New Year A Comin'

Just when you think that 2015 has no more surprises, the ground starts to shake.

I live in earthquake country, but often forget about it, since the last earth shattering event I experienced was in 2001. Way back to when I was trying to complete a math assignment in a classroom on the third floor of my ancient middle school.

Now, 14-years later, I couldn't first blame all the shaking on the boy next to me who always annoyingly propped his feet up on our table, constantly causing my perfect penmanship to get all squiggly.

Back then I couldn't finish my algebra assignment because of an earthquake and Tuesday night my Christmas tree loudly thumped several times in my living room due to the same reason.

It was a 4.9 magnitude, relatively small, but strong enough for my brother from across town to text, "it was like a strong giant running into the apartment several times. crazy."

Let's just say I've been acting a little paranoid since the 20-second (or so) event. Even today I slightly panicked after seeing dark "smoke" coming out of the peak of Mt. Baker.

Nah.

Turns out it was just a perfectly placed dark cloud, made more apparent due to the rest of the sky being clear and crystal blue.

I've taken a few breaths, achieved some calm with the phrase, "don't be scared, be prepared", and settled in to wrapping up a few more favorite things before fulling embracing 2016.

This past year I got obsessed with a small number of albums, and so I didn't think that I branched out too much. But thanks to some handy calculations done by Spotify, I found out that I apparently still listened to 251 different artists this year. (Anyone can see their year in music here.)

That's just through Spotify though, which probably only accounts for about half of my music listening, since I still roll old school and buy physical copies of CD's, plus, stream quite a bit through Pandora

Even if I did listen to a bunch of different artists, there is definitely overlap when it comes to what I listened to the most:

This was definitely the year that I went from being a casual Brandi Carlile listener to embracing her full on. She's a native to my neck of the woods in the PNW and has performed in my hometown a ton over the last ten years, so I have been listening to her music for a long time, but I still never considered her one of my favorite singers. Now, I definitely do. I quickly became obsessed with her 2015 album, The Firewatcher's Daughter, which also led me to go back and listen to some of her superb albums from the past (Bear Creek).


Some of my other favorite albums of the year were: Marina and the Diamonds, Froot , Sufjan Stevens, Carrie & Lowell (both of which were previously discussed here), Kacey Musgraves, Pageant Material (previously written about here), Leon Bridges, Coming Home (covered here), and Ryan Adams, 1989 (written about here).

This year was also the year I welcomed the Scottish electro-pop band Chvrches into my life with full force. There isn't any album this year more worthy of blaring in head phones and chair dancing your night away than Every Eye Open. 



Apparently I've really been digging this whole electronica/pop vibe, especially when it's done by cool chicks. Really, being a Robyn fan, it shouldn't be a surprise. Sometimes you just want to have fun, and Grimes has been running with that over the last five years. She created yet another fantastical album this year. Art Angels didn't make my top list on Spotify, but that doesn't count since I sill listened to it religiously.



Another favorite was an album that didn't come out in 2015 - Sia's, 10,000 Forms Of Fear. I listened to the hits from this album in 2014, but 2015 was the year that the CD didn't come out of my car for months. The strong songwriting on powerful topics like fear, addiction, and heartbreak was wonderfully spun into an entire album of power anthems. That girl can sing and perform the heck out of anything.

One new single that did come out this year was, "Alive". Sure it's a great pop song with more anthem like qualities, but what really takes this song to another level is the moment near the end of the song, when Sia reaches that note where her voice cracks. It's completely visceral and a explosion of sound - it gives me chills every time. She's not holding anything back and, judging by her popularity, we never want her to stop.



I love tracking all my stuff, so I also keep tabs on what I'm listening to through Last.fm. It's always fun to look at the end of a week, month, or year to see what songs/artists you were most addicted to.

Some of the songs from that list are pulled from my favorite albums of the year, but the rest are outliers. Paul Simon must be due to this great movie and the song by Sara Watkins was featured in the final episode of Parenthood. Sometimes watching something ends up inspiring lots of listening.

One of the other songs from my most listened to list was simply a gorgeous cover of a classic John Denver tune. Take it away Brandi Carlile and Emmylou Harris!




This past year was another fruitful one for the lives of music fans. One of my goals for 2016 is to commit even more of my time to discovering more great albums.

Today we all say goodbye to 2015 and here's hoping the new year brings wonderfully exciting things to us all. After spending four days this week crazily power-housing through Making A Murderer, I can't stop thinking about injustices and abuses of power, so for 2016 I couldn't wish more than for everyone out there to think about the little things we could all do to positively impact everyone around us and beyond.

Blah, blah, blah - I know, I realize I'm up on a soap box, but I really can't help it!

It all starts somewhere and I know that, besides obsessing over pop culture, movies, TV, music, and everything else in the world of the arts, I'm going to push myself to become more involved in issues found in the real world around me.

There's always something to get done, or something to enjoy, and here's to a big, shiny new year of finding out what that is going to be. Hopefully that doesn't include any more ground shaking. **Knock On Wood** - because I'm a paranoid SOB.

Until next time.

"That's Me Calling The Taliban"

Sometimes the best presents aren't wrapped and placed under the tree. While it may not be as festive, simple and straight forward can also have exciting results. 

That's what we learned earlier this week when the second, highly anticipated, and super secretive season of the podcast Serial kicked off without a single warning. Frankly, since I had stopped hearing about it, I assumed the release was slated for sometime next year. 

Well, I was fit to be tied (along with the rest of the world) on Friday when I found episode one of the new season just waiting for me already downloaded on my listening device.

The rumors had been kicking around earlier in the year that this season would be focused on the controversial tale of Bowe Bergdahl - the solider who was captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan and was held captive for five years before the US negotiated his release. Anyone who followed this story in May of 2014, remembers our nation being happy about his safe return home, but also at the same time feeling iffy about the circumstances, including that the US had to release five Taliban members from Guantanamo Bay as a trade for Bergdahl.

There was another issue - it turned out that Bergdahl had "abandoned" his post, which had resulted in him being away from his camp when he was abducted by the Taliban.

Since his return, the government has been investigating his ordeal, and he was eventually charged with two counts, having to do with his desertion and misbehavior.

His fate is still to be determined, which makes it perfect timing for the Serial podcast to dig more into this story.

The best part about the first season was how the producers and researchers were able to go in depth into one story. Everyday news outlets can only spend time on the headlines and big breaking news, so once a story isn't "hot" or new anymore, they tend to move on. Shows like 60 Minutes have the ability to tell long form investigative pieces, but what's compelling about a podcast like this is that they are taking the time, week after week, in about 8-10 hours of content, to tell the stories that deserve more time.

I have been wanting to hear more about this mysterious Bergdahl situation for months, so I am elated that the people behind Serial settled on this as their topic. I might be in the minority however, according to the host and producer of Serial, Sarah Koenig. In an interview a couple months ago, she admitted that she didn't think people were going to care as much about this season.

"We're really not planning on having the same response that we had in season one, and frankly, we're really totally okay with that," she said.

She could be right, but Koenig might have also just been trying to lower expectations.

While I did appreciate that season one brought attention to a lesser known story and it would have been nice to highlight another mystery that hasn't already gotten national attention, I still think a story like Bergdahl's deserves the attention of the masses instead of being buried as a news story on the ticker that goes by on CNN.

Just after the first episode, I am very intrigued to hear more of Bergdahl's side of the story, as well as anything new Koenig and her group of sleuth's have dug up. What's exciting about this kind of journalism is asking the questions, listening to stories from different points of view, and gaining a new perspective on a situation.

The truth is always there, somewhere in the middle.

Until next time.

It's A Shannon Holiday Special

Last week I watched Groundhog Day...at work. Yes, I got paid to sit in a conference room with other coworkers and watch the Bill Murray classic on a week that was already cut short due to Thanksgiving and all. Really, not too shabby of a situation, for more reason than one, as it eventually turned out.

To be honest, I know that at some point in my childhood I had watched this flick from beginning to end. Otherwise in recent years I'd only caught snippets during its annual airings on cable.

Boy does it make a difference to watch a movie without large sections cut out due to commercial breaks! I saw many scenes that I didn't even remember, most of which are very important turning points that add a lot more meaning to the story. Groundhog Day is a whole new movie in my eyes. It went from a movie I thought was funny, to something I find to be rather genius. Now I really get all that praise.

While watching the movie though there was something bugging me - doesn't that young guy (Fred) look familiar? I couldn't put my finger on it, but didn't bother to investigate further, which is nuts considering I inject IMDB directly into my veins on a daily basis.

Only today was I gifted the answer to this perplexing mystery. It was Michael Shannon! Michael Shannon is in Groundhog Day!

Now, this is a revelation.





This fact came up during Michael Shannon's recent interview on The Nerdist Podcast, thanks to Chris Hardwick's obsession with the movie.

Besides talking about random roles, this interview is a must listen, especially since it features some hilarious deadpan commentary from Shannon, an actor that usually seems very serious. Being a perfect villain in movies like Man Of Steel might have something to do with giving off that icy vibe.

But there is none of that holding Shannon back from talking about how he still uses a flip phone and how he believes that Nestle is stealing all the water. Not to mention that he has a fantastic sardonic sense of humor (which also made him an amazing contestant on @Midnight) and, just like all the best people, refers to Joseph Gordon Levitt as JGL.

This all only made me love Shannon more and took me back to the first time I noticed him on screen. It was in the theater watching the film that really brought him out into the mainstream. He was playing the mentally unstable man who overpowered an uncomfortable lunch in Revolutionary Road. No one sitting around me could figure out whether to laugh or gasp as he told off [more like told the truth] Kate Winslet, Leonardo Dicaprio, and Kathy Bates.

He was then and still is a dynamic presence on screen. I am instantly interested in a movie if Shannon's name shows up on the cast list. This is especially true due to his semi-muse relationship with director Jeff Nichols. In the last couple years the two have made a couple wonderful movies together - Take Shelter and Mud - and I can't wait for their latest project Midnight Special to be released in the spring of next year.


Shannon never sticks to one type of movie, which is also what makes him an interesting actor to watch. Other than being a part of about 10 upcoming movies, you can currently be checking him out in something that I'm sure is leaning more on his comedy side - The Night Before. 

Or you could just watch him in Groundhog Day. It's always fun to find big actors of today pop up in obscure roles from their early years. You never know -  the young gal playing a waitress in that bad holiday Hallmark movie you have on right now (that's just a guess) might, many years from now, become the next Meryl Streep.


Until next time.

I'm Coming Home To Leon Bridges

To account for the fact that I have been very neglectful of this idea sharing space, I have decided to come back in full force.

Look out for posts every day during the month of December.

You'll never know what the topic will be, but I am considering it a "Favorite Things December", as an homage to our lady of Oprah Winfrey. Anything that is lovely to me at that moment will be heavily featured, as we celebrate the holidays and count down to the end of 2015! (Excuse me while I have a minor panic attack.)

(Okay. I'm back.)

Today, I have already jumped into my first listen of a yearly December tradition, the lovely Thomas Newman score to Little Women. Even though I may be fulfilled with my unofficial soundtrack to Christmas, I still have another musician lad on my mind.

Every day for the last month I have been crushing hard - I'm talking about big time love for an album that should have been on my radar way back in the spring of this year.

Well, late is better than never as they say, and an old timey phrase like that is perfect for the excellent throwback sound coming out of the mouth of Leon Bridges.

Fans of Sam Cooke and Otis Redding will especially feel like Bridges could have been one of their peers. Maybe some guy that was left under appreciated for years and then in 2015 was plucked out of obscurity by some rando shopping in a record store. Then, after becoming bewitched with the songs, felt compelled to share these old glorious tunes with the world and uploaded it on YouTube.

That fantastical tale isn't true, but the real story is just as wonderful. Bridges, at 26-years-old, is making that long lost sound relevant again.

Head to toe, from his shoes to his smooth voice, from that big band backing him up to his black and white music videos, this boy is a vintage dream. Even the nostalgic album artwork makes you feel like you are picking up a $.50 album single from a 1950s record store.

Every song, from the one focused on his number one gal ("Coming Home"), to the sweet ditty about his mother's life ("Lisa Sawyer"), and the gorgeously soulful album ender ("River"), there is a consistently sweet theme about relationships and family. Subjects that seem simple, but we all know are actually vast as we each reach our highs and lows in life. It's something everyone can relate to. A good tune that hits on these points, with a beautiful melody to boot, will always leave listeners weak at the knees.

Just like the immensely talented men he is compared to, Bridges is proving that a solid love song never gets old or feels dated. It can even last a lifetime.

He also covered my favorite Sam Cooke jam. I wish the audio was better, but be still my heart anyway.

You too could check out Leon Bridge's album, Coming Home. Early prediction: I will be listening to this one for years to come. It just has that classic, timeless feel.

Until next time.

All Hail Television

For basically centuries, or as far as I know upwards of 28 years (aka my entire life), Fall was the most important season for television fans. The long slog through the reruns of June, July, and August only were tolerated because the beacon of light coming from September represented new tales from all those treasured classics - Friends, ER,The Simpsons,Gilmore Girls, the various shows from the TGIF lineup, or whatever gems that got you excited in the past.

Explaining this makes me feel ancient, but kids, it used to be that the majority of television aired on five networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, The WB) and, as previously described, only kicked off their line-up once a year, in the season of changing leaves and the pumpkin spice latte. While the same big networks function mostly the same today (aside from one - let a single tear pour down your face for the defunct WB), gone are the days of reruns occupying a lot of the filler time between the beginning and end of a season.

You will still have to wait all summer for a new season of NCIS (otherwise known as the most watched drama on television), but shows of today are premiering constantly, creating a year long television calendar. In other words - there is always something on. You could throw your remote in any direction and hit a television show you haven't seen.

That is not an exaggeration. What made this clear is a staggering statistic that was released in a fascinating article called, "Television 2015: Is There Really Too Much TV". The writer, Linda Holmes, reported that this year during a presentation at the Television Critics Association press tour, smarties at the FX network had dragged out their number crunching devices and calculated that, in 2014, there were 371 scripted series. That includes programs from all the cable networks off the beaten path (FX, AMC, and USA, for example) and the ever expanding realm of internet sources (like Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon). Also, notice the word SCRIPTED in that sentence. That crazy huge number does not even count things like talk shows, Jeopardy, or everyone's favorite guilty pleasure - reality TV.

Sheesh, that's sure a lot to sort through! No wonder fans of this medium feel overwhelmed.

With such a large array to choose from, how can people giving out awards like The Emmys even keep up with it all?

We are in the official time of year for people throwing shade over nominees and frustratingly proclaiming "snubs" for all kinds of awards. Now with the field ever expanding it seems that it will be even more difficult for second-fiddle, yet still terrific shows with a strong fan base, to pick up some of that recognition. Ironic, as wonderful shows with a smaller audience could most benefit from award nominations and being part of that endless stream of critical chatter leading up to The Emmys.

Fan outcry this year definitely had an effect on the voting committee, since Tatiana Maslany from Orphan Black was finally given tickets to the party. It might have helped one performer, but there has still been no love for The Americans, noted by its fan base as a largely horrific oversight for numerous years.

The challenge here is just in seeing everything - a task that, when looking at that high number of original content, would be impossible. Maybe expanding some viewing habits, might help mix awards shows up a little though, hmm?

Let's take a look at the 2015 Emmy Nominees  - the shows and performers that were able to stand out in the crowded mass of television.

That's Exciting!

Although, he may have had a questionable role in Sucker Punch, The Hammster (aka Jon Hamm) has become one of this countries most reliable entertainers. He can do it all - comedy with a hook hand, drama with a drink, and sweet, sweet, karate moves in an underground bunker.

Proving this point, Hamm is nominated for two whole Emmy's this year. One for his role as Don Draper on Mad Men and the other for his (semi-spoiler) role on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (he already lost that one to Bradley Whitford though). Whether the voters pick him or not, these two performances will go down as my favorites for 2015. Not to be outdone, he also shows up for a third time in Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp. Seriously, give that national treasure an Emmy!

Another gem that had a show wrap this year is a classy broad who has yet to win an Emmy. Amy Poehler on Parks and Recreation delivered an immense amount of comedy and heart all wrapped up in one character, Leslie Knope. Everyone loves the perpetual winner in this category, Julia Louis Dreyfus, and Veep really is a solid comedy, yet, years from now Selena Meyers might be remembered, where, as it has already been established, Leslie Knope will still be an icon.

Poehler wasn't the only woman delivering some quality comedy this year either. Grace and Frankie may have started out rocky, however, there was no way I was going to stop watching. Just check out that entire cast list to see the immensity of amazing people who are involved. Lily Tomlin is nominated in the Best Actress Category over the other female star, Jane Fonda. Both are legendary actresses and still Tomlin was able to slightly outshine Fonda. This is simply because Tomlin was given the more interesting character. She was able to to play up all of Frankie's eccentricities to a wonderful degree, delivering a memorable performance in every episode.

Another new show stood out this year and is getting some recognition. Will Forte has been a solid performer for years and, even though it seemed like a risky premise, The Last Man On Earth turned out to be a welcome break from all the typical comedies. Every episode I wondered how they could sustain it into a whole series, and every time I was blown away with how the story advanced. At the center of this was Forte, who, for the entire first episode interacts with only himself and inanimate objects. Not everyone could do that successfully, but, being a glorious kook, he was able to pull it off tremendously. That alone deserves all of the accolades. 

Other than those favorites, I am also crossing my fingers that there are big wins for Titus Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men), Christina Hendricks (Mad Men), anything Better Call Saul (aka one of the best shows to air in 2015), and Finn Wittrock (the only outstanding part of American Horror Story: Freak Show). 

How's That?

Aside from my perfect loves Mad Men and Better Call Saul, the entire Best Drama category is problematic. It is filled with shows that have fallen from their prime after being on the air for years.

Just like the next sane person of today's world, I love an episode of Downton Abbey. Although, even the biggest fans can see that show is on its last breath. Good thing this upcoming season is its last. We still get treated to a beautifully crafted nod to the past, but the writing for almost all of the story lines is completely sub-par, a far cry from the very first season. There are still some honestly heart tugging moments (Carson and Mrs. Bates! Sigh), however, they are becoming rare.

House Of Cards has also drifted off course, so much so I lost interest and still haven't even finished the third season. Plus, how is Homeland still considered for anything? Other than Saul, that show is just bad. And then we have Game Of Thrones. This season continues on with the epic tale and there is  a solid story most of the time, and yet this show only delivers totally mind blowing episodes 50% of the time. The rest are just plain frustrating, often confusing, and time is spent waiting for interesting stuff to happen.

In other confusing news, Game Of Thrones (which has the most nominations) was nominated in the best writing and directing categories for the final episode this season, arguably, the most anti-climactic and frustrating episode of the entire season. There were actually great episodes worthy of that recognition. I complain, but really, as long as Peter Dinklage is there, I'm still all in.

Based on all the uproar surrounding the continual exclusion of The Americans, it seems like that should have easily filled in for one of these "past their prime shows". Or how about honoring the magnificently acted Parenthood instead? It's all too late. 

Blind Spots

We've already covered this - there are a lot of TV shows out there. It is because of this that there are several nominees I know little or absolutely nothing about.

Since the nominations were announced, I started Empire. Early takeaways: the story and writing is often laughable, Cookie Lyon lives up to her high praise, the scheming oldest son and his power hungry wife are everything, and Jussie Smollett is dreamy with killer pipes. The question: is it intriguing enough to keep tuning in? I'm not totally sure yet.

I had also wanted to completely catch up on Orphan Black before Emmy night, but again, this show doesn't give me that, 'I'm going to die unless I know what happens" feeling. Tatiana Maslany playing all the different roles that she does is an astounding feat, so that's why it is unfortunate that some episodes aren't as interesting and feel more like slogging through a show instead of enjoying every moment.

Off The Beaten Path

Everyone is buzzing about the Best Actor/Actress races, but what I really want to know is who is going to win the Short-From Live-Action Entertainment Program!

If I had to put my money on anything, it would be, “Billy On The Street With First Lady Michelle Obama, Big Bird And Elena!!!”

I think that goes without saying.

Shout Out

One of my favorite shows on television didn't get any love except for one category. That one nomination though is a doozy!

Let's give some snaps to Halt and Catch Fire for being nominated in the category of Outstanding Main Titles. As in, their rockin' opening credits sequence, which is, arguably, the best on TV.

That's Sad Guys

Everyone likes to talk about snubs, as in the people/shows that didn't get nominated, even though many fans believed they were robbed. I'd instead like to call these grievances, and I have a few.

This year was the last time Parenthood could have gotten nominations and that didn't turn out well.   

Broad City, which includes two of the funniest females on TV, missed out in all the categories. Hands down this one should have knocked something else out of the Best Comedy category.

Even though it is wildly unique (unless you call it House set in the 1900s), The Knick was also left out of the Best Drama category. It does, however, have numerous nominations in the more technical/behind the scenes categories.

Lastly, while The Walking Dead (much like Game Of Thrones) is often frustrating in how it decides to tell the story, what remains consistent is excellent acting. Those actors, specifically Steven Yeun, Norman Reedus, and Melissa McBride, powerfully hold the show together with their expressions of compassion and fear, and yet have never gotten acknowledged. One such detail that exemplifies that zombie shows, while totally excelling at telling a dramatic tale, are still not taken entirely seriously.

If I Voted

Best Actor - Jon Hamm
Best Actress - Elisabeth Moss
Best Show - Mad Men

...

Okay, guess what, it would all be Mad Men and Parks and Rec! I'm a little (or a lot) "obsess much". Those shows are gone and they were my everything. Let 'em win, nudge nudge, wink wink.

Hey, Is That a Real Category?
(No, but they should be.)

• Best Trio - Jessica St. Clair, Lennon Parham and that BABY on Playing House! The baby is either naturally talented or has a really good acting coach.

• Most Quotable - RuPaul's Drag Race. And, not to mention best costumed. "Condragulations". Party!

• Best Theme Song - Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. So addicting.

• I Watched The First Episode, Liked It, But Decided I'd Watch It Once It Was Streaming Somewhere Instead - American Crime

• Show That Scares The Crap Out Of You Just Because Of The Commercials - The Whispers

• Most Fun Drama - Nashville. Oh, in such a good way.

• Worst Show Named After An Inanimate Object - The Briefcase

• That's Still On? - America's Next Top Model

• How Did This Get Made (Seriously!) - Wayward Pines. Aside from casting the marvelous Melissa Leo and Siobhan Fallon Hogan. Otherwise it was majorly bananas.

• Biggest Disappointment - American Horror Story: Freak Show

Check out the Emmy Awards, airing on Sunday, September 20th at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

This gal doesn't know what to do! Being a West Coast dweller, this awards show is airing opposite a v. important Seahawaks game this weekened!

How. Dare. They. This development has ruined my life. If you only knew just how much turmoil I am experiencing right now. I'll deal. Somehow.

Until next time!