I Just Read About That…

  SOUNDTRACK: SARAH JAROSZ-Tiny Desk Concert #324 (December 7, 2013).

I know Sarah Jarosz’ name from somewhere (anything spelled like tha I’ll remember), but I’m not sure where.  It turns out that Jarosz plays awesome bluegrass.

Perhaps I’d heard of her because of her youth:

The singer and multi-instrumentalist first surfaced as an 18-year-old wunderkind with the release of 2009’s Song Up In Her Head, which generated the first of what will likely be many Grammy nominations; now a grizzled 22, she’s out performing songs from her fine new third album, Build Me Up From Bones.

performed with the aid of fiddler Alex Hargreaves and cellist . All

“Over the Edge” has a great riff.  It starts out with Jarosz’ guitar (which is an 8-string guitar: twinned four string, so almost like a bass and yet strummed).  She’s accompanied by a plucked cello (by Nathaniel Smith).  And then her voice comes in: distinctive, raspy and really lovely.  But it’s after the first verse when the guitar and cello both play that fast 8 note riff that the song really kicks into bluegrass territory. In the middle of the song, it’s fiddler Alex Hargreaves who throws in some great bluegrass fiddling lines.  It’s swinging and rollicking and really fun.

“Build Me Up from Bones” is more folk sounding—her voice is beautiful and the melody of this song (which she plays on that 8 string guitar) is outstanding.  There’s a cool alt-folk tone to the song, especially in the bridge.  The cello is bowed, giving a rich sound before the violin (rather than fiddle) solo comes in.

For “Fuel The Fire” she switches to banjo.  This is a great bluegrass song and that banjo sounds great.  I’d love to see a double bill with her and Punch Brothers.

[READ: November 12, 2016] Gunnerkrigg Court 3 [23-31]

I really enjoyed book 2 of the series and was pretty exited to see that book 3 was already out–in fact books 4 and five have been released, too.  This book collects Siddell’s online series–for frame of reference, this book ends with chapter 31 and as of May 2017 he is up to chapter 62 online.

I loved that Chapter 23 started with a totally different style–looking like a kind of sci-fi epic (and called Terror Castle of the Jupiter Moon Martians). But we quickly learn that this new look is a simulation–a kind of test for the main kids.  But it’s very poorly made and they solve the mystery almost instantly. This plot leads to a couple of interesting revelations.  That Parley has a thing for Smitty (everyone can tell but the two of them), and that Jones is becoming a fascinating and enigmatic important character. Reynard is also even funnier with his comeback “I think you detect a hint of shut your face” which Anni responds to with “Hah, Katerina must be helping you with your comebacks.”

The simulation room also allows for us to learn more about the origins of Reynard and Coyote.

The kids are meant to go on a camping trip (on school grounds).  It’s mostly a comic chapter (particularly the robot cows who say things like “auditory response: moo.”  We also learn that the kids are more or less afraid of Anni, although they appreciate her gifts.

The next chapter is devoted to the robots and Kat.  This chapter also shows the truth behind Marco, the robot maker and his believed Jeanne.  He did not fail to save her from dying, he actually condemned her to death.  Kat takes this very hard and suddenly finds fault with all of Marco’s creations.   A few chapters later she is forced to address this when she is able to find herself saving a life rather than being callous to it (she also cuts her hair, which suits her well).

The mythology continues as Coyote explains to Annie about Reynard (and even shows her his real body (since his spirit is trapped in a stuffed animal). The colors and styles are magnificent.

There is a diversion brought about by Jack, who has suddenly become obsessed with Zimmy.  A few chapters later we see what Jack has been up to–he is trying to use the energy of the island to do…something in an alternate reality.

As the book draws to a close we see an origins story–Jeanne with an alter ego of Coyote.  And then Reynard pleading his love for Annie’s mother Surma, who was just toying with him all along (no wonder he was mad).  She uses this information to attack Reynard when he gets sassy and he throws a bombshell of his own–that she may have been responsible for her mother’s death.

The book ends with Annie staying with Coyote in the woods, perhaps for the summer.

There are some interstitial one-page cartoons.  The ones features the deadpan jokes are my favorite (I live the one where “suddenly I am wearing a party hat”).

The end of the book includes some sketches and more of the strip City Face (about the pigeons).

In this one the pigeon sees a round thing on the ground “Oh super wow! That looks like a tasty thing for me to eat with my excellent beak.”  “What this is totally the BEST whatever this is.”  Then magpie comes over and yells at pigeon (in hilarious one syllable style). The city fairy reveals that anyone who eats a bagel (for that is the round thing) becomes “A human businessman.”  The fairy shows the pigeon how to act like a human businessman.  It’s weird and hilarious and even involves Jones in one of the strips.  Things get pretty out of hand until a crow comes to set them straight.

City Face has his own book, although I haven’t seen it in person.