A super-sneak peak from later in the season with Sarah's 'yet to be-named' band!

By: Emily

So far in Season 5 we’ve got: Sarah and Gwen in a LDR, Davis ‘switching teams’ at camp, a budding romance between Robin and Tamsin…and Sarah holding auditions for the teenage essential: a garage band. There’ll be more on Sarah’s yet-to-be-named band later in this season but until then, here are my all-time Top 5 Made-For-TV Bands:

Jason Segal on drums, James Franco on guitar, and Seth Rogan on vocals = a total supergroup. Freaks and Geeks is another one of those cancelled-too-soon, intense cult-following TV shows and is pure 80′s teenage magic. The tentatively named ‘Creation’ also had another teenage band essential: Groupies.

3) Fraggle Rock -Fraggle Rock

Ok, I don’t know if this counts as a band– but Fraggle Rock was awesome. It’s a live-action puppet musical television show.  And they had albums, so it totally counts. The theme song give clear instructions to dance your cares away, and let the music play.

2) Gilmore Girls – Hep Alien

Lane Kim’s band Hep Alien was the bomb (especially back when Adam Brody was on Gilmore Girls before ditching for The O.C.) Sebastian Bach of Skid Row actually replaces him in the band as guitarist later in the series. Also, the soundtrack for that show was always very alt. and they had great guest appearances from The Sonic Youth, The Shins and The Bangles.

 After watching Madonna’s long-awaited Superbowl performance, I realized that she is pretty much a mystery to me even though I can recite the lyrics to about 90% of her songs. She is one of America’s greatest musical icons and has transcended time with her ever-evolving image, and yet, no one really knows who is behind those incredible biceps, bleached blonde hair, and gap tooth. With that said, I thought it would be a fun exercise to see what I could dig up on the musical legend. The following are some findings:

1. Her full name is Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone.
2. She is the oldest of 8 children.
3. Her mother died of breast cancer in 1963.
4. Madonna is Italian and was raised Roman Catholic.
5. Madonna married actor Sean Penn on her birthday in 1985. She divorced him on New Year’s Eve in 1988.
6. Madonna won a Golden Globe for Best Actress for her role of Eva Peron in Evita.
7. Madonna is ranked fourth in the list of best-selling artists of all time, right after Michael Jackson.
8.  She has been nominated 68 times for an MTV Video Music Award and 28 times for a Grammy Award.
9.  Madonna does NOT have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She was nominated for one, but turned it down.
10. Madonna has been in 22 films.

By: Emily White

An over-sized white sweater has never looked so good. On Monday night at the Rock and Roll Hotel, Twin Sister took the stage and entranced the audience with their shimmering art-pop. The band drifted to and dabbled in disco, dream-pop, funk, freak-folk, and synth-rock– never settling on a distinguishable sound. But lead singer, Andrea Estella was the literal  ’star’

Something about Estella made me feel both uneasy and at peace– like falling into a psychedelic day-dream. Twirling in  her long pleated skirt and playing with her sweater, she cooed through the show. She continually crouched down in her ankle boots in-between sets to take a sip from her Guinness. She is undoubtedly on her way to becoming the next indie darling.

Estella’s odd stage presence paired with the shimmering disco beats, sexy vocals, and a twinkling soundscape left me feeling woozy and enchanted. Definitely check out the bands first full-length album, Heaven. And listen to some of their addictive songs here:

Bad Street

All Around and Away We Go

Lady Daydream

Pauly Shore in his hey-day

Pauly Shore was like Samson: his power was in his hair.  And when he cut it… ):

May we please raise a glass to the man who brought us “Encino Man”, “Biodome”, “Son in Law”,  memorable MTV Spring Breaks,  an actual VJ, and …”Lisa, Lisa the one I adore” ??! — okay maybe not that last one.

Should we even raise  a glass?  In the wise words of Kathleen Hannah (via Le Tigre): “misogynist!? genius!? …alcoholic!”

Poor Pauly, he faked his own death, in an attempt to surreptitiously have a documentary made about himself — in the hopes that death would salvage his reputation. Unfortunately, not even death was able to salvage him, people still hated him. Perhaps time will soothe his wounds. He should have never cut those locks.

by Siara:

(via heyarnold.wikia.com, nickelodeon, & wiretotheear.com)

As a frequent Metro customer, I am always overhearing conversation. One reoccurring topic among the older generation tends to be about how things were different when they were growing up. Their stories tend to start with the phrase “Back in my day” and then they go on to recollect about life in the 40′s, 50′s, 60′s etc. But, I cannot venture that far into the past, so I will reminisce on what i remember growing up in the 90′s.

People rented VHS’s not DVD’s.
Rugrats, Hey Arnold and Doug were among the most popular cartoons.
Gas cost approximately $1.16 in 1995.
Kickball was the game of choice.
You used a walkman to listen to music.
$4.23 was the average price of a movie ticket.
It was cool to have shoes that lit up.
Road Rules was a big hit on MTV.
Bill Clinton was President.
You did not have a cellphone, but a pager.
Children had a digital Tamagotchi pet.

…These are just a few of the things I recall whilst thinking about my childhood.

Another rare bit — an old casting notice for “Kids”

"seeking ravers and club kids"

I actually remember that club, Tunnel. I went there a couple times in the very late 90s and very early 00′s. It was also nick-named “Bridge & Tunnel” b/c it had a sort of different (Lon Geiland & Noo Joisey) vibe, and was considered B-list to Twilo’s global-underground cache, Limelight’s notorious club-kid history, & Life’s extreme-beautiful-people.  Ugh, those days were weird.

Nirvana casting call

Isn’t this amazing? Ah to have been an extra in “Smells Like Teen Spirit”…

#1 free scoop of the sweet

1.  Get a free scoop at T. Sweet’s in Georgetown, courtesy of Scoutmob. Get their app and see the deal here. OK, so I hardly ever make it out to Georgetown (no public transpo, no parking, weirdly preppy vibe) — but that doesn’t mean there isn’t LOTS to love out there. (Case in point: Baked & Wired, C & O canal, Moby Dick’s Kabob, etc, etc)

being a scoutmobster. peppermint & bittersweet flavors. photocred: Otessa Ghadar (yea, that's me)

And Thomas Sweet is just one of those lovely icons of the neighborhood. While most of the beloved Georgetown landmarks that I remember from being a kid — like Smash, Green Barrel, Commander Salamander, Au Pied du Cochon, & the Foundry’s 2nd run theater — are all closed,  Thomas Sweet is still alive and kicking.

And since Georgetown is such a bear to get to…once you ARE there, you may as well make a day of it.  And so begins a mini OJBG walking tour of the region.   (See #’s 1 through 5)

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#2 C&O canal

2.  C&O canal… aka the Chesapeake & Ohio canal, nestled right in the heart of Georgetown.  Back in the days — and I mean waayy back, (before VHS or Beta) when the railroad industry was vying against the canal/lock system for dominance in the distribution of goods in the post-industrial age… well, way back then, the C&O canal was king, to the RR’s queen.

This was the original VHS vs. Beta, with the Locks vs. the Rails…and the rails won. Meanwhile the canals and locks have been relegated to historic preservation, nature towpaths, and fishing streams. Thank goodness for these perfectly preserved specimens.

how beautiful are they?  And to think this is all right here in the midst of our urban center…  PS You can read more about the history (I swear, it’s fascinating) here.

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#3 sushi to go canal towpath

3.  the funny little sushi place that is on the C&O canal…I’ve always been obsessed with it, because it is actually ON the canal.

See…

It doesn’t even have a “viable” google maps address– because it’s on a canal towpath, and not on a street. That is how old-timey it is– it defies google-mapping. I love it.

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#4 Ching Ching Cha

4. Ching Ching Cha. So if you’re already in Georgetown (b/c of #’s 1-3) you may as well check out Ching Ching Cha. I’ve been dying to. It’s a tea and dumpling type place and it’s supposed to be excellent.

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#5 Tidal Basin

5.  Let’s continue this little Georgetown walking tour… shall we?  How about, since this week features what may well be the last week of warm-ish sweater-ey weather, having a picnic on the Georgetown/Foggy Bottom Tidal Basin.

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#6 Crazy for Cryin

6. Old Aerosmith Music Videos… remember when MTV (music television) used to actually PLAY MUSIC?! AHh, those were the days. And these old music videos are “nostalgia-crack”, bringing me back in the best possible way.  PS Isn’t “nostalgia-crack” a great turn-of-phrase…it’s from the super-quotable author & power-blogger, Phoebe North. She used it to describe Orange Juice in Bishop’s Garden…aww!

Alicia Silverstone & Liv Tyler are unstoppable. I remember watching them at the age of 12, thinking to myself THIS is what it was to be older and cooler. It was oddly aspirational and mis-guided. but cute.

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#7 liquid television. aeon flux. the head. etc

7. Old LIQUID TELEVISION.

How amazing was Aeon Flux? The Head? Love them.  Miss them.

Now-a-days late-night MTV = Jersey Shore.  90′s MTV = Liquid TV.  Can you even imagine?

here…I’ve embedded an Aeon Epi right here…just for you!

On the bright side A. at least they brought back Beavis & Butthead.  Bright Side B. You can WATCH AEON FLUX on mtv-online!>!?  Who knew? Check it out & fulfill your needs:  here.

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#8 wino(na) forever. photo courtesy of huffpost

8. Winona Ryder. Can we forgive her & bring her back already?  I miss the days when she graced the covers of those exploitation-mags (hello Us, OK, etc) … don’t you miss that?  How on earth are Spencer & Heidi preferably… really can anyone justify this all?

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#9 T:SCC

9. Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles. I’ve recently begun a TV-viewing-bender of epic proportions with this show. It’s just that good. +It features excellent lines of script, like Sarah Connor’s: “Take one bag. Plus the guns. I’ll make pancakes.” badass.

(Damn you FOX, always cancelling your good shows!)  Firefly, TSCC,  Harsh Realm <– (“How could you?” say I) Arrested Development & Titus <– (Connor, our editor, says he wont forgive you for those either)

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#10 Just comment already... I know you want to

10. When people COMMENT on this blog… C’mon people, I see the analytics– I KNOW YOU VISIT this blog… but why oh why will you not comment? You are breaking my heart ):

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#11 11:11 11/11/11

11.  Kissing the clock on 11:11 of 11/11/11… aka *this Friday*  It will be highly auspicious– I can feel it. Grab those Quija boards and hang tight.

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Honorable Mention:

Cafe LaRuche — (perfect complement to that Georgetown walking tour) — enjoy that lovely outdoor seating while you still can, before the weather turns its back on “balmy”

Every week when I have to think up a new topic for a blog post, I find myself reminiscing about my own childhood during the (very) late 90s. More often than not, I quickly end up spending way too much time rewatching YouTube videos of my personal favorite 90s TV show episodes. After I’ve had my 90s TV show fix, I start to wonder: What ever happened to these quirky teens we grew up with? Well, for all of you who ask this same question, I now have the answers:

Ben Savage played the adorable Cory Matthews on Boy Meets World. After the show ended, he graduated from Stanford University. Smarty pants. He has done some guest stints on other television shows and had a couple of roles in pretty much non-existent movies. Hey, at least he’s an intelligent lad.

Danielle Fishel, the beautiful Topanga Lawrence on Boy Meets World, ended up becoming a spokeswoman for Nutrisystem and hosts a show called “The Dish” on the Style Network.

William Daniels, the unforgettable Mr. Feeney on Boy Meets World, is, in-fact, still kicking at 82 years old. I think that’s an accomplishment in itself.

Melissa Joan Hart, the spell-bounding Sabrina the Teenage Witch, currently stars on another ABC Family sitcom, Melissa and Joey, starring fellow 90s star, Joey Lawrence. She also competed on a season of Dancing With The Stars. She is a mommy of two boys and has an extremely sexy husband, if I do say so myself.

Candace Cameron, the bright-eyed D.J. Tanner on Full House, also stuck with ABC Family and acts on it’s gymnastics oriented television show, Make It Or Break It. She also got married to a hockey player and has three kiddies.

by Otessa

Many viewers have had questions about OJBG. “Why do I feel like I’m missing things sometimes? Why are there gaps in the story line between seasons? Why are there new characters, and mysteriously disappearing/reappearing charcacters? Why do you use corded phones?”

Every season is a new summer– and a year passes in between. So Season 1 is the summer of ’94, Season 2 is summer of 95…and a lot of the story line is not just what IS happening…but also is about playing catch up — trying to figure out what happened throughout that passed year. It is a bit like a mystery. I like that when the characters have lives outside of what we see on the screen. It gives them more life and they aren’t always knowable. We have to get to know them.

I chose summer because it is, in many was, the quintessential high school time period. While you are in school, the social order, and the hierarchy are constantly being re-instated daily, because of the pre-ordained and constantly repeating schedule. But during the summer– people change, their schedules change. Sometimes people get thrown into the mix with an unexpected crew. Sometimes people have to go away to their grandmother’s for the summer. Sometimes they have summer school or work and cant hang out like they used to. Sometimes people have camp many states away. Whatever it is– the order is changed — destabilized. And a person’s place, at that age, is uncertain. Their friends, their “standing”, their beliefs, the very structure of their lives — these can all change, becoming re-ordered or dis-ordered. It is in many ways the most fitting representation of that unknown, unknoweable, unsettling age — precisely because it is so unsettled and up-in-the-air.

Also, in terms of characters disappearing and re-appearing… we are a super indie and we don’t have the luxury of 5 year contracts, which is how most TV shows work, and how they are able to guarantee that the actors can stay around for a while. (Ever wonder what happened to Carly Kittredge-McBride?? Yea — me too. I had big plans in store for her, which I had to scrap.) Sometimes our characters/actors just arent available for that season. Sometimes they have moved, sometimes they have job conflicts, sometimes they are college visiting, sometimes they have summer school. Simply put — we have to roll with the punches a lot more. And we hope that you are willing to too.

And as for the corded phones… if you have to ask, the show is set in the 90′s, and you might just be a lost cause.