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Ghostface Killah – Fishscale (Def Jam)
I haven’t decided yet if this is Ghostface’s best album, but it’s certainly his most explosive. He’s tempered his paranoia with understanding, the demeanor of a wise man even, and ratched up the energy and intensity.
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Manual – Bajamar (Darla)
Another gorgeous musical landscape from this Danish ambient/electronic musician.
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The Books with Jose Gonzalez and Death Vessel – International House (Philadelphia) – Saturday, March 25, 2006
A really fantastic night. Death Vessel were an intriguing start, Jose Gonzalez sang his unique songs with surprising immediacy, and the Books’ multi-media performance was the perfect blend of ideas and humor.
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Merle Haggard – Sing Me Back Home (Capitol)
A country classic, from 1968. Barroom ballads of heartbreak, plus some great sing-along anthems for the road.
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Tony Bennett and Count Basie – Bennett and Basie Strike Up the Band (Roulette)
The first day this week when the weather was particularly nice and warm, I got this album out and for some reason it really matched my mood. I played it five times straight, enjoying it every time.
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Jay Dee aka J Dilla – Donuts (Stones Throw)
This infinity loop (donut) of spacey hip-hop instrumentals hasn’t strayed too far from my grasp since its release a few months ago. Intoxicating stuff.
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Bubble®
I can’t entirely recommend this recent Stephen Soderbergh-directed film, but I found it interesting. It has a rather simplistic plot, and a just as simplistic take on small-town life, but the non-professional actors, and the overall mood of the film, are full of feeling.
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The Bedford Diaries (Wedesdays, WB)
I watched the pilot episode of this solely because it was partly created by Homicide producer Tom Fontana. This show’s no Homicide, but I’m still finding it enjoyable. Even though the plot is kind of ridiculous, especially the notion that an impossible-to-get-into college course would include so many people whose lives already intersect outside of class. But something about the show is heartfelt, or at least watchable (so far).
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Top Chef (Wednesdays, Bravo)
Top Chef is essentially Project Runway with chefs instead of fashion designers…which makes it just as compelling as that show, just as easy to get wrapped up in.
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The New Adventures of Old Christine (Mondays, CBS)
I haven’t kept up with each episode of this relatively new show, but the two I saw were real funny, much better than you’d expect from a new sitcom, especially one starring someone from Seinfeld (considering the trail of failed shows from former Seinfeld cast members). It’s even on the same night and channel as the other new-ish sitcom that I really like, How I Met Your Mother. Combine those with the Thursday night NBC pairing of My Name Is Earl and The Office, plus the occasional Scrubs episode on Tuesdays, and I’ve turned into a sitcom watcher. How’d that happen?
