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What’s On at Flavorpill: The Links That Made the Rounds in Our Office

By Judy Berman on

Today at Flavorpill, this supercut of 40 TV Christmas moments reminded us that Saved by the Bell once did its very own rendition of A Christmas Carol – and Slater was Tiny Tim. We found McSweeney’s “Jingle Bells FAQ” illuminating. We thought it was very sweet that Jonathan Ames bought Bored to… Read More

Television

Watch ‘Portlandia’s’ Tribute to ‘Battlestar Galactica’

By Judy Berman on

“It’s not just regular science fiction,” says Fred Armisen’s character in the latest Portlandia Season 2 clip to emerge. ”It’s actually good.” And that’s how he, Carrie Brownstein, and so many of us get sucked into Battlestar Galactica. What follows will be familiar to anyone who’s skipped out on normal human interaction in favor of an entire evening (or day… or weekend…) glued to all available episodes of any given addictive TV series. We won’t ruin the sketch by saying anymore, but, as usual, Fred and Carrie totally get us. Feel understood (or, you know, terribly ashamed) after the jump. … Read More

Web

What's On at Flavorpill: The Links That Made the Rounds in Our Office

By Caroline Stanley on

Today at Flavorpill, we decided that these have got to be the most hardcore holiday decorations that we’ve ever seen. We heard that NYU will be offering a course on Occupy Wall Street next semester. We wished that Will Ferrell would make a free commercial for us. We learned… Read More

Television

Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen Take ‘Portlandia’ on Tour

By Judy Berman on

After playing in bands for her entire adult life, Carrie Brownstein is no stranger to the road. But we’re betting she’s never done a tour quite like the one she’s planning for next month. Brownstein and her Portlandia co-star Fred Armisen have announced Portlandia: The Tour, a seven-date mini-jaunt that will take them to such hipster capitols as Seattle, San Francisco, New York, LA, Chicago, and — of course — Portland between late December and mid-January. The live show will see the duo performing music, previewing footage from the sketch show (whose second season premieres January 6th), and offering behind-the-scenes stories. Tickets go on sale tomorrow; check out the dates after the jump. … Read More

Television

Meet Two New Characters in Latest ‘Portlandia’ Preview

By Judy Berman on

It’s official: We want to be Carrie Brownstein when we grow up. Over the weekend, we watched her rock out, guitar heroine-style, with her new band, Wild Flag. And today brings a new preview clip for Season 2 of Portlandia. Although we’ve been assured that many of our favorite characters will be back when the show returns in January, the video introduces us to Brownstein and Fred Armisen’s newest creations — the Sanitation Twins. Together, they host an informational video about the latest recycling initiative in Portland, which, of course, turns out to be impossibly complicated. Learn how to separate your regular coffee lids from your lipstick-stained coffee lids for the good of the environment after the jump. … Read More

Music

Double Lives: Indie Musicians’ Awesome Non-Musical Projects

By Sophie Weiner on

One of the great advantages to being a culture nerd in the era of the internet is its ability to provide context for your obsessions. Learning about an artist’s life and interests outside of the field for which they are known can change your perception of their work and allows you to discover more awesome art in the process. We all know how wrong this can go when huge stars try to capitalize on their fame in every possible market (see: celebrity perfume lines). Thankfully, today, with the ease of self-release and DIY art, smaller and more interesting musicians are broadening their creative horizons with fabulous results. With that in mind, here are a few artists whose musical work we love, but who have other creative projects that deserve more attention. As always, please leave your own additions to the list in the comments. … Read More

Television

Flavorpill’s Guide to 2011 Midseason TV Shows

By Caroline Stanley on

For those of us who love TV, this time of year is a dead zone. Your favorite series are either running reruns or not returning for months to come. But here’s some exciting news: 2011 is bringing in more exciting changes than we usually see — and we’re not just talking about the fact that American Idol is moving to a new night for the first time in a decade. From a handful of promising looking British imports to a new HBO series that’s being referred to as “The Sopranos with swords,” after the jump we’ve rounded up 10 of the most interesting new shows that we could find. Add anything that we’ve missed in the comments. … Read More

Web

What’s On: The Links That Made the Rounds in Our Office

By Caroline Stanley on

Today at Flavorpill, we got a sneak peek at SNL’s Fred Armisen and former Sleater-Kinney guitarist/vocalist Carrie Brownstein in IFC’s new comedy Portlandia. We wondered how @anncurry feels about having the most powerful tweet of the year. We learned that Jon Favreau will not be directing Iron Man 3.… Read More

Music

Marnie Stern’s Top 10 Female Guitarists

By Taleen Kalenderian on

Indie guitar goddess Marnie Stern has been busy making T-shirts to match her Best Coast/Wavves headlines, all while wrapping up a US tour in support of her self-titled third LP. But let’s not forget the hammering, trilling guitar powers she wielded to make it happen in the first place. Stern had some time before trekking to Europe to work with Flavorpill on her top ten list of female guitarists — pleasantly surprising in light of her tongue-in-cheek track “Female Guitar Players are the New Black,” which she explains was written in response to “being asked so many times what’s it like being a female guitar player and having the focus be my gender.” Click through to find out who made the cut. … Read More

Film

Rate-a-Trailer: Some Days Are Better Than Others, Starring Shins Frontman James Mercer

By Stelios Phili on

In all his bearded glory, The Shins frontman James Mercer comes out of indie obscurity and stars in a film that tackles the equally obscure question, “Why do the good times go by so fast while the difficult times always seem so sticky?” Writer/director Matt McCormick’s Some Days are Better Than Others attempts to find an answer through “awkward characters who maintain hope by inventing their own forms of communication and self-fulfillment.” Don’t worry, it’s not awkward in the Michael Cera-ian sense. Trailer and screenshots after the… Read More