The world at large thinks of three things when it comes to music from Houston, Texas: Destiny’s Child, Lyle Lovett and ZZ Top. Well, okay. Maybe just Destiny’s Child.

But you, dear reader, being the well-informed renaissance person that you are, know better, don’t you? You already know about The Mathletes, and now you’re about to learn about The Dimes.

Hailing from West Houston, the land of grossely similar home developments, spawls of franchises and the densest collection of SUVs per capita, The Dimes is the union of then-high school friends Carlos Sanchez (vocals/guitar), Cley Miller (guitar), Iram Guerrero (drums) and Jose Sanchez (bass), who came to together in 2004. Together, they’ve managed to create a sound not unlike The Pixies, who they’re routinely compared to. Harnessing one of the strongest rhythm sections in Houston, their sound is raw but completely focused. Maybe that’s why they’ve already opened for the likes of 120 Days, Ratatat and Tapes ‘N’ Tapes (who sported one of the nifty Dimes shirts at Coachella.)

The band officially released their “Animal” EP last year, and are in the studio working on a full-length. They do a show here and there, two of which are the weekend of the 19th in Houston, I’m told. If you can’t catch them live just yet, distract yourself with their first video for the “Delilah” single:

Yes, The Dimes are poised to take over the world before they can even legally drink. We submit to their awesomeness.

Featured Song - “Teenage Sex,” by The Dimes
Featured Song - “Delilah,” by The Dimes

(EDITOR’S NOTE: If you ever catch them live and they take requests, scream out “Psycho Killer.” Actually, do it even if they don’t take requests.)

Tucker Carlon’s show, Tucker, on MSNBC is kinda awesome.

Sure, it serves up the content like a snarky J-Crew ad, but it’s actually witty and they oscillate well between real news and serving up the anti-news stories we all crave– like Paris Hilton’s possible pardon and parliamentary brawls in Taiwan.

If you look at all the latest batch of news shows trying to target younger audiences it actually seems like the program designers are coming up with a more effective formula. As we know, they really need th 18-34 crowd so badly.

Thoughts on what I would do as an exec to lure the spring chickens in after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

Very few movies trailers actually grab us by our metaphorical balls at first sight. “Superbad” has:

The minds behind “Da Ali G Show” and “The 10-Year-Old Virgin” are taking credit for this piece of trailer gold, but we can’t help but wonder if the genius of it is limited to these mere three minutes.

But an entertaining three minutes nonetheless. (Not safe for work, by the way. Don the headphones.)

“I hate to be the one to tell you this but, I told you so.” -Larry Birkhead

ANNA NICOLE SMITH’S BABYDADDY REVEALED. [BBC]
ANNA NICOLE SMITH’S BABYDADDY REVEALED. [Gawker]
ANNA NICOLE SMITH’S BABYDADDY REVEALED. [WaPo]

Some articles are about issues. The best are about moments. This article from the New York Times Magazine breathlessly documents one of those split second actions that change life completely. And it’s about baseball, which as we know is about as exciting as unsharpened pencils. “Head Trip” defines schmaltzy and glorious cheese. Read it.

They’re surreal, delicate, but gruff. They’re slivers of art direct to your tube. They’re beer commercials.

Great, perhaps the greatest of the great, Documentarian Errol Morris of semi-recent “Fog of War” fame made a massive series of Miller High Life commercials(!!!!) The vignettes are arranged around the American manhood theme.

One of my favorites shows an old man peddling a bike through a snowstorm with a six-pack of Miller clinking in his front basket. The narrator declares, “We don’t need your OPECs.”

Watch the series here.

Not as bad as we thought it would be.