The Bowerbirds Dead Oceans

Here on the Christmas edition of The Spotlight, I’m pleased to present an act from the always plentiful homeland of North Carolina. Right up the road actually in our state capital, Raleigh. The Bowerbirds are here to provide some soothing melodies for those of you caught in the rush of the holidays. A gentle love song for those couples celebrating together - a ballad of comforting harmonies for everyone else. Not going to delve into the merits of The Bowerbirds, or what comparisons I can draw to other bands of similar composition. Rather, I will let their sweet sounds speak for them and wish you all a happy holiday season, no matter what you may be celebrating. Dig that.

-John

Welcome to another exciting episode of Guess The Movie - Online Edition. I’m happy to be your holiday guest-host this week, so let’s get it started. Picture above is the first clue, leave guesses in the comments section and I’ll update as necessary. Good luck…

Update: No winner at this time, but my favorite guess so far comes from Hales. Hales, I wish that were a real movie. Here is your next clue:

Update II: No winners, but some good, thoughtful guesses. Here’s your third clue. Who can put it all together and receive the coveted kitten award?

Update III: We have a winner! Congratulations to CC for cracking the mind-bending code of pictures above. Meredith was close with “Australia Jackson Scream”, but the answer was just Scream. It’s one of my favorite horror movies of all time, as I love watching young Sidney (like Sydney, Australia) escape and outsmart the multiple killers, but most people forget that it was released a few days before Christmas back in 1996, making it a perfect family event for the yuletide holiday. Of course Michael and Janet teamed up to produce the hit single “Scream” in 1995 , and Edward Munch created the famous painting “The Scream” - actually he did numerous versions of the same horrified character between 1893 and 1910 - which should have lead you to your cinematic answer. Not that Australia Jackson Scream doesn’t sound like a good idea - but it doesn’t. Sorry Mer. CC tell all your friends how great you are, but for this week only as you getting it right must have been a Christmas miracle. See you all next week - Happy Holidays….

CC’s present:

-John

In sports they hand out multiple awards: Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year, steroid abuser of the year, and man-whore of the year. That last one may not be who you think it is for 2009. It’s actually Tiger Woods. What’s that? Oh, you thought that’s who it was? Well in that case, it is exactly who you thought it was for 2009. Anyway, I don’t think sports should get to hog all of those coveted awards, so I’m going to hand out Rookie of the Year awards to a couple of deserving shows from this season’s fall lineup. Why two? Because it’s like baseball. MLB gives out one for the NL and one for the AL so I get to give out two also, one for an hour-long show and one for a 30 min comedy. Dig that.

Hour-long Rookie of the Year:

Glee - Fox, Wednesdays at 9:00

So, it’s true - I watch Glee. In fact, not only do I watch it, but I think it’s awesome. It all came together for me on a rainy afternoon in Brooklyn when I took in a mini-marathon with friend of PCC2C, Branson. The originality of the show is what hooked me right away, as I don’t watch a lot of shows that feature chorus-style renditions of pop songs. I think there’s a good blend of musical performances and actual plot devices so that the show isn’t reliant solely on the novelty of high-school kids breaking into song at school - because that’s not a novelty at all if you’re familiar with Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens. No, the show is fortunate to have genuine quality to drive its storylines. Quality in all aspects. There is sharp, funny writing, interesting and diverse characters, legitimate musical talent, and well-planned plot points to bring everyone together. The actors deliver across the board, especially Jane Lynch as the caustic cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester, who gets the majority of the A+ lines, but proves every time that she deserves them. The show has a nice blend of campy and serious overtones and manages to touch on real-life issues, like teen pregnancy, sexual identity, tolerance, and trying to fit in without destroying the whimsical nature of the show. One clarifying point for Glee is that the songs are real songs you’ve probably already heard of, performed on the show during actual glee club practice or rehearsal. The songs are never in the middle of class where someone is suddenly struck with the need to make up a song about what they’re feeling at that exact moment. You know, like a musical number about how calculus sucks, or a dance routine centered around someone’s parents getting divorced. Thankfully they strayed from that structure and stuck to covering original songs. As anyone who remembers Cop Rock can tell you - that was probably a solid decision. If you’re looking for some quality humor and entertainment in a different package than you’re used to seeing on network television, this is the show for you.

30-minute comedy Rookie of the Year

Community - NBC, Thursdays at 8:00

I really like this show. I think it’s one of the best ensemble casts around - even better in its entirety than both Parks & Rec and the top-heavy (in terms of characters) 30 Rock (not sure it can rival The Office cast just yet, but we’ll see). I think every single person on Community is important and it would be noticably worse if one were gone, whereas most people wouldn’t care of Judah Friedlander left 30 Rock as long as Fey, Baldwin and Morgan were still there. Nothing against 30 Rock - I’ve actually started watching it this season and am enjoying it - but I think Community is better, and it’s due to the sum of all of the character’s parts. Each character has a very specific role and brings an important comedy element to the table that works in conjunction with everyone else. McHale, as Jeff, is sarcastic and witty, Chevy Chase is a bumbling, unaware buffoon, and Brie and Brown play neurotic and nosy, respectively, with hilarious accuracy. Not to mention, Aved and Troy (Pudi and Glover) are emmerging as a real comedy team to be reckoned with. Letting them close the majority of the show’s episodes by themselves has proven to be a great reward for those smart enough to set their DVRs to record one minute past original stopping time. I think the writing is just clever enough when it needs to be, just ridiculous enough at the right times, and just savvy enough to wrap up a running plotline in a refreshing and unique way. The producers have also been careful not to try and overcapitalize on Ken Jeong’s presence, keeping him as a residual character that actually adds comedic value rather than trying to exploit his new-found fame from The Hangover. There are laugh-out-loud moments, memorable one liners, an impressive collection of indie rock featured in the background - and if that’s not enough, Community may boast two of the best kept secrets in hot television actresses in Alison Brie and Gillian Jacobs. Especially Brie (also of Mad Men fame). Can’t quite put my finger on it, but she just does it for me. So - if you’re not watching, you should be. If nothing else, you owe it to Chevy Chase to check it out. Think of all he’s given you over the years. At least pre-1990.

-John

Them Crooked Vultures

This past summer, Them Crooked Vultures unleashed themselves on the world in a small club in Chicago during Lollapolooza. It was only during Lollapalooza, not a part of it - kind of an “off-Lollapalooza” type thing. Even so, it was the most talked about act of the weekend. Why so much hype? Probably has something to do with the lineup: Dave Grohl, John Paul Jones (that’s right, the John Paul Jones) and Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age. A bonafide supergroup. Bonafide. Don’t get use that word a lot. Bonafide! Anyway, I took my sweet ass time, like I sometimes do, and have decided that now is the time to feature them here in the spotlight - after the initial hype has passed. I’m jogging everyone’s collective memory and reviving their hype machine. Consider it revived.

-John

Welcome back to Guess The Movie - Online Edition. I’m happy to still be guest-hosting while Rhett continues to do the Lord’s work. Bless him. You guys know the routine: the picture above is your first clue, leave guesses in the comments section, and I’ll update as needed. Good luck my friends…

Update: We have a winner! Turns out someone doesn’t need luck, because he has a keen sense of movie trivia. The correct answer was the 1980s Tom Hanks comedy Big. The part where he’s unsure of how to eat the baby corn is just one of many memorable scenes from that awesome movie. I wish someone would be the Zoltar machine for Halloween one year. Someone work on that. Anyway, congratulations to our winner ray, who has now won two of the last three I believe. Well ray, be sure to collect your prize below and tell all of your friends how great you are. Only for this week however, because this greatness self-destructs after a few days. True story. Thank you all for playing and we’ll see you next week.

ray’s prize:

-John

The Temper Trap Infectious/Liberation

So, over the summer, while I was enamored with 500 Days of Summer , I heard this band and thought “I’m totally going to start listening to these guys all the time, they’re awesome”. Then I didn’t. I just went on living my life. Until just recently, when I kept on living my life, but made The Temper Trap a part of it. Now I wish I’d been rocking out to their electonic-rock sounds all summer long. The quartet from Melbourne gives you a kind of psychedelic sound, mixed with house-music vocals and some legitimate guitar work. An interesting mix to be sure, but it all blends perfectly. I think these guys should be getting more exposure as one of “the breakout bands of 2009″ - but we’ll see what happens. Is that a preview of the highly anticipated “Favorite 20 songs of 2009″? Maybe. Probably…

-John

Welcome back to GTM. Time to test your movie trivia knowledge as well as your deductive reasoning skills. Leave your inductive reasoning skills at home - don’t need ‘em. As always, the picture above is your first clue towards your cinematic buried treasure. Leave guesses in the comments and I’ll update as needed. Good luck…

Update: no correct guesses so far, but I like the way Batey and Craig are thinking. I also like Italian sandwiches. True story. Your next clue is the song below:

Update II: still no correct guesses, but this last clue should help out. Your final clue is this video. I apologize for not being able to embed it here on the site, but I couldn’t find a version without the embedding option disabled.

Update III: We have a winner! Congratulations to CC who is this week’s winner and recipient of the coveted (and I mean really coveted) surprised kitten award. The correct answer was Oliver Stone’s JFK. Since the movie vacillated between the shooting and the trial it was predominantly set in Dallas and New Orleans, and I thought the video of Marilyn Manson reenacting the assassination with Rose McGowan as Jackie O. would be a nice final clue. CC - be sure to tell all your friends how great you are, but only for this week. That greatness is a rental and needs to be returned on time to avoid late fees. Thanks for playing and hope everyone comes back to test their trivia mettle next week.

CC’s prize:

-John

Something to get your weekend started off right: a sultry, R. Kelly-esque slow-jam to get you in the mood for mackin ladies. You don’t have to love Tiger, but you must respect his game. Word.
(Thanks to PCC2C friend Courtney R. for the tip)

-John

Not like sausage - like the internet. Maybe internet sausage? Mmmmmm, delicious. Here are some awesome time wasters, amazing performances, and useful tips courtesy of your friends at the interweb. How do they do it all?

Check out this website that tells you how to cheat your local cable or satellite companies and watch all your shows for free online.
(Thanks to PCC2C reader CC for the tip)

I put this up on Twitter yesterday, but I thought I’d run it back on the main page. Score yourself some sweet kicks over at one of the more awesomely named sites in cyberspace.

After shoebacca, why not Instant Chewbacca?
(Thanks to PCC2C reader Paugh for the post)

Looking for a distraction at work? Enjoy trivia of any/every kind? Head on over and play a few games, courtesy of the good people at sporcle.

This next link is well worth 5 minutes of your time. It’s a young Ukranian woman (a strikingly attractive Ukranian woman FYI) who was the winner of Ukraine’s Got Talent. It’s one of the more unique art presentations I’ve ever seen and she moved the audience and judges to tears. She recounts the history of the Ukranian people during WW II working only with sand, some kind of light box and a little accompanying music. You have to see it for yourself.
(Thank to PCC2C reader Slovan and his Twitter feed for the tip)

Finally, I leave you with some hilarity courtesy of Mr. Galifianakis and his awesome show, Between Two Ferns.

I hope I’ve helped contribute to your delinquency and unproductiveness at work, thus fulfilling my obligations to restoring our great nation’s struggling economy. I’m a patriot first guys, a patriot first.

-John

Bad Veins Dangerbird Records

Two dudes from The Nasty (that’s Cincinnati to the rest of us) setting out to record some sweet jams and see what happens. A fairly stripped down approach to music - there’s only so many instruments two guys can play at the same time, they are known for achieving richer sounds during live shows by playing pre-recorded tracks in an old school reel-to-reel fashion. A little bit rock, a tiny bit electronica, a little bit uncategorizable, these guys are receiving a little more buzz each show/festival they play. I’m thinking of starting a Bad Veins opposite band ( a la Jon Bovi) and calling it Good Arteries. Anyone interested? Anyone? Looking for a keyboard player…hit me up.

-John