Musical Monday with Andrew Bird

Singer/songwriter Andrew Bird is a man of many talents and musical genres. His songs and performances run the gamut from folk music to indie rock to swing, and whatever genre he and his four-piece band are tackling, it is done masterfully.

His recent video and single, "Atomized", is no exception. It's a quirky tune with lyrics that speak powerfully to the current state of our culture and the impossible situation professional creative people are in (and even increasingly just regular people). The video underscores the message perfectly... and it also serves as an illustration of the unifying theme around here!

Check it out by clicking below. (And if you like it, consider supporting Mr. Bird by getting a copy of his latest album, Inside Problems.)

Atomized (2022)

Starring: Andrew Bird

Director: M.D. Siskin

Rating: Nine of Ten Stars

The art of Sergio Toppi

Today, it's ten years since the passing of the great Italian illustrator Sergio Toppi. Here's s small gallery of his drawings in memory.

Barnie's Cafe Mocha Truffle

Welcome to Sunday and another coffee review at Shades of Gray! I have, once again, expanded my consumption horizons by adding a blend from Barnie's Coffee & Tea Company to the list of brands whose wares I have sampled and reviewed.

I became aware of Barnie's while I was poking around for suitable items to review in place of the Bones Coffee varieties that had been the mainstay of this post-series since it began in mid-2021. (I have mostly  run out of Bones offerings to review!)

I liked the look of Barnie's packaging and their flavors sounded tasty, so I ordered a combo trio of bags. I went the opposite direction with Barnie's as I did with Coffee Beanery; I didn't even look to see if they had sample packs, because of needing to watch myself with every drop of items from the one-pot Coffee Beanery sample packs, I wanted to be sure I had plenty for my established taste-testing regiment.

 

Who Is Barnie's Coffee & Tea Company?

(If you want to get straight to the review, scroll down to the picture of Johnny Cash about to enjoy a cup of coffee. Otherwise, read on for a little bit about Barnie's.)

Barnie's Coffee & Tea Company is a Florida-based coffee retail outlet that opened its first shop in 1980 and eventually expanded to 150 outlets across the U.S. and around the world. They occupied the same specialty coffee shop space as Starbucks, and, like so many other firms, they eventually felt the pressure of the Starbucks juggernaut. Eventually, Barnie's shrunk back to a dozen or so retail outlets--with many of its locations acquired by Starbucks and converted into Starbucks stores--and the company's main focus shifted toward putting their name on bags of coffee for sale in grocery stores. Reportedly, the founders of the firm recently re-entered the picture, and they are hoping to rebuild Barnie's as a retail chain and once again offers unique coffee drinks to customers in friendly, cafe-style environments.

Johnny Cash sang that he's been everywhere. That must include a Barnie's store!

Time will tell how successful they will be. Meanwhile, I've been brewing and drinking one of their branded blends...

BARNIE'S COFFEE & TEA COMPANY: CAFE MOCHA TRUFFLE

According to a label on the back of the bag, this blend is a medium-roast made with Arabica beans and nothing but natural flavors. The promise of chocolatey goodness wafts up from the pre-ground coffee once the bag is opened. That promise is not fulfilled, however.

Once brewed, this blend has a very mild touch of chocolate in its flavor profile, but it's a bitterness that dominate every cup that I drank. Whether I tried it hot, room temperature, or chilled and over ice, this coffee was dominated by a bitter and borderline sour flavor. It wasn't the sort of bitterness that one might associate with cheap, unsweetened dark chocolate--which I actually could have appreciated--but just a straight-up, undefinable flavor that could have arisen from a variety of badly roasted coffee I've not encountered before, or perhaps just from a badly done attempt at making a chocolate flavored coffee.

As I said, the bitterness dominated no matter what temperature I tried the coffee at. It also dominated no matter what I mixed it with, be it Unsweetened Almond Milk, Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk, or sugar-free Italian Sweet Cream creamer. I was also unable to tease anything but the faintest hint of a chocolate flavor out of the mixtures. Basically, this blend was unappealing to me no matter which of the standard mixers I used.

Since I had an entire bag of the Cafe Mocha Truffle blend, I had an opportunity to give it a few extra chances. I tried it with sugar-free Rice Krispies Treat creamer, hot and room temperature and iced. The creamer flavor almost overcame the bitterness of the coffee, so it was something of an improvement. 

I also tried it iced with Unsweetened Chocolate Almond Milk and vodka, as well as with Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk and vodka. Finally, the drink seemed "decadent, rich, and chocolatey"... at least when I mixed it with the chocolate almond milk. Seriously, though, the vodka did mitigate the unpleasant bitter flavor that dominated and ruined every other attempt I made to enjoy this coffee. So, the only use I can see for this blend is as a component of my half-assed, homemade takes on Black or White Russians (where a "Black Russian" is coffee, vodka, and chocolate milk and a White Russian is coffee, vodka, and vanilla almond milk. Sometimes, I just skip the coffee and just do the vodka and milks...).

Barnie's says on their bags of coffee that "no one does flavor like us." If my first experience with their offerings is any indication, we can all count ourselves fortunate for that!

And, yes, that was probably an unfair cheap shot, but I brewed and drank several pots of their Cafe Mocha Truffle blend and the best thing I can come up with to say is, "well, at least they make it with all natural ingredients."

I don't like writing negative reviews, and I like writing negative coffee reviews less than any others. I get the coffees I review with the intend of enjoying them, and I hope to share that enjoyment with all of you out there. I have two more bags of Barnie's varieties in the cupboard. I feel confident that I will have a better experience with those than I have with this one. After all, this is a company that's been around for more than forty years. Most of their coffee has got to be good, right? Right?!

Here's to a more positive review next week, my friends!

A Moon Girl at Work!

 The expert astronomers and astrologers at the Shades of Gray Observatory have used our powerful telescope to capture another image of a Moon Girl keeping the phases of the Moon on schedule.

It's another disappointing trip to Cartoonland...

Alice Gets Stung (1925)
Starring: Virginia Davis

Director: Walt Disney

Rating: Four of Ten Stars

A cat chases a rabbit while bears make music and dance. It just another day in Cartoonland until Alice (Davis) decides to help that cat and then go bear hunting.

The "Alice in Cartoonland" series was an early effort from Walt Disney and a studio of animators. It's similar in concept to Max Fleischer's "Out of the Inkwell" series in that it merges live action footage with animation, but where Fleischer had animated characters invading the Real World, Disney had a young girl have adventures in the animated universe. Sadly, the Disney effort appears to be inferior to the Fleischer films it was modeled after. In fact, the ones I've seen so far are so weak that I am astonished more than fifty were produced and distributed. 

"Alice Gets Stung" is both one of the best entries I've seen in the series so far, as well as one of the worst.

On the plus side, the animation in this installment is very playful and there's some fun and creative use of cartoon physics during the action scenes. Alice also interacts with her environment more than in most of the others in the series I've previously seen, such as picking up and moving a fire hydrant and even getting in on the cartoon physics action (although in a minor, but still quite creative and visually exciting, way). The level of looping and dragging out gags until they stop being funny is also minimal when compared to previous efforts.

On the negative side, the film is little more than a jumble of disconnected visual gags and set pieces. While they are more innovative and wild than in other outings, there needed to  be a little more of a narrative thread tying them together. Then there's the fact that once a story-thread begins to emerge, Alice ends up as the villain in her own series, attacking bears that are doing nothing more malicious than playing music and dancing in the woods. At least, after Alice tries to murder them, one of the bers is able to turn the tables on her... which leads to the event of the film's title. (I can only assume that Walt Disney was traumatized by a dancing bear as a child, because he seems to have a serious hatred for them.)

I know that I am not the audience for the "Alice in Cartoonlands", as I am not a six-year-old in the 1920s, but I am fairly confident that six-year-old me in the 1970s would have strongly disliked Alice. I keep hoping to find timeless, commercial savvy that Disney displayed later on in these early efforts, but so far I'm not seeing it. Life is too short to spend on things I know I'm not going to enjoy, so Alice will get one or two more views before I decide they are best left in the compost heap of cinematic history.

In the meantime, though, you can watch "Alice Gets Stung" by clicking below. You can also tell me if you think I'm being too harsh or have completely missed the point with my review in the comments section. (You can also agree if you like!)

Announcing a new venture!

With crime on the rise everywhere, and it still being fashionable to hate police officers in many quarters, we have decided it's the right time to launch a new company: The Ballerina Security Corporation (BS Corp)!

 
Whether it's guarding the door at a worksite, a nightclub, a sports event, or your private residence, the ladies of BS Corp will make sure only those who have permission to enter will do so. Our slogan is You Shall Not Pass, and it's not just empty words for us!

In addition to guarding doorways, the highly trained staff members of BS Corp will also patrol the sites and venues, leaping into action if they find anything suspicious!

BS Corp: You Shall Not Pass, Because We're Always On Our Toes!

The Return (once again) of Mohammed Mondays!

Last week, an asshole by the name of Hadi Matar, motivated by religious fanaticism and encouragement by like-minded assholes, attacked and tried to kill author Salman Rushdie for writing a book.

All we can do in response (aside from cursing) is resume the posting of MoToons and the best of the "Jesus & Mo" comic strip.

Starting today, and for the foreseeable future, every other Monday will be Mohammed Monday at Shades of Gray!

THIS WEEK WITH JESUS & MO

(In "Jesus & Mo", the title characters are presented as a pair of Bert & Ernie-style best friends and roommates. The social and theological and philosophical commentary of the strip varies in its subtlety, but it's always funny. And, more importantly, blasphemous.)

THIS WEEK'S MO-TOON (a repeat Shades of Gray classic)

If you want to contribute a Mo-Toon, send it as a jpg attachment via email. The address is at the bottom of the blog page. (Let us know if you want credit or if you want to be anonymous. A link to your website or social media page can also be provided.)

Musical Monday with Pale Waves

 

Manchester-based Pale Waves is an indie/punk rock band that's been performing and touring together since 2014. They've just released their third studio album--"Unwanted"--and we're happy to bring you this great music video made to support it. (It's a great punk/pop tune... and to make it even better, the video also serves as a visual example of the unifying theme here at Shades of Gray.)

"Unwanted" can presently be streamed on various platforms, including Amazon Prime Music, and it will be available on CD on August 26, 2022.

Coffee Beanery's S'Mores

It's summer, and people are sitting around campfires and making S'mores. And for those of you who can't escape into the great wilderness and are stuck at work, perhaps some flavored coffee will lift your spirits and transport you to the campfires of your minds! (Yes, it's Sunday at Shades of Gray, so it's time for another coffee review!)

COFFEE BEANERY: S'MORES
When I reviews Bones's version of s'mores-flavored coffee, I confessed that I have no idea what s'mores are supposed to taste like. I imagine the taste has to be somewhat smoky with strong notes of chocolate, marshmallow, and a little saltiness from the crackers. But, mostly, I would expect a s'more to at least taste smoky and sweet.

And that's what Coffee Beanery's take on this flavored variety delivers. Where Bones leaned heavily on the sweet, the Beanery's variation is heavier on the smoky.... which was initially a little surprising because when I opened the package of pre-ground coffee, a strong sent of marshmallow wafted up from it.

When consumed black, the clearest flavor of the blend is the medium-roasted Arabica beans that form its foundation. Mixed with that is a smokiness that does invoke the sense of drinking this coffee around a campfire and it a surprisingly pleasant edge. There are also faint tastes of vanilla and chocolate and perhaps even a hint of the marshmallow. It's still a little too harsh for me to drink a whole cup black, but if you take your coffee with just a little sugar or a dash of milk, I think you'll find Beanery's S'Mores blend very potable.

When I added Unsweetened Almond Milk to the cup, the smoky flavor was enhanced, as were the vanilla and chocolate notes. The blend became tastier with the almond milk, but it turned fabulous when mixed with the sugar-free Italian Sweet Cream creamer. The coffee flavor and smokiness were muted while the chocolate taste was enhanced. I also thought that I could taste the marshmallow more strongly. As the drink cooled to room temperature, the various sweet flavors grew stronger, with the vanilla and marshmallow flavors really coming through.

When I tried the blend black, chilled, and over ice, the chocolate and vanilla flavors leapt to the front. A little bit of saltiness also crept in. That could have been the Graham crackers finally manifesting, or it could be the sort of thing that happens with a number of flavored blends when they are iced: Flavors turn salty.

The Coffee Beanery sample packs are small and only make a single pot and I wasn't frugal enough to get all the tests in with the coffee iced. I tried it with sugar-free Italian Sweet Cream creamer, but I did not have enough coffee to try it with Unsweetened Almond Milk. But, as far as my taste tests went, I liked this blend the best when it was iced, whether black or mixed with the creamer.

This is another hit for Coffee Beanery, although I think the Bones Coffee take on this flavor is superior overall. Your mileage may vary though. The Bones variation skews sweeter with a fainter coffee vibe than this one from Coffee Beanery, so it depends on how you take your coffee.

Sidenote: I just noticed that shipping rates for some Coffee Beanery products through Amazon are REDICULOUS. As much as I love to get a few pennies in Affiliate fees (so if you like the content here, please shop Amazon through the links on the blog), I recommend looking closely before ordering.

D.W. Griffith brings us a fine drama starring two great actresses

The Mender of Nets (1912)
Starring: Mary Pickford, Charles West, Mabel Normand, Dell Henderson, and W. Chrystie Miller
Director: D.W. Griffith
Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

When a fisherman (West) cheats on his girlfriend (Normand) with the village net-mender (Pickford), the betrayed girl's brother (Henderson) swears vengeance. Will the mender of nets be able to rise to the challenge and become the mender of hearts before blood is spilled? 

 I generally don't enjoy silent dramas, because they are for the most part too,,, well, dramatic. The mostly thin plots, static camera shots, and the over-the-top gesticulating and emoting by the actors combine in waya that just doesn't hold my interest. There's been one director who's works have always captured and held my attention, though: D.W. Griffith.

Griffith's dramas always clip along at a fast pace and there's never a dull moment on screen. Even establishing shots and transition scenes are full of energy and creatively framed. Even a shot of Mary Pickford staring wistfully into the distance and the beginning to smile is more fascinating than the entirety of some other silent dramas I've come across.

"The Mender of Nets" is impressive visually, even holding up nicely when compared to modern films. The outdoor shots and sequences are particularly nice. The story is simple, but Griffith adds suspense and drama through editing techniques and perfectly timed scene changes that were groundbreaking at the time--and which go a long way to making this film watchable today.

This film also remains watchable because of the natural performances by most of featured actors. While there's plenty of silent movie drama emoting, it is tempered and balanced here by a feeling of genuine warmth in Pickford's performance and emotional pain and panic in Normand's performance. Similarly, Dell Henderson seems like a genuinely bloodthirsty lunatic. West gives probably the most "standard" silent movie drama performance, but even he is a little more subdued than what is typical, coming across more in a Shakespearean tragedy way than over-emoting and hyper animated. Griffith once again brought the best out of his cast.

Finally, the film remains impressive because its relatively simple plot occupied by straight-forward characters ends up emerging as multi-layered as it reaches its conclusion. It could have come across as overly sentimental and maudlin, but because Pickford and Normand have such screen presence, and they gave such good performances, it comes across as bitter-sweet and even a little thought-provoking.

The version I watched (and have embedded below) features a modern score that was commissioned specifically for this film. Some viewers dislike it when modern music is applied to silent movies, but when it's well-done--as it is here--I think it helps bring new life to old art.

Take a few minutes to enjoy this classic film, with its new elements (or without... you can simply turn down the volume if you don't want modernity creep into the 100+ year-old short film that you're watching in a digitized format.)