Mythbuster Halloween - Jamie

These kids today. There's gotta be an Adam around here to complete the set.

Photo of actual Jamie included for comparison.

I Don't Get Jason.

I got this book from the library. I read it. It's not funny. It's not even that interesting. What am I missing?

The Amazon blurb says it's "hilarious". NO, IT'S NOT. NOT. EVEN. FUNNY. Gah. That's 20 minutes of my life I'll never get back.

52 Songs #8: Pete Townshend Behind Blue Eyes Demo

This week: Pete Townshend, Behind Blue Eyes (Demo Version), from the album Lifehouse Chronicles, Lifehouse Demos (Disc 1). Recorded in 1970 and released in 2000 on the first two discs of a 6 CD box set.

There was a time in my life when I had return address labels which said "Pete Townshend is God". (Later I changed this to "Pete Townshend is Bald".) I think I was about 16 when I started listening to Tommy and Quadrophenia, courtesy of my brother, who has impeccable taste in music. Quad, especially, spoke to me in deep ways that I had never experienced before and I thought that Pete Townshend might really understand what was going on in my head. Of course, it wasn't until many years later that I realized it was the other way around. Loving the 'orrible 'oo was something I shared with my soul-sister Jan and my best friend April. This included many, many viewings of "The Kids Are Alright" and seeking out rare tracks whenever possible. I don't remember where I bought it - maybe someone even traded it to me - but I first heard Pete's demo tracks for Who's Next on a vinyl bootleg called The Genius of Pete Townshend.

These tracks are amazing. They are so simply yet expertly crafted, and you can see how they changed and became Who's Next. But the raw emotions here, along with Pete's plantive, soulful voice, make listening to them an incandescent thing. I used to play that record with the headphones on and just LISTEN. Hard. I encourage you to do the same.



Come back next Monday for another of the 52 songs!

Uncanny X-Cast Featuring ME!

The guys from the Uncanny X-Cast invited me to be part of a panel discussion and we had a ton of fun. Check it out here:

We've decided it's time to expose ourselves to some new opinions from outside our bubble here at the Uncanny X-Cast by bringing in some friends to argue over some of the hot topics in the comics industry.   So with that I introduce you to the newest game show to the growing stable of Uncanny X-Cast gameshows:

INSIDE THE PANEL

On Inside the Panel we will be bringing in three comic podcasters, in addition to the X-Cast's very own Brian Perillo, to debate hot comic topics and have their answers judged and scored by Rob Briscoe.

In this installment we welcome Lene Taylor of I Read Comics, Ron Richards of iFanboy, and Louis Kwok of KwokTalk.

You can download it on iTunes or right here. Don't forget to leave us comments on iTunes.

Topics include:
Stealing Spidey, Peter David, Movie Fears, Apple Tablets, Disney, Event Fatigue, Solicitations, DC's Revolving Door, Waiting for the Trade, Hope, Bagging and Boarding, and High Heels.

Special thanks to all our guests in this episode, they went above and beyond all we expected. 

52 Songs #7: Ginger Mayerson Viola and Piano Composition

This week: Ginger Mayerson, Viola and Piano Composition, performed and recorded in 1991. Regular listeners to the I Read Comics podcast know that I am enamored of Ginger's music. We became friends back in the late 16th century, but it wasn't until a few years ago that I realized she was a talented composer as well as being a fantastic writer. She's been letting people download her music for free, in the hopes of raising the level of class in society in general; now you can have it all on one beautiful CD, designed by the fabulous Brad Rader.

This selection is a soothing yet energetic piece for viola and piano. I've used parts of it in the show, and now you can hear the whole thing. Ordering the CD is so easy, there's really no excuse for not buying one right now. You won't regret it. The music will make you think. My life isn't all power pop and Kiwi melodies, you know.



Come back next Monday for another of the 52 songs!

52 Songs #6: Flight of the Conchords Bus Driver's Song

This week: Flight of the Conchords, Bus Driver's Song from the LP Folk The World Tour, released in 2002. My path to the Conchords was a long and windy one. It started, innocently enough, with the Lord of the Rings movies, and my geeky desire to know all the trivia about them (this included watching all the extra features on all the DVDs). from there I discovered Figwit, sometime after The Two Towers, and I was thrilled to see him have some speaking lines in Return of the King. More research showed that Bret wasn't just an actor, and eventually I watched hours and hours of You Tube videos, and got an actual Kiwi person to send me Folk the World Tour from a record store in NZ.

Oh, they're famous and famously hip now, but out of all their songs I prefer this one. It's funny and sweet and sad, and even though it's stuffed with Kiwi-only jokes, anyone can see Tony is just like any guy from any small town around the world. A lovely melody and rather Finn-ish harmonies on the chorus and the bridge, don't you think? BTW, if you like FotC and haven't heard the BBC radio series, you must get it. Neil Finn is in it and he's hilarious.

"But some things just don't work out that way
Well, that's the most important thing you'll learn on the tour today..."

Truer words were never spoken.



Come back next Monday for another of the 52 songs!

OMG sex-ay disney princes!

Via Loganotron! Here's David from Lilo & Stitch and Kocoum from from Pocahontas - yum-bola:



Go here for the rest! Check out Prince Edward's butt!

52 Songs #5: Split Enz History Never Repeats

This week: Split Enz - History Never Repeats, released in 1981. Some Wikipedia stuff here.

I discovered Split Enz when MTV started showing their videos; "History Never Repeats" was one of the first videos to be shown, ever. I immediately got hooked, bought Waiata, taped it (don't forget, home taping killed the music industry), and listened to it A LOT. Thus began my relationship with the Finn Brothers. Neil wrote this one and sings lead. Don't you love the guitar hook? It's so anthemic! This song is all energy, crashing along to the lovely a capella vocals near the end.

I saw Split Enz live at the P.O.P. festival in Philadelphia in 1982; Squeeze was the headliner (they were boring - might as well have just put on the record); other bands included Duran Duran (yay!), Third World (yay!), Bush Tetras (bad), and of course the boys from NZ. Split Enz kicked all kinds of ass. Tim did backflips. How can you top that?

I've seen Crowded House a lot, and the Finns on various occasions, but nothing will ever beat the Enz in their prime.




Come back next Monday for another of the 52 songs!