Dr. Phil Plait gets own TV show on Discovery
July 23, 2010
Pardon me while I totally nerd-out for a minute… but I must share some news that made me very happy this morning. I first saw this in a tweet from Dr. Neil de Grasse-Tyson. Dr. Phil Plait- astronomer, author, blogger, and relentless promoter of real science and reality in general- is getting his very own show on the Discovery Channel. I’ve been a big fan of his ever since discovering his blog Bad Astronomy. He’s been mentioning a so-called “sooper seekrit project” in his posts for about a year now, and this must be what he was referring to. I get the feeling that there was some sort of miscommunication between him and the powers-that-be at Discovery, because all the tweets and mentions about this new show lead back to this YouTube video, which is basically a promo commercial/sneak-peek at the new series. However, he hasn’t yet mentioned it on his blog or even tweeted about it *update: he finally mentioned it on his blog here. Turns out it will only be a 3-part series… :(* . This doesn’t surprise me given the fact that he’s currently at Comic-Con. It looks like the show is going to take on a Mythbusters-esque vibe but mostly focusing on all the myths and junk science surrounding various doomsday/disaster scenarios such as asteroid impacts, comet impacts, gamma-ray bursts, and hopefully the ridiculous 2012 Mayan calendar myth. I honestly wouldn’t be the slightest bit surprised if Jamie and Adam of Mythbusters are producers of this show… or somehow otherwise involved with it.
No idea when this show will air, *the show will probably air this fall* but I’m definitely looking forward to it. Congrats, Phil!
Infinity Cat invades NYC/Columbia “Viper” is famous
July 7, 2010
Infinity Cat staples Heavy Cream and Jeff the Brotherhood both got some serious love yesterday on Brooklyn Vegan. They’re about to embark on a tour together, and will be invading NYC next weekend, though oddly they’re not actually on any of the NYC bills together. Coincidentally I’ll be in NYC visiting my girlfriend who is currently there for a month taking a class at SVA. We’ll probably drop by one of those shows and surprise them. It seems like NYC has had a bit of a crush on Nashville’s rock scene, especially since Be Your Own Pet exposed them to the Infinity Cat roster. Awesome.
If you’ve been under a rock, you may not have heard about Columbia, TN’s real-life spandex-clad superhero “The Viper,” but some national media outlets have taken notice. The most interesting place this story popped up is on the sci-fi/tv/nerd blog i09. The part I don’t really get is why the hell you can’t wear a mask in public in Columbia. Seriously? It seems like the local lawmakers got bored and decided to find an excuse to arrest everyone on Halloween…
This has to be one of the best posts in Hipster Runoff history…
More science posts coming soon, I promise…
Best video EVER
July 3, 2010
I don’t normally post on weekends, but my friend John sent me this and I nearly died. So I had to post it… just be patient with it, it gets really good about a minute in…
National blow-shit-up weekend stuff/more WTF
July 2, 2010
The official national “blow shit up” holiday weekend is about to commence, and I’m sure you’ve already made plans of how/when/where you’re going to blow shit up. So here’s a list of good shows to attend when you’re not blowing shit up this weekend:
TONIGHT- I’ll be at the Comfies EP release show at the End, which also features Tristen and probably another band, but that band hasn’t been listed anywhere that I can find. Regardless, this will be a good show.
Also if you’re in Murfreesboro tonight, Chris Freeman is back in town for the summer and is playing a show at Liquid Smoke, while just down the block Henry Daggs is playing at Wallstreet. You could probably dash back & forth if you really wanted to…
SATURDAY- Break out your old flannel and ripped jeans from high school and wear them to My So-Called Band: the Ultimate 90’s Experience at Mercy Lounge. Or check out Henry Rollins at TPAC’s Jackson Hall. Or check out Dave Cloud, Diet Blood, Marj!, Square People, and Deluxin’ at Open Lot.
For the 4th, there’s really no excuse to not be at Mercy Lounge for the Nashville Cream/Vienna Beef sponsored “National Hot Dog Month Kickoff Party.” I’ll be doing a photobooth, you can watch the always-awesome downtown fireworks from Mercy’s kickass balcony, AND be treated to the sounds of Ghostfinger, Heartbeater, Alcohol Stuntband, and the Armed Forces, all MC-ed by Chris Crofton. And one more thing- everyone gets a free hot dog. All this for the patriotic price of $5. ($8 if you’re 18-20.) Doors open at 7pm so be sure to get there early, because everyone will be elbowing for a good spot to watch the fireworks from on the patio, and the fireworks generally start around 9 or 930pm. The bands will start immediately after the fireworks.
Last but not least, I must mention this “WTF” moment… since I posted a bunch “WTFs” yesterday. Here’s a video from Beck’s Record Club, featuring Beck, Thurston Moore, and Tortoise covering Yanni. YES, YANNI. Yanni’s Live at the Acropolis to be exact. I’m speechless. (Via You Ain’t No Picasso)
New sElf video
June 22, 2010
I’ve been rather tied up the past couple of days since I’m volunteering/teaching photography at the Tennessee Teens Rock & Roll Camp, so you’ve probably already seen this on the Nashville Cream, but since I’m the world’s biggest sElf fan, I have to post this. Because it deserves reposting. Holy fucking shit this video is cool… I already mentioned the new song, now here’s the video. One fucking take, in reverse. I can’t tell if he actually lip-synced backwards or not, or if the words work out so that him lip-syncing in reverse looks close enough that it works… but whatevs. This video fucking rules. Matt is a genius.
Some good new releases/Bonnaroo quick recap
June 15, 2010
I thought I was going crazy for a while, but then A-Trak posted this blog last Thursday confirming that I’m not crazy. His project with Armand Van Helden Duck Sauce released their first single “aNYway” a few months ago basically everywhere but the US. A 128 kb version was relatively easy to find on some blogs, but the full-quality official version wasn’t available in the US… until now. Trizzy acknowledges this travesty in his comments, but I sincerely hope this doesn’t happen for future releases. Go grab this amazing track on beatport now!
The vinyl version of Uncle Skeleton’s new full-length Warm Under the Covers is now officially available via YK records. Go grab it at the Uncle Skeleton bandcamp, or just get the digital version for however much you want to pay. (Via Yewknee)
So as you well know from my last post, I went to Bonnaroo. I had an artist pass, and even though that grants one a much better experience than a regular patron (access to cleaner showers, a couple of air-conditioned tents, and free booze backstage), it was still FUCKING HOT. Aside from the heat, my mind was blown by two performances in particular: Daryl Hall + Chromeo and LCD Soundsystem.
Daryl Hall and Chromeo are the perfect match of old and new stylistically. Daryl Hall had a huge fan blowing his snowy mane into an utterly God-like immensity, P-Thugg’s vocoder leads were spot-on, and the overall silky smoothness of the affair was beyond words. I was there with Drew Mischke from Mercy Lounge and Jon Burr of How I Became the Bomb (and a few others), and if you know anything about either of those individuals, you can imagine how giddy they both were at this spectacle. It was kind of endearing.
LCD Soundsystem was about an hour after the above show, and having not seen them before, a 2:30am set complete with the largest and brightest disco ball I’ve ever seen was enough to blow my mind yet again. I watched most of the set from sidestage, but the sound was good enough that I could sense how awesomely tight James Murphy’s backing band is. I was literally running on fumes by that point, but the energy of their performance kept me going right till the end.
I also learned more than I ever wanted to know about bros and the phenomenon of getting ICED and/or ICING someone else.
That’s really all I have to say, and if you haven’t checked out the numerous blog posts (most of which are a bit belated thanks to the press wi-fi meltdown that occurred) from the Nashville Cream, please do so for further, more in-depth coverage and some great photos by Lance Conzett and Eric England.
Bonnaroo weather/CMA bingo/no more posts this week
June 9, 2010
*This will be my last post this week, and today will be my last day of web presence until after Bonnaroo.*
As I’ve said before, I’m going to Bonnaroo this year. I’m not going the way I’ve gone the past 2 years, however, as the Scene/SouthComm is sending their staff photographers to cover it this year, obviously the result of a rough economy/tight budget. (They are full-time staff photographers, so in the end SouthComm isn’t having to pay them anymore than they would have already, whereas my work would be an extra expense to them since I’m freelance.) Let me say that I’m in no way irked at them for doing this, as they have to do what makes financial sense in these times especially, and if I were in their shoes, I’d probably do the same. Since they weren’t sending me, I had to work a little harder to acquire a pass, but I did. So, don’t expect any photos from me this year, as I won’t be able to get into the photo pits, and honestly don’t want to have to lug the expensive/heavy equipment around and keep up with it unless I have to. My only real goal is to see LCD Soundsystem, since this is expected to be their last year of live shows, ever.
I’ve heard a lot of ridiculous rumors that there’s going to be a monsoon in Manchester this year. THIS IS BALONEY. The weather forecast looks exactly like every other June forecast in TN has since the beginning of time. It’s going to be hot, humid, and there’s a slight chance (20-30%) of scattered showers and storms in the afternoon. I’d say there will be at least 1 or 2 of those showers/storms that happen across Bonnaroo, but it will by no means equate to a monsoon. The cause of this rumor is probably the fact that most weather apps and “forecast-at-a-glance” sources don’t include the probability of precipitation (PoP). They just show a small icon that has the sun covered partially by a storm cloud, a few rain drops, and a lightning bolt. It still shows that icon, even if the PoP is only 10%. This is a problem in my opinion, because sadly the vast majority of people will probably look at those icons on each day and think that it means it’s going to rain all day, everyday. So if you’re going this year, of course be prepared for rain and mud- it’s going to rain at some point, but it’s not going to rain the whole time. Remember to drink plenty of water and you’ll be fine.
I must also point you to Nashvillest’s 2nd (I think) annual CMA Bingo card. With the “CMApocalypse” quickly approaching, this little bit of local humor/snark is all but necessary to keep your sanity if you’re a Nashvillian who hates this annual gathering of:
AND
Have a great rest of the week/Bonnaroo if you’re going, and I will see you here sometime next week.
Image via Discovery.com
I’ll start off by simply saying that I think Mythbusters is one of the greatest things ever created on television. This show is not only a nerd’s dream come true, but it’s also entertaining enough that the non-nerds can enjoy it as well… and in the end everyone learns something. The show is easily the Discovery Channel’s greatest success. The show’s success reaches FAR beyond ratings, however, in that it cleverly promotes scientific and critical thinking to the masses. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that many kids who would’ve otherwise never been interested in science have become interested in it because of this show. These guys prove that science and critical thinking are cool. The value of continually educating people about science, and especially keeping a steady flow of young people into the field of science, is absolutely essential for the well-being of humanity. I think that the value of this show’s contribution to society may never be fully realized, but I will continue to tirelessly promote it. At risk of boring you, the reader, I will now cut to the chase: the news via i09 that made me jump for joy this morning. To know that this television series is here to stay for many more years and also that its creators and stars will be involved in many spin-off projects makes me absolutely elated. I’ll simply give you the full press release from the Discovery Channel:
LOS ANGELES, CA, — Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage, co-hosts of Discovery Channel’s MythBusters series, have signed a multi-year deal to co-executive produce the popular science show. In addition, Hyneman and Savage have formed a new production company and they will team with BermanBraun to develop and create additional television series with Discovery Channel.
Building on their production activities, Hyneman and Savage will extend their activities to video games and a live show to take on tour around the country. The duo, along with BermanBraun, also will create and produce a new branded web initiative.
“We’re excited not only to continue on the MythBusters series for Discovery, but also to expand our reach into additional opportunities in television, the internet, touring, video games and more. We could not have accomplished this escalation without the dedicated efforts of our entire team, and we’re also extremely grateful to Discovery for their continuing expressions of confidence.” said Jamie Hyneman.
“Adam and Jamie infuse science with their special brand of humor, tenacity and passion,” said Clark Bunting, President and General Manager of Discovery Channel and President of Science Channel. “Now that they are taking on co-executive producer roles, viewers are guaranteed to see even more of their smart and engaging personalities throughout the new shows.”
Lloyd Braun and Gail Berman said: “Jamie and Adam have a truly special appeal and speak to a dedicated and wide-ranging audience. We are excited about developing new series, which speak to that audience and continue to build on the unique Jamie and Adam brand.”
MythBusters, the longest running series on Discovery Channel, which airs on Wednesdays at 9PM ET/PT, is produced by Australian producer Beyond Productions, and began airing on the network in 2003. Dan Tapster is the executive producer for Beyond Productions; Tracy Rudolph is the supervising producer for Discovery Channel.
Credit: NASA
My other piece of science news comes from NASA (surprise surprise). The Phoenix Mars Lander mission has been officially ended after new images of the lander taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter show structural damage to the solar panels. It’s very important to remember that this mission was a resounding success, and the lander lasted as long as it was supposed to. It gathered valuable scientific data, and found exactly what it was looking for- water ice just underneath the Martian “topsoil.” However, Phoenix landed in a northern area of Mars which is covered in frozen CO2 (dry ice) during the Martian winter. Since the probe landed in the Martian fall, it was expected that it would be covered in ice and not survive the winter. The following Martian spring began in January, and the mission scientists decided to attempt communications with the probe just in case it somehow survived. They got no responses for several months, and now that they’ve analyzed the photos from the MRO, they’re certain that the lander cannot function due to the solar panel damage. Again, this is in no way a failure, but rather a minor disappointment in the mission. I guess after the massive success of the Spirit and Opportunity rovers (which have now broken the record for longest-running Mars misssion), NASA thought they might get lucky and get a little more life out of Phoenix as well. (Via Discovery News)
JR/SR kicks off tonight/Bonnaroo Schedule revealed
May 21, 2010
Those Darlins at Bonnaroo 2009
In case you haven’t paid any attention to the interwebs the past day or two, the Bonnaroo schedule is now up. Check it out and make your own customized schedule. The Road to Bonnaroo winners are mostly on the Troo Music Lounge stage (where they were last year) except for How I Became the Bomb, who are playing at Cafe Where?. I’m unfamiliar with this… venue… as I never went there in my past 2 years of covering Bonnaroo. It’s a little lame that HIBTB, Non Comms, and Space Capone are all 3 on Sunday, while Caitlin Rose is on Thursday, but whatevs.
Tonight boasts a pretty good offering of good shows in Nashville. There’s the all-ages Nobunny/Pujol show at Third Man Records, but get there early- shit starts at 6pm. Then there’s Tristen/The Goldroom/Hammertorch/Hands Down Eugene at The End. The thing I’m most looking forward to 
tonight, however, is the new monthly (I think) party called JR/SR at the multi-purpose/art space Open Lot. It’s being organized by some of the same folks who brought you the La Paz dance parties a few months back. After the La Paz owners were assholes to said people, I suggested Open Lot as a possible venue for future parties/shows/etc… after reading about it in The Rabbit. Looks like it worked out, as tonight’s party boasts a killer lineup of DJs- Justin Kase, Potamus, and Secret Name, as well as full sets from Majestico and Fly Golden Eagle. Check out the facebook event page for more details.
Saturday’s show offerings look good as well- the biggest being the Those Darlins/Natural Child/Pujol/So Jazzy show at Mercy Lounge. Nikki Darlin recently took a spill and broke her arm after a show due to a dangerous combination of booze, cowboy boots, and a grassy field. Being a traveling musician/performer, she of course has no health insurance and thus faces overwhelming medical expenses, thus this show will feature some notable other local musicians filling in for her on banjolele. I’m assuming she’ll still be able to sing. The money from the show will go towards her medical expenses. Then there’s the Kelly Kerr & the Distractions album release show at FooBar… I wrote up a little review of his album last week.
The party doesn’t stop there, as local publicity stunt-whiz Brandon Jazz of the Armed Forces will be following the Westboro Baptist Church assholes around on their mini-tour of Nashville churches sunday morning, playing his song “Radical Luv” over and over in hopes of drowning them out. If I can force myself out of bed early enough Sunday morning I’ll be with them taking some pics. Read more about it at Nashville Cream.
I also find it hilarious that every music blog has been all “OMG!!! 20 SECONDS OF THE NEW ARCADE FIRE ALBUM!!! AAAHHHEEEEE!!!”
Have a great weekend!
steve cross loves music and science 