The Filtered Excellence: May 3 2021
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
Exterminate All The Brutes. Director Raoul Peck has made some extraordinary films in his 30 plus years – including the Oscar nominated I Am Not Your Negro. But he may have made his best work to date with this new HBO documentary series. Using with the works of noted scholars Sven Lindqvist, Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, Michel-Ralph Trouillot as a backdrop, Peck uses animation, dramatic recreations, archival news/film footage and his own family home movies to show how racism – most notably white supremacy – has been the root cause of everything from The Crusades, slavery, the colonization of the Americas, to the formation – and current climate – of the United States. While parts of this narrative have been known for decades, Peck puts all of the pieces of this puzzle together in uncompromising and unapologetic terms. Ambitious in scope and flawless in execution, it will make you wonder out loud how such a brilliant piece of subversive film received such a broad platform. It’s the history of the United States put under a lens that stun, shock and shatter. One of the year’s best. Exterminate All The Brutes is available now on HBO Max.
United Shades Of America. For Season 6 of CNN acclaimed news series, W. Kamau Bell tackles topics that has Americans that have been ripped straight from today’s headlines. Whether its the wealth gap, the role of protests play in shaping policy, the battle over defunding the police, racism within the science/tech community, or issues pertinent to the transgender community, Bell speaks and listens to all parties involved, pro and con. Informative and it is entertaining, it’s another strong offering from one of our best social commentators. Season 6 of United Shades Of America airs Sunday nights at 10pm Eastern on CNN.
LISTEN TO THIS
Dirty Honey by Dirty Honey. Since forming in 2017, Dirty Honey quickly won over fans with their old school, guitar drenched, 70s-flavored arena rock. In 2019, the L.A. based band became the first unsigned band to have a #1 hit on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart with their single, ‘When I’m Gone’ and supported Guns N’ Roses on their reunion tour. With their self-titled debut album, Dirty Honey is poised to graduate to headliner status with a sound that recalls Rocks-era Aerosmith, peak period Led Zeppelin, and a heavy dose of G N’R swagger. A good old fashioned riff filled rock n roll album that needs to be played loud. Dirty Honey by Dirty Honey is available now through all major streaming services.
11 Past The Hour by Imelda May. After making a name for herself as a badass rockabilly/roots rocker (and picking up famous fans such as Jeff Beck along the way), singer Imelda May shifted into neo-noir drenched Americana with the T Bone Burnett produced 2017 album Life Love Flesh Blood. May’s a star in Europe (the album is already a #1 in her native Ireland), but now she’s aiming for Stateside success with this follow up. Co writing all of the songs, and sharing producer’s chair with Cam Blackwood, Davide Rossi, and Tim Bran , it features an array of sounds and styles, all of which showcase May’s terrific vocal talents. The title track, ‘Breathe’ and ‘Made To Love that perfectly captures May’s transition, while ‘Just One Kiss’, a sultry duet with Noel Gallagher and Ronnie Wood on guitar shows that May hasn’t abandoned retro rock altogether. European audiences have known for years the extent of May’s talents. With this album, let’s hope the U.S. finally comes to its senses. 11 Past The Hour by Imelda May is available now through all major streaming services.
Aquarius Purple by Marcus Machado. With the release of this new LP, guitarist Marcus Machado graduates from a much sought after hired gun to full fledged bandleader and solo artist. It features the broad range of Machado’s musical canon: Jimi by way of Funkadelic-drenched guitar workouts (‘Aq Intro’, ‘Black Psychedelic Funk’); slow building and high throttle electro funk (‘As I Care, ‘Table Dance’ and the Prince-inspired ‘Her’); slinky R&B (Let’s Play, Get By, Find My Way) and politically charged hip hop (‘Shape Shift’). The album closes out with the 1-2 punch of ‘Running’ and ‘Purple’, which, with by manipulating the rhythm track, moves from an energetic rock/hip hop hybrid to a slow broiling slow jam. Between his solo work and being a key cog in the band th1rt3en, 2021 is poised to be Marcus Machado’s breakout year. Aquarius Purple is available now through all digital streaming services.
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Land Of Hope And Dreams: A Celebration Of Dave Marsh’s Work And Vision. For over 50 years, Dave Marsh has been one of rock’s most respected journalists. Whether it was for Creem, Rolling Stone, Rock & Rap Confidential or through the 25 books he’s written, Marsh has been a key proponent for new artists and played a key role and having them achieve superstar status. Marsh has also been a tireless advocate for a variety of social causes, including The Kristen Ann Carr Fund, which aids young adult cancer patients and their families. To help celebrate Marsh’s legacy, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Steven Van Zandt, Dion, and Nona Hendryx, will join journalists and writers in a series of online conversations and performances that will be streamed throughout the month. It’s an fitting salute to one of music’s greatest friends. Land Of Hope And Dreams: A Celebration Of Dave Marsh’s Work and Vision will take place each weekend through May 15th. You can go to www.landofhopeanddreams.co for more info.
TCM Classic Film Festival. Turner Classic Movies’ annual film festival is going to be presented virtually this year, but viewers will still get a healthy offerings of some of Hollywood’s greatest films. Pairing up with HBO Max, this year’s festival will open with the 60th Anniversary Screening of West Side Story and Ben Mankiewicz and Ava DuVernay will host a reunion with stars Rita Moreno, George Chakiris and Russ Tamblyn. There will also be a viewing the recently restored 1932 classic, Doctor X, salutes to directors Barbara Kopple, Barry Levinstone, Steve McQueen, Mira Nair and Rob Reiner, guest introductions, special collections, revivals of cult classics and much more. A must see event for anyone who loves cinema. The 2021 TCM Classic Film Festival will take place on TCM and HBO from May 6th through the 9th. You can go to www.filmfestival.tcm.com for a complete schedule.
READ THIS
The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem For The Country by Amanda Gorman. Amanda Gorman just turned 23, but she’s already racked up a lifetime of accomplishments. She’s devoted her life advocating for environmental justice, racial and gender equality and became the nation’s first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate in 2017. In 2021, Gorman became the youngest poet to read at a Presidential inauguration when she recited her poem, ‘The Hill We Climb’. She would later become the first poet to perform at The Super Bowl and grace the cover of TIME Magazine. Now Gorman’s signature work is available now in a collectible gift edition. It’s a perfect gift for someone new to her work or wishing to own a piece of history. The Hill We Climb: An Inagural Poem For The Country by Amanda Gorman is available now wherever books are sold.
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