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Archive for the ‘Authors’ Category

Alice Munro–“Free Radicals” (New Yorker, February 11 & 18, 2008)

Posted in Alice Munro, Canadian Content, Cancer as plot device, Elf, M. Ward, New Yorker, She & Him, Short Story, Threats, Zooey Deschanel on July 14, 2008| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK: SHE & HIM-Volume One (2008).

If you’ve seen Elf, and I’m sure you have, then you know that Zooey Deschanel has a beautiful voice. This record is a collection of her songs, sung by her with instrumentation by M. Ward, whose music I don’t know. The thing I learned about her voice is that it comes across as a very naked sound. It’s a little bit disconcerting in this day of vibrato and AutoTune, to hear someone singing so purely and with no affectation. That was evident in Elf, but it is really brought to the front here, where she sings an a capella track as well as some songs with limited instrumentation.

The bulk of the record is done in a style like 50s & 60s girl groups–The Ronettes, The Shirelles, and the Phil Spector wall of sound style. Her voice is suited perfectly to this kind of material. Even the recording style is very clean–one or two tracks sound like they could be from that era, just recently rediscovered. The rest of the songs have a country feel, a stripped down heartbreaky feel. And once again, her voice sounds great.

The whole collection just seems so sweet and unaffected, it’s almost impossible to believe that it was all written and recorded in 2008.

The only problem for me is that I don’t really like 60s girl groups, and I don’t really like country that much. So, really, I don’t like the CD all that much. I’ve given it a couple of spins, and it definitely overcomes the things that I don’t like about those styles. I even found myself singing two of the songs to myself this morning. It definitely deserves the great press, I just wish it was more my thing.

[READ: July 1, 2008] “Free Radicals”

The second Munro story in two days for me. And many of the elements are in place: idyllic, Canadian life, female protagonist, and a fairly unspeakable horror. (more…)

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David Goldberg, Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg–Superbad: The Drawings (2008)

Posted in Art, Comedy Album, David Goldberg, Evan Goldberg, Funny (ha ha), Graphic Novel, NPR/PRI/PBS, Paul F. Tompkins, Seth Rogen, Short Books, Smarty Pants, Superbad, The Sound of Young America on July 13, 2008| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK: PAUL F. TOMPKINS-Impersonal (2007).

Since the book had no words, I figured I’d review a record with no music. We heard Paul F. Tompkins on some random NPR show one night during dinner. They played the “Peanut Brittle” skit and Sarah and I were in tears. The kids must have wondered what was going on. We could barely eat; for six minutes we ignored all but Paul.

I tracked down the CD and it is very funny. Tompkins has a wonderful delivery and a way of making asides that keep the joke going longer than it should, but still staying funny. The very premise of the first joke is seeing a goth girl running, which is funny in and of itself, but he takes it in a new direction and turns it back against himself. Some other great tracks include the hilarious “Elegant Balloons” “Genetic Engineering” (house bears!), and the so true it hurts “Letters to Magazines.” Oh, and “Jazz” is also very funny, and I even like jazz.

It is clearly impossible to describe a comedy album without retelling the jokes, but I will say that Sarah and I had both listened to the CD individually, and then on the way back from the airport we listened to it together and were in tears yet again. Now we even get to make a few remarks just to relive the hilarity.

A little research uncovers that Tompkins was a player and writer for Mr Show as well as the Tenacious D series. And, in fact he is bubbling under in many venues. I guess don’t read credits well enough to have remembered him. So, good for him, and thank you NPR.

More research uncovers that this NPR shows was The Sound of Young America. Diligent readers will know that I discovered Simon Rich on this show as well. So I have listened to this show twice and come away with new material both times. I should make this a regular listen. You can hear an interview with Paul here.

[READ: June 21, 2008] Superbad: The Drawings

Now this book has nothing to do with the Ben Greenman books I mentioned earlier. This is a collection of 90 some pages of phallohgraphics (ie drawings of penises). If you’ve seen the movie Superbad, and who hasn’t, you’ll know there’s a story about the Seth character drawing penises and getting into trouble. Well, this is the collection of all the penises that the cowriter’s brother David Goldberg drew for the movie.

What can one possibly say about this except that the book is hilarious, childish and totally obscene. From an artistic standpoint, the drawings are first rate. Somehow, he was able to draw penises that look just like McLovin, Seth and Evan. Why on earth would anyone buy this? Beats me. I know I did. I’m sure I’ll peruse it from time to time and then hide it when my kids get old enough to browse the bookshelves.

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George Saunders–“Antiheroes” (New Yorker, June 23, 2008)

Posted in Bad Religion, Funny (ha ha), George Saunders, New Yorker, Short Story, Supernatural on July 11, 2008| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK: BAD RELIGION-The Empire Strikes First (2004).

I’ve been a fan of Bad Religion for ages. And then a few years back they reissued all of their old CDs, and I got BR overload. I didn’t listen to them for a while. Then recently, I decided to check out their newest CD, and was delighted to find that I’d only missed this one in the interim.

So, Bad Religion writes eloquent, fast punk songs. They are typically political, anti-religion, anti-war, anti-Republican. And main lyricist Greg Graffin has a PhD in what is essentially evolutionary biology. So, basically, Graffin is well-read (the lyrics have footnotes!) and knows big words. All of this in a two minute punk song.

And it’s the poppiness that surprises. BR have always given credit to the “oozin ah’s” on the records, and there are always lots of ooh’s and ah’s in the background. The choruses are catchy as all get out. And the songs are over in under three minutes. Actually, it’s when the songs go past 3 minutes that they tend to get into trouble. Fortunately that doesn’t happen too often. I’m not sure why, but the record seems to be lined up almost in order from short to long songs. So you get suckered into these great under two minute songs and then they pile up the long ones at the end. But that’s okay too, as some of the longer ones do add nice complexities to their arrangements.

There’s not a lot one can say about Bad Religion albums from one to another. Either you like the style or you don’t. However, for a bunch of old men, they rock pretty hard and they rock pretty well. And yet for all of their aggression (“Social Suicide” “Atheist Peace” “Sinister Rouge”) they are often uplifting and get you to sing along (“Live Again”). With a little less guitar these might even be chart toppers (perish the thought!).

[READ: June 30, 2008] “Antiheroes”

I recently flew to California. I brought all of the back issues of magazines that have been piling up in my house. For some magazines it was four or five months! I didn’t finish them all but I knocked a good three or four pounds off of my carry on luggage by the time I arrived. (more…)

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Alice Munro–“Deep-Holes” (New Yorker, June 30, 2008)

Posted in Alice Munro, Canadian Content, Canadian Music, Marriage Trouble, New Yorker, The Weakerthans on July 11, 2008| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK: THE WEAKERTHANS-Reunion Tour (2007).

I have talked about some previous Weakerthans albums, and this is their newest. I also think it’s their best. The sequencing of it is really fantastic. It has some catchy poppy songs followed by some of the quieter, more unusual tracks [“Elegy for Gump Worsley”, a very spare tribute using plucked banjo and little else, followed by “Sun in an Empty Room” a song that gets more catchy with each listen.] It also has a fantastic “single” in “Civil Twilight,” as well as what is without a doubt the best song ever to use curling as a metaphor for a relationship: “Tournament of Hearts.” Everything about “Tournament” is great. It’s catchy and fun, with all kinds of curling going on. And, maybe some folks will look up what a bonspeil is and get interested in the great sport. We also continue the saga of Virtue the Cat from the last album.

Samson continues to write beautiful songs. They all seem so simple and effortless. It lulls you into either singing along or really listening to the lyrics. His lyrics are consistently above average too. He talks about “diabetic moons.” For sheer originality I enjoy the line ” So praise the things I can’t forget…with burgers and a silhouette” for rhyming silhouette, not cigarette (the obvious choice). And how many rock songs start with a line like this: “It had something to do with the rain leeching loamy dirt.”

I’m really quite delighted with this record, and although they seem to wait 4 years to put them out, I’ll be ready for the next one in 2011.

[READ: June 30, 2008] “Deep-Holes”

I have yet to read Munro’s Runaway, but I have now read maybe five of her short stories, and I consistently like them. Runaway is on my bedside, and I’ll get to it eventually. In the meantime, I guess I just have to keep looking in magazines and I’ll have more from her.

I hesitate to say there is something particularly Munro-like about her work, having read only a few stories, but I feel like I know what I’m to expect when I start one: a laid back pace, beautiful detail, and, it seems, a great sadness that looms over the characters.

In this case the sadness is brought on by the “deep holes” of the title. Sally and Alex go on a picnic to celebrate the publication of Alex’s first solo geology paper. They go to a site that figures largely in the work, a site with a caution sign warning of “deep-holes” The deep holes turn out to be, in fact, very large, very deep holes, which, predictably, one of their two boys falls into. Kent, the unlucky boy, is hurt quite badly, but is saved by his father. He and his father had a somewhat contentious relationship before, and this confuses things even more. All of this happens in the first two pages, and there is quite a lot left, so don’t feel that I gave anything away.

The remainder of the story concerns what happens to Kent after the accident. He distances himself from the family, corresponding only occasionally. At the time of the accident, Kent had a baby sister.  As she gets older, she wants to learn more about the brother she never knew.  She is the one who finally uncovers his whereabouts and tells her mom.  When Sally finally encounters him again, the conflict inevitably turns personal. Munro really gets into the mind and spirit of her characters. And, you can really see Sally grow older emotionally over the course of this short story.

Munro continues to impress me with her quiet, beautifully composed stories.

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Dan Martin–All Known Metal Bands (2008)

Posted in Bathory, Books about music, Canadian Music, Cirith Ungol, Dan Martin, Dip-in Books, Funny (strange), Kerrang, Manowar, McSweeney's, Slayer, Venom on July 11, 2008| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK: Metal Shop (radio program 1980’s).

Back in high school, my friend Al and I listened to this syndicated radio show, which always came back from commercials with “MumumumumumuMetal Shop.” The more I listened to the show, the more into metal I got. And, in high school I rebelled against pop music by delving deeply into the metal scene. I had one of those denim covered 3 ring binders with nearly 100 bands inked on it. Whenever I saw a logo in Kerrang or some other place, I added it, even if I never heard the band. It was good fun.

I also liked to find weird heavy bands to shock anyone who cared to listen (which was no one, actually). So, I have some albums from Bathory, and Venom, Cirith Ungol, and Manowar, sweet, ridiculous, Manowar. These bands all predated the really crazy death and black metal scenes. Somehow, even though Venom were “satan worshippers” they were still pretty goofy. I have a great VHS of Slayer and Venom live at Studio 54. It has some interviews with them afterwards, and they’re just a bunch of silly dudes.

My musical tastes have expanded greatly since those days, but after reading the book below, I may have to dust off my Bathory vinyl and see what it sounds like.

[READ: June 30, 2008] All Known Metal Bands.

This is one of those strange books that surfaces from time to time. What you get is a list of some 50,000 names of heavy metal bands. And that’s it. (Well, there’s an epigram and a concluding remarks pages, but otherwise just an alphabetical list of every metal band that Marin could find while surfig the web.)

Probably not worth the $20some but I joined the McSweeney’s 10 for $100 program, so I got this for $10, so I got that going for me.

It is certainly fun to see the names that have been used over the years. He mentions that some names were used by many different bands, and I do rather wish he had put parenthetical notes for how many of each band, or perhaps a country of origin, but what can you do.

UPDATE:  Why you should never post before reading the book: Even better than parentheses, he lists all of the times that a name was used.  So, you get a list that inlcudes Paranoia eight times!  It is actually quite funny, especially when you see some of the really obscure names that have been used multiple times.  So, thank you, Dan Martin, for doing that.  (Country of origin would have been very interesting but would have ruined the flow, admittedly.)

The seling point, such as it is, is the design. The cover is a beautiful dark blue and silver cloth, and the interior pages are all black with silver writing on it (of course). That probably goes some way to explaining the cost.

My interesting side note is that I started to read it last night (and, yes, I’m actually writing about this without having finished it, but COME ON, it’s 50,000 names), and just as I read the first three names, we had a power failure and I was cast into utter darkness. There was none more black.

[Secret devil worship sign].

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Kitty Burns Florey–Sister Bernadette’s Barking Dog: The Quirky History and Lost Art of Diagramming Sentences (2007)

Posted in Abba, Books about writers, Funny (ha ha), Gertrude Stein, Guster, Jens Lekman, José González, Kitty Burns Florey, Marcel Proust, Peter, Bjorn & John, Smarty Pants, Swedish Music, The Cardigans, The Cure, The Hives on June 26, 2008| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK: PETER, BJORN & JOHN-Writer’s Block (2006).

My friend Eugenie told me about these guys: 3 Swedish songwriters whose names are, indeed Peter, Bjorn and John. This is their 3rd CD and I’m not even sure what I thought they would sound like except that Eugenie has great taste. I think I thought they would be a bit more synth poppy (I guess the Abba connection is pretty strong) but instead, they write wonderfully poppy songs, but they are more folky, or alt-rocky. I was really pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this CD.

All three guys sing. Peter sings most of the songs and he sounds like a combination of John Lennon and Michael Penn…his voice varies quite a bit between songs. Bjorn sings two of the songs. His voice is quite different…deeper and more stark, and it’s quite a nice change from Peter’s (not that there’s anything bad about Peter’s). John sings one song, and his voice is fairly similar to Peter’s. But they all do harmonies, so you hear them all the time.

It took me about three listens to fall in love with this CD. There’s a couple of songs that are immediately gratifying; however, the rest really reward multiple listens. Interestingly, it’s the two Bjorn songs that are immediately catchy. “Amsterdam” and “Let’s Call It Off” (which gets a remix on the album too). “Amsterdam” (interestingly, Guster have a fantastically catchy song called “Amsterdam” which this song is not) has this immediately striking whistle (as in a person whistling) as its opening motif. It is stark and haunting, and will have you whistling it for days. “Young Folks” is a duet with Victoria Bergsman (not sure who she is) and has a deliriously catchy chorus. “The Chills” has this great shh-shh-shh sound that is at once chilly and interesting and reminiscent of The Cure’s “A Forest.” As you might guess, the CD covers some pretty different styles and genres, yet the album is not a mishmash. There’s a consistent PB&J sound that unifies the record and leaves you wanting to hit play again after it’s over.

The Swedish music scene has just been exploding lately…The Hives, Dungen, Jose Gonzales, Jens Lekman and PB&J are all adding to the (sadly seen as one-hit novelties) wonderful Cardigans.

[READ: January 2008] Sister Bernadette’s Barking Dog

For Christmas, Sarah’s mom gave her this book, not knowing that she missed the intended target by mere inches. As soon as I saw the book I immediately had to read it. Diagramming sentences was always a guilty pleasure of mine, and I am saddened to hear that kids don’t do it anymore. (more…)

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Christine Norrie–Cheat (2003)

Posted in Alexisonfire, Art, Canadian Content, Canadian Music, Christine Norrie, Graphic Novel, Marriage Trouble on June 26, 2008| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK: ALEXISONFIRE-Crisis (2006).

I was watching the Juno Awards one night and saw that Alexisonfire were going to be on. I’ve been curious about them for awhile, and was thrilled. And, wow, what an impact. First off, I’m very surprised that a band that is this aggressive would be on the Juno Awards (but the Junos are far more interesting than the Grammies). However, when the song “This Could Be Anywhere in the World” started, and the lead singer was growling away, I just wasn’t that interested…it was a bit too death metal/hardcore. But then Dallas Green sang these beautiful counterpoint vocals, and I stopped what i was doing and took notice. The rest of the song bounced back and forth between hardcore noise and melodic harmonies. And it was amazing.

I’ve heard a lot of bands mix styles, some successfully and some disastrously, but this mix of aggression and beauty is really something. I’ve listened to this album a bunch of times now, and I’m still not sure that I really like the growly vocals of George Petit, but I think without them, the harmonies of Green wouldn’t sound quite so good.

So what you get is some complicated songs that lurch between a trashy hardcore feel and a more streamlined poppiness. The two sides play off each other so well, it makes the whole collection shine. There’s a 3rd vocalist who pops in once in a while and he adds a nice flavor to the mix although I’d say mostly it’s his harmonies that work so well.

Lyrically, the band is pretty angry. “Mailbox Arson” should give you a clue to the tone; however, the lyrics are well considered even if they’re not fully understandable.

I’ve not heard the previous Alexisonfire records, but I’m led to believe that Crisis is a huge step forward, so maybe it’s not worth backtracking .

[READ: June 11, 2008] Cheat.

This came as part of my Oni shipment a few weeks ago. I didn’t know anything about this story either, but I took the risk as it’s a typical slice of life story. I was surprised at how there was very little in the book that moved me. It was a very simple story of two couples who, as the title says, cheat. It all seemed a little too easy and obvious (there’s only 4 characters after all) . There were some nice minor twists, but sometimes they came across as jarring rather than twisty. (more…)

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Jeff Kinney–Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2007) & Diary of A Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules [#2] (2008)

Posted in Boston, MA, Children's Books, Dropkick Murphys, Funny (ha ha), Graphic Novel, Jeff Kinney, Set at School, Short Books, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones on June 21, 2008| 5 Comments »

SOUNDTRACK: DROPKICK MURPHYS-The Meanest of Times (2007).

Ever since The Pogues, traditional Irish music has been matched to a punkish attitude. The Dropkick Murphys take this one step further in that they are pretty much a hardcore band, and yet they throw in heaps of Irish attitude, channeled through growing up in Boston, Ma. I got their first album when it came out because I was living in Boston at the time. Then I more or less forgot about them. But The Meanest of Times made some noise, so I checked them out again. Despite their ever changing lineup, the band hasn’t changed that much in all these years. They still write great, fast, beer-swilling sing-alongs. Their vocalist sounds like the gruff, ass-kicking younger brother of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones’ Dicky Barrett. There’s a second vocalist on this record too who is less gruff, but, I feel, less effective. He sings one or two songs, but he’s primarily background in nature. And they still throw in the occasional bagpipe, accordion and mandolin. They have diversified their sound a little bit now. There are a few slower (but no less raucous) songs and even a ballad.

Lyrically, they touch on a lot of “political” issues. Not as in day-to-day politics, but more as in a general outrage at injustice (priest sex scandals, children’s services in the state of Ma, violence and war etc). They also reinvent some traditional style songs. “(F)Lanigan’s Ball,” a remake sort of of “Lanigan’s Ball” and old trad song. And “Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye” is an update of “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” done as more of a sea shanty–a punk sea shanty.

I’m not sure why hardcore punk matches so well with traditional Irish jigs, but it really does. If you like your music fast and loud, The Dropkick Murphys throw in a few extra ingredients to diversify your portfolio.

[READ: May 28, 2008] Diary of a Wimpy Kid & Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules.

A lot of kids come into the library looking for these books. When I finally looked at it, it looked pretty funny, so I picked it up. I’m going to review the two books together because the second one is basically a continuation of the first one, there’s not a lot of differences, but, since the books are pretty short, that’s not a problem. (more…)

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Hope Larson–Gray Horses (2006)

Posted in Bryan Lee O'Malley, Canadian Content, Canadian Music, Foreign Books, Graphic Novel, Hope Larson, Oni Press, Propagandhi, Set at School, The Weakerthans, Universities on June 18, 2008| 2 Comments »

SOUNDTRACK: THE WEAKERTHANS-Left and Leaving (2000).

The Weakerthans are an interesting band from Winnipeg. They were formed by the founding one of the members of Propagandhi, a fantastic, very political punk band. And it’s clear that even though the sound of the Weakerthans is very different, the tone is quite similar. John Samson writes wonderfully literate lyrics (these are not overtly political as in Propagandhi, but nor are they apolitical either).

I found out about these guys with Reunion Tour, (their most recent release) and I decided to fill in the back catalog. The single from this album, “Aside” features a faster style (more rocking, less introspective) than the rest of the album, and is consequently, my favorite song. The rest of the album slows down quite a bit. It’s a great chance to really listen to the lyrics, and get absorbed in the music. I often don’t have opportunities to do this, (especially when driving), so the record loses something for me. However, Samsons’ vocals are always clear, which allows you to catch a great line even if you’re not paying attention.

[READ: June 10, 2008] Gray Horses

This was a fantastic book. That’s all there is to say about it. (more…)

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Corey Sutherland Lewis (The Rey)–Peng (2005)

Posted in Corey Sutherland Lewis (The Rey), Digression, Graphic Novel, Live, NPR/PRI/PBS, Oni Press, Pink Floyd, Sirius Radio, Sports, Supernatural, The Stone Roses, TiVo, WRXP 101.9 FM--New York on June 18, 2008| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK–WRXP, 101.9, New York City

Since I’ve been talking about Sirius radio, I also wanted to mention this excellent station that was just added to our local lineup. WXRP 101.9 used to be smooth jazz. Then when they realized that people like rock, they went to this new format. It is something of a mix of classic rock and alternative (not heavy alternative, but 80s and 90s style alternative music). It is the only place (aside from my CD changer) where you could hear The Stone Roses, Live, and Pink Floyd back to back. I had the radio on the other day while I was working in the garage, and I couldn’t get over how much I enjoyed this station. It was actually a better collection of music than anything on Sirius (whose stations are actually too narrow to do this mix).

Of course, there were commercials…a lot of commercials. We’ve been living commercial free basically since we got TiVo and we listen to NPR radio stations (even 88.5 WXPN Philadelphia, a fantastic radio station in its own right is commercial free). So, it’s always a shock to hear radio commercials (they are just so terrible). What was especially weird about WRXP’s commercials is that there weren’t for the radio staples: cars and beer. All of the commercials seemed to be about debt consolidation, online dating, and free laptops:services rather than products. How weird. So, in a nutshell: great great great radio station guys. I guess I’ll put up with the commercials. (more…)

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