SOUNDTRACK: PAVEMENT-“Gold Soundz” live on the Colbert Report (2010).
Philistine alert: I never loved Pavement.
Yeah, let that sink in. It’s shocking, I know. I have liked a great many of their songs, and I could definitely see myself enjoying the entirety of their new greatest hits record. But even though I have their first three discs, and I adore them in theory, in practice I just don’t love all of their output.
When they broke up in 2000 or so I wasn’t really that bummed. I felt they’d done a number of great (and by now) classic alt rock songs, but I didn’t really feel like music had ended or anything.
Having said that, the fact that they’ve reunited makes me happy. It’s nice to see yet another “classic” alt rock band banging out some tunes together. And, in this case, it means that I get to hear them play a great classic track live on The Colbert Report.
This song is a kind of The Platonic Form of Pavement songs. It features everything: noisy guitars, vocals that go from mid-range to high pitched with almost no warning, inscrutable lyrics and, in spite of itself, a catchy liquid center. I’ve never seen them live (and I missed a chance in Central Park recently, sorry Al) but this clip sure makes me think they’d be a great show to see.
And who knows, maybe I’ll have to actually get Terror Twilight.
Colbert’s interview with Stephen Malkmus is hilarious, too.
[READ: September 20, 2010] “Bodies”
As with a previous time that I scoured a New Yorker back issue, I found a short story that came directly after the article I wanted. The name Jessica Shattuck sounded familiar (and her debut novel The Hazards of Good Breeding also rang a bell), but apparently I’d never read her before.
This story opens with a woman named Anna who we learn has recently been diagnosed with Stage III Hodgkins lymphoma. She is currently living in her bosses’ house with her boss’ husband and five-year old son. The arrangement is not ideal, but Anna had nowhere else to turn. And, since she is not working, while she is recovering she is acting as the boy’s nanny (the boss is away a lot and the husband spends much of his time working out).
She is beginning to feel better, stronger, and is even feeling confident enough to leave the house for a little while. And so, to me, the last thing I expected was for this story to grow sexual. And yet it does. (more…)
I Just Read About That... 