Watchin' Stuff Lite Vol. 13

Well, it's been close to two years since I last posted anything on this blog. But, I've missed it recently and figured I'd stop by to drop a Watchin' Stuff Lite on you all. Here's a list of ten songs and shows that have kept me occupied over the course of our time apart.

#1: Heavy (When I Need It) - Sleater-Kinney. This is my very favorite band. Last year they released their first album in ten years, No Cities to Love. If you missed it, I suggest you acquaint yourself, stat, because it was one of the best albums of 2015. This is one of the bonus tracks from said album.

#2: Broad City. This show is now coming up on season three and if season two is any indication, we're in for a roller coaster come mid-February. Broad City is honestly one of the funniest, ballsiest shows I've seen in a very long time. Throughout the run of the show thus far, Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer are unapologetically blunt, crude and generally unladylike and I love every minute of it. If you have yet to let this show into your heart, get your shit together and go watch it.

#3: He War - Cat Power. Every time this song comes on in my car I have to replay it two or three times until I can move on, it's that good.

#4: Transparent. This is another great show that has already completed two seasons, so, as you can probably tell by now, I'm not addressing anything terribly new. However, this is one of the few shows over the last two years that have truly stuck with me as something I can legitimately recommend. This show, if you haven't heard by now, follows Jeffrey Tambor's character, Maura, and her trials and tribulations as a newly out trans woman with three of the most selfish children of all time. Tambor is fantastic and his supporting cast is equally fantastic. So fantastic, in fact, that it even includes the one and only Ms. Carrie Brownstein. Go give it a watch on Amazon instant or wherever else you can find it.

#5: Second Skin - The Gits. I discovered this song by the Gits fairly recently, though I've been aware of the band for a while. Unfortunately, even though the Gits were a pretty great early 90's Seattle-based band, their success was abruptly abbreviated by the murder or their lead singer, Mia Zapata. Despite this tragedy, in their short time together, they were still able to put out a few gems like this one.

#6: Master of None. This is a more recent watch of mine. Though I wouldn't call Master of None one of my new all-time favorites, I will say, I enjoyed it quite a bit. Aziz Ansari's contribution to the new abundance of self-written shows about comedians living their lives (ala Louie and Maron), Master of None is pretty much what you would expect from Aziz Ansari. It's funny, it's charming and it's lighthearted when addressing not-so-light topics.  Overall, it's enjoyable and I'd suggest stopping by Netflix to check it out. It's a quick watch.

#7: Pedestrian at Best - Courtney Barnett. It's cool, take a listen.

#8: Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Definitely one of my top three network sitcoms of the last five years. If you are holding out on this one because you're not so sure you'll be into it (like I was for a while) I would highly recommend giving it a watch to make sure. Expect to see a lot of Andy Samberg being Andy Samberg, but in the best way possible. If you're not a fan of him, however, the rest of the fantastic cast might just make up for him with their flawless portrayals of some great characters. Gina (played by Chelsea Peretti) and Captain Holt (played by Andre Braugher) being two of my personal favorites. It's basically just a very well executed classic cop sitcom with a more modern feel and I love it.

#9: Blackstar - David Bowie. We lost a great one a few weeks ago and luckily for us he was thoughtful enough to leave us all a little love note before he departed. This is the title track off David Bowie's final album and it does everything I had hoped it would.

#10. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. I've always enjoyed the liberal comedy-meets-newscast format used most notably in the past by Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, but I never watched their shows as religiously as I have Last Week Tonight. Perhaps it's the fact that it's on HBO or because the weekly episodes are less daunting to keep up with than episodes on the daily but I have yet to grow tired of this show. In fact I'm very excited for John Oliver to return to his desk after hiatus. He and his writing staff never cease to impress me with their wit and creativity. And no matter my level of interest in the topic of the episode I am always equally entertained. This show really just checks all the boxes in terms of what I look for in my programming and I would like it to come back now, please.

The Watchin' Stuff (New) Portlandia Drinking Game

Hi there folks! As you know, it's been several months since I've posted an new drinking game and I figured it was high time for a new one. However, instead of creating a game based on a new show, I decided to revamp a previous show's drinking game. I made the original Portlandia drinking game before the start of season 2 and I've since realized some of the rules were not as relevant to the subsequent seasons as I had hoped. So, in order to rectify my lack of foresight into the development of Portlandia, I've made a brand, spanking, shiny, new Portlandia drinking game, perfect to play while watching any of the show's four seasons. So, try your hand at some mixology or just fill your mason jar with your favorite whiskey and have some fun with the official Watchin' Stuff (New) Portlandia Drinking Game. But remember, don't drink and bike.

5 reasons season three of Portlandia was the best

As you probably know, it's been a couple of weeks since the end of Portlandia season three. And in its absence I've been forced to do a lot of soul searching and reminiscing about the season as a whole. As a result, I've come to the decision that, for many reasons, season three was the best season yet. Don't wanna take my word for it? Well, check out a few of my reasons below. 

1. Season-long character arcs: Although I do love the the standard, disjointed Portlandia skit format, this season they switched it up with some of our favorite characters existing within storylines that developed over the course several episdoes. There were still a lot of crazy stand alone skits that were never referenced a second time, but having running plotlines throughout the season really served to bring more closure in the season ender. Peter and Nance became B&B owners, Fred and Carrie were almost torn apart and in the last episode we were left with a sense of finality and fulfillment which was a refreshing change from the previous two seasons. 

2. Winter special: Airing a few weeks before the actual first episode of season three, the winter special, "Winter in Portlandia", served as a good way to ease us into the season. There were very few things from the episode that were carried through into the next ten episodes, but it was nice to get a special, extra episode before the start of the real season to set a tone of sorts. Not to mention, it was just a really good episode. 

3. Use of the word "shit": In the previous two seasons of the show, there was little to no swearing, but it seems they got a little more lax in the third by throwing the word "shit" into the mix. Still no sign of an uncensored "fuck", but I'll take the occasional "shit". Not sure why I find this so exciting, I guess I just like swearing.  

4: Roseanne as the temp mayor: Initially, I wouldn't have necessarily thought that Roseanne would make such a great addition to the show, but, for me, she was one of the standout guest stars of the season. As much as I love Kyle MacLachlan as the official mayor of Portland, Roseanne's few episodes as the temp mayor were great and just watching her walk around the city judging the Portlandia natives was possibly one of the funniest things to happen all season. 

5. Carrie finally in a relationship with a girl: Carrie Brownstein and Chloe Sevigny guys, this cannot require much explanation. I know I can't be the only one who was hoping that the show wouldn't deny Carrie's occasional love for the ladies. So, after three seasons of the Carrie's character exclusively dating men, it was a nice change of pace for her to get a bit of action from Chloe Sevigny. Furthermore, and on a slightly more political note, I really appreciate the way they approached the whole "girl on girl" subject by totally going for it but, at the same time, not making a big deal out of the fact that Carrie is into girls. There was no big coming out or dramatic "I don't know what to do, I think I'm into her". It was just, "I'm into this girl, whatever", the way it should be, so thanks for that guys because, not gonna lie, this scene accounts for about 35% of my love for season three. 

Watchin' Stuff Lite: Vol. 2

Hello friends! I'm back with more suggestions for this week, with Watchin' Stuff Lite Vol. 2, where I suggest some TV shows, movies and music you should check out. And since I set the precedent of five suggestions last week, I'm thinking I'll take a cue from Carrie Brownstein's blog Monitor Mix and turn this into a bit of a Five For Friday thing. But anyway, without further ado, here are this week's suggestions:

#1: "Addicted" - Io Echo. Couldn't find a studio recording of this song on youtube but this should give you a good idea of what this band is like. A lot of their music is kinda hard to find but it's worth the effort.

#2: Now, I have to say, I usually try to stay away from suggesting reality shows because most of the time they're guilty pleasures and no matter how entertaining they may be, they don't command a lot of respect. But this week, both of my suggestions happen to be reality TV of some sort. First off is Catfish: The TV show. Based on Catfish the movie, this MTV show follows a guy named Nev as he attempts to help people in online relationships meet their virtual significant other face-to-face. Don't let the fact that this show is on MTV sway you because this is actually a pretty well made and intriguing show.

#3: "Black Leather" - The Runaways. I don't know how it's possible but I never actually played a full Runaways song on the show, so here is one of my favorites to rectify that a bit.

#4: Dance Moms, my second reality show suggestion of the day. I know it might seem like just another stupid reality show about moms exploiting their children, but it's not really. I mean, sure the moms are kind of living vicariously through their children and Abby Lee Miller is a very aggressive dance teacher. But at the end of the day, it's just a very entertaining show about crazy moms and their incredibly talented daughters. I'm sure it's not a show for everyone, but if you're one who enjoys the occasional reality show, you should check it out. 

#5: "I'm A Train" - Albert Hammond. A cute little 70s song I used to love and just recently rediscovered. 

Watchin' Stuff Lite: Vol. 1

Good evening, friends! So, despite the fact that Watchin' Stuff the radio show has come to an end, I figured that doesn't mean I can't continue to suggest things to those who visit the blog. And for that reason, I give you "Watchin' Stuff Lite" Vol. 1. A hint of Watchin' Stuff flavor without all the banter and games. Anyway, here are some things I thought I'd share:

#1: Here's a song I meant to play on the show at some point but didn't get a chance to.

"Hey" - Pixies

#2: Portlandia season 3 starts tonight, but while you wait, you should really check out the winter special, "Winter In Portlandia." It seems my favorite show hasn't lost it's touch and we're in for some fun this season. 

#3: Here's a song I'm kind of into. A little different than my usual plays on the show, but fun nonetheless. 

"Bad Girls" - M.I.A.

#4: The Supersizers Go..., available on hulu, find it and watch it. Introduced to me by "friend of the show" Chloe Holtzman, The Supersizers Go... is a British history/culinary show that follows a food critic, Giles Coren, and his comedian friend, Sue Perkins, as they attempt to live as people from various English time periods (although they do go to Ancient Rome and the French Revolution also) for a week. Although it is informative, it's also incredibly entertaining and always good for some laughs. 

#5: This tune I recently rediscovered. 

"English Rose" - The Jam

Watchin' Stuff updates of the week

Hello everyone, hope you're all having a good week so far. Well, first, some bad news, it looks like due to some archival issues we might never see a podcast of our Britcom episode. Hopefully somehow the recording will appear at some point, but the outlook isn't so good for that one at the moment. Though it is sad, we here at Watchin' Stuff are looking into the future instead of dwelling on the past and we can't wait to bring you our 2 hour music extravaganza this Friday. Ever discovered a song through a television show or movie? We certainly have and we'll be playing several of them on the air for you this week, so be sure to tune in. In the meantime, check out this clip of my favorite musical usage in a TV show I've come across in quite a while.

The Watchin' Stuff Portlandia drinking game

All right, as promised, here's the Portlandia drinking game so you can enjoy the show and put a fifth on it! Hope you have fun with it.

Podcast of Episode 2: Portlandia

Hey everybody, for those of you who missed this morning's show, or just want to hear it again, here is the podcast of our Portlandia episode! I hope you enjoy it.
*Note: this podcast has been modified slightly from its original broadcast.

WS - Portlandia 02.17.12 by Watchinstuff on Mixcloud

And for those who would like a bit of alcohol with their Watchin' Stuff, check out our official Watchin' Stuff drinking Game.

Recap of Episode 2: Portlandia

All right everyone, here are some links to things we discussed on this morning's show.

The Internet videos that started it all, ThunderAnt! My favorite is One Man Show but go to the site and pick your favorite.

Assorted referenced Portlandia clips:

• Dream of the 90s: Fred and Carrie introduce you to the wacky charm of Portland 
• Steve Buscemi cameo: Steve finds out the bathroom really is '4 customers only' 
• Aimee Mann Cleaning Lady: The music industry really is struggling 
• Jeff Goldbloom cameo: Wanna buy an artisanal knot? 
• Wieden + Kennedy: Reference to the ad agency where Carrie once worked
• Wilson lightbulbs: Carrie shows her comedic abilities despite illness 
• Selma Blair cameo: Selma appears in a badly made short film for the Blunderbuss film festival

Carrie Brownstein's NPR Blog, Monitor Mix. Although she no longer writes for the blog it's still a good read.

Fred and Carrie's full Spotify playlists. Click the picture to access the playlist (just so you know, it requires Spotify):

More music from bands played/referenced on the show: 

• Trenchmouth (More Motion is them Red Over Red is not, just to clarify) 
• Excuse 17 
• Sleater-Kinney
• Wild Flag
• And another Carrie Brownstein related band I forgot to mention: The Spells (Age of Backwards and Bat vs. Bird are their's, not Little Oaks) 
• Washed Out: the band that provides the Portlandia theme song
• Portlandia soundtrack music

Some of the other songs played on the show today. 

My 'Put a bird on it' shirt.

Just in case you didn't believe me, proof that Carrie Brownstein is on Rolling Stone's list of the Top 25 Most Underrated Guitarists. 

And finally, proof of the show's quotability, this is the whiteboard on my fridge. This was a running game between my roommates and I for about a week. In case you can't read them, the quotes are: 

• "We have a me no no bring bags" 
• "Cacao!" 
• "A-oh River" 
• "Put a bird on it!" 
• "I made a homemade quesadilla" 
• "I do a lot of canning of jams and I would like to can you" 
• "I'm just a little guy" 
• "Cheese boats are dope" 
• "Whose dog is this, the one with the lips that are falling off?" 
• "Jenna get yo' acupuncture" 
• "I'm not gonna go crazy on the counter or anything" 
• "You've got a neck like a movie star" 
• "No, you go" 

I really hope that was everything. If there's anything else you care to know, please comment. Also, if you have IFC, tune in for the seventh episode of Portlandia season 2. Podcast and drinking game should be posted shortly. Thanks guys. 

Birthday post!

It's my birthday and I'm gonna make myself a homemade quesadilla. Not sure what this means? Check out the clip.

And as a birthday gift to me, please tune-in for our Portlandia show tomorrow morning! 

Valentine's Day Portlandia style

Happy Valentine's Day everybody! Hope it's a good one. In honor of V-Day and our upcoming Portlandia episode of Watchin' Stuff I've decided to post some of the best love/relationship clips from the show. Please, do enjoy.

The short-lived love between Carrie and a large man

Love and marriage

Love tainted by bad tattoos

Love that will make you a little uncomfortable

And the brand I'm most familiar with, infatuation

Portlandia avatars!

Talor and I are planning this weeks show today and got sidetracked making our own Portlandia avatars on the IFC website. Heres what we came up with. Hope you like them. Mine's the one on the right, without the beard. I have no beard.