Hypothetical case: You are an alien just landed on Earth, and you want to find out what this thing called "popular music" is. You could illegally download buy 1,000,000,000 songs on the Internet, or you could beam over Feed the Animals by Girl Talk, AKA Gregg Gillis, a mash-up artist famous for pairing music by Queen, Procol Harum, Deee-Lite, Lil’ John, Soul II Soul, Yo La Tengo, Air, and Roy Orbison — in addition to some 300 + other songs — and instantly have a sampling of some of the best pop music from the past four decades at your slimy green fingertips. (Though if you’re an alien capable of interstellar travel, we’re assuming you can pull one over on the RIAA too.)
Better yet, a rabid fan named Bunny Greenhouse has painstakingly stitched together mash-up video clips of the artists that neatly hook up with Gillis’s samples. It’s like little warm A/V spikes of nostalgia for your pop-culture cocktail. Best of all, it’s pay-what-you-wish — so it’s cool if you do pay something, because Gillis is probably not making a lot of $ off this album, ‘cuz the whole thing is illegal anyway, but you don’t have to — so check it out, and Bunny’s creations, already!
Your turn: Which three current trends/movie/TV/music/books/games/Web items belong on your Must List this week? Please include your e-mail address so that we can get in touch with you in case we decide to use your submission in the magazine. Deadline is 10 a.m. ET on Thursday, July 31. Let’s have it.
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MUST:
Season 2 of Mad Men on AMC. Just started and I am already loving it.
Was I the only one underwhelmed by “Feed the Animals”? It was OK but not Must List worthy…
TV – Flipping Out (anyone whose worked with a passive aggresive ocd high maintenance boss or colleague understands the appeal)
Music – Miracle Cure by Blank & Jones (Martin Roth Remix) Anyone who wants a taste of great trance/dance music should download this one.
Book – Breaking Dawn (need I say more?)
I’m ridiculous AND I love Ace Young’s new album. The song and video for “Addicted” are well, addicting and there are no gratuitous shots of the scar on his chest.
Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip – Confessions of a Cynical Waiter by Waiter
I have been reading the Waiterrant blog for over three years now and am thrilled that his book has finally come out and that the Waiter has unmasked himself.
He is a truly talented writer, and it is great to see that his blog has allowed him to become a published author
The Middleman on ABC Family – I never thought I’d see the day where I willfully watch an ABC Family original series but I’m hooked. More people need to watch so it doesn’t get canceled! It’s fun, smart and quirky with tongue-in-cheek humor poking fun at comics. I mean, come on people, there’s a fashion design house run by a succubus as a halfway house for “reformed” succubi and incubi, various pop culture references hidden in the names and places (there was one episode with all Indiana Jones references, another with Dune and another with Back to the Future ones), zombie fish and alien boy bands. What’s not to love?
Adele! “19″ might be the best album I’ve heard all year. That voice is remarkable, and her music is absolutely addictive.
BREAKING DAWN
BREAKING DAWN
BREAKING DAWN
BREAKING DAWN
BREAKING DAWN
BREAKING DAWN
BREAKING DAWN
BREAKING DAWN
and the Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Trailer
BREAKING DAWN
BREAKING DAWN
BREAKING DAWN
BREAKING DAWN
BREAKING DAWN
BREAKING DAWN
BREAKING DAWN
BREAKING DAWN
and the harry potter trailer
For me, Chuck Season 1. It’s an amazing show that I love watching the episodes over and over again.
Breaking Dawn – come on, you knew someone was going to say it. This 31 year old may have to push young girls dressed up for the vampire wedding party book release out of my way in the name of Team Edward.
Right now on my must list is a mexican soap called Querida Enemiga on Univision. . .OH THE DRAMA, THE BETRAYAL, THE LOVE, THE LIES. . .IM HOOKED!
OH AND THE MEN ARE EYE CANDY TOO…
OH AND A LADY ON THE SHOW LOOKS LIKE THE JOKER…LOL!
All things Vampiric: Breaking Dawn, “True Blood” coming this fall on HBO, and of course “Twilight” being released this December. I realize they’re not all “Must”s right now, but I think I smell a trend.
SPACED!! I’ve been obsessed with the show since watching the newly released DVD’s. Why are British tv seasons only 6 episodes long?
1. Betty on Mad Men- Props to January Jones and the writers for taking this character from boring and whiny to woman on the verge.
2. MIA’s Paper Planes and Pineapple Express- Never has a song fit with a movie so well. It helps, of course, that the song is awesome and the movie looks hilarious.
gawker.com! The blog is cool, smart and witty. And with their “gawker stalker,” you’re provided a detailed, yet somewhat creepy account of all the celebrities roaming around NYC.
You have to, have to, have to, put the Half Blood Prince trailer on the must list this week! How many months have us Potter fans been waiting for this? After watching, it made me want more! Very excited for the darker side of Harry Potter.
The new Harry Potter trailer! Ralph Fiennes’s nephew gave me goosebumps…the anticipation has me breathless!
1. Eurkea on SciFi channel. Always a winner!
2. HP6 teaser. It’s like the beginning of the third X-Men movie, only good.
3. Ghostbuster: The Video Game. I don’t care that it doesn’t come out until October, the Comi-Con footage has gotten me so frakkin’ pumped for it!!!!
dr. horrible’s sing-along blog!
Books: City of Thieves, by David Benioff. The terrible siege of Leningrad shouldn’t be the stuff of comedy, but Benioff spins it into a wonderfully funny and heartbreaking comic novel about a mismatched pair of convicts sent on an errand to find a dozen eggs behind enemy lines in wartime Russia–equal parts Joseph Heller and Nikolai Gogol.
Music: The Stoop, Little Jackie. Leona who? The real sound of summer comes courtesy of Little Jackie’s terrific debut. Give “28 Butts” a couple of spins and you’ll find your self either dancing compulsively, or laughing your tail off, or developing a smoking habit.
Blogs: Garfield Minus Garfield. Who knew that Garfield comics divested of the lasagna-loving kitty would seem so despairing and terribly, terribly funny.
Harry Potter trailer! Months of waiting to be rewarded with a chilling trailer featuring a pitch-perfect young Tom Riddle? Totally made my week.
A New Girl Talk!!!! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! My friend gave me an old one and I listened 2 it for 2 weeks! This is SO exciting
1. Mad Men season 2 on AMC- Jon Hamm is just awesomeness.
2. I am rereading all my David Sedaris, particularly Me Talk Pretty One Day, because the man is funny and a great writer.
Breaking Dawn – the must read of the summer!
Never Back Down DVD – Simply for Cam Gigandet’s abs and dangerous smile alone!
G4’s Attack of the Show: I loved their coverage of Comic-Con. Almost as good as being there – almost.
oh yeah, Freakazoid season 1 on DVD!
For me, my Lost withdrawal is making me seek Matthew Fox fixes. So my Must List is episodes of “Party of Five” OnDemand and “Vantage Point” on DVD.
Bruce Springsteen at Giants Stadium!
Not to be a total suck-up, but there is practically a fist fight for EW every week in my house. Then we have to dissect the issue at work. So I would say that you are on the Must List!
1. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Trailer- months of waiting patiently rewarded with a great trailer… and honestly, everyone thinks so.
2. Comic-Con videos on YouTube- the next best thing to new episodes of your favorite shows is watching the stars and creators of your favorite shows talk about the new episodes. Yay “Lost” and “Chuck”!
3. Mutya Buena… because I just realized she existed and I like what I’ve heard.