The Monthly Music Wrap-Up: May 2011

The Music Wrap-Up is a monthly summary of my favorite and other notable new releases. Having trouble keeping up with all the new music? Need some music suggestions? Then the Music Wrap-Up is for you. And please support these musicians as that's the reason I'm featuring them in the first place.
This is easily the biggest Wrap-Up I've done since it became a podcast. This month's episode if stuffed full of great music from a lot of big names and several not-so-big names as well. Everything from big indie acts to often-thought-dead punk legends. Sit back and enjoy, it's the Monthly Music Wrap-Up.

Netflix Minute: Zach Galifianakis Live

Netflix Minute is a weekly feature highlighting a title from Netflix's catalog of instant view films. If you want to spend a night snuggled up with a bag of popcorn and don't want to drive to the video store, this is for you.

As a type of review, I have to warn you that this edition of Netflix Minute is highly dependent on viewer taste. Zach Galifianakis: Live at the Purple Onion will obviously appeal more to fans of his prior work and could put off people who aren't familiar with his brand of comedy. This movie isn't going to evangelize you to his cause if you've had trouble watching him in movies like The Hangover. That being said, Live at the Purple Onion does a couple of interesting things that set it apart from the more conventional recorded stand-up routine.

Shuffled Podcast #10: mc chris Spectacular!

Every other Wednesday I share my love of music in an assortment of ways. Shuffled is a podcast whose format is as varied as my tastes in music, so hopefully you won't ever be bored and everyone can find something to enjoy.
It's the tenth episode of Shuffled, which is some kind of milestone. To celebrate, Matt Giguere once again joins me, this time to discuss the man that brought rap to a whole new audience: the nerds. We talk about how we discovered him, and how we've each followed his career in our own ways. Also, the awesome new theme song is by the wonderfully talented Ed Tremblay, or Ser Flash. Buy his album here.

Video Round-Up: Internet TV Radio Music Edition

Video Round-Up is a weekly post collecting an assortment of videos from around the web. Whether they be music videos, creative viral marketing, just plain cool, or just plain ridiculous, they will all be found on Video Round-Up.

During the past two weeks, a number of my favorite musicians have released videos. I have to first thank Pitchfork Media for getting that news to me. And with that ado, here are my top three.

Sophist Radio Episode 46 : Beef, Spice, and the Afterlife

In a very special episode of Sophist Radio, the crew does their best to imagine the last moments of a rapping and wrestling icon. The guys begin with a deconstruction of Aaron's hobbies and taste in women, then -- after a small fashion debate -- the crew dives head first into the games they've been playing over the past two weeks. James and Aaron talk about an indie title called 1916 - Der Unbekannte Krieg, and the crew cover the original Halo, Witcher 2, and The First Templar as well. All that and the usual tomfoolery and bad jokes you would expect from your friends here on Sophist Radio.

Insufficient Funds: Dr. Green

Insufficient Funds is a weekly post in which we feature a free, or very close to it, piece of media that you can enjoy without overdrafting your bank account. So if you're low on funds, stay tuned to Cerebral Pop every Friday morning.
Music is good; free music is really good. For this week's post on Insufficient Funds here are a load of free tracks by a band I recently had the pleasure of seeing live: A three piece rock band trio by the name of Dr. Green.

Last weekend I made a little excursion up north to Burlington, Vermont. After a late start and a five hour drive, I had reached the far north west corner of the Green Mountain State. Now most people would be content with just relaxing after such a trip, but my friend had mentioned there were other plans for the evening: A house party in South Burlington.

Music Review: The Royal Bear - Attack

The previous decade’s post-punk revival has gone on so long that at this point it almost seems wrong to continue calling it a revival. It’s probably not an exaggeration to say that there are bands emerging today who acquired their proclivities for urgent, bass-driven rock music more from Interpol and their followers than from pioneers like Joy Division. The Royal Bear may be one of those bands, but it’s hardly a weakness. Their debut album Attack finds them expanding on the work of their more traditional predecessors, exploring more sonically diverse territory than is generally associated with their genre.

Music Review: Hauschka's Salon des Amateurs

Hauschka's latest album is sonically unique for me. Though I have heard his music before on this website, I can't remember having heard anything like it. By "sonically unique," I mean the actual types of sounds on this recording are original: the instrumentation. Musically, it is less so, but the overall experience is a satisfying one.

Netflix Minute: Young@Heart

Netflix Minute is a weekly feature highlighting a title from Netflix's catalog of instant view films. If you want to spend a night snuggled up with a bag of popcorn and don't want to drive to the video store, this is for you.

Young@Heart was nowhere near my radar when I hit the blue "Play" button on Netflix's website. Less than five minutes in, the sights and sounds of an 80-year old woman singing "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" in front of a full cheering theater audience kept me watching. The premise of the Young at Heart Chorus should do the same for you. Simply put, this movie tells the story of a chorus of a seniors aged 70 and up who tour the world singing songs unconventional for their age.

Unoriginal Soundtracks Podcast: Alan Wake Edition

Every other Wednesday I share a playlist of songs tangentially related to a single game or series. Songs about alien sex for Mass Effect, songs about world leaders for Civilization, and so on. Searching for random terms on Spotify is a great way to discover new music and rediscover old classics.
Observant, long-time listeners will have noticed I have been recycling playlists from before Unoriginal Soundtracks was a podcast. This week, Alan Wake gets that treatment. But with an almost completely new playlist. Enjoy my second attempt at second-guessing Remedy after the break.