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Archive for May, 2009

Charles Carney and Scott Grass–The ACME Catalog: Quality is Our #1 Dream (2006)

Posted in Charles Carney, Consumerism, Funny (ha ha), Looney Tunes, Psychostick, Radio, Scott Grass, Technology, Violence, WSOU 89.5 FM--South Orange, NJ on May 19, 2009| 2 Comments »

acmeSOUNDTRACK: 89.5 WSOU.

souThis station is one that I used to listen to quite often back at my old house.  It comes from Seton Hall University and it is an excellent resource for heavy metal.  I haven’t tuned them in in about five years, and I was delighted to hear that they are still around and still rocking.

The set that I listened to the other day was even heavier than I expected.  In particular, they played a thrash song called “Caffeine.”  The chorus was something like, “Caffeine, caffeine, caffeine in my coffee.”  It then slowed down as the buzz wore off, but then took off again.  It was funny and thrashing and brought me back to my high school days.  If anyone knows who it might have been, let me know.

For the longest time I never knew why the station was called Pirate Radio.  I thought it was some attempt to sound bad-ass, like they were illegal.  Then, I realized that Seton Hall’s mascot is a Pirate.  Well, there’s that cleared up.

[READ: May 15, 2009] The ACME Catalog

Sarah got this for me for Christmas back in 2006.  Somehow, it made its way out off the basement book shelf, and we enjoyed looking through it again.

This book, which you can’t tell from the title, but which you can from the cover, is a collection of products that Wile E Coyote has looked for or ordered in his pursuit of the Road Runner.

If you’re a fan of old Looney Tunes cartoons you’ll appreciate the humor of being able to order Do-It-Yourself Tornado (only $65.95) or Foot Springs (on closeout for $5.95) or perennial favorite the Fake Hole ($5.99). (more…)

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George Saunders–The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip (2000)

Posted in Children's Books, Fables, Funny (ha ha), Funny (strange), George Saunders, Lane Smith, McSweeney's, Short Books, The Airborne Toxic Event, WRFF 104.5 FM--Philadelphia, PA, WRXP 101.9 FM--New York on May 15, 2009| Leave a Comment »

frip1SOUNDTRACK: WRFF 104.5  FM & WRXP 101.9 FM.

1045The CD player in my car died.  I have been listening to the radio these last few days.  At first I was a little rxpexcited at the thought of listening to these stations that I so recently discovered.  But let me say, when working outside in the yard, you don’t mind what the stations are playing as much as you do when confined in a car.

Everyone hates commercials.  True.  But I never really noticed how all stations play commercials at the exact same time.  So you can’t even switch back and forth between the two stations without someone yelling at you to buy something.

But the real problem comes with the music.  Now, these are stations that I like and the bulk of the music they play is very good.  However, after being stuck in the car for more than three hour with these two, I’m ready to strangle them.  WRFF based in Philadelphia seems to have copped its set list from the venerable Boston radio station WFNX circa 1995.  I loved the Toadies back then and was thrilled to hear them again.  But I don’t need to hear them every other day, now.  And, WRFF loves the Police, almost obsessively.  Now, I like the Police quite a lot, but for RFF, The Police seem to be their go-to band.  Hey, we’ve got a slot to fill, let’s throw on “Message in a Bottle.”  Again.  I like the Police, but come on!  And, of course, there’s Airborne Toxic Event.  I think every time I turn on that station I hear “Some Time Around Midnight.”

And WRXP is just a little too fixated on the classic rock.  When I first started listening I was pretty excited at the mix of classic rock and alternative stuff.  But at this point, I’ve grown tired of the classic rock, especially since it seems to be all second-tier classic rock.  You know, I don’t really need to hear “Money for Nothing” anymore.

And so, I am left scanning the dials.  And, I am ashamed to say that it took me a few days to search to the left of the dial, where I know good music normally resides.  In my defense, where I used to live didn’t have much access to those stations.  But now that I live within shouting distance of Rutgers, there is much to be joyous about.

[READ: May 5, 2009] The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip

frip2I had read this short book about six months ago, but decided to read it again before posting on it.  The second time through was a much more satisfying read for some reason.

This story is about a small town called Frip.  Frip is on the edge of a cliff above the sea.  Lurking in the sea are a multitude of gappers.  Gappers are small orange urchin-like creatures.  Gappers love goats.  Not to eat or to do anything evil to, they just love them.  Goats make them happy.  Conveniently for the gappers, the three families who live closest to the edge of the cliff all keep goats.  Unfortunately for the families and the goats, hundreds of gappers climb on the goats and shriek with delight whenever they cling.  This is rather disconcerting for the goats, who stop eating and stop producing milk.

The three families are:  our heroine Capable and her dad, her neighbor Mrs Romo and her two boys (who spend their non-gapper moments practicing singing), and Mr & Mrs P and their two girls (who practice looking pretty for boys).  The children are employed to go out to the goats eight times a day, scrape the gappers off the goats and throw them back into the sea.

One day, the gappers realize they can go to just one house, instead of all three.  So, they choose Capable’s house (which is closest).  Now her neighbors have no gappers, but Capable is overwhelmed by them.  Capable asks for help but the neighbors tell her that the gappers are her problem now. (more…)

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J.G. Ballard–The Autobiography of J.G.B. (New Yorker, May 11, 2009)

Posted in Black Sabbath, Crash, End of the World, J.G. Ballard, Radio, Supernatural, The Divine Comedy, The Tragically Hip on May 14, 2009| Leave a Comment »

ny509SOUNDTRACK: ——-

radioThe CD player in my car died.

Evidently the CD Error screen in the Prius’ 6 disc changer is not completely uncommon.  And I am devastated.  (And looking at a pretty penny to replace it).  In the past, I have installed stereos in at least three different cars.  But man, not only don’t I want to interfere with the sleek Prius console, I can’t even find the screws!

sabotageI also have 2 CDs in the player, and they won’t play or eject!  The one disc is no biggie, Sabotage by Black Sabbath, easily replaceable and for cheap too.  The other one, however, is The Tragically Hip’s Live from the Vault Vol. 4 which came free with their new album, vaultWe Are the Same.  I don’t think it’s available anywhere (not even on their website yet).  When I go in for my 60,000 mile tune up next month, I’m going to hope they can rescue it.

Until then, I must switch to, gasp, the radio.  Which isn’t that terrible.  However, it means I have no place for scrutinizing music (it’s hard to get absorbed in a CD when you have two kids), and the car was my only place for music as more than background.  Alas.

[READ: May 6, 2009] The Autobiography of J.G.B.

My only exposure to J.G. Ballard prior to reading this has been in the Divine Comedy song “The Booklovers” in which Neil Hannon states “J.G. Bal-ARD”–“instrument binnacle” (which is from his novel Crash).  I did see the movie of Crash, but that’s neither here nor there.

This story is very short, barely one page long, and it shows the main character, B, wandering around Shepperton as he realizes that no other living creatures are around.  Anywhere.  And so, B slowly adjusts to his new life. (more…)

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McSweeney’s #3 [Timothy McSweeney’s Windfall Republic] (Late Summer, Early Fall 1999)

Posted in Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Ana Marie Cox, Books about writers, Brent Hoff, Cancer as plot device, Colleen Werthmann, Consumerism, David Foster Wallace, David Letterman, David Mamet, David Steinhardt, Essays, Flash Fiction, Fresh Step, Funny (ha ha), Funny (strange), Gary Greenberg, Glengarry Glen Ross, Holidays, J. Robert Lennon, John Warner, Jonathan Lethem, Ken Foster, Komar and Melamid, Lawrence Weschler, Lucy Thomas, Marriage Trouble, McSweeney's, Meta, Might, NYPD Blue, Oddities, Outer Space, Partisan Review, Paul Collins, Paul Maliszewski, Pearl Jam, Political Humor, Rick Moody, Sarah Vowell, Short Story, Smarty Pants, Steven Amick, Suicide, Supernatural, T.Z. Parsa, Threats, Tom Tomorrow, TRL, Unabomber, Violence, Wikipedia, Zev Borow on May 13, 2009| 1 Comment »

mcsweeneys3SOUNDTRACK: PEARL JAM-Riot Act (2002).

riotactThis album seems to get overshadowed by the anti-George Bush track “Bu$hleaguer.” Evidently many people were turned off by this track, and that may have had an impact on sales. Of course, I’m sure many other people were introduced to the band by this song, too. Regardless, the rest of the album shouldn’t be judged by this track, as it is rather unusual.

This disc is the first one to feature a dedicated keyboardist, “Boom” Gaspar.  He’s present on all of the live discs from this concert tour, and it is quite disconcerting the first time you hear the audience yell “Boooooooooooom” when he comes out.  But he plays a mean organ solo.

“Can’t Keep” opens the disc sounding unlike other PJ tracks.  It has a vibe like Led Zeppelin III–almost a world-acoustic feel.  “Save You” rocks out with the classic chorus, “And fuck me if I say something you don’t wanna hear.  And fuck me if you only hear what you wanna hear.  Fuck me if I care.”  A great fast song with a cool bassline.  “Love Boat Captain” feature Boom Gaspar’s first contribution to a song: lots of organ.  It’s a rather touching song, a gentle piece, except for a center part which rocks out. “Cropduster” features a delicate chorus after a skittery verse.  If you are familiar with Matt Cameron’s contributions to the band, you’ll not be surprised by the unusual sound of this song.

“I Am Mine” starts a section of three great songs. This one is acousticy and uplifting.  “Thumbing My Way” is a pretty PJ ballad.  Then “You Are” has a really funky wah wahed sound on almost the whole song.  Three great tracks in a row.

Not that “Get Right” is bad.  It just doesn’t quite fit the mood of the previous three.  Rather, this is a punk blast that feels more than a little off-kilter (another Cameron track, of course).   “Help Help” begins the really weird section of the disc with this peculiar song (catchy chorus though).  It’s followed by “Bu$hleaguer” a spoken word rant, with an abstract chorus.  The chanting aspect is interesting, th0ugh.  “Arc” is a short chant, no doubt reflecting Eddie’s duet with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

“1/2 Full” returns to the “proper” songs with this sloppy jam.  The verses are quiet but the choruses rock.  “All or None” is another mellow disc ender, this one has some good subtle drumming that really propels this jazzy song.

At this point in Pearl Jam’s career, we get yet another solid effort.  You more or less know what to expect on their releases although there’s always a surprise.

[READ: May 7, 2009] McSweeney’s #3

This is the third volume of McSweeney’s print journal.  This one, like the first two, is a white, softcover edition.  If you click on the cover above it will take you to the flickr page with a larger picture.

[UPDATE: September 25, 2009]

It has just come to my attention that David Foster Wallace DOES have a  piece in this magazine.  (See my comment on the Notes from the authors).  His piece runs on the spine of the book and is called:
“Another Example of the Porousness of Various Borders (VI): Projected but not Improbable Transcript of Author’s Parents’ Marriage End, 1971” (which is also available in his book Brief Interviews with Hideous Men under the title “Yet Another Example of the Porousness of Certain Borders (VI)”).

The piece itself is almost shorter than the whole title and is basically a funny argument about which parent would get the double-wide trailer and which parent would get him.  Pretty funny stuff, and even funnier for being on the spine.

Okay, back to the issue.

[end UPDATE]

The opening colophon on this one explains the price increase (from $8 to $10).  It’s because this is a longer issue, it has color plates (foldouts!) and because of a sad but amusing anecdote of a lost bag with $2,000 cash.
There’s also notes about some stories (the Hoff & Steinhardt pieces are true) and an apology of sorts for running a story about the Unabomber.

And an actual (presumably) envelope sent from the titular Timothy McSweeney, as a way of verifying the authenticity of the title of the journal.

The final page of the colophon shows a sample of how long it will take for them to respond to submissions (which should not be funny fake news).  And it ends with a half a dozen or so random questions, which they do answer: ARE THE RIVERS THAT FLOW FROM HOT SPRINGS HOT? They are often very warm.  DO THEY GIVE OFF STEAM? Yes, and they smell vaguely of sulfur. MARTIN VAN BUREN: He had a certain charm.  etc.

LETTERS PAGE:

JONATHAN LETHEM
Ride with Jonatahn Lethem and the Mad Brooklynite as he narrates Manhattan’s superiority complex when it comes to the other boros.  Funny stuff. (more…)

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Laurence Sterne–The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1769)

Posted in 18th Century, A Cock and Bull Story, Digression, Funky Web Sites, Funny (ha ha), Funny (strange), Humiliation, Irish Writer, Laurence Sterne, Meta, Pearl Jam, Pregnancy, Smarty Pants, Steve Coogan, Unreliable narrator on May 7, 2009| Leave a Comment »

tristramshandy2SOUNDTRACK: PEARL JAM-Binaural (2000).

binauraBinaural bursts forth with the rampaging “Breakerfall” and “God’s Dice.”  The latter pauses only briefly for a chorus break.  They are followed by “Evacuation,” a song that sounds a bit off kilter in this studio version but which blasts off on the live version. It’s got a great shouty chorus too.

“Light Years” is another wonderfully singalongable PJ track. The verses are delicate and, while the choruses don’t build, they are still very catchy.  “Nothing as It Seems” is a haunting track that is dark and fantastic.  The opening guitar riff sounds like it’s coming from the middle of a desert, and the rest of the song is great and great sounding too.  “Thin Air” is another mid- tempo song that doesn’t wear out its welcome, and is fun to sing along to as well.

“Insignificance” is one of the great stop/start songs in PJ’s history. The staggered guitar work builds and stops, builds and stops and just gets better as it goes along.  “Of the Girl” is one of those moody pieces that on previous discs sounded kind of throwaway, and yet this song has enough interesting nooks in it that it never gets dull.  It doesn’t really ever bust out into big chorus, but the subtle changes are just as powerful.  “Grievance” is also fantastic. Another staggered type of song with powerful lyrics and rocking verses and choruses. And when played live, this song is a behemoth.

“Rival” is one of those weird little songs that PJ throws in.  An experiment that works more than some of t heir others.  Followed by “Sleight of Hand” one of their more impressive ballads.  Even though the chorus isn’t dramatically different, it’s still very powerful. “Parting Ways” is one of their best album enders in a long time. It’s another slow one, yet it doesn’t meander. There’s some nice guitar interplay that keeps the song interesting.

And then there’s “Soon Forget” a little number played on a ukulele.  For another band this would be a gimmick yet Eddie’s sincerity pulls it off quite nicely. There’s also a hidden track at the end (evidently called “Writer’s Block”) which is the sound of a typewriter typing.

This was the disc that got me back into Pearl Jam, and it really is a great album. Most of their first barrage of live discs came from this tour, which may explain why I like these songs so much (I heard them all about 70 times, right?), but it’s a great place to start for latter-day Pearl Jam.

[READ: April 2007] The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

I read this book a long time ago, in college, based on the recommendation of my friend Gene.  I really enjoyed it and found it quite funny.  Then, last year, I watched Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story, which is sort of a film adaptation of Tristram Shandy.  A post about this movie could be just as long as the movie itself, but the short version is that the hilarious Steve Coogan is an actor in a production of the film of Tristram Shandy.  As they are filming Tristram Shandy, the camera follows Coogan, the actor, as his neuroses get the better of him in both his professional and personal life.  This Coogan stuff has absolutely nothing to do with the book, making the whole proceeding weird and wonderful. (more…)

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Philip Roth–The Plot Against America (2004)

Posted in Dystopia, Free Speech, Nazis, Pearl Jam, Religion, Set in New Jersey!, South, Threats, Violence, War on May 5, 2009| Leave a Comment »

plotSOUNDTRACK:  PEARL JAM-Live on Two Legs (1998).

2legsThis is the first official Pearl Jam live release.  It is compiled from a number of different concerts, yet it flows pretty seamlessly. It highlights how much faster many of the songs became during their live shows.  This increased their power almost uniformly.

This disc also works as, not really a greatest hits, because there are plenty of hits left off the set list [most of Ten, notably] but maybe a greatest hits of all the non-Ten songs.

A track listing would be the most sensible way to cover what’s on here, since  it is uniformly solid and enjoyable.  And I don’t have too much to say about each track.

Corduroy-Vitalogy
Given to Fly-Yield
Hail Hail-No Code
Daughter-Vs
Elderly Woman-Vs
MFC-Yield
Go-Vs
Red Mosquito-No Code
Even Flow-Ten
Off He Goes-No Code
Nothingman-Vitalogy
Do the Evolution-Yield
Betterman-Vitalogy
Black-Ten
Fuckin’ Up–This song bears a mention as it is a cover.  This is their first recorded cover of a Neil Young song.  Later, this song and “Rockin’ in the Free World” became staples of their live shows.  On here, they play a gorgeously sloppy rendition of this track.  It perfectly encapsulates the record: raw energetic and more than a little vulgar.  Perfect.

The set list also belies the fact that No Code isn’t as popular of a disc as the others.  There are three tracks from each of their records (except Ten which has two).  And the No Code tracks sound as good as the rest.

This is a good representation of Pearl Jam around this time, and it’s a good place to investigate their live sound (until you’re willing to take the plunge into the 72 self released live discs).

[READ: 2004 or 2005] The Plot Against America

DIGRESSION: I read this book a few years ago, and I didn’t remember the details all that well.  However, the overall story had a pretty big impact on me–especially in that it made me want to read more Philip Roth.  So, I’m going to include it here.  Some of my summary comes from other sources, but I do include my own recollections too.

I’ve never read Philip Roth before reading this novel.  Despite all of his famous works, he’s always slipped under my radar.  But the urgency and political nature of this book made me want to read it right away.

What was so interesting to me about the novel was that, even though it is a fictionalized account of things that didn’t actually happen, I didn’t know a lot of the history behind the story.  And so I actually wound up learning a bit of American history from this novel. (more…)

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