This week: Oscar-winning filmmaker Davis (“An Inconvenient Truth”) Guggenheim schools us on his latest movie… We take a trip down memory superhighway… Apple’s got a Situation… and a meta joke.
Icebreaker: Charles Yu
Charles Yu won the National Book Foundation’s “5 under 35” prize for his first collection of short stories. His new meta-fiction novel is called How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe, and this week he regales us with an appropriately meta joke.
Small Talk: There’s an Ab For That
Jessica Coen, editor of online women’s-culture magazine Jezebel, explains the new smart phone app from “Jersey Shore” star The Situation. More impressively, she explains the one situation that might lead someone to pay $5 bucks for it.
A History Lesson With Booze: Driving and Drinking (separately!)
This week back in 1940, cars rolled onto America’s first superhighway — The Pennsylvania Turnpike. Without it, Jack Kerouac might’ve had to name his quintessential novel… er… something else. Learn all about this historic piece of pavement, then refresh yourself with a cocktail inspired by the ultimate road-tripper.
“The Kerouac,” as mixed by Caroline Derrig of Sharky’s in Edgartown, MA:
In a bucket glass over ice, add:
- 2 oz. rum
- 1 oz. tequila
- Top with OJ or cranberry juice
Add a twist of lime and like dig it, cat.
Guest of Honor: Davis Guggenheim
Davis Guggenheim won the Oscar for directing and producing An Inconvenient Truth — all about how to save the planet. In his much-lauded new film “Waiting For Superman,” he explores an even bigger challenge: saving the public school system. This week he tells Rico why doing so is worth the effort, and why the thing that’s most dazzling about him…isn’t him.
One For The Road: “Waterfall” by The Fresh and Onlys
San Francisco garage-pop outfit The Fresh and Onlys are a few weeks away from releasing Play It Strange, their third full-length in as many years. In this case, quantity and quality go hand-in-hand. Take one listen (or ten) to the electric guitar riffs and choral chants on “Waterfall” and you’ll hear echoes of Ennio Morricone, Joy Division, and Iggy Pop. Perfect for rolling down the car window and letting that last bone-dry breeze of summer wash over you.
Music On This Week’s Show:
Sea & Cake – “The Argument”
Aphex Twin – “Boy/Girl Song”
Tipsy – “Liquordelic”
Glenn Miller – “Pennsylvania 6-5000”
Kraftwerk – “Autobahn”
Grant Green – “Iron City”
Phoenix – “School’s Rules”
The Fresh and Onlys – “Waterfall”
