What We’re Listening to in Santa Cruz

ANDREW
J Dilla – Donuts
Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures
Pavement – Brighten the Corners
Grimes – Vision
Starkey – Orbits
Traxman – Da Mind of Traxman
Ginuwine – The Bachelor
Dillinger – CB-200
Punch – Push Pull
Linton Kwesi Johnson – Forces of Victory

BRIAN
Bad Religion – True North
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – The Heist
Devil Makes Three – Devil Makes Three
DJ Shadow – Reconstructed
Specials – More or Less Specials

CAROLINE
Illusion of Self – Illusion of Self
Various Artists – Survival of the Fattest
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – Heist
Kronos Quartet – Dracula Score
Band of Orcs – Adding Heads to the Pile
Chop Tops – Deadly Love
Stellar Corpses – Dead Stars Drive-In
Dethklok – Dethalbum 3
Muse – 2nd Law
Psychostick – Sandwich & Space Vampires vs. Zombie Dinosaurs
Fury 66 – Red Giant Evolution
Good Riddance – Comprehensive Guide to Modern Rebellion

CAT
Ryan Bingham – Mescalito
Patterson Hood – Heat Lightning Rumbles in the Distance
Kathy Mattea – Calling Me Home
Uncle Tupelo – Mar. 16-20 1992
Aretha Franklin – 30 Greatest Hits
Old Crow Medicine Show – O.C.M.S.
Steve Earle – I Feel Alright

DAVID
Glass Prism – The Raven
Walker Brothers – You’re All Around Me
Big Sleep – Bluebell Wood
Skip Bifferty – Come Around
Free Spirits – I’m Gonna Be Free
Scott Walker – Hero of the War
Atlee – Jesus People
Waterloo – Black Born Children
Bo Hansson – Desuarta Ryttarna & Flykten Till Vadstallet
Czar – Tread Softly On My Dreams

JOHN
Crystal Castles – III
Goat – World Music
Ahmad Zahir – King of ’70s Afghan Pop Vol. 2 & 3
Darling Farah – Body
Starkey – Orbits
Beneath – Illusions EP
Dusk & Blackdown – Dasaflex
Purity Ring – Shrines

MARI
Diiv – Oshin
Wild Nothing – Gemini
Doc Martin – Sublevel: Space is the Race
DJ Heather – House of Om
Various Artists – The Bombay Connection
Photek – Ku Palm
Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures (vinyl reissue)
DJ Cam – Mad Blunted Jazz
Digable Planets – Blowout Comb

MAT
Sleep – Dopesmoker
Mayhem – De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
J.D. McPherson – Signs & Signifiers
Deep Ellum – Welcome to Deep Ellum
Various Artists – Stax: Number 1′s
Immortal Technique – 3rd World
O’Death – Broken Hymns, Limbs & Skins
Hank III – Straight to Hell
Cure – Boys Don’t Cry
Joy Division – Still

MICHAEL
Eric Burdon – Soul of a Man
Young Rascals – Ain’t Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore
Soul Brothers Six – I’ll Be Loving You
Keith Hudson – Bloody Eyes
Imperial C’s – Someone Tell Her
Kevin Coyne – Eastbourne Ladies

RAUL
Giuada – Racey Roller
Iron Virgin – Scottish Glam Rock
Shoes – Black Vinyl Shoes
Suede – Dog Man Star
Javier Escovedo – City Lights

ROB
Roosevelt Sykes – Return of Roosevelt Sykes

ROGER
Eugene Blackwell – We Can’t Take Life for Granted
Ike Turner – Studio Productions: New Orleans & Los Angeles 1963-1965
Various Artists – Here Comes the Hurt: Soul Ballads from King/Federal/Deluxe
Eric Dolphy – Conversations
Albert King – I’ll Play the Blues for You

VEE
Nick Drake
Vetiver
Seu Jorge – Life Aquatic Studio Sessions
Ali Farka Toure
Tinariwen

The Jam Band Wagon Stops There: My Favorite Shows of 2012

by Paige Brodsky

Simple assignment, really. Just write about my favorite live music shows from 2012. How hard could that be, right? Well, first there’s remembering what shows I saw last year. Then there’s somehow rating or ranking them. Now things are getting difficult. This process really crystallized for me the myriad of other circumstances that factor into my enjoyment level of a performance, other than a band or artist’s performance: who you’re with, the club, the sound system, the level of energy in the crowd, the set list, your current level of sleep deprivation. And then there’s the unquantifiable. The magic moment where everything comes together and you’re at a loss to explain why. But you don’t really need to. Just throw it in your Top 10.

1. January 24 – Casey Hurt, Streetlight Records, San Jose
Cheating, I know, since I was on the clock at the time, but this guy really blew me away. He has an incredibly soulful voice and style, but the music leans toward Americana. Casey himself probably describes his style best–pawn shop gospel. His musical partner for this outing was a multi-instrumentalist whose talents include playing a mean, yet subtle, trumpet (and whose name I’m failing to recall at this moment).

2. January 30 – Mark Hummel’s Blues Harmonica Blowout, Moe’s Alley, Santa Cruz.
I’ve attended this event every January for the last four or five years and it never disappoints. This time around, it featured Sugar Ray Norcia, Curtis Salgado, Billy Boy Arnold, and Charlie Musselwhite. So much of the experience for me each year has to do with the people that share in this with me. One of my closest friends drives in from his home several hours away just for this show. Though he could see the tour closer to home, there’s something special for him about the Harmonica Blowout experience at Moe’s Alley. He is a blues fiend to the nth degree and half the fun for me is watching him have so much fun.

3. February 2 – moe., The Independent, San Francisco
Let me state for the record that I am NOT a jam band fan. That being said, a friend turned me onto a couple bands a few years back that I have come to love. One is Gov’t Mule and the other is moe. But to reiterate, the jam band wagon stops there. Onward… The last few times I saw moe. in San Francisco turned out to be less-than-optimal experiences, due to (um, how do I phrase this delicately?) emotional issues being experienced and expressed by my respective dates. Lesson #1 for those who choose to date a music geek: If you’re feeling upset, angry or needy, you’d best wait until after the band is done playing to express it, or you will likely end up unsatisfied with the response you get from said music geek. Ok, then. In early February, moe. did a three-night residency at The Independent in SF. I met up with a good and trusted friend from New York who was visiting and we headed off to the first of the three nights, and it turned out to be my favorite moe. show of all time. Not only was the choice of companion a perfect one, but the band did nearly half the songs from my favorite album of theirs, Tin Cans and Car Tires, including “Nebraska,” which they seldom seem to perform live. Fabulous evening–lots of jumping around and singing along. Lesson learned by the music geek: either attend shows with someone you trust beyond compare, or go it alone.

4. Third week of March – Eric Eckhart, house concert, Berlin
I discovered during my time in Europe last year that house concerts are called “Sofa Salons.” And they are very cool. Then again, maybe it’s just being in someone’s living room while many different languages are being spoken, German beer is being consumed and lovely acoustic, rootsy music is being performed. Either way, I really like this guy.

5. April 28 – Tin Cat, Red Rock Coffee, Mountain View
A friend turned me onto a local band a few years back called Tin Cat, whose members were Dave Allender, Tom Gewecke and Erik Ostrom. When Erik moved back to his native Minnesota a couple years ago, that particular ensemble ceased to exist, at least on a regular basis. While Erik was out for a visit, Tin Cat did a reunion show at Red Rock Coffee in downtown Mountain View. I was reminded why I love this band so much. Interesting, creative songs, instrument-switching every few songs, and great harmonies. It was a true pleasure to see them play live again.

6. May 12 – House of Floyd, Rio Theatre, Santa Cruz.
My youngest daughter-type-person is 17 and loves Pink Floyd and I love that about her. After I saw House of Floyd perform a few months previous at Don Quixote’s in Felton, I took her to see a showing of this amazing spectacle at the Rio Theatre. Not having had the opportunity to see Pink Floyd myself, I figure this is the next best thing. What a treat to be able to share this experience with her.

7. August 24 – David Walburn, Many Glacier Hotel, Glacier National Park, Montana
Folk/country singer-songwriter David Walburn lives near Glacier National Park in north central Montana. He has several albums, each with a different theme. This particular performance was a mixed media presentation involving a slide show and focused on his song cycle about the Lewis & Clark exploration. I was a bit skeptical about this theme (and the mixed media), but I had been wanting to see him play for a number of years and this was the performance that worked with my schedule. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it all worked. Cowboy hat and all.

8. September 21 – Eric Lindell, Moe’s Alley, Santa Cruz
I’ve seen this guy a number of times and I just love his style: soulful, R&B-tinged, sometimes bluesy rock. His songwriting is great, but the best part of going to one of his shows is seeing how absolutely happy he is to be playing. The man has a lot of fun while making great sounds come out of his guitar and vocal cords.

9. September 29 – Dave Alvin, Moe’s Alley, Santa Cruz
I’ve seen Dave Alvin play more times than I can count. Here’s another guy who appears to be genuinely happy and grateful to be doing what he’s doing. No ego, all music. For the first time ever, I found myself standing at the front, with nothing between me and Dave but three feet of space, a guitar and a mic stand. Phenomenal guitar work and a love for music that is incredibly infectious. I’m already looking forward to next time.

10. December 13 – Dragon Smoke, Moe’s Alley, Santa Cruz
Dragon Smoke is the aforementioned Eric Lindell as well as Ivan Neville and Galactic’s rhythm section (Stanton Moore and Robert Mercurio). They alternate back and forth between Neville Brothers material and Eric Lindell’s songs. Even though it’s just a side project for all involved, they seem to show up at Moe’s at least once per year. It’s a combination that works.

Christmas Album Roundup

Christmas music, you might have noticed, is a big deal. It’s also, historically, been a bit of a cash cow for record companies. Bing Crosby and Elvis, Susan Boyle and Josh Groban, along with hundreds of other artists, have all tried their hand at singing Christmas songs. Here are the 12 best-selling Christmas albums in the U.S., based on their RIAA certification.

1. Elvis Presley – Elvis’ Christmas (1970 reissue of 1957 album, Diamond certified)

2. Kenny G – Miracles: the Holiday Album (1994, 8x Platinum)

3. Various Artists – Now That’s What I Call Christmas Music! (2001, 6x Platinum)

4. Mannheim Steamroller – A Fresh Aire Christmas (1998, 6x Platinum)

5. Mannheim Steamroller – Mannheim Steamroller Christmas (1984, 6x Platinum)

6. Nat King Cole – The Christmas Song (1963, 6x Platinum, Originally released as The Magic of Christmas)

7. Josh Groban – Noel (2007, 5x Platinum)

8. Celene Dion – These Are Special Times (1998, 5x Platinum)

9. Mariah Carey – Merry Christmas (1994, 5x Platinum)

10. Barbra Streisand – A Christmas Album (1967, 5x Platinum)

11. Johnny Mathis – Merry Christmas (1958, 5x Platinum)

12. Bing Crosby – White Christmas (1945, 4x Platinum, Originally titled Merry Christmas)

Bonus: The best-selling Christmas single of all-time, selling over 50 million copies worldwide, is…you guessed it, Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas.”
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Our Favorite Albums of 2012

A roundup of the Santa Cruz Streetlight staff’s favorite albums of 2012.

CAT
Langhorne Slim – The Way We Move
Patterson Hood – Heat Lightning Rumbles in the Distance
Trampled by Turtles – Stars & Satellites
Iris DeMent – Sing the Delta
Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls
Jay Farrar, Anders Parker, Yim Yames & Will Johnson – New Multitudes
Various Artists – Country Funk
Avett Brothers – Carpenter
Old Crow Medicine Show – Carry Me Back
JD McPherson – Signs & Signifiers

CHERENE
George Jones- United Artist rarities
Buck Owens- Buck sings Eagles
Love- Forever Changes
King Lollipop- Woodland Whoopee: Songs of Ol’ Callowhee!
Midnite Snaxxx- sefl titled
Link Wray- Big City After Dark/Hold It & Dance Party Pt. 1&2 7”
Cramps – File Under Sacred Music 7” box set
Shannon & the Clams- Ozma/Muppet Babies 7”
Saba Lou- Until the End 7”
Heavy Cream- Super Treatment
Hunx- I want to Suck Your 7”

DAVID
1. Cult Of Youth – Love Will Prevail
2. Trust – TRST
3. Diagonal – The Second Mechanism
4. Toy – s/t
5. Horisont – Second Assault
6. Pallbearer – Sorrow & Extinction
7. Glitter Wizard – Hunting Gatherers
8. Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell – Don’t hear it…Fear It!
9. The Sufis – s/t
10. Tame Impala – Lonerism

JOHN C.
GRAVE – Endless Procession of Souls
MARDUK – Serpent Sermon
KREATOR – Phantom Antichrist
ASPHYX – Deathhammer
STARKEY – Orbits
YOUNG SMOKE – Space Zone
EVIAN CHRIST – Kings and Them
LV – Sebenza
NGUZUNGUZU – Warm Pulse EP
LE1F – Dark York

JOHN P.
Johnny Greenwood – The Master (soundtrack)
Grizzly Bear – Shields
Lower Dens – Nootropics
Beach House – Bloom
Deerhoof – Breakup Song
St. Vincent – Krokodi 1 (single)

MARI
Trust – TRST
Blur – All albums reissued
Wild Nothing – Nocturne
David Byrne & St. Vincent – Love This Giant
JD McPherson – Signs & Signifiers
Orb & Lee Perry – Orbserver in the Star House
Massive Attack – Electrospective Reissues (vinyl)
Daft Punk – Electrospective Reissues (vinyl)
Blockhead – Interludes After Midnight
Various Artists – Minimal Wave Tapes Vol. 2

MAT
1. Grave – Endless Procession of Souls
2. Murder By Death – Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon
3. Deep Ellum – Welcome to Deep Ellum
4. Stellar Corpses – Dead Stars Drive-In
5. Homeboy Sandman – First Of A Living Breed
6. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – The Heist
7. Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band – Between the Ditches
8, Jack White – Blunderbuss
9. Glitter Wizard – Hunting Gatherers
10. J.D. McPherson – Northside Gal (single)

RAUL
ALLAH-LAS – S/T LP
Q65 – The Life I Live (Decca 45s) LP
CRYSTAL SYPHON – Family Evil LP
METZ – S/T LP
LEE HAZLEWOOD – LHI Years LP
CREME SODA – Tricky Zinger LP
Various Artists – Buttons: From Champaign To Chicago
CYRIL JORDAN’s Column for UGLY THINGS Magazine!!!!!!!!!

ROGER
Chuck Prophet – Temple Beautiful
Alejandro Escovedo – Big Station
Paul Weller – Sonik Kicks
George Jackson – Let the Best Man Win: The Fame Recordings Vol. 2
Various Artists – Nobody Wins: Stax Southern Soul 1968-1975
Various Artists – Move with the Groove: Hardcore Chicago Soul 1962-1970
Various Artists – Studio One Sound
Lee Fields – Faithful Man
Dr. John – Locked Down
Lee Perry & the Sufferers – The Sound Doctor: Black Ark Singles & Dub Plates 1972-1978

What We’re Listening To in Santa Cruz

ANDREW
Kanye West – Mercy
Bone Thugs N Harmony – East 1999 Eternal
Eprom – Regis Chillbin 12”
Augustus Pablo – This Is Augustus Pablo
Big K.R.I.T. – Return To 4eva

BRIAN
Tenacious D – Rize of the Fenix
Against Me! – Total Clarity
Atmosphere – When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint that Shit Gold
Eagles of Death Metal – Peace Love Death Metal
Queens of the Stone Age – Songs For The Deaf

CALEB
Beach House – Bloom
The Shins – Port Of Morrow
tUnE-yArDs – Whokill
St. Vincent – Strange Mercy
Wye Oak – Civilian

CAT
Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls
Steve Earle – I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive
Blitzen Trapper – American Goldwing
Howlin Wolf – The Howlin Wolf Album
Earth – Angels of Darkness Demons of Light II
Punch Brothers – Who’s Feeling Young Now
Heartless Bastards – Arrow
Trampled by Turtles – Stars and Satellites

CHELSEA
Devo – Freedom of Choice
Duster – Stratosphere
Ludacris – Back for the First Time
D.O.A – Hardcore ’81
The Aquabats – The Fury of the Aquabats
Smoov-E – Larry Dallas
The Sonics – Here are the Sonics

DAVID
Fuzzy Duck – Fuzzy Duck
Grand Funk – On Time
Norman Haines Band – Den Of Iniquity
Fields – Fields
Five Day Week Straw People – Five Day Week Straw People
The Baroques – The Baroques
Scott Walker – Scott 4
Soundtrack – Drive

HANNA
Saves the Day – Daybreak
Atmosphere – God Loves Ugly
Van Morrison – Bang Masters
Yo Gabba Gabba – Music is Awesome
Sick of it All: Non-Stop

J.J.
Gun Club – Fire Of Love
Acephalix – Interminable Night
Alcest – Les Voyages De L’ame
Vallenfyre – A Fragile King
Ulcerate – Destroyer Of All

JOHN
Asphyx – Deathhammer (Century Media)
LHF – Keepers Of The Light (Keysound)
Distal – Civilization (Tectonic)
Various Artists – Tectonic Plates Vol. 3 (Tectonic)
Acephalix – Deathless Master (Southern Lord)
Unleashed – Odalheim (Nuclear Blast)
Traxman – Da Mind Of Traxman (Planet Mu)
Icicle – Rinse:19 (Rinse)
Addison Grove – Transistor Rhythm (50 Weapons)
Baris Manco – Sakla Samani (Guerssen) and Gelir Zamani (Guerssen)

MARI
The Cure – Seventeen Seconds
Nirvana – Nevermind (Reissue)
Blouse – Blouse
Nightmares On Wax – Thought So…
Debussy/Ravel – String Quartets

MAT
Cynics – Rock ‘N’ Roll
Lords Of Altamont – Midnight To 666
Stellar Corpses – Dead Stars Drive-In
Black Belles – Black Belles
Scott H. Birham – Bad Ingredients
Black Lips – Arabia Mountain
Glitter Wizard – Glitter Wizard
O’Death – Outside

RAUL
Los Monstruos – Jerk Jerk Jerk
Benny Soebardja – The Lizard Years
Q65 – Life I Live-Decca 45s
Flammin’ Groovies – Flamingo
Rolling Stones – Goat Head Soup
Cyril Jordan’s column in the new Ugly Things (Magazine)

REYMOND
Kidda Band – Watch Out Thief 7”
Shuggi Otis – Inspiration Information 7”
Small Faces – Itchycoo Park 7”
Rags – Hold Me Tight 7”
Chocolate Watchband – In The Midnight Hour 7”
Quick – On Holiday 7”
Horrible Crowes – Lady Killer 7”
Barreracudas – Don’t Get Me Wrong 7”
Rottweiler – I’m Down 7”
Lee Fields – Faithful Man
Arthur Conley – I’m Livin’ Good 1964-1974
Ike Turner – New Orleans & Los Angeles
Various Artists – Nobody Wins: Stax Southern Soul 1968-1975

ROB
Simone Young conducting Wagner-Ring Cycle
Bernard Haitink conducting Mahler-Symphony #2 Dresden Staatskapelle
Various Recordings Of Minor Romantic Composers On The Sterling Label
Ricardo Chailly conducting Beethoven Symphonies W/ Leipzig Gewandhaus

ROGER
Various Artists – King New Breed R&B: Vol. 2
Ike Turner – Studio Productions: New Orleans & Los Angeles, 1963-1965
Royal Grooves: Funk & Groovy Soul From the King Records Vaults
Various Artists – Hall of Fame: Rare & Unissued Gems From the Fame Vaults
Various Artists – Nobody Wins: Stax Southern Soul, 1968-1975

STEPHANIE
Various Artists – Doughboys Playboys & Cowboys: Golden Age Of Western Swing
Zom – Demo 2011
Botanist – I: The Suicide Tree/II: A Rose From The Dead
Wreck Of The Hesperus – Light Rotting Out
Bad Wizard – Mountain Bitch” 7

VEE
Shins – Port Of Morrow
Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls
Menahan St. Band
Black Keys – El Camino

WES
Lee Fields – Faithful Man
Clan Of Xymox – Darkest Hour
Des-Kontrol/Hell Beer Boys – A.C.A.B
Hocio – Signos De Aberracion
Symarip – Skinhead Moon Stomp
Riverboat Gamblers – Wolf You Feed
Inciters – Soul Clap
Murs – End Of The Beginning
Suicide Commando – X20 Best of
Templars – 1118-1312

Entertaining Podcasts About Entertainment

by JJ McCabe

1. Doug Loves Movies
Stoned “Professional Humoredian” Doug Benson takes advantage of his
decades of work in stand-up, TV and film to invite hilarious and
interesting people from those worlds (mostly other comedians, but
occasionally film luminaries like John Lithgow and Leonard Maltin
himself) to join him in front of live audiences and discuss movies as
well as play games like “The Leonard Maltin Game” and “Build a Title.”
The games have a disjointed arbitrary breeziness to them similar to
the scoring in “Who’s Line is it Anyways?” but though the competition
can be spirited, the overall feeling is of a very talented and funny
group of friends hanging out over beers B.S.-ing about flicks

Recommended listening:
Ep. 34 – Jon Hamm, Paul F. Tompkins, semi-final rounds Tournament of Champions

That’s right, Don Draper himself. Hamm is a semi-regular guest on the
show, and he acquits himself nicely with laid-back charm and a sharp
wit. Paul F. Tompkins is one of the best stand-up performers around,
and he’s actually one of the best contestants, consistently making it
to the finals each year.

2. How Did This Get Made
Paul Scheer Jason Mantzoukas, and June Diane Raphael (all from Human
Giant and many other very funny t.v. shows) get together and watch
cinematic catastrophes ranging from the sublimely insane (Crank 2,
Punisher Warzone,) to the completely unwatchable (88 minutes,
Tiptoes,) and riff on them. Not quite an MST-3k knock off, the show
is at its best when the hosts have a clear affection for the films and
try to get a sense of how they ended up going so off the rails.

Recommended listening:
Episode 20: Punisher Warzone

The hosts have had guests from the cinematic abominations on the show
to defend their work in the past, from a brief post-script interview
with Brian Taylor of Neveldine-Taylor on the film “Crank 2” to a live
screening of “Birdemic” with Weird Al and star Whitney Moore, but this
is the first episode to have the film’s director for the entire
episode. Lexi Alexander makes a compelling argument that the very
elements that made her film such a failure are the ones that make it
so true to the source material, and that the critical back-lash
stemmed largely from a poorly timed release date, and studio meddling
with the score that skewed the darkly comic tone intended. I remember
seeing the film when it came out and finding it unwatchable, but after
listening to this episode went back and re-watched the movie and quite
enjoyed it. Though not every episode intends to save reputations, the
few gems like this set How Did This Get Made apart from other more
mean-spirited critical snarkfests.

3. Boars Gore and Swords
Think of yourself as a nerd ‘cuz you own the Firefly box set and have
a Zelda tattoo? Ivan Hernandez and Red Scott are two San Francisco
stand-up comedians that co-host a podcast devoted to the epic fantasy
book series “A Song of Ice and Fire” and the “Game of Thrones”
television series, and in their commentary draw on a vast cultural
well of breathtakingly nerdy references, from deep cuts of the Marvel
and D.C. universes to retro videogames, Simpsons references, D&D, and
power metal. The material is strictly for nerds, by nerds as well
befits the subject matter, but for any among you who can recite the
house words of the Iron Born, the show is hiiii-larious.

Recommended listening:
2×05: The Ghost of Guy Branum

Yes, at over 2 hours in length this is by far the longest episode of
the show, but arguably one of the best. Guy Branum (of X-Play) has
some very fascinating insights into the thematic elements that make
the Song of Ice and Fire series so compelling, and his dry wit and
sassy tone keeps the comparatively goofy hosts on their toes.

4. Requiem Metal Podcast
Host Mark Rudolph was the co-creator and editor of the Requiem &
Eclipse metal zines back in the late ‘80s and early 90’s, and his
co-host Jason Hundley is a high-school history teacher. The quiet,
distinctly mid-western, scholarly angle of the show may seem at odds
with the music – underground death, black and thrash metal with a
particular emphasis on early Swedish death and death-doom – but for
any younger fans of metal or those who may have missed out on some
seminal early band’s catalogs, it’s a terrific resource. With several
two and three part episodes covering the work of bands like Death,
Carcass, Slayer, Emperor etc. and the absolutely essential “Crucial
Years of Heavy Metal,” the podcast archive is a masters class in all
things extreme, from a couple of guys who were there from the
beginning and in some cases had opportunities to interview some of the
titans of the underground back when the only way to hear the music
here in the states was through tape-trading networks and ‘zines. Add
in the yearly round-ups of the best in new releases as well as the
occasional episode devoted to newer bands, and the podcast provides an
ongoing education in brutality.

Recommended Listening:
Death: parts 1,2,3

The earliest and most influential of the Tampa Bay death metal scene,
this extremely comprehensive analysis of the entire discography is
full of interesting behind the scenes tidbits and – more importantly –
some great cuts by one of the most important American metal bands of
all time.

5. Indoor Kids
Stand-up comedian Kumail Nanjiani and his wife Emily Gordon get
together with other comedians, video-game journalists, developers, and
other interesting people to discuss video games. Topics range from
the heady and abstract such as a lengthy and fascinating discussion on
whether or not games can be art, and the differences in narrative
between games and film, to nostalgic remembrances of seedy video
arcades from childhood.

Recommended listening:
Church of Skyrim Part 2 (with Dan Harmon)
Dan Harmon, creator and show runner of beloved cult t.v. show
“Community,” stopped by in mid-December when the video game world as a
whole was still transfixed by the ground-breaking rpg “Skyrim.” In
typical Indoor Kids fashion, the levity of these talented comedians is
tempered with some fascinating explorations of the mind-bending new
form of narrative created when a virtual world has been entirely
populated by npc’s that live their own lives independent of the
player. Many of the themes discussed in another excellent episode
“Are Video Games Art? (With Film Critic Hulk) are touched on here but
in a less academic, more illustrative manner.

Game of Thrones: Differences Between the Film and the Books

There’s been a lot of buzz about Game of Thrones this week. The release of the game has die-hard fans and newbies alike getting in on the conversation. In the spirit of everybody-loves-a-list, Rolling Stone has created Game Changers: the 10 Biggest Differences Between Game of Thrones and the Books. As is oftentimes the case in film adaptations of books, creative liberties, both large and small were taken. What do you think of the changes? Did you notice any biggies that Rolling Stone missed?

5 Actors with Real Musical Chops

by JJ McCabe

In honor of John C. Reilly’s recent performance at Moe’s Alley, I set out to write a snarky critique of the arrogance of Hollywood’s A-listers indulging themselves in rock star fantasies – Billy Bob Thornton, Bruce Willis, J-Lo, Jaime Foxx etc. But as I sat at my laptop and fired up Reilly’s first Jack White-produced single, “Gonna Lay Down My Old Guitar,” I felt the vitriol leach away – the song is good, damn him! Equal part Stanley Brothers and White Stripes, the song has a vitality that elevates it from movie star with a famous musician buddy over-produced karaoke status. And watching the youtube video of him and Tom Brosseau performing a cappella at the tiny Echo in L.A., you can clearly see that these songs and tour are a real labor of love. So in honor of Reilly I scrapped my original idea and thought I’d remind or introduce y’all to a few other actors with real musical chops – the kind you might just be willing to listen to completely on their own merits.

1. Ryan Gosling – Dead Man’s Bone
Dead Man’s Bones is a soundtrack for a spooky horror musical that was never produced, a paean to things that go bump in the night conceived by Gosling and friend Zach Shields. The two played all instruments, including those that they had no prior knowledge of, allowed themselves only three takes of each track, and recorded and toured with a childrens choir. The album is haunting, hilarious, raw, joyful, and terrifying. It reminds me a good deal of the Spike Jones “Where the Wild Things Are.”

2. Crispin Glover
If you know the bizarre character actor used to great effect by David Lynch, star of Willard, and hair sniffing silent villain of the second Charlie’s Angels film, you probably won’t be surprised that his music has a low-rent electro circus weirdness that blurs the line between Lynch and Tim and Eric. “Clownly Clown Clown” may be the best song ever to bring a party to a confused and enthralled standstill at three in the morning.

3. Vincent Gallo
Reminiscent of early Cat Power and the genesis of the freak folk movement, the auteur behind “Buffalo ’66” and “The Brown Bunny” writes and performs subdued jazz nuanced indie folk songs that – while lacking the shaky intensity of his films – are compellingly strange enough to be experienced as an extension of his filmography.

4. Steve Martin
Martin was studying the five string banjo before his comedy career got off the ground, and it’s made sporadic appearances over the course of his career, so those shaking their heads in confusion over the new direction his work has taken (i.e. no more unnecessary and embarrassing remakes of classic Peter Sellers films) need to reach back a bit into his live stand-up archives. His authentic Appalachian-style three finger rolling bluegrass work with the Steep Canyon Rangers is the culmination of a lifetime of plucking.

5. William Shatner (with the Ben Folds 5)
Okay, yeah – not exactly the indie auteur or skilled player that the rest of this list would merit. And yes, any awesomeness that Shatner has recorded in the music world should probably afford full credit to Ben Folds. After all, the whole reason Shatner entered the indie rock icon phase of his career was because of his daughter’s love for Ben Folds 5 (that story may be apocryphal, but I find it entertaining enough to believe.) “Has Been” has a real charm though, from the oddly affecting ennui he brings to Pulp’s “Common People” to the genuinely creepy stalker-ballad “In Love,” Shatner embraces his comic persona and poorly received previous musical outings so thoroughly that it becomes trite to attempt to mock them, and one is instead left with just accepting a really freaking bizarre, catchy, confessional pop record. Much like Eminem’s B-Rabbit in “8-Mile,” Shatner is so willing to air all of his dirty laundry in his signature beat-poet spoken cadence that he leaves no ammunition for potential detractors – fitting, as he would later perform “I’m the Real Slim Shady” for an episode of Futurama. Plus the album is loaded with ringers – what was the last pop record you heard that boasted performances by Aimee Mann, Jarvis Cocker, and Henry Rollins?

Streetlight Made the List

Paste magazine recently rounded up 101 musicians and asked them to talk about their favorite record stores. We’re pretty excited that both the Santa Cruz and San Jose Streetlight Records are represented. We’re there with some great company.

Check it out: 101 Musicians Discuss their Favorite Record Stores

Freedom Fighters

by J.J. McCabe

Four films about being forced into combat for the entertainment of a nation

The Hunger Games is certainly the most successful film to tackle the idea of an update on the gladiatorial combats of ancient Rome, but it is by no means the first. Here are four films that have tackled similar ideas.

Battle Royale
Fans of The Hunger Games may recognize the plot of this infamous Japanese cult film from 2000 (adapted from the novel by Koushun Takami) – in a future Japan a class of 9th graders are taken from school and forced to fight to the death in an island arena. Unlike Hunger Games, Battle Royale has a darkly humorous streak running through, and the inimitable “Beat” Takeshi Kitano gives a fun performance as the overseer of the competition. Though the film was one of the largest Japanese box-office successes of all time, it has just recently finally been given a legal release here in the U.S., unsurprisingly only five days after The Hunger Games opened in theaters nationwide.

The Running Man
Loosely adapted from a Stephen King (writing as Richard Bachman) novella, The Running Man stars the Governator himself Arnold Schwarzenegger as a convict who is forced to compete in a popular reality show where convicted felons fight professional killers to the death for a chance at freedom. The world built around the show is a compelling totalitarian state completely run by corporations, and there’s quite a bit of sly media satire handled with an over-the-top bluntness typical of late ‘90s action/sci-fi films. The Running Man is considered Schwarzenegger’s most violent film.

Gladiator
Any student of history who has read The Hunger Games has probably caught the multiple references to ancient Rome scattered throughout the novels, particularly the character names – Plutarch, Peeta, Cinna and Octavius were all important players in the decline of the empire – but none stand out so much as the games themselves, an obvious analogy to the gladiatorial combats in the Coliseum. Gladiator tells the story of a Roman general (Russell Crowe) taken as a slave during one of the frequent political upheavals of the era and forced to fight for his freedom in the arena. Directed by Ridley Scott, the film won the Best Picture Oscar for the year 2000.

Gamer
Similar to The Running Man, in Gamer, Gerard Butler is another wrongly convicted felon competing in a death match to win his freedom. The twist is that he is being remotely controlled by an anonymous gamer in a massive Gears of War style video game using live humans. The game is conceived by a malevolent billionaire (played by Dexter’s Michael C. Hall) who has essentially enslaved mankind with a Second Life-esque MMORPG that most of the world lives entirely within. Written and directed by Neveldine/Taylor, the team that brought us the Crank films, Gamer is frenetic and bizarre and has a lot more personality than the trailers revealed.

At the time of this writing, all four of these movies are in stock at the Santa Cruz Streetlight Records.