The Ratings (Second Edition)

Music:
The Warning - Hot Chip*****
Fox Confessor Brings the Flood - Neko Case****
Cole's Corner - Richard Hawley****
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not - Arctic Monkeys**
Sun Q - IQU***
Falling Off The Bone (Comedy) - Todd Barry****
Apologies to the Queen Mary - Wolf Parade***
TV:
The New Adventures of Old Christine**
So You Think You Can Dance*****
The War At Home*

The Dance (So You Think You Can)

As television goes, I'm picky. It better be damn good if I'm going to watch it. Maybe I've become a Tivo snob, but I only watch shows that I like. I'll try a new one occasionally, based on reviews or recommendation, and if it's bad, that's it - deleted! On the plus side, I sometimes find one that renews my faith in new television, makes me believe there are still people out there who want to make good TV. Reality shows are even deeper in the pile of television trash; many I've seen do nothing more than re-enforce my belief that the human race is in serious trouble. Some reality shows, however, are a bit more impressive - I'm not a big "Idol" fan, but I do appreciate it's originality. It seems only logical that the "Idol" producers would improve upon this idea, bringing the Idol-esque concept to people looking for something more.
Tonight is the season two premiere of So You Think You Can Dance - a show where people from all backgrounds compete for number one (a familiar concept, I know). But the thing that sets this show apart from the others is the actual level of difficulty. In "Idol", you need but a good singing voice and can perform relatively well. I think most would agree that every performer does a good job and that the line separating the "good" from the "bad" is often thread-thin. Not so in SYTYCD. Season one presented wonderful variety: break dancers, ballet dancers, hip-hop dancers. Every person excelled in his/her individual styles, from classical to contemporary, in some cases knowing only that particular style and no other. The fun starts when these people reach into a hat and are assigned a style. Sometimes they are paired together or on their own, but they must work with a choreographer and perfect a style with which they may not be familiar.
Of course, like any of these shows, the performances are the best part. Set aside the fact that you get to watch b-boys doing a waltz; you get to see ballet dancers breakdance! Just watching good breakdancing is enough to keep me glued.
Whether or not you like "Idol", this is a fantastic show. Check it out.
On Fox, Wednesdays from 8-10 (performance and voting) and Thursdays from 9-10 (the cuts).

The Apology

I realize that I'm not good at keeping this thing going. I only wish my life was interesting enough to post about daily. I've been painting lately. When it's finished (in the next couple of days) I'll get a picture and put it up.

Things I've been listening to: (on a scale of * to *****)
It's Never Been Like That - Phoenix***
The Garden - Zero 7****
They Think They Are The Robocop Kraus! - The Robocop Kraus***
The Runners Four - Deerhoof*****
Bang Bang Rock And Roll - Art Brut****

Things I've been watching:
The Colbert Report (TV)*****
King Kong (Film)*****
The Terminal (Film)***
Snatch (Film)****
Gorillaz: Demon Days Live (Film)*****

Things I've been playing:
New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo DS)*****
Brain Age: Train Your Brain In Minutes A Day (DS)*****
Kingdom Hearts: Chain Of Memories (Game Boy Advance)**
Bleach (DS)***
Ouendon (DS)****

More in a bit.