Six Pack: Six Internet Things Worth A Gander

Here we are, sliding through snow, battling rain and still looking for a healthy dose of escapism. So fear not here are six internet treats to while away all the "what the hell is the weather doing, I feel like this is some kind of attempt by Al Gore to convince us he was right" madness.

(1) Rihanna interviewed by W Magazine : Fashion bible W get their paws on Rihanna for an great chat that gets across rather succintly everything that makes RiRi so great at the moment. Catch up on it here. You can check out the photospread too which has a great 60s movie star meets high fashion vibe. Great stuff. Thanks for MuuMuse for bringing this to my attention!

(2) Panti is CRAZY: Dublin drag superstar Panti has a rather great deal on for Sundays at her drinking hole (get your minds out of the gutter!). This video has been all over the place this week and with good reason. It is HILARIOUS:

(3) Katherine Lynch Returns: Speaking of hilarious things, Katherine Lynch is back. She may not be everyone's cup of tea but I love her bawdy, rough and tumble humour. Her new series started this Tuesday on RTE and RTE Player their catch up service has it available for a week here, new episodes added weekly

(4) Heidi Montag makes the next "Thriller": Apparently. Her album is no doubt a trash pop masterpiece but this interview with Entertainment Weekly is really interesting. I love the idea that someone can spend that much money on making an album and still not be able to sing. Well worth a read. That album cover is a work of garish art all by itself too:

(5) Ridiculous Cast, Ridiculous Movie: Kristen Bell, Christina Aguilera and Cher in the same film? How can "Burlesque" be anything less than amazing? Sound Off With DJ Taj has loads of photos here. Excitement.

(6) Joss Whedon on where US TV is headed: Fascinating interview with Joss Whedon. There is much chat of his now cancelled series Dollhouse which wraps up soon in the US and also on how Whedon has changed his approach to his work and making content when TV is losing more money than ever. An essential read for anyone the slightest bit interested in US TV and what the internet means for watching TV in general. Spotted via Pink is The New Blog

Six Pack: Six Great TV Shows This Decade

I really get freaked out by top ten lists as much as I love reading them. I always get an inferiority complex about all the amazing stuff I haven't consumed. But I had to throw my hat into the ring somehow. And given my strange obsession with the Six Pack idea here on Pop Culture Platinum it seemed fitting to do some kind of list. But I got freaked out about writing about music because I just didn't know where to start, so.... instead we have six of my TV faves of this decade. By no means definitive and certainly missing a few things but a bit of fun nonetheless

Without further ado:

30 Rock: Plenty of great sitcoms this decade as the traditional styles of Friends and Will and Grace that were so popular made way for less of a reliance on canned laughter and traditional camera set ups. This gave us The Office (UK & US), Curb Your Enthusiasm and Arrested Development and many more. But 30 Rock is my personal favourite. A genuinely brilliant ensemble cast and a fantastic lead performance from Tina Fey backed up with whipsmart pop culture references and a fine mix of one liners and surreal moments it is an endlessly rewarding watch. And it is always hard to argue with The Muffin Top Song.

Mad Men: I had to have one "proper", "serious" drama on this list! And it might as well be this. In a decade were serious character driven drama won awards and audiences (you can thank DVD boxsets for that) from the big daddy The Sopranos to the most name dropped series of the decade, The Wire there is no shortage of innovative dramas that demand your time. Mad Men is my pick of the bunch. The period detail is sublime and the world of Sterling Cooper is brilliantly drawn. Throw in the complex, multi layered character of Don Draper and the lovely, lovely Joan and you have a show that has truly earned all of the praise heaped upon it.

Gilmore Girls : One of the most underrated shows of this decade. A genuinely sweet but still sharp comedy drama that brought a small town to life with an ease other comedies would kill for, the real ace in the hole for this series was the dream team of Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. A too good to be true pairing they may have been (who talks like that with their mother? Nobody) but they brought the sparkling and oh-so-fast scripting to life with style. Put aside any preconceptions you may have about a family drama set in a small town and dig in, Gilmore Girls is one of the most tightly scripted TV shows you'll ever see.

The Hills: There had to be one reality show here. In a decade when a new genre of TV was born The Hills brought gloss, glamour and lots and lots of blank stares to our screens. Compulsive and beautifully shot The Hills may appear to be about very little but that is part of its charm. One of the few shows looking at 20 something life and connecting with our new found celebrity culture it really is no surprise this show struck such a nerve. Whether Team Heidi or Team Lauren of just Team I Really Should Not Be Watching This, The Hills was the reality show to beat this decade.

The O.C.  It may now be a bit of a TV relic but it would be a shame to dismiss the quality of the show when it got things right. The O.C. gave teen drama a warmth, humour and knowing quality that was very of the decade. Happy to engage with a passionate online fanbase and as comfortable with comedy as it was drama The O.C. is every bit a teen classic as My So Called Life or Buffy (in its own in joke heavy, overly soundtracked way) and the TV show that made using "hot new bands" acceptable as way of scoring a show (we're looking at you Grey's Anatomy).

Veronica Mars: One of my favourite shows EVER and one that I will consistently rave about if given half the chance. A sharp, witty, moving, noirish, addictive thrill ride and one that will hook in the most cynical of viewers. The first season is a masterclass in how to build a mystery over a season of TV while still have plenty of time for one liners, relationship drama and father-daughter bonding. This should have so much bigger than it was. You owe it to yourself to check it out. Not least for the lead Kristen Bell who is several shades of amazing. She should become a huge film star, like many a great TV actress, but whether she does or not she will always have her winning performance in this to fall back on.


Some honourable mentions (that didn't qualify for date reasons or they didn't jump out at me at first, which is part of the qualification for this spur of the moment list) : Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Alias, Sex and the City, Undeclared, The Rachel Zoe Project, The City, America's Next Top Model, Life As We Know It, The Simple Life, Chelsea Lately, My Life On The D-List, The Dead Zone, Firefly, Dead Like Me,  Gossip Girl, Samantha Who?, The Osbournes, (this is an awfully trashy list is it not?)

Six Pack: Six Songs to Get Excited About

Here you are, six songs I love at the moment. Just a selection but a fine bunch of tunes nonetheless.

Wiley feat. Chew Fu - Take That

At the risk of coming over all Annie Mac (no bad thing I suppose) this is a TUNE. I've been obsessed with Chew Fu for the last six months with his pile of mindblowing remixes getting bigger and bigger every week. Not least his work on many of Lady Gaga's recent singles. Still this collaboration with Wiley (he of "Wearing My Rolex" fame and darling of the UK garage/grime scene) is undoubtedly going to swallow the charts and the clubs whole over the next few months. And quite right too. Surprisingly off the wall and bonkers for a mainstream dance track, this is an abrasive, agressive slice of upbeat grime pop. Harder than some of the recent Chew Fu mixes and no doubt a bit of a retort to critics on Wiley's part it sounds a bit like Dizzee Rascal's "Bonkers" put through a blender and bashed off a wall several times. If that makes any sense.

The video is suitably bonkers too:

Janet Jackson : Make Me

Janet is one of my favourite artists of all time and my feverish love of her is mocked sometimes. But with the release of a new career spanning best of those who doubt her contribution to pop might do a double take. I don't want to bore anyone or go off topic but Janet has had a significant hand in shaping the last 10 years of pop videos, genre hopping R&B/pop and dance routines. Thankfully her new single, Make Me sums all this up in a few short minutes. Infectious, brash and charming this is a bouncy piece of effortless pop. The MJ references are obvious but its totally Janet too. And a new video that manages to make Janet look contemporary but not like mutton dressed as lamb (which has eluded Janet recently if I'm being honest) this should be the song to remind many what they've been missing. But if not its another treat for the long time fans. And the video is like a masterclass in how to wear shoulder pads. Work.

Kelis : Acapella

She set the internet abuzz with this David Guetta produced track a couple of weeks ago. And rightly so. A tad more stripped down than some of his recent big hit productions this is joyful and hard to resist. A simple laid back vocal from Kelis meshes with the blippy and smooth beat. Kelis has been hard at work with a gaggle of top producers (as is her style) including Crookers (see recent dubstep track "No Security"), Boyz Noize, and Burns for an album that will be released next year through Interscope. Kelis is one of the most interesting people in modern pop, handing out hits alongside offbeat gems and the signs are good for this new album to be another stonker.

Lady Gaga: Telephone feat. Beyonce

The Fame Monster is another piece of perfect pop from Miss Gaga. And this second single, a breathless piece of pounding dance pop is kind of brilliant. Featuring an urgent cameo from Beyonce (returning the favour for Videophone I'd imagine) it sounds ridiculously good blaring out of club speakers and features more hooks catchy chorus than your average pop single. This will be everywhere during the next six months and its easy to see why.

Not only that but this amazing unofficial video has been doing the rounds, a truly interesting piece of pop art:

Name The Pet : Club Kid

Found this rather lovely electro pop track over at Dödselectro. It seems a tad low key at first but this one works it way into your brain and is something of a floor filler. A sharp piece of electro to start of a particularly great weekend. And a track that makes me want to check out this artist in a bit more detail.

Rihanna : Russian Roulette

This song has really really grown on me. The Rated R album is one of the years best and this slow burner power ballad is one of the standouts. The emotion ripples throughout the track and it is hands down one of the best vocals Rihanna has ever done. She may not have as big a voice as other pop singers but she can sell songs like this with ten times more intensity. One of the best pop singles of the year.

The Six Pack: Six Blogs Worth Your Time

Its hard to move for blogs these days. Blogging has gone from being a buzz word in the mainstream media (remember the first time you read the word "blogosphere" in a broadsheet newspaper? Shudder) to another standard method for established writers,publishers, organisations to spread their work and for the newbies (like myself) to find a voice, get involved in discussions and kill time. But reading other blogs is ten times more fun than writing your own.

So with that in mind here are six of my favourites, that I think are fun, fresh and exciting. A big bunch of blogging goodness makes up this six pack. It was a tad strange writing this as I know some of the people on this list and I didn't want to seem like I was being an ass kisser but my logic is that a good blog is a good blog and deserves praise. And if it makes one new person read one of the blogs here then it'll be worth my time.

Blanaid.com

This is the online home of stylist, interior designer and all round lovely lady Blanaid Hennessy. Posts on this blog are short, to the point and always entertaining. Blanaid has also taken that fashion blog cliche of photographing outfits/fashion finds and a made it in to something fresh with sharp, stark portraits of effortless looks. Whatever your style you'll find her eye and nose for fashion inspiring. Her work on interiors is equally good. This blog is a feast for the eyes and the mind and one of my favourite places to visit online.

MuuMuse

I read lots of various types of music blogs but this is easily one of the best. With a pop/indie/electro perspective and a healthy sense of humour MuuMuse gives you the latest goings on around Planet Britney (important) but also lets you know what remixes are worth checking and upcoming acts worth noticing. The tone is perfect, it looks slick and is updated regularly with interviews, gossip and pithy commentary. A great read.

Rosemary MacCabe

Irish Times journo Rosemary MacCabe has got herself one hell of a blog. Updated regularly with sharp insight into fashion, entertainment, news and everything in between MacCabe is quite obviously a great writer. Not only that but the wide range of topics covered keeps things fresh. From her obvious fashion love to her analysis of various issues its a blog that frequently gives you something new to think about.

Panti's Blog Job

The one blog on this list that I'm completely addicted to. Dublin drag legend Panti's daily blogging is a treat. From right on the button gay rights/current affairs discussion, hilarious YouTube clips/oddities, design articles and adorable pictures of Panti's dog Penny its always got something to keep me entertained. There's real passion in this blog, with a real love of finding and sharing new things with the audience which is infectious. An essential read.

Pink Is The New Blog

Its very easy to be cynical about gossip blogs particularly ones like Perez Hilton that are poorly written, poorly researched and bad for the soul. But PITNB is genuinely sweet in its approach. Its all the usual celeb muck, pap photos, baby pics the lot. But its Trent, the site runner, who is clearly a sci fi/popculture nerd that gives it a heart that many other blogs lack. He is not spiteful or rude about celebs and sounds like that super witty best friend you always go to for the latest gossip.

Spherical Notions

Joey Kavanagh's blog of musical delights (among other things). A great place to get a rundown/overview of the latest pop/indie sounds and on the button remixes. For artists that have broke through this year like Ellie Goulding, Amanda Blank and The XX this is a great place to get more info and I look forward to seeing what new acts tip of his radar next year. One of the best Irish music blogs around.

The Six Pack: Six Songs I Love Right Now

I hit on the six pack idea and kinda love it for its cheesy quality so its my new device to share things I like, in this case music. Here are six songs I'm truly loving right now

Rockets - Golden Strings

While going through posts over at Hard Candy Music I stumbled on this gorgeous slice of disco/house pop. Upbeat, shimmery and the kind of the song of that is impossible to resist, it is a must listen. Not only that but HCM have a download so you can see for yourself. Rockets are a new act apparently but this track is a fantastic start. The rest of the blog is an essential read too.

Duck Sauce - aNYway

This song is slowly getting more and more hype and looks set to be one of the biggest dance tracks of the next 6 months. Duck Sauce is the combo of Armand Van Helden and A-Trak who are both formidable forces in their own right. Its infectious house with a fantastic hook like a jumped up Daft Punk tune. This one will put a smile on your face and at the risk of sounding like a proper cliche head this will set pretty much every party off for awhile to come.

Lady Gaga - Bad Romance

Say what you want but this is another brilliantly catchy and unique pop track to these ears. A bit more demented and twisted than say Just Dance this is ballsy and fresh and awfully easy to dance too. And lets face it the video is one of the years best, an audacious slice of visual madness that only Gaga could pull off. The Chew Fu and Starsmith remixes are also rather brilliant.

Leighton Meester - Somebody to Love feat. Robin Thicke

Slinky, sexy and sultry are all words I'd use to describe this one. The debut single from the Gossip Girl star, it lodges in your head on first listen and if given a chance at radio here could be a sizeable hit. Until then the rather beautiful video is a nice watch.

Cheryl Cole - 3 Words feat. will.i.am

The obvious standout on her debut solo album. A thumping house beat bounces off of the vocals of Cheryl and Will as it builds up until its eventful final minute. A subtle and offbeat track for such a mainstream popstar and one that sounds a damn sight fresher than Fight For This Love and likely to stand up better to repeat listens. Expect to hear this everywhere, its already doing respectable traffic on the charts and radio and will probably be the first big pop hit of the 2010.

Tavares - Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel

As I work my way through 101 Disco Anthems (honestly) this track, a favourite of mine for years, has been on repeat. So simple and joyous this is a song that has aged very well. Odd that this hasn't been reswizzed into a new era dance tune but maybe in this case we're better off.