Sure, New Years was surprisingly active, work has me by the balls and I haven't done a Vspot from last year, but I'm sure you can forgive me. If you're out there reading anyway.
Le Kid Explains Human Behavior
This is my number one favorite thing in the new year; Le Kid cannot suck, not even doing a cheap job like making a theme song for a TV show, the Swedish-aired "Paradise Hotel." While the title sounds rather 80s, the song "Human Behavior" sounds, like Scandipop released which is so spot-on as "a cross between ‘Bigger Than Jesus’ and ‘Escape.'" Oh I second this. Check the full song on soundcloud and hope that there's a free mp3... like saaay, Mr. Brightside?
Josh Groban... oh Josh!
The audio-visual love continues with the Groban Brothers Comedy Hour, yes you heard it right. Josh and Chris make a vlog on Josh's site to explain the progress of his studio time, Chris's music video he shot for Josh, and other silliness. It's more than I could ever describe, just watch here!
One Life to Live says Goodbye
I don't know what my life will be like as of January 16 as ABC screwed itself once more realizing the loss of the soaps after firing Brian Frons, President of ABC daytime TV (or maybe he quit since his contract just expired at the beginning of this year). They attempted sealing up the wound a little bit by allowing OLTL favorites Roger Howarth, Kristen Alderson, Kassie DePaiva, and Michael Easton to meld into General Hospital; but what if another network shows interest in reviving it? Sadly, there's no good way to look at this, just cry your eyes out as Kristen Alderson sang last Friday the soap's theme in the 90s, extended and without schticky 90s accompaniment on soundcloud and pray to God you won't cry for two hours after the show on Friday, like I did last Friday.
HelloGiggles Continues to be Woman's Best Friend
How can HelloGiggles get anymore love from me? Easy, if Lauren Owen continues this "Adventures in Thrifting" where she calls bullshit on clothing sizes. This makes me jump back to my Shopping Guide:3 Ways to Try Clothes Without Stepping in the Dressing Room post minus the hate for the baggy arm styles that's going on lately. Let me refer to it with the main rules: 1. Know your Body. 2. "The Tug Rule" 3. The Seam Ripper is your new best friend!
It looks like the sentiment is shared in her latest post. But I'm looking at Clothes Sizes Are Stupid, Part 2 where she sticks to the legalities. "So basically, companies deliberately have their own unique
sizing; they’re hoping you’ll be comfortable with their particular fit
and be frustrated when you shop elsewhere." She sums up on NPR's article "From Body Scan to Body Form: Sizing a Clothing Line" which attempts to explain why sizes are inconsistent from store to store. I'll stick to Revival and my instincts, thanks department stores.
Laziness of summer got the better (or rather worst, since summer has a secret vendetta against me) of me - summer 2011 will go down as the one year that nothing super amazing is happening, but somehow between mourning the death of the Grandpa from "Princess Bride" (RIP Peter Falk!) and going through slight Nylon Magazine Withdrawals, I've been able to come up with a new Hot Vspot List. I suggest getting an electric fan for Novem and Sarah, they will make you *that* excited. Or if its just me...
Sarah from X Factor... Denmark Style
This is another result of the latest addiction of mine known as Scandipop - a music blog devoted to my absolute favorite area in the world. But more on Scandipop later and let us focus on the post that made me stop scrolling the page, making my eyes wide open with heaving drooling problems... Sarah.
Newly winning Denmark's X Factor and capturing the heart of every woman with a Bieber-esque (yes I made that parallel right away, unfortunately) attitude. And as of this month, she releases her second single "Okay." But forget that for a minute and watch this. While the music is a little less catchy than I like, I cannot keep my eyes off of her, even when she's pulling a little r&b moves that I find annoying and a little blase in the male direction! Teetering the feminine androgynous, she is my dream woman. And she can sing!
I think I died and went to heaven....
!Now Streamable! Sara Lov
Another breed of "Sarah," Sara Lov, who has steamrolled over my ears instead of my lady parts, tweeted around this time last night her soundcloud link for her first album "Seasoned Eyes Were Beaming" a clear five stars in my CD collection. Since I already have a physical copy, I'm willing to spread the love for this fantastic lo-fi singer-songwriter. She recently released "I Already Love You" in February. Unfortunately on neither album has her best covers "My Body is a Cage" and a la Air Supply "All Out of Love." Damn.
Current State of the Soaps
Big news for soap fans or is it? Yesterday a bomb full of candy and my little ponies were showered from the New York post blog via ABC with no source or specifics other than the Soaps were saved by Prospect Park, a media and production company that will put both "All My Children" and "One Life to Live" online. Awesome right? The state of lap tops are dwindling quickly and not many people are lucky to even have a PC so is this really kickass news? Even if its true? I do not remember the exact source (journalism has never been my strongest suit) but ABC was said to unleash rumors about their ideal daytime schedule sooner than later, can this be it? Let's not get too excited and keep fighting the good fight.
Novem
Some of the greatest movies are subdued and full of a "home-movie" charm, if you're lucky to find them. And if its a mockumentary? Even better... or worse knowing it's all just fiction? Novem satisfies my love for home-movies, sorry, or as what they are called now "reality TV" full of in-jokes and amazing ensemble chemistry, something you won't see in reality TV.
9 college students of Harrison University in the spring of 1973 drive out to a remote recording studio in a house in Franklin, TN courtesy of a band member's Uncle's engineer who ran "Dark Horse Studios." Over the span of 7 days and 9 songs written by each member, associated with Alan Levinly video camera recording sessions and late-night booze and pot-infected philosophical conversations ("I don't need your love anywaaaaaaay... bitch.") as well as one particularly hilarious scene with engineer Dan Cook smoking pot and reciting the Jabberwocky. But all of this fun has a karmic tragic end... the week's recordings never being unearthed... until now.
What to associate this movie to would be the perfect blended mocha between the unashamed youthfulness and joy of the moment of RENT blended in with Hair's fearless attitude of wit and banter. I fell in love.
Scandipop
scandipop.co.uk
This is my new addiction, in form of beautiful women singing electropop or in Rikke Le's (a singer who would be the Scandinavian equivalent of Colbie Cailat) case, something you can bounce along to. But what is my biggest S-Pop addiction song at the moment (next to Toxic Avenger and Annie mating)? Do you really need to ask?
Alex Saidac "We Shine"
Buddy Holly Goes Indie
Buddy Holly turns 75 this year and in honor of a hardcore 53 year legacy since his death, Hear Music decided to compile 19 songs of the most obscure sorts - Paul McCartney's homage, Cee-Lo Green covering "You're So Square (Baby I Don't Care)? Is Patti Smith's rendition of "Words of Love" really the greatest song on the album? My Morning Jacket? Really? But in all, this album is a great modernization of how Holly would or should be heard nowadays. But I'm wondering where is that great cover of "Everyday" by Rogue Wave? Other highlights include Florence and the Machine "Don't Fade Away" and Jenny O's "I'm Gonna Love you Too."
"Whitney"
One of the lesser evils of Chelsea Lately is the hilarious comedians she has on her round table for the first ten minutes of the show. Ross Matthews, the bitchy Jen Kirkman, Handler's personal punching bag Jo Koy, Sarah Colonna. But the funniest out of all of them, for someone who thinks comedy is so base, is Whitney Cummings. She's unconventional, loud, brash, and reportedly the arm pits and sweat problems of a man. I love her. And the sheer fact that she has a tv show coming on NBC this fall rocks my face!!! Here's a preview.
Your favorite list, just like EW's Bullseye and Nylon's Radar, is back... and double the "stimulation" (insert naughty giggle here). I really had to scrape my brain for the most ultimate greatest things that have happened in the last three months but despite personal issues as of late, it's been difficult. So lean back and enjoy... (noting how horrible that sounds)
Fortune Feimster
Feimster is at last getting great credit as a comedienne, and we all know that stand-up comedy and I have a strange relationship. But as soon as this ex-Last Comic Standing contestant stepped on Chelsea Lately with a dead-pan humor and a "yeah I know I'm a lesbian, let's move on [I'm not capitalizing on it]" I fell in love. I truly fell in love, love ...
While I am more interested in comedians who embellish on popular culture more, Fortune leaps on the ranks alongside Colbert and Handler in my book. But I'm looking as her employment on Chelsea Lately as another slow lurch forward to sex being next to nothing in pop culture.
Freddie Highmore's Back!!!!
"Little Charlie Bucket" is officially 18 and is a Sundance favorite.... and please make me feel better thatt I'm not the only one who did not forget him. Who could forget the way the six year old could have an emotional breakdown in both an uncredited role as "Young Arthur" in Mists of Avalon AND "Finding Neverland" getting misty eyed themselves in the process? Well, Freddie is back with two new projects ("Toast" which was supposed to come out last year as well "The Art of Getting By" which is speculated for this year) as the Sundance favorite "Homework" starring alongside Emma Roberts. This looks VERY promising! And he looks damn good!
Peach Makeup
This adventure of finding peach makeup is finally at a head - albeit it took paying five dollars for Revlon Top-Speed "Peachy." And this shade of makeup, be it nail polish or lipstick or eyeshadow, is like a natural tanner which seems to be a good middle ground for the latest "no makeup" campaign celebrities have been on. My opinion? People have forgotten the initial concept of makeup was made to ENHANCE and not make girls (or men) look like clowns. Since summer does bring out more colorful outfits, makeup should look more natural but pack a little colorful punch.
Peach Eyeshadow, I'm coming for you now!
Sweet & Sara Bark Rocky Road
Bread Garden does it again with the vegan dessert. First Liz Lovely and now Sweet & Sara's Vegan Marshmallows - dude... just... dude. There are literally no words for this magical concoction of Sara Sohn's vegan marshmallows and roasted almonds doused in a layer of Belgian chocolate. Read the About Section, shows that victory truly does taste sweet.
Save the Soaps Campaign
Yes, it is soap operas and presumably it's a "dying genre" according to those who make fun of fans like me that somehow fit the stereotype. Forget that and look into the recent news of the cancellation of All My Children (aired in 1970) and One Life to Live (1968, and also is a torch-carrying soap for being one of the first shows EVER in both prime time and daytime premiering social issues ... childhood abuse, rape, homophobia, AIDS, prostitution...) is highly unfair, not just because it's a fan ranting on soap opera.
Previously the president of CBS daytime, Brian Frons has been known to cut soaps thus far and employees in both Guiding Light and As the World Turns. Frons is now under the employment of "Mouse Ears" as the president of ABC daytime and he is cutting two socially prolific soap operas. So really it's not only that torch, it's including the execution in how he canceled the soaps.
There was the possibility for the longest time, speculation and rumors of OLTL and AMC's demises starting as early as last year... cast and crew didn't even know a thing until Frons's interview in April 2011's Soap Opera Weekly when he officiated it and then ABC put out the announcement. That is lowest of the low, even if you don't care for soap operas, at least assist in the sanctity of corporation and going against the machine.
So far soap fans along with myself have been able to pull Hoover's sponsorship from flooding their phone lines and email inboxes - and continuing to other sponsors such as Hershey's and now are targeting ad companies to hold ABC where their wallets are. So far DWTS has gone down in ratings, The Voice on NBC soars - One Life to Live has been number 2 in the Nielsen ratings. And yet that doesn't stop Frons from walking past a boycott to get to his office and was noticed laughing hysterically at the pissed off soap fans as well as simply ignoring his voicemails, no hate, but concerned soap fans managing to work past the emotion. It was unfair treatment on top of ruining daytime TV with "what Americans want" food and improvement shows - now, unfortunately it's personal.
While having drinks and uh-may-ziiiing four cheese bread with a friend, both of us overheard a waitress say, "If I had a guitar, I'd tell you all about it."
Classic.
Linda Medley's "Castle Waiting"
I have been singing the praises of this fairy tale and literature inspired graphic novel since I first read it just a few months ago. And in so lately, I picked up the library's copy today knowing I'll finish it by Saturday. It's that good. After Medora (Sleeping Beauty) leaves her kingdom "Putney" her legendary castle ends up becoming a legendary refuge for a small abbey of bearded nuns and multiple other characters, some of which are masked for mysterious reasons and a pregnant Duchess of Carrabas with an interbreed - the about 500 paged first volume is full of adventures and back stories, which truly reads like a Victorian novel at times. Just earlier this year, Medley put out volume 2 which is just as addicting, so much so you'll probably end up looking like a crazy person LOLing as you read. I know.
Andi Watson's "Paris"
If its possible to describe a graphic novelist as whimsy, Andi Watson is a God. Seriously. After falling madly in love with library read Glister (volumes 1 and 2 so far) then buying it on "Free Comic Day" at Daydreams Comics, I discovered a gem in "Paris," a very "lesbian-but-let's-just-say-it's-a-love-story-regardless-of-gender" graphic novel that blurs the lines of screenplay, graphic novel, and maybe poetry in between the lines with the assistance of Simon Gane's illustrations.
Stereotypical Bohemian artist living in Paris Juliet is assigned a new freelance project to paint a young British woman's portrait before an important soiree in two weeks, but has difficulty capturing what it is that allures Juliet to Deborah. There is a whole lot more here than just the love story, including allusions to Degas and Ingres but mostly it's just about the pursuit about art than two ladies with tension between them. Oddly just in black and white ink, Gane's is able to exude just that.
Madison - Superwoman
I found a new addiction and it's not last.fm recommendations. Even better! nylonmag.com has free music downloads and righteously so, I flock to it. And thank God for a woman who sounds like one ovary of Annie and the other of Mr. Little Jeans which only means that Madison is worth a listen... and then multiple listens until you vomit rainbows of joy.
" in February. Unfortunately on neither album has her best covers "My Body is a Cage" and a la Air Supply "All Out of Love." Damn.
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