By Jack Silbert on May 7, 2024
EPISODE #589: DREAMS V
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
Karyn Kuhl — “Keep On Dreaming”
The Dracu-Las — “Fever Dream”
George Usher — “The Return of Your Loved Ones in Dreams”
Juniper — “I Don’t Want to Dream About You”
Spit-take — “Another Dream”
Megan Reilly — “Love Was a Dream”
Richard Barone feat. The Charm Offensive — “I Had a Dream”
Syd Straw — “Golden Dreams”
Abbie From Mars — ”DreamDreamDream”
Renee Maskin — “Mosquito Dreams”
Eric Ambel and Roscoe’s Gang — “Long Gone Dream”
Thee AHs — “Dreams of You”
Teen Idle — “Dreaming”
Tim Foljahn — “In My Dreams”
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Posted in internet radio playlists | Tagged Abbie From Mars, Dracu-Las, Eric Ambel, George Usher, Juniper, Karyn Kuhl Band, Megan Reilly, Renee Maskin, Richard Barone, Spit-take, Syd Straw, Teen Idle, Thee AHs, Tim Foljahn
By Jack Silbert on April 30, 2024
EPISODE #588: LET’S GO
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
Hank Ballard & the Midnighters — “Let’s Go, Let’s Go, Let’s Go”
The Feelies — “Let’s Go”
Trick Daddy — “Let’s Go”
New Order — “Let’s Go” [Low-life sessions instrumental]
The Cars — “Let’s Go”
Best Coast — “Let’s Go of Home”
Yum Yums — “Let’s Go Crazy”
Helen Love — “Let’s Go”
The Drums — ”Let’s Go Surfing”
Nick Lowe — “Let’s Go to the Disco”
of Montreal — “Let’s Go for a Walk”
The Cure — “Let’s Go to Bed”
Future Bible Heroes — “Let’s Go to Sleep (And Never Come Back)”
Doug Sahm & band — “Baby, Let’s Go to Mexico”
Hank Ballard & the Midnighters — “Let’s Go Again (Where We Went Last Night)”
Beach Boys — “Let’s Go Away for Awhile”
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Posted in internet radio playlists | Tagged Beach Boys, Best Coast, Doug Sahm, Feelies, Future Bible Heroes, Hank Ballard & the Midnighters, Helen Love, New Order, Nick Lowe, Of Montreal, the Cars, The Cure, The Drums, Yum Yums
By Jack Silbert on April 30, 2024
4 stars out of 5
This film rattled me so much, I fully expected to exit the multiplex and find that civil war had broken out in the Harmon Plaza parking lot. As soon as I had seen the trailer, I knew I wanted to see this movie: U.S. states seceding, government cracking down on civilians, violence in the streets — it all seemed entirely too plausible. And when I noticed that Alex Garland was the writer and director, I knew we were in very capable hands. His first feature, Ex Machina, was in my top 10 for 2015, and Annihilation from 2018 remains one of my favorite sci-fi films of all time.
Garland wisely doesn’t “pick a side” or even clearly indicate what the sides are in this civil war. We see authoritarianism, we see racism, we’re even told of a defining early event, the “Antifa Massacre” (which made me laugh later, because, did Antifa become a real organization? And did they massacre others, or did they get massacred?). But we’re not given a play-by-play of how this war originated, or who to root for. Instead, we see the conflict through the eyes of four traveling journalists who are simply observing and reporting. In case you forgot, that’s what journalists are supposed to do, even when it shines a negative light on your team.
The cast is superb, starting with our reporting crew: Kirsten Dunst is veteran, decorated photographer Lee Smith (not to be confused with Hall of Fame relief pitcher Lee Smith). Wagner Moura, who you know from Narcos but I don’t, is reporter Joel. Moura is excellent, going from the lighthearted one to supportive to peacemaker to utter despair. I was a little bothered that never really see him reporting/writing. Cailee Spaeny, who was very good as Priscilla Presley in Priscilla, is Jessie, early 20s amateur photographer who idolizes Lee and begs to tag along in their SUV to Washington, DC,which is just barely hanging on as the nation’s capital. Lee sees much of herself in Jessie and wants to protect her. Stephen McKinley Henderson, who I’ve enjoyed since The Newsroom, plays the crusty but wise old reporter Sammy.
In a smaller roles but also quite good is Nick Offerman as the President who has not respected the rights of American citizens. (Offerman, Spaeny, and Henderson were in Garland’s Hulu series Devs, which I’ll be watching soon. Perhaps the MVP here is Jesse “Mr. Dunst” Plemons as a hateful militant the crew encounter on their journey. A frightening portrayal!
Civil War is a very unsettling film that I highly recommend viewing. The key to the story may ultimately be humanity: losing your sense of it, and hopefully regaining it.
Posted in movie reviews | Tagged 10s movies, 20s movies, Alex Garland, Cailee Spaeny, Jesse Plemons, Kirsten Dunst, Nick Offerman, television, Wagner Moura
By Jack Silbert on April 23, 2024
EPISODE #587: LET GO
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
The Polyphonic Spree — “What Would You Let Go”
Dentist — “Let Me Let Go”
Johnny Thunders & the Heartbreakers — “Let Go”
Colleen Green — “Let Go”
Pounding Serfs — “Let Go”
The Tuts — “Let Go of the Past”
Grant Lee Buffalo — “Let Go of my Hand”
The Left Banke — “Let Go of You Girl”
To Kill God With a Grass Blade — ”Let Go of the Moon”
Blockhouses — “Don’t Let Go”
Jeff Lynne — “Don’t Let Go”
Fascinations Grand Chorus — “Can’t Let Go”
Lucinda Williams — “Can’t Let Go”
Continental Drifters — “I Can’t Let Go”
Matthew Sweet — “When Love Lets Go I’m Falling”
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Posted in internet radio playlists | Tagged Blockhouses, Colleen Green, Continental Drifters, Dentist, Fascinations Grand Chorus, Grant Lee Buffalo, Jeff Lynne, Johnny Thunders & the Heartbreakers, Left Banke, Lucinda Williams, Matthew Sweet, Polyphonic Spree, Pounding Serfs, The Tuts, To Kill God With a Grass Blade
By Jack Silbert on April 21, 2024
4 stars out of 5
The Exorcist came out when I was 4 years old, followed by The Omen when I was 7. These movies seemed to be mentioned quite a lot during my childhood. Sure, I had my little ghost stories and such, but there seemed to be some truly scary stuff out there somewhere, the stuff of bad dreams. I was an adult when I finally saw The Exorcist (terrifying!) followed much later by The Omen in the winter of 2015–16. I got really caught up in the tale of lil’ Damien the antichrist, so in rapid succession watched Omens II and III and even two episodes of the not-so-good A&E series Damien.
All this is to say, I would’ve seen The First Omen in the theater regardless. But the fact that it’s not just good but very good is a real bonus.
It’s 1971 and bright-eyed Margaret (actress Nell Tiger Free) shows up in Rome from America to begin her new life as a nun. She’s a “novitiate” — a word I just learned this year, hooray for me! Never stop learning, kids — it’s basically like Clarence before earning his wings except for nuns not angels. She is greeted by the local Cardinal, Bill Nighy (not) the Science Guy, who back in the states had raised her at an orphanage. Margaret moves into an apartment with Luz, a sexy bad-girl novitiate (Maria Caballero in what appears to be her first English-speaking role). I guess they were out of bunks at the convent?
Margaret is tasked with hanging out with the kids at the convent/maternity ward/orphanage. She meets young Carlita who does not play well with others. She’d rather sit on the floor in a dark room and draw troubling pictures. Margaret is going to My Fair Lady Miss Carlita if it’s the last thing she does!
Except we learn that the nuns, led by Sonia Braga (Kiss of the Spider Woman), are trying to breed the ANTICHRIST (spoiler alert: it may involve kissing a spider woman) which will frighten the 1971 anti-authoritarian hippies back into the loving arms of THE CHURCH. Also, sexy Luz is a bad, bad influence on goody-two-shoes Margaret, who begins questioning her faith and all that.
Does the movie sound a bit ridiculous and kind of scary-nun clichéd? Well, it is, but I’m telling you: It all works! And the film is genuinely well-made. The tone fits with the 1970s Omen installments; there are refreshingly slow, non-action segments and, at least early on, no “jump scares.” Instead, director/co-writer Arkasha Stevenson is confident enough to slowly build a real sense of dread. Nell Tiger Free, beyond having an awesome name, is terrific as Margaret. She begins so innocent, over time conveying her worry about the potential evil within. When things get truly scary later on, Free takes her performance to a whole other level.
If you like this sort of thing, get thee to a multiplex. I’d be very surprised if there’s a scarier movie this year.
Posted in movie reviews | Tagged 20s movies, 70s movies, Arkasha Stevenson, horror films, Nell Tiger Free
By Jack Silbert on April 16, 2024
EPISODE #586: THE FIX IS IN
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
Hollywood Edge Sound Effects Library — “Repairing Robot in Could-Be Machine Shop With Air Guns”
Pylon Reenactment Society feat. Kate Pierson — “Fix It”
Robyn Hitchcock — “Fix You”
Mudhoney — “Fix Me”
Beatles — “Fixing a Hole” [mono]
Tears for Fears — “Break It Down Again”
Laura Cantrell — “Broken Again”
George Usher — “Broken Windows”
Beams — ”Break Glass”
The Clean — “Simple Fix”
Aimee Mann — “Simple Fix”
Eddie Floyd — “Mister Fix It” [demo]
Parts & Labor — “Vision of Repair”
Home & Garden — “(please) FIX MY HORN (my brakes don’t work)”
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Posted in internet radio playlists | Tagged Aimee Mann, Beams, Beatles, Eddie Floyd, George Usher, HHome & Garden, Laura Cantrell, Mudhoney, Parts & Labor, Pylon Reenactment Society, Robyn Hitchcock, Tears for Fears
By Jack Silbert on April 9, 2024
EPISODE #585: EARTHQUAKE
inspired by the northeast earthquake of 4/5/24, registering a 4.8 with an epicenter in Lebanon, NJ
Jerry Lee Lewis — “Whole Lot of Shakin’ Going On” [ALTERNATE THEME]
Steve Wynn — “Manhattan Fault Line”
Human League — “The Lebanon”
The Temptations — “Shakey Ground”
Carole King — “I Feel the Earth Move”
Blondshell — “Cartoon Earthquake”
Deerhunter — “Earthquake”
Girl Friday — “Earthquake”
Green Bailey — “The Santa Barbara Earthquake”
Lush — ”500 (Shake Baby Shake)”
Los Lobos — “Shakin’ Shakin’ Shakes”
Sam Cooke — “Shake”
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers — “Fault Lines”
Eels — “After the Earthquake”
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Posted in internet radio playlists | Tagged Blondshell, Carole King, Deerhunter, earthquakes, Eels, Girl Friday, Green Bailey, Human League, Jerry Lee Lewis, Los Lobos, Lush, Sam Cooke, Steve Wynn, The Temptations, Tom Petty
By Jack Silbert on April 2, 2024
EPISODE #584: IT
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
Ron & Bill — “It”
The Dracu-Las — “It”
TV Girl — “It Evaporates”
Brian Jonestown Massacre — “It Girl”
Desmond Dekker — “It Pays”
John Wesley Harding — “It Stays”
The Greenhornes — “It Returns”
Elk City — “Keep It”
The Great Divides — ”See It”
Television — “Prove It”
Flat Duo Jets — “Rock It” [live] belated r.i.p. Dex Romweber
Liquorice — “Blew It”
Racecar — “Blew It”
Prince — “It”
George Jones & Tammy Wynette — “It”
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Posted in internet radio playlists | Tagged Brian Jonestown Massacre, Desmond Dekker, Dracu-Las, Elk City, Flat Duo Jets, George Jones, Greenhornes, John Wesley Harding, Liquorice, Nice Try, Prince, Racecar, Ron & Bill, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Tammy Wynette, television, The Great Divides, TV Girl
By Jack Silbert on April 2, 2024
4.5 stars out of 5
I first heard of Julio Torres as an SNL writer, but it was with the series Los Espookys that I truly appreciated his unique, surreal, gentle brand of comic ingenuity. MAX’s penny-pinching new ownership canceled The Spookies after two seasons, but the very bright side is this motion picture written and directed by — and starring — Julio Torres.
As Los Espookys had Fred Armisen to garner more attention, Problemista co-stars the quirkily wonderful Tilda Swinton who will hopefully draw in a few more ticket buyers. The pretty straightforward plot is loosely based on Torres’s own life: Alejandro (Torres) emigrates from El Salvador to New York with dreams of being a toy designer. First, though, he needs a work visa. Alejandro interns for art-world dame Elizabeth (Swinton) who, if pleased with his efforts, will sign off as his visa sponsor.
Throughout the story, Torres points out injustices and catch-22s in the system. For example, an immigrant needs to pay to apply for a work visa — but you’re not allowed to be paid for work until you have the visa. He also shines a spotlight on forgotten corners of modern life, such as FileMaker Pro and a hilarious personification of craigslist.
Interestingly, in a feature-length debut from an SNL vet, Torres doesn’t load up the movie with comedy cameos. Instead we get RZA from the Wu-Tang Clan doing a very nice job as Elizabeth’s late ex, a would-be art star. And linking Torres’s film to Lynch, Letterman, and cinematic history, there’s the sublime choice of Isabella Rossellini as the narrator.
Though we get touches of Torres’s offbeat magical realism, this is ultimately a fairly by-the-book, follow-your-dreams tale on a small scale. I rounded up my rating to 4 stars based on a certain sweetness permeating the film, and Torres’s brilliant potential to sit among Michel Gondry/Spike Jonze/Charlie Kaufman/etc. when he allows his imagination to explode all over the screen. And then, Problemista’s final chapter fell together so perfectly that I awarded another half star, and I was left with happy tears in my eyes.
Posted in movie reviews | Tagged 20s movies, Isabella Rossellini, Julio Torres, Los Espookys, Saturday Night Live, Tilda Swinton
By Jack Silbert on March 26, 2024
EPISODE #583: 55
The Who — “Happy Jack” [THEME]
Sensational Happy Travelers — “March Theme”
Freezing Hands — between-song banter, Live at the Tap ’n Bottle, Tucson, AZ, 2/22/24
Sammy Hagar — “I Can’t Drive 55”
The Ladybug Transistor — “95 Miles Per Hour”
The Sadies — “120 Miles Per Hour”
Stef Chura — “Speeding Ticket”
Devo — “Speed Racer”
Liz Phair — “Speed Racer”
Vic Chesnutt — ”Speed Racer”
theme from Speed Racer
Jug & the Bugs — “Pick My Speed”
Straitjacket Fits — “She Speeds”
The Go-Go’s — “Speeding”
Darren Hayman & the Secondary Modern — “Drive Too Fast”
Tom Waits — “Ol’ 55”
Jack Silbert proudly records the Aquarium podcast in Hoboken, NJ.
Posted in internet radio playlists | Tagged Darren Hayman, Devo, Freezing Hands, Go-Go's, Jug & the Bugs, Ladybug Transistor, Liz Phair, Sammy Hagar, Sensational Happy Travelers, Stef Chura, Straitjacket Fits, The Sadies, Tom Waits, Vic Chesnutt
Jack Silbert, curator