Jet Stream

One of the biggest positives of moving out to the “Left Coast” was that it forced me to order DirecTV so I could continue watching my beloved Redskins via NFL Sunday Ticket. In the 5+ years I’ve had the service, I’ve never had problems with it, as opposed to cable, which brought about problems almost every week (and subsequently, many unpleasant phone calls with rude customer service reps). So, why am I blogging about this? Well DirecTV just gave me one more reason why it’s superior to cable, and that comes in the form of their newest DirecTV Cinema ad, which features a great tune called “Electromagnetic Superstar” by Jet Stream.

Jet Stream is one of those rare acts that can do a danceable sound without sounding like a caricature of themselves, or the soundtrack to a neon pre-teen party. Featuring some seasoned veterans in the music biz, who have recorded and/or toured with the likes of Green Day, No Doubt, and Fishbone, Jet Stream has a professional sound that is becoming much less common these days, and “Electromagnetic Superstar” is a hard-hitting dance track with *gasp* non-cheesy sounding keyboards.  The commercial can be viewed below, and then head on over to Jet Stream’s MySpace page to listen to the song in full. I dare you to listen to this one and not start shaking the hips a little bit.

Jet Stream on MySpace

The Return of Rhett

Followers of this blog already know that I have a deep appreciation for the musical stylings of Rhett Miller.  Last year’s Old 97’s album, Blame It On Gravity, was my favorite since Too Far To Care, and now he has a new, self-titled solo album on the way. Color me giddy. Beyond preparing for the release of this album, Rhett also had the time to make a guest appearance on perhaps the single funniest show on TV right now, 30 Rock. Didn’t catch this awesomeness? I’ve got a video for you below.

Sharing the stage with Mike D, Elvis Costello, Wylecf Jean, Cyndi Lauper and a host of others, Rhett lent his vocal talent to “Kidney Now,” a genius homage/satire of all those celebrity songs for a cause that everyone loved to do in the 80’s. Check out the video below, and if you would like a downloadable version, you can find it on iTunes, with proceeds benefitting the National Kidney Foundation.

Rhett Miller on MySpace