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Music Video: Jenny Lewis, "See Fernando"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 07:30:47 -0700

She made us wait a while, but Jenny Lewis has really been pumping out the music videos lately. And this latest, for "See Fernando" off her album Acid Tongue, might just be my favorite yet. Let's examine the evidence: Lewis in all her retro glory starring in a fake trailer for a '60s spy movie? Sign me up!

In this faux film (subtitled "Agente Secreto Numero Uno"), Fernando's imagined as a mustache-wearing, karate-chop-throwing, gun-toting baddie who gets assigned to track "The Scorpion" (Lewis) around the globe. Among the delights of this video: Lewis in an old-school airline stewardess outfit; a scene with funny subtitled dialogue shot in front of a wall of stuffed animals; and the song itself, which is just a lot of hand-clapping Summer fun. To check out the video, just read more.

Jenny Lewis "See Fernando" from Team G on Vimeo.

Music Video: "Black Sand" by Jenny Lewis

BuzzSugar — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 13:30:05 -0700

Well, it took a little while, given that Jenny Lewis's album Acid Tongue was released back in the Fall of 2008, but we now have a video for one of the singles! "Black Sand" is one of my favorite tracks on the album and I include it in many of my playlists. It's bluesy and atmospheric and the melody reminds me of the kind of thing you would hear on an album like Abbey Road.

The video captures the song's vibe perfectly. It's like a trippy journey through beaches and Thailand with Jenny Lewis everywhere . . . but never quite there at all. To check it out for yourself, read more.

Black Sand

Buzz Gift Guide: Best of 2008 For Gals

BuzzSugar — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 08:30:45 -0800

Welcome back to my Buzz Gift Guide series for all the entertainment lovers in your life. Yesterday I sifted through the stacks (er, Web pages) of music, DVDs, and books to find some of the best 2008 has to offer dudes. Today I will share with you some 2008 entertainment gift ideas for the ladies.

It's no secret how much I love Jenny Lewis and I will be spreading the gospel this year by handing out her newest album Acid Tongue to my girlfriends (or at least including her songs on the mix CDs I'll make this holiday season). I'll also be giving out Aimee Mann's newest album, as I think it's pretty awesome.

It was a good year for books: I read both The Opposite of Love by Julie Buxbaum and Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner and would definitely recommend them. In the movies department, might I suggest the hilarious Baby Mama or Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day on DVD?

Since I watch more TV than most people I know, I use the holidays to not-so-subtly suggest to friends what I know they would love, like 30 Rock or Greek. And many of my friends have grown to love Lipstick Jungle, so it would be a treat for them to receive the show's first season on DVD.

A couple more ideas below, so have fun scrolling on through.

Check out HolidaySugar for all of our holiday coverage and gift guides.

Album Review: Jenny Lewis's Acid Tongue

BuzzSugar — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:38:53 -0700

When Jenny Lewis first went solo from Rilo Kiley, she had the Watson Twins to help her let us into her most soulful, folksy thoughts with each song. That debut was excellent and, like Death Cab's Ben Gibbard, I've been excitedly awaiting her next solo project, Acid Tongue. Today we can hear the whole thing for the first time on her MySpace page.

I've read that she was interested in rocking out this time, and that's definitely the case on this new album which is full of (non-twin) collaborators. There's M. Ward, Zooey Deschanel, Chris Robinson and even Elvis Costello! At times the vibe is psychedelic and trippy, but mostly I'd describe the album as eclectic. There's still twang there - even in her rock - which is smart because that's what suits her voice best, I think. But she also brings in the gospel ballads, along with tunes that sound exactly like some good ol' Rilo Kiley stuff.

What I appreciate most after taking a first listen is how ambitious it all is, and overall I like the way her tracks transported me to another hazy time. This is definitely an album that will be awesome to hear live. I've jotted down a few thoughts on each of the songs for your consideration, so read more.

"Black Sand": Starts softly with deep bass and a melody that sounds almost Abbey Road-ish. Her voice is high up in a soft falsetto. It's bluesy, there are strings, and I believe that atmospheric guitar is M. Ward.
"The Next Messiah": This song is long, almost nine minutes, and has three distinct parts to it. There's a pulsing rock 'n' roll vibe to start, then it turns into an uptempo toe-tapper, and descends into a duet between Lewis and a male voice. Unexpected and cool.
"Badman's World": She darkly sings "It's a bad man's world" over and over again. This song is slow and trippy. There are sparse strings, and the whole thing just makes me think "wasteland."
"Acid Tongue": I like this song a lot. The pretty harmonies with male voices in the background during the chorus are just lovely. It's a melancholy country tune. She's so effective at making me really feel her lyrics, like "Now I am tired/ It just made me tired." Gorgeous stuff.
"Fernando": Kind of expected, least surprising track of the bunch. I could see Rilo Kiley rocking this song. I like the fun lady singers in the background.
"Godspeed": Effecting piano ballad, it's a song about getting away from a no-good kind of guy. And she's been there before.
"Carpetbaggers": This is her duet with Elvis Costello. A super country rock song with a lot of "Whoa, yeah"s Not sure how I feel about their sound together. . . going to need a couple more listens.
"Trying My Best to Love You": Oh, man. Oh, goodness, this song is lovely. The strings, the piano. It almost sounds like gospel singing behind her. I feel like Aretha Franklin would have enjoyed belting the crap out of this song. Love it.
"Jack Killed Mom": Another gospel, down-home piano song. Tells a somewhat twisted story about Jack and his mom.
"Sing a Song for Them": Sad little song with pretty harmonies. A song for the outcasts and the forgotten. Nice ending.

Source

Song of the Day: Jenny Lewis, "The Next Messiah"

BuzzSugar — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 12:30:40 -0700

If you're eager to hear Jenny Lewis's forthcoming album, then you - and I - are in good company. Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard's also ready for Acid Tongue to hit stores, and in a series of YouTube sketches over the past few days, he's been stalking Lewis around her house, demanding to hear some new songs.

Lucky for us, it's hard to say no to Gibbard, so Lewis has rolled out the second track from the new album (we've already heard the title track, "Acid Tongue"). "The Next Messiah" is a lot of things I'm not used to hearing from Lewis. For one, it's just a lot of song – more than eight minutes, in fact, with several long jam sessions interspersed between the singing. It's bluesy at times, funky at others, and there's a cool shift just after the five-minute mark, when the male backing vocals really kick in and Lewis's voice gets a lot more raw and desperate. On my initial listen, I like the track, but I think it will come alive a lot more in live shows, when the band can really let loose and just rock.

To hear the song for yourself, just read more.

Source

BuzzSugar's Must Haves for September

BuzzSugar — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 05:45:53 -0700

All right, September is here! Let the good times roll! I know that sounds awfully cheery given the end of Summer, but from an entertainment perspective, this time of year is exciting. For my must haves this month I chose a book that intrigues me, several albums coming out from some of my favorite artists, a bunch of TV shows that will be out on DVD, and one of the most anticipated movies of the year that's soon to be yours to own! Ready for Fall? Just hit "Start." Source

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Link Time! 8/28

BuzzSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:30:17 -0700

The phrase "TV in the bathtub" makes me nervous immediately, but apparently, there's a safe version of this. - GeekSugar
One of the actors in Changeling learned that spontaneously improvising a kiss with Angelina Jolie in a scene can be exciting, but dangerous. - MTV Movies Blog
Did HBO chicken out by dropping its adaptation of Preacher? - TV Squad
Traveling over Labor Day weekend? Check out seven good movies to watch when stuck in an airport. - Cinematical
Apparently, you can stream a track from Jenny Lewis's album Acid Tongue over at NPR.org. - Stereogum
Kristin Chenoweth delivers an intervention - in song! - GiggleSugar
Can you imagine a sequel to Todd Solondz's Happiness? - Vulture
The video for Common's "Announcement" is pretty awesome. - Popwatch
Ten questions with Wentworth Miller. - The TV Addict

Source

The Opposite of Love: Julie Buxbaum ($16.50)	Break Up the Concrete: The Pretenders ($11.99)
Acid Tongue: Jenny Lewis ($12.49)	Certain Girls: A Novel: Jennifer Weiner ($17.79)
@#%&*! Smilers: Aimee Mann ($13.99)	Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day ($12.99)
Baby Mama ($17.99)	Greek - Chapter One ($19.99)
30 Rock: Season 2 ($25.99)	Lipstick Jungle - Season One ($24.99)