Playlist for January 21st, 2011

Henry Bemis, the patron saint of
the Rochester Reader

THERE ARE SOME SELECTIONS IN THIS WEEKS PLAYLIST THAT INCLUDE ADULT LANGUAGE!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

This week, we celebrate the birthday of my fellow prairie blogger, the Rochester Reader.  The Reader describes himself as "an anonymous free thinker with an unhealthy addiction to the printed word."  He helps to bring a little culture to us prairie folk by reminding us of the wealth of written knowledge out there for us to enjoy.

His latest posts deal with, not only the film, but the novel "True Grit", both of which he highly recommends.

A true aficionado of the page, let's all raise a glass to the Reader this week.

The playlist includes songs about books and writing, as well as readings from some of my favorite authors.

Enjoy!

A Night on the Town - The Waco Brothers

The Waco Brothers
Enjoying a pint
from the Bloodshot Records website
http://www.bloodshotrecords.com/

According to the Events Calendar, the fabulous Waco Brothers are coming to the prairie capital, playing Bar None (427 E. Monroe in Springfield; Ph: 217-523-3050).

Tom Irwin has a great write-up on the band in the Illinois Times, which includes this statement:

"The band could be considered a collective as each member performs in several different groups and participates in other outside endeavors.  The term fits as well into their revolutionary approach to life and culture, of using the sense of art as more than expression of emotion, reaching beyond to a way of being that considers living a springboard for enrichment of the soul and the betterment of the planet.  Song subjects of the Waco Brothers give away this sentiment with objects of their attention including right-wing radicals, the Bushes, commercial music radio and other favorite notions sure to delight hardcore punkers and left-leaners everywhere.  Politely they infuse this with danceable rock to make it palatable to those who care not for the lyrical content, but come to boogie-woogie."

-Tom Irwin from the January 20 - 26 edition of the Illinois Times

Go check them out this Saturday and wish the Lady of the Manor a "Happy Birthday" while you're at it.

Movie Night - Tokyo Drifter

Tetsu the Phoenix (beige gloves) vs.
Tatsu the Viper (black gloves)...
I know, it's a little confusing

Not to be confused with the movie in the "Fast and the Furious" series, this 1966 film is about a yakuza member, Tetsu the Phoenix, who, along with his boss Kurata, decides to go straight.  Another yakuza clan, led by Otsuka, is wary and do their best to bring them back into a life of crime.

When Tetsu decides to flee Tokyo until things cool down, he is tracked down by the killer, Tatsu the Viper, sent by a rival gang.

Culminating in a slapstick bar fight followed by a highly stylized final confrontation with the boss who betrayed him and his other enemies, Tokyo Drifter, despite huge plot holes, is a good movie that has influenced many other films since its release.

Check it out! (WP)(AMG)(IMDB)

A recipe for a Gin & Tonic

Gin might lead to sin.  Enjoy!

First, pack a rocks glass with ice.  

Next, cut up a lemon and a lime into eighths.  Take one slice of each and squeeze the juice onto the ice.  Then, run the rinds across the rim and dump them into the glass.  

Take a shot of your favorite gin (mine is New Amsterdam 'cause it's a clean tasting gin, but I'm currently drinking Desert Juniper which is supposed to be a high end gin, but it kinda tastes like nail polish remover.....anyway) and pour it over the ice.

Fill the remainder of the glass with tonic water and enjoy.

Movie Night - A League of Ordinary Gentlemen

Bowling legend and all around classy guy
Pete Weber

At one point in time, professional bowling was the most popular sport on television.  I remember watching the Professional Bowlers Association on Saturday afternoons, after cartoons had ended and the Saturday movie was over.

I never really got into it that much, but, to this day, I do love to bowl a few frames every now and then.

The movie A League of Ordinary Gentlemen chronicles the downfall and new beginnings of, not only the Professional Bowlers Association, but many of the players who were famous in the PBA's heyday who have fallen on hard times, much like the league and the sport they love.

Today, bowling is coming back and many people continue to fill the lanes across America.

Check it out! (WP)(AMG)(IMDB)

Playlist for January 14th, 2011

Whiskey!

From scotch and rye, Irish to bourbon, it is something I enjoy and many of my friends and colleagues do as well.

This week's playlist is filled with songs dealing with whiskey and the reasons we drink it.  It has lots of old blues and country, with some good R & B thrown in at the end.

Enjoy, but in moderation!  (Just kidding....go all out!)

Movie Night - Repulsion

Catherine Deneuve running the
wacko gauntlet in "Repulsion"

Psychological horror movies are great and this one, 1965's Repulsion, is one of the best.

Directed by Roman Polanski and starring a totally unhinged Catherine Deneuve, it is the story of Carol, a Belgian woman living in London with her sister, Helen.

It is obvious from the beginning of the story that Carol has issues - major issues.  She goes through her day in a semi-catatonic state where it seems her fear of the outside world is overwhelming.

It begins to become clear that Carol has both a hatred and fascination with the men around her.  After being left alone while her sister and her sister's lover leave for a holiday, Carol goes off the deep end and the film traces the journey from just slightly crazy to full blown psychotic.

This film is not for people who get easily freaked out.  Just a word of warning.

Check it out. (WP) (AMG) (IMDB)

Playlist for January 7th, 2011

http://www.oxfordamerican.org/

For the better part of the last decade, I have been a subscriber to the great periodical the Oxford American.

Published out of Central Arkansas University in Conway, Arkansas, the Oxford American has went out of print at least three times in its lifetime, but has had a dedicated reader base that keeps bringing it back to life.

This weeks playlist is a tribute to the annual Southern Music CD's put out annually by the magazine, with all the tracks coming from past discs put out by the magazine.

Always full of a wide variety of great music, the Oxford American has, for the last two years, dedicated the CD to a particular state.

I finally got around to listening to this years "Alabama" disc and it is, as usual, wonderful.

There are no notes (by me, at least) for this weeks playlist as the notes contained in the magazine are, not only informative, but much better than anything I could come up with.

I encourage everyone to track down this great magazine and support, not only the good music they put out, but the great writing contained in its pages.

Alan Lomax on WHYY's Fresh Air with Terry Gross

Alan Lomax photographed by Shirley Collins 

The late folklorist Alan Lomax, who with his parents, John and Ruby, helped record and discover many great artists (Jelly Roll Morton, Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly, among many others) is featured on Fresh Air with Terry Gross.

Listen to it here.

Movie Night - Breathless

Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg in "Breathless"

Michel Poiccard is a small time criminal, spending his time stealing cars and looking up to Humphrey Bogart.

While waiting for the payoff from an earlier crime, he steals a car to head into Paris and in the process gets pulled over, killing the cop who stops him.

Now on the run, Michel gets to Paris, where he tries to get his money and tries to get closer to Patricia, an American studying at the Sorbonne and selling the New York Herald Tribune on the streets of the city of lights.

A classic film that helped usher in the "French New Wave", director Jean-Luc Godard mixes dialogue improvisation, beautiful locations and a love of cinematic history.

Check it out. (WP) (AMG) (IMDB)