Month: March 2010

Artic Monkeys Can’t Stop the Beat

Artic Monkeys have been touring and enjoying the success of their new album Humbug for awhile now. So of course when the tour wraps up they are going to take a much needed break, right?

Wrong!

The band plans to get right back into the studio to start working on their next project. There are no details available yet, except their plans to do this. For those of us (like me) who realized their love for the band after they had already passed their home town on the tour, this is exciting news. Let me do the math for you:

new album = another tour

At least it probably does. Either way, new music from this great band is nothing to sneeze at. After all, they weren’t listed as one of my top bands of 2009 for nothing.

Happy Birthday + News Roundup

Lots of music and television news to share today. But first…

A happy birthday shout-out to Robbie Coltrane. Coltrane is best known for his portrayal of Hagrid in theHarry Potter series, although he is in a number of other films as well. He turns 60 today.

Moving from movies to television, it has already spread pretty quickly that this is officially the last season of 24. There was talk about it moving to NBC, but that is definitely not happening. The movie is in the works though, and will likely follow chronologically the events of the current season.

And in music, RXP’s Experience Next presents: One Eskimo. This show is free to all and will be at Brooklyn Bowl on March 31.
Last, but certainly not least, MGMT‘s video for Flash Delirium is online for your viewing pleasure.


Bonus round:
For Doctor Who fans, here is an interview with Stephen Moffat.

The new season of Doctor Who premieres this weekend in the UK and April 17th in the US.

Happy Birthday (x2)

Two birthday shout-outs today, one mainstream music artist and one slightly lesser known television star.

First off, thought you would be interested to know it is Lady Gaga’s birthday today. She is known for her dance beats and outrageous costumes, but do any of you know her real name? It’s Stafani Joanna Angelina Germanotta, in case you were wondering. Did you also know she started out performing in the Lower East Side of NYC? The area is known for it’s music scene with Bowery Ballroom being located there, as well as a number of other venues. And I bet you didn’t know her name is based from the Queen song “Radio Ga Ga” either. There are so many things yet to be discovered about this performer, but just know there is more to her than her costumes.

Next, News on Shuffle would like to wish a very happy birthday to Gareth David-Lloyd, who plays Ianto Jones on the Doctor Who spinoff, Torchwood. Many fans consider him a favorite on the show, especially regarding his relationship to the lead, Captain Jack Harkness. Even if you don’t watch Torchwood, you still might recognize him as Dr. Watson from the recent Sherlock Holmes film.

As a combined birthday tribute, I thought it would be cool to share a video with Ianto and a Lady Gaga song. So here is Jack & Ianto’s Bad Romance

And because what’s a birthday without some dancing, why don’t we Just Dance?

Happy Birthday, Nathan Fillion

News on Shuffle would like to wish Nathan Fillion a very happy birthday. Fillion was once star of the Joss Whedon cult classic, “Firefly” as well as Whedon’s other cult favorites “Dr. Horrible” as Captain Hammer and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (where he guest starred in the final season). He currently star’s on the ABC show “Castle”. Other appearances by Fillion include a recurring role on a season of Desperate Housewives as Dr. Mayfair and the portrayal of Joey Buchanan on the soap opera “One Life to Live”. Fillion turns 39 today.

Anticipating Tony

Tony nominations aren’t going to be announced until May, but there is already some talk as to which musicals might be nominated. Assuming they both get nominated, I personally think who wins is going to come down to one of two: American Idiot or Memphis. While American Idiot is only in previews now, it already has a lot of interest from the general public. On the other hand, Memphis not only has quite a following already, it is also a superb show with very strong elements to it. I cannot tell you which I think deserves the win until I see American Idiot for myself. I know the album it is based off of is one of my favorites by Green Day (or the rock genre for that matter) and that it has the potential to be something special. Whether that potential translates on stage and connects with audiences is yet to be determined.

Jukebox the Ghost @ Bowery Ballroom

I’m not sure whether it was here or Twitter that I mentioned having a surprise in regards to my trip to see Jukebox the Ghost at Bowery Ballroom earlier this month. It took longer than expected, but my surprise is finally ready for the masses. See, I was asked to write a review for Beyond Race Magazine, and I thought it was only fair to wait until it was posted on their website before I did the same here. So here is my part of the review. The other section on the headliner (Tally Hall) was written by my friend who works at the magazine. (He also edited some of my bits, because I am, to be perfectly honest, not that good a writer). The complete review has been linked to above, in case you want to take a look. So, without further ado, I present: Jukebox the Ghost.

The following is my review as written by your humble blogger. There are a few edits on the BRM post, but that was probably for the best. Consider this the “deleted scenes” at the end of the movie, if it so pleases you.

Fresh from a month in Europe, Jukebox the Ghost played to a packed house at Bowery Ballroom. The band always has something special to offer their audience, and this was no exception. Whether it be ghosts for Halloween or Christmas lights strung everywhere, the stage is always an element of the experience. The staging this time was set with bubbles blown from members in the audience, turning the room almost into a playground. The comparison seems appropriate, for if Jukebox could be described with one word it would be “fun.” Not only does it fit the audience’s experience, but what the band seems to feel as they perform. Ben (their keyboardist) tells stories of their tour or some other tale as if he’s sharing this with a group of friends who have stopped by for a friendly visit. Two other members (Tommy and Jessie) shared that they caught a bug while in Europe. “Jessie is actually too sick to do this next song – but he’s going to play it anyway,” Tommy comments before starting his favorite dance tune from their new album (release of which is unknown at this point). This shows a dedication to their music (and their fans) that is remarkable. You can tell they enjoy performing just as much as the audience enjoys watching them. The crowd dances and sings along throughout the set. There is even participation during a few of the songs. This is especially evident with the fan-favorite “Hold It In”, which they concluded their set with. Not only does the audience sing along, but there is also clapping which not only adds to the rhythm of the song, but also brings a wave of joy as the song progresses. It’s as if you have become part of the experience, part of the fun. And that is just one more way Jukebox the Ghost becomes not just another band, but something truly special.

Happy Birthday, Alyson Hannigan

News on Shuffle would like to wish the lovely Alyson Hannigan a very happy birthday. Hannigan was once the star of the cult classic “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” as Willow and also appeared in the spin-off, Angel. She currently stars with Neil Patrick Harris in the CBS comedy “How I Met Your Mother”. Hannigan is married to Aleixs Dennisof, who also starred in “Buffy” and “Angel” as Wesley. They have a daughter who was born March 24, 2009. Hannigan turns 36 while her daughter turns 1.

Happy Birthday to them both.

New New News

Lots of new music things for us to look forward to.

1) Wolf Parade is apparently working on a new album to be released in 2010. The goal is to have the finished product ready by the spring.
2) MGMT also have a new album, which is already available for streaming online. When you’re finished listening you can pre-order the album on their website.
3) The American Idiot musical is starting previews tomorrow. Buy your tickets today.
3.1) There is already talk of turning American Idiot into a movie as well. Seems Tom Hanks wants in on the gravy train. Thoughts on this? Good idea? Bad idea? Not entirely sure?
Lastly, don’t forget to program your Tivo for Lost tonight. The season is heating up, and there is still a lot more to discover about the inhabitants of the island.

Dr. Horrible’s Reprise

Remember that nasty writer’s strike a few years back? While some took that opportunity to get some much needed rest, others spent that time working on other projects. For Joss Whedon, that meant putting together a little mini web series known to us all as “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-Long Blog” (or “Dr. Horrible” for short). The doctor (not to be confused with The Doctor of Doctor Who fame) had a PhD in Horribleness. He also had an adorable little crush on a fellow laundry person called Penny. The story was cooky, the songs full of fun, and the final masterpiece priceless. If you haven’t seen it yet, you should definitely rectify that error immediately. Then you, too, can be just as excited about the idea of a sequel as the rest of us are. There is talk that it will actually be a feature film, as opposed to another web movie. Something big enough scale to give it the justice it deserves without taking away from the low-budget feel that made it so great. That sounds like a Horribly good idea to me.