The Culture Brats Top 10 Best Of The Rest Of 2012

Just like last year, we're recapping everything you loved the most during 2012 at Culture Brats. So far, we've covered your ten favorite reviews, your ten favorite Ranked! lists, and your ten favorite interviews. Now we're looking at the best of the rest:

The Best Hair Metal Songs That Should Have Been In Rock Of Ages
We suggest a few songs that should've been in Rock Of Ages.

Blah Blah Love And War: A Track-By-Track Breakdown With The Rescues
The Rescues share their thoughts on the inspiration, meaning, and recording of the album.

The Canyons is Already My Favorite Movie Of All Time
We ready for The Canyons!

How Mass Effect 3 Affected Me
A look at the Mass Effect 3 game.

The Man, The Myth: Dolph Lundgren
Here's something you might not know about Dolph Lundgren.

Revisiting "It's My Party," The Best Episode Of Family Ties Ever
We remember this classic Family Ties episode.

Revisiting The 21 Jump Street Pilot, Part One
We fondly remember the 21 Jump Street pilot episode.

Sex House: A Perfect Reality Show Parody
We take a look at The Bachelor parody.

Superhero Chucks
We check out some superhero Converse.

21 Jump Street Recap: Now I'll Never Be A Teen Model!
We remember the classic "13 Blown To 35" episode.

The Culture Brats Top 10 Interviews Of 2012

Just like last year, we're recapping everything you loved the most during 2012 at Culture Brats. Here are the ten most popular interviews published in the past year:

Paul Adelstein (Private Practice, Prison Break)
Paul Adelstein spoke with us about the Doris album, his influences, the video for "Ladybug Luck," The Poncey Lads, and his dream music festival.

Aaron Barrett (Reel Big Fish)
Aaron Barrett spoke with us about Candy Coated Fury, their tour with Goldfinger, the secret to the band's longevity, and the Reel Big Fish guitar.

Aimee Carrero (Level Up)
We spoke with Aimee Carrero about her character on Level Up, her favorite episode, video games, and more.

Connor del Rio (Level Up)
We spoke with Connor del Rio about his character on Level Up, his favorite episode, video games, and more.

Meital Dohan (Weeds)
Meital Dohan spoke about her upcoming album, her musical influences, trying to make it in America after being a success in Israel, Charlie the Tiger, and set us straight on her "Yummy Boyz" video.

Kristin Hersh (Throwing Muses)
Kristin Hersh spoke about the upcoming Throwing Muses album, the music industry, some of her other projects, and her thoughts on being a role model.

Jenna McDougall (Tonight Alive)
We spoke with Jenna McDougall about her music, musical influences, first album bought, what it's like being the only female in the band, Blink-182's Mark Hoppus, the Vans Warped Tour, and what she's afraid of.

Francine Pascal (Sweet Valley High)
Francine Pascal spoke with us about some of our favorite Sweet Valley High moments, the new Sweet Life series, and the Sweet Valley High movie.

Lonny Ross (Level Up)
We spoke with Lonny Ross about his character on Level Up, his favorite episode, video games, and more.

Dee Snider (Twisted Sister)
Dee Snider spoke with us about his new album, new autobiography, who would play him and his wife in the movie about his life, the PMRC, Clay Aiken, narcissism, The Celebrity Apprentice, and reality TV.

Howard Jones Has A Gift For You

Because he was thankful for such a great year, Howard Jones decided to give something to his fans: free downloads of live recordings of "Your Song," "No One Is To Blame," "Don't Always Look At The Rain," and Elton John's "Your Song." You give the tracks a listen and download them below!

Song Of The Day: Macklemore, "Thrift Shop"

From 2012, here's Macklemore with Ryan Lewis and Wanz with "Thrift Shop."

Enjoy!

The Culture Brats Top 10 Ranked! Columns Of 2012

Just like last year, we're recapping everything you loved the most during 2012 at Culture Brats. Here are the ten most popular Ranked! lists published in the past year:

Top 24 Secondary Simpsons Characters

Top 21 Kevin Bacon Roles

Top 100 Albums Of The '80s

Top 20 Albums of 1989

Top 25 Albums Of 1987

Top 20 Albums Of 1982

Top 20 Albums Of 1981

Top 20 Movies Of 1982

Top 20 Movies Of 1981

Top 20 Movies Of 1980

The Culture Brats Top 10 Reviews Of 2012

Just like last year, we're recapping everything you loved the most during 2012 at Culture Brats. Here are the ten most popular reviews published in the past year:

Childrens Hospital
We took a look at the new season's first two episodes.

The Hollywood Complex
We reviewed the documentary about parents trying to make their kids Hollywood stars.

The Hunger Pains
We took a look at the parody of The Hunger Games.

Leogun and LOLwork
We reviewed the Leogun EP and the debut episode of LOLwork.

My Crazy Obsession
We review the TLC show.

NTSF:SD:SUV::
We review the Adult Swim comedy.

Some Nights
We reviewed the new fun. album.

Stephie Coplan
We review a Stephie Coplan concert.

Unsung: Sheila E.
We reviewed the Unsung documentary on legendary drummer Sheila E.

Top 10 Albums of 2012
We reviewed the Top 10 albums of 2012.

First Look/Listen: Adam Ant, "Cool Zombie"

Welcome back, Adam.



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Song Of The Day: Fugazi, "Waiting Room"

From 1988, here's Fugazi with "Waiting Room."

Enjoy!

Pod-Fascination: The 12 Best Podcast Episodes Of 2012, Part Two

For the last few months, I've been recommending quality podcasts. In the spirit of the year's end, I'm highlighting the single episodes that I enjoyed the most. As I have mentioned before, I listen to primarily comedy podcasts, so there are obviously thousands of other episodes released this year. Leave your favorite episodes in the comments!

Here's Part One in case you missed it. 

6. It's That Episode 5: Adam Lustick/Hey Dude – Rainmen
It's That Episode seems like a podcast that was made specifically with me in mind. New York-based performer/writer Craig Rowin invites people to watch an episode of anything they want and discuss it. On episode #5 in February, Craig and guest Adam Lustick watch the old Nickelodeon staple Hey Dude and marvel at its low production values, insane racism, and their teenage crushes on Bradley and Melody. It's surprising that this show even existed, but hey, I blame the '90s; lots of crap made it to air. The best part of watching old episodes is that it leads to discussions about awkward childhoods, one of my favorite topics.

5. The Fogelnest Files Episode 11: J J J Is For Julie!
Pop culture kingpin Jake Fogelnest usually curates an eclectic assortment of weird retro YouTube clips, but in the episode with Julie Brown, he shows clips as a way to showcase her career. Those of you who who were the prime demographic for MTV in the '90s will remember Just Say Julie and the amazing Earth Girls Are Easy. Brown is a pioneer for women in comedy and hearing the "insider" news of working for MTV in the nineties is a pop culture connoisseur's dream.

4. Ronna And Bevery Episode 32 : Not Personal With Steve Agee
Stand-up comedian Steve Agee is always a delight, because he's able to be hilariously excited about a topic as well as self-deprecating and cynical. When working with characters like Ronna and Beverly, making it work means "playing along" with the characters, and he certainly does in this episode. Silliness ensues when he admits he's going commando on Ronna's expensive sofa in her home in Marbelhead, MA, and Beverly's confusion over booking a gay cruise is "classic" Beverly.

First Look: The Incredible Burt Wonderstone

Due to the holidays, I totally missed this when it premiered a few days ago. But man, does this look good! Could Jim Carrey be back?

Song Of The Day: Ini Kamoze, "Here Comes The Hotstepper"

From 1994, here's Ini Kamoze with "Here Comes The Hotstepper."

Enjoy!

Pod-Fascination: The 12 Best Podcast Episodes Of 2012, Part One

For the last few months, I've been recommending quality podcasts. In the spirit of the year's end, I'm highlighting the single episodes that I enjoyed the most. As I have mentioned before, I listen to primarily comedy podcasts, so there are obviously thousands of other episodes released this year. Leave your favorite episodes in the comments!

12. You Made It Weird With Pete Holmes Episode 46: Harris Wittels
Pete Holmes is funny in small doses, but who is funnier than Harris Wittels? This episode also includes the sociopath test, which is something I now use at parties.



11. WTF With Marc Maron Episode 238: Michael Ian Black
Marc Maron's WTF is often lauded as one of the best in-depth interview podcasts. I find it to be incredibly self-indulgent, and that's a good thing! Maron often reveals a lot about himself in the interviews, and likes to bring up the "tension" he feels with the guests. Nothing was more tense than his interview with Michael Ian Black, original member of The State, and one of my favorite actors/writers. They both bring up their resentment with each other and it is delightfully squirm-worthy at times. Also interesting is hearing Black's explanation of his "comedic persona," which is intentionally arrogant and obnoxious. How much of that is real and how much is put on for the public? It's hard to tell.

10. The Mental Illness Happy Hour Episode 60: Jamie Denbo
The best guests on the Mental Illness Happy Hour are the guests who are willing to "go there," in other words, dig into their childhoods, talk about the roots of their depression, and share their biggest fears and insecurities. Comedian Jamie Denbo (who happens to play Beverly in my favorite podcast, Ronna And Beverly) is such a guest. She brilliantly explains how her comedy is directly inspired by and is an outlet for her anxieties.

Giving Teen Witch The Recognition It Deserves

As we celebrate another New Year--that heady mix of nostalgia and the new, where we look back on what we've done with our lives at the same time as we plot our fresh start and a different hairstyle--it seems like the perfect excuse to revisit one of the best and most underrated makeover movies of the '80s. I'm talking about 1989's Teen Witch.

I'm sure this film was the inspiration for Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, but it really doesn't get the credit it deserves for a being a quintessential '80s teen movie. It really should be more well-known than it is. It didn't just have a spectacular makeover scene, it had a spectacular makeover musical number. Yes, that's right: this movie was at the top of its game when it came to the whole '80s trend of a film scoring its own songs and integrating them into the plot. "I Wanna Be The Most Popular Girl" is the song in question when teen witch Robyn Lively (Blake Lively’s step-sister, FYI) struts and fluffs her hair during a montage in which she is instantly accepted into the cool girl clique and tailed by a carload of boys rapping about how popular she is. Serena Van Der Woodsen, eat your heart out.

"I Wanna Be The Most Popular Girl" is up there with two other exclusive Teen Witch gems: cheerleader locker room chant "We Like Boys" and "Top That," a "Hangin' Tough"/"Informer" hybrid that's currently enjoying a minor wave of popularity due to its random blink and you'll miss it inclusion in a YouTube remix video, Sweet Brown's "Ain’t Nobody Got Time For That," even if it is just people asking "What the fuck?" when they see it. If you don’t know what I'm talking about, here’s the video and the Teen Witch scene in question:

Song Of The Day: Martha And The Muffins, "Echo Beach"

From 1980, here's Martha And The Muffins with "Echo Beach."

Enjoy!

Holiday Song Of The Day: Greg Lake, "I Believe In Father Christmas"

From 1975, here's Greg Lake with "I Believe In Father Christmas."

Enjoy!

Song Of The Day: Sigue Sigue Sputnik, "Sex-Bomb-Boogie"

From 1986, here's Sigue Sigue Sputnik with "Sex-Bomb-Boogie."

Enjoy!

Top 17 '80s Holiday Songs

This post originally appeared on Culture Brats on December 19, 2011 but we're bringing it back today because we're in a giving mood. Happy holidays!

Here are our favorite '80s holiday tunes:

17. They Might Be Giants, "Santa's Beard"
16. Alison Moyet, "The Coventry Carol"
15. Bob Rivers, "The Twelve Pains Of Christmas"
14. Ramones, "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight)"
13. Spinal Tap, "Christmas With The Devil"
12. Stevie Nicks, "Silent Night"
11. Eurythmics, "Winter Wonderland"
10. Sting, "Gabriel's Message"
9. Billy Squier, "Christmas Is a Time to Say I Love You"
8. Bob And Doug McKenzie, "The Twelve Days Of Christmas"
7. Wham!, "Last Christmas"
6. The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl, "Fairytale Of New York"

Judging A Book By Its Cover: The Carrie Diaries

The CW is wiping away the lipstick mark left behind by Gossip Girl's XOXO sign-off and replacing it with orange eyeshadow and blonde curls. The Carrie Diaries is set to be unlocked in January, with 19-year-old AnnaSophia Robb stepping into Sarah Jessica Parker's Manolo Blahniks to play Carrie Bradshaw, falling in love with her first Mr. Big--Manhattan--in 1984.

With nothing to go on but a couple of glossy teaser trailers and some press pics, let's pre-emptively judge The Carrie Diaries by its proverbial designer cover, shall we?



So, this is supposed to be Carrie Bradshaw circa 1984, is it? I don't think so. Even the abysmal Sex And The City 2 got Carrie's '80s look about right, managing to capture how an SATC fan might imagine she'd look back then: a little like Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction and not Serena Van Der Woodsen in Gossip Girl.


With the possible exception of editor Larissa Loughton, who promisingly sports hot pink earrings and glittered lapels in the trailer, anyone hoping for some well-researched, meticulously constructed, larger-than-life fashion don'ts will probably be more disappointed than Samantha Jones when she met that hot priest. I mean, I wore more embarrassing and dated outfits back in 2000 than what the CW's version of Carrie wore in 1984. A metallic hanky top with beaded fringing and Spice Girls platforms immediately come to mind--yep, I was a slave to fashion at the turn of the millennium and, incidentally, Sarah Jessica Parker was one of my idols.

First Look: This Is The End (NSFW)

Top-notch comedic cast, all playing themselves? Color me intrigued.

Holiday Song Of The Day: Redd Kross, "Super Sunny Christmas"

From 1991, here's Redd Kross with "Super Sunny Christmas."

Enjoy!



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Song Of The Day: New York Dolls, "Personality Crisis"

From 1973, here's "Personality Crisis" from the New York Dolls.

Enjoy!

Music Video Fridays: Robyn Hitchcock, "Be Still"

Music Video Fridays: Ginger And The Ghost, "One Type Of Dark"

Music Video Fridays: Geographer, "Cloudbursting"

Music Video Fridays: Hey Geronimo, "Dreamboat Jack"

Holiday Song Of The Day: The Wombles, "Wombling Merry Christmas"

From 1974, here's The Wombles with "Wombling Merry Christmas."

Enjoy!

Song Of The Day: Marvelous 3, "Freak Of The Week"

From 1998, here's Marvelous 3 with "Freak Of The Week."

Enjoy!

Top 12 '80s Holiday Movies

This originally appeared on Culture Brats on December 21, 2011. But we thought you guys might want some holiday films to watch this weekend, so here are our suggestions!

Silent Night, Deadly Night

The holidays are right around the corner, so time to break out those Christmas DVDs! For this week's Ranked!, we decided to rate our favorite '80s holiday movies. Did your favorite mekae:

12. Silent Night, Deadly Night

11. Trading Places

10. A Very Brady Christmas

9. Better Off Dead

8. Ernest Saves Christmas

7. A Smoky Mountain Christmas

6. Lethal Weapon

The Essential End Of The World Mix Tape

This was originally posted on May 20, 2011, back when the world was supposed to end. Didn't happen. So since it's scheduled to end again tomorrow, we thought we'd dust it off and bring it back.

According to some nutjob guy, the end of the world is nigh. THE RAPTURE IS UPON US (um, tomorrow actually) and right now thousands of people are on their knees praying. You know, just in case. Me? I owned my heathen status years ago so in lieu of making Jesus my personal savior, I make mixes. Because we need something to dance to while the world is burning, amirite?

So in no particular order, my choice of songs for the end of the world. Share them with the non-believers you love. Feel free to add your own recommendations in the comments.

Elvis Costello, "Waiting for the End of the World"

"Dear Lord, I really hope you're coming 'cause you really started something."

First Look: John Dies At The End (NSFW)

Here's the red-band trailer for John Dies At The End and it looks super cool!

Holiday Song Of The Day: Elves Of Heaven, "This Christmas"

From 2010, here's Elves Of Heaven with "This Christmas."

Enjoy!

Song Of The Day: The Morning Episodes, "Now It Starts (Freq Foundation Remix)"

From 2012, here's The Morning Episodes with "Now It Starts (Freq Foundation Remix)."

Enjoy!

Kristin Hersh: The Culture Brats Interview

PHOTO CREDIT: Steve Gullick

Kristin Hersh certainly is doing her part to keep it interesting. The Throwing Muses founder, musician, author, spoken-word artist and all around renaissance woman is arguably the hardest working person in the industry and she's had the kind of year most only dream of.

2013 promises more of the same.

I don't deny having a certain affection for Hersh and nearly everything she's ever done: 50FootWave, Paradoxical Undressing, Throwing Muses, Rat Girl. I've been fairly blown away by it all.

Even with the hectic nature of her schedule, she sat down to answer our questions about life, music, and the weight of the world.

I follow your artistic endeavors with a fair amount of regularity and even with constant output over the years, it seems as if the creative explosion is rapidly progressing at a furious pace in the last year or so with the music, books, readings, etc. Has it always been so bountiful for you or is it all just a coincidence that it's being put out into the world at this particular time? Has there ever been a lull for you?
Lulls have been arbitrarily imposed by record companies who don't like to release more than one record every two years. I stepped it up to one a year (or two if I could convince them to release a solo and Muses record at the same time), but got a lot of shit for it. Warner Brothers would either get really whiny about all the work they had to do to promote it or else (and this was more common) just not promote it at all, calling the resultant lack of response proof that listeners don't care.

Now that my audience IS my record company, I get to write books and record solo and with my 3 bands - Throwing Muses, 50FootWave, and Outros - along with any other projects I feel like taking on and my audience actually appreciates it.

The new Throwing Muses album is something longtime fans have been waiting for like hungry lions watching for a herd of collapsing antelopes. They will be pouncing on it with quite a bit of vigor. Do you feel the pressure of that or do you wall yourself off from the hopes and expectations of fans while you do the work?
That's a very good question. The 32 songs on this record are accompanied by 32 essays as Purgatory/Paradise is being published as a book rather than being released as a record, and I found myself addressing that question regularly over the course of all that writing.

Ultimately, we view music as a gift: with non-attachment, as groovy as that sounds. The listening experience is very social as is the giving-music-away experience, but if you let your ego get tied up in that quagmire of sociability, you'll get your heart broken. Because the work itself requires musicians to hide in a cave and merely "respond" to what the songs tell us to do. If we let the impression of anyone else ever hearing this stuff interfere with that process, we begin to feel self-conscious and the music suffers.

A Very Special Walking Dead Christmas

From the funny folks at Jawiin comes The Walking Dead spoof I wish actually existed.



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Rewind YouTube Style

Since we're a pop culture site and all, we have to share this video YouTube created with some of their biggest 2012 stars.

Holiday Song Of The Day: Fitz And The Tantrums, "Santa Stole My Lady"

From 2012, here's Fitz And The Tantrums with "Santa Stole My Lady."

Enjoy!

Song Of The Day: The Cardigans, "Lovefool"

From 1996, here's The Cardigans with "Lovefool."

Enjoy!

First Look: The Rescues, "Everything's Gonna Be Better Next Year"

On Friday, The Rescues released a video for their end-of-year jam, "Everything's Gonna Be Better Next Year." But you should enjoy it NOW since the world is scheduled to end on Friday.

First Listen: DJ Earworm, "The United States Of Pop 2012"

Here ya go, kids.

Holiday Song Of The Day: Peace, "All I Want For Christmas Is You/Creep"

Here's something rather unique for today's Holiday Song Of The Day: a holiday mash-up.

From 2012, here's Peace performing a rather excellent mash-up of the classic Mariah song set to the music of Radiohead's "Creep."

Enjoy!

Song Of The Day: Fun Boy Three, "The Lunatics (Have Taken Over The Asylum)"

From 1981, here's Fun Boy Three with "The Lunatics (Have Taken Over The Asylum)."

Enjoy!

Nick Santino: The Culture Brats Interview

Last week, A Rocket To The Moon debuted "Ever Enough," a new single off their upcoming Wild & Free album. We were lucky enough to sit down with singer Nick Santino and talk about the new single and Wild & Free.

How's it going today?
Today is good. Just coming back home from a radio show in Georgia with Phillip Phillips.

I love your new single, "Ever Enough," and so does everyone else. MTV called it "sensitively plucked country-pop twang lurking under the surface of its emo-coustic slow jam veneer" and also likened it to Oasis. Tell us about the track.
"Ever Enough" is a deep heartfelt song about reassuring the person you care most about that you'll stick by them through everything. Whether it be sickness or everyday life, you'll always be by their side helping them through the worst that life has to throw at you.

According to your website, you guys have been working on Wild & Free for two years. Why did it take so long?
We didn't intend for it to take this long. We recorded it in a month and a half at the beginning of this year. Spent all last year writing for it. We are grown up. We wanted to take our time and put our heart into each and every song. Sometimes too much time is a bad thing, but in this case I think it's been a blessing.

You worked with noted producer Mark Bright on the album. What was that like?
Mark is amazing. If he could do every album I ever create for the rest of my life, I'll die happy. He is a genius and just overall an outstanding human. He is the most caring and talented man I've ever met. It was such an amazing time working with him and he helped us create some of the best music that we've ever been a part of.

First Look: The Killers, "Here With Me"

Winona Ryder stars in and Tim Burton directs this creepy cool video.

Holiday Song Of The Day: Billy Squier, "Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love You"

From 1981, here's Billy Squier with "Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love You."

Enjoy!

Song Of The Day: Richard Marx, "Hold On To The Nights"

From 1987, here's Richard Marx with "Hold On To The Nights."

Enjoy!

Music Video Fridays: The Micks, "Dancing For The Smokers"

Music Video Fridays: Black Books, "White Noise"

Music Video Fridays: Reptile Youth, "Be My Yoko Ono"

Music Video Fridays: A Rocket To The Moon, "Ever Enough"

Music Video Fridays: Blink-182, "Boxing Day"

Music Video Fridays: Sin Fang, "Young Boys"

Holiday Song Of The Day: The Polyphonic Spree, "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)"

From 2012, here's The Polyphonic Spree with "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)"

Enjoy!

Song Of The Day: Izzy Lindqwister, "Change Rearrange"

From 2012, here's Izzy Lindqwister with "Change Rearrange."

Enjoy!

First Look: Man of Steel Trailer

I'm not a huge Superman fan as I've always been more of a Batman kind of girl. But this? This I want to see.



Who's waiting in line with me? And really, anything that puts Henry Cavill in tight clothing on a really big screen in HD gets my vote, am I right?

Chuck Norris Plays Super Mario Brothers

This made me laugh so I thought I'd share. Is there anything that Mario can't do?

First Look: Pacific Rim Trailer Is Here!

Okay. Two weeks ago, they dropped the teaser trailer for Pacific Rim, the monster vs. robot sure-to-be blockbuster. Yesterday, the full trailer popped up on the web.



What do you think?

Holiday Song Of The Day: The Kinks, "Father Christmas"

From 1977, here's The Kinks with "Father Christmas."

Enjoy!

Song Of The Day: Alisha Zalkin, "Beautiful You"

From 2012, here's Alisha Zalkin with "Beautiful You."

Enjoy!

Blah Blah Love And War: A Track-By-Track Breakdown With The Rescues

We've got something really special for you today.

To prepare for the recording of Blah Blah Love And War, The Rescues wrote forty songs in two months. From that group, each band member picked their three favorites to record to be part of the album's twelve tracks. Below, Kyler England, Rob Giles, Adrianne Gonzalez, and Gabriel Mann share their thoughts on the inspiration, meaning, and recording of the songs on Blah Blah Love And War.

"Did It Really Even Matter"

I still remember the day in rehearsal when Gabe started playing these open chords on the piano and I was messing around with some nerdy polyrhythm thing on hi hats and kick. Something felt really good, immediately, even in its simplicity. But the song was not simple. I must have rewritten it four or five times before coming up with the structure and final lyric that didn't have to do with racetracks. I think when I am writing about racehorses, I know I have reached an impasse. Math and self-sabotage are much more rock and roll, are they not?--Rob Giles

"Never Let You Go"

A love song about how people stick together regardless of how messed up either one of them may be, or how crazy things get around them. I love so many things about how this came out, and I'm so proud of it - AG and Kyler coming in to harmonize in verse two, I don't know if I've ever heard them sound better. Rob's wonderful acoustic guitar part that enters after the first chorus is just perfect. And the insanity of the ending, also Rob's idea. To me this is a great example of how a germ from one of us grows into something greater than the sum of our parts.--Gabriel Mann

MegaSteakMan, "Dumb Ways To Die"

For all you video game fans, here's a cute/funny song about a painful subject.



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Holiday Song Of The Day: Jonathan Coulton And John Roderick, "2600"

From 2012, here's Jonathan Coulton and John Roderick with "2600."

Enjoy!

Song Of The Day: The Automatic, "Monster"

From 2006, here's The Automatic with "Monster."

Enjoy!

Culture Consumption: The Top 10 Albums Of 2012

It's that wonderful time of the year where every critic in the world lists his or her favorite television shows, movies, books, and music. Here are my Top 10 Albums of 2012:

10. Fiona Apple, The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do
The great thing about putting this album on your Top 10 list? The title takes up so much space, there's no room to provide commentary. All kidding aside, this was another great album from Fiona Apple, who can really do no wrong musically in my eyes.

9. The Royalty, Lovers
"Bartender" brought me to this band, a song awesome enough to make me want to check out the entire album, which I'm so glad I did. Lovers sounds like it could've been recorded in the '60s, with its mixture a mixture of blues, soul, and doo-wop, led by the unique and killer vocals of Nicole Boudreau.
8. Frank Ocean, Channel Orange
I've seen this album at #1 on several year-end lists. While I don't have it that high, I am equally blown away by songwriting on this album.
7. Wideboy Generation, No Time To Be Shy
Loved this debut album. Here's what I wrote about it back in June: "No Time To Be Shy is catchy punk, clocking in at a little bit longer than the A Side of an old C60, and will bring to mind bands you might find on an old cassette, like The Jam and the Buzzcocks. It's explosive, engaging, and truthfully, it's been pretty much all I've listened to during the past two weeks."
6. The Rescues, Blah Blah Love And War
Technically, this album doesn't come out until 2013. But the band has released it to the fans who helped fund the album through Pledge Music (and I believe if you donate to the project, you can still download the album now), so I get to include it on my best of 2012 list. This album is incredible, led by the perfect four-part harmonies of Kyler England, Rob Giles, Adrianne Gonzalez, and Gabriel Mann that weave their way through the album's dozen tracks. On their Pledge Music page, if you donate $21,474,836, you can clone The Rescues. I think we should all chip in and buy this because God knows the world needs more great music.

Sol Republic Contest: Win A Pair Of Tracks HD On-Ear Headphones

I'm old school.

You guys can keep your earbuds. I like headphones. Maybe it's because my first pair of headphones was a little foam pair that came with my Sony Walkman. For home use, I had Radio Shack headphones for my stereo, headphones so big that I would topple over if I tilted my head too far in either direction. Maybe that's why earbuds have never felt natural to me.

But you know what does? Sol Republic's Tracks HD on-ear headphones. They're lightweight, comfortable, stylish, and my music sounds absolutely incredible pumping from them. My daughter even said I looked cool wearing them. You know how often that happens?

How would you like a pair of your very own? Sol Republic is going to give a pair of Tracks HD on-ear headphones to one lucky Culture Brats reader!

We make it really easy to enter the contest: if you're at least 18 years of age and a resident of the United States and you'd like to enter, just send us an email. We'll pick a winner from all entries at 9:30 PM on Sunday, December 16th.

Good luck!

"Gangnam Style" Parodies Must Be Stopped

To the surprise of no one, the Glee club from Glee covered "Gangnam Style", officially the most watched video on YouTube ever. It's an understatement that this show has jumped the shark, but this is like finding that shark, strapping him down, and jumping over him another eighteen times. It's one thing to do a tongue-in-cheek version of Rebecca Black's "Friday," but this is just too much. It also seems to take it way to seriously. And, if I am to understand it, they perform this at the finals of a SINGING competition. This isn't exactly the most melodically pleasing song. And finally: was it absolutely necessary to have the Asian character sing this one? Try to watch the whole clip without cringing.

Think you are okay with that one? Now watch this parody from a high school in Pennsylvania and then decide if you think "Gangnam Style" has ruined music forever.

Holiday Song Of The Day: The Primitives, "You Trashed My Christmas"

From 2012, here's The Primitives with "You Trashed My Christmas."

Enjoy!



[source]

Song Of The Day: Trio, "Da Da Da I Don't Love You You Don't Love Me Aha Aha Aha"

From 1982, here's Trio with "Da Da Da I Don't Love You You Don't Love Me Aha Aha Aha."

Enjoy!

Jack Hues: The Culture Brats Interview

Wang Chung will be releasing Tazer Up!, their new studio album, on December 11, 2012. We caught up with singer Jack Hues on the eve of its release and spoke about the album, the five songs that define Wang Chung, touring, scoring movies, and, of course, the phrase "everybody wang chung tonight."

Your latest album, Tazer Up!, is coming out on the 11th. I think it's a great album. It has that Wang Chung sound, but with a modern feel. Where does the name come from?
The perennial question. It came from Nick and I, having had various bands back in the late '70s and early '80s, trying to get a record deal. We decided instead of getting a bunch of musicians together and gigging and having the labels come and see us, we thought we'll just do it ourselves, basically. We managed to get a little independent deal. I guess we were in that space where we were trying to keep things enigmatic and under the radar. Part of the thinking was Huang Chung was that it was going to be this really mysterious thing that nobody would quite know what it was, so mystery was always a part of it. We got a deal with Arista in the U.K. and put out an album under the name Huang Chung.

But at that point, we realized that nobody could pronounce it. So we really thought about changing it when we hopped over to Geffen. It was really David Geffen who said, "No, it's a great name. You should keep it. But just respell it so that it's not so alienating." That's where it came from. As to what it means, that's a whole different thing.

What I was really asking was where did the name of the album come from?
Oh, Tazer Up!? Tazer Up! is really just coming off the artwork. It's what we're using for the cover, that sort of ray gun thing. I saw this painting in an art gallery where I live here in Canterbury in the U.K. I just really liked it. I took a picture of it with my phone. Very naughty. I sent it to Nick and a couple of other people and said, "This would make a great cover." At that time we were talking about Abducted By The '80s being the album title and I looked at it and thought, "Oh, 'take me to your leader' this looks like with this little ray gun thing." But talking to the artist, the painting's actually called Tazer. We put out an EP last year called Abducted By The '80s so we had to think up something new for this one. So I thought Tazer Up!. I guess my thinking was along the lines of when this album comes out, it's gonna kick off a bit and we need to get ready. Tazer Up!

Pod-Fascination: The Fogelnest Files And Baby Geniuses

Each week, I recommend two podcasts that you should listen to. Go here to find out how podcasts changed my life.

The Fogelnest Files
With only thirteen episodes so far, The Fogelnest Files is still but a nascent enterprise on the highly popular Earwolf Podcast Network. However, those twelve episodes have made me smile more than most long-running podcasts. My smile is not just from the humor (for which there is plenty), but for the appreciation of host Jake Fogelnest's deep love and amazing ability to curate some of the best gems of pop culture past. Each week, he picks several YouTube videos to watch based on a theme (politics, rock music) and he and the guest comment on them. Watching videos with someone may not be your first pitch for a podcast, but it works (and he posts the list of videos for each week to watch before/during/after listening to the podcast).

The clips are sublime. Whether it's watching obscure band Manakin, watching Hilary Clinton attack sexist remarks, or introducing folks to the Beaver trilogy, they are always lead to great conversation with the guests. A favorite episode of mine so far is with '90s MTV star Julie Brown, talking about her career and showing the best clips of her career. How great is "Homecoming Queen's Got a Gun?"

First Look: Oblivion

Haven't we seen this before?

Holiday Song Of The Day: The Hives And Cyndi Lauper, "A Christmas Duel"

From 2008, here's Cyndi Lauper and The Hives with "A Christmas Duel."

Enjoy!

Song Of The Day: The Jim Carroll Band, "People Who Died"

From 1980, here's The Jim Carroll Band with "People Who Died."

Enjoy!

Music Video Fridays: Shout Out Louds, "Blue Ice"

Music Video Fridays: Mokey Doris, "Like A Star"

Music Video Fridays: Sally Shapiro, "What Can I Do"

Music Video Fridays: Haim, "Don't Save Me"

Music Video Fridays: Ivan & Alyosha, "Running For Cover"

Music Video Fridays: Ugly Kids Club, "Get It All"

Holiday Song Of The Day: D&M, "Christmas In California"

From 2012, here's D&M with "Christmas In California."

Enjoy!

Song Of The Day: Frank And Moon Unit Zappa, "Valley Girl"

From 1982, here's Frank & Moon Unit Zappa with "Valley Girl."

Enjoy!

Yuletides & Stage Dives Spotlight: Holly Would..., "xjulietx"

The Catalyst Publicity Group has teamed up with the Keep A Breast Foundation, a nonprofit breast cancer organization, to bring you Yuletides & Stage Dives, a forty-track charity mixtape. The collection contains a healthy mix of original Christmas tunes, songs you might already be familiar with, and some unreleased gems as well. Yuletides & Stage Dives is only available from December 5th to December 28th, so you need to act fast if you want to download some cool tunes for a great cause.

To help them get the word out, we're highlighting six of the acts and their songs this week. We'll be asking them about the song they donated to the cause, what drew them to the project, and their favorite holiday songs.

Here's David Elliott from Holly Would... with their song, "xjulietx:"

Tell us about "xjulietx."
"xjulietx" is a song from our recently released debut album If Word Got Out... The song is about love, betrayal, internal struggle, and standing for what you believe in. It shows that there is beauty in destruction and chaos and if you believe in something, you stand by it no matter what the consequence.

What drew you to this project?
When we were approached about being a part of this compilation, we were all very excited. We have been strong patrons of the Keep A Breast organization for quite some time. For me personally, breast cancer has impacted my life very heavily. It runs in my family, and I have lost several loved ones after hard fought battles against it. To me, finding a cure for this plight is a cause worth rallying behind.

What's your all-time favorite holiday song and why?
"You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch" is definitely our favorite holiday song. The overall chord progression and tone of the song is, for lack of better words, "mean" and gritty, which is right up our alley. Also, Dr. Seuss is a genius, and the metaphors, synonyms, and rhymes he uses, especially in this song, are some of the best. The song and the animated cartoon of How the Grinch Stole Christmas have truly withstood the test of time. We all remember watching it and singing along as kids, and can fully expect our kids will be doing the same one day.



More Holly Would...: Official | Facebook | Twitter

First Look: Star Trek Into Darkness

The first look at J. J. Abrams's sequel to his 2009 Star Trek film is out and man do I want to see this. Benedict Cumberbatch as a creepy villain? YES PLEASE.


Who else is excited? Although, after the new Star Wars trilogy, anything with a major lava scene does make me nervous that it's code for epic suck.

Yuletides & Stage Dives Spotlight: Call To Attraction, "Good Day"

The Catalyst Publicity Group has teamed up with the Keep A Breast Foundation, a nonprofit breast cancer organization, to bring you Yuletides & Stage Dives, a forty-track charity mixtape. The collection contains a healthy mix of original Christmas tunes, songs you might already be familiar with, and some unreleased gems as well. Yuletides & Stage Dives is only available from December 5th to December 28th, so you need to act fast if you want to download some cool tunes for a great cause.

To help them get the word out, we're highlighting six of the acts and their songs this week. We'll be asking them about the song they donated to the cause, what drew them to the project, and their favorite holiday songs.

Here's Call To Attraction with their song, "Good Day:"

Tell us about "Good Day."
We contributed our song "Good Day" to the compilation. We felt this was a very strong song to represent us along side the other talented artists on the CD.

What drew you to this project?
We our honored to be a part of this project because we are supporting a good cause. We want to spread the awareness to as many people as we can and by being a part of the compilation, I feel we will reach tons of people. I know me and the other guys in my band have all known someone who had to deal with breast cancer. It's very hard news to hear and we want to help raise the awareness for others who haven't had to encounter this issue.

What's your all-time favorite holiday song and why?
The Grinch is my favorite Christmas song because of the Christmas story and I love the song that goes along with it.



More Call To Attraction: Official | Facebook | Twitter

Yuletides & Stage Dives Spotlight: Life After Liftoff, "The Getaway"

The Catalyst Publicity Group has teamed up with the Keep A Breast Foundation, a nonprofit breast cancer organization, to bring you Yuletides & Stage Dives, a forty-track charity mixtape. The collection contains a healthy mix of original Christmas tunes, songs you might already be familiar with, and some unreleased gems as well. Yuletides & Stage Dives is only available from December 5th to December 28th, so you need to act fast if you want to download some cool tunes for a great cause.

To help them get the word out, we're highlighting six of the acts and their songs this week. We'll be asking them about the song they donated to the cause, what drew them to the project, and their favorite holiday songs.

Here's Lee Weiss from Life After Liftoff with their song, "The Getaway:"

Tell us about "The Getaway."
The song that we contributed to the compilation is called "The Getaway." It is a track filled with a positive message of self love and trusting yourself even during the darkest of times. We felt this track was the perfect fit for the compilation.

What drew you to this project?
My mother has always dealt with medical problems and my girlfriend's mother battled breast cancer so this was the easiest decision to make. We also support Keep A Breast so anything we can do to raise money for the fantastic organization, we will do what it takes.

What's your all-time favorite holiday song and why?
My all time favorite holiday song is "I won't Be Home For Christmas" by Blink-182 just because the song puts you in such a great mood and even during a very family-oriented time it makes you laugh and not be so serious :)



More Life After Liftoff: Official | Facebook | Twitter

Holiday Song Of The Day: Jimmy Fallon, Mariah Carey, The Roots, And Four Cute Kids, "All I Want For Christmas Is You"

From just a few nights ago, here are Jimmy Fallon, Mariah Carey, The Roots, and four cute kids performing "All I Want For Christmas Is You."

Enjoy!

Song Of The Day: Alicia Keys, "Fallin'"

From 2001, here's Alicia Keys with "Fallin'."

Enjoy!

Yuletides & Stage Dives Spotlight: The Venetia Fair, "Master Blaster"

The Catalyst Publicity Group has teamed up with the Keep A Breast Foundation, a nonprofit breast cancer organization, to bring you Yuletides & Stage Dives, a forty-track charity mixtape. The collection contains a healthy mix of original Christmas tunes, songs you might already be familiar with, and some unreleased gems as well. Yuletides & Stage Dives is only available from December 5th to December 28th, so you need to act fast if you want to download some cool tunes for a great cause.

To help them get the word out, we're highlighting six of the acts and their songs this week. We'll be asking them about the song they donated to the cause, what drew them to the project, and their favorite holiday songs.

Here's Joe Brown from The Venetia Fair with their song, "Master Blaster:"

Tell us about "Master Blaster."
The song we've contributed is a demo that we've recorded at our own SwitchBitch Studios called "Master Blaster." It's actually a working title for the song. It will also be on our full length album Every Sick Disgusting Thought We've Got In Our Brains, out March 1st. This song was actually written by accident. I was messing around on the keys and was playing what I thought a stupid metal riff would sound like on piano. It eventually built into the song that it is today, and sounds nothing like the joke I thought it would.

What drew you to this project?
Well, we all like boobs in this band so it's probably a good idea to save them, right? I mean, they're pretty sweet. In all seriousness, we're really excited to be helping a good cause and be part of a compilation with all these great bands. Also in all seriousness, boobs are pretty cool.

What's your all-time favorite holiday song and why?
My personal favorite holiday song is Bruce Springsteen's version of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town." When I was younger, I heard this song so many times on all these oldies radio stations and my parents CDs. This was the first song I heard (before Blink-182's songs even) that was a rock and roll version of a Christmas song. I love the way the song flows in and out of swing time. Its just a solid bangin' tune, yanno?



More Venetia Fair: Official | Facebook | Twitter

Yuletides & Stage Dives Spotlight: The Background, "Okay"

The Catalyst Publicity Group has teamed up with the Keep A Breast Foundation, a nonprofit breast cancer organization, to bring you Yuletides & Stage Dives, a forty-track charity mixtape. The collection contains a healthy mix of original Christmas tunes, songs you might already be familiar with, and some unreleased gems as well. Yuletides & Stage Dives is only available from December 5th to December 28th, so you need to act fast if you want to download some cool tunes for a great cause.

To help them get the word out, we're highlighting six of the acts and their songs this week. We'll be asking them about the song they donated to the cause, what drew them to the project, and their favorite holiday songs.

Here's The Background with their song, "Okay:"

Tell us about "Okay."
"Okay" was written about the amazing people you meet in life that come and go. It's about well wishes and hope. We dedicate this song to the survivors out there and to anyone who has lost a loved one to cancer.

What drew you to this project?
We have always been interested in Keep A Breast and what they do. Organizations like Keep A Breast give hope to a better community and world for not only us but for generations to come.

What's your all-time favorite holiday song and why?
Anything from the '60s. Every Christmas my Mom plays old '50s and '60s Christmas music. Hearing it brings back the warmth and excitement Christmas gave us all as kids.



More The Background: Official | Facebook | Twitter

Yuletides & Stage Dives Spotlight: Call Me Anything, "Holiday"

The Catalyst Publicity Group has teamed up with the Keep A Breast Foundation, a nonprofit breast cancer organization, to bring you Yuletides & Stage Dives, a forty-track charity mixtape. The collection contains a healthy mix of original Christmas tunes, songs you might already be familiar with, and some unreleased gems as well. Yuletides & Stage Dives is only available from December 5th to December 28th, so you need to act fast if you want to download some cool tunes for a great cause.

To help them get the word out, we're highlighting six of the acts and their songs this week. We'll be asking them about the song they donated to the cause, what drew them to the project, and their favorite holiday songs.

Here's Will Tenney from Call Me Anything with their song, "Holiday:"

Tell us about "Holiday."
"Holiday" is a really special song to me mostly because we went about it in such an unorthodox way. Right before our record Celebrity was about to drop, Matt and I both got this terrible feeling that it was missing something. We discussed a ton of different song ideas, and what we could possibly do to fill the gap, but I had a very specific idea in mind. I ended up going down to the studio quickly for two days and just knocking it out by myself. The song is about making the trek back home, and finding ways to deal with the fact that everybody grows in different directions. You may never see some of your high school friends again, and they may never see you. I figured the only thing I could do on my holiday was write a love song.

What drew you to this project?
I think we were drawn to this project not only because it supports such a great cause, but because of the awesome people putting it together. Everybody at KAB and Catalyst are so great, and it feels great to work with people who do so much good in the world. After doing some work for Adam Braun's Pencils Of Promise charity this past summer, I think we both felt that helping out was something we needed to do more often (AND a bunch of our talented friends are on the compilation as well!).

What's your all-time favorite holiday song and why?
My favorite non-traditional holiday song is definitely "I Won't Be Home For Christmas" by Blink-182. Those dudes are hilarious and undeniably catchy. That being said, "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" by Bruce Springsteen always reminds me of home. When I was little, I'd play along to it on the piano while my family decorated the tree.



More Call Me Anything: Official | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

Neil Patrick Harris Dreams In Puppets

We already knew that NPH is freaking awesome, right? Turns out he's even more awesome than any of us realized. He dreams in puppets. Dirty, awesome, punny puppets. This is actually the second installment of Neil's puppet dreams, and it features Nathan Fillion, upping the awesome quotient. Enjoy (and it's is likely NSFW because your work can't handle the awesome)!

Holiday Song Of The Day: The Killers, "I Feel It In My Bones"

It's officially the holiday season now.

From 2012, here are The Killers with "I Feel It In My Bones."

Enjoy!

Song Of The Day: Elton Motello, "Jet Boy, Jet Girl"

From 1977, here's Elton Motello with "Jet Boy, Jet Girl."

Enjoy!

Free Download: Stephie Coplan & The Pedestrians, "No Assholes On Christmas"

You know we're big fans of Stephie Coplan here at Culture Brats: we interviewed her, reviewed her album, and even attended one of her shows. Last year, we shared her holiday song, "No Assholes On Christmas." This year, they hit the studio and did a proper recording of it. And the best part is they're giving it away for free (along with mp3s of "JERK!," "Take Me Back To The Suburbs," and "We Don't Need Much")! And all you need to do is put your email address and zip code in the little box below:

First Look: Twas The Jordan Knight Before Christmas

Here's Jordan Knight, Johnny Mathis, and Boyz II Men spreading holiday cheer hamming it up for Old Navy:



So let's just watch this one and try to pretend the one that knocks off Christmas Vacation never happened. How could you, Chevy?

The Furby Rises Again

It took years to stamp out the unspeakable evil of the holiday must-haves from the past: Teddy Ruxpin, Chatty Cathy, and of course, Furby 1.0. But this season we have seen the reemergence of the last of these three horrors, the one-time champion of toy store marathon hunting season: the new and improved Furby.

The tag line alone (A Mind Of Its Own!) is enough to make any Terminator fan run for the mountains and start stockpiling weapons, but the eyes... my GOD THE EYES. Watching you intently. Waiting for you to make a mistake. Recording your every move for rogue government agencies operating off the grid! No, wait, not that last one.

The point here is that this abomination ended up on one of the three lists I had to send to the North Pole this weekend, and I doubt that delightful, white-bearded rogue will be willing to cart this robotic minion of Satan around in his toy sack. Therefore, it falls to me to find this hellish thing and bring it into my home.

My wish for your families this season is for health, happiness, and lots of rare and delightful pop culture finds, but the significance of the much maligned Furby makes me frightened for us all. Children want it. We remember it fondly for some reason (I suspect our memories have been tampered with ) and soon we will all have one.

Someone call John Connor.

Holiday Song Of The Day: Harvey Danger, "Sometimes You Have to Work On Christmas (Sometimes)"

From 2004, here's Harvey Danger with "Sometimes You Have To Work On Christmas (Sometimes)."

Enjoy!

Song Of The Day: Slick Rick, "Children's Story"

From 1988, here's Slick Rick with "Children's Story."

Enjoy!

Seven Questions In Heaven With Leogun

Describe your music for our readers who may not be familiar with you.
We are a balls out three-piece band, surging with a mix of blues, soul, and a whole lotta sexy rock and roll.

Who are your musical influences and idols?
Anyone who plays or sings with their whole heart and body. If you mean it, chances are I will love it. Elvis is a great example.

What was the first album, cassette, or CD you bought with your own money?
No Code, Pearl Jam.

I love the EP! It's kickass rock 'n' roll, with a nod to the past while still planted firmly in the present. Do you find your sound is better received by audiences at home in the UK or here in the US? And why wasn't "Drunk Enough" included on the EP?
Thank you very much! We have always been received well on both sides of the pond. There is something very special about playing our music in the US, though. We are three guys from England playing music that we love very dearly. In a country of this size and diversity, there is something very exciting about the whole experience. So much to see and so much to do. Plus it's been a while since bands like The Stones, Led Zeppelin, The Who, and Sabbath were here... it's about time England gave something new! Also "Drunk Enough" will be out next year on the album.

First Look: A Glimpse Inside The Mind Of Charles Swan III

Here's the trailer for the promising indie comedy starring Billy Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Aubrey Plaza, Patricia Arquette, and... Charlie Sheen?

Holiday Song Of The Day: Danger Danger, "Naughty Naughty Christmas"

From 2002, here's Danger Danger with "Naughty Naughty Christmas."

Enjoy!

Song Of The Day: Toto Coelo, "I Eat Cannibals"

From 1982, here's Toto Coelo with "I Eat Cannibals."

Enjoy!