Mystical Magick

Tops of 2009:
[Music Edition]

Music washes away from the soul
the dust of everyday life.
~Berthold Auerbach

Another year has come and gone. And with it are the release of new albums, the exciting discovery of new musicians, and the cathartic release of finding songs that touch you in all the right ways: mind, body, and soul.

Then, we have rinse and repeat as you listen to it all over and over again.

Welcome to my Tops of 2009: Music Edition. Complete with new genres, new sounds, new musicians, new albums, and new songs. Here are my favorite and most listened to:

+Musicians
+Albums
+Songs

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There are so many shows premiering or returning each year, that deciding what to watch or what to continue watching can be quite a task. Here are some important qualities I use when judging a television series. Then we’ll take a look at some shows I watch and see what comes out on top.

Television Show Pyramid

• A good solid base…: An intriguing premise or story that says something interesting and can be expanded upon over time.
• …on which all other factors are rooted: Good acting, writing, directing, cinematography, music, etc. For the most part these things just have to be average. But when they’re firing at all cylinders, and coupled with all the other qualities, is when we really know we’ve got something special.
• Someone to take us through…: Compelling multifaceted characters that you care about and want to know what happens to them from week to week.
• …the journey to the other side: Good character and story development every episode. Especially standalone episodes, even if it’s a crumb of a scene lodged somewhere within the episode.

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As much as I’ve reviewed all the new series and talked about my favorite returners so far, it may be hard to believe that my most anticipated television show has yet to premiere. Even more interesting is this anticipated show won’t even be airing on one of the main broadcast networks. And even more peculiar is it will be premiering and regularly airing on a Friday night. But then the most bewildering thing of all is that it’s not even a completely original show, but both a spin-off and a reboot of the shows that came before it. Don’t worry though, you don’t have to have seen or have any knowledge of it’s predecessors to enjoy this new offering from the television gods.

So yes, despite everything Stargate Universe has still managed to become one of the most buzzed about and top 10 most anticipated new shows of the fall. So sit back and let me have a couple minutes to suggest why you should join me tonight at 9pm on SyFy. Hopefully after you read this you’ll be as excited as I am about it. But we’re not going to take my word for it.

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The ALMA Awards or American Latino Media Arts Awards honoring the accomplishments of Hispanics in entertainment was televised this past Friday. And while it is exciting to see all the Hispanic talent get their moment, what my mother and I were more interesting in seeing was if anyone from Spain was going to perform, present, or anything. This then got us into a discussion about who are the most famous and well-known Spaniards around the world. Which, of course, got me curious and researching to find all the famous Spaniards I could remember. What follows is as much for me as it is for you. Picspam time!

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It’s that time of the year again. Quite possibly one of my favorite times of the year. The time when all our favorite shows that left us hanging this past spring or all the new shows we’ve heard promoted all summer are finally here. One week and counting til the start of Fall TV 2009. Are you ready?

Have you read the releases and watched the trailers for all the new shows? Have you made your TV schedule? Do you know what days and times everything will premiere? Do you have your DVR, VCR, or Torrents set?

Great, then there’s still time to advise you on my picks for this TV season. So, without further adieu:

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This is coming a little later than I would have liked, but better late than never. This is in conjunction with my previous post on the fall lineup.

Quick Blips on Upfront Teasers

Day One on NBC – Everyone seems to be comparing the show to Jericho. It doesn’t have a proper trailer yet, but rather a behind the scenes clip. I’ll have to wait before I have further opinions on this one.

Mercy on NBC – Told from the eyes of the nurses, the only bright spot seems to be Michelle Trachtenberg. From what I saw ‘zzz…’.

Parenthood on NBC – Good actors, interesting characters, interesting plot. As I said in my previous post, the next Brothers & Sisters.

Trauma on NBC – Told from the eyes of the paramedics. I’m not interested, but at least it looks better than Mercy.

Human Target on FOX – He can be anyone you need him to be. It’s kind of like a new take on the Pretender, John Doe, or Dollhouse idea. Premise is interesting. Trailer doesn’t look too bad. Further viewing is needed.

Past Life on FOX – Interesting idea, FOX. But I think it’s pretty out there for the premise of a tv series. I don’t see this lasting. And I felt like I just watched the whole season premiere in the trailer.

Eastwick on ABC – CharmedRedux? I wonder if this will be the next chick series?

Flash Forward on ABC – More of a teaser than a trailer, but it looks good. I’m in.

V on ABC – Joel Gretsch (4400), Morena Baccarin (Firefly), Scott Wolf (Party of Five), and Alan Tudyk (Firefly) on one show about the world’s first encounter with aliens, who may or not be friendly. It doesn’t come out til midseason. But I’ll give it a try.

Three Rivers on CBS – My pick out of three medical dramas based on the previews. I may have to give this one a try. Plus, Alex O’Loughlin (Moonlight) and Katherine Moennig (Young Americans and The L Word) back on tv.

The Beautiful Life on CW – This show could be interesting and be the next Gossip Girl for the network. Plus, the return of Mischa Barton. And I never noticed her voice was so deep before.

Melrose Place on CW – Yawn. Felt like I was watching a daytime soap. The younger cast including Ashlee Simpson could be interesting, but otherwise…

The Vampire Diaries on CW – This show could go either way depending on how it’s played. So far it looks all right to watch. The next Roswell/Supernatural for the CW?

Well, that’s it. We definitely need more scripted television and less reality television. So, here’s hoping at least a couple of these shows stick and are a success with viewers.

2009-2010 Upfront Trailers

Make your own decisions and let me know what you think!

NBC 2009-2010 Upfront Trailers

FOX 2009-2010 Upfront Trailers

ABC 2009-2010 Upfront Trailers

CBS 2009-2010 Upfront Trailers

CW 2009-2010 Upfront Trailers