Why do I bring this up? Besides the whole "Audio Daily Double" pun (if it is indeed a pun, which I'm pretty sure it's not), no reason. I just never know how to open these silly things. Maybe go blog-generic and post a cute picture or something. Sure, let's do that:
This is literally the first thing that came up when I
did a google image search for "cute picture".
Now on to the wit, insight, and humo(u)r that you've come to hope for (but never quite get).
1) Album: Janelle Monáe, The ArchAndroid. For the first time in my life, I feel like I've come in on the ground floor with something music-related -- not necessarily with Monáe herself, since she's been around for a fair amount of time, but this album just came within the last week or two, so I save myself the embarrassment of professing my love for something hip and trendy, only to have someone tell me that the not only is the album older than me, but the lead singer died before I graduated high school. Take one part Jackie Wilson, two parts James Brown, one part pompadour, and about five parts The Roots (without the ludicrous slow jams), and you get Monáe. Even her videos and dance moves are deliciously old-school, with just enough of "today's sound" to keep the old-man stereotype off my back for about thirty seconds longer than I could manage on my own.
The album itself, I've been told, is actually the second and third bits of her Metropolis suite -- the first part was on her last album -- but not only is the ArchAndroid album itself extremely good as a stand-alone, but so are most of the songs, even though you'd be silly not to at least give the whole suite a listen from start to finish. The song you're most likely to hear (especially since it's the video I linked to) is the single "Tightrope," but the whole album is pretty brilliant.
2) Radio: So Wrong, It's Right. The levels on which I absolutely adore this show are probably too many to mention, so I'll go with three. Layer the first: this is probably because I'm one of those people -- you know the ones, although, for most of you, I'm the only one of those you know -- but I'm willing to give anything that has "BBC Radio 4" and "comedy" in the description, mostly because I more often than not will find myself in fits of laughter about five minutes in. I know at least two of you are scoffing as you read this, probably muttering something like "bloody typical" (only more Oregonian) under your breath, but hey, it's true. From the satirical genius of "I'm Sorry, I Haven't a Clue" to the QI-ish knowledge bath that is "The Unbelievable Truth," Radio 4 just sort of does it for me.
Layer the second, and probably another eye-rolling moment for those who know me a bit too well: the guy hosting, Charlie Brooker, is straight-up gold. Fantastic comedy, great wit, and a connoisseur of that observational rage-against-the-world humour that I had adopted as my own personal vintage several years ago, to the point where about 80% of what he says I secretly say to myself: "Yeah, exactly!" Which is sort of the point of observational humorists, I know. I mean, this guy could write a book where all he does is whinge about stuff and I'd probably buy it... hmm... maybe a trip to Amazon wouldn't be amiss after this post. And, being in that circle of whatever-list celebs who make their livings doing stuff like this, you tend to (or, at least I tend to) hear a lot of familiar voices in the crowd, which is always nice, especially if they're funny (which they generally are).
Layer the third: the simplicity and effectiveness of the premise of the show, which is essentially "let's get a couple of funny people together and talk about stuff that makes us rage at our lives/the world around us." This, ladies and gentlemen, is what I'd do if I were given a radio show of my own, except I don't have enough friends to make a panel game out of it, so it'd be a half-hour of me whining, which wouldn't be nearly as funny as this, I don't think. I don't know what I find so enjoyable about listening to people moan on about self-checkout machines in supermarkets (as I, again, have done for years now), irritatedly describe bus trips to Spain that were a living hell, or think of TV shows where people suggest the most creative way to euthanise their loved ones, with the best suggestion being put into action. I just find it hilarious, and if you're still reading this, so should you -- since the series is still airing, the previous week's episode can be found on the BBC Radio iPlayer (because they're a lot friendlier with their radio than their TV over there, copyright-wise) for the next seven days. I'll even link it: LINK. So go. Do. I mean, finish reading, then go and do. Or listen while you read. Or ignore it all. Your choice, really.
Layer the second, and probably another eye-rolling moment for those who know me a bit too well: the guy hosting, Charlie Brooker, is straight-up gold. Fantastic comedy, great wit, and a connoisseur of that observational rage-against-the-world humour that I had adopted as my own personal vintage several years ago, to the point where about 80% of what he says I secretly say to myself: "Yeah, exactly!" Which is sort of the point of observational humorists, I know. I mean, this guy could write a book where all he does is whinge about stuff and I'd probably buy it... hmm... maybe a trip to Amazon wouldn't be amiss after this post. And, being in that circle of whatever-list celebs who make their livings doing stuff like this, you tend to (or, at least I tend to) hear a lot of familiar voices in the crowd, which is always nice, especially if they're funny (which they generally are).
Layer the third: the simplicity and effectiveness of the premise of the show, which is essentially "let's get a couple of funny people together and talk about stuff that makes us rage at our lives/the world around us." This, ladies and gentlemen, is what I'd do if I were given a radio show of my own, except I don't have enough friends to make a panel game out of it, so it'd be a half-hour of me whining, which wouldn't be nearly as funny as this, I don't think. I don't know what I find so enjoyable about listening to people moan on about self-checkout machines in supermarkets (as I, again, have done for years now), irritatedly describe bus trips to Spain that were a living hell, or think of TV shows where people suggest the most creative way to euthanise their loved ones, with the best suggestion being put into action. I just find it hilarious, and if you're still reading this, so should you -- since the series is still airing, the previous week's episode can be found on the BBC Radio iPlayer (because they're a lot friendlier with their radio than their TV over there, copyright-wise) for the next seven days. I'll even link it: LINK. So go. Do. I mean, finish reading, then go and do. Or listen while you read. Or ignore it all. Your choice, really.
3) The Eurovision Song Contest! I'm watching the finals via the BBC/torrent goodness as I type this (about eight hours after the whole affair ended live), and I can't help but get a big stupid grin on my face as I'm listening to it. After 50-something years, the songs haven't changed all that much, the wardrobe is still as bizarre as ever, but it's still pure entertainment, one of those few guilty pleasures that I can't help but catch whenever I remember.
The incredibly short-hand description of Eurovision is American Idol, without judges, an all-original songbook, and almost 40 countries participating, but that's sort of degrading to Eurovision. The closest America has ever come to this was when, shortly after the first season of our "American Idol," we got together a bazillion countries who also had "Idol" franchises and held a "World Idol" competition, which I think I watched about five minutes of, and can't remember who won. That dreck can't hold a candle to the pomp, the camp, the spangles and choreography of Eurovision -- and you've definitely heard of a couple of previous winners in ABBA, Celine Dion, and Katrina and the Waves. That's not to imply that this music is "good" -- some of it definitely is, but that's not what it's known for by a long shot. Essentially, a bunch of countries compete in a nice little sing-song competition, with all the other countries giving points based on telephone/jury votes, with first place getting -- ah, hell, just read the rules here if you care. All you need to know is: crazy dancing, europop/ethnic pop songs, completely over-the-top production. And most of the entries sing in some brand of stilted english, even though that's not required. Like Greece, my favorite from this year that made the final:
The incredibly short-hand description of Eurovision is American Idol, without judges, an all-original songbook, and almost 40 countries participating, but that's sort of degrading to Eurovision. The closest America has ever come to this was when, shortly after the first season of our "American Idol," we got together a bazillion countries who also had "Idol" franchises and held a "World Idol" competition, which I think I watched about five minutes of, and can't remember who won. That dreck can't hold a candle to the pomp, the camp, the spangles and choreography of Eurovision -- and you've definitely heard of a couple of previous winners in ABBA, Celine Dion, and Katrina and the Waves. That's not to imply that this music is "good" -- some of it definitely is, but that's not what it's known for by a long shot. Essentially, a bunch of countries compete in a nice little sing-song competition, with all the other countries giving points based on telephone/jury votes, with first place getting -- ah, hell, just read the rules here if you care. All you need to know is: crazy dancing, europop/ethnic pop songs, completely over-the-top production. And most of the entries sing in some brand of stilted english, even though that's not required. Like Greece, my favorite from this year that made the final:
How is that not amazing?? Seriously, do yourself a favour and go to YouTube right now. Do it. Type "Eurovision" into the search box. Fall down the rabbit hole of hilarity. Especially if you can find a clip of the UK entry this year, from the final. It'll make you glad you're not British -- unless you are British, and then it'll make you glad that you didn't have to pass that off as the best your country has to offer. I'll even end right now so you can do that. Go ahead, I'm ending now -- DO IT. You can even slag off on the other two things I told you to listen to. Do this. I'm serious this time.
And before I go, a quick note. It is past 1AM, yes, but it is still my six-and-twentieth birthday today. Just thought I'd throw that out there. Cash donations and gratuities can be sent to me directly.
I am so crap at posting YouTube videos on this site... here's the link to the real (and full) Greece video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_F-v8OPJ7lU
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