dot.conor

Dot.conor...

2006-06-09T16:32:00.000-04:00

is moving...to a new server. our apologies for the serious lack of entries in the past few weeks, but the dot.conor staff has been working tirelessly in creating an all-new experience for all of the dot.con-rades out there in cyberspace. please be patient, dot.conor 2.0 will be up and running any day now. in the meantime, peruse our archives, visit our friends' sites, or just sit and wait.

thank you for your patronage.

Chow down on...

2006-05-24T14:10:00.000-04:00

baked cheetos quoth mandisa, "god is good, honey." and for once we agree with one of her remarks for the sheer fact that baked cheetos are indeed heaven-sent. they have everything their grease-filled brethren have: the odd shape, the unique texture, the factory-created orange cheese mixture that stains everything. what the baked boys don't have are the calories, the fat grams, and the feeling of betrayal to ones body after consuming an entire large bag in one sitting whilst typing an overdue psychology paper back in the college days of yore. (sorry, that was an overshare...) while it'll never be quite understood what the common bond between something called a "cheeto" and a large-jowled tiger is, we are forever grateful to folks at frito-lay for answering our prayers and replacing our lard-filled nightmares with low-fat dreams.

Buy tickets to...

2006-05-24T12:41:00.000-04:00

american idols live! admit it, you'll need your 'idol' fix before the television phenomenon starts back up next january (or later this summer if you plan on auditioning...). and while it's sad but true, this will be the last time kevin covais or bucky covington will see the light of day. or so we can hope...

Add to your iPod...

2006-05-15T15:55:00.000-04:00

the prize fighter

by the velvet teen

indie rock at its finest, the california trio known as the velvet teen add depth and ethos to a song about a washed up boxer on this track on their "out of the fierce parade" album. featuring a killer hook, and a melody that begs to be echoed, 'the prize fighter' has what most songs by such bands has: staying power. for beneath the power chords, the less-than-stellar vocals, and garage-like production values is a song that actually makes sense in the storytelling, a rarity in today's music scene. and four years after it's release, the song sounds fresher than most new ones. it's dynamite.

See...

2006-05-15T14:33:00.000-04:00

mission: impossible 3 do yourself a favor: imagine it's 1985 and you just saw and fell in love with tom cruise in "top gun", and that it's not 2006, the year that the world officially hated tom cruise. now, pony up $20 (after the diet coke and day-old nachos) and see his new movie. it's good. it's really good. j.j. abrams, mastermind behind alias & lost, has taken the ethan hunt franchise and given it a much needed shot in the arm. there's action, there's suspense, there's humor, there's tom cruise. (oh wait, that last one doesn't work anymore.) abrams' supporting cast shines. jonathan rhys meyers, maggie q, ving rhames and keri russell are dynamite as hunt's crew, while laurence fishburne and billy crudup, as execs at the fictional IMF agency, continually make you scratch your head. and philip seymour hoffman thrills as the film's villain. the film is equal parts alias, felicity, and lost, with a smattering of the previous two in the trilogy. and it's worth the price of admission just to see greg grunberg's cameo. trust.

Add to your iPod...

2006-05-09T15:45:00.000-04:00

goin' back by dusty springfield forget "son of a preacherman," this is the song that dusty springfield should be famous for. though a relatively unknown track in the states for her, the byrds had a modicum of success with the same track, penned by carole king. the entire song is one sweeping crescendo about self-realization as one ages. dusty's mellow vocals blended with a gentle piano builds into a full-fledged orchestral delight. simply put: a magnificent song.

Dot.conor pick city...

2006-05-05T10:31:00.000-04:00

los angeles, california

admittedly not our favorite city in the lower 48, but that's no reason to hate on new york's sibling on the left coast. while there are drastic differences between the city we call home and the city of angels (taxis v. actually driving; rude people v. fake people; rats v. smog) there are many redeeming qualities that la has that ny doesn't: palm trees, pedestrian right of way, warmer climate, pin's hot dogs, the grove, and michael vartan. if there are any dot.con-rades in the greater la area this weekend, feel free to grab a beverage with us as we sit and chit-chat with rande gerber & cindy. ok, we like to dream.

Add to your iPod...

2006-05-05T10:21:00.000-04:00

to all of you by syd matters five facts: 1) the singer/songwriter has been compared to nick drake, to thom yorke, to elliott smith 2) he was a hit at this year's south by southwest 3) he's french 4) he's not very pretty 5) his songs will rock your world...and then some

Add to your iPod...

2006-05-03T15:08:00.000-04:00

god of wine by third eye blind well before stephan jenkins started to date vanessa carlton, which caused his band to suck forever more, third eye blind made good music. sure the radio-friendly tunes on their debut album were catchy and fun, the bunch of songs on the latter half of the same album were dynamite. "i want you" & "motorcycle drive by", luckily, only have traces of the same band that came up with the "do do do doo, do do do doo" line of their first single. but it's "god of wine" that stands out the most. slow and steady, leading up to a raucous crescendo, the band from san francisco proves that they have more up their sleeve than their hits would suggest. if only that still held true.

Read...

2006-05-01T17:30:00.000-04:00

wine for dummies even if you claim to know everything about wine, or you are only familiar with the boxed variety, this book will forever change your life. everything about wine is explained here, from the different types of grapes used, to how to properly store and open wine, to the difference between a zinfandel and a white zinfandel. didn't know there was such thing? well you are going to need more than just this book... the novice will be able to impress his friends at the next cocktail party by discussing the medium body of the vintage cab he's swirling around in the stemless glass in his hand. the newly minted 21-year-old will be able to detect the buttery aftertaste of a 2001 chardonnay as it rolls down her tongue. and the 86-year-old franzia addict will learn that there is life beyond the rubber spout stemming from the cardboard container. at least we can hope.

Everything looks better with a...

2006-05-01T17:22:00.000-04:00

sunburn. not the gross kind of sunburn, with oozing blisters and peeling skin, but the look of being sun-kissed for a couple of hours too long. not only will your co-workers think you've been someplace exotic, it makes whatever it is you are wearing pop even more. even a mexican tuxedo will look good. on second thought, maybe not. honestly, never wear the mexi-tux...

Add to your iPod...

2006-05-01T16:48:00.000-04:00

here and now by luther vandross the late, great luther (looking terribly thin in that picture) is responsible for some of the greatest soul ballads of all time. while "a house is not a home" and "superstar" are timeless, nothing holds a candle to 1991's "here and now." an unabashed love song that still tugs at the heart strings, luther shows why he is the original 'velvet teddybear.' impeccable range and full of restrained power, luther slays when he sings, "your love is all i need." taken too early due to a stroke, the song is painfully ironic, for as it turns out, the very-closeted singer yearned for someone to say the very thing to, but never did. he struggled with his weight, with the tabloids, and with his own insecurities. screw the newcomers who want to take his thrown, and throw out the covers of his work - luther vandross is the real deal.

Pay attention...

2006-05-01T16:43:00.000-04:00

to the band on 'american idol.' they're amazing. the horn section on elliott yamin's "teach me tonight" is superb. the depth that the musicians has is quite impressive. without them, chris would not be chris, katharine would not be "kat", and pickler would not be...oh, wait - she's gone! finally!

You may exhale...

2006-05-01T16:41:00.000-04:00

the blogger's block is over. dot.conor has returned. the world will never be the same again...

Add to your iPod...

2006-04-14T15:47:00.000-04:00

talk (remix) by coldplay 'how to make a good song better' should be a requisite course taken by all artists, and coldplay's "talk" should be the text book. a great song on its own due to chris martin's voice and jon buckland's unmistakable guitar lick, but what separates the version found on x&y and the new remixed version(s) is night and day. the new mixes add depth that was never there to the song. junkie xl's mix, by far the best of those available, does what every remix has: minutes upon minutes of filler beats capped with the song at hand. but the way that the aforementioned guitar lick permeates those beats makes up for the previous five minutes of teasing noises and hints at what's to come. at its peak, the remix is simply amazing. and at roughly 10 minutes long, it is perfect for the treadmill. press play, run, repeat.

Watch...

2006-04-14T15:11:00.000-04:00

thief

fx has become the hbo for folks who don't want to dish out $15 a month for good television. nip/tuck, the shield, and rescue me are all ground-breaking series, but none possess the same spark that thief does. andre braugher's performance is reminiscent of his days on homicide - dark, honest, gritty. the story of professional thieves in post-katrina new orleans focuses less on the jobs, and more on those on the job. each character has a story, and as we slowly learn those, we see that it's one big heap of tragic characters all trying to make an honest living the most dishonest way possible. fierce writing, stellar soundtrack, and tack-sharp acting make this a must-see. there are only 6 episodes in the entire season. catch it before it's stolen off of the airwaves...

Finally...

2006-04-14T14:44:00.000-04:00

lent is over. now you may go back to your pagan-like ways of injesting candy, alcohol & fast food like water. gone without masturbation for 40 days and 40 nights? go buy some goggles. and some neosporin.

Learn the lyrics to...

2006-04-12T17:10:00.000-04:00

lying is the most fun a girl can have without taking her clothes off by panic! at the disco not only is every song title on this las vegas' debut release enjoyable to read, they also pair their brand of dance/rock with lyrics so clever and fresh that they bowl you over upon first listen. after building their fanbase through myspace.com, the group was signed to the same label as fall out boy, a band also known for playing melodic rock music you can't help but nod your head or shake some body part to. with lines like "is it still me that makes you sweat?" and "so you testosterone boys and harlequin girls" it's no surprise that this band's cult following has propelled them from internet obscurity and into society's conscience. note: click on the title of this entry to learn the lyrics

Add to your iPod...

2006-04-12T12:43:00.000-04:00

dear mr. president by pink (featuring indigo girls) pink, excuse me, p!nk has always been outspoken, and on her new album she does not relent. from mocking everyone from paris hilton to jessica simpson on her first single "stupid girls," the philadelphia native goes after someone far more important in the aptly titled "dear mr. president." sounding nothing like the rest of her catalog, alecia moore borrows the vocal and instrumental talents of amy ray & emily saliers to add an additional layer to her powerful, yet demure-sounding rant. while the focus of this song is clearly george w., mr. cheney does not escape pink's wrath, either. the lyrics, "what kind of father would take his own daughter's rights away/and what kind of father might hate his own daughter if she were gay?" are overtly directed at the vice president and his lesbian daughter. this song is refreshing not only for the subject matter, but for the fact that it actually sounds like the indigo girls of yore, before they got too righteous and experimental. oh, and pink sounds good, too.

Tuesday's guilty pleasure...

2006-04-11T10:25:00.000-04:00

what's left of me by nick lachey it's a good song! trust. with one listen, the misery that was soul-o will be erased from memory and you will learn to at least appreciate who will be the more successful 'newlywed' (you heard it here first). no longer living behind the blonde curtain of his ex-wife's fake hair, the boy from ohio shows us why 98degrees was successful - he knows how to craft unadulterated cheese. and even if you're lactose intolerant, you'll fall victim to lachey's beckoning gaze and irresistible hooks.

Shed a tear...

2006-04-06T11:06:00.000-04:00

for mandisa it is a dark, dark day for those living in mandisa-land. for those not in the know, our beloved plus-sized sister with pipes of gold got an unexpected au revoir from american idol last eve, thus sufficiently ruining all hopes for a true diva to rip the crown from fantasia's weave. it's ok, though. not only did barry manilow promise her a spot on his stage, lane bryant and fashion bug plus would be fools to not snatch this starlet up. so, here's to you, mandisa - may you thrive in your post-idolhood with kim locke, frenchie, and jennifer hudson. you'll be missed. unlike bucky, who, along with his dreaded hair, is still around...

Add to your iPod...

2006-04-05T16:20:00.000-04:00

flying high by jem devoted dot.conor reader, katie from rhode island, emailed us about this little ditty from jem, the young welsh singer. and it's as simple as her name is: soft vocals accompanied with a lone acoustic guitar. her harmonies do the trick, especially the falsetto that she whips out on the later versions of the chorus. you'll listen to this and think that jem is truly outrageous.

04.05.06

2006-04-05T14:33:00.000-04:00

on this day in history: 1614: pocahontas married john smith 1864: siege of yorktown began 1976: howard hughes died 1988: tracy chapman released "fast car." (we love black lesbians) & those born on this day: spencer tracy bette davis booker t. washington gregory peck and... mars rogiero, a tried and true friend of the folks at dot.conor, not to mention the editor's #1 nemesis. cheers to you on your 24th. may you get laid over and over tonight.

Where is...

2006-03-31T12:28:00.000-05:00

mindy cohn the best part of the facts of life (you know it's true tootie fans...) mindy has been conspicuously absent on the pop culture radar. though she has been staying afloat as the voice of velma on the latest editions of scooby doo, she has yet to tackle a role much like she did on the show that introduced us to kim fields, george clooney, mackenzie astin, & molly ringwald (look it up). there will never be another natalie green. and for this, the world will never be the same.

Add to your iPod...

2006-03-31T12:16:00.000-05:00

send for henny by the trashcan sinatras before you even start, let the obvious be stated: dot.conor has already shared its love for the trashcan sinatras with its faithful one time before. but as with all good things in life, one needs seconds. and on the first day to actually feel like spring since the equinox, and a day that may even tempt us with a taste of summer, there is no better song to let flow from your earbuds than this. happy guitars, harmonies that are reminiscent of juliana hatfield, and perhaps the best spring-like line: "come into my house, throw open the windows wide. go back to your house to do likewise" all add up to one addicting tune. not sure who henny is, but when it gets too heavy, send for her.