The best moment of Jason Reitman's Up in the Air has nothing to do with George Clooney or the film's, you know, relevance at a time of national insolvency. Actually, it's a lot more simple, and it happens over the opening credits: a Woody Guthrie song recast as dark soul-groove with an estimable female belting [...]
Hello! Tomorrow is Christmas!
Surely many of you will be busy unwrapping presents and donning ugly sweaters and eating delicious things, but not I! See, I'm Jewish, and I've already had my seasonal allotment of gifts and comfort food. But for members of the tribe, there's still plenty to do tonight and tomorrow, including:
- Movies and [...]
Dear David Byrne,
First off, thanks for the kind Thanksgiving wishes and the unusual hyperlink to various turkey-shaped items! I thought that my access to such Web oddities would be cut off once my aunt forsook Hotmail. But no!
It's also pleasant to hear that you and Mr. Slim are back together—for months I lay awake, fearing [...]
Sharon Jones' first record, Dap-Dippin' With Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, was a driving soul LP penned almost entirely by her ace bassist, Bosco Mann; metronomically speaking, it clocked in between 100 and 140 beats per minute. Her sophomore effort, Naturally, was a more mannered affair, with Lee Fields doing his best Otis Redding impression [...]
While this weekend’s Sharon Jones and the Dapkings shows have attracted the attention of this paper, the Washington Post’s Going Out Gurus, and NBC4’s online self-proclaimed music snob, listeners to Saturday blues and soul programming on WPFW and to quiet storm sounds on WHUR are hearing about a different soul show. The Mother’s Day Soul [...]
David Byrne's had his hands in many a cookie jar. The ex-Talking Head and Luaka Bop label founder played a building (literally), designed cheeky bike racks, and released one of 2008's best records with fellow '70s-era musical-genius-who-just-won't-quit Brian Eno. Now Byrne's got a new concept album in the works (via Stereogum via BBC).
Inspired by Imelda [...]
