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'Tis the Season

Read more Christmas.

In December by Robert Glasper Read More Robert Glasper With his 2012 album Black Radio, Robert Glasper laid out a new paradigm for creative music, reaching beyond entrenched genre boundaries to create …

Robert Glasper
robertglasper.com

The 5-time GRAMMY winner Robert Glasper has released In December, a holiday special album, featuring Glasper collaborating with various artists such as Cynthia Erivo, PJ Morton, Sevyn Streeter, Tarriona “Tank” Ball, Alex Isley, Andra Day, Doobie Powell, and The Baylor Project.

The eight-track project was originally an Apple Music exclusive, but is now available on all platforms via Loma Vista Recordings / Concord.

I got a chance to preview some of the tracks, and I really “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” because it takes such a traditional song and putting a bit of a techno beat to it.

Track Listings

1. Fireside - Intro
2. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen / Carol Of The Bells (Medley) ft. Cynthia Erivo
3. Make It Home ft. PJ Morton, Sevyn Streeter
4. Memories With Mama ft. Tarriona 'Tank' Ball
5. Joy To The World ft. Alex Isley
6. December ft. Andra Day (clean)
7. Little Drummer Boy ft. The Baylor Project
8. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas ft. Doobie Powell
9. December ft. Andra Day (explicit)

Holiday Stuff by Alessia Cara Read More Alessia Cara The annual KDWB Jingle Ball is happening at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul. This year’s acts includes: Backstreet Boys, Fifth Harmony, G-Eazy, Diplo, Lukas Graham, Alessia Cara, Tove Lo, Hailee Steinfeld, and Gnash. ...

Alessia Cara
alessiacara.com

The first Canadian to win ‘Best New Artist’ at the GRAMMY Awards, singer, songwriter Alessia Cara recently shared an extended version of her 2020 holiday album, Holiday Stuff (Def Jam Recordings), with new song added “Jingle Bell Rock.”

The hilarious music video of “Jingle Bell Rock” sees Cara doing her best Beatles impression.

Additionally, Cara will join fans for a Virtual Holiday Party on December 20 that will livestream on Youtube. You can click here to join the fun.

Cara’s fourth album Love & Hyperbole will be out on Valentine’s Day (February 14, 2025).

Holiday Stuff Tracklist:

1. Make it To Christmas
2. Make it To Christmas – Stripped
3. Jingle Bell Rock
4. The Christmas Song
5. The Only Thing Missing
6. Moody’s Mood For Love – Live

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
nbc.com

Did you know that the stop-motion Rankin/Bass Productions’ of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer turned 60 this year? The show was so popular that it led to two sequels: Rudolph's Shiny New Year (1976) and Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July (1979).

The television special debuted on NBC in December 1964 and remained there until 1971, where it played on CBS. The special will return to NBC for its 60th birthday.

As part of the 60th Anniversary celebration, Universal Pictures has made the beloved Christmas classic available on UHD 4K discs (guess who just bought a 4K television?), but also, in the modern age, you can purchase it on digital (with special features) on various outlets, such as Vudu (Fandango) or Apple TV.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is also part of Freeform’s “25 Days of Christmas” lineup, here are the remaining schedule:

Dec. 21 at 6:15 p.m. ET/PT

Dec. 22 at 3 p.m. ET/PT

Dec. 24 at 8 p.m. ET/PT

Dec. 25 at 11 p.m. ET/PT

The Sound of Christmas by Elvis Francois

Elvis Francois
facebook.com

The “Singing Surgeon”, Atlanta’s Dr. Elvis Francois unveiled his original Christmas song, “Sound of Christmas” recently. Maybe if you’re on the operating table, you can ask the doctor to sing the song to you this holiday.

Dr Elvis came to fame in 2018 after his video of “Alright” went viral. He then appeared on all the talk shows, including The Ellen Show, The View, and Good Morning America.

Elvis Francois writes:

Beautiful people! It’s days until Christmas 🎅🏾 and I just wanted to take a few minutes to say thank you to everyone who’s been Holiday vibing to “The Sound of Christmas”.

It’s the first Christmas I’ve ever written and the feedback has been all the way love and I can’t say thank you enough 🙏🏽

Also, In case no one told you today I think you’re pretty amazing. Now go be amazing 🤍

“The Sound of Christmas” available everywhere you stream music.

Love all you beautiful people,
Elvis Francois

Christmas Eve for Mrs. Claus by Dan Zlotnick

Dan Zlotnick
danzlotnick.com

The Americana voice of Westchester County, Dan Zlotnick has released his new holiday-themed single, “Christmas Eve for Mrs Claus”.

The upbeat, light-hearted song answers the question of what Mrs Claus does on Christmas Eve, when she’s left by herself all alone, while Santa Claus goes to work. The answer, of course, is listening to Megan Thee Stallion, orders Chinese food, etc.

You can listen to the song on YouTube or disco.ac.

Sample lyrics:

It’s Christmas Eve for Mrs. Claus, Christmas Eve for Mrs. Claus
Anything is possible and that’s because it’s Christmas Eve for Mrs. Claus
She danced in the kitchen to Megan Thee Stallion
She Googled the difference between chives and scallions
She ordered Chinese from the place down the river

White Christmas by Kiki Kramer

Kiki Kramer
kikikramermusic.com

New York City’s Kiki Kramer (and number one Kawaii / Hello Kitty fan) just released “White Christmas”, available on all streaming services.

“I love the holiday season and wanted to do something for my young fans - a peculiar musical ornament to hang on their tree,” says Kiki.

Watching the video to the song on YouTube, it’s a wonderful Christmas song, sung by Bing Crosby from the film Holiday In (1942) and re-done in White Christmas (1954) … but there is an underlying darkness to Kiki’s glitchy version. Everything is not quite right. Still, may all your Christmases be white.

Kiki Kramer is signed with Suretone Records, and her debut album will drop in Spring 2025.

If you have a 2024 Christmas/Holiday song, please provide as much detail as possible to [email protected] before Christmas Day (December 25, 2024). Thank you.

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Poker Face

Read More Lie to Me I got a chance to watch the premiere episode of Lie to Me, courtesy of Best Buy. The series will debut on Fox Television on January 21st. I was very impressed with the first episode… Chloe Sevigny So the first item on there is that The Slits to help Chloe Sevigny's new clothing line. If you like any Riot Grrls you know that many of these bands were hugely influenced by The Slits, an early 80s punk … The Mountain Goats It is well known that John Darnielle, the force behind the Mountain Goats, likes heavy metal music. It comes up in interviews often, and hearing him speak … John Hodgman Comedian/actor/author John Hodgman will be at the Cedar Cultural Center on September 29th (details at thecedar.org). I think the first time I heard of Hodgman, it was seeing him as the "PC" in the funny Apple …

I was hesitant to getting into NBC’s Poker Face television show because of its name. I thought it was some Lady Gaga thing or about some casino show. The title is deceiving, because it’s really a “crime of the week” television show about Charlie the human lie detector. The pilot was phenomenal, it managed to setup Charlie’s character and her situation.

I do have some gripes about the show: I don’t really love the lead actress, Natasha Lyonne. She basically plays the same character from Russian Doll, which I love Season 1… but that character got super annoying. In Poker Face she’s also trying to channel Columbo or something. Don’t get me wrong, that no-nonsense, I don’t give a flying F attitude is really fun at first… but after a while, it just gets old.

My other complaint is that the show doesn’t know if it wants to be a comedy or a crime drama. Some episodes are just way too silly, like “Exit Stage Death”, which is about Ellen Barkin and Tim Meadows plotting a murder while being live on stage…. Or “Time of the Monkey”, which is about a couple of retired ladies who murdered a resident in their retirement housing. I don’t mind a goofy time, but how can I take the casino mafia threat seriously if the show is a comedy?

So far, from what I’ve seen, my favorite is the pilot and “Rest in Metal”. This is about a has-been/one-hit wonder band DoxXxology. They had a massive hit single called “Staplehead” and the song became the band’s curse. You see, the song was written by their drummer (who shortly retired after making millions off the royalty), and DoxXxology has to play that song every night. It sounds like the band hates the song, but they must play it.

So the band hired a new drummer via Craiglist and he demoed a song he wrote to the band… and the band knew the song was a hit. They plot to murder the new drummer and steal his song. In the end, DoxXxology got their just deserts, and it’s an awesome ending.

This episode teeters funny and dread, especially when you spotted John Hodgman in the scene, looking for his wife “Molly” or finding his friend “Lucy”. The band itself, Ruby Ruin stars Chloë Sevigny, Chuck Cooper, and John Darnielle - who is actually the guy from The Mountain Goats. I’m pretty sure Darnielle wrote the song for the show, singing “Living on discount macaroni. Can't even get a job with my Uncle Tony. You sent your goons to repo my truck. What the actual f***. I can play guitar and I’m a decent singer, they’ll cut my wedding ring off my dead finger. You say you want a deal but you’re such a phony. You’re never going to get that alimony.”

I like the song, but the lead singer, Ruby Ruin, called it “a turd”.

Later, after the murder, Darnielle would write a song, confessing their wicked deed: “You must learn, you’re all gonna burn, because you can’t unmurdered someone.”

Anyway, the human lie-detector thing is pretty neat. It reminded me of another show called Lie To Me, starring Tim Roth. That show has a similar premise, in which Tim Roth can tell if someone is lying, based on “science”. His group, the Light group helps solves crime with law enforcement.

The season finale to Poker Face aired today, March 9th.

Read more Television.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Sci-Fi 2022: Andor, The Peripheral, and Quantum Leap

Read More Star Wars No one likes The Book of Boba Fett. The story is slow, and more than half of it is told in flashback. No one seems to know what the point of the new Boba Fett show is all about. ....

Andor (2022)
disney.com

It seems like no one is watching Andor… or at least you rarely hear people talking about this Star Wars new television show on Disney Plus. Maybe it’s because fans are tired of Star Wars or maybe they’re just not interested in this weird prequel to Star Wars: Rogue One?

For what’s it worth, I think Andor is possibly the best Star Wars television show since The Mandorian.

Andor is about Cassian Andor, five years prior to Rogue One. He starts off with an accidental murder, and follows his story of a grand heist. It’s weird but by episode 6 or 7, the show turned into a prison story. Personally speaking, I didn’t care for the prison story, but the overall story of building a rebellion against the empire is interesting. You can see how the empire started off as bringing order to the galaxy, but slowly turns dark and evil…

The cast is amazing, obviously some were from the film, including Forest Whitaker, reprising his role as a younger Saw Gerrera.

I really love the puppet master, Luthen Rael, who is trying to build this organized rebellion. That amazing starship fight at the end of Andor shows us that he is a real bad-ass! All this time the character is in the shadows and working behind the scene… but when it he’s forced to make a move - he can really throwdown!

Coming off the very disappointing (and boring) Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi television show, Andor was a true delight. It gives me hope that Disney is heading in the right direction, when it comes to quality writing… and I’m very excited to see what Andor Season 2 will bring to Star Wars canon.

Description:

The “Andor” series will explore a new perspective from the Star Wars galaxy, focusing on Cassian Andor’s journey to discover the difference he can make. The series brings forward the tale of the burgeoning rebellion against the Empire and how people and planets became involved. It’s an era filled with danger, deception and intrigue where Cassian will embark on the path that is destined to turn him into a rebel hero.

Read More Westworld HBO has been struggling to find its new hit show since Game of Thrones ended (and it ended badly). Westworld potentially could have been the next-Game of Thrones, but unfortunately Season 2 of Westworld was not good. …

The Peripheral (2022)
amazon.com

There is a great new Sci-Fi television show called The Peripheral that airs on Friday on Amazon Prime. The premier was October 21st, and currently we can only view up to episode 5. So far, I’m loving it.

The series takes place in the future, and centers around Flynne Fisher (played by Chloë Grace Moretz). She thinks she’s trying out some new VR game… but in reality, she’s remote controlling something. I don’t want to give away too much, but I’m sure if you look online, you can find out more.

The show was based on a 2014 book of the same name written by William Gibson and has a Westworld vibe… maybe because Westworld creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy serve as executive producers.

Although I am enjoying the show, there are some things that I don’t really think is realistic. For example, there are some some technology from the future that made its way to people in the past. Stuff like invisible cars or sonic blasters… yet no one in the show is surprised or calling in the government. There is also the issue of a hit squad trying to kill Fisher, but they were taken out by Fisher’s brothers and his squad. It was like, huh?

Fisher’s brother is ex-military, and his buddies are all former military… including a triple amputee character, so maybe they can take out a hit squad, but I didn’t really believe it.

Anyway, it’s a good show, I would try and tune in on Friday to see how the story unfolds. Sometime the show is super violent, but if you can stomach it, you’ll like the show.

Description:

The Peripheral centers on Flynne Fisher, a woman trying to hold together the pieces of her broken family in a forgotten corner of tomorrow's America. Flynne is smart, ambitious, and doomed. She has no future. Until the future comes calling for her. The Peripheral is master storyteller William Gibson’s dazzling, hallucinatory glimpse into the fate of mankind — and what lies beyond.

Read More Quantum Leap Dean Stockwell (American actor and recording artist), 85 Former Quantum Leap star Dean Stockwell, an Oscar- and Emmy-nominated actor whose stage, film and TV career spanned more than 70 years and 200 credits, has died ... via deadline.com …

Quantum Leap (2022)
nbc.com

You guys know I love the original Quantum Leap, so I was excited to see that NBC has brought the show back for 2022.

In the original series, Sam Beckett is trying to get home by leaping into random bodies. Each episode is a mystery, and with the help of Al, the hologram from the future, and the computer Ziggy, they work out the mystery and Dr Beckett leaps.

Unfortunately, they’ve decided to go in a different direction in the new show. In the new Asian Quantum Leap, Dr. Ben Song deliberately jumps into the past to save someone. The show is half in the past and half of it is in the future. I absolutely hated whenever you see the future. Who cares about the future characters?

The cast now is diverse, an Asian lead, a white woman hologram, they/them programmer, a black director, an Asian security person… it’s a whole rainbow roster. I hate it that they try and please everybody. I suppose none of that matters, but if only the stories and acting are good. The writing is predictable, and everyone gets so emotional. Think The CW, only on NBC.

The best episode so far is the latest, Episode 8. It’s about four runaway students from some sort of school and they get lost in the woods. In the original history, the kids are never seen again… so it’s up to Ben to save them all with the help of his girlfriend hologram.

Description:

Physicist Ben Song and a newly revamped team embark on a journey through time.

Read more Movies and Television.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Free Stuff: Watch Dogs 2, Sunstone, and Peacock

Read More Weekend Gamer Wow, Epic Games is giving away some great free games. Last week, they offered Grand Theft Auto V and this week it’s Sid Meier’s Civilization VI. Normally these are $60 games, but free, I’m definitely signing up and doing two-factor, anything you guys want. …

Read more Weekend Gamer

WATCH DOGS 2
ubisoft.com

The idea behind the Watch Dogs 2 giveaway was you were required to watch the game maker’s livestream called Ubisoft Forward. Unfortunately, people who watched it didn’t receive their free copy. One of the problems was that you were required to have your Twitch and Ubisoft account linked or you had to use their Uplay client. People couldn’t log in, people didn’t link their accounts, people just got really mad at Ubisoft.

To make good at their failed experiment, Ubisoft has decided to just give away the game to anyone that registered with their account over at register.ubisoft.com.

You’ll receive an email saying that you’ve received Watch Dogs 2 and various in-game content in your account.

Anyway, I never bought the first Watch Dogs… but now having Watch Dogs 2, I might go back to the first game if I like the second (especially if there is a sale).

Ubisoft’s upcoming Watch Dogs Legion will arrive in stores on October 29, 2020.

SUNSTONE
imagecomics.com

Artist/writer Stjepan Šejić recently offered fans all six volumes of his adult comic book Sunstone for free on digital... adding, “If you prefer them in print, they are available in bookstores like Barnes & Noble, Books a Million, Book Depository, Amazon and some comic stores.”

I love the idea that digital comics should be free (or at least very low-costing), since I feel that digital version costs almost as much (if not sometime more), than their print version. That doesn’t make any sense to me, considering that with digital, you don’t have to pay for ink, paper, distribution, comic store shelves, mail, storage, etc.

Anyway, after working on his Black Label comic Harleen, Šejić expressed his dissatisfaction with working with DC Comics. Even though his work may have had a wider reach, it doesn’t make up the point that Šejić won’t own his Harleen creation. Instead, it is the property of DC Comics… and if they choose to in the future, they can hire someone else to write another Harleen series - much like how they dishonor Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ work on Watchmen by releasing Before Watchmen comics.

Anyway, before you download Sunstone, be aware that the book is geared towards adults… so lots of weird sex/bondage stuff. Download at dropbox.com

PEACOCK
peacocktv.com

Look, I hate NBC’s name for their streaming service Peacock. I mean, how can they get away with the words pea and cock in the same word ? Also, just the idea of a Peacock doesn’t exactly conjure up images of a streaming service.

I actually had no interest in yet another streaming service. The space is just too crowded. You have Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, CBS, Roku, Apple TV, and recently HBO Max and Disney+. How can Peacock compete with these other services? Well, their answer is that it’s FREE.

Well, you’ll still have advertisements, but considering that you still get ads with CBS and Hulu, despite paying for their services… a free with ads for Peacock is appealing. There is a non-ad version they are calling “Peacock Premium” (also includes additional contents not available in the free version), which is about $5 a month. However, before I pay, I really need to see what contents I am getting…

Peacock will go live this Wednesday, July 15, 2020. I’ll check it out and may update this page.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ facebook.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Comic Book Television Shows 2017

Read More Comic Books I really hate the title Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. I can understand it, it tells us that Batman will be fighting Superman... and somehow it involves the Justice …

In celebration of Wizard World Minneapolis coming up on May 5-7th, 2017, and Free Comic Book Day on May 6th, here is a special roundup of comic book-related television shows that debut in 2017.

Wizard World Minneapolis’ confirmed celebrity guests are: Peter Capaldi & Jenna Coleman (Doctor Who), Charlie Sheen (Two and a Half Men), Charisma Carpenter (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Nichelle Nichols (Star Trek), Lou Ferrigno (the Hulk), and Peter Tork & Micky Dolenz (the Monkees). Stay tuned, we will be providing additional details later this week.

LEGION
fxnetworks.com

Based on a character from Marvel Comics’ New Mutants, Legion proved to be one of the most inventive, interesting television show out there. I absolutely love everything about it, from the 70s/90s feel, the psychedelic music, and the mind-bending special effects.

I already knew the character and his relationship to a rather famous mutant... but for many viewers, they had no idea his powers or where he stands in the Marvel Universe. I feel the less you know about the character, the better, as it’s full of surprises. I don’t want to say too much about the story (or character appearances), as talking about it will spoil it for comic book fans.

The show is complicated. Take my advice and pay attention to the first few episodes, it will all make sense the more episodes you watch. By the end of the series, you’ll thank me.

IRON FIST
netflix.com

In a world where Tom Cruise is the Last Samurai, Scarlett Johansson as a cybernetic Asian cop, Tilda Swinton playing the Ancient One from the far east, and Matt Damon saving the great wall of China, we have Finn Jones as the greatest martial artist in the world. Asian fans are really vocal about this whole “white savior” and whitewashing, but I will defend (pun not intended) Iron Fist.

The original character from the comic book is a white character, changing it to an Asian character will not sit well with purists, like me. Yes, I’m also one of the few that would prefer Nick Fury be a white, cigar-chompin’ Sergeant. However, having said that, I also think it would work if Iron Fist was casted as an Asian-American kung-fu fighter. I could go with it, at least the fight scenes would be enjoyable (and believable).

Critics all agreed that this is the worst of the Netflix Marvel shows. We were expecting a great Kung Fu show, but instead it was a lot of corporate drama.

POWERLESS
nbc.com

Actually this is not based on a comic book, but the NBC comedy series takes place in the DC Universe. Sometime you see cameos for less famous characters like Crimson Fox or Green Fury (both from Justice League Europe).

Admittedly, fans aren’t clamoring for the show, but personally, I find it pretty funny. I love watching it for the various DC references... I just wish there were more of those in the series.

Also, I love seeing George Perez's artwork in the title sequence.

RIVERDALE
cwtv.com

I don’t think a lot of people understand that Riverdale is based on Archie Comics. Sure, I own a few Archie Digests and the random single issues, but it’s not a comic book series that I follow. Each story is self-contained, and all the art style are based on Bob Montana’s original cartoon, so personally I was never a big fan.

Anyway, I haven’t watched Riverdale, but based on trailers and advertisements, it’s typical CW teenage drama.

WYNONNA EARP
syfy.com

Wynonna Earp was originally published under Eclipse Comics... but after it went bankrupted, creator Beau Smith took the character to IDW Publishing and Image Comics.

The character is a present-day descendant of the famous lawman Wyatt Earp who fights demons with a special gun.

I honestly tried to watch the pilot in late 2016 and just could not get into it. Although I didn’t like it, it got enough viewers that a second series has been ordered for 2017.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ facebook.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Christmas 2015: A Very Christmas Show

Read More Kat Perkins The Voice's Season 6 Top 5 contestant, Kat Perkins will be in Minneapolis as part of Pride 2015 week. She's scheduled to appear at the Saloon, right next to the Brave New Workshop Comedy …

Like previous years, I will be compiling some 2015 Christmas songs and Xmas-related news for you to enjoy!

Read more Christmas.

KAT PERKINS
katperkinsmusic.com

The Voice's Top 5 contestant Kat Perkins has a four night residency over at the Plymouth Playhouse on December 13 and 22. If you're not familiar with the area, Plymouth is west of Golden Valley and south of Maple Grove.

Also note that her new EP A Kat Perkins Christmas, featuring four Christmas classic and one original Perkins composition, is available now. Perkins released her debut album Drive earlier in July 2015.

Tour dates:

12/08/15 St Cloud, MN at Pioneer Place
12/09/15 Anoka, MN at Lyrics Arts
12/10/15 Hibbing, MN at HCC Concert Series
12/11/15 Fargo, ND at Fargo Theatre
12/12/15 Wilmar, MN at Willmar Education
12/13/15 Plymouth, MN Plymouth Playhouse
12/22/15 Plymouth, MN Plymouth Playhouse
02/13/16 Medina, MN Medina Entertainment Ctr

BONUS: Perkins' keyboardist Dan Musselman Holiday album A Modern Christmas is available now and proceeds goes to charity: Water Project.

Read More Mariah Carey So, Carey's Christmas album, Merry Christmas II You, the follow-up to her 1994 Merry Christmas, was released in 2010. Carey decided to re-release Merry Christmas II You this year - as far as I .....

MARIAH CAREY
mariahcarey.com

Global superstar Mariah Carey recently added three additional dates to her much-anticipated second annual "All I Want For Christmas Is You" residency at the The Beacon Theatre in New York City, due to popular demand.

Presented by Hallmark Channel, the shows will celebrate her iconic Christmas catalog, which includes 1994’s Merry Christmas and 2010’s Merry Christmas II You.

If you recall, Carey's Merry Christmas album is Lara's favorite Christmas album of all time.

Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You Concert Dates:

12/08 Beacon Theatre New York, NY
12/09 Beacon Theatre New York, NY
12/11 Beacon Theatre New York, NY
12/12 Beacon Theatre New York, NY
12/14 Beacon Theatre New York, NY
12/15 Beacon Theatre New York, NY
12/17 Beacon Theatre New York, NY
12/18 Beacon Theatre New York, NY

BONUS: Google Play is offering for FREE. You will need to setup payment information for the free item. It's worth it, I've gotten like 10 free albums so far.

Read More Pandora In a recent Edison's annual audio report "The Infinite Dial", Pandora is miles ahead of their competition for the most popular music streaming service in the United States. .....

PANDORA HOLIDAY
pandora.com

One of the most powerful music discovery platform Pandora is presenting their Pandora Holiday special concert on December 10th at 36 Basketball City in New York City.

The festive concert event will feature some of the most recognizable and popular rock bands of all time: Fall Out Boy and Panic! At the Disco. Best of all, you can RSVP for absolutely free.

Additionally, Oakland rapper G-Eazy and DJ Cash Cash will open and play between sets.

All Pandora listeners will be able to experience it through a special livestream.... Plus Pandora is offering two unique mixtapes celebrating the event. The first is curated by Fall Out Boy, featuring the band's favorite rock music, and the second features hip hop and was curated by G-Eazy. Both mixtapes are available now on Pandora.

"Pandora's partnerships with artists have risen to a new level over the past 12 months, so it's appropriate to wrap up 2015 with a show featuring dazzling talent with whom we have truly partnered with across the year. We're also elated to be extending our Holiday event to a broader audience for the first time via the livestream," said Lars Murray, SVP Music Makers Group, Pandora.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Hellblazer on Constantine

Read More Comic Books Of all the comic book-related television shows that I follow, I'm most excited about Constantine. I know the source material very well, having own nearly all the 300 issues run of Hellblazer .…

We've already established that I am a fan of John Constantine, owning nearly a complete run of the original Hellblazer series. I've been fairly excited about the NBC live action television show, but I may be in the minority since it's not getting the same fanfare as Gotham or The Flash.

I'm going to break down the characters in the series tie to the comic books, since I'm familiar with the source material.

If you're watching for music, Episode 3 has a lot of music, from the delta-blues inspired story of Robert Johnson to referencing John Constantine used to be in a punk band called "Mucous Membrane". He is also seen listening to "I Wanna Be Sedated" by the Ramones and later "Anarchy in the UK" by the Sex Pistols.

Anyway, here are some characters who appeared in the comic books:

Episode 1: Non Est Asylum

John Constantine art by Glen Fabry

John Constantine: They got the character's look just right (British guy in a trench coat). He's into the dark arts and practice magic/slight-of-hand, but he does not have any supernatural abilities... He's just a con man, who regularly trick demons and devils. I also feel that the character is better set in London, but the way the show is going, it would seem they are following the Supernatural path by tackling a demon of the week and in random small-town USA.

Liv Aberdine: apparently only exists for the pilot, as her character is not in the books and she does not resurfaced (at least in the first three episodes).

Chas Martin art by John Ridgeway	Ritchie Simpson art by John Ridgeway
Astra art by Sean Phillips	Gabriel art by Steve Dillon

Chas Martin: in the TV show, they make it out like he has some powers to keep him alive.... but in the books, he's just a friend and cab driver.

Ritchie Simpson: I love seeing this character from the comic book, yes he's a computer hacker/computer guy who practice "Quantum Magic". I know his fate from the comics, so I hope Simpson shows up again in a future episode.

Astra Logue: The main difference is that she's white and missing an arm in the comics. We see her semi-regularly as a haunt for John and his sins from Newcastle. I'm going to assume she'll play a big part for the season finale, as it is a very important part of John's history.

Manny the Angel: Although angels and demons are not uncommon in Hellblazer universe, I don't recall the angel "Manny". I believe he was created specifically for the show. Perhaps his character is supposed to be Gabriel (who also appeared in the movie version of Constantine, magnificently played by Tilda Swinton).

Episode 2: The Darkness Beneath

Zed Martin art by John Ridgeway

Zed Martin: We finally get to meet her. In the show, they make her more like a psychic looking to help John. They made her an artist (which you can see that they've used Hellblazer covers by Dave McKean, Sean Phillips, Glen Fabry, and Tim Bradstreet - see screen grabs below, along with my corresponding comics), but I don't think she did art in the comics... but confession, I haven't read the comics in a while. I know they are on/off lovers.

Ellis McGee: I think this is a character created for this story... although John knows several priests in the comic, Ellis could potentially play a bigger part later in the series (especially because they made it seem like he knows the old Celtic magic spells.) Also, could be a nod to writer Warren Ellis, who took over Hellblazer near the end of the series.

Episode 3: The Devil's Vinyl

Papa Midnite art by Dave McKean

Willie Cole: This character is obviously inspired by the urban legend of Robert Johnson (who some people say he made a deal with the devil to become a famous musician). The Johnson story is actually pretty well known, even Supernatural series did a story on Johnson.

Anton: I don't remember the names from the comic book, but there was this demon who employed lesser demons as soul brokers. They would draft contracts and buy and sell and trade souls on this demonic stock exchange.

Papa Midnite: This is a voodoo priest from the comic book. Knowing that he plays a major role in the comics, expect to see Midnite in future episodes. I wish he would wear that white coat and hat that we first see him in Hellblazer #1.

Again, this is just on the first three episodes of Constantine. I love it, but I know that it's not a show that people are watching (or liking). As a fan of the comic book, I am looking forward to more familiar characters. Also, would love to see "Son of Man" brought to life (the original story was written by my favorite Hellblazer writer Garth Ennis).

Below are the Hellblazer comic covers from Episode 2.

Hellblazer covers, as seen on Constantine

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The 2012 London Summer Olympics Closing Ceremony

Read More Olympic Games With the Summer Olympic in London, fans flock Hyde Park to enjoy all sorts of sporting action on the giant screens and get a chance to catch some of our favorite British bands play live - for free!

Did you catch NBC's broadcast of the closing ceremonies of the 2012 London Olympic Games? We saw some of it last Sunday, and according to news reports, it was one of NBC's highest ratings (up 32% over the Beijing Games!)

Unlike NBC's clumsy attempt at censoring the opening ceremonies, it looks like they caved in to heavy criticisms and decided to air the closing music in its entirety.

The Closing Ceremony features a good wide range of British music. Personally, I was rather excited to see Pet Shop Boys doing their big hit song, "West End Girls," and the Spice Girls re-united again to do a medley of "Wannabe" and "Spice Up Your Life." Pop fans would note Take That and One Direction.

As much as I love Oasis, we got Beady Eye doing "Wonderwall." I got the impression that Liam didn't want to do a Noel Gallagher song, and they certainly made sure everyone knew they were 'Beady Eye,' not Oasis.

It was also a shame that Blur didn't make on the lineup (instead, they were playing over at BT London Hydepark), but Massed Bands of the Guards Division covered them with "Parklife." To me, "Parklife" is the quintessential Britpop song - that and Pulp's "Disco 2000" (which sadly no mention of Pulp or Jarvis Cocker.)

I also enjoyed the epic "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," by Eric Idle - but couldn't they get the rest of Monty Python back together?

If you missed the Closing Ceremony, I'm certain you can buy the music compilation soon-ish. Already, you can pick up a double-disc of Isles Of Wonder: Music For The Opening Ceremony Of The London 2012 Olympic Games via Decca Recordings.

The compilation features Underworld, Dizzee Rascal, Emeli Sandé, Arctic Monkeys, Chemical Brothers, David Bowie, and more.

PET SHOP BOYS
www.petshopboys.co.uk

As I previously mentioned, I love Pet Shop Boys, and I have some news on them. They have a brand new album, Elysium, coming out on Astralwerks on September 11th.

If you can't wait that long, the first single, "Winner" is available on two digital bundles. The first will came out August 7th with three non-album b-sides (including a cover of the Bee Gees' "I Started A Joke") and the second is today (August 14th.)

Digital Bundle 1 1. Winner 2. A Certain "Je Ne Sais Quoi" 3. The Way Through The Woods (long version) 4. I Started A Joke

Digital Bundle 2 (Winner Remixed) 1. Winner (Andrew Dawson HappyHour Remix) 2. Winner (John Dahlback Remix) 3. Winner (Niki & The Dove Remix) 4. Winner (Andrew Dawson HappySad Remix)

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August Celebrations

Read More Emeli Sandé Some news on this Scottish-born singer/songwriter Sandé released her first U.S. single, "Next To Me" last week (April 17th), the same day that you can also pre-order for her debut…

EMELI SANDÉ
www.emelisande.com

The Summer Olympic Games 2012 started in late July and will continue to mid-August. In the USA, there's a huge backlash against NBC's coverage (or lack of). NBC's decision to delay broadcast and, in many cases, decided to not air certain events, like Emeli Sandé's performance of "Abide With Me" (written by the Scotsman Henry Francis Lyte.)

Ironically, Sandé will appear on NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on August 22nd. Let's hope they decide to air that show.

Anyway, after her appearance, I went to check out her tour dates - all the dates in November were sold out. How lucky were we to have caught an intimate set from Emeli Sandé at the Dakota in Minneapolis earlier this year. I believe that 250-capacity seating, by far, remains one of the smallest venues that Sandé will ever perform at.

Her debut album, Our Version of Events, was release June 5th via Capitol Records. She's currently selling out all her shows, so I suggest you buy tickets now if they haven't sold out in your area.

08/03 Izod Center Rutherford, NJ 08/04 Izod Center Rutherford, NJ 08/15 Olympia Theatre Dublin, Ireland 08/16 Custom House Square Belfast Belfast, UK 08/18 V Festival Chelmsford, UK 08/19 V Festival Chelmsford, UK 08/19 Weston Park Staffordshire, UK 09/05 iTunes Festival @ Roundhouse London, UK 09/07 Bestival Isle Of Wight, UK

10/08 Howard Theatre Washington, DC 10/09 Theatre of Living Arts Philadelphia, PA 10/10 Paradise Rock Club Boston, MA 10/13 Variety Playhouse Atlanta, GA 11/04 Olympia Theatre Dublin, Ireland 11/06 Clyde Auditorium Glasgow, UK 11/08 Symphony Hall Birmingham, UK 11/11 Royal Albert Hall London, UK 11/12 Manchester Bridgewater Hall, UK

ELLIOTT SMITH
killrockstars.com

One of my favorite record label, Kill Rock Stars, announced that August is Elliott Smith's month. This would have been the star's 43rd birthday, come this August 6th.

Each week, via Pitchfork, KRS will release a new version of an Elliott Smith song. This week, we hear "Alameda."

The compilation, An Introduction to … Elliott Smith, will be on sale for $4.99 on his birthday (Aug 6) all day. KRS will also give a present to everyone who signs up on their mailing list that day.

MENTOS
facebook.com/MentosSingapore

Mentos, the fresh-maker, is calling out to Singaporeans to "do their duties" on Singapore's National Day night (August 9th.) Apparently the country suffers from low birthrate.

I didn't know this, but every August 9th, there are fireworks and parades to celebrate Singapore's independence from Malaysia in 1965 (so this seems like a really recent national holiday to me.)

I have been to Singapore once, in 1999, and I have to say, I love it. At the time, I felt the small country was one of the most advance and diverse (and beautiful) country in the world. There are issues, of course, like the anti-bubblegum thing and their strict laws … I guess it's always greener looking in.

Anyway, Mentos Singapore put together this wordy/music-ish video to help you get into the mood. You can view it on youtube.com.

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US Television Guide 2012

Apologies to people outside of the USA, but here is a guide to some semi-current television shows (and their theme music). With the exception of "Justified" (which I only discovered recently), these shows debut in late 2011 or early 2012. They are also shows that I'm interested in, which are crime, science fiction or music-related.

ALCATRAZ
www.fox.com

It goes without saying that since Lost and Fringe, I’ve been hooked on JJ Abrahams television shows. The man is a true genius, not only able to create and juggle and produce some of the best TV programming, but did you know he is also a music composer? He wrote the Alcatraz theme song.

So, Alcatraz’s premise is in its start narrative:

On March 21, 1963, Alcatraz officially closed. All the prisoners were transferred off the island. Only that's not what happened. Not at all.

The prisoners (and guards) all disappeared on that date and they suddenly started appearing in 2012, at the same age that they vanished. Although that sounds like there are some supernatural forces - the show suggests there is actually some sort of weird science behind the disappearance.

The show is about a cop, an FBI agent, and a comic book writer, and they go after a “prisoner of the week”.

Several things I have issues with the show: 1) Why do these ex-prisoners, once freed, go back to a life of crime? and 2) If they disappeared originally with prison outfits, wouldn’t it make sense that they reappear in the same garments ? and 3) How come these returning prisoners don’t have 1963 slangs and why aren’t they in awe of today’s technology - like an iPhone? If I were a time traveler, seeing a device like that would just blow my mind.

Anyway, I’m loving the show so far, mostly excited to see Sam Neill back in action, the man is a bit of a legend, having played Damiem in The Omen 3, Dr Alan Grant in Jurassic Park, and the scientist who created the Event Horizon spaceship.

Alcatraz is playing on Monday evenings on Fox, check your local time and listing.

SMASH nbc.com/smash Let’s be frank, "Smash" is NBC’s answer to the highly successful Fox’s Glee series. Unlike Glee’s cover-lover songs every week, Smash’s music is of the Broadway musical big band numbers - no covers. It's strictly original music by composers Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. The most interesting thing is that it’s a win-win situation for Columbia Record, who has rights to distribute both Glee and Smash music. I did end up watching the pilot episode of Smash and can't say that I was impress. The show is basically about the birth of a Broadway musical about Marilyn Monroe and its two lead singers. Glee, on the other hand, continues to be quite popular with music fans. What's interesting to note is that they have a good mixture of music genre in their covers this week: alternative rock (Young The Giant's "Cough Syrup"), British/Irish boy band (The Wanted's "Glad You Came"), hip-hop (Nicki Minaj's "Fly"), R&B (R.Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly"), funk (Lenny Kravitz's "Stand"), hard-rock (Halestorm's "Here's To Us") and countrypop (Kelly Clarkson's "What Doesn't Kill You"). Music from the "On My Way" episode will be available tomorrow on iTunes.

TOUCH fox.com Did you miss the premiere pilot episode of Touch? Well, you can catch it again as a free download on Amazon and PS3 and iTunes and Hulu and Xbox, under the “Free TV” section. Fox really want to get the pilot on people’s television, which, personally, I believe is the best way of promoting a new show (instead of spending thousands of dollars to buy advertisements). If you were expecting the main character, played by Kiefer Southerland, to be as aggressive and in your face as 24, you may be in for a disappointment. That’s not a bad thing; Southerland is a solid actor, playing a concern father trying to understand his mute-math-child. It is a great pilot, start, middle and end, and everything wrapped up neatly. The biggest problem I have is: where does the show go from here? It seems like everything is solved at the end of the pilot, do I need to come back for more? Music, as credited on the show, is by Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman, or better known as Wendy and Lisa. We reviewed their White Flags of Winter Chimneys: "you can hear the growth of two artists who have been making music together for over twenty years and who are very comfortable in who they are and the kind of music they create."

PRIME SUSPECT nbc.com Okay, here’s an odd one. The premise is taken from the UK’s cop drama of the same name. I have not seen the UK Prime Suspect (on account that BBC’s iPlayer still won’t let people outside of the UK to view its programming), but I think I get the gist of it - a “tough as nail” girl homicide detective in a male police environment. Again, I haven’t seen the UK version, but the US version, taking place in a large metropolitan area (presumably New York) and it works really well in this setting. One thing is for sure, everyone, cops and robbers, are all jerks! It’s what makes them human, and I personally like (and hate) all the characters. Only 13 episodes were ordered, NBC hasn’t announced that they will be renewing it, but seeing as the show hasn’t exactly taken off... I don’t think there will be a season two. And it’s really too bad, because I was starting to warm up to the other homicide detectives. Even in their dumb ways, they manage to solve the crime in the end. Theme song for the show is by Extreme Music, a music production company. I believe the song is entitled "Glorious". It sounds like a cross between U2 and Nickleback with violins.

JUSTIFIED fxnetworks.com Let me tell you: I love Westerns, particularly Italian Westerns, so I was blown away at this very modern take on the classic Western genre in a serialized television program. Justified is on its third season and brings back the same convicts and Marshalls from the previous seasons; even though I could have sworn some of them should have died with multiple gun shots! In its third season, the main gunslinger, Raylan, finds himself wounded from the previous finale. He can’t shoot straight - yet somehow manages to outsmart and outshoot criminals! I love it. Apparently Justified was based on Elmore Leonard’s western novels, so if you’re not into cowboys and outlaws, this really isn’t the show for you. The theme song is the most colorful and memorable of all these new shows - it’s a bit like rap music set to a bluegrass folky music. That probably best describe the band Gangstagrass, who was nominated for 2010 Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Best Title Theme song for the Justified theme song, “Long Hard Times To Come”.

RINGER cwtv.com Don’t you miss Buffy? I missed Faith, then I saw Dollhouse, and boy, I didn’t miss five-by-five after that disaster of a show. So, Ringer is the new show starring ex-Buffy star Michelle Sarah Gellar. She plays both Bridget and Siobhan (pronounced "sho-van"). Bridget is running away from the mob, so she takes over her sister's rich/successful life after she finds out that Siobhan committed suicide. The show isn't that good; I find it hard to believe that the FBI (and all the characters, including her BFF) can’t figure out that it is Bridget, not Siobhan. The drama really is about a cat and mouse game of Gellar trying to conceal her big secret. Theme music for Ringer is by Gabriel Mann, who also plays in a band called The Rescues.

PERSON OF INTEREST cbs.com Again, another JJ production. This show had a great start, but as the show goes on and you find out more about the two main characters, it got a bit stale. I guess sometime you just want it to be a mystery, you know? If you don’t know, the show is about a smart man, Mr. Finch, who built a computer that tracks and predicts terrorists. Finch hires Reese to help him prevent crimes based on the computer’s output. As I mentioned before, I got kind of bored of this show - there just wasn’t any real “threat” to the duo. However, things are starting to get better, on the latest episode; we’re introduced to a hacker Root, who is giving them a hard time. Once again, main theme is written by JJ Abrahams.

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