BuzzSugar

Link Time! 3/12

BuzzSugar — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 13:30:36 -0700

Some hints/spoilers about the end of Pushing Daisies. - Give Me My Remote
The outtakes of Ricky Gervais's appearance on Sesame Street are tickling us, Elmo. - Popwatch
Huh. Apparently the Pinocchio special anniversary DVD is pretty fantastic. - Cinematical
10 memorable TV cameos by pop stars. - TV.com
Check out a brand-new scene from Monsters vs. Aliens. - MTV Movies Blog
Check out some Kill Bill-inspired home decor. - CasaSugar
Here's a sneak peek from the Hold Steady's forthcoming live album/DVD combo. - Stereogum
Try a few of these recession tips that some celebrity chefs recently shared with Oprah. - YumSugar
Here's a way to watch SXSW movies without being in Austin. - Pop Candy

Buzz News Roundup, 2/4

BuzzSugar — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 13:30:42 -0800

Al Pacino will play King Lear in a new film adaptation of the Shakespeare play. - ComingSoon
Steve Zahn is close to joining the cast of Treme, the New Orleans-set show from the creator of The Wire. - TV.com
Columbia Pictures and producer Scott Rudin will make a film based on the life of Henry Molaison, whose brain became the most studied gray matter in medical history. - Variety
The Hold Steady will release a documentary/live album combo in April. - Pitchfork
The creators of My So-Called Life are working on a pilot for CBS called A Marriage. - The Hollywood Reporter
Spike Lee is returning to a WWII setting, as he signs on to produce Brendan Koerner's manhunt tale Now the Hell Will Start. - Zap2it
A movie titled The Legend of Santa Claus is in the works, the first installment in a three-film series exploring the early days and mythology of the Christmas hero. - Variety
Warner Bros. Pictures has set Aaron Sorkin to write the movie The Challenge, a courtroom drama which George Clooney will produce. - ComingSoon
It's official: Bob Saget will return to ABC in Surviving Suburbia. - Zap2it

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Buzz Gift Guide: The Best of 2008 For Guys

BuzzSugar — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 07:00:36 -0800

Welcome back to my Buzz Gift Guide series for all the entertainment lovers in your life. Yesterday I entertained myself, actually, by sorting through all the great pop culture-related t-shirts I'd love to get for the men in my life, and today I'm tackling a bigger project for the guys: the best in music, books, TV, and movies of 2008.

Now, this is by no means a definitive list of the best entertainment stuff that came this year. These are simply gift ideas that I think the lads will like. For example, I think the best piece of writing to come from a TV show this year has to be the tome by How I Met Your Mother's Barney Stinson: The Bro Code. The product description cracks me up:

Historically a spoken tradition passed from one generation to the next, the official code of conduct for Bros appears here in its published form for the first time ever. By upholding the tenets of this sacred and legendary document, any dude can learn to achieve Bro-dom.

It was also a great year for movies, and I'd be hard-pressed to think of a guy in my life who wouldn't be thankful to receive The Dark Knight and Hellboy 2 on DVD. As for TV in '08, I honestly don't know many guys who haven't given the FX comedy It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia a chance yet, and my friends who are uber-fans will be gifted the show's DVDs this year. Finally, in regard to music, I know a lot of dudes who are really into the Bon Iver album released this year (me too!) as well as new music from The Hold Steady.

I've included several other ideas below so scroll through to check them out!

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Season 3 ($20.99)	The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts ($16.78)
Bro Code By Barney Stinson ($12.98)	The Dark Knight ($23.99)
For Emma, Forever Ago: Bon Iver ($11.49)	Stay Positive: The Hold Steady ($12.99)
Brighter Than Creation's Dark: Drive-By Truckers ($14.99)	Dear Science: TV on the Radio ($11.49)	Hellboy II: The Golden Army ($21.99)

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

Link Time! 7/17

BuzzSugar — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:30:02 -0700

Cinematical just finished reading Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist and is anxious to see how the film adaptation (starring Michael Cera) comes out.
The best part of getting up to watch the Emmy nominations was watching Kristin Chenoweth and Neil Patrick Harris banter while announcing the nominees (and being surprised at their own nods). Give Me My Remote has the video.
BestWeekEver's Dan Hopper has a passionate defense of Katie Holmes' performance in Batman Begins.
Stereogum has a clip of The Hold Steady performing on Letterman on Wednesday.
geeksugar wonders if you buy more music in the age of downloads.
The TV Addict has an interview with Burn Notice star Jeffrey Donovan.
FilmExperience has a post basically devoted to the hotness of Penelope Cruz.
Popwatch wants to stop talking about Hayden's embarrassingly atrocious music video and start talking about songs that we actually like, like Little Jackie's "The World Should Revolve Around Me."

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What to Download: New Music on iTunes

BuzzSugar — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:30:16 -0700

Tuesdays are big in entertainment-ville: Not only do all the new DVD releases hit Netflix, but new music also pours into stores, including iTunes. So I take a spin through each week's iTunes music releases and pick out some albums and tracks worthy of a download. You may have heard that Coldplay's new album is out today (I reviewed here) and you can also sample the new Wolf Parade album before you download it.

By the way, if you took my advice and downloaded the Fleet Foxes a couple of weeks back, there was something wrong with the iTunes version of the track called "He Doesn't Know Why." So, now you can get the better version here for free!

Makin' mischief: People tend to describe Katy Perry's musical sensibilities as "feisty." I think that's an understatement. Her song "Ur So Gay" is totally hilarious, and you probably know a guy or eight that seem like the one she's singing about. "I Kissed a Girl" is catchy, too, and already has a bit of a cult following. Hers are the kind of songs that will get your friends talking (and dancing) if you slip them into a party mix. Good times.

The boys of summer: It's no secret I'm a giant fan of The Hold Steady. On this busy day for music, do not miss taking a listen to the band's fourth album, Stay Positive, which is out early on iTunes ahead of its physical release next month. Already the track "Constructive Summer" makes me want to jump up and rock out, and I'm really digging "Lord, I'm Discouraged" as well. But who am I kidding? I'm downloading the entire thing.

Two more great download selections, so read more.

Funny lady: Sometimes it's hard for me to get other people into Kathy Griffin because she has this pesky reputation for being annoying. But I find her stand-up hilarious, and now instead of begging friends to give it a chance, I will simply turn on bits from this standup show now available on iTunes. Her impression of Oprah on "Oprah's Favorite Things" kills me. And when she shoots down claims that Donny and Marie were hip in "The Osmonds Were Never Cool," I hurt with laughter.

Feeling dark? This new album from Silver Jews is, well, a little depressing. The band tends to tell the cold, hard truth about things like dreams and how they end - not unlike, say, Johnny Cash. This time around, though, the band's lyrics are more playful, like in "Suffering Jukebox." Also, "San Francisco B.C." is pretty amazing and incredibly poetic.

Link Time! 6/10

BuzzSugar — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:32:59 -0700

I honestly can't stop laughing at Best Week Ever's list of the top 10 New Kids on the Block pictures "you should never forget."
Uh-oh. Those who are viewing M. Night's latest feature, The Happening, continue to be distinctly unimpressed, writes FilmExperience.
Yay! Ted Allen is getting his own TV show, says YumSugar.
Stereogum relays the news that you can currently stream all of The Hold Steady's latest album, which is titled Stay Positive.
Popwatch is inciting the wrath of. . . just about everyone with their list of the biggest mistakes ever made in the sci-fi movie genre.
Idolator wants to talk about the purpose of music videos in 2008.
TV Squad has a list of the top 10 best recurring Arrested Development characters. Bob Loblaw!
Dexter actress Jennifer Carpenter has an awesome tipi in her backyard, and I agree with CasaSugar that it looks so comfy.

Buzz News Roundup, 5/2

BuzzSugar — Fri, 02 May 2008 13:30:02 -0700

Catherine O'Hara and Andie MacDowell have signed on for ABC pilots, Zap2it reports: O'Hara will play the mom in Good Behavior from Rob Thomas, while MacDowell's plot is described as a Hamlet-like drama set in the auto industry.
Maggie Gyllenhaal will replace Toni Collette in the Sam Mendes relationship comedy that also stars John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph, Variety writes.
According to ComingSoon, comedian Demetri Martin will be joining Ang Lee's next project, Taking Woodstock.
Billboard writes that The Cure has announced the date of their next album release: September 13, with a new single coming out every month until then, starting on May 13.
Variety reports that iTunes will now offer movies to be purchased and downloaded on the day of DVD release.
If you liked the Christian Siriano-designed blouse that Amanda wore on Ugly Betty last night, you can bid on it now; details on how are at The Futon Critic.
E! reports that Leighton Meester will be reprising her role on Entourage as a Britney-esque pop star.
Pitchfork has new details on the new album from The Hold Steady, which will be released in July.

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How Do You Feel About a Mass-Market Indie CD?

BuzzSugar — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 17:00:13 -0700

Here's a little something to chew on as you roll into the weekend: A Now-style compilation CD of indie tunes is hitting stores this month. The track list includes songs from Sonic Youth, Neko Case, Deerhoof, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, The Hold Steady and others.

A couple things about this strike me as funny. For one, a whole bunch of the songs are from 2006, which I'm pretty sure means they're not "next." And second, who exactly is supposed to be buying this? I can't imagine any self-respecting fan of the included artists deigning to buy the compilation, and I'm not sure your average Target shopper would pick this up, think, "Hmm, I've always wondered what this 'indie music' is all about!" and toss it into the cart. What's your take?

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Concert Review: The Hold Steady and Illinois in SF, 5/31/07

BuzzSugar — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 16:14:18 -0700

With its canon of songs about drinking and drugs, music fests and chillout tents, and redemption and rebirth, The Hold Steady approach the act of partying with an almost religious fervor. Not surprisingly, the band's concert at Slim's last week was no exception. In fact, the show followed the pattern poetically laid out in "Hot Soft Light," from the band's newest album, Boys and Girls in America:

"It started recreational
ended kinda medical
it came on hot and soft
and then it tightened up its tentacles."

Opening act Illinois kicked things off with an almost overwhelming air of joviality, doing everything a good opening band should do. They played a blistering set of brilliantly perky pop songs that made everyone pay attention as opposed to chit-chatting before the main event. Even more endearing was that Illinois seemed just as psyched to see the Hold Steady as I was. To read what happened next, read more

Like Illinois, the Hold Steady managed to bring both raucous edge and irresistible charm to the performance. It helps that frontman Craig Finn and pianist Franz Nicolay - looking like a college professor and an old-timey pugilist, respectively - simply ooze charisma, like they're in a nearly constant state of fun-having.

The set, which featured a balance of songs off the new album and from the two previous records, was almost frantically, manically happy. The crowd bobbed up and down with a barrage of blistering guitars and careening piano keys.

But just when the listeners' bemused faces transformed into full-on beaming grins, Finn would reach out like a televangelist and remind us about the darker side to his songs. For instance, after getting the room chanting the "whoa-oh-oh-oh" refrain on "Massive Nights," Finn paused dramatically to deliver the last lines: "She had the gun in her mouth and she was shooting up in her dreams / when the chaperon said we'd been crowned the king and the queen."

Then, during a stunning encore featuring "Killer Parties" and "How a Resurrection Really Feels," the crowd rushed the stage and suddenly the Hold Steady were surrounded by about 40 fans. They swayed to the music and sang along; one guy even commandeered one of the guitars. The effect, like so many Hold Steady songs, was at once triumphant and just a little bit scary.

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I Like Food: Munchies from Musicians

BuzzSugar — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 06:58:45 -0700

In my mind, rock music and yummy food truly are two great tastes that taste great together. So Kara Zuaro is a girl after my own heart: She's compiled a book of recipes from rockers including the Hold Steady, the Decemberists, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, My Morning Jacket, and the Mountain Goats called I Like Food, Food Tastes Good.

Now, I tend to associate rock show food more with "hey, is that pizza place still open?" than with elaborate gourmet delicacies, so I'm excited to see that Camera Obscura apparently has a way with veggie paella and the Drive-By Truckers make a mean banana pudding. On the other end of the scale, there's Strung Out's Rock 'n' Ramen (two ramen flavors, not one) and this, um, recipe from freak-folker Devendra Banhart:

RIGHT ON!!!!!!
here is my favorite recipe for:
AFRICANAS RICAS!
you shall require!
many bananas!
a box of graham crackers!!!
two eggs!!!
SOUR CREAM!!
HONEY!

Those of you in New York can check out one of the book's release parties scheduled throughout the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, head over to YumSugar to see Grizzly Bear's recipe for pecan pie.

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