Pop Culture Roundup: Batman! Harlem Globetrotters! Roxy Music! More!


ITEM!
Check out the weird, wild retro art of Ryan Heshka.

ITEM! The second season of HBO Max's "Batman: The Audio Adventures" debuts in October.

ITEM! An upcoming issue of Dynamite Comics' Savage Tales anthology will feature works by recent graduates of the Kubert School, founded by the great artist Joe Kubert back in the 1970s.

ITEM! The Harlem Globetrotters are returning to TV.

ITEM! Check out this groovy Universal Monsters wallet!

ITEM! Vampirella is having a baby.

ITEM! Roxy Music may play Glastonbury next summer.


Listen to the New Music Friday Playlist: Wilco! Miles Davis! Angel Olsen and Sturgill Simpson! More!


Ten new songs we like this week.

Pop Pic: Raquel


 

Pop Diary: Bad Sisters, Orson Welles, Don Perlin

What I'm digging these days...


"Bad Sisters."
This dark who-done-it, set in Ireland, is hilarious,  disturbing and thought provoking all at once. Developed by the brilliantly funny Sharon Horgan ("Catastrophe" and more), it focuses on four sisters scheming to kill the husband of a fifth. 

We know from the first episode that the vile misogynist John Paul is dead, but it's not clear exactly how he died. The show's action switches back-and-forth between the past and present. Flashbacks reveal the depths of John Paul's emotional abuse of not just his own wife, but of all the Garvey sisters. The present-day scenes, meanwhile, center on the clan's desperate efforts to cover up the facts of John Paul's apparent murder from  a zealous insurance adjuster who's eager not pay out on a life insurance policy. 

The more we see of John Paul's behavior, the more we learn about all the ways in which men can diminish and mistreat women. Our sympathy for the sisters grows, even as wince at some of their foiled, Wiley E. Coyote-like attempts to kill off the bad guy. How John Paul dies is as big a mystery as who killed him. The rapport between the five actresses playing the Garvey sisters is delightful, even as their behavior grows more dastardly. 

Apple TV+ is doling out new episodes weekly and each one instantly leaves you wanting more.


Orson Welles.
Our neighborhood cinema is in the midst of a Welles retrospective, featuring 35mm screenings of several of his films. So far, we've seen the funnier-than-I-remembered "The Magnificent Ambersons" (I recalled it as pretty, but somewhat slow) and the more-bonkers-than-I-remembered "The Lady from Shanghai" (I remembered it as grim, dark and perverse, but this time I was captivated by the over-the-top, near-camp performances by Everett Sloane and Glenn Anders, not to mention Welles' hilarious Irish brogue). Repeated viewings, particularly on the big screen, can reveal new layers even to familiar films, I guess. Next up: "A Touch of Evil."


Alter-Ego
#177
. The most recent issue of Roy Thomas' comics history mag spotlights Bronze Age great Don Perlin, co-creator of Moon Knight and Werewolf By Night, both of which are having a bit of a moment on the small screen these days. The package includes lots of nice art and long interview with the artist. There's also a fun, photo-packed feature on Marvel's ill-fated Marvelmania fan club of the 1970s, which is most famous for not sending fans stuff they paid for.

What are you digging these days?

New Music Releases: Pink Floyd! John Coltrane! Ringo! More!

Our picks this week. Click the links to order from Amazon.











Watch the Five Man Electrical Band Perform "Money Back Guarantee"

Coming Up: Kids On The Street – UK Power Pop And New Wave 1977-1981


From Cherry Red Records.

Details:

Hit singles from some of the era’s most vital acts (The Stranglers, Pretenders, The Ruts, The Teardrop Explodes, Elvis Costello) are joined by key cuts from seminal albums by the likes of The Jam, Squeeze and XTC.

The mod revival is represented by such names as Squire, The Circles, Smart Alec and pre- Direct Hits band The Exits, power pop royalty includes The Records, The Pleasers and The Jags, while there are cult favourites from The Soft Boys, The Distractions, Radio Stars and many others.

Joining the boys about town and kids on the street are pub rock veterans The Motors (with John Peel’s favourite track of 1977), former Bonzos man Neil Innes’ Beatles spoof The Rutles, Slade spin-off Dummies and beat boom veterans The Searchers, enjoying a new lease of life as the new wave of power pop bands updated their pioneering 60s sound.

Housed in a stylish clamshell box, and featuring a booklet that includes notes on each individual track, ‘Kids On The Street’ is a riveting reminder of a sound that dominated the British pop scene for a brief but highly creative period.

Track Listing:


DISC ONE

1 KIDS ON THE STREET – The Stiffs

2 BABYLON’S BURNING (single version) – The Ruts

3 BLOODLINE – Bram Tchaikovsky

4 COME ON STUPID – The Flys

5 SMASH IT UP – The Damned

6 WEEKEND – The Boys

7 TIME TO KILL – Clive Culbertson

8 TOWERS OF LONDON (album version) – XTC

9 THIS TIME – The Wasps

10 I DON’T THINK SO – The Smirks

11 DIAMOND SMILES – The Boomtown Rats

12 MY OWN WAY – Shake Appeal

13 TONIGHT, TONIGHT – Speed-O-Metors

14 ACCIDENTS WILL HAPPEN – Elvis Costello and The Attractions

15 MOTORBIKE BEAT – The Revillos

16 GINA – Salford Jets

17 I-SPY – Rudi

18 DUCHESS – The Stranglers

19 YESTERDAY’S LOVE – Any Trouble

20 OH GIRL – The Freshies

21 LIFE ON THE LINE – Eddie and The Hot Rods

22 SHE DOESN’T LOVE ME – Cramp

23 TALK OF THE TOWN – Pretenders

24 NERVOUS WRECK – Radio Stars

25 DOUBLEBACK ALLEY – The Rutles


DISC TWO

1 BOY ABOUT TOWN – The Jam

2 I AM A CASE – The Reaction

3 NEED SOMEBODY TO LOVE – The V.I.P.’s

4 SOUND OF CONFUSION – Secret Affair

5 TOMORROW – Sta-Prest

6 CIRCLES – The Circles

7 WOMAN’S WORLD – The Jags

8 HEAD IN THE CLOUDS – Ada Wilson and Keeping Dark

9 ONE WAY LOVE – The Innocents

10 WAITING FOR THE WEEKEND (single version) – The Vapors

11 ANOTHER GIRL – The Vandells

12 SOMETIMES GOOD GUYS DON’T FOLLOW TRENDS – The Teenage Filmstars

13 I WANNA BE YOUR BOYFRIEND – Squire

14 GIRL IN A PICTURE – The Exits

15 THE SOUND OF THE SUBURBS (single version) – The Members

16 FRIDAY NIGHT – The Kraze

17 LEAVE YOU TO DREAM – The Distractions

18 BABY, BABY – The Vibrators

19 THE BEAT DRILL – The Steppes (aka The Fifty Fantastics)

20 HUNG ON YOU – Rich Kids

21 NEIGHBOURHOOD GIRLS – The Barracudas

22 TAKE IT – The Quads

23 VICKY VERKY – Squeeze

24 BEER, BACCY, BINGO AND BENIDORM (album version) – Inner City Unit

25 SCOOTER BOYS – Smart Alec

26 YOU DON’T KNOW – The Pleasers

27 LOVE’S MELODY (single version) – The Searchers


DISC THREE

1 DANCING THE NIGHT AWAY (album version) – The Motors

2 I WANNA DESTROY YOU – The Soft Boys

3 SILICON CARNE – The Monochrome Set

4 DON’T STEP ON THE CRACKS – Wah! Heat

5 SHE SAID GO – Private Dicks

6 GIRL – The Records

7 SET ME FREE – Tinopeners

8 INTO THE VALLEY – Skids

9 THIS CRAZY WORLD – Dead Fingers Talk

10 THE ORIGINAL MIXED-UP KID – Various Artists

11 OUT THERE IN THE NIGHT – The Only Ones

12 THE CAR – Apartment

13 YOU DON’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE – The Fans

14 DANGER SIGNS – Penetration

15 MOVE IN RHYTHM – Airkraft

16 NO FEAR – The Squares

17 SHE WAS MY GIRL – The Innocent Vicars

18 I CAN DETECT YOU (FOR 100,000 MILES) – Andy Arthurs

19 DO IT CLEAN – Echo and The Bunnymen

20 ANIMAL CONNECTIONS – Radio 5

21 HOTEL ROOMS – Joe Public

22 TREASON (single version) – The Teardrop Explodes

23 TWO-HEADED DOG – The Avant-Gardeners

24 CALL ON ME – The Engineers

25 WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE OUT – Dummies

Pop Pic: In the Groove with Peter Sellers

 


Watch Seals and Crofts Perform "Summer Breeze"

Kirby Up Close: Original Art By Jack Kirby and Vince Colletta for "Journey into Mystery #125"

Coming Up: Dean Torrence - "The Teammates: Twenty Years Of Making Music 1965-1985"


Order now from Amazon.

Details:

Dean Torrence’s The Teammates: Twenty Years Of Making Music 1965-1985 is a curated collection that traverses the decades of the various musical teams Torrence has captained. Whether it was in the producer’s chair, behind the microphone or putting together musical entities, Dean has done it all. This collection includes many of Dean’s rare collaborations with the likes of Mike Love, Jan Berry, Bruce Johnston, Harry Nilsson, and Leon Russell.

Teaming with The Beach Boys/Jan & Dean historian David Beard (also editor/publisher of Endless Summer Quarterly), Torrence raided his vaults and discovered previously unreleased recordings from 1965–1985. Beginning with the ultra-rare single of “Summertime, Summertime” by Our Gang (never available on CD and taken from the original 2-track master), this collection is a treasure trove of rarities and previously unheard music. There are alternate recordings by Jan & Dean, never before heard music from 1973 by Terry Melcher, Bruce Johnston & Torrence, and a slew of rare tracks by Mike (Love of The Beach Boys) & Dean from the early ’80s that has never been made available on CD or digitally until now!

Omnivore Recordings is proud to continue its association with Dean Torrence on this exciting and rare compilation of historical music from one of the early progenitors of rock ’n’ roll. The Teammates: Twenty Years Of Making Music 1965-1985 also offers extensive liner notes by Torrence, a track-by-track conversation with David Beard on the album’s contents and a forward by longtime Jan & Dean associate, and entertainment executive Winston Simone.

Track list:

  1. BUY OUR ALBUM – The Legendary Masked Surfers
  2. SUMMERTIME, SUMMERTIME – Our Gang
  3. THE THEME FROM LEON’S GARAGE – Our Gang
  4. LOUISIANA MAN – Jan & Dean
  5. SNOWFLAKES ON LAUGHING GRAVY’S WHISKERS – The Laughing Gravy
  6. VEGETABLES (Alternate Mix) – The Laughing Gravy
  7. MOVING DAY – Locksley Hall
  8. IT’S A BEAUTIFUL DAY – Hogfat Cantina Singers & Bel Air Bandits
  9. JUST KEEP IT UP – Terry Melcher, Bruce Johnston, Dean Torrence
  10. LOVE LACE – Terry Melcher, Bruce Johnston, Dean Torrence
  11. A TEENAGER IN LOVE – Dean Torrence
  12. I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU – Dean Torrence
  13. GET A JOB – Dean Torrence
  14. ONE SUMMER NIGHT – Dean Torrence
  15. DEAD MAN’S CURVE (Dr. Landy Version) – Dean Torrence
  16. BE TRUE TO YOUR BUD (BUDWEISER FIGHT SONG) – Mike & Dean
  17. LIGHTNIN’ STRIKES – Mike & Dean
  18. HER BOYFRIEND’S BACK – Mike & Dean
  19. ALLEY OOP – Mike & Dean
  20. JINGLE BELL ROCK – Mike & Dean
  21. RIDE THE WILD SURF – Flo & Eddie with Dean Torrence
  22. ORDER OUR ALBUM – The Legendary Masked Surfers
  23. FUN, FUN, FUN (Commercial) – Mike & Dean


Pop Pic: At Least He Moves Slow

 


New Comics Collected Editions: Batman: One Dark Knight! Batman: Black and White! Human Target!

Our picks this week. Click the links to order from Amazon.

All they had to do was get him across town.
     It was the sort of mission Batman had run a thousand times. From high above the sweltering summer streets of Gotham, Batman would escort the GCPD as the dangerous metahuman super-villain known as E.M.P. was transferred from a temporary holding cell to his permanent home at Blackgate Prison in Gotham Harbor. E.M.P.’s electrical powers posed a dangerous threat, but the situation was well in hand.
     Until it wasn’t.
     Now every light in Gotham is out, the police have been knocked into disarray, and a broken, bleeding Batman must fight his way to Blackgate, block by block, dragging E.M.P. behind him. But it’s not just the gangs who want to make life difficult for him. The dark corners of Gotham contain many surprises…and E.M.P. has many more shocks to deliver before the night is through!
     One of the most iconic Batman artists of the 21st century, the incomparable Jock (THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS, BATMAN: THE BLACK MIRROR), has focused all his storytelling powers on the tale of one very, very dark night in Gotham City. It’s always darkest before the dawn—if it ever comes… 
     Collects Batman: One Dark Knight #1-3.

Christopher Chance has made a living out of being a human target—a man hired to disguise himself as his client to invite would-be assassins to attempt his murder. He’s had a remarkable career until his latest case protecting Lex Luthor when things go sideways.
     An assassination attempt Chance didn’t see coming leaves him vulnerable and left trying to solve his own murder, as he has 12 days to discover just who in the DC Universe hated Luthor enough to want him dead by slow-acting poison. And the prime suspects happen to be…the Justice League International?
     Human Target is a hard-boiled, gritty story in the vein of classic detective noirs, told by bestselling and critically acclaimed creators Tom King and Greg Smallwood!
     This volume collects Human Target #1-6, the first half of the murder mystery.

Featured in a new prestige format, Batman: Black & White features the Dark Knight in multiple interpretations, all varying in terms of theme, tone, and setting, yet all connected with a distinctive black-and-white color scheme. With an all-star roster of creators from Paul Dini and Andy Kubert to Joshua Williamson and Riley Rossmo to G. Willow Wilson and Greg Smallwood, there's a Batman for everyone!
    The miniseries inspired by the Eisner Award-winning series BATMAN BLACK & WHITE is here! Collects the new Batman Black & White #1-6.

Watch Johnny Nash Perform "I Can See Clearly Now"

Kirby Up Close: Original Jack Kirby and Vince Colletta Art from Thor #136

A close-up view of some Kirby Thor panels.

Pop Pic: The Understated Myrna Loy

 


Check it Out: Life-Size Lego Bust of the Black Panther


If you enjoy decorating your home with build-your-own T'Challa tchotchkes, this may be for you.

More info via Lego.



So Long, Ramsey Lewis

The great pianist and jazz popularizer Ramsey Lewis famed for his 1965 instrumental version of "The In Crowd" is dead at age 87, according to The New York Times.

Here he is in a fun (albeit watermarked) video with his trio during his prime:

And be sure not to miss his awesome Beatles cover album:

New on Video: "Voyage Into Space (Special Edition) [Blu-ray]"


Order now from Amazon.

Details:

DO YOU REMEMBER VOYAGE INTO SPACE - THE STORY OF A BOY AND HIS FLYING ROBOT - ON AFTERNOON BROADCASTS OF THE 3:30 MOVIE OR 4:30 MOVIE WHEN YOU WERE A KID?

Finally, this missing link in the adventures of Johnny Sokko comes to home video for the first time in this Blu-ray release! 

Experience the far-out exploits of a young secret agent with the Unicorn Peacekeeping Organization as he battles the vile minions and colossal monsters of Emperor Guillotine, extraterrestrial dictator of the nefarious Gargoyle Gang! 

Joining the fight is an atomic-powered giant robot, armed with a fantastic array of superweapons, which only Johnny can command via a unique remote control wristwatch! This original compilation movie, assembled by American International Television from episodes of the Toei Company tele-series Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot, was a beloved favorite for scores of kaiju-crazy kids across the US in the '70s. 

From the makers of Gigantor and Kamen Rider, Voyage Into Space is part James Bond, Jonny Quest, and Ultraman, shaken - not stirred - with over-the-top plots, oddball villains, outrageous creatures, outré special effects, outlandish action, topped with an offbeat jazz combo score, resulting in a mind-bending adventure in all its English-dubbed glory! If you're reliving memories or creating new ones, let's take off on a Voyage Into Space! - August Ragone, author of "Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters.”

SPECIAL FEATURES:

  • High Definition Blu-ray 1080p Presentation (1.42:1)
  • DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
  • Brand new 2019 HD master
  • Audio Commentary With Film Historian August Ragone