As if MovieFreak didn’t have enough names, Law and Moreno decide on the ultimate nickname for him. And so he will be known as this for the rest of his life.
Google Voice delivers some trash talk from Chad C and Randy.
TV Round Up has words about Game of Thrones, Justified, Mad Men, Veep, Louie, and Silicon Valley.
What Did You Watch speaks of CHAPPIE, EX MACHINA, FOCUS, DOGFIGHT, CHEF, GOOD OL FREDA, LOST SOUL, the new trailer for that POINT BREAK remake, and the greatness of KUNG FURY.
GoT commentary tomorrow and other stuff. Sounds delicious.
Somewhere I have heard this before In a dream my memory has stored As defense I’m neutered and spayed What the hell am I trying to say?
After very successful episodes of Monday Morning Moreno’s Musical Mayhem (not a thing) with TM (Radiohead Ok Computer album review) and Oh Hai Denny Luis (Epic Oasis Album Review), Supka and I decided to use the format for the Binge MusicCast. It burns us out sometimes to listen to a bunch of new shit and talk about it every two weeks. A gestation period is required to properly absorb all of the nuances of a new record.
That’s why we’re going to focus on either a single artist or album per episode. This allows us to talk in depth about a subject without having to feel we need to keep moving the show forward. It’s more relaxing, shut up. Sorry for yelling.
Both Supka and I are pretty big Nirvana fans (it’s my second favorite band of all time), but we both were exposed to Nirvana and came to love Nirvana in different ways. We discuss this in the episode.
And for the OCD Nirvana fan, yes we refer to Sappy as Verse Chorus Verse, which is a different (and far inferior) song. This is because the No Alternative compilation that was released in the early 90s incorrectly listed the song as Verse Chorus Verse. I grew up calling it Verse Chorus Verse and it’s hard to break that habit. Also, I didn’t have the fucking internet in 93 to verify the goddamn song title so give me a break. Not sorry for yelling this time.
Enjoy!
Moreno’s Top 10 Nirvana Songs:
1. Drain You – Nevermind 2. On a Plain – Nevermind 3. Been a Son – Incesticide 4. Polly – Nevermind 5. Blew – Bleach 6. Serve the Servants – In Utero 7. Sliver – Incesticide 8. Verse Chorus Verse/Sappy/Sad – B-Side 9. Pennyroyal Tea – In Utero 10. Very Ape – In Utero
Supka’s Top 10 Nirvana Songs:
1. Son of a Gun – Incesticide 2. Negative Creep – Bleach 3. Been a Son – Incesticide 4. Molly’s Lips – Incesticide 5. School – Bleach 6. Sliver – Incesticide 7. Territorial Pissings – Nevermind 8. Scentless Apprentice – In Utero 9. Stay Away – Nevermind 10. Pennyroyal Tea – In Utero
There is nothing I like more than stumbling upon music I haven’t visited in years. This is another fine example of that. It is also another album inspired by hanging out with the lil’ bro. As you already know the album I speak of is Get A Grip. Released in April of 1993 (April 20th to be exact *giggle*), it is essentially the album that thrust Aerosmith back on the map as one of the greatest American rock bands of all time. An offering that is pretty complete from top to bottom and features this little ditty…
Obviously everyone remembers the above video which featured the lovely Alicia Silverstone. Silverstone was actually featured in not one, not two, but three videos for the band, one of which also featured Steven Tyler’s daughter the always adorable Liv Tyler. If you’re in the mood for some good rock and enjoy the play on words that only Tyler can provide this is as good a selection as any from their catalog and deserves a revisit. So do it, you can thank me, or tell me to fuck off, below or @jekupka.
Track Listing
Intro*
Eat The Rich*
Get A Grip*
Fever
Livin’ On The Edge*
Flesh
Walk On Down*
Shut Up And Dance*
Cryin’*
Gotta Love It
Crazy*
Line Up (feat Lenny Kravitz)*
Can’t Stop Messin’
Amazing*
Boogie Man
* denotes favorites
And here is a little bonus for you from their follow up Nine Lives (1997). These albums bookended my High School years and many a track have a special little place in my heart, especially this one…
and as i close my eyes and the sky turns red i realise just what you are you’re an idlers dream and you’re singing shangri la
I consider myself to be a pretty big Oasis fan. I loved them since the first album and followed them pretty consistently until the last album or so. After having many a conversation with BingeCast listener and Def Poetry Jam’s own Denny Luis, I decided to have him on as a special guest co-host to talk all things Oasis.
Let me tell you something, if you’re a fan of Oasis, you’re definitely going to want to tune in to this episode. We go through every album and track the progression of the band’s sound and songwriting. Denny comes prepared with a shit load of information about every album that overloads my mind, in a good way.
We then cap off the album discussion by ranking our favorite albums and then giving our top 10 songs with some honorable mentions. You can check those out right here. The contrast of both of our lists is a good indication of how we approached making our lists, but just how diverse, despite popular belief, the band can be.
Enjoy!
Moreno’s Top 10 Oasis Songs:
1. Slide Away – Definitely Maybe 2. Where Did It All Go Wrong? – Standing on the Shoulder of Giants 3. She’s Electric – (What’s the Story) Morning Glory 4. The Hindu Times – Heathen Chemistry 5. Stand By Me – Be Here Now 6. Force of Nature – Heathen Chemistry 7. Married with Children – Definitely Maybe 8. Acquiesce – (What’s the Story) Morning Glory B-Side 9. Supersonic – Definitely Maybe 10. Little James – Standing on the Shoulder of Giants
Denny Luis’ Top 10 Oasis Songs:
1. Let There Be Love – Don’t Believe the Truth 2. Idler’s Dream – Heathen Chemistry B-Side 3. Sunday Morning Call – Standing on the Shoulder of Giants 4. Talk Tonight – Some Might Say B-Side 5. Shout It Out Loud – Stop Crying Your Heart Out B-Side 6. Roll It Over – Standing on the Shoulder of Giants 7. Waiting for the Rapture – Dig Out Your Soul 8. Full On – Sunday Morning Call B-Side 9. Better Man – Heathen Chemistry 10. Fuckin’ in the Bushes – Standing on the Shoulder of Giants
Holy shit a When The Music Hits article, I know right?! Seriously though, while I’ve tried to post what I’ve been listening to in my Wednesday articles nothing has really hit me the right way, until last weekend. Last Saturday my brother and I ventured to the Dairy Land in hopes of a Bulls sweep of the Bucks. This did not happen. What did happen, however, was a fucking blast of a time that can only happen when it involves a road trip. During one of many random conversations that night we somehow brought up the album Royal Highness by Kottonmouth Kings, which of course then led to the realization that the album hasn’t been listened to in A WHILE. Our departing of Milwaukee music was selected.
Classified as a hip-hop group from Orange County California I think they more closely follow, as there lyric states, “psychedelic hip-hop punk rock”. Royal Highness is a perfect representation of this and is a great album all the way through. I’ve never really met anyone who was kinda into Kottonmouth Kings so if you dig this album I think you’ll dig the rest of their discography, if not, maybe I’ll have something for ya next time. To be honest I never thought they’d be creeping up on 20 years of putting out some pretty great shit but am glad that they are. Well enough yapping, go check it out for the first time, or revisit it, and let me know your thoughts below.
Track Listing
Bong Tokin’ Alcoholics*
Play On*
Suburban Life*
Life Ain’t What It Seems*
So High*
Big Hoss*
Spies*
Bump*
Dog’s Life*
Misunderstood*
Dirt Slang*
What’s Your Trip?*
High Society*
Psychedelic Funk*
Me & My Skate*
Discombobulated*
Planet Budtron*
Pimp Twist (Hidden Track)*
TV Round Up, GTA Online, Leto-Joker and Summer Music
I’ll admit it guys, last week I was very light on the content and that Kubrick documentary was a late-game Hail Mary pass. Hopefully some of you found it enjoyable, as I, being the fan of Kubrick that I am, absolutely did. However, you wanted more content, well you’re getting it this week…
Louie season 5 is picking up exactly where last season left off, providing us with the laughs and life-lessons that have pervaded throughout the show (even if we have no idea where those lessons are coming from). The first episode hooked me right away by diving back into Louie’s world as a dad/comic just trying to get by. I’ve always found it absolutely hilarious the way in which Louie weaves stories about his life into these absurdist tales about his place in the grand scheme of things. I’ve always felt like this show is heavily influenced by David Lynch, and the cult dinner party scene is straight out of Lost Highway. But, as this show always does, it has taken us through a complex range of emotions, from the absurdity of the surrogate mother’s depression to the hilarity of Louie not being able to hold in a shit while shopping with his daughters to the touching third episode with a really great Michael Rappoport (an actor I usually hate) giving the performance of his career in the span of twenty minutes. Honestly, hats off to that guy and the way in which he characterizes Louie’s old not-friend Lenny because we all know that type of hopeless asshole. If you aren’t watching Louie, simply put, you’re doing it wrong.
On this week’s BingeCast, it seemed like the guys were pretty lukewarm on the second season of Silicon Valley, and I totally get where they’re coming from. Yeah, the story is pretty simple and seems to hover around the same themes, and it’s relatively unclear what the ultimate endgame is for these characters, but after watching these first two episodes I’m just in. Admittedly, the absence of Peter Gregory is a shame seeing as he was by far the best character on the program. Despite all of that, I love this show. It’s not the funniest show I’ve seen, and it’s not doing anything shows like Entourage or The League have done better, but there’s a heart to the proceedings in this show that I don’t typically see in other programs. I know this is a show that at its core spent an entire season setting up one of the greatest dick jokes in history but I just get this show in a way I don’t with most others. While Office Space is the anthem of middle-American cubicle dwellers, Silicon Valley is a testament to what the country thinks Mark Zuckerburg must have been like, sans The Social Network. I’m loving Silicon Valley and look forward to seeing it through to at least the end of this season.
Guys, GTA Online is in full swing. Aren’t you playing? You should be. While I haven’t been into the GTA Online aspect of the game at all, with the inclusion of the heists it’s finally, in my mind, playable. Before the heists, grinding for money was a chore that took FOR-EVER. Now, you can complete a heist and net a minimum of $100000 on the reg. The disadvantage to this, to anyone who has played them, is the connectivity to the heists themselves. They tend to be a real hassle because of the trial and error involved in the more advanced ones. For instance, the second heist finale involves a prison break. One guy drives a prison bus, one guy is a fake inmate, one guy flies the getaway plane and dodges missiles from the military jets and one guy pilots a helicopter to attach the jets and try to save the getaway plane. If that all sounds complex, it is. It’s also the most frustrating aspect of the game. I played that mission nine times before completing it and with a multitude of different combinations of people. While the chaos of the heists makes the thrill of completing one that much better, it is difficult to get a competent team together to do so. This online aspect of GTA V is an evolving thing and I’m sure it will only improve going forward.
While Nick covered some of my thoughts on the Leto-Joker image, I wanted to chime in on it as well. While I know Nick “McPickle” Spears is a fan of the design, I’m not as enthusiastic. I like the physicality and color scheme as well as the fucked-up teeth, but if those tattoos are staying I’m not into that. At this point, I think someone involved with the production said this is not Joker’s final look, but that “Damaged” line on his forehead is incredibly douche-chilly. I know people doubted Ledger at first but as soon as the production photos started leaking I got excited. I remember seeing Ledger dolled up as Joker for the first time and getting the sense that we were going to see something really special, and we absolutely did. Here, this feels like it needs to be workshopped a little bit further. Joker is not a sympathetic, Latin-King-esque gangbanger, which is unfortunately the exact feeling this photo gives me. Fingers crossed they patch this up and have something more grand in store for us. I know this is a lot of judgement off of one photo but I have an aversion to inked nipples on men, but maybe that’s just me.
Finally, it’s summer music time, and for me that means a whole lot of Van Halen. I notice that every year when it’s time to start rolling the windows down and let the world experience some serious tunes while cruising to/from work there are a handful of groups I always default to. Van Halen (not shitty Van Hagar) is one of them. Dance The Night Away is easily my favorite Van Halen tune and I love blaring this out at 6:30 in the morning when I roll into campus. It really gets the day started off on the right foot.
Springsteen also has a special place in my heart when the days get longer. There are few anthems that sound as powerful on a hot summer night as Badlands, or even the happy-go-lucky Waitin’ On A Sunny Day. The Boss brings it like few others do, and I love the guy for it. Of course, there’s one group that absolutely defines summer for me like no other, and that group is none other than…
…AC/DC. When I started playing guitar I got myself an Epiphone SG because I wanted to play just like Angus Young. AC/DC has been playing the same song for almost forty years but I can’t stop loving it. Their live “If You Want Blood…” album is in my top ten all-time favorites and always announces that the weather is starting to turn for me. I’ll never not love AC/DC, deal with it.
So there you are, Binge readers. I made up for last week with an overlong ode to all things I like. Is it narcissistic? Definitely, but that’s why I have this blog and you don’t. Deal with it. Check in for some GameCast, GoTCast and our daily blogs as well as Fuckin’ Bob’s week-by-week script for the upcoming DOG SPIDERS, and as always, Binge On!
Up above Aliens hover Making home movies For the folks back home Of all these weird creatures Who lock up their spirits Drill holes in themselves And live for their secrets
Welcome back to another edition of Monday Morning Moreno! I couldn’t be happier to be joined by special guest co-host TM, creator of the infamous “I love you Jon Snow!!!” meme that permeates these digital halls of Binge Media. TM is a huge of Game of Thrones fan and wanted to pop in and discuss the ups and downs, ins and outs of the show and to a greater extent, the novels themselves.
I get a little worried sometimes that Game of Thrones talk-especially with the commentaries now-may be redundant and repetitive on the various podcasts we produce but goddamn do I love talking about it. And especially with A) people who love the show and 2) people who have read the books. I can seriously talk about the books for hours. And have.
The other reason why I got TM on the podcast is to discuss an album that I’ve been listening to lately and that we both hold in high regard, Radiohead’s OK Computer. It’s seriously one of my ten favorite albums of all time. During Lawlapalooza 2014 when TM and PeteMC were in town, an impromptu OK Computer jam broke out that ranks in one of my favorite, spontaneous moments ever. So knowing he also loved this album led to a great conversation.
Welcome to the April 19th edition of Working the Weekend with Luke. I’ve got a nice little mix of things today. I’ll start with some talk on Louie, get into the trailer frenzy that nearly broke the internet over the past few days, and finish up with some info on a great little country duo I’ve been following. I’ve had a busy week with Binge Sports with the NHL and NBA Playoffs both getting underway, and you can still vote on Round 1 for both (NHL HERE andNBA HERE). The all-new Binge Sportscast will also get underway later this week, so stay tuned for that. But for now, let’s talk a little TV, a little film, and a little music.
LOUIE
I’ve been fan of Louis C.K. and his stand-up specials for a long time, but I’ll be honest with you that up until last week, I hadn’t sat down and watched one full episode of Louie. It’s not that I didn’t have any interest in it, but I really just don’t watch a ton of live television outside of sports. I usually wait until I can binge-watch something and then I get after it. Such was the case last week when I watched the first four seasons of this amazing show.
When the show debuted, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. As I said, I’d been a fan of his stand-up for a while, and with the show being on FX, I knew it wouldn’t be anything like Seinfeld, but I sure didn’t think it was going to be this.
I knew there would be laughs, but I had no idea that there would be this much heart. At some point, I expected to cry from laughter, but I NEVER expected that it would bring the other kind. During so many episodes, I found myself getting extremely emotional, basically due to the connection I feel with the main character.
Without giving spoilers or getting into too much of my own life, I’m a divorced father with two little girls. The episodes that have his daughters in them are extremely personal to me, and I really made a connection with the feelings he’s trying to get across to the audience. I’m going to stop before I get into too much and write 5000 words, but seriously, if you haven’t watched Louie yet, get on it.
STAR WARS/BATMAN v SUPERMAN
Have you heard that there’s a new Star Wars trailer out? Of course you have, and so has the rest of the world. As someone who grew up during the height of this storied franchise, I will admit to getting a little excited for last Thursday’s release. After the disappointment of the prequels (minus the last 45 minutes of Revenge of the Sith), this franchise needed a kick in the ass, and it looks like we’re getting it. Hearing the voice of Luke Skywalker and some of the images from that trailer actually has me believing that The Force Awakens has a chance to right the wrongs from the previous three films. And yes, I’m a Skywalker guy, but the Han/Chewbacca sighting at the end was pretty solid.
I’ve not seen one person over the last few days make a bad comment about the trailer above, but the trailer below is another story. The first real trailer for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice arrived this past week as well. Some people are excited. Some people are disappointed. If you don’t know me, then let me fill you in. I’m a big Superman guy, a BIG Superman guy, so consider me on the excited side. I actually watched Man of Steel again a few nights ago, and it keeps getting better with each viewing. Is is perfect? No, it’s not. I think Russell Crowe was completely wrong for Jor-El, and part of the movie suffered for that. The opening was too long, or maybe I just think that because of the Russell Crowe factor. But I thought that Henry Cavill did an excellent job (certainly better than the rubbish I had to sit through with Brandon Routh). As I am with a lot of topics, I could go on and on about this, but as for the trailer itself, I’m pleased with what I see so far. This movie is going to be dark and that’s exactly what it should be. The end of Man of Steel was very controversial to some, but I think it was building to this. I think that Lex Luthor (nice to hear Jesse Eisenberg’s quote) is going to get in the ear of Bruce Wayne and that will lead to the conflict. Ultimately, we know where things are going to go, but I think this movie has a chance to be very solid, as long as Snyder reels it in a little bit.
And if you haven’t seen Pete Holmes’ take on this whole thing, do yourself a favor and spend a few minutes watching this.
Told you it would be worth it.
WHISKEY ROSE
I know that this isn’t the biggest forum for country music, but I’m a guy who listens to just about everything. I’ll say it…I like country music. I’m a lyrics guy and I like for songs to tell me a story. So if you’ve followed this column from the start, you know that last summer, I met a young indie duo that goes by Whiskey Rose. They were here in my hometown for a three day festival with the likes of Brad Paisley and Hank Williams Jr. I was working at a TV station at the time and was able to meet Kristen Kuiper and Skye Claire at a VIP event and again when they came into a taping at the station. These ladies couldn’t be sweeter and they’ve been working hard over the past year to try and make a real name for themselves. So it’s nice to bring you the news that last week, Whiskey Rose released their first EP, “Don’t Slow Me Down”. I’ve been saying since I met them that the time is coming for these two, so it’s really great to see things start to happen for them. Good for you, girls. Congratulations. I’ll look forward to catching up with you this summer.
To download “Don’t Slow Me Down” and catch up with Whiskey Rose, go to their website, www.whiskeyrosemusic.com
Thoughts? Comments? Leave them below or follow me on Twitter @THElukenorris. And once again, stay tuned for the all-new Binge Sportscast, debuting later this week right here at Binge Media. Until next time.
Grab your favorite frosty beverage, the Binge Movie Aftertaste podcast is back! The return of Binge Movie Aftertaste is marked by me being joined for the first time by the one and only Jim Kupka for an epic night of drinking and talking about film. Before calling our guest, Kupka and I spend some time talking about how our week has been, with me mentioning what it was like watching each Fast & Furious movie for the very first time this week. Not a moment too soon, we get Jack Marchetti, the writer/director of the Tribeca Film Festival selection The Evolution of a Gen-X Music Purchaser on the line, and then we are off and running.
Making a film which is about and revolves around music from artists ranging from Weezer to Slayer means you have to get rights. So we spend a little time talking about the trouble that comes with gathering said music rights, and Marchetti tells us how some of these rights were easier to get than others. We then talk a little about how contracting a degenerative eye disease caused Marchetti to push himself to move from just a writer into also directing his projects.
We steer into a conversation about what went into Marchetti submitting his short film to the Tribeca Film Festival, and how many festivals have been calling him since the film was accepted. All of this plus what Marchetti’s future in film holds, me flubbing the title of the film at least twice, and a game of King Of Hollywood can all be heard in this week’s epic movie making podcast.
The Evolution of a Gen-X Music Purchaser screens for the first time at Tribeca on April 16th. Check out the film’s official Facebook page, and keep an eye out for updates on its still rising wave of success.
Special thanks to both Kupka and Marchetti for a fun and interesting podcast.