BuzzSugar

Did You Ever Tune In For Casey Kasem's Weekly Radio Show?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:30:04 -0700

As a kid, I used to tune into Casey Kasem's weekly Top 40 radio show every single week, always so anxious to find out what the No. 1 song was that week. It all seems quaint now, sitting excitedly by a radio as a kid, so maybe that's why I felt a little pang of nostalgia-fueled sadness when I learned that Casey Kasem has "officially said goodbye" completely to his radio show. The man's friendly voice could be heard listing off top tunes in some way or another for a whopping 39 years. Wow!

Do you also have fond memories of listening to Casey Kasem's radio shows?

Jane Pratt Gets Sirius

BuzzSugar — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 04:20:48 -0700

Jane Pratt, founder of women's magazines Sassy and Jane, is set to launch a weekly radio show on Sirius satellite radio this fall. Called "Jane Radio," the three-hour live program will feature everything from current events and discussions on popular music to a segment called "Jane Needs Help" in which Pratt solicits the advice of her listeners.

According to the press release, Pratt wants this show to be like a girlfriend dish session, in which women can speak candidly as though no men are listening. She immediately goes on to say, however, that she hopes men will be listening - and will learn a thing or two.

I had a near-religious devotion to Sassy, and I still have fond memories of the early issues of Jane so I'll probably tune in for Pratt's show. For more details, read more

I'm of the belief that Jane helped to change the face of women's publications - at least for a while. In particular, I think the magazine introduced a smart, hip, and funny voice that had not previously been heard in the mainstream magazine world.

Hopefully, Pratt will add this voice to the lineup of what Sirius calls its "women's programming," which apparently includes shows by Barbara Walters, Candace Bushnell, and ... Richard Simmons.

Side note: Pop informed me today that Pratt recently claimed to have once slept with Drew Barrymore. So, there's that.

"This American Life" to Hit TV, Theaters

BuzzSugar — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 09:42:09 -0800

I've been a huge fan of the public-radio storytelling series "This American Life" for years. I'm so obsessed with the show's personal essays and quirky fiction that I used to record the broadcasts to cassette. (Now I just download the podcast). Once when I was in college in Chicago, I even walked out of a theater next to the show's nerdy-cool host, Ira Glass, and was too starstruck to say anything.

Naturally, I'm super-excited about two pieces of "This American Life" news: First, that the long-awaited TV show based on the radio stories will debut on Showtime on March 19, according to Entertainment Weekly. And second, that Ira Glass and the others have signed a deal with DreamWorks to develop movies based on the show's stories.

Granted, last year's Unaccompanied Minors, based on the show's story about kids stranded at a Chicago airport over the holidays, wasn't exactly a hit. But I think lots of other stories could make good movies - say, maybe this one about the stolen parrot?

Any other "This American Life" fans out there? Which episodes do you think would work on film?

How Do You Discover the Most New Music?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 02:30:00 -0800

Movie Preview: Philip Seymour Hoffman in Pirate Radio

BuzzSugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:56:13 -0700

I'm an unabashed Richard Curtis lover - he's the writer and director of Love, Actually, one of my favorite movies, and his next one, Pirate Radio is out next month.

The movie stars Philip Seymour Hoffman as a 1960s deejay in Britain who takes to the water when the government bans rock and roll. I'm all for a retro Hoffman (he's totally channeling his rock critic character in Almost Famous here) but I'm just as excited about the British support: frequent Curtis stars Bill Nighy and Rhys Ifans, as well as Simon Pegg's right-hand man Nick Frost. Keep an eye out for Mad Men's January Jones, who gets to embrace the '60s hippie side of things.

To see the trailer, just read more.

What to Download: New Music Today

BuzzSugar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:30:32 -0800

New DVD and music releases are the perk of Tuesdays, and today's album picks are fresh, fun, and guaranteed to liven up your iPod. I've checked out today's new music and have some advice for what's worth the download.

Don't stop partying: I'll resist doing a full-on album review for Weezer's Raditude; it's tempting, because I've always been a fan and have much to say about the band's transformation over the last 15 years. That said, if I forget about how lyrically deep Weezer used to be, I can enjoy the band for what it is now: a group of guys who write catchy, rocking party songs. I'm definitely enjoying this album way more than the last two simply for the fun factor; first single "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" is permanently stuck in my head and I don't mind. "Let It All Hang Out," with lyrics written by Jermaine Dupri, is exactly what you should blast at your next party when you're worried no one's having a good time; and continuing with the obvious theme here is "Can't Stop Partying" with Lil Wayne guest-rapping.

Ultimate TV karaoke If you're obsessed with Glee already, you may want to get your hands on the show's first soundtrack, Glee - The Music, Vol. 1. The offerings on the album are songs that have been on the season so far, plus a few from the next episode. "Don't Stop Believin'," the first song that captured the country's attention, is worth having (especially to remind you that for every awkward Mr. Schu rap, there's a gem like this). There's also the goosebump-inducing "Somebody to Love." Finally, there's one I'm especially excited about that has yet to air: Artie's slowed-down version of Billy Idol's "Dancing With Myself," where the oft-overlooked glee club member finally gets his own episode and electrifying solo.

Hear one more new release when you read more.
America's country idol: Country cutie Carrie Underwood is back with another disc of songs, Play On, that utilize her sweet voice to tell you she's not a doormat. Her first single, "Cowboy Casanova," warns ladies of players in 10-gallon hats; this infectious tune will probably be dominating the radio the rest of the year. Another catchy tale of heartbreak you're sure to hear a lot of is "Quitter," but I prefer the more uplifting title track "Play On," which showcases Underwood's pipes rather than her sassy attitude.

What to Download: New Music Today

BuzzSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:30:52 -0700

Happy Tuesday - also known as my favorite day of the week for new DVD releases as well as music releases. On this crisp Fall day, the new tunes I'm recommending are of the indie, alt-rock variety. Check out the albums and tracks I've picked out as being worthy of a download.

Rock the family tree: Tegan and Sara's Sainthood is harder rocking than their previous albums (this is their sixth), but the relationship-heavy lyrics haven't changed. It's a more updated sound for the twin-sister indie outfit; lyrically and vocally, they seem more mature and evolved. The fast pace of songs like "Hell" is an example of a new-ish sound, while "The Cure" is a little more traditional Tegan and Sara. Don't miss the impassioned "It Was Midnight."

Scruffy sounds sweet: Devendra Banhart's latest, What Will We Be, is a lo-fi collection of subtly sexy folk-rock tracks; I could listen to the funky "Baby" all day long (in fact, I kind of have). Banhart's music often sounds like it's from another era, particularly the '70s, and this album really solidifies that - cue the sweet, twangy "Angelika," which switches it up in the last minute with a '50s Latin flavor. As a San Franciscan, I was predisposed to love the song "16th and Valencia Roxy Music," and its upbeat tempo and chorus are perfect for getting ready for a night out.

Listen in on one more new release when you read more.

Howling at the radio: Cosmic Egg is the follow-up from Australian band Wolfmother. Their debut album made a huge splash in the rock world in 2005, garnering the band a Grammy, but it wasn't all good times; two of its original members left the band in Summer 2008. Despite the new lineup, the hard rock sound hasn't changed a bit; the title track and "White Feather" (my favorite) dive in with heavy guitar riffs and Andrew Stockdale's signature screeching vocals. It also has to be said: "New Moon Rising" has a very timely title (hey, it could have been on the soundtrack!).

What to Download: New Music Today

BuzzSugar — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:30:14 -0700

It's one of my favorite days of the week: Tuesday! Which means I get to add DVDs to my Netflix queue, along with some brand new tunes for my iPod. So check out today's music releases for what you should download. (And if you like to review albums, don't forget to take a peek at the Music Review Group in the community.)

A smooth ride: Sufjan Stevens takes a breather from his states project with BQE, an ode to the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. He originally performed the work to accompany a film about the road, but the music stands on its own as a beautiful orchestral arrangement. Warning if you like Stevens's mellow voice: BQE is all instrumental. Still, it proves that he has what it takes as a composer, and I'd like to see him lend his talents to more of this sort of work. My picks: Movement II: Sleeping Invader, which sounds like a ballet dream sequence, and Traffic Shock, which mixes in clashing electronic sounds like a busy gridlock.

Pretty packs a punch: If you haven't heard of Florence and the Machine, get ready. Florence Welch is the latest spunky Brit singer on the scene, and her debut Lungs already went platinum in the UK. Today, it's available to buy stateside. She's the singer I'd want to be if I had my own band - a woman who wails while banging the tambourine - and her album veers between tough-chick anthems and haunting ballads a la Sarah McLachlan. Make sure you try the hand-clapping, feel-good Dog Days Are Over or the romantic Cosmic Love.

See two more releases when you read more.

Freaky fun: If you're a Flight of the Conchords fan - or even if you're not - you'll want to check out I Told You I Was Freaky, a compilation of music from season two (including three previously unreleased tracks). Sure, half the fun is watching the boys act out each song on the show (and Jemaine's wicked dance moves), but when you listen to the music on its own, you realize just how talented they really are. Each selection could qualify for radio-play - or just a ridiculously fun karaoke night. The album includes favorites like Sugarlumps, Hurt Feelings, and the Emmy-nominated Carol Brown.

Lyrical wanderlust: Jay Farrar of Son Volt and Benjamin Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie team up on One Fast Move or I'm Gone: Music From Kerouac's Big Sur, an ode to the famous author's work. The two musicians met while working on a documentary about Kerouac and decided to collaborate on this album using words from his novel. It's fitting then that the result feels like a cross-country trip - lazy and laid-back with some twangy country, Americana sound. I'll be adding the title track and California Zephyr to my car playlist.