Straight to Hell Returns

Hmm. No sooner do I reminisce about Alex Cox's Straight to Hell than I discover it's been re-released (with extra footage to perhaps straighten out that narrative).

Here's the trailer. Looks way better than that grainy VHS copy I had, gorgeous in fact.

You can also check out a brief interview with Alex Cox talking about the new version.

Black Keys v. The Pogues

Take a moment to gander at one of the latest musical offerings from The Black Keys.

Yes, it's an homage to grindhouse films, but more importantly, it's a wink and a nod to one of my favourite films, Alex Cox's Straight to Hell featuring the likes of Joe Strummer, Elvis Costello, Dennis Hopper, Courtney Love, and famously, the Pogues as t

he deadly McMahon Clan. It's a great little film (though you mustn't let a little thing like a narrative keep you from enjoying it).

Happy Birthday To You

When my wife and I first started dating, I was afraid that we didn't really have much in common. Sure, we grew up on the same side of town, had parents that came from almost identical cultural backgrounds, knew a lot of the same people, went to the same kinds of schools, etc. But really, we didn't like the same kind of music and I worried that this masked deeper aesthetic and political divisions.

It was a great relief then when we discovered that we both liked this song. She, being a fan of Sinatra and musicals, I being a fan of early punk. It turns out she also has a soft spot for Debbie Harry.

The track is from one of the earliest Red Hot & Blue releases and supposedly the video is directed by Alex Cox of Sid & Nancy, Repo Man, and Straight to Hell fame.

Fun trivia: I wanted to include the line "Next July We Collide With Mars" on our wedding invites.