Tuesday Guilty Pleasure: "Hoarders"

A&E is my new favorite channel (and one of the three I know by heart here in Charlotte) and shows like "Hoarders" are the reason.

Nothing makes an unorganized, cluttery person like myself feel better about life than watching people who have houses literally overflowing in junk.

So my coffee table is a little messy. This woman hasn't been able to get into her kitchen for the past three years.

So I have a few clothes on the floor of my room. This guy hasn't seen the floor of his house since the last time the Buffalo Bills made the playoffs.

I do feel a little bad about the people that have serious psychological issues related to OCD and hoarding, but at least their getting help. But I have to admit that seeing a guy freak out about throwing away old beer cans is hilarious.

I just don't understand how people can live in some of these houses. They literally don't have room to move, breathe or make a decent meal. Piles of dirty dishes, trash and "collectibles" litter every room. Some people can't even get into their bedrooms anymore.

The show is inspirational, though. Right now I'm washing dishes and folding clothes.

Tuesday Guilty Pleasure: "TiK ToK"

Happy New Year! My resolution? Blog more.

Speaking of which, here is the first Tuesday Guilty Pleasure of 2010 (pronounced "twenty-ten" according to the Associated Press).

This one is pretty embarrassing, I'm not going to lie.

The first time I heard "TiK ToK" by Ke$ha (yes, with a dollar sign) I thought it was a joke. The second time it got stuck in my head. The third I was dancing.

There's really nothing redeeming about this song other than that it has a fun beat and the girl's voice is pretty goofy.

The lyrics are stupid, it's over-produced, the video is dumb and she sounds like any drunk white girl trying to rap at a college party.

It just goes to show you how little talent that it takes to make it in the music business nowadays.

Either way, every time it comes on the radio I get a little excited inside.

I wonder what brushing my teeth with a bottle of Jack would be like....

Tuesday Guilty Pleasure: iPod Commercials

Apple iPods have always been the "cool" kids on the block. Hell, Apple itself is the epitome of "hey look, I'm a cool, artsy, creative 20-something on the cutting edge." I don't say that in an insulting way: I'm typing this on a MacBook while my iPod plays Van Morrison through my stereo.

Anyway, to keep with their trendy image, they pick not-quite-mainstream songs for their commercials that always get stuck in my head until I'm finally forced to Google "iPod commercial song" to find out what it is.

Some past examples: The Fratellis "Flathead," Feist "1234," The Ting Tings "Shut Up and Let Me Go," and Caesars "Jerk it Out."

The latest commercial song has gotten lodged in my brain tighter than any other. Maybe because the commercial is just so happy with people dancing around and singing. And maybe because it's just a friggin' catchy song. Either way, I finally broke down and looked it up on my cell phone Saturday while having lunch and found out that it is a song called "Bourgeois Shangri-La" (say that three times fast...) by Miss Li. I also found out that my Blackberry can download music, but that's another matter.

Anyway, here for your listening pleasure is the FULL song. Of course, you can always click here if you want to see the happy people dancing in the video.

Tuesday Guilty Pleasure: Ukuleles

I don't even really know how I can explain this one. But I can tell you where my obsession with ukuleles came from. One song. Israel Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole's "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World." It was love at first listen.



Such a beautiful voice.... Anyway, that ukulele sound stuck with me. It sounds so simple and so sweet and fits with that chilled out, relaxed style of music that I've always loved. I fell for this instrument so hard that I finally got someone to buy one for me.

I instantly started trying to play it, but couldn't ever even get it in tune. So it's sat on the top of my bookcase for two years. Shameful.

You know what? I'm going to take it down and really get to work on it. Get it nice and tuned up and start learning some chords. Next thing you know, I'll be the next Kamakawiwoʻole.

Tuesday Guilty Pleasure: "Say Hey (I Love You)"

Every summer there's that one song that perfectly embodies the free spirited-ness and happy-go-luckiness that the warmer weather, cookouts and days spent at the pool brings. It may have taken me until September to find it, but I have mine for this year.

"Say Hey (I Love You)" by Michael Franti & Spearhead is the perfect summer song. Hands down, game over, thanks for playing. I heard this song at random different times all through the end of the summer, but never could figure out who it was by or what it was called (radio DJs really need to get their act together about that stuff....).

Finally, my wonderful girlfriend saved me even more hours of Googling random lyrics and sent me the YouTube video.



This song is bouncy, fun and happy. It's a love song, or, more specifically, just "a song about a boy and a girl." There's really nothing else to say about it. You just have to listen.

I don't know who Michael Franti is, but I hope he keeps making good music. But maybe he should wait until next summer.

Tuesday Guilty Pleasure: Indie romantic comedies

Look, I posted two weeks in a row! I'm back, baby!

Have you ever thought to yourself, "Man, I'm really in the mood for a romantic comedy right now?" If you're a guy, the answer is probably no.

I might just be the exception.

The guy at the box office or clerk at the local Blockbuster usually assumes that I'm seeing that romantic comedy because I'm with my girlfriend and she somehow tricked me into it. Well, that's not always the case. Sometimes I'm really feeling a good romantic comedy.

Now let me clarify. I'm not talking a crappy, stereotypical romantic comedy like "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" (biggest waste of two hours ever...) where a guy and a girl don't realize how much they care for each other, then they do, then one of them screws up and works the rest of the movie trying to get the other one back and they ride off into the sunset together. No. Forget that.

I'm talking the cute, indie-style romantic comedies that have become popular recently, where the two characters just have a good relationship and that's it. They go through life's problems and deal with them.

What made me think about this was seeing "Away We Go," with John Krasinski (Jim from the Office) and Maya Rudolph. The two characters are undeniably in love and they go across the country seeing old friends and trying to find a new place to live. Sounds simple, and it is. But it was hilarious and heartwarming.

Even though it's a little different, and definitely not as good of a movie, I would put "Garden State" in the same category. Same with "Juno."

I hate the formulaic, boring and overacted romantic comedies. But give me a fun and cute love story and I'm so down. I can't wait until "500 Days of Summer" comes out....

Tuesday Guilty Pleasure: One-Hit-Wonders

Ever heard of Soft Cell? How about Pure Prairie League? a-ha? How about the Manfred Mann Earth Band? Certainly you know Right Said Fred and Sir Mix-a-Lot.

No? Well, I sure do.



They were the masterminds behind, respectively, "Tainted Love," "Aime," "Take On Me," "Blinded by the Light," "I'm Too Sexy," and "Baby Got Back."

That's right, I know those artists off the top of my head. Why? I have no freakin' clue. But somehow in my 22 years of existence, so many one-hit-wonders have gotten stuck in my head it's not even funny, many of which hat their 15 minutes before I was even born.

I have to lay a piece of the blame on my step-father, who is an encyclopedia of one-hit-wonders. His knowledge dwarfs mine, but he's had a few more years to file away meaningless bands who wrote meaningless songs, one of which got inordinately popular.

I get some sick pleasure out of sneering at my nearest friend/person-I-kinda-know and asking "Who does this?" when "Breakfast at Tiffany's" comes on. And when they can't answer, I chuckle condescendingly and say "Deep Blue Something," which inevitably leads to the conversation, "Deep Blue what?" "Deep Blue Something." "Yeah, but what's the last word?" "Something." And on and on....

There's no way anyone should know that. But I do. And it makes me feel as superior as a NYU hipster smirking and leaning against the back wall at a Morrissey concert.

It's mean, I know, but somehow slightly gratifying. Try it for yourself. Next time "Somebody's Watching Me," comes on the radio (or on that obnoxious Geico commercial), spin around to your closest buddy and yell "Who does it??" When they inevitably give you a blank stare or guess "Michael Jackson" (who, interestingly, did sing the chorus and back-up vocals), laugh in their face and say with the pride that only comes from being filled to the brim with entirely useless information: "Rockwell."

(I'm going to go ahead and use this time to inform those that don't already know about the real lyric in "Blinded by the Light." He's not saying "Wrapped up like a douche another motor in the night" or any version of that. The actual lyric is: "Revved up like a Duece, another runner in the night," referring to a car. One more fun fact: this song was actually originally written by Bruce Springsteen. See, useless information....)

[Tuesday Thursday Guilty Pleasure] CSI: Miami

Yet again, I've managed to completely forget about TGP until two days later. This time I have a slightly more legitimate excuse: Courtney turned 21 on Wednesday. Celebrations ensued.

But I'm back now and good as new and it's time to start rocking and rolling with something that I love that I really, really shouldn't.

"CSI" is a long-running and relatively well-respected show. The characters are great, the stories are interesting and the acting is quality. Then they decided to do a spin-off.

Strike number one was hiring David Caruso, who can barely act his way out of a paper bag. His character is written to be pretty corny anyway, but he just puts it over the top. If you've never watched an episode of "CSI: Miami," let me give you a little rundown of how it goes.

[Open with a helicopter shot of Miami, some half naked people on South Beach. Then show someone get killed. Enter David Caruso.]

Caruso (Horatio
Cane): Looks like someone... [takes hand off hip, puts sunglasses on] checked out early.... [quickly walk out of shot]

[The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again" starts playing]

And it just goes downhill from there.

If you're still not really getting it, watch this video. It's all the David Caruso one-liners you can handle.



Despite all it's faults, bad acting and goofy storylines, I can't get enough of this show. It takes all the seriousness of actual forensics and throws it out the window. And everytime it comes on TV, I am all over it, excited to see Horatio take off/put on his sunglasses and say that classic line. I live for that.

You can also see Jim Carrey making fun of Caruso here.

Tuesday Guilty Pleasure: Taylor Swift

This Tuesday is special for two reasons. First, this is the first two-person Tuesday Guilty Pleasure in the history of the series. Second, this might be my guiltiest of guilty pleasures: something that I would only admit to my closest friends.

I was going to have Courtney write this post, as it was mostly her idea, but she's too busy sunning herself on the beach, so I will speak for both of us.

For the longest time I tried not to like this artist. Even when I admitted enjoying one of the songs, I still contended that it was terrible music that no one should ever listen to. But I couldn't get away from this musician. She was everywhere: on the radio, TV and internet. I felt like it went against everything I knew as a musician and music lover to like this singer. I even used to make fun of Courtney for singing along to this person.

But despite my best efforts, I fell in love with this girl's music.



But, of course, being the proud person that I am, I started trying to find ways to justify my attraction to Taylor Swift's music. Luckily, it wasn't hard. Most importantly, she writes her own music and started out in Nashville as a songwriter. She is even trying to make Miley Cyrus legitimate by writing her new song.

But, on top of that, check out her other accomplishments: she was the first artist in the history of the Nielson SoundScan to have two different albums in the top 10 at the end of the year, she wrote a 350-page unpublished novel during one summer and she recorded this:



I'm sorry, but any country girl that can rap like that with T-Pain is good in my book. Her music may be cheesy country at times, but this girl has talent. And, more importantly, she seems grounded, down to Earth, and not just another teen star that will fizzle in a few years. Give the girl a chance.

Tuesday Guilty Pleasure

Welcome, one and all, to yet another spectacular installment of Tuesday Guilty Pleasure, where I bravely go where no man has gone before and tell you about something I love that I really, really shouldn't.

This week we're going to take it back to the '90s with some angry chick music (I mean no offense to any ladies in the audience when I use the word "chick"). My mom had this CD when I was growing up and I could sing along to every word, even if I didn't quite understand what it all meant. Now that I get it, I still sing along to every song, just only when I'm alone. 

Alanis Morissette |MTV Music

That's right, I know almost every word to Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morisette. I have to admit that I definitely like angry Alanis much more than I like the happy-go-lucky version, even though her version of "My Humps" is classic. There's just so much passion in the lyrics of this song I can't help but belt it out whenever it comes on. 

Fun fact: I heard on the radio this morning that this song ("You Oughta Know") was rumored to be written about her failed relationship with Dave Coulier from the show "Full House." Not sure how true the rumor is, but it will definitely make you look at the song differently, especially since he is almost 15 years older than her.  

Tuesday Guilty Pleasure!

For the second day in a row, my body decided that the alarm clock going off beside its head was not reason enough to wake up, which is why I'm just now getting to put up this weeks post about stuff that I'm obsessed with but am slightly ashamed about. 

This week is a slight change of pace. It still involves music, but it's not a pop song. For eight years of my life, I spent every weekend in the fall on a football field. But only during half time. College band was fun, but it was nothing compared to my marching band in high school. We were a competitive band with a militaristic attitude and a history of excellence. Every weekend we went to some competition in some random part of the country and expected to come back with more trophies than we could carry, and we usually did. 

I was obsessed with marching band and still love the sound of the brass and drums. I watch drum corps whenever I can and still get chills when I listen to old marching band shows. That's why I was so excited when I found this on YouTube. 

"Drum Major Corey Inscoe and the Cary High School Marching Band!" 

Yep, that's right. I was a big enough band nerd to be drum major my senior year. That little white thing in the front waving his hands around like crazy, that's me. I loved every minute of it, especially leading the band at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis at the Bands of America Grand Nationals competition. 

I still know most of this show, too, and could probably conduct a decent chunk if I studied it a little bit. High school band was a lot of work, but I left with some amazing memories. This is one of them. 

Tuesday Guilty Pleasure!

First, a small aside. If you're reading this on Facebook, click the link that takes you to the actual Web site. While I love people finding my blog via Facebook, it's so much more fun and easier for me to have you comment on the actual blog post instead of in the Facebook note. Just come on over and join the party by bookmarking CoreyInscoe.com. Then you'll be able to read my fantastic updates whenever you want. And leave a little note below this post to let me know you got here safely!

Now on to the business at hand. It's time for my weekly confession of something I really like that I really, really shouldn't! This week's selection actually came from a cool little feature I saw last week that ranked the 12 greatest key changes in pop music. As a rule, I can't stand key changes at the end of songs as a way to keep things interesting, especially when it changes about five times while the singer keeps singing the chorus, straining as the notes go higher and higher. 

There were, though, a few songs that caught my attention. This weeks song is hard for me to explain. I really shouldn't like it because, as it says in the post, it's "one big key change." And it's an extremely cheesy and sappy song that no man's man would ever be caught dead singing. But when have I ever claimed to be a man's man?

Honestly, I think I have to attribute it to the way the song just continually builds (thanks, key changes) and finally peaks in a barrage of piano, gospel choir and heavy drum fills. I also love how the beginning is so dark and mysterious, too. Or maybe it's because I have this great '80s movie choreographed in my head as I listen to this song. 

Either way, there it is, another guilty pleasure.

P.S. how creepy is that video?? That was not the gospel choir I was expecting....

Tuesday Guilty Pleasure!

Notice anything different? Think about it. Look to the left. Blonde hair, much more attractive... That's right, it's not me! 

This weeks is the first time that we will have a guest blogger come on and tell you about something they love that they really, really shouldn't. Ms. Courtney Patterson came to me saying that I should use this song as the next guilty pleasure, but I couldn't bear to put my name on this one. I've admitted some bad stuff on this series, but this was just too much. So I decided to let her take credit for it instead. 

So without further adieu, here is Courtney's Tuesday Guilty Pleasure in her own words:

OK, so I just watched the YouTube video of Katy Perry’s “Waking Up in Vegas," and I can’t really tell you why I like this song so much. I made it a point to not like the first two popular Katy Perry songs ("I Kissed a Girl" and "Hot and Cold"), but I this one is just so damn catchy. It’s a frivolous song for summer about going to Vegas and living the life of a high roller then losing it all. I think I like it better when I don’t really listen to the words though. The chorus just makes me want to get up and dance. I think that’s it. The tune of the chorus. I like fun upbeat songs.

Katy Perry |MTV Music

On second listen, I can see how she picked this song. The video is pretty cool, too, except that Katy Perry looks strangely like Zooey Deschanel. 

Next week I'll be back with a brand new guilty pleasure. This guest thing was fun. Less pressure on me....

Tuesday Guilty Pleasure!

...Is back!! That's right, after about a month of neglect, I'm restarting the series of posts where I tell you about something I really like that I definitely shouldn't! I know, you've been on the edge of your seat. 

Ask me in person and I'll tell you that I hate this song. It's because I really don't like it. But at the same time, there's something addicting about it. I think it's the beat. Whatever you say about the song, it's got a solid beat. Honestly, I'm just going to have to go ahead and blame Salih and Thomas for me having any kind of positive feeling toward this song. They played it every five minutes in Florence. 

I really think I would be able to like this song without reservations if it wasn't for friggin' Fergie. Wanna ruin a great song? Hire her. "You're two thousand and late!" Seriously? If someone tried to record that in one of my songs, I would immediately kick them out of the studio. That said, I think Will.i.am does a pretty solid job with this. He might be the only reason I even can listen to this song.

I can't believe this is my guilty pleasure. I'm a little ashamed. Oh Salih....

Tuesday Guilty Pleasure

Good morning, readers!! You all are looking especially lovely this beautiful spring Tuesday morning! Wait, did I say Tuesday? That means it's time for me to spill my guts on something that I love that I really, really shouldn't.

This week we're going the movie route. I think that everyone has their comfort movie. It may change over the years, but there's always that one movie you can watch and it just makes you feel better. It could be funny, sad, romantic, action-packed, whatever floats your boat. Well I definitely have my comfort movie and I've grown hesitant to tell people how I really feel about it. When I first saw it, it was one of my favorite movies out there, but after more views I've realized that there are a lot of things to be desired of it. But despite this, it's still the movie that I can watch to make me feel better and it even gets me choked up at the end. 

Here is a clip:

Despite all its cheesiness, "Garden State" has some really funny moments and is a solid story overall. This quarry scene is one of my favorites, with the shot flying back when they scream and Simon and Garfunkel's "The Only Living Boy in New York" perfectly fitting the mood of the moment. 

I always loved Zach Braff in "Scrubs," even if he does have a flair for the dramatic. I'm going to miss him on that show. Maybe that means he'll start putting out some more solid movies.

Tuesday Guilty Pleasure

Good morning! Well, technically it's morning. I just woke up. And you know what I wanted to do as soon as I rolled out of my comfy bed? Tell you about something I love that I don't really like to admit. This week we're going with music again, but it's not so much the song as the performers that make it my guilty pleasure.

I do love a cappella, but I've never really been a big fan of UNC's Clef Hangers, one of the all male groups. Sure, they're pretty good, but they're also really cocky and extremely preppy. And I've just never been a big fan of groups that are followed around by gaggles of screaming girls and, trust me, these guys are. But they do perform one song that melts my heart and it's especially fitting this week. They performed it on Sunday at commencement (more to come about that in a later post) and it was just as beautiful as the first time I heard it. I consider this UNC's second alma mater. Now, excuse me, because I'm going to Carolina in my mind....

(p.s., watch until the end and you might see someone you recognize...that is if you watch TV at all.)



Yep, that was American Idol finalist Anoop Desai closing out the tune, back when he was just another little Tar Heel. They just grow up so fast!!!

Tuesday Not-So-Guilty Pleasure

Every exam period it seems like I find some new thing that will waste my time so thoroughly that I don't even think about exams until I have that panic moment about two hours before it starts. This week's thing that I really like and don't quite feel as guilty about is just such a thing: Sporcle.

I'm sure most people reading this right now have heard about it because I've told just about everyone I know. But for those of you who don't know what it is, here is the low-down: it's a website that has just about every type of quiz you can think of. Doing quizzes may not sound like a fun thing to do during exam week, but Sporcle makes it awesome. They have quizzes about everything from NFL rushing leaders, "oo" words and VH1's top 100 songs of the '90s. It's hopelessly addicting but amazingly fun. I promise you, once you Sporcle, you won't be able to stop.

Use this wisely. I don't want to be to blame for you dropping out of college!

Tuesday Wednesday Guilty Pleasure

Fail, I know. Two weeks in a row that I've missed the Tuesday Guilty Pleasure. You know what that means? I'm going to double you up on stuff that I love but have no business even liking.

First, I'll hit you up with a little country music. Yeah, country. Now let me throw out a little disclaimer: I know this song is terrible. There's no doubt in my mind that it could make ears bleed or be used as torture in foreign countries (or in our own...I won't go there). But something about this damn song makes me start singing around the first chorus no matter how hard I fight it. And she's pretty easy on the eyes....

I'm not proud of it, but I guess that's the whole idea of this series. Enjoy. Or cry. I understand.

Taylor Swift |MTV Music

For the second one, I'm going to switch it up and post something other than a song (gasp!). We're going to move to the literary arts. I read this book a few summers ago and, I'll admit it, I got a little misty at the end. Lucky for me I had my aviators on and no one noticed. Smooth. When the movie came out I had to see it immediately and, again, I got a little misty. Maybe it was Owen Wilson this time....



If you're a dog lover you can't help but love Josh Grogan's narrative about his crazy retriever. It makes me want a dog so bad....

If you've never read the book, here's the trailer from the movie that will give you a good idea of what this animal is like.

Tuesday Guilty Pleasure

So I know this is going up a little late, but I think you'll excuse me since I just got back from Detriot a few hours ago. Oh what a trip it was, but more about that later.

This week's guilty pleasure is slightly different. This really isn't something that I should be ashamed for liking, but I really like it way to much. I'm not going to lie, when I saw this Monday night I shed a few tears. That may sound weird, but I'm a die hard Tar Heel and I just can't help it.

So without further adieu, here is Luther Vandross singing the basketball classic and tournament staple, "One Shining Moment."



I don't care how cheesy that song is, it's the best part of March Madness. I got choked up again. Why you got to do that to me, Luther??

The North Carolina Tar Heels are the 2009 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!! Man that sounds good!

Tuesday Guilty Pleasure

It's Tuesday, and you know what that means. Tuesday Guilty Pleasure!! Wooo! You have the pleasure of seeing something that I love but I really, really shouldn't. Apparently last week I succeeded in getting techno stuck in everyone's head. Now you know why I love that song.

This week, I had to think a while before I came up with a song, but I think this is a good one. I've always loved Elton John. I'm not ashamed to say that. But this song is one that I probably shouldn't admit loving.

But don't even talk to me about the bastardized version from Moulin Rouge.