As a young kid in 1991 watching cartoons was a necessity on WFLD’s ‘Fox Kids’ afternoon lineup and there is one episode of the second generation Warner Bros cartoon series ‘Tiny Tunes’ that really stands out with my first exposure to alternative weirdo icons They Might Be Giants. The episode called “Tiny Toon Music Television,” and it featured the cast of animated youngsters perform in over-the-top music videos with music replacing their normal dialogue. For many 90’s kids who would go on to be a new generation of TMBG fans who were already established for their eccentric blend of folk, pop, and irreverent storytelling. Two classic tracks ‘”Istanbul (Not Constantinople)” and “Particle Man“.played out on screen with visuals that played up their irreverent lyrics with Plucky Duck trying to find an elusive duck statue in an international adventure and Plucky having to defend micro-biological life in the wrestling ring. You can stream both videos below.
As odd as TMBG is in a delightful way, they have pathed a side path from the alternative world making heart-warming educational music for children. They even produced music for Disney channel shows and full albums. They feature it all on this official YouTube channel.
For well over 30 years, John Linnell and John Flansburgh have redefined the idea of alternative music from coming out of the Brooklyn’s punk scene to sharing music over their innovative ‘Dial-a-Song’ phone number, and much more. These two childhood friends have become the most exceptional duo a genre of music that is about breaking the rules of music. If you want to dive into their catalog, start with 1991’s ‘Flood’ and read this comprehensive piece from Spin.
If Robert Smith of The Cure is the moon, then who is the sun?
Maybe we will find out in the next video from the Gorillaz in anticipation for their 7th album Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez, out October 23. But this is no ordinary album, think of it as a TV series and the upcoming record as part of the group’s Song Machine project, a series consisting of a collection of singles and music videos called “episodes.”
Joining Smith on the album will be Beck, St. Vincent, Elton John, Peter Hook, JPEGMAFIA, Schoolboy Q and many more.
Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez features eleven songs as part of the standard edition with an additional six included in the deluxe edition. You can find the full track listing for both versions below.
Song Machine: Season One – Strange Timez
1. Strange Timez (ft. Robert Smith)
2. The Valley of The Pagans (ft. Beck)
3. The Lost Chord (ft. Leee John)
4. Pac-Man (ft. ScHoolboy Q)
5. Chalk Tablet Towers (ft. St Vincent)
6. The Pink Phantom (ft. Elton John and 6LACK)
7. Aries (ft. Peter Hook and Georgia)
8. Friday 13 th (ft. Octavian)
9. Dead Butterflies (ft. Kano and Roxani Arias)
10. Désolé (ft. Fatoumata Diawara) (Extended Version)
11. Momentary Bliss (ft. slowthai and Slaves)
Song Machine: Season One – Strange Timez deluxe tracklist (includes the 11 tracks from the standard)
1. Opium (ft. EARTHGANG)
2. Simplicity (ft. Joan As Police Woman)
3. Severed Head (ft. Goldlink and Unknown Mortal Orchestra)
4. With Love To An Ex (ft. Moonchild Sanelly)
5. MLS (feat. JPEGMAFIA and CHAI)
6. How Far? (ft. Tony Allen and Skepta)
From their beginnings as CMJ darlings (that was a music magazine back in the day for what I guess you would consider hipsters/cool kids and it was important) to their current status as arena rockers, Kings of Leon have been giving us great music for 2 decades now. Here are a few of my favorite Kings tunes. Good thing their songs are better than their haircuts amirite?!
The Emmys were obviously different this year with some in attendance in person, other stars joining the award show for TV remotely. ‘Schitt’s Creek’, ‘Watchmen’ and ‘Succession’ had a big night pulling in awards. From Comingsoon.net, here is the full list of winners below or you can watch the entire broadcast now on Hulu. Host Jimmy Kimmel obviously joked about why the award show even happened during the global pandemic, but he also riffed on how the idea of an awards shows was always ridiculous.
Outstanding Drama Series
Better Call Saul
The Crown
The Handmaid’s Tale
Killing Eve
The Mandalorian
Ozark
Stranger Things Succession **WINNER**
Outstanding Comedy Series
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Dead to Me
Insecure Schitt’s Creek **WINNER**
The Good Place
The Kominsky Method
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
What We Do in the Shadows
Outstanding Limited Series
Little Fires Everywhere
Mrs. America
Unbelievable
Unorthodox Watchmen **WINNER**
Outstanding Reality-Competition Program
The Masked Singer
Nailed It! RuPaul’s Drag Race **WINNER**
Top Chef
The Voice
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Jason Batemna, Ozark
Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us
Steve Carell, The Morning Show
Brian Cox, Succession
Billy Porter, Pose Jeremy Strong, Succession **WINNER**
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show
Olivia Colman, The Crown
Jodie Comer, Killing Eve
Laura Linney, Ozark
Sandra Oh, Killing Eve Zendaya, Euphoria **WINNER**
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson, black-ish
Don Cheadle, Black Monday
Ted Danson, The Good Place
Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method Eugene Levy, Schitt’s Creek **WINNER**
Ramy Youssef, Ramy
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Christina Applegate, Dead to Me
Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Linda Cardellini, Dead to Me Catherine O’Hara, Schitt’s Creek **WINNER**
Issa Rae, Insecure
Tracee Ellis Ross, black-ish
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Jeremy Irons, Watchmen
Hugh Jackman, Bad Education
Paul Mescal, Normal People
Jeremy Pope, Hollywood Mark Ruffalo, I Know This Much Is True **WINNER**
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Cate Blanchett, Mrs. America
Shira Haas, Unorthodox Regina King, Watchmen **WINNER**
Octavia Spencer, Self Made
Kerry Washington, Little Fires Everywhere
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Giancarlo Esposito, Better Call Saul
Nicholas Braun, Succession
Kieran Culkin, Succession
Matthew Macfadyen, Succession
Bradley Whitford, The Handmaid’s Tale Billy Crudup, The Morning Show **WINNER**
Mark Duplass, The Morning Show
Jeffrey Wright, Westworld
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Laure Dern, Big Little Lies
Meryl Streep, Big Little Lies
Fiona Shaw, Killing Eve Julia Garner, Ozark **WINNER**
Sarah Snook, Succession
Helena Bonham Carter, The Crown
Samira Wiley, The Handmaid’s Tale
Thandie Newton, Westworld
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Mahershala Ali, Ramy
Kenan Thompson, Saturday Night Live Daniel Levy, Schitt’s Creek **WINNER**
William Jackson Harper, The Good Place
Alan Arkin, The Kominsky Method
Sterling K. Brown, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Tony Shalhoub, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Betty Gilpin, GLOW
Yvonne Orji, Insecure
Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live
Cecily Strong, Saturday Night Live Annie Murphy, Schitt’s Creek **WINNER**
D’Arcy Carden, The Good Place
Alex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Marin Hinkle, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Dylan McDermott, Hollywood
Jim Parsons, Hollywood
Tituss Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. The Reverend Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Watchmen **WINNER**
Jovan Adepo, Watchmen
Louis Gossett Jr., Watchmen
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Holland Taylor, Hollywood Uzo Aduba, Mrs. America **WINNER**
Margo Martindale, Mrs. America
Tracey Ullman, Mrs. America
Toni Collette, Unbelievable
Jean Smart, Watchmen
Outstanding Variety Talk Series
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
Jimmy Kimmel Live! Last Week Tonight with John Oliver **WINNER**
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Outstanding Variety Sketch Series
A Black Lady Sketch Show
Drunk History Saturday Night Live **WINNER**
Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program
Amy Poehler, Making It
Nicole Byer, Nailed It!
Bobby Berk, Queer Eye RuPaul, RuPaul’s Drag Race **WINNER**
Barbara Corcoran, Shark Tank
Padma Lakshmi, Top Chef
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Andrew Scott, Black Mirror
James Cromwell, Succession
Giancarlo Esposito, The Mandalorian
Martin Short, The Morning Show
Jason Bateman, The Outsider Ron Cephas Jones, This Is Us **WINNER**
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Cicely Tyson, How to Get Away With Murder
Laverne Cox, Orange Is the New Black Cherry Jones, Succession **WINNER**
Harriet Walter, Succession
Alexis Bledel, The Handmaid’s Tale
Phylicia Rashad, This Is Us
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Fred Willard, Modern Family
Dev Patel, Modern Love
Brad Pitt, Saturday Night Live
Adam Driver, Saturday Night Live Eddie Murphy, Saturday Night Live **WINNER**
Luke Kirby, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Angela Bassett, A Black Lady Sketch Show Maya Rudolph, Saturday Night Live **WINNER**
Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Saturday Night Live
Maya Rudolph, The Good Place
Wanda Sykes, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Bette Midler, The Politician
You know when the priest, or whoever is leading a wedding says “speak now or forever hold your peace”. Well, apparently a lot more people than I thought spoke now!
A man has invented a “candy chute” — giving people everywhere a safe option for delivering sweet treats this Halloween.
The Ohio homeowner already wanted to do this for kids with disabilities — but figured 2020 would be a universal time to roll out this repurposed cardboard tube, which will allow for distanced “trick or treating” fun in the middle of a pandemic.
Take a look at this news report — what do you think? — [eric]
You can test your Batman villain knowledge with this podcast trivia quiz from Crestwood’s own Ryan Budds.
You can talk about the movies, but one of the best Bat adaption was the 90’s animated series. This documentary from DC covers how the series broke new ground, created parts of the Gotham City story, and much more.
Comedian and WGN televised darling Mike Toomey has been giving Chicagoans, his own take of the Adam West too-serious take on the Caped Crusader.
The Ramones will be remembered as one of the most influential bands in the vast history of alternative music. The New York outfit who is widely considered one of the best punk rock groups ever, unfortunately, did not have the easiest career. Drugs, disease, and inner-band conflicts have all been known in the band’s tumultuous history. Four Ramones have sadly passed on since the late 90’s. The Grunge channel covered all of the unfortunate tragedies that Joey, Marky, Dee Dee, Johnny, Tommy, and CJ endured in the video above.
Why focus on the sad stuff, right? For those of us who never got the sweaty pleasure of seeing Joey and company thrust it around live, check out these sets which took place in Chicago and beyond.
Ramones played Northwestern University’s Cahn Auditorium in 1979, an institution is known for refined intellectualism but that does not mean that the students did not want to do the Blitzkrieg Bop. Here is a very rough bootleg but the soulful mixture of grit, soul, and swaggering rage is all there.
WKQX has felt the magic every year at the majestic Aragon for our Nights We Stole Christmas residency, and some of that stardust comes from memorable nights like this.
This not really a full show but you have to love the Super 8 film mixed together with band visiting the long-defunct Old Chicago amusement park and playing Schaumberg’s B’Ginninings.
In 2014, the Ramones officaldropped a beautifully shot restored and remastered show from New Year’s Ever 1977 when the band played the Rainbow in London, England. The racuous 26-minute roller coaster ride of fist-pumping hey-ho-lets-go chaos they are known for. This show was released in 1979 as the live album ‘It’s Alive!’. Enjoy and don’t stand still while enjoying this.
MTV changed the music world when it debuted in 1981 with it’s original culture impact bringing new adventurous music to the masses with wild visuals and an overall sense of cool. A wonderful person has revived all of that fun as it aired on TV with all of the VJ’s, interviews, outdated commercials, and of course the music videos featured in hundreds of hours of video posted on Internet Archive. Yeah, you won’t see any of reality shows that the channel is known for now.
Here is what MTV was like when it first signed on the air on August 1, 1981 as a channel that some thought was ridiculous at the time. It would go on to change the music industry in a massive way in the decades to come.
This Youtube channel shared the first 2 half hours of MTV which is very odd as it’s so music focused, emphasizing how to adjust your stereo so you can get the most of the broadcast, and very dated commercials for some obsolete products. Music is included from the Buggles (who had the first ever video on the channel), Iron Maiden, the Preteneders,. REO Speedwagon and more.
The Beastie Boys brought rap to alternative, and alternative to rap. One of the most important bands for BOTH genres! 3 friends from NY that started as a punk band and went on to take over the world. From party bangers to social conscious raps about equality, the Beastie Boys have everything in their bag. Not to mention that their music videos are legendary too! Its nearly impossible to make a list of only 10 songs to listen to, but here goes nothing…
Though it was never officially confirmed which person on set contracted the virus, Pattinson has been cleared to put the cape and cowl back on according to Variety,
Several other blockbusters have resumed production including “The Matrix 4,” “Jurassic World: Dominion,” and the Disney Plus series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’.
