Nov 6, 2009 7:15 PM Posted by cwmusic   
On this week’s episode of Vampire Diaries, one of Stefan’s agelong friends paid him a visit, but did this mysterious guest spell trouble between him and Elena? Also, Stefan turned 162 years old, and, to help celebrate, Damon threw him a party he’ll never forget. Let’s recap all the events of last night’s festivities:
A Blast from the Past
At first, I didn’t know what to make out of Lexi. It was cool how they brought another female vampire into the mix, but I had my reservations. Who was she? Why did she come to Mystic Falls? Did she have a thing for Stefan? Lexi appeared to be a threat to Stefan and Elena’s reunion, but it was later revealed that she was nothing more than a dear friend. She also turned out to be pretty awesome! Like Stefan, she was one of the good ones, not entirely off the human blood (thanks to her phlebotomist BF that supplied her with IV pouches), but she was definitely making an effort not to cause a disturbance. Just as I was beginning to like Lexi, the rug was pulled from under us, yet again, as Damon fatally staked her. Vicki was killed off last week, but I had no idea that another central vampiress would be put to rest (and so soon!). I wish they had kept Lexi on board for a bit longer, because she was able to get the usually stoic Stefan to loosen up and smile. She was also one of the only people to keep Damon in check, not only verbally, but she was much physically stronger than him, as well. R.I.P. Lexi. We hardly knew ye.
Damon’s Diabolical Plan
We all know that Damon is evil, and we love him for that, but, this week, he took his mean-streak to the extreme. By bringing a supply of verveine and doing his usual smooth-talking, Damon was able to fool Sheriff Forbes into thinking that he was helping out the town council with catching the vampires. Later on in the party at The Grill, Damon quenched his appetite by feeding on one half of a teenage couple who were making out behind an alley. Damon hypnotized the female victim into pointing out Lexi as the culprit, and eventually staked her as a part of his big “diabolical plan.” Well, I guess that was all we would expect from Damon, but he took it way too far when he called Caroline a vapid waste of space. That was just plain mean. Shame on you, Damon, for crushing a fragile cheerleader’s spirit like that! Damon got his dose of karma when Stefan gave him good butt-whipping after learning he was behind Lexi’s death. See, Damon, that’s what you get! (j/k…I can never be mad at that pretty mug of his).
A Feather in Bonnie’s Witch Cap
The cat was let out of the bag when Bonnie confessed to Elena that she was a witch. She performed some nifty magic trick, where she made some feathers float around Elena. When asked why she revealed her secret, Bonnie told Elena that she would never keep anything hidden from her BFF (slap in the face to Stefan!). The scheming duo of Damon and Caroline plotted to take Bonnie’s talisman away from her. However, Bonnie showed that she wasn’t going to take any of their crap, even when Caroline gave her the worst insult one female can give to another by calling her fat. The episode ended with Bonnie waking up barefoot at the cemetery after having some weird and ominous dream. I wonder what that was about?
We’re already 8 episodes into the series, yet we still don’t know much about the fledgling witch. That will probably start to change next week, when we’ll have a whole episode full of Bonnie. Catch The Vampire Diaries on Thursdays @ 8 PM on the CW 44cable12!
Nov 5, 2009 7:45 PM Posted by cwmusic The Bay Area music scene has always been a busy and bustling hotbed of incredibly diverse and unique new talents. Here are some of my favorite local acts that I feel are right on the verge of breaking out: Audrye SessionsGenre: Indie/Rock/Alternative Sounds Like: Radiohead, Muse, Manchester Orchestra http://www.myspace.com/audryesessionsAudrye Sessions, who describe their sound as having a "very Brit-rock feel like The Beatles meet Muse,” craft guitar-powered pop that blends brooding energy with lush arrangements and delicately tender vocals. The Oakland-based quartet got their start playing gigs at local coffeehouses, eventually becoming one of the Bay’s most recent buzzed-about bands, playing for Noise Pop and SxSw and opening for the Dandy Warhols and Louis XIV. Earlier this year, the group made the leap to major-label status, signing with Black Seal, and released their self-titled debut album. What’s most striking about this band is frontman Ryan Karazija’s voice. His wispy falsetto is so similar to that of Thom Yorke’s, it’s downright eerie. Dizzy Balloon Genre: Rock/Pop/Indie Sounds Like: Queen, The Beatles, The Morning Benders http://www.myspace.com/dizzyballoonDizzy Balloon (formerly known as Panda) is a five-piece pop group hailing from Piedmont. Their self-titled debut, which was released last year, features infectiously upbeat and punchy pop numbers that make you want to get up, clap your hands, and boogie down. These rowdy youngsters were barely juniors in high school when they began to gain popularity around the Bay Area, garnering steady airplay on KITS (Live 105) and packing venues, including Slim’s and Bottom of the Hill. They’ve become known for their high energy live shows and beat out over a hundred other Bay Area bands last year to win the opening spot for Not So Silent Night, sharing the stage with rock heavyweights such as The Killers, Bloc Party, and Franz Ferdinand. Catch them at the Rickshaw Stop in SF on November 28, and see all the Dizzy buzz for yourself. LoveLikeFire Genre: Indie/Rock/Pop Sounds Like: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Blonde Redhead, The Killers http://www.myspace.com/lovelikefireThe San Francisco-based indie rock quartet know how to take initiative, forging a truly independent path of their own, without the aid of a label, as they independently released two EPS and promoted their music through a self-organized and self-financed national tour. The group was formed in 2006 when vocalist Anne Yu and drummer/keyboardist David Farwell met at a show playing in other bands, eventually teaming up with bassist Eric Amerman and guitarist Marty Mattern. Anne Yu’s hauntingly enticing vocals are set against a multi-layered wall of sound, similar to the style of Arcade Fire, that treads into darkly brooding territory, taking the listener to a rhythmic and artful trip through a dream-pop landscape. Recently, the group signed to Heist or Hit records and released their latest album Tear Ourselves Away in the UK, but I have a feeling soon enough they’re going to makes waves across the ocean here in the US. Nov 3, 2009 7:15 PM Posted by cwmusic  
The Claws Come Out
The tension between Serena and Blair continued, as the former BFFs refused to apologize to one another for last week’s betrayals. We haven’t seen a battle between these two since Season 2, so you know a good one had to be coming our way. This week’s catfight did not disappoint. You had it all. There was name-calling, backstabbing, one-upping, and cake pushing (so hilarious when S pushed B into that cake). Chuck had it right when he called out Serena on her immaturity. Blair, on the other hand, started to show some maturity when she explained how Serena was drifting away from the people most important to her and was selling herself out by putting up with that PR job (calling S a prostitute was a bit too harsh, though). It looked like Serena took what some of Blair said to heart when she dumped her phony RPatzz-inspired boo and told KC that she quit. But Serena’s efforts might’ve been too little too late, as the status of her and Blair’s friendship was up in the air.
Dirty Politics
We haven’t seen much of Nate this season, so putting the Vanderbilt campaign front and center was a nice change of pace. Okay, so this political storyline may have been sort of dull, but, hey, it’s better than seeing Nate whore himself out again or not seeing him at all. It’s surprising to see Nate take all this political stuff so seriously. He was even willing to deal Vanessa a low blow to ensure Tripp’s victory. At first, I thought Nate might’ve been behind the Hudson River hoax, but it turns out that Tripp’s wife was the scheming mastermind. Who knew? I guess she’s not just some harmless trophy wife, after all. We’ll have to keep an eye out on her. But we’ll also have to keep an eye out on Tripp. What was that ending sequence between Serena and Tripp all about? Tripp hasn’t even started his job as a congressman, but it already looks like he might be involved in another scandal.
Bathroom Boy
Who else was let down by this whole “bathroom boy” story? With all of the build-up, I was expecting a totally mortifying story about Dan, but all of the hubbub turned out to be about a spider and an inside-out shirt. Yawn. Well, at least we got to some Jimmy Fallon in the mix.
This week’s episode was a little lukewarm, but things should heat up on the next episode, especially with the highly-anticipated THREESOME about to go down. Catch Gossip Girl on Mondays @ 9PM on the CW 44Cable12.
Oct 30, 2009 6:54 PM Posted by cwmusic Singer-songwriter Joshua Radin stopped by SF last night, along with the Watson Twins, to play a show at the Great American Music Hall. I was very curious to see how well he could translate his melancholy and subdued music into a live show. His performance was a delightful mix of honesty and humor. The candid singer-songwriter entertained the crowd by providing charming insight and commentary about his songs as he played them. With just him and acoustic guitar at-hand, Joshua Radin didn’t need much else to command the attention of the crowd. Radin’s sweetly stunning voice and emotionally open delivery easily captivated the audience, lulling them into a “pin-drop” hush and outright awe. If you missed it, check out his music at http://www.joshuaradin.com. Oct 30, 2009 5:40 PM Posted by cwmusic  
This week's Halloween-themed episode of TVD did its job of providing a bunch of thrills and chills, but the ending came as a complete shocker! If you're like me, you're probably still reeling from last night's twist, but let's try to grasp all of the events that took place:
Dead, Undead, Dead
I'll admit, in the past few blogs, I've been a wee-bit harsh on Vicki (ok...more like maliciously brutal against her), but I actually felt sorry for the girl when she bit the dust. I never would have guessed they would actually kill off her character, for real this time. I’m surprised they did it so soon. This week, it seemed like Vicki was a completely different character, with new energy and in-your-face attitude. I kind of liked it.
How disturbing was all of that kissing action between Vicki and Jeremy! When she bit Jeremy's lip and licked the blood off, I couldn't help but squirm just a bit. The showdown between Vicki and Elena was exciting, but we all knew who had the advantage, so Stefan had no other choice but to step in and drive a stake right through Vicki. I would've liked to see Vicki's struggles as a vampire for at least a couple more episodes. But, hey, I guess it was for the best (she was starting to get a tad whiny, anyway). Who knows, maybe she'll come back from the dead...again?
Damon Flirts With a Cougar
Even with verveine to protect her from mind control, Ty's mom couldn't help but fall for the charms of Damon (who wouldn’t, right?). Seeing Damon flirt up a storm with Ty's mom was a bit awkward, but then again, Damon is actually a bunch of centuries older than her. After having too much cocktails, and not being able to resist Damon’s allure, Ty's mom accidentally revealed too much information. We learned that, apparently, this mysterious Council is trying to get rid of all the vampires of Mystic Falls and that they have access to a whole stash of verveine (via the recently departed Uncle Zach). Little did Ty's mom know that she was actually talking to the number one enemy. If I were her, I would have probably been distracted by his irresistible charm and gorgeous face, too.
Bonnie’s Origins
Bonnie got to know a lot more about her origins and family history through her grandmother. She was getting antsy because she wanted to learn more about the craft. However, her grandmother insisted that she be patient and learn more about the history first. I'm also getting antsy to see what other abilities that these witches have. I'm also curious about the importance of the amulet. As Damon tried to snatch the amulet away from Bonnie, his hand got burned. What was up with that? Was it the amulet that burned his hand, or has Bonnie tapped into some newfound ability? Anyway, I'm excited to see what else they have in-store for her character.
Just when you thought Elena and Stefan were that close to getting back together, looks like they’ll be experiencing some more trouble next week when Stefan’s old friend Lexi comes to visit. Catch The Vampire Diaries on Thursdays @ 8 PM on the CW 44cable12!
Oct 27, 2009 1:41 PM Posted by cwmusic  
“Chair” Embrace the Dark Side
“Chair” hit an all time low last week when Blair fooled Chuck into kissing a certain NYU alum as a part of her wicked game. Chuck did forgive, but he sure didn’t forget (and we didn’t either!). It’s kind of sweet how Blair wanted to help Chuck with the grand opening of his club, but she shouldn’t have gone behind Chuck’s back when he clearly didn’t want her anywhere near it. Calling Jack Bass for favors, Blair? Really? Not cool. Blair’s behind-the-scenes meddling didn’t do anything to gain Chuck’s trust back, but as he explained, it’s their distrust for each other that keeps their relationship interesting and, in order to be a team, they should instead focus their duplicity on others. And that’s exactly what they did, as they teamed up to turn Chuck’s club opening from a bust into a much talked about headline. It’s cute how they accept each other’s evil ways. Now, “Chair” is back and stronger than ever!
Little J Growing Into a Monster
Little J really let her status as Queen Bee get into her head this week. It’s strange because she didn’t even want to be Queen in the first place. It’s totally messed up what she did to Eric and Jonathan. They were right in trying to put Jenny in her place on the steps at the MET. Instead of turning her back on her former BFFs, Jenny should dump her dim-witted minions and create a new kind of order, with Jonathan and Eric by her side as rulers of the school. Well, at least this whole Jenny and Eric feud lets Eric become more involved with the storylines. Oh yeah, what was up with Jenny’s hair and make-up? I like that she has a kind of punk-rock style, but she was looking a bit too gothic this week. She really needs to tone it down, with both her looks and her b*tchy attitude.
Dan and Olivia Get Down, Vampire Style
Dan and Olivia took their relationship to the next level. But, before they got down with the deed, Dan figured he should at least watch her vampire film series Endless Knights (perhaps for some tips?). Nate planted some doubt in Dan’s mind, informing him of all the rumors surrounding Olivia’s relationship with costar Patrick Roberts (so cute how Nate is a superfan and follows all the blogs). Olivia tried to reassure Dan that it was all for publicity. Though, later we find out that it was real, after all. Olivia tried to explain, “I lied because I cared about you” (hmm…there’s definitely something wrong with that line of reasoning). Without even thinking about it, Dan instantly gave into Olivia’s cute act and forgave her (c’mon Dan, you’re better than this). While it’s interesting to have Hilary Duff as part of the cast, I just don’t feel any chemistry between Olivia and Dan. The two seem to have more of a buddy-buddy vibe. Well, they can’t keep her character around for much longer, since she’s only a guest star.... (or is she?)
While “Chair” got back on the road to recovery, Serena and Blair have seemed to hit quite a hurdle with their friendship. Will the best frenemies be able to patch things up, or will an all-out catfight ensue? Catch Gossip Girl on Mondays @ 9PM on the CW 44Cable12 to find out.
Oct 26, 2009 1:53 PM Posted by cwmusic There I was, a 21-year-old college student, stuck in a sea of teenybopper girls dressed in day-glo apparel, screeching at the top of their lungs, “I make them good girls go bad...” You’d think that I’d be above this, right? Well…no. Actually, I was singing right along with them. I’ll probably get a sh*tstorm for saying this, but I love pop-punk and Fueled by Ramen bands. So, when asked to cover the Cobra Starship/Boys Like Girls show at the Warfield, I was like, “Hell yeah!” As soon as Cobra Starship’s stage was set up, with their neon glow-in-the-dark “Get Awesome” signs, you knew what kind of show you would be in for. The gang pulled out the big guns early by kicking off their set with “The City Is At War,” immediately whipping the crowd into a dancing frenzy. Lead vocalist Gabe Saporta came out looking all trendy with his plaid shirt and trucker cap, and the others looked just as snazzy. The bulk of the set consisted of songs from their most recent album Hot Mess, but they also managed to squeeze in some of the old goodies. Before playing their huge debut single “Bring It (Snakes on a Plane),” Gabe gave props to the man, the myth, the legend—Samuel L. Jackson. Cranking up the Snakes on a Plane love, the lively front man then commanded the masses to put up their best Cobra signs, and they were more than happy to oblige. In the middle of the song, the band mixed in parts of Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl,” creating a surprisingly awesome medley. Gabe worked the crowd like a pro, giving off charisma and confidence, and he had them eating out of the palm of his hand by the end of the set. The Cobra crew capped off the night with their latest hit “Good Girls Go Bad.” Sadly, there was no Leighton Meester (Blair from Gossip Girl who handled lead vocal duties on the recording) but Keytarist Victoria Asher stepped up to the plate, doing an impressive job filling in for the Gossip Girl. Oct 20, 2009 12:20 PM Posted by cwmusic   
This week’s episode of Gossip Girl was all about games. There were winners, losers, and a certain someone switching teams. Vanessa and Blair waged war over the freshman toast, Nate and Serena teamed up to help Carter through a poker game, and, of course, we finally got to witness the much-anticipated guy-on-guy Chuck Bass kiss. Let’s touch up on all the highlights, catfights, strikeouts, and make-outs:
Winning At Any Cost
We all know her as the preachy, tree-loving do-gooder, but this week we got to see a whole different side to Vanessa Abrams. She was downright evil. V was so bent on delivering the freshman toast that she was even willing to stoop down to Blair’s level and cause a rift between her good friends Dan and Olivia, all to win over her mother’s approval. V’s mother, Gabrielle, probably had to be the ultimate Debbie Downer, making sure her liberal opinions were heard and carrying on with her “down with the institution” shtick. We thought Serena had some serious parent issues, but it looks like Vanessa has it a lot worse. It was great seeing Vanessa’s character taking a different path, but this wasn’t the direction we had in mind. Leave the scheming to Blair Waldorf.
Blair didn’t fare any better. We started to see traces of the old conniving dictator that we feel in love with, as she, along with her minions, conspired to take down V and take over the freshmen toast, but B took it way too far this time. Why did she have to go and play Chuck for a pawn like that? The one person who’s been on her side and encouraging her this whole time. Because of her, the damage to "Chair" has been done. Blair has been on this never-ending downward spiral this season, and we have been rooting for her to take her rightful spot at the top. Sadly, it hasn’t happened. Blair has been digging her own grave.
Well, at least, if anything, we got to see the infamous Chuck Bass kiss. It was hilarious seeing Chuck making the moves on another man, and he did it with so much confidence, too. To be honest, I couldn’t help but squirm a little, just as Blair did, when Chuck and Josh kissed. Though all the hype was on “the kiss,” the best part had to be when Chuck declared to Blair, "You really think I've never kissed a guy before?" That was just priceless.
Poker Face
Finally, an episode where Nate plays a major part in the plot! Oh how we’ve missed staring at that pretty boy face of his. Nate was looking especially dapper and scrumptious in this episode. However, his good looks couldn’t distract us from the fact that he totally did Serena wrong, using her as a pawn to help advance Tripp’s campaign. Kudos to Serena, though. It was real gutsy of S to join in the poker game, putting herself on the line, to save Carter. She showed that she was down to hang with the boys. Too bad she lost. This Buckley poker game debacle is sure to put a strain on Nate and Serena’s friendship. Nate is going to have to make it up to Serena big time…perhaps a nice dinner? With Carter out of the picture, another Nate and Serena hook-up would be an awesome possibility. I’m just saying… it could happen.
What will become of our beloved "Chair"? I guess we’ll have to stay tuned. Catch Gossip Girl on Mondays @ 9PM on the CW 44Cable12.
Oct 16, 2009 4:10 PM Posted by cwmusic  
A Trip Down Memory Lane
This week’s episode began where the last one left off, with Elena on Stefan’s doorstep, demanding to know, “What are you?” I was worried Stefan would try to make up another lie, but he came right out with it, “I’m a vampire.” Of course, Elena freaked out, and Stefan tried to stop her from running away by using his super speed (psst…Stefan, using your creepy vampire powers after telling her you’re a vampire will not calm her down).
After getting her act together, Elena and Stefan met the next day to set the record straight. They headed on over to the site of Stefan’s former home, where he recounted his story, taking us back all the way to 1864. We were given the Salvatore back story through a flashback sequence taking place in the olden Mystic Falls, Virginia with the brothers dressed up in flashy, old-timey clothes (Shouldn't they have had southern accents?). Apparently, the two bros were like BFFs back then, but their bond was broken by their desires for Katherine.
We learned a great deal about Katherine: she was a huge flirt, she liked to be chased, and, most importantly, she was a vampire (gasp!). She was responsible for their transformation and used her powers of compulsion to control the brothers not to tell anyone. So, we could pretty much blame everything on her. Katherine wanted the three of them to be together forever. I guess what she wanted was a little Salvatore manwich (who wouldn’t?). But as Damon hinted, we didn't get the entire story. There’s still a lot to uncover, like how the brothers decided to feed on human blood, how Katherine died, why Damon blames Stefan, and so much more.
Vicki the Vampire
The best thing that could’ve happened to Vicki happened. Well, okay, probably not the best thing, but definitely the second best thing (the first being writing off Vicki’s character completely). She became a vampire. Did I call it or what? In last week’s episode, Vicki again fell victim to Damon’s bloodsucking. As Damon was about to finish her off, he noticed that she was still alive. “You just don’t want do die, do you?” asked Damon, perfectly expressing what we all were thinking. Damon took her back to his place, made her take a hit of his blood, then used his compulsion to control Vicki’s mind. After some manic, half-naked dancing, the partying somehow turned into a slow-dancing therapy session with Vicki pouring her heart out and crying over Damon’s shoulder. Damon gave the best solution to all her problems—death. And then SNAP, broke her neck. The process of transforming into a vampire doesn't seem all too complicated, basically it goes like this:
Step 1: Drink a vampire’s blood
Step 2: Die
Step 3: Come back to life and drink a human’s blood
I'm excited to see this new version of Vicki. She'll no longer be the victim, she'll be the one kicking butt. Looks like Tyler should expect to get a taste of his own medicine.
The “Lost Girls” ended with Elena calling things off between her and Stefan, but I have a feeling their break-up won't last too long. Remember, the next episode “Haunted” won't be until October 29. Catch The Vampire Diaries on Thursdays @ 8 PM on the CW 44Cable12.
Oct 14, 2009 5:22 PM Posted by cwmusic On Tuesday evening, I had the chance to view an early screening of “Where the Wild Things Are.” As a child, I was a huge fan of the book, and the trailers made me want to go see the movie even more. Not even the stormy Bay Area weather could stop me from going to the theater. Spike Jonze’s live-action adaptation stays true to the illustrations of the 1963 children’s book by Maurice Sendak. Turning to Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, the film combines the use of costumes, animatronics, and CGI effects to bring these furry creatures into life. The result is a refreshing and imaginative take on these beastly beings. They look incredibly real and their faces as humanly expressive as could be. The soundtrack, brought to you by Karen O. and “the kids,” does a superb job of complementing the amazing visuals, adding some delightful depth and a vibrant touch. There’s no doubt that the movie is a visual feast for the eyes, but it seems to be lacking a fulfilling story. The movie doesn’t have much of a narrative structure. I guess, even with the help of talented author Dave Eggers, it’s still not easy adapting a story of only 338 words into a hefty screenplay. It seems that all the creatures do is mope around and bicker amongst one another, seeing who could make the other feel more terrible. It doesn’t help that the main character Max isn’t so likeable, coming off as a brat with anger issues. Despite the not-so-satisfying story, I still recommend watching this movie for the uniquely stunning visuals and awesome soundtrack. Just don’t expect to have much fun. I came in looking forward to a lighthearted and adventurous children’s tale, but instead left with a heavy heart and a feeling of melancholy. “Where the Wild Things Are” comes out in theaters this Friday, October 16. | |
