SOUNDTRACK: SUPERCHUNK-Late Century Dream (2001).
A Superchunk song that opens with keyboards, “Late-Century Dream” is one of the most mellow singles that they’ve recorded (even more mellow than some of the acoustic songs they’ve done).
It’s followed by “The Length of Las Ramblas” an even more mellow track. This one is also full of keyboards (sort of tinny, high pitched keyboards) and acoustic guitars.
Rocking guitars return on “Becoming a Speck” which reminds me of “1,000 Pounds.” It’s a fast-paced, punchy song with a guitar solo that sounds like it might collapse on itself any minute.
“Florida’s on Fire” is an acoustic rendition of the song from Here’s to Shutting Up. Initially, when Superchunk was a punky bratty band, these acoustic numbers were kind of a novelty. Now they showcase the extent of musicianship that the band possesses, and this one is no exception.
It’s a good EP, and the last one that I bought prior to their return this year. They have a couple other ones that I’m going to try to track down. But in the meantime, it’s all Majesty Shredding.
[READ: October 10, 2010] “An Actor Prepares”
Donald Antrim is the next writer in the 1999 New Yorker 20 Under 40 issue.
This story is a funny look at college theater. The subject is not terribly new, and yet there are so many wonderful details and the theater teacher is so over the top that this story was completely enjoyable.
The narrator is Reginald Barry, Dean of Student Life and Wm. T. Barry Professor of Speech and Drama at Barry College (ha!) and this semester his students will be performing A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I had to look up some of the quotes in the story to make sure they were actually from the play (I didn’t know the line “Use me but as your spaniel, spurn me, strike me” was in Shakespeare), but they are, and Antrim takes lines like this and runs with them.
Barry has wonderful plans for this production which he envisions outside on the grounds of the campus, with a culminating orgy occurring just as the fireflies come out. (more…)
SOUNDTRACK: SUFJAN STEVENS–Hark! Songs for Christmas Vol. II (2006).
If we imagine that Sufjan had fun with vol. 1 one, then he must have had twice as much fun with vol. 2. It’s nearly twice as long and full of a lot of short ditties. “Angels We Have Heard on High” and “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” are short (less than a minute) instrumental versions (on keyboards which almost sound like a music box) of those songs (something that will become prominent throughout the series). I love his version of “I Saw Three Ships,” the instrumentation is exotic and wonderful.
I Just Read About That... 