Seasons Picks! All I want for Christmas...

Isabelle illustrates the opposite of my last few weeks

'Tis the Season to make lists!
I actually enjoy making lists. To illustrate that fact, here's a list of the lists I've made recently:

• Things To Do. 
• Christmas Things To Do.
• Really Important Things To Do.
• OMG IF YOU DON'T GET THESE THINGS DONE TODAY THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT WILL END!!!!! TO DO.

One of the items on all the lists was 'do some frakking blog posts you lazy frakker'. This is really unfair because:

• I've been really busy and not at all lazy
• calling yourself names when making lists is probably a sign of mental distress
• the distress being caused by have too much to do, which underlines the fact that I'm not lazy. 
• Meh
• I have a cold *cough* *cough* 

EDIT: I started this yesterday and our interview with PopCultureMonster has since come out so here's another category: Something to Read: Interview with Higlet Films.

Back to the lists...
I have some wonderful seasonal diversions and gift suggestions that might have passed you by and I'm going to try something new - the 'Something to watch/Something to buy/Something to listen to/Something to support' list. If it works out I may do more - so let me know. YOU'RE WELCOME!


Something to Watch
Sean Becker. Jeff Lewis. Assorted Guildies and associates. Mix, lace with profanity and serve shaken, not stirred, over a humorous bed of NSFW. That is the The Jeff Lewis 5-Minute Comedy Hour.

Here's the latest (shot on location) - Episode VI: Hawaii


Something to Buy:

"Songs The Brother's Warner Taught Me" - this album from the indomitable Megan Lynch (@may_gun) is a Christmas Gift winner on many levels (warning, new list ahead):

• So many memories from a youth spent glued to the TV watching Loonie Tunes
• A wide range of styles and moods all brought together in one delicious album
• A unique collection of songs, many of which have no other recent recordings
• Supporting a truly independent and hugely talented artist
• Bonus tracks if you download/buy NOW!

I reviewed the album here and you can find out about her Holiday Giveaway on her site.

Something to listen to:
I'm going to cheat on the list straight away and recommend 2 shows. I don't always get time to listen to longer podcasts so they are stacking up at a rate of knots. This week I listened to:


New Mediacracy Episode 18
Zadi Diaz, Steve Woolf  and Chris McCaleb are joined by Barrett Garese, Brett Register, Craig Frank and Jamie Blair and chat about what web video entertainment is/should be/could be/isn't. Fascinating debate from this all-too-infrequent podcast.

Indie Intertube Episode 48
This weekly podcast is broadcast live (usually on a Wednesday) and has an active online forum. Destini and Shadhavar are great hosts with an encyclopedic knowledge of the webseries community: the people, the shows and the gossip :) Last week covered lots of webseries including Pretty, Diary of a Single Mom and Hard Drive 13. Plus they usually devote the second half to call-ins and this episode includes Joe Wilson (Vampire Mob). You can tune in this week for more updates and guests.

Something to Support:
Ok, cheating again as there are two causes you should know about, and you can vote daily for both:


Knights of The Guild - Podcast Awards: Entertainment category
Kenny. Jenni. Guildies. News. Views. Interviews...this show has everything if you are even remotely interested in The Guild, so vote for them because they are awesome.


Browncoats: Redemption - Mashable Awards: Most Creative Social Good Campaign
There was a write up of the award today, and if you don't know about Browncoats: Redemption, the fan-made film set in the Firefly/Serenity 'Verse that is raising money for charity, then get over to their site and order your copy today! Mine has pride of place :)

Reviewing "Songs the Brothers Warner Taught Me" by Megan Lynch

UPDATE!

From now until September 8th 2010 YOU decide what to pay for the album - here's all the details! Please be generous :)

Where to start?

I've been friends with Megan for some time now. We met online through a shared love of Whedon and The Guild and we chat regularly. When Megan started talking about an album she was putting together I was really interested. Having recorded my fair share of music and put together a couple of albums I had an idea of how hard it is to organise - never mind actually perform - when you have limited resources and time. The result of all her work, though, bears testament to determination and sheer talent - and what talent.

A Smorgabord of awesome

"Songs the Brothers Warner Taught Me" runs through a range of styles and Megan does each justice, and more. From the bluesy, woozy vocals in "Blues in the Night" where you can feel the humidity, to the touching harmonies of "It Can't Be Wrong" and the sultriness of "Blues in The Night", the emotion and musicality shines through. It goes without saying that the musicians play a very important in the success of the music, too, and there are some excellent performances.

Listening to the album really takes me away from the here and now.

When I was talking about it to hubby I told him that in places it reminded me of Bladerunner. At one stage I had the Vangelis soundtrack to Bladerunner and I played it over and over - not because I really like synthesisers (which I don't particularly), but because I loved the fusion of old and new. "One More Kiss, Dear" was my favourite and I'd love to hear Megan do a version (hint, hint!). And it's that feeling of old and new that I particularly enjoy in "Songs the Brothers Warner Taught Me". Many of the songs are familiar to me but I've not heard them performed in this way before. There is an intimacy about the performances that really evoke a response as if they were live. That and the sheer joy of listening to someone revelling in their talent - Megan has an amazing voice which she uses to great effect - makes it hard to not be moved.

What sort of music is it?

If you have no concept of what music the Warners Brothers might have taught anyone, think of old-school cartoons like the Merrie Melodies "One Froggy Evening" or better yet - go to meganlynch.bandcamp.com and listen to the album. You can buy it from there or from iTunes, or CD Baby. I highly recommend you checking it out. It's probably not something that you've heard before and you just might love it as much as I do. Happy holidays!

Megan on Twitter (as may_gun): http://twitter.com/may_gun

And on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Megan-Lynch/37368889021