Week of January 1, Rye Whiskey

Let's train ourselves to type 2012 on all our documents!
Here's a little list of cool shit for you.

1) Punch Brothers

I'm a total sucker for a mandolin-banjo-violin country/blues/jazz combo.Oh Lordy can these boys play that sweet American music. Of course they also strongly appeal to our modern hipster sensitivities (i.e they're from Brooklyn, not Tennessee). Think "O' Brother Where Art Thou" to get quick a understanding, and watch this performance of Rye Whiskey. It's not the only style they play, but it's my favorite.

2) Game of Thrones

I finally figured out how to work my HBO on Demand (well what, I have a busy life) and decided now was the time to discover Game of Thrones, the medieval fantasy HBO series that is not totally unlike Lord of The Rings but more soap opera-y. It's well made, a lot of fun to watch and utterly addictive. Plus Peter Dinklage, the only dwarf in Hollywood, plays the most clever and witty character in the show.

3) JAZZ, the film by Ken Burns

This film could otherwise be called: An Ode to Louis Armstrong, narrated by Winton Marsalis (I kid, sort of). It really is a comprehensive look at the birth and evolution of Jazz music. Like all Ken Burns documentaries, it's extremely dense, so it will require repeat viewing. It's also awesome.

4) The Big Rich by Bryan Burrough

This book chronicles the life and times of the four biggest Texas oil families; the Hunts, the Cullens, The Murchisons and Sid Richardson (whose nephews consisted of the Bass family). Believe it or not, I'm still reading the thing and haven't yet finished, but that's my own damn fault. It's a great book and advances the very interesting hypotheses that Big Oil money changed the game of politics in America. But there's other stuff too! Like the crazy way these guys lived and made money. Thanks, Big Oil.

5) A Crude Awakening: After the Oil Crash

Speaking of oil, this documentary about our dependence on oil talks about the disturbing fact that oil ain't gonna last forever. The creation of fossil fuels was a once in a lifetime phenomenon caused by a perfect confluence of factors, and once they're gone... Baby, they're gone (eek!).


I saw Book of Mormon too. But everyone knows it's great so I don't need to talk about it.