Milch

"Fried Food, the Moon, and a Bitchy Song about Catfights."

Saw Neko Case last night on SummerStage in Central Park. Goddamn floored me. She's the queen of country noir, for sure. Like Patsy Cline playing the lead in a David Lynch movie and cracking wise to boot. A damn beautiful night with Neko's voice cutting through the park. And Kelly Hogan was stunning at her side.

Black Orchid Blues

Rotten news: Just received word that Black Orchid, the coolest bookstore in NYC, is closing in September.

Good news: Neko Case is playing on the Central Park SummerStage tonight. Can't goddamn wait.

Some other stuff from the last couple of weeks:

Albums I've been listening to:
Bruce Springsteen, Live in Dublin
Junior Kimbrough, You Better Run
R.L. Burnside, Burnside on Burnside
Neil Young, Live at Massey Hall
Porter Wagoner, Wagonmaster

Movies I've watch and enjoyed:
The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh
Sex and Fury
Femal Yakuza Tale
Black Snake Moan
Turkish Pop Cinema Double Bill
Mouchette
You're Gonna Miss Me

TV:
John from Cincinnati (Does anybody else think it's damn good?)
catching up on Carnivale

Books:
The Dogs of Winter, Kem Nunn
Spirit of Place, Lawrence Durrell
Reading Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises, H.R. Stoneback
The Rabbit Factory, Larry Brown
The Tin Roof Blowdown, James Lee Burke

Now Your Body Has Cravings

Jetlagged after a long flight home from Italy, I woke up Saturday morning at 4:30 and watched two movies: Craig Brewer's Black Snake Moan and Norifumi Suzuki's Sex & Fury.

First off, Black Snake Moan was as good as I'd hoped it would be. Better even. I mean you can't really go wrong with Samuel L. Jackson as a gentle old bluesman and an emaciated Christina Ricci hopping around in her underpants trying to fuck the paint off the walls-- Even if it had been bad, it would have been damn good. But it's damn good without being terribly campy. And it's fitting that the film is dedicated to R.L. Burnside, as it echoes everything that works so well in his music. Plus you get to hear Sam Jackson singing "Stack-O-Lee."

As for Sex and Fury, what can you really say about a movie that features--twelve minutes in-- a naked Reiko Ike battling a dozen men in the snow with a samurai sword? Nothing really. See it.

Pure Opiate Pleasure

Thuglit and Wagonmaster

I have a story called "Death Don't Have No Mercy" in issue 17 of Thuglit. I believe it's just what you've goddamn well been looking for.

I'm listening to Porter Wagoner's Wagonmaster right now, and it's damn good. Word on the street is that Porter and Grinderman (Nick Cave's new band) are opening for the White Stripes at Madison Square Garden this month. Sounds like one hell of a show. Gonna try to score tickets. Strange that Porter and Nick Cave will be opening for Jack and Meg -- seems like it should be the other way around -- but it should be damn great.