By Jack Silbert on November 15, 2022
EPISODE #512: SOUL & SOULS
Fatboy Slim — “The Rockafeller Skank” [ALTERNATE THEME]
Bruce Springsteen feat. Sam Moore — “Soul Days”
Faith NYC — “Soul Secrets”
Guided by Voices — “It’s Like Soul Man”
The dB’s — “She Got Soul”
Life in a Blender — “Soul Deliverer”
Macrofone — “The Soul Won’t Know Its Part”
David Bowie — “Soul Love”
Glenn Morrow’s Cry for Help — “Soul Hold”
Swansea Sound — “I Sold My Soul on eBay”
The Gothic Archies — ”The Abandoned Castle of My Soul”
Spoon — “They Want My Soul”
Lucinda Williams — “Man Without a Soul”
Unrest — “She Makes Me Shake Like a Soul Machine”
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Posted in internet radio playlists | Tagged Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, dB's, Faith, Fatboy Slim, Glenn Morrow's Cry For Help, Gothic Archies, Guided by Voices, Life in a Blender, Lucinda Williams, Macrofone, Sam & Dave, Sam Moore, Spoon, Swansea Sound, Unrest
By Jack Silbert on November 8, 2022
EPISODE #511: 2022 MIDTERM ELECTIONS (WINNING & LOSING)
The Vines — “Winning Days” [ALTERNATE THEME]
Eels — “Losing Streak”
Cliff Westfall — “Baby You Win”
The Replacements — “You Lose”
Hank Williams — “You Win Again”
Brenton Wood — “Two-Time Loser”
Them — “You Just Can’t Win”
Richard Hell — “You Gotta Lose”
The Goon Sax — “We Can’t Win”
The Milkshakes — “You Can Only Lose”
Johnny Thunders & the Heartbreakers — “Born to Lose”
Fastbacks — ”Lose”
ABBA — “The Winner Takes It All”
Billy Bragg — “All You Fascists Bound to Lose” (Blokes version)
Low — “Just Make It Stop” r.i.p. Mimi Parker
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Posted in internet radio playlists | Tagged ABBA, Billy Bragg, Billy Childish, Brenton Wood, Cliff Westfall, Eels, Hank Williams, Johnny Thunders, Low, Richard Hell, The Goon Sax, The Milkshakes, The Replacements, The Vines
By Jack Silbert on November 1, 2022
EPISODE #510: EASY
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
Marshall Crenshaw — “This Is Easy”
Sylvan Esso — “Make It Easy”
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band — “Take It Easy” (live)
Skeeter Davis — “Am I That Easy To Forget?”
Elliott Smith — “Easy Way Out”
Rain Parade — “No Easy Way Down”
Grant McLennan — “Easy Come Easy Go”
Robert Forster — “It Ain’t Easy”
The Rolling Stones — “It’s Not Easy”
Old Town Crier — “Easy”
Cayetana — ”Easy To Love”
Little Walter — “Mellow Down Easy”
Jerry Lee Lewis — “I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive” r.i.p.
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Posted in internet radio playlists | Tagged Bruce Springsteen, Cayetana, Elliott Smith, Grant McLennan, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Walter, Marshall Crenshaw, Old Town Crier, Rain Parade, Robert Forster, Rolling Stones, Skeeter Davis, Sylvan Esso
By Jack Silbert on October 26, 2022
4 stars out of 5
Sosie Bacon was wonderfully messed up as the junkie birth mom in Mare of Easttown, and she radiated warmth as the caretaker of autistic young adults in As We See It. Here, in Smile, she gets to do both — though admittedly a lot more of the screwed up stuff.
You’ve likely seen the trailer — heck, you’ve probably seen the movie too; I did a couple of weeks ago and haven’t had a chance to review it yet, sorry!! — but here are the basics. Bacon is a psychiatric doctor, and a new patient is seeing things — seeing someone — who isn’t there. Someone who is smiling widely. And bad things happen! Suddenly, Sosie’s seeing smiles too. Is she imagining things? Or are they really there?
The result is a combo psychological horror and good ol’ jump-scare horror, and it’s a lot of fun. Bacon is terrific desperately trying to hold it together, to appear normal, much like daddy Kevin Bacon did in Stir of Echoes. There is some cool camera work, including upside-down shots that add to the discombobulation. There’s also a nice bonus layer of Jerseyana here. The story takes place in and around Newark, Bacon’s boss is Harold and Kumar hero Kal Penn, and instead of White Castle a scene happens outside the Arlington Diner.
Others in the cast don’t quite match up to Bacon’s talent; I particularly didn’t buy Jessie T. Usher as her fiancé. And I was a little thrown off as to what time of year it was — there appeared to be some snow on the side of the road and yet later it’s definitely October. But the movie is very entertaining all the way through — I had 3.5 stars ready to go until a cool ending bumped it up to a soft 4. Thanks, young writer/director Parker Finn, for making me smile.
Posted in movie reviews | Tagged 20s movies, horror films, Kal Penn, Parker Finn, Sosie Bacon
By Jack Silbert on October 25, 2022
EPISODE #509: HALLOWEEN 2022
The Frogs — “I’m Evil, Jack” [ALTERNATE THEME]
Zacherle — “Halloween Hootenanny” introduction
Grant Lee Buffalo — “Halloween”
The Who — “DIsguises”
The Swingin’ Neckbreakers — “No Costume, No Candy”
Fascinations Grand Chorus — “Camp Blood”
Pixies — “On Graveyard Hill”
Screaming Females — “Skeleton”
The Mostrosities — “Dance Along With Dracula”
Kay Bell & the Screamers — “Scream Along”
Daniel Johnston — “Casper the Friendly Ghost”
Nick Jorgensen — ”Headless Horseman”
Bad Moves — “Night Terrors”
Superchunk — “City of the Dead”
Robert Gordon — “Too Fast To Live, Too Young To Die” r.i.p.
Lou Reed — “Halloween Parade”
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Posted in internet radio playlists | Tagged Bad Moves, Daniel Johnston, Fascinations Grand Chorus, Grant Lee Buffalo, Halloween, Kay Bell & the Screamers, Lou Reed, Nick Jorgensen, Robert Gordon, Screaming Females, Superchunk, Swingin' Neckbreakers, The Frogs, The Monstrosities, The Pixies, The Who, Zacherle
By Jack Silbert on October 18, 2022
EPISODE #508: FOR BETTER OR WORSE
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
Manfred Mann — “No Better, No Worse”
The Beatles — “Getting Better”
Jennifer O’Connor — “It’s Gonna Get Worse”
Blushh — “Make It Better”
Big Troubles — “Make It Worse”
Divine Fits — “Baby Get Worse”
Don Covay — “It’s Better To Have (And Don’t Need)”
Gazebos — “There Are Worse Things I Could Do”
Pearl Jam — “Betterman”
Male Bonding (feat. Vivian Girls) — “Worse to Come”
The Muffs — ”Better Than Me”
Bruce Springsteen — “Better Days”
The Kinks — “Better Things”
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Posted in internet radio playlists | Tagged Beatles, Big Troubles, Blushh, Bruce Springsteen, Divine Fits, Don Covay, Gazebos, Jennifer O'Connor, Kinks, Male Bonding, Manfred Mann, Pearl Jam, The Muffs, Vivian Girls
By Jack Silbert on October 11, 2022
EPISODE #507: THE BEST OF TIMES, THE WORST OF TIMES
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
The Exbats — “Best Most Least Worst”
Connie Francis — “My Best Friend Barbara”
Vic Chesnutt — “Worst Friend”
Christopher Cross — “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)”
Kyle Forester — “Worst Thing You Could Do”
The Magnetic Fields — “The Best Cup of Coffee in Tennessee”
Karl Hendricks Trio — “Worst Coffee I’ve Ever Had”
Kris Kristofferson — “Best of All Possible Worlds”
Joanna Gruesome — “Honestly Do Yr Worst”
Bruce Springsteen — “My Best Was Never Good Enough”
Beach Boys — ”Sloop John B.”
Beth Orton — “Best Bit”
Dr. Dog — “Worst Trip”
Loretta Lynn — “You Ain’t Woman Enough“ r.i.p.
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Posted in internet radio playlists | Tagged Beach Boys, Beth Orton, Bruce Springsteen, Christopher Cross, Connie Francis, Dr. Dog, Joanna Gruesome, Karl Hendricks Trio, Kris Kristofferson, Kyle Forester, Loretta Lynn, Magnetic Fields, The Exbats, Vic Chesnutt
By Jack Silbert on October 6, 2022
4 stars out of 5
I will readily admit: I walked out of the theater thinking, “That was a good movie, even though I’m not totally sure what happened.” Now, a day later, I think I have a better grasp on it, or at least want to watch the movie again when it comes to streaming and pay closer attention to certain scenes. Or, if you one of you theater types wants to put on a production of Claudine Galea’s play Je Reviens de Loin on which this film is based, I will gladly attend a performance. In English, s’il vous plait.
Here are the basics: A woman in France sneaks out of her home early one morning, leaving behind her husband and two children. She hits the road. Back at the house, her family tries to figure out why she left, and begins to carry on without her. Ah, but there is more than one layer here. Not a multiverse per se, but a blurring of the lines between reality and imagination, and between past, present, and future.
The mom, Camille, is portrayed by Vicky Krieps, who was superb as the female lead in Phantom Thread. She is equally good or even better here, believably taking us wherever Camille’s journey goes: through freedom, love, fear, loss and loss of control, despair, grief, reinvention, and every stop in-between. When Krieps occasionally smiles she looks a bit like Julianne Moore and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Of course, a ton of credit must go to writer/director Mathieu Amalric, who we best know as an actor — especially from The Diving Bell and the Butterfly and Quantum of Solace, and who I’ve also seen in Munich, The Forbidden Room, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and The French Dispatch, in which I think he played a French guy. But in France he’s actually written and directed a number of features and shorts. That experience shines through here in a story that could’ve been very disjointed, but instead Amalric gives it an artful flow, including some lovely camera and lighting work.
Music also plays a key role here, particularly in the daughter’s dutiful piano practice, which the film returns to again and again. In addition, Camille sings along to J.J. Cale’s “Cherry” in the car during her escape, and I think the Brian Jonestown Massacre sneaks in there somewhere too.
Would not be surprised to see Krieps, Amalric, or the film nominated as the year draws to a close. In the short term, maybe you want to check it out.
Posted in movie reviews | Tagged 20s movies, Mathieu Amalric, Vicky Krieps
By Jack Silbert on October 4, 2022
EPISODE #506: DARLING
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
Brenton Wood — “Darlin’”
Freedy Johnston feat. Aimee Mann — “Darlin’”
Paul Kelly & the Messengers — “Darling It Hurts”
Martha Reeves & the Vandellas — “Darling, I Hum Our Song”
The Beatles — “Oh! Darling”
The Lovin’ Spoonful — “Darling Be Home Soon”
Math and Physics Club — “Darling, Please Come Home”
Maita — “Darling, Don’t Take Me When You’re Ready to Go”
Howlin’ Wolf — “Howlin’ for My Darling”
Bruce Springsteen — “Sherry Darling”
Beach Boys — ”Darlin’”
Carter Family — “Little Darling Pal of Mine”
Laura K — “Darlin’”
Cecil Gant — “It’s All Over Darlin’“
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Posted in internet radio playlists | Tagged Aimee Mann, Beach Boys, Beatles, Brenton Wood, Bruce Springsteen, Cecil Gant, Freedy Johnston, Howlin' Wolf, Laura K, Lovin' Spoonful, Maita, Martha Reeves, Math and Physics Club, Paul Kelly, The Carter Family
By Jack Silbert on September 30, 2022
3 stars out of 5
I had 2 hours to kill and it had just started raining; this is perhaps the perfect movie for that scenario. What we have here is a comedic whodunnit in the not-so-grand tradition of Murder by Death and Knives Out. We’re in London, where Adrien Brody is intent on turning the stage production of Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap into a Hollywood movie. I was finding Brody’s character very annoying but then they tell us “the most annoying character in a whodunnit is murdered” and, voilà/whew, Brody is murdered. So now we have a real-life mystery within a staged mystery, poking fun at all the whodunnit tropes. It’s that kind of comedy.
Jaded detective Sam Rockwell (reliable as usual — wait, I guess that’s what “reliable” means) is paired with wide-eyed rookie cop Saoirse Ronan. I remain quite fond of Ms. Ronan who’s not first thought of as a comic actor, but let’s not forget I first saw her in Wes Anderson’s Grand Budapest Hotel, and she also had a small part in The French Dispatch. And let us also recall that Adrien Brody is part of Anderson’s recurring troupe. These facts are important because early on, it seems like director Tom George and writer Mark Chappell are trying their darnedest to make a Wes Anderson film, they try too hard, and it basically falls flat.
Ah, but the movie eventually finds its own voice, a likable enough mid-tempo comic groove. Ronan charms us as always, and I was also quite amused by Harris Dickerson as a young Richard Attenborough, who did indded star in the original West End production of The Mousetrap. (There is some loose basis in fact here, if you like that sort of thing.)
As is often the case with mysteries, even farcical ones, things get a bit convoluted toward the end, and the story gets a little away from the filmmakers. But that doesn’t take away too much from a movie that’s great for an airplane, or ducking in out of the rain, or your next bout of Covid.
Posted in movie reviews | Tagged 20s movies, Sam Rockwell, Saoirse Ronan
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