Major Announcement: Two New Series at Popcorn in My Bra

I have two major announcements when it comes to this blog. I’m going to expand this blog beyond movie, music and book reviews, and Great Moments in Gen X History to two new series, "WTF Files" and "Gen X Profiles." Let me tell you about them.

For the longest time I thought this blog didn’t have the right soupçon of snark. To remedy this, I’m going to write a series called the "WTF Files." Are there people, places and things that make you say, “WTF?” Yep, me, too. So I just need to comment on those things. For instance, Miley Cyrus is on the August cover of Elle magazine. Seriously, WTF? And as always, I’d love your suggestions for this new series.

My other series "Gen X Profiles." Gen X Profiles will profile Gen X-ers in pop culture, entertainment, media and fashion design. Some of these Gen X-ers you will probably already know, and some Gen X-ers may be new to you. And because its my blog, I will profile some of my Gen X friends. If you know of any Gen X-ers I should profile, please don’t hesitate to tell me. And if you’re interested in any other Gen X related articles, check out Jen’s blog. Lately she’s been featuring guest bloggers writing about the good, bad and ugly of being a Gen X-er, good stuff.

Other than my new series, I do have some other upcoming posts of interest. Soon I will post a DVD watch, movie review, book review and another Great Moments in Gen X History. They should be up shortly.

Just a Quickie: Mad Men Casting Call

My former yoga buddy, Margie Wirth, is up for a walk-on roll on the critically-acclaimed AMC show Mad Men. Please be a lamb and vote for her. I think it would be really cool if she won. And doesn't she look fetching in her frock?

CD Review: Welcome Interstate Managers by Fountains of Wayne (Previously Published)

Yes, I am well aware this CD came out in 2003. However, it was one of the first music reviews I ever wrote, and really got the ball rolling when it comes to me writing about pop culture. Plus, I've had a crappy week, and this blog has been on the back burner. I'll get back to your usual scheduled programming shortly. Enjoy!

New York based rockers, Fountains of Wayne, make music for the over-educated and under-employed cubicle set. Using Beatles like melodies with a touch of '80s new wave pope sensibilities, Fountains of Wayne sing catchy, sing-a-long tunes. Their third release, Welcome Interstate Managers, is full of radio-ready songs about wistful teenage nostalgia and weary adult reality.

The CD opens with "Mexican Wine", a song about dealing with the cards life has dealt you. Lyrics like "He was killed by a cellular phone explosion/They scattered his ashes across the ocean/The water was used to make baby lotion/The wheels of promotion were set into motion" are nonsensical, but fun.

The video to the Cars-influenced "Stacy's Mom" is already getting lots of heavy airplay on MTV2. In this song, a young (13ish) boy pines for his girlfriend's mom whose "got it going on." The deluded adolescent tells Stacy, "And I know that you think it's just a fantasy/But since your dad walked out, your mom could use a guy like me." This infectious tune, enhanced by heavy guitars and handclaps, begs you to sing along.

The sweetly melancholic, " Hackensack" slows things down a bit. In this beautifully harmonized track, a working stiff yearns for his high school crush who is now a famous celebrity. Our protagonist tells her, "I saw you talkin'/to Christopher Walken/On my tv screen", while he slaves away working for his dad. He promises her, "And if you ever get back to Hackensack /I'll here for you."

Fountains of Wayne sing about a preoccupied wannabe actress in the ballad "Halley's Waitress." While patrons wait for a cup of java, Halley's Waitress "Has vanished once again/She's talking to her agent/She's calling all her friends/Forget about the coffee/I'll just take a check/Halley's waitress/You know you'll get yours yet." This song has a very 70s-soul like feel.

Out a left field comes, "Hung Up On You" a country-fried tune about love gone awry. Steel pedal guitar and sad sack lyrics fit this song perfectly, "And I can't dial the phone just now/Even though I know your number/Can't bring my broken heart to be untrue/Like you did today/You'll say good-bye the same old way/Even since you hung up on me/I've been hung up on."

Though Fountains of Wayne are firmly established in infectious pop hooks, they are not afraid to play with other musical genres that are amply proven on this CD. This willingness to experiment and have fun with music makes Welcome Interstate Managers one of the most essential and satisfying CDs of 2003.

Just a Quickie: Hollywood Comes to the Shores of Lake Michigan

A movie is being made in my neighborhood! Directed by Terry Green, No God, No Master tells the tale of the US Bureau of Investigation into Communist activity during the early 1900s. Oscar-nominated actor, David Strathairn (Good Night and Good Luck) plays the lead investigator William Flynn. The movie takes place in New York's Little Italy in 1919. Now you're probably wondering why the movie isn't actually being filmed in New York's Little Italy. My guess is Milwaukee's east side is far less crowded and congested than Manhattan, plus it's less costly to film in Milwaukee.

Though I've been too busy with work to take a look at the filming, I'm pretty darn excited. I did see some sets being put together on Brady Street as I took a stroll after my Sunday morning coffee stop. Our Fox affiliate has some video of the shooting. The movie's website doesn't tell a whole lot right now, but if I hear of any other news I'll let you know.

Book Review: Don't You Forget About Me by Jancee Dunn

Former staff writer for Rolling Stone and author of the rock and roll memoir, But Enough About Me, Jancee Dunn has turned her considerable writing talents to fiction, and the result is the poignant and endearing novel, Don’t You Forget About Me.

Don’t You Forget About Me is about Lillian Curtis. At 38, Lillian seems to a have a pretty good life. She works as a producer of the talk show Tell Me Everything! featuring old Hollywood star, Vivian Barbour. Lillian lives in New York City with her husband, and though their marriage is no longer passionate, Lillian is content. However, her husband feels differently. He wants a divorce. Not surprisingly, Lillian is completely shocked.

Vivian (who I saw as a combination of Auntie Mame and Betty White) convinces Lillian to take a sabbatical from producing the show. And Lillian ends up going home to New Jersey where her parents welcome her back. Back in her old bedroom, surrounded by posters of Duran Duran and Squeeze, Lillian has no idea where her marriage went wrong and wonders what to do next.

Then she receives an invitation to her 20th year high school reunion. This brings up a flood of memories, which include her ex-boyfriend Christian Somers. Lillian becomes obsessed with Christian, replaying their high school romance from first kiss to break up in her mind. She wonders what he’s up to, if he’ll remember her and if he still thinks about her the way she still thinks about him.

Though she’s closing in on forty, Lillian begins to relive her teen years. She listens to old mix tapes, reads faded notes sent in her classes (remember this was before text messaging) and re-connects with her old high school chums. One of these friends includes Dawn, a girl Lillian viciously betrayed when she became part of the popular crowd. And even though it’s been twenty years since graduation, Dawn isn’t so willing to forgive and forget.

Feeling like a big loser in her thirties, Lillian believes high school glory will make her feel much better. But she soon realizes the “best years” of her life weren’t really that great and there is a reason why we call the past, the past. And there is also a reason why our ex-boyfriends are our ex-boyfriends. Lillian knows she has to move forward with her life

Don’t You Forget Me is written in an engaging style that immediately grabs you. Lillian is a character that most of us can relate to even if you didn’t graduate during the era of acid wash jeans and big hair. Lillian can be frustrating, but at the same time you totally root for her. Don’t You Forget Me is a fun read with characters that stayed with me after I read the last sentence. If you’re looking for an entertaining summer read that won’t make you lose brain cells, pick up Don’t You Forget About Me.

Just a Quickie: Emmy Nominations 2009

The Emmy nominations have been announced. One of my personal faves, 30 Rock, is ahead of the pack with 22 nominations. Not surprisingly, both Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin have received acting nods. But both Jane Krakowski, Jack McBrayer and Tracy Morgan have received supporting acting noms, which is great. I really enjoy them in their roles. Guest actors like Steve Martin, Alan Alda, Jennifer Aniston and Elaine Stritch have received nominations for their work. I’d love to see Ms. Stritch get an award. She’s great as Jack Donaghy’s “difficult” mom, Colleen.

Tina Fey’s work on Saturday Night Live also got a nomination. And I’m happy to see both Kristin Wiig and Amy Poehler get their SNL work recognized. I think Amy deserves some kind of lifetime achievement award for this rap alone (especially considering she was a week away from giving birth).

The Office got a nomination as did Steve Carell and Rainn Wilson. I haven’t been too thrilled with The Office lately, but I always enjoy Steve and Rainn’s work. We’ll see how The Office plays out this upcoming season, especially with Pam’s (alleged) pregnancy. I’m afraid it will get too sitcom-y.

Cable continues to get recognized for its great TV work. Mad Men, Big Love, Dexter, Flight of the Conchords and my friend Nora’s personal favorite, Entourage, have all received some Emmy love. Cable movies and mini-series like Grey Gardens and Into the Storm have been nominated. But how did that horrific Lifetime channel biopic of Coco Chanel get nominated? It was awful!

To be honest, I wasn’t too surprised about most of the nominations, a lot of familiar names once again. However, I will watch the Emmy’s when they are given out September 20th. I’m an award’s show bitch, and Neil Patrick Harris is hosting. Score!

Concert Review: Fountains of Wayne with Jon Auer

This past Saturday I went to see one of my favorite bands, Fountains of Wayne, at Turner Hall Ballroom in downtown Milwaukee. I’ve been a fan of Fountains of Wayne for years, but I never had the privilege of seeing them live. But when I found out they were playing a gig, and tickets were a mere $15.00 I jumped at the chance. I didn’t know what to expect; some bands on record don’t exactly translate into good live acts. But with Fountains of Wayne I was delightfully impressed, and I left the concert a bigger fan than before.

First, Turner Hall Ballroom is a great venue for a concert. It reminded me of an European beer hall. It’s both large enough to accommodate a big crowd, yet intimate enough to not feel overwhelming. After grabbing a diet Coke at the bar, I settled at a table near the stage, and began to survey the crowd. The audience was made of mostly Generation X-ers and Millennials, but I also spied a few Baby Boomers cool enough to realize music doesn’t begin and end with the Beatles.

Jon Auer, formerly with the band the Posies, was Fountains of Wayne’s opening act. I had heard of the Posies, but I sad to say, I’m not familiar with their music. So Auer was a mystery to me. I soon became a fan. Auer has a sweet voice that belies his big teddy bear appearance. He sung songs about heartbreak, loss and relationships gone awry. Yet, he had such fun personality. He even snarked on Nickelback and the Jonas Brothers. He joked with us that when his marriage fell apart, he thought he could either get therapy or make a record. He figured making a record would be cheaper, and the audience definitely benefited from his decision. I found myself drawn into songs like “Year of Our Demise” and “Bottom of the Bottle.” And after his set was done, I sidled up to Auer as he walked through the audience, introduced myself and bought one of his 6 song CDs. Hey, I’m always looking for some good music to listen to.

Fountains of Wayne walked out on stage at promptly 9:00pm. Hey, these are four nearly middle-aged guys with families and mortgages. They can’t afford to be screw ups. They opened the show with “Please Don’t Rock Me Tonight.” But yes, they did rock me. I couldn’t help but get swooped up in the unifying force that is music. Ugh, does that sound too pretentious and cheesy?

Anyway, even though Fountains of Wayne were treating us to an acoustic concert, everything was totally high energy. The guys joked that you could tell it was an acoustic set because of the candles on the tables. They treated us to fan favorites like “Little Red Light” and “Someone to Love.” Fountains of Wayne pointed out an adorable girl who was dancing by the stage. Hey, not so long ago I was that adorable girl. However, I decided to sit back and enjoy the show in while writing down some notes in my trusty notebook.

The guys informed us that they are working on a new album, and everyone cheered. Well, I should hope they’re working on a new album. It’s been two years since Traffic and Weather. But they warned us that it may be a while before it comes out because it’s been several months since they worked on it. Gee, guys, thanks for living up the Generation X slacker stereotype. However, that didn’t stop them from playing two new songs that will be on the next album, “The Summer Place” and “A Road Song.” If these songs are indication of the type of songs that will be on the next Fountains of Wayne album, well, hurry up and finish the damn thing!

During “Hey Julie” the guys invited three members of the audience to join them in playing percussion. The girls totally got into it, shaking their hips and flipping their hair. But the guy on maracas was totally chill, or "wistful" as Fountains of Wayne later commented. Are you wondering why I didn’t offer to get up and stage and accompany the guys? Well, of course at that point, I got really shy. Plus, I wasn’t as close to the stage as the others so the band couldn't see me.

Fountains of Wayne got everybody groovin’ when they played “Red Dragon Tattoo” and then brought things down a notch with “Valley Winter Song.” You may have heard “Valley Winter Song” in the LL Bean commercials. Yes, Fountains of Wayne are total sell outs. Years ago, I would have been appalled, but now I’m like, “Hey, sometimes you got to make a buck.”

Jon Auer joined Fountains of Wayne for a rendition “Hackensack.” Drummer Brian Young used to be in the Posies so it was a reunion of sorts. All five of them seemed to be having the time of their lives, and their chemistry was great, all their voices filling the hall with beautiful harmonies. And “Bright Future in Sales” pretty much brought all of us onto our feet, after we were admonished for sitting in our seats like we were on PBS or something.

During “Radiation Vibe” Fountains of Wayne seamlessly brought in songs like “Reunited” by Peaches and Herb (remember them?) and the Cars’ classic, “Let’s Go,” and for some crazy reason it totally worked. We all clapped our hands to “Leave the Biker” and swayed to “Half a Woman.” Fountains of Wayne closed their set with a slowed-down version of their biggest hit, “Stacy’s Mom,” a song that celebrates MILFs and cougars everywhere. I’m still trying to figure out if that’s a good thing or not.

I left the concert on a total high, feeling fine. Fountains of Wayne have an indescribable way of turning songs about mundane shit into some of the most cleverly written power pop ever recorded. Head songwriter, Adam Schlesinger, is one of the most talented lyricists around, and deserves more recognition. Fountains of Wayne are amazing musicians, and really got into their performing. They truly seemed to be enjoying themselves. They didn’t just say, “Hello, Milwaukee!” and then go through the motions. They joked with the audience, and made self-deprecating jokes about themselves. It may only be July, but the Fountains of Wayne concert was definitely one of my pop culture highlights of the year. Now if only they’d finish up their album.

Just a Quickie

So did anyone watch the entire Michael Jackson memorial (::crickets chirping::). I was at work, so of course I didn't get to see it. I did see some snippets on the news. I wasn't overly moved or anything but I did get a bit teary-eyed when Jackson' daughter, Paris, spoke at the end. I have to admit, Michael Jackson was one big bag of crazy, (talented, but crazy), but he has some gorgeous kids.

But I digress. To be honest, the Michael Jackson media clusterfuck is starting to work my nerves. I do like seeing the footage of his videos and hearing the music. And foxy music journalist, Toure', is always a sight for tired eyes. But after awhile, enough is enough. And I know some people were really pissed that the memorial pre-empted their "stories." Waves to Re.

Now that the memorial is over, a lot of questions are being raised about Jackson. How did he die? How many drugs did he consume? Are his kids biologically his? And who will raise those kids? However, I really need to know why he was buried in a chafing dish. Somehow, I think it would be more apt to bury him in a giant, gold-plated Pez dispenser.

Oh well, time to move on. I'm going to the Fountains of Wayne concert this Saturday, and I'm really excited. One of the first music reviews I ever wrote was for their 2003 release Welcome Interstate Managers. If anyone wants me to dig it up, and post it here, let me know.

Movie Review: Away We Go

Away We Go, written by literary super spouses, Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida, and directed by Sam Mendes, is the story of long-time couple Burt (John Krasinksi) and Verona (Maya Rudolph). Burt and Verona find themselves unexpectedly pregnant. On the surface they seem like just another aimless, slacker couple. They live in a run-down house in Colorado. They seem to still be living in a college-aged bohemia, and not too passionate about their jobs (he works as an insurance salesperson and she works as a medical illustrator). Yet, on the verge of being parents, Burt and Verona know they need to get their act together.

They hope Burt’s parents (played by Jeff Daniels and Catherine O’Hara), will be around to help them avoid any parental pitfalls. But mom and dad have news of their own. They’re moving to Belgium, and will miss the first two years of their grandchild’s life. With their new adventure on the horizon, Burt’s self-absorbed parents seem barely affected by the idea of being grandparents. And with Verona’s parents deceased, Burt and Verona are desperate for a sense of family and community.

So off they go on a road trip. They first arrive in Phoenix where they meet up with Verona’s former colleague Lily (Allison Janney), Lily’s oafish husband Lowell (Jim Gaffigan) and their uncommunicative children. It is strongly implied that Lily has problems with alcohol, and when she isn’t ignoring her kids, she’s cruelly mocking them.

It’s obvious Phoenix is not the place for Burt and Verona, and soon they end up in Madison, Wisconsin, where a childhood friend of Burt’s is a professor at the university. Given the name Ellen (Maggie Gyllenhaal), she now goes by the less gender-specific, LN. And when Burt and Verona first meet up with LN, she’s nursing both her children (one of them appearing to be five-years-old) in nearly orgasmic bliss. Later, LN and her husband (Josh Hamilton) smugly tell Burt and Verona they have a “continuum household,” which means sharing a family bed and refusing to use strollers because it means LN would be rejecting her children by pushing them away from her.

Madison turns out not to be the place, so Burt and Verona set their sights on Montreal where they meet up with college pals, Tom and Munch (Chris Messina and Melanie Lynskey). Tom and Munch seem to have it all, a happy marriage, a beautiful home and a rainbow tribe of charming and sweet adopted children. But underneath this blissful exterior is heartbreak and despair. Burt and Verona soon realize that even people who seem to have it all, don’t.

A family crisis prompts the couple to go to Miami, Burt’s brother Courtney (Paul Schneider) has been abandoned by his wife. A loving, doting father, Courtney is filled with anger and fear. He’s not sure if he’s up to the task of being a single father. After these cross-country travels, Burt and Verona know that no matter what heartbreak and joy will always be a part of life, and no matter where they find home they need to be there for their child. This is the best any of us can hope for.

Away We Go is a sweet, gentle movie with characters we know and recognize. Both Burt and Verona could be hipster caricatures but Krasinski and Rudolph make the real and relatable. Krasinski continues his adorkable everyman quality he shows every week on The Office. Burt can be quirky but he’s also optimistic and expansive. And Rudolph is a treasure as Verona. Only familiar with the characters Rudolph played on Saturday Night Live, I found her acting to be a treasure. Verona is practical and reserved, but she also has an inviting warmth that seems to emanate from an inner strength. In one pivotal scene, Verona meets up with her sister Lily (Carmen Ejogo), and they talk wistfully about their parents, their grief still so palatable.

I know a movie is good when the characters stay with me after the credits roll. I really want to know what happens to Burt and Verona and the child they are expecting. Will they stay together or break up? Will they have more children? What about their friends and family? I hope this is revisited in a sequel. Burt and Verona are characters you care about and Away We Go is a wonderful, but too brief glimpse into the life of a couple we really want to root for.

Because Every Other Blogger Does It

Hello everyone. I hope you're all gearing up for the 4th of July festivities. I know I'm looking forward to a 3-day week-end. It will give me a chance to catch up on some things at Chez Popcorn that I've been putting off for a while.

Just so you know, because of my real life responsibilities, this blog will be put on the backburner until some time next week. I'd love to put up some new posts but other responsibilities take priority.

May you and your loved ones have safe and fun holiday.

ETA: Okay, this made me feel old. Young whippersnapper is mystified by the Walkman.