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Another admittance of sorts ousted the Charlie Rhodes imposter at long last…but will that make room for the real Charlie Rhodes?
Which twist surprised you more? Are you a fan of Dair? Weigh in under the comments section!
Mimi
Mainstream enough for clubs, yes. Odd enough for hipsters, yes.
The real question is not who is The Naked And Famous? but how did these artists come together to create The Naked And Famous? What set of circumstances trapped this energy in one room before this set of individuals realized they were golden?
TNAF were a recipe for success from the start, with mellow male vocals trading off for electric female vocals, all the while backed by vibrating synth and a steady drumbeat. They bring a polished, computerized effect hipster band Black Kids could never quite pull off. Not to mention the most important ingredient here was style.
[Notes on their debut Passive Me, Aggressive You]
Punching In A Dream callously skips through a waterfall, in a private rainforest rave. This music makes you tap your fingers and tingle with a distant happiness. Almost as if you just know there’s a TNAF rave taking place somewhere.
Girls Like You sounds like the offbeat version of a song that would have backed an end-scene to an 80′s movie. Only this time, there would not be a cliche drive-off-into-the-sunset-in-my-boyfriend’s-car ending. Maybe kill the boyfriend, take the car.
Or perhaps this mix of darling and sinister…
That’s just it. Something is a bit off-putting with this band. It may sound like bubble gum techno-pop but it’s a bit more twisted. You wouldn’t exactly trust them to pet sit. Their twisted nature is captured on tracks like The Ends and The Sun.
The Naked And Famous seem to rack up cool points left and right. They’re from New Zealand. Their stage psuedonyms are Thom Powers and Alisa Xayalith. Maybe they are dangerously close to being considered a gimmick; ”Ooh, wow, watch the indie girl
pull a rabbit out of her hat.”
Maybe they are a summer love that leaves with the sun. Maybe they’re a seductive desert mirage. But most times it begins with a song, simple as that.
[Presenting Young Blood, a reincarnated Time To Pretend-esque song for the kids]
Mimi
In the best music direction I have ever seen for this show, the fresh start of The Royal Wedding put the spotlight on the other lead. Instead of appearing alongside Serena to Peter, Bjorn & John‘s Young Folks, the very first song to be played on the series, we are witness to a matured Blair and a cover of the song. Clever, indeed, GG.
Kicking things off with a stellar Breakfast at Tiffany’s/Marilyn Monroe number and Wallace Shawn bellowing, “Hey, she’s here - the princess bride!” we knew this episode would max out on flair. And what event would be complete without Georgina Sparks barking up someone’s tree on a rampage for payback?
Then Chuck almost stopped the wedding, but no cigar, er Holly Golightly’s cigarette holder. Turns out Louis is a better actor at acting than he has appeared all season, regarding his confession that the marriage is a fabrication. Ironically, he broke this to her during their first dance, while their private symphony was playing a rendition of Pat Benatar‘s We Belong.
Later, Blake Lively had to choke out the words “I love you, Dan Humphrey. Always have, always will.” to ex Penn Badgley and all the little fangirls in the Western hemisphere crossed their fingers for celebrity makeup sex.
But will B just end up stealing Humphrey too, along with S‘s first song and dance routine? Guess we’ll have to wait and hear imitation Gossip Girl’s reports on that one…
Mimi
White lights, covert meetings, newfound religion and B & S in glitter couture once more. How else would they do New Year’s on the Upper East Side?
To cut through a layer of this massive web, let’s revert to concise bullets:
The most interesting twist was that Nate, the new Gossip Girl, apparently has an X on his head. Throw in a guilty conscience and only the real Gossip Girl to help him and, well, that solidifies the name of the show. We weren’t about to tune into Serena’s Diary.
This week’s “detective” theme was accompanied by a thrumming Zee Avi tune, proving that the music director finally woke up. The songs became a sort of muffled narrative throughout, providing us with all the words Blair couldn’t muster. The art direction was also spot-on for this episode, set up most like the Audrey Hepburn intros – a style which is always welcome. Looks like Leslie Morgenstein has realized she has some tough competition – her other show in the same time block. Who will win viewership in a showdown between a snarky Gossip Girl and a sinister A?
Mimi
On the return of Pretty Little Liars, A was more easily led than any of the girls expected and let’s just say the Fields and the Hastings shouldn’t back their daughters’ careers in acting. Lucas is still at his own pity party, pining after an uninterested Hanna, and Toby is at woodshop, carving gifts for an uninterested Spencer.
Miraculously, Spencer decided against taking any/all weapons when headed to meet their stalker at long last. Their cunning plans fall apart, Emily ends up getting the beating of her life, (which she quickly recovers from) and the girls are left with no evidence and no audience.
The most surprising twist was Ezra confessing his relationship with Aria to her parents…Which they didn’t take too well. Every viewer could have presumed as much, if only considering both the Montgomery parents are teachers. At least Ezra’s ex no longer has anything over him, as he exhaustedly pours himself another drink and tells her, “Get out, Jackie.” So what will be the future of Ezria, crazy fanfic diehards?
Mimi
This week on GOSSIP GIRL, we entered the first scene and New York panover with yet another techno/falsetto tune. This time the song was Go Outside by NYC local up-and-comers Cults. And somehow the show makes the overlaid 50′s vocals and soft, plinking synth-keyboard fit the moment. Sadly, you’re two steps behind me, GG music director. [See post Is There a Following For This Cult?, below]
This episode featured a few twists to keep us interested. The first was a sad sparring of the bee-stung accents in a conversation between Blair’s fiancee and Chuck’s therapist; making us strain to understand their every word. The prince isn’t so charming after all but damn he’s French.
In a dramatic turn of events, Chuck whips out an engagement ring while discussing Blair with his therapist. Shocker #2. Now this isn’t a time when a quippy Chuck Bass one-liner is really necessary. Actually, he need not say anything at all. And yet he does. A long, stifling pause is finally concluded by the statement, “I bought it to give to her.” Wow. As if we had no idea.
Then, for some reason, the Upper East Side royalty attended the launch party of the latest tabloid website but the plot had already completely fallen apart when Blair offered Charlie a spot in her bridal party, so why not? Lindsay Lohan, Mel Gibson, and Britney Spears hanging out in the TMZ studio – totally believable.
Serena and her boss had an earring dangle-off, since Serena’s always being outshone by her gigantic and distracting accessories and then, in the dumbest turn of events, she confided in Dianna. Boy, Serena, really making us root for you when you’re more naive than Jenny Humphrey chillin’ with Chuck Bass on a rooftop.
Mimi
Recently on GOSSIP GIRL the writers put on their big person pants and described Dan Humphrey’s novel as “a memoir masquerading his fiction like a reverse James Frey.” Speaking of course of the unlikely best-selling author who writes about his real life near-death drug abuse littered with f-bombs and colorful expletives. Up and over 85% of the viewers’ recognition. Ain’t it a shame that you set your average material to meet a lower mental capacity and therefore must stick to simple pop culture jokes, Gossip Girl?
Meanwhile, on THE LYING GAME, they have displayed illegal underage gambling as the setting was Nevada and we’re supposed to believe that, of course, all high schoolers gamble in Nevada. Also remarkably, a handful of sixteen year old girls are very much in love with their boyfriends of the minute. If we’re actually supposed to buy their feelings, they’re even worse actresses than I first thought. In addition, they crammed in the song American Slang by rock-Americana band The Gaslight Anthem this past week and few songs could have fit the mood less. Nevertheless, in a positive spin, we may have successfully killed off the selfish twin on the show.
And for the unfortunately-timed CW‘s new drama RINGER the possibly impressive plotline only seemed like a sad rehashing of The Lying Game. Nobody likes a copycat - even if they might like the 90s-actress’-career-revival of Sarah Michelle Gellar. I bet only one of these Olsen twin switch-ups will be back for more.
On THE JERSEY SHORE the roommates had been *twinning* for a while until Old Man Situation had to go and ruin it for everyone. First, he ran into a wall and basically wore an injured dog cone. Talked smack about Snooki. Tried to break up Snooki and her meatball-proportioned boyfriend. Fought invisible foes. Cried. Started fights with teenagers in clubs. Talked more smack about Snooki. And last but not least decided to be Jersey Shore’s villain. I’m sorry, is that a role? Like how JWOWW’s the mom and Deena’s the bi-curious, misunderstood Cindy Brady? The best new relationship is between Pauly and Deena. The one where she says, “I love Pauly” and Pauly says “Deena fell down! This is the best day of my life.” In all seriousness, Pauly and Vinny have a newly-strengthened emotional/sexual relationship since divorcing the M of MVP. Nevertheless, the season has pulled to a close and the cast has said “sayonara” to Italy.
On the new Charlie Sheen-cleansed and increasingly awkwardly-titled season of TWO AND A HALF MEN the maid has inherited more lines, the half man is hardly ever present and Jon Cryer is getting even campier. To the point the end of every episode is a deep sigh/head shaking moment at something completely cheesy stick-in-the-mud Alan just did. Ashton Kutcher’s character, Walden, is winning but perhaps just not winning enough.
And on the topic of overdoing it, PAN AM seems to be the lead in the school play who’s only the lead because she talks the loudest, can sing in two different languages, and makes eye contact with audience members. I have two main issues with this show. My first issue is with the spy flight attendants. Talking about being a spy does not make you a very effective spy. None of your spy duties are that impressive just as none of you skills are that crafty - you’re just gloating over a game you haven’t won, spy chick. My second issue lies with the extremely dashing, extremely young pilot, played by Mike Vogel. Does that happen anywhere but Hollywood? More importantly, since he’s obviously not experienced enough and probably spends too much time gazing into the eyes of a flight attendant, how safe do the passengers feel? Planes are already unreliable enough in this age! What’s that? There’s a handy-dandy spy on board? OK, feeling much safer.
Mimi
Cults: Cults
Retro duo Cults bring us a sound that seems to be revived every thirty years. A sound rumbling from 50s diner jukeboxes and stereos in the 80s and now from our iPods/Touches/Pads and more. But one thing is for certain - New York Native bandmates Madeline Follin and Brian Oblivion are definitely trying to make a name for themselves.
They share vocals; she takes the high road, he takes the low. On Bumper Oblivion sounds remarkably reminiscent of David Bowie as Follin’s voice is often a throwback to Cyndi Lauper’s. Surely, no one would hold this stunning similarity against them.
With the inside language of You Know What I Mean (no, not really?) and the eyes closed/thrashing chosen for even their quietest burble of a tune, Cults seem to want to be just that – a cult. But all cults need a following to truly exist.
If this duo is soon able to pinpoint their angst, under the spotlight on the number Never Heal Myself (i.e. I could never heal myself enough for you), into something relatable, only then will they be adult enough to call themselves a cult. Their target audience is hipster kids who want a message to sing out or an anthem to believe in; it’s Follin and Oblivion’s job to deliver.
Don’t take it personally, guys. At least you aren’t calling your fans “little monsters”, cross-dressing with no direction, and making the world hate the word “glory” faster than any other word in the English dictionary. You’ve got time for all that.
Mimi
We’ve got a new craze on our hands in the music world and, surprisingly, that craze happens to be whistling. Since last year, it has been popping up more and more in charting songs so let’s review how we reached where we are now.
The very beginning of this current whistling era (about four years ago) was led by Peter Bjorn and John‘s Young Folks, a song that was added as background noise in anything from commercials to TV shows and seamlessly embedded into our brains. The first building block.
Last year, we were eased into The Black Keys‘ latest work with a whistling intro to Tighten Up. This song would eventually yield a music award for the duo, well, technically for The Black Eyed Peas.
Also about that time the song Let’s Go Surfing materialized and was the only song noticed by relative unknown, 80s-throwback The Drums. Maybe their sound would have gone over better if the entire album featured impressive whistling.
So, with little hesitation, Britney jumped on the bandwagon with the release of Femme Fatale in January. Her song I Wanna Go skyrocketed on the pop charts over the summer and, sure, you could write it up to being backed by a platinum princess but come on. The whistling is in the chorus’ lead-in, repeated three times, and did not get on her listeners’ nerves.
After I Wanna Go came the xylophone/whistling mix The Good Life by OneRepublic. Yes, it’s an incessent, repetitive tune used in every movie trailer, TV drama, and inspirational moment of basically anything, I’d put money on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, for three months straight.
Which brings us to now. With Foster The People‘s sudden first class flight to fame and Adam Levine reigniting his music career by way of reality television, both are competing for the top spot. Number one song in the country. Whatever new club body-grind-synth-hip-hop mix feat. DJ Swack-Swack of the moment cannot hold on to that #1. It’s between sunny Pumped Up Kicks and the I-got-swagger Moves Like Jagger. Take your guesses.
The statistics are there when you actually step back, stop whistling along, and examine it. It’s not a normal trend, that’s for sure. Soon artists might just hum their lyrics because singing is evidently way out of fashion.
Mimi
Are you Chuck, on the Gossip Girl?
February 24, 2012 — MimiThis week on One Tree Hill, Nathan Scott was still being kept prisoner in some Eastern European country, Detective Dan was taking too long to put the pieces together and Haley, handing her kids off to Lucas, was about to admit how broken she was.
That’s right, folks. We were given an underwhelming guest appearance by CMM, who seemed to come back for the final season as merely an obligation. After turning his back on his alma mater of sorts for all those bigtime Hollywood movies he is not currently starring in. Austin Nichols holds the reigns on OTH while Chad can’t even seem to master a grown-up hairstyle. And for this weak airport performance he dialed in, you just know he still he made a nice monogrammed LV luggage set full of green.
Meanwhile, Chase has been made active duty in the Air Force again, Alex is gone again, and Chuck’s dad is abusive. I just feel like we’ve been here before. There’s only so much Crazy Clay & Quinn and rival cafe drama we can take.
And last but not least significantly, OTH dared to ask that one big question in the context of no means no: “Are you Chuck, on the Gossip Girl?” Here, here. Nathan is no silly prep school girl and this is not a deserted rooftop.
Mimi