John W. Travis

"All the animals come out at night" – and one of them is a cabby about to snap. In Martin Scorsese's classic 1970s drama, insomniac ex-Marine Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) works the nightshift, driving his cab throughout decaying mid-'70s New York City, wishing for a "real rain" to wash the "scum" off the neon-lit streets. He becomes infatuated with vapid blonde presidential campaign worker Betsy (Cybill Shepherd), who agrees to a date and then spurns Travis when he cluelessly takes her to a porno movie. After an encounter with a malevolent fare (played by Scorsese), the increasingly paranoid Travis begins to condition (and arm) himself for his imagined destiny, a mission that mutates from assassinating Betsy's candidate, Charles Palatine (Leonard Harris), to violently "saving" teen hooker Iris (Jodie Foster) from her pimp, Sport (Harvey Keitel). Travis' bloodbath turns him into a media hero; but has it truly calmed his mind? Written by Paul Schrader, Taxi Driver is an homage to and reworking of cinematic influences, a study of individual psychosis, and an acute diagnosis of the latently violent, media-fixated Vietnam era.

A historical drama about the relationship between a Civil War soldier and a band of Sioux Indians, Kevin Costner's directorial debut was also a surprisingly popular hit, considering its length, period setting, and often somber tone. The film opens on a particularly dark note, as melancholy Union lieutenant John W. Dunbar attempts to kill himself on a suicide mission, but instead becomes an unintentional hero. His actions lead to his reassignment to a remote post in remote South Dakota, where he encounters the Sioux. Attracted by the natural simplicity of their lifestyle, he chooses to leave his former life behind to join them, taking on the name Dances with Wolves. Soon, Dances with Wolves has become a welcome member of the tribe and fallen in love with a white woman who has been raised amongst the tribe. His peaceful existence is threatened, however, when Union soldiers arrive with designs on the Sioux land. Some detractors have criticized the film's depiction of the tribes as simplistic; such objections did not dissuade audiences or the Hollywood establishment, however, which awarded the film seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

What a guy! What a picker! What a set! A seminal, and hugely-praised set from one of the most influential musicians in country music. It not only includes all of his Capitol recordings from 1946-1955, but it also includes incredibly rare recordings for King, Bel-Tone, and other small labels, some done under pseudonyms like Tem Martin and the Shepherd Brothers. The famous Merle Travis guitar is featured on the rare guitar-only albums, and the hits here include Divorce Me COD, Steel Guitar Rag, No Vacancy, and Cincinnati Lou. As always, though, the real story is in the rare singles, album cuts, and unissued recordings where Merle's guitar and his winning humor shine. A feast for any fan of finger-style guitar.

The "thoroughly fun . . . [and] crazy good" memoir about one man's life and how it was changed by the legacy of a rockabilly legend (Chicago Sun-Times).

Seriously catchy jailbait power pop from Detroit, Nikki Corvette mixed punk thump with girl-group innocence and 1960s pop jangle to create a genuinely timeless sound. Though she's never cracked the charts in any way during their brief existence in the late '70s/early '80s, her sound can be heard all over the various pop-tinged punk acts of the '90s and 2000s… Currently this collection includes the albums: "Nikki and The Corvettes", "Wild Record Party", "Back To Detroit", "Rebellious Love Emergency", and lat to date project "Nikki And The Romeos".