Two points of order this morning.  First, here is the link to Dave’s post on Beirut over at Breakthru Radio:

Breakthru Radio Post: Thursday

And second, we’re on their Anatomy of a Blogger show today.  It’s up now; give it a listen through their site, but be forewarned:  we sound like assholes.  I thought that they would have edited out the part where I said what question we were answering, but I guess not.  What can you do?  It’s still pretty cool I guess.

I tried to find a direct link, but can’t figure it.  So, if you go to their site, click on “Program Guide” on the right hand side of the page, and then click “Anatomy of a Blogger” under Thursday, and our show will load right up for your cringe-worthy enjoyment.

We had them use a few of the songs we’ve posted, but we also have some tracks we haven’t talked about here.  You can get the playlist on the site as well, but we’ll get it ready for you at some point.  And finally – when you say the name of the blog, it’s “pan” as in the frying type, not “pon” as in de river – at least that’s how we say it.  Anyway, back to today’s post:

About two-thirds of the way through the season finale of Chuck this past Monday, my girlfriend turned to me and asked: “Why is it that we like this show?” Perhaps it was the wedding-planning CIA agents that finally got to her; I couldn’t give her an actual answer.

When I think about it, however, my answer should have been, and is simply this: the show is entertaining. It has a plot that is completely implausible which doesn’t require me to think, a hot heroine who we see on occasion in her underwear, characters who are both interesting and flawed, and the show can be charming and hilarious in the same episode. That’s why we like this show. (Plus, Zachary Levi seems like he’s cool as hell, unlike that whiny other Zach I watch on Scrubs.)

The fact that Chuck uses great music to augment its best scenes makes it that much better. Here’s some of the music that was used in the finale.  Slow Club is in the same vein at The Moldy Peaches/Kimya Dawson, and this particular track is excellent.  I’d heard the Blind Pilot track, but Gramercy Arms was new to me.  It’s excellent as well.  And even if you don’t watch the show, you’ll enjoy these.

Gramercy Arms – Looking at the Sun (mp3) from Gramercy Arms

Blind Pilot – 3 Rounds and a Sound (mp3) from 3 Rounds and a Sound

Slow Club – Christmas TV (mp3) from Christmas TV [single]

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Here’s the link to our post over at Breakthru Radio for today. Read up:

Breakthru Radio Post: Tuesday

And here’s my sunshine inspired post for my 1000 Minutes project. If you’re in Rochester, I’ll have you know I wrote this on Monday, when it was much more apropos.

21. The Push Stars – Everything Shines (mp3) from After the Party (2:22) [Time Remaining: 919:59]

Everyone has one of their own – a band that you love so intensely that you rise and fall with every bit of news about them. You watch crappy television shows and or movies just to hear their song used, and analyze later if it was used properly. You see them each time they visit your town, and are actually a bit hurt if you’re unable to, despite the fact that you see them numerous times per year. You tell all your friends about them. You make best of CDs for your sadly uninformed friends. You’re probably annoying.

The Push Stars were that band for me. I dragged plenty of people along to their shows, have seen them upwards of 30 times or so I’d imagine, and generally am/was a nerd about their music. The band made glittery, jangly pop/rock, and found moderate success, with a track on the There’s Something About Mary soundtrack, opening for Matchbox 20 and Great Big Sea.

And while they’re no longer first in my heart (I’d have a hard time awarding that coveted spot to any particular band these days), they are still excellent to listen to on sunny days and when the weather turns warm, like it has here this past weekend. This particular track is one of my favorites. It’s a monument to my slowly slipping away youth captured by a band I always thought should have made it bigger than they ever did. And don’t tell me they sound like Counting Crows.

22. Sonny Jim – Can’t Stop Moving (mp3) from Can’t Stop Moving [Single] (3:21) [Time Remaining: 916:38]

I can often succumb to hype. For this song, it turned out to be believable. I may never hear another song from Sonnington James (now going by the moniker Sonny J), but really I don’t need to. This song will always make me happy, and for that I’ll be forever grateful.

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I’m feeling kind of lazy this Sunday morning. The weather is beautiful; we had a thunderstorm here last night, and it’s feeling like summertime has arrived, although savvy Rochesterians know better than that. It could snow at any minute.

Here are a few tunes I’ve been listening to with some regularity over the past few weeks. It’s kind of like our weekly smorgasbord, but without the food references and picture of a fat kid. Put ‘em on your portable mp3 player, and take ‘em out for a walk. Enjoy your Sunday.  Get off the computer.

Death Cab for Cutie – My Mirror Speaks (mp3) from The Open Door [EP]

Conor Oberst and The Mystical Valley Band – Nikorette (mp3) from the forthcoming Outer South

The Black Keys – Her Eyes Are a Blue Million Miles (mp3) from Covered, A Revolution in Sound: Warner Bros. Records