Things I Enjoy That Most People Don't...

Wow, if I took the title of this entry to heart, this could be a steamy blog entry, right? :) Uncover your eyes, I'm keeping it PG, folks.

When I get into conversations with folks about all things "pop culture," I find myself trying to "sell" something i know in my heart is quality, but that so few either know about or pay attention to. Is it that my tastes in television, movies and music is THAT bad - or are my choices largely misunderstood and under-appreciated?

You know where I stand on that question. So without further adieu, (does this thing have a spell-checker to check that one?), here are a few items I enjoy IMMENSELY that I don't think many people are checking out...

TELEVISION

Wednesdays at 10pm - LIFE ON MARS (ABC) - It's late 2008, a New York City cop goes on a call and gets blind-sided by a car and knocked unconscious. When he comes to, it's 1973, he possesses a wicked ol' school muscle car, a crazy leatherish leisure suit, and stands in the shadow of - ready for this? - the World Trade Center towers. This show fromes from the same folks that bring you "Lost" so you know it's a good mind screw, at times, as you try and figure out (with the lead character) why he's in 1973 NYC working as a cop, but the episodes are good on their own, and work well with the overall sotry arc. Check it out before they cancel this thing prematurely. In other words, it needs help, and I need them to wrap up the story BEFORE it gets the axe, please.

Fridays at 10pm - REAL TIME WITH BALL MAHER (HBO) - Okay, so my "socialist, leftist, commie" friends are probably already watching this, and it IS critically acclaimed, but I live in the reddest of "red states," so the locals may not be aware that when they chased Bill Maher off their local ABC affilites, he ran over to HBO and continues to fight the Limbaugh/Hanniity crowd with his own brand of political humor, satire and wit. Plus he gets politicians, activitis, actors, comedians, of all walks of life to appear. It's a damn-funny sohw.

Also Fridays at 10pm (thank you Time Warner DVR) - BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (Sci Fi) - Okay, so honestly, you're kinda screwed if you wanted to jump on this bandwagon, as there are only three episodes left in the four-season series that critics have fallen over themselves heaping praise at. This isn't your weird uncle's "Galactica," either. I've said this ad nauseum to anybody who asks (or gets stuck in a conversation w/me about this show and isn't rude enough to cut me off with disinterest) - go rent the mini-series that launched this show five years ago and I have no DOUBT you'll be going back to rent or buy seasons as they come out. This show is that good. The premise (so hard to pen in a short burst) - humans living in a 12-planet system all under one unifying government find themselves fleeing their planets as their nuclear weapons are turned on themselves - from within. Turns out the robots (Cyclons) they'd chased off 40 years ago in a prolonged war are back - and they have humanoid models. The Cylons were made by man, and used by man, til they becamse smart enough to think for themselves and revolted. That was the first war (which we don't see). Forty years later, they've returned to eradicate the universe of the human race. That's all you get from me...go rent the mini-seies and find out why I'm a homebody on Friday nights (as if that were the ONLY reason, right?).

MUSIC

So yeah, these are songs we're playing on Mix 97.7. Hey, it's what I know. But I'd LOVE to hear more folks requesting these songs. They're STRONG, the performances are LOADED with talent (sorry, Soulja Boy has about as much talent as my cat does when positioning himself to clean his nads, frankly), and these songs need tobe noticed.

"SHOW ME WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR" by Carolina Liar - Unbelievably strong lyrics, vocals, instrumentation. You almost forget that THIS is what hit music is supposed to be about! This has some 'Supertramp' meets 'The Fray' vibes for me.

"1,2,3,4 I LOVE YOU" by the Plain White T's - Ugh, I know, another song without nasty rap - what am I THINKING? I'm thinking people with lyrical and musical talent are getting lost in the shuffle. This song's so nice and catchy it's addictive. Good guys, too...really good guys.

"COME ON, GET HIGHER" by Matt Nathanson - Spotting a them, here? No mentions of sex, ballin' or bragging. Just powerful lyrics, singing about being in love, and a singer who has a remarkable craft.

Don't get me wrong - I DO have guilty pleasures: "Right Round" by Flo Rida, "I Love College" by Asher Roth, "Day 'N Nite" by Kid Cudi come to mind. But as I've said from the beginning, I wanted to spotlight things that I enjoy that I'm not sure many others are checking out. :)