Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese – For those of us who are fans of this period of Dylan’s career, this 2 ½ hour Netflix documentary is pure gold! After I saw it, I learned of the “Dylanesqe” tellings of some of the details. I still loved it!
Bohemian Nights at New West Fest – Here we go again! Just another stellar lineup of Colorado artists spread out over the entire Ft. Collins downtown area, along with Tank and The Bangas, Andrew Bird, Israel Nash and the fantastic Bonnie Raitt this year. And all for free to the public!
John Prine’s The Living Room Sessions to Benefit Non-Profits – John has released a couple live records from his living room with guests like Margo Price, Jason Isbell & Tyler Childers. Profits will be directed to the ACLU & the Appalachian Citizens Law Center.
Amazing Grace –- If you do nothing else this summer, you MUST watch this stunningly-emotional documentary film of Aretha Franklin recording her 1972 award-winning gospel album in a South Central L.A. Baptist church.
The All Star Break –- OK, this is where the baseball season gets real. Teams that had a streak going in April & May…pah, who cares! Here’s where the best show their stuff as we head to October. See you at Coors Field!
National Park Fonts – Do you like the typeface used by the National Park service? Well, now there’s a font you can download and use yourself. National Park is a typeface designed “to mimic the National Park Service signs that are carved using a router bit”- check out nationalparktypeface.com
50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing – On July 16, 1969, Apollo 11 blasted off into history. Geek out on NASA’a Moon landing montage and more at their Apollo 11 web page: nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/apollo-11
Brian Eno – To commemorate the anniversary of the moon landing, Brian Eno is re-releasing Brian Eno – Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks in an extended edition.
Road trips – There’s nothing like a road trip in the summer. With the right music any road trip can be fun. This playlist from NPR will help you plan your own road trip playlist. Start your navigating here!
The Alan Lomax Archive –The field recordings of folklorist Alan Lomax date back to the 1940’s. They have now been digitized and made available online for free listening. It’s a wonderful listen into the past. Check it out HERE.
Red Rocks Ampitheatre – We’re now fully into what I call Red Rocks Season! How lucky we are to have this nationally recognized gem right in our backyard! Check out redrocksonline.com
Dear Mr. Watterson – I’ve been watching this 2013 documentary about the artist who gave us the Calvin and Hobbes comic strips. Of course it’s made me pull out my books showing the 30-year history of the strips!
Fontaines D.C. – While you may think this post-punk band is from Washington, D.C., they’re really from the Emerald Isle: Ireland! These days I’ve been digging the crunchy sounds on this Dublin quintet’s 2019 debut Dogrel.
Tinariwen – Tuareg people are an ethnic confederation who live in and around the Sahara. The Grammy-winning group Tinariwen are Tuareg musicians whose new album isn’t due out until September. But they gave us an advance single to hold you over ‘til then: “Taqkal Tarha” featuring Micah Nelson (yep, son of Willie!)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel – Because it’s just you and me here on this page, I’m going to admit something I don’t tell everyone . . . I just totally binged season 2 of this really marvelous Amazon Prime series! Rachel Brosnahan is perfectly cast!
Bill Callahan: Shepherd In A Sheepskin Vest – The former leader of the lo-fi band Smog strikes out on his own for a very impressive release. Callahan has a very laid-back approach to his songs, reminiscent of Lambchop. The songs come across comfortably to the listener via his close baritone, creating a sense of instant familiarity.
Tour De France 2019 – The best sporting event of the year. It is going to be sad watching without the late Paul Sherwin commentating, but Peter Sagan is guaranteed to provide plenty of highlights.
American Ninja Warrior – What’s not to love about this show? Each of these athletes has an inspiring story. This is the only competition where you find yourself rooting for everyone on the course. By the end of the show you will be chanting “Beat that wall!”
Calexico + Iron & Wine: Years to Burn – It’s a 14 year follow up to 2005’s In the Reins release and it’s awesome. Two great bands combining to make each other sound better. And they’ll be at the Denver Botanic Gardens this summer August 19th!
Firin’ up the Grill! – It’s summer. Nothing better than a burger on the grill. Oh sure, one can grill in the winter but who wants to go outside when it’s 20-degrees? Charcoal or propane, grilling = summer!