Features

Keeping Up (Vol. 14)

by Darren Paltrowitz

Here are another 5 quick picks for you, the loyal reader:

rogermanning_catnip_150ALBUM: Roger Joseph Manning Jr. / Catnip Dynamite – Roger Joseph Manning Jr. has long stood out in the music business for a number of reasons. First, he was a founding member of Jellyfish and Imperial Drag. Second, he is one of the most in-demand keyboardists, having played and/or toured with everyone from Morrissey to Jay-Z, from Beck To Neil Diamond, and so forth. “Catnip Dynamite” is another sugary power-pop album by RJMJ, full of the harmonies and psychedelic that his prior bands were known for. Those who already own the Japanese version of the album will notice a different tracklisting. (rogerjosephmanningjr.com)

BOOK: The Clash / The Clash - The legacy of The Clash lives on in this heavy (literally!) book. Told in the band members’ own words, The Clash is a history starting with their childhoods and ending in the mid-1980s. Laid out with press clippings, rare artwork, and tour photos, there is almost as much to look at in the text as the columns of the pages. Not just recommended for fans of Strummer, Jones and crew, but fans of good music itself. (theclash.com)

SHOW: We Need Girlfriends – One of the perks of the Internet is the availability of cost-free, network-quality scripted comedies. We Need Girlfriends is not only one of the best series I have discovered online, but it turns out that CBS has begun developing it for eventual broadcast. Created by the team of Steven Tsapelas, Brian Amyot and Angel Acevedo –- also known as Ragtag Productions --  the show follows a trio of recent college graduates who have also come out of long-term relationships. They live together in Queens and are simultaneously coming to grips with adulthood, in spite of having learned most of their life lessons from popular film and television. Fans of WNG may also love Ragtag’s new series, I Live With My Parents. (weneedgirlfriends.tv)

RADIO: Masters Of None – As noted in the “show” section above, another perk of the Internet is podcasts. Masters Of None is practically the further grown-up version of We Need Girlfriends. The hosts -– Jay Wolf, Arty Scorsese, and frequent contributor Mike Gogel –- are settled into their lives, but still not over discussing whether ranch dressing “sucks or rules,” who the greatest movie characters are of all-time, or who the dumbest athlete of all-time is. But as this is not terrestrial radio with any means of censorship, you may want to keep the kids away. (mastersofnone.podbean.com)

ARTICLE: Anna from Productivity 501 “Free Tax Preparation Sites” – To the pleasure of those anticipating a federal and/or state rebate, it is now tax season. But for those independent contractors fearing the worst, yes, there are only a few more weeks to file without an extension. Anna’s posting here provides some links that may help those who haven’t file get a free or low-cost filing. Productivity 50 is generally a helpful blog for life hacks and such, so if you are RSS-enabled, I recommend subscribing. (www.productivity501.com/free-tax-preparation-sites/3784)  

As always, if I’m missing something that’s worthwhile and deserving of column space, please reach out with an e-mail: darren.paltrowitz@gmail.com.

In the meantime, stay tuned for another 5 picks...

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