Buried treasure

It's been a bit of a roller coaster ride this first season for Reaper, so perhaps it's fitting that last night's season finale was a snapshot of the season as a whole. Everything starts out great, then things start to fall flat, then, just when you think there's no hope of saving it, the show pulls something out at the last minute to redeem the whole shebang.

While we were all expecting to find out whether Sam was the Devil's son -- and the always trusted "Drop Washing Machine" technique at least supported the theory -- a few more interesting things happened along the way to (not completely) answering that question. First and foremost was introduction of God into the equation, who up to this point had mostly been an inherent feeling based solely on the presence of Old Scratch. The fact that fallen angel Steve (Michael Ian Black) makes it into heaven ("it's better than Cancun") shows that there's hope for all, including Sam, and that the Big Man above has more than just a passing interest in Sam's destiny as well. This storyline was marred by hiccups and weird pacing, but it sets up some weighty subjects for the second season, and if that weren't enough, the truth about Sam's father makes for even more to gnaw on in between seasons.

It's true we don't get any forthright answer on whether Sam is the devil's son ("I have too much respect to lie to you so I tell you in advance that I most probably am going to lie to you,") but I for one am glad that there's more to it than that simple answer. Sam's (bio or adopted) father obviously more than mortal (surviving being buried alive in a cage built for Ashmedai,) and it has me wondering if Sam instead is the Devil's nephew, with Sam's father asking his big bad bro for a favor after falling in love with a human. (What do we make then of Sam's younger brother, who was Chuck Cunningham'd out of the storyline by the second episode?)

The rest of the episode left much to be desired, and I might have even called a disaster if not for the final minute with Sam's parents. Sock and his succubus ("suck-you-what?") seemed like a pointless stunt whose only purpose was to have Sock lift heavy things, and the scene pimping her to Ben was beyond stupid. The soul-of-the-week was merely 'meh' -- getting captured by a tossed baseball was not very inspired. Meanwhile, they still don't know what to do with Andi... now don't get me wrong, I'm supremely glad the series got picked up, but there's sure still a lot of things to work on in the off season. Fazekas, Butters and crew still have their work cut out for them to take this from a merely good series to great.

As far as music goes, it was kept to a minimum, but I did pick up Imperial Teen's twee ballad "What You Do" playing near the end, with the refrain "it's a long way down... with you," a fitting final song to a series that's essentially about something a long way down. To that end, I've compiled a playlist of nearly every song that appeared in season one (over 60 songs, the two from last night listed below) - my treat to you.

Playlist: Reaper - Season 1
Episode 1.18
1. "Dirty Cop" - The Sleepers - Sock displays his adrenaline rush
2. "What You Do" - Imperial Teen - Sam laments the death of his father - at bar with Andi / then parking lot with Ben and Sock
Full tracklisting by episode

Previously: Who's Your Daddy? (Episode 1.17)

Slippage and traction, indie attraction

This episode of Reaper started and ended with some intrigue, but like this week's errant soul, the middle was mostly an amorphous blob greased up to distraction. With news that timeshifted ratings have given the show a The Office-like boost, it looks like the show has a chance to get picked up for the season, and as a result, I'm pleading for for an episode that has Satan's Scooby gang doing more then the formula of catching a soul each week.

With House back from it's baseball break, Reaper's next day ratings report today didn't look so good, but given it's timeshifted audience, I'm sure the TIVO/DVRs were in full force again last night. Those watching it today, take note of the two Battlestar Galactica guest appearances. First up was Cheif Galen Tyrol (Aaron Douglas) as the demon messenger delivering Sam's ginormous contract to sign. Then later, Andi's mom was played by Sergeant Hadrian (Jill Teed,) making me wonder if this might just be some desperate geek call to arms. I'm surprised we haven't gotten any Buffy vets to step in yet, given the creators' pedigree on the show.

Musically, the show pulled a couple indie punches, first with the use of Spoon's "The Underdog" to underscore just how out of his league Sam is with Andi. Then later, while the new Scoobies prepare to enter the sewers, Imperial Teen's "Shim Sham" plays, providing zero subtext, as much as I could tell. I'm pretty sure there was another song in there, but it's pretty obscure -- and for all the wrong reasons. All told, the choices this time felt more like an 18-49 demo ratings grabs than actual soundtracking.

The one glimmer of hope for the non-existent over-arching mystery was the bit where Sam's father tears a page out of his contract and burns it. Seems there's something in there he wants to protect his son from knowing. Does Mr. O and Satan have more of a past then we were first led to believe? Was there an Indecent Proposal involving Mrs. O with Sam the byproduct? Of course I'm grasping at straws here, but Lord (and the Devil too) knows the show needs something to justify this all going on and on (and on). At least next week we'll have Patton Oswalt to kick around.

Reaper Episode 1.05
1. "The Underdog" - Spoon - Andi reminds Sam about their karaoke night out
2. "Shim Sham" - Imperial Teen - The Scoobies prepare to enter the sewers

More: I can't go without calling out the great prank that Andi pulls on Ted -- leaving a note on his car apologizing for (not) hitting it. See for yourself:

Previously: Grizzly Discovery (Episode 1.03)

tags: music, television, soundtrack, reaper, spoon, imperial teen, indie rock

Now Downloading: New Releases 08.21.07

It's the first week since March that we've had so many highly anticipated releases for folks like me to savor. Well, unfortunately, it's not all that rosy... aside from M.I.A.'s excellent sophomore release, I'm afraid the new albums from The New Pornographers, Rilo Kiley, Architecture in Helsinki and Imperial Teen all have some degree of disappointment (however minor.) Meanwhile there's a whole lot more interesting releases to check out that I haven't gotten to yet (or just started,) like Talib Kweli, Caribou, Earlimart, Kinski, Over the Rhine, Mekons, Minus the Bear and many more. Now get to listening!

Playlist: New Releases 08.21.07

Spike Jonze recently spent a Saturday with Maya (VIDEO)

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Album: M.I.A. - Kala

When a debut is as fresh and creates as much buzz as M.I.A.'s Arular did over two years ago, you expect there to be at least some disappointment in the follow-up, but with Kala, M.I.A. (Maya Arulpragasam) solidifies herself as an international force to be reckoned with. While Arular is named for her father, a reported rebel in Sri Lanka, Kala is named for her mother, a seamstress by trade. Appropriately, album is a diverse collection of songs that are stitched together by Arulpragasam's artistic seamstressing work. The oceans and borders that she bridges here aren't just metaphorical, but a literal obstacle that Kala had to overcome. It was supposed to be, in part, a joint venture with Timbaland, but when the US denied her a visa and entry back into the US last year, Arulpragasam bounced between India, Jamaica, Trinidad and Australia with portable recording gear in hand. As a result, the tribal Indian beats anchor two of the best songs ("Bird Flu" and "Boyz") and "Jimmy" is an 80's Bollywood disco cover ("Jimmy Adja" from Disco Dancer.) Meanwhile, this time around she's referencing classic alternative songs all over the place. The opening track ("Bamboo Banga") first pulls from The Modern Lovers' "Roadrunner" ("with the radio on.") The later, "$20" leads in another couple sacred cows, using the easily recognized chord progression from New Order's "Blue Monday" and mixing in a couple lines from Pixies' "Where is My Mind." Finally, on "Paper Planes," she samples The Clash's "Straight to Hell," which seems a subtle message to US Immigration and Homeland Security for messing with Arulpragasam. She's counterfeiting visa's now... don't they know that M.I.A. is beyond borders?

Free album stream from AOL

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Album: The New Pornographers - Challengers

I already wrote a bit yesterday about where NP's at now (leaning more towards the art folk/rock of Dan Bejar's Destroyer,) but I haven't really had enough time with the release to know where it stands in their cannon. My initial feeling is because they're not a band in the normal sense (more in the 'super' sense) that much of the stretching out of the band's sound, while admirable, doesn't reach the heights it aims for. The bouncy power-pop sound that Carl Newman deftly employed on prior releases isn't even hinted at until halfway through Challengers (with the great "All The Things That Go To Make Heaven And Earth",) and then again only later on the equally grand "Mutiny, I Promise You." Meanwhile, Dan Bejar (Destroyer) nearly steals the show again with his requisite three song contribution, especially on "Myriad Harbour." (Forget that "The Spirit Of Giving" sounds like a Destroyer cover, you could argue that all of Destroyer's
Rubies was like Bejar covering himself.) Anyway, it's a roundabout way of saying I like it, but not as much as prior releases. Humbuggery.

Free album stream from AOL

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Album: Imperial Teen - The Hair the TV the Baby and the Band

Imperial Teen have always embodied that 90's indie pop sound that they forged with the song "Yoo Hoo" (from their '96 debut Seasick) and have never strayed from it since. It's now been five years since their last album (On) and again, nothing's changed - and that is good. The Hair the TV the Baby and the Band, in title, explains what the band has been doing during their hiatus, and while the sound hasn't changed, as the title suggests, life has happened... and the lyrics reflect it. Well, some do anyway... and some are just fun, like the bounce to the infectious "Sweet Potato," the B-52 party of "Shim Sham" and the Imperial Teen archetype sound of "Do it Better." I just hope they don't wait too long for their next album, or the title might be something like The Empty Nest the Goiter the Lump and the Nursing Home.

Free album stream from AOL

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Album: Rilo Kiley - Under the Blacklight

LA's Rilow Kiley have always seemed to release an album appropriate to their surroundings. Their first album (Take Offs and Landings) was on Seattle's Barsuk label, and was appropriately a little album that seemed to achieve big things. For their second (The Execution of All Things,) they moved out to Nebraska's Saddle Creek to distribute their red state friendly alt-country sound. By 2004, Rilo Kiley was on Warner Bros., creating their own imprint (Brute/Beaute Records,) and More Adventurous was appropriately their foray into the big leagues, and was, well... more adventurous. So now that their on Warner Bros. proper, the ante has been upped, and thus you'd think the radio-friendly sounds of Under the Black Light whouldn't surprise anyone given RK's trajectory. But just who would ever predict that RK would write 2007's strip club song of the year in "The Moneymaker"? The songs here are 70's (and 80's) AM radio friendly, delivered with out hint of irony, and shed their blacklight on the streets of Los Angeles, the long time home to the former child actors and co-founders Jenny Lewis and Blake Sennett. It's Lewis' band now, it seems, and like with her solo debut from last year (Rabbit Fur Coat,) the quirkiness is nearly all gone. Under the Blacklight is what it is, which isn't groundbreaking, but very appropriate for their home on Warner.

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Album: Architecture in Helsinki - Places Like This

AIH sure seems to like to change their sound album to album... now they've taken on Junior Senior's dance persona, albeit without all that makes that duo so endearing.

Am I the only one that finds this one a bit grating? It's not horrible, mind you, just annoying as a follow-up to their amazing 2005 release In Case We Die.

Free album stream from AOL

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Wished I could talk about, haven't heard (not in Rhapsody:)
Jeremy Enigk - The Missing Link
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More going (or already in) the Sansa
Earlimart - Mentor Tormentor (Free album stream from AOL)
Caribou - Andorra (Free album stream from AOL)
Kinski - Down Below It's Chaos (Free album stream from AOL)
Mekons - Natural
Minus the Bear - Planet of Ice
Josh Ritter - The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter
Animal Collective - Peacebone EP
Numbers - Now You Are This
The Golden Dogs - Big Eye Little Eye
Talib Kweli - Eardrum
Over the Rhine - Trumpet Child
LadybiRds - Regional Community Theater
The Mendoza Line - 30 Year Low
Lindsay Anderson - If
Luke Temple - Snowbeast
Cartel - Cartel
Foreign Born - On The Wing Now
Swizz Beatz - One Man Band Man

tags: music, album review, mia, new pornographers, imperial teen, rilo kiley, architecture in helsinki, indie rock, new releases, rhapsody