Glee "Wheels": See the Real Me

For a series that has achieved such great name recognition so quickly, Glee has still suffered from an identity problem, something that can easily happen when you've got three distinctive writers shaping the show. Ryan Murphy, who penned "Wheels," seems to have learned a bit from the success of recent episodes by Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan, and sees what we saw tonight as the tone for the series going forward, telling LA Times as much in a recent interview:

This episode is the turning point for the show. Certainly, after this, it remains a comedy, and it’s fun. But writing this made me feel the responsibility of showing the truth of the pain that outcasts go through. It’s not all razzle-dazzle show business. It’s tough, and it’s painful, and it was for me growing up, and it is for most people. So I think this made me realize that amid the fun and the glamour, it’s really great now and again to show the underbelly of what people who are different feel.

Of course that all ties together a theme of the episode, revealing the real person behind the mask. Kurt came out of the closet to his father a couple episodes back, and now more characters are coming out of their own self-made closets. Tina and her fake stutter, Puck with his paternal asperation, and Sue as caregiver to her sister with down syndrome.

All told, I'm all for the tone Murphy has decided on, if only that it has to mean less of Terri and her fake baby storyline. Her absence here reinforces the correlation between good episodes and her absence since the pilot. It also apparently calls for more singing and dancing, which is always good for this blog, right? Take for instance the multiple use of "Dancing with Myself," first the Glee Cast version of Nouvelle Vague's take on it, and Billy Idol's popular take (originally by Idol's old Generation X band, of course). I'm too lazy right now to go back and check, but I think that might be the first time an original has been used alongside a Glee Cast version. The song itself was originally inspired by a Japanese disco, where Idol saw the Japanese dancing by themselves in front of mirrors. How better to see the real you than in a mirror?

With this song, and the Wicked 'diva off' of "Defying Gravity" (most popular version sung by previous guest star Kristen Chenoweth), we've now heard all the songs featured on the recently released soundtrack, Glee: The Music, Volume 1. From here on out, I guess, we're looking at Volume 2 (next week: "Don't Stand So Close to Me.") UPDATE: Volume 2 is indeed in the works, coming with in a month of Vol 1 (December 8).

Playlist: Glee - Episode 1.09
1. "Dancing With Myself" - Glee Cast
2. "Dancing With Myself" - Billy Idol
3. "Pusherman" - Curtis Mayfield
4. "Flight of the Bumblebee" - The Swingle Singers
5. "Defying Gravity - Glee Cast
6. "Proud Mary" - Ike & Tina Turner (Glee Cast)

Previously: "Mash-Up" (Episode 1.08)

Now Downloading: New Releases 11.10.09

Another week closer to the holidays, and even more gift-oriented releases -- this week featuring live (Robyn Hitchcock) and greatest hits (Snow Patrol) collections. There were a few new releases as well, from The Cribs (featuring Johnny Marr), Asobi Seksu, Wale, Grant-Lee Phillips, Caroline Herring, Ray Davies, Pants Yell! and Echo & the Bunnymen.

Playlist: New Releases 11.10.09

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Robyn Hitchcock - I Often Dream of Trains in New York
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

Robyn Hitchock lovingly recreates the beloved album I Often Dream of Trains live for a lucky New York crowd. Joined by multi-instrumentalists Timo Keegan and Terry Edwards, Hitchcock gives the eccentric material a more mature edge, reinterpreting the material for mid-afternoon tea (with a dash of Monty Python zaniness, just so you remember who it is we're listening to here). There's a DVD as well, the content of which debuted on Sundance back in June, and here's some video clips below from the concert film to wet your appetite:

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More on the radar (and in the mp3 player) this week:
The Cribs - Ignore the Ignorant
Asobi Seksu - Rewolf
Wale - Attention Deficit
Caroline Herring - Golden Apples of the Sun / "Tales of the Islander" [mp3]
Ray Davies - The Kinks Choral Collection / Free AOL Album Stream
Grant-Lee Phillips - Ladies' Love Oracle
Pants Yell! - Received Pronunciation / "Cold Hands" [mp3]
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez - Xenophanes / Free AOL Album Stream
Echo and the Bunnymen - The Fountain
Snow Patrol - Up to Now
The Jackson 5 - I Want You Back! Unreleased Masters
The Jackson 5 - 1967
Tori Amos - Midwinter Graces

tags: music, album review, robyn hitchcock, indie rock, new releases, rhapsody

Happy 40th Sesame Street!

It was 40 years ago today that Sesame Street aired its first episode, November 10, 1969, which explains why In case you've been wondering why Google has had Sesame Street on the brain for the past week (culminating in today's great doodle pictured above).

The opening credits haven't changed that much, when you think about it... here's the original opening:


For their 40th birthday, there are a lot of guests stopping by, including first lady Michelle Obama and Adam Sandler, in the video below singing a song for Elmo:

Mad Men "Shut the Door. Have a Seat.": Sterling, Cooper, Draper & Pryce

There are people out there who buy things. Like you and me. Then something happened. Something terrible. And the way that they saw themselves is gone. And nobody understands that. But you do. And that's very valuable.

Every season, Don has a sales pitch that says a lot about that particular season of Mad Men. That this one was to Peggy and not a client doesn't diminish the fact that it nails several truths about this season, and the characters' past. While last week's Kennedy assassination episode was light on plot, the 'something terrible' was an event that shapes this week and America going forward. It set up events in this week's episode in that it forced most to look at their world differently, accelerating change not here, but across the country.

This whole season has seemingly been about tearing Don down, bit by bit, as uncomfortable as it was at times to see. Father-in-law Gene, baby Gene, Conrad Hilton, and Betty have, little by little, taken away some control from Don's life, and much like his hair, Don's life is a product of control. Seeing him lose his temper to Peggy, in particular, was hard to see, but reflective of a man losing control (and lets not forget sleep).

The finale starts by pulling out the final pieces-- in the form of betrayals. First up, father figure Hilton breaks the news of Sterling Cooper's sale to McCann Sausage Factory* to Don, who sees deceit in Conrad's handling of him through their relationship - namely for forcing him to sign a contract, thus leaving him no convenient escape route. Next up, Betty begins divorce proceedings, pulling another relationship rug from under Don (and leading to the heartbreaking scene with Bobby & Sally, pictured above). But for every door that closes...

*Once upon a time, I worked for that sausage factory.

Sterling Cooper Draper Price, how can I help you?" "Yes Harry, it's room 435.

The episode took on the fun elements of the heist genre, like Draper's Eleven, as Don, Roger, Bert and Lane plotted out how they'd pull off their own pre-emptive betrayal. I'm pretty sure they broke a few laws in the process, and wouldn't be surprised if a lawsuit results, but it was a brilliant scheme leading to not only a reunion with Joan, but also all sorts of exciting season four possibilities. To get there, Don had to repair some relationships along the way. First Roger, who helpfully pointed out Don's problem with relationships, then Pete and finally, as opened with here, Peggy.

A great finale demands a fine ending, and seeing Don pull up to his new digs (found for him by Joan) to the strands of Roy Orbison's "Shahadaroba":

Shahadaroba, Shahadaroba
Face the future
And forget about the past
Shahadaroba, Shahadaroba
In the future
You will find a love that lasts

Previously: "Grown-Ups" (Episode 3.12)

Ear on TV: Huey Lewis & the News

What's old is new; what was once out is now in... it's too hard to keep track anymore. Are Huey Lewis & the News really making a cultural comeback?

Like many bands from their era (I'm looking at you, Journey), the News are benefiting from a resurgance, due in part from television and film exposure. Last year, they were tapped by Judd Apatow to write the theme to Pineapple Express and then Chuck used several of their hits to great effect during their second season. They'll likely be playing one of those hits (let's guess "Power of Love") when they appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Friday.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the experience scale, buzz-y up-and-comers The Xx have already lost a member due to exhaustion. Following a grueling tour schedule which culminated in a series of shows during CMJ, guitarist/keyboardist Baria Qureshi recently left the group, too exhausted to go on. The West London band makes an appearance on MTV's It's On Alexa Chung Wednesday, likely as a trio, still on a neverending tour promoting their self-titled debut. It's so hard to be young and fabulous these days.

Finally, Johnny Marr has truly become an indie gun for hire. The highly influential ex-Smiths guitarist famously joined Modest Mouse on their previous release (Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, but has since moved on to UK's The Cribs, lending his craft to their latest release Ignore the Ignorant. The album is getting rave reviews in the UK, giving Marr a Midas Touch rep he hasn't enjoyed since his days in The Smiths (well, maybe The The). Let's hope the brothers Jarman (twins Gary and Ryan, plus younger brother Ross Jarman) enjoy it before Marr finds an even younger band to briefly join.

Playlist: Picks for the week
Monday, November 9
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Matisyahu
MTV: It's On With Alexa Chung: Rihanna
NBC: The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien: David Gray
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Yo La Tengo (REPEAT)
PBS: How the Beatles Rocked the Kremlin: The Beatles
Tuesday, November 10
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Shakira
NBC: The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien: John Fogerty
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Wale
Wednesday, November 11
FUEL: The Daily Habit: The Antlers
Thursday, November 12
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: The Cribs with Johnny Marr
MTV: It's On With Alexa Chung: The Xx
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Goodie Mob
Friday, November 13
ABC: The View: Kool & the Gang
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Huey Lewis & the News
NBC: Late Night With Jimmy Fallon: Kid Sister
SUNDANCE: You're Gonna Miss me: Roky Erickson
Saturday, November 14
BBCAMERICA: The Graham Norton Show: Alison Moyet
NBC: Saturday Night Live: Black Eyed Peas
PBS: Austin City Limits: Willie Nelson, Asleep at the Wheel

Sonicsgate: Sherman Alexie & Seattle Hip Hop

Now that baseball season is officially over, it's hard to ignore that another season of NBA is in full swing -- a painful reminder of what was taken from us in Seattle. And now, of course, there's a documentary to go along with it.

Sonicsgate made it's way online last month and while the film has a lot of issues (its in desperate need of art direction, for one -- the Powerpoint-like graphics "needed a fresh pair of eyes," as we like to say), its a compelling tale of a franchise, a city and the competing interests that tear them apart. Poet/author Sherman Alexie ends up being the soul of the film, while the tandem of Clay Bennett and David Stern end up playing the part of villain. (Part 1 of the film below).


Sonicsgate HD Part 1 of 2 from sonicsgate. Click here for part 2.

Besides Sherman Alexie, the other best part of Sonicsgate is the music, putting Seattle hip-hop front and center. Much of the film's score is the work of Jacob Dutton, aka Jake One, borrowing heavily from his soulful White Van Music. Other 2-0-Sixers include local mainstays Common Market, Blue Scholars, The Saturday Knights, Dyme Def, Grayskul and others.

Playlist: Sonicsgate Soundtrack

Bonus: Presidents of the United States of America's "Supersonics" theme, written for the '96 playoff team:


Grrrr.....

Now Downloading: New Releases 11.03.09

We've officially moved into the gift-oriented release schedule, filled with deluxe reissues, box sets and other compilation/soundtracks to help (trick?) the average schmo get a gift for the music lover in their life. There's a couple gift choices from the archives of Nirvana, soundtracks from Fantastic Mr Fox, Glee, NCIS and Aqua Teen Hunger Force -- which is actually a X-mas album, and my fave of the bunch. Of the few new releases, there's ones from Julian Casablancas, Weezer, Molina & Johnson and Girls in Trouble.

Playlist: New Releases 11.03.09

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Nirvana - Bleach [Deluxe]
Stream / Purchase [mp3]
Nirvana - Live at Reading
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

If the gussying up a deluxe edition of an album made for just $600 seems a bit like a gratuitous cash grab, nobody will blame you. But Bleach's place in the the canon of rock is unquestionable, namely as a blueprint for what was to come, but also as a raw document of Kurt Cobain's talent, before Dave Grohl was added on drums. Remastering the album tracks added some punch, but the real jewel here are the live tracks, also pre-Grohl, from a performance in Portland in February of 1990, where the songs are brought to life.

Download: "Scoff" [mp3]
Download: "About a Girl" [mp3]

Speaking of live tracks, this document of their 1992 set (Live at Reading is Nirvana at their peak, and at their most jovial. The band headlined a lineup that included Nick Cave, The Beastie Boys, and NW friends Mudhoney, Screaming Trees & the Melvins. But it was Nirvana everyone came to see, and they didn't disappoint, from the moment Cobain is wheeled out in a hospital gown, to the closing feedback, the entire set is electrifying, the way we all should try and remember them. (This is the Nirvana album to get of the two, by the way.)

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Julian Casablancas - Phrazes For The Young
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

It's been three years since The Strokes disappointing First Impressions of Earth, and this solo release from the band's frontman does little to change our belief that the band's best days are behind them.

Free AOL Album Stream

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More on the radar (and in the mp3 player) this week:
Weezer - Raditude
Molina And Johnson - Molina And Johnson / "Twenty Cycles to the Ground" [mp3]
Girls in Trouble - Girls in Trouble / "I Was a Desert" [mp3] / "Secrets/You're Always Watching" [mp3]
Aqua Teen Hunger Force - Have Yourself a Meaty Little Christmas
Fantastic Mr. Fox (Original Soundtrack) / Free AOL Album Stream
Glee: The Music, Volume 1 / Free AOL Album Stream
Capgun Coup - Maudlin / Free AOL Album Stream / "Bad Bands" [mp3]
The Swimmers - People Are Soft / Free AOL Album Stream
Jookabox - Dead Zone Boys / "Phantom Don't Go" [mp3]
Brilliant Colors - Introducing
Vitalic - Flashmob
Athlete - The Getaway EP (AOL STREAM)
Guided By Voices - Suitcase 3: Up We Go Now / "Janet Wait" [mp3]
Morrissey - Sword
Rickie Lee Jones - Balm in Gilead / Free AOL Album Stream

REISSUES
Devo - Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! [Deluxe Remastered Edition]
Devo - Freedom of Choice [Deluxe Remastered Edition]
Cold Cave - Love Comes Close [Deluxe Remastered Edition] / Free AOL Album Stream / "Life Magazine" [mp3]

tags: music, album review, the swell season, devendra banhart, indie rock, new releases, rhapsody

thus spake drake is five years old today

Weird to think it was five years ago that I started this mess of a blog. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times: Guided By Voices were on their farewell tour, Arcade Fire's Funeral was stuck on repeat, and GWB had somehow just been elected President again. That's what I ended up writing about, which was a distraction from what I thought the blog was going to be about -- the confluence of these four things:

1)Finding my birth parents
2)The impending birth of my first child
3)The impending death of my younger sister
4)Another four years of George Fracking Bush

Music is the perfect distraction from such prickly personal (and political) posts, so it ended up winning out -- didn't hurt too that music was the only writing experience I'd had up to that point, having briefly worked as a freelance music journo back in '96, and the company I work for makes the best music sharing application known to man (Rhapsody). Early days were not pretty, but I found a couple small nuggets that first week that tricked me into thinking I could write again:

Arcade Fire Funeral - "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" is a blood-pumping, fist-raising, hyperglycemic pop masterpiece. The album seems to flows out of that song's center, ending "In the Back Seat" with Régine Chassagne's voice soaring over churning strings, breaking your fucking heart.

Elliott Smith From a Basement on the Hill - The record hangs heavy like a warm wet coat. It ranks as one of the saddest records I've ever listened to, and it's difficult to hear without his tragic end overwhelming the album's every note. But it plays out like a movie you watch over and over thinking it will end differently, every song progressing the story to a happy ending that slips through our fingers.

In the first year I invented the time-consuming Novel Soundtrack, put together ridiculously long playlists and genre histories (example - the four-part Power Pop project) and, after the birth of my first child, started writing about music on television. And yes, I'm not afraid to admit it began with The O.C.. Music-based posts about Grey's Anatomy, Nip/Tuck, The O.C. and HBO shows (Six Feet Under, Entourage, The Sopranos) led to merging my hobby with my day job when Film.com was launched, and I mixed writing in with paid gig of photo-editing.

Blah, blah, blah... can I start drinking the champagne now?

Mad Men "The Grown-Ups": Mourning After

Definitely not my favorite episode... with so much of the plot and visuals centered around watching characters watch television, it's an understandable challenge for the writers. And given that inherent hole they had to start with, the final product turned out pretty compelling. As compelling as it can be... watching people... watch TV. Previously, Matthew Weiner had stated he was reluctant to do an episode centered around Kennedy's assassination, as he felt it was well-trodden ground. Now I see what he meant.

Sure, there was some poignant moments associated with how Kennedy's death affected folks in different ways, including the ruined wedding, but we knew the wedding was screwed after the first episode. Don't get me wrong, it is still a fine episode, but as the penultimate, traditionally the episode in the David Chase-influenced world that Weiner lives and breathes, I'm wholly disappointed.

What did work was the 'event' as a trigger for change. Betty and Don seemed to be back on track from the end of last week's episode up until the news broke of Kennedy's death. Betty and Don mourn in vastly different ways* and the two assassinations (we sometimes forget that Oswald was assassinated as well... only a public figure for a less than 24 hours, but that's all it takes) shifted the ground under Betty's feet enough for her to believe she can leave Don (we'll see).

*Don should really stop trying to play grief counselor... just not working.

Playing us out from Don's realized nightmare, was country pop sweetheart Skeeter Davis singing "The End Of The World", a song which peaked on the charts about eight months prior. "Don't they know it's the end of the world? 'Cause you don't love me any more." Don't think it's the end of the world for Don (again, we'll see).

Previously: "The Gypsy and the Hobo" (Episode 3.11)