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Archive for the ‘New Yorker’ Category

T. Coraghessan Boyle–“The Relive Box” (New Yorker, March 17, 2014)

Posted in David Foster Wallace, Fantasy, Hozier, Marriage Trouble, New Yorker, Parenting, Richard Thompson, Sex, Short Story, T. Coraghessan Boyle, Time Travel, Tiny Desk Concert on May 30, 2014| Leave a Comment »

CV1_TNY_03_17_14Liniers.inddSOUNDTRACK: HOZIER-Tiny Desk Concert #360 (May 27, 2014).

hozierI had been cataloging the Tiny Desk Concerts from the beginning, but in recent days they have had so many good bands that I didn’t want to wait until I caught up with them.  So, for the next few posts there will be current Concerts (I have no idea what number they are, but I hope to fix them retroactively).

Hozier is responsible for the insanely catchy song “Take Me to Church.”  WXPN plays this song all the time.  I didn’t like it at first but then when I really listened to it I was hooked.  Of course I had no idea that the guy who was singing this powerful soulful song was a soft-spoken Irishman.  Hozier is Andrew Hozier-Byrne, a 24 year old from County Wicklow.  And while he’s singing this song here he makes it seems so easy to belt out those big notes.

Although it doesn’t quite reach the gravitas of the recorded version in this stripped down live session, he sounds great and the keyboard, cello and drums (and backing vocals) really bring this song to life.

The next two songs Hozier plays by himself.  “To Be Alone” is a very old-sounding blues—the sound of his guitar and the way his plays combined with the way he sings really hearkens back to early blues.  Typically I don’t especially like early blues but I do like this song quite a bit.

The final song is an acoustic ballad.  (So he plays three different guitars in this set).  It has a kind of Richard Thompson guitar feel and is a rather touching ballad.

Hozier has only released two EPs thus far, but with this amount of diversity I am looking forward to lots of other things from him.

[READ: May 29, 2014] “The Relive Box”

This story made me think of what the “Entertainment” in David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest might actually be like.  In Infinite Jest, the “Entertainment” is a video so intoxicating, you watch it–ignoring all other needs–until you die.  In this story, the “relive box” is a machine that plays back any memory that you have in full 3D. And people get so absorbed in their past that they forget about the present.

Specifically, the narrator is so intent on reliving that he ignores his daughter and his job.  As the story opens, the narrator’s daughter Katie says she wants to relive.  They just recently got this new relive box–it cost a fortune–and Katie wants to visit with her mother.  Her mother left them and Katie seems to have lost friends and impetus to do much else, so she would like to relive some good times.  But the narrator was planning on reliving for several hours that night, so he can’t have her hogging the machine.  So he sends her to bed, crying heavily, so he can have the machine to himself.

And what’s so important that the narrator has to relive?  After reliving his best sex moments, he goes back in time to the night he met Lisa, his first girlfriend.  She was a goth girl in a club and the narrator had the nerve to buy her a drink and ask her to dance.  Which ultimately let to sex and eventually to a relationship. And he relieves all of the highlights of their time together–something he has done several times this week already.  In fact, he has been doing this so much that he has been late for work twice and when he’s there he’s bleary-eyed and pretty much out of it.  So he says he’ll only do it once more this week.  And just for a few hours. (more…)

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Sam Lipsyte–“The Naturals” (New Yorker, May 5, 2014)

Posted in Airlines, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Death, Funny (ha ha), Marriage Trouble, Maurice Ravel, New Yorker, Sam Lipsyte, Short Story, Tiny Desk Concert, Wrestling on May 29, 2014| Leave a Comment »

CV1_TNY_05_05_14Berberian.inddSOUNDTRACK: AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA-Tiny Desk Concert #40 (December 21, 2009).

chmaberThis was a very nice classical Tiny Desk Concert.  The Orchestra plays three songs.  The first two are a Ravel String Quartet, and a Kaddish based on Ravel written by one of the members of the Orchestra.

Then comes a surprise.  Composer Joseph Tawadros accompanies them on the Egyptian oud and his brother James plays percussion on Tawadros’ song “Oasis.”  I love the addition of the oud to the orchestra–it brings a wonderfully alien sound to the piece.  You can see the whole show here.

This was the final Tiny Desk Concert of 2009.

[READ: May 29, 2014] “The Naturals”

I have enjoyed just about everything that Sam Lipsyte has written and this story was no exception.  As with many of Lipsyte’s stories, the main character has an unusual name: Caperton.  Caperton works as a consultant for a marketing firm.  He is trying to secure a job for a lakefront property.  The man in charge of the meeting keeps calling the kiosk that they are going to install a “koisk” (this alone made me love the story).

Caperton has recently broken up with his girlfriend because he confirmed to her that he did not want to have children.  He’s a little bummed but not heartbroken.

But the main action of the story is that Caperton’s father is dying and his stepmother has called him to come home.  Evidently Caperton’s father has been on the verge of death many times so Caperton’s not entirely sad about the situation.  But he goes nonetheless.  And we learn that Stell, his stepmother is nice enough but has always had one rule–stay out of her refrigerator.  She is happy to fix anything for anyone as long as they keep out of the fridge.  (This also made me love the story).

(more…)

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Robert Coover–“The Waitress” (New Yorker, May 19, 2014)

Posted in Fables, Fanfarlo, Magic, New Yorker, Robert Coover, Short Story, Supernatural, Tiny Desk Concert on May 28, 2014| Leave a Comment »

CV1_TNY_05_19_14Drooker.inddSOUNDTRACK: FANFARLO-Tiny Desk Concert #39 (December 16, 2009).

fanfarloThis is a Christmas-themed Tiny Desk Concert, with a yule log in the TV and everything.  I’ve liked most of what I’ve heard from Fanfarlo.   I think of the band as synthy, but this version is acoustic guitar and mandolin (and three backing vocalists).  The male singer has a unique voice.  “Drowning Men” sounds great and they make quite a lot of noise for just the two instruments–when the xylophone solo kicks in, it quite a nice touch.

For song two (“Comets”) they bust out a harpist–she is not part of the band, but is a friend from New York.  She plays excellent accompaniment and the melodica is a nice touch as well.   Perhaps most interesting was hearing their biographies.  The band is based in London, and they have members from Sweden, Belgium, someone who lived in Abu Dabi, Scottish/Samoan, half Polish/half English and half English half Icelandic.  Cool.

For the final song it’s a cover of Low’s “Just Like Christmas.” It’s a simple stripped down version with guitar and melodica and it is quite beautiful.  And they don’t stop until everyone sings along.

[READ: May 27, 2014] “The Waitress”

In “The Waitress,” Coover takes a fairy tale premise and brings into the contemporary world.

This is a concept that Coover plays with a lot (with different degrees of success) and I found this one to be very good.  It is only a page long, which may have had something to do with why I liked it–it didn’t overstay its welcome.

It was also not terribly ambitious.  And, as with all stories like this I kind of have to wonder what’s the point.  Nevertheless, I enjoyed it. (more…)

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Alejandro Zambra–“Camilo” (New Yorker, May 26, 2014)

Posted in Alejandro Zambra, Black Mountain, Lightning Dust, Megan McDowell, New Yorker, Parenting, Short Story, Soccer, Tiny Desk Concert, Translation on May 27, 2014| Leave a Comment »

CV1_TNY_05_26_14Steinberg.inddSOUNDTRACK: LIGHTNING DUST-Tiny Desk Concert #38 (December 7, 2009).

lightingLightning Dust is a side project of heavy psychedelic band Black Mountain.  Lightning Dust is a kind of folk version of the band (with Amber Webber on vocals instead of Joshua Wells).  Her voice is full of vibrato (she almost sounds nervous at times).  The songs are simple, as folk songs tend to be, performed mainly on the acoustic guitar with organ backing tones.

“Antonia Jane” is very pretty, especially the tone of the organ that accompanies the acoustic guitar.  “History” has a nice unexpected chord change when the chorus rolls around.  For the final song, “I Knew”, Wells switches to 12 string guitar instead of keyboard–something he says he never does.  The song is faster and more upbeat, not necessarily because of the extra guitar, but it really broadens the sound a lot and makes it even catchier (even if it does give it a more countryish feeling).  And the backing vocals are quite wonderful.

I prefer Black Mountain to Lightning Dust but the songwriting is quite good.

[READ: May 27, 2014] “Camilo”

I don’t know Zambra’s work. This one was translated from the Spanish by Megan McDowell and I thought it was terrific.

The story is fairly simple, although it is revealed via a lot of layers which is very interesting.  It opens with a young man yelling “I’m Camilo…your daddy’s godson” and the narrator being suspicious of this statement.  But it turns out to be true.   This boy is his father’s godson.

The narrator’s father had been good friends with Camilo’s father Big Camilo.  They were best friends until they had a huge fight and never spoke again.  That was (obviously) after Camilo was born.  But in addition to this fight and lack of talking, Big Camilo later left the country all together and moved to Paris where he started a new family, leaving Camilo and Camilo’s mother back in Chile.

Soon the narrator and Camilo became almost inseparable.  Camilo was a few years older and was something of a protective presence for him.  Even the narrator’s older sister was infatuated with him.  In fact, even the narrator’s father liked him, although he did remind him a bit too much of Big Camilo.  The one difference was that Big Camilo (and the narrator’s family) loved soccer, but Camilo didn’t know a thing about it. (more…)

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B. J. Novak–“”The Man Who Invented the Calendar”” (New Yorker, November 4, 2013)

Posted in B.J. Novak, Funny (ha ha), Metallica, New Yorker, Rodrigo y Gabriela, The Office, Tiny Desk Concert on February 9, 2014| Leave a Comment »

CV1_TNY_11_04_13Brunetti.inddSOUNDTRACK: RODRIGO Y GABRIELA-Tiny Desk Concert #30 (October 19, 2009).

Iryg have seen the names of Rodrigo y Gabriela for quite some time, but I never knew what they were about.  I assumed they played world music or something (shame on me).  They are a Mexican couple living in Dublin and they have several albums out.  When the Concert opens, Bob Boilen says that the first time he heard them, he was blown away.

And I was too.

Holy crap.  Rodrigo and Gabriela play nylon string acoustic guitars, and they play them like nobody I have ever heard before.  Gabriela plays a lot of percussive sounds with her strings and the body of her guitar.  And Rodrigo is all over the map–doing heavy metal chords (they play Metallica’s “Orion” on their debut album), and flying solos in addition to flamenco notes and even sound effects.  It is a  stunning display of virtuosity and melody.

My only complaint about this Tiny Desk Concert  is that it is too short!  I need to hear more.

They play two songs in about 12 minutes and each one is amazing.  They dazzle your ears as they play, and watching them do it is even better.

[READ: January 5, 2014] “The Man Who Invented the Calendar”

B.J. Novak wrote for and acted on The Office.  This comic piece is about the man, well, who invented the calendar.

The tone of the piece is contemporary with lots of current phrasing–fun with anachronism.

But it is also a funny idea of him deciding to make the calendar starting January 1st. He says he came up with the idea way back on Day After Day After Very Cloudy Day.  His initial plan: one thousand days a year, divided into twenty-five months, forty days a month.  Easy.

At first, the man is enjoying the compliments he’s getting–a guy who says he’s going to organize his life around it.  And Alice says she doesn’t know if she’s busy, she’ll have to check her calendar (wink).

But of course, complaints start to build.  By January 30, people are sick of January.  So all the months will just have 30 days instead.  Or maybe 31.

Soon enough, Alice is his biggest supporter.  Then things get weird on February 14th.  (more…)

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Donald Antrim–“Fed” (New Yorker, November 4, 2013)

Posted in Depression, Donald Antrim, Food, John Vanderslice, New Yorker, Tiny Desk Concert on February 8, 2014| Leave a Comment »

CV1_TNY_11_04_13Brunetti.inddSOUNDTRACK: JOHN VANDERSLICE-Tiny Desk Concert #29 (October 7, 2009).

Ivanderslice only know about John Vanderslice from NPR.  He’s an artist that Bob and Robin have talked about him forever.  They play a song of each of his new albums, so I know quite a few of his tracks from over the years (he has put out ten albums since 2000).  And yet I have never seen his name anywhere else.  I’m fascinated by this, because he must have a following or he wouldn’t still be recording.  Turns out Vanderslice created a recording studio called Tiny Telephone where many big name alternative bands have recorded.  He also recently finished a Kickstarter campaign to create his own label which was hugely successful.

Most of his songs I find are nto that memorable at first.  But after two or three listens, all of their amazing features come out and the songs become wonderful–full of unexpected layers and instrumentation.

The Tiny Desk Concert contains four songs from his then recent album Romanian Names.  his band consists of two acoustic guitars, a bass guitar, a flute and saxophone (often playing in a way that sounds very un-sax-like) and a drummer who is playing a Surdo drum–the kind usually used in parades.  It is a deep resonating drum (especially when he gives it a good loud whack).

The four songs are diverse (within the confines of the band, of course) and passionate.  Vanderslice’s voice is pleasant, but it’s the way he uses it around the melodies (and especially the big minor chords that really sets his stuff apart) that makes these songs sound great.  Like the way the “still wide-eyed, you” section builds in “Romanian Names.”  The saxophone playing what sounds like a guitar solo is very very cool in the second song, “Forest Knolls.”  “Too Much Time” is a more upbeat song (it’s neat to see the cool percussion he gets out of one drum).  The final song “Sunken Union Boat” makes good use of the flute.  It’s a great set and makes me think that Romanian Names would be a good place to start with his studio albums.

[READ: January 5, 2014] “Fed”

Antrim’s story is a personal reflection.  He talks about the breakdown he had a couple of years ago.  He also talks about suicide (see, food stories always seem to be about something else).

The doctors were worried about him when he left for home–being older and by himself seemed like a dangerous way for him to live at the moment.  This was especially true as he was having trouble with coordination, which mean that cooking was out of the question.  This made things even worse because Antrim loved to cook.  (more…)

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Zadie Smith–“Take It or Leave It” (New Yorker, November 4, 2013)

Posted in Food, KEXP 90.3 FM--Seattle, WA, Lee Ranaldo, New Yorker, Sonic Youth, Zadie Smith on February 7, 2014| Leave a Comment »

CV1_TNY_11_04_13Brunetti.inddSOUNDTRACK: LEE RANALDO AND THE DUST-Live at KEXP (December 8, 2013).

leeThis show was recorded before the holidays in 2013.  For some reason, it wasn’t posted online until Jan 31.  But whatever the reason, I’m glad it was featured.

During the dissolution (or whatever) of Sonic Youth, much has been made of both Thurston and Kim’s new projects.  But Lee Ranaldo tends to get lost in the shuffle (which is probably how he likes it).  During the break, Lee has been plugging away on two solo albums.  His latest one, with The Dust, is more of a band effort, with contributions from everyone: Steve Shelley (talk about getting lost in the shuffle, poor Steve) on drums, Tim Lüntzel on bass and Alan Licht on guitar.  Licht plays some wonderful guitar solos and sounds (although Lee handles most of the weird sounds).  I think what’s interesting about these songs is that although they feel like Sonic Youth, they have a “pretty” guitar solo which really changes the overall feel of the song.

Ranaldo has written (and sung) some of my favorite Sonic Youth tracks.  I always assumed that his tracks sounded great when they were balanced with the rest of the album.  But these songs sounds very Ranaldo and they are all fantastic.

The first song, “Keyhole” is part beautiful melody and part beautiful noise.  Ranaldo writes chords that work perfectly together and yet which don’t sound like an obvious pairing.  And his vocal phrasing is always perfect for the music he makes–his voice is not spectacular but it is really quite perfect.  The second song, “Off the Wall” has the most commercial-sounding chorus I’ve heard from a Sonic Youth alum.  I almost don’t like it, although the rest of the song is very cool.

They play a cover of The Velvet Underground’s “Rock n Roll” which fits in perfectly with their sound (even if Lee doesn’t hit the falsetto “fine fine” notes).  The final song, “The Rising Tide” is perhaps my favorite.  Clocking in at 10 minutes, this song is expansive and full of textures and sounds.  It goes in a  bunch of different directions and is really fantastic.

There’s a very long interview in the middle of the four songs, in which we learn what Lee has been up to, about how Hurricane Sandy affected him and about The Dust’s tour in India.  Lee’s an engaging talker and the interview flies by.

I don’t have any of Lee’s solo albums, but I think this one Last Night on Earth (and it seems like perhaps the previous one, Between the Times and the Tides) are total keepers.  You can watch the whole show below.

[READ: January 5, 2014] “Take It or Leave It”

I was surprised and pleased to see a piece from Zadie Smith in here.  Her article is mostly a comparison of take out food in New York and in London (or more broadly, the U.S. and England).

She tells how the first time she ordered Chinese food in New York, she wondered why the delivery guy just stood there after getting paid.  So she closed the door on him.  Her companion was shocked.  They just don’t tip delivery people in England.  British people grumble about it when they come here and have to tip.  They say that people should be compensated fairly for their work (although Smith notes that no one actually says if delivery boys are fairly paid in England) .

She says that a guy comes to your door, gives you food, gives you change and leaves (sometimes without even taking off the motorcycle helmet).  And they never say to have a nice day.  (“Have a good one” is the best you’ll get). (more…)

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Lena Dunham–“Deliverance” (New Yorker, November 4, 2013)

Posted in Food, Girls, Lena Dunham, New Yorker, Raphael Saadiq, Tiny Desk Concert, Tony! Toni! Tone! on February 6, 2014| Leave a Comment »

CV1_TNY_11_04_13Brunetti.inddSOUNDTRACK: RAPHAEL SAADIQ-Tiny Desk Concert #28 (September 28, 2009).

saadI’ve heard the name Raphael Saadiq for years.  I’ve seen his name in print in many places.  And I always assumed he was a word music artist.  I had no idea that he was an R&B artist who was in Tony! Toni! Tone! (a band about which I know nothing except their name).

I’m not a fan of R&B, so I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this Concert very much.  But man, it is a great session.

I have to assume that it’s the acoustic guitars (with the amazing guitar work by Rob Bacon) that rein in some of the trappings of R&B which I tend to dislike.  But I was also really impressed with how great his voice sounded.  Especially knowing that he was in a dance artist (with implied studio trickery), his voice sounds amazing stripped down this way.  He plays three songs, “Love That Girl,” “100 Yard Dash,” “Sure Hope You Mean It” and each one is great.  I love the way he gets the office to sing along on “Sure Hope You mean It” (even though they’re not ready).

I’m tempted to listen to him in another setting to see what he sounds like outside of a Tiny Desk, but I’m afraid to spoil how much I enjoyed him here.

[READ: January 5, 2014] “Deliverance”

I don’t really know much about Lena Dunham. I know she writes Girls, and is the new It-Girl, but I’ve never seen the show and I’ve read very little else about her.  So I didn’t really have any expectations upon reading this.

I learned a bit about her past and her family, but primarily I learned that she and her sister (like so many of us) loved take out food. (more…)

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Gabrielle Hamilton–“Family Meal” (New Yorker, November 4, 2013)

Posted in Food, Gabrielle Hamilton, New Yorker, Pixies, Tiny Desk Concert on February 5, 2014| Leave a Comment »

CV1_TNY_11_04_13Brunetti.inddSOUNDTRACK: PIXIES-Tiny Desk Concert #334 (February 3, 2014).

pixiesI had been planning on going in reasonable order with the Tiny Desk reviews, but when The Pixies come in, you throw order to the wind and move on.

The Pixies!  Holy cow.  I saw them many many years ago opening for The Cure (a great show).  And I’ve loved everything they’ve done.  I was a little less than excited with the reunion (2013 was a little too mcuh with the reunions) and I didn’t love “Bagboy” their first single (but that may have been because Kim Deal wasn’t in the reunion).  But I really like the two new songs they play here.

And, as it turns out Paz Lenchantin fills in for Kim Deal’s role quite capably (she plays violin and sings vocals here).

So, yes there are three songs.  “Greens and Blues” appears on the new EP2 (I haven’t heard the EPs).  It’s a mellow acoustic song (at least in this version) and sound like classic slow Pixies.  “Silver Snail” is so new it hasn’t appeared on an album yet.  It’s another slow song, but it has that kind of sinister slowness that the Pixies do so well.  And then they bust out “Monkey Gone to Heaven” in a mellow acoustic version that is ever so much fun.

It’s pretty great to see them reunited, and I may just have to check out those EPs too.

[READ: January 5, 2014] “Family Meal”

I didn’t realize until reading this essay (one of five on a food related topic), that the “theme” of these essays is “Take Out” (it says it right there at the top of them).

And this may be the most unusual version of food take out I’ve heard of (as the poor delivery boy confirms at the end of the essay).

But, as most good food stories do, this one starts talking about something else entirely.  Turns out that Baby T showed up on time for work at the restaurant, but she was bloodied and confused.  So Gabrielle took her to the hospital. (more…)

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Akhil Sharma–“Butter” (New Yorker, November 4, 2013)

Posted in Akhil Sharma, Food, New Yorker, Telekinesis, Tiny Desk Concert on February 4, 2014| Leave a Comment »

CV1_TNY_11_04_13Brunetti.inddSOUNDTRACK: TELEKINESIS-Tiny Desk Concert #27 (September 21, 2009).

telekinI know of Telekinesis only from NPR.  They have a couple of albums out, but I think I only know one song of theirs.  And I don’t know it that well.  This Tiny Desk features only two members of the band, singer-songwriter Michael Benjamin Lerner and guitarist Chris Staples.

They play four songs in 11 minutes (they are quite brief).  The songs all features pretty melodies, and the singer’s gentle voice. The electric guitar is used sparingly and only to play delicate riffs. This works especially well on the first song, “Plankton.”  Meanwhile the second song, “Coast of Carolina” has catchy bouncy guitars right from the beginning.

The other two songs are “I Saw Lightning” (which is very sweet) and “Rust” (which is very short).  I didn’t love any of the songs and I honestly couldn’t remember them long after listening, but I found myself listening to this show a lot.  And I enjoyed the songs each time.  I’m curious what the songs sound like not in a Tiny Desk setting.

During the brief interview with them, Lerner says he daydreams about better places when he writes songs and that when he wrote the songs from this album, the studio smelled like Grunge never went away.

[READ: January 5, 2014] “Butter”

I wasn’t expecting another issue with five of this brief essays from writers I know (The October 14 issue had the last batch).  I’m not sure how many more issues will have these type of things, and I’m not sure if will review them all.  However, there were a few authors I liked in this group.  Plus I’m intrigued by the food writing in these essays.

And this first one proved to be such an unexpected topic.

Akhil Sharma grew up in the United States.  His older brother had been brain damaged in a swimming accident and his family took on the full responsibility of his recovery .  It was pure family loyalty and that loyalty made them all pretend that taking care of him was not an awful task (even though it was).  Akhil’s lunch from home often came in the bags that his brother’s medicine came in.  And while he was ashamed of this, he also felt it was his duty of loyalty to not be ashamed by this. (more…)

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