(le) poisson rouge

Radio Happy Hour is a live variety show featuring an old-time radio comedy/drama and guest stars from the worlds of film, music, and letters. Hosted by Sam Osterhout, the show engages its guests in a wildly right-angled conversation that careens between interviews, stand-up comedy, musical performances, and trivia. At the center of it all is a short, old time radio comedy in which the guest stars as him or herself and is forced to help the Radio Happy Hour crew solve the crime. Audiences will see all of this--the interviews, the corny jokes, the guest performances, and the behind-the-scenes making of a radio drama--live every month, and podcasted online as well. Trust us, it will make more sense when you see it.

Drinking in the afternoon. Radio Drama. It’s like the depression, but funnier.

Past guests include Norah Jones, Andrew WK, Cursive, David Bazan, Tapes 'n Tapes, The Hold Steady, Jolie Holland, Jesse Eisenberg, Michael Showalter, Eugene Mirman, and many others.

You can download past episodes of Radio Happy for free at iTunes or at RadioHappyHour.com.

Nick Diamonds' polymorphous pop band, Islands, is back with their third studio album, Vapours. The 2006 debut, Return to the Sea, found eccentric and mellifluous pop tunes performed with a cast of characters from Montreal's thriving music scene (including members of Arcade Fire and Wolf Parade), helmed by Nick Diamonds and Jamie Thompson. Thompson departed amicably from the group shortly after the album was released, and 2007's Arm's Way found the band turning in a new direction towards lushly orchestrated, guitar-driven prog-rock. Thompson has returned to the band for Vapours, a record that flits back and forth between moody synthesizers and drum-machine-heavy beats, while remaining firmly rooted in the classic pop sensibilities and multitude of melodic hooks that Islands is known for.


Produced by Nick Diamonds and Chris Coady (who has worked with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Blonde Redhead, TV On The Radio, among others), this is the group's most stunning work to date.



Actor Eddie Kay Thomas first rose to national prominence for his work in the teen comedy hit American Pie, but Thomas' background and resumé are a good bit more varied and distinguished than that credit might lead one to expect. Eddie Kay Thomas was born in New York City on October 31, 1980, and won his first stage role at the age of seven. By the time Thomas graduated from New York's Professional Children's High School, he was already a seasoned veteran of the Broadway stage, appearing in +Four Baboons Adoring the Sun in 1992 and +The Diary of Anne Frank (opposite Natalie Portman) in 1997. Thomas made his screen debut in 1996, appearing in an episode of the TV series Law and Order (it was the first of three appearances on the show for Thomas), as well as landing a small role in the independent feature Illtown. In 1999, Thomas made a strong impression in the otherwise poorly received horror opus The Rage: Carrie 2, and also appeared in James Toback's controversial Black and White, but from a commercial standpoint the highlight of Thomas' year was American Pie, in which he gave a memorable comic performance as the uptight would-be continental hipster Finch. In 2000, Thomas was cast as the mischievous Russell on the WB sitcom Brutally Normal, which unfortunately lasted a mere five weeks before being canceled by network brass. The following year found Thomas back in the sitcom harness, playing Mike on the series Off Center, which was executive produced by Chris and Paul Weitz, who produced and directed American Pie. That same year, the Weitz brothers brought Thomas back to re-create the role of Finch in American Pie 2, while gross-out comic Tom Green tapped Thomas to play the title role in his first directorial effort, Freddie Got Fingered. The third chapter in the American Pie series, entitled American Wedding, was soon to follow in 2003.

Comedian and world-renowned entertainer MURRAY HILL is a relentless retro shtick slinger, buster of audience chops and freewheeling ad-libber. The New York Times anointed Murray “the patriarch of downtown performance.” He recently performed with Dita Von Teese for sold-out engagements in New Orleans, Los Angeles and Seattle. He can be seen on television this year, playing himself, on STARZ "Gravity" Season 1 and HBO's "Bored to Death" Season 2 which airs September 2010. He's performed his comedy at top showrooms like Upright Citizen’s Brigade, Gotham Comedy Club, Comix, LA’s Billy Wilder Theater, and headlined his own show at Caroline’s on Broadway. Murray has toured with Le Tigre, hosted The Gossip concerts, and introduced the Beastie Boys, Antony and The Johnsons, to name a few. He’s hosted sold-out burlesque shows at the Bloomsbury Ballroom (London), MTV Italia’s opening party for the Venice Film Festival, NY International Burlesque Festival, Just For Laughs (Montreal) directed by Thierry Mugler and co-starred in Immodesty Blaize's show at London’s Arts Theatre in the West End. He's produced and starred in several theatrical productions: The Murray Hill Show, A Murray Little Christmas, and This is Burlesque. He’s been included in “Best of New York” lists in the Village Voice, Paper, and New York Magazine; inducted into Paper’s Nightlife Hall of Fame; and selected as OUT magazine’s Top 100 influential performers. He enjoys cheeseburgers, Swedish Fish, showbiz biographies, showgirls, and he put the "yes" in polyester. He's currently working on his debut Off-Broadway one-man show to debut in 2011. For a good time, visit http://mistershowbiz.com and follow him http://twitter.com/murray_hill