Showing posts with label television. Show all posts
Showing posts with label television. Show all posts

Monday, January 14, 2013

The Parks and Recreation Drinking Game

All right, after several months without a new TV show drinking game, I present to you the official Watchin' Stuff Parks and Recreation drinking game! I hope you enjoy it with some Beer-yonce Knowles or some Jay-Zima.


Friday, January 11, 2013

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. 


Friday, January 4, 2013

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

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Kait's 2012 "Year in Review"

Since, for me, 2012 was the year of Watchin' Stuff I'd like to end the year that has treated us so well with a little recap. Here is list of my favorite shows, movies and songs that kept me occupied throughout the year. None of this actually came out in 2012, but I highly recommend them all nonetheless.

Top 5 TV Shows:

  • Portlandia: My love for this show is no secret to those who have listened to even one episode of Watchin' Stuff, but I will take this opportunity to give it one last shout-out for the year. Though I did technically discover this show in late 2011, it has been a major aspect of my 2012 and I highly recommend it to the the few of you who have yet to see it. 
  • Misfits: Though I don't have the same attachment to Misfits as I do to Portlandia, this is a show I came to greatly enjoy over our summer hiatus. It's fun, well-written and British. What more can you ask for? 
  • Louie: Though I've been watching Louie for a while, this is another show I grew to love over summer hiatus. I always thought season one was good but, in my opinion, it just got better with season two and three. If you're a fan of dark humor and can take a bit of discomfort in your comedy, Louie is probably for you. 
  • American Horror Story Season One: I'm gonna be very specific about the fact that I'm recommending season one only. I rang in 2012 with this creepy, Ryan Murphy show and didn't regret it one bit. Season one is now on Netflix and I highly recommend it for fans of horror on any level but, unfortunately, season two has been a bit of a letdown. 
  • Lip Service: A show for a niche audience perhaps, but a very entertaining Scottish, lesbian drama in any event. If you liked The L Word, you'll most likely enjoy this one. Although, I will say, things kinda fall apart at the end of season two so just bear that in mind. 
Top 5 Movies: 
  • The Skin I Live In: Recommended to be by "friend of the show Chloe Holtzman", this was the best movie I saw in 2012. The best Almodovar film I've seen thus far, The Skin I Live In has plot twists, drama, intrigue, sexuality and Elena Anaya, everything you could ever hope for in a movie. I can't say too much for fear of ruining it but just do me a favor and watch it. 
  • Paris Is Burning: Since watching this documentary for the first time in September I have watched it three or four more times with others in order to show them it's beauty. By giving an in-depth portrayal of the Harlem drag scene of the late 80s, Paris Is Burning basically serves as the dark precursor to RuPaul's Drag Race
  • Paper Man: A spontaneous Netflix choice of my roommate Sarah and I, Paper Man was probably the best surprise like of 2012 for me. Do you like Jeff Daniels and Emma Stone? Of course you do. So, you should probably watch this movie. 
  • Tomboy: Over the summer, many of my nights were spent watching things that sounded interesting on Netflix; this was one of those late-night picks. A French film about a pre-teen trans boy, Tomboy was the best of all the films I saw from the gay & lesbian category on Netflix all year. 
  • Billy Elliot: A movie that has been recommended to me countless times since I was about thirteen, I finally got around to seeing Billy Elliot over the summer and it didn't disappoint. If you like heartwarming movies about kids who must overcome adversity to follow their dreams, you will love Billy Elliot and it will make you cry.  
Top 10 Songs: 
  • "Violet" - Hole: Though I've owned this song for years I only just formed an emotional connection with it this year. I basically love everything about it, the guitar, Courtney Love's aggression, the lyrics, the rise and fall of energy, just everything. 
  • "Future Crimes" - Wild Flag: As much as I hate to admit it, I have to confess that I only started listening to Wild Flag after I started watching Portlandia. Though I was a bandwagoner of sorts in that respect, I fell in love with song as soon as I heard it. My favorite Wild Flag song to date and it was even better live at the Fillmore in April. 
  • "Here I Am" - Tegan and Sara: Though I started listening to this song a bit before 2012, it has remained one of my favorites until this very day. No matter how many times I hear it, the end still gets me. Most of the time when it comes up on shuffle I have to hear it multiple times in a row before I'm ready to move on to the next song. Early Tegan and Sara at their very best here. 
  • "Sail" - Awolnation: The only song on the list I discovered through a friend, I first heard this song on my friends Alyse and Dylan's radio show in May. Since then it's been one of those songs that I just love to walk down the street to. The driving beat gives me so much determination that (even though I'm the only one who can hear it) makes me feel like a much more intense and important person and I like it. 
  • "Waiting Room" - Fugazi: Over the course of the last few years I've been working on diversifying my music library by branching out into offshoots of styles I already enjoy. At the beginning of 2012, I finally found my way to Fugazi. Although it's not exactly a deep cut, I've had a great affinity for this song all year. 
  • "How To Play Dead" - Sleater-Kinney: Although I was already familiar with Sleater-Kinney before I started watching Portlandia, I'm not gonna lie, it did inspire me to dig a little deeper into their catalogue (deeper as in all the way to the bottom). I have too many favorite S-K songs to reasonably mention on here so I decided to go with this ditty off their first album because, for whatever reason, we formed a special bond the very first time I heard it. Whether inspired by my love for the recently formed band grit of the song overall or Carrie Brownstein's aggressive, pseudo-feminit, anti-blowjob lyrics, "How to Play Dead" will always hold a special place in my heart. 
  • "Commit a Crime" - Mr. Airplane Man: I was originally inspired to go out and find this song in order to play it on our Music Show many months back and since then I've come to love it dearly. As I said on the show, I first heard it in an episode of The L Word and thought it was one of the (for lack of a better word) coolest songs I'd heard in quite a while. If I knew how to play the guitar, I would learn this song and play it all the time.
  • "Eye" - Smashing Pumpkins: This song from David Lynch's Lost Highway was one of my best pandora finds of all time. Though not always accurate, sometimes pandora is spot on and gives you gold like this song. I was never a huge Smashing Pumpkins fan but this song made me reconsider. It's like if Smashing Pumpkins, Nine Inch Nails and Depeche Mode had a beautiful, synth-filled baby and I love it. 
  • "Color Me Once" - Violent Femmes: The slowest of all the songs I've included on the list, this Violent Femmes song from The Crow is very dark, a little creepy and, in my opinion, incredibly sexy. I'm not sure if it's my favorite Violent Femmes song, or if it's just tied for first with "Add It Up" and "Kiss Off" but it's certainly the one that makes me feel the most. Do me a favor, turn off all the lights, light some candles and listen to this song as loud as you can handle. You won't regret it. 
  • "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - The Slits: I've had this song around for a while now but I didn't really come to appreciate it until we played it in our Eastbound and Part Down show. Possibly my favorite Slits song and definitely my favorite version of this tune, "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" makes me happy every time I hear it. It's one of those songs I'll forget about for a while then hear it again and realize I've missed it. And, for some reason, I love that they didn't change the words from the original to match their gender. They were just too cool to give a shit about that. 

Friday, December 21, 2012

Full "find it and watch it" list from season two

A few days back, I posted a full list of all our "watch it on Netflix" suggestions from season one. If you need more suggestion, here is the full list of all "find it and watch it" suggestions from season two. 

Our top 3 recommendations from our summer hiatus: 

Talor's summer favorites: Bored to Death, Surveillance & SNL season 37 





Kait's summer favorites: Bob's Burgers, The Skin I Live In & Misfits




All other "find it and watch it" suggestions: 

Full list of season one music

Just in case you were curious about the music we played throughout the first season, here's a list of all 117 tracks. The good, the bad and the funny.

*Episode titles will take you to podcasts, track titles lead to the song on youtube, artist name will take you to the artists iTunes page*

Episode one: Arrested Development

Episode two: Portlandia
  - Talor's songs: 
Episode twelve: Saturday Night Live

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Podcast of episode 27: The End

For those of you who missed our very last episode, don't fret, we have it here for you in podcast form. If you have a spare hour to enjoy some self-indulgent Watchin' Stuff recap or just find yourself missing us, take a listen to this, episode 27, The End, aired December 14, 2012. *Note: this episode has been modified slightly from its original broadcast.



Also, if the end of Watchin' Stuff has got you down, try out the official Watchin' Stuff drinking game as you listen.


"Find it and watch it" suggestions of the week

In case 26 episodes worth of suggestions weren't enough, here are the last of our "find it and watch it" suggestions from season two.

Talor's suggestion: The Wizard of Gore



Kait's suggestions: early South Park & (A)Sexual




Other shows and movies mentioned throughout our last episode:

Monday, December 10, 2012

Podcast of episode 26: One Show

If you missed Friday's episode all about shows we had previously neglected, check out the podcast of episode 26, One Show. It's chalk full of good times. *Note: this episode has been modified slightly from its original broadcast.



And here's the Watchin' Stuff drinking game, a wonderful accompaniment to all our podcasts.

"Find it and watch it" suggestions of the week

Looking for a few winter television/movie suggestions, well look no further because here are our "find it and watch it" suggestions from episode 26, One Show.

Talor's suggestion: Dead Man



Chloe's suggestion: Fresh Meat



Kait's suggestion: Revenge



Other shows and movies mentioned throughout the episode:

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Podcast of episode 25: Part of That World

Hey all, hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving and just in case you missed it, here is the podcast of Friday's episode, Part of That World, where Talor and I discussed shows and movies we'd like to live in. So check it out if you have some free time. *Note: this episode has been modified slightly from its original broadcast.



And if you feel like drinking with your Watchin' Stuff, check out our official Watchin' Stuff drinking game.

"Find it and watch it" suggestions of the week

Here are our "find it and watch it" suggestions from our 25th episode, Part of That World.

Talor's suggestion: Tower Heist



Kait's suggestions: Warehouse 13 (3rd season now on Netflix) & The Real World San Francisco




Other shows and movies mentioned throughout the episode:

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Podcast of episode 23: Obsessions

Hey everybody, just in case you missed the live broadcast, here is the podcast of our 23 episode, Obsessions, aired November 9, 2012. So, check it out and see what shows and movies Talor and I have been obsessed with throughout our lives. *Note: this episode has been modified slightly from its original broadcast.



And if you're looking for a bit more fun, check out our official Watchin' Stuff drinking game.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Podcast of episode 22: TV Party

Just in case you missed this week's episode, featuring two of our favorite guests (Chloe and Andrea) here is the podcast of episode 22, TV Party, aired November 2, 2012. *Note: this episode has been modified slightly from its original broadcast.



And if you're looking for a real party, try out our official Watchin' Stuff drinking game while you listen.

"Find it and watch it" suggestions of the week

Don't fret Watchin' Stuff fans, you need not look any further for suitable programming because here are our "find it and watch it" suggestions from this week's episode, TV Party.

Talor's suggestion: Bug (on Netflix)



Kait's suggestion: Paranormal Witness (first season on Netflix)



Other shows and movies mentioned throughout the episode:

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Recap of episode 21: Sick In Bed

Hey all, I know it's been a while since I've done a show recap but I figured I'd give you one for this episode. So, here you go, some things we discussed/played during our Sick In Bed show.

"Longview" - Green Day

Andrea's sister Ginger on Judge Joe Brown

Talor's song "The Recipe" - Kendrick Lamar

Kait's song "Furniture" - Fugazi

Serial killers from Kait's game: 
Game show theme songs from Talor's game: 


Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Podcast of episode 21: Sick in Bed

Hey all, in case you missed it, here is the podcast of our 21st episode, Sick in Bed, aired October 26, 2012. *Note: this episode has been modified slightly from its original broadcast.



And if you're looking to do a bit of drinking as you listen, check out our official Watchin' Stuff drinking game.