Friday Night Lights - Paternal Instincts

With "Keeping up Appearances," FNL struggles a bit, under the strain of both trying to set up next week's send off of Jason (Scott Porter,) and carrying together a theme of fatherhood. In turn, the series loses some of the momentum it gained from last week's remarkable turn ("It Ain't Easy Being J.D. McCoy"). That's not to say it wasn't an enjoyable hour of television, because while we somehow lost the Julie/Matt storyline this week (wtf?) there was still plenty to be enamored with -- like more Crucifictorious! (we'll get to that later).

The theme here was obviously fatherhood, and the different ways that fathers bridge the gap with their sons. On the football field, the fathers profiled couldn't be more different. Joe McCoy (D.W. Moffet,) we've established, is the controlling 'stage mom in jeans,' a regular Marv Marinovich, who probably even presides over young J.D.'s bowel movements. And if it isn't obvious enough that he's this season's villain, who do we hear singing during the McCoy hosted dinner with the Taylors? Why that's none other than Chris Mulkey (singing "Blue Highway"*,) who played one of last season's villains (Coach Taylor's replacement).

*Keep your day job, Chris!

Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, we meet the father of fullback Jamarcus, who didn't even know his son plays football. Coach Taylor serves as a second father to both JaMarcus and J.D., filling in the blanks at both ends for the over and under parenting. Meanwhile Buddy's kids are back in town, and the distance between he and his Californicated kids is felt immediately. There's a bit of Texas versus California nonsense here, and knowing that we likely won't see these kids again makes this part of the story kind of annoying, but it fits well in the theme, especially paired with the straits that Jason faces.

The strings through this episode arc are obviously pulling Jason out of Dillon, as we know the character is being written out, and an episode like this is tough to judge knowing 80% of it is setup for next week's send off. Like Buddy, Jason's lady has taken his offspring far away, but unlike Buddy, Jason actually has a shot at putting the family together. The house flip storyline, while a weak plot device in and of itself, served well in showing how far Jason will go to provide for his son. The resolution to all the father's problems unfortunately arrives in a contrived fashion, a sort of Friday night version of dues ex machina, where going to a game ultimately solves everything. Joe realizes he's over-parenting, Jamarcus' are inspired by their son on the field and Buddy's family come together to root on the team. Even Jason gets a little closer to home, by the convenient meeting of a sports agent, who plants a seed that there's a future there for him if he wants it. If Josh Schwartz had written it, someone would have to chime in with "it's a Father's day miracle!"

And yes, there was more Crucifictorious this week, as they performed the Flaming Lips song "She Don't Use Jelly," which is now officially a teen drama classic. Why that song, you say? Well, just look at one of the major sponsors of this fine program (Vaseline,) and you'll see it's just another clever product placement for NBC ("she uses, Vaaaaseline...").

More:
1. While there was no Julie for Coach and Mrs. Coach to show off their parenting skills on, both were parenting like crazy throughout. Whether it was the sit down with Jamarcus' parents, or Tami's touching guidance to Landry, even when they're not parents, they're still parenting.
2. I'm not sure what to think of Devin (Stephanie Hunter) yet. It kind of feels like we're getting some characters introduced just in case FNL gets a (deserved) renewal.

Playlist: Friday Night Lights - Episode 3.07
1. "Blue Highway" - Chris Mulkey (video) - Coach and Mrs. Coach dinner at the McCoys
2. "She Don't Use Jelly" - The Flaming Lips - Devin tries to cheer up Landry; reprises during band practice
3. "The Gospel Song" - Colourmusic - football practice
4 "Let U Know" - Plastilina Mosh - second half of the game

Previously: Hole in the Bucket (Episode 3.06)

Lost: The Passion of John Locke

Oh, what a tangled web Lost weaves, and yet here we are getting more and more answers (sometimes to questions we didn't even think to ask). The title "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham," works in a couple of ways. Sure John Locke's journey is a lot like the trials of Jesus (with Jack in the role of Thomas, Benjamin as our Judas, and our other clue provide to us via last week's title, "316" - which references John 3:16,) but there's more to it than just the great acting of Terry O'Quinn, as we also find out a bit more about the two sides of bad: Charles Widmore and Ben Linus (badass and, it seems, badderass).

For the "Life of Jeremy Bentham" it's Charles Widmore who gives life to the alias, so we begin with him. In choosing the name as a commentary on his birth name of John Locke, as Bentham was pretty much the opposite of Locke (Natural rights=hogwash, ends>the means, I feel like this has been hashed out plenty since the name was revealed in the season 3 finale, "Through the Looking Glass"). Does this makes us trust Widmore now? Hardly...sending Keaney w/ a boat full of C4 to the island hardly begs one trust (but the crack science team that he and Abaddon rounded up sure seemed to be sympathetic to the island's needs... so there's that). He wants John back on the Island, and interestingly enough, so does Ben.

Speaking of Ben, our 'Judas' is the one who provides the "Death" part of the title, in one of the best scenes shot for the series. He also manages to take out Abaddon along the way, which I thought would be much harder. (I guess there's no more conflict for actor Lance Reddick with Fringe now.) It's his second time killing John -- let's see how he talks his way out of this one. My guess is he'll quickly get the other passengers on his side, being the manipulator that he is (and tying it to the dream Walt shared with Locke/Bentham). They're on the secondary smaller island, as evidenced by the Hydra station, while it's more fully understood that our A-list passengers were pulled in the flash of light to 30 years or so in the past (because the Island apparently needs them at that time?)

More:
This episode was originally set to air last week, with "316" slotted for last night. Not sure why they changed plans, but I couldn't help thinking how it would've worked seeing Locke resurrected with the plane landing on the island. The ending, where we John finds out that at least Hugo was on the plane and then eventually finds Ben in the makeshift infirmary, would've been a real head turner without having seen "316."

Hurly yells, "He's Evil!" at Matthew Abbadon, which is the title of Charlie's favorite song by the Kinks. Charlie, of course, visits Hurley as a ghost, and we have to assume, is the one that ultimately prods him into buying the tickets for that flight (with Charlie's guitar in hand).

Previously: Turn it up... I love Geronimo Jackson (Episode 5.05)

Life: Man on a Stick

This marks the beginning of what will likely be the separation for Life of Detectives Reese and Crews, not born of any plot device but instead due to the fact that actress Sarah Shahi is pregnant, and the series isn't likely to get renewed. To deal with Shahi's pregnancy, they've shoehorned in a side story to have her sitting down for the rest of the season, as she goes through some tests to try out for the FBI. In her place, Crews has his old beat partner Officer Stark to bounce his philosophies off of (that, and for this episode at least, someone from India-outsourced tech support). As a result, we're missing the great back-and-forth we've come to love from the pair, and we'll likely be missing for the remainder of the series.

Well, now that we got the bad out of the way, the good for this episode was a return to oddity that puts a certain shine of the series. Twin pigeon fanciers ("answer the question bird boys,") a financial advisor who specializes in derivatives and the Martha Stewart of contract killers all play a part. The confusion over derivatives was a good way to both have fun with our current economic crisis, and to incorporate Ted into the story more gracefully than the past. His scenes with Damien Lewis' real life wife (Helen McCrory) were a highlight as well (they are sure getting a lot of worthy mileage out of her smoking).

Meanwhile, there was only one song used in the episode, which bookended the episode nicely, and that was Travis' sublime cover of Britney Spears' "...Baby One More Time." The song, a stage favorite of the band, was released as a b-side back in 2000 for the single "Turn." I have soft spot for obscure covers of insanely popular songs, so it hit me pretty well.



Life - Episode 2.16
1. "...Baby One More Time" - Travis

Previously: Uncapping the Sharpie (Episode 2.14)

Spectacle: Pagliachi of Motown

The season finale of Spectacle was a fine demonstration of just how far host Elvis Costello came along in his interviews. I've seen a few interviews with Smokey Robinson, and while he's a charismatic fellow, he's usually pretty reserved. Elvis, through his questions and comments, was able to get Smokey to not only tell a lot of stories, but also to get him talking passionately enough about something (racism) to say "bullsh*t" on television. He had to stop and ask first (so cute!) before letting the word fly, of course. Smokey also brought out the best of Elvis' performances this season, pulling off great performances of both the more obscure "No More Tearstained Makeup," (video below) which Smokey wrote for Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, and then later, a great version of the "The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game", which Smokey wrote for The Marvelettes (video).

On top of that, the Discovered commercial interlude tonight featured the great SF band Thao and the Get Down Stay Down performing "Bag of Hammers". It was a good ending to a fine season, but it might also be the last. Costello confesses that schedule conflicts might make it difficult for him to be back for another season. With all the magic that happened this season, it's hard to believe there might not be any more of it in the future.



Playlist: Spectacle: Elvis Costello... - Smokey Robinson
1. "Going to a Go-Go" - Smokey Robinson and the Miracles - intro
2. "No More Tearstained Makeup" - Martha Reeves and the Vandellas - Elvis performs
3. "The Tracks of My Tears" - Smokey Robinson
4. "The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game" - The Marvelettes
5. "Don't Know Why" - Norah Jones - Smokey covers on new album
6. "Just My Soul Responding" - Smokey Robinson
7. "I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down" - Elvis Costello
8. "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles

Now Downloading: New Releases 02.24.09

Compared to last week's barrage, the current crop of new releases looks a bit anemic. It's essentially a reaction to the post-awards show shadow, where new releases tend to suffer because focus turns to already released media getting a boost from the event (look for the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack to get a bit of a boost). Even the Watchmen soundtrack was recently (and wisely) pushed to next week to allow for the shadow's affects. This week features new releases from Black Lips, Kinky, K'naan, A. Armada and Laura Gibson.

Playlist: New Releases 02.24.09

---

Black Lips - 200 Million Thousand
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

The endearing mess that is 200 Million Thousand couldn't be anything but a Black Lips release, and yet it is quite different in it's scope and feel. Take for instance the standout track "Starting Over," which sounds like the four-piece from Atlanta tried write their own version of The La's classic "There She Goes." It's the sound of pure pop that's about to fall over drunk. It seems to fulfill the (drunken) summery promise Good Bad Not Evil, along with the other highlight "Short Fuse," but the rest of the album is drenched in a dense psychedelic cloud of Mary-J. It's a fun place to hang out for awhile, as long as you step out to get some air now and then.

Free AOL Album Stream
Download: "Starting Over" [mp3]
Download: "Short Fuse" [mp3]

---

Kinky - Barricuda
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

The problem that's haunted Kinky their entire career is that their albums never quite meet the level of their live show, so every release feels more like a fakebook you use to prepare for their live show, than something of itself. Barricuda, I imagine, continues this trend. I say 'imagine' because I've yet to see these songs live, but history has proven that on stage they'll be that much better. It's not a terrible problem to have, and owes more to their stage prowess than a large fault of their recording, but I still wish for someone to capture the 'magia' of their live setting. Highlights here include "Hasta Quemarnos" and "TachiMariPedónCocongo." Oh, I almost forgot the other thing that a Kinky release is good for besides prepping you for their live set: They're always a great workout soundtrack. The Montery, MX band has latched onto the perfect BPM to get the heart pumping, which is the key for any good dance music, claro que si, no?

Free AOL Album Stream

---

More on the radar (and in the mp3 player) this week:
K'naan / Troubadour / Free AOL Album Stream
A. Armada - Anam Cara / "The Moon Shifts The Sea The Sea Shapes The Shore The Shore Shakes The Sand The Sand Sinks The Ship" [mp3]
Laura Gibson - Beasts of Seasons / "Spirited" [mp3]
Steven Wilson - Insurgentes
JJ Cale - Roll On / Free AOL Album Stream
The Bran Flakes - I Have Hands / "Stumble Out of Bed" [mp3]
Gentleman Reg - Jet Black
Here We Go Magic - Here We Go Magic
Chris Isaak - Mr. Lucky
Laura Barrett - Victory Garden / "Bluebird" [mp3]
Pan•American - White Bird Release
The Alternate Routes - A Sucker's Dream
Bill Frisell - The Best of Bill Frisell Vol 1 Folk Songs
The Wrestler: Soundtrack From the Motion Picture / Free AOL Album Stream
War Child presents Heroes (AOL Stream)
Ursula 1000 - Mystics (AOL Stream)
And Then There Were None - Who Speaks for Planet Earth? (AOL Stream)
Lamb of God - Wrath (AOL Stream)

tags: music, album review, m ward, sam roberts, indie rock, new releases, rhapsody

Chuck: Semper Fidelis

The second season of Chuck has worked much better due to some minor retooling, namely, putting less focus on the relationship between Chuck and Morgan. Last night marked a return to that Chuck/Morgan focus, but because we haven't seen it week after week (after week,) it actually was quite refreshing. "Chuck vs. the Best Friend" also worked well in it's incorporation of the Buy More into the mission, something that's not always so easy to do gracefully. Add to that the 8 Mile homage of a side story for Jeff and Lester's band Jeffster, and you have probably the best episode of the new year for the sophomore series.

Which makes it all the more unfortunate that "Best Friend" was pre-empted by President Obama's address a couple weeks ago, as it forced NBC to air it out of order (flipping it with "vs the Suburbs,") blemishing an otherwise fine pair of episodes. The main issue I had with last Valentine's day episode was the added layer of awkwardness between Chuck and Sarah that went unexplained. The touching moment they share near the end of the episode carries over into last week's mission in the suburbs. Seeing this retroactively makes Chuck's heartbreak more real, but also makes it more annoying that they aired these episodes out of order. Would folks really be that put off by having Chuck's Valentine's Day episode a week after the holiday?

Sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti
I seek to cure whats deep inside, frightened of this thing that I've become

I enjoyed Jeffster's take on Toto's "Africa," in part because it provided an interesting lift to the rekindling of the Anna/Morgan pairing, and also because it provide the opportunity to remember just how bad some of the lyrics were to this song. Elsewhere, in a Morgan/Chuck flashback we were treated to some classic Jane's Addiction ("Been Caught Stealing,") which served no purpose other than to illustrate the time.

The other choices, however, worked better in telling more of the story. Chromeo's "Momma's Boy" provided a nice backdrop to the geek surveilance being laid out on behalf of that *momma's boy Morgan. But it was Benji Hughes' "Why Do These Parties Always End the Same Way" that provided the most succinct commentary on Chuck, pointing out (with a nudge and a wink) the inevitability of something going wrong, as it goes with any party that Chuck attends in the series. The ending here isn't nearly as bad as in the song, though ("We need to call the cops, somebody killed the DJ!")

*Speaking of Morgan's mom, you can add her new relationship with Big Mike as another casualty of the episode flip-flop. I've been assured that they do indeed pick up that storyline again next week.

Playlist: Chuck - Episode 2.14
1. "Been Caught Stealing" - Jane's Addiction
2. "Momma's Boy" - Chromeo
3. "Why Do these Parties Always End the Same Way" - Benji Hughes
4. "Africa" - Toto

Previously: How do I work this? (Episode 2.13)

Ear on TV: Week of February 23 - Smokey on Spectacle Finale

I'd like to make the suggestion that Elvis Costello keep his day job. I'm of course talking about his job hosting the incredibly fascinating talk/music show Spectacle on Sundance, which has it's first season finale this Wednesday, featuring Smokey Robinson as the guest. There were a couple misteps along the way (James Taylor was a snoozer,) but Costello got really good at the interview portion in the shows taped towards the end*. Costello puts those skills to good use this week interviewing The King of Motown, getting to sing a few songs with is idol along the way. Here's hoping Spectacle gets picked up for second season soon.

*This oddly coincides with the point in the series when he started wearing glittery hats -- are they his secret weapon for interviews, perhaps making his guests feel less nervous through distraction?

Elsewhere, the kid's channel Nickelodeon has found itself barraged with a letter-writing campaign, as viewers are clamoring for them to show more episodes from the second season of Yo Gabba Gabba that have as yet gone unaired. This Friday we'll finally get to see a new one, as part of Nick's "Filthy Friday," for which musical guest Chromeo will perform a song they wrote for the occasion called "Nice and Clean." Just remember kids, don't take your 80's synch keyboards in the bathtub with you.

Outside of that, it's pretty much reruns all week, as the hosts go on vacation following Conan's big farewell week. Some highlights of repeats include Conor Oberst debuting a new song ("Nicorette") on Conan (re-airing Wednesday) and Glen Campbell reaches back and sings a touching version of his hit "Rhinestone Cowboy" on Ferguson (re-airing Thursday).

Playlist: Picks for the week
Monday, February 23
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Black Tide
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: Nikka Costa (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: LMFAO (REPEAT)
Tuesday, February 24
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Steve Martin (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Adele (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Ida Maria (REPEAT)
Wednesday, February 25
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Living Things
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Glasvegas (REPEAT)
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: Conor Oberst (REPEAT)
SUNDANCE: Spectacle: Elvis Costello With...: Elvis Costello, Smokey Robinson
Thursday, February 26
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Glen Campbell (REPEAT)
COMEDY CENTRAL: The Colbert Report: Kris Kristofferson
FUEL: The Daily Habit: The Bronx
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: Boz Scaggs (REPEAT)
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Yelle (REPEAT)
Friday, February 27
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: The Knux (REPEAT)
FUEL: The Daily Habit: B-Real
NICK: Yo Gabba Gabba: Chromeo
Saturday, February 28
VH1: Storytellers: Kanye West

Friday Night Lights - Hole in the Bucket

After last week's 'meh' episode, FNL gets back on track this week with "It Ain't Easy Being J.D. McCoy," a solid hour that felt like hanging out with good friends. "Good times," as Riggins might say, with actor Taylor Kitsch channeling David Wooderson (Matthew McConaughey) from Dazed & Confused, and a majority of Riggins time we get this week (especially the great tour of Dillon) felt a lot like Richard Linklater's wonderfully lazy classic.

That's not to say that nothing happened, because Matt and Julie finally got down and did the dirty(!) The whole scene was shot with such reverence for the act that we saw nothing, instead were left to figure it out from Aimee Teagarden's impressive acting of the morning after. First checking herself out in the mirror (I'm a woman now!) and then with the smiling furtive glances she exchanges with Matt later at church. So she got the flower last week (tatoo on ankle,) and now Matt hath plucked it.

There's a hole in the bucket, dear Liza, there's a hole
"Well, fix it!" - Coach Taylor

While there wasn't much for Coach (Kyle Chandler) to do this week, his presence was felt pretty much everywhere. Take for instance the J.D./Riggins storyline. Now that J.D. is QB1, we anticipated seeing more of him, but few figured on seeing all of him -- via the time-honored tradition of the Naked Mile. Coach recognizes J.D.'s like an exchange student on the team (thanks to his stage mom of a father) so having the team drunk take him under his wing was like tossing him in the deep end to get him swimming with the rest of the team.

Meanwhile, Street and the strange house flip storyline move to its inevitable FUBAR moment, hilariously played like a Flip This House episode gone horribly wrong. Billy shooting himself with the nail gun after boasting of his construction experience (backed by Jay Reatard's "See-Saw") made this head scratching plot all worth it -- especially with the bloodstained note on the wall that greets Jason later ("WE'LL FINISH IN THE AM!") Coach steps in and throws some water on Street's pity party. It all gives Scott Porter's delivery of "There's a Hole in the Bucket" to his son over the phone a touching moment that's well earned.

Meanwhile, the rodeo clown Cash continues to befuddle this season's version of Tyra. If the character wasn't transparent enough, the music that plays whenever Cash talks with her at Applebees* is always about lying. Last week it was The Walkmen's "If Only It Were True," and this week it's the Eagles of Death Metal song "Now I'm A Fool" that clues us in that he's a phony. Meanwhile, this episode marks the beginning of FNL's attempt to bring the great Evan Johns to the world. A legend in his former haunts of both D.C. and Austin, Johns has three songs in this episode, and, I'm told, even more to come in future episodes.

*NBC's product placement of Applebee's was especially oderous this week

Speaking of music, I can't believe I've waited this long to say how excited I am that Landry's band Crucifictorious is back, and better than ever. Thanks to a lineup change, the promising freshman Devon takes over at bass, the band appears to be giving up on their Christian Death Metal approach and moving on to songs about heartbreak. Laments the band's former bass player, "I thought we were going to be bigger than Crimson Thorn!"

Playlist: Friday Night Lights - Episode 3.06
1. "The Hump" - Heavy Trash - the naked mile
2. "Lessons That Burn" - Evan Johns and The H-Bombs - Eric catches a naked JD
3. "See Saw" - Jay Reatard - house flipping plans
4. "Now I'm A Fool" - Eagles Of Death Metal - Cash visits Tyra at work>
5. "Pain Of Love" by Evan Johns and The H-Bombs - Tim takes JD on a tour of Dillon
6. "Strung Out" - The Bacon Brothers - Tyra works on the decorations
7. "Where I Stood" - Missy Higgins - Cash's ex stops by Tyra's house
8. "Boudin Man" by Evan Johns and The H-Bombs - The Panthers win
9. "It's So Right" - Josh Rifkin - Tyra confronts Cash
10. "Black Dirt" - Bumblebeez - The school dance starts
11. "Orange Blossoms" - JJ Grey & Mofro - Tim & Lyla run into JD at the dance
12. "Safer When" - C'mon - Tim & Lyla take take JD to a party
13. "Spaceships" - Bumblebeez - Cash shows up at Tyra's house
14. "Remember When (Side B)" - The Black Keys - Tim & Lyla rescue a drunk JD
15. "Canadian Girl" - The Walkmen - Eric arrives at the dance

Previously: Flip This QB, Flip that House (Episode 3.05)

Life on Mars - There's No (Time and) Place Like Home

Aside from overplaying all the Wizard of Oz references, this is the Life on Mars I signed on for. While there is still things to pick apart here (ease off WoO,) but with this episode, the series picked up a recognizable balance between the Tyler's predicament, the case at hand, and the generational differences. And we now have a more concrete conflict between Ray the Mustache and No Nuts Norris, giving Michael Imperioli and Gretchen Mol a bit more to work with in future episodes, especially now that Hunt (Harvey Keitel) and Tyler (Jason O'Mara,) are come simpatico.

We also get a hint of how dark the series could be if it wanted, not in what actually happens on screen, but in the contrast given between 2009 and 1973 given by fellow coma-induced time traveler, Councilmen Bobby Prince. "There's actual hope," he says of 2009, referencing the new President*, but here in 1973 "there is no hope," describing his frustration of the politics in 1973's New York. Annie would disagree. And so does my bank account... maybe Prince is coming back from late 2009, and the economy has turned around (please?). Truth be told, in 1973, you still need guys like Hunt who embody the trio of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (Is it just me, or did that reference, while an apt description of Hunt, seem awfully extraneous?)

And the girl in the corner said boy I want to warn you...

While there was only one song this week (I'm still trying to get past The Wizard of Oz problems here, so I'm trying to ignore "Over the Rainbow,") they sure picked a doozy in Sweet's "Ballroom Blitz." I'm going to date myself here, and confess that it was the first single I ever owned, lucking into it Trick or Treating one Halloween when I was 7 (1975). One of my neighbor's was a disc jockey, and he gave me the DJ version 45 of it. (My little sister received Donny Osmond's "Puppy Love"... guess who got the better treat?) With that began an obsession for music that still goes on to this day. So while LoM has done well sticking to lesser known songs of the day, this chart topper (went to #5 in the US in '75) worked well for me. Of course, folks can split hairs and say that it wasn't released in the US until 1974, but that's neither here nor there since it's not being used in a diegetic manner. Anyway, as much as the lyrics to "Ballroom Blitz" can appear nonsensical (it was originally about the band being driven offstage at a show by a barrage of bottles,) the hooker here certainly seems like "the girl in the corner" giving Tyler a warning of sorts.

And what a warning it was...

Playlist: Life on Mars - Episode 1.11
1. "Ballroom Blitz" - Sweet
2. "Over the Rainbow" - Judy Garland

Previously: Almost Famous (Episode 1.10)

Now Downloading: New Releases 02.17.09

It's another big release week highlighted by new releases from M. Ward, Morrissey, Alela Diane, Robyn Hitchcock, Sam Roberts, Beirut (which we highlighted a couple weeks ago,) Jason Isbell, Asobi Seksu, Vetiver and Tommy Keene. There's also Red Hot Compilation album Dark Was the Night, curated by The National, and featuring a who's who of indie rock.

Playlist: New Releases 02.17.09

---

M. Ward - Hold Time
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

Portland's Matt Ward is a busy man these days, what with all the producing, guesting and side projects (She & Him with Zooey Deschanel). So it's no wonder that he wants to Hold Time, as I imagine it's quite a commodity for the in-demand musician. Ward's timeless production is on full display here, and it's what put him on the top of more than a few artists list as producer they'd like to work with. As a result, Ward has a lot more friends now, which is why this album comes off as more a M. Ward and Friends album than a normal stellar Ward release. Deschenal sings on a couple songs (more Him than She,) Lucinda Williams lends her pipes to another, and Granddaddy's Jason Lytle brings his ELO fascination Ward's production ("To Save Me" -- and the results would make Jeff Lynne proud). I like the album, but it falls a little short of the bar Ward set with his last two releases.

Free AOL Album Stream
Download: "Never Had No One Like You" [mp3]

---

Sam Roberts - Love at the End of the World
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

Everybody has a band or artist they love that sometimes defies explanation, and Sam Roberts is like that for me. I first found myself in his clutches after he put out the Inhuman EP, and have been following him since. His third proper release takes a step back from the concept-y Chemical City and returns a bit to the first album, We Were Born in a Flame, relying more on singles than a whole album's connecivity. Aside from the fun "Them Kids," there's nothing here as catchy the singles from WWBIAF, but that doesn't matter to me, since everything he records seems to bypass my critical ear. I think it may be a live thing, as Roberts turns it up on notch on stage. Catch him on his current tour, you won't regret it.

Free AOL Album Stream

---

Alela Diane - To Be Still
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

Alela Diane comes across as a sort of female version of Nick Drake, or dare I say it, a young Joni Mitchell. With that comes the good and the bad, the good being the benefits from such favorable comparisons, the bad being the feeling that you've heard it before. But the self-produced release is more than up to the comparisons, just listen to "White Diamonds" once, and it's hard to deny the talent. It's a release that promises great things to come for the folk chanteuse.

Free AOL Album Stream
Download: "White as Diamonds" [mp3]

---

More on the radar (and in the mp3 player) this week:
Dark Was the Night / "Knotty Pine" (Dirty Projectors w/ David Byrne) [mp3]
Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3 - Goodnight Oslo / Free AOL Album Stream
Beirut - March of the Zapotec & Realpeople: Holland
Morrissey - Years of Refusal
Jason Isbell - Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit
Asobi Seksu - Hush / Free AOL Album Stream / "Me and Mary" [mp3]
Vetiver - Tight Knit / Free AOL Album Stream / "Everyday" [mp3]
...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead - Century of Self / Free AOL Album Stream
Tommy Keene - In the Late Bright
Throw Me The Statue - Purple Face EP
Abe Vigoda - Reviver / Free AOL Album Stream / "Don't Lie" [mp3]
Benjy Ferree - Come Back to the Five and Dime, Bobby Dee Bobby Dee / Free AOL Album Stream
Ana Egge - Road to my Love
Psapp - The Camel's Back / Free AOL Album Stream
William Elliott Whitmore - Animals in the Dark / Free AOL Album Stream / "Old Devils" [mp3]
Iran - Dissolver / Free AOL Album Stream
Aidan Moffat & The Best Ofs - How To Get To Heaven From Scotland / "Big Blonde" [mp3]
The Acorn - Heron Act / "Big Blonde" [mp3]
Architecture in Helsinki - That Beep (AOL Stream)
Appleseed Cast - Sagarmatha (AOL Stream)
The Deep Dark Woods - Winter Hours / "All the Money I Had is Gone" [mp3]
Weird Owl - Ever The Silver Cord Be Loosed / "Mind Mountain" [mp3]
Lal Meri - Lal Meri / "Dreams of 18" [mp3]
Fol Chen - Part 1: John Shade, Your Fortune's Made / "The Believers" [mp3]
Eleni Mandell - Artificial Fire / "Artificial Fire" [mp3]

tags: music, album review, m ward, sam roberts, indie rock, new releases, rhapsody

Chuck: How do I work this?

I have mixed feelings about this latest installment of Chuck. On the one hand, much of what we learn about FULCRUM makes "Chuck vs. the Suburbs" a 'game changer' of sorts, but the sometimes confusing ongoing relationship drama between Chuck and Sarah felt like something was missing. Perhaps it's because this episode was aired out order, getting flip-flopped with next week's "Chuck vs. the Best Friend," and we're just missing some needed context for the extra layer of awkwardness between the two.

In any regard, having Andy Richter guest this week was apropos for NBC, as he's still best known for being the sidekick on the first few (struggling) years of Late Night with Conan O'Brien, making cross-promotion for Conan's farewell week hit that much more at home. While Richter isn't listed as a guest this week for the talk show he left in 2000, it's assumed that he'll turn up at some point. Similarly, while his FULCRUM character on Chuck is assumed to be dead, they've hinted that he'll turn up again at some point, with Casey's comment that he's coming with them for further extraction (ala Fringe?).

Having the seemingly perfect suburbs as a place with a dark secret is pretty well tread territory (see episodes of The Twilight Zone, The X-Files, Alias, etc; and films The Stepford Wives, The Wicker Man, etc.,) but it was a nearly perfect setting for the both the theme of divorce and things not being what they seem. And provided the perfect opportunity to give Chuck a painful glimpse of the life that he and Sarah could never have. Just how perfect was it hearing Talking Heads' "Once in a Lifetime" as Chuck takes in his assignment's setting? "This is not my beautiful house, this is not my beautiful wife!"

The two game changing things that come out of this episode are:
1) Chuck has added a new wing to the Intersect mansion in his head. The FULCRUM-centric flashes will no doubt continue to come, and we'll know them by their devilish color.
2) FULCRUM, it appears, is just another top secret government cell working for the US. "We're working to fight tomorrow's wars," says Sylvia (Jenny McCarthy) at one point, in trying to recruit him to the cause. They lie and murder for their cause, so it's a hard sell, but the CIA is no peach either, and at one point was going to have Chuck killed. So, could our heroes pull an Alias, and end up working for the side their currently battling?
3) "Charles Charmichal always comes quickly." 'Nuff said.

Extra: Not that anyone is still watching, but did you notice the NBC Monday night Talking Heads connection? An hour after hearing the Heads on Chuck, Heroes used "Psycho Killer" for a tiny bit of humor on last night's episode as well.

Playlist: Chuck - Episode 2.13
1. "Once in a Lifetime" - Talking Heads
2. "Fever" - Peggy Lee
3. "I Can See Clearly Now" - Johnny Nash
4. "Freeze and Explode" - Cassettes Won't Listen

Previously: One 'D' Too Many (Episode 2.12, 'Chuck vs the Third Dimension')

Ear on TV: Week of February 16 - Lily Allen

This is one stacked week, as the talkies have seemingly upped their game for Conan O'Brien's final week hosting Late Night. Leno, as if anticipating his replacement, has booked a very Conan-like music lineup for the week, procuring Andrew Bird, Oscar lock A.R. Rahman and Monday night's starting off point, Lily Allen.

The UK star just hit number one in her home country for both song ("The Fear") and album (It's Not Me, It's You) while also making headlines for advising parents to let their kids try drugs. Besides Leno, the spunky Allen will also be on Ellen (Wednesday) and look for her to be a little more tight-lipped with US audiences (see her chat with Matt Lauer last week). For instance, don't expect her to go flashing us her third nipple.

While the Lily Allen stateside onslaught is already in progress, A.R. Rahman's is about to begin. Already the biggest pop star in India, Rahman's work for Slumdog Millionaire is almost guaranteed to win him an Oscar -- likely two -- and place him on a bigger stage here in the US. He'll be performing one of his two nominated songs -- "Jai Ho" with singer Sukhwinder Singh -- on Leno Thursday, and then an abbreviated version of it and "O Saya" for the Oscar telecast. And by "abbreviated" I mean part of a medley of all three nominated songs, limited to 65 seconds each. This new limitation is what led Peter Gabriel (the other nominated artist) to pull out of performing as a protest. His song for Wall-E, "Down to Earth," (which normally runs 6 minutes) will now likely be performed by the Soweto Gospel Choir. Meanwhile, M.I.A., Rahman's other collaborator, just had her baby this past Wednesday and it's probably too soon to expect her to make it back to the stage. I guess stranger things have happened -- like performing at the Grammys with contractions on her due date.

Finally, it's the final week for Late Night Conan O'Brien before Jimmy Fallon steps in and Conan disappears for a couple months getting ready for the Tonight Show gig. To send him off, White Stripes are playing their first public performance since the summer of 2007. They have a history with O'Brien, going back to even before appearances on the show (they played five nights in a row back in 2003). Conan has known Meg and Jack White since before they were even The White Stripes, which goes a long ways explaining Conan's appearance in their Michel Gondry directed video for "Denial Twist."

Wow ... all that and no mention of Letterman's stellar first half of the week. He's got Willie Nelson with Asleep at the Wheel on Monday, M. Ward on Tuesday, and Antony and the Johnsons stopping by on Wednesday. Any other week, those would be the leads, my friends.

Playlist: Picks for the week
Monday, February 16
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Lenka (REPEAT)
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Willie Nelson with Asleep at the Wheel
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Living Things
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Lily Allen
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: thenewno2
Tuesday, February 17
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: M. Ward
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Funeral Party
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Andrew Bird
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Lykke Li
Wednesday, February 18
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Antony and the Johnsons
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Lisa Hannigan
SUNDANCE: Spectacle: Elvis Costello With...: Elton John, Diana Krall
SYNDICATION: The Ellen Degeneres Show: Lily Allen
Thursday, February 19
FUEL: The Daily Habit: Razorlight
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: A.R. Rahman, Sukhwinder Singh
Friday, February 20
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Kinky
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: The Knux
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Chris Isaak
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: White Stripes
Saturday, February 21
NBC: Saturday Night Live: Kanye West
PBS: Austin City Limits: Kings of Leon, Roky Erickson
Sunday, February 21
ABC: The Academy Awards: A.R. Rahman, Sukhwinder Singh, M.I.A. (maybe???)

FOTC: French (Aussie) Connection

Another fine musical moment from Flight of the Conchords, featuring direction from French director Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). "Too Many Dicks on the Dance Floor."



Ironically, given the continuation of the Aussie vs. Kiwi storyline, the second song ("Girlfriends From The Past") sounded a lot like the Aussie band The Sleepy Jackson. An intentional homage?

Some more funny moments: Interracial Hole-stretchers 2, eloping to New Jersey, "I'm not sure about her and me."

Friday Night Lights: Flip This QB, Flip that House

"When all the scared rats are leaving a sinking market, that's when a real entrepreneur steps in -- a true visionary." Tim Riggins echoing Buddy

Ok, I started commenting on FNL probably a week too late, as last week's episode ("Hello Goodbye") was probably the best since the first season, working well as a send-off for the Smash Williams character to ride off into the sunset. Mrs. Coach was finally back, and we also got to meet the Principal's husband, as Tammi and Eric got back on the same page. Maybe it's just the day (Friday the 13th), but this week's episode ("Every Rose has its Thorn") seems to catch FNL at its low point in the season, which makes me a true visionary, I guess, working in the pulled quote from above.

As if to clue us in early to the episode's problems, the Panthers are having trouble with their alternating set formations. Coach's indecision about who to go with for QB1 leads us to this near catastrophe, but both JD and Matt pull out the win in the end, thanks to the misdirection (and backed by the song "Game On" by Disciple, a musical callback to Matt running the offense from the season premiere). Matt wins the game, but as our frequently unreliable announcer tells us, JD McCoy has already been crowned QB1. Somebody better tell coach (and the rest of the coaches do just that).

Illustrating Coach and Mrs. Coach's once-again united front, this episode throws us some pedestrian drama for them to tackle in the form of a little tattoo on Julie's ankle. We haven't had a good Eric and Tammi vs. Julie issue this season, so in that regard, it was good seeing them work out the situation -- but over a tattoo? Really? On her ankle I detect neither rose nor thorn, which is surprising given the episode title. And then, in one of the few bright spots, Landry and Matt pull into school blasting a power ballad, but it's not the song from Poison we expect to hear. Instead, it's Skid Row's "I Remember You." The sad look Landry gives as he sees Tyra with Cash offsets the pain of hearing that song again.

We need to cut FNL slack, though, as this is a transition episode, as we move into the Jason Street four-episode arc. And with Street, thankfully, comes some more Herc. His demeanor before and after the baby arrives provides much needed comic relief. ("Babies love vaginas! They just took a great trip through one; it's like looking at a postcard.") And what a cute baby that is ... as much hassle as a baby would be to a storyline like Street's, I'm still going to miss him after only a few seconds of watching him sleep. Which brings us to the flipping house-flipping scheme. Maybe it's just the economy, but flipping a house seems like a terrible idea. Street (like Matt and Landry) is feeling inadequate as a provider, so it's understandable that he's willing to try just about anything, but the inclusion of the Riggins brothers make it a disaster waiting to happen, right? But if it means more scenes with Herc ("you don't know who Burt Bacharach is? What am I doing here with you!") than it's worth seeing it through.

Speaking of disasters waiting to happen, we almost forgot about Tyra and Cash. Sure, Cash had some nice things to say to Tyra at the restaurant, but did you notice the song playing in the background? That was The Walkmen's "If Only It Were True," providing some serious foreshadowing. "And now, you love me too? If only it were true."

Playlist: Friday Night Lights - Episode 3.05
1. "Dimension" - Wolfmother
2. "Game On" - Disciple
3. "The Moon Is Down" - Explosions In The Sky
4. "An Ugly Fact Of Life" by Explosions In The Sky
5. "I Remember You" - Skid Row
7. "If Only It Were True" - The Walkmen
8. "Eyes Wider Than Before" - Scott Matthews

Previously: Clear eyes, full hearts and a money back guarantee (Complete First Season on DVD)

Life - Uncapping the Sharpie

While there was little to contribut to the over-arching Count of Monte Cristo mystery here, "Mirror Ball" had plenty of laughs ("Do not uncap the sharpie,") a respectable theme, and an interesting soundtrack.

The theme was laid out pretty overtly by Crews when he says "the Buddha said we'd live our lives pretending to be someone else." The cover band (Hot Lead) being the obvious catalyst here, but there's also Danni hiding from her daddy issues, while Ted dealing with his infatuation with Joan... er... Olivia.

80's hair bands ruled the soundtrack, but even so, a couple great indie songs worked their way into the mix. Clinic's "The Witch" is a Rolling Stones ("Sympathy for the Devil") influenced tune that's about a modern day witch hunt, giving us an early clue that the Dentist didn't do it. Meanwhile, while interviewing the crazy female Judah impersonator (Patty,) we get a little "Psychotic Girl" from The Black Keys. Nice. Subtle (sort of). Nice touch that she went on to form a cover band called Two Judes with another suspect.



Playlist: Life - Episode 2.14 "Mirror Ball"
1. "Love Hurts" - Nazareth
2. "The Witch" - Clinic
3. "Psychotic Girl" - The Black Keys
4. "Sister Christian" - Night Ranger
5. "Two Shotguns" - Mont De Sundua
6. "Here I Go Again" - Whitesnake

Previously: The Nature of Debt (Episode 2.13 "The Re-Entry")