Zadie Smith Introduces The Burned Children of America (2003)

SOUNDTRACK: MOGWAI: GovernmentCommissions: BBC Sessions 1996-2003 (2005). It’s unlikely that Mogwai will ever release a greatest hits (well, someone probably will, but the band themselves don’t seem likely to do so).  As such, this compilation of BBC Recordings will certainly work well as one. As I’ve mentioned many times, the BBC recordings are universally superb. [...]

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Tessa Hadley–”Clever Girl” (New Yorker, June 6, 2011)

SOUNDTRACK: MOGWAI-Happy Songs for Happy People (2003). Happy Songs for Happy People follows up Rock Action with more sedate music from Mogwai.  In fact, while Rock Action was pretty mellow (with a few bursts of noise) HMFHP is even more mellow. Although it does open with a rocking track: “Hunted By a Freak.”  “Hunted” is [...]

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Simon Rich–”Trade” (New Yorker, May 30, 2011)

SOUNDTRACK: MOGWAI-5 Track Tour Single (2001). I usually am able to track provenance of my discs pretty well, but this one I am only largely certain came from my friend Lar (sorry Lar, the memory is not what it used to be).  But where else would I have gotten a CD from a Mogwai show if I’ve [...]

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Kate Walbert–”M&M World” (New Yorker, May 30, 2011)

SOUNDTRACK: MOGWAI-Rock Action (2001). After all of Mogwai’s releases over the years (and all the various compilations and imports and whatnot, it’s hard to believe that Rock Action was only their third proper full length release. I just recently learned that the song “Dial: Revenge” has vocals by Gruff Rhys from the Super Furry Animals [...]

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Five Dials: Your Valentine’s Day Card (12 February 2010)

SOUNDTRACK: TINDERSTICKS-Claire Denis Film Scores 1996-2009 (2011). Constellation Records just released a 5 disc box set of Tindersticks movie scores.  Fans of the band will know the soundtracks for Nenette et Boni and Trouble Every Day which were released years ago.  Those are included here, along with four other soundtracks (on 3 discs).  The entire [...]

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Five Dials Number 10: Celebrating the Life and Work of David Foster Wallace: 1962-2008 (9 December 2010)

SOUNDTRACK: GOGOL BORDELLO-East Infection (EP Extra) (2005). I learned about Gogol Bordello from some live shows available on NPR.  I enjoyed their sets so much I decided to check out their albums as well.  And I love them.  The albums are full of frenetic energy (they give Sarah agita, she says).  But everything that I [...]

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Ludmilla Petrushevskaya–”Medea” (Harper’s, June 2011)

SOUNDTRACK: WEEZER-Death to False Metal (2010). This is a fascinating release.  I assumed it was a quick cash in of unreleased tracks.  And yet it doesn’t sound like a bunch of tracks from different eras thrown together.  A little digging reveals that it is sort of a collection of unreleased tracks.  The ten songs here [...]

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Jim Garrard–”Big Ticket” (The Walrus, July/August 2007)

SOUNDTRACK: NEIL YOUNG AND CRAZY HORSE-Rust Never Sleeps (DVD) (1979). Back in 1979, Neil Young had a huge hit on his hands with “Hey Hey My My” and the album Rust Never Sleeps.  This is a film of that concert (in the Cow Palace, San Francisco). The set sounds great and the selection of songs is [...]

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Michael Healy–”Shock Jock” (The Walrus, December/January 2007)

SOUNDTRACK: The Best of Sessions at West 54th, Volume 1 (DVD) (1997). Back in the 1990s, PBS ran one of their TV series devoted to contemporary music, Sessions at West 54th.  It was primarily, but not exclusively adult alternative music, with a mixture of jazz and country thrown in as well.  I never watched the [...]

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Donald Antrim–”He Knew” (New Yorker, May 9, 2011)

SOUNDTRACK: MY MORNING JACKET-It Still Moves (2003). I discovered My Morning Jacket through their awesome live album Okonokos.  Most of that album comprised songs from their previous disc, Z.  But there were a number of tracks from this record as well.  So I was thrilled to put this in for the first time and recognize [...]

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