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Archive for the ‘Garfunkel and Oates’ Category

David Petersen–Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard (2011)

Posted in Adventure, Alex Kain, Alex Sheikman, All Songs Considered, Children's Books, Christmas Album, Craig Rousseau, David Petersen, Death, Fantasy, Fears, Garfunkel and Oates, Guy David, Jason Shawn Alexander, Jeremy Bastian, João M.O. Lemos, Karl Kerschl, Katie Cook, Lowell Francis, Mark Smylie, Military, Nate Pride, Scott Keating, Sean Ruin, Short Books, Ted Naifeh, Terry Moore on December 22, 2013| Leave a Comment »

legendsSOUNDTRACK: GARFUNKEL AND OATES-“Year End Letter” (2010).

gandoGarfunkel and Oates are a wonderful comedy team.  I’ve enjoyed so many of their songs, but this was the first time I ‘ve heard this Christmastime ditty.

We always enjoy reading people’s year end letters with an eye towards the attitude in this song–slightly mocking and yet also thinking:

“You’re right, your family’s better than mine
And it seems you make a lot more money.”

But now with the advent of Facebook, people post their year end letter info every day.  And I am very sad to see that we got virtually no year end letters this year.  So even though we tease, now we miss what we once mocked.  At least G&O can remind us what they all contained.

And since I cannot figure out how to embed a vimeo video, you’ll have to click this link to watch it.

[READ: December 20, 2013] Legends of the Guard

This book is a collection of short pieces written and illustrated by some of the greats in independent comic books (with a shocking number of them being from Michigan).  Evidently many writers contacted Petersen and wanted to work with him.  He didn’t want to mess up the arc of his story so he devised this idea.  Set in June’s Ale House, all of the mice are tasked with telling a story.  The one who tells the best will have his bar tab erased (for some that is quite a deal).

And so, these stories or legends are set at any time in the past and do not impact the chronology of our Mouse Guards.  And man, are they good. (more…)

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David Petersen–Mouse Guard The Black Axe (2013)

Posted in Adventure, All Songs Considered, Children's Books, Christmas Album, David Mead, David Petersen, Death, Fantasy, Fears, Garfunkel and Oates, Harvey Danger, Military, Short Books, South Park on December 21, 2013| Leave a Comment »

blacaxeSOUNDTRACK: HAVE YOURSELF A SULLEN LITTLE CHRISTMAS–NPR (December 19, 2013).

charliebrown_wide-ac0b12e7fc8f83eb302cc221a37ba8592ccc2e63-s40-c85NPR Music’s Stephen Thompson and Travis Larchuk hop onto Morning Edition to talk about Christmas songs that are melancholy sad and downright sullen (which is quite a lot of them, if you really listen to the words).

They talk about some new(ish) songs that are depressing  Like David Mead’s “The Smile of Rachael Ray” (which would be bad enough, but that’s just a lead in to the bummer within), Harvey Danger’s “Sometimes You Have to Work on Christmas (Sometimes),” Garfunkel & Oates’ “Year End Letter” (which is quite funny) and the song “Dead, Dead, Dead” from the South Park holiday album Mr. Hankey’s Christmas Classics.

Of course, dark Christmas songs are nothing new.  There are plenty of dour holiday standards that originate in the 1940s “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and “Blue Christmas”  are major downers.

When I try to compile Christmas mixes I try to leave off the bummer songs, but it’s really hard.

Stephen Thompson gives an excellent summary of the season: “Christmas is the one day a year when we’re all supposed to be happy, and so you’re hyperaware when you’re not.”  I hope everyone has a Happy Christmas this year.

[READ: December 10, 2013] Mouse Guard The Black Axe

This book features a preface by Terry Jones.  It doesn’t say a lot, but it’s worth a mention.

The Black Axe begins after the events of Winter 1152 (it is set in Spring, 1153), but the bulk of the book is a flashback to the origin story of the Black Axe.

As the book opens we learn that Lieam, one of the Mouse Guards has been missing for the last three months.  We also learn that even though the Winter was a dangerous time for the mice, the Spring proves to be equally treacherous as all of the predators are awaking from hibernation. But despite the current crises, Gwendolyn’s thoughts turn to Spring 1115 where the story of Celanawe begins.

We see Celanawe on an island building a house.  Suddenly a crow approaches.  On the crow is Em, a mouse who can communicate with the crows and who reveals that he she has been looking for him. (more…)

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Junot Díaz–“Miss Lora” (New Yorker, April 23, 2012)

Posted in Garfunkel and Oates, Junot Díaz, New Yorker, Red Dawn, Scrubs, Set in New Jersey!, Sex, Short Story, The Day After on April 20, 2012| 1 Comment »

SOUNDTRACK: GARFUNKEL & OATES-“Fuck You” (2009).

My coworker sent me a link to this Garfunkel & Oates song.  Garfunkel and Oates is a comedy folk team comprised of Kate Micucci and Riki Lindhome.  This song was featured on Scrubs (seriously) because Micucci played “Gooch,” creepy Ted’s girlfriend on the show.

The song is kind of sweet and funny, but also rather dirty (just like Scrubs).

This version is under two minutes, but there’s a new version (complete with kazoo solo) on their website.  The new version plays up the confusion of the kiss you/fuck you chorus a little more with some very funny lines.  You can also see a bunch of their other funny, catch, dirty songs like: “Gay Boyfriend,” “Sex with Ducks” and “This Party Took a Turn for the Douche.”

So cute!

[READ: April 20, 2012] “Miss Lora”

Junot Díaz is back with another short story–I smell a collection coming out soon.

This one is about Yunior and his brother who died of cancer (as most of his stories are).  But in this one, his brother is more of a presence than an actual character.

For this story is all about Yunior and his lengthy affair with Miss Lora.  Miss Lora was a neighborhood older woman–not too old, but certainly older than the kids.  She was super skinny–totally flat in front and back–but she was very muscular.  She liked showing off her gymnasts’ body in a bikini.  The women (like Yunior’s mom) didn’t think much of her in town, but she didn’t seem to care.

And, although she wasn’t all that much to look at, Yunior developed a bit of a crush on her.  And then one day he realized it was mutual.  (more…)

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