I know. It's been almost a month and a half since I have advertised a few of my (new) favorite things, but you know, life. In the lieu of life and wondering if anyone is actually reading this blog or this post, leave a shout out in the comments and make a girl feel good. Please? But since it has been a month and a half, there has been plenty things cooking in my Vspot folder...

Five of the Best Words in the English dictionary: Emmy the Great, New Album

Our favorite anti-folkster has moved to the West Coast from England and adopted a new sound, this we already knew from her "Swimming Pool" single from last year. Now there are three more songs attached to this new EP entitled "S" and they all are made of ambient, sensitive, honest, and electropoppy goodness.  Even in the first few seconds of "Somerset (I Can't Get Over)" you feel that "oof" factor in the "tell me something that's real like please don't get over me." But that's what Emmy has done even in her previous incarnation of Regina Spektor's lyrical cousin with her cleverness. Case in point in the same song, "F. Scott Fitzergald, Tennessee Williams/Come on let's talk about something different..." I always find it fascinating that an album or an EP comes out around a life experience of hers and that's why I love her so much. Now Taylor Swift on the other hand....(j/k)

NEW TRAILER for 

"The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"

Ten of the Most Orgasmic Words in the English Language:

Josh Groban, Three New Videos and a New Album Coming

Josh Groban will be putting a new album into the world that sounds much more promising than "All That Echoes" (sorry!) IN TWO WEEKS! While it will be nothing original like "Illuminations," which I will forgive because my Joshy has been very busy for the last few years, he will tackle the Broadway standard. Already it's been reported that standards such as "Pure Imagination" (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory), "What I Did for Love" (A Chorus Line), "Bring Him Home" (Les Miserables) "You'll Never Walk Alone" (Carousel), "Finishing the Hat" (Sunday in the Park with George), "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" (The Wizard of Oz), "Try to Remember" (The Fantasticks), "Not While I'm Around" (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street), "Children Will Listen" (Into the Woods) among many others. Oh, and "All I Ask of You" from Phantom of the Opera. You *do* *not* want to hear the noises I made when I discovered that one. This will be a VERY happy experience!

The Von Trapps Are Doing Indie Pop

The Sound of Music notwithstanding, "Kurt" or Werner in the real world von Trapp's great grandchildren, Sofia, Melanie, Amanda and golden hair God -- I, I mean -- August made a band and they're awesome. While the von Trapps have already released an album with the easy listening band, Pink Martini, they are putting out a more Indie poppy sound on their "Dancing in Gold" EP that will come out -- oh hey! -- today. Unfortunately, I missed the chance to see them in Des Moines a few weeks ago (but luckily I got the secondhand scoop from a friend who opened for them) but I'm ready to hear more than just the YouTube clip of their new song. Their genetic harmonies are just as genetically tight and I am so ready for this! [EDIT: (4/14 1:23) IT'S HEERREE!] My Homegirl Mackenzie Scott is Being Awesome Again...

By this point, you all know my deep homegirl affection for Mackenzie Scott. She's adorable and awesome and honest and can rock a Kum and Go trucker hat like no one's business. But I digress. That honesty has come back in a more vibrant way via "Sprinter" coming out May 5. While her first album was painfully truthful and beautiful in that melancholic kind of way, this time around (if her singles "Strange Hellos" and "Sprinter" is any indication), it's raw and as autobiographic as the first album. In an interview with pitchfork, she explains the lyrics come inspired by her family (she herself being adopted as well as the mother who raised her).

"Whether it be abandonment, or fear of rejection, or perhaps inability to connect with people, comes down to that fear of isolation, of not being good enough. Those are themes that have cropped up in my personal life, in my writing, and my Mom can definitely understand that herself."

Sold!

Yeah, so it's kind of snowing a little earlier than usual, so what? When I was a young 'un I had to wear my fairy godmother Halloween costume over a snowsuit, so things always can be worse. While I was hoping for that "Oh my God it's December and it's special Christmas snow" when I saw snow this year, you know, I think I can live.

Just don't play Christmas music in my direction. I will bite Bing Crosby, damn it!

And those Corona Christmas commercials need to die slowly and painfully.

Jamie Cullum: The Master of Covers

"Shakes it Off"

Jamie Cullum always nails every cover he does whether it's making a shoe-shuffling version of "Singin' in the Rain" to a magically epic "Lover, You Should Have Come Over" or my personal favorite "High and Dry". Essentially, this man cannot suck and I love every bit of that moppish hair and boyish grin of his. Especially with that grin of his is singing Taylor Swift. There's nothing more that I can other say other than watch this, you will not regret it.

Emmy the Great is Making Some Changes and Still is Clever and Ravishing

Speaking of people who simply cannot suck. The Great and Majestic Emma Lee Moss has new music thanks to her recent move to Los Angeles. The move seems almost reported on in her current single, "Swimming Pool" (which features Tom Fleming of Wild Beasts) "I want your sunshine, your tan lines, your blue swimming pool." What was once her quirky and smart anti-folk courtesy of the London scene is now, while still clever, dreamy electropop but then it's only the first single. January cannot come soon enough to hear more of this new sound!
You can read more and enjoy a playlist courtesy of Moss here.
The Prince of Darkness and his Brood are Back!

There was ham-throwing, dogs pooping, Ozzy screaming for Sharon, Kelly pouting, Jack moans lustfully that "the McRib is back" and getting shit for it. Madness is going to ensue on VH1 as of ... well, I hope very soon. While not as crazy as the original show and barely a season The Osbournes will highlight what rock's first reality TV stars have been up to lately, although that might be barely a stretch for people who are obsessed with them. (Kelly having been on "Fashion Police" and recently as a voice-over actress on the Disney show "7D", Sharon doing her thing on "The Talk" and "America's Got Channel" and Jack's documentary career on National Geographic and ITV.) Naturally, I am obsessed with Kelly Osbourne so I, of all people, would know these things. 
But what brought this on? "Ozzy's decided he wants to do another few episodes, about eight, of The Osbournes.... He's said for the three years we did it he was drunk the whole time and he'd like to be sober," said Sharon. Knowing that Kelly wasn't in the greatest state of mind either and now finally finding herself, hell, why not bring them back? Maybe 8 episodes will evolve into more. And who doesn't want to see Jack's adorable little girl, Pearl, being held by her legendary grandfather? I DO! 
And now, a scene where Ozzy yells at the dog. < br/>

So Daniel Radcliffe Did Something Amazing on Jimmy Fallon... . ..So amazing that it explains itself!


Lake Street Dive Takes a Trip to the  "Love Shack"
As a Halloween video to their fans, Lake Street Dive dressed up in nutty costumes and grooved out to the B52's guilty pleasure. What results is just plain goofiness complete with a little swim.


Horror Icons Help Out Animated Poe Adaptation

Guilermo del Toro, Christopher Lee. Bela Lugosi. Roger Corman. Those names alone alongside Edgar Allan Poe in one sentence would be enough to induce heart palpitations for the literary nerd. But Raul Garcia, master animator on such Disney classic as "Aladdin," "Pocahontas" and "The Lion King" has found a way to animate the immortal macabre tales in an episodic series using different animation styles, much in the spirit of Michel Ocelot. "The Masque of the Red Death" is influenced by Egon Schiele, "The Pit and the Pendulum" by mid 19th century photography etc etc.  You can find the trailer here.
Revived Ripper Street Comes Back Today!

After all of the petitions and begging the BBC to not cancel this amazing series, "Ripper Street" will be gracing computer screens everywhere sometime tonight and I cannot be more excited! In this new season, we should expect some pretty amazing things like Molly from Sherlock (Louise Brealey), Rose finally in a good place, new ventures for Long Susan (Myanna Buring), and hopefully more of Jackson's "lack of propriety." Bring it. I'm so excited, I'm doing a happy dance.  
On the inside. 
Because I'm sleepy. 

Master-Cellist Unwoman Welcomes Us to The Muppet Show

This woman can do anything. Covers of Tori Amos, The White Stripes, Ladytron, 4 Non Blondes, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper. Girl can do everything and anything. So how about "The Muppet Show" theme? Sure! Why not?