Tag / Gilmore Girls

by admin

Top 200 Albums – #79 – 90

itunes_imageNearly 4 years ago, we first counted down the Top 200 albums in my iTunes library. Since that time, I’ve successfully managed to migrate my music collection to a new PC with the stats intact. So, I figured it was time to take another look, based on number of plays from late 2007 through January 1, 2018.

We continue up the second half with the next batch of 10 albums ranked between #79 and 90, including 4 studio recordings, 3 comedy albums, and 3 compilations.

#90: Various Artists – Rock N’ Roll Era: 1961
iTunes stats: 76 plays
Previous Ranking: 152

7 tunes, from artists like Del Shannon, Dion & The Belmonts, and Ben E. King, are part of this Time Life compilation.

#89: No Doubt – Tragic Kingdom
iTunes stats: 77 plays
Previous Ranking: 92

6 songs from the band’s breakthrough effort make up its total.

#88: Weezer – Weezer
iTunes stats: 78 plays
Previous Ranking: 77

4 tunes from Weezer’s debut, known as the Blue Album, place it on the list.

#85: The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
iTunes stats: 79 plays
Previous Ranking: 50

The remastered version of this Beatles’ classic makes the list thanks to 20 new listens across 5 different songs.

#85: Various Artists – Monsters Of Rock
iTunes stats: 79 plays
Previous Ranking: 74

This compilation of 80s hair bands, like White Lion, Winger, and Firehouse, makes up this total thanks to 8 different tracks.

Continue reading →

by admin

iTunes Top 200 Artists: #101-109

3 years ago, we first counted down the then Top 100 artists in my iTunes library.  Since that time, I’ve successfully managed to migrate my music collection to a new PC with the stats intact.  So, I figured it was time to take another look, expanding out the field to the top 200 artists, based on number of plays from late 2007 through January 1, 2017.

We wrap up the first half of the list today with a mix of pop and alternative, with a little weirdness thrown in for good measure..

#109: Sam Phillips
iTunes stats: 41 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

Thanks to 4 musical cues from her work on Gilmore Girls, the alternative artist makes her debut on the list.

#109: Color Me Badd
iTunes stats: 41 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

The early 90s boy band makes the list thanks to 3 tracks from their debut album, one of which was used as the walkup music for former White Sox catcher Tyler Flowers.

#108: Katy Perry
iTunes stats: 42 plays
Previous ranking: #83

A 25 spot drop for the pop princess, who added only 13 new listens to the 2 versions of her debut hit.

#105: Dandy Warhols
iTunes stats: 43 plays
Previous ranking: #98

A small 7 spot drop despite 20 new listens to the band responsible for the Veronica Mars theme song.

#105: Bobby Brown
iTunes stats: 43 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

The former member of New Edition debuts on the list thanks to 5 of his solo tracks.

#105: Alice In Chains
iTunes stats: 43 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

The Seattle-based alternative band combined 5 tracks to make up this total.

#103: The Strokes
Continue reading →

by admin

Book 8 (of 52) – TV (The Book)

TV (The Book): Two Experts Pick The Greatest American Shows Of All Time – Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz

Lamenting the lack of serious television criticism in book form, like there has been for years for film, former newspapermen Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz team up to rank the 100 greatest American television shows of all time, giving their explanation on why each one deserves its spot in the American cultural landscape.  Aside from The Simpsons, which has been on the air for 50 years or so and took home the top spot after much deliberation, currently airing shows were not eligible for consideration.

Separated into 4 categories, The Inner Circle, No-Doubt-About-It Classics, Groundbreakers and Workhorses, and Outlier Classics, the list runs the gamut from television’s earliest days, with classics like I Love Lucy and The Honeymooners, to today’s (well, yesterday’s) biggest hits.  As we are living in the golden age of Peak TV, the majority of the list is certainly from the past 20 years or so.

My television watching has had me watch all or a good portion of 24 of these classic series, either in first run or syndication.  Those shows are:

The Simpsons
Cheers
Seinfeld
MASH
Louie
The X-Files
Lost
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Continue reading →

by admin

Tuesday Afternoon Commute

With the temperature finally breaking 50 degrees, it was time to roll the windows down, crank the volume up, and enjoy some music on the long drive home.

Salvation Rancid Let’s Go 3/10/2015 4:07 PM
Go Speed Racer Go Sponge Saturday Morning Cartoons’ Greatest Hits 3/10/2015 4:10 PM
I Wanna Sex You Up Color Me Badd C.M.B. 3/10/2015 4:14 PM
Let It Be The Beatles Let It Be [2009 Stereo Remaster] 3/10/2015 4:18 PM
Walking on Sunshine Katrina & The Waves Katrina & The Waves 3/10/2015 4:22 PM
The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana) Banana Splits Here Come The Banana Splits 3/10/2015 4:24 PM
Clarissa Explains It All Tee Vee Toons TV’s Hits Vol. 7: Cable Ready 3/10/2015 4:24 PM
The Gay Pride Parade Patton Oswalt Feelin’ Kinda Patton 3/10/2015 4:26 PM
Wings Tee Vee Toons TV’s Hits Vol. 7: Cable Ready 3/10/2015 4:27 PM
Glorified G Pearl Jam Vs. 3/10/2015 4:30 PM
Cream Prince & The New Power Generation Diamonds And Pearls 3/10/2015 4:34 PM
When All Is Said And Done, I Am Lonely And Miserable And Barely Able To Mask My Contempt For The Audience As I Trot Out The Same Sorry Act I’ve Been Doing Since The Mid-Eighties! David Cross It’s Not Funny 3/10/2015 4:43 PM
Cult Of Personality Continue reading →
by admin

Top 200 Albums – #112 – 119

itunes_imageMy latest desktop computer arrived in late 2007, at which point I transitioned all of my music off of my laptop. 2 iPods, 3 iPhones, and an iPad later, that computer is still my main repository of music, with iTunes updating its stats every time I listen to something.

Having already gone through cassette tapes and CDs, and digital music, it’s time to roll everything up with the Top 200 albums whose songs I’ve listened to as of September 2014, according to iTunes. Today we continue climbing up the list and look at the 8 albums tied for 112th with 35 listens.

#112: Barenaked Ladies – Rock Spectacle (Live)
iTunes stats: 35 plays
This live album from the Canadian band ranks this high on the strength of one song.

#112: Nirvana – In Utero
iTunes stats: 35 plays
The last studio album from Nirvana uses 4 different tracks to make up this total.

#112: Liz Phair – Whitechocolatespaceegg
iTunes stats: 35 plays
10 different songs make up this total for this third studio album by the one-time indie darling.

#112: Soul Asylum – Grave Dancers Union
iTunes stats: 35 plays
Soul Asylum broke through with this, their sixth studio album, which uses 3 songs to achieve this total.

#112: Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons – Greatest Hits Volume 1
iTunes stats: 35 plays
This greatest hits package has 3 songs make up its total.

#112: Various Artists – Juno (Music from the Motion Picture)
iTunes stats: 35 plays
3 songs, from bands like Mott the Hoople and The Moldy Peaches, make up the total for this soundtrack album.

#112: 10,000 Maniacs – Our Time in Eden
iTunes stats: 35 plays
Only 2 tracks from this breakthrough album make up this impressive total.

#112: Various Artists – Music From Gilmore Girls
iTunes stats: 35 plays
7 different tunes, including many of the musical cues from the show, make up the total for this soundtrack album.

by admin

Commuting Fun

A Tuesday night commute that took well over an hour and a half was spent, not with the iPhone on shuffle, but working my way through the Ws.

Weed Card Garfunkel and Oates All Over Your Face 9/16/2014 4:32 PM
Welcome Back (Kotter) John Sebastian The Best Of John Sebastian 9/16/2014 4:35 PM
Welcome To Paradise Green Day Dookie 9/16/2014 4:39 PM
Welcome To The Jungle Guns N’ Roses Appetite For Destruction 9/16/2014 4:44 PM
Were Not Gonna Take It Twisted Sister Stay Hungry 9/16/2014 4:49 PM
Werewolves Of London Warren Zevon Excitable Boy 9/16/2014 4:52 PM
What A Wonderful World Joey Ramone Music From Gilmore Girls 9/16/2014 4:55 PM
What A Wonderful World Louis Armstrong Louis Armstrong’s All-Time Greatest Hits 9/16/2014 4:57 PM
What About Your Friends TLC Ooooooohhh…On The TLC Tip 9/16/2014 5:02 PM
What Do I Have To Do? Stabbing Westward Wither Blister Burn & Peel 9/16/2014 5:05 PM
What Happened To You? The Offspring Smash 9/16/2014 5:08 PM
What I Am Continue reading →
by admin

Vacation Recap: Los Angeles

dodgerstadium

We left off yesterday with me in a rental car leaving San Diego behind and heading towards the city of Angels.  The plan was to stop at Dodger Stadium on the way to my hotel and take in an afternoon matchup between the Dodgers and the Giants.  I’d given myself 3 hours to make the 2 hour drive so I would have time to get to the stadium and acclimate myself before the game started.  Trip Issue #3!  Things were smooth sailing until I got closer to LA, when traffic started to swell.  All told, the 2 hour drive ended up taking closer to 4, and I arrived in my seat during the 4th inning, by which time the Dodgers had fallen far behind.  One Dodger Dog later and many Giant home runs later, the game was over and I found my way to Glendale and the local Hilton, which would be my home for the next 4 days.

Saturday night, in search of a nice dinner, I headed out for a drive and decided to just wing it.  Somehow I ended up driving through Griffith Park and seeing some of the sights, but I didn’t find anything interesting as far as food went.  Eventually I ended up back at the hotel, where I caught the end of the Wisconsin loss in the NCAA tournament along with a tasty hamburger at the hotel bar.

muppet_starsSunday was the only day I didn’t have anything specific planned, so, after a morning walk to the local Starbucks for a nice breakfast, I headed down to Hollywood to check out the Walk of Fame and to get a good look at the famous Hollywood sign.  To be honest, the Walk of Fame was mostly creepy, other than the block or so around Hollywood and Highland, where Jimmy Kimmel’s theater is located.  I tracked down all of the Muppet-related stars and a few others of interest, including Ricardo Montalban, Mister Rogers, and George Takei. Continue reading →

by admin

Goodbye, iPhone 4S – Music Edition

A little more than a week ago, I upgraded my phone from the iPhone 4S to the newly released iPhone 5S.  The biggest difference, aside from a slightly bigger screen, is the jump from 3G (or 4G, if you believe AT&T’s hype) to LTE.  I had the 4S for a little under 2 years, and in that time, we traveled the world together (well, at least going back to the UK) and have listened to a lot of podcasts and music. Here is every song (all 2079 of them) I’ve listened to on the phone, with some (ok, very little) bonus commentary.  Godspeed.

 

Let’s Go-Go-Go White Sox Captain Stubby and the Buccaneers 33
He’s a Pirate Klaus Badelt Pirates of the Caribbean (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture) 32
Take Me Out To The Ballgame Harry Caray 31
Thunderstruck AC/DC The Razors Edge 31
Gordon Beckham Intro 29
Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye Steam Billboard’s Top Rock ‘n’ Roll Hits: 1969 29
Don’t Stop Believin’ Journey Journey’s Greatest Hits 27
sox05_montage 27
We Are The Champions Queen Queen: Greatest Hits I & II 27
Your Love The Outfield Play Deep 27
2008 White Sox Central Division Champs Montage Chris Tannehill WSCR 670 The Score 25
Take Me Out To The Ballgame Nancy Faust 25
Harvester Of Sorrow Metallica …And Justice For All 20

You would hope that these numbers would have been higher, but this past season’s miserable performance by the White Sox has put the songs on their playlist out of mind more often than not.

Cannonball The Breeders The First 1000 Years- Rock 19
Man Or Muppet Jason Segel The Muppets 15
It’s Time For Our Song Miss Piggy The Muppets 14
Get Out There And Help Those Guys Jason Segel The Muppets 13
Main Title LOST Soundtrack LOST Soundtrack 13
Are You A Man Or A Muppet? Amy Adams The Muppets 12
How Charming, A Finale Uncle Deadly The Muppets 12
I’m On A Boat (ft. T-Pain) The Lonely Island Incredibad 12
Down At The Ole Barbershop Kermit The Muppets 11
Me and Drugs David Cross Bigger and Blackerer 11
The Antichrist Howard Stern Private Parts: The Album 11
Continue reading →
by admin

Mix Tape Monday – March 2005

After my tape deck crapped out in 1997, I was stuck listening to either the radio or full albums in whatever order the artist intended.  That all changed in 2001, when the new-fangled MP3 technology got combined with my new CD burner.

So, we skip ahead to 2005 with this entry.  Perhaps nothing interesting happened in music in 2004.  Along with a couple of television theme songs, we have new music from Snoop Dogg, Tegan and Sara, and Garbage.

Letters To Cleo – Here And Now

The biggest hit for the Boston based band.

iTunes stats: 13 plays, most recently on 3/13/2012

Creedence Clearwater Revival – Fortunate Son

As President Bush’s second term gets under way, this song suddenly became relevant again.

iTunes stats: 4 plays, most recently on 8/1/2011

Andy Partridge – I Wonder Why The Wonderfalls

The theme song to the short-lived Fox show Wonderfalls.

iTunes stats: 10 plays, most recently on 5/19/2012

Nazareth – Love Hurts

The staple of classic rock stations in the late 80s and early 90s.

iTunes stats: 3 plays, most recently on 8/10/2011

Snoop Dogg – Drop It Like It’s Hot

The first song from Snoop Dogg that I’ve liked since his debut album.

iTunes stats: 6 plays, most recently on 3/16/2012

AC/DC – For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)

I suppose we have Artie Lange and the Howard Stern Show to thank for the inclusion of this classic.

iTunes stats: 1 play, on 7/30/2012

Ludacris – Get Back

The latest release from the Champaign-born rapper.

iTunes stats: 12 plays, most recently on 1/4/2013

Black Eyed Peas – Let’s Get It Started

The PC version of the ubiquitous hit that introduced the Black Eyed Peas to a mainstream audience.

iTunes stats: 5 plays, most recently on 10/2/2011

The Dandy Warhols – We Used To Be Friends

The theme song to the wonderful Veronica Mars program.

iTunes stats: 20 plays, most recently on 1/2/2013

Continue reading →

by jim

Midseason Review – Mondays

Day 2 of our look back at my thoughts on the new fall television season and what is new for the winter and spring.

7:00

How I Met Your Mother – Entering its 8th, and last, season, this is a show in desperate need of a change.  I’ve never been one of those people who felt that the show needed to introduce the title mother in order to make the show worth while, it has started to feel that the writers and producers are treading water while waiting to bring the mother on board.  That could give the show enough juice to energize not just this season, but any possible future ones as well.

As it turns out, this is not the final season for HIMYM.  Which means they will likely continue to tread water for another year.

Bones – Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz returned last week for the 8th season with a move to Mondays, taking over the House timeslot.

At this point, Bones is, to paraphrase Dennis Green, the show we thought it was.

8:00

2 Broke Girls – In some ways, this was one of the more disappointing series to debut last season.  Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs are both talented actresses who could use better material.  Hopefully the writers and producers spent the summer focusing on what worked last year and got rid of the base racial stereotypes that tended to drag things down.

The second season has improved somewhat, but the show still tends to go for the lowbrow laughs at every opportunity.

Continue reading →