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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Chris Ware–”Unmasked” (New Yorker, November 2, 2009)

SOUNDTRACK: TINDERTSICKS-”curtains” (1997).
“Rented Rooms” from Curtains is another one of my favorite songs. It is dark yet sensual at the same time: “We had to go find somewhere else more… you know.”  The disc itself works similarly to their first two discs.  It’s not as long, and is a little less dynamic.  But it is [...]

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Ian Frazier–”Fanshawe” (New Yorker, November 2, 2009)

SOUNDTRACK: KATHLEEN EDWARDS-Asking for Flowers (2008).
I first heard of Kathleen Edwards because of her duet with John Doe on “The Golden State.”  I thought her voice was great and I wanted to hear more.  I picked this album because it was her newest.
My first impression was mild.  I thought initially, great, I’ve gotten yet another [...]

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Christine Schutt-”Prosperous Friends” (Harper’s, November 2009)

SOUNDTRACK: TINDERSTICKS: Tindersticks [the black and white one] (1995).
This second album (often called II, but according to the band, is called Tindertsticks) continues the coolness of the first disc.  But this disc seems to have a few more “singles” (or what could have been singles) on it.  “A Night In” has a great slow building, [...]

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George Saunders–”Victory Lap” (New Yorker, October 5, 2009)

SOUNDTRACK: PLACEBO-Battle for the Sun (2009).
I’ve been a fan of Placebo since their first disc came out (I had to hunt it down after reading a great review in Q magazine).  Imagine my surprise when they took off with their next album and the huge single “Every You Every Me.”
Battle for the Sun is their [...]

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Julian Barnes–”Complicity” (New Yorker, October 19, 2009)

SOUNDTRACK: JILL SOBULE-Underdog Victorious (2004).
After ordering California Years, I saw that she had released this disc, Underdog Victorious, which I had never heard of.  Then I found it used for pretty cheap.  The most exciting thing about the disc is that there’s a crossword puzzle (that is largely about Jill herself) done by Will Shortz [...]

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Marisa Silver–”Temporary” (New Yorker, September 28, 2009)

SOUNDTRACK: CLUES-Clues (2009).
This is another of my favorite recent Constellation Records CDs.  Clues remind me of Mercury Rev, if they had remained a more indie/underpolished band instead of their more recent orchestrated pop.  The lead singer sounds a but like Jonathan Donahue (and sometimes Wayne Coyne from the Flaming Lips) and the band in general [...]

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Periodical: The Week

I’m not sure how I first learned about The Week. I think I received a trial issue in the mail. But after just one or two issues we were hooked.  The Week is a comprehensive newsweekly, although it offers virtually no original reporting.  It collates news stories and offers opinions from a variety of sources: [...]

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David Sedaris–”Laugh Kookaburra” (New Yorker, August 24, 2009)

SOUNDTRACK:TOKYO POLICE CLUB-”Smith” EP (2007).
The Smith EP contains 4 songs.  The first two tracks are bouncy energy filled tracks, like on A Lesson in Crime.  But the third track “A Lesson in Crime” sounds very distinctly mellow-Death Cab for Cutie-like.  And it gives the whole EP a slightly more mellow feel.
Track 4, the remix (of [...]

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