Third Uncle Records' Blog http://www.thirdunclerecords.com/blog/ en Copyright 2009 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:18:01 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Michael & Michael Have Issues + The State on DVD The State is now available on DVD starting today.  I actually pre-ordered mine and was lucky enough to get them right before the 4th of July weekend (though I got too excited and actually cut my tshirt while opening the package - oops).  Here's the official trailer for the DVD set.



As thirlled as I am to see all those episodes of The State, I'm even more excited about Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter's new show that premieres tomorrow (July 15th) on Comedy Central, Michael & Michael Have Issues.  I've been following the show's blog and reading a lot of reviews and it seems like it's going to be amazing.  I just hope it approaches being as good as their criminally underrated series, Stella.  From the reviews, it seems like it might be even better (and I hope that's the case so I can see the full 13 season arc over 25 years they have planned).  If the following sneak peak sketch is any indication, I think they actually might stand a shot at making that happen.

]]> http://www.thirdunclerecords.com/blog/2009/07/michael-michael-have-issues-th.html http://www.thirdunclerecords.com/blog/2009/07/michael-michael-have-issues-th.html Humor Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:18:01 -0500 Joe Wong Louis CK's blog and he posted a really nice entry about Joe Wong's appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman.  He had some really good insights into Wong's performance as well as some nice words about Mitch Hedberg all while highlighting the importance of the five minute late night talk show routine.  After reading everything, I thought there'd be no way Joe Wong's set could live up to Louis' kind words.  I was wrong.

"Nobody took a bite out of this peach when it was ripe."



I don't know why, but I get the feeling my friend Dax will love this.]]> http://www.thirdunclerecords.com/blog/2009/04/joe-wong.html http://www.thirdunclerecords.com/blog/2009/04/joe-wong.html Humor Thu, 30 Apr 2009 10:16:26 -0500 Adventureland Video I just got back from watching Adventureland and my jaw is on the floor.  It wasn't at all what I was expecting (considering the previews, the cast, and the fact that the director was responsible for Superbad).  I can't really even put my finger on it specifically.  It's not as if I directly related to the characters, the place (Pittsburgh), or the time (though I do remember 1987 fairly well.  I was happy to see that they showed the thing I remembered most about Pittsburgh when I drove through it once - those winding, tiered interchanges on the freeway were amazing to me.  I was just kind of lost in them.  Maybe it was because I was exhausted and driving through the night, but it was somehow hazy and surreal and I loved it.  But back to the topic.  It must have been the music.  Well, it was definitely the music, but there was certainly something more.  There was a perfect mixture of innocence and discovery, happiness with a comforting undercurrent of sadness, delight and boredom / restlessness (and the delight in the boredom and restlessness).  I guess it's these moments that put us in the perfect place for making lasting connections with people.  I'm not sure this a powerful plea for seeing the movie, but I'm not sure I need it to be.

But the music.  The movie ended perfectly, in my mind.  And, of course, the music was great, but I was blown away by the pick of the INXS song "Don't Change."  I can't even get into why that song means so much to me, but it just does.  I actually had a really awkward moment when I called a radio station and requested that song and the DJ had no idea what I was talking about.  An INXS greatest hits cd had just come out and I assured the DJ that the song was on there.  I quickly realized that it wasn't and I couldn't believe it.  It has to be their best song.  One of the best songs.  But then I started to just consider that maybe it was just personal and not many others would get it.  Its appearance in Adventureland just bowled me over.  I have that record, but it's back in Tulsa (along with that radio station).  So, my goal before passing out tonight is to find that song and make sure it's loaded on my ipod for my road trip next week.  It will be the perfect soundtrack for when I'm floating through Pittsburgh in the middle of the night.

INXS - Don't Change

]]> http://www.thirdunclerecords.com/blog/2009/04/adventureland-video.html http://www.thirdunclerecords.com/blog/2009/04/adventureland-video.html Movies Music Sat, 04 Apr 2009 00:44:24 -0500 Nick Kroll Aziz Ansari (who I almost met when I saw him in the lobby of a hotel in Chicago last summer, but I was too nervous to say hello to him, so I console myself by just subscribing to his blog).  At any rate, this Nick Kroll guy is amazing.  I can't believe I haven't heard of him before (to my knowledge).  I'll definitely keep an eye out now.

Nick Kroll Standup on Jimmy Kimmel Live
]]> http://www.thirdunclerecords.com/blog/2009/02/nick-kroll.html http://www.thirdunclerecords.com/blog/2009/02/nick-kroll.html Humor Thu, 12 Feb 2009 09:31:05 -0500 Demetri Martin's new show starts tonight! Important Things with Demetri Martin debuts tonight at 10:30pm EST on Comedy Central (perfect timing so I can still watch Lost).  Check out the preview below - it looks like it will be great.  At the very least, it's something to tide me over until there's a new season of The Sarah Silverman Program.

Comedy Central Debuts "Important Things With Demetri Martin" on 2/11 from Demetri Martin
]]> http://www.thirdunclerecords.com/blog/2009/02/demetri-martins-new-show-start.html http://www.thirdunclerecords.com/blog/2009/02/demetri-martins-new-show-start.html Humor Wed, 11 Feb 2009 10:16:05 -0500 T-Pain + Mermaids = Magic Incredibad CD / DVD is out today!  Yeah!  Check out a bunch of their older songs (available as free mp3 downloads) over here.

bigTLIcover_site.jpg



]]> http://www.thirdunclerecords.com/blog/2009/02/tpain-mermaids-magic.html http://www.thirdunclerecords.com/blog/2009/02/tpain-mermaids-magic.html Humor Music Tue, 10 Feb 2009 10:19:05 -0500 A future for Michael Phelps
]]> http://www.thirdunclerecords.com/blog/2009/02/a-future-for-michael-phelps.html http://www.thirdunclerecords.com/blog/2009/02/a-future-for-michael-phelps.html Humor Fri, 06 Feb 2009 14:17:25 -0500 Happy Groundhog Day, Babe! that time of year again.  I decided to search youtube for some video footage of the perennial classic, "I Got You Babe," and I was amazed at the versions I found.  Enjoy!

First, the inspiration for this idea.


Now, the original by Sonny and Cher (from a brilliant mime on Top of the Pops).


Now let's get nuts.

The Rolling Stones do their tribute. I had no idea Keith Richards could play the tuba (and without a mouthpiece)!


This is the only version of this video I could find, but anything with Tiny Tim is too great to leave out.


This one features Ziggy era Bowie and Marianne Faithful!  Sure beats her collab with Metallica.


Let's watch R.E.M. take a whack at it.


R.E.M. updated their version in 2002 with Cher at a tribute to U2's Bono. Check it out here (sadly, they disabled embedding for this video).  At :50 Cher (in reference to Sonny Bono) comments, "...I've never done that song with anybody else, ever."  Umm...  guess she forgot about this.


I'll end with the version I was thinking about when I first had this idea. This is a cover by Joey Ramone and Holly Beth Vincent. I had it on an old compilation and I was psyched to find this video footage. They're clearly lip syncing and I love that Joey isn't quite sure when his verse is supposed to start.
]]> http://www.thirdunclerecords.com/blog/2009/02/happy-groundhog-day-babe.html http://www.thirdunclerecords.com/blog/2009/02/happy-groundhog-day-babe.html Humor Music Mon, 02 Feb 2009 09:58:11 -0500 Joy Division documentary streaming through end of week documentary about my beloved Joy Division by Grant Gee is being streamed this week over at Pitchfork.tv.  By all means, check it out.  Back in the late 90s, during my late college days, I had a really difficult time finding much extra information to feed my Joy Division obsession.  I had a dubbed copy of Here Are the Young Men (which actually contained a disclaimer encouraging people to make copies of the video) and some other bootlegs of dubious quality I got on a trip to Chicago.  At one point, I honestly considered dropping everything to head over to Manchester in an effort to make a documentary about the band.  Of course, I had no idea how to go about getting access to the people involved or even how to make a film (though I could make some pretty mean video mixtapes with my two VCR setup).  So, I'm glad Mr. Gee picked up the ball when I dropped it.

]]> http://www.thirdunclerecords.com/blog/2009/01/joy-division-documentary-strea.html http://www.thirdunclerecords.com/blog/2009/01/joy-division-documentary-strea.html Movies Music Mon, 19 Jan 2009 11:21:21 -0500 Star Wars Redux hope sets sail).  It's brilliant.  I had to repost it here.  It reminds me of years ago back in Richmond (IN) when my friends Andy and Jason were trying to find vintage Star Wars figures for me.  A woman working at the shop they were checking out told them she had recently sold a "Cowbacca" figure.


Star Wars: Retold (by someone who hasn't seen it) from Joe Nicolosi on Vimeo.]]> http://www.thirdunclerecords.com/blog/2009/01/star-wars-redux.html http://www.thirdunclerecords.com/blog/2009/01/star-wars-redux.html Humor Movies Fri, 16 Jan 2009 14:25:22 -0500 Stuck in my head - Friday afternoon
]]> http://www.thirdunclerecords.com/blog/2009/01/stuck-in-my-head-friday-aftern.html http://www.thirdunclerecords.com/blog/2009/01/stuck-in-my-head-friday-aftern.html earworms Fri, 09 Jan 2009 11:54:51 -0500 Ron Asheton I just saw the headline about the passing of Ron Asheton, original guitarist for the Stooges. Ron's work with the Stooges was absolutely brilliant and he will be sincerely missed.

I've been scouring youtube and the rest of the internet to find a clip from a foreign documentary about the Stooges that, from what I recall, was filmed in the mid 80s.  It's great because it features an interview with Ron in Ann Arbor, still living with his mom.  He takes the documentary crew to all the famous spots in the Stooges' history, the original Fun House, the Grande Ballroom, etc.  I even seem to remember him playing Stooges riffs on his guitar in his mom's basement.  My memory's foggy, though.  If I can't locate it somewhere online, I'll make an effort to find my bootleg DVD copy and upload the video to post here.

My most recent CD purchase was the reissue of the first Stooges album on Rhino, featuring a bonus disc of rarities.  I'm not sure why I didn't buy it when it first came out.  I already had the album and I didn't need the Fun House deluxe reissue since I already had The Complete Fun House Sessions (which had all the bonus songs and loads more).  I guess I just knew I'd get it eventually.  In fact, I haven't even opened it yet.  I'll be sure to do that tonight.

I'm not really sure what to say from here.  I'm listening to "We Will Fall" and Iggy's ramblings seem appropriate.

I'll be shakin', I'll be tremblin'
I'll be happy, I'll be weak
And I'll love you, and I'll love you
And we'll fall to sleep
We'll fall to sleep
Six o'clock, come
Come, we'll fall
We'll fall, come
Good-bye, good-bye, good-bye...
Rest in peace, Ron.]]> http://www.thirdunclerecords.com/blog/2009/01/ron-asheton.html http://www.thirdunclerecords.com/blog/2009/01/ron-asheton.html Music Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:39:22 -0500 Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em 090908subwayattack.jpg

Billy just alerted me to the fact that this is national news and not just a local Philly story. I thought it was just the weekly insane beating. Pretty routine stuff.

http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/newsupdate/20080909Psychohammerssubway_passenger.html

Coincidentally, this is the line I ride to and from work. Don't tell my parents.

]]> http://www.thirdunclerecords.com/blog/2008/09/please-hammer-dont-hurt-em.html http://www.thirdunclerecords.com/blog/2008/09/please-hammer-dont-hurt-em.html Thu, 11 Sep 2008 20:48:56 -0500 Michael Ian Black's new TV series - Reality Bites Back Michael Ian Black (The State, Stella) called Reality Bites Back.  It's the perfect sendup / amalgam of all the ridiculous reality shows out there these days.  Here's the first 10 minutes of the first episode.  Let's hope this gets some ratings and stays on the air for a while.  I'm still sad that the Stella TV series didn't last more than 10 episodes - it was pure genius.  It's definitely worth waiting until the end of this first clip.  Even though all the comedians featured in the show aren't necessarily the best out there, the real treat is watching Mr. Black as the host, constantly placing the contestants in the most awkward situations possible.  That being said, I'm still pretty excited about a couple of the contestants on the show as real up and comers. Check it out.

]]> http://www.thirdunclerecords.com/blog/2008/07/michael-ian-blacks-new-tv-seri.html http://www.thirdunclerecords.com/blog/2008/07/michael-ian-blacks-new-tv-seri.html Comedy TV Sat, 19 Jul 2008 15:16:29 -0500 Captain Beefheart Sucks
That's not an easy thing to write, but I was motivated to anyway, because last night while preparing the grill for a housewarming party, I put on a copy of Beefheart's 1974 sell-out attempt Unconditionally Guaranteed, and it was so much worse than I remembered that I felt like I needed to blog-purge.

The accepted narrative to describe Beefheart's career arc is that there are three phases: an extremely fertile, innovative first phase, a crass semi-commercial middle phase, and then an almost full-circle return to form. The typical qualification of the mediocre middle period is that even bad Beefheart is better than most of what's out there. In fact, in the John Peel-hosted BBC documentary, a Virgin A&R dude says almost exactly that while the screen shows CB on the Old Grey Whistle Test promoting the Unconditionally Guaranteed single, "Upon the My-Oh-My" (check around the 2:00 mark here). Beefheart looks so uncomfortable and out of place, and the whole thing is so bizarre it's hard to ignore the editorial suggestion and not think, "Hey, this is certainly Diet Beefheart, but it's still pretty cool."

They fail to convey that the album opener "Upon the My-Oh-My," half-assed as it is, is the best song on the album, and it's a nosedive from there. I take it back. The second cut, "Sugar Bowl," is my favorite. It sounds like demented School House Rock. But, the rest is a nightmare. The instrumental performances are phoned-in classic rock, and Beefheart, being apparently psychologically incapable of true (or at least effective) sell-out--or even simply writing a conventional lyric--give us gems such as:

Think of all the love we've been missing
Then we start to kissing and kissing
I could barely hold my pride
With my baby right by my side
Loop-de-loop,
Ride and glide
Swoop-de-swoop,
On the New Electric Ride

Actually, out of context those lyrics still look like they have some potential. It's the total package--forcibly mundane lyrics, Beefheart trying to coax his growl into a weird sort of croon, and the bland accompaniment--that puts the record in a camp with stuff like Leon Redbone and the guy who wrote that "Flesh on Fire" song for the Teen Wolf soundtrack.

Anyway, the "Bad Beefheart is better than good [insert artist]" line is a pretty tenacious meme. I've definitely listened to the two offending middle period albums a lot, sincerely thought they were crap, and have still found myself repeating the line to people. I remember a top 10 favorite albums list in a book published by Spin where Mark Arm from Mudhoney's listed something like "Captain Beefheart - everything except Unconditionally Guaranteed and Bluejeans and Moonbeams," and I remember thinking that was unfair at best, posturing at worst. The more time passes, though, the more I'm on board with Mr. Arm.

Actually, I will go on record that Bluejeans and Moonbeams (released later the same year) is much better than Unconditionally Guaranteed. In fact, I think exactly 3 of the 9 songs on BM are above average mid-70s MOR rock ("Twist Ah Luck," "Same Old Blues," and "Observatory Crest"), and the others merely irrelevant, as opposed to the blanket crappiness of UC.

But again, this is just a turkey burger-fueled e-rant. I invite you to rebut.
]]> http://www.thirdunclerecords.com/blog/2008/06/captain-beefheart-sucks.html http://www.thirdunclerecords.com/blog/2008/06/captain-beefheart-sucks.html Sun, 08 Jun 2008 14:57:09 -0500