Thanks to my friend Mark, who has a eye for amazing podcasts, for this documentary. Sammy “The Bull” Garavano was one of the most feared mob bosses in history, and this talk he has with Patrick Bet-David of Valutainment is two hours of thoughts on criminality, sociology, modern politics and what he has in store for the future. It’s a tour-de-force of brutal common sense.
Documentary
[Music] Before Bauhaus: How Goth Became Goth
Many thanks to my old friend Andrés for sharing this pleasant history of Goth.
[Music] Eurock Documentary, 47 Years Of Music
Eurock Documentary Fundraiser from Don Slepian on Vimeo.
When I was growing up and getting into strange music during the early to mid-1980s, I had several resources I would go to monthly (or quarterly, after a while) to find out about anything that had to do with progressive rock: Audion, a magnificent English magazine which covered pretty much everything I liked at the time, and the American equivalent, Eurock. I had the pleasure of meeting Archie Patterson, the mag head, a few times when I was working at a record shop in Los Angeles, and the guy was absolutely brilliant.
Eurock has a 47-year history of giving their readers a peek at the best in avant-progressive music. He is working on a documentary on both the magazine and some of the musicians he has been doing business with for the past 40 years, including Gilbert Artman, Mikhail Chekalin and Luis Perez.
This is a worthwhile cause. Check out Archie’s IndieGoGo page to learn more about this project.
[Documentary] The Champion (directed by Brett Garamella)
Respect to director and documentarian Brett Garamella for weaving a story of Assyrian Christian cab driver Estaifan Shilaita, who was a talented boxer in his native Iraq until he was forced to flee to America.
From his Youtube Channel:
From 1968 to 1976, Estaifan Shilaita was the boxing champion of Iraq. Despite his success, Estaifan was barred from representing the Iraqi national team. After this defeat and seeing many of his family members affected by the newly emerging Ba’ath party, he risked everything to leave his home country. He traveled to Greece where he struggled to keep himself afloat as he watched his dreams of boxing slip away. Everything seemed hopeless until he meets his wife Hannah who brings a joy into his life that has lasted almost 40 years. Although Estaifan never finds the success in sports he desires, his journey leads him to a greater success and fulfillment than he ever imagined growing up in Iraq.
[Article] We’re an Anonymous Band: How Do You Make a Film About the Residents?
A legitimate question, really, posed over at Rolling Stone Magazine. Still, the idea of seeing a well-done documentary on The Residents is intriguing.
A Miscellany Of Tasteful Music 