Macgirl's Media Pick of the Week: Daylight

Matt & Kim:  daylight.  Ok, it isn't that new, or amazingly groundbreaking.  But I like it.  It has a fun catchy beat and clever lyrics.  It's a song I can turn up on my iPod during my train ride, and close my eyes.  The men-in-suits reading the Wall Street Journal and ladies wearing skirts with goofy track shoes and too much purfume disappear from around me.  I actually escape to another place during this track.  By the end of the song, I'm wearing a small wry smile and can almost tolerate the loud-phone-talker two rows behind me.  (Note to said loud-phone-talker: we don't care what kindergarten your daughter got into, or how much your slipped disc hurts- just read your newspaper and be quiet!) 

 Get it free on their site.  Or, if you like their songs, you can buy the whole album on iTunes.

Wednesday Website of the Week: Regretsy.com

I'm taking over the reigns of the WWW to bring you one of my favorite sites.  Called Regretsy, it is a very funny site mocking Etsy.com (the popular handmade goods site).  They find actual listings of goods on the web, mostly handmade, and, well, mock the heck out of them.  But the site is poking good-natured fun and even super-sensitive macgirl here finds it to be funny without being too mean. Some artists even end up selling items because of the regretsy mention- there's no such thing as bad press, after all.

Here's a great example of what you'll find on the site:

 

Macgirl's Media Pick of the Week: Kings of Leon

Happy New Year everyone!  I'm starting 2010 with the iTunes album of the year for 2009.  Now you may ask, Macgirl, why look back to 2009?  It's true, this new decade will (hopefully) have great new artists to highlight..  But this album is worth a belated mention. 

The Kings of Leon have a winner in Only By the Night and deserve to be the iTunes album of the year.  Their sound has grown and broadened, and its their time to shine.

Macgirl's Media Pick of the Week: Star Trek (2009)

I had a long list for Santa this holiday season.  One of the few movie choices I hoped for was Star Trek.  This film is so much fun. The acting is fresh (especially Spock) and it has a great overall style and feel.  Although different from the classic Trek I loved growing up, JJ Abrams managed to bridge the divide between new and old fans in this film. 

I really enjoyed it in the theaters, and hoped it would translate to the small screen. 

My early reaction: yes.  Yes it does.  And then some.  It may be better in some ways.  It feels more like it's classic predecessors on my television, like that's where it belongs.  I think this is a super fun sci-fi flick.  Just don't take it too seriously, and you'll be fine.

Macgirl Media Pick of the Week: Holiday Picks: 12 1/2 Days of Christmas Movies!

This week my pick is anything but non-denominational.  I am sharing my list of the best Christmas movies out there.  These are the movies that actually help to bring the family together and avoid much of the awkward silence we otherwise must endure at the countless holiday parties with your family, neighbors and very distant cousins(well who invited him anyway??!).

 1.  Elf -ZOOoeeeey!!  Her sweet singing is enough to make this a classic Christmas movie.  Add in the genius of Will Ferrell, and you have movie gold!  It's made of GOLD!

2.  A Christmas Story  Well the term Red Rider BB Gun is now synonymous with Christmas, as are the many versions of the "leg lamp" to be found for sale around the holidays.  This movie is one of my all-time favorites, one I discovered by accident one afternoon watching cable TV in my parent's rec room.  The voiceover is just the right amount of nostagia and tongue-in-cheek.  Just try to watch it the whole way through without a giggle.  Betcha can't do it.

 3.  Scrooged- Bill Murray!!  He gets two exclamation points for this one.  This is my favorite version of the Christmas Carol story, even landing a place above the Muppets Christmas Carol on the list.  There is something so great about Bill Murray in this movie- he is evil and likeable, and that's hard to do...

 4. The Nightmare Before Christmas  Classic Burton- perfect.

5. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (I still love the slapstick routines in this movie. Chevy Chase is a genius here!)

6.  White Christmas (This movie earned its own blog post, last week.  I LOVE it)  Bing Crosby will always have a place in my heart.  All of the acting in this film is above top notch.  If only they still made them like this...

7.  Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas

8. The Santa Clause  I just like it, alright??! Plus, Elizabeth Mitchell plays Mrs. Clause in the movies.  Not always a big fan of Tim Allen, I really enjoy him in this movie.  He is perfect for the part of the bumbling, reluctant Santa-elect.  And the elves are great in this one.  Who doesn't like elves?

 9.  Miracle on 34th Street (1947 version)

10.  Prancer  I saw this one in the theater, that is, a much younger version of me that was easily taken with stuffed animal looking creatures...and I really enjoyed it.  It's the perfect time of year for a sappy story line filled with parents who don't understand you and learning to help those in need- even reindeer.

11.  It's a Wonderful Life

12.  The Muppet Christmas Carol  I love the Muppets.  And this is one of my favorite Muppet movies.  It honors the storyline and seriousness of the Christmas Carol while adding in that destinctive Muppets humor and charm. 

12 1/2.  A Colbert Christmas  (Ok, not a movie, but still an instant classic)

Most of the above are available on iTunes this year (is there any media now that isn't on iTunes?) so if you decide to make a purchase and are feeling generous, click on a link above to buy your copy through the Digital Lifestyle...it's like giving a Holiday gift to us- for free!  The rest link to the listings on Amazon.  Happy Holidays Everyone!  :D