Arts & Entertainment Afternoon Palate Cleanser: The Song Destined to Be Your Summer Jam We won't say that we are always genius predictors of these things, but we would like to tell you right here and now that "Safe and Sound" by Capital Cities is going to
Arts & Entertainment Afternoon Palate Cleanser: Deeper Understanding Some of you are likely familiar with Everything Is Terrible, those brilliant curators of the VHS universe who sometimes offer bits of sheer brilliance to this column. (P.S. It's Puppet Week over
Arts & Entertainment Afternoon Palate Cleanser: 'I'm Not Gay' Whether this video represents a watershed moment for comedic takes on gay stereotypes, or is just a funny little diversion created by an LA-based singer-songwriter is up to you to decide. But actor
Arts & Entertainment Afternoon Palate Cleanser: The Evolution Of Pop In 4 Minutes Five-person a capella group Pentatonix, who won Season 3 of NBC's The Sing-Off, have just done this amazing medley of their favorite songs throughout history. They start with an 11th century madrigal, and
Arts & Entertainment Afternoon Palate Cleanser: 'Joy' By Iron & Wine Today of all days you could probably use a little respite from the news. Here's a new and very pleasant video from Iron & Wine for the song "Joy," off the new album
SF Restaurants, Food & Drink Afternoon Palate Cleanser: Local Empire Spoofs Foodies The new-food obsessed are easy and frequent targets, but allow us to introduce you to NY-based filmed-sketch-comedy group Local Empire. The material comes from a trio of young writer-performers Addison Anderson, Colin Drummond,
Arts & Entertainment Afternoon Palate Cleanser: How to Tell If You're F***ing [NSFW] Please take a moment to take a valuable lesson from comedian and avowed "disinformationist" Reggie Watts. And yes, it's NSFW, at least the audio is anyway. Also if you liked that, you may
Arts & Entertainment Afternoon Palate Cleanser: Cat Sleeping On Its Head Leave it to Japan to produce a cute little kitty that does something so bizarrely cute. This petite feline apparently likes to sleep with its butt up in the air, and its head
Arts & Entertainment Afternoon Palate Cleanser: 'My Drunk Aunts' There's a new web series from Drew Droege (of Chloe Sevigny fame) and John Roberts (most known for his brilliant Christmas Tree short, but also Jackie & Debra) called My Drunk Aunts, and
Arts & Entertainment Afternoon Palate Cleanser: Rad Home Video of Drive Over the Bay ca. 1984 Behold this lovely, contemplative trip through town, set to early 80s pop hits on the radio, featuring vintage footage of Broadway in North Beach and the Embarcadero Freeway in 1984. Some things still
Arts & Entertainment Afternoon Palate Cleanser: The First Honest Cable Company Heh. Please enjoy today's cleanser, in which a parody of a cable company huxter tells it like it really is. "You'll have the option of choosing from several of our completely unwarranted rip-offs,
Arts & Entertainment Afternoon Palate Cleanser: PBS Takes Us to a Cyber Cafe, Circa 1995 Did you have email in 1995? We kind of did. But we hadn't yet set foot in an internet cafe. Behold this video from PBS's Computer Chronicles that takes us to pioneering cyber
Arts & Entertainment Afternoon Palate Cleanser: The Wisdom of Shoshanna from 'Girls' How can we quantify our love and admiration for dear Shoshanna, the smart, naive, fast-talking, uptight-in-a-good-way character portrayed by Zosia Mamet (who happens to be the daughter of playwright David Mamet)? She's everything
Arts & Entertainment Afternoon Palate Cleanser: Awkwafina A Brooklyn-based rapper named Awkwafina, who's basically the Asian Kreayshawn, has been going viral today after the release of her second video, "NYC Bitches." But first, please behold her first hit from last
Arts & Entertainment Afternoon Palate Cleanser: Timberlake, Fallon and Barbershop Quartet Do 'Sexy Back' Oh, we enjoy an old-timey version of anything really. And here, behold Jimmy Fallon doing his oft-repeated barbershop quartet schtick last night with the help of JT himself, and "Sexy Back."
Arts & Entertainment Afternoon Palate Cleanser: Drag Queen Sings Seuss A Philadelphia-based drag queen by the name of Martha Graham Cracker was invited, and then disinvited, from doing her song version of Dr. Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham for a group of children
Arts & Entertainment Afternoon Palate Cleanser: Trent Reznor vs. Carly Rae Jepsen Speaking of Carly Rae Jepsen, please enjoy this marvelous mashup of Nine Inch Nails' classic 90s ditty "Head Like a Hole" and "Call Me Maybe." It's called "Call Me a Hole," of course,
Arts & Entertainment Afternoon Palate Cleanser: 22 Beatles Songs In One Minute LA-based comedian/performer Chad Neidt just did this very slick and rapid mashup of 22 hit Beatles songs, all in one minute, and it's an accomplishment worth applauding. Also, it's a study in
Arts & Entertainment Afternoon Palate Cleanser: A Vatican Kiki We can think of no better reason to replay the overplayed "Let's Have a Kiki" but in relation to the papal conclave that's happening next week. This amusing bit of animation comes via
Arts & Entertainment Afternoon Palate Cleanser: 'What Would Ryan Lochte Do?' Oh YES, kids. E! is going all "Hey Paula" on Ryan Lochte, and it is going to be AMAZING. Well, maybe not. It could be incredibly boring. Watching dumb people say dumb stuff
Arts & Entertainment Afternoon Palate Cleanser: Little Girl's First Train Ride Ah, the wonderment of children never gets old. [via WOW]
Arts & Entertainment Afternoon Palate Cleanser: 'Take Me Back' by In the Valley Below In the Valley Below is a duo based in Echo Park, in L.A., and consists of Angela Gail and Jeffrey Jacob. We like this dreamy tune, "Take Me Back," which reminds us
Arts & Entertainment Afternoon Palate Cleanser: 'Nunca' by Trails And Ways Oakland indie quartet Trails & Ways was featured this week among the SF Bay Guardian's 'Bands on the Rise,' and we've got to say we love them so far. They were much
Arts & Entertainment Afternoon Palate Cleanser: Dude Who's In Love With Inflatable Pool Toys Because no matter how lonely you might feel today, you are not as bad off as this guy. Meet Mark. He's 20. For six years he's been "in a relationship" with 15 inflatable
Arts & Entertainment Afternoon Palate Cleanser: The New Postal Service Track Yes, friends, many have hoped against hope for the last decade that it would happen, and it has. The Postal Service has reunited. Death Cab's Ben Gibbard and collaborator Jimmy Tamborello, a.k.
