Midweek Cafe and Lounge, Vol. 237

If I hadn’t been so swamped that I really barely paid much attention to the election outcomes (my take – it’s a bit of a mixed bag), and am still feeling like I am running behind. So it goes. I’ll manage. Always have. In the meantime, here’s REM covering a song by Wire:

I love the original by Wire (it has a very art-school vibe to it, as far as punk songs go), but this one is a fun listen. REM decide to be more up-tempo and add something of a post-Byrds vibe to the song. Unlike the original, REM’s cover is one I can easily imagine dancing to. And like some other acts I’d been following as the 1970s ended and the 1980s progressed (e.g., B-52s, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers), REM were representatives of a “New South” that has never really quite taken off the way I would have hoped. As someone with strong Southern ties, no matter where I live, I also want to see a South that is no longer regressive. We all have dreams, I guess.

Anyway, it’s still Wednesday in my time zone, so I just barely make the deadline for posting. Cheers, everyone.

Author: Don Durito

Left of center and lover of photography, music, pop culture, and life. Favorite quote - "There are no innocents. There are, however, different degrees of responsibility" (Lisbeth Salander, from Stieg Larsson's original Millennium Trilogy).

7 thoughts on “Midweek Cafe and Lounge, Vol. 237”

    1. It’s good to see the anime Cowboy Bebop streaming on Netflix ahead of the live action limited series that drops pretty soon. I don’t watch a lot of anime, but I do catch some. Usually has to have some combo of elements that interest me. Cowboy Bebop was a sci-fi spaghetti western of a sort, with some kickass jazz jams for the soundtrack. It’s set in an era in which humans have colonized a number of planets across the galaxy, as the Earth is inhabitable, but in serious decline, and those who didn’t have the means to leave are essentially stuck. Death Note is still on Netflix as well. Stick to the anime and skip the live action film that Netflix put its name to. The anime is something of a psychological and philosophical thriller. If you like documentaries, I still recommend Pandemic, which had six episodes drop just weeks before COVID-19 took over the news cycle. The documentary foreshadows the many cracks in our healthcare infrastructure (in the US and globally), and focuses on a few of the folks working on the front lines to prepare for whatever nature throws at us. Next month, HBO Max will be airing a limited series called Station Eleven, adapted from the novel that was published early last decade. It chronicles the lives of characters who were around to watch civilization collapse from a pandemic far worse than anything we’ve ever experienced, and chronicles their efforts to survive and adapt to a post-civilization reality. I have pretty high hopes for that one, based on the initial trailer.

      1. If you like mocumentaries, Wellington Paranormal (at least the first 2 seasons) is on HBO Max. It follows two obtuse police officers and their equally clueless Chief who enlists them to be the Paranormal Unit for the department. Hilarity ensues, especially if you’re into dry humor.

        1. HBO Max recently released Four Hours on the Capitol, which documents the events of January 6th. I thought it was well-done and captured the dark reality of just how close our government came to collapsing. As someone who was glued to the coverage that entire day, starting with The Former Guy’s rally and then the ensuing insurrection, I had to steel myself a bit to watch it. Stuff like that gets a bit triggering, and I was not on the front lines. One of the more disturbing aspects of the documentary is that the few participants or enablers who were willing to sit for an interview for the documentary were just as resolved in the justness of their cause as they were that day.

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