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Archive for June, 2009

Gene Luen Yang & Derek Kirk Kim–The Eternal Smile (2009)

Posted in Derek Kirk Kim, Fantasy, First Second :01, Gene Luen Yang, Graphic Novel, Minnesota, Scrooge McDuck, Short Books, Short Story, Snappy Cola, The Replacements, Violence, YA Books on June 18, 2009| Leave a Comment »

eternalSOUNDTRACK: THE REPLACEMENTS-Don’t Tell a Soul (1989).

soulWith this disc, the ‘Mats finally scored a hit.  “I’ll Be You” actually made the Billboard charts!  And why not, it’s a delightfully catchy, far more mature version of the ‘Mats now-adult-alternative music.

In my head, this is where the ‘Mats sold out entirely.  But, I listened to the disc the other day and I was surprised at just how much I enjoyed it.  I was probably still really into Pleased to Meet Me when I first got Don’t Tell, so the trip from point A to B isn’t quite as drastic. I guess maybe grown up me enjoys it more than college-aged me did.

The allmusic review is very harsh about the disc, especially the production.  I can’t say I noticed anything about that.  I was just listening for the songs.  And, in addition to being their longest disc to date, it only features 2 songs shorter than 3 minutes!

What you see is Paul Westerberg maturing as a songwriter, for better or worse.  And, as far as his craft goes, it’s certainly better.  As for indie rock, well, not so much.

The songs still maintain the rocking style of older Replacements, but they have more proper structure  (verses and choruses, repeat).  They also play with the loud/soft dynamic that would really come to the fore with Nirvana…although The ‘mats version was more of a rocking/acoustic juxtaposition. Almost all of the tracks on this disc feature an acoustic guitar somewhere in the mix. In fact, I thought that the disc was a lot less rocking than it actually is.

There’s a couple of clunkers on the disc, “We’ll Inherit the Earth” seems a bit off somehow.  But for the most part, the songs sound like a grown up version of the teenage ‘Mats from just five years ago.

By comparison to general pop music, “I’ll Be You” still maintains some indie cred. And, it’s really hard to resist the catchiness of it (from the break to the slightly off-kilter guitar solo that ends the song).  “Achin’ to Be” is another coulda been a hit, although perhaps more on a folk/country side of things.  And “Talent Show” and “Back to Back” are sort of gentle rockers that speed up at a few points. Only “Anywhere’s Better Than Here” has the really distorted rock sound of yore.

Even though I did enjoy listening to the disc, it suffers from a lack of fun.  As I said, it’s a pretty shocking maturation over the span of eight (or even five) years.

[READ: June 12, 2009] The Eternal Smile

Sarah received a copy of this book, and as soon as I realized it was by the guy who did American Born Chinese, an amazing, amazing graphic novel, I was excited to read it.

This is a collection of three short stories: “Duncan’s Kingdom,” “Gran’pa Greenbax and the Eternal Smile,” and “Urgent Request”  I’m not sure if Kim and Yang collaborated or if one did one story and not the others.  But regardless, the art is fantastic in each.  I love the effortless style shifts in “Duncan” from the simple lines in the fantasy sequence, to the very very dark style in the nightmares.  “Gran’pa Greenbax” is so cartooney, so “childlike” in its style, that the violent avarice in the middle comes as quite a shock.  And “Urgent Request” is simply beautiful from start to finish.  It’s a great looking collection. (more…)

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Kurt Vonnegut–God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater; or, Pearls Before Swine (1965)

Posted in Corporate skewering, Drinking, Funny (ha ha), Kurt Vonnegut, Marriage Trouble, Minnesota, Political Humor, Smarty Pants, Surf Punks, The Replacements on June 17, 2009| 4 Comments »

rosewaterSOUNDTRACK: THE REPLACEMENTS-Pleased to Meet Me (1987).

pleasedMy friend Al introduced me to the Replacements with this disc way back in 1987.  He was so in love with the song “Alex Chilton” that he must have played it all summer.  And for me, this album is the soundtrack to our summer house at LBI (along with the Surf Punks’ My Beach).  As such, this is my favorite Replacements album.  Whether or not I would feel that way objectively, I can’t say.  But to me this disc is perfect, even without Bob Stinson (blasphemy I know!)

And I have to say that even without Stinson, there’s a lot of screaming guitar solos on this disc, presumably from Paul Westerberg, as I can’t find anyone else who they’re attributed to).  I’m only surprised by this because I thought of Westerberg as more of a rhythm guitarist.

It’s even hard for me to describe this record because it’s so a part of me.  “I.O.U” is a fast and furious opener.  “Alex Chilton,” has everything, rocking guitars, mellow bits and hooks galore.  “I Don’t Know” is a sloppy song, and yet it is a polished kind of sloppy, like they are trying to recreate their wild days.  And yet, it works–the opening drunken laughter and crashing noises, the call and response of disinterested “I dunno” after each line.  hey seemingly get lost during the chorus, but manage to pull it all together, of are pretty perfect.  Even the horns (!) really work on this track. “Nightclub Jitters” is a jazzy, slow song, it sounds a bit out of place, yet it foreshadows Westerberg’s slower pieces.  “The Ledge” is a catchy song about suicide (!).  Whoo hoo, but it’s a really powerful track.

“Nevermind” is a poppy little” number with a catchy chorus (of course they all have catchy choruses).  “”Shootin’ Dirty Pool is a dark and dirty track and “Red Red Wine” is a fun shout along.  “Skyway” is the tender song.  An acoustic guitar ballad that fits nicely on the disc after the raucousness of the last few tracks.  And of course, “Can’t Hardly Wait” is a fantastic closer.

There’s not a bad track on the disc, and I could listen to it over and over and over.  And heck, it’s barely over 30 minutes long.

[READ: June11, 2009] God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater

In Palm Sunday Vonnegut rates this book as one of his best, so I was pretty excited to read it.

I was surprised that while reading it that I didn’t fully enjoy it as much as I wanted to.  However, once I finished it, upon reflection, it was a very substantial book, and it will stay with me for a while.  I think that’s because the book deals with really heavy topics: wealth, greed, humanity, love.  And even though it is funny, it’s not as wacky as his other books.  In fact the opening chapters are practically genealogical, and you don’t really realize that the action has started until you’re in the throws of it.

Before I get to the plot, though, I’m going to mention the first appearance of Kilgore Trout, author of science fiction of dubious morality. (more…)

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R. Crumb–The Book of Genesis [excerpt] (New Yorker, June 8 & 15, 2009)

Posted in Bible, Gods, Minnesota, New Yorker, R. Crumb, Religion, Supernatural, The Replacements, Tom Waits on June 15, 2009| 2 Comments »

cover_newyorker_190SOUNDTRACK: THE REPLACEMENTS-Tim (1985).

timMany people consider this to be the best Replacements album.  It features one of their best songs “Bastards of Young” (which has one of the best anti-videos ever created (available here)).

For me, I think the second side (how quaint) is stronger than the first.  And, it’s not quite as diverse stylistically as Let It Be.  I think there’s something to do with the production that makes it a bit more polished-sounding.  And yet, despite all of this seeming Tim-bashing, it is still a fantastic record.

“Kiss Me on the Bus,” continues Westerberg’s streak of catchy poppy indie rock.  “Left of the Dial” is an awesome tribute to college radio stations.  And “Little Mascara” is another great, simple rocker.

Tim also contains a few ballads, “Here Comes a Regular” is another great TomWaitsian bar song. And “Waitress in the Sky” is a sweetly depressing song.

All signs indicate that The Replacements matured on this record (which makes this one seem less teenagery than Let It Be).  And after recording this, they kicked out Bob Stinson, founding member and brother of the bassist,  for being too drunk and reckless for the band (for THIS band!).  In fact, their next album will be even more “mature” (but I like that one more).

But Tim stands as one of the 80’s classic indie rock albums.

[READ: June 8, 2009] “The Book of Genesis”

As a general rule, I don’t like R. Crumb’s drawing style.  He’s a little too rough, a little too crass for my tastes.  This is no to say that I don’t appreciate his iconic images and the fact that his style is so recognizable. I just don’t happen truckinto like it all that much.  (Although I think his original characters are all pretty cool–the Keep On Truckin’ guy, of course).

Having said this, I appreciated his somewhat toned-down style in this excerpt.  Crumb decided to do a faithful, respectful illustration of the Bible (or at least the Book of Genesis).  And so he did.  The illustrations are really striking and, as is crumb’s way, he doesn’t hold back. (more…)

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Jonathan Lethem–“Ana’s Apartment” (New Yorker, May 25, 2009)

Posted in Consumerism, Demons, Drinking, Funny (ha ha), Funny (strange), Jonathan Lethem, Kiss, Minnesota, New Yorker, Short Story, The Replacements, Tom Waits on June 13, 2009| 1 Comment »

CV1_TNY_05_25_09.inddSOUNDTRACK: THE REPLACEMENTS-Let It Be (1984).

letitbeThis is the final album the Replacements made before they moved to the majors.  This disc represents the culmination of their pre-major label sound and is one of my favorite “college albums” of the era.

The disc retains a lot of their sloppy/punk sound of the time, but the songwriting moves forward a little further.  Westerberg wrote some timeless anthems for this disc (“I Will Dare,” “Unsatisfied”).   But, they also sprinkle the disc with silly tracks…not filler exactly…more like balance.  This keeps the disc from being too ponderous.

“I Will Dare” opens the disc. It is bouncy and poppy with an irresistible chorus.   But the bulk of the album is faster and more rocking.  Unlike on their their first two discs, however, the songs run a little bit longer, and they don’t attempt the hardcore feel quite as much.

In fact, there are a few songs that are quite clearly ballads.  “Androgynous” is a piano ballad (!) that could have easily been written by Tom Waits.  “Unsatisfied” is another ballad, although this one has more instrumentation.  Nevertheless, the feeling of yearning is palpable in Westerberg’s voice.  Finally, “Answering Machine” is another flanged-guitar filled song about romance in the age of modern technology (circa 1984).

These relatively light (musically, not emotionally) songs are balanced out quite nicely by the pair of punk/nonsense songs: “Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out” and “Gary’s Got a Boner.”  They add some (more) levity to the disc.  As well as some rocking guitars.

But perhaps the most surprising song is the cover of Kiss’ “Black Diamond.”  It is surprisingly faithful to the original, (at a time when Kiss was not even ironically cool) and it rocks just as hard.

This album showcases the diverse aspects of The Replacements perfectly.  While some people say their next album Tim is their masterpiece, I am more inclined to go with Let It Be.  And, for some reason, I really like the cover.

[READ: June 10, 2009] Ana’s Apartment

This short story sees the return of Perkus Tooth, who I first encountered in Lethem’s story in The Book of Other People.  In this story, Perkus has had it.   He is tired of his life and of his lifestyle.  He wakes from a party at an obscene hour and walks home in 2 feet of snow.  He learns that his building is shut down; he can’t get his stuff, he can’t even change his clothes.

He wanders around, freezing, until he remembers that his friend Biller told him of a place that Perkus could crash.  When Perkus arrives, Biller tells him he can crash in Ana’s apartment.  Ana’s not there, but she won’t mind a roommate. (more…)

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McSweeney’s #31

Posted in Anachronisms, Barzum, Biji, Bill Cotter, Books about writers, Charlie Chaplin, Consuetudinary, Corporate skewering, David Thomson, Death, Digression, Douglas Coupland, Duan Chengshi, Dystopia, End of the World, Ernest Hemingway, Fantasy, Funny (ha ha), Funny (strange), George Barr McCutcheon, Graustarkian Romance, History, James Hannaham, Jessica Anthony, John Brandon, John Cusack, Joy Williams, Legendary Saga, Mary Miller, McSweeney's, Meta, Miguel de Unamuno, Minnesota, Nicolas Chorier, Nivola, Oddities, Orson Welles, Pantoum, Plato, Poetry, Religion, Say Anything, Senryū, Sex, Shelley Jackson, Short Story, Sight & Sound, Smarty Pants, Socratic Dialogue, Supernatural, Susan Sontag, The Replacements, Threats, Violence, Virginia Woolf, Virginity (Loss of), War, Whore Dialogue, Will Sheff on June 12, 2009| 2 Comments »

31SOUNDTRACK: THE REPLACEMENTS-Hootenanny (1983).

hootThis is the second full length from The Replacements.  For a band that just released two punk albums (one’s an EP), naming your new one Hootenanny is pretty ballsy.  As is the fact that the first track sounds like, well, a hootenanny (even if it is making fun of hootenannies.)

However, the rest of the album doesn’t sound like hootenannies at all.  In fact, the rest of the album is all over the place.  I don’t want to read into album covers too much, but the design has all 16 titles in separate boxes in different colors.  It suggests a little bit of stylistic diversity inside.

Just see for yourself:  “Run It” is a one minute blast of some of the punkiest stuff they’ve done. (It’s about running a red light).  Meanwhile, “Color Me Impressed” marks the second great alt-rock anthem (after “Go”) that Westerberg has put on record.  “Willpower” is a sort of spooky ambient meandering piece that, at over 4 minutes is their longest piece yet.  “Take Me to The Hospital” is a punky/sloppy guitar song.  “Mr Whirly” is sort of an update of the Beatles’ “Oh Darlin.'”  “Within Your Reach” is technically the longest Replacements song to date.  It starts with a cool flangy guitar sound that swirls around a fairly mellow vocal track (this song was featured in the end of Say Anything.  John Cusack cranks the song up past the red line).  “Buck Hill” is an (almost) instrumental.  “Lovelines” is a spoken word reading of personals ads over a bluesy backing track.  “You Lose” is the first song that sounds like another one…a sort of hardcore song.  “Hayday” is a fast rocker like their first album.  And it ends with “Treatment Bound” a sloppy acoustic number that sounds like it was recorded in a tin can.

As you can see, this album is all over the place, and almost every song sounds like they may not make it through to the end.  Yet, despite all of the genres represented, the band sounds cohesive.  The disc just sounds like a band playing all the kinds of music that they like, and the fact that there are a couple of really lasting songs on the disc makes it sound like more than just a bar band.

I feel as though not too many people even know of this disc (it was the last one I bought by them, as I couldn’t find it for the longest time).  But in reading reviews, I see that people seem to really love this disc.  I enjoyed it, and, like other ‘Mats discs, it’s certainly fun, but I don’t listen to it all that often.

[READ: June 9, 2009] McSweeney’s #31

The latest issue of McSweeney’s has a totally new concept (for this journal, anyhow):  They resurrect old, defunct writing styles and ask contemporary writers to try their hands at them. I had heard of only two of these defunct styles, so it was interesting to see how many forms of writing there were that had, more or less, disappeared.

Physically, the issue looks like a high school yearbook.  It’s that same shape, with the gilded cover and the name of the (school) on the spine.

Attached to the inside back cover is McSweeney’s Summertime Sampler. As far as I know this is the first time they have included a sampler of multiple upcoming works.  There are three books sampled in the booklet: Bill Cotter’s Fever Chart; Jessica Anthony’s The Convalescent & James Hannaham’s God Says No. I enjoyed all three of the pieces.  Fever Chart has stayed with me the most so far.  I can still feel how cold that apartment was.  The Convalescent begin a little slow, but I was hooked by the end of the excerpt. And God Says No has me very uncomfortable; I’m looking forward to finishing that one.

As for #31 itself:

The Fugitive Genres Recaptured (or Old Forms Unearthed) include: pantoums, biji, whore dialogues, Graustarkian romances, nivolas, senryū, Socratic dialogues, consuetudinaries, and legendary sagas.  Each genre has an excerpt of an original writing in that style.  Following the sample is the modern take on it.  And, in the margins are notes in red giving context for what the author is doing.  I assume these notes are written by the author of the piece, but it doesn’t say.

I’m going to give a brief synopsis of the genre, but I’m not going to critique either the old piece or whether the new piece fits into the genre exactly (suffice it to say that they all do their job very well). (more…)

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Neil Gaiman–The Graveyard Book (2008)

Posted in Adventure, Boredom, Children's Books, Dave McKean, Death, Demons, Fantasy, Minnesota, Neil Gaiman, Supernatural, The Replacements, Threats on June 10, 2009| Leave a Comment »

graveyardSOUNDTRACK: THE REPLACEMENTS-Stink EP (1982).

stinkThe Replacements followed their shambolic Sorry Ma, with this little EP.  8 songs in 14 minutes.  If you were going to check out one of these two releases, this is the one to get.  If for no other reason than at 14 minutes it certainly doesn’t overstay its welcome.

And song-wise, this album is pretty amazing.  The first track, “Kids Don’t Follow” opens with a live recording of the Minneapolis police breaking up a party.  Not sure if this was a band party or not, but the Replacements had to change their name from The Impediments because they got banned from a local club because they were too drunk and disorderly.

But even though this album has all the trapping of a hardcore record (check out the sleeve design, and, of course, the name of the EP).  And look at these song titles: they’re almost a parody of punk attitudes: “Fuck School,” “White and Lazy,” “God Damn Job,” “Dope Smokin’ Moron.”  Once again, the band plays fast, but not terribly angry songs.  Rather than being angry ragers, the band sounds more like drunken teenagers.  And so the chorus  of “God Damn Job” stays with you so and wind up singing the infectious but inappropriate to sing in public “Gaaahhhhhd Damnit.  Gaaaaaaahhhhhhhd Damnit. God Damn!”

It’s only White and Lazy that features anything like the hardcore trappings the album suggests.  The opening of the song is almost folksy, but when they hit the 90- second mark they bust out a true hardcore section: speed, shouty lyrics and more speed.   It’s very cathartic.

But best of all, Stink features “Go” the first song by Westerberg that is truly awesome.  It’s slower than the rest, and features a great chorus with a cool screaming guitar.  Over his career, Westerberg would writes some amazing anthems, and this is the first.

Although this isn’t their final raucous record, future records will drift from this attitude.  And this condenses their stuff into 15 minutes.  The whole album sounds like it will fall apart before they finish it, but finish it they do.

[READ: June 6, 2009] The Graveyard Book

Sarah gave me this book for my birthday, with an exciting IOU: that she would get Neil Gaiman to sign my copy when she meets him at ALA this summer.  So I got that going for me.  Which is nice.

I’ve been a fan of Gaiman’s for years.  And yes, Gaiman’s Sandman was what got me interested in comics, so thanks Neil.  Plus, as a Tori Amos fan, you pretty much have to love Neil, as their symbiotic relationship goes back almost twenty years now.

Having said all of that I haven’t followed his post comics career all that closely.  I read American Gods, but I don’t recall all that much about it.  My brother-in-law Tim tells me that it’s amazing, so I will likely go back and read it again someday.

So, what about this book, anyhow.

There’s a chapter of this story available in his M is for Magic collection.  Interestingly in the introduction, he notes that, it’s Chapter 4 which he wrote first.  Huh.  So, it seemed familiar to me when I started reading it although it didn’t seem totally familiar until I got to Chapter 4. (more…)

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Periodical: Wholphin

Posted in Adventure, Art, Bob Odenkirk, Daniel Handler, David O. Russell, Eagle vs. Shark, Evany Thomas, Funky Web Sites, Funny (ha ha), Funny (strange), John Cleese, Led Zeppelin, Married...with Children, McSweeney's, Michael Cera, Michael Chabon, Miranda July, Oddities, Patrick Marber, Paul Rudd, Political Humor, Puzzles, Roddy Doyle, Rubik's Cube, Scott Prendergast, Short Films, Sour Death Balls, Spike Jonze, Taika Waititi, Wholphin, William S. Burroughs, Zooey Deschanel on June 10, 2009| 2 Comments »

wholphinThis is a periodical I haven’t mentioned before.  Wholphin is a “DVD Magazine of Rare and Unseen Short Films.”  So yes, the reason I hadn’t mentioned it is because it is a DVD and not a book.  However, as I have been watching Vols 1-8 over the last few months, I have noticed that a few writerly names keep cropping up in the credits.  Plus, it’s got that whole McSweeney’s connection.

So lets look at some of the folks who have turned up on these videos:

  • Spike Jonze with an amazing documentary about Al Gore (that will make you weep all over again about the 2000 election).
  • Miranda July with a short film.
  • David O. Russell (with a post-Three Kings documentary).
  • Bob Odenkirk has several entries on several DVDs
  • A short film by Taika Waititi who did the crazy New Zealand film Eagle vs Shark.
  • There’s a Japanese version of Bewitched with bonus subtitles by Daniel Handler (among others).
  • Daniel Handler also “revoices” a short film Darling Darling starring Michael Cera and a horse-headed man. (John Cleese does another “revoicing”).
  • Michael Chabon’s short story “House Hunting” adapted as a film (starring Paul Rudd and Zooey Deschanel).
  • Evany Thomas (and others) rescripted the subtitles to Schastlivy Vmeste the Russian Married…With Children.  And hers is extremely enjoyable.  She gives up on the show about ten minutes in and then just starts riffing on all manner of things.  I laughed harder at this than I had any right to.
  • “New Boy” is adapted from a Roddy Doyle short story.
  • “Love You More” an adaptation of the short story “Peter Shelly” by Patrick Marber.
  • “The Discipline of De” is adapted from a William S. Burroughs short story.

There is also (from Vol #1) my favorite short deliciousfilm possibly ever by Scott Prendergast called “The Delicious” which you can watch, and I encourage you to, here.

Although “Stairway at St. Paul” is also awesome, and that’s available here.)

There’s also “Heavy Metal Jr.” a great documentary of a metal band made up of pre-teens–available here.

Oh wait, and there’s an amazing documentary about Rubik’s Cube that will blow your mind (if you haven’t played with a cube in a decade), called “Piece by Piece.”

Oh yeah, and “Sour Death Balls” is hilarious and available here.

Even though these films are available online, it would be best to purchase the DVDs from here at http://www.wholphindvd.com.  There’s even a Best of, which features most of the films I mentioned above.  In fact, you should just subscribe, because that will guarantee that they keep releasing these gems on video.

In addition to the random assortment above there are international animations, short nature films, 45 minutes movies, and everything in between.  It’s a wonderful way to see short films that you never knew existed.

http://www.veoh.com/collection/documentariesonline/watch/v149037042GCQpnP9

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2009 Edmonton Folk Festival Lineup!

Posted in Canadian Content, Canadian Music, Edmonton Folk Festival on June 9, 2009| Leave a Comment »

efolkThe 30th Edmonton Folk Festival!
Dates for 2009: Aug 6-9
Note: Festival 4-day passes sold out June 4!

The Edmonton Folk Festival’s final (more or less) lineup has been announced.

epl

But before I get to that I have to give major kudos to the Festival’s own website for cleverly and sagely linking to the Edmonton Library’s catalog so you can check out all of the performers’ CDs.  Bravo!  And I’ll link to it too:

Festival Performers in our [Edmonton Public Library] CD Collection (Blues, Folk, Jazz)

And look!  An extra concert has been added on
Wednesday August 5 (not part of 4-day pass)
Forever Folk Fest Concert – Special Fundraiser for the Festival Endowment Fund
Featuring Sarah McLachlan and special guest Meaghan Smith and a mystery guest to be announced.

Program: 7:30 – 11:00PM
Tickets $70 adult, $35 youth. If available August 1, these tickets will be $90 adult and $45 youth.
Full ticket info here

As for the Festival itself:

The main stage schedule is available but the other stages are not finalized.   some of the now-confirmed main stage artists are pretty impressive.  Each of these links goes directly to the Folk Festival’s write up of the band.

Arrested Development
Neko Case
Chumbawamba Acoustic
Steve Earle
Kathleen Edwards
Patty Griffin
Hot Tuna
Iron & Wine
Ashley MacIsaac
Oysterband
Spirit of the West
The Wailers
Loudon Wainwright III


Here’s the main stage lineup: (more…)

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1000 Views–Son of the Mob

Posted in Gordon Korman, Martin Brodeur on June 8, 2009| Leave a Comment »

sonmobI don’t usually keep track of my all time views for posts. But the other day I checked and I found out that my post for Gordon Korman’s Son of the Mob had about 995 views. And now, it has become my first post to have hit 1,000 views. Now, I know that many blogs have 1,000 views every day, but for me, hitting this milestone for one book is kind of exciting.

In context, the next item, about The Edmonton Folk Festival has about 670 views (and since the Festival is in August, it may eclipse 1,000. But I anticipate a radical drop in views come August 10). After that Pseudonymous Bosch’s first book has just over 625 hits. So you can see it’ll be a while before another post gets that high.

So, thank you Gordon Korman for being so widely read, and thank you Sarah for encouraging me to read it.

Gordon Korman: the Martin Brodeur of my blog.

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My Great Depression: Ten dispatches from the near future (Harper’s, June 2009)

Posted in Anachronisms, Barack Obama, Ben Katchor, Ben Marcus, Colson Whitehead, Consumerism, Corporate skewering, David Rees, Dilbert, Dystopia, Garfield, Get Your War On, Harper's, Hüsker Dü, Jamaica Kinkaid, Kevin Baker, Minnesota, Ruben Bolling, Sherman Alexie, Short Story, Simon Critchley, Technology, The Family Circus, The Replacements, Thomas De Zengotita, Tom McCarthy, Tom the Dancing Bug on June 7, 2009| Leave a Comment »

hapersSOUNDTRACK: THE REPLACEMENTS-Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash (1981).

sorrymaSince I’ve been talking about The Replacements so much, it made me want to go back and listen to their stuff.  The Replacements are the quintessential band that “grew up” or “matured” and for better or worse sounds utterly different from their first album to their last (a span of only nine years!).  In fact, I don’t imagine that there are too many people who would enjoy all seven of their discs.  One suspects that if the band themselves were given a copy of their All Shook Down disc in 1981, they would have smashed it.

So this was their first release. It has 18 songs in about 30 minutes.  That’s pure hardcore, right?  Well, not exactly.  Even though the songs are short and fast and quite sloppy, there’s something about Paul Westerberg’s voice and delivery that makes these songs seem not quite hardcore.  He enunciates!  And you can understand him most of the time. And, maybe this is a better indicator: there’s parts to these songs, it’s not just breakneck pacing.  They also have song titles that belied how good their song writing would become.  Like: “Shiftless When Idle.”

In fact, “Johnny’s Gonna Die” isn’t fast at all.  It shows what the kind of songs that they would eventually write: literate and moving indie rock.

There must have been something in the water in 1981 in Minnesota.  Hüsker Dü, the other amazing punk outfit out of Minnesota (referenced in the ‘Mats song “Something  to Du”) also put out a blistering live hardcore record in 1981 called Land Speed Record (17 songs in 26 minutes, listed as 2 tracks on CDs because they don’t pause in between songs).  Like the ‘Mats, Hüsker Dü wouldn’t recognize their later incarnations in 1981 either.  And why are The Replacements abbreviated as The ‘Mats?  I don’t know.

But this ‘Mats record is the kind of sneaky record that can get you to enjoy punk even if you don’t think you like it.  There’s something so fun about Sorry Ma, that you don’t really notice that it’s all done so fast.

[READ: May 22, 2009] “My Great Depression”

This essay collection is tough to catalog.  Do I include all of the authors in the title of the post, do I pick selected ones, or just go with none.  Yes, go with none.

Harper’s asked ten authors/artists to send stories from the near future, after the economic collapse of the country. All of the pieces are three columns or less, and some are more enjoyable than others. (more…)

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