The Filtered Excellence: January 24, 2013

Bob Geldof once asked us, “Where is the filtered excellence!?” It’s right here. Here are this weeks picks of what to WATCH, what to DO what to TRY what to READ what to LISTEN TO and more:

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WATCH THIS:

Happy People:  A Year in the Taiga.  In theaters January 25, 2013 (Limited)  Deep in the Siberian Taiga is the small village of Bakhtia, by the Yenisei River which flows to the Arctic Ocean from deep in Siberia. Only 300 people live here in the heart of the nearly impenetrable forest, accessible only by boat or helicopter. Their’s is a village that is beyond remote, in the far off wilderness, way far away from any semblance of modern convenience. The lives of these villagers are much the same as the lives of their ancestors would have been, hundreds of years ago. Russian director Dmitry Vasyukov captures scenes from the a year in the life of one of these indigenous people, in this distant and untamed environment which possesses glorious natural landscapes as beautiful as they are brutal. Acclaimed filmmaker and documentarian, co-director Werner Herzog provides his own narration throughout this visually beautiful documentary about a people very nearly untouched by modern times.

Beware of Mr. Baker.  Ginger Baker was rock’s first great drummer, who’s style influenced everyone who’s ever sat behind a kit for over five decades.  He’s also has a temperament so explosive (due most in part to a decades long heroin addiction ) that he’s been literally kicked out of countries.  Musicians – even the ones who adore his playing – are reluctant to work with him.  Jay Bulger interviews Baker’s former wives, children, friends, associates and Baker himself to give an intimate portrait of rock’s most influential – yet shunned – musicians.  Beware Of Mr. Baker opens in limited theaters throughout the country January 25, 2013.

30 Rock Series Finale.  NBC – Thursday, January 31 – 8pm Eastern.  After 7 seasons, 90 Emmy nominations (14 wins) and a million laughs – “30 Rock” is calling it a wrap.  Thursday will be the hour long goodbye to the cast and crew of “TGS”.  As the show ends, Liz is now a stay-at-home mom, Jack is trying to understand his life and Tracy is dealing with Kenneth who’s the new head of NBC.  Guest stars will include Salma Hayek, Julianne Moore, Ice-T and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi as part of the farewell to one of the funniest shows ever on television.

The 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards.  TNT & TBS – Sunday, January 27th – 8pm Eastern.  If you like awards shows that stick strictly to the film and television acting honors, this is the awards show for you.  No writers, directors or sound engineers.  This is actors giving trophies to actors.  Watch to see if this is an indicator on how the Academy Awards will go.

A Look at Past Super Bowls.  The NFL Network – Starting January 26th at 11:30am Eastern.  It’s a look back at all 46 Super Bowls, one after another every half hour.  Starting on Saturday morning and going through to Sunday afternoon, it’s a 30 minute recap featuring highlights of each game in Super Bowl history.  Spend over 24 hours reliving great Super Bowl moments.  It certain beats watching the Pro Bowl.

  •  For more information go to nfl.com

Jackson 5: The Complete Animated Series. Now on DVD and BluRay.  For the first time, the complete series is available on DVD and includes 23 full length episodes and 46 songs.  The original series ran from 1971 – 1973 and its beautiful colors, and wonderful music show everything you loved (or missed) about being a kid in the 70’s.  It will make a great gift for any nostalgia fan.

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LISTEN TO THIS:

My True Story by Aaron Neville.  For Blue Note Records debut, the voice behind The Neville Brothers assembled some pretty heavy hitters: Keith Richards plays guitar and co-produced the album with Blue Note Records President Don Was.  The band features brother Art Neville on organ, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench, guitarist Greg Liesz and Saturday Night Live band member Lenny Pickett on sax.   The material features some of Neville’s favorite doo wop and R&B classics from the 50’s and 60’s.  Hearing Neville’s searing falsetto on tracks like ‘Be My Baby’, ‘Under The Boardwalk’ and ‘Tears On My Pillow’ is simply divine.  The production team of Richards and Was subtle, warm production adds a warm, intimate feel throughout.  No studio gimmicks or tricks here: you feel as though you’re in the room with the band. Whether you’re looking to revisit or discovery some of the greatest songs ever written, My True Story excels on all levels.  It’s available now on Itunes, Amazon and all digital media outlets.

Get Up!  by Ben Harper with Charile Musselwhite.  Ben Harper teams with blues harmonica great Charlie Musselwhite for an electrifying, if sometimes startling collection of songs that deal with what Harper calls ‘struggle and heart’.  As you might expect, the blues is front and center on tracks such as ‘Don’t Think Twice’, ‘I’m In, I’m Out And I’m Gone’ and the title track.  The struggle portion covers the emotional (‘You Found Another Lover (I Lost Another Friend), which, on the surface, deals with his pending divorce from actress Laura Dern); and the eternal (a soldier’s call to duty on the haunting ‘I Ride At Dawn’ and the call for action against oppression on the title track).  Not that the album is a somber collection: ‘Blood Side Out’ and ‘I Don’t Believe A Word You Say’ can stand alongside any of The Black Keys or The White Stripes best work.  Get Up is one of Ben Harper’s strongest works to date.  It’s available on Tuesday through all major digital music outlets.  You can also stream the entire album on Itunes.

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DO THIS:

Los Angeles, California:  An Evening with Neil deGrasse Tyson.   Monday, January 28 at 7:30pm.  Held at the University of Southern California’s Bovard Auditorium, Neil deGrasse Tyson host “Current Events Through The Lens of an Astrophysicist.  The country’s most popular scientist will speak and then take questions regarding events facing today’s society.  Bovard Auditorium, 3551 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles California.

  •  For more information, go to usc.edu

New York City:  MOMA Presents Andy Warhol’s “San Diego Surf,”  January 23 – January 28.  This is one of the last films that Andy Warhol was directly involved with.  “San Diego Surf” was shot in 1968 by Warhol and Paul Morrissey.  The Andy Warhol Foundation commissioned Morrissey to complete the editing of the film based on Warhol’s existing notes and an early rough cut of the film.  The story surrounds an unhappy couple who rent out their house to a group of surfers.  At the Museum of Modern Art.

New York City:  Find Sugar Man! Sixto Rodriguez, the artist who is the subject of the Oscar nominated documentary Searching for Sugarman has added another show to his run at the Beacon Theater in NYC.  You can’t see him till April 8, but tickets go on sale tomorrow (Friday January 25) at 11am.  His first show at Town Hall set for April 10 completely sold out, so don’t wait if you’re interested.

New York City:  Strummerville:  A Night To Celebrate The Music & The Life Of Joe Strummer & The Clash @ Bowery Electric 1/29.  Joe Strummer’s been gone for 10 years, but his career and his outlook on life still influences music fans everywhere.  Matt Pinfield will host this all-star salute to the one time Clash frontman, which will features appearances by members of Bad Brains, The Hold Steady, Gaslight Anthem, The Vandelles and other surprise guests.  Proceeds from the show will benefit The Joe Strummer Foundation For New Music.