Top Picks: Henri the cat's philosophical musings, HBO's specials on childhood obesity, and more
Le chat noir
Perhaps you have heard of Henri, the YouTube sensation and now Friskies spokescat. He is a beautiful black-and-white tuxedo feline who expresses his existential angst through half-lidded eyes with a touch of parody (鈥淢y thumbs are not opposable, yet I oppose everything.鈥�). Now Henri, le Chat Noir appears in book form as black-and-white photos with furry philosophical musings certain to crack a smile from even the most hardened cynic.
A necessary appointment
Call it poetic license: have created an entire album from the poems of W.B. Yeats. An Appointment with Mr. Yeats finds the Celtic rock band returning to the 1980s sound they dubbed 鈥渢he big music.鈥� Fiddle player Steve Wickham brings a gentle caress to 鈥淪weet Dancer鈥� and frays his frenzied bow during 鈥淢ad as the Mist and Snow.鈥� Mike Scott has seldom sung as soulfully, especially on 鈥淪ong of Wandering Aengus.鈥� It鈥檚 The Waterboys鈥� best record since 鈥淔isherman鈥檚 Blues.鈥�
Text me some cash?
Caught cash-less? Venmo lets people transfer money from one smart phone to another. Pay your friends for those concert tickets or give your share of the rent with just a few taps. Each payment comes with a personalized note, making exchanges clear, social, and fun. Credit-card transactions carry a 3 percent fee but everything else is free, and Venmo is FDIC approved. It鈥檚 available for iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry.
Native son
Byron Janis, one of America鈥檚 first acclaimed native-born pianists, began his career studying in New York with the legendary Josef and Rosina Lh茅vinne. RCA Red Seal celebrates his 85th birthday (April 16) with a box set of his entire discography newly remastered from original sources, Byron Janis: The Complete RCA Collection. Selections include Beethoven sonatas (Tempest, Waldstein), Mussorgsky鈥檚 鈥淧ictures at an Exhibition,鈥� Rachmaninoff鈥檚 Piano Concerto No. 1, and many others by Bach, Liszt, Chopin, and Gershwin. The 11-CD-set also includes a DVD documentary, 鈥淭he Byron Janis Story,鈥� produced by Peter Rosen.
Ukeman
Life on Four Strings, a documentary about 鈥渁ccidental superstar鈥� and 鈥渦kulele hero鈥� Jake Shimabukuro, airs May 10. The film visits his early years in Hawaii, his breakout viral YouTube video of 鈥淲hile My Guitar Gently Weeps,鈥� and his international success topping the Billboard charts. If you have ever doubted the lowly uke could be a first-class musical instrument, tune in and doubt no more.
Weighty subject
tackles childhood obesity and the responsibility of parents in The Weight of the Nation for Kids on May 7. This three-part series of half-hour specials follows the 鈥淲eight of the Nation鈥� documentaries that aired in May 2012. This round is especially designed to help young people and their families make food and activity choices that will improve their health now and in the future.
