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On the Origin of the String Band

In 2004, the transplanted Nashville act Old Crow Medicine Show came into the public consciousness with their massive hit, “Wagon Wheel.” Unlike standard millennial country acts, OCMS was an all-string ensemble of double bass, banjo, fiddle, guitar, and something called a gitjo (presumably a distant cousin to Bertie Wooster’s banjolele). They billed themselves as an “old time string band.”

 

In the wake of “Wagon Wheel,” old time string band acts have sprung up like daisies. It’s to the point that upstanding American youth are forsaking their Stratocasters and developing a lyrical obsession with geography, particularly mountains and bodies of water. Indeed, geographical terms frequently work their way into the names of these acts -- Yonder Mountain String Band, the Lost Bayou String Band, and the On Pearl Alley Right Behind Long’s Bookstore String Band. Like goddamn Mapquest with fiddles, really.

 

Beware of strangers who ask to use your bathtub

 

 

Borgman reminds me of a movie I kind of liked. But it also reminds me of a movie I hated.

The flick I liked was the recent Under the Skin, starring Scarlett Johansson as an alien who uses sex to lure men to their doom. The flick I hated was 2007’s Funny Games, in which two creeps take over an upper-middle-class household and begin treating the family in a most sadistic manner.

Borgman has eccentricities all its own, but it contains elements of both films. Like Under the Skin, it’s about a mysterious figure whose malevolent actions are never quite explained. And as in Funny Games, the individual’s target is a well-to-do family.

Written and directed by Alex van Warmerdam (Voyeur), the subtitled Dutch film begins with a scene that sets the off-kilter tone: A priest leads a Communion ceremony, then grabs a shotgun and leads a small posse into the woods. There they locate and attack the underground bunker of a grizzled man who goes by the name of Camiel Borgman (Jan Bijvoet).

Israel Vs. Gaza

Basic Christianity

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There’s a New Thor in Town

 

 

The inscription on the Marvel superhero Thor’s hammer famously reads, “Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.” Previous writers have used that hook to shake things up before by having the hammer used by other “worthy” heroes, first by the alien Beta Ray Bill, then later by familiar faces like Captain America and Storm. But for the first time, the beefy blonde Asgardian we know and love has proven himself so unworthy that he’s being not just punished but actually replaced, and the new wielder of not only the hammer Mjolnir but the very name of Thor will be a woman!

In Marvel’s official announcement of the upcoming change, series writer Jason Aaron explained, “This is not She-Thor. This is not Lady Thor. This is not Thorita. This is THOR. This is the THOR of the Marvel Universe. But it’s unlike any Thor we’ve ever seen before.”

Take Five with Anna of Anna and the Consequences

 

 

Nuclear energy negotiations with Iran

 

 

Dougie Simpson Speaks on “Rumors” Reissue and Longevity

In 2014 you can catch Dougie Simpson entertaining a packed room every Sunday at Skully’s with the Flex Crew. But In 1989, the reggae singer was in between groups, kickin’ it at the OG Skankland over on 5th and Cleveland Ave and creepin’ on a come up.

The product of the moment in time is the “Rumors/Worthy Is the Lamb” single that originally dropped in, in 1990 via Chilly Pepper Records. This single is set to be re-released this month on 12 inch vinyl.

The extremely tall, and soft- spoken Simpson explained to me over the weekend why he choose to bust out with this “Rumors” solo- record originally.

Simpson explained, “A guy I respected told me the only way I would get respect as a singer was if I made a record. That was my main impetus for making the record.”

Back in 1989, Dougie had just left the Idren Posse, and had not yet joined Roots Express or the Ark Band. Flex crew was 10 years later.

Idren Posse was a big group around town through various gigs and songs at the time.

Letters to the Editor July 2014

Dear Editor
SB 310 Is Bad for Business
Much of the debate about

controversial Senate Bill 310 focused on increased energy costs to consumers. But what about Ohio businesses? The Ohio Partners for Affordable Energy and the Ohio Advanced Energy Economy recently released a report that details the increase in energy costs that will be born by Ohio commercial enterprises. The increases range from from nearly $17,000 for commercial customers of Dayton Power & Light to a high of almost $32,000 for businesses served by Ohio Edison. Duke Energy Ohio will pass on increased costs totaling more than $30,000 and businesses in central Ohio can expect an increase of more than $23,000 from AEP Ohio.

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