THE CARS
Move Like This
http://thecars.org
Dist: Universal Music Canada


Move Like This, The Cars’ first album of new music in many years, is a vibrant and ingenious collection that expertly extends their already extraordinary canon. Retooling innovative art rock, sleek New Wave, and punchy power pop in their own idiosyncratic image, The Cars’ groundbreaking sonic approach continues to influence artists and airwaves today. Songs like “Blue Tip” and “Free” are invigorating and imaginatively wrought, with all the trademark elements in place, from Ocasek’s sardonic, man-machine vocalizing and Greg Hawkes’ swirling synths to Elliot Easton’s turbo-charged riffing and David Robinson’s pop-motorik beats.

Golden Globe nominations, because of their comedy/drama split, are always a mixed bag. Despite the fact that some excellent movies have come out in the last year, it's been more miss than hit, so we're going to try to pare it down to an essential viewing/incredibly biased predictions. Here we go:

Film

Drama

Black Swan, The Fighter

No The Good Guys recap today, but much better Fox-related news: sexy Javier Bardem will appear next season on Glee as a rock star who befriends Artie (Kevin McHale). He will rock some Spanish heavy metal, which is apparently "the worst." I can only hope that Javier Bardem + rock star = leather pants. Perhaps another fantasy dance sequence can be worked in for Artie.

Whatever nervous feeling you might be having about a) tonight's finale or b) next season of Glee must immediately be thrown out the window. Michael Ausiello reports that John Stamos will be on recurring next season as a dentist and possible love interest for Emma. Hurrah! That is quite the catch for dear Em. Hope this means a sing-off for her love between STAMOS! and Will.

It's a distinct possibility that I did given that I spent much of Will's seduction of Sue hiding my face at the cringe-wonder of it all, but I completely did not understand the confrontation/problem between Mercedes and Quinn in last night's episode of Glee, "Funk." Mercedes thinks that Quinn cannot bring the funk because she's not black? And then Quinn sings "It's a Man's World," which is offensive to Mercedes because Quinn's not black? And then Quinn apologizes for thinking she might have insight into being marginalized because she's pregnant, which is not the same as being black?

Am I getting that right? I feel like there was some interstitial scene that I missed where Quinn literally compared the two (and did anyone else feel like the characters were being extra-super literal last night?) instead of saying that she, too, has both soul and anger and an interest in expressing those feelings through song. Because otherwise that's every episode, and I'm not seeing the disconnect. Upshot, Quinn is moving in with Mercedes.

Also on the plus side, I actually enjoyed seeing Terri last night. She's had little screen time since the spring return, but the writers seem to have a clearer idea of how to use her in a way that isn't shallow and offensive. But the maddest props naturally go to any use of Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, which Finn apparently found by "typing funk into the iTunes."

Last night's fall finale of Glee (our top new comedy pick) was exactly the whirligig of drama, comedy, and singing that we've come to expect. While Glee may pretend that it's a parody of musicals and after-school specials, as Troy would tell you, it's actually a show that uses singing and comedy to disguise exactly how depressing it really is. Of course, music and laughter are necessary components for most humans to make it through their banal-to-soul-crushing days, so who can hold it against the 12 students that make up McKinley High's show choir? It's the best part of Santana's day!

In thinking about how awesome last night's entry was, though (and it was awesome), the very things that made it awesome also got me thinking about some stuff they should really straighten out before the show returns April 13 (yes, April 13. Try to hold it together). Ian Brennan, Brad Falchuk, and Ryan Murphy, could you meet me over at camera three?

Okay, that's better. Three things:

On Monday night's Gossip Girl, Olivia (Hilary Duff) decided to show Dan's parents that she really is the shallow Hollywood starlet she believes they think her to be (yeah, lots of lies this ep), so she rolls up to the Freshmen Parents Dinner/Toast/Impossible Social Situation in a skin tight, peach Hervé Léger.

Over on Monday night's Castle, Beckett (Stana Katic) needs to remind everyone that she is a hottie in addition to a bitchin' detective, so she rolls up to Castle's book launch party in a skin tight, blue Hervé Léger.

On Gossip Girl, this sort of thing is expected. Also, TV has long conditioned me to accept that people on inside the tube wear clothes, live in houses, and drive cars far beyond their salary range, so I'm okay with Beckett's choice. But twice in one night on two different networks? What's next? Will Quinn be in tears on Glee tonight when her Herve Leger no longer fits? Will Jonathan have to solve the case of the stolen Herve Leger on Sunday's Bored to Death? Remember: twice is a coincidence; three makes a rule.