Here we go. Still anticipated. Still influential. Still ready for your abject devotion.  My weekly take on the best in cultured offerings. Enjoy!  

Tunes: I’ve had a very eclectic mix going on Yahoo Music this week, with Louis XIV, Les Savy Fav, Black Mountain, and old school Pavement and Yo La Tengo. The new Louis XIV is still just as snotty as the first album, just as crass, and just as rockin. This time around, they seem to be courting radio favor with a few ready-made poppy singles, but still worth a listen. Ready for your face to be melted and your mind blown? Check out Black Mountain’s new album, filled with fantastical stories and rhythms and downright electric prog rock. I’m a little late to the Les Savy Fav bandwagon, but this one sticks with me. The verdict on my first listen was a very scientific and literate “weird.” But on successive listens, I’m addicted. Eccentric and enjoyable.  

Books: I read Persepolis in three takes, and am itching to see the movie. An extremely rewarding read, and one that makes me want to know more, to investigate the history of Iran and the Islamic Revolution. I can’t think of a higher compliment for a book than the inherent encouragement of more knowledge. Highly recommended.  

Movies: On my weekly date night with the partner-slash-roommate, we finally viewed The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. An astounding and beautiful movie. Done in the Hollywood machine, this tale of a man stricken with “locked-in syndrome” could have been treacly, sticky sweet and manipulative. But in Julian Schnabel’s hands, it’s deft, gentle and ultimately uplifting.  

TV: I’m behind on the old Tivo, but looking forward to a beer-enhanced viewing session this evening. One show I did view is Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. As will be evident to all regular readers, I am a sci-fi geek, and fiercely loyal to certain franchises, including the Terminator. This show could have been a transgression, using the name for ratings and stealing the dark, dank soul away. But it’s glorious – harsh and heavy, dealing with grand themes like the frigging apocalypse, and small issues like the hopes and dreams a mother has for her child. I couldn’t have imagined a fiercer, more addictive Sarah Connor than Linda Hamilton, but Brit Lena Headey takes the warrior woman in a satisfying new direction.  And Summer Glau of Firefly fame as a Terminator? Hells yeah.

And to all, a good night.