The Avett Brothers

While perusing a quarterly DVD that used to come with my favorite music magazine, Paste, I came across a foot-stomping-scream-at-the-top-your-lungs-to-the-sound-of-banjos-upright bass-and-acoustic-guitars live performance. There was a fantastic emotional intensity that I generally associate with a punk, not a bluegrass band. At the time, I thought that the guys looked pretty great to see live, but didn't think much about the quality of the music. Almost a half year later, again while flipping through Paste, I came across a four star review of the Avett Brother's new album, Emotionalism. The review read:

"With a kick-drum thump and a wild-man scream, these 14 stunning songs carve into your chest and settle in, stitching up the gaping flesh with shredded banjo strings-only to rip free again while the wound is still fresh, leaving you bloody, gasping and desperate for more. A true breakthrough from this hard-working band."

Wow.

I bought the album, threw it into the stereo, sat back in the recliner and didn't get up again until I had listened to the whole thing twice through. I can't remember the last time a single cd has made such an impact on me. Each song is wonderfully constructed, mixing elements of bluegrass, rock and punk. I read that they got their start playing punk and moved later into the American roots of their North Carolina heritage. Their songs are beautiful lamentations of love lost, the paranoia of incessent touring, the comfort of home.

I was lucky enough to catch them last summer at the Fine Line. The raw energy that I has seen earlier on the DVD was immediately apparent from the moment Seth and Scott walked onstage. Together with their bassist, they put on the best live show I have ever been too, easily.

Definitely check them out:

The Avett Brothers

The Shining?

An amazing reinvention of the Shining, I believe this won an award for best redesign of a movie into a new genre.

Bamboozled

One of the most powerful movies that I have watched in recent history and one that could be used very effectively in the high school classroom is Spike Lee’s Bamboozled. The film’s website describes the film as, “a blistering satire of network television's pitfalls and prejudices, a humorous look at how race, ratings and the pursuit of power lead to a television writer's stunning rise and tragic downfall”.

There are myriad possibilities for using this film in the classroom. It focuses on the powers at play within the media, so students could analyze how bias and money affect what appears on their television screens. This movie is also very racially charged, students could debate the effectiveness of satire in this context as well as "The Chappelle Show" or "Mind of Mancia". Discussion topics could include intended audience, intended reception, does it work as social commentary or perpetuate stereotypes. Regardless of the direction, the movie is sure to incite a passionate discussion and make students think critically. Because of the film's content, the teacher would have to focus on creating a safe space in the classroom, where students are able to repectfully and thoughtfully speak their minds. .