From Roots and Crowns: “Spider’s House”
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again… Califone is one the most underated bands in indie rock. Their latest release, Roots and Crowns is—no surprise here—a fabulous record. Pitchfork has a great review of it here. They call it “one of the most quintessentially American records imaginable.”
Download: Califone: The Orchids [MP3]
Buy Roots and Crowns

Free Bud and The Naked Heroes at Matchless, On Saturday
On Friday
• Ratatat at the Guggenheim
when: Fri 10.6 (9pm-1am)
where: Guggenheim Museum (1071 5th Ave, 212.423.3500)
price: $20

From Flavorpill: Brooklyn duo Ratatat garnered well-deserved hype for their eponymous debut album, but no one was sure how they would top those soaring tracks. People started to get downright nervous when word trickled out that their sophomore LP would be titled Classics and would feature (shudder) guitars. Fortunately, the boys hitched up their pants ‚Äî and added a keyboardist to their guitar/drums arsenal — and turned the dial to “epic”: expect a hazy mirage of unabashedly dizzying, layered tunes to fill the Guggenheim’s rotunda. Pink Skull’s Julian S. Process kicks things off, manipulating electro-psych cuts for fans of “drugs and disco.”

On Saturday:
• DUMBO’s Guiness Oyster Music Festival
Oysters, Music, And Guiness! What more could you ask for. More info here.
AND
• Free Budweiser and music at Matchless, featuring The Naked Heroes. Starts at 8pm, no cover. More info here.
AND
• DFA presents James Murphy w/ the Juan Maclean, Tim Sweeney, and Marcus Lambkin
Studio B (259 Banker St, Bklyn, 718.389.1880)
$8 / $5 advance
DFA presents James Murphy w/ the Juan Maclean, Tim Sweeney, and Marcus Lambkin to celebrate the release of their upcoming record. More info here.
On Sunday:
• Go see Jesus Camp. It rules.
Or

• Hang out with Wiccans, Food Court Druids, and Harry Potter fanatics at Medieval Festival:
Time: 12:00pm – 6:00pm
Location: Fort Tyron Park (directions)
Cost: Free

From FREE NYC: Summary: Celebrate your love for wizards, dragons, and fair maidens as Fort Tryon Park is transformed into a medieval market town decorated with bright banners and processional flags. “Visitors are greeted by authentic medieval music, dance, magic, and minstrelry, as well as jugglers and jesters. The afternoon concludes with a thrilling joust between four knights on horseback. Costumed vendors will be on hand to demonstrate and sell a wide variety of medieval crafts as well as food and drink.” MORE INFO HERE

by Dave Thomas

It’s time to get your horror on. You won’t go one weekend this month without either a hillbilly cannibal, creepy Japanese kid, booby-trap-happy psycho or, worst of all, a Flicka remake.
October 6
THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE BEGINNING
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Leatherface Begins
WILL IT SUCK?
Well, you’ve got the director of Darkness Falls and the writer behind The Longest Yard remake. I’m not sure who appears to be less qualified here.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Serious competition. Employee of the Month will hit nearly the same demo, as will Grudge 2 the following week. Still, this has the name recognition going back further than either. $81mil
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Most Pointlessly Restricted Trailer. When the teaser first appeared on the film’s Web site, you could only watch it between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. It was approved for general audiences!
——————————-
THE DEPARTED
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Scorsese remakes Infernal Affairs with Jack Nicholson, Leo DiCaprio and Matt Damon.
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is ve-he-ery good, and why not? I’ll tell you why not. In spite of Scorsese and Nicholosn and DiCaprio and Damon (and Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Mark Whalberg, Anthony Anderson and Alec Baldwin), this is from the screenwriter behind Kingdom of Heaven which, while not being Sorority Boys is still, y’know, Kingdom of Heaven. Regardless, everyone seems to have brought their A-game.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
They’ve front-loaded the hell out of the cast and come about as close as you can get to a bankable Scorsese film on this one. $78mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Early buzz would indicate yes. And it’s no coincidence that the unprecedented direction of Nicholson by Scorsese is generating some of that buzz. Of course, both the Academy and the Director’s Guild have been nothing but teases to Scorsese so far, so look for nods without satisfaction.

(more…)

Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council (no relation to Anthony Perkins of Psycho)

Our brother site evangelicalright.com has the story.

This is nothing short of disgusting.

Rep. J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.)

Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds (R-N.Y.)

Rep. Rodney Alexander (R-La.)

Rep. John A. Boehner (R-Ohio)

Rep. John M. Shimkus (R-Ill.)

Fox News

The St. Petersburg Times

The Miami Herald
And let’s not forget the FBI
IN OTHER NEWS
— Rep. Tom Reynolds uses children as human shields to keep avoid being hit by Foleygate shrapnel. [hat tip Kevin]
— Even the conservative Washington Times thinks Hastert should resign.
— Tony Snow thinks making sexual propositions to teenage boys is no big deal.
— George Bush — president, hero, family values warrior, and good Christian — defends Dennis Hastert’s decision to protect a sexual predator.
— Finally, Dobson blames the gays and the Internet despite his steamy man-crush on Gov. Romney.

RBally has two essential shows posted. One is a repost of a Tom Waits show at the San Diego Folk Festival, April 19, 1974.
And the other is an amazing Cash show: Johnny Cash and the original Tenessee Two – Country Style, USA, 1958
Thanks RBally!

Click above to see the quicktime video. It’s part of the promotional website for a new a new book that looks hilarious: Destined for Destiny: The Unauthorized Autobiography of George W. Bush. [Thanks Katie]

Hastert is done. The religious right is silent. And the American public knows that Foley’s behavior was more than “simply naughty e-mails.” Watch the above for a great overview of the shitstorm.

From a 2003 interview:

I read something you wrote online that seems to indicate you might not be a Jim Belushi fan.
He’s one of those guys that any real man can’t help but idolize. He’s living the life. He does it – he’s pure. Whenever you see a guy in a commercial high-fiving with a beer in his hand, watching the sports game – that’s like a fake version of Jim Belushi. He’s the real deal. He’s the shit. That guy is reinventing music; he’s reinventing comedy; he’s an angel; he’s one of the nicest, most magnanimous people you’ll ever meet; extremely pleasant to be around; very giving; very warm; intellectually original and creative and inspiring. I just try to give him a shout out whenever I can.

hat tip, The Apiary