The Dana Carvey Show

By now we're all well aware that the internet is the only place the following can happen in a 10 minute period:
- Read AV Club's interview with Louie CK, where you learn CK wrote for a sketch show you'd long forgotten, The Dana Carvey Show.
-Immediately Google "Dana Carvey Show"
-Confirm via wikipedia that he was, in fact, lead writer for the show, but also discover that entire first and only season exists for free on Hulu now.
-Halt productivity.

The Dana Carvey Show was a sketch comedy on abc that ran for only 7 tenths of a season in 1996, and it was hilarious. How do I know it was hilarious? I was 11 when it aired and I have fond memories of it. That's enough, right? Also, I specifically remember feeling uncomfortable watching it with my mom around which means that I toughed it out through the awkwardness (because it was funny) and she toughed it out through the jokes that were inappropriate for an 11 year old at 9pm on a Tuesday because she understood that I'd one day have an affinity for inconsequential pop culture.

Though Carvey himself left his stamp on the show with his trademark impressions like the Church Lady and Paul McCartney, the real talent resided in the rest of the credits, where people like CK, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, and Robert Smigel were creating some of the funniest, subversive sketch comedy that couldn't have been seen anywhere else on tv at the time. Possibly too subversive, though, as sponsors began running away from act 1 scene 1 as Carvey's Bill Clinton breast fed babies and animals (hard to explain).

Every episode, including the unaired, are available in full on Hulu. Definitely worth checking out, if only to see the careers of Carrell and Colbert launch.

Dropkick Murphys - Barroom Hero

"Face down in the gutter won't admit defeat though his clothes are soiled and black, he's a big strong man with a child's mind, DON'T YOU TAKE HIS BOOZE AWAY..."

Flogging Molly - Drunken Lullabies

Flogging Molly - Seven Deadly Sins

Tossers - Siobhan

Tossers - Goodmorning Da

The Irony in this Post Will Be Astounding

You know the guy you grew up with who co-opted his heritage as the bulk of his identity? He had the t-shirts, ate the food, knew some words, knew every player on the national soccer team, and listened to the music, all as if some test was coming where he'd have to prove how loyal to his ancestors he'd been. My Irish buddies were just as guilty as the Italians.

Now, we should all be so lucky on this planet as to have something such as that to make us feel interesting and happy. But if I could go back to high school and college to send one message to the people who fit that description, it would be this: Pick more interesting music. This goes to the Irish punks especially. There are literally a thousand or more punk bands claiming the irish ethos as their own. You don't have to listen to them all! They aren't all good! So, if you must listen to music about drinking and fighting, go for the Jameson, not the Black Velvet. First, if you haven't done so already, check out the Pogues, and then at this point you might as well listen to Dropkick Murphys. Got that? I think you're ready for some other gems too.

Mystery Team

For my final rental from Blockbuster, I'm enjoying Mystery Team, Derrick's Comedy's 2009 movie about 3 high school seniors who've never outgrown their childhood hobby of solving kiddie mysteries. In attempting to regain their lost favor, they take on a murder case. Hilarity, I assume, ensues. I'm about a quarter of the way through, but so far, so good.

In my opinion, Derrick Comedy is the new Lonely Island, Donald Glover is the new Andy Samberg, and Mystery Team is their Hot Rod.

Also, did you know there was a Betty-White-SNL-esque facebook (and other social network) campaign to get Donald Glover an audition to be the next Spider Man? Well, there is. And I approve. And so does Stan Lee.

Espionage

According to my iPod I have 8,345 songs available to me at any moment. So I consider it a severe improbability that the Shuffle function would ever play the 3 instrumental tracks out of a possible maybe 20 instrumental tracks I might have in a matter of twenty minutes. And yet it happened today. Okay, okay, I get it. Shuffle works in mysterious ways. But it just so happens all three would be perfect for urgent, aggressive, espionage scenes.

First up, Green Day's "Espionage," complete with surf guitar and just the right amount of horns. This was apparently recorded for one of the Austin Powers' movies, but you can also find it on the B-Side album Shenanigans.

	Green Day - Espionage
	Found at skreemr.org

Then there's MxPx, with "The Theme Fiasco," which I'm positive was written with spies in mind. Heavy on the bass.
(I could only find the live album version, but it's good)

And finally, Everclear's "El Distorto de Melodica," which, I'll admit, was probably not written with spy movies in mind. But, if you imagine Jason Bourne bum rushing a terrorist compound while listening to this track nothing will seem out of place.

RIP Blockbuster

The Wall Street Journal announced this week that Blockbuster Video is attempting to secure debtor-in-processing financing, which is the final step a company takes before filing for bankruptcy. For some this will come as a surprise, but not to those of us in Philadelphia's outer suburbs where Blockbuster locations have been disappearing seemingly overnight for a while, and especially not for me.

Here in Blockbuster's final days it would seem I represent the only demographic hanging on to hope that the company survives, and here's why: I am a member of Blockbuster Total Access and self-admitted gamer. The advantage BTA has had over Netflix is that it gives members the ability to exchange their mailed movies for in-store movies for free and without it counting as a rental. My particular plan has allowed me to rent and subsequently exchange 3 movies a month PLUS a free video game rental every month. In total, I was getting a game and six movies by only spending $10.59 a month for services that would otherwise have cost me around $35. My costs were covered even if I only watched one movie and rented one video game.

For a while at college it seemed a small price to pay to drive to the next town for my rentals after the local store closed up shop. Then I graduated and moved back home where I had my pick of Blockbuster stores to exchange in and rent games. The first real store closing that affected me at home came more than 2 years later when the Blockbuster near Ashley's house at the Berlin Circle in New Jersey closed. It was a common spot for us to rent movies while at her place. I thought nothing of it. Several months later they came for my local PA Blockbuster in Springfield, a sure sign that I'd soon be migrating to Netflix, but not quite yet. There was still the Blockbuster on Route 3 which was convenient to visit on my commutes to and from work. Until this week, that is. Now my closest option is in an out of the way neighborhood I'd rather not go to, but even that I'm sure is on its way out. So long, Blockbuster!

Is this the last we've seen of Blockbuster? I doubt it. Rumor is they'll be back with a kiosk style business plan similar to the Red Box, but by then Netflix will own the bulk of the market. It's a shame, too, Blockbuster's inability to stay afloat and dynamic in the technologically changing rental market, because regardless of their lack of leadership the name "Blockbuster" will always be seen as a pioneer.

Best Ramones Songs?

Paste attempts the impossible by listing the 10 Best Ramones Songs of All Time.

To me this is more a list of the most important songs to hear if you're new to the Ramones. Besides, without Dee Dee's "Warthog" it can't be a "Best Of" list. A nice attempt nonetheless.