The Filtered Excellence: October 20, 2011
Bob Geldof once asked us, Where is the filtered excellence!? Its 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
The World Series: Watch the Texas Rangers take on the St. Louis Cardinals in the 107th Major League Baseball World Series. Game 3 airs Saturday Oct 22 , Game 4 airs Sunday Oct 23 and Game 5 airs Monday Oct 24. If there is a Game 6 it will air Wednesday Oct 26 and Game 7, if needed, will take place on Thursday Oct 27. All games air at 8:05pm EDT on FOX.
Red State: The highly anticipated and controversial Kevin Smith film comes out on DVD and Blu Ray this week. Both John Goodman and Michael Parks give stellar performances. And the film? Completely unpredictable with suspense, laughs and plenty of horror of all kinds.
Paul Goodman Changed My Life: “A film about the most influential man you never heard of.” This documentary serves to acquaint you with the best-selling author of Growing Up Absurd– essential 60’s counterculture reading. Paul Goodman was a key figure of the New Left way of thinking and an important figure in the gay rights movement. Director Jonathan Lee uses interviews, along with Goodman’s poetry, to shed light on this “unrecognized genius,” so impactful on what was to be the zeitgeist of the 1960’s. Check out their official site for screening dates and times.
READ THIS
Fear and Loathing at Rolling Stone: The Essential Writing of Hunter S. Thompson: This incredible collection hits bookstores on Tuesday October 25th and includes some of his best work as well as previously unpublished letters between Thompson and his friend and editor Jann S. Wenner. Long time fans will treasure the collection and new readers have the luxury of having some of his best work chosen for you and put in one place.
Black and Blue: The Red Foxx Story: Michael Seth Starr’s new biography uses interviews with family, confidants and friends to tell Foxx’s stories including his early days as a stand up comic, his successful ‘party records’ in the 50’s and 60’s, and his journey to iconic status on the TV show, ‘Sanford & Son’. It’s also loaded with tales of women, drugs, and epic battles with network executives and the I.R.S. A must read.
LISTEN TO THIS
Bad as Me: The best way to describe Tom Waits first album in 7 years? Stripped down and dirty. Studio trickery and Auto-tune need not apply. Shotgun drums, thumping stand-up bass, growling harmonicas and carnival-like organ dominate. Those hauntingly beautiful ballads, the cornerstone of his earlier work, are back and better than ever. ‘Bad As Me’ ranks up there with some of his best albums and that’s saying a lot. * Psssst… On the website you can check out the album for free until October 21.
Etta James – Heart & Soul: A Retrospective: This new 4-CD collection should confirm what true rock, blues and soul fans have known for years: Etta James is one of the greatest vocalists this country has ever produced. What makes this set unique is that it covers every phase of her career: the monster hits on Chess, her foray into Memphis based soul, her championing of younger singer-songwriters and reclaiming her jazz & blues roots.
T Bone Burnett Presents: The Speaking Clock Revue – Live from the Beacon Theatre: In 2010, T Bone Burnett organized an all-star concert at the Beacon Theatre in NYC to benefit arts education. This album contains 11 unreleased performances from that night. As is the norm with this type of release, the performances are a mixed bag, but standout performances by the likes of Elvis Costello, Greg Allman, Elton John and Leon Russell, and Neko Case more than make up for that.
DO THIS
Pixies DooLittle Lost Cities Tour: Hear a classic Pixies album played live by the Pixies in a beautiful old theater. Here’s a great opportunity to see an amazing band in some really cool places. The Pixies are continuing to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of their 1989 album, Doolittle. According to the band, they’re “playing cities we’ve never visited across the U.S. of A.” The tour starts off this week in Montclair, NJ, then Asbury Park. Many of the venues will be gorgeous, historic theaters, like in the Louisville Palace, Louisville KY, for instance…or The Orpheum in Memphis, Tennessee. The 19 date US tour kicks off this week. Click here for cities and dates.
TRY THIS
Apple Cider at Kauffman’s Fruit Farm and Market: 3097 Old Philadelphia Pike, Bird in Hand, Pa. Kauffman’s “Bird-In-Hand Blend” is the BEST apple cider ever tasted. Maybe it’s the Amish country apples: crisp sweet tart juiciness. You’ll be filled with the feeling of Autumnal for sure. You should buy gallons to bring home to drink with ginger snap cookies, and grab some warm appley cake-doughnuts, covered in sugar and cinnamon handmade on the premises. Available through mail order too, if you can’t make it to Pennsylvania Dutch country.
GUS: Grown Up Soda: Maybe you’re sick of corn syrupy over sweetness of regular soda. Maybe you’ve already given up soda, but you’re tired of drinking water and iced tea. Maybe you just want something new and really refreshing to drink. Meet GUS, shorthand for grown up soda. They’re all good but Valencia Orange, Cola, and Cranberry Lime. are the standouts. No Caffeine, lightly sweetened with cane sugar, real juices and extracts. Once you try it you might never go back to Coke and Pepsi. Available locally in most states. Mail order also available.
BUY THIS:
The New iPod Nano: Have you SEEN this!? Lost between the sudden passing of Steve Jobs and the release of the latest iPhone was the rollout of the new Nano earlier this month. It addresses all of the bugs that plagued the previous incarnation and adds some snazzy new features including a fitness app to track your workout and a clock with 18 different interfaces including traditional, digital, even Mickey & Minnie Mouse. Purchase the custom watch band & it doubles as a full on watch. It’s also remarkably inexpensive.
BROWSE THIS
The Debunker: Ever wonder what America’s favorite Jeopardy champion, Ken Jennings, has been up to? Since August, he’s been debunking popular beliefs in a blog on woot.com. Among other things, we’ve learned that sugar doesn’t make kids hyperactive, turkey doesn’t make you tired, and Mount Everest is not the highest point on earth. Follow Ken’s revelations here.
