Now that Ryan Bingham has an Oscar for Best Original Song, I feel like I can highlight his album “Mescalito” for all of you and perhaps you’ll take me seriously.  Contemporary country music has a bad reputation for willingly embracing parody of its own values (and not without reason; see Blake Shelton’s current No. 1 single Hillbilly Bone).  But, again, if you dig a little deeper than top 40 radio you’ll find some truly genuine and inspired music.

Bingham grew up in West Texas, dropped out of school at 17, and started touring the States as a bull rider.  In other words, he’s earned the right to write country music without scorn;  dude’s legit.  Released in 2007, “Mescalito” was his first major label album.  It (and his June 2009 album “Roadhouse Sun” that I haven’t heard) were both produced by former Black Crows guitarist Marc Ford.  I throw that tidbit in there because I know a few of you get hard-ons over the Black Crows and if their guitarist can dig it than so should you.

Bingham has a voice that sounds like he’s done a few more years of hard living than are possible given his youth.  Then again, he was damned bull rider.  Besides the pure country flavor of tracks like Long Way From Georgia and Ever Wonder Why, there’s enough rock influence on the record to make it accessible for listeners who aren’t accustomed to fiddle and slide.  Highlights of the album include The Other Side, Bread and Water, Hard Times, Don’t Wait For Me and the aforementioned Ever Wonder Why.  Download the album and lemme know what ya think.

Just for fun, here’s Jeff Bridges performing Bingham’s Oscar winner The Weary Kind from “Crazy Heart”.  Also, remember the spunky lead guitarist for Bad’s first backing band in the bowling alley?  That’s Bingham.

I couldn’t decide how I felt about this new Wolfman flick. Though a very solid cast in Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, and Hugo Weaving, the trailer seemed pretty cheesey. Upon further research I found the release date has been pushed back three times, from February 13th of 2009 to April 3rd to November 6th to finally next Friday. A full year of set backs? I’ll pass. Will any of you go see it?

.0052 seconds of fame…go see it!

Watch the trailer for our good friend Mark Steven Johnson’s new film “When in Rome” HERE

Here’s a segment from the film “Black Dynamite” that opened up at my neighborhood’s arthouse theater this weekend.

You can watch the trailer here.  Obviously, I plan on seeing it as soon as the football game concludes tonight.  How am I, an uber-white person, supposed to react to this film in a public setting?  I have no idea what proper etiquette calls for in this situation.  All I know is that there’s nothing as innocent and pure as hearty laughter, so I’m going to laugh hysterically.  I can’t be faulted for that.  If anyone gives me shit I’ll just start yelling at the screen to show them what truely offensive behavior looks like.

The Belcourt, the theater referenced above, has a full liquor license.  I’d never expereienced this before going to see “It Might Get Loud” there in the fall.  Anyway, I got way too excited, drank way too much, and had to leave during the film to take a piss.  Only in hindsight did I realize how predictable that course of events should have been.  Despite this, I’m still a little miffed that they refuse to sell you more than two drinks at a time.  A two drink limit might be appropriate for a middle schooler but not for this dude.  Get with it Belcourt!

Switching gears, I just picked up one of the most critically acclaimed country releases of 2009, Buddy and Julie Miller’s “Written in Chalk”.  Nashville has more or less universally praised the effort and it isn’t hard to see why.   Check out the track below.

I’m still sinking my teeth into the album but I highly recommend it for anyone sympathetic to singer/songwriter stuff and looking for an in-road into the country genre.  Buddy Miller’s guitar work, although not highlighted in the above captioned track, really is phenomenal.  Keep in mind that if none of you guys positively respond to my country suggestions you will FORCE me to post a 10,000 word opus called “In Defense of Country Music”.  You don’t want to read that, I don’t want to write it, so just get on board for fuck’s sake.

Finally, this story in the NY Times about cavemen is awesome.  I’ve never been one to fall for diet fads but this lifestyle just screams Rural Minority.  The peice is two pages long but you really need to read the whole thing.  It starts off totally bad ass, increases in bad assery, gets a little weird for short bit, then quickly returns to bad assness.  Anyway, I’ll take the plunge if you do.