While you were sleeping: How to watch ‘Puss in Boots,’ plus Philly’s Andorra and Lydia René

Nertflix has a must-watch “Puss in Boots” series — even better on a 75-inch screen. We can’t stop listening to Philly musicians Andorra and Lydia René. And Storm Tribble is digging on the Independence Seaport Museum.

Every month, the Black Tribbles invite you to check out some interesting news items, intriguing tidbits, divergent points of view and just plain ol’ funtastic geekirific thingies that you may have missed while you were sleeping.

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Good kitty

“If you get on Netflix, you’ll find that there’s a fantastic new show starring Shrek’s very own Puss in Boots,” Jason the Spider-Tribble coos about the streaming entertainment provider’s latest original series that premiered in January. Telling the tales of the dashing feline in leather cavalier kicks in his full state-of-the-art computer-animated glory; “The Adventures of Puss In Boots” has captured Jason’s affections like nothing else since his wife.

“I love this show!” declares the Spider-Tribble and you will too. Five episodes are available now on Netflix with more to come throughout 2015. 

In living color

That is one big TV. (Sony)

If you want to capture that vivid animation in its truest glory, the Master Tribble — Erik — demands that you settle for no less than the 75″ Bravia 4K Ultra HD TV from Sony, which made its debut at the Consumers Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this past month. In Erik’s own words: “It’s thinner than an Xperia [Sony’s smartphone line], comes with PlayStation network downloaded on it and 16 gigs of internal storage space. Yo! Sony is beast in this game!”

The television — aka “wall — broadcasts in 4K/UHD, meaning the TV’s screen has a minimum resolution of 3,840 pixels wide and 2,160 pixels high, resolution so clear and sharp that Randy says, “That’s called real life.” Or as Kennedy succinctly puts it, “It broadcasts outside.”

Erik encourages anyone in love with tech and gadgetry to make their way to CES every January to stay up on the latest and greatest trends to come.

On our playlist

The Black Tribbles can’t get enough of ‘Etc, Etc, Etc’ by Andorra and ‘Vintage Heart’ by Lydia René.

Direct your ears to the world’s finest Tribbles as they present a couple of local treats for your senses. SuperTribble, aka Randy, has been spinning Etc, Etc, Etc by Andorra in his car for days now, captivated by the debut album of the Philadelphia rock band. Jordan Petrellis, Sam Carlen and Mike Trycieckyj (Randy calls him “Michael I-Can-Not-Pronounce-Your-Last-Name”) back up lead vocalist Kevin McCall on an outstanding collection of grade-A thumping rock and roll. Their music is young, raw, infectious and available for download on Bandcamp.

Meanwhile Len, The BatTribble, has been listening from the rafters as the Delaware Valley has searched for another soulful presence in the vein of Jill Scott and Vivian Green to light earbuds afire and rejoices that the wait is over. With her debut studio album Vintage Heart dropping this month, Lydia René is poised to win over the entire world with soul from a bygone age and the prettiest smile this side of a baby at Christmas. The singer/songwriter sits herself down at her piano, engages with the audience with charm and wit, then sings her way into your soul with every note that she puts into the microphone.

Len says that Lydia Rene “is so authentic; I love a singer who sounds like they mean what they’re singing and that’s her, personified.” Check out her amazing artistry right now on Bandcamp as well.

Not-just-any port in a Storm Tribble

The Kalmar Nyckel, shown in 2012 at the Seaport Festival in Philadelphia, is a recreation of a 17th century Dutch vessel that brought early settlers to the American colonies. (Kimberly Paynter/for NewsWorks)

Highlighting things often seen but just as often overlooked, Kennedy invites you all to take in the splendor of the Independence Seaport Museum. They do an amazing and in-depth job at documenting Philadelphia’s history as it pertains to nautical and maritime development.

“Not only does it talk about the economical and cultural impact of how people got to Philadelphia,” Storm Tribble reports, “but it also talks about the building of boats itself” which is a science of its own begging to be explored.

The building is huge and filled with wonders including a room dedicated to maps of Philadelphia from when William Penn laid out the outline of the city and as it has grown since then. Fascinating stuff you won’t find at the Art Museum or the Franklin Institute or the Mütter Museum. 

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Each month, Philadelphia’s prolific podcasters, the Black Tribbles (winners of the 2014 Streaming Project of the Year award), visit Speak Easy with special reports on everything sci-fi, comic books, movies, video games, cartoons, and other stuff that every nerd needs to know.

Subscribe to the Black Tribbles’ new podcast, Tribble Nation, on iTunes, Google Play and Pod-o-matic.

Tribble Nation is a new monthly podcast focusing on the geek in every color imaginable, from scientist to author, from comic book artist to comic book collector. Each episode features an interview with a special guest and a review of current topics within his or her field of geek interest.

The Black Tribbles are: Jason Richardson, aka Spider-Tribble; Len Webb, aka BatTribble; Kennedy Allen, aka Storm Tribble; Erik Darden, aka Master Tribble; and Randy Green, aka Super Tribble.