No. 30: Monsters + Steves + GBV + Tennessee bees
Well, hey there!
How's your spring? I just returned from Tennessee, where I spent my birthday sucking down cold beverages, basking in central air and catching up with friends 'n' family. I really miss living down there ... though I'd forgotten about all the bugs. Those carpenter bees are out in full force!
What I'm into right now:
A few things shaking my tail feathers:
TV: I just caught up with VEEP, which is such a smart show about not-so-smart people. If you have HBO for GAME OF THRONES (like many of us), now's a good time to binge VEEP. Seasons 1 and 2 are also available via Amazon Prime.
MUSIC: I'm down with the new Modest Mouse song, "I'm Still Here" ... And Tim Heidecker's new video for "When I Get Up" is far more entertaining than the one he pitches in the video. Tim's new record arrives June 7, and his weekly OFFICE HOURS podcast is a personal fave.
FESTIVALS: Speaking of Tennessee, the folks behind Bonnaroo are putting together a metal-y, nostalgic fall fest called Exit 111. This three-day October event also takes place in Manchester, Tenn., and the lineup includes Guns N Roses, Def Leppard, Slayer, Megadeth, Deftones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ministry, Mastodon and lots more. Even if this isn't your scene, you probably know someone who'd love to go -- shout-out to my brother! -- so pass it on.
BOOK: I'm in the middle of Jon Savage's oral history of Joy Division, THE SEARING LIGHT, THE SUN AND EVERYTHING ELSE. It's great, as is anything that reminds us to listen to Joy Division. (By the way, it's been more than 10 years, but I'm still amazed we got a whole Ian Curtis movie. Sounds like Anton Corbijn's next film is a U2 concert doc.)
WEB SERIES: PBS just debuted MONSTRUM, a cool YouTube series that delves into "monsters and myths that have shaped who we are." Hosted by lit professor/monster expert Emily Zarka, it sheds light on all sorts of stuff, starting with Nordic draugr, which may have inspired GAME OF THRONES' White Walkers.
MOVIES: It's cool that Tim Burton's BATMAN is returning to theaters for its 30th anniversary. Head to Fathom Events' site to see if it'll land in your town on May 4.
READING: Matt Zoller Seitz's story about DEADWOOD creator David Milch is beautifully written and so very sad. In it, Milch speaks about his Alzheimer's diagnosis and the DEADWOOD movie, which airs May 31 on HBO.
And YOU recommend:
MUSIC: Natalie says she may be late to the party on shoegaze- and post-punk-influenced band Starflyer 59, "but it's the first time I've listened to them, and I really love the new record." Stream the new album here, and check out this companion Spotify playlist to catch up with their previous work. ... Many of you are digging Priests' new record, THE SEDUCTION OF KANSAS. Says Joey: "I described it to a friend as Yeah Yeah Yeahs-meets-The Cure. They were a blast live in Philly, and (shameless self-promotion) I interviewed them before the show and they were super-nice and chatty."
TV: One reader left a voicemail to say he's watching Season 3 of KIM'S CONVENIENCE on Netflix. And several of you are loving Season 2 of KILLING EVE.
MOVIES: Chris dug the L7 documentary, PRETEND WE'RE DEAD (now on Amazon Prime). "I love the band and saw them in a small club during the SLAP-HAPPY era," he says. "Worth a view!" (Related: Here's a brand new song from L7, which is about to release its first new record in 20 years.)
BOOKS: Eric highly recommends Brian Raftery's BEST MOVIE YEAR EVER.: HOW 1999 BLEW UP THE BIG SCREEN. "Basically, the book takes you through the movies of 1999 and argues that that was the greatest year in movie history. And I think it makes a strong case."... Leanne is into WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens, which has ruled the New York Times Best Sellers list for months. "It's about a young girl abandoned on the swampy coast of North Carolina," she says (and I'm already onboard). "It's really well-written, and (it makes me) feel like I live in the swamp -- and that's a good thing."
WHAT ABOUT YOU? Share what you're into via email or text/voicemail at 929-515-1988. I'll share your recs in a future newsletter!
Cool recs from ... author and 'Weekend Update' co-producer Scott Weinstein!
This week I'm thrilled to have guest recommendations from Scott Weinstein. For the last 20 years, Scott has worked at SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, where he co-produces "Weekend Update." Somehow, he found the time to write his first YA book, TEAM OF STEVES, which just went on sale. The clever tale follows what happens when a high-schooler collides with three versions of himself from different dimensions.
A few things Scott is loving right now:
- NORSE MYTHOLOGY audiobook, written and narrated by Neil Gaiman. I picked this up because I was intrigued by the original myth behind THOR: RAGNAROK, but I was quickly swept up in all of the other stories of the Norse Gods. They are fascinating, flawed beings, and Neil Gaiman does an amazing job capturing the qualities that made him want to tell their tales in the first place. The big surprise for me was how awesome Neil Gaiman is as a narrator, making the audiobook version a must.
- THE FIFTH SEASON by N.K. Jemisin. This is an outstanding sci-fi story about a distant future Earth that is seismically unstable. Every few decades the planet is racked by a devastating earthquake, which they call the “Fifth Season.” This forces the people to live their lives constantly preparing for a recurring end-of-the-world event. Smaller earthquakes are prevented between seasons by orogenes, who are people with the ability to control the ground. The catch is everyone else in this world hates and fears them. This book contains fantastic world-building. It is also a very powerful allegory for race relations. But what made this book so compelling for me are the characters Jemisin creates. All are distinct, full people who I was rooting for ... no matter their goals. I loved this book.
- BARON FIG SQUIRE ROLLERBALL PEN. I wrote out my book TEAM OF STEVES in longhand. The reason for that has nothing to do with being retro; I simply can’t trust myself writing directly into the computer. (The second I got stuck on a word, I’d go online. That would kill a half-hour ... if I was lucky.) So I got a plain old spiral notebook and a pen and got to work. For most of the book, I used a disposable Uniball 207 Gel pen. It has a smooth flow and doesn’t smear. It wasn’t until I was on my last draft of the book that I discovered the Baron Fig Squire Rollerball Pen. (Which I learned about thanks to a New York magazine ranking of pens that Whitney posted.) It looks beautiful and feels amazing to write with. It’s well balanced, simple and the ink comes out smoothly.
Thanks, Scott! Pick up TEAM OF STEVES (I'm quoted on the back!), and follow him on Twitter and/or Instagram for more updates.
New releases 'n' premieres:
TV/STREAMING:
- REMASTERED: DEVIL AT THE CROSSROADS delves into the story of Robert Johnson (Netflix, April 26);
- Uma Thurman stars in the supernatural drama CHAMBERS (Netflix, April 26);
- The delightful SHE-RA AND THE PRINCESSES OF POWER returns for Season 2 (Netflix, April 26);
- See The Cure, Stevie Nicks and other fab folks be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (HBO, April 27);
- Samantha Bee rules the NOT THE WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' DINNER (Comedy Central, April 27);
- W. Kamau Bell brings us more UNITED SHADES OF AMERICA (CNN, April 28);
- The doc KNOCK DOWN THE HOUSE follows the 2018 congressional campaigns of four women (Netflix, May 1).
IN THEATERS (ALL OUT APRIL 26):
- AVENGERS: ENDGAME arrives;
- Kristen Stewart and Laura Dern star in J.T. LEROY;
- The doc NUREYEV dances its way into select cities, as does the Nureyev biopic THE WHITE CROW.
MUSIC (OUT APRIL 26):
- Guided by Voices brings us WARP AND WOOF;
- Craig Finn releases I NEED A NEW WAR;
- Local Natives returns with VIOLET STREET;
- The Cranberries releases their final album, IN THE END.
BOOKS (ON SALE APRIL 30):
- HOLLYWOOD, HER STORY tells an "illustrated history of women and the movies";
- Nolan Gasser gets into WHY YOU LIKE IT: THE SCIENCE AND CULTURE OF MUSICAL TASTE;
- Paul Stanley shares his BACKSTAGE PASS;
- Holy moly, Seth has finally finished CLYDE FANS;
- I can't wait to see ALIENATION by Ines Estrada;
- Dustin Lance Black releases his memoir, MAMA'S BOY;
- Tiffanie DeBartolo writes and Pascal Dizin illustrates the graphic novel GRACE: BASED ON THE JEFF BUCKLEY STORY; and
- Frank Decaro pens DRAG: COMING THROUGH THE BIG WIGS OF SHOW BUSINESS.
AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WE LOVE YOU:
April 26: Carol Burnett, Patricia Reilly Giff, Giancarlo Esposito, Roger Taylor, Joan Chen
April 27: Anouk Aimee, Kate Pierson, Sheena Easton, Sally Hawkins
April 28: Ann-Margret (pictured), Mary McDonnell, Roberto Bolaño, Kim Gordon, Jorge Garcia
April 29: Willie Nelson, Jerry Seinfeld, Daniel Day-Lewis, Eve Plumb, Uma Thurman
April 30: Annie Dillard, Bill Plympton, Wayne Kramer, Jane Campion, Amanda Palmer, Kirsten Dunst, Mac DeMarco
May 1: Joanna Lumley, Sally Mann, D'Arcy Wretzky, Wes Anderson, Katya Zamolodchikova
May 2: David Suchet, Christine Baranski, Ellie Kemper
Thanks for all the fish!
See you next week! And remember: Shyness is nice, but shyness can stop you from doing all the things in life you'd like to -- like emailing or texting/calling me at 929-515-1988.
If you wanna send me stuff, email me for my correct mailing address. Would you like to advertise or hire me as a freelance writer/editor/speaker? Again, shoot me an email. . And please help spread the word on social media! Tag me at @whitneymatheson (Twitter) and @thewhitneymatheson (Instagram).
Hip to be square,
Marvin Berry
"There are certain pursuits which, if not wholly poetic and true, do at least suggest a nobler and finer relation to nature than we know. The keeping of bees, for instance."
- Henry David Thoreau
"I don't mind bees and think we are all the better for having them around. I like the taste of honey."
- Henry Rollins