Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Authors’ Category

Kurt Vonnegut-“Little Drops of Water” (Harper’s, June 2009)

Posted in Harper's, Kurt Vonnegut, Radio, Short Story on May 24, 2009| Leave a Comment »

hapersSOUNDTRACK: MP3 Radio Transmitter

mp3I was looking for a solution to my broken CD Player and I recalled that there are these mini transmitters that broadcast your MP3 player like a radio station.  The broadcast range is pretty weak, but it’s usually strong enough to go from your player to your car radio.  In theory this allows for everyone to be their own tiny radio station which I find utterly cool.

In practice, however, I found it somewhat wanting.  Perhaps if I bought the really expensive one I would have had better results.  Yet in two areas right by my house, the non-station 88.1 (recommended for tuning in) would grow staticky.  It wasn’t that big a deal but it was disconcerting.

However, when we drove out to Western NJ, where there are virtually no radio stations, our transmitter just seemed to fade away. We had to turn up the radio all the way just to hear the MP3 player.  And it was still quiet and staticky.

Surely this isn’t how people play their MP3 players in their cars?  We had previously tried the MP3/cassette adapter.  That worked okay until the adapter started clicking loudly with every revolution.  So we ditched that. It also cracked me up that the highest tech downloadable-no-moving parts technology had to go through the clunkiest, ugliest, most prone to breakage music technology that I know of.

My latest solution is just to drive Sarah’s car.

[READ: May 22, 2009] “Little Drops of Water”

This short story appeared in Harper‘s and is going to be part of a forthcoming collection of stories.

I was a little nervous upon reading this story.  Faithful readers know that I am intending to read all of Vonnegut’s works.  So, imagine my disappointment when I didn’t really like this story in the beginning.

As the story opens, it sort of meanders around to the point.  In fact, almost the whole first page of this six page story seems like it’s trying to find a way to get into the actual story.

Once he finds the door, though, Vonnegut tosses it wide open and barges in with a very funny story of revenge.  (more…)

Read Full Post »

Salman Rushdie–“In the South” (New Yorker, May 18, 2009)

Posted in Death, Marriage Trouble, Natural Disasters, New Yorker, Old Age, Pixies, Religion, Salman Rushdie, Short Story, WNYE 91.5--Radio, New York on May 23, 2009| Leave a Comment »

518SOUNDTRACK:  Radio New York, WNYE, 91.5FM.

91.5Radio New York is a fascinatingly diverse radio station.  I have probably scanned right by it on many occasions because at the time I scanned onto it, the show was something that I had no interest in.  And yet, several hours before or after, I would have found a great resource for good music.

Their website features a cool interactive page that describe the amazing diversity in their daily lineup from Alternative rock to Cypriot Shows, BBC World Service and Haitian Perspective, even the Voice of Bosnia.  I admit I’m unlikely to listen to many of  these programs, but it’s nice that they’re there.

The morning music, however (from 6AM-Noon) is often exactly what I like.   Especially John in the Morning, whose description: “From the Pixies to Pela, M.I.A. to Massive Attack, JITM breaks new music, embraces old music and ties it all together” sounds exactly like what I’d do if I were  a DJ.

[READ: May 21, 2009] “In the South”

This short story finds Salman Rushdie contemplating death on a personal level and a grand scale.  The story concerns two old men: Junior and Senior (who is 17 days older than Junior).  The men are not related, but they grew up in the same town.  Both men also have the same first name (which they will reveal only as starting with the letter V), and nothing else in common.  (more…)

Read Full Post »

Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith–Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2009)

Posted in 19th Century, Adventure, Art Brut, Dystopia, Funny (ha ha), Jane Austen, Marriage (Happy), Military, Neutral Milk Hotel, Portishead, Quirk Books, R.E.M., Seth Grahame-Smith, Supernatural, The Decemberists, U2, Violence, Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me, WRSU 88.7 FM--New Brunswick, NJ, WVPH 90.3 The Core--Piscataway, NJ, Zombies on May 21, 2009| Leave a Comment »

pride-zombiesSOUNDTRACK: The Core: WVPH, 90.3 FM.

coreThe Core is also from Rutgers University.  How do they have two radio stations?  Interestingly, the station is shared with Piscataway High School.  For several hours a day Piscataway High School takes over the airwaves.  Although I admit that I have not listened to any of the PHS stuff because the first block is at 6 in the morning, and the other block is from 1- 3PM.

The college folks, however, play a pretty excellent selection of alternative music.  They’re not quite as indie and out there as WRSU, but they’re not commercial either.  To me, they’re more of the kind of college station I’m used to from my days as music director at the University of Scranton.

In the few days that I listened, I heard a lot of familiar alternative artists, with a nice focus on new bands.  What I especially liked about the station was that they didn’t play too much in the way of commercial alternative (your U2s and R.E.Ms who were once alternative but are now mainstream).  Rather, they played bands like Art Brut, The Decemberists, Portishead and Neutral Milk Hotel: bands that many people have at least heard of, but that you won’t find anywhere else on the dial.

This is the station that I would turn to most if my CD player busted permanently.

The only thing I didn’t like about it, but which also reminded me of my days as a DJ, was that college DJs tend to talk A LOT.  We all think that we are imparting precious wisdom to the masses.  And often, that is true.  Although in this one case, the DJ said that the name of the band was Art Brut Vs Satan, which is in fact just the album name.  (See, I’m still a pretentious music snob!).   However, when I’m having dinner and reading a book, I don’t need a seven minute update about that last concert that you went to.

[READ: May 19, 2009] Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

When I first heard about this book (as a punchline on Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me at my brother-in-law Tim’s house), I couldn’t believe it was real.  I was so intrigued by the concept, and then so impressed by the reviews, that I couldn’t wait to read it.

And this book does not disappoint.

For those out of the loop: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is, as the title suggests, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice with good old zombie action thrown in.  Elizabeth and Darcy… What?

Yes.  Zombies.

Seth Grahame-Smith has taken Pride and Prejudice, changed a few details and then added an entire…well, subplot is not right…more like an underlying condition to the story.  It turns it from a story of love and marriage into a story of love and marriage amidst zombie brain-lust. (more…)

Read Full Post »

Roy Blount Jr.–Alphabet Juice: The Energies, Gists and Spirits of Letters, Words, and Combinations Thereof: Their Roots, Bones, Innards, Piths, Pips and Secret Parts, Tinctures, Tonics and Essences; With Examples of Their Usage Foul and Savory

Posted in 180-G's, Books about writers, Carl Kasell, Consumerism, Corporate skewering, Digression, Dip-in Books, Funky Web Sites, Funny (ha ha), Les Claypool, Negativland, Peter Sagal, Poetry, Political Humor, Primus, Roberto Bolaño, Roy Blount Jr., Set at School, Set in New Jersey!, Smarty Pants, Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me, WRSU 88.7 FM--New Brunswick, NJ on May 20, 2009| Leave a Comment »

juiceSOUNDTRACK: WRSU 89.7 FM.

wrsuComing straight out of Rutgers University in New Brunswick (my grad school alma mater), this was the first station that I happened upon while I was scanning the lower numbers on the radio station.

The brief set that I heard was amazing.

I heard the end of a song that I didn’t know, but which I found very intriguing. It was followed by Les Claypool’s new track “Mushroom Men” (which was wonderful) and then the 180-Gs doing an a capella rendition of Negativland’s “Christianity is Stupid.” I had heard about this band but never heard one of their recordings.  First, if you’ve never heard Negativland, then you’re missing out.  They are a surreal band of audio collagists, playing with sounds and samples and all kinds of weird things.  To have an a capella rendition of a five minute song, the bulk of which is a spoken loudspeakered voice saying “Christianity is Stupid” goes beyond bizarre into the sublime. I have tuned to this station from time to time and each DJ plays his or her own weird and often wonderful thing. What a great experience.

[READ: May 14, 2009] Alphabet Juice

My mother-in-law gave me this book for Christmas because she heard about it on NPR and thought I’d like it. And boy was she right.

waitI hadn’t heard of this book, although actually I’m sure I had–but I ignored it.  Roy Blount Jr is on Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me, NPR’s news quiz, almost every week.   We love the show because it is funny and it tests your awareness of what’s going on in the world (both serious and ridiculous).  And we try our best to get our kids to let us listen to it each week.  (more…)

Read Full Post »

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…)

Read Full Post »

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…)

Read Full Post »

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…)

Read Full Post »

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…)

Read Full Post »

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…)

Read Full Post »

Italo Calvino–“Two Cosmicomics” (Harper’s, May 2009)

Posted in Anachronisms, Fables, Funny (strange), Harper's, Italo Calvino, Marriage Trouble, Martin McLaughlin, New Yorker, Outer Space, Pearl Jam, Short Story, Supernatural, Time Travel on April 29, 2009| 2 Comments »

harpers-maySOUNDTRACK: PEARL JAM-Yield (1998)

yieldThis Pearl Jam disc is something of a return to form after the experimentation of No Code.  Part of me feels bad that they experimented less, because I do enjoy a band’s wild side, and yet these songs are uniformly fantastic, and they include some of my favorites by Pearl Jam.

“Brain of J” bursts out of the speakers, as one of their heavier opening tracks.  Catchy and fast.  “Faithful” starts as a ballady song but the choruses once again build into a great sing along.  “No Way” is a more experimental sounding song.  It’s right in the middle of their speeds, but the guitar has a mysterious echo on it that gives it an eerie feel. “Given to Fly” is a classic: slow, building, anthemic.  “Wishlist” is another of Sarah’s favorites: a simple, catchy melody that builds and builds.

“Pilate” is a rather confusing song: “Like Pilate, I have a dog”  Okay.  A gnashing rocking chorus with verses that are actually catchier.  “Do the Evolution” quickly became my favorite Pearl Jam song from the live sets.  This studio version is a little slower, and to me it sounds off.  But it’s such a weird little song, what with the “choir” singing “alleluia” and yet it is just a perfectly tidy punk song.  Certainly one of my favorite PJ songs.  The next untitled song (a red dot) is one of those weird, forgettable tracks that PJ throws on their albums, it’s less than a minute of steel drum inspired chanting.  It’s quickly followed by another of my favorite songs “MFC” a rocking song that sounds like its subject matter (driving).

“Low Light” is a slow song that builds, but it is a very full song; the whole band plays, keeping it from being dull. “In Hiding” has a great guitar opening and one of those great Pearl Jam singalong choruses. “Push Me, Pull Me” is another weird little track, that reminds me of some of the Who’s wackier numbers. “All Those Yesterdays” ends the disc on a quirky song.  It’s catchy but not as catchy as some tracks.

The album ends with an untitled hidden track. It’s a Middle Eastern style guitar solo. Amazon says the song is called “Hummus.”

I really enjoy this disc, it’s a shame it took me so long to discover it as I had given up on PJ after No Code.  But now it ranks as one of my favorites.

[READ: April 24, 2009] “Two Cosmicomics”

I’m not sure why all of these Calvino stories are appearing in magazines all of a sudden.  But after the one in the New Yorker not to long ago, I figured I’d give this one a try, too. (more…)

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »