I definitely think it's been an improvement over last season, although that really isn't saying much. They're at least shaking things up a little by getting them out of Mexico.

Has anyone here ever seen the cheap 70s slasher movie, Island of Death? It introduces the concept of hippie rapists!

I love Bill Hicks, and I always thought this movie sounded horrid. I think I'll steer clear.

I saw Bradford casually hanging out at a Jay Reatard show in Atlanta about a year ago. I walked up and said something like, "Hey, you guys were really good in Birmingham last month," and he very nicely said thanks and shook my hand. He's okay in my book.

@JimmyC.

Leo and Pollard
I wonder if there was any backstage tension between Robert Pollard and Ted Leo. Several years ago, they got into an argument at a show, and Ted supposedly punched Bob in the face. Nate Farley (GBV's guitarist) drunkenly bragged during their final show (from 2004) that he kicked Ted Leo's ass.

I actually think his stand-up albums have gotten better since Shut Up. While there's definitely some great stuff on it, a lot of it is just drunken rambling, and it takes him forever to get to his point in a lot of places. Also, I haven't listened to it since it came out, but I have a feeling that its topical nature…

Oh, and regarding YLT making fun of Rush… Keep in mind that Ira used to be a music critic, and hating Rush seems to be a pre-requisite for that line of work.

I've seen Yo La Tengo twice, and I never picked up any nasty vibes from Ira. I bought a CD from him at their merch table, and he seemed friendly enough. He even warned me that I might not like the album I was buying, Yo La Tengo Is Murdering the Classics (he was kinda right). I do know that the band personally hates…

Death Wish 4 is by far my favorite of the sequels. The scene where he blows up the table of thugs (including Danny Trejo) with a wine bottle is one of the funniest things I've ever seen.

The verb is describing "one," so it should be "is compelling."

My only real beef with Netflix is that they did away with the friends feature. I liked looking at a movie page and being able to see what all my friends rated it. Their reason for taking it down seemed weird too: They claimed it was so they could focus their efforts elsewhere (in other words, instant streaming). Huh?…

Ha! The first thing I thought when I saw the link was, "I wonder if they'll mention Duckman." Oh well.

I really wanted to like Lucky Louie, but something about it was off for me. The execution was kind of stiff and awkward, and the edginess seemed really forced and desperate as if the writers were going, "Look! This is a sitcom that says 'cunt' and shows penises!" The new show is is so much better.

Yeah, I didn't really understand the slight on Brown Submarine either. I remember buying it after a streak of fairly mediocre Pollard releases and thinking it was the best album he'd done in years. I saw him on that tour and was really happy to hear all those songs played live. Boston Spaceships is easily the most…

I actually really love Universal Truths & Cycles. Not every track is a winner (there are a few short throwaways sprinkled here and there), but it's probably my favorite album of theirs from the 2000s. I really wish I liked Half Smiles more, but it's always been pretty hit-and-miss for me. However, I don't think the…

Get Propeller and Under the Bushes Under the Stars.

Same deal with From Dusk Till Dawn for me too. It was great when I was 14. Now, not so much.

Small Change was my first Tom Waits album, but I didn't really get it at first. It wasn't until I bought Rain Dogs and Swordfishtrombones that I really got into Tom's music. I had to start with the weird stuff and work my way back to his 70's stuff.

@Son of Mecha Mummy - Totally agree on Nealon. I've never been crazy about the anchors who can't deliver a punchline without a self-satisfied smirk.