Bloglander

Even during the week of Christmas the entertainment biz is trying to find its way into your wallet with new music and DVD releases, and we're here to help you separate the good from the bad every Tuesday. 

MUSIC
Not much in the way of new music this week, with one notable exception. You got the funk? Funkadelic is releasing its first new music in 33 years on CD Tuesday (it came out digitally a couple weeks back), and First Ya Gotta Shake the Gate has all the usual suspects you want from a Parliament/Funkadelic release—George Clinton leading the charge, contributions from Sly Stone and a slew of bad mofos. Here's a tune called "Ain't That Funkin' Kind of Hard on You:"


MOVIES & TV
Remarkably, there are two worthy indie flicks newly released this week that you should consider for some holiday viewing. 

The Trip to Italy is the follow-up to The Trip, in which British actors Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon play exaggerated versions of themselves, bouncing through travel hotspots, exploring fine cuisine and lodgings while delivering their best Michael Caine impressions (among others). The original took them through their native Britain, while the follow-up leads them to, yes, Italy for visits to Pompeii and Sicily. 
Pride stars some seriously great actors (Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Paddy Considine) in a true story about a group of gay and lesbian activists who join forces with some rough-and-tumble striking miners in mid-80s England. Pride was nominated for a Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy) Golden Globe.