A great line by Billy Bragg for those of you contemplating tattoo designs…
Monthly Archives: May 2006
KCRW’s Bookworm: Walter Kirn.
Discussing Kirn’s novel “Mission to America”, which takes people living in a boonies Montana “cult” out into real world 2005. Not necessarily something I’d want to read, but very interesting discussion of those “types” of “religions” (mormonism, scientology, christian science, jehovah witness, seventh day adventists, etc.), and a feeling of nostalgia for 19th-century ideas we, as a culture, have “grown out of.”
America seems to be about this ceaseless business of coming up with crackpot ways to comfort itself.
The book sounds really funny. Also Charles Portis and his book “Masters of Atlantis” which they discuss as an influence. Both sound like a riot. Altho the Portis book I read a while ago (“The Dog of the South”) was more mildly humorous than drop dead funny.
It is dangerous to listen to these podcasts, they just add more, more and more things to my “possibilities” list and that list, and the pile of unread books, are both already deep enough.
But, man, I could definitely fall asleep to the sound of Michael Silverblatt’s voice.
KEXP at SXSW: Drive by Truckers (4/6)
I have been wondering about this band for a while since I saw them recommended on Que Sera Sera once and I’ve gotten some good albums from her recommendations (Bishop Allen, for one).
They’re like a crazy combination of CSNY, the Allman Brothers and the Eagles. This isn’t music I could listen to every day, but boy is there ever a time and a place for it…Midsummer rain storm, sitting on the porch with some spiked lemonade…This would be PERFECT.
Hilariously, the emcee really started to slip into a Southern accent while interviewing these guys.
You should talk southern around me when I’m drunk; I can really turn it on!
KEXP: The Stills (5/5)
Live performances are always hit or miss. I thought they sounded like crap here although the emcee (I think her name is Nancy something?) kept telling them they sounded fantastic. I’ve heard alot about how their new album is like a completely different band. Hearing this, I would tend to believe it.
I didn’t love their entire first album, but I did outright LOVE the song “Love and Death” (…love and death are always on my mind…). I probably won’t buy the new one.
Wait, Wait…May 7th edition
The Mayor of Washington was pretty entertaining.
The female panelist was obviously a crazed conservative as she claimed that at the correspondent’s dinner the President was actually funny (if by funny you mean “stupid as ever”, then yes) and Colbert wasn’t.
I’ve watched the Colbert clip quite a few times. It is damn funny if you haven’t been brainwashed by the Bushwhackers.
Cable: Notting Hill.
On 890th viewing, STILL think this is really not a very good movie. It’s like the screwed up, dumbed down version of Four Weddings. What I enjoyed this time: Matthew Modine hilariously styled in one of the “clips” from Julia’s character’s movies. And a very, very young Mischa Barton as the young girl in one of her movies. I’m sure I never knew that was her as this movie came out long before The O.C.
Big Screen: Thank You for Smoking.
Black humor, sarcasm. Not *quite* as funny as the book. And missing a major plot point that would’ve actually given Katie Holmes something to do other than say the F word. Enjoyable. Funny. But the book is a lot funnier.
Live Tunes for Summer…
June 9 Boy Least Likely To @ Schubas
June 10 Bodeans @ Ravinia
June 11 Canasta ?
June 23 Corinne Bailey Rae @ Schuba’s
July 10 Bob Schneider @ Schuba’s
July 13 Damien Rice / Fiona Apple @ Northerly Island
July 16 Tom Jones / Etta James @ Ravinia
August 4-6 Lollapalooza @ Grant Park
August 29 Beethoven @ Ravinia
September 8 Lye Lovett @ Ravinia
September 18 Kasey Chambers @ Park West.
Mystery Music.
“Communicate” by the Strive Roots from Bio Resonance Therapy. HUH???
Never heard of the song, the group or the album. Yet here it is, playing on my iPod. It’s a fun song, but where the fuck did it come from?
Now that takes me back a decade. Seriously.
Maceo Parker is playing Chicago’s House of Blues in June. Last time I saw Maceo Parker was New Year’s Eve of either 1995 or 1996, tickets bought “sight unseen”* on the recommendation of a friend who loved loved loved Maceo. Nanders, do you remember Sean’s obsession with MP?
Too funny.
It was a GREAT show, by the way. I just don’t listen to jazz that frequently.
*”Sound unheard” doesn’t really have the same resonance, does it.