I have a confession to make...I am just now watching Arrested Development for the first time! I know you might find it hard to believe. How could I have gone all these years without watching this amazing television show? How did I even get through each day without the Bluth family? I feel somewhat personally responsible for getting it canceled. Maybe it would still be on TV if I had actually watched it when it originally aired. But three seasons might be the perfect length for this show -- I don't know how it could have possibly remained as hilarious this many years later. Arrested Development is just one of those absolutely perfect shows. I just can't imagine a better script and I can't imagine more perfect casting! The set up of the show is brilliant. It is seriously the funniest thing I have ever seen! I am just so glad that is is finally in my life. I am currently in the middle of Season 3 and I am actually trying to spread it out and make it last. I know that some of my friends are jealous of me that I am watching it for the first time -- they wish they could go back and have that experience again! I will most definitely be watching the entire series over again at some point in the future but there is just nothing like that first time. I am also sort of amazed how I didn't even really know that much about the show. I knew Jason Bateman was the star. I knew it had something to do with some rich father getting sent to prison and how his family dealt with it. I knew Ellen's girlfriend was on the show. I knew at some point Justine Bateman shows up on the show (which I am still patiently waiting for). But I had no idea that Michael Cera was on AD! I had no idea that Alia Shawkat plays the daughter Maybe! She is by far one of my favorite characters. Just absolutely brilliant! Liza Minnelli also pops in some of the best episodes as the neighbor. I had no idea the show was narrated by Ron Howard either! One of my other favorite characters is Buster. I didn't even know who Tony Hale was before the show but he is just plain perfect and hilarious as Buster. I guess I didn't even ever check out their IMDB page. I just didn't know. I am a bit mad nobody told me how brilliant this show was. Maybe I just wasn't listening. I had heard it was funny but I really needed somebody to sit me down and look me straight in the eye and say, "No, really, this show is simply the most brilliant and hilarious thing ever on television." So I am telling you now -- if you have not seen this show, you simply must watch it! Put down your True Blood and Dexter! Put aside your Glee, 30 Rock and The Office! Take a break from your Housewives and reality shows! You must watch this show!

 
You never know who you'll run into at Amoeba. For example, I've seen all kinds of people from my childhood in Virginia, old co-workers, classmates, circus performers, models, ballers, family members and even witnessed one wedding proposal. Within the last five years I've caught sight of, personally helped, or conversed pleasantly with many a celebrity customer and I have to say it always brings me a quiet thrill. No matter how many times I've been surprised by the variety of people I've bumped into while working at Amoeba, nothing prepared me for the reality of being held in the arms of a man that at one time was nothing to me but a glossy poster on my pre-teen bedroom wall. It's just the sort of situation that I never thought I'd find myself in, but there I was in between Simon Le Bon and John Taylor, flashing my best "cherry ice cream smile" in a momentary Duran Duran sandwich. 

The only thing better than experiencing the nostalgic high that my brief, friendly encounter with John and Simon provided is the on- the-spot "What's in My Bag?" interview they both consented to. Part of what makes rubbing elbows with all walks of life at Amoeba so special is that, generally speaking, everyone who comes to the store treads a common ground built from a mass appreciation of the arts. Meeting all kinds of folks is one thing, but being in a position to peruse and discuss music, cinema, and the enjoyment of both with virtually anyone you run into at Amoeba is something of a special indulgence of mine. I like to look at the ever-expanding array of "What's in My Bag?" interviews featured on the Amoeba website as an open window for world to experience the kind of social satisfaction we, the often misjudged record store employees, encounter day after day. Please check out this excellent vignette:

Seriously, how is it November 13th already? Christmas is just right around the corner. There have really been a lot of great albums out this year already. I think that this year has been a lot better than the last couple years. I already have over 100 albums on my top 50 already. It's gonna be hard to get that down to just 50. I might have to share my top 100 with you this year instead of just my top 50. But whatever has come out this year has pretty much already come out. There are still a couple things to look forward to after this week, but not much. The Sigur Ros DVD comes out next week. The Mary J. Blige album finally comes out the week before Christmas. I am not really sure why they are waiting so long on this one. I really love the new song and video and am very excited to hear this one. I also love that Mary J. Blige. There is also the soundtrack to Sweeney Todd featuring the singing voice of Johnny Depp. I am so excited about this movie. I love Tim Burton so much I can't even stand it. And I love Johnny Depp. This movie does look amazing. Other than that, it is mostly reissues, greatest hits, deluxe editions and live albums. The standard holiday releases. But there is also this amazing box set coming out soon as well. It comes out November 20th. It is basically my music collection crammed into a box set. All of my favorites from England from the 80's and 90's. I can' t really imagine my life without the music in this box. Before I go on to this week. I need to tell you all to go see "Lars & the Real Girl." It really is the most amazing movie. The funniest thing that I have seen in a while. But also super touching and sweet. I can't really stop thinking about and I beg you all to go see it if you have not yet.

Out this week is a new album by Alicia Keys. I really do love this lady. It is just one of those things that happened and I can't really explain it. She just sort of makes me happy and I think she might be sort of magical. I really liked that "Songs In A Minor" way back in 2001. And she got me hooked. One of my old favorites, Duran Duran, also has a new album out. This one is produced by Justin Timberlake and Timbaland. Seriously, it really is. I have not had the chance to hear it yet. But I am very curious. My cousin is still the biggest Duran Duran fan. But it really makes me happy. I love when anyone is devoted to their favorites. I know a couple of those Duran Duran fans. You don't really want to mess with them. They are serious about their Duran Duran. Please do not joke about Duran Duran with them. You might get hurt. It does make me happy that Duran Duran is still putting out albums. I really did love those early albums. They still give me lots of good memories. You really should get that Duran Duran DVD that came out a couple of years ago. It is the greatest hits DVD and it is sort of amazing. Those videos were just fantastic. The design of the DVD and the features are really awesome as well. Lots of little secret things inside the DVD. The Hives also have a new album out today. I do also really love the Hives. I do fear that my love for them has been slowly dying since the last album. But I am willing to give this new one a big chance. I was really swept up in the Hives frenzy when I was last living in Hollywood. I love myself some swedish garage music. That Veni Vidi Vicious and Barely Legal album are still really great. I saw them live in Hollywood and it is still one of my favorite shows that I have ever been to.

The Killers also have a new album out this week. It is a sort of a compilation of unreleased stuff. The new Killers album is called "Sawdust." Sort of like all the left over stuff that didn't show up on an album yet. The album includes both their songs that were on soundtracks this year. "Shadowplay" from the Control soundtrack and "Move Away" from Spiderman 3. It also has the song "All the Pretty Faces." This song was the b-side for "When You Were Young" from the last album. The most exciting song is of course the Kenny Rogers cover. They do the song "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town." The rest of the album is made up of songs that did not make it on Hot Fuss or Sam's Town. The song "Tranquilize" also features that guy named Lou Reed. The Killers are really one of my guilty pleasures. They just make my happy when I listen to them. And there is really nothing wrong with that. It is really so funny how different everyones opinions can be. I just read some message board stuff about the band and it made my laugh. People really do take themselves so seriously. The Killers covering Joy Division really made a lot of people mad. But I actually like their cover. It doesn't sound anything like Joy Division and sort of makes the song a bit catchier and lighter. But I still like it. The Killers are one of those bands that you love or hate. I think they know exactly what kind of band they are and don't really pretend to be anything that they are not. They are a good fun band and that is what I like about them. Having a collection album after only 2 real albums is a bit ridiculous. But I don't really mind it. Nobody has to get it if they don't want it. But there are some good songs on here that you might miss out on. But only if you really like this band. If you don't care about this band you have probably already stopped reading this blog anyway.