The Truth About Orca Whales: An Interview With Dr. Naomi Rose
In light of the recent death of a SeaWorld employee by an orca whale, Dr. Naomi Rose, marine mammal scientist with the Humane Society of the United States took time out of her busy schedule to answer five quick questions about orca whales. Head to the jump for this most important and enlightening interview. Read more…
March is National Red Cross Month
Dear Citizens,
The American Red Cross and its volunteers work every day to help save lives or rebuild lives that have been shattered by disaster — whether it is down the street, across the country or around the world. Since 1943, every president has declared March to be Red Cross Month across the country. During this month, we thank those supporters whose generosity helps us continue our service to those who need us, every day. The Red Cross responded following the Haiti earthquake in January, working to turn despair into hope. With the recent earthquake in Chile, the Red Cross has contributed funds to help relief efforts down there.
Yet we can’t do it alone, so I would ask that Americans see Red Cross Month as a great time to become involved with the Red Cross. Please consider signing up for a CPR, first aid or other Red Cross course; give a financial gift that can save the day when the next disaster strikes; or become involved as a volunteer — the lifeblood of our organization.
Ultimately, the American Red Cross response begins with you.
Sincerely,
The American Red Cross
Electro-pop for the Soul
For those that like a dose of electro-pop (seriously, who doesn’t?) some new releases to digest include a new EP from Pretty Good Dance Moves, a new single from Groove Armada and the latest disc from the DIsco Biscuits.
-Pretty Good Dance Moves (pictured above) are a Chicago-by-way-of-Brookyln trio, who has garnered praise from KEXP, Spin and the Chicago Sun Times. It’s catchy as heck and has a flair and originality that’s hard to ignore.
-OM Records‘ Groove Armada is a duo that should most definitely be a household name by now. The British group has released the video for second single “Paper Romance,” and is currently working on a Dan Deacon remix. (Download Dan Deacon right now, this is your last warning) The Armada is touring the U.S. this spring in support of their sixth album, Black Light, which sees a release in March.
-As for The DIsco Biscuits. The jam-cult sensations are much loved for their high-energy live sets and are slated to perform at this year’s Bonnaroo and Miami’s Ultra Music Festival. The latter includes performances from Will.i.Am., Tiesto and Passion Pit. Though the Biscuits may not be everyone’s cup of tea, their latest album features contributions from Dirty Harry (Ludacris, Chris Brown) and has a highly accessible and easily digested sound that is hard to overlook. More details on their latest album is available at the CD’s web site.
While these three aren’t nearly the tip of the iceberg, they do represent the wide-range of electro-infused pop that remains stuck in neutral, while Postal Service-rip off Owl City rises to the top f the charts. Perhaps this post will change that. These bands are long overdue for a close up.
Ray Davies, Feb. 27, 2010, the Theatre at Westbury
Ray Davies is a hoot. Seen Saturday at the Theater at Westbury, the former Kinks frontman turned a two-hour concert into a mixed media extravaganza. After opening with an acoustic version of “This Is Where I Belong,” he tackled the ubiquitous hit “You Really Got Me,” before seguing into some of the group’s bigger hits: “I Need You,” “Where Have All The Good Times Gone,” “Til The End of the Day,” and “Victoria.’ And then with a few crowd-pleasers under his belt, he deviated from the script. He spent some time celebrating his 1994 autobiography “X-Ray” and read the book’s opening few lines before singing, “20th Century Man,” and “Autumn Almanac.” Shortly after playing the gnomic 1967 cut “Harry Rag,” he candidly admitted, “God, what a stupid song.”
With his trademark British humor, he took a shot at himself for moving to New Orleans, a decision that resulted in him being shot in the leg before singing “The Tourist,” from his 2006 solo album Other People’s Lives and seemed to find a moment of levity whenever possible. He added a moment of levity with the reggae-inspired ‘Apeman,” and the vernal “A Rock N’ Roll Fantasy” And then there was his humility. Throughout the performance he gave much of the band’s credit to brother Dave, before performing “Two Sisters,” and again praising Dave before playing, “The Hard Way.”
In what he called a “most welcome detour,” he performed songs from soundtracks, including “A Well Respected Man,” which appeared on the Juno soundtrack, a movie he sheepishly admitted he hadn’t seen. In one of the evening’s most unusual and yet most engaging performances he delivered the spoken word opus “Americana,” about The Kinks first United States tour in a vaudevillian and operatic manner that was more theatre than po-rock, as he fed off the guitar mettle of accompanist Bill Shanley. And for all his high water marks, it was Shanley who made the evening truly worth remembering. His inspired solos, impassioned strumming and technical acumen made the duo sound far more dense than one would have expected. That layer of depth gave the performance a flair and splash that Davies’ somewhat spotty vocals couldn’t.
Of the 20 songs played, Davies stumbled on at least three. And while that’s a small percentage, it’s not something that can be so easily excused. Moreover, he repeatedly urged the audience to check out the Kinks Choral Collection he never once discussed how the project came about or why it was so important to him. In the end, only a true audiophile or Kinks enthusiast had any earthly idea what he was talking about.
For an encore, he invited opening band The 88, an absolutely astounding Los Angeles quartet to come out and contribute to some of the his biggest hits, including an electric version of “You Really Got Me,” and “Lola.” While the raucous encore was a noteworthy footnote to a splendid night, the simple acoustic power of anthems like “Victoria,” and “Where Have All The Good Times Gone,” from earlier in the set, proved that even 20 years removed from his heyday Davies still has the power, the passion and the fire that put The Kinks on the map in the first place.
Set List
This Is Where I Belong
You Really Got Me
I Need You
Where Have All The Good TImes Gone
Til The End of the Day
In a Moment
Victoria
X-Ray Excerpt
20th Century Man
Autumn Almanac
Harry Rag
The Tourist
Apeman
A Rock n’ Roll Fantasy
Two Sisters
The Hard Way
See My Friends
I”m Not Like Everybody Else
Too Much On My Mind
NOthin’ In the World Can Stop Me Worry’ Bout a Girl
A Well Respected Man
Americana
Sunny Afternoon
Tired Of Waiting For You
Set Me Free
All The Day and All of the Night
Encore:
You Really Got Me
Lola
Low Budget
Go Rent the French Film Welcome, You Will Not Regret It
Detailing the plight of an illegal alien is not a novel concept in cinema. In the past two years alone, the United States has released at least a dozen films that detail this harrowing and often dangerous experience. Of those dozen, Sugar, Under the Same Moon, Frozen River, Goodbye Solo, Sin Nombre and The Visitor are the first that come to mind.
In France, director Philippe Lioret has crafted a film that may be equally as wrenching. Welcome centers around Bilal (Firat Ayverdi) a 17-year-old Kurdish refugee who walked (yes, walked) from Iraq to Calais in an effort to move to London to be with his girlfriend Mina (Deryat Averdi). After being caught by border patrol for illegally jumping aboard a truck, Bilal convinces himself that he’s going to swim the 22-mile stretch of the English Channel. Upon finding a municipal pool he embarks on lessons with Simon (a near-perfect Vincent Lindon), a former French gold medalist in the midst of a divorce.
Simon hopes that in helping Bilal, he’ll win back the affection of his estranged wife Marion (Audrey Dana), an English teacher who runs a volunteer soup kitchen for the illegal immigrants that wait by the ports of Calais. But as the two men grow closer, Simon’s uptight neighbors and a local police inspector (Olivier Rabourdin) begin to get apprehensive. And what started off as a cut-and-dry working relationship goes far deeper than any of the two imagined.
A controversial, albeit commercial success in France, Welcome quickly become one of the highest grossing French films of 2009.
Equal parts gripping, heartbreaking and triumphant, the film is a stirring tale of hope, compassion and the power of the human spirit. Laurent Dailland’s photography and the triumvirate screenwriting team of Lioret, Emmanuel Courcol and Olivier Adam help make this a most indelible, thought-provoking exercise about the plight of migrant workers and the ever-inspiring kindness of strangers.
Julie Benz Heads to California Wine Country in Uncorked
Next weekend, the Hallmark Channel launches the March 6 premiere of Uncorked, starring Julie Benz (”Dexter,” “Desperate Housewives,”) as Johnetta “Johnny” Prentice, a work-obsessed CFO for the LA-based Stafford Telecom. When Stafford CEO Milton Hairfield sends Johnny to California wine country to seal the deal with an important investor, he reminds her to take it easy and enjoy her time there.
After dining at a local resort, she in turn meets world-renowned chef Andrew Browning (Scott Elrod from “Men in Trees,”) and later Andrew’s son and Andrew’s endearing parents (JoBeth Williams and Elliot Gould), the owners of California Oak Winery. As expected, Johnny and Andrew soon grow close, but their blossoming friendship leads to a series of unexpected events. In the end, Johnny must decide which is more important, her newfound friends in wine country or her high-powered career?
As an admitted fan of Hallmark films, Uncorked is most decidedly one of the better ones released in the past few years. From the inviting cinematography to the supreme talents of the cast, the film is undeniably sweet and comfortable. Naturally, like most Hallmark films, there are a few plot holes and occasional dialogue foibles, but all in all, this is an unadulterated, inoffensive delight.
In an effort to celebrate the launch of the film, the Hallmark Channel Facebook page is featuring a Food and Wine Pairing widget. This Flash-enabled device offers thousands of delicious food and wine pairings from Cabernet and pepper steak to champagne and potato chips. Give it a try here.
The Avon Barksdale Story Readies March Release
KAJ Enterprises and E1 Music will release the Avon Barksdale Story this March. The documentary presents a series of interviews and re-enactments that shed light on drug kingpin Avon Barksdale’s reign in the projects of West Baltimore. Barksdale would serve as inspiration for the critically acclaimed HBO series The Wire. The show’s creator David Simon spent much of his early years as a beat reporter for the Baltimore Sun tracking Barksdale and his entourage. While Simon is glaringly absent from this documentary, Barksdale himself, his mother, and many of the kingpin’s cohorts do appear on screen. Wood Harris, who portrayed the character of Barksdale in The Wire also appears.
Though the film is decidedly low-budget and lo-fi, the interviews are telling, captivating and insightful. Aside from director’s heavy reliance on re-enactments there are few, if any missteps. At its core, The Avon Barksdale Story is a chilling, in-depth look at a slice of life far too many people overlook. Perhaps this documentary will change that.
22 Questions With Greensboro’s Mario Gallucci
Finding good art is not an arduous task. More often than not, it can be found on any street corner or avenue. Even simpler, it can be as easy as launching a Web browser and fumbling around Flickr. In the Piedmont Triad of central North Carolina, Mario Gallucci, assistant curator of the Green Hill Center for Art, has carved an indelible impression on the local art community for a triumvirate of talents: photography, origami and drawing. The following Q and A focuses solely on his photography collection. Head to the jump to read the interview and see some of Mario’s photography. Read more…
Go Be a Railbird
For those of us that follow horse racing, few Web sites are more important than Jessica Chapel’s Railbird V2. A relaunch of the ever-popular Railbird, which ran from 2004–2008, V2 features commentary on journalism, digital media, and naturally, horse racing. With a chunk of bloodhorse experience, both in print and in the shedrow, Chapel has a keen eye for what’s relevant, topical and worth noticing. Whereas some blogs can become so heavily niched or compartmentalized, Railbird manages to cover a wide swath of stuff without being alienating or disjointed.
Perhaps what’s most engaging is that she has enough on the site, via archives and the like, that could draw the casual horse racing fan in and then keep them glued.
As Paul Moran continues to pound away at a book and focus his attention elsewhere, Railbird V2 has become a daily ritual for both myself and other horse racing fans across the country. Highly recommended.
Pet-Friendly iPhone App Launches
Pet-owners are in for a treat as the animal-friendly firm Pet Acoustics has launched its own iPhone app and corresponding CDs in an effort to cater to the hearing sensitivities of dogs, cats and horses. Having been featured on CNN, Animal Planet and The Martha Stewart Show, the iPhone app aims to reduce stress, aggression and anxiety caused by pets and their reaction to sound. PetAcoustics app users note that the music has been helpful putting pets at ease during thunderstorms, training and vet visits. PetAcosutics works with the iPhone and iPod touch and is also available at iTunes.
