The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME] Arthur Russell — “I Couldn’t Say It to Your Face” Teenage Halloween — “Say It” Hello Mary — “Say It” The ”5” Royales — “Say It” Heavenly — “Stop Before You Say It” El Vez — “Say It Loud! I’m Brown and I’m Proud!” Eyelids — “Say It’s Alright” Glen Hansard — “Say It to Me Now” The Maddox Brothers & Rose — “Mama Says It’s Naughty” Soul Walkers — ”Can I Say It Again” Hall & Oates — “Say It Isn’t So” The Outfield — “Say It Isn’t So” Eels — “There I Said It” Dwight Twilley — “I’m on Fire” r.i.p.
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME] The Ramones — “Pinhead” Al Green — “Sha-La-La” The Shirelles — “Sha-La-La” The Last — “Be Bop a Lula” The Bandana Splits — “Baby Talkin’ (The Shoo Wop Song)” Jesse Hill — “Ooh Poo Pah Doo” [part 1] Roy Orbison — “Ooby Dooby” Eugenius — “Oomalama” Brenton Wood — “The Oogum Boogum Song” Don Covay — ”Bip Bop Bip” Paul and Linda McCartney — “Bip Bop/Hey Diddle” Austin Roberts — “Ricky Ticky Ta Ta Ta” Ernie K-Doe — “Te-Ta-Te-Ta-Ta” The Echoes — “Ding Dong” Kasenetz-Katz Super Cirkus — “Dong-Dong-Diki-Di-Ki-Dong” The Tricks — “Wham! Bam! Ala Cazam!” Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band — “Diddy Wah Diddy” Jack White featuing Q-Tip — “Hi-De-Ho”
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
In solidarity with the people of Israel during the war sparked by Hamas terrorist attacks and kidnappings.
Michael Jackson — “Blood on the Dance Floor” [ALTERNATE THEME] Morrissey — “Israel” Desmond Dekker & the Aces — “Israelites” Built to Spill — “Israel’s Song” Ya’akov Silbert — “Peace” Antietam — “War Is (The Health of the State)” Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band — “War” [live] Warren Zevon — “The Envoy” Neil Finn — “Terrorise Me” Desmond Dekker & the Aces — “Mount Zion” Morrissey — ”The Girl From Tel Aviv Who Wouldn’t Kneel” Ballboy — “Pray for Murderers” Nick Lowe — “What’s So Funny ‘Bout Peace, Love, and Understanding?” [acoustic]
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Twenty years ago, David Gordon Green co-wrote and directed a terrific, thoughtful film called All the Real Girls. Since then, he’s formed a productive comedic HBO partnership with Danny McBride. And their recent big-screen, “you know what would be fun?” venture — rebooting horror franchises — got off to a decent start with 2018’s Halloween. But after that one, the law of diminishing returns has definitely applied.
I had seen the 2000 theatrical re-release of the original Exorcist, and it is a stone-cold classic. (I was 4 when the original came out, and 7 when The Omen was released, so had to play catch-up as an adult with these scary flicks that had been continually mentioned throughout my childhood.) I went into Exorcist: Believer with high hopes. I wanted to believe.
Early on, I was indeed impressed. Green wasn’t resorting to cheap jump scares; he starts off building a nice, low-key tension. Leslie Odom Jr., who I enjoyed in The Many Saints of Newark even if I couldn’t remember his name, is solid as a single dad trying to keep things together. Young Lidya Jewett (who I had previously seen in another “meh it’s OK” fright flick, Annabelle Comes Home) is very good as the daughter who we have to imagine will soon be projectile vomiting from her spinning head. As a twist this time, we get two possessed girls for the price of one! Lidya’s buddy Olivia O’Neill is particularly skilled at the demon-within thing. Her parents are played by Norbert Leo “Beverly Hills” Butz and Jennifer “Say What You Will About David Gordon Green, But He’s Loyal: I Play John Goodman’s Late Wife on The Righteous Gemstones, and Co-Screenwriter Scott Teems Was the Freaking On-Set Dresser for All the Real Girls” Nettles. But they basically just get to look worried and/or upset.
Shamefully wasted: the great Ellen Burstyn, who was the mom in the original, and is still going strong at age 90. Give her more to do!! Her involvement was one of the main reasons I paid full price to see this!
When the movie shifts to the exorcism section, it really goes downhill. Instead of capturing and building on the genuinely terrifying essence of the true Exorcist, this really feels by-the-book and, also stupid, with a tacked-on, “if we work together, we can win” message that is just as quickly abandoned.
Unfortunately this film had a better box-office opening weekend than it deserved, so it likely won’t be streaming by Halloween, as that would be a less disappointing way to watch this. As for Green and McBride (co-screen story credit here), stick with comedy, fellas. The Exorcist: Bieber — you can have that idea on the house!
Daniel Johnston — “Almost Got Hit by a Truck” [ALTERNATE THEME] Sun Kil Moon — “Truck Driver” The Byrds — “Drug Store Truck Drivin’ Man” Dave & Phil Alvin — “Truckin’ Little Woman” Beck — “Truckdrivin’ Neighbors Downstairs (Yellow Sweat)” Ron Sexsmith — “The Grim Trucker” Franklin Bruno — “Bulk Removal Truck” Peter Holsapple — “Big Black Truck” King Missile — “Cheesecake Truck” Ballboy — “Dumpster Truck Racing” Sonny Boy Williamson — ”I’m Tired of Truckin’ my Blues Away” Wild Man Fischer — “I’m a Truck” T.Rex — “Truck On (Tyke)” Pavement — “Heaven Is a Truck” Laura Cantrell — “Roll Truck Roll”
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Regional music scenes are a weird and special thing that perhaps don’t exist anymore. But they usually blossomed around a club or recording studio or like-minded musicians. If a scene was really good and really lucky, the music could seep through to the wider public and then someday end up as a box set and, just maybe, a documentary. Athens, Georgia has been fortunate enough to spawn two such scenes: the late 70s/early 80s birth of The B-52s, Pylon, R.E.M., etc. (chronicled in the cool 1986 doc Athens, GA: Inside/Out), and then the psych-pop wonder of the 90s Elephant 6 collective. Though E6 never reached the commercial heights of their Athens predecessors, the music and ethos made a lasting impression on the fanbase. If you knew, you knew.
I was certainly a target demographic for the Elephant 6 bands. As an early-90s college and college-radio graduate, I continued to seek out the left-of-center pop music I had grown to love. By the mid-90s the Apples in Stereo had become one of my favorite groups. In the handful of years that followed, Elf Power and Neutral Milk Hotel joined the ranks of my faves. (My friend Nancy gave me her copy of In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, unsure what all the hubbub was about. Jeez, I loved it — and a lot more than ISIS did.) Now indoctrinated, I’d pick up anything E6-associated (Olivia Tremor Control, The Sunshine Fix, Beulah, Of Montreal, etc.). As an obsessive liner note reader, I’d see the overlapping names on releases — especially big Apple Robert Schneider, seemingly involved in every record — and also wondered why he was in Denver while the others were in Athens.
This documentary sorts out the stories via fun first-person interviews plus a lot of great archival footage. We learn the history of E6 friendships, bands, and the scene, get a little into the nuts-and-bolts of their 4-track recordings, and see the development from merely wanting to do something special to actually making it happen. We also witness Elephant 6 crossing over into the lower rungs of popular culture, via Rolling Stone, the Powerpuff Girls, The Colbert Report, etc.
For a little while, the doc threatens to become just a patting-ourselves-on-the-back celebration (which they are certainly deserving of). But, as it has a way of doing, life gets in the way. So we see the impact of mental health issues, interpersonal squabbles, and even death, while the scene slowly outgrew itself. (Drug use is often referred to, though we never hear any tales of addiction. I also might’ve expected to learn about Hilarie Sidney leaving the Apples in Stereo — she is one of the interviewees — but that isn’t covered.)
Robert Schneider comes across very well throughout — the mad musical genius who never actually went mad. His enthusiasm, dedication, ultra-melodic sense, and leadership with a seeming lack of ego powered the Elephant 6 world as well as putting a positive, joyful stamp on this film. For a look back on Schneider and pals’ wild, gentle, innocent days — or if you just dig catchy songs — check out this doc.
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME] Philip Glass — “The Chase” [from the Undertow soundtrack] Elk City — “Undertow” Drgn King — “Undertow” Alvvays — “In Undertow” The Feelies — “The Undertow” Fond Farewells — “Underwater” Saturday Looks Good to Me — “Underwater Heartbeat” Radar Bros. — “Underwater Culprits” They Might Be Giants — “Underwater Woman” Soft Boys — ”Underwater Moonlight” Hynolovewheel — “Under Water” The Chills — “Underwater Wasteland” Freedy Johnston — “Underwater Life”
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME] Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark — “Electricity” Oneida — “I Wanna Hold Your Electric Hand” Fascinations Grand Chorus — “Electrical Delight” U2 — “The Electric Co.” Versus — “Let’s Electrify!” Bill Lloyd — “I Went Electric” Every Damn Day — “Electricity” Such Small Hands — “Electric Touch” Calcinator — “électrifié” Screaming Females — ”Electric Pilgrim” Glenn Morrow’s Cry for Help — “Electricity” Talking Heads — “Electricity (Drugs)” [live] Giorgio Moroder & Phil Oakey — “Together in Electric Dreams”
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Forgive me, Father, it’s been five years since my last meatball sandwich review. I have no ready excuse, though I do know that since my go-to chicken parm provider closed a couple of summers ago, I have been on an unofficial quest to find a replacement. But I never stopped loving you, meatball sandwich. And I was reminded of that just the other day.
I had dropped into Milano’s Italian deli on Montgomery Street in Jersey City. I’ve always associated the place with WFMU which is located right next door. In fact, the very first time I volunteered at the radio station, then-assistant manager Liz Berg told me it was a popular place to grab lunch. Several years later, when DJ Todd-o-Phonic Todd needed artwork for a promotional 7” single, of course Milano’s featured prominently. In the past several years, DJs such as Todd, Joe Belock, and Evan “Funk” Davies have kindly allowed me to visit the studio when bands performed on their shows. It was a reliable win-win, because I’d get to see some excellent live music and then get an awesome lunch at Milano’s.
It’s a super friendly, family-run sort of place where the counter staff greets you warmly while also teasing each other. I would usually get, yes, a regular chicken parm sandwich, until my buddy JohnCozz — a Milano’s regular in high school — recommended the spicy chicken parm. Ah-ha, another superb sandwich! And there’s a vodka sauce chicken parm as well. You could really just rotate through the Milano’s chicken parms and be a very happy person. And I was indeed always happy sitting there, enjoying my lunch — sandwich, chips, Pepsi — often running into an FMU staffer or one of the bands. (I recall a nice sandwich chat with the group Drunken Prayer from Asheville, North Carolina.)
The early pandemic put a kibosh on that happiness. WFMU brass wisely banned visitors to the station. I managed to swing by Milano’s a couple of times, such as after giving a friend a ride to a nearby doctor’s appointment (the first time I had a Milano’s breakfast sandwich, no slouch itself). But I was sad I couldn’t be there more often. They still remembered me behind the counter but it was acknowledged that I’d been MIA.
Pandemic regulations slowly eased up. Bands were allowed to return to the station, and volunteers, and eventually, me. A month ago that meant a Milano’s cheesesteak (I like to mix it up) and this week, because the spirit moved me, a meatball parm. As I unwrapped the aluminum foil and steam rose up from the sandwich, I sat back for a moment and admired this thing of beauty.
But food is not meant to be admired; its intent is to be eaten. Thus I dug in. The meatballs: hot, fresh, soft, tasty. The tomato sauce had a nice creamy quality. Melty mozzarella held it all together without getting in the way. And it was all cradled in Hoboken-style bread, crispy on the outside, chewy within.
It has felt so good to be welcomed back by the Milano’s crew, and to run into Nick and Ralph from the great band Cathedral Ceilings, and to eat this wonderful sandwich.
Jack Silbert, curator