It's about damn time!

Depeche Mode, the once decent group whose long descent into dreadful mediocrity depressed its dejected audience even further, has finally release a good new song (It only took you three cds guys. Good going.)
Martyr is off of the group’s greatest hits CD, which will be released in November, according to OhNoTheyDidn’t. Interestingly enough, it’s a brilliant mixture of the band’s very early Erasure-ish music and its later more aggressive/masochistic sound.Of course, the last halfway descent Depeche Mode CD, Songs About Faith and Devotion, was released in 1993, 13 years ago, so it’s good to see they’re keeping it fresh.
You can check out the track by clicking HERE.

Or HERE.

Cover songs? We don't need no steenkin' cover songs!

Yes we do! I just happened to run across this post on My Old Kentucky Blog. The awesome MP3 blog has compiled cover versions of some pretty amazing songs including Imogen Heap's take on Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah, Ben Folds covering The Postal Service's Such Great Heights, Die Art covering Joy Division's Love Will Tear Us Apart and and more. It's glorious!
Check it out by clicking HERE.

What the hell is going on with this world?

Dustin Diamond, Screech from TV's Saved By The Bell, is in an adult film. IMDb's Celebrity News is reporting that a tape featuring Diamond, who recently started selling t-shirts on the Internet to save his Port Washington home, in a number of ... acts ... with some women (plural) has surfaced. Diamond's agent is apparently looking for a distributor.
Now, you know Diamond is hard up for cash, and it must be hard to get work when you're typecast as the geek from some overrated Saturday morning show, but adult films?
Did that work for Elizabeth Berkley? No! Showgirls almost killed her carrer! And let's face it. The roles she's gotten haven't been all that great!
Adult films didn't work for Jaimee Foxworth either. Who? Judy Winslow from Family Matters. Her character when to bed in 1993 and never woke up again. After that she starred in Hot Girlz and My Baby Got Back 29 (source, IMDb), and nothing else except the 20/20 interview and Oprah chat about why she did it.
Dustin, adult films are not the answer. Maybe directing, maybe acting coaching, maybe even talk show host, anything but adult films.
To be blunt: Nobody wants to see Screech get it on.

Music for a rainy day

I pulled this down. I'll put another playlist up later.

All the things that make us, f-ing cry

Update: YouTube had flagged this video as being inappropriate (apparently, it has a bad word in it. You may still view it, but you have to create/or sign in to a YouTube account and verify you are over 18. (Eric, 5 p.m.)

In the last 24 hours, several Internet sites and blogs have confirmed and debunked rumors that Sunday’s episode of The Family Guy contained an utterance of THE ONE WORD you cannot say on television under any circumstance.
I’m surprised more media outlets haven’t jumped on this; apparently Clinton losing his mind on Fox News is more substantial than the F-word appearing on television (hey chumps, it’s not!).
Here’s what I’ve compiled. Several users on YouTube, where a clip of the show surfaced, claim the show aired uncensored in several Canadian markets. BUT several people on the Kansas City Star blog, TV Barn, said the clip was stolen off of a satellite feed — before it was censored and aired.
Both seem plausible, but the clip does exist. I know I was watching Sunday night, and I’m 100 percent sure it did not air here (I would have noticed. In fact, I have been waiting patiently for that barrier to come crashing down, so I’ve actually been watching for it.)
I’m confident in saying it did not air anywhere in the US from a US-based station. And it’s hard to say what show will be the one to finally break the F-barrier. It will happen, and probably in the next few years.

Until them, I’ll be watching patiently.

Here's the clip again. Remember, if you are offended by foul language, do not watch this!!!

Give me an F

It has been confirmed. The Family Guy dropped the F-Bomb on Canadian Television. The foul word was beeped in the US, but for viewers living along the border, they were apparently treated to some pretty foul language.
This, I believe, is the first scripted F-bomb on a television show in the US. (technically, because broadcast waves entered the country.)All other instances of the F-word being used on television were during live shows.

Do you want to see it? Play it below, but I have to warn you THIS DOES CONTAIN ONE REALLY, REALLY BAD WORD. IF YOU ARE OFFENDED BY THIS REALLY BAD WORD, THAT STARTS WITH AN F, DO NOT PLAY THIS VIDEO! I repeat, this video has bad language. If you are offended, do not watch it.

Enjoy, sickos

Family Guy, The Final F-ing Frontier

Apparently, last night's episode of the Family Guy featured a little extra treat for its regular viewers. According to IMDb's Studio Briefing, the F-bomb was dropped during the episode and was heard plain as day in several markets.
A clip was also reportedly put up on youtube.com, but I have not been able to find it. (anyone who does find it, leave a link to it in the comment section)
I watched the show, and I completely missed it. And, if this turns out to be true, it may be a pretty monumental event. Most "accidental" F-bomb drops have been on live TV shows like sporting events, Saturday Night Live, and people in the background of live on-the-scene news reports.
In case anyone cares, dropping the f-bomb can cost up to $325,000 in indecency fines from the FCC (according to a Washington Post Article HERE).
This, if I am correct, would be the first scripted F-word utterance in the history of broadcast network television (not including cable). We'll see though, this could be another Internet hoax.
If it isn't, it's a brand new f-n world.

Stewie photo courtesy of Tincanman's Xanga.

Mad Mad Media Podcast 10!!!

Mad Mad Media Podcast 10
click to play, right-click to download

On the podcast this week:

Meg and Dia

"Monsters"

Website

MySpace




Death Cab For Cutie

"Title and Registration"

Website

MySpace

Smoosh

"Find A Way"

Website

Myspace

46Bliss

"A Long Time"

Website

MySpace

H is for Hellgate

"Description of the Prior Art"

Website

MySpace

The Turn Ons

"Eastern Hollows"

Website

MySpace

Karmella's Game

"The Revolution Will Be Cybercast"

Website

MySpace

The Good News, and The Bad

THE GOOD NEWS: A new Mad Mad Media Podcast will be available later tonight!

THE BAD NEWS: My external hard drive, the one I just got back from the company TWO WEEKS AGO, fried again. I'm getting this close (fingers one centimeter apart) from saying what company makes it.

Hope everyone's day is well!

Eric

The Office was well worth the wait

Not many questions were answered on the future of Jim and Pam last night on The Office, but that had to be one of the most funny and uncomfortable half and hours on television I have ever seen.
Michael Scott is an idiot, and you've got to love him for it. I'm already on pins and needles for next weeks episode. The romantic in me still thinks Jim and Pam are going to get together, and it's great to see the show for now will be able to continue with their strange chemistry, even when they're not in the same office.
And Roy's mug shot was priceless!

How much does Disney love Apple right now?

According to the IMDb, a whole lot. The Web site reported Disney CEO Robert Iger said in a conference call Tuesday that the company sold about 125,000 movie downloads through the Apple online store, bringing it $1 million in revenue and expects to earn an additional $50 million from the downloads in the first year. Apple started selling movies online about two weeks ago and Disney has 75 titles on iTunes.

To find out more about iTunes, click HERE.

I can't keep quiet any longer!!!!!

In July, the Lao, Hmong and American Veterans Memorial was dedicated in Sheboygan’s Deland Park. The monument celebrates the efforts of those who fought in the Secret War, where tens of thousands of Lao and Hmong soldiers, trained by the CIA and U.S. Special Forces, battled the North Vietnamese army in Laos to help U.S. troops fighting in South Vietnam.
I was lucky enough to cover it for the paper, and even though it was over 100 degrees outside, it was an amazing experience for the whole community.
Well, as some of you know, the Sheboygan Press’ Nhia Yang and Sam Castro have been working on a DVD, called “Brothers in Arms: The Story of the Lao, Hmong and American Veterans Memorial in Sheboygan,” commemorating the Secret War and the creation and dedication of the memorial.
I wasn’t supposed to see it, but I snuck a peak at it the other day. (And I don’t feel bad about it one bit. Nhia, you can be mad at me all you want and call me a jerk, but I don’t care).
I wasn’t going to say anything until it came out later this year, but I just can’t wait.
The Brothers in Arms DVD is truly amazing. (And this has nothing to do with me working with Sam and Nhia, because I would have no problem telling them if I didn’t like it).
They did a great job, and I think you guys are really going to like it.
They are still working out some minor things, but the DVD should be coming out soon. It will be available for $19.99.
If you are interested in reading about the memorial and want to see video clips from interviews featured in the documentary, follow this link HERE.

You can also preorder the DVD by clicking HERE (though I will warn you this does open up a PDF).

In Brief

Over the last week or so, I have run into so many things on the Internet and in magazines and newspapers that I just haven’t had room for. So today, I am compiling all of those things into one column.

Do you feel old yet? How about now: Def Leppard announced it would be reissuing “Hysteria” as a two-CD package October 24 to celebrate its 20th Anniversary. 20 years? Damn, I remember buying that...on cassette!

Lindsay Lohan said this week she loves London so much, she’s planning on moving there (IMDb reported). Good! Enjoy the meat pies and bad teeth. Of course, you can fall in love with any city WHEN YOU HAVE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS! I’d love London too, if I could afford it!

Speaking of London, an art exhibition opened up in Barbican Arts Centre celebrating 30 years of punk. They would have invited some of the early punk rockers to open the show, but most of them were to drunk, pissed off or dead to show up.

Scarlett Johansson, who is starring in the Black Dahlia (below), told InStyle Magazine she’s happy being “curvy.” Did anyone say they minded that? Anyone?




Britney Spears and Kevin “Britney’s Husband” Federline named their second child Sutton Pierce. The name was probably Britney’s choice. I’m thinking K Fed, as he’s known in his overactive imagination, would have wanted to name the kid Opie Pimp.

Willie Nelson was busted for pot. I’d write a joke about this, but (a) I don’t care, (2) I’m not surprised and (d) you can’t really applaud the investigating officers because, really, how easy of a bust would that be? As far as usual suspects go, Nelson and Snoop Dogg are just easy targets. Now if they would have arrested the Olsen twins — now that would be interesting!

TV bounty hunter Duane ‘Dog’ Chapman, of A&E’s aptly titled Dog The Bounty Hunter, was arrested for bounty hunting in Mexico where it’s a crime. Of course, the charges stem Chapman apprehending Max Factor heir Andrew Luster in Puerto Villarta, Mexico, in 2003 after he fled the US after being convicted of raping three women, so maybe if the Mexican Police would have arrested and extradited Luster a bounty hunter wouldn’t have been necessary. Did Bobba Fett teach us nothing?

Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown are getting divorced. You have to wonder how they’re going to split their stash in the divorce stipulation.

Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest became the third film to gross over $1 billion in the worldwide box office. Only $100 million away from beating Lord of the Rings: Return of the King and $800 million from beating Titanic. Go Depp!

As I have mentioned several times on Mad Mad Media, the third season of The Office premieres this week. I’m super excited.

And, for you readers that made it all the way to the bottom, I present to you “The Beer Cannon.”

What will happen on The Office on Thursday?

Will Jim and Pam get together? Will Pam leave Roy at the altar? Will Michael get a clue? The Office premieres Thursday, and I am having a hard time waiting. Too many questions. Check out this video from NBC highlighting some of the best Jim and Pam moments.

Movie Rumor!!!

A remake of Sam Raimi's classic low budget slasher, The Evil Dead, is in the works.
According to the Internet Movie Database, the film will be directed by Rob Zombie and wil be released in 2008. No one is attached to star (though I have a feeling Bruce Campbell will make an appearance somewhere in the film).
Sam Raimi, who is busy finishing Spiderman 3, is producing the remake.
The Evil Dead was released in 1981 and slowly became a cult classic.
The film was followed by two sequels, The Evil Dead 2 in 1987 (which was pretty much the same movie with more gore and better visuals) and The Army of Darkness (an unofficial sequel) in 1992. Bruce Campbell starred in all three movies.
Rumors of a fourth installment have been floating around the Internet for over a decade, but Campbell and Raimi have both said there would be no sequel because Army of Darkness failed to bring in the big bucks at the box office. 

Today is a great day for indie music fans

No, not because Fergie drops her new CD today.
Good Weather For Airstrikes has made ALL of its 10 indie music compilations available on the web for listeners to download.
The compilations, which were released sporadically since February 2005, feature music by Stars, The Shins, Imogen Heap, Death Cab For Cutie, The Bloc Party, KT Tunsall, Rilo Kiley and others.
They are amazing.
Get them while you can by clicking HERE.

Microsoft, you may just be too late

Last week, Microsoft announced it would release Zune — an MP3 player to rival the iPod, and a music download service to compete with iTunes. On Monday, the company announced it would launch Soapbox — its answer to YouTube.
Microsoft, what are you doing?
I’m all for people jumping on the bandwagon, taking an idea and making it their own — I mean without The Simpsons there would be no Family Guy — but the iPod and YouTube are amazing inventions that showcase smart, creative people thinking outside the box.
Both have set up intricate, easy to use systems that have been accepted by users as the dominant services in both medium.
Why would you want to mess with that?
From a business standpoint, it doesn’t make sense. You have to develop a new system from the ground up, form alliances with other media companies, promote it and make it better than what is already out there.
Apple emerged with the iPod (and iTunes) at the exact right time. There were already MP3 players, but they stunk. There were services to download music, but they weren’t user friendly (and many were illegal). Apple changed that, and wasn’t it like five years ago? They are dominant and have been for five years. You are just going to have to accept that.
Taking on the year-old YouTube makes more sense, but how would you, Microsoft, make it any better? Would you allow people to upload videos? Sure you would, but what’s next? Nothing — that’s what’s next!
I can see what you’re doing — you’re taking two great ideas and piggyback on their successes— but this isn’t an operating system, these are unique ideas in a fast moving business. By the time you copy them, Apple, YouTube and a hundred other companies will be on to the next great idea.
Where will you be? Copying old stuff, like a crummy cover band. It’s time to stop singing “We are the Champions,” and start writing a new song.

Photo courtesy of Aurum.

If you are interested in the Zune, read more about it on My Old Kentucky Blog HERE.

George Lucas - Jerk

This is an open letter to George Lucas I wrote in response to the release of the "original" theatrical versons of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi on DVD.


Dear George Lucas,
You suck.
That might seem a little harsh, but let me explain.
The first movie I ever saw in a theater was Star Wars.
I remember the experience vividly — the excitement I felt in every Light Saber fight and space battle, the laughter induced by two battling robots, the fear caused by Darth Vader and the space patriotism associated with the phrase, “May the force be with you.”
I also fondly remember The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi (though the Ewoks in Jedi were a little too flaky for my taste).
Those feelings have changed.
More than ten years ago you released the original Star Wars movies on video. I was stoked! I bought them and relived the Star Wars experience. (Thank you for that)
Then you released the films back into the theater ... with some tinkering on your part. I saw them again. They weren’t as good, but I appreciated seeing them on the big screen again.
Then you released the Star Wars prequel trilogy. Jar Jar Binks? Space government sessions? Midi-chlorians? R2D2 flying? What the hell were you thinking? The films weren’t very good, but they had a few redeeming moments (Yoda fighting especially).
But with each release I knew eventually you would release the original Star Wars on DVD. But you didn’t. You released the “Special Editions” on DVD and said there were no original versions.
LIAR!
Then, a few months ago (after a lot of pressure from fans of the original films) you announced the release of the original theatrical versions of Star Wars on DVD.
I overlooked the lie from before and was again excited.
After looking at them in the store, I have decided that I will not be buying these versions.
Why?
You released them with crummy Dolby 2.0 sound (What? Your THX machine was down?) and you released them in widescreen ... not anamorphic widescreen (for people who will someday own HDTVs).
To me, this means only one thing. You will be releasing them again.
George, you suck. You are just like every other money-grubbing con man that hasn’t had a good idea in 30 years.
I am sick and tired of buying these movies over and over again. S
tar Wars was good, but if I sat down and figured it out, I have probably spent hundreds already on a movie that cost about $2 to see in the theater when it was released in 1977.
I know that this will not be the last time you try and cash in on the one really good idea you had, but you won’t be getting any more money out of me.
As far as I’m concerned, my love of Star Wars has been banished to a galaxy far, far away.

You blew it!

Eric LaRose

PS. And I’m ticked that you haven’t released Howard the Duck on DVD. You should be more embarrassed about Jar Jar Binks, and he’s appeared on DVD at least six times. 

New Beck Song!

Beck, the OL (Original Loser), has a new track, Elevator Music, swimming around on the web.

It's OK. Definitely has that laid back Beck feel to it.

Check out Elevator Music by clicking HERE.

Also, A Soundtrack For Everyone, has another Beck track plus some cool extras. Check it out by clicking HERE.


Photo courtesy of MacFly. (Hello, MacFly!)

It's always one jerk that ruins it for everyone

Ever since Mad Mad Media was launched back in March, I have welcomed comments. And, because I know many of you want to remain anonymous, I have allowed you to keep your identities a secret while commenting.
But Mad Mad Media has become the target of spam commenters, where some loser leaves comments that say things such as, "hey, do you want to make more money? check out my blog here."
If you little jerks who are doing this are reading the post, stop leaving comments that are bull--- ads.
The few readers I have don't deserved that. This is an AD FREE blog, and will remain an AD FREE blog until I (or my employer) say so!
Now, because of those little (there's a word that I want to use, but I do try and keep this clean), I have to rethink my policy on comments.
I love it when people leave actual comments, and I invite you to leave as many as you'ld like - I do try and answer as many of them as possible.
But, like Samuel L. Jackson, I've had it with these mother (something) ads on my mother (something) blog!
To combat this, I have enabled "word verification" on comments, meaning if you would like to leave a comment you will have to type in some nonsense word.
I'm sorry that it has come to this, but I am sick and tired of trying to keep up with the spammers.
Hopefully this will work.
Thank you again everyone, not just for reading, but for your comments as well.

Banksy/DJ Dangermouse VS. Paris Hilton

I heard about this a couple of days ago, but I couldn't find it until today.

Graffiti artist Banksy and DJ Dangermouse (the man behind Gnarles Barkley and the Grey Album) remixed Paris Hilton's CD, Paris, and stuck 500 copies in London music stores ... without anyone knowing.

Now the remix is floating around on the web.

It's interesting, not great, but interesting, especially if you want to hear Paris Hilton say "That's Hot" hundreds of times.

Check out Banksy, DM and Paris Hilton's That's Hot! (courtesy of BosBos.net) by clicking HERE.

Is Tupac really dead?

Tupac Shakur died 10 years ago today at the age of 25 after surviving on life support after being shot on Sept. 7, 1996 while he was in a car on the streets of Las Vegas.
But, there has been a growing movement on the web and in hip hop circles that 2pac, one of the best selling rappers of all time, is not dead.
What's fueling these claims?
Since 2pac's untimely death in 1996, he has released five new studio albums, including the 2001 double disc Until The End of Time, a massive amount of material for someone with the massive handicap of being dead.
Producers have often said that 2pac recorded a lot before his death, but when did he have the time?
In the five years he was recording as a solo artist (1991-1996) 2pac released six CDs, appeared in five films (six if you count his brief appearance in Nothing But Trouble), wrote books of poetry and toured extensively.
He also had an active social life and served time in jail, making it hard for him to record music all the time.
An argument can be made that rap music by nature does not take long to record, but with a rumored release of yet another 2pac CD in 2006, it does seem a little fishy.
Elvis hasn't released as much new music since his death in 1977.
Is 2pac dead? Probably, but the controversy is still interesting to talk about.

And another thing from YouTube

Fans of the Nano, beware! There's a new iPod on the block. Check it out!

I'm going to hate myself in the morning for this one

I really hate to give former NSYNC'r Justin Timberlake any credit, but I am digging his new single SexyBack.
I know, I know. Why the hell would I admit something like that, on the Internets for all of the world to see.
Well, because it's true.
Now, I don't think he's breaking any new ground with the song, and most of the credit for the single's coolness belongs to producer Timbaland, and I have not, and probably will not, hear the rest of Timberland's CD "FutureSounds/Love Sexy" (Jive) which hit stores Tuesday.
But if I were to hear this song without knowing who sang it I would be very interested in getting it.

And I think you'll agree.

You can check out the single (courtesy of Good Weather For Airstrikes) HERE.

And check out the video, courtesy of YouTube, below.

OH MY GOD!!!

APPLE RELEASED A NEW NANO. 8 GIG, MULTIPLE COLORS, 24-HOUR BATTERY LIFE...UHLHLHLHLHHL!

Check it out by clicking HERE!

Apple launches movie downloads

AP is reporting that Apple has launched a movie download service and is introducing a compact gadget, dubbed iTV, for people to watch movies on. Check out the article HERE.

What?

Hey everyone. I was working on a story about YouTube, and I ran across this. I can't see buying a shirt like this, but I think they're pretty neat!

NEW PODCAST IS HERE

Mad Mad Media Podcast-Club Mix

Click to Listen-Right click to download

Hey everyone, it's time to go clubbing! Mad Mad Media Style.
Here's my mix for you to shake a tailfeather to. Enjoy, and check back next week for artist info on Martine McCutcheon, Jessy Moss, Ruddha, Jodie, Groove Generator, Annika, Sandra Grace. For more info, go to madmadmedia.blogspot.com.
And, if you want artist info now, subscribe to the podcast through iTunes. It's free!!!!!
Have a great weekend!

New Simpsons on MySpace

Can't wait for the new season of The Simpsons to start? Well you can get a taste of a new episode featuring Metallica on The Simpsons' MySpace site.
Yes, even Homer Simpson is on MySpace. Woo Hoo!!

Check it out HERE. Oh, and for all you MySpacers don't forget to make The Simpsons your friend.

New Postal Service song is a hoax

You heard me. Still a good song though, whoever it is!

New Postal Service song may be a hoax

You have got to love the internet people. After getting all excited about the "new Postal Service song," The Importance of Being, I have been reading a lot on the Web about it being a fake.
Here's what I know. Derek over at Good Weather for Airstrikes says the song is legit, but others are going all out saying it's a fake.
I like the song, and right now I don't give a damn who recorded it!

But you have to check out all of the discussion on this at Good Weather for Airstrikes. Click HERE to go there!

Mad Mad Media Mix

Hey everyone, this week's Mad Mad Media Podcast is all about shaking a tailfeather. We're taking you to the Mad Mad Media dancefloor baby, with six indie dance acts. It's going to be a good one.

Look for it after 11 p.m. on Friday night, just in time to get your weekend started!


E

Paris Hilton busted for DUI

Paris Hilton, the rich oxygen bandit, was busted for DUI in Hollywood shortly after midnight this morning.
And, just like the Mel Gibson's DUI arrest, the police caught Hilton saying some pretty damaging stuff.

"(hic) I'm rich. (Hic) I'm just driving to (Hic) get some Fresca. (Hic) Hey your kinda cute. (Hic) What do you mean you think I'm a punk. I'm not a (Hic) punk. I'm Paris Hilton. You (Hic) work for me...Oh, DRUNK? (Hic) You think I'm drunk? (Hic) Nah, not me. Yeah, I have one. Let me get my driver's purse out of my license. (Giggles) No, let me get my purse license out of my driver. Ha! That's not right either. That's hot. You know what I hate? People."

OK, She didn't actually say that stuff. I made it up as a joke.

According to The Associated Press, at the time of her arrest, Hilton was driving home in her Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren from a busy day shooting a video for her new album, Paris, and a charity event where she had one drink, a margarita.
Police said she had minimum blood-alchohol level to warrant an arrest, 0.08.

That may seem hard to believe that she had only one drink and was legally drunk, but she also weighs like 45 pounds, so one drink could pack a wallow. I'm Just Keeding!

Headlights, my new favorite band

I have no idea where I first heard these Champaign, Ill. shoegazers, but after listening to their song, Put Us Back Together Right, over and over again, I have decided that Headlights is my new favorite band.
After only two short years in existence, the trio featuring Tristan Wraight, Erin Fein and Brett Sanderson have mastered hypnotic indie rock.
Headlights released their first LP "Kill Them With Kindness" in August on Polyvinyl Records, which has Put Us Back Together Right. It is worth checking out.
For me, Put Us Back is the standout track.
Lead singer Erin Fein's soothing vocals on Put Us Back complement the song's slowly building soundtrack that begins with a simple piano riff and ends with an amazing symphony of strings, drums and guitar.
Another song, TV, has a definite Pixies-meets-Stars feel to it, with matted guitars and an occasional moog riff. And other songs balance the group’s wheaty rock side and frosty mellow side. The kid in me likes the frosted side!
Headlights released their first LP "Kill Them With Kindness" in August on Polyvinyl Records, which has Put Us Back Together Right and TV on it. Check it out.
Headlights will also be performing in Milwaukee on Oct. 6 at Stonefly on Center Street in Riverwest.
For more, check out the Headlights online on their Web site HERE and on MySpace HERE.

Also, here's Put Us Back Together Right, courtesy of one of my favorite blogs, Skatterbrain.

New Postal Service song

One of the blogs I read, Good Weather for Airstrikes, put up a new Postal Service song and announced the group that features members of Death Cab for Cutie, Figurine and Rilo Kiley would be releasing a new CD in January.
OH YEAH!
Of course, some of the CD has already been leaked to the Internet.
Check out the group's new single by clicking HERE.

Lionsgate keeps churning out the hits

Crank, a film one person on Internet Movie Database described as Grand Theft Auto on the big screen, came in second this weekend at the box office.
Starring Jason Statham, of Transporter 1 and 2, and Amy Smart, of Road Trip, the film managed to gross $13 million, just $2 mil shy of the film's budget.
Lionsgate has had a big string of indie hits, including Saw 1 and 2 (and 3 in the fall), Open Water, Fahrenheit 9/11, the Oscar-winning Crash, and Diary of a Mad Black Woman.
The formula is simple. Make a good film, on a low budget, and release it.
Hollywood, you could learn something from this!
In fact, with so many hits behind them in the last couple of years along, Lionsgate may be the indie studio to watch.
Something's working for them. Something indeed.
Of course, Crank couldn't do enough business to beat out Disney's Invincible.
Nicholas Cage's The Wicker Man failed to wow audiences, pulling in a mere $9.6 mil.
Then there's Snakes on a Plane, which fell completely out of the top 12, below Beerfest. D' oh!

Holy moley!

The Crocodile Hunter is dead!
Steve Irwin, known worldwide as the Crocodile Hunter, was killed Monday by a stingray while he was filming a documentary in the Great Barrier Reef.
Reports said the sting that killed Irwin was a freak accident, one report said there have only been three known deaths caused by stingray stings in 68 years.
Just in case you are asking yourself this right now - yes, Steve Irwin was the guy who wrestled crocodiles, stuck his head down holes in the ground dug by animals and chased after dangerous animals for a living.

Go Lucy Go.

It's so rare to find a real moment on YouTube, but I came across this video from a girl trying to make it as an actor in LA. It's a great story. I have no idea if it's real or not, but it's still a good, simple, human story. Enjoy!

Thoughts for a holiday weekend

* I am just dying to know where The Office is going with Pam and Jim’s relationship. I have been keeping up with this summer’s webisodes on NBC.com — lots of laughs, but so far no clues. New episodes start Sept. 21 (same as My Name Is Earl) and I can’t wait.

* Jessica Simpson is having problems singing. I knew $9.99 for the voodoo kit was a good investment.

* The IMDB is reporting that the Parents Television Council, which has spearheaded the campaign against indecent language on television, has demanded the FCC fine NBC for not censoring the comments by actresses Helen Mirren and Calista Flockhart during Sunday’s Emmy Awards. Both had expressed concerns about falling “tits over ass” as they came up the stairs, something IMDb referred to as a “common British colloquialism.” It’s time for the PTC and all other organizations like them to STHU.

* The rumor on the street is, and by the street I mean the Internet, Apple will be releasing a new iPod in September. I fell for this once in August, and I’m going to fall for it again. OMG! Oh no they dident!

* The Wicker Man is hitting theaters this weekend. Yawn.

* Madonna had the biggest tour this summer, netting $80 million. Ashley Simpson didn’t. Can’t say I’m shocked.

* The Scream has been returned. Apparently cops heard the painting and investigated. GET IT! Cops heard the painting. It was screaming! The Scream! Hey, not everything can be gold!

* I got up at 6 a.m. Thursday morning to watch Transporter 2. I was tired later, but man it was worth it.

* Universal Music Group announced it will be launching SpiralFrog, an online service that will allow users to download songs from its catalogue for free. There’s a catch ... OK, there are about a million catches (including the service won’t let you burn the music on discs or use songs on your iPod - not smart Uni) but it's a step in the right direction. A better step is to just put your entire catalog on iTunes and get it over with!

* I have a feeling Kyra Phillips, the anchorwoman who accidentally told the nation her brother’s wife was a control freak when her mic was left on during Pres. George Bush’s speech, isn’t going to be enjoying a family reunion anytime soon.

* Hey you! Yes you! Get off of the Internet. You only have a couple of weeks of nice weather. You’ll have plenty of time to surf the net in the winter, when it’s cold.