SOUNDTRACK: STARLIGHT MINTS-Change Remains (2009).
This is the fourth disc from the Starlight Mints. Their music is hard to describe at any time, but this disc complicates things even further.
The number of genres they cram into this disc is impossible to count. However, there seems to be a very heavy concentration of a sort of punk/disco feel. The disco beats (and telltale bass lines) are very strong yet the noisy guitar and instrumentation removes the disco sheen.
And that overall sense sums up the disc fairly well. It’s got this poppy aspect to it, but there’s a sinister undercurrent. In my review of their earlier discs, I described them a having a Pixies influence. And while that’s still true (the sinister part (and the vocals definitely sound like Black Francis)) their sound has evolved away from a grungy rock into a more keyboardy feel.
The opener is a short instrumental that sounds like a cartoony James Bond theme. The next few tracks have a good 90s alt rock feel (although “Zoomba” mixes it up with some jazzy horns). But it’s the second half of the disc where the disco sounds really come to the fore.
And, lyrically, the band is all over the place. It’s always fun to see what’s coming around the corner (as when the rocking “gallop along” comes out of an otherwise mellow dancey track). Starlight Mints are definitely not trying to sell billions of records, but they are no doubt building a delightful niche fan base. And I’m one of them.
[READ: Week of January 18, 2010] 2666 [pg 1-51]
And so begins the Infinite Summer-like reading of 2666. I don’t know if this reading group has a catchy title yet (I can’t even think of a jokey one right now), so for now, 2666 it is.
I don’t really know what I’m in for with this book. And as such, I’m not entirely sure what thee posts are going to turn into. Unlike with Infinite Jest, which was confusing from the get-go, this novel starts out in a rather straightforward manner. So, I think for the foreseeable future I’ll do some plot summary and comments.
2666 is divided into 5 books (which were originally supposed to be published independently). The first book is 161 pages and is called The Part About the Critics.
I had no idea what this book was about. I’d heard it was a great, difficult read, and that was enough for me. I like to go into books fairly blindly, so that’s nothing unusual. The back cover blurb says that it centers around Santa Teresea, which I suspect has something to do with Juarez, Mexico. So, okay, I get the idea that we’re in for a harrowing tale about murdered women in Mexico.
So, imagine my surprise when the book opens with fifty-plus pages about 4 scholars of a little-known German writer. And imagine my further surprise when the language of the book is fairly easy to read. (more…)
SOUNDTRACK: THE DECEMBERISTS-Austin City Limits (2007).
esomeness of Austin City Limits. And in the two or so years that I’ve been watching, I’ve seen some great live shows (even is most bands are reduced to 30 minutes). This re-broadcast of The Decemberists, however, just blew me away.
SOUNDTRACK: KISS-Hotter Than Hell (1974).
Kiss’s second album came out just 7 months after their debut (which explains why it is less than half an hour long).
SOUNDTRACK: BLACK SABBATH-Sabotage (1975).
Sabotage seems to be somewhat forgotten (maybe because of the creepy cover art 0f Ozzy in a kimono and fascinating platform shoes, Bill Ward in red tights with a codpiece (and visible underwear on the back cover), and Geezer and Tony’s mustaches).
SOUNDTRACK: SONIC YOUTH-“Rather Ripped” (2006).
When Rather Ripped came out, I was really excited by it. It rocked heavy, it was catchy and it featured a lot of Kim. I listened to it all the time, and would have said it was my favorite SY disc of this era. However, listening to Sonic Nurse reminded me how much I liked that one too, so I’m unclear now which one I like better.
SOUNDTRACK: SONIC YOUTH-Sonic Nurse (2004).
SOUNDTRACK: THE MIGHTY MIGHTY BOSSTONES-Don’t Know How to Party (1993).
I’ve always had a thing for ska (although even I got sick of it when No Doubt took over the airwaves, thanks Gwen). When ska gets added to blistering metal, well, it’s hard to resist. And so we get Boston’s own Mighty Mighty Bosstones.
I’ve also decided that, since the story is steamrolling to an end, and since so many of the end days are coming along, I’m going to update my own calendar (but just the November info). I’m putting it at the end of the post to include this week’s information.
This week’s reading is almost entirely focused on Gately in St Elizabeth’s Trauma Wing. He is stuck staring at the ceiling which is breathing at him. It reminds him of a holiday in Beverly, Ma in which the beach house that they rented had a hole in the roof. The hole was covered by a plastic sheet which flapped and pulsed with the wind. His crib was placed under the hole and it freaked him out (although what is a 4 year old doing in a crib? Well, Gately’s mom is clearly not the best parent.) 
SOUNDTRACK: SONIC YOUTH-NYC Ghosts & Flowers (2000).
In the midst of all of the experimentation with the SYR discs. Sonic Youth released this “proper” release.
of 1996, when the book was published, she had barely played any pro tournaments.
Mental Floss
Next comes the ubiquitous letters. This also contains the occasional feature of Readers and Their Famous Friends, which shows pictures of readers celebrities (pretty much the only celebrities they ever talk about). This is followed by the letter from the editor. Neely Harris (I have yet to determine if Neely is a boy or a girl and I’m not going to look it up either, somehow it’s more fun trying to imagine) is very funny and always sets a good tone for the magazine. 
I Just Read About That... 