Category: Sing All Kinds

With little space in print for non-local record reviews, I’m bringing the old “listening log” mini-review format back as a regular Sing All Kinds feature. Not sure if it will be weekly or bi-weekly or something more random than that, but it will be recurring. Up first: My two favorite albums of 2009 so far.

The Baseball Project, Vol. 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails — The Baseball Project (Yep Roc): The Baseball Project is alt-rock journeymen Steve Wynn (Dream Syndicate) and Scott McCaughey (Young Fresh Fellows) — neither of whom have meant much to me in their previous pop lives — spinning a baker’s dozen of terrific songs about what is still America’s greatest game. With jangly bar rock as apt a song-for-song’s-sake vehicle as solo-acoustic, and with the likes of Jackie Robinson, Satchel Paige, and forgotten hurler Harvey Haddix as worthy of the troubadour treatment as Pretty Boy Floyd and John Henry, you might call this the best non-Dylan folk record of the decade. And while it’s true that you might not respond to it as quickly (if at all) if you’ve never heard of Bert Campaneris or Oscar Gamble, this lifelong baseball devotee wouldn’t have responded to it as quickly (if at all) if it weren’t so smart, funny, and unsentimental. Highlights include an imaginary Ted Williams analysis of all the great players of his era who weren’t as good as he was, an opening cultural litany-as-mortality lament, and a spirited defense/remembrance of the aforementioned Haddix, who pitched 12 perfect innings against the Milwaukee Braves on May 26, 1959, only to lose the game in the 13th. (“Ted Fucking Williams,” “Satchel Paige Said,” “Past Time,” “Harvey Haddix”)
Grade: A

Released locally last fall on vinyl (and dubbed the fourth best local release of 2008 by, um, me), John Paul Keith & the One Four Fives‘ terrific debut Spills and Thrills gets a national CD release today via Big Legal Mess, a subsidiary of Oxford’s Fat Possum Records.

Check out Chris Davis’ profile of the band here.

And Keith’s isn’t the only locally connected album hitting the racks on this new-release Tuesday. Fat Possum will also release its first batch of Al Green reissues born out of a licensing deal with Hi Records. Remastered editions of Let’s Stay Together, I’m Still in Love With You, and Greatest Hits will also be available today under the Hi/Fat Possum banner.

The weekend’s box office numbers are in from BoxOfficeMojo, and if you had Hannah Montana: The Movie in your office pool, congratulations! The hotly anticipated (from the tween set) big-screen feature from Miley Cyrus grabbed hold of #1 with $34 million, kicking last week’s winner, Fast and Furious, to the curb. One can only hope this means we haven’t seen the last of Miley Cyrus. Oh wait, I mean the opposite of that.

“It’s like watching the ‘Thrilla in Manila,’ except with words.”

That’s what Tom Graves, an assistant professor of literature and humanities at LeMoyne-Owen College, says about the infamous series of 1968 televised debates between conservative legend William F. Buckley and progressive man of letters Gore Vidal. The debates were broadcast live by ABC News as part of its presidential convention coverage that year, but will reappear in Memphis this week.

Graves acquired a copy of the rarely seen debates — which total roughly two hours across eight segments filmed at the Republican Convention in Miami and the Democratic Convention in Chicago — while researching a stage play based on the encounter. He’ll screen them at 7 p.m. Thursday night at the Brooks Museum of Art in what Graves believes will be the first full public showing of the Buckley-Vidal debates since their original broadcast.

Here with a couple notes from the Justin Timberlake front. It’s JT’s world—we’re all just living in it.

First up: From MonstersAndCritics.com, it seems Timberlake has an addiction, and it’s tearing his household apart!

Okay, the luridness isn’t exactly called for. JT is actually in the grips of golf mania, to the point that he’s rearranged a room in his L.A. home to create a makeshift mini golf hole.

The Website elaborates: “A source said: ‘He uses bundled blankets to fill in for sand traps, and overturned couches and tables to serve as hazards. When you first see the room, it looks like a tornado has hit it, but then Justin explains that it is perfectly set up to improve his game!'”

That exclamation point may not be earned, but a story looming in 2009 that’s certainly worth some fanfare is the opening of Timberlake’s new golf course, Mirimichi Golf Course, in JT’s hometown of Millington later this year. That course won’t be blankets and tumped-over couches: Timberlake has said he’s putting $16 million into renovating the 7,400-yard course, formerly called Big Creek.

The premier event in golf and arguably the classiest event in all sports, the Masters is in full swing this weekend, culminating in the final round today. Can Phil Mickelson complete the greatest comeback ever? Can Kenny Perry hang on to become the oldest winner to don the Masters’ trademark green duds?

Who cares? Memphian John Daly is in Augusta, Georgia, too, bringing his own brand of class to town.

Golf.com reports that Daly set up shop in the parking lot of a jewelry store a short distance from the course, selling apparel and other merchandise to fans. Daly was unable to actually play the tournament this weekend, as he is currently serving a six-month suspension from the PGA Tour for unprofessional behavior—apparently, the only iron Daly is pulling out of his bag this weekend is irony.

One really really really really really really really really really really really really really really hopes Daly hits bottom soon and gets his life in order.

There’s a great slate of free live music in Midtown today as the 14th annual Overton Square Crawfish Festival runs from noon to 6 p.m. adjacent to Bayou Bar & Grill at 2094 Madison Avenue.

Johnny Lowebow gets the music started at noon and will be followed by indie-rockers Snowglobe, the blue-eyed R&B band Jump Back Jake, and a closing set from Amy LaVere. Proceeds from the event benefit the Alzheimer’s Association.