There's an ad on my milk

There's an ad on my milk
It's a gallon jug and on the back is a sticker saying "Got Milk? Get Oreo" with a big picture of the cookie on it.
That depressed me. It's been a depressing day. I couldn't get anything done. And then I got free tickets to a showing of The Covenant (from Renny Harlin, the director of Driven and a slew of other painfully bad films). Proof that things can always get worse.
So to end the constant bring-down my day has been, and to strike back against the spirit of ambivalence and celebratory mediocrity that allows ads on milk jugs or films like The Covenant, here are some things that make the world a better place:

Vale and Year - Famous Fights
I've played a some of this album on my show recently and I have to say it's very good, maybe even best of 2006 good. They sound a little like pre-Top 40 Modest Mouse, but in the sense that Vale and Year listened to those earlier albums and then went their own way. This is a pretty quiet and restrained album. It's definitely worth checking out plus they're from Pittsburgh so you get bonus warm fuzzies for supporting the local scene if you pick this up.
website: http://www.valeandyear.com

V/A - Enamel Records Sampler
Speaking of the local scene, I picked up the Enamel Records sampler today. Enamel is the label that released Vale and Year's Famous Fights as well as one of my favorite albums from last year, We're Wolves' Welcome to the Childhood Home of Andy Warhol and Dan Marino-the title track of which is featured on this disc. 7 tracks, 3 bucks and it's good. It's very good. The CD comes in a little plastic sleeve and the title is just Enamel Records Sampler so it might get lost at your record store. But take the time to look. It's definitely worth finding.
website: http://www.enamelrecords.com/

Time Again - "Cold Concrete" (NSFW)
A punk song about being unjustly singled out by the cops. I couldn't stop listening to this track once I got my review copy of Give 'Em the Boot V. I'd just put it on repeat and grin. There are f-bombs so don't play it at work (or expect to hear it on the radio), but if you want to drop it onto your iPod for when you're jogging or stuck in traffic, who's to say no to that?
The other mp3 at the link below is a groovy reggae/ska track without any profanity at all. Play it wherever you want. It'll only offend people who hate reggae-sounding stuff, but you probably don't like them anyway so it's win-win.
website: http://www.epitaph.com/artists/album/480 (NSFW)

The Internet Archive's Old Time Radio Collection
I am a horror/sci-fi geek. Kind of. I lean more towards the classics than the moderns (Bela Lugosi over Freddy Krueger, H.P. Lovecraft over Stephen King) so of course I love old time radio. I grew up listening to tapes of Jack Benny and Abbott & Costello. I even have old X-Minus One tapes that I break out every Halloween. I love this stuff but it's kind of hard to find. Leave it to the folks at the Internet Archive to solve that. They have an Old Time Radio collection featuring complete runs of various series including X-Minus One, Bob and Ray, The Shadow, every genre you can think of. It's very exciting.
website: http://www.archive.org/details/oldtimeradio

Mystery Science Theater 3000: Episode 0208 - Lost Continent
"Even rock climbing movies don't have this much rock climbing."
I've hated nearly every movie I've seen this summer so I've taken special joy in watching old episodes of MST3K. Helping me in my endeavor is the Digital Archive Project. They've been releasing episodes of the show in DVD format and I've been gobbling them up. Lost Continent is the latest one and it's fantastic.
Here's the story: A group of air force pilots escort a group of scientists to recover the black box from a crashed experimental rocket. Of course their plane crashes as well so they proceed on foot. Eventually they stumble upon a land that time forgot-dinosaurs included-but only after doing some rock climbing. Lots of rock climbing. Oh my goodness, do they climb rocks. This is a film where nothing happens. A lot. Joel and the bots salvage it though, screaming and raving at the film just about the same time you feel the need to. Check out this or any of the MST3K DVDs, both on the DAP or in stores. It's pure satisfaction.
Digital Archive Project website: http://www.dapcentral.org/
DAP Lost Continent DVD website: DVD #78
See the DAP FAQ for downloading instructions.

It's Alive
Or if downloading isn't your thing or you prefer your B-movies without additional commentary or you just long for the good old days of chiller theater right here in Pittsburgh, check out It's Alive. It's a locally-produced horror-movie showcase that also features local bands and filmmakers. This show makes every weekend a joy for me. It airs Saturday nights at 10PM ET on WBGN (check your listings) or you can catch a live stream of the show from the website. There's also an archive of the most recently aired episode on the homepage. Seriously, check it out. This show made me happy to be in Pittsburgh.
website: http://www.theitsaliveshow.com/

Hope these links helped pick you up as much as they did me. What have you found lately that's made you excited? Add a comment and let me know.