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But will it play in Peoria?

By RICHARD BECK | April 24, 2007

The Black Lips

In collaboration with Vice magazine, Spike Jonze has put together an on-line TV station that’s updated daily with music videos, news reports, celebrity interviews, and travelogues — all delivered with Vice’s trademark brand of inside humor, cynicism, and a touch of apathy. It’s a veritable gold mine of hip, free content. But will it play in Peoria?

VBS TV, “Toxic Brooklyn: Greenpoint and Williamsburg”: part 1 of 6
When a segment opens with the observation that New York City is expensive, it’s not a good sign. We also learn that Williamsburg is (gasp) a cool place to move if you’re broke and creative, and that a nuclear storage facility could turn into a mushroom cloud “at any moment.” Maybe this one gets better in parts 2 through 6.

VBS TV, “VBS.tv Meets Fat Joe”
This one’s a pretty standard “show us the neighborhood” celebrity puff piece, but Fat Joe’s I-95 bling makes it worthwhile, as does his shout-out to the ice-cream-truck driver: “That Mr. Softee nigga.”

VBS TV, “Americana: Moonshine”
A correspondent drives around South Carolina Gullah country with the Black Lips, all in search of moonshine. Although they do score some white lightning, they also alienate everybody they meet, which makes me feel sad.

VBS TV, “Arctic Monkeys: Brianstorm”
The song itself jumps out of the gate at warp speed, and Alex Turner’s melodic snarl is still really great, but the wiggling babes in beaters and hot pants seem a little out of place.