David Garnett–Lady into Fox (1922) [THE COLLINS LIBRARY No. 3]

SOUNDTRACK: THE FLAMING LIPS-In a Priest Driven Ambulance (1990). This is where the Lips really hit their stride.  While they are still experimenting with sonic noises, the dedication to songcraft takes precedence.  It’s as if they wrote cool songs first and then fiddled with them, rather than using the fiddling as the main focus.  The [...]

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Frank Buckland–Curious Men: Being a Collection of Freaks, Frauds, and Fine Fellows. Gathered by an Eminent Victorian (2008 originally: 1830-1838) [THE COLLINS LIBRARY No. 6]

SOUNDTRACK: THE FLAMING LIPS-Telepathic Surgery (1989). Although the overall sound of the Lips on this disc isn’t that much different, the band sounds more accomplished. Rather than just banging out songs in a garage, this one sounds like a bunch of guys banging out songs in a studio and then experimenting the hell out of [...]

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A new day

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Clifford Chase–Winkie (2006)

SOUNDTRACK: THE FLAMING LIPS-Oh My Gawd!!!..The Flaming Lips (1987). The cover of this disc makes a statement.  And it should tell you everything you need to know about the music inside.  It’s got skulls and psychedelic colors and Oh My Gawd!!!  And yet, it doesn’t, exactly.  It’s not quite as out there as the cover [...]

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McSweeney’s#1 [Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern (or "Gegenshein") Autumn 1998 "The Ski Instructor"]

SOUNDTRACK: THE FLAMING LIPS-Hear It Is (1986). I’ve claimed that I love the Lips, but then I was very harsh about their cover of “White Christmas,” and I noted that I wouldn’t listen to the soundtrack of  Christmas on Mars very much.  So, I felt I owed them some love.  But my recollection of their [...]

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McSweeney’s #29 (2008)

SOUNDTRACK: FISHBONE-Give a Monkey a Brain and He’ll Swear He’s the Center of the Universe (1993). I had actually forgotten about this album, because it was so overshadowed by Truth and Soul and Reality….. When I put it on I wasn’t expecting much (Fishbone had something of a precipitous decline around this time).  So, I [...]

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Colson Whitehead–”The Gangsters” (New Yorker, December 22 & 29, 2008)

SOUNDTRACK: SUFJAN STEVENS–Astral Inter Planet Space Captain Christmas Infinity Voyage-Songs for Christmas Vol. VIII (2008). I downloaded this disc from an online source.  And no I don’t feel bad about it because it wasn’t officially released, so no one is losing money.  If it ever gets released I’ll surely buy it. Volumes VI and VII [...]

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Zadie Smith–”Dead Man Laughing” (New Yorker, December 22 & 29, 2008)

SOUNDTRACK: SUFJAN STEVENS–Peace! Songs for Christmas Vol. V (2006). This EP comes very close to being my favorite; it may even beat vol 3.  In part because the disc is 35 minutes long (still short for Sufjan Stevens but longer than some bands’ full lengths). Four songs are sort of repeated from other discs.  “Once [...]

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Roberto Bolaño–”Meeting with Enrique Lihn” (New Yorker, December 22 & 29, 2008)

SOUNDTRACK: SUFJAN STEVENS–Joy! Songs for Christmas Vol. IV (2006). This disc has only one guest on it: Bridgit DeCook.  And she adds some very nice harmonies to some of the songs.  It also contains only one short (less than a minute) instrumental: “The First Noel.” The rest of the disc stays around the 3-4 minute [...]

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Alice Munro–”Some Women” (New Yorker, December 22 & 29, 2008)

SOUNDTRACK: SUFJAN STEVENS–Ding! Dong! Songs for Christmas Vol. III (2006). Disc Three of the Sufjan Christmas collection is my favorite.  It returns to the more mellow, folksy style of the first disc (and is replete with banjo!).  It opens with some thing of a reprise of “O Come, O Come Emanuel” (only a minute long).  [...]

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