Buzz Rant and Rave

Andrew Raff

Talking about music, entertainment and pop culture with creators, performers and savvy viewers

Episodes

  1. 01/04/2014

    It was so hilariously awful and missed the point that I enjoyed it

    In the first part of our year-end review of the pop culture of 2013 that spoke to us, Dan comes off as uncomfortably familiar with Oscar-winner Sandra Bullock, I admit my horrible addiction to Candy Crush Saga and Amy confesses to her unfamiliarity with the musical genre of butt rock. UPDATE (Jan. 5, 2013) If you attempted to listen to it earlier, I posted a version that was mixed wrong. The sound quality on this is not pristine, but the levels are correct. We discuss music, film, books, and try to put off talking about television into part 2. Some of the linkable things that we mentioned in this episode include: Linda Holmes, NPR Monkey See, The Sad, Beautiful Fact That We’re All Going To Miss Almost Everything Andrew’s Spotify playlist of some 2013 music Janelle Monae, Electric Lady Elvis Costello and the Roots, Wise Up Ghost Code Name Verity Two Boys Kissing League of Denial: The NFL, Concussions and the Battle for Truth We gave very short shrift to Alan Sepinwall’s The Revolution Was Televised: The Cops, Crooks, Slingers, and Slayers Who Change, but I have to add my recommendation for it to Dan’s. Captive Audience You Don’t Know Me but You Don’t Like Me: Phish, Insane Clown Posse, and My Misadventures with Two of Music’s Most Maligned Tribes In the forthcoming part 2 of this conversation, we discuss the medium that we all agree provided the best entertainments of the year: television.

  2. 02/02/2012

    Watching the Detectives (BRRcast #03)

    For this Pop Culture Panel, Dan Suitor and Amy Watts join me to discuss HBO’s The Wire. Oft-heralded as the best show in the history of television, it’s also one that was never very popular in its early seasons, but has drawn more and more viewers over the last 10 years as it made its way into the cultural consciousness. More than many other television serials, The Wire watches like great literature and rewards rewatching, in large part because characters develop from smaller parts to larger ones over the course of the series. As our window into the world of Baltimore, the series sprawls over the years and it’s all connected. SPOILER NOTICE: This podcast discusses events from the first five episodes of season one. Links: Watch The Wire Season 1 on HBO GO or on Netflix (DVD only) or buy the set on Amazon.com. Alan Sepinwall’s Discussions of Season 1 episodes for Wire Newbies The Wire, season 1, episode 1: “The Target” (Newbies edition) The Wire, Season 1, Episode 2, “The Detail” (Newbies edition) The Wire, Season 1, Episode 3, “The Buys” (Newbies edition) The Wire, Season 1, Episode 4, “Old Cases” (Newbies edition) The Wire, Season 1, Episode 5, “The Pager” (Newbies edition) Wire Watching Project at A List of Things Thrown Five Minutes Ago: Episode 1: Got To. This is America, Man Episode 2: No, Officer Pryzbylewski, he did not “piss you off.” he made you fear for your safety and that of your fellow officers: Episode 3: Y’all Can’t Be Playing No Checkers On No Chessboard Episode 4: Thirteen Years and Four Months Episode 5: How Complex Can A Code Be If These Knuckleheads Are Usin’ It? Also from ALOTT5MA: On Watching and Rewatching The Wire and It’s All in the Game, Yo. Other links: Washington Post: After ‘The Wire’ ended, actress Sonja Sohn couldn’t leave Baltimore’s troubled streets behind Alyssa Rosenberg, After ‘The Wire,’ Black Actors Trapped In Baltimore Gawker: People Say Really Stupid Things About The Wireon OKCupid Stuff White People Like: #85 The Wire Subscribe to the BRR podcast feed. (Coming soon to an iTunes podcast directory near you.)

About

Talking about music, entertainment and pop culture with creators, performers and savvy viewers