Great tracks by fictional bands, 'The Mandalorian,' 'History of the World' & 'Perry Mason' return, 'Daisy Jones & The Six' rock out, and 'Poker Face' does its best episode yet
I just have be That Gal who notes that Matthew Rhys is in the last and arguably worse episode of Columbo ever and I'm not sure if he smiles, but he has a suitably frenetic energy, which suits a nightclub owner trying to cover up an accidental death who then has to murder a tabloid reporter IIRC.
My immediate reaction to the Daisy Jones and the Six review was "It sounds like this show would have been a lot better if Adam Schlesinger had been able to write the songs."
I am going to go out on a limb here and say that I actually prefer this week's Last of Us episode to the Offerman/Bartlett ep. Is it because the latter was so enthusiastically praised in every review I read before the series premiere, setting impossibly high expectations? Possibly. But I found the Ramsey/Reid episode has resonated with me longer.
I am also still marveling at what a great job the production design team did in credibly creating a decaying shopping mall and all of its stores. This is yet another example of an HBO production showing Netflix and the other streamers how it's done; there is no comparison in the production value of this 'The Last of Us' mall versus the much less lived-in feel of Starcourt Mall featured throughout season 3 of 'Stranger Things'.
Great list of fictional songs. A perfect article for Rolling Stone to run haha.
I was so glad to see Popstar included; I got nervous as I kept going down the list and didn't see it yet. I think I might have included Incredible Thoughts (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRlIDIu2qpg), especially for its importance to the film and because I'm a sucker for Michael Bolton cameos (see: "Jack Sparrow"). But just very happy to see this underrated movie in the top ten.
Love the fictional bands list. There’s a few I would change (pick a Test Pattern song or something from Co-Op for Doc Now, and a Lurleen Lumpkin song from Simpsons), but it was a great trip down fictional music history lane with a lot of exceptional picks. Drive It Like You Stole It especially is SUCH a banger. Really pleasantly surprised by the #2 spot, I listened to that all the time in my teens. I do believe Black Sheep was written by Metric for Scott Pilgrim, but the lines are definitely thinner with the soundtrack version especially when they didn’t officially release the Larson version until two years ago.
So in love with Poker Face. What an unbelievably great show that just keeps topping itself. Johnson and Yedlin really do create some gorgeous images together. Agreed about the episode lengths, I really love when they have time to breathe. Honestly, they could easily pull off Columbo-esque 90-minute episodes.
Puzzled by how a band that has had not one but two 30+ date world tours where the band members are actually playing their instruments and performing original songs they wrote can be considered "fake".
Sure their *history* is fake but the band is quite, quite real.
Great list, Alan. It does what any such list should do.
1) Remind of great things you've enjoyed in the past
2) Suggest some great things that you may have missed along the way
3) Spark numerous, fun, pointless arguments about membership and position on the list.
That being said, how does your #3 entry, "Shallow", not break both your ground rules? Letting Lady Gaga into this competition is kind of like letting Patrick Mahomes compete in Punt, Pass and Kick.
If The Banana Splits qualified for the list, you should have considered "The Evolution Revolution" by Lancelot Link & the Evolution Revolution. Arguably the hardest an all-chimp band has rocked on a 2-minute single.
I keep saying that Pokerface episode felt a lot like Rian doing Brick 2 in so many ways. That particular shot you called out also felt very much like the best shots from the Sin City movies with their stark lighting.
How could you leave out Captain Geech and the Shrimp Shack Shooters? Certainly the best performance of a fictional band by a fictional band.
After watching that ep of "Poker Face" I tipped the GrubHub person extra.
I just have be That Gal who notes that Matthew Rhys is in the last and arguably worse episode of Columbo ever and I'm not sure if he smiles, but he has a suitably frenetic energy, which suits a nightclub owner trying to cover up an accidental death who then has to murder a tabloid reporter IIRC.
My immediate reaction to the Daisy Jones and the Six review was "It sounds like this show would have been a lot better if Adam Schlesinger had been able to write the songs."
Did I miss something or was "Misbehavin'" from The Righteous Gemstones left off this list? Heaven forbid!
I am going to go out on a limb here and say that I actually prefer this week's Last of Us episode to the Offerman/Bartlett ep. Is it because the latter was so enthusiastically praised in every review I read before the series premiere, setting impossibly high expectations? Possibly. But I found the Ramsey/Reid episode has resonated with me longer.
I am also still marveling at what a great job the production design team did in credibly creating a decaying shopping mall and all of its stores. This is yet another example of an HBO production showing Netflix and the other streamers how it's done; there is no comparison in the production value of this 'The Last of Us' mall versus the much less lived-in feel of Starcourt Mall featured throughout season 3 of 'Stranger Things'.
No Sugar High from Empire Records?? Underrated movie and a super catchy song!
Really great job on the fictional songs list, EXCEPT how could you leave off Gitchi Gitchi Goo from Phineas and the Ferbettes?
A little disappointed "Hearts Beat Loud" didn't make the fictional band list
Great list of fictional songs. A perfect article for Rolling Stone to run haha.
I was so glad to see Popstar included; I got nervous as I kept going down the list and didn't see it yet. I think I might have included Incredible Thoughts (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRlIDIu2qpg), especially for its importance to the film and because I'm a sucker for Michael Bolton cameos (see: "Jack Sparrow"). But just very happy to see this underrated movie in the top ten.
Love the fictional bands list. There’s a few I would change (pick a Test Pattern song or something from Co-Op for Doc Now, and a Lurleen Lumpkin song from Simpsons), but it was a great trip down fictional music history lane with a lot of exceptional picks. Drive It Like You Stole It especially is SUCH a banger. Really pleasantly surprised by the #2 spot, I listened to that all the time in my teens. I do believe Black Sheep was written by Metric for Scott Pilgrim, but the lines are definitely thinner with the soundtrack version especially when they didn’t officially release the Larson version until two years ago.
So in love with Poker Face. What an unbelievably great show that just keeps topping itself. Johnson and Yedlin really do create some gorgeous images together. Agreed about the episode lengths, I really love when they have time to breathe. Honestly, they could easily pull off Columbo-esque 90-minute episodes.
Puzzled by how a band that has had not one but two 30+ date world tours where the band members are actually playing their instruments and performing original songs they wrote can be considered "fake".
Sure their *history* is fake but the band is quite, quite real.
Great list, Alan. It does what any such list should do.
1) Remind of great things you've enjoyed in the past
2) Suggest some great things that you may have missed along the way
3) Spark numerous, fun, pointless arguments about membership and position on the list.
That being said, how does your #3 entry, "Shallow", not break both your ground rules? Letting Lady Gaga into this competition is kind of like letting Patrick Mahomes compete in Punt, Pass and Kick.
Going through that list there was never a doubt what was going to be number one, and it made me smile nonetheless.
Now, however, I'm really sad...seeing Adam Schlesinger's name all over that list so many times it's incredibly upsetting how early we lost him...
Tonight we all go home and watch That Thing You Do!, yes?
If The Banana Splits qualified for the list, you should have considered "The Evolution Revolution" by Lancelot Link & the Evolution Revolution. Arguably the hardest an all-chimp band has rocked on a 2-minute single.
I keep saying that Pokerface episode felt a lot like Rian doing Brick 2 in so many ways. That particular shot you called out also felt very much like the best shots from the Sin City movies with their stark lighting.