SOUNDTRACK: THE OCTOPUS PROJECT-“Sharpteeth” (2013).
The Octopus Project play largely instrumentals, but this track has vocals. It begins with a very synthy keyboard sound–very retro. But it soon grows huge with big swirling sounds and a ton of other instruments.
I’m not sure why they do so many instrumentals because their vocals–male and female playing at odds with each other–work wonderfully together. They’re kind of a talkie singing which works well in this song.
Bob Boilen says one of the musicians is a great theremin player. I assume that that’s what the solo is although it doesn’t have the eerieness of a theremin–perhaps that’s just the production?
By the middle of the solo, the whole band kicks in and it is a noisy cacophony but with a pretty melody still going on. It’s a very cool song, and I’m bummed that I’ve never heard of them before (they’ve been around over a decade).
[READ: August 20, 2013] The Boss
This is the fifth book in the McSweeney’s poetry series.
I don’t know Chang’s poetry (although I have apparently read it in The Believer) and two things struck me. She really sticks to her theme and she likes playing with words.
What I found initially very exciting but then a little exhausting (perhaps her poetry is better taken in small doses) was the play on words.
Like the vibrancy of “I Once was a Child” (more…)
I Just Read About That... 