The Emmy nominations are out today and finally it seems like they're getting on the right track with nominations for AMC's "Mad Men", FX's "Damages", and Showtime's "Dexter". In comedy NBC is duking it out with itself between "30 Rock" and "The Office". If any of those previously-mentioned shows wins this will be a good year for the Emmys. In particular the AMC and FX nominations are groundbreaking for basic cable to receive such critical......

I've managed to avoid watching NFL playoffs and college bowl games but I'm getting worn down, I'm tellin' ya. If I got the Fox Movie Channel I would watch Less Than Zero tonight at 7pm because I'm just about as strung out as Robert Downey Jr.was in that flick. I'm not begging for the writers to capitulate, I want them to win, I'm just begging the networks to send me some shite to write about.......

I vaguely remember the '80s so the return of American Gladiator to the screen presents me with a nauseating wave of nostalgia that I want to boogie board to the fullest. Then again, I vaguely remember the '70s and the relaunch of the Bionic Woman left a lot to be desired. But hey, we live in America, and with enough boobies and violence, American Gladiator could have the required recipe for success. Friday 8:00pm Flash......

So what do you think of the beards on Letterman and Conan? I thought everyone did pretty well, particularly Conan. Leno's show was practically unchanged (same old crap) while Letterman gave lots of props to the WGA. If you don't have a TV with a built-in digital tuner you will need to get a converter box by February of 2009. It seems like a long way off but it will sneak up on you. Be......

So tonight it's Leno vs. Letterman, Conan vs. Ferguson - potentially unfair matches since Letterman and Ferguson have reached an agreement with the writers' union and NBC hasn't. This will mean a further addition to my sleep deficit as I will be sitting up and flipping between these networks until 1:30am [no, I don't have some swank double-satellite-dish-to-Tivo setup like some of you, if you're interested in helping out, I can give you an address......

After reviewing a few dozen releases this year this is my top ten of reviewed albums plus a few select tracks of items that I went out and hunted down myself. These weren't easy to select out of the great stuff I received so it was a challenge. I'd like to thank the labels and their PR agencies for hunting me down and sending CDs to me. I reviewed everything that I received this year......

Post Xmas doldrums have hit the tube big time, here's what's worth watching tonight: 7:00pm BBC World News BBCA - BBC will exclusively cover Benazir Bhutto's assassination and turmoil in Pakistan, aka "shit hits fan" 9:45pm A Guy Named Joe TCM - (1943) Featuring Spencer Tracy as the ghost pilot who shadows Van Johnson who is courting his old girlfriend played by Irene Dunne. This original is a million times better than Spielberg's piece of......

Artist: The Deadly Syndrome Album: The Ortolan Label: Dim Mak Release Date: September 2007 Listen to "Eucalyptus": OK, so yeah I know Silver Lake's own The Deadly Syndrome came out with The Ortolan a couple months ago but I didn't know that it was hiding in a pile of CDs that was sent to me and I'd somehow missed it but I should get some credit for being a good boy and cleaning up after......

I'm hoping you got a bunch of DVDs to tide you over during this dead week as well as until the writer's strike ends. It looks like TCM is running an "aviation in movies" marathon tonight and IFC's featuring Harvey Keitel. For further marathon action, check out BRAVO which is showing all of Project Runway's fourth season (starts at 6:00pm). 4:15pm Five Easy Pieces IFC - (1970) If you've got the day off like me,......

At the end of each month LAist attempts to review some of the music and musicians that were covered over that four week period. Below is a mix of just some of the month's musical moments: Listen to the December 2007 LAist Music Medley here: Billy May - "Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer Mambo" (Malibu Remix) - cuz it's the season Jim Noir - "My Patch" CD Review by tomdog Pinker Tones - "Sonido Total"......

Artist: Cass McCombs Album: Dropping the Writ Label: Domino Records Release Date: 10/23/07 Listen to "That's That": Frequent tourer Cass McCombs came through LA this last fall but if you missed him you will have a chance to see him again in '08 as his tour schedule is posted and expanding. Dropping the Writ is inspired by a short stretch of time that McCombs spent living in Los Angeles from '05-'06 and it was recorded......

Artist:Da Cruz Album: Nova Estaçāo EP1&2 Label: Six Degrees Records Release Date: Fall 2007 Listen to the track "Intro (Sao Jorge)": Nova Estaçāo EP1&2 is another release in the "Emerging Artists" series from the label Six Degrees Records. This series is part of Six Degrees' efforts to get new and innovative artists out in front of people as quickly as possible and inexpensively as well - these are electronic releases that you can pick and......

Artist: Raul Campos Album: Loteria Beats Mixtape - Volume 1 Label: Nacional Records Release Date: 10/23/07 Listen to "Olvidela Compa" by Nortec Collective: Regular listeners of KCRW know who Raul Campos is: the resident alterna-latino DJ for the lat seven years. From listening to his radio shows, you know he's a true DJ, a mixologist, with excellent beat matching and seamless theme weaving. Loteria Beats Mixtape, Vol. 1 is like a pumped up control-board tape......

Here's a Music Medley of some tunes from bands reviewed or highlighted here over the last couple months (some lyrics NSFW BTW): No Age - Every Artist Needs a Tragedy Caribou - Irene Five O' Clock Heroes - Head Games Bitter:sweet - Dirty Laundry (Skeewiff Remix) CINEMATIC: Classic Film Music Remixed - The Taking of Pelham 1, 2, 3 Main Title (Phillip Charles' Signs in Mallorca Rewerk) Shocking Pinks - Victims Sunset Rubdown - Colt......

A collection of tunes from several of the bands/musicians reviewed or highlighted by LAist staffers during the month of May 2007. This isn't a comprehensive compilation of everyone mentioned on LAist in May but it's a pretty good sampler. LAist Mix May 2007: Patti Smith - Smells Like Teen Spirit Aloe Blacc - Arrive Dazz Band - Let It Whip Bright Eyes - Four Winds Bebel Gilberto - Tranquilo Antelope - Reflector Dinosaur Jr. -......

I've been on hiatus a few days this week because my other job, the one that pays the bills, was superdemanding but this weekend the TV Junkie is in New York on assignment to cover the dress rehearsal of SNL - the one with Peyton Manning and American Idol winner Carrie Underwood. I've only been here a couple hours and I (think) I got some really bad pics of Gerard Butler (300) going into......

We're sorry, tomdog, that you missed the first ten minutes of the Grammys, because that's when Stewart Copeland was on stage. As millions of people saw last night, The Police got back together to open the big award show at the basketball arena. If LAist ran the world we wouldn't have allowed Sting to ruin those first few moments at the Grammys to announce the band was coming back, or introduce themselves. Everyone knows......