By Jack Silbert on March 9, 2022
On My Mind (Denmark)
3.5 stars out of 5
Man walks into a bar. But it’s not the set-up for a joke, it’s an Oscar-nominated short. He downs a stiff drink and, on his way out, notices the karaoke stage. Can he please sing a song? Gruff owner is dismissive — it’s morning, he’s working on finances — while the bartender is supportive. The dark, divey bar is a pleasing setting but the film didn’t have the emotional resonance the director was going for.
Please Hold (USA)
3.5 stars out of 5
Things are so automated these days! This is the theme of a mistaken-arrest tale which is by turns amusing and harrowing. But ultimately it felt more like a Black Mirror episode than an award-worthy short.
The Dress (Poland)
4 stars out of 5
Julia is a chain-smoking, video-game-gambling dwarf housekeeper at a motel, living her not-quite-best life. A rare shot at romance shakes things up a bit. I appreciated the rawness and realness of this film before I even realized, “Hey, I also don’t like when people treat me as different.” But the thing that truly sets this film apart is the sweet friendship between Julia and her co-worker. The Dress would be my pick as best live-action short.
Ala Kachuu/Take and Run (Switzerland)
4 stars out of 5
This is a “cause” film, and one I absolutely didn’t know about: bride kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan. We’re presented with a heartbreaking story of Sezim who just wants to continue her studies but is grabbed for an unwanted marriage. We also see the difficulty of escape in the rural regions, and the unwillingness of families to intervene. I hope this film is greatly increasing awareness and helps eradicate the practice.
The Long Goodbye (United Kingdom)
3.5 stars out of 5
Hey, it’s Riz Ahmed from HBO’s The Night Of! This Brexit-inspired tale shows an innocent family rounded up by a militia as the police and anglo neighbors look the other way. It’s an important heads-up on the rise of the anti-immigrant authoritarian right around the globe, and maybe a Riz Ahmed music video is the best way to reach younger people… but to me it didn’t quite feel Oscar worthy.
Posted in movie reviews | Tagged 20s movies, Academy Awards, short films
By Jack Silbert on March 8, 2022
EPISODE #477: WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH 2022
Palmyra Delran & the Doppel Gang (w/ Kim Shattuck) — “Walk Away” [ALTERNATE THEME]
Stephanie Seymour — “There Was a Time”
Kait Eldridge — “Father Callahan”
Rosanne Cash — “The Wheel”
Smile Machine — “Pretty Today”
Hank Thompson & his Brazos Valley Boys — “The Wild Side of Life”
Kitty Wells — “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels”
Loretta Lynn — “Fist City”
Beverly Jones & the Prestons — “Hear You Talking”
The Mo-Dettes — “White Mice”
Faith NYC — “Surrender”
Bush Tetras — “You Can’t Be Funky”
Pylon — “Beep”
The Raincoats — “No One’s Little Girl”
Beth Orton — “Where Do You Go”
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Posted in internet radio playlists | Tagged Beth Orton, Beverly Jones & the Prestons, Big Eyes, Bush Tetras, Faith, Hank Thompson, Jordyn Blakely, Kait Eldridge, Kim Shattuck, Kitty Wells, Loretta Lynn, Mo-Dettes, Palmyra Delran, Pylon, Rosanne Cash, Smile Machine, Stephanie Seymour, The Muffs, The Raincoats
By Jack Silbert on March 1, 2022
EPISODE #476: COMMAS (FRIENDS)
Vampire Weekend — “Oxford Comma” [ALTERNATE THEME]
Long Neck — “Slowly, Slowly”
Vehicle Flips — “Diplomacy, Home and Abroad”
East Ghost West Ghost — “The Marsh Above, The Heaven Below”
Mark Robinson — “Rewind, Welcome Back”
Karl Hendricks Trio — “Dreams, Ha”
Franklin Bruno — “Then Again, Maybe I Won’t”
Kevin Hairs — “Confidence, I Missed You”
Love, Burns — “She Will Leave, Unless”
A Nero — “Pearls, I Must Confess”
The Original Sins — “I’m OK, You’re OK”
worldsucks — “Vapid, Soulless, Hollow”
Stephen Chopek — “Too Loud, Way Fast”
Fascinations Grand Chorus — “Together, You & I”
Tuff Sunshine — “Dig Deeper, Peanut”
The Just Joans — “Hey Ho, Let’s Not Go”
Trying — “Thank You, Mr. Yucker”
Uncle Floyd — “Cheerio, Cherry Lips, Cheerio”
Laura Cantrell — “Somewhere, Some Night”
The Natvral — “Sylvia, the Cup of Youth”
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Posted in internet radio playlists | Tagged A Nero, Annie Nero, East Ghost West Ghost, Fascinations Grand Chorus, Floyd Vivino, Franklin Bruno, Karl Hendricks Trio, Kevin Hairs, Laura Cantrell, Long Neck, Love Burns, Mark Robinson, Original Sins, Rob Christiansen, Stephen Chopek, The Just Joans, The Natvral, Trying, Tuff Sunshine, Uncle Floyd, Vampire Weekend, Vehicle Flips, worldsucks
By Jack Silbert on February 25, 2022
4 stars out of 5
As I already boldly announced that Drive My Car was the best film of 2021, I guess I have to also vote for it as the best International Feature at the Oscars. But Norway’s entry, The Worst Person in the World, is really good too. I was quickly charmed by Renate Reinsve, who plays our protagonist Julie (and, spoiler alert, is not the titular worst person). The actress and character give off a Greta Gerwig air: carefree, quirky, unsure what she wants to do with herself and totally OK with that. I also felt a Woody Allen influence in the urban light comedy of the early going here, but in Oslo instead of New York.
Director/co-writer Joachim Trier (no relation to Lars von) adds a couple of artful, clever sequences that add to the fun without distracting from the story. He certainly understands and is able to convey the thrill of being young(ish) in a city as we rush along with Julie’s life — divided here into 12 chapters, plus prologue and epilogue with an occasional narrator.
The not-yet-30 Julie connects with north-of-40 acclaimed comic-book artist Aksel (a terrific Anders Danielsen Lie) and another dimension is confronted: whether or not to follow the marriage-and-children track. Sweet, dumb Eivind (Herbert Nordrum) provides less drama for her but is that necessarily a good thing? It’s a testament to Trier and co-writer Eskil Vogt that I was able to relate a lot to two very different characters, Julie and Aksel. Or maybe that’s a testament to me, I don’t know.
Julie bounces through life to an appealing yet unfamiliar indie soundtrack. And like most “better” films, her tale gets a bit heavier in the later chapters, taking the movie to another level. OK, so my current rankings are Drive My Car, The Worst Person in the World, The Hand of God….
Posted in movie reviews | Tagged 20s movies, Academy Awards, Joachim Trier, Norway, Renate Reinsve
By Jack Silbert on February 22, 2022
EPISODE #475: SATELLITES
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
The High Water Marks — “Satellite”
Spoon — “Satellite”
Elvis Costello — “Satellite”
Elliott Smith — “Satellite”
Phoebe Bridgers — “Chinese Satellite”
The Replacements — “Satellite”
Orange Juice — “Satellite City”
The Hooters — “Satellite”
Wilco — “You Satellite”
The Bats — “Satellites”
Yo La Tengo — “Satellite”
Velvet Underground — “Satellite of Love” [alternate demo]
The Sadies — “Last of the Good” r.i.p. Dallas Good
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Posted in internet radio playlists | Tagged Elliott Smith, Elvis Costello, High Water Marks, Lou Reed, Orange Juice, Phoebe Bridgers, Spoon, The Bats, The Hooters, The Replacements, The Sadies, Velvet Underground, Wilco, Yo La Tengo
By Jack Silbert on February 16, 2022
3.5 stars out of 5
It’s not that I was opposed to Jackass; I just never tuned in. I certainly noticed the show’s influence on my young friend [TRIGGER WARNING: obscure name-dropping], then-aspiring filmmaker Van Neistat. I dug the Minutemen song they used as theme music. Names seeped into my awareness: Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Wee Man, Bam… Margerine? (Less sure about that one.) At some point I saw one of the movies: 2, or maybe 3. And I laughed a lot. So, new movie, why not? It’s been a hard couple of years.
I laughed a lot. The hardest I laughed at anything in a while. I guess I’ve always enjoyed cartoon violence, Three Stooges violence, and this is, you know, real. But they laugh afterwards so that makes it OK I think. There is something very satisfying about this for me, and that’s between me and my analyst.
There’s also something pleasing about the lasting friendships on display, the aging warriors suiting up for one last battle. Not that there’s any sentimentality in this flick, but it’s a subtext. Also telling is the inclusion of newer, younger jackasses who can take a little more beating, and the inclusion of… inclusion. A woman. A black guy. Jackass is woke.
Prominent people pay their respects. Co-creator Spike Jonze drops by. (These weren’t just bros kicking each other in the dicks; these were SPIKE JONZE-approved bros kicking each other in the dicks.) Eric Andre, whose own career owes a serious debt to the Jackass universe, and whose meh-movie Bad Trip shows that this stuff isn’t easy to pull off on the big screen, is in the house. Machine Gun Kelly is here for the young people.
Oh, about that dick-kicking: Whatever homoerotic issues these dudes were dealing with two decades ago, they still haven’t remotely sorted out. So there is a ton, I dare say too much, penis- and testicle-related stunts. And doodie. It’s in for a penny, in for a pound of shit with these guys.
Still, I laughed a lot. Many very, very funny bits, and a handful of really cleverly conceived ones. And yeah, totally stupid bits too. Penny, pound. Knoxville says they’re done but I haven’t noticed any real successful outside projects in the past so, see you guys in 2030.
Posted in movie reviews | Tagged 20s movies, Eric André, Johnny Knoxville, Spike Jonze, television
By Jack Silbert on February 15, 2022
EPISODE #474: BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2022
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
The Weeknd — “Save Your Tears”
Billy Wright — “After Dark Blues”
The Staple Singers — “Uncloudy Day”
The Treniers — “Rockin’ Is Our Bizness”
Ohio Players — “Love Rollercoaster”
Cecil Gant — “I Wonder”
Hank Ballard & the Midnighters — “Work With Me Annie”
Dee Dee Sharp — “Mashed Potato Time”
Kool & the Gang — “Open Sesame”
Don Covay — “Mercy Mercy”
Betty Wright — “Baby Sitter”
The Tams — “Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy”
Brenton Wood — “Gimme Little Sign”
Percy Sledge — “Take Time To Know Her”
Betty Davis — “If I’m in Luck I Might Get Picked Up” r.i.p.
Syl Johnson — “Back for a Taste of Your Love” r.i.p.
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Posted in internet radio playlists | Tagged Betty Davis, Betty Wright, Billy Wright, Black History Month, Brenton Wood, Cecil Gant, Dee Dee Sharp, Don Covay, Hank Ballard & the Midnighters, Kool & the Gang, Ohio Players, Percy Sledge, Staple Singers, Syl Johnson, The Tams, The Treniers, The Weeknd
By Jack Silbert on February 8, 2022
EPISODE #473: CANCELED CONCERTS III
The omicron variant caused a large spike in COVID cases, resulting in a new batch of canceled events.
Peter Holsapple — “Cancelled” [ALTERNATE THEME]
Joy Cleaner — “False Alarm”
The Ergs — “Every Romance Language”
Shellshag — “Driving Song”
John Cozz & the Rippers — “Italian Meats”
The Exbats — “Best Kiss”
Baby Shakes — “Sweet ’n’ Sour (pt. 2)”
The Connells — “Fading In (Hardy)”
The Sensational Country Blues Wonders — “My Baby Stabbed Me With a Steak Knife”
Yo La Tengo — “Is That Enough”
Last Roundup — “Just a Little Is Enough”
The Wrens — “This Boy Is Exhausted”
Bettye LaVette — “Everything Is Broken”
Jonathan Richman — “This Is One Sad World”
Vehicle Flips — “Requiem for a Canceled Program” [CLOSING THEME]
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Posted in internet radio playlists | Tagged Baby Shakes, Bettye Lavette, John Cozz, Jonathan Richman, Joy Cleaner, Last Roundup, Peter Holsapple, Sensational Country Blues Wonders, Shellshag, Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co., The Connells, The Ergs, The Exbats, The Wrens, Vehicle Flips, Yo La Tengo
By Jack Silbert on February 1, 2022
EPISODE #472: GROUNDHOG DAY (SHADOWS)
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
Rolling Stones — “Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow”
Beat Happening — “Cast a Shadow”
My Teenage Stride — “Cast Your Own Shadow”
Au Revoir Simone — “Shadows”
Yo La Tengo — “Shadows”
Rufus Wainwright — “Shadows”
Velvet Monkeys — “Shadow Box”
Pale Lights — “Port of Shadows”
Flowers — “Shadow”
Lucinda Williams — “Shadows & Doubt”
Dr. Dog — “Shadow People”
Chromatics — “Shadow”
Elvis Costello & the Attractions — “Complicated Shadows”
Charles Brown — “Evening Shadows”
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Posted in internet radio playlists | Tagged Au Revoir Simone, Beat Happening, Charles Brown, Chromatics, Dr. Dog, Elvis Costello, Flowers, Lucinda Williams, My Teenage Stride, Pale Lights, Rolling Stones, Rufus Wainwright, Velvet Monkeys, Yo La Tengo
By Jack Silbert on January 25, 2022
EPISODE #471: FLOATING
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
Spiritualized — “Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space”
Teenage Halloween — “Floating”
Karyn Kuhl — “Floating World”
The Apples in Stereo — “Floating in Space”
Julee Cruise — “Floating”
Eyelids — “Floating Underground”
The Lampshades — “Floating”
Planet Gong — “Floatin’ Anarchy” [live]
They Might Be Giants — “Haunted Floating Eye”
Aberdeen — “Sink or Float”
Dott — “Floating Arrows”
Failed Flowers — “Coke Floats”
Modest Mouse — “Float On”
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Posted in internet radio playlists | Tagged Aberdeen, Apples in Stereo, Dott, Eyelids, Failed Flowers, Gong, Julee Cruise, Karyn Kuhl Band, Modest Mouse, Planet Gong, Spiritualized, Teenage Halloween, The Lampshades, They Might Be Giants
Jack Silbert, curator