It's finally that wonderful time of year when the snow begins to melt, the leaves begin to come out on the trees, and you don't have to wear a coat every day. This is my favorite time of year--the time when you can comfortably wear t-shirts, flip flops, and cruise around with the windows rolled down and the radio as loud as possible. In that spirit, I wanted to share with you the songs I'll be listening to this March:
1. "Gamma Ray" (Beck) - From his latest release...just a fun song.
2. "Love Letter to Japan" (The Bird and the Bee) - I recently discovered this group...they have a unique sound and this is a pretty catchy song.
3. "That's Not My Name" (The Ting Tings) - No matter what her name is, I love this jam.
4. "Gives You Hell" (All-American Rejects) - We've all been here. A great f-you song.
5. "Chasing Pavements" (Adele) - Adele is a talented unique artist...this is the biggest single off her new release.
6. "Ain't Nothing Wrong With That" (Robert Randolph and the Family Band) - Diva's mentioned this one before, but if this song doesn't put you in a good mood, nothing will.
7. "Viva La Vida" (Coldplay) - I heart Coldplay.
8. "Bang Bang" (K'naan f/ Adam Levine) - This is the free download on iTunes right now. I definitely recommend it.
9. "Good Life" (Kanye West) - You know I gotta include some Mr. West on my playlists. This is one of my favorites.
10. "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" (Digable Planets) - An oldie but a goodie.
11. "Just Like Me" (Jamie Foxx) - Jamie's lastest track...smooth vocals, nice beat, excellent song.
12. "I Love College" (Asher Roth) - This reminds me of the lamest white guy you know trying to do Jay-Z at the Karaoke bar. So I enjoy this tune quite a bit. :)
13. "Live Your Life" (T.I. f/ Rhianna) - I am a huge T.I. fan...this song has a good message.
14. "I'm On a Boat" (The Lonely Island f/ T-Pain) - You might remember this digital short on SNL. Andy Samberg and crew have put out an album with many of their songs...including D*** in a Box, Lazy Sunday, and Natalie Portman's rap from a couple seasons ago. If you're an SNL fan, this is a must-have.
Remember you can download all these songs from my iMix on iTunes...just search for Pop Culture Gospel. And Happy Cruising!!
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
One Missed Call - One Movie I Wish I'd Missed
"One Missed Call" tells the story of Beth Raymond, a college student whose friends begin to mysteriously receive voice mails from the future recording the sounds of their impending deaths. She goes to the police, who think she's crazy, except for Det. Jack Andrews, whose sister has apparently met the same fate. They team up to figure out what the crap is going on. And then, in true horror movie fashion, Beth hears the creepy ringtone on her phone, and guess what? She's got a new voicemail.For a horror movie, this one was decent I guess. I was yelling "Don't open that door!", "Get out of there!", and "You stupid hussy, what are you thinking?", so I guess it was a successful scary movie. It reminded me a lot of "The Ring"...creepy little girls, using technology to kill people, and a pretty predictable plot. If you want to be sufficiently creeped out, it's a solid rental. Ed Burns and Shannyn Sossaman are both adequate in their roles.
Rating: Two angel wings!!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
A Sign of the Times?
Last night, I received an interesting phone call. A representative from the production team of Feature Films for Families/F1 Films/Believe Pictures called to let me know that a new movie would be coming to theatres on Friday, The Velveteen Rabbit. If I were to commit to going to see the film this weekend, I would receive a coupon to purchase a free DVD from the production company (which I can only assume would be a movie called "Only the River Runs Free", the only other film listed on their site...great selection guys.).
It was an intriguing offer, and a new marketing strategy I hadn't seen before. But mostly I thought it was strange. Are smaller movie studios doing so badly that they have to practically bribe people to go see their films? If this is true, it's not a good sign for independent film, which makes me sad. These filmmakers are the true artists and visionaries of the film industry, and it's hard enough for them to eke out a living. I hope this is not the beginning of the end of these type movies, as some of my favorite movies were not produced by the bigger studios.
So, if you get a chance, go see The Velveteen Rabbit in theaters Friday. It's a great story, and you'll at least get a free DVD out of it. And consider it your quest to help keep these smaller studios alive.
It was an intriguing offer, and a new marketing strategy I hadn't seen before. But mostly I thought it was strange. Are smaller movie studios doing so badly that they have to practically bribe people to go see their films? If this is true, it's not a good sign for independent film, which makes me sad. These filmmakers are the true artists and visionaries of the film industry, and it's hard enough for them to eke out a living. I hope this is not the beginning of the end of these type movies, as some of my favorite movies were not produced by the bigger studios.
So, if you get a chance, go see The Velveteen Rabbit in theaters Friday. It's a great story, and you'll at least get a free DVD out of it. And consider it your quest to help keep these smaller studios alive.
Monday, February 23, 2009
The winner of the Best Award Show of 2009 is...
THE OSCAR'S!
Last night's Academy Awards were far superior to the last few years of long, boring, monstrosities.
The red carpet pre-show was the perfect length with only a couple awkward moments brought on by incompetent interviewing. A brunette Ryan Seacrest tripped up with Jack Black & wife, Miley Cyrus forgot to mention the name of the movie she was touting, Marisa Tomei gave Seacrest the death stare-no love lost there! Introducing us to the program's stage producer and music producer was a super bonus that emphasised new details in the evening.
On to the show...
Hugh Jackman was delightful. He began with a fantastic opening, claiming he built it in his garage Saturday night as the Academy couldn't afford an opening with the recession. The pizza boxes, paint rollers, and lamp shades assisted in creating the image of Hugh staying up all night with his hot glue gun making the sets. Anne Hathaway's "impromptu" performance as Nixon made it all the more adorable.
The first award set the stage for the entire show. The Academy had kept the presenters a secret, with good reason. The new format brought out 5 past winners of each award to speak about the individuals nominated. It was much more interesting and fascinating to see the awards presented in this way. See the Best Supporting Actress award presented. Supporting Actor, Best Actress, and Best Actor were all presented in this fashion. It was gorgeous.
One of the lesser developed ideas for the evening was to take the audience through the process of movie making with the awards. This seemed a little half-baked and we lost sight of it a few times. The highlight was by far Tina Fey and Steve Martin's screen play presentation. Some other great presenters were Jack Black/Jennifer Aniston for best animation and Natalie Portman with Ben Stiller who was channeling Joaquin Phoenix for cinematography. Hilarious.
Seth Rogan and James Franco, spoofing their own Pineapple Express, replaced the recent Will Ferrel and Steve Carell comedy duo in a Judd Apatow short film.
Michael Moore moments were provided by Bill Maher (presenting documentaries) and Sean Penn (upon winning the best actor award).
The Musical is BACK! was a huge number staring host Hugh Jackman, Beyonce, Zac Ephron, Vanessa Hudgens (both from High School Musical), Amanda Seigfred, and Dominic Cooper (both from Mamma Mia). Created by none other than Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge & Australia). Definitely the highlight of the evening!
Back to the movies Heath Ledger rightly won the Best Supporting Actor for his work in the Dark Knight as Joker.
The movie montages were fantastic showcasing not only nominated movies but other romances, action movies, and animations that weren't nominated.
The sound track presentations by Alicia Keys (was adorable and awesome) and Zac Ephron were amazing with performances of the songs by the original artists.
Queen Latifa sang over the "In Memory" video montage, lovely. Much better than having only a score.
One of the best impromptu moments was when Kate Winslet, upon winning the Best Actress Award told Meryl Streep (with a record of 15 lifetime nominations) that she would just have to "suck it up" after not winning this one.
Slumdog Millioniare was the big winner of the night, the best speech by it's director Danny Boyle who accepted Best Director in the spirit of Tigger per a request from his kids. The picture also took home Best Picture Award.
A complete list of winners can be seen here.
Last night's Academy Awards were far superior to the last few years of long, boring, monstrosities.
The red carpet pre-show was the perfect length with only a couple awkward moments brought on by incompetent interviewing. A brunette Ryan Seacrest tripped up with Jack Black & wife, Miley Cyrus forgot to mention the name of the movie she was touting, Marisa Tomei gave Seacrest the death stare-no love lost there! Introducing us to the program's stage producer and music producer was a super bonus that emphasised new details in the evening.
On to the show...
Hugh Jackman was delightful. He began with a fantastic opening, claiming he built it in his garage Saturday night as the Academy couldn't afford an opening with the recession. The pizza boxes, paint rollers, and lamp shades assisted in creating the image of Hugh staying up all night with his hot glue gun making the sets. Anne Hathaway's "impromptu" performance as Nixon made it all the more adorable.
The first award set the stage for the entire show. The Academy had kept the presenters a secret, with good reason. The new format brought out 5 past winners of each award to speak about the individuals nominated. It was much more interesting and fascinating to see the awards presented in this way. See the Best Supporting Actress award presented. Supporting Actor, Best Actress, and Best Actor were all presented in this fashion. It was gorgeous.
One of the lesser developed ideas for the evening was to take the audience through the process of movie making with the awards. This seemed a little half-baked and we lost sight of it a few times. The highlight was by far Tina Fey and Steve Martin's screen play presentation. Some other great presenters were Jack Black/Jennifer Aniston for best animation and Natalie Portman with Ben Stiller who was channeling Joaquin Phoenix for cinematography. Hilarious.
Seth Rogan and James Franco, spoofing their own Pineapple Express, replaced the recent Will Ferrel and Steve Carell comedy duo in a Judd Apatow short film.
Michael Moore moments were provided by Bill Maher (presenting documentaries) and Sean Penn (upon winning the best actor award).
The Musical is BACK! was a huge number staring host Hugh Jackman, Beyonce, Zac Ephron, Vanessa Hudgens (both from High School Musical), Amanda Seigfred, and Dominic Cooper (both from Mamma Mia). Created by none other than Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge & Australia). Definitely the highlight of the evening!
Back to the movies Heath Ledger rightly won the Best Supporting Actor for his work in the Dark Knight as Joker.
The movie montages were fantastic showcasing not only nominated movies but other romances, action movies, and animations that weren't nominated.
The sound track presentations by Alicia Keys (was adorable and awesome) and Zac Ephron were amazing with performances of the songs by the original artists.
Queen Latifa sang over the "In Memory" video montage, lovely. Much better than having only a score.
One of the best impromptu moments was when Kate Winslet, upon winning the Best Actress Award told Meryl Streep (with a record of 15 lifetime nominations) that she would just have to "suck it up" after not winning this one.
Slumdog Millioniare was the big winner of the night, the best speech by it's director Danny Boyle who accepted Best Director in the spirit of Tigger per a request from his kids. The picture also took home Best Picture Award.
A complete list of winners can be seen here.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Secret Life of Bees should remain a secret and New In Town
Perhaps it's because of the hype, but the Secret Life of Bees was a bit disappointing. Queen Latifa and Alicia Keys were fantastic and it was nice to see Dakota Fanning in a more age appropriate role-young teenager. Paul Bettany, who seems to just pop up randomly these days was excellent as the soul-lost father. The supporting cast was fine. The movie is drenched in sadness. The plot is okay, but slow. One Angel Wing.
New In Town was a cute chick flick. Don't expect much substance or many plot twists, if you've seen many "girly" movies it won't be hard follow this one from the beginning. It's good clean fun with some great actors and adorable Minnesota humor. One Angel Wing.
New In Town was a cute chick flick. Don't expect much substance or many plot twists, if you've seen many "girly" movies it won't be hard follow this one from the beginning. It's good clean fun with some great actors and adorable Minnesota humor. One Angel Wing.
Fireproof: the beginning of Christian Hollywood?
As part of NPR's ramping up to yesterday's Oscars, they aired a segment today on the movie Fireproof and Christian movies. As a Christian and movie buff, I payed close attention. (You can read the transcript here.) I applaud the creators of Fireproof for glorifying God through their gift. It is a step above the usual "christian" media.
To me "Christian" movies have always been on a level with Lifeway (a HUGE Baptist corporation that has it's conservative fingers in just about everything), overly trite "inspirational" music, and salvation tracts that turn people off more than they teach. They have their place and do many good things for many good people, but generally don't spread the love of Jesus to the already unreached or skeptical.
Yes, Fireproof was made to entertain, preach, and affirm Christians, but can you expect a movie to build up a relationship with your unreached neighbor? Christian movies can be reminisent of church-goers who only use christian phone companies, christian, plumbers, and only have Christian friends.
The entertainment industry can be a greedy, worldly, and selfish entity. Even out of the most evil things can produce beauty and knowledge. There are many movies, songs, and stories that are not "christian" but have spoken to my heart in a way only possible through a Higher Power. If I only watched Christian movies, I would miss such amazing films as: Slumdog Millionaire, Hotel Rwanda, The Green Mile, Stand By Me, Glory, Rent, Pride and Prejudice, to name a few. If I only listened to Christian music, I wouldn't hear God's voice through U2, Kanye West, or Billy Bragg.
Sure, we should guard ourselves and our minds, but as Christians, we should live in the world, but not be "of" the world. After all, Jesus hung out with prostitues and tax collectors.
To me "Christian" movies have always been on a level with Lifeway (a HUGE Baptist corporation that has it's conservative fingers in just about everything), overly trite "inspirational" music, and salvation tracts that turn people off more than they teach. They have their place and do many good things for many good people, but generally don't spread the love of Jesus to the already unreached or skeptical.
Yes, Fireproof was made to entertain, preach, and affirm Christians, but can you expect a movie to build up a relationship with your unreached neighbor? Christian movies can be reminisent of church-goers who only use christian phone companies, christian, plumbers, and only have Christian friends.
The entertainment industry can be a greedy, worldly, and selfish entity. Even out of the most evil things can produce beauty and knowledge. There are many movies, songs, and stories that are not "christian" but have spoken to my heart in a way only possible through a Higher Power. If I only watched Christian movies, I would miss such amazing films as: Slumdog Millionaire, Hotel Rwanda, The Green Mile, Stand By Me, Glory, Rent, Pride and Prejudice, to name a few. If I only listened to Christian music, I wouldn't hear God's voice through U2, Kanye West, or Billy Bragg.
Sure, we should guard ourselves and our minds, but as Christians, we should live in the world, but not be "of" the world. After all, Jesus hung out with prostitues and tax collectors.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist Infinitly Awesome
A great little movie with a couple of super actors. The always adorable Micheal Cera is fantastic and anything that Kat Dennings' is in will be amazing (see Charlie Bartlet, ER). This one little night changes their high school-seniors-headed-toward-college lives forever. The music is super good, the supporting actors hysterical, all I can say is Where's Fluffy?
THREE angel wings!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
This is maybe the most awkward interview EVER.
If you missed this last night, Joaquin Phoenix stopped by The David Letterman show to promote his new movie. What happened next was television gold and one of the most awkward interviews in TV history. Dave tried for several minutes to get anything other than a one-word answer from Joaquin, and was pretty unsuccessful. It was an extremely painful interview to watch.
Upon first looking at the video, it's clear that Phoenix is out of his mind. He has recently quit acting to pursue a hip-hop music career, and he definitely appears to be on something pretty heavy. However, it is not that simple. Apparently, Casey Affleck has been videotaping Phoenix and his transition to rapper. But is this film a documentary or a MOCKumentary? You can watch the video and decide. I have to believe that is all a hoax...because I hate to believe that such a talented actor has fallen so far.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Lightning Round! Movie Reviews from S.I.B.
It's been a slow week, so I've had the pleasure of catching up on several movies that I've been holding hostage on my DVR for a few weeks, and wanted to share my thoughts with you. I'll keep them brief because there are so many...and be sure to come back later this week with my review of He's Just Not That Into You.
Miss Potter - Renee Zellweger portrays Beatrix Potter in this beautiful story about love, being your own person, and keeping your resolve no matter what happens. It was a little slow at times, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. A solid rental. (Rating: One angel wing.)
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry - Adam Sandler and Kevin James are hilarious as a faux gay couple, and Jessica Biel has a decent performance as their gay rights attorney. There's even a cameo appearance from Dave Matthews. Good flick for a Tuesday evening. (Rating: Three angel wings.)
The Seat Filler - Duane Martin stars in this flick as a struggling law student who begins moonlighting as an awards show seat filler to make ends meet. Confusion ensues when he meets a beautiful pop star (played by Destiny Child's Kelly Rowland) and she mistakes him for a high-powered Hollywood attorney. You can pretty much tell what happens next. I've seen this same plotline a hundred times, but it's a good story with some funny moments. A good movie to watch on a lazy Sunday afternoon. (Rating: Two angel wings.)
December Boys - I'll admit I watched this movie for the sole purpose of seeing Daniel Radcliffe in a role other than Harry Potter--would he be believable as anything other than a boy wizard? This is a coming of age story for four Australian orphans who go on a month long holiday to the coast. It was pretty slow and took me several sittings to finish it. A beautiful story, but I probably wouldn't go out of my way to watch it again. (Rating: One angel wing, and maybe one devil horn.)
The Bucket List - Everyone kept telling me how good this movie was...I was not a fan. I was not pulled into the story at all. It has a great message about living each day like it's your last, but if that's what you are looking for, watch Rent. The story is much better, and it's a musical (you can't go wrong with that!). (Rating: Two devil horns.)
Waitress - This is the story of Jenna, a "pie genius" who has a crappy job, is in a crappy marriage, and generally has a rough time. The bright spot of her life is making pies (Pushing Daisies anyone?). But then Jenna finds herself pregnant, which takes her on a journey she never knew existed. It was an okay movie, but really, it just left me hungry--for a better plot, and of course, pie. (Rating: One pair of angel wings.)
Miss Potter - Renee Zellweger portrays Beatrix Potter in this beautiful story about love, being your own person, and keeping your resolve no matter what happens. It was a little slow at times, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. A solid rental. (Rating: One angel wing.)
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry - Adam Sandler and Kevin James are hilarious as a faux gay couple, and Jessica Biel has a decent performance as their gay rights attorney. There's even a cameo appearance from Dave Matthews. Good flick for a Tuesday evening. (Rating: Three angel wings.)
The Seat Filler - Duane Martin stars in this flick as a struggling law student who begins moonlighting as an awards show seat filler to make ends meet. Confusion ensues when he meets a beautiful pop star (played by Destiny Child's Kelly Rowland) and she mistakes him for a high-powered Hollywood attorney. You can pretty much tell what happens next. I've seen this same plotline a hundred times, but it's a good story with some funny moments. A good movie to watch on a lazy Sunday afternoon. (Rating: Two angel wings.)
December Boys - I'll admit I watched this movie for the sole purpose of seeing Daniel Radcliffe in a role other than Harry Potter--would he be believable as anything other than a boy wizard? This is a coming of age story for four Australian orphans who go on a month long holiday to the coast. It was pretty slow and took me several sittings to finish it. A beautiful story, but I probably wouldn't go out of my way to watch it again. (Rating: One angel wing, and maybe one devil horn.)
The Bucket List - Everyone kept telling me how good this movie was...I was not a fan. I was not pulled into the story at all. It has a great message about living each day like it's your last, but if that's what you are looking for, watch Rent. The story is much better, and it's a musical (you can't go wrong with that!). (Rating: Two devil horns.)
Waitress - This is the story of Jenna, a "pie genius" who has a crappy job, is in a crappy marriage, and generally has a rough time. The bright spot of her life is making pies (Pushing Daisies anyone?). But then Jenna finds herself pregnant, which takes her on a journey she never knew existed. It was an okay movie, but really, it just left me hungry--for a better plot, and of course, pie. (Rating: One pair of angel wings.)
Sunday, February 8, 2009
My Random Real-Time Thoughts about the Grammys
Watching the Grammys tonight, and thought I'd share my reactions as they come.
7:12 - Boyz II Men, Keith Urban, and Al Green...a random trio. I always thought if they came together the world would explode. But the duet with JT was really good.
7:22 - Gotta love Coldplay, and Jay-Z's contribution was cool. Am now downloading on iTunes!
7:43 - Viva La Vida completely deserves to be Song of the Year. Glad that true musicianship is still appreciated.
7:54 - Scratch that--cue Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus. I'm excited that two native Nashvillians are doing so well, and I'm sure teeny boppers all over America are loving this, but if you are making lots of money doing something, I feel like you should at least be good at it and not because of who your Daddy is. I will now get off my soapbox.
8:01 - You go Jennifer Hudson!
8:10 - I really want to hate the Jonas Brothers. But darn this song is catchy...and you can't beat anything with Stevie Wonder.
8:27 - I freaking love Kanye West! Am digging the Michael Jackson circa-1983 vibe. One of the best out there.
8:38 - If I had to guess the artist with the highest ticket sales in any genre, I would not have guessed Kenny Chesney. Interesting.
8:41 - I'm glad Alison Krauss and Robert Plant's project is getting some love. Such an innovative album.
8:51 - The world might seriously explode!! MIA, Kanye, Jay-Z, T.I., and Lil Wayne on one stage...you can't be serious!! I love how this chick is rocking the pregnant belly (and she's due today!). This is by far my favorite performance of the night!
9:00 - The Grammys are killing it this year with the performances. I'm just sayin.
9:06 - John Mayer? Best Male Pop vocal? Really? Jason Mraz should have taken that one.
9:20 - I do heart Radiohead. And as a band geek, I love when anyone puts a marching band in the background.
9:30 - JT and T.I.? Those are some initials I can't get enough of. Great performance from two of my favorite artists!
9:40 - Smokey Robinson, Ne-Yo, Jamie Foxx, and a Topp performing...very cool.
9:48 - You know, I used to love "Sweet Caroline" until I realized Neil Diamond wrote the song about Caroline Kennedy when she was a little girl. Now it just creeps me out.
10:03 - Lil Wayne and Robin Thicke perform Tie My Hands, one of my favorites, in a tribute to the great city of New Orleans.
10:11 - Lil Wayne wins Best Rap Album. Shocker! Not.
10:21 - Robert Plant & Alison Krauss perform. If they do not win Album of the Year, I will be very surprised. Great collaborative project--pick it up if you haven't already!
10:23 - Green Day just announced that Rick Rubin just won Producer of the Year. That makes me happy.
10:26 - Here we go folks--album of the year...Robert Plant and Alison Krauss! What did I tell you?
Well, it's been real you guys. If you want to read a much more detailed blog to catch up on the 2009 Grammys, click here. Diva and I will be live-blogging together for the Oscars, feel free to join us!!
7:12 - Boyz II Men, Keith Urban, and Al Green...a random trio. I always thought if they came together the world would explode. But the duet with JT was really good.
7:22 - Gotta love Coldplay, and Jay-Z's contribution was cool. Am now downloading on iTunes!
7:43 - Viva La Vida completely deserves to be Song of the Year. Glad that true musicianship is still appreciated.
7:54 - Scratch that--cue Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus. I'm excited that two native Nashvillians are doing so well, and I'm sure teeny boppers all over America are loving this, but if you are making lots of money doing something, I feel like you should at least be good at it and not because of who your Daddy is. I will now get off my soapbox.
8:01 - You go Jennifer Hudson!
8:10 - I really want to hate the Jonas Brothers. But darn this song is catchy...and you can't beat anything with Stevie Wonder.
8:27 - I freaking love Kanye West! Am digging the Michael Jackson circa-1983 vibe. One of the best out there.
8:38 - If I had to guess the artist with the highest ticket sales in any genre, I would not have guessed Kenny Chesney. Interesting.
8:41 - I'm glad Alison Krauss and Robert Plant's project is getting some love. Such an innovative album.
8:51 - The world might seriously explode!! MIA, Kanye, Jay-Z, T.I., and Lil Wayne on one stage...you can't be serious!! I love how this chick is rocking the pregnant belly (and she's due today!). This is by far my favorite performance of the night!
9:00 - The Grammys are killing it this year with the performances. I'm just sayin.
9:06 - John Mayer? Best Male Pop vocal? Really? Jason Mraz should have taken that one.
9:20 - I do heart Radiohead. And as a band geek, I love when anyone puts a marching band in the background.
9:30 - JT and T.I.? Those are some initials I can't get enough of. Great performance from two of my favorite artists!
9:40 - Smokey Robinson, Ne-Yo, Jamie Foxx, and a Topp performing...very cool.
9:48 - You know, I used to love "Sweet Caroline" until I realized Neil Diamond wrote the song about Caroline Kennedy when she was a little girl. Now it just creeps me out.
10:03 - Lil Wayne and Robin Thicke perform Tie My Hands, one of my favorites, in a tribute to the great city of New Orleans.
10:11 - Lil Wayne wins Best Rap Album. Shocker! Not.
10:21 - Robert Plant & Alison Krauss perform. If they do not win Album of the Year, I will be very surprised. Great collaborative project--pick it up if you haven't already!
10:23 - Green Day just announced that Rick Rubin just won Producer of the Year. That makes me happy.
10:26 - Here we go folks--album of the year...Robert Plant and Alison Krauss! What did I tell you?
Well, it's been real you guys. If you want to read a much more detailed blog to catch up on the 2009 Grammys, click here. Diva and I will be live-blogging together for the Oscars, feel free to join us!!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
The Short One's Singles Awareness Day Soundtrack
Yes, dear readers, it's that time of year again. Valentine's Day is quickly approaching, or to many of my single friends, "Singles Awareness Day". You can be totally happy the rest of the year, but once February 14 rolls around, you are made totally aware of the fact that you have no significant other. It's easy to get bitter.So I'm here to help. After looking around on iTunes today, I realized that the Valentine's Day playlist for the single set is nonexistent. In response, I have put together a little playlist for all you "spinsters" like me out there to enjoy during this holiday season of chocolates, Cupid, and dozens of roses. Enjoy! Let me know if there are any I've left out.
- "Single Ladies" (Beyonce) - This is an obvious pick. You just can't help but sing and dance along.
- "Idiot Boyfriend" (Jimmy Fallon) - I heart Jimmy Fallon, and this song made me love him just a little bit more. All of us ladies know this guy.
- "Angry Johnny" (Poe) - Poe is brilliant. Enough said.
- "Shut Up" (Kelly Osbourne) - Yes, I just brought up Kelly Osbourne. I might be the only person in America with her CD...but this song is awesome.
- "The Long Way Around" (Dixie Chicks) - One of the best songs on their latest albums. All about doing things your way and not caring about everyone else's timetable.
- "Breakin' Dishes" (Rhianna) - A good angry song.
- "U Killed It" (Lily Allen) - Who knew a relationship could be ruined with three little words? Believe it or not, some people enjoy being single.
- "Bust Your Windows" (Jazmine Sullivan) - A very cool song about revenge--great beat, good lyrics, Jazmine rocks.
- "'Cuz I Can" (Pink) - A typical Pink song..."I don't care what you think so screw you!"
- "Circus" (Britney Spears) - I mean, cause aren't we all in the center of the ring just a like circus?
- "Can't Hold Us Down" (Christina Aguilera) - A empowerment playlist isn't complete without a little Christina.
- "Get Like Me (Stuntin' Is a Habit)" (David Banner) - This song has nothing to do with this list per se, but just play it and try not to dance. I bet you can't do it.
- "SexyBack" (Justin Timberlake) - J.T. always makes me happy.
- "Gunpowder and Lead" (Miranda Lambert) - A song to get anyone fired up.
- "Love Stinks" (J. Geils Band) - This had to go on the list.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Songs-To-Listen-To-With-Your-Sweetie-Playlist
In a perfect world, for the perfect Valentines, this would be the perfect playlist...
Love In This Club (feat. Young Jeezy)-Usher a song you HAVE to jam out to.
Figure It Out-Maroon 5 This band rocks, song has a killer beat.
Ticks-Brad Paisley Who wouldn't let him check you for ticks?
Son of a Preacher Man-Dusty Springfield Classic.
Can't Get Enought of Your Love-Barry White The words say it all, especially in that voice...
The Way You Love Me-Faith Hill Great artist, with a great song.
Lucky-Jason Mraz Jason Mraz has been awesome for a long time, this song is a sweet duet with newcomer Colbie Caillat.
Witchcraft-Frank Sinatra No V-Day would be complete without Frank.
Oh Boy-Duffy Sweet song about love, from a fantastic new artist.
Worrisome Heart-Melody Gardot Lovely artist, sure-to-be-classic song.
The Beauty Of The Rain-Dar Williams "This is your favorite kind of day."
Where Do I Begin?-Idina Menzel This ode to her hubby Taye Diggs is perfect for any couple.
Make Someone Happy-Louis Armstrong Classic.
We Danced Anyway-Deana Carter Good song for dancing around the living room.
Kiss from a Rose-Seal Soulful song about love.
She's in Love with the Boy-Trisha Yearwood Trisha knows how to sing about love.
The Nearness Of You-Norah Jones Almost all Norah's songs are lovely and sexy, this is one of my favorites.
I Fall Down-Sarah McLachlan Sarah's sweet voice deliver's this song about love to the deepest part of your soul.
When You Say Nothing At All-Alison Krauss & Union Station A song that's about saying nothing at all, says so much.
Woman in You-Ben Harper Sexy
Turn Your Lights Down Low-Bob Marley & Lauryn Hill Sexy duet with to of the greatest artists of our era.
Giving Him Something He Can Feel-En Vogue The classic slow dance song of the 90's.
Fever-Peggy Lee Between the bass beat and Peggy's sultry voice, this song will give you "Fever."
Let's Get It On-Marvin Gaye Who wouldn't put this on their v-day playlist?
At Last-Etta James The perfect song to end v-day. "At last my love has come along..."
Warning, some of these may encourage you to get naked-PCG cautions you to use it wisely!
Turn Your Lights Down Low-Bob Marley & Lauryn Hill Sexy duet with to of the greatest artists of our era.
Giving Him Something He Can Feel-En Vogue The classic slow dance song of the 90's.
Fever-Peggy Lee Between the bass beat and Peggy's sultry voice, this song will give you "Fever."
Let's Get It On-Marvin Gaye Who wouldn't put this on their v-day playlist?
At Last-Etta James The perfect song to end v-day. "At last my love has come along..."
Warning, some of these may encourage you to get naked-PCG cautions you to use it wisely!
Sunday, February 1, 2009
SNL = Subversive No Longer?
I'm not gonna lie--I love SNL. I have watched the show each week for as long as I can remember...I would go to bed early on Saturday night when I was younger just so I could watch Mike Myers and Dana Carvey without my parents. I felt cool, rebellious, and learned a lot about the world and what was considered funny.And even though the cast has changed and most people will tell you SNL is not nearly as funny as it used to be, I still DVR the show every week. I think the show is hilarious and its a great commentary on our culture.
I was really excited about last night's episode with host Steve Martin and musical guest Jason Mraz. I happened to be at home, so I decided to watch it live, which I rarely do anymore. And the episode in general was pretty good.
However, I was highly disappointed with what are apparently some new pieces to the SNL format. Not once, not twice, but three times during the commercial break, there was a Pepsi commercial designed to look like an SNL sketch with MacGruber, who is a play-on McGyver for those of you who don't watch the show. I was reminded of the episode of 30 Rock where they have to start using product placement in the show...Liz talks about how much of a sellout they would be if they did that, and throughout the episode they talk about how much they love Snapple. Product placement, sure, but it was done in an irreverant way. The MacGruber skits were just awful, and even though it began to make fun of the Pepsi connection by the third "sketch", I worry that it is a sign of things to come.
I always thought SNL was supposed to be a show that didn't care about what the mainstream thought--they even demonstrated that last night when Fred Armisen appeared again as NY Governor David Paterson (the show was KILLED a couple months ago by the media, saying his impersonation was offensive). He didn't hold back--SNL used to not hold back at all. Sarah Palin anyone?
The economy is bad...yes. I realize the entertainment industry is hurting as much as anyone else. But SNL completely sold out last night. Let's get it together Lorne...and find better ways to use advertisers in your show.
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