Hard-Fi
"Cash Machine"
"Stars of CCTV" (courtesy Central Village)



"Cash Machine" is the best song I've heard in a while, kind of a Clash-meets-Gorillaz type number...it rocks but it's a lot more than just a guitar-bass-drums track. Their sound isn't blatantly like any of the other young bands out there, which is pretty cool. Anyway, I'll pack this away as one of my favorite finds in the last few months. Someone has posted the entire album Stars of CCTV here. Thanks to Mulldoggey for wacking me over the head on this one.

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In my "What I'm DVRing" post I forgot a couple which deserve mention:

"I'm Alan Partridge" (BBC America, Saturdays@11)
Alan Partridge is the creation of Steve Coogan, who you may know from 24 Hour Party People, Coffee and Cigarettes, or Around the World in 80 Days. In other words, you probably don't know Steve Coogan. Anyway, Alan Partridge first appeared in 1994 in "Knowing Me, Knowing You," in which he was the host of a fictional talk show of the same name where he invariably created awkward situations and alienated bewildered guests. It played something like Larry Sanders, only there was no backstage action--it was shot just like a regular chat show, but with a revolving cast of character actors filling in as victims of Partridge's alternatingly insecure, arrogant, and micro-managing persona. Moreover, I don't think Larry Sanders was obsessed with Roger Moore and ABBA. It started airing early this year on BBC America, and I happened to catch the first show and have followed it since.



After a limited run (the Brits are good at keep their comedy series short and sweet), Coogan eventually brought Alan back, though this time as the graying, semi-disgraced host of a 4:30-7 AM show on regional radio. That brings us to the two seasons of "I'm Alan Partridge," which is more of a typical comedy show, albeit of the single-camera, no-set variety. Here we find Alan divorced and considered a has-been due to the non-renewal of "Knowing Me, Knowing You" years earlier.



Of course, Alan's ego has hardly shrunken, though his only remaining friends are Michael, the guy who works the register at the local gas station, and his personal assistant Lynn, who as the too-friendly-for-her-own-good type inevitably gets the business end of Alan's decayed self-righteousness. For a complete look at the career of Alan Partridge check out the official BBC UK site.

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Lots of great Conan quotables (Knuckles reminded me these are the best thing about this blog):

"Rafael Palmeiro is eligible to rejoin the Baltimore Orioles today after serving a 10-day suspension for failing a steroids test. Palmeiro says he spent the time off collecting jars of other men's urine."

"Next month, a cell phone company is going to start selling a mobile phone that resembles the communicators featured on 'Star Trek'. 'Star Trek fans are really excited because for an extra $1000 the phone comes with a girl's phone number. "

"The other day, New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg criticized the Church of Scientology by saying the religion doesn't make sense. In response, a furious Tom Cruise said, 'Cupcakes, Zipper, Armadillo.'"

"Diet guru Richard Simmons has agreed to host a new radio show on satellite radio. Simmons says radio is the perfect opportunity for fans to take advantage of his diet expertise without having to look at him. "

"In a new interview, actor Johnny Depp says he wants to shake up his on-screen image. So he's thinking about starring in a hardcore porn film. The porno is going to be called 'Charlie Takes It in the Chocolate Factory.'"

"Today at the White House President Bush spoke to the astronauts who are orbiting the Earth on the space shuttle Discovery. Unfortunately the astronauts couldn't hear the President because he was standing on the White House lawn with a megaphone."

"Yesterday, Baltimore slugger Rafael Palmiero tested the positive for steroids a few months after telling congress, 'I never took steroids, period.' Then today, Palmiero said, 'I mean to say 'I never took steroids, question mark.'"

"In Oklahoma, a Native American woman is suing the Cherokee Nation because they won't recognize her lesbian marriage. The woman also said she wants to take her partner's Indian name 'She-Who-Wears-A-Tool-Belt.'"

"This week, rapper Snoop Dogg started doing a series of commercials for Chrysler automobiles. This marks the first time Snoop has recommended a dealer who sells cars."

"It was reported today that an anti-Hillary Clinton Web site has only been able to raise 12,000 dollars. When asked why, Bill Clinton said, 'That's all I had.'"

"The guy who played the cop in the Village People was arrested on drug charges and spent this past weekend in prison. He says being in prison is a lot like being in the Village People- except with less gay sex."