Glee "Grilled Cheesus": Oh, God!

When I heard that Glee was going to tackle religion, I was understandably skeptical. But Glee often seems to work best when it amps up the degree of difficulty and mostly sticks the landing, as it does here. Religion is always a tough subject, and couple that with Kurt's objections to God having extra unintended levity (thanks to recent tragic events) and you have a recipe for face plant. "Grilled Cheesus" plays both sides here magnanimously, though, and somehow manages to be the best episode in a young season, even with the handicap of having a high schooler praying to a sandwich. (If you're going to do sandwich worship, hard to go wrong with this one.)

I guess it doesn't hurt that much of the drama revolved around Mike O'Malley as Kurt's dad Burt, probably the series favorite recurring character. The relationship between Kurt & Burt resonate more than any other in the series' short life. Even Sue Sylvester was mostly in check here, as her role ended up being fairly serious, thanks to the go-to tool for humanizing her -- her relationship with her older sister.

The music choices, as per usual, are all over the map thematically, even when the theme is so clearly laid out -- religion. Songs are chosen based on keyword searches (tags = "God" "Religion" "Catholic" etc.) and then given a minimal amount of contextual set up to plug the selection in. Rinse. Repeat. "Losing My Religion," while missing the point of the song's lyrics, worked o.k. as it's a song style that's not played out for the series, and the slow motion technique used during the fantasy portion of the song was reminescent of early 90's era music videos (and helped the song seamlessly cut into being a rehearsal performance). I really wanted to like "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" as much as everyone else seems to have, but my gag reflex kicked in when the auto-tune got revved up early in the song. Extra points, though, for whoever did the casting on the younger Kurt (wow).

BEGIN TANGENT: When the final number kicked in, "One of Us," after throwing up a bit in my mouth, I was reminded of a story I'd once heard about producer Rick Chertoff, The Hooters and a resistant Joan Osborne. Hooters members Eric Bazilian (songwriter) and Rob Hyman (who gets credit for 'discovering' Osborne) were working with Chertoff and Osborne on the album (Relish) and this song was sprung on a reluctant Osborne. She's since come to terms with it (a hit is a hit) but at the time, the story goes, she felt like she was strong-armed into first including it on the album, and then as a single. For someone who claims to not be religious at all, Bazilian has gone to the religion well many times, perhaps thanks to early success with the concept with early favorite "All You Zombies," a song centered on Moses receiving the ten commandments. (Ok, that was a long and probably unecessary tangent, but I did just legitimately work the word 'Hooters' into this post -- let's see if that gets us any traffic ;)

Glee - Episode 2.03
1. "Only the Good Die Young" - Glee Cast [Amazon] [iTunes]
2. "I Look to You" - Glee Cast [Amazon] [iTunes]
3. "Papa, Can You Hear Me" (from Yentl) - Glee Cast [iTunes]
4. "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" - Glee Cast [Amazon] [iTunes]
5. "Losing My Religion" - Glee Cast [Amazon] [iTunes]
6. "Bridge Over Troubled Water" - Glee Cast [Amazon] [iTunes]
7. "One of Us" - Glee Cast [Amazon] [iTunes]

Previously: "Britney/Brittany" (Episode 2.02)

Now Downloading: New Releases 04.01.08

Ah, what a great week. Yesterday was opening day (go M's!) the sun is shining brightly outside, and today we're greeted by an incredibly deep selection of fine new releases. We were spoiled by getting The Black Keys new one last week, so this week we poach from next week's bin, as the debut album from much hyped UK dance-punk act Foals hits Rhapsody a week early. Beyond that, there's plenty here, including a new release from the (sort of) revitalized R.E.M., along with new ones from Sun Kill Moon, Colour Revolt, Los Campesinos! and my fave metal band The Sword. Add to that some great compilations like a Willie Nelson box set and a collection of rarities from Apples in Stereo, and you'd think that would be enough -- but we're also blessed with live albums from The Rolling Stones (soundtrack to the Scorcese film Shine a Light,) Muse and The Decemberists' Colin Meloy. Listing all this even has me wondering whether I'm pulling some April fools day prank, but it's all here, enit.

Playlist: New Releases 04.01.08

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Album: Foals - Antidotes

Sub Pop scores once again, landing the debut from this young Oxford band, in Rhapsody a week early. It's a debut that many across the pond are calling the best you'll hear all year, and there's a lot of merit to that hubris. Comparisons to the dance punk of Rapture and (early) Bloc Party are bound to come, but there's both more dance and math-rock than both those bands, and less pop to be sure. The first singles, "Cassius" and "Balloons," get the feet moving, but they also hit on a more visceral sense. There's also some mood-shifting here as well, and the beauty of "Electric Boom" sort of serves as the heart of the album, an album that will be talked a lot of about, I'm sure. For the UK release, Foals left off their previous hit singles ("Hummer" and "Mathletics,") as neither fit the sound that producer Dave Sitek (TV on the Radio, Liars, Yeah Yeah Yeahs) achieve for them here, but both make it on the Sub Pop release as bonus tracks.

Download: "Balloons"
Video: "Cassius"

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Album: The Sword - Gods Of The Earth

When this Austin band's debut Age of Winters came out in 2006, it pushed me to do a piece on the New Heavy, recent metal that even indie rockers can get down with. Their seemingly sincere D&D-inspired lyrics (think Neil Peart) delve deep into geek territory, and with Gods of the Earth, they go even deeper. "Mother Maiden and Crone" references the Triple Goddess, "To Take The Black" is about George R.R. Martin's fantasy epic "A Game of Thrones", and "The Frost-Giant's Daughter" is the title of a Conan the Barbarian story. I say just roll your ten-sided dice and play the track that corresponds... your HP may dwindle from neck damage, but you'll make up for it with serious HMXP (Heavy Metal Experience Points).

Full Album Stream at MySpace
Download: "Fire Lances of the Ancient Hyperzephyrians" [mp3]

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Album: R.E.M. - Accelerate

I wrote about this one yesterday for Ear on TV, only leaving out the criticism. I still believe it's their bast album since Automatic For the People, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's as good as it or any album prior to that. The trio has drifted since Bill Berry's exit, and this is as close as they've come to sounding relevant again, and they're trying hard at the 'relevant' part, that's for sure. The album was previewed a couple weeks ago on Facebook (using iLike,) streamed on imeem last week, and the band even snuck in La blogotheque's Take Away performance (#89 - sample below,) which has to this point featured smaller, up and coming acts, the biggest thus far being Arcade Fire. Songs like "Living Well Is The Best Revenge" and "Houston," show they still have some gas in the tank, even if the lead single ("Supernatural Superserious") and "Until The Day Is Done" are color by number tracks. The album ends strong starting with "Mr Richards," with it's textbook John Strohm (Blake Babies, Antenna, Velo-Deluxe) riff, and continues strong all the way to the final two bursts of energy ("Horse to Water" and "I'm Gonna DJ.")

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Albums of interest not in Rhapsody yet:
Murdocks - Roar!: "Playhouse Down" / "Die Together" [mp3]
The Quarter After - Changes Near: "See How Good it Feels" / "Turning Away"

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More on the radar this week
The Black Keys - Attack and Release (Reviewed last week)
The Wombats - The Wombats EP (in Rhapsody a week early)
Sun Kill Moon - April
Colour Revolt - Plunder, Beg And Curse / Full Album Stream / "A Siren" [mp3]
Annuals/Sunfold - Wet Zoo EP / "Sore" [mp3]
Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster / Free album stream from AOL
Apples in Stereo - Electronic Projects for Musicians / Free album stream / "Stephen Stephen" [mp3]
Willie Nelson - One Hell Of A Ride (4-CD Box Set) / Free album stream from AOL
Camphor - Drawn to Dust / "The Sweetest Tooth" , "Confidences Shattered" [mp3]
Yelle - Pop Up
The Wood Brothers - Loaded
Kylie Minogue - X / Free album stream from AOL
Canadians - A Sky With No Stars
Paddy Casey - Addicted To Company (Part 1)
Unwed Sailor - Little Wars / "Little Wars" [mp3]
The Billionaires - Really Real for Forever / "The End of Summer Song" [mp3]
Bryan Scary - Flight of the Knife / "Imitation of the Sky" [mp3]
Moby - Last Night / Free album stream from AOL
Van Morrisson - Keep It Simple
Lili Haydn - Place Between Places
Kathy Mattea - Coal
Poi Dog Pondering - 7
Anti-Flag - The Bright Lights Of America
Ministry - Cover Up
My Blueberry Nights - Music From The Motion Picture
Live
The Rolling Stones - Shine A Light
Muse - HAARP
Colin Meloy - Colin Meloy Sings Live!
Diamanda Galas - Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!
Reissues
Apollo Sunshine - Katona
The Proclaimers - Life With You [Expanded]

tags: music, album review, rem, foals, the sword, the black keys, indie rock, new releases, rhapsody

Ear on TV: The Week of March 31

It was twenty-one years ago last month that the documentary Athens, GA: Inside/Out was released profiling R.E.M. and The B-52's, along with a host of other acts making waves in alternative music at the time. Last week, The B-52's released their first album in sixteen years, and tomorrow R.E.M. releases their finest album in just as long a time frame, making it seem like 1987 all over again. (Thankfully, I'm too follically-challenged to try and grow the mullet I sported back then.)

R.E.M.'s upbeat return with Accelerate is especially pronounced given the low key nature of their previous three albums, especially their last, Around the Sun, which took nine months to make -- a baby that the band isn't particularly fond of. Accelerate is a reaction to that, recorded mostly live, in weeks instead of months and featuring only a couple slower tempo songs. The band plays their first single, "Supernatural Superserious," on The Today Show Tuesday morning, and then makes an appearance Wednesday night on The Colbert Report.

Meanwhile, The B-52's parade their "Funplex" to both Leno (Tuesday) and Ellen (Friday,) showing that they haven't lost a step in their prolonged hiatus. Their appearance on Ellen should be especially fun, given their status in the gay community. The band should have Ellen dancing, if she isn't too tired from shaking the day before to another gay icon, Kylie Minogue, who performs her latest single "All I See."

Playlist: Picks for the week
Monday, March 31
NBC: The Today Show: Kylie Minogue
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: Moby
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Shooter Jennings (REPEAT)
Tuesday, April 1
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Cat Power
NBC: The Today Show: R.E.M.
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: The B-52's
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: Carbon/Silicon
Wednesday, April 2
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Mighty Mighty Bosstones
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Daniel Lanois
COMEDY CENTRAL: The Colbert Report: R.E.M.
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Ani DiFranco
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: The Bravery
Thursday, April 3
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Paddy Casey
SYNDICATION: The Ellen Degeneres Show: Kylie Minogue
Friday, April 4
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Mary J. Blige
NBC: The Today Show: Raheem Devaughn
NBC: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Ben Lee
RAVEHD: Later with Jools Holland: Stereophonics, Foals, Estelle, PJ Harvey, King Creosote, Abdel Hadi Halo
SYNDICATION: The Ellen Degeneres Show: The B-52's
Saturday, April 5
PBS: Austin City Limits: Ryan Adams, Tift Merritt (REPEAT)

Now Downloading: New Releases 02.12.08

It's a snoozer of a week for releases, and I have a hard time believing it's in fear of the special 25th Anniversary deluxe edition of Thriller, which is a pointless exercise boasting of only a previously unreleased (and forgettable) ballad. Of the few 'braving' the thriller night, there's the latest from British Sea Power, a Flat Duo Jets documentary soundtrack and a new single from this up and coming band called R.E.M.

Playlist: New Releases 02.12.08

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Album: British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?

Like M.I.A.'s Kala, British Sea Power recorded this album all over the world, namely Czech Republic, Montreal and Cornwall, England. BSP enlists the production talents of Jarvis Cocker, and while in Montreal, Howard Bilerman (Arcade Fire) and Efrim Menuck (God Speed You Black Emperor,) making for a diverse sound. It's rich and textured, with more post-punk elements -- a return to their great debut from 2003, The Decline of British Sea Power. Songs liked "No Lucifer" and "A Trip Out" are revved up fist-pumping anthems, while opener "All In It" and the great "Waving Flags" have a bit of Arcade Fire's "come to Jesus" moments, perhaps explaining the need for Bilerman's presence. It's an album that doesn't always work, but while reaching for something tremendous, Do You Like Rock Music? still pleases despite failing to reach it's intended height.

Free album stream from AOL
Download: "Waving Flags"

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Album: R.E.M. - Supernatural Superserious (Single)

This song accomplishes what would normally be a given for a band, in that it sounds like the band. But R.E.M. has sort of worked around the margins of their idiom for years now, and you have to go back twelve years to find their last true album pushing single (1996's "Electrolite," from New Adventures in Hi-Fi). "Supernatural Superserious" is more a return to "What's the Frequency Kenneth" than it is peak-era R.E.M., but it's still a welcome thing, even if the song itself is standard Peter Buck hook 101.

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Next week's albums streaming for free on AOL:
Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride
The Raveonettes - Lust Lust Lust

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More on the radar this week
Flat Duo Jets - Two Headed Cow (Soundtrack to documentary on the band)
The Heavy Circles - The Heavy Circles / Free album stream from AOL
Chris Joss - Teraphonic Overdubs / Free album stream from AOL
Doug Hoekstra - Blooming Roses
Supreme Beings of Leisure - 11i
Indian Jewelry - We Are the Wild Beast
Idiot Pilot - Wolves
The Puppini Sisters - The Rise and Fall of Ruby Woo
The Two Man Gentlemen Band - Heavy Petting
Widespread Panic - Free Somehow / Free album stream from AOL
Shoot 'Em Up (Music From the Motion Picture)
REISSUES:
Michael Jackson - Thriller 25 Deluxe Edition
Flo & Eddie - The Phlorescent Leech & Eddie / Flo & Eddie
Japancakes - Down the Elements
Japancakes - If I Could See Dallas
Japancakes - The Sleepy Strange

tags: music, album review, rem, british sea power, flat duo jets, indie rock, new releases, rhapsody

Combien du temps?

Last night The O.C. continued it's final sprint to the finish (only three episodes left now,) going back and answering lingering questions through the art of flashbacks. We learn the mythology behind Seth's early love of Summer (a poem that turns out to have been written by a coke-bottle-glasses-wearing Taylor,) and the reasons why Kirsten broke up with her high school sweetheart Jimmy Cooper.

For that flashback, they utilized R.E.M.'s "Talk About the Passion," an appropriate song both for the time (September, 1983) and the lyrics, which reference Kirsten's situation both then and now:

Not everyone can carry the weight of the world
Combien, combien, combien du temps?

Combien du temps translates as "how much time," and it's later revealed (although we all pretty much guessed) that Kirsten terminated a pregnancy (from Jimmy,) and had been carrying that secret (ie the weight of the world) with her until now. Meanwhile, Summer and Seth continue their back and forth, with Kirsten's rememberences adding doubt to Summer's belief that Seth is 'her Sandy Cohen.'

Elsewhere, the triangle between Julie, Bullit and Frank pulls in a couple fine film references, the first being the Oscar-winning Picnic, which is referenced through use of the theme song, "Theme from Picnic" by Frank Chacksfield. Picnic tells the story of an ex-football star turned drifter who arrives in a small town and is drawn to a girl who's already spoken for by a rich man. Sounds like we have a remake here, with Frank as the drifter, Julie the girl spoken for, and Bullit the rich man. Later, in a more overt homage, Bullit walks off the tarmac with Katlin and says "this could be the start of a beautiful relationship..." referencing Casablanca.

Finally... did you catch the funny Bait Shop reference? Justin Timberlake is mentioned on a newscast as being booked to play there, to which the newscaster ponders "how does a venue so small get such big name acts?" And with that, we continue the countdown... combien du temps? Just more three weeks.

Playlist: The O.C. - Episode 4.13
1. "Theme From 'Picnic' (Moonglow)" - Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra
2. "Talk About The Passion" - R.E.M.
3. "Wannabe" - cast member on camera
4. "Start Today Tomorrow" - Youth Group
5. "Unaware" - The Midway State

Previously: I Ching, you ching (Episode 4.12)

tags: music, television, soundtrack, the oc, rem, movies, picnic, casablanca, justin timberlake, indie rock, rhapsody