Tomorrow night... PBS...

Austin City Limits... Bloc Party... Ghostland Observatory... check your local listings...

Hooray Friday!!

- Man, these Radiohead guys really know how to use the internet. If you happen to be around a computer at midnight on New Year's, check out Current TV. From their website:

Radiohead will join us to play an exclusive live US TV performance of their new
album "In Rainbows" on Current TV, all commercial free. The pre-recorded
performance will include all of the tracks from "In Rainbows" plus some "other
bits" as Thom says.

If you have already made plans, don't fret - Current will archive the show for future watchings on their site. Thanks to P-fork, who also posted the teaser videos. If I had only 1% of their creativity...

- Looking for some new music to sink your ears into? NPR's Second Stage has the best unknown artists of 2007. Metro D approved Yeasayer is on the list... other than that, I've heard of Le Loup, but only because they're from DC.

- More best of 2007 lists (when will it end)... NPRs Bob Boilen, Tom Moon, Will Hermes, Robin Hilton, and Meredith Ochs. Also Let's Sexy Fighting.

- Pearl Jam Christmas Single anyone? Check out I am fuel for the stream.

- Dig, Lazarus, Dig is the latest effort (out in March/April) from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Check out the teaser on Brooklyn Vegan.

R.I.P. Ali G and Borat

While this is disappointing news, it's probably a good call on Sacha Baron Cohen's part. With the success of both characters, I can't imagine he'd be able to fool many more people with his tomfoolery (although I was always surprised that he was able to dupe so many people to begin with).

Every time I watch “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan” or "Da Ali G Show", I'm amazed that Cohen is able to stay in character with some of the ridiculous shit that comes out of his mouth. No laughing, no snickering... hell, he doesn't even crack a little smile. There is no way I'd be able to pull that off.

In his interview with The Daily Telegraph, Cohen said that he would sometimes be in character for 14 hours a day. I guess he's going to have a lot of time on his hands now - more time to spend with hottie girlfriend Isla Fisher, I guess... tough life.

Horray Friday!

- More end of the year lists... Product Shop NYC (111 might be a bit much), MFKWCRG, I am Fuel, Ultra8201, A.V. Club and for a little change of pace Let's Sexy Fighting has the top remixes, covers, and b-sides. Metro D also has a best of from the desert, as well as Blender's shit and Billboard's Critic's Poll.

- Ultra 8201 looks forward to some 2008 releases. I'm excited for a few of them as well.

I'm late for Happy Hour. Gonna test out a few Anderson Valley Winter Solsitces and see what all of the hype is about.

This week's late night TV lineup

Tonight Show w/Jay Leno

• Thursday - Killers

Late Night w/Conan O'Brien

• Friday - Hot Hot Heat

Last Call w/Conan O'Brien

• Thursday - David Gray

Late Late Show w/Craig Ferguson

• Friday - RZA

Penn State - NCAA Women's Volleyball Champs

Hooray Friday (a day late)!!

- Silversun Pickup remixes?? Okay! The EP with 6 diddies is available Tuesday on iTunes. Thanks to Butterteam for the heads-up and sample tracks. While reading this post, I also uncovered a few acoustic tracks. Eh-niiiiicce!

- More best of 2007 lists at MOKB (1, 2, 3, and 4), Filter, The A.V. Club, Drowned in Sound,
and links to countless other blogs at Largehearted Boy. It's also interesting to see which albums got the highest scores on Metacritic - I've never heard of a few of them.

- I don't get the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's induction process. It seems kind of random for some reason. That being said, I'm glad the LOML and I took advantage and checked the place out while we were in the Cleveland area for Rug's nuptials. Lots of great history in there. In any event, the 2008 inductees are Madonna, John Mellencamp, The Ventures, Leonard Cohen and The Dave Clark Five. Random... just like I said.

- Did you hear about Tori Amos giving Das Boot to 2 broads at her concert this week? Check it out at Stereogum.

The Wire's final season

Hell yeah! For those of you who haven't given HBO's The Wire a chance, you are truly missing out. It's like Law and Order with a huge set of spunk pumps. Drugs, politics, corruption, fights, murders, sex, lesbians, drunk ducks... what more could you ask for?? The 5th and final season kicks off on Sunday, January 6th. While I'll hate to see it go, I'm anxious as hell to see how David Simon (creator) ends it.

Bonus! Season 4 is now available on HBO on Demand.

This week's late night TV lineup

Slim pickings this week...

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

• Monday - Rilo Kiley

Tonight Show w/Jay Leno

• Wednesday - Kings of Leon

Too much booze, not enough liver

Every time I go to the store to check out the latest Tasty Beverage of the Week, I always seem to find a few new microbrews or wineries that have popped up. And I always think of how cool it would be to quit my job and start my own. I mean could you imagine being able to say that you run your own small brewery or invite people to your wine tasting room to sample some of this year's vintage?

Problem is that the market for both beer and wine is flooded. No, I don't mean that there's too much beer or wine in the consuming sense (you will never hear me utter those words, I promise). But in the business sense there is - meaning that there is too much competition for a new brewery or winery to go up against and succeed. So what does that leave? That's right kids, liquor. Only about 10-20 distilleries open up across the country in a year. Bingo!

I always thought that distilling alcohol was a big no-no and was better left to the big boys like Jack, Jim and Jose. Apparently not, according to the New York Times. Looks like I might have a new hobby. So don't be surprised if you hear about some dipshit in the DC area who blew up his kitchen trying to make whiskey or the no longer banned absinthe.

A blast from the past

I forgot about this classic commercial until someone reminded me of it the other week.

This week's late night TV lineup

And the strike continues...

Late Night w/Conan O'Brien

- Monday - Animal Collective

Late Show w/David Letterman

- Tuesday - Kings of Leon