Karmin's Original Song Take It Away in NBA Finals Commercial

Karmin, the 'Little Band That Could', just signed a major record deal and now their original songs, Take It Away, is being featured in an advertisement for one of the upcoming NBA Finals Games. These guys are going places and we cannot wait to see where they land next...

From the band's YouTube page:

Wow...this might be the coolest thing ever! The NBA is using our song to help get ready for the 2011 NBA Finals showdown between the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat. Game 1 - Tuesday May 31 at 9pm/et on ABC.

PLEASE share this with your friends and help support! It could help us get this thing on broadcast TV - woot woot! Oh, and who should we root for?! :)

Oh, and you can download the full song on iTunes!

Zach Galifianakis & Will Ferrell are Between Two Ferns

Zach Galifianakis has been making us laugh ever since we discovered him on Tru Calling (a little remembered show starring Dollhouse's Eliza Dushku and 90210's Jason Priestly). We love his awkward style, particularly when he's rambling on while playing the piano. Here he is, once again, Between Two Ferns with his guest Will Ferrell (and a guest appearance by another PopShocker favorite, Mad Men's Jon Hamm).

Just Because: Eddie Vedder & Ben Harper Perform Under Pressure

Having a bad day? Pick yourself up with food for your ears, Eddie Vedder and Ben Harper performing Under Pressure (originally done by Queen and David Bowie). There are other videos of this song that have better visuals but this particular video has the absolute best sound quality of them all.

Have You Heard? Beats Antique

If you already know about Beats Antique then you are one step ahead. But for those of you who don't, you need to rush over to their website right away and check them out.

In a prolific 3 years since Beats Antique emerged, the group has released 2 albums and a pair of EPs, with a third album, Blind Threshold, on the way. Notable features of the new release include vaporous violins and Danny Elfman-esque dementia; glitchy, laser-guided harmonica provided by Blues Traveler frontman John Popper; and 2 very different vocal tracks that range between restless pop hooks and vibrant Eastern European dance loops. All wrapped into an intricate collection of heavy beats and sub bass.

Check out a sample of one of their many free downloads below and if you like what you hear there is more to be found at: BeatsAntique.com

Sam The Cooking Guy: First Livecast is Available

image source

The trouble with most cooking shows is the recipes are too in depth, the steps are too many, and the ingredients and spices become pretty foreign if you're not a well rounded cook dabbling in worldly cuisine. The recipes on many of these shows do not lend themselves to a quick delicious (and often healthy) meal when you get home from work. Not unless, of course, the show you're watching is The Cooking Guy with Sam Zien. His recipes are easy to follow, fun to make and delicious to eat. Besides just being a down to earth likable guy, Sam has been cooking good hearty food for years and even more recently he decided to make a conscious effort to find healthier alternatives to his formerly fatty ways. He even created alternative versions of his older and heartier dishes.

If you know about Sam, you've already scoured his awesome website (TheCookingGuy.com), watching videos and reading blogs to find out all about his easy going mouth watering recipes. But did you know that Sam's very first audio livecast (aka podcast) is up and available for download? Now there's another way to find out what Sam's cooking in the kitchen: The Sam Livecast

JUST SHUT IT! Whoops, Our Bad... Rapture Rescheduled

So basically what this says is we can just keep changing the date for Doomsday until it actually happens... we try not to judge but man, just shut up and move on. You're annoying the heck out of everyone who doesn't believe in God and you're just making public perception of all of those who do worse. You are not servicing anyone in any kind of productive way. Just go home.

More Tornadoes Threaten Joplin, MO

image source

In an very unfortunate turn of events, it seems that more tornadoes threaten the already ravaged town of Joplin, MO. The tornado that swept through the town this past Sunday, killing at least 117 people and injuring over 600 more, devastated the southern town and quickly made Joplin national news.

More severe thunderstorms are currently on their way with the possibility of tornadoes, the storms are scheduled to hit Joplin tonight and last through early morning. This weather comes at a time when rescue workers are still searching for survivors and those who have survived are just beginning to process their present situation.

Read more at ABC News.

BEFORE WE CARED: Sandra Oh is Popular with Ryan Murphy

Before Sandra Oh became the fabulous Cristina Yang on Grey's Anatomy and before Ryan Murphy struck gold with Glee (and Nip Tuck for that matter), they had a brief collaboration on Murphy's first high school series, The WB's Popular. Staring Carly Pope, Leslie Bibb, Tammy Lynn Michaels, Christopher Gorham, and Sara Rue among others, Popular was a short lived series, barely lasting 2 seasons and what seemed to be a testing ground for all the crazy high school antics Murphy would use later in Glee. Check out Oh as she teaches her lesson in a slightly unorthodox way.

Karmin: Lady Antebellum's Just A Kiss Remixed

Karmin returns to what they do best, covering popular tunes with their own twist. In this particular remix, Amy and Nick tackle Lady Antebellum's Just a Kiss... but don't expect this to sound like the sweet country tune you know, Amy makes sure to rap her way through a verse of their reboot.

Pickin' Away with The Rogers Brothers

We are huge fans of the small town music scene and much like a smaller version of Austin, TX, Charlottesville, VA is a music magnet for amazing music. One of our new favorite local groups is a bluegrass group called Gold Top County Ramblers. The Rogers Brothers are made up of two musicians from GTCR and their brother from the band Space Cadet 7. Check out Adam, Jesse and Tucker as they perform Night Life during the 2011 WTJU Folk & Roots Marathon.

[via WTJU]

Cover Phenoms, Karmin, Get Covered

It is absolutely no secret that we're fans of the up and coming duo, Karmin, who seem to be continuously gaining momentum on the music scene. We've seen the silly covers of people mimicking Amy and Nick but we didn't expect others to start covering original Karmin tunes so early on. Here's on of our favorites! Check out Tobey Crain covering Karmin's Take It Away. We've posted the original video below for comparison... and while we love the original we have to say, Crain's version is pretty awesome as well.

Will You See Brad Pitt & Sean Penn in The Tree of Life?

Terrence Malick is a prolific film maker who's features are nothing if not beautiful. That being said, if honesty is the goal here, they are often yawn-fests that make you wonder why you're still watching the flick an hour in. At least that was the case with the last film Malick directed, The New World staring Colin Ferrell.

The Tree of Life centers around a family of three boys as they grow up in the 50s. Brad Pitt plays the father of three and Sean Penn portrays one of those three boys all grown up decades later. With all the buzz the movie is getting at Cannes, do you want to see The Tree of Life?

FALL TV PREVIEW: Zooey Deschanel is The New Girl on FOX

Zooey Deschanel is joining sister, Emily Deschanel on the small screen and we couldn't be more excited. We love her quirky characters in movies like Elf and 500 Days of Summer and the idea of seeing her week to week makes us all kinds of giddy inside. Also featured in the upcoming show New Girl is Jake Johnson (Paper Heart, No Strings Attached), Max Greenfield (Veronica Mars, Ugly Betty) and Damon Wayans, Jr. who may or may not be replaced depending on what is worked out with his super-funny current television show Happy Endings, which has been picked up for a second season.

"Deschanel will play heartbroken, socially awkward geek Jessica Day as the centerpiece of the new Fox comedy, "The New Girl." Recently (brutally) dumped by her boyfriend, Day moves into a house with three guys (played by Jake Johnson, Max Greenfield and Damon Wayans, Jr.) bent on getting her back on her feet."

[via]

So are you excited to see The New Girl?

Karmin: Live at Best Buy... Again

In case you missed it live, check out the rebroadcast of Karmin Live at Best Buy in NYC recorded on May 9, 2011. Hear them perform covers like Lady Gaga's Bad Romance and originals like Everything is Right. Find more music on their site: KarminMusic.com

Arnold Schwarzenegger Admits to Love Child with Former Staff Member

image source

According to several news sources, former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has admitted to fathering a child outside of wedlock with a former household staff member. This breaking story comes hot on the heels of news of Schwarzenegger's split with longtime spouse Maria Shriver. The story regarding his "love chid" has remained under wraps until now, which is somewhat astounding considering the child is said to have been born over 10 years ago. It seems that Maria and family were none-the-wiser either.



Check out more coverage over at CNN.com

John Krasinski & Alec Baldwin Usher in a New Era for Major League Baseball

Proud New Yorker Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) and Die Hard Bostonian John Krasinski (The Office) are two of the big reasons we love tuning into Thursday night television on NBC. So imagine our pure bliss when we found out the two joined forces for a New Era MLB commercial. It almost makes us want to tune into baseball... almost. We think this spot is pretty ad-tastic!

Endeavor's Final Voyage: Liftoff in Photos

image source

Head on over the Flickr blog and check out some of the gorgeous Endeavor lift off photos that have been posted. The one above is a particular favorite, showing parts of the control room while lift off happens in the background. The images are stunning and you really should take a moment to check them out.

"Today at 8:56am ET at the Kennedy Space Center, NASA’s Endeavour space shuttle lifted off on its 25th and final mission."

[via Flickr]

4 Shows We're Kind of Sort of Sad to See Go and Why

Shows are being slashed left and right, some we knew were on their way out and others teetered on the brink of survival for awhile but in the end, the ax came down on so many that nicknames are popping up everywhere. (The particularly popular term for Fox's ax happy network decisions was Foxpocalypse.) If we're all being honest with ourselves many of the canceled shows (or probably, soon-to-be canceled shows) are ones we can live without but there are 4 we might kind of sort of miss for very specific reasons.

1. Off the Map (Officially Canceled):

   
   

   image source

   
   
   There was one really excellent reason to absolutely love this show and her name was Mamie Gummer (daughter of Meryl Streep). She played socially awkward Dr. Mina Minard so well that we continued to turn in week to week. Well, that and the fact that Martin Henderson is not all that bad to look at. We're not worried that this is the end of the road for Mamie, you can still catch her from time to time on The Good Wife and we expect even bigger things for her in the future. Still, we'll miss Minard.




2. Chase (Officially Canceled):

   
   

   image source

   
   
   There are two reasons that we will miss the Bruckheimer NBC letdown and those reasons are Cole Hauser and Kelli Giddish. Aside from being incredibly attractive, both of these stars use their southern charm to make their characters endearing not just to each other but to the viewers at home. Their easy laid back attitudes will be missed but admittedly they were the only reason to watch Chase and by the end it just wasn't enough. We've been crushing on Cole Hauser since Good Will Hunting and we imagine we'll see more of him soon enough. As for Kelli Giddish, she too has already secured a guest role on The Good Wife. And while we know they'll move on to bigger and better things, we can't help but hope that one of those future projects will bring them back together again.



3. Hellcats (No Word Yet):
   

   image source

   
   
   We know how absolutely ridiculous this show is but for some reason it's a guilty pleasure for us (well, one of us at least). First off, we've been loving Robbie Jones ever since he popped up as basketball player Quentin Fields on One Tree Hill and now we get to see him every week. This also brings us around to Matt Barr (One Tree Hill, Commander and Chief, Harper's Island) and Gale Harold (Queer As Folk, Vanished, Desperate Housewives), we just got them back on our small screen again... don't take them away from us now. And as ridiculous as the whole set up is, we love the weekly dance routines and all the ways Aly Michalka finds ways to sing while playing the guitar. Gimme an H! Gimme an E!... **crickets** or maybe not.



4. Lie to Me (Officially Canceled):
   

   image source

   
   
   There was one reason and one reason alone to watch this show and that was Dr. Lightman himself, Mr. Tim Roth. His unapologetic style and obvious love for his craft and for those he considered friends and family made him a very attractive and intriguing character. Roth was the sole reason to tune in week after week but unfortunately as the show progressed, the writing seemed to suffer and the story lines became weak and boring. It seemed even Roth couldn't do much to save the sinking ship. Good thing the man seems to have a career already established, we think he'll do just fine.
   
   

Check out a list of already slashed and picked-up shows for next season at E! Online.

Trigger a Donation Without Spending a Dime: Watch The First Grader Trailer:

**Please note that to trigger a donation you need to click on the YouTube button at the bottom of the video and actually watch the video ON YouTube and not in the embeded player above**

Some friends of ours will be traveling to orphanages in Africa this summer to work with teachers and children in building school curriculum and also informing on several health concerns. This is an ongoing project that they continue every summer and every year they do more and more good. Their organization is one of the many to receive possible donations from Capella University. So how do you donate without spending a dime? Easy. Watch the video above in its entirety and Capella University will donate $0.50 for every view. Want to assist even more? Spread the word. The trailer is family friendly and looks like it would be a truly excellent film. We cannot wait to see it!

Watch The First Grader trailer and make a difference!

For every trailer viewing on YouTube, Capella University will donate $.50* to the following organizations to expand learning opportunities worldwide: Reading Is Fundamental, South Sudan Institute, and Kakenya Center for Excellence.

Watch as many times as you can, and share with friends and family — let's get to 100,000 views together!
*Contribution maximum is $50,000.

For theater locations, visit facebook.com/TheFirstGrader.

Photos of Vince Vaughns Baby Girl: Meet Locklyn Kyla

image source

US Weekly Magazine has published photos of actor Vince Vaughn and wife Kyla's daughter, Locklyn Kyla who was born December 18, 2010. She is the first child for the couple we can tell from the photos just how smitten they are with their new adorable addition to the family.

[via US Weekly]

Breathtaking! Carrie Underwood & Vince Gill: How Great Thou Art

Carrie Underwood and Vince Gill brought down the house with their rendition of the hymn How Great Thou Art at the 2011 ACM Girl's Night Out concert. While we can't say we're huge country music fans we do obsess over certain artists and Carrie Underwood is high on that list. In all of Carrie's career this honestly might be the best performance she's ever given and Vince Gill is perfection with his harmonies and instrumental solo. Whether you enjoy Christian music or not, this is one performance you will want to see.

Chris Evans & Anna Faris in What's Your Number?

Let's just start off by naming all the people we LOVE in this movie... Anna Faris, Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Zachary Quinto, Andy Samberg, Joel McHale, and more. This rom com centers around Ally (Faris) who is working with her neighbor Colin (Evans) to track down her exes in hopes of figuring out if one of them is the right one for her. And in case you couldn't tell from the trailer, it looks like there might just be a unexpected predictable romantic comedy ending. Good thing we love romantic comedies regardless! Are you excited to see What's Your Number?

[via ICYDK.com]

Ridiculous: Mike Tyson's Tattoo Artist Wants to Sue Warner Brothers

[image source]

Mike Tyson's tattoo is famous. Not because of the tattoo itself but because it's on Mike Tyson. So mmmmaaayyybbeee if Tyson was the one upset we might understand, but it seems that it's Tyson's tattoo artist who causing a stir.

You see, in the upcoming film The Hangover 2 Ed Helms' character ends up with a tattoo on his face that looks pretty darn close to Tyson's. Although we haven't seen the movie yet, it most likely makes perfect sense considering that Mike Tyson was such a big part of the first flick. So what's the problem?

Apparently tattoo artist S. Victor Whitmill is trying to stop the film's release and all promotional material until they remove any evidence of the tattoo from the film. Now, this is just our speculation, but it sounds like the man is trying to leverage some kind of royalty deal or payoff with Warner Brothers. He knows that with a release date only three weeks away it is unlikely that the studio will edit out or re-shoot to make that silly tattoo disappear.

We will be shocked if Whitmill gets anything more than a tiny bit of compensation. The art of Tattoos is just that, art. And while we agree that copyrights should be acknowledged and artists should have a way of protecting their creations, we personally think the guy should use the movie as free advertising and leverage more business rather than make an ass of himself in front of millions of people with a whiny 'that's mine' kind of lawsuit. Do you agree?

Check out The Hangover 2 trailer below:


[via Holy Moly!]

Have You Heard? Danger Mouse & Jack White: Two Against One

You've probably heard the song already but today for whatever reason we are obsessing over this perfect combination of Jack White, Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi. When the White Stripes first broke on the scene we were instant fans and we've followed super talented Jack White ever since. So what do you think of Two Against One? Is it one of your new favorites too?

E-Card of the Day: Accomplishment

[image source]

There are no limits to what you can accomplish when you are supposed to be doing something else.

You Should Know About: Portugal. The Man

[image source]

You should definitely take note of Portugal. The Man if you haven't already. Their new album, In the Mountain In the Cloud drops on July 19, 2011. It promises to be a new favorite...and you can listen to one of their new tracks below.

Portugal The Man isn’t a band, it’s a movement—and a force this strong could only be born out of a place as icy and isolated as Wasilla, Alaska. While those of us who grew up in the Continental United States were raised on Saturday Morning Cartoons and sugary cereal, PTM front man John Gourley’s upbringing was unorthodox. He spent a good deal of his youth exploring nature in one of the few virtually untouched territories left in the world. “Alaska is the prettiest place I’ve ever been,” explains Gourley, whose striking enigmatic vision makes its mark on all of the Portugal The Man’s CD packaging, merch designs, videos, photos and posters. “I think that environment has had a huge impact on our music.

Read more on the band's Facebook Page

Like what you hear? Check out their Official Site.

Karmin Video:Boston Best Buy Live 5-1-11

Check out Karmin's Best Buy Live performance from Boston. The performance was recorded live on May 11, 2011. Are you beginning to love Karmin as much as we do?

If you're going to be in NYC on the 9th, head over to the Best Buy in Union Square at 6:00 PM for a new Karmin Best Buy Live show... or if you can't be there, be sure to catch it online!

Live From The Sizzler: Will Ferrell President George W. Bush

President Bush Reacts to Osama Bin Laden's Death with Will Ferrell from Will Ferrell

Poor Dubya, the man just can't catch a break. Here he is taking his time during his dinner to make a special announcement about his recent encounters with terrorism in his own back yard!

[via Vulture]

Yoda Says... May the 4th Be With You!

[image source]

We're not sure where this started but we love all the random holidays that people make up... and yes, being the avid Star Wars geeks that we are, today is definitely a holiday! So from PopShocker to you... May the 4th Be With You!

First Look at AMC's New Series: Hell on Wheels

Seriously, AMC is just awesome! From Mad Men to Breaking Bad to The Killing (a recent favorite!) their original programming just keeps getting better and better and better.

Created, written and executive produced by Joe and Tony Gaytons, the series is described as a contemporary western that centers on former confederate soldier Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount), whose quest for vengeance has led him to the Union Pacific Railroad’s westward construction of the first Transcontinental Railroad.

So what do you think, are you excited for Hell on Wheels?

[via Deadline]

Did You Misquote Martin Luthor King, Jr. Recently? Probably.

"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy." - Martin Luther King, Jr. Jessica Dovey

Were you one of the culprits to post the now infamous mis-quote of Martin Luthor King, Jr? Don't feel too bad, you certainly weren't the only one. Several social media users flocked to Facebook and Twitter to share a quote they believed came from Martin Luther King, Jr. And it wasn't just your average twitter bug either, celebs and reputable blogs caught wind of the quote and used it on their own social media pages too.

When it was discovered that the quote was not one of Dr. King but rather one that was made up only days ago, the social media world was set ablaze and users were out for blood. Who would dare make them look like an idiot for posting a quote they never verified in the first place? (We don't say this without pointing the fingers at ourselves as well... if we hadn't been called away before we could finish the post, it would've been on PopShocker too.)

You can stop wagging your finger because the person who started this mess posted the quote as a Facebook message that included a quote actually by MLK. This is how it was originally posted: I will mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. "Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that." MLK Jr. Notice how the quotation marks are not around the whole statement but the latter quote instead? So stop pointing your hatred toward Jessica Dovey (the initial poster) and start pointing it toward the person who bastardized her original status message by leaving out the proper quotation marks.

Lesson Learned: ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS verify quotes before posting them on the net unless you don't mind running the risk of serious ridicule.

[via The Atlantic]

Starbucks Happy Hour is BACK!

Confession: We are caffeine addicts and it seems like ever since giving up soda (or at least trying to) we have stepped up our coffee and iced coffee daily intake. While this is obviously not the best solution, it's the one vice we can't seem to kick. So you can imagine how SUPER EXCITED we were to find out that Starbucks is bringing back their Frappucino Happy Hours!

Join us for Happy Hour, May 6-15, from 3-5 p.m. for half-price Frappuccino® blended beverages at participating stores.

Frappuccino® blended beverages are completely customizable – you call all the shots, so you can create the perfect drink for your perfect summer day. And what could make a warm, sunny day better than strolling around with one of our NEW Mocha Coconut Frappuccino® blended beverages? Just tell us how you like it and we’ll do the rest.

Need a reminder? Just text MIXIT to 44264 and we’ll send you a daily text reminder.

Learn More at Frappuccino.com

Find out more on Facebook!

Scott Pelley to Take Over for Katie Couric on CBS Evening News

image source

It's official! 60 Minutes' Scott Pelley will take over the CBS Evening News when Katie Couric takes her final bow in June. Given Pelley's reputation and experience as a journalist, he seems like a perfect fit. Not one to shy away from a story, Pelley has covered topics regarding recent natural disasters, the shooting in Tuscon, unemployment, homelessness, George W. Bush interviews and "e-waste".

"I am delighted to join the terrific team at the 'CBS Evening News,'" said Pelley. "It's a privilege to work alongside the most gifted and talented journalists in the industry."

[via CBS News]

At the White House: Osama bin Laden Take Down In Photos

image source

The White House has posted some striking and elegant photos of Obama et al behind the scenes and later making the announcement regarding the death of Osama bin Laden. We fully encourage you to click on the image above or follow the link below to view the rest of the slide show.

[via White House Flickr Page]

Wanted... WAANNNTTEEDD Dead or Alive: Link Time

image source

♥ "Donald Trump is here tonight. And I know that he's taken some flak lately. But no one is happier, no one is prouder to put this birth certificate matter to rest than 'The Donald.'" And that's because he can finally get back to focusing on the issues that matter. Like, did we fake the moon landing? What really happened in Roswell? And where are Biggie and Tupac?" [Metro]

 

Nudist Colonies now living in fear of shrinkage. It seems the average age of nudists is climbing and nudist resorts are inundated with wrinkles. They just can't seem to get those young kids involved. [TrèsSugar]

 

 

Before and After Satellite Images Show Path of Tornado’s Destruction: Satellite images taken by GeoEye the day after storms blasted through the south show a nearly straight line path of devastation, most likely from one tornado, stretching at least 10 miles. [NY Times]

 

 

Chris Brown pays tribute to Michael Jackson in his new video, She Ain't You:

Channing Tatum Gets Stripped Down In Magic Mike

image source

Well hello there gorgeous! The always jaw-droopingly hyper-beautiful actor know as Channing Tatum is playing a male stripper in Steven Soderbergh's upcoming movie, Magic Mike. Based on a true story, Magic Mike is a story about friendship, life... oh yes and of course, male strippers.

Despite frequent rumors that Soderbergh is quitting the business altogether, he was quoted saying:

"When Channing talked to me about this, I thought it was one of the best ideas I'd ever heard for a movie," the Oscar-winning director said. "I said I wanted in immediately. It's sexy, funny and shocking. We're using Saturday Night Fever as our model, so hopefully we're on the right track."

We have been swooning over Mr. Tatum ever since his first appearance in that oh-so-perfect Mountain Dew commercial all those many years ago. Are you as excited to see he and Soderbergh team up as we are? And hopefully lose a few articles of clothing in the process?

[via Deadline]

Karmin and The Roots Cover Look At Me Now at Tufts University

We are obsessed with new acoustic pop duo and YouTube sensation Karmin. Aside from being super cute Amy and Nick are ridiculously talented and their original tunes are just as much fun as their cover tunes. Watch as Karmin join The Roots during a show at Tufts University. Did we mention we love Questlove even more now for loving Karmin as much as we do?!

Osama bin Laden Is Dead

image source

U.S. officials are stating that Osama Bin Laden has been killed in an assault. In September it would be exactly ten years after the 9/11 attacks. President Obama is expected to make an official announcement.

[via New York Times]

Quote of the Day: Rainn Wilson on Clown Serial Killers

"The problem with serial killer clowns is that they don't take the clowning seriously enough." ~Rainn Wilson