The Filtered Excellence September 7, 2020
Bob Geldof once asked us, “Where is the filtered excellence!?” It’s right here. Once a week we take a break from comedy to bring you this week’s picks of the best things to watch, the most interesting things to do, great things to try, the best picks to read, our favorite things to listen to and more.
WATCH THIS
Raised By Wolves. Adam Guzikowski (The Red Road) and Ridley Scott join forces for this highly anticipated new HBO Max Sci-fi series. It takes place in a future where Earth has been destroyed by a war between the religious group The Mithraics and an unidentifed, atheist faction. The atheists send two androids, Mother (Amanda Collin) and Father (Abubakar Salem) with twelve human embryos with the hope of re-starting the human race. They crash land on the Earth-like planet, Kepler 22-b, and, despite 11 of the 12 children dying from disease, begin to establish a colony. When a ship containing 1000 Mithraics members also lands on Kepler 22-b, it renews the battle between the warring factors, with everyone’s core values getting challenged from all sides. Scott, who directed the first two episodes, revisits many of the themes that defined his work on Blade Runner and Alien: the fractious relationship between technology and humanity, and science at odds with spirituality. Collin is poised to be the show’s breakout star as Mother, the baddest Sci-fi heroine since Ripley from the Alien series. With exceptional visual effects and a compelling storyline, it’s another stellar work from Guzikowskui and Scott. Raised By Wolves is available now on HBO Max.
LISTEN TO THIS
Blackbirds by Bettye LaVette. For her follow-up to the Grammy-nominated album, Things Have Changed, Bettye LaVette puts together a collection of songs made famous by legendary Black women singers. With Steve Jordan back as producer/drummer and a kickass band that includes guitarist Smokey Hormel, Tom Barney on bass, and keyboardist Leon Pendarvis, LaVette takes songs by Nina Simone (I Hold No Grudge), Dinah Washington (Drinking Again), Ruth Brown (Book Of Lies), Nancy Wilson (Save Your Love For Me), Della Reece (Blues For Weepers) and Lil Green (Romance In The Dark), in arrangements that fit her seasoned, mature vocals. Jordan doesn’t stay in one musical lane, arranging the songs that run the gamut from straight torch, funky jazz, Memphis soul and even a hint of 70s blaxploitation. LaVette turns Billie Holliday’s Strange Fruit into a haunting, hypnotic look at racism’s ugly after effects, emphasizing specific words to lyrics more bit. The only song outside of the concept is the closing song, ‘Blackbird’. Slowing down the tempo and subtly supported by a string section, LaVette turns The Beatles classic into an allegory about her 50 plus years in the business. For someone who has been making one killer album after another for the past 15 years, this one might be the best of them of all. One of the year’s best. Blackbirds by Bettye LaVette is available now through Amazon, Apple Music and all major streaming services.
Fall To Pieces by Tricky. Last year, Tricky, was in the midst of a creative and commercial second wind, when he learned that his daughter, Mina Mazy passed away at the age of 24. Tricky channels the anguish and pain of this loss into his 14th album, Fall To Pieces. Recorded at his Berlin apartment with vocalists Marta Zlakowska and Oh Land, along with cellist Marie-Claire Schlameus, ‘Thinking Of’, ‘Fall Please’ and ‘Chills Me To The Bone’ are dark, quick meditations on his loss, while the haunting blues ‘Hate This Pain’ alternates between anger and despair. Though the album clocks in just under 30 minutes, Tricky makes the most of the time with a unique blend of minimalism and emotion. He’s also found a great new collaborator in Marta Zlakowska, who is a worthy successor to the great Martina Topley-Bird, the featured vocalist on his 1995 masterpiece, Maxinquaye. Dense and mysterious, Tricky has crafted yet another classic to what has been an extraordinary career. One of the year’s best. Fall To Pieces by Tricky is available now through Amazon, Apple Music and all major streaming services.
En Espanol by The Mavericks. The pandemic may derailed their 30th Anniversary tour, but The Mavericks were still able to fulfill another goal of lead singer/guitarist/co-founder Raul Malo by releasing their first all-Spanish album. The band puts on their unique blend of country, Tex-Mex, jazz, ska, and rock on songs that Malo heard from his Cuban grandfather (La Sitiera, Sombras, Mujer, Sabor A Mi), along with classic hits by Celia Cruz (Pinar del Rio), Julio Iglesias (Me Olvide de Vivir), and Juan Gabriel (No Vale La Pena), plus a Spanish version of the Engelbert Humperdink song, ‘Man Without Love’. They are all the perfect template for Malo, who once again shows why he’s one of the best vocalists in any genre. With guest appearances by Flaco Jimenez, Julio Diaz and Lorenzo Molina, The Mavericks have added another killer album to an already dynamic catalog. En Espanol by The Mavericks is available now through Amazon, Apple Music and all major streaming services.
DO THIS
New York City: Freize Scuplture @ Rockefeller Center. For the second consecutive year, Rockefeller Plaza will be transformed into a contemporary sculpture park. Works by Ghada Amer, Beatriz Cortez, Thaddeus Moseley, Lena Henke, Camille Henrot and Andy Goldsworthy will interact with the Rockefeller architecture to address issues such as women’s suffrage, migration, urban planning and ecology. Rockefeller Center might not be back at full capacity, but this installation is mark the time. Freize Sculpture at Rockefeller Center will on display through October 2nd.
Wear A Mask.
Practice Social Distancing.
Wash Your Hands.
Be Safe.
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