Culture Greyhound

Fitz And The Tantrums – MoneyGrabber

buy album

The Go! Team – Apollo Throwdown (Star Slinger Remix)

source

Best Coast – Sunny Adventure

source

Purity Ring – Ungirthed

source

Yuck – Coconut Bible

source

Every Saturday, I post a 15-20 minute podcast featuring some tracks I’ve been jamming the previous week, as well as some commentary and random musings from yours truly. Enjoy!

Playlist:

Lil Wayne feat. Cory Gunz – Six Foot Seven Foot
Daniel Markham – Across the Water
The Go! Team – Apollo Throwdown (Star Slinger Remix)
Mind Spiders – Don’t Let Her Go
Sleigh Bells – Tell ‘Em (Diplo Remix)

This year my New Year’s resolutions (or at least one of them) was to read more books.  I’m doing pretty good so far, and it doubles as content for Recommeded Reading posts, so there ya go.  Two birds and one stone, y’all.

Let me say for the record I don’t consider reading novelty books written by a fictional character aimed at marketing for a television show as fulfilling my resolution.  As you will see in future RR posts, I’m reading stuff of more substance.  But The Playbook, an hour-long read (maybe), was the first book I’ve completed in 2011.  And it’s funny too, especially if you’re a fan of Neil Patrick Harris’ womanizing character who always has a clever strategy or phrase to describe the attitudes and actions of the opposite sex.  Stinson has narrowed the craft of “scoring chicks” down to a science, as you will soon discover, and you will laugh along the way.

Also recommended, because, hey, I’m a completist, is the famous Bro Code.  It really is essential reading for both men and women; the latter will enjoy the defining of stereotypes, but they will have to stop reading in order to constantly roll their eyes.  It’s a friendship book (straight up Dale Carnegie shit), plain and simple, and as Barney declares, even chicks can be bros.  I live by the Bro Code….kinda.  And Bro On the Go is basically the Bro Code condensed to a smaller, not-so-pocket-sized handbook for when you need to adhere to the rules right away.

So yeah, they are marketing gimmicks that always sell well, due to the popularity and hilarity of How I Met Your Mother, but they are also well-written and funny, so pick ’em up so you can start picking up something else…..you know…….girls. Duh, bro.  You’re such a Ted right now.

It just seems right that one of the finest live duos out there would end up performing for a small, raucous crowd at the headquarters of the record label for Jack White, a pioneer of loud, rocking duos all on his own.  Last year, Nashville’s Jeff the Brotherhood stopped at the White Striper’s Third Man compound and churned out an energetic set for those in attendance.  11 songs in 45 minutes, and it’s a nonstop fist-pumping affair.  You can order the madness on wax here.

For my 10th birthday, my uncle bought me this album, Fizzy Fuzzy Big and Buzzy, the debut from Tempe, Arizona natives the Refreshments.  Initially, the artwork excited me more than the music, of course.  But upon repeated listens, I fell in love with Roger Clyne, his crew of outlaws, and their one-of-a-kind brand of Southwestern modern rock (think Gin Blossoms with a spicy TexMex seasoning).

The album became a minor hit for the Refreshments, scoring alternative radio hits with “Banditos” and “Down Together,” both featured below.  The boys released the overlooked and underrated The Bottle and Fresh Horses in 1997, then split ways with their major label, which was consolidating and dropping bands minor bands like flies.

Today, the crew record and tour as Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers, and, unsurprisingly, have a huge following in the Southwest and Mexico.  They still play Refreshments songs live, and have two yearly celebration concerts for their die-hard fans, the January Jam and Circus Mexicus, both held south of the border.

More album tracks after the jump…..

Continue reading

Tonight is the State of the Union address.  As is the tradition, I will sit and watch it along with the rest of informed, educated America.  However, this year I’m likely going with Brian Williams and the fine folks over at NBC.  That’s right – no cable punditry this go around.  Why’s that?  Well, other than the fact that the particular partisan tone of “analysts” can become headache-inducing after about an hour, my favorite indignant commenter will be absent from the proceedings.  I’m talking of course about Keith Olbermann, probably the most popular liberal in the country right now (with Bill Maher, who still claims libertarianism, though no one’s buying it, at a close second).

If you follow the news media at all, you already know about Keith’s decision to split with MSNBC on Friday – the announcement was abrupt, but, according to insiders, no one should be surprised.  Olbermann, who has been described as difficult to work with, had been butting heads with his superiors at the network for some time now.  Many speculate it all came to a head when Olbermann was suspended in November for two days for violating NBC News policy by donating to two Democratic election campaigns.

It has also been reported, in good ol’ NBC fashion, Olbermann’s exit clause has strict stipulations on when he can do interviews and appear on television again – several months for both.  In a twist of irony, the deal was completed exactly one year to the day Conan O’Brien exited the company in a similar scenario, even though Keith is definitely not the A-lister Conan is.  O’Brien even made a joke about it on his show last night, claiming the new industry term for this kind of move is called giving someone “the Conan.”  And it looks like the “I’m With Olbo” campaign is already underway.

Whether MSNBC likes it or not, Keith made their network what it is today, even if that is a second-place channel with under half of the viewers of Fox News.  Olbermann, with his Countdown program, slowly built the progressive voice the network is engulfed in today, and he did it in the nick of time, too; the vitriolic rhetoric of Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly had no clear counterweight on television until Keith came around to set things straight in his own fact-based, mocking, and intelligent way.

Countdown was probably the best written show on cable news, and Olbermann’s delivery, whether you agreed with him or not, gave the act of irascibility a certain charm his conservative rivals couldn’t match.  There’s no doubt Olbermann, with his now-dedicated following, will be back in some form, hopefully television where he belongs (I’m looking at you, third-place CNN….get to stepping!).  There have been talks, however, of a move to Hollywood or maybe a run for the Senate; I hope neither are true.  But in the meantime, while we wait and refresh Keith’s Twitter page constantly, here are a few of my favorite Countdown-related moments.

Continue reading

Trailers for upcoming movies. Some are good, some not as much.

WARM GHOST // OPEN THE WORMHOLE IN YOUR HEART // OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO from HOLY COW COLLECTIVE on Vimeo.

She & Him – Don’t Look Back from Merge Records on Vimeo.

Starting today, and every Saturday, I will post a 15-20 minute podcast featuring some tracks I’ve been jamming the previous week, as well as some commentary and random musings from yours truly. The broadcasting bug has bitten again; I can’t stay away from the microphone for very long. Unfortunately, due to music licensing issues, this isn’t a proper “podcast” in the traditional sense – you can only stream it from this page and there is currently not a downloading option. Also, this is my first go-around in a long while, so I sound pretty rusty. Still, I hope you enjoy, and be sure to check back next week.

Playlist:

Times New Viking – No Room to Live
Millionyoung – Replicants
MNDR – Cut Me Out
TV Girl – On Land
Wavves – Mutant