Rocklahoma

With a name like The Flaming Lips... You'd almost suspect the band to be... (nevermind)

Today is a great day in the history of Oklahoma. Governor Brad Henry signed an official order to declare the song "Do You Realize" by The Flaming Lips to be the State Rock Song. This decision went against the vote coming from the Oklahoma House of Representatives that said "No" to the idea of this particular song being the official State Rock Song (although, the Senate passed it with ease). Oklahoma is now the third state in America to actually have a State Rock Song. This decision was met by harsh criticism from other Oklahoma politicians. State Representative Corey Holland doesn't like the fact that bassist Michael Ivins has been seen wearing a hammer and sickle shirt. Mike Reynolds (another state rep) does not look fondly on lead vocalist Wayne Coyne's use of swearing. The Flaming Lips did flippin' LSD!!! Get over dumb stuff! But Brad Henry is smart. He likes life. He doesn't get offended by the non-offensive things. Thank you Brad Henry for knowing what rock really is (kind of). :)

Do not go listen to Massachusetts "State glee club song". Watch this vid of one of the "50 Bands you should see live before you die" according to Q Magazine (it's British).

Holographic Idol

I'll trade you my David Cook for your Kelly Clarkson. Please???

Wow... American Idol really isn't just a TV show... And I hate it. The 7-year-old reality TV series American Idol is coming out with its very own "line of trading cards". Trading cards... Exactly what audience is American Idol trying to appeal to?! Obviously not kids, because FOX should know that kids don't watch American Idol. It's on during Suite Life of Zack & Cody and Hannah Montana. Why does life pose such difficult questions...? Not. What the heck else is American Idol gonna do with their money?! The show makes money because of all of it's sponsors. You get companies to sign on like Coca-Cola and Old Navy and you WILL have a surplus of money. Because they give Idol lots of money. Lots. Because you can't swing a dead cat at an American Idol episode without hitting 7 commercials of both Coke and Old Navy. So what would any wise franchise (<-rhyme) do with a surplus? Exactly, set up a really dumb idea that the people on VH1 can make fun of in their "I Love the (Insert decade)" shows. Kids barely buy enough Yu-Gi-Oh cards to keep that franchise afloat. What could possibly make American Idol think that trading cards will work?! Because they are living in the past, in all aspects of the statement. The idea of the show is old. The judges are getting old. Horrible auditions are getting old. American Idol has the inability to innovate. Therefore, they have crappy ideas, like trading cards. But if for some reason you would want them, you can Catch 'Em All(!) April 21st. The bravest person on American Idol... Poor guy was exploited so negatively. But I give this guy major props for following his dreams. He sounds bad, but I totally respect him. At least he's on pitch. It's too bad people like Simon Cowell exist in this world... :\

The Raconteuring Dead Stripe

Jack just can't make up his mind...

Our friend Jack White (The Stripes, The Raconteurs) has formed yet ANOTHER band, The Dead Weather. The Dead Weather consists of many people who can't make up their mind such as, Jack White, Alison Mossheart (The Kills), Jack Lawrence (The Raconteurs), and Dean Fertita (Queens of the Stone Age). One listen of the two songs that are currently released and you can TOTALLY tell it's a Jack White band... He just doesn't know who he wants to play with, he doesn't know what he wants to play, and he doesn't know what band name he wants to have. Look for a record June 9th.

Don't watch these; just listen. I still haven't formed an opinion yet...

Forget Interns; Hello Boys.

Sorry. Bad start.

Michael Jackson is coming back out to play... But in England. Apparently, you can get your presale tickets TONITE at midnight for only approximately $68 (only if you're an adolescent boy). He will be playing the same show in London 10 times (and if you're an 18-year-old or younger, you're expected to go every time because it's free). But you better hurry (only if you want to). Over 1 million people have registered to get presale tickets. Upon hearing this, Jackson said he was "ecstatic" to the response of fans (I could insert another child joke here, but that's just too predictable).

I'm seeing this odd trend... More bands and artists are coming back to the business and touring. But with Michael Jackson, why would he want to hop back into the limelight that views him as a child molester? I guess I didn't really need to ask that question. He wants to reclaim his dignity. But, BET still likes him. So at least he is accepted by his own (former) culture. No matter why or what it is, get ready for a new live album and another 20 years of people pretending to know the Thriller dance.

Van Hero

Just play the real guitar...

I hate it when people tell me that. I hate it because it's so true. Guitar Hero makes people musically lazy. It's so easy to be content with only spending $60 on a fake guitar to sound exactly like Jimi Hendrix or Kirk Hammett only in front of a TV. Show me one person who can recreate the experience of a great rock song on a real guitar better than someone playing Guitar Hero and I will show you the most underrated one-man-band ever. But seeing how I don't view myself as being musically lazy (sorry if that's conceded), I don't mind playing Guitar Hero. And soon, I'll be rocking like it's 1975.

Activision has reportedly announced Guitar Hero: Van Halen. It's going to be funny to see which band members will actually show up in the game. Seeing how Van Halen was one of the biggest staples in the pop/glam metal genre, most of the songs will seem familiar... And they. Are. Going. To. Rock. :)

Sorry it was short today, but divulge in this beauty.

New scuzzy data will sound so good...

Harder. Better. Faster. Stronger.

Four words that can describe the band Daft Punk and the movie TR2N (TRON 2, the sequel to the 1982 robot Disney film). And wow... Doesn't that just sound amazing. TRON=robot action. Daft Punk=robot music. Both items are definitive of their genre (granted, Terminator, Transformers, and possibly Robocop are more definitive of robot action, but hint the age group that is being targeted). So... The announcement that Daft Punk will be writing the score for TR2N is the best news for any nerd in the world. I have an idea...

I'm hoping... That TR2N will be so big, that pre-teen boys will view TRON like pre-teen girls (and any age girls) view the Twilight saga. Let's face it, boys don't have anything to really be crazy over right now. It can't be super heroes, because (amazingly) both genders are enjoying that. And if boys will inevitably find something to obsess over (in culture), hopefully the robot action will be enough for the boys without having to use *ahem* SEXUAL INDICATIONS. Because even when teenage boys' hormones are raging, it still boils down to the testosterone-driven things. One being robot action. Take that Stephanie Meyer.

But the fact that Daft Punk is doing the score is so completely AWESOME! The French duo is SO talented. Seeing how the music was ONE of the many magical things this Disney flick did, this decision will not disappoint. Bravisimo mes amies!

You knew this was coming... But I'm almost tired of this song.

Zac Efron ate my baby

It's a metaphor. It should ONLY freak you out. Because it only means one thing...

Apparently... They are making another High School Musical (gah, this series has such a lazy title). HSM4 will be released on television like the first two HSM's. I figure it's just a sign of the economy... But hey, no longer can Disney steal $42mil from a movie like Saw V (which shouldn't have stolen $30mil from Synecdoche, New York) at the box office. Thank goodness, because seeing the posters for HSM3 when walking through the lobby of the theater was hard enough. I'd rather fall ill to Yellow Fever than see Corbin Bleu less than 3 inches away from Zac Efron (even if it is on a poster where they're inanimate).
So, the next installment doesn't have much of a plot, BUT the producers did say that it would focus on a "love triangle set against the crosstown school rivalry between the East High Wildcats and the West High Knights."...Really? First off, I thought High School Musical 3 was "Graduation". Second off, East High and West High? I could ask my unborn child for two better high school names. And last off, how long are people going to watch these movies?!?! Do you think that Disney is really going to invent any sort of new elements for the "love triangle" idea? No. Are these kids ever going to leave school? No. Will Zac Efron ever come out of the closet? No. It succeeds because kids dig old kids. With these movies being musicals, story won't matter to the kids.

So, I leave you with my favorite clip from High School Musical. I can't believe that rarely anybody talks about it. =D

An Idiot Boyfriend late at nite...

Mr. Fallon has re-entered the building...

Tonight, Jimmy Fallon returns to NBC. As Conan slips out of Late Night (June 1, he'll replace Jay Leno on The Tonight Show), Jimmy steps up to take the helm. Now, any comedy fan has heard the name Jimmy Fallon (and adores him). And if you don't like him, you don't like life. How can one not be excited to hear the news that "Jarret" from the SNL skits titled "Jarret's Room" is coming to make us laugh more?! With his incredible sense of humor, uncanny music talents, and unstoppable wit, there is no way he will disappoint. So tune in at 10:35 (central) to NBC on weeknights. Watch and die laughing.

Although this doesn't focus on Jimmy, it's..... Great. (even though this isn't the correct one, I dedicate this to Lesley) =)

Sorry

So I've been busy and out of town with no Internet access for the past
two days. I assure you that I will start posting again tomorrow.
Again, apologies. :)

(Am I going to) Keep On Listening To You

Have you realized how much random stuff is at Wal-Mart??? It's the "go-to" place for anything. You could be grocery shopping while your child gets a haircut. You can go play a demo of Guitar Hero while your tires get changed. AND 10-year-olds can get Classic Rock band t-shirts for $6.88 (or whatever kind of crazy price Wal-Mart can put on it). I'll come back to this later...
REO Speedwagon has just announced a new tour with the bands Styx and .38 Special. REO and Styx (on a collaborative effort) just released a single called "Can't Stop Rockin'." But why did they make this decision? Well, let's face it: REO and Styx just pulled a Brett Favre. They retired, said "Just kidding", and decided to come back and play because they thought they were missing out on something. Before you know it, they'll retire again. And they'll still think that they can totally rock out at whatever age they're at... But essentially, these bands are just keeping up with the times. A new G N' R record, a new Def Leppard record, and a new Journey record have all been released to some (somewhat) hype. REO and Styx just believe they can follow suit right? Well that depends... Do they have t-shirts at Wal-Mart?
Kids. They have this idea that when you listen to classic rock, you're way more cooler than all the other kids around. But it's not the classic rock that is cool to them. It's the idea of classic rock that is appealing. When 57-year-old Frederick comes up to 7-year-old Billy and tells him "Hey, Zeppelin rocks!", Billy is gonna feel like the bomb. Kids know what to like because A) Wal-Mart makes nifty little displays that show you exactly which band is on each shirt, and B) they turn to VH1 and have Bret Michaels tell them what the best songs and bands of all time are. And we all know how fantastic of a leader Bret Michaels is (and, I suppose, what kind of taste in music he has). :(
REO could use a little help too... Keyboards are not the most popular of instruments in this day. And they're pretty much doomed since they don't have a shirt at Wal-Mart. Point is, they're going to have to get pretty lucky if they want to start playing for real this time. Enjoy. :)

Clockguys

"The musical is back!!!" -Hugh Jackman at the 2009 Academy Awards

I laughed too. Obviously our Australian friend did not look at the box office statitistics for last year. He would have noticed that Hancock (yeah, I know), Iron Man, and The Dark Knight ($228 mil, $318.3 mil, and $532.8 mil, respectively) all made more money than Mamma Mia! ($143.7 mil). I guess what I'm trying to say is that Hugh Jackman really should have said "The superhero/comic flick is back!" He could have said this after a really cool stage performance of Hugh acting out many different superheroes (although, he does pull off the hairy bladed-hands guy very well).
So you see that really the comic movie is back. Last year, Marvel stepped up their game. Releasing Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk in the same year proved to be quite successful. They also made mention of sequels and an Avengers or S.H.I.E.L.D. movie. DC only managed to put out The Dark Knight, but that's okay considering it became the second most successful movie in the box office (second to Titanic, eww...). TDK actually made more than The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man combined.
Really, with 3 superhero movies in the top 4 selling movies of last year, the comic/superhero movie is back.
And 2009 is starting it's hero time early. March. The sixth. The most celebrated graphic novel of all time hits the silver screen. I'm (obviously) referring to Clockguys... I MEAN Watchmen. I find this strategy odd for DC. The first 3 months of the year are quite possibly the worst months to release a movie. Sales are never up; studies show less cinema attendance. But this may be just what DC has in mind. Perhaps they can capitalize on the fact that no one else reputable is releasing a film in these early months. Because let's face it, this movie is going to make money. Alot of it. Alot. And alot of people want to see this movie. Alot of people. Alot.
Go buy the book. No one will look down on you, call you a nerd, or hit you for having this in your library. It's the only graphic novel on Time Magazine's "Greatest Novels of All Time". With a great story, great cast (as far as I can tell), and a great crew (Zach Snyder did a little comic movie that you may have heard of called 300). If I told you the premise of the movie, I would most certainly give details that I think I shouldn't give. So... I'll just let the trailer ruin that for you. Enjoy. X)

Rappin' and Rollin'

"WHAT. IS. IT? IT'S IT! WHAT IS IT?"

That's a good question. What is it that has encouraged Faith No More to come back together? The only announcement is that they are reuniting for a European Tour, but they are just crazy enough to want to make another album. I'd actually give someone one of my kidneys if they could explain to me the exact thought process and psyche of Mike Patton.
For those of you (Lesley, my only reader at the moment) who don't know Faith No More, they were a band existing in the period of 1982-1998. They rapped. They rocked. Essentially, rap metal. This rarely exists nowadays. Sure, Korn is still around, but the rap metal and rapcore genres are DEAD. Faith No More proved to be successful while around, but chose to split for solo careers. So can we accept a reawakening of rapcore or rap metal???
Well, it always suprises me what anyone can grow to like in the music world. I'm STILL amazed that their are girls in my high school who are absolutely in love with the Jonas Brothers. For the mainstream casual listener, Faith No More has to make something with a good beat. If it's singable, Faith No More can pull it off. They are just so odd, it's hard to forecast whether or not they could reestablish a big fan base. But it can be said that FNM will definitely have to "modernize" a little bit.
Take "Epic" for example. Released in 1989, it is the band's biggest single. But the lyrics are... Something. The music video is also... Something. The only conclusion you can draw from watching the music video and hearing the song in this day and age is that the band is going to have to adapt to the times. It's practically impossible to describe. The only way I can think of putting it is... It's it. Good luck Faith No More. It's gonna take more than "killing" Bjork's fish to make it in the biz today.
Enjoy. :)

So we're gonna try this...

It's odd that I'm actually doing this.
I'm actually going to write. I hate to write. But I love to talk. I notice many things. So here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to write what I notice. In the wake of this "economic crisis", people still find themselves spending extra money on their phone bills making multiple calls to vote for Danny Gokey on the 8th season of "American Idol". Kanye West still sells 1,328,000 copies of his newest album "808s & Heartbreak" (released in late November). My point is, entertainment and pop culture still serves its purpose as an escape from our melancholy. In the spirit of my good friend Chuck, I'm just going to... Talk about this, talk about how (pop) culture effects us. Now I'm not an expert, nor should I be evaluated as that. As is everyone else's quest, I just want to know more. So I'm going to pay attention. It may be a random thought I had while reading a book. It may be a critique on the obsession of how many babies Angelina Jolie needs. It could really be anything. Anything can be culture... I think.
It's odd that I'm actually doing this.