First Look: fun., "Some Nights"

Love this!

Arcade Fire, "Wake Up"

From 2004, here's Arcade Fire with "Wake Up."

Enjoy!

In Defense And In Praise Of The Young Music Fanatic

i. So, the indubitably badass Linda Perry tweeted this

ii. And of course I watched this

(ridiculous how much I love this song)

iii. Which prompted me to

(who the [REDACTED] is Nick Gas?)

iv. Which yielded this:

"I even held up my little portable cassette player to my stand-alone phonograph and recorded it over and over, so I’d have the song on a nice loop and wouldn’t have to wait for the tone arm to go back and forth before I could hear it again.

This explains much about me."

(Let's discuss the fact that I did this with the Lipps, Inc. roof-raiser "Funkytown" in 1981--first portable cassette player Christmas of 1980, holla!--and then with the Scorpions' "Still Loving You" a scant threeish years later; I would say that I am on a more than cordial basis with this particular pathos.)

v. And in conclusion, I'll tell you what else happened to Nick Gilder: He was on every gym mix I ever had from 1996 until now.

Moral of the story:
A) The difference between music-driven people and non-music-driven people is that one of them was listening obsessively to B-sides when (s)he was eight... and was already completely smug about that business, how mortifying and great.
B) "Hot Child In The City" is a creepy song if you deconstruct it even the slightest bit. Yet, strangely, it's still catchy.

Book Review: Joss Whedon: The Complete Companion

It's not fair for me to review of a book containing essays about geektastic entertainment mastermind Joss Whedon's contributions to pop culture.

There's really no way for me to be objective about this collection because I'm an unabashed Whedonite. Think überfan.

In 1997, I sat down and watched my first episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, mainly because it was Saturday afternoon, I was home, and I didn't want to go jogging. I watched an episode about a cheerleader who beat the crapski out of a gang of vampires, all while being sarcastic and super funny the whole time. Ok, I thought. Clever. I like clever. Then I watched a few more episodes and realized that this quirky little horror/action/comedy was also extremely well-written, and dripping with pathos. I quickly became a major Buffy fan.

Then a couple years later, an Angel fan. Then Firefly, winner of the Cancelled Too Soon Award. Then during Hollywood's writer's strike, someone pointed me towards Dr. Horrible on YouTube. Even the disjointed Dollhouse enthralled me. Hell, I even followed Whedon into the world of comic books. And of course last month I was all over The Avengers, Whedon's most recent writing/directing film success. So truly, I'm not the most objective person to review a book devoted to all things Joss.

Dividing Whedon's career one iconic creation at a time, Joss Whedon: The Complete Companion (Titan Books) taps a roster of very professorial-sounding writers to wax intellectual about their favorite show, character, or storyline. Most of the contributors have PhDs. The essay titles themselves sound pretty pretentious, I have to admit: "Buffy And Dollhouse: Visions Of Female Empowerment And Disempowerment." "The Death Of Utopia Firefly And The Return To Human Realism In TV Sci-Fi." "Heroic Humanism And The Humanistic Heroism In Joss Whedon's Shows." There are essays on Feminism, Masculinism, Religious Studies, and Psychology. Some are accessible for those of us who – ahem – are more used to reading Cliff's Notes for class. Others are a bit more dense.

The table of contents sounds like required reading for the coolest course on campus, but you need to enroll willingly to enjoy the book. If you already worship at the altar of Whedon, you'll love this stuff. You'll get a kick out of seeing how highbrow intellectual types dissect minor characters and plot minutiae that you and I could totally identify in a Whedon Geek-Off. If this isn't your pop culture area, this won't work for you. The Complete Companion isn't a primer meant to introduce you to the Whedonverse. It's for those of us who already live there.

CD Review: Joe Walsh, Analog Man

So, twenty years have passed since Joe Walsh's Songs For A Dying Planet and you found yourself playing the "Alive or Dead?" drinking game when his name popped up on your card. Well, have no fear and put down that shot glass, for Joe Walsh is alive, warm, and releasing a new album. Analog Man is a return to form with some new twists for those of you who remember that the man has some serious chops.

It's evident he's enjoying himself here as well as proving that after all this time, he remains a relevant and compelling guitar player and songwriter. He nails it on songs like "Wrecking Ball" (easily my favorite on the entire album) and if you were having doubts about his being a force to be reckoned with, one listen to the opening notes of "India" will help you over the hump and inspire you to break out in a bout of highly embarrassing air guitar mimicry. The Grammy Award-winning rock 'n' roll veteran has returned with the help of producer Jeff Lynne and he's turned out a record more than worthy of his talent and much to the delight of his many patient fans.

Welcome back, Joe.

Vampire Weekend, "Oxford Comma"

From 2008, here's Vampire Weekend with "Oxford Comma."

Enjoy!

Survey SAYS... It's A Sad Day

Misery and woe. It has finally happened.

Back in 2010, I made the mistake of deciding to embark on an epic quest. A journey so fraught with twisted deception and misinformation, I thought I would never be able to uncover the truth.

Now a brutal new kind of truth has arrived at my front door with terrible news: respected veteran actor and eventual game show host Svengali Richard Dawson has passed away at the age of 79. Hogan's Heroes, Family Feud, The Running Man, and Rowan And Martin's Laugh-In were but a few of his accomplishments from a long and impressive career.

Every time I get a kiss on the cheek for luck, I think of him. We'll miss you, Richard.



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Cisco Adler feat. G. Love, "You're A Fool"

Brendan Rivera, "Hole In The Curtain"

Summer Camp, "Always"