This is for one of those days where low-key/down tempo is what the mood calls for. So turn off your lights (& light some candles if you like...me, I'm more of a lava lamp person), & just chill out from the day.
It is no secret that I have many issues with iTunes and their iPod shuffle. A blog post all in itself for sure. However, every once in awhile the tracks that surface from the pool of 650 - 725 (limited to an 8GB phone unfortunately) are in sync w/ what I want/need to hear. This happened to me on 12-10-10. All but 5 tracks are essentially my porch smoking, bus riding, & walking soundtrack from the 10th. ...& of those 5 exceptions, 2 were from the 9th.
What I am truly excited about this particular compilation is all albums included were acquired w/n the last 2 weeks. Thanks to the SPL, I pick up 13-18 new albums a week. Not to mention, Amazon.com's MP3 store has dozens of free samplers from dozens of labels. Between those 2 sources, there has been plenty of new music to explore. Exploring that culminated into an incredible mix of music on the 10th.
Just so you're warned, some songs contain words which people who don't live in the real world might find offensive. So if you don't like cuss'n, then don't listen.
Been thinking and talking about doing this for awhile now, and finally got around to publishing the first ever Casual Rants music compilation podcast. It isn't completed...yet. Still have yet to hunt down and gather the cover art for each track. Nevermind that I have said cover art on itunes, but can't figure out how to access it...yet.
Like the title says, this is a collection of great songs from some of my favorite bands. It is actually part 1. I want to maintain a compilation format, so am limiting myself to the 1.2 hour length available on a CD-R. Initial cut of this almost doubled the time limit. Soooo, part 2 is on its way! Only real changes I made is Johnny Cash's version of Hurt closes this installment, & I added a couple of recent discoveries who are blowing my mind to the second installment.
Part 3 wraps up the work week in style. A lot of my favorite shows are air on these days. To be honest, I can't really say anything more that won't be repeated below. So let us just get to it...
THURSDAY
The most competitive day ratings-wise. It is good to see a growing presence of genre shows. If people on average watch TV on Thursdays, why not offer an alternative to the long shark jumped CSI and more sitcoms than you can shake a stick at? A couple of networks have done just that. You can count on me to be sitting on my couch w/ beer & remote in hand watching them. Read on...
I love this trailer on so many levels. I love this show. After the absolutely cruel cliffhanger that closed last season, I have been counting the days until the 3rd season premiere.
If you can get past the CW-ized social event of the week. If you can get past the obviously influenced by Twilight design & look. Then you will discover an amazing TV show. Based on a books series of the same name, the Vampire Diaries is riveting (for a lack of a better word). Well written, well acted, & overall well executed.
There have been many incarnations of Nikita in both film and TV. CW's version, however, breaks from the traditional portrayal of the character & story. That has really peaked my interest. Nikita is promising to be one bad ass & thrilling ride. Can't wait to check it out.
FRIDAYS
I told myself I wouldn't mention anything about Sy-Fy channel airing WWE Smackdown on Fridays. So I am not going to point out that they are preempting 12+ years of their anchor programming night (Sci-Fridays) for wresting?! WTF!
Zod made a great villain last season. He was intelligent, well thought out, & brilliantly portrayed. There were actually times you doubted he was a villain at all, so well written the character was. How do you top Zod for Smallville's final season? With Darkseid of course. Can't wait to see how they portray him.
Except for a fan shot clip from SDCC, new footage for Supernatural's 6th season is impossible to find. Considering that there is a new creative team overseeing the show, this means the new season is either really, really good, or horrible. Also considering the new show runners have been on staff since season's 1 &/or 2, I'm banking on really, really good.
Define irony. Irony is when a network (NBC) cancels a show (Medium), that show is picked up by another network (CBS), & 3 years later becomes the sole survivor of CBS' Friday night line up. If you haven't had the opportunity, I highly recommend you check Medium out. It is a great mix of drama, suspense (I'm talking the sit at the edge of your seat kind), & surreality. NBC was stupid for letting this one go...then again, w/ the whole Conan/Leno debacle, NBC has proven they're not the brightest light bulb on the network chandelier.
Between CBS moving Medium to 8pm, & Fox (a network who has it out for me) moving Human Target to Fridays, I am not 100% I'll be able to catch this one this year. Though miraculously renewed, & CW being great about airing reruns of their shows, I might prioritized Human Target over Smallville. Haven't decided for sure yet. Probably won't decide until premiere in October. I like them both.
It looks funny, but not in a formulated Major Network sitcom sort of way. Very curious.
Friday Honorable Mention
Who Do You Think You Are? (Premieres ?, NBC): NBC's hour long infomercial for ancestry.com is going to return at some point (no premiere date listed, so this might actually be a mid-season show). On one hand, I find it boring, then on the other, it does appeal to one's sense of finding their own identity.
Links to the shows web pages are the title. Part 4 should be up w/n a week.
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