Diggin’

Music: I love the new Black Keys album, Attack and Release, which seems to paint from a more soul-based palate than the previous hard garage-blues of their other releases. Produced by Danger Mouse and working off songs written for an planned Ike Turner collaboration, it’s a magnificent work and their best album to date. From a history of dislike, I have found common ground with Autechre on Quaristice which is a beautiful work of celestial wonder, if perhaps a side too long. I’m also in the process of purchasing vinyl in anticipation of getting a new system with a turntable again so I’ve been working back into the classic part of my collection to figure some shiny discs that need to be replaced by the warm fuzz of spinning black. So far, Talking Heads’ first record, two Smiths (eponymous debut and Queen is Dead) and Otis Redding’s Otis Blue are winging their way to me. Key this time will be Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks and both great albums by The Band.

Film: It’s been a documentary filled week mostly as me and my general watching buddy Tommy catch up on the edutainment we’ve been missing. This week we took in My Kid Could Paint That (review coming today) and Taxi to the Dark Side, both of which raised tough and interesting question within their relative worlds. The latter particularly worked at making Rumsfeld an even more hated and crooked figure than before, no mean feat. The best though were the classic Hearts of Darkness, the chronicle of Francis Ford Copolla creating Apocalypse Now and the just stupefying mistakes made with hindsight. It functions on an emotive level and as part of my documentary review season on here, I’ll discuss it in more detail at a later date. Best of all was Lake of Fire, Tony Kaye’s nigh-on unwatchable examination of abortion in America which served to make me examine my own views and simultaneous make those previous views stronger in their convictions. It should be shown to everyone in America.

TV: Lost trundles on and delivered a decent pre-break episode with Michael coming back. It’s still tough to love now the end is creeping into sight but I’m sure it’s finale will deliver and I’ll be back again. How I Met Your Mother returned which two slightly annoying episodes, one about growing old with grace and one about Britney Spears. Other stuff happened but essentially that’s what it revolved around. It was uncomfortable but Barney still managed to pull off some good gags. Not enough though from Lily, Marshall and Robin. America’s Next Top Model went mad this week with Tyra completely falling off the edge of the crazy-cliff while Clare turned out to be a spiteful, bullying bitch. Hells yeah!! Love it. Finally, Gavin and Stacey reached the midpoint of its second season and it remains the standout best show on British television.

Books/Comics: Imperial Life in the Emerald City by Rajiv Chandreskan is something of a masterpiece of accessible reporting and works as a cutting satire of the American war effort. If Paul Greengrass can catch the mood of the book in his film adaptation, we could finally get our first truly great movie about Iraq. After that, I’ve lined up Willy Vlautin’s Northern Line and Mark ‘E’ Everett’s Things the Grandchildren Should Know.

Other: Podcasts remains an obsession and my favourites right now are Slate’s Political Gabfest and KCRW’s Left, Right and Center. While a wild polemic, Real Time with Bill Maher just as well on audio while outside the political genre, I love KCRW’s The Treatment with Elvis Mitchell (the Julian Schnabel one is very strong) and Mark Kermode’s film reviews for Radio 5. I’m also adoring my breakfast muffins right now with a little butter but oh my god I love soup. That’s the number one right now. Waitrose do such a marvellous range including this farmer’s range one of Crab and Asparagus which is ridonkulous.