Mad Men Tonight! I'll Bring the Gin, You Bring the Inappropriate Office Conduct

Gary, the way in which you were over-the-moon giddy for The Dark Knight is the way in which I'm over-the-moon giddy for tonight's season premiere of Mad Men. I re-watched the first season on DVD as well as the bonus features and have mentally immersed myself in the world of 1960 advertising agency Sterling Cooper where gin flows like water, women are second-class citizens, and everyone has a secret. (This doesn't mean that I've been secretly swilling gin while sexually harrassing females, although my roommate and I did look up how to make Tom Collinses and we each drank one during the sixth episode.)

When The Sopranos ended, I was heartbroken. Would another show ever probe the American psyche as well? Would another show ever shed television--and storytelling--conventions in order to capture the unplotted reality of life? Well, Mad Men premiered less than a few months after that silent black coda and my questions got answered with a "Yes" much sooner than I was expecting.

Exactly like the advertisements they create, the character's in Mad Men are all trying to sell themselves with a bold, recognizable image, but they're actually saying more in the subtext. It's brilliant writing, all around, and while watching a Behind the Scenes in the Writers' Room feature on the DVDs, I developed a fire in my stomach that won't be quenched until I, too, am working in a such an intelligent, creative environment. Mad Men takes you deep into the minds of (almost) modern men and how women are more often than not, the victims of the sacrifices men make.

Bollywood Video Showdown: Basement Jaxx Vs. Natalie Portman and Her Boyfriend's Pubes

Here are two music videos that each try to tell a whole Bollywood story in the span of one song. They're creative to say the least.

The first is the always-creative Basement Jaxx, who are wiseacres that know how to match up electric pulses with killer voices and the occasional crunchy beat. "Romeo" was a big club hit for them a while ago. Check it out below.



The other is "Carmenista" from Devandra Barnhart who, as the video will demonstrate, has no shame. Not about his, ahem, lower regions, or about pimping his girlfriend for the sake of comedy. Or, you know, lampooning a culture (not that it's not funny).




Me, I prefer the Basement Jaxx joint. Mostly because I don't like Natalie Portman but I'm a huge fan of monkeys. Monkeys > Natalie Portman.

Run for Covers: JT, Rihanna, and Britney get the Folk and Country Treatments

Nothing can make you love (or re-love) a song like hearing it in a completely new way. Here are three stripped-down covers of hit pop songs that will make you hear the lyrics and the melody in a completely new way.

The first is Glen Hansard--of Once fame--doing "Cry Me a River." This video doesn't have the best audio quality. Also, he performs it tongue-in-cheek in the video whereas he does it straight and emotional on the record. Anyway, he turns the Timbaland and JT track into something less danceable but more yearning. His raw delivery underscore the pain of the track while the original--though also awesome--does it with a more gleeful vengeance. It's available on iTunes.

The second isn't fantastic, but it's worth a listen. It's Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban singing that perfect pop song of '07, "Umbrella." They don't really bring anything new--they even use pretty much the same drum loop--but the back and forth between them, as well as the dash of twang, makes it a lot of fun. It's almost as good as Mandy Moore's version.

Lastly, here's a song that Nickel Creek only performs live. And as you will see, the crowd goes wild when they do. With their take on "Toxic," they use a good ole fiddle to get that screech of a hook and, like Carrie and Keith, they offer back-and-forth male and female vocals. They claim that it's not a joke--it's their ode to one of their favorite pop songs. And it's one hell of a fun ode. Check it out. These covers are most likely to make you re-appreciate pop lyricists and melody makers.

Can Someone Who Likes Comics Tell Me Why I Shouldn't Hate Frank Miller?

Fanboys, pick up your torches. I'm here to demystify the work of Frank Miller and I may have to draw some (vibrantly red) blood here.

New Spirit Trailer

I've really kind of reached my end with Mr. Miller after viewing the above trailer for The Spirit. Perhaps I should preface this by noting my deep disdain for Sin City, the kind of sick-'n'-twisted testosterfest in which slick style cancels out any need for a beating heart of a worthy story or moral center. Even brainless slasher films usually have their own sense of morality and character, no matter how dimly it shines. Sin City, though, is flashy, pop-art violence matched with revenge-fueled fantasies which are simply "narrative" excuses to get to more pop-art violence. There's no beating heart, no significant emotional connection, no worthwhile thematic statement, not even a cliche one. (300, though, I don't really have a problem with because in the end it's just a neat feature-length music video. It also delivers, with a wink, a series of never-back-down messages and a little sisters-are-doing-it-for-themselves empowerment on the side.)

And then here comes the trailer for The Spirit. I'm all for beefier female roles, especially in genre films. However, do we need a whole army of emaculately styled fighters who all use sexuality as their main weapon? Every Single One of Them? Every female in Sin City was an oversexualized prostitute or stripper; now we get a whole movie where barely clad women coo come-ons and double entrendees because they're all just so f-ing devoted to some man named The Spirit. I think (hope/pray) that most women will role their eyes at the film's gender relations, but there's a cult of Miller devotees out there--many of the film buff fanboys--and I wonder how Miller's works are shaping their idea of women.

And why, exactly, does Miller almost exclusively see sex as a weapon? (There's the rape in 300 and various sexual misconduct in Sin City; is love even on this guy's radar?) Has anyone bothered to ventured down that dark highway?

But maybe I'm reading into this all wrong. Is there something in The Spirit that I'm missing? Is there a good reason for Samuel L. Jackson to show up looking a villian more suited for "Kim Possible" than a supposedly adult film? Please, I want to hear a good reason for why these films shouldn't be considered completely irredeemable (other than they look neat.)

Pop, Dizzee, and Sam: Fresh, Accessible Electro

Three electronica-influenced songs have been stuck in rotation on my iPod lately and I thought I would pass them along if they're new to you.

The first is "Dance Wiv Me" by Dizzee Rascal featuring Calvin Harris. Harris is the English beats-prodigy whose debut album's title claim is that he "created disco." Dizzee is a literate rapper more The Streets than from the streets. His accent really puts a new twist on a familiar genre, at least to American rap-bred ears. He's always good, but this collaboration is a huge bonus.

The next is "Dita Dimone" by Pop Levi. It's a simple enough tune--about the title girl--but the repetitious hook really sells it. It's a great party tune, at least in California.

And finally, "Black and Gold" by Sam Sparro was the free iTune of the week a few weeks ago, but I didn't give it a good listen until recently and now I'm hooked, having added the whole album to my virtual shopping cart. The creepily awesome video is not available for embedding, so check it out here. These songs are most likely to make you love synthesizers.

Use "New Math" to Find Out How Bo Burnham Could be Only 17

My brother showed me this video yesterday.

I was blown away by this guy's cleverness. The wordplay and jokes (many of which are borderline offensive for you delicate readers) come at you so fast that you have to watch multiple times just to make sure you've laughed the appropriate number of times. He's not unlike Demetri Martin or Steven Lynch, but he's a tad jumpier, less deadpan, and bit more pop culture-savvy. He has a whole series of great online videos, as well as an EP on iTunes, and a full-fledged website at boburnham.com.

But here's where it went from remarkable to remarkable/depressing. My brother revealed that this kid is 17. As in years old. I believe that makes him a certifiable prodigy as well as an unwelcome reminder that you and I are significantly older and less accomplished. However, being only 17, it's likely this kid is on the cusp of explosion; he could easily be on stage at major comedy shows right now, so I can't wait to see his HBO special when he's, oh, 19. (And I will admit that him being 17 makes several of his adult-ish jokes a little...weird.) He's one of the few legitimate discoveries on Youtube, someone who set up a camera and showcased a talent that is actually worth sharing. His videos are most likely to make you laugh, then cry about your age.

A Mashketeer Makes Ashlee Simpson Palatable (by Replacing Her Vocals)

Found this mash-up a few weeks ago from Titus Jones. It uses the backbeat (back riff?) from Ashlee Simpson's "Boyfriend"--a song with which I am proudly not familiar--and uses vocals from everyone from Chris Brown to Flo Rida (love that guy) to Britney to Missy. It makes the overproduced "Kiss Kiss" way more fun and it even adds some bounce to "Low." It's the only song that's been on my "Running" playlist for a solid month because of how damn infectious it is. Let's call it most likely to increase your speed on the treadmill.

"Quarantine" Trailer: Good for a Crowded Theater?

Quarantine Trailer 2

Well, I got suckered by Cloverfield's trailer but this looks like something much more fun, something worth seeing in a crowded theater. One of my best theater experiences ever was Dawn of the Dead, listening to the crowd verbally react to zombie-related deaths and shouting instructions to the movie's various "white bitches" (e.g. "Unlock the window, you white bitch!" and "Where'd that bitch get a crowbar?") Really, there's no better way to see a horror movie.

And it looks like this Quarantine has

a) a solid premise and style

b) a lot of amusing deaths

c) several "white bitches" to yell at

Who's with me? It's most likely to get audience feedback.

Platinum Pied Pipers' "On a Cloud" is the best Mark Ronson song Mark Ronson didn't produce

For the past five weeks I've been checking iTunes every Tuesday morning to see if they have "On a Cloud" by the Platinum Pied Pipers or PPP as they're known on iTunes. I heard the single on KCRW while driving home from work at 11:45pm (oh, the life of a PA!) and was entranced. It's addictive and fresh; the opening sounds like something stolen from Mark Ronson and you know that with me, that's a good thing. A very good thing.

I went home and had to re-listen to the whole KCRW broadcast just to wait for the part where a) it would be played again and b) they would eventually tell me who I just heard. Once I got the name, I went searching for the song. Sadly, all I could find was a 2-minute clip on their Myspace Page. I think I've listened to that clip about 30-40 times.

But this week, iTunes finally had it. The EP also includes the very worthy song "Angel" as well. If you like soul--or, arguably, if you have one--you will dig "On a Cloud." It's the song most likely to make you bounce in your office chair.