John Uri Lloyd–Etidorhpa; or, The End of Earth: The History of a Mysterious Being and the Account of a Remarkable Journey (1895)

SOUNDTRACK: TINDERSTICKS-Waiting for the Moon (2003).
This Tindersticks disc shows a bit of a departure for them.  Two of the first three songs are not sung by Stuart Staples (which is nice for diversity, but it is shocking to hear the first sung words on a Tindersticks disc be in the relatively high register of Dickon).  [...]

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David Foster Wallace–possible excerpts from The Pale King: ["Three Fragments from a Longer Thing" (2000); "Good People" (New Yorker, February 5, 2007); "The Compliance Branch" (Harper's, February 2008); "Wiggle Room" and "Irrelevant Bob" (New Yorker, March 9, 2009)]

SOUNDTRACK: TINDERSTICKS-Live at the Botanique, 9th-12 May 2001 (2001).
This is called an “official bootleg.”  It must be very rare as I can’t even find a picture of it online.  My friend Lar must have gotten it for me, as I have never seen the band live and it was (apparently) only available at their shows.  [...]

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Javier Marias–”While the Women Are Sleeping” (New Yorker, November 2, 2009)

SOUNDTRACK: TINDERSTICKS-Simple Pleasure (1999).
Tindersticks changed a bit with this disc.  And it’s evident from the moment the opening track kicks in: “Can We Start Again” is the most upbeat (musically) song they’ve ever done.  (Even if lyrically it’s not exactly puppies and rainbows).  And it is a truly magnificent song.  The next track, “If You’re [...]

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Donald Barthelme–”The Balloon” from Unspeakable Practices, Unnatural Acts (1968)

SOUNDTRACK:  TINDERSTICKS-What is a Man (2000).
This is a soundtrack to a TV mini-series called The Sins (which I know nothing about).  The song (for there is only one) is a cover of a Four Tops song (which I do not know).  The “B-side” is an instrumental version of said song.
And, sadly, that’s all that comes [...]

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Comic Book Tattoo (2008)

SOUNDTRACK: TORI AMOS-Abnormally Attracted to Sin (2009).
It’s been almost a decade since I was blown away by a Tori Amos album.  I feel like she has really been so engaged in the concept of her albums, that she has lost track of the tunes.  And while I don’t hate anything she’s done in the last [...]

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David Foster Wallace–”/Solomon Silverfish/” (Sonora Review no. 16, Fall 1987)

SOUNDTRACK: TINDERSTICKS-Nénette et Boni [soundtrack] (1996).
After releasing two albums of atmospheric brilliance, Tindersticks were called upon to score the music for the film Nénette et Boni.
And this disc answers the question of whether it is Stuart Staples’ voice that is the driving force behind the band.  And the answer is, indeed not.  This disc is [...]

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Donald Barthelme–”Among the Beanwoods,” “Heather,” “Pandemonium” (Harper’s, November 2007)

SOUNDTRACK: JILL SOBULE-California Years (2009).
So Jill Sobule had the first hit single called “I Kissed a Girl” (that was sung by a woman).  And it was sort of a novelty hit, which is the kiss of death for any songwriter.  After most people forgot about her, I followed her career for a while.  And I [...]

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Periodical: The Walrus

I found out about The Walrus while watching an interview with Noah Richler on Book Television (back when I had Canadian satellite).  During the interview, they mentioned that the first issue of this cool new magazine, The Walrus, had just come out.  I was very intrigued; amazingly, the local Barnes & Noble had a copy! [...]

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Struan Sinclair–Automatic World (2008)

SOUNDTRACK: JARVIS COCKER-Further Complications (2009).
I really enjoyed Pulp’s Different Class album when it came out.  In fact, I liked it so much I made sure to get This is Hardcore and even the one before the got big, His n Hers.  I felt like the earlier stuff was just okay.  So either they hit their [...]

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The Fifth Column (1996) & The Flexicon (1998)

SOUNDTRACK: ERIC CHENAUX-Sloppy Ground (2008).

It took several listens before I fully enjoyed this disc.  There’s something about Chenaux’s voice that is very calming, almost soporific.  And, since his general songwriting style is kind of ambient and almost formless–with no real choruses or even rhythms, the disc tends to get lost in the ether.  There’s also [...]

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