EPISODE #415: NEW TO ME 2020, LIVESTREAMING
In the pandemic year of 2020, I saw 333 livestreaming musical performances by 300 different artists. Of those, 183 were new to me, and I bought music by 16 of those artists.
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
Beach Bunny — “Dream Boy”
Thayer Sarrano — “O My Soul”
Architrave — “Elevation”
Wussy — “To the Lightning”
Ratboys — “I Go Out at Night”
Dogbreth — “When U Call My Name”
Blushh — “Too Dark”
The Goodbye Party — “No Reason”
Yours Are the Only Ears — “Saturn”
High Waisted — “Boys Can’t Dance”
Stella Donnelly — “Die”
European Sun — “Favourite Day”
Agent Blå — “Child’s Play”
Eric Hutchinson — “Good Things Come”
Bad Moves — “End of Time”
Maita — “Best Wishes, XO, Hugs and Kisses, Goodbye”
Jack Silbert proudly records The Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Aquarium Playlist, 12/29/20
Movie Review: News of the World
4 stars out of 5
Movie theaters reopened in New Jersey, at limited capacity, on September 4. Since then I’ve seen three films at my local cinema here in Hoboken: On the Rocks, Let Him Go, and Mank (which, unfortunately, turned out not to be a biopic of my long-ago crush Krys Mankowski). But a couple of weeks ago, I noticed that the theater wasn’t listing any movies, and I soon learned that the Bow-Tie chain had re-shuttered all of its NJ cinemas.
But now it’s Christmas and I’m a Jew. Time to spread my wings a little. Secaucus, here I come!
Theatrical releases are still pretty slim, but a Tom Hanks vehicle headed by Bourne veteran Paul Greengrass seemed a safe bet. Thankfully, it was, quite a bit.
It’s 1870 in Texas, and because push notifications weren’t invented yet, Hanks rides from town to town reading from newspapers to audiences, a dime a person. He soon crosses paths with wild-child Johanna, and what’s that jibberish she’s speaking? Ah, Indians wiped out her German home and raised her as one of their own, but then the white man wiped out those Indians, and now Johanna ain’t got no home in this world anymore.
Hanks being Hanks, he promises to deliver the young girl to someone official, who will then deliver her to relatives outside San Antonio. That turns out to be trickier than expected, and this mismatched pair sets out on a journey.
If you like westerns, this will more satisfy you. There are gorgeous panoramic shots (I love you, big theater screen) of New Mexico standing in for the Texas plains. There are cowboys and horses and carriages and those dusty, rickety little towns, and also guns and unforgiving nature and exciting action. It’s a hard life wherever you go!
But there’s also warmth and growth and trust and loyalty. Also, being gone from home for five years at war has created some real issues for Hanks. He does a top-notch job here but is certainly matched by a raw, demanding performance from young Helena Zengel (supporting actress nod? Are they even giving out awards this year?). Mare Winningham — really impressing me in her mature years — Elizabeth Marvel, and the reliable Bill Camp provide glimmers of humanity along the harsh terrain.
A quirky plot which kept me guessing, solid performances, strong direction, gorgeous scenery, thrills, a parallel or two to modern times, and real heart, subtly conveyed — if you’ve been considering venturing to a theater, this may be worth your while.
Aquarium Playlist, 12/22/20
EPISODE #414: NEW TO ME IN 2020 + LIVE HIGHLIGHTS
In the pandemic year of 2020, I only saw 100 performances by 95 different musical acts. Of those, 38 acts were new to me, and I bought music by 9 of those acts.
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
The Anderson Council — “Sitting on a Cloud”
Special Friend — “High Tide”
No Men — “Uninvited”
The Big Easy — “Mars”
ESSi — “Deal”
Saw in previous years, obtained records in 2020:
Sylvan Esso — “Song”
Wire Troop — “I Need a Girl”
Veronica Bianqui — “If Love’s a Gun, I’m Better Off Dead”
Top Nachos — “Frens”
Joan of Narc — “Moon’d”
Lionties — “Scorpio & the Gemini”
Kamikaze Palm Tree — “Tucans Nose”
Live highlights:
The Grip Weeds — “Every Minute”
Dramarama — “Work for Food”
The Bongos — “Numbers With Wings”
Wesley Stace — “We Will Always Have New York”
Jack Silbert proudly records The Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Aquarium Playlist, 12/15/20
EPISODE #413: HOLIDAY SPECIAL 2020
Darlene Love — “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” [ALTERNATE THEME]
Charles Brown — “Merry Christmas, Baby”
Ernest Tubb — “Blue Christmas”
Nils Harning — “Oy Chanukah!”
April March and Los Cincos — “Last Train to Christmas”
Pom Pom Squad — “Hello Santa Claus”
Nancy and Mark — “Last Year’s Tree”
Wild Nothing — “One Christmas Catalogue”
The Birthday Kiss — “Sentimental Christmastime”
Bee Gees — “All My Christmases Came at Once”
Dean Wareham — “Christmas Can’t Be Far Away”
The Minders — “Christmas, Christmas”
Pre Nup — “War, on Christmas”
Wire Troop — “This Time of Year”
They Might Be Giants — “Christmas in the Big House”
The Royal Arctic Institute — “13 Christmases at Sea”
Shantih Shantih — “Christmas Day”
The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl — “Fairytale of New York”
Jack Silbert proudly records The Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Aquarium Playlist, 12/8/20
EPISODE #412: DREAMS IV
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
LCD Soundsystem — “American Dream”
Glenn Morrow’s Cry for Help — “Other Side of the Dream”
Such Small Hands — “Still Dreaming”
The Bachelor Pad — “Girl of Your Dreams”
Courtney Marie Andrews — “Carnival Dream”
Gary Olson — “A Dream for a Memory”
Mascott — “Dreamer’s Book”
The Planes — “Dreaming”
The Catenary Wires — “Dream Town”
The Thousand Pities — “Dream About It”
Spade Cooley & his Orchestra — “Swingin’ the Devil’s Dream”
Health & Happiness Show — “You Are What You Dream”
Bruce Springsteen — “I’ll See You in my Dreams”
Jack Silbert proudly records The Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Aquarium Playlist, 12/1/20
EPISODE #411: 9TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL (RADIO VOL. VIII)
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
Paul Shaffer — “When the Radio Is On”
Sylvan Esso — “Radio”
The Psychedelic Furs — “Heartbreak Beat”
Dirty Fences — “911”
R.E.M. — “Radio Song” [unplugged]
Michael Stipe — “Drive to the Ocean”
Lana Del Rey — “Radio”
Sloan — “Lemonzinger”
Nicole Atkins — “AM Gold”
Bad Moves — “Local Radio”
The Speedways — “This Ain’t a Radio Sound”
Elvis Costello — “Radio Is Everything”
Jack Silbert proudly records The Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Aquarium Playlist, 11/24/20
EPISODE #410: THANKSGIVING 2020
Ray Davies — “Thanksgiving Day” [ALTERNATE THEME]
Los Cripis — “I’m Going To Buy Food”
R. Stevie Moore — “Puttin’ Up the Groceries”
Robert Johnson — “Come On in my Kitchen”
Kicking Giant — “Appetite”
Bob Dylan — “Gotta Serve Somebody”
Young Marble Giants — “Salad Days”
Waitresses — “Bread and Butter”
Spare Snare — “Taking on the Sides”
Game Theory — “Chardonnay”
Robyn Hitchcock — “Eaten by her Own Dinner”
Art Brut — “Just Desserts”
Tiny Ruins — “Just Desserts”
Mary Gauthier — “Thanksgiving”
Jack Silbert proudly records The Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Aquarium Playlist, 11/17/20
EPISODE #409: SOFT
The Who — “Happy Jack” [acoustic, ALTERNATE THEME]
Comet — “Feathers That Shone”
Emma Swift — “The Soft Apocalypse”
Kimberley Rew — “That’s Soft Boy”
Screaming Females — “Soft Domination”
Holy Tunics — “Soft Treat”
The Human Hearts — “Soft Gamma Repeater”
The Ettes — “Soft Focus”
Dear Tracks — “Soft Dreams”
The Soft City — “The Soft City”
The Clean — “Big Soft Punch”
Buddy Holly — “Soft Place in my Heart”
The Nu-Luvs — “So Soft, So Warm”
Vic Chesnutt — “Soft Picasso”
Mary Gauthier — “Soft Place to Land”
Jack Silbert proudly records The Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Aquarium Playlist, 11/10/20
EPISODE #408: JOE
in honor of president-elect Joe Biden
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
Daniel Johnston — “No More Pushing Joe Around”
Louis Jordan & his Tympany Five — “Run, Joe”
Smog — “Sleepy Joe”
Full of Fancy — “Joe Is a Scientist”
Frank Zappa — “Joe’s Garage”
Ernest Tubb — “Two Glasses Joe”
Buddy Holly — “Smokey Joe’s Cafe”
The Folksmen — “Old Joe’s Place”
The Bats — “Joe’s Again”
The Leaves — “Hey Joe”
The Almanac Singers — “Haul Away, Joe”
The Clash — “Ivan Meets G.I. Joe”
Bob Dylan — “Diamond Joe”
r.i.p. Alex Trebek:
“Weird Al” Yankovic — “I Lost on Jeopardy”
John Cozz — “Who’s Going To Take Over Jeopardy?”
Jack Silbert proudly records The Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Aquarium Playlist, 11/3/20
EPISODE #407: ELECTION DAY 2020
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
David Johansen — “Sinking Ship”
Public Enemy — “State of the Union (STFU)”
Karyn Kuhl Band — “It’s Over”
The Magnetic Fields — “The Day the Politicians Died”
Robyn Hitchcock — “The President” [2020 version]
50ft Furies — “Goodbye Patriarchy”
Top Nachos — “Canada”
Howard Ivans — “Trump Is a Punk (And I Want To Go Fight Him)”
The Porchistas — “Mister Chump”
James Brown — “Funky President (People It’s Bad)”
The Marshmallows — “Health Care”
Mudhoney — “Vortex of Lies”
Laura Cantrell — “AWM (Bless)”
Johnny Cash — “What Is Truth”
Jack Silbert proudly records The Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Jack Silbert, curator