SOUNDTRACK: SUPERCHUNK-The First Part (1993).
The First Part opens with a guitar riff, very different from the chugga-chugga songs that they’ve played on the other tracks. In fact, at the end of the verses, the bass backs out entirely leaving an interesting and unexpected sound for the song.
The second song, “Connecticut” is similar in that it also has a guitar riff (and a kind of solo) in the introduction. The surprise comes at about a minute thirty-five when the guitar solo kicks in and the song suddenly shifts into an all out rocker. This change is especially surprising since the song is just over 2 minutes long.
“Foolish” plays with a distortion-fueled repetitive riff that keeps the song moving. It’s really quite infectious and something of a departure for the band. This whole EP shows quite a leap forward in terms of Superchunk singles.
[READ: September 30, 2010] “The Toughest Indian in the World”
Sherman Alexie is the third author in the New Yorker’s 1999 20 Under 40 collection.
I have read a few Sherman Alexie pieces, and I’ve enjoyed what I’ve read. And yet, for some reason, he’s not one of the authors I keep a look out for.
This story is about a newspaper writer. He is Spokane Indian. We learn a little about his past. And one thing–his father only ever picked up hitchhikers if they were also Native–is a tradition he follows today. Even though his girlfriend doesn’t want him to pick up anyone. We also learn a little about his previous girlfriends (like the white woman who only dated non-white men).
Alexie’s writing style is wonderfully fluid and relaxed during this background information. It’s a very easy read, and quite funny too. But things change when he meets the titular toughest Indian.
The story zooms in on this tough Indian. The narrator picks him up on the side of the road after he has just finished up a reservation fight (where he fought a man who everyone claimed was the toughest Indian in the world). He and the writer (who is not very tough) talk about the fights and share jerky and Pepsi. And when they reach the driver’s destination, he offers to the let the fighter crash in his hotel room rather than walk through the night.
A wholly (to me) unexpected shift then happens in the story. And it turned the story in to something else entirely. It went from a story of self explanation into a story of self-examination. It was quite affecting and rather surprising.
I really ought to read more Alexie stories.
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