Sasquatch 2012 - Day 4: Tenacious D, Beck, Feist

Jack Black emotes with Tenacious D at the main stage, Sasquatch 2012.

Ok, this has been up for a couple of days, but I've been busy working a new gig, so DEAL! Tenacious D, Beck, Feist, The Joy Formidable, Shabazz Palaces, Damien Jurado... it was an eventful day and night.

As usual, word & photos over at the Bumpershine. Do it.

Previously: Sasquatch 2012 Day 3 / Day 2 / Day 1

More Cowbell (Coco) Please!

Conan ended his final Tonight Show by picking up his axe and jamming with a motley band of musicians (including Beck, Ben Harper and ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons) through a Will Ferrell-led rendition of "Freebird."

Now that's how you say goodbye.

True Blood "Timebomb": Détente

Heart pot pie, the self-healing hymen, a telepathe and vampire catfight!

TB is deliciously batsh*t crazy. The music reflected the out-there events, between the welcome home party for older-than-Jesus Godric and whatever is going on with Maryanne, the music was tribal/trance and dark in nature (I'm looking at you, Niyaz). So when slackpop Beck shows up for the credits (expected, actually, given the episode title), it was a welcome relief for me. I'll leave it at that.

Playlist: True Blood - Episode 2.08
1. "Dilruba (Junkie XL Remix)" - Niyaz: Godric returns / Eric runs into Jason
2. "The Longing" - Karsh Kale: Bill & Eric talk / Isabel & Hugo
3. "Rafiki (Rise Ashen)" - Bob Holroyd: Jason apologizes to Bill
4. "Hejran" - Niyaz: Lorena and Sookie fight over Bill
5. "Timebomb" - Beck: Closing credits

Previously: True Blood "Release Me" (episode 2.07)

Dollhouse "Omega" - Change Your Heart, I'll Astound You

Enjoyed the season (series?) finale for Dollhouse, but not nearly as much as I thought I would after last week's mind-bender. The episode (and the series) really worked much better when the focus wasn't on Eliza Dushku. It was a kick seeing Whedon vets Alan Tudyk (Firefly) and Amy Acker (Angel) burn the small screen, but it also made it even more apparent that perhaps Dushku shouldn't be the star here.

The series thus far has resisted using popular music, so it was a bit of a surprise to hear first the White Plains' "My Baby Loves Lovin'" in radio as Alpha and Echo drive in their stolen car. Then writer/director of the episode Tim Minnear (the go-to-guy for dark-y Whedon) has his Tarantino moment, with Roy Orbison playing ("In Dreams") in the background to a torture scene. But the prize goes to using Beck's fine cover of "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometimes," which many will recognize as the song from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, a film who's science obviously lines up nicely with Dollhouse.

The episode didn't feel like a series ending, and I hope that Dollhouse comes back for another go, because it really started to get its legs once the standalone episodes were burned and the mythology was able to develop. I fear, though, that this might very well be the end. The ratings have continued to sink, drying up a lot of hope that we'll get to see Alan Tudyk exercise the 48 imprint workout again.

Music from Dollhouse - Episode 1.13 ("Omega")
1. "My Baby Loves Lovin'" - White Plains - Alpha and Echo in the stolen car
2. "In Dreams" - Roy Orbison - Alpha tortures a client
3. "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometimes" - Beck - ending montage

Nip/Tuck: Love is Hot (Truth is Molten)

After last year's mid-season finale for Nip/Tuck, one of the most common questions asked was "when is McNamara/Troy going to get some security?" As if to answer that chorus, this mid-season premiere goes back and replays the events of the night to try and explain how Colleen could have gotten to Sean, given that he's a famous TV star and she has a restraining order against her. Apparently, all you need to do is disguise yourself as a patient and no one will think twice.

Giving the scene an extended remix served not only the purpose of showing that they did in fact have security (crackerjack at that) but also gives Music Supervisor PJ Bloom a second opportunity to pick music to back it. Here he sneaks in two (three sort of) songs, first cleverly employing The O'Jay's classic "Backstabbers" to clue us in that the women bypassing security under wraps is indeed our backstabber. Then we get Mark Ronson's "Stop Me Medley," which combines The Smiths' "Stop Me if You Think That You've Heard this One Before" and The Supremes' "You Keep Me Hanging On," both songs fitting in well with Colleen's mini-Misery camp out with Sean.

But, of course, Sean lives... but we knew that right? Didn't we see them all in the future? That was another observation posited after the cliffhanger that Ryan Murphy deemed necessary to address in the episode, when Sean assures Christian that he won't be dying of breast cancer, even if that vision of the future was "just a dream." Hey, Shaft survived tit cancer, so shut your mouth (I'm just talking about the Shaft). With both Doctors handicapped by ailments, they turn their lemons into a lemon-orgy of sorts, using their status to get some sympathy sex, all to the sounds of Donovan's "Barabajagal". "Love is hot truth is molten!"

The episode ends, as many Nip/Tuckers do, with a breast exam of the soul. Doctors Christian and Sean looking into their respective mirrors and not liking what they see, all to Beck's rendition of "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime" done for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. And here it's worth linking to the original version, by the new wave band The Korgis.

Nip/Tuck - Episode. 5.15
1. "Backstabbers" - The O'Jays - Colleen sneaks into the office
2. "Stop Me Medley" - Mark Ronson featuring Daniel Merriweather - Sean and Colleen's bloody conflict
3. "Di Gue Ding Ding" - Michael LeGrand - played during Ronnie's ear surgery
4. "Barabajagal" - Donovan (w/ Jeff Beck Group) - Sean and Christian get some sympathy sex
5. "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime" - Beck
Compiled by Avalon at Nip/Tuck Forum

Previously: Fame's a Killer (Episode 5.15)

I'm in Mexico right now... posts have been written ahead of time and scheduled, so forgive the lack of response

Now Downloading: New Releases 07.08.08

After last week's short showing, the crop this week more than makes up for it. The obvious release this week is the much anticipated team up of Beck with producer Danger Mouse (DangerBeck?) on the album Modern Guilt. Also this week sees new releases from Melvins, Albert Hammond Jr., Feral Children, Ratatat (poached last week,) Abe Vigoda and a strange collaboration between Patty Smith and MBV's Kevin Shields.

Playlist: New Releases 07.08.08

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Beck - Modern Guilt
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

Beck is dancing a jig at the end of the world... or maybe he's the paranoid stoner on the look out for the cops at the party, either way, the juxtaposition of lamenting the apocalypse and the feel-good vibes that Danger Mouse provides is something to hear. The music is closer to Odelay, but the bummer feel behind it is all Sea Change. The one song that melds the sound with the lyrics is the stunning closer "Volcano," and there's a lyric in it that perhaps reveals a lot about Beck and a more personal theme of the album:

"I'm tired of people who only want to be pleased, but I still want to please you."

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Melvins - Nude with Boots
Stream

Appropriate for a new Melvins release to precede the Sub Pop music festival, as the band's sludge-laden rock riffs anticipated Sub Pop's meal ticket of grunge, and were a specific influence on Nirvana's early sound (Nirvana's first demo had Melvins Dale Crover on the drums). Melvins famously relocated to San Francisco in 1988, just missing the grunge scene's breakthrough, leaving behind bassist Matt Lukin who then formed Mudhoney with Mark Arm and Steve Turner. Melvins have remarkably remained together all these years despite remaining mostly a footnote in the casual indie rock fan's ledger. Nude Boots is the most straight ahead recording they've done, yet, like any other Melvins recording, it still pounds with the force of a thousand suns.

Free album stream from AOL
Download: "Nude with Boots" [mp3]

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More on the radar this week:
Abe Vigoda - Skeleton (AOL stream)
Ratatat - LP3 / Free album stream from AOL / "Mirando" [mp3]
The Baseball Project - Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails (AOL stream)
Feral Children - Second to the Last Frontier / "Spy/Glass House" [mp3]
Matt Keating - Quixotic / "St. Cloud" [mp3]
Little Jackie - The Stoop
Saul Williams - The Inevitable Rise and Liberation Of Niggy Tardust / "World on Wheels" [mp3]
Patti Smith & Kevin Shields - The Coral Sea
Son, Ambulance - Someone Else's Déjà Vu
Ron Sexsmith - Exit Strategy of the Soul / Free album stream from AOL / "Brandy Alexander" [mp3]
Killer Mike - I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind II / Free album stream from AOL
Old Believers - 8 Golden Greats / "There It Is" [mp3]
The Telepathic Butterflies - Breakfast in Suburbia
Jean Grae - Jeanius
Devin Lima - Mozart Popart
Willie Nelson/Wynton Marsalis - Two Men With The Blues / Free album stream from AOL
Totimoshi - Milagrosa
Vancougar - Canadian Tuxedo / "Obvious" [mp3]
Street Dogs - State of Grace
The Weeks - Comeback Cadillac
Kerli - Love Is Dead
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes - Have Another Ball
Kerli - Love Is Dead
The Gits - The Best of the Gits
Life Beyond Mars - Bowie Covered
Reissue
Billy Joel - The Stranger (30th anniversary deluxe edition)

tags: music, album review, ratatat, indie rock, new releases, rhapsody

Soundtracking Wednesday Night: Bionic Birdhouse

Since there's not really a show that's consistently warrants special musical attention on Wednesday -- a night of primarily freshman series -- here's a grab-bag of what went down.

First, congratulations are in order for Pushing Daisies, who gets picked up for the full season. I guess congratulations are in order for television viewers as well, who have shown the good taste to make this quirky show a hit. Last night, for the second time this season, Olive (Kristin Chenoweth) breaks out into song, this time with Aunt Vivian (Ellen Greene) singing harmonies on They Might Be Giant's "Birdhouse in Your Soul" (see video). It was brief, but probably just the right amount of singing, as Olive's turn at "Hopelessly Devoted To You" dragged on a bit too long a couple episodes ago.

Hearing Chenoweth and Greene singing was kind of an anticipated event, given their musical history. Chenoweth most recently with her role as Glinda in Wicked and Greene with her memorable role as Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors. Combine that with the precious pairing of They Might Be Giants with Pushing Daisies and my twee meter nearly burst.

Meanwhile, Bionic Woman made great strides with their fifth episode in, showing that fill-in showrunner Jason Katims (performing double-duty with his Friday Night Lights) might have the ship righted after the rocky start. Just in time, too, as another Jason (Cahill) is now stepping in to take the reigns -- for good, one hopes. Cahill comes on board with experience with a Sopranos pedigree, which is well respected these days, especially given the products that Sopranos vets Matthew Weiner (Mad Men) and Todd Kessler (Damages) recently put out. As far as music goes, you can't help but wonder if Katims had anything to do with the upgrade on that front as well, as songs from Ben Kweller, Rilo Kiley and Ani DiFranco spiced up the drama a bit this time out, much like FNL. Thankfully, Jason Cahill worked under David Chase, a man who understands the importance of music, and I'm guessing some of that rubbed off on him. Let's hope so, anyway.

Lastly, I'm just including some of the songs from ladies choice dramas Gossip Girl and Private Practice, because I either just skimmed through (GG) or didn't bother to watch (PP). Though, from what I could tell, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Nekta and Beck livened up an otherwise droll masquerade ball, but that's all I'm dishing on GG, JQP.

Playlist: Soundtracking Wednesday Night - 10.24.07
1. "Birdhouse In Your Soul" - They Might Be Giants - Pushing Daisies, Ep 104
2. "Nothing Happening" - Ben Kweller - Bionic Woman, Ep 105
3. "Silver Lining" - Rilo Kiley - Bionic Woman, Ep 105
4. "Recoil" - Ani DiFranco - Bionic Woman, Ep 105
5. "Kiss, Kiss" - Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Gossip Girl, Ep 106
6. "Guess Who" - Nekta - Gossip Girl, Ep 106
7. "Timebomb" - Beck - Gossip Girl, Ep 106
8. "Happy Ending" - Mika - Gossip Girl, Ep 106
9. "What I've Done" - Until June - Private Practice, Ep 105
10. "Mas Que Nada" - Sergio Mendes - Private Practice, Ep 105

tags: music, television, soundtrack, pushing daisies, bionic woman, gossip girl, they might be giants

It Takes Two Teddybears

Whew! I have to admit I was worried that Chuck was going to bomb after seeing what Josh Schwartz did with Gossip Girl, but I'm happy to report that the premise of The Office meets Alias seemed to really work. There are a lot of bones to pick, I'm sure, but the pilot did an adequate job setting up the worlds in which Chuck lives. His job as manager of the Nerd Herd at the local Buy More chain (a clever variation on the Geek Squad/Best Buy relationship,) at home living with his sister (and boyfriend Captain Awesome,) and the introduction of his new role as human data miner for the NSA and CIA.

That world is the one that requires some coating to swallow, that Chuck could download the CIA and NSA's entire data points to his brain from watching a series of images. Luckily, there is some nice sugary jelly to make it go down easy. That's the beauty of this being a comedy, those plot points are a little easier to forgive. Unlike Alias, where in the third and fourth season certain plot points provided some unintentional laughter, Chuck can get away with it, because there's a low level of farce working here. And even though they have black comedy specialist Adam Baldwin (as Major John Casey) playing his role straight as a board, it's still funny, in part due to the baggage he carries from past characters on Firefly (as Jayne) and Angel (as Marcus). It's (I thought his role as Special Agent Danny Love on the short-lived series The Inside was similarly unintentionally-intentionally comedic, ever so slightly lightening that dark series.)

Anyway, about the music, the pilot deftly utilized the song "Cobrastyle" by Teddybears for an action-theme music. The song is a bit like teddybear Baldwin himself, in that it can add comedy to a scene regardless of how it's played. Of course, it helps to have the facial expressions that Zachary Levi (as Chuck) provides to give the repeated fish-out-of-water appeal that the show provides. Which reminds me of a thought I had while watching him freak out with CIA agent Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski.) It seems that the premise of Chuck might well have been inspired by the episodes of Alias where tech geek Marshall Flinkman was forced into the field with Sydney Bristow. I always thought Marshall was the only character who could have an interesting spin-off to that series, and perhaps someone else thought so as well.

Back to the music, as that's what we're here for, there's more to be had then just Teddybears. Beck's "Cellphone's Dead" makes an appropriate appearance, playing through some Nerd Herd work, including the fixing of Sarah's cellphone. And speaking of cellphones, Chuck's cellphone ringtone (Journey's "Any Way You Want It") provides comedy in a tense moment (just like Marshall Flinkman!) But it's really The Shins "A Comet Appears" that best captures a scene in both mood and content of lyrics. The song is about the struggle to find one's place in the world, and having to shake of a bit of the naivete of boyhood, which encapsulates Chuck's realization at the end of the episode.

I'd also be remiss if I didn't at least acknowledge the use of Ennio Morricone's "For a Fistful of Dollars" to comedically dramatize Chuck's show of ambition (applying for assistant store manager.) It was a bit forced, but just about any use of Morricone is going to get my attention (well played Patsavas/Schwartz.)

Playlist: Chuck - Ep101
1. "Cobrastyle" - Teddybears - Used as an action theme throughout episode
2. "Cellphone's Dead" - Beck - Chuck details a virus, fixes Sarah's cellphone
3. "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is" - Jet - Getting dressed, contrast of Chuck to Sarah
4. "See the World" - Gomez - Dinner music
5. "Into Your Dream" - Foreign Born - Band playing in club
6. "Any Way You Want It" - Journey - Chuck's cellphone rings during bomb defusing
7. "A Comet Appears" - The Shins - Chuck contemplates his current situation
8. "For A Fistful Of Dollars" - Ennio Morricone - Chuck goes to submit his resume
9. "The Missionary" - Brothers Martin - Chuck has a flash of a Sarah mission

Previously: Don't Care About the Old Folks (Schwartz's Gossip Girl)

tags: music, television, soundtrack, chuck, josh schwartz, the shins, teddybears, adam baldwin, alias, beck, playlist