SOUNDTRACK: The 90’s Are Back, Or Whatever… NPR. (2011).
This is a 90 minute podcast about the music of the 90s. And, of course, it opens with “The Dream of the 90s” from Portlandia.
I don’t listen to too many full discussions on the All Songs Considered site, but since the 90s were definitely my favorite era of music, I thought it was worth a listen. Incidentally, it’s funny that the 90s are so meaningful to me when, really I should be a child of the 80s. But in reality, my 80s music was mostly heavy metal, because I hated all pop radio then.
This radio show (available for free download here) features four NPR music geeks talking about the music they loved during the 90s. There are some obvious points (“Smells Like Teen Spirit,” “1979,” “Song 2,” “Loser”), but some unexpected songs as well: “Grace” (Jeff Buckley), “Long Snake Moan” (PJ Harvey). And of course, probably the biggest surprise: Sebadoh’s “Soul and Fire as “song of the decade.”
The hosts have a lot of fun with bad songs (severe bashing on Collective Soul or hilariously cueing up “Can’t Touch This” to punk one of the speakers when they are talking about Missy Elliot–yup, it’s not all alt rock, Missy Elliott and Lauren Hill crop up along with Johnny Cash and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan).
But let’s not forget my perennial favorite from Cornershop: “Brimful of Asha.” And, yes, My Bloody Valentine.
These days, when I do listen to the radio, I find that the stations I prefer tend to play a lot of 90s songs, but it’s surprising to me how infrequently they play some of these really big artists (I hear a lot of Harvey Danger, but no My Bloody Valentine). It’s funny that one of the songs they talk about, Len’s “Steal My Sunshine” I actually heard coming out of a radio at a pool while on vacation in Florida this past January (!?!).
It’s a fun segment and makes me think that although I do like a lot of new music, I’m a gonna hafta retire to Portland.
P.S. Stay till the end of the show for the hilarious impersonation of Trent Reznor.
[READ: February 17, 2011] 3 book reviews
Zadie Smith is an author whose output I fully intend to ingest one of these days. So I figured why not read a few of her book reviews, too.
Smith reviews three new titles: Harlem is Nowhere: A Journey to the Mecca of Black America, by Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts; My Prizes by Thomas Bernhard; and While the Women are Sleeping by Javier Marías.
I’m intrigued by her review of Harlem is Nowhere. She seemed to be rather critical of the author, especially of her mannerisms: like calling James Baldwin’s “habit of speaking to Harlem folk, having experiences, and deriving from these encounters “a metaphor about all of black existence”–“The Jimmy.” (where others might have simply called it “writing”). Or the fact that the author describes herself as a “single girl” as if that has anything to do with anything.
The second half of the review concedes that once you abandon wanting to known anything precise about historical Harlem, it’s a lovely book. Smith revels in learning about James VanDerZee, Raven Chanticleer and Alexander Gumby (and her enthusiasm makes me want to investigate this book, if not their own works).
So, despite initial criticisms, she ends the review very positively and gives a thumbs up to the work. (more…)
I Just Read About That... 