionally but no one really seems that creeped by it, so I guess the viewers are supposed to go along with it. Normally I'm not a prude about such things, but I feel like if they wanted to make her and him a thing (which they do for four seasons), then she should have started the show at 18, not 15. Just sayin'.
Here's a clip of a bunch of Tommy Jude moments that a fan has made that I came across while looking for a clip from the show. I can't say I'm that obsessive, but you have to respect the effort that these fans put into this stuff:
"Breathe Me" by Sia must be the most used song when making fanvids. I think I saw it in about thirty of them in a matter of ten minutes. Off topic, but what a great song.
Canada makes some awful tv shows. The kind of awful that gets you sucked in and makes you want to watch weekly to see more terribly written episodes(ie. Degrassi). One of said shows that is no longer on TV would be the feature of this week's column: Instant Star.
The show focuses on Jude Harrison (yes, because it is a music related show it's chock full o' Beatles references). She is the winner of an American Idol type tv show and follows her through the ups and downs of four years in the music business. It follows her relationships (often ultra cheesefest drama style) with everyone from family, friends, and dudes, to business associates, fellow artists, and fans.
I can't pretend that this show is great. It's not. I really can't even pretend that it's good, because so much happens that has you furiously exclaiming "That would never happen!" Ridiculous moments happen with her family and especially with her producer/love interest Tommy, a much older, former boy band guy. But I gotta admit, it is quite entertaining. Every episode is heavy on original music and I believe each season has its own soundtrack available for purchase.
Star Alexz Johnson has a pretty haunting voice. It's not something I would generally dig, but the emotion that's lacking in her acting is apparent in her songs. I gotta say, I want to hear more from her post Instant Star.
I LOVE THIS SONG:
The caps were so necessary.
Other stars include her best friend Jamie (who's a guy and on/off love interest) played quite well by a guy named Krsitopher Turner. I just checked his IMDB and he's not in much that you would know, but I have to say he went from her dorky sidekick in season one to a smoking hot guy in season two. Mad impressive.
Another hot hot hottie from the show is previously mentioned Tommy Quincy, played by Tim Rozon. I can't say he plays this role that well, but it's ok, because most of his screen time consists of looking ridiculously attractive. No joke. This guy has to be one of the most beautiful people in the world. Get him some acting gigs, because according to his filmography over here, he's not in too much worth noting these days.Waste of a pretty face.
The relationships between Jude and her many men seems to take center stage over everything else and at times it gets borderline outrageous. I think there was a point where in 4 episodes she was in love with 4 different guys. Everything always comes back to Tommy, though, which is even slightly weird as he's supposed to be like 6 or 7 years older than her. The age difference is brought up occasionally but no one really seems that creeped by it, so I guess the viewers are supposed to go along with it. Normally I'm not a prude about such things, but I feel like if they wanted to make her and him a thing (which they do for four seasons), then she should have started the show at 18, not 15. Just sayin'.
Here's a clip of a bunch of Tommy Jude moments that a fan has made that I came across while looking for a clip from the show. I can't say I'm that obsessive, but you have to respect the effort that these fans put into this stuff:
"Breathe Me" by Sia must be the most used song when making fanvids. I think I saw it in about thirty of them in a matter of ten minutes. Off topic, but what a great song.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Live Video Clip of the Day:
Sticking with the Lilith Fair theme, remember when Sheryl Crow used to kick some serious ass? Damn, she was good.
She's still a good musician, don't get me wrong, but when someone starts releasing country music after being so rock for so long, it makes me sad. Always seems more out of greed than a genuine desire to make good music.
Check her out back in her element, being a total rock goddess.
She's still a good musician, don't get me wrong, but when someone starts releasing country music after being so rock for so long, it makes me sad. Always seems more out of greed than a genuine desire to make good music.
Check her out back in her element, being a total rock goddess.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Live Video Clip of the Day: Sarah McLachlan 'Sweet Surrender' on Storytellers
With the resumption of the Lilith Fair this summer, I feel I must have you rock out with some of the originals of the tour. Who better to start than the head honcho?
Beautiful song.
Woman power.
Rock out.
Beautiful song.
Woman power.
Rock out.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
TV Tunes Tuesdays: The Musical Episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Welcome to a rousing edition of TV Tunes Tuesday.
I effing love Buffy the Vampire Slayer. There. I said it. Whew. When I was younger, I used to hide my love, as if people were going to find me weird, but as the years have gone by and with the DVDs purchased, I feel I can come out of the Buffy Closet.
Speaking of which, it's always on the Logo channel these days. When I was flipping through the channels one day, I came across Buffy on Logo. I was unaware what channel it was, but was thrilled to see such awesomeness. As the commercials came on and there was a lot of man on man smooching, I realized Logo must be a channel gearing towards a gay audience, but that's cool. I may not be into other chicks, but were I to go gay, I can think of no one I'd rather do so with than Buffy. Not Sarah Michelle Gellar. Only Buffy. Yes. I am a 25 year old with a girl crush on a fictional character. Sigh.
Moving on.
During season six of the show, a little episode premiered that would change the world. By world, I mean my life. The episode in question? 'Once More with Feeling.' Yes. The musical episode. Logo recently had a full weekend marathon of Buffy Fan Favorites, and guess what came in at 1? Yep.
Buffy is often seen as a show that was worthy of Emmy's, but was too soon. Had it been made today, it almost surely would have been a perennial nominee for various actors, writers, directors, etc. This episode solidifies that thought.
Synopsis: A demon is in Sunnydale that makes people sing, then dance until they burn. Spontaneous combustion style. The catch is that everyone is affected and when they sing, it's not just a fa la la, but they sing their deepest, darkest secrets. None of the main characters are exempt, as Xander and Anya sing about doubting their upcoming nuptials (foreshadowing!), super hot Spike sings of his love for Buffy, Dawn whines about being ignored, and the most important nugget, Buffy lets her friends know that she was not in Hell when they brought her back from the dead, but rather in Heaven. Sounds ridiculous if you don't follow the show, but I swear, it's bunches of awesome.
Here is the best group number of the show:
Giles has a killer voice. The actor, Anthony Stewart Head, actually has some music out. Google it.
Another favorite is the following Spike tune:
Dear God. I love everything about that song. From his helpless love, to that super sexy look he has when he gives her the full body glance as he sings about being 'a willing slave', and the intensity. Va Voom.
I never understood why James Marsters wasn't more famous. He's a decent actor, plays sexual evil to perfection, and was always pretty hot. Dude should have a better agent. I always thought he should be in more stuff, but then I realized he's not even British (yep, fooled me) and he also seems super weird in interviews. I'm sure he's a nice guy, but I think I found my answer. Also, he's surprisingly hotter with super fake blonde hair. You think a guy must certainly not be hotter with the peroxide vibe, but take a look at the pics below. The first one says 'I'm artsy and affected', while the second says 'I look like one of your accountant Dad's work buddies, ya know, the one who used to be hot in the old days and now tries to recapture his youth by hitting on you and your 20 something friends.'
Maybe that last part is just me.
Regardless, the Buffy musical episode was genius. Secrets were revealed, some voices were surprisingly good, and the final shot is a smoking hot kiss between my crush (Spike) and my girl crush (Buffy).
INTENSE.
You can even buy the soundtrack:
I effing love Buffy the Vampire Slayer. There. I said it. Whew. When I was younger, I used to hide my love, as if people were going to find me weird, but as the years have gone by and with the DVDs purchased, I feel I can come out of the Buffy Closet.
Speaking of which, it's always on the Logo channel these days. When I was flipping through the channels one day, I came across Buffy on Logo. I was unaware what channel it was, but was thrilled to see such awesomeness. As the commercials came on and there was a lot of man on man smooching, I realized Logo must be a channel gearing towards a gay audience, but that's cool. I may not be into other chicks, but were I to go gay, I can think of no one I'd rather do so with than Buffy. Not Sarah Michelle Gellar. Only Buffy. Yes. I am a 25 year old with a girl crush on a fictional character. Sigh.
Moving on.
During season six of the show, a little episode premiered that would change the world. By world, I mean my life. The episode in question? 'Once More with Feeling.' Yes. The musical episode. Logo recently had a full weekend marathon of Buffy Fan Favorites, and guess what came in at 1? Yep.
Buffy is often seen as a show that was worthy of Emmy's, but was too soon. Had it been made today, it almost surely would have been a perennial nominee for various actors, writers, directors, etc. This episode solidifies that thought.
Synopsis: A demon is in Sunnydale that makes people sing, then dance until they burn. Spontaneous combustion style. The catch is that everyone is affected and when they sing, it's not just a fa la la, but they sing their deepest, darkest secrets. None of the main characters are exempt, as Xander and Anya sing about doubting their upcoming nuptials (foreshadowing!), super hot Spike sings of his love for Buffy, Dawn whines about being ignored, and the most important nugget, Buffy lets her friends know that she was not in Hell when they brought her back from the dead, but rather in Heaven. Sounds ridiculous if you don't follow the show, but I swear, it's bunches of awesome.
Here is the best group number of the show:
Giles has a killer voice. The actor, Anthony Stewart Head, actually has some music out. Google it.
Another favorite is the following Spike tune:
Dear God. I love everything about that song. From his helpless love, to that super sexy look he has when he gives her the full body glance as he sings about being 'a willing slave', and the intensity. Va Voom.
I never understood why James Marsters wasn't more famous. He's a decent actor, plays sexual evil to perfection, and was always pretty hot. Dude should have a better agent. I always thought he should be in more stuff, but then I realized he's not even British (yep, fooled me) and he also seems super weird in interviews. I'm sure he's a nice guy, but I think I found my answer. Also, he's surprisingly hotter with super fake blonde hair. You think a guy must certainly not be hotter with the peroxide vibe, but take a look at the pics below. The first one says 'I'm artsy and affected', while the second says 'I look like one of your accountant Dad's work buddies, ya know, the one who used to be hot in the old days and now tries to recapture his youth by hitting on you and your 20 something friends.'
Maybe that last part is just me.
Regardless, the Buffy musical episode was genius. Secrets were revealed, some voices were surprisingly good, and the final shot is a smoking hot kiss between my crush (Spike) and my girl crush (Buffy).
INTENSE.
You can even buy the soundtrack:
Live Video Clip of the Day: Jack Johnson 'You and Your Heart' Live at iheartradio
I bought the new JJ album a couple weeks ago. SOLID. Perhaps a detailed review will come later, but for now he's the clip of the day.
Jack's growing up right before our eyes.
*Weep*
You can check out the full disc over at Amazon:
Jack's growing up right before our eyes.
*Weep*
You can check out the full disc over at Amazon:
Vanessa Carlton Also Digs Chicks...Yawn
Big news today. Vanessa Carlton is a bisexual.
I lied. Who cares? Does she even make music still? She must have a new album hitting stores soon.
I lied. Who cares? Does she even make music still? She must have a new album hitting stores soon.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Live Video Clip of the Day: The Goo Goo Dolls 'Iris'
Come back tomorrow to check out a TV Tunes Tuesday post regarding a super, sweet, musical episode of a classic TV show.
For now, chickety check out this live video clip of the day, won't ya??
Remember how huge this song was in the 90s. It was super cheesey, but also, super amazing. Damn. It punches ya in the gut with emotion.
Western NY shout out!
2/3rds of the Goo Goo Dolls are originally Western NYers.
Did Ya Know?
Bassist Robby Takac started a pretty sweet charity that you can check out right here. Pretty awesome stuff.
You know you feel a little better about life right now. Or perhaps a little bittersweet.
For now, chickety check out this live video clip of the day, won't ya??
Remember how huge this song was in the 90s. It was super cheesey, but also, super amazing. Damn. It punches ya in the gut with emotion.
Western NY shout out!
2/3rds of the Goo Goo Dolls are originally Western NYers.
Did Ya Know?
Bassist Robby Takac started a pretty sweet charity that you can check out right here. Pretty awesome stuff.
You know you feel a little better about life right now. Or perhaps a little bittersweet.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Brandon Flowers of the Killers Releases a Teaser Single
Amazing little piece of news for ya. Brandon Flowers has been working on a solo album while the Killers go on hiatus and his first teaser single is streaming over on his website. So check it out, because I'm digging the sound.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Oh Heyyyy.
Oh, yeah. This blog has been quite stagnant of late. New posts to start coming quite soon, as in this week. Until then let's check out this live video clip of the day(or of the past couple months, as it would appear):
The first time I saw Ryan Star was when he was on that reality show on CBS, Rockstar. It was a decent show that had people who seemed like genuine musicians, as opposed to those on American Idol, which I would guess consists of about 10% musicians and 90% pretty people whose personas are generated by the show's execs.
Anyhoot, this guy was one of the better combinations of musician and showman, and let's face it, it doesn't hurt that he's ridiculously attractive. Nice to see that he's becoming more famous with "Last Train Home" and now this little nugget. Pretty good stuff.
The first time I saw Ryan Star was when he was on that reality show on CBS, Rockstar. It was a decent show that had people who seemed like genuine musicians, as opposed to those on American Idol, which I would guess consists of about 10% musicians and 90% pretty people whose personas are generated by the show's execs.
Anyhoot, this guy was one of the better combinations of musician and showman, and let's face it, it doesn't hurt that he's ridiculously attractive. Nice to see that he's becoming more famous with "Last Train Home" and now this little nugget. Pretty good stuff.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
You Need To Listen To The Features
The Features are a band you should know about, but might not. Great mix of folksy tunes with bag band influences. I was fortunate enough to catch them as the 3rd act of a four band concert up at Water Street in Rochester a few weeks back. AMAZING. I promptly came home and bought their latest album. It did not disappoint. Here's one of their more famous tunes that you may recognize:
Check out the album with this tune on it:
Check out the album with this tune on it:
Friday, April 2, 2010
Live Video Clip of the Day: The Airborne Toxic Event Live 8.05.09 in Covington, Kentucky
This is a great song that is not currently available for download in a studio version. Pretty stoked for Airborne Toxic Event to come out with their new piece so I can have this play on repeat about 20 times a day.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
TV Tunes Tuesdays: Watch Parenthood Tonight!
This is a random plug, but watch the show Parenthood tonight. I have a huge crush on Peter Krause and a girl crush on Lauren Graham. It looks awesome and I'm in desperate need of a show to watch on a weekly basis that is not on HBO or Showtime. It's on at 10 Eastern on NBC.
Not much about music, I suppose, but here is a trailer for it:
Not much about music, I suppose, but here is a trailer for it:
Monday, February 22, 2010
Music Movie Mondays: Catch and Release
One Sentence Review: A better-than-it-should-be movie with a rocking soundtrack.
Full Review: I have a deep, dark secret to admit: I love the movie Catch and Release. A movie snob to the core, normally, I would laugh it off as garbage and pretend I hated it, while secretly watching the DVD several times on the sly, but I can't this time. You need to see this movie. Most critical reviews I have read on the movie give it extremely negative reviews (we're talking 1's out of 5's and C-'s). Don't believe them.
Rewind. You're thinking, what does this have to do with music? Catch and Release has an awesome soundtrack
, which I will get to momentarily.
, which I will get to momentarily. The movie itself centers around a woman whose fiance dies a few days before her wedding. As she tries to figure out life without him, she begins to find out secrets from his past. After moving in with a couple of his buddies and the return of his old high school friend, things get intense all around, and that's about as far as I'm going to take it with the synopsis, but it involves secret money, a kid, and unexpected love interests. It's not a romantic comedy, but it's not a drama. It lies in the space between the two and does so quite well.
Jennifer Garner is likable as per usual. Timothy Olyphant, her fiance's old high school buddy who comes home from LA, is ridiculously attractive and charming. He's a solid actor that does well even in mediocre flicks. Kevin Smith is actually funny. Don't send me angry notes about how great he is. What's so funny about Kevin Smith aside from original Silent Bob stuff? Not great. Maybe his Emmy (or Gemini since we are talking Canadian show, eh?) worthy performance in Degrassi? Probably not.
So, back to the music.
The soundtrack is loaded with laid back jams from Joshua Radin and Gary Jules. It also has rocking tracks from Gomez and Deathcab for Cutie. It is a soundtrack worth buying, if you don't already own half the tunes. I love the Radin song that I featured in the live video clip earlier today and the Gomez tune "These 3 Sins" that plays on the way to a day of chilling by the river. Awesome picks all around.
Great soundtrack and surprisingly good movie. Check em both out. It's worth your time, even if you have to lie about it afterward.
You Could Fast Forward Through: I don't love the weird semi-relationship that happens between Smith and Juliet Lewis (especially a creepy moment that you can figure out when you see it) or her extremely annoying kid that I would give extreme eye rolls (they mean biz) to if I saw them out in public and he behaves like he does for 90% of his scenes. Also, the ending should be better than it is. It's pretty cliche, which is sad, because you get the idea that the movie never catches on that it could be great.
You Have To Watch: A smoking hot kiss between Garner and Olyphant. I wasn't going to spoil it for you, but if you don't get where the movie is headed about twenty minutes in, you should question your reasoning skills. It's so awesome that I have found the clip and provide it for you. Hot. Hot. Hot.
Also, the cinematography is beautiful. It's so nice that you'll probably look up costs to travel to Colorado as soon as the movie is over.
Fun Fact: Jason Lee was originally offered the role that eventually went to Kevin Smith and even though I love Jason Lee, I gotta say, Smith owned this role. Props to him. Dude's had a rough week.
Take a stroll on over to Amazon and check out the soundtrack
.
Live Video Clip of the Day: Joshua Radin Live in South Carolina
My obsession with the Olympics has rendered this blog empty in the past week. Lo siento.
Here's a little bit for you and I promise I have a few entries up my sleeve for the week, maybe even another today if you're ultra lucky.
Here's a sweet little tune from a few years back. I've been on the Joshua Radin bandwagon forever and I'm pretty pumped that I've had three different people ask me if I've heard of him in the past month. Dude should be huge.
Go check out some of his stuff at Amazon:
Here's a little bit for you and I promise I have a few entries up my sleeve for the week, maybe even another today if you're ultra lucky.
Here's a sweet little tune from a few years back. I've been on the Joshua Radin bandwagon forever and I'm pretty pumped that I've had three different people ask me if I've heard of him in the past month. Dude should be huge.
Go check out some of his stuff at Amazon:
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
The Killers Going on Indefinite Hiatus and I Cry Myself to Sleep
News broke a couple weeks ago, when The Killers canceled several shows in Asia, that the band is going on "hiatus".
Please let this be part time. With Panic! at The Disco breaking in half last year, the unsure times of Fall Out Boy, and now this, guyliner may just be a thing of the past.
Of course, I care much more about this band than the other two in that last statement. They're so awesome and always coming up with new stuff from album to album. I have really loved getting to see them progress as a band since 2004, when buying their album Hot Fuss became one of the best musical moments of my life. I've tried putting into words how much I love this band for the past hour, but I can't come up with anything. They're so good, they render me speechless.
Hey, guys, I know everyone needs a break, but please let this be a short term thing. If I have to live a life without The Killers, I don't know what I'll do with myself.
Until they reunite, I will be playing "Smile Like You Mean It" on permanent loop...in my heart.
Please let this be part time. With Panic! at The Disco breaking in half last year, the unsure times of Fall Out Boy, and now this, guyliner may just be a thing of the past.
Of course, I care much more about this band than the other two in that last statement. They're so awesome and always coming up with new stuff from album to album. I have really loved getting to see them progress as a band since 2004, when buying their album Hot Fuss became one of the best musical moments of my life. I've tried putting into words how much I love this band for the past hour, but I can't come up with anything. They're so good, they render me speechless.
Hey, guys, I know everyone needs a break, but please let this be a short term thing. If I have to live a life without The Killers, I don't know what I'll do with myself.
Until they reunite, I will be playing "Smile Like You Mean It" on permanent loop...in my heart.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Note to Fans of Guyliner...Sadness May Soon Fill Ye Bones
Did you like totally hear the news, that OMG, Fall Out Boy is like totally omfg...breaking up?
Generic teen talk aside, this is actually a true story. The future of FOB remains uncertain as the players involved are "in different places", which is always a grim sign.
Like 'em or not, Fall Out Boy has had a major impact on the popular culture of the current times, not only in music, but in many other aspects. They were one of the originators of the guyliner craze, as well as skinny jeans for dudes and the revival of the flannel.
First Aerosmith and now Fall Out Boy. It's break up season for bands.
Generic teen talk aside, this is actually a true story. The future of FOB remains uncertain as the players involved are "in different places", which is always a grim sign.
Like 'em or not, Fall Out Boy has had a major impact on the popular culture of the current times, not only in music, but in many other aspects. They were one of the originators of the guyliner craze, as well as skinny jeans for dudes and the revival of the flannel.
First Aerosmith and now Fall Out Boy. It's break up season for bands.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Wait...The Grammy's Were Yesterday?
So, this blog has been lacking a bit lately and totally missed out on writing a Grammy post, but in the anticipation that things will be picking up soon, here's a couple funny nuggets for ya.
Stay tuned for more entries this week. I swear.
- How about that performance by Drake, Lil Wayne, and Eminem? Seemed pretty sweet, especially all the silence
- Taylor Swift made a boo boo, after a pretty sick night, including beating out Beyonce and Lady Gaga for album of the year.
- Speaking of which, Beyonce and the GaGa looked pretty much delighted when Swift won. Of course, by delighted, I mean terribly pissed.
- Man, there a lot more, but I just read a humorous play by play of the event, which you can see here. It's much funnier than anything I could come up with.
Stay tuned for more entries this week. I swear.
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