The Best New Things I Heard in 2020

Spanish Love Songs (photo by Alan Snodgrass)

Here's the list of old Ape's favorite things he heard for the first time in 2020. Is someone speaking about himself in third person? Yes, it's been a tough year. Maybe it's time for a little forgiveness and compassion. This monkey uncle only had one drink all year, but faithfully took his antidepressants every day. He also bought a metric fuckton of music. So here you go. In no particular order. Let's do it. OK.

Antibodies - collected works

I'm fairly certain I ordered tapes from these guys a few months ago, but I'm oddly disaffected by not having received them yet. The sound of the basement, the stink of sweat, the taste of electrical charge; it's what I'm always seeking in my DIY music...it's what I pick up here. Fuckin' Prince Edward Island, y'all. Must be something in the water.

NØ MAN - "ERASE"

My favorite Majority Rule songs are on their split with Pageninetynine. So when the old lineup got together with a new vocalist (who did guest vox on that split) and started NØ MAN a few years back, of course I paid attention. "ERASE" has such a power to it, like the best crust and D-beat records. But it's the defiance spirit present throughout that I keep coming back to. It's an inspiriation I revisit every day I feel hopeless or small or impotent in the face of the world.

William Onyeabor - "Who Is William Onyeabor?"

What's weird about this one is how many times I came across it in the wild over the years, and thought it was some outsider Christian music that David Byrne compiled and reissued. Obviously, I was so very wrong. The bummer comes in knowing I could have snagged a copy for less back then, and that I had to spend full price to get one this year. It's Nigerian funk from the late 70s through the mid 80s, and it's arguably better and more danceable than anything Prince has ever made (fight me!).

The Comes - "No Side"

La Vida Es Un Mus reissued this crucial 1983 Japanese hardcore record the week after my birthday last year, but I didn't lay mitts on it until early this year. I've really tried to do a deep dive into late 70s - mid 80s JP punk/HC this year, and this is definitely my favorite new discovery. I'm really hoping that someone like Bitter Lake ends up getting the rights to their 1986 mini-album, "Power Never Die", or either of vocalist Chitose's post-Comes projects, Virgin Rocks and the Wretched.

Wire - "I Am The Fly" b/w "Ex-Lion Tamer"

If it's the goal of authority to eliminate dissent, then I want to be the fly in the ointment.

Fraykers Revenger - "Blacksploitation Style Funk From The Library" Vol. 1-5

This series came through one of the many blogs I follow (tho I forget which one), and, as someone who's loved the music of black action cinema since he was a kid, I had to download it. While the downloads were long on content, they were short on context, so I still have no clue if this is actual library music from the 70s, or something a mega fan cooked up at home by themself. Regardless, it's really excellent funk that I was stoked to turn up. These tracks will end up a fair amount of my mixes going forward.

SOUL GLO - collected works

FUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHCCCCCKKKKKKK! It blows my mind how good these guys are. The first show I go to if shows happen again will be SOUL GLO. Hell, they're one of the many reasons I'm thinking about moving back to the East Coast; I'll have a better chance of seeing them locally. They exceed every bit of hype that's popped up. Their live set at WKDU, their new 12", their back catalog: it's all great.

Manuela Iwansson - "Strangers On A Train" and "Blank Surface"

Noteworthy if only because it got me writing again.

No Note - "If this is the future then i'm in the dark"

I'm not sure what the initial reason was for downloading this; maybe it was because it was from Baltimore, one of the tags on Bandcamp was "sass", and they recorded in the same place my last band did. I have no clue. It's just a bold, damaged, post hardcore record from a band that played one show. And if that ain't art, I don't know what is.

Fiona Apple - "Fetch The Bolt Cutters"

Is this the quarantine record of the year? I'd argue it's one of the best hip-hop records of 2020. Due to my Ms. Fiona biases, she could have farted on a snare drum for 60 minutes and I would have preordered it as soon as it was announced.

101 Strings - "Astro-Sounds From Beyond The Year 2000"

Think of how many 101 Strings records you have to go through before you find the actual good ones. If there was ever a reason to keep digging through the bins at Goodwill, looking at every piece of beater vinyl, it's that you might turn this one up. It's Esquivelian space age MOR genius. I'll probably post it in the new year.

Run The Jewels - "RTJ4"

I feel like I've read a lot of reviews where critics have been all, blah, blah, blah, it's not as good as their other records. But this is the one I haven't been able to put down. "Walking In The Snow" is an amazing protest song. It's capturing the anger I've felt all year at my government and at big business.

Coriky - "Coriky"

The punks are getting older. But the best of us are still angry prophets, and Coriky is a three-person Elijah, bringing down fire and demanding we account for our sins.

Special Interest - "The Passion Of"

You've already read the reviews, I'm sure, reader. And this blog is starting to drag a bit. I will say this is one of the sexier records I bought this year; not quite Sade-level, but definitely enough to raise my pulse and get me tingly.

Bob Vylan - "We Live Here"

Another outstanding angry record from 2020, this time combining London grime with modern metalcore. It's not quite as musically progressive as SOUL GLO, but it hits like the first time a kid hears Rage Against The Machine, or the Clash, or Public Enemy.

Worriers - "You Or Someone You Know"

I remain a bit fan of Lauren Dinetzio, and it surprises me that "You Or Someone You Know" didn't get a bit more love this year. Was it because it came out as COVID-19's first wave as cresting? Did Jeff Rosenstock suck up all the attention for smart punk pop this year? The lyrics here are heartbreaking and really embody a lot of the anxiety I felt this year, so, yeah, I'm in love with this record. Plus...Mikey Erg on drums...of course it's great.

Jeff Rosenstock - "NO DREAM"

Another punk who made a pretty amazing record this year. Unlike Worriers, I've listened to this one out of sequence and in fits and starts, but every song, when it comes on, reminds me of being a kid and having a song on the radio grab me by the collar and force me to pay attention to it, singing along and hoping that the DJ will tell me just who this is when the song is over.

various - "Habibi Funk 014: Solidarity With Beirut"

A German label, focused on Arabic music from the 70s and 80s, picking through their collection to benefit the survivors of the August explosion in Beirut. It's a pretty great sampler of music I've avoided for its spirituality in the past. Yet here I am, digging in, and digging it.

Osanna - "Milano Calibro 9"

I picked up a pair of Fernando Di Leo box sets from the folks at Raro Video US earlier this year, because they were 50% off SRP, I had a bit of fuck around money, and I really wanted to dive into the world of Eurocrime in earnest. Di Leo's 1972 poliziotteschi "Milano calibro 9" was the first disc in the first set, and from minute one, I was hooked because of the score. Argentine/Italian film composer Luis Bacalov ("Django", "The Grand Duel") collaborated with prog rock band Osanna for their second record, "Preludio Tema Variazioni Canzona", with was released here as "Milano Calibro 9". It's a pulsing score, like an Italian counterpart to Curtis Mayfield's "Superfly" album. If you've never heard it before, check it out.

Silent Era - "Rotate The Mirror"

I'm not sure how I ended up with "buy random records" money this year, but at some point I decided to preorder this from Nervous Intent, and it was a really good pickup. Oakland-based (as so many good things are), hardcore with NWOBM and post-punk influences, female vocals, and it's got some of my favorite cover art and vinyl coloring of the year.

Basic Dicks - "Sick Sad Dicks"

"Lo-fi feminist weirdo punx". It's the mad lib that will pique my interest every single time. "Covers of Void and Madonna". Well, I just went from half mast to full chub. "Daria"-influenced cover art? That's just the cherry on top of this tasty sundae.

All Men - "Men And Their Work"

There's a palatable sense of relief when old friends start new bands and it exceeds your expectations. All Men is seriously great post punk outta Portland, released by one of the best labels in the game, Iron Lung, and earning every bit of praise it's received. It's jittery and brash and I really want to watch it live and shake like I touched the third rail.

Gaffer - "DEMO"

Western Australia's answer to the Angelic Upstarts, except faster? I wish it wouldn't have cost $20 to get a tape from these dudes.

Spanish Love Songs - "Brave Faces Everyone"

This is the record I've gotten into most recently, thanks to it being Sophie's Floorboard's top record of 2020. Kevin likened them to the Menzingers and Captain, We're Sinking, two bands I really dig. I think SLS is a step above those two...maybe approaching Jawbreaker-status with their blend of powerful playing and iconoclastic vocals. This is one I'll be playing a lot into 2021, and more than likely beyond.

Y'all still reading? Go home. This blog is over!

various artists - Land Of Greed... World Of Need

I keep coming back to Rick Pitino's quote about being saved:

"Larry Bird isn't walking through that door, fans. Kevin McHale is not walking through that door, and Robert Parish is not walking through that door. And if you expect them to walk through that door, they're going to be gray and old."

If there's a better summation of where we are as a country as we end 2020, I've yet to hear it.

Hope and cynicism rarely go hand in hand, which is probably why I've been diagnosed with major depression and really connect with "Welcome To Hell World". If I've been able to weather COVID-19 and layoffs and potential evictions and the deaths of family members and everything else that this year has thrown at me...welp, I'm sure that it's because I live the old adage "Hope for the best, but expect the worst," and I've lived believing that it's only those closest to you that will be willing to help when the chips are down. It's almost validating to see a jowly Senator decline to offer a financial lifeline to people days away from homelessness while pushing for corporate protections and military funding.

Jack Crosbie had a very good blog the week before Christmas about mutual aid, and it was a great reminder that, even when the pillars of power refuse even bread and circuses, there is empowerment and growth available by banding together. Not only that: it's easy to support mutual aid, and it's easy to do it yourself. We can keep each other afloat. Each other is all we have.

Punk and hardcore comps were the first examples I had that facilitated mutual aid. Case in point: 1994s "Land Of Greed... World Of Need". It was a tribute to Embrace, that short-lived Revolution Summer alliance of Minor Threat's Ian MacKaye and members of Faith. A contemporary band covered each song on the sole Embrace LP, with the proceeds going to local, grass-roots homeless shelters and organizations. It's still a pretty great comp: the cuts by Lifetime, Rancid, Farside, Ashes, and Avail remain standouts. And it taught me that, if you want to see a change in the world, it's not even as complicated as coordinating a 14-band compilation. Just figure out what you want to see done, and do it.

Whatever the analogy, no deus ex machina is going to save the day for us. The vaccine isn't going to solve all illness, Joe Biden surely isn't going to lead us all to a promised land, and Amazon isn't going to magically keep your fridge full. WE are going to have to make things suck a little less in 2021. But we already have the examples available, we have the power, we have the ability, and we have the time. So let's get to it.

Discogs

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Light The Fuse And Run / Transistor Transistor - split LP

Did we ever call it "screamo" when it first happened? Maybe in the context of bands we didn't like, or obvious poses. Otherwise, the likes of Jeromes Dream and Orchid were just punk bands wilding out, slotted nicely on a four band bill with a straight edge hardcore band, an indie pop band, and a power violence band. "Emo" was for bands on Drive Thru and Vagrant, a marketing term, an easy opening to stick a peg in. This was just punk on the edges of convention.

Level Plane in Philadelphia and the Electric Human Project in Wilmington were two of the many homes for bands making this kind of music. EHP had put out records with Pageninetynine and Joshua Fit For Battle, would drag their distro down to Baltimore for shows. Level Plane had a deeper catalog, but had worked with a number of the same bands as EHP, plus folks like Envy, You And I, and City of Caterpillar. Everybody knew each other, went to the same shows, toured the same circuits. Again, it was just kids making DIY music.

We knew and booked Transistor Transistor because it was Brad from Orchid's new band. The pedigree was good enough for us when they started coming down from New Hampshire. As for Light The Fuse And Run, they were only a few hours down the road in Richmond. They'd already played with Hot Cross in town and were pretty good. Why not do a show for both?

What's lost to my memory now is whether the record was promoting the tour, or if the tour led to the record. All I know is that I found a copy on CD for a buck a few days before Christmas, which unleashed the swell of memories above, like the heat rolling into your face as you walk inside from a wintry yard.

Discogs

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Baroness - demo

I mentioned it a ways back about that time Baroness jumped on a show I booked at the second Talking Head, how they only got a few songs played in the course of an hour on account of failing gear. But they ripped those few songs, and I got their demo for my trouble, and then about three years ago I sold said demo for something like $50, and, phew, is this sentence going on long.

This two song demo was recorded a few months before Baroness recorded "First". They cut early versions of "Tower Falls" and "Coeur" with Pavement drummer Steve West (?!?) in his Marble Valley Studios (I'm guessing in Charlottsville?), and dropped them onto a CD-R with the delightful artwork you see below. Only John Dyer Baizley remains from that initial Baroness lineup, and the band records now under their own Abraxan Hymns imprint, distributed by Warner Music Group.

I remember being really stressed out by them playing, but digging it because it was heavy, and then not really being curious about seeking out their music again. Very off brand for me. But I guess Mastodon and High on Fire filled that niche in my earbrain at the time, and now I'm thinking maybe it's time to give it another go.

Discogs

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Kino Lorber in January

Hi, gang. You remember what the deal is here, right? Kino Lorber: arthouse releaser, repertory distributor, source of films both foreign and grindhouse. Good stuff coming in January. Of the 28 releases coming from the venerable label, here are a few of my picks.

January 5

I know "Savage Streets" only as a rad-looking title on a shelf I wasn't allowed to browse in my mom's video store back in the 90s. So here's my chance to grab it IN WIDESCREEN! ON BLU-RAY!!! How's that for a lil' slice of fried gold? This 1984 revenge actioner (three words that work extremely well together) stars Linda Blair in a skintight suit, Linnea Quigley as her deaf-mute sister, John Vernon as what I assume is some sort of hard-assed authority figure, and 80s generic baddie Robert Dryer. Code Red really breaks out the extras on this one: three separate commentary tracks, a fat grip of interviews with most of the key cast and crew, an isolated music track of the John D'Andrea/Michael Lloyd score, an intro from Kat of Kat's Scratch Cinema, all on an all-region disc. While I still love the artwork on the 2014 Ronin Trax release, giving it up is a small price to pay for what I expect to be the very best film to spend money on the first week of January...

...although Code Red's reissue of 1975's "The Black Gestapo", had it not been a reissue, might have given it a run for its money. Also known as "Black Enforcers", "Ghetto Warriors", and the only film Mrs. Ape will not allow me to hang a poster up for, this was one of the final films from one of my favorite sleazemongers, Lee Frost. It's a pretty rad take on blaxploitation and community empowerment: when the Mafia tries to move in to Watts, a local Black Panthers-esque organization is forced to choose between its original mission and a more-fascist approach. It's been out of print for a hot minute, but now "Black Gestapo" is back, featuring its 2015 2K master and commentary featuring Charles Robinson and Rob Perry. Fun note: Donald Trump once watched this and thought it was a Black Lives Matter documentary.

January 12

Typically, I wouldn't shout out a DVD edition of a five-year-old Blu-ray release of a 70-year-old movie, but, fuck it, it's my blog, and some of y'all might want to save some bread. Cohen Media Group is kicking out a $20 edition of 1952's "Sudden Fear", a fantastic noir thriller originally released by RKO Pictures. It earned four Oscar noms, including for leads Joan Crawford and Jack Palance, cinematographer Charles Lang, and costumer Sheila O'Brien. This is one my granddad showed me back in the day after we went to see "City Slickers". "Ape, m'boy," he said. "Ya want ta see Curly really get mean?" I really didn't, but it's probably one of the first noirs I'd ever seen, so it stuck with me. It has the same 2K restoration as the 2016 Blu-ray release, the same commentary from Jeremy Arnold; it's just on DVD now, and costs $15 less. So save yourself a few bucks, or get an extra movie. Treat yourself: we have no clue how this year's going to turn out.

If you've never seen it before, think of "Buried Alive" as a gender swapped "Sudden Fear". It matters because it's Frank Darabont's directorial debut, originally airing on the USA Network back in 1990. It stars Otter, Amy Archer, and Walter Peck, who I can confirm has no dick. Mark Patrick Carducci, who wrote "Pumpkinhead" and "Neon Maniacs", contributed the teleplay. And if it seems like I'm lacking in details or enthusiasm here, I assure you that I spent it all on coming up with an appropriate "Ghostbusters" reference for William Atherton, who gets interviewed on the disc of this 2K restoration. Apparently there's a sequel, but KL Studio Classics isn't putting that one out...yet.

It's time for another Code Red reissue: this time, the Italo horror-sleaze classic "The Devil's Wedding Night" ("Il plenilunio delle vergini"). I guarantee anything involving Joe d'Amato will be visual in nature. Directed by Luigi Batzelli (as Paul Solvay), and starring Rosalba Neri as a Lady Dracula/Elisabeth Bathory-type, this is a 1973 Italian knockoff of a later-period Hammer vampire movie. Which means, for readers of this blog, that you'll probably dig it if you haven't seen it before. The Kino store clearly points out that this release features the US cut of "Wedding Night"; I can't be arsed to check to see if there's an European X-rated version with hardcore inserts.

January 19

Mrs. Ape and I are typically pretty interested in anything North Korea related, so I think I'll surprise her with Ryan White's newest documentary, 2020s "Assassins". It follows the story of the two women charged and convicted of assassinating Kim Jong-un's half-brother Kim Jong-nam in 2017. Jong-nam was poisoned in Kuala Lumpur International Airport by a pair of women who thought they were on a TV prank show. If that's not enough to draw you in, maybe hearing that White's last docs were "Ask Dr. Ruth" and "The Keepers" series will get your attention. It's his sixth feature in a decade, each of which is both entertainment and informative. And I'm running out of words to write, so let's wrap it up here.

There's also a ton of Fox and MGM "first time of Blu-ray" releases coming in January, as well as a few cool looking documentaries and another in Kino Classics' Forbidden Fruit exploitation series. I'm really regretting not writing something about "Tintorera...Tiger Shark", but we're already several thousand words into this shitshow, so let's leave it at "that's probably something worth looking at". February brings some great reissues (a pair of Sammy Davis Jr. features amongst them), last year's Billie Holiday doc, and a Blu-ray release of "The Kid Stays In The Picture". Come back in 30 for my best Robert Evans impression.

"Mississippi" Fred McDowell - Live At The Mayfair Hotel

I'm not sure why exactly it started, but I got it in my head recently that I was going to start collecting all the Infinite Zero Archive releases. For the uninitiated, Infinite Zero was an imprint that operated under American Recordings from 1994 to 1997, serving as a reissue label. The releases were chosen by Henry Rollins and Rick Rubin, a duo who, regardless of how you feel about their own music, have pretty fucking impeccable taste. I mean, if in 1994 you're going to launch with Devo, the Contortions, and Gang Of Four, you're WAY ahead of the curve.

So I've been slowly accumulating what I didn't already own. There are a couple of Alan Vega reissues, adrift in Postal Service limbo. I've had my eye on a copy of "Black Monk Time", not really wanting to drop $12 before Christmas on something for myself. And I snagged this lil 5" slab of aluminum last week, having appeared in a local record store for less than half what I would have paid online.

Fred McDowell was 55 (so the liner notes say) and had been playing the blues for nearly four decades when he was "discovered" and exposed to a greater audience by Alan Lomax in 1959. He was a master of slide guitar, an influence on the Rolling Stones, and a mentor to Bonnie Raitt. It was on his second trip to the UK that "Live At The Mayfair Hotel" was recorded. It's a nasty-ass record, with McDowell playing a biting electric guitar, so much heavier than his earlier Lomax field recordings or his sides for Arhoolie. "Live" had originally been released across two records on the eastern British blues/R&B label Red Lightnin' in the mid-80s, but was remixed and compiled together for the first time here.

I can't speak with any level of scholarship about the blues; I definitely don't have any authority on the subject. But I do know what I like, and I like this. I can hear the roots of Fat Possum on this record, of the Gun Club and the White Stripes. If you come across a copy in the wild, definitely snag it.

And, yeah, as I grab more of the Infinite Zero releases that are out of print. I'll post them up. It's only fair.

Discogs

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Post #300: Kind Of Like Spitting - 2004 4-track demos

I try to bring some real quality for every post, but when I hit a landmark like a post that ends in "00", I feel like it's time to really dig deep for something most folks haven't heard. So let me give you something from my old friend Ben.

I met Ben Barnett for the first time when he was opening for Braid and Cross My Heart at the old Ottobar in 1999. Braid was on what was then billed as their final tour, soon to partition into Hey Mercedes and the Firebird Band. I know XMH was playing songs from "The Reason I Failed History", arguably their finest record. But it was Kind Of Like Spitting that blew me away, with a folky emo sound that I hadn't really experienced before. Plaintive songs, cracking vocals, violin accompaniment? Yes, yes, and hell yes! I bought the "Birds Of A Feather" 7" that night, and damn near wore through the vinyl over the next year between listening at home and playing it on my radio show.

When Ben came back to Baltimore the following year, he was playing solo, backed with an Insound tour EP and more plainly showing his influences (Joni Mitchell! Jimmie Rodgers! Leonard Cohen!). I ended up chatting with him for almost an hour after his set in the parking lot next to the Sidebar, just rapping about music and touring and how to deal with depression with art. We exchanged numbers, and I told him to give me a shout if he was coming back through town and needed a place to crash. Within a few years, I'd end up booking him a number of shows, both as Kind Of Like Spitting and with the first Thermals tour. The stays would range from a few hours to a few days, and it was great to chop it up with hot goss about what was happening in Seattle and Portland, giggling about his buddies who were ending up in Spin Magazine.

Sometime in the summer of 2004, Ben came to stay with the girlfriend and I in our garden apartment on Calvert St. for a night or two, and ended up crashing for a couple weeks. It'd been a couple of years since he'd put out "Bridges Worth Burning" with Barsuk, and was pivoting towards a more folky sound. After all, mainstream emo only had room for one sensitive singer-songwriter in Chris Carraba, so why not lean into a love of Phil Ochs and Pete Seeger? Before he split for Philadelphia, Ben laid a CD-R on me of songs he was demoing for a new record. And that's what we have here.

The material from these 17 songs would make up parts of the next two Kind Of Like Spitting full-lengths: 2005s "In The Red" and 2006s "The Thrill Of The Hunt". The arrangements are simple and spare. "Worker Bee" here is just acoustic guitar, double tracked vocals and metronome, which gives this early version a real ghostly feel. "Grapes" from "In The Red" is titled "Line And Sinker" in these demos, and has this wonderful hissy quality that reminds me of Ben's earliest tapes. It's the songs that don't appear in studio versions elsewhere that are worth diving into. There are covers of Neil Young's "Losing End", Bad Religion's "You", and Mojave 3's "In Love With A View", the first of which only appears here. "Cheap Drinks" is a great song that really deserved a fleshed-out version. But the capper here is the beautiful rendition of "This Little Light Of Mine", the lullaby turned protest song. It's really outstanding.

I'll argue that Ben Barnett is one of the most underappreciated singer/songwriters of the past 25 years. There's an integrity and honesty present that few artists possess, and fewer still manage to not to lord over people. He's just a fella, as willing to talk and sing about the folk scene in the late 60s as he is about smoking dank buds. There's more than a bit of Ben Barnett in the character Llewyn Davis, although I doubt the Coens ever listened to "$100 Room". That authenticity, even when there's appeal to turning it all down, can't be manufactured; it just is. And it's present in these songs, whether an original composition or in a cover choice.

If you like what you've heard here, and you've not familiar with the Kind Of Like Spitting catalog, swing by the Bandcamp page, where's there's just a monster amount of music to dive into. As I noted a few months ago, the newest Kind Of Like Spitting release is a tribute to the late Karl Hendricks, benefitting his family. Anything you purchase on the page goes to the Hendricks clan, a worthy spend if ever there was one.

Thanks for your continued visits, friends. Enjoy.

Click here to download.

The Criterion Collection in January

From "Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese" (Martin Scorsese, 2019)

I really didn't think we'd make it. Yet here we are, on the cusp of a new year, with a new slate of Criterion releases to consider. The list of Q1 2021 releases is pretty solid so far, heavy on debuts, with a few reissues salted in. I'm not sure if I'm going to end up broke yet, but I'm really hoping this is the year that I get on the promo list (hint, hint).

January 5

Let's start the new year off with something really iconoclastic. The Criterion Collection has always provided a video home here in the States for Spanish/Mexican provocateur Luis Buñuel. I have laserdiscs of "Belle de jour" and "That Obscure Object of Desire" dating back to the 90s, and Criterion has released nine of the master's films on DVD over the years. Only a couple, though, have received Blu-ray releases until now. So it's pretty cool that Buñuel's last three films are being collected on Blu-ray as "Three Films by Luis Buñuel", a most apt title.

The three-disc set compiles hi-definition transfers of 1972s "The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie", 1974s "The Phantom of Liberty", and "That Obscure Object of Desire" from 1977. All three are absurd and political and brutal and really fucking funny, even in a language that isn't native to me. "Discreet Charm" won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Feature in 1973; Buñuel put down the honor, saying it was based on the judgement of "2,500 idiots, including...the assistant dress designer." Pretty tough stuff. In addition to the films, there are a number of new bonus features that didn't appear or exist when Criterion released the DVD counterparts 20 years ago. The featurette on Carole Bouquet and Angela Molina, who both portrayed Conchita in "That Obscure Object of Desire", looks most interesting to me. I may not immediately run out to replace my DVDs, but it's on my short list of cool box sets to keep an eye out for.

January 12

I really got into "Minding The Gap" when we finally regained internet access and a good bud passed me his Hulu password last year. This story of three skateboarding friends, growing up in an Illinois city just shy of the Wisconsin border, really resonated with me. I grew up in a similar place, doing the same kind of shit, finding release and purpose in punk rock. That it spun out of director Bing Liu just shooting he and his friends for fun years ago only added to the appeal; this small thing finding purchase and reaching an audience when it was initially only intended for fucking around. It all reminds me a lot of "Hoop Dreams", following these subjects over the course of a decade through some good times and a lot of shit times. I'm really glad to see this finally get a home release, especially with the wealth of supplemental material added. Liu, along with his co-stars/friends Keire and Zach, provide what I expect to be a really good commentary track. There are featurettes with Liu's producers, as well as Tony Hawk (the Ian MacKaye of skateboard docs), as well as one of Liu's short films. It'll be great to dive further into this one in the coming months.

January 19

How's this for an understatement? I have a really complicated opinion of Bob Dylan. I suppose that's to be expected of someone who'd already had three distinct career arcs before I was born. There's the Village folkie, the poet superstar, and the re-emerged rocker, all leading up to his "Rolling Thunder Revue" tour in 1975 & 1976. The idea was simple: Dylan had never assembled his own band to tour behind him, so do that and play smaller rooms after the "Dylan & the Band" arena tour of '74. Long-time Dylan cinematographer Howard Alk joined the tour to shoot footage for Dylan's self-directed film "Renaldo & Clara". The initial tour wound down post the release of "Desire", having fizzled out in the second leg. "Renaldo & Clara" came out in 1978 to a wet fart's worth of criticism, and was quickly withdrawn. Yet Dylan still continues the "Rolling Thunder Revue", 3,000+ shows and 40 years on.

Like "Minding the Gap", "Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story" debuted on streaming (via Netflix). Unlike "Minding the Gap", Martin Scorsese was given charge to take 40+ year old footage from the tour and turn it into another of his music documentaries. What came out is rightfully described as a magic trick, blending the archival with the modern, along with a fair amount of that ol' Zimmerman mischief. It's crazy, the people who pop up throughout the film: Patti Smith, Ronnie Hawkins, Joan Baez, Sam Shepard, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Roger McGuinn. Everything is underpinned by Allen Ginsberg. It's a wild document. If you're buying this, instead of just streaming it, it's probably for the DTS-HD Master Audio mix on the Blu-ray, the additional concert footage, and/or the interviews with Scorsese, David Tedeschi, and Ratso Sloman. I always thought this was the real beginning of Dylan's "head-up-his-ass" period that only came to an end with "Time Out of Mind", but I guess I have a better handle with age and exposure to other art what was going on here.

January 26

Is it fair to call this re-release of "The Ascent" ("Восхождение") a reissue? I've had the Eclipse Series release of "Wings" & "The Ascent" for a hot minute now, but this...this, with its 4K restoration and uncompressed sound and deeper bench of extras...this, I'm going to buy for Day One. Larisa Shepitko was a Ukranian director who made but four features before she died in a car accident in 1979. However, all four are pretty amazing, with "The Ascent" being foremost amongst them. Along with the 2020 reissue of "Come & See", this is not just a great war movie; it's one of the finest examples of Soviet filmmaking, an allegory about betrayal and loyalty and spiritual value. I've only been able to watch it through twice, because even though I love it, it makes me weep the same way I do when I watch "The Passion of Joan of Arc", and I just cannot finish. Included here are Sheptiko's second film, a short called "The Homeland of Electricity", and her spouse's posthumous tribute, "Larisa". If it seems like I'm being overly effusive about this, it's because I am. I don't typically feel that strongly about a film that doesn't include boobs or gore, but this is art, and I cannot recommend it strongly enough. It'll change your life, man.

From "The Ascent" (Larisa Shepitko, 1979)

So it is written; so it shall be. Go forth, preorder "The Ascent". Those are marching orders. We're back in approximately 30 to review February, what with its Warren Beatty and Laura Dern movies and its world cinema. Be there...aloha!

New Bomb Turks - Nightmare Scenario (the old and the new)

Typically, I'm reluctant to share a record when there's a perfectly good alternative to purchase; in this case, for a wonderful cause. But here's a chance to compare, contrast, and see how goddamned good the original version is.

Back in August, Columbus' pride and joy, the New Bomb Turks, created their own Bandcamp page, and posted the original mixes of 2000's "Nightmare Scenario". Their fifth LP, as well as third and final release for Epitaph, "Nightmare Scenario" was the first Turks record I ever purchased. I know, I know...but they weren't playing basement shows or getting written up in HeartattaCk or Profane Existence. I just didn't know any better at the time.

As the story goes, the team of Davidson, Weber, Reber, and new drummer Sam Brown (ex-Gaunt) embarked to Detroit for a four day recording sesh with Jim Diamond, master of ceremonies of legendary studio Ghetto Recorders. As Lance Forth notes on the Bandcamp:

Over four days and nights, the band enjoyed their easiest and most fun recording session – the only break being a jaunt over to a bar to see a reunited Real Kids, their first show in years, which floored the band and only added more mezcal to the fire.

Final mixes were left to Jim Diamond, and by the time he forwarded them to the band, overdub ideas had hatched, and about half the record was remixed with local studio wiz, Jeff Graham, in Columbus. A middle ground was eventually found, and what resulted was Nightmare Scenario (Epitaph Records, 2000) – the fifth album in their six album/three compilation catalog, and the one the band believe is their best.

Did 22-year-old me have any clue any of this was going on? Hell, no. I just had finally discovered a band on Epitaph worth hearing. "Automatic Teller" and "Spanish Fly By Night" are still on my list of garage rock DJ go-to's, getting tons of spins on the radio and at parties. I liked what I heard, I still like it...

...but I gotta say, I think I like this one more. Diamond's mixes are raw as hell, like tossing lighter fluid onto a hot grill. It's been 20 years since the initial release, but here's a record that sounds alive, vital, like the spit you shoot into the eye of someone who's been kicking the hell out of you.

The "Diamond Edition" got released back on Bandcamp Friday in August, and I'm kinda bummed I've missed it for four months until now. Old pal Henry Owings revamped the original Eric Wheeler photograph for a all-new, spare cover. All proceeds generated by the digital release will be donated to Black Queer & Intersectional Collective and Columbus Freedom Fund. So, it's really a simple thing: download the original, long out-of-print, then go drop a bit of coin towards a pair of good causes. It's the holidays, for cripes' sake. And let's hope 2021 sees a physical release!

Discogs

Click here to download "Nightmare Scenario".

Click here to download "Nightmare Scenario (Diamond Edition)".

Hüsker Dü - live at First Avenue, 28 August 1985

This is another that I share courtesy of the always-outstanding [shiny grey monotone], whose link has expired, so hopefully they won't be too salty about me reposting. Their original post came two days after Grant Hart died. It's something I've wanted to bootleg ever since. Too bad I've been beat to the punch, like, a million times.

This is Hüsker Dü, playing on their own home turf of First Avenue in Minneapolis, August 1985, right before the release of "Flip Your Wig". The track list reflects this: leading off with the first three tracks from "Flip", then a mix of new cuts and tracks from "Zen Arcade" and "New Day Rising". Not bad at all. It was originally recorded/broadcast for Spin Radio. Volcano Suns and Bad Trip opened.

While I still prefer to listen to "New Day Rising", "Flip Your Wig" was my first ever Dü record, purchased on cassette from the back of a video store in Harford County circa 1994. So I have some very strong feels whenever I hear anything off the LP, remembering bombing around in my mom's Merkur after school, singing along with "Makes No Sense At All", smoking Jacks cigarettes I bought from the Wawa down the road from the house (99 cents a pack!), hating so much of my life even though I probably should have known it was all going to be ok.

Original post here.

Click here to download.

Pure Junk - Pure Junk

Pure Junk was Nolen Strals (Post Typography) on vocals, Ben Claasen ("Dirt Farm") on bass, Alex Fine (Alex Fine Illustration) on guitar, and Chris LaMartina (Midnight Crew Studios) on drums and backups. This is what happens when four amazing, hilarious artists get together to start a punk rock band. If memory serves (and it really doesn't at 3 in the morning), these guys got together sometime shortly after Double Dagger broke up. It was my favorite of the post-DD bands; while I loved Roomrunner and sought out Peals shows, I can't recall missing a single Pure Junk show. Their fliers were handfolded mini-comics. Their songs were proletariat rock, barks and clangs about what it's like to make art outside of the edges of celebrity. Of course I adored them...so much so that they were my personal pick to play with my band at our last show. If you like shoddy, fuzzed out video that I probably shot on a Blackberry, then you'll LOVE this video of Pure Junk playing "Teething".

Now, the fucked part about this record is that some fella in DC paid for the recording and put this out, only it came out a year after they broke up and a year after I left Baltimore. Before I left, I begged Nolen to let me bootleg it onto a cassette, just so they could sell something at shows. So I'm not even certain how I laid paws on it. Maybe it was when I went back to town to pick up stuff from the old house and burnt my hands with boiling water? Maybe Nolen sent me one? Anywho...this record was mad under-heard, and I'm pretty sure never hit Bandcamp, so I don't feel band about sharing it here at all. The download came with an extra song that wasn't on the 7". Like Minutemen? Then you'll probably dig this.

Discogs

Click here to download.

Bad Brains X John Yates

If you follow him on Instagram, then you're probably already hip to John Yates' take on the classic graphic design aesthetic behind Blue Note Records. John kicked off his "Punk Note" series in May, with a killer take on "Here Are The Sonics", influenced by Reid Miles' covers for the timeless jazz label in the 50s and 60s. As John notes in his initial posting, "I took [Miles's] aesthetic and applied a history of punk filter. I took 1965 as my starting point, and took it through to 1990, the year before “punk broke” #sonicyouth. There are going to be bands/musicians I either missed, or chose to leave out, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time." 200 covers and a month later, he'd covered a huge swath of punk history. And all of it, as you'd expect, looked pretty grand.

While that was taking place, the Bad Brains were consolidating chunks of their back catalog under their dormant Bad Brains Records label. Teaming with California's Org Music, the DC/NY hardcore legends had regained the masters to all of their records from their first 10 years in existence, excepting 1986's "I Against I" (still under control of SST Records). They relaunched their website and solicited preorders for the first round of reissues, due to launch in February 2021.

Now, you're probably like me, in that you own every Bad Brains record you want to own, often times in multiple formats. I have my Caroline CD of "Rock For Light" that I bought from Stikky Fingers in Fells Point sometime around 1996, a yellow shell copy of "Bad Brains" that I snagged on eBay a few months ago, and my Victory Records picture disc 10" of "The Omega Sessions". Having copped that 2019 "Black Dots" vinyl reissue when it came out, I don't need any more Bad Brains records any more.

BUT, part of this reissue campaign involves Sr. Yates doing limited edition "Punk Note" covers for the BB's first, second, and fourth records. Over the next year, Bad Brains Records will reissue "Bad Brains", "Rock For Light", and "Quickness" on limited-to-1,000-pieces colored vinyl, featuring a redesigned cover. "Bad Brains" (aka the ROIR tape) comes in green, "Rock For Light" on yellow, and "Quickness" on red. "Rock For Light" is even reverting to its original 1983 mix and track order, a great development if, like me, you've only had access to the 1991 Ocasek/Jennifer remix. And as used to the lightning bolt hitting the Capitol Building as I am, the design and photography on these reissues is simply phenomenal.

One can preorder "Bad Brains", as well as a new pressing of the "Pay To Cum" 7", at Bad Brains Records now. Both are shipping spring 2021.

various artists - Punk Rock Jukebox

It's a point of pride that I post something (damn near) every day, so to be off my pace this month has been a bit troubling. I've also hit the dregs of what I've already uploaded, and am long overdue for a deep update. The holidays, everybody. Being a human being doesn't make it easy to blog.

The first of the two "Punk Rock Jukebox" comps released by NYC's Blackout! was a record that people were constantly calling in requests for when I did my radio show in the late 90s. But the only standout things about it at the time were Deadguy covering Black Flag and the pretty great Jim Blanchard cover illustration. So I was ok with not buying it. No great loss picking up one of the few contemporary punk comps I saw at Camelot Music, I thought.

However, it was via osmosis and the mix tape that I ended up hearing most of this, albeit out of order. It was the first time I'd ever heard a Cock Sparrer song (played by the criminally underrated Swingin' Utters). Leeway's appearance here had me tracking down the Zero Boys. And, eventually, I broke down a copped a slab, slapping down a few bucks to ensure I had a copy of Murphy's Law covering Fleetwood Mac/the Revillos.

Old-ass me has nothing left to prove, so I revisited this a few months back and, yeah, it probably wouldn't have been worth the $14.99 list price back in 1995, but few things were. As a download, or a thrift store find, it's really quite good, with the only duds coming from some band called Waterdog and, to no one's surprise, Sublime's cover of "We're Only Going To Die For Our Own Arrogance". Not bad, considering there's 23 tracks here...

Discogs

Click here to download.

Empire - Expensive Sound

I didn't grow up in DC, per se, but what happened there musically in the 80s and 90s had an outsized influence on my taste. And like any good lil record nerd, I chased every band mentioned in an interview with Ian MacKaye or on a Jawbox flier. As a result, I have a metric fuckton of really obscure, but great, CDs in my collection that go for $5-$15 a piece on Discogs, due to lake of knowledge.

The Empire LP, "Expensive Sound", is one of those rarities, a record notable for its members' lineage and the influence it had on a few key players in the DC hardcore scene. Those members were Mark Laff and Bob Derwood Andrews, late of Generation X before that outfit turned outright into the Billy Idol show. Andrews and Laff both found themselves at odds with Idol's and bassist Tony James' goals to embrace a more mainstream sound and look for the band, and started Empire in London with Simon Bernal from experimental collective MLR.

What they turned out was a post-punk record that one could argue is proto-emo in sound. When I listen to this, I hear exactly where the fellas in Embrace were coming from musically when they made their self-titled record in 1986. That continues throughout the Dischord catalog into the 90s, with bands like Ignition, Soul Side, and 3 wearing the influence on their musical sleeves.

What I'm sharing here comes from the 2003 reissue of "Expensive Sound", expanded with seven unreleased tracks and a quartet of live cuts from 1981. Released by Northern Virginia's Poorly Packaged Products, it was followed up in 2006 with another CD of previously unissued Empire recordings; I've never seen a copy of that one in the wild. The folks at Drastic Plastic in Omaha also put out a really nice vinyl reissue a few years back that is 100% worth snagging at $15.

Discogs

Click here to download.

Reason To Believe ‎– When Reason Sleeps Demons Dance

I shared the Reason To Believe EP, "The Next Door", last month, so I figured it'd make sense to follow that up with their only LP. "When Reason Sleeps Demons Dance" featured an all-new rhythm section joining vocalist Jon Bunch and guitarist Chris Evenson. It's a bit more melodic than the EP, a bit more hardcore than the Sense Field demo that'd come out almost simultaneously with this release on Nemesis.

I have no first hand experience with how this was received; I was all of 12 when it came out: at least two years away from having any sense of what DIY was, or knowing even who the Sex Pistols were. I can only imagine, based on the timing of this release with the Sense Field demo, was that it was a classic tale of a break-up just as the record's ready. Which shouldn't take away from the fact that it's quite good.

Discogs

Click here to download.

Gang Of Four - The Peel Sessions (Album)

The O.G. lineup of Gang Of Four (King/Gill/Allen/Burnham) made four years of perfect post-punk from 1978-1981. That's not to downplay the "Songs Of The Free"/"Hard" catalog backend featuring Sara Lee or Jon Astrop on bass, but, let's face it, I'm not whipping out that live 12" of "Is It Love" any time soon. Give me "To Hell With Poverty!" or "Armalite Rifles" or "At Home He's A Tourist" and watch me dance. I'll take the agitprop any day.

I actually turned up a copy of "The Peel Sessions" long before I ever got any of G4's studio recordings, and the rawness of these three sessions probably colored my opinion of the group moreso than most other fans. The lack of overdubs or effects really puts me in the room in a way that their studio cuts, love them as I do, just can't. It's immediate, pulsing, sexy. I tip the cap to ol' Hank Rollins for ensuring their two Warner Bros. records got a comprehensive reissue via Infinite Zero around the time I finished high school, but this was my introduction. And it was fucking good.

I'd love to hear why this, amongst many other Peel Sessions records that found their way to the States via D.E.I., hasn't been reissued in 30 years. I know there's still an appetite for hearing these recordings, and it seems like a shame that someone hasn't stepped up to make sure there's ready access to them.

Discogs

Click here to download.

Drive - Discography 1988-1993

British punk bands were excellent examples of never judging a book (or record) by its cover. Case in point: Drive, an early 90s punk-pop band from Birkenhead, up by Liverpool, in the northwest of the United Kingdom.

Take a look at that cover below. Or look at promo photos of Ned's Atomic Dustin. Or Mega City 4. Or Snuff. Or any number of DIY punk bands from all over the U.K. who flew below the radar of the weekly press and got nary a mention in the States amongst any but the die-hard. If all you knew was how they looked, you might blow them off completely, because how the fuck could they be any good?

BUT, if I told you that Drive could be favorably compared to the likes of ALL or Big Drill Car or even Warner Bros.-era Hüsker Dü, you'd give that a listen, right? Because we all love some fast, melodic, youthful pre-Green Day, radio friendish punk rock.

I learned about these cats courtesy of the Can't Say boys, who borrowed a bit of their sound and the name of their follow-up project from Drive.

Here's your reminder to always pay special attention to the weird-looking ones. They always have the best sounds.

Discogs

Click here to download.

Regulations - Different Needs E.P.

Here's the final Regulations 7", and the penultimate recording of, arguably, my favorite Umeå band (you heard me!). Released on Havoc in three pressings here in the States, and co-released by Ny Våg Records and P. Trash Records in Europe, this came out around the time of Regulations' second U.S. tour. Which was the tits. It's a bloody shame that the hard drive holding all the pictures I took at that show has disappeared.

Have you not checked out the other two Regulations posts? Have you no clue what to expect? Imagine, if you will, a melding of late 70s Swedish punk rock, the Dils/Weirdos/Randoms portions of Dangerhouse, and an aggressive sprinkling of 90s skate culture. Now distill it through Euro leftism and youth culture, and you have the "Different Needs" E.P.

And if you don't get any of those references, then, I dunno, short, snotty, and fast punk rock songs?

I am constitutionally obliged to point out that the 3rd and final pressing of this record is available for one measly dollar via Felix von Havoc's eponymous label, which, honestly, is 20% of what I happily paid for a copy back in 2007. There's a part of me that wants to order 10 and send them out at random to folks who have never heard this record; that's how strongly I feel about the band.

Discogs

Click here to download.

No Stagediving

The best laid plans of mice and men called for an in-depth, last Bandcamp Friday of 2020 blog, detailing all the stuff on my wishlist that I'd spend money I don't really have on, all in the name of supporting the little guy.

And then I took a nap after work, laid in bed with my wife, watched "Bob's Burgers" and ate too much Jack in the Box. What I'm saying is, I turned into a real turd this evening.

So I'll limit comment here to an ongoing project supporting artists from Baltimore and organized by the team at the Ottobar. Readers here know I'm an Ottobar alum, having worked the door, mopped the floors, backed the bar, and played the stage. From its first location on Davis St., to its present haunt at 26th and Howard, it was my spot until I split town in 2014. Even still, it's where Mrs. Ape and I will plan to meet friends for a drink should we ever make it back home.

Organized by Jerrod and Steve, and backed by Tecla, Todd, and Dana of the Ottobar's management, "No Stagediving" is a two-volume, 106 track collection of Baltimore past and present, grouped solely by having appeared onstage at 2549 Howard St. Some names, you'll already know: Future Islands, Dan Deacon, Lower Dens, and Wye Oak. Baltimore punk, hardcore, and emo also represents, with 90s groups like Cross My Heart and Daybreak mixing with current leading lights like War on Women and Truth Cult. It's one of the few surveys available covering any sort of historical swath of Baltimore hip-hop, as Labtekwon, Rye Rye, and Soul Cannon all turn up. If it's played that stage, it's probably turned up here.

Each collection is a $10 donation and, as happens every Bandcamp Friday, all proceeds go to the bar and bands. Get into the City that Breeds.

Bandcamp

various artists - The Gearhead Records ThingMaker

Ah, Gearhead Records. Along with Carbon 14 and Estrus Records, they were the leading light of the greaser punk scene that screeched into prominence in the last part of the 20th century. They were led by a Pittsburgh expat in S.F. named Mike Lavella, who'd played bass in Half Life, then headed west on a cross-country roadtrip combining three chords and a 442 engine, along with his partner Michelle Haunold. The duo had taste in spades, programming the annual Gearfest festival and carshow and publishing Gearhead Magazine. They gave the Hellacopters and New Bomb Turks a home base, and championed the likes of "Demons" and the Riverboat Gamblers. I remember Mike being the first to really talk about the Hives, and how they could become the biggest rock 'n' roll band ever (it almost happened).

2003's "The Gearhead Records ThingMaker", their second label sampler, stands as the high-water mark for the Bay Area label. The Turks were wrapping up their hallowed career that year. The Hives were wrapping up work on their first major label record. "Demons" were going on hiatus, and the Hellacopters had embraced their inner stoner. Bands like Million Dollar Marxists (featuring a young Steve Adamyk) and Turbo A.C.'s were queued for records, but didn't capture the imagination or interest of fans the way their predecessors did. Hell, maybe we were all just so stoked that the Stooges were back together that we didn't have the bandwidth to pay attention to up and comers.

Anyhow...I won't say every song here is a hit, but it sure is listenable, whether you're wrenching on your car, vacuuming the house, or writing a few hundred word long blog post. Most of these were previously released on a Gearhead record; the last four cuts feature unreleased tracks from the Turks, Turbo A.C.'s, American Heartbreak, and the cleverly-named Rock 'N' Roll Soldiers. There's not a dud in the bunch. It's well worth your $3 plus shipping.

Discogs

Click here to download.

Shout! Factory in December

From "The Rising Hawk" (Akhtem Seitablayev/John Wynn, 2019)

I can sit here and spend your reading time bitching about what a kick in the dick 2020 has been (and, make no mistake, it has been a size 12 steel-toed boot to the testes for almost everyone). But once a month since May, I've hunkered down and detailed every single release Shout! Factory has put out on their various imprints. I would have never gotten to do that if I hadn't been laid off, or locked inside due to COVID, or gotten a job with a company overseas working from home. That's been cool. So let's finish a day late and a dollar short: here's December.

December 1

I am an absolute sucker for Movies For Guys Who Like Movies (TM TNT, 1992). Shout! Factory releases a lot of the direct-to-video, spiritual grandchildren of Cannon and American International. Here we have last year's "The Rising Hawk: Battle for the Carpathians", starring the T-1000, Elsa Schneider, and Chibs. Without having seen a trailer or done anything more than read a logline, I'm preemptively scoring this a 7 out of 10 on the MFGWLM Meter. It's Mongols versus Carpathians, shot on location in Ukraine, and featuring heroism in the face of otherwhelming odds. I wonder who's going to win. This sort of title sells a shit ton via Walmart, which isn't a dig; I just see their racking full on Tuesday and clear within a week. Look for it on Blu-ray or DVD!

If you're treating your fella to a copy of "The Rising Hawk" for his Christmas stocking, why not treat yourself to a copy of James D'Arcy's 2020 film "Made In Italy"? The English actor, who I know best from playing Anthony Hopkins in "Hitchcock", made his writing and directorial debut this year with this tale of a London widower who travels to Tuscany with his estranged son to sell the villa of his now-dead wife. Comic hijinx ensue? Five will get you ten that father and son discover some things about their relationship, and that they each find people to help them live again. I like that Liam Neeson still makes these kind of movies, alternating Brit-roms and B-shooters. There's comfort in that fact. Also available on Blu-ray or DVD. Get one for your auntie with all the cats!

Last, but certainly not least, is the debut thriller from Dave Franco, "The Rental", who I believe to be the more likeable of the two Francos. Starring personal fav Alison Brie, "Downton Abbey" hunk Dan Stevens, the fella who plays Lip on "Shameless", and the incredibly underrated Sheila Vand, it reads like a siege story, with two couples stuck in an Oregon vacation house by an unknown threat, all while slowly losing trust in each other. Joe Swanberg ("Easy", "Drinking Buddies") co-wrote the screenplay with Franco. This one's right up my alley. It feels creepy, the trailer is really well cut together, and it sure seems that Toby Huss might be the villain in this one. I hope this ends up in my stocking, Santa.

December 8

I've yet to have a chance to mention it here, so credit where credit's due: Shout! does a fantastic job with their baseball championship releases. I've ended up with a few of these over the years, and even though my beloved Orioles have yet to receive their own volume, these Blu-rays are always entertaining if you're a baseball fan. This year celebrates the first L.A. Dodgers World Series win in 32 years, as the likes of Mookie Betts, Clayton Kershaw, and WS MVP Corey Seager overcame years of disappointing playoff finishes with a 6-game win over Tampa Bay. Diehards will want to wait for the Collector's Edition that comes out in February; that version costs three times as much, but features eight complete games (all six World Series contests, plus the NLCS and NLDS clinchers). But if you weren't around in 1988 for Kirk Gibson and Orel Hershiser bringing home the trophy, you'll probably want a copy of this to watch while waiting for the 2021 season to begin.

December 15

I remember how hyped we all were for November's "MacShayne" release. But I hope you held onto a bit of that excitement for December, since another volume of Kenny Rogers TV movies has arrived. 1981's "Coward of the County" and 1985's "Wild Horses" were helmed by long-time TV director (and 2nd unit director on "Piranha II"!) Dick Lowry, and starred the Gambler himself, garnering the kind of ratings on CBS that would make a network exec ejaculate with joy in 2020. Was this all just a clever ruse to work "ejaculate" into a preview? Bet your ass it was. Sorry, hi-def fans: this is a DVD-only release. Get ready to upscale!

Back in the day, before Scream Factory became a whole thing, Shout! Factory was known for their MST3K sets and the vintage cartoon boxes they released. They originally put out the "Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales" Complete Collection back in 2012, but they're reissuing it here, I'm assuming in a more value-oriented package. It would appear that all the extras in the 2012 version still apply here, so you're no worse or better off if you already own the original copy. I have few frames of reference to "Tennessee Tuxedo": I remember an old boss calling a co-worker Chumley, and it came from the same studio that put out "Underdog". So this is either completely your thing, or you have no clue what I'm talking about. Moving on...

GKids continues their series of Studio Ghibli steelbook reissues with "Spirited Away" and "Castle In The Sky". That leaves only "Porco Rosso" and "The Wind Rises" to be released in this steelbook packaging. You're either a collector of these, or you're not. But as I've said before, it's a great excuse to add copies of Miyazaki films that you don't already own, in a package that looks really sharp. Truth be told: I've been considering selling off my older versions and replacing them with these. At $27 a pop, they're not inexpensive, but I bet they look great on a shelf.

2011's "From Up On Poppy Hill" ("コクリコ坂から") was the first theatrical release in the partnership between Studio Ghibli and GKids here in the States. Director Gorō Miyazaki's second feature told the story of two students working to save their school's clubhouse from demolition, and remains incredibly well-regarded in the ten years since its Japanese release. The video was originally distributed via New Video, so its been long overdue for a reissue under the Shout!/GKids umbrella. Available once again as either a combo pack or standalone DVD, the "Poppy Hill" set has a ton of extras and a really good reminder that Papa Hayao isn't the only great filmmaker in the Miyazaki clan.

From "The Rental" (Dave Franco, 2020)

It's a very short month, as Decembers tend to be. And, as with some of the other video houses, there will be a three week holiday until the first batch of January releases. But when those come...oooh, boy! A pair of John Carpenter classics come to UHD, the new "Lupin III" feature makes its home video debut here in the States, and Araki Joh's "Bartender" finally gets a US debut via a 15th anniversary box set. All this, plus pithy commentary, in less than 30 days. Be there...aloha.