Piggy Bank

OK, I admit it. I have a slight obsession with a handful of reality tv shows. Some of these are even kind of stupid shows that I know I should feel guilty about. Does it make it OK if these shows at least feature legit music?

Paris Hilton's My New BFF is in it's second season, and (surprise) Paris is no longer friends with the winner of the first season, Brittany Flickinger. So, in order to make sure this doesn't happen again, she's ramping up the challenges this season. This week's episode finds her BFF's facing the challenge of preparing a dinner for Paris and her friends and family. As I sat prepared to delight in their mishaps (the girls didn't even realize that you had to gut the duck they purchased), I was pleasantly surprised to hear the perfect song accompany them on their trip to the farmer's market - "Piggy Bank" by Jet Stream. Though it's a great song, I found it hilarious to hear the line, "Money makes the world go 'round," during this little montage - think Paris can relate to that lyric at all? LOL. 

For those of you who don't know, Jet Stream is a band featuring Stephen Bradley, a talented multi-instrumentalist who played with No Doubt from Tragic Kingdom until their hiatus. No word on whether or not he's part of the No Doubt reunion, but he's doing well for himself with Jet Stream, one of the most danceable bands I've heard in awhile. I love how I can't really classify their sound - is it hip hop? Is it just straight dance music? Indie synth-rock? I don't know. I don't care. It's awesomeness.

Jet Stream on MySpace

Brandon Bryant

He's made it to the Top 16 (no surprise), but let me just say this now. Brandon Bryant better win. Check out this scorching performance to Common's "What a World."

Common on MySpace

Earlimart on Rockville

Let's just come out and say this right now : More than any singular person that I don't actually know, Josh Schwartz (and his go-to music director, Alexandra Patsavas) has shaped my musical taste over the years. Yes, The OC and Gossip Girl creator has introduced me to a lot of good stuff over the years, from Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek," and Alexi Murdoch's "Orange Sky" on the OC, to "Hang Me Up to Dry" by Cold War Kids on Gossip Girl, I've found scads of great music through Mr. Schwartz's shows. 

Rockville CA is the latest show from the obviously musically-inclined Schwartz's mind, and although sometimes I feel a little trashy checking out these quick web-only episodes, I always come back because there IS great music, and let's be honest, sometimes the show's drama is too much to resist. As any follower of this blog knows, I love Earlimart, and they recently made an appearance on the show, playing "Song For" and "God Loves You the Best," in addition to sticking around for a must-see interview. Check out the performance of "Song For" below, and head on over to Rockville's website for the rest.

more about "Rockville CA: Watch Full Episodes on ...", posted with vodpod
Earlimart on MySpace

Wylde Bunch Usher in Royal Pains

So I think I may have yet another new TV addiction. I guess it's a good thing that some excellent shows that I've loved (that means you, Kyle XY) are getting cancelled, because there are only so many things you can follow obsessively at once. What is this new addiction, you ask? Royal Pains on USA.

A couple of my friends who watch more shows on USA than I do had been telling me about this new show that looked great, so I TiVo'ed it (the pilot was June 4) for a rainy day...well, we have a lot of those here in the Pacific Northwest, but I didn't get around to watching it until last night and it was great! It stars Mark Feurerstein (of West Wing fame) as Hank Lawson, a doctor who has just lost his job, his fiancee, everything. His brother takes him to a glitzy party in the Hamptons, and there's a medical emergency there that he takes care of...and soon this leads to a gig as an on-call doctor to the wealthy. Good stuff, and I love how this show mixes drama with light comedy - I feel as though most shows today go one way or the other, but why can't I have my cake and eat it, too?

I've said it many times before, but it can't be overstated - good shows generally have good music. And of course, Royal Pains is no exception - this episode featured two of my favorite songs - "Shut Up and Let Me Go" by The Ting Tings, and one of my favorite new dance anthems, "Ain't No Love in the Club" by Wylde Bunch. I think all of you have heard plenty of "Shut Up and Let Me Go," (even though it still hasn't gotten old to me) so I'll leave you with a clip of "Ain't No Love in the Club" from the episode, as well as it's music video. 

Wylde Bunch at MySpace

Dance With Me

So last night was Vegas callbacks on So You Think You Can Dance, and I, like many others, definitely found the dismissal of Natalie Reid a little abrupt and odd. She was looking great with my current (now that Nathan Trasoras is a Season 6 dancer) favorite, Brandon Bryant but then she was gone, and evidently in a unanimous decision. Odd - I mean all logic would make you assume that Sonja would have voted to keep Natalie on, and she at least would have had the opportunity to do a Dance For Your Life.

On a more positive note, I was thrilled to hear Old 97's in this episode. Their song "Dance With Me," played in the end credits, and I really feel as though some competitors should dance to this tune in the near future. Check out the hilarious music video below, and hopefully be on the lookout for this song in more So You Think You Can Dance episodes...can you imagine what Nathan Trasoras could do with this one? (edit : thanks to Ward at SYTYCDBlog, we now can see what that would look like...it's the second video below and it is pure awesomeness - THANKS!)

Old 97's on MySpace