The Filtered Excellence: November 20, 2014
Bob Geldof once asked us, “Where is the filtered excellence!?” It’s right here. Here are this weeks picks of the best things towatch, 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:
Death Metal Angola. After spending the past year on the festival circuit, Jeremy Xido’s critically acclaimed story of a nation healing itself through music is getting a theatrical release. The film looks at Angola, a country that has been torn apart by nearly 20 years of war and civil unrest. Music – especially hard rock, heavy metal and its offshoot, death metal – becomes the nation’s soundtrack and a dedicated music scene emerges in its wake. Sonia and Wilker, a couple who run an orphanage in the city of Huambo, decide to pull the various forces in the city together to organize the nation’s first rock festival as a symbol of a nation moving forward. Recollections of the war (and how these memories become the basis for songs),a search for still active landmines, and how, despite numerous challenges and hurdles, the concert still happens will stay etched in your memory. While the music serves as a central piece, war’s aftermath is still omnipresent. In one incredibly moving scene, a young boy arrives at the orphanage and tells how both of his parents died and then, when an attempt to poison him fails, his late father’s girlfriend puts him on a one-way trip to Huambo to fend for himself. Xido deftly puts all of these stories together into a story of how the arts helps a nation pull itself out the grips of war. A thought provoking and inspiring film. Death Metal Angola opens in New York on Friday and is screening now in Los Angeles. You can also purchase or rent through Itunes on Friday.
Jeremy Xido will be doing a Q&A after the 7pm screening at Cinema Village in New York City.
You can go to www.deathmetalangola.org for more info.
Lost Songs: The Basement Tapes Continued. A new documentary from director Sam Jones and produced by Jones and Oscar winner T. Bone Burnett brings together a group of incredible musicians and songwriters with the goal of recording new music to go with newly found lyrics written by the legendary Bob Dylan. Under the direction of Burnett, Elvis Costello, Rhiannon Giddens, Taylor Goldsmith, Jim James and Marcus Mumford come together to create 12 new tracks combining their music and Dylan’s words. The sessions were recorded in the basement of Capitol Records. The documentary special also includes a new exclusive interview with Bob Dylan. Lost Songs: The Basement Tapes Continued premieres on Showtime on Friday, November 21st at 9 pm et.
For more information, go to sho.com
Watch a trailer for Lost Songs: The Basement Tapes Continued
A Girl Walks Home At Night. Here’s a film that will make it’s mark in cinema history. It’s billed as the first Iranian Vampire Western. A Girl Walks Home At Night takes place in Iran, but was shot in the states. The film is written and directed by Ana Lily Amirpour and stars Sheila Vand as “The Girl”, a vampire who wears a chador, skateboards and feeds off the bad men of her Persian town. The film is shot in black and white and is the latest film effort from Vice Movies. A Girl Walks Home At Night opens Friday, November 21st in New York and Los Angeles. The movie rolls out across the nation after that.
For more information and screenings, go to vice.com
Watch the trailer for A Girl Walks Home At Night
88th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It’s America’s favorite and biggest parade. Thanksgiving Day, the parade will make its way down Central Park West, where all the massive balloons will be inflated the night before, to 6th Avenue and arrive in Herald Square with Santa bringing up the rear to mark the official start of the holiday season. 10,000 people will participate in the parade while another 3.5 million are expected to watch it on television. New giant balloons this year include Paddington Bear, Thomas the Tank Engine and an updated Pillsbury Dough Boy. The parade will be broadcast on two different networks. On CBS’ coverage, watch for Taylor Swift to perform, while over on NBC, KISS, Nick Jonas and Idina Menzel will be part of the parade entertainment. Coverage of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade begins at 9 am et on both networks on Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, November 27th.
For more information, go to macys.com
Rudolph The Red-Nose Reindeer. This holiday classic was the first of the iconic Rankin-Bass stop motion animated Christmas specials. Based on the popular song written by Johnny Marks, “Rudolph” debuted in December of 1964. It has become a holiday mainstay ever since. Filled with characters like Yukon Cornelius, Hermey the Elf (who would prefer working in the field of dentistry), the Bumble and Rudolph and his cranky boss Santa, the special is still a Christmas must-see. Narrated by a snowman who looks and sounds like Burl Ives, the special is also filled with plenty of songs to jog your childhood memory including “Silver and Gold”, “We’re a Couple of Misfits”, and “The Most Wonderful Day of the Year”. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer airs the night before Thanksgiving on Wednesday, November 26th on CBS.
For more information, go to cbs.com
READ THIS:
Jimmy Page by Jimmy Page. While he is without a doubt, one of rock’s most iconic guitarists, Jimmy Page is still a bit of a mystery. Through the years, he had remained reclusive and elusive, rarely giving interviews and detailing little about his personal life or his creative process. His re-emergence in the years – launching his own website, appearing in the film It Might Get Loud, and doing extensive press appearances surrounding the reissues of the Led Zeppelin catalog – has been a pleasant surprise to his many legions of fans. Part of this campaign includes this new coffee table book that’s available now through Genesis Publications. Rather than write the traditional autobiography, Page uses archival and never before photos from his personal archives to tell his story. It covers everything from his childhood, his days as a session musician and of course, Led Zeppelin in full flight. The book also features his post-Zeppelin collaborations with Paul Rodgers, David Coverdale, Roy Harper, The Black Crowes, Leona Lewis, Sean ‘P Diddy’ Combs, and, of course, Robert Plant. Page also adds quick, but insightful anecdotes to the majority of the photos to help bring them to life. This is a quintessential look into the mind of rock n roll’s most celebrated musicians. A must have for Zep heads. Jimmy Page by Jimmy Page is available now through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and all major book retailers.
Order Jimmy Page by Jimmy Page
LISTEN TO THIS:
The Last Transmission by The Heliocentrics featuring Melvin Van Peebles. Inspired by Stephen Hawking almost as much as Sun Ra, the U.K. collective known as The Heliocentrics has been using space travel as a theme for musical expression since 2007. For their latest album, they formed a unlikely bond with Melvin Van Peebles, who, in addition to being an iconic filmmaker, producer, screenwriter and author, developed a strong interest in space traveler while being an astronomy major college and, later, as a flight navigator in the Air Force. The Heliocentrics provide the music and Van Peebles narrates a story of an astronaut sending out messages while exploring the deep caverns of space (and discovering new life forms to love along the way). Working as a soundtrack to an existential sci-fi film that has yet to be made, The Heliocentrics and Van Peebles pull off the impossible task of honoring their jazz and funk roots yet blasting ahead into the future. Easily one of the most musically adventurous releases of the year.
Order The Last Transmission
Two Sides To Every Story by Gene Clark. As a founding member of The Byrds, Gene Clark was the group’s dominant songwriter, writing future classics such as ‘Eight Miles High’, ‘I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better’ and ‘She Don’t Care About Time’ and ‘Set You Free This Time’. Internal friction and a reluctance to extensive traveling (fueled by a fear of flying), led to Clark leaving the band in 1966. He would release a series of critically acclaimed solo albums and projects featuring Byrds alumni until he passed away in 1991 at the age of 46. A new interest in the Byrds music in the 80s and 90s (led by Tom Petty and R.E.M.) along with the emergence of what is now known as Americana has generated a re-examination of Clark’s post-Byrd career. Released in 1977, Two Sides To Every Story was considered by fans and by Clark himself, his best work to date. Featuring some of the best musicians then and now (Emmylou Harris, Jeff ‘Skunk’ Baxter, Douglas Dillard, Byron Berline, and Al Perkins, it became a favorite among critics and his musical contemporaries. But fans weren’t receptive to the album’s blurring of the lines between country, rock, blues, bluegrass and R&B and it quickly went out of the print. Now, High Moon Records is giving a proper reissue to this lost masterpiece. It contains the original album, a 26 page booklet containing rare photos and liner notes by Clark biographer John Einarson, a download card featuring a 1975 live performance and an interview Clark did with L.A. radio legend B. Mitchel Reed. This is a fitting reissue to one of rock’s most unsung singer-songwriters.
Order Two Sides to Every Story
DO THIS
NEW YORK CITY: Blunt Force Trauma.The Black Rock Coalition winds down 2014 with Blunt Force Trauma, a show that, as the title suggests is for fans of hard rock and metal. It will also serve as the official after-party for the NYC premiere of Death Metal Angola, Jeremy Xido’s powerful new film about Angola’s first rock festival in the wake of decades of civil unrest. The show will feature The Dust Rays, which is led by Kirk Douglas and Mark Kelley of The Roots; Year Of The Dragon featuring ‘Dirty’ Walter from Fishbone and Militia Vox, who will premiering material from her new EP, Bait. DJ Sugarfree BK will be on the decks spinning all night. Tickets are $12, but if you attend any of Friday’s screenings of Death Metal Angola and show your ticket stub, tickets are only $8. If you like your music loud and proud, come out to Littlefield in Brooklyn and support some fantastic independent artists.
You can go to www.littlefieldnyc.com or www.blackrockcoalition.org for more info.
NEW YORK CITY: Ghost Brothers of Darkland County. The Southern gothic musical is coming to the Beacon Theatre in New York. With the script by Stephen King, music by John Mellecamp and under the direction of T. Bone Burnett, the stage show is full of jealousy, lust and brothers fighting over a woman. The supernatural story took 16 years of collaboration between the 3 artists to come together. The cast includes Billy Burke from the Twilight Saga and the talented actress and singer Gina Gershon. Ghost Brothers of Darkland County is at the Beacon Theatre on Monday, November 24th at 7:30 pm.
For more information and tickets, go to beacontheatre.com
SAN DIEGO: Peter Hook and The Light. The co-founder of Joy Division and then the reformed New Order is performing at San Diego’s House of Blues. Hook will be on stage with his band, the Light. The show will be a salute to Peter Hook’s New Order days. He will be performing the New Order albums, “Low Life” and “Brotherhood”, both in their entirety. The show is 21 and older. Peter Hook and the Light will be at the House of Blues in San Diego on Wednesday, November 26th. Doors open at 7 pm and the show starts at 8 pm. Tickets are still available.
For more information and tickets for Peter Hook and the Light, go to houseofblues.com
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK: A Residency with Robert Randolph and the Family Band. The funk and soul band led by the master of the pedal steel guitar will be taking up residency at the Brooklyn Bowl. Robert Randolph and the Family Band will be doing a 4 night stand at the Bowl starting on Tuesday, November 25th. The band will be performing their classics as well as music from their 2013 album release, “Lickety Split”. The Family Band will have a different opening act each night they perform. A Residency with Robert Randolph and the Family Band runs from Tuesday, November 25th through Saturday, November 29th at the Brooklyn Bowl. All shows start at 8 pm.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Route 66: The Road and The Romance. This exhibit pays tribute to the stretch of highway known as the “Mother Road”, Route 66. Making the connection between Chicago and Los Angeles, the legendary Route 66 has had an incredible impact on American life and culture. The exhibition has 250 artifacts telling the story of the fabled road. Pieces include Woodie Guthrie’s guitar, Jack Kerouac’s original typewritten scroll of “On The Road” and a Jackson Pollock landscape painting, plus plenty of original memorabilia from along Route 66. The exhibit is at the Autry National Center of the American West in Griffin Park. Route 66: The Road and The Romance is open now and runs through January 4th, 2015.
For more information, go to theautry.org
Want more excellence? Read last week’s The Filtered Excellence and visit The Interrobang Recommmends
