I've always felt Fountains of Wayne has been a criminally underrated band for most of their career. Like a lot of people, I discovered the band through "Stacy's Mom," the 2003 pop hit that was a tribute to The Cars (there's even a mini Ric Ocasek in the opening scene of the music video). But while most people wrote them off as a one-hit wonder, I dove deeper into their catalog. And man, there's such terrific stuff in there.
That's largely due to Adam Schlesinger, co-founder of Fountains of Wayne, along with Chris Collingwood. The duo is credited with writing every song on their album, an intentional move to let the band shine more brightly than the individuals within it. I think what's most impressive about Fountains of Wayne songs is how perfectly they capture the minutiae of suburban living. Heck, their Utopia Parkway record is a concept album about suburbia. That's just not really a thing most bands do, yet it speaks to so many people throughout the country. We've all had rocky relationships, been stuck in traffic, or woken up one morning realizing we drank too much the night before. And Adam and Chris brought these scenarios to life through Fountains of Wayne songs.
But it wasn't only Fountains of Wayne. Adam had a hand in so many songs – both for real and fictitious bands and shows. You've likely heard an earworm song and been like, "YES. I dig this" and chances are Adam touched it.
Jams like "Just the Girl" by The Click Five and "High School Never Ends" by Bowling for Soup are still toe-tappers nearly 20 years later. He wrote the title track to perhaps my favorite movie ever (That Thing You Do!), penned tunes for the Josie and the Pussycats soundtrack, and earned multiple Emmy Awards wins and nominations for his work on the Tonys and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
Adam died from complications from COVID-19 at just 52 years old. He gave us so much good music and I hope you'll take some time to listen.
As COVID-19 requires more people across the world to shelter in place, they're finding different forms of entertainment. Perhaps you've taken up a board game, or are hosting virtual happy hours with friends in faraway places. Maybe you're reading a book that reminds you to trust in yourself. You might even be finding solace re-enacting all of the Mentos commercials from the 90s.
However, if you still need some help, John Krasinski has you covered. He took to Twitter to find good news happening across the world, and then launched his own show, the aptly named "Some Good News." The debut news show highlights people doing good deeds, and features guest interviews with Steve Carell and a teenager named Coco that just finished her final round of chemotherapy. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll smile, and most of all – you'll feel good. During a time like this, that's plenty.
This first episode will be tough to beat, but I sure hope John tries because the world needs more of this. Check it out below.
If Paul Rudd is involved in something, the general rule of thumb is to check that something out. Netflix, being the smart company that it is, is looking to capitalize on this in a clever way.
Because, my friends, what's better than Paul Rudd? That's right, TWO Paul Rudds. And you'll get that in the new Netflix series Living With Yourself starring Paul Rudd as a man who visits a spa and gets...cloned? Maybe?
It's not entirely clear what's going on, but this looks like a delightfully macabre show, sort of similar to Russian Doll, which I've thoroughly enjoyed. But that only had one Natasha Lyonne and this one has two Paul Rudds. I think there's a clear winner here.
Living With Yourself comes to Netflix on October 18. For now, check out the trailer below.
Paul Rudd & Paul Rudd star in a new comedy series, Living With Yourself — and no that's not a typo. pic.twitter.com/qAsjwIfQ8h
New Found Glory are among the pioneers of pop punk. And with this year's release of From the Screen to Your Stereo 3, the group is coming up on nearly a quarter-century of jams.
It appears that the group has recorded seven music videos for each of the seven songs on their EP. They've already released four of them, and this week welcomed in number five with their electric cover of "Cups" from Pitch Perfect. It's either this or "This Is Me" (from The Greatest Showman) – the point is, this is a terrific lil' cover.
Bonus points to the ENORMOUS cup pyramid lead singer Jordan Pundik builds, as well as the taco cameo midway through the song. Now let's all clap our hands and the ground and stack some cups.
It's my scientific opinion that one of the hardest things to do in the world is to write a song that's actually good. I'm talking lyrically, of course, but also structurally. Anyone can pick up Logic or Pro Tools or whatever other digital audio workstation and tap out a danceable rhythm then throw some generic "hands in the air" spoken word over it and call it a day. Say, that sounds like a good idea... *note to self: write mega hit called "Hands In The Air."
The art of songwriting may be dwindling away, but we've still got four great ones, and THEY'RE ALL TOURING TOGETHER. Art Alexakis, the frontman of multi-platinum rock band Everclear, has put together a really fantastic tour with three other platinum artists: Chris Collingwood (Fountains of Wayne), Max Collins (Eve 6), and John Wozniak (Marcy Playground). The Songs and Stories tour is a combo of your favorite tunes and deep cuts (which are sometimes one and the same) from these fellas, all stripped down and acoustic.
In addition to the solo acts, each artist picks a cover for the quartet to cover together. It's super cool to see four artists I grew up listening to harmonizing to The Band's "The Weight" (you know, "take a load off Fanny/take a load for free"). Although I think my favorite group performance came during Chris's set, when he played the incredibly underrated jam "Radiation Vibe" and everyone came out for some sweet, sweet crooning. Check out a taste below.
The banter is terrific, too. Before playing "Here's to the Night," Max told us that we had to bellow the chorus, "like we're in a pub in Dublin," and he admitted he sped up during "Promise," though it was "worth it not to have to play with a drummer." Drummers every are revolting, I'm sure. If you're lucky enough, you'll also get the lovely treat of John dancing and leading the crowd in the call-and-response parts of "Stacy's Mom" during Chris's set. You'll also get some rogue fan moments, too – when Art prefaced a song from his upcoming solo album by saying he's been married for 32 years...to four wives, a guy in the crowd proudly yelled, "I don't know my dad!" That's a very sad thing to read, now that I've typed it out, but the beaming exuberance with how he said it was pretty enjoyable.
After you already get oh, an hour and a half of music, the foursome comes back out onstage, and there's a microphone set up in the crowd. You can come up and request a song or ask whatever the heck you want (within reason – I suppose if you requested to light the building on fire you'd be politely turned down). Because I'm a musician myself and love hearing fellow horror stories, I asked what their worst show was. I will not do the retellings justice (remember how they're great songwriters? These guys are terrific storytellers, too, which go hand in hand), but here's a quick little recap of each:
Max: Was playing in front of a very punk crowd and one guy kept flipping him off, so he called him up to the front of the stage, poured a beer all over his head, then tried to do a power pose and slipped on the beer and fell on his butt.
Art: Tripped over a cord on the stage and landed straight on his face. The music ground to a halt. BUT because he is all about keeping the good times going, he got up and yelled "YEAAHHHHHH" and everyone cheered. It's all about how you fight through.
John: Played a festival when AOL 3.0 had just come out, so he had to watch people tossing 60,000 free CDs at the stage and each other. THE WOOOOOOOORST!
Chris: Spent the better part of a day drinking in Germany before the final show of a German leg (but not the final show of the European tour). On the last chord of the last song, he tried to kick the bass drum and ended up breaking his leg and three ribs.
And here I was thinking someone spilling my water was terrible...
I don't know about you, but I really can't remember another show quite like this. I've seen all acoustic and more stripped down sets, but those artists did not come back out for another 45 minutes or so of Q&A. Even if you're not a huge fan of their music, the stories alone made this quite the entertaining evening.
On top of everything else, $1 per ticket sold at each show goes to the Sweet Relief Musician Funds, an organization that provides financial assistance to career musicians, venue workers, production staff, crew members, and their families suffering from injury, illness, or disability. Funds raised from the tour pay for medical procedures, doctor visits, prescriptions, and vital living expenses.
The full tour dates are below. If you have even the slightest smile thinking about a song by Everclear, Fountains of Wayne, Eve 6, or Marcy Playground, I'd highly recommend checking this show out.
HO BOY. Once Upon a Time In Hollywood comes out July 26, and Quentin Tarantino's new flick is already setting the internet ablaze. I don't even fully comprehend everything that's going on here – Leonardo DiCaprio plays a washed-up Hollywood star, Brad Pitt is his stunt double. These are both made up characters, as far as I can tell. And then Margot Robbie is Sharon Tate and there's a whole subplot involving Charles Manson. MADNESS. Luke Perry is also in this movie in his final film role.
I don't believe Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys is in this movie, but if you haven't read his whole backstory with Charles Manson, I would highly recommend it. The 60s were a wild time, man.
In any case, I'm excited to see this movie, and I usually don't get too riled up over Tarantino films. This is the first one he's doing without the backing of Harvey Weinstein and his production, and all it cost Sony was $95 million and final cut privileges. Not too shabby.
I'm not sure if there's a more underrated star in the league than Damian Lillard. The dude routinely balls out in leading Portland to the playoffs, has sunk a handful of clutch shots, and has a really solid rap game, too.
And now, he's the owner of one of the coolest buzzer beaters in NBA history. The Portland Trailblazers are moving on while the Oklahoma City Thunder are going home. The shot in and of itself is spectacular – it's not every day you see a 37-foot stepback three to clinch a series – but my favorite part of this play is Seth Curry (in the white headband in the top corner) talking trash to the Thunder's bench. Curry reportedly said something to the effect of, "Dame's about to end your season" and then turned and glared daggers at the bench after the shot went in. Absolutely beautiful.
Unless there's some kind of crazy shenanigans on the final day of the NBA's regular season, Dwyane Wade has played his final home game in Miami. The Heat lifer has rocked the NBA since 2003, doing great things off the court on top of the wonders he worked on it. This whole season has been a farewell tour for him, and he's traded jerseys with opposing players after just about every game (Emmanuel Mudiay being the exception).
Budweiser is no stranger to tearjerker commercials. So perhaps it's only fitting that they brought Dwyane Wade to center court to meet a few folks that had "jerseys" of their own. Try to get through their stories without feeling a bit weepy. Thanks for lots of magical moments, D-Wade.
Giancarlo Stanton took one out over the monster to extend the Yankees lead, but then a fan threw the ball back and hit Stanton rounding 2nd. pic.twitter.com/8I9MuYaa7R
Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton hit a home run during the Yankees 8-5 win over the Red Sox. It's no surprise that Stanton went long – he's got 38 homers on the year, after all. But this one was a little special, because a fan threw the ball back onto the field and it actually plunked Stanton as he was rounding second.
Take a look at the chaos above. Stanton seemed to have a good laugh about it. The Red Sox don't need another outfielder, but their fellow AL East Orioles should probably sign that fan up, since, you know, they're SIXTY GAMES back of the Red Sox. Good times all around.
Every Bad Lip Reading is a must-watch, but it seems like any kind of press conference or event where there's a big ol' audience really lends itself to some creativity. Here, we've got a press briefing from the White House.
Anyway, you know the drill. Sarah Huckabee Sanders addresses people with some wonky names, they have wild questions, and it's all wonderful. Enjoy!
It's really spectacular what Sacha Baron Cohen is capable of doing. The man who brought us Borat, Ali G, and Bruno is back with another incredibly smart and biting satire – this time diving right into the political climate of our country. Who Is America? airs on Showtime Sunday nights at 10pm ET/PT, and boy, does it look intense.
This first look video shows Cohen posing as Col. Erran Morad, an "anti-terror expert." He sits down with a handful of folks and experiments in the playground that is America. One of his experiments? Actually getting support from real life people within the government to give guns to kindergartners. Yes, this is absurd, and yes, it's a little terrifying. But Cohen has always made us think with his work, even when it's inane. If this preview is any indication, he's done it once again.
Few things are better than the "Bad Lip Reading" series. I think it's even more enjoyable when I know what's being said, as is the case with a few of these clips. Either way, it's pretty spectacular.
The video has been out for a few weeks, but with free agency starting today, why not revisit it? It's a true relic now, since LeBron is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier. We're watching history here, everyone!
It's been more than a year since we last saw Zach Galifianakis sitting Between Two Ferns. Thank goodness he's back – in possibly the funniest episode yet. Zach is joined by Jerry Seinfeld, whose lower-third graphic reads "Funny: 1993-1997." HYSTERICAL.
But wait, there's more! Cardi B stops by to be her usual weird self. She also gets a super cute gift and throws a lil' shade towards Seinfeld before floating back to some sort of cloud castle or wherever she hangs out in her spare time. It's wonderful all around. Enjoy!
Thank you to @kobebryant for providing the @ringer with his incredible basketball IQ. We spent weeks crafting this video and none of it would've been possible without the athletes from @theofficenbc !!! pic.twitter.com/4JNfMy6WWt
Kobe Bryant has never shied away from obsessing over the little things. Perhaps there's no better name for his new show than Detail, in which he dives into NBA games, sharing his insight on individual plays. You'll hear where defenders could have better approached a situation, when screeners are falling asleep, and generally all the small details you don't notice while watching a basketball game.
But no game has ever had higher stakes than the battle between the sales team and the warehouse from Season 1 of The Office. In this special episode of Detail, Kobe takes us through some of the pivotal plays of that game. We'll check in on Roy's defense of Jim, a key screen freeing Dwight up for an easy jumper, and Michael Scott's full-court heave. It's all here, and it's all spectacular.
— NCAA Track & Field (@NCAATrackField) June 10, 2018
Let's set the scene for the above video. USC needed to win to clinch a national title. Anything less than that and Georgia would complete a sweep of both the men's and women's track and field championship.
After USC botched the final handoff, it looked like everything was falling apart. But nobody told USC anchor Kendall Ellis that. She just starts chugging and pulls off one of the most insane comebacks I've seen in any sport. She managed to juuuust inch ahead of Purdue's Jahneya Mitchell at the end of the race, securing the championship for the Trojans. Highly recommend watching with sound, as well. The building buzz of the crowd going nuts is fantastic.
Mean Tweets from Jimmy Kimmel Live is always a good source of laughs, and the latest one is no exception. The cast of The Avengers: Infinity War share the rude thoughts of random Internet commenters, and it's jam-packed since there are like 47 people in the movie. You'll hear everyone get made fun of, from Chris Pratt to Chris Evans. Not everyone is named Chris, to be clear, that was just some nice symmetry.
Credit to the Toronto Raptors for a valiant comeback against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Toronto entered the fourth quarter down by 14 and managed to tie things up on an OG Anunoby three-pointer with eight seconds left. Unfortunately, that was just a few too many seconds. You know, because the Cavs have LeBron James.
Game, Blouses. The Cavs still need to win one more game to close out the series, but how much more heartbreak can Toronto – nay, Canada – really take?
There was a time when I resisted technology. I thought waiting in line for a product was silly. I didn't care to upgrade to the newest device. I thought Bluetooth was some sort of dog jeans hybrid gone horribly wrong.
Fortunately, I'm a lot more invested in cool new gadgets and devices, since I know tech makes my life easier (for the most part). And something that fits the bill is Accell's USB 3.0 Full Function Docking Station.
I'll let the diagram below demonstrate just how versatile this thing is – it features DisplayPort, HDMI 1.3, 3.5mm combo jack (audio/microphone), Gigabit Ethernet (RJ45), and 3 USB-A 3.0 connections. The dock is compatible with devices running Windows 7 and newer or Mac OS 10.6 through 10.11.
Just look at all that! I'm at a point in my life where I now have an uncomfortable amount of devices, but this docking station helps keep everything in line. I can charge my iPod (old school!) while listening to a far more current song while also digesting a music video from my youth via the HDMI port. Of course, that would just be a wall of sound (and not the good, Phil Spector kind), but the ability to take care of a handful of things at once is super useful.
It's also far more compact than I would have expected. Look at my hand – admittedly probably slightly larger than the average human hand – envelop it pretty easily. It has a solid weight and appears quite durable, which is terrific for all the klutzes out there, myself included.
Keep this little guy by your normal computer setup and you'll be good to go. For the most basic setups, you can keep your keyboard and mouse all in one place while charging your phone – and most importantly, you don't have to worry about all kinds of cords flailing about. Pretty clutch.
One thing I would strongly recommend is to actually install the driver on your computer (you can grab the latest ones here). Though it's fun to be stubborn and try to use a device right out of the box without looking at the manual or installing any peripheral equipment, you won't get the full experience with this product if you go sans driver. Luckily, installation is a breeze, and you'll be docking before you know it. Give Accell's USB 3.0 Full Function Docking Station a whirl – it'll help you keep on top of all the devices in your life. And in our connected world, that's never a bad thing.
Full product info and specs below:
Product Features:
DisplayPort output
HDMI 1.3 output
3 USB-A 3.0 ports, including 1 port with BC 1.2 (USB-IF Battery Charging Standard)
Gigabit Ethernet (RJ45) port
3.5mm audio/microphone port
Powered by the DisplayLink™ DL-5900 USB video processor
Specifications:
Dimensions: 6in x 3.1in x 1in
Weight: 9.7oz (275g)
USB-A to USB-B 3.0 cable length: 27.5in (0.7m)
DisplayPort single display resolutions up to 4K@30Hz (3840x2160)
HDMI 1.3 single display resolutions up to WQHD@50Hz (2560x1440)
Dual display resolutions up to 2048x1152@60Hz
Supports 10Mbps/100Mbps/1Gbps Ethernet
USB-A 3.0 charging output up to 900mA
The USB-A port with BC 1.2 supports up to 5V@1.5A of charging output
System Requirements:
Windows 7 or above (Latest drivers are available here)
Mac OS 10.6 through Mac OS 10.11 (Latest drivers are available here)
1 USB-A 3.0 Port
4 GB of RAM
Intel HD4000, ATI Radeon HD 5000/AMD Radeon HD 6000, NVIDIA GeForce 400M or better
Few things can beat seeing a show in Austin – but getting to PLAY the after party of a killer show? That's even better. My band Burning Years was lucky enough to jam and keep the rock going after the Senses Fail, Reggie and the Full Effect, Have Mercy, and Household show at Barracuda in Austin, and it was glorious. But I'm not here to toot my own horn, so let's take a look at what came before us.
Household
The opening act of a big ol' show can have a lot of pressure on it. The folks that come out early may have only heard a song or two – or perhaps none at all. The openers have to bring it to set the tone for the entire night.
Luckily, Household delivered. They've got a different sound than the rest of the lineup, opting for more of a minimalist post-punk sound, but I dig it. Sometimes you don't need a lot of glitz and glamour to get the heads bopping and the toes tapping.
Have Mercy
Another new addition to my ear waves, Have Mercy may have been the hardest rockers of the night. The Baltimore band felt right at home in the pleasant outdoor scene, playing banger after banger. Admittedly I did not catch the names of any songs, but I'll definitely be adding these guys to my rotation. Great job, team.
Reggie and the Full Effect
My RatFE experience is primarily limited to "Congratulations Smack and Katy" and its delightful music video, but these fellas know how to put on a synthesizin' good time. They had a lot of banter with the crowd which helped keep the good times rolling throughout. Also anytime keys are involved in a set, it just feels right. Bam.
Senses Fail
The main act of the evening, these boys did not disappoint. Lead singer Buddy Nielsen did a fabulous job of keeping the crowd engaged, swinging his mic stand out with amazing precision so the audience could sing along. He also suggested the incredible idea of handing out roasted chickens to fans at shows as a little added bonus for coming out. I fully support this plan and will do whatever it takes to make it happen.
Earlier this year, Senses Fail dropped If There Is Light, It Will Find You, their seventh full length album. I first heard about them back in 2004 or so, when their jam "Buried a Lie" was all over Fuse TV (shout out to the former MuchMusic!). It's so cool to see a CD that harkens back to the old days while having plenty of modern themes and relevant lyrics. Excellent work all around.
All of the fog machines make for a great adventure.
If you get a chance to see this tour, definitely take advantage and see all these folks rock out like crazy. It was a blast. Now check out "Gold Jacket, Green Jacket" off of Senses Fail's new album:
It's been a hot minute since we've done a giveaway! Let's get right back on that horse with this cool deal from Healthy-Finds, a site dedicated to...well, finding healthy products for people all across the world. Not too shabby.
Right now, Healthy-Finds is doing a lil' deal: for just $7 a month, you'll get up to $60 in free gifts from brands like Keto Zone, Zego Snacks, Shea Organics, and Sun Warrior. You'll also snag free materials from a physician, and a free phone consultation with a wellness team. The more you shop, the more cash back you'll get, too. I'm all about that rebate life, which is pretty nice.
The available brands are all curated on the website, taking the hard work out of searching for good stuff. How about that convenience?
But hey, you don't even have to pay $7 right now, because I've got coupon codes to give away to try Healthy-Finds for no cost at all. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post – has a giveaway ever been so simple? The answer is no, it has not been. You know what you have to do: enter this contest with a simple comment and you can score a free gift card to check out some cool brands. Comment below for your chance to win!
