Posted by Jason Diamond The Parenthetical Girls have been one of my favorite bands for quite some time, and they’ve only solidified their status by covering Kate Bush. Meanwhile, The Bandana Splits covered Moz. I bet you’re saying to yourself, “Everybody and their mother has done that,” but the trio actually adds something new to it. But I have to warn you, it’s pretty twee. Listen: Parenthetical Girls- ” Under The Ivy” (Kate Bush cover) Listen: The Bandana Splits – “Everyday […]
We are living in a time flush with Joan Didion and Tom Waits
Posted by Jason Diamond People keep telling me how fucked everything is, and to that I say, “Tom Waits just released a new album, and Joan Didion put out a new book, and they’re doing a lot of talking to promote those things. These are amazing times*”
Conversation: Roxane Gay
Vol. 1 talks to Roxane Gay about her debut collection of stories.
Morning Bites: Murakami’s vices, Snoop Lovecraft, My Bloody Record Label, Kalman & Pollan, and more
WFMU on the artwork of Aleksandra Waliszewska. (We especially love Dargeresque painting above.) Michael Pollan and Maira Kalman team up for an illustrated version of Pollan’s Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual. “The pleasures of reading Haruki Murakami could easily be mistaken for a list of his vices.” – Christian Lorentzen at The Observer. Ever wonder what would happen if you mixed H.P. Lovecraft with Charlie Brown? Wonder no more. Edward Gorey: Total fashion icon. Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine starts a […]
Bands that sound like Yo La Tengo and Beach Fossils
Posted by Jason Diamond I wasn’t going to try and be clever with the title for this post, it simply is what it is: a band that sounds like Yo La Tengo and Beach Fossils. The Hairs are from Brooklyn, and the inspiration for their sound is so simple that it’s brilliant. There’s also hints of Belle & Sebastian turned up to ten (the organ reminds me of the group’s earlier work), and a bunch of other bands that released […]
Reviewed: Helen DeWitt’s “Lightning Rods”
Reviewed by Jen Vafidis Lightning Rods By Helen DeWitt New Directions, 192 P. Helen DeWitt’s protagonist Joe is running away from debt when he gets an idea for a company. His journey to that idea includes lots of masturbating (funny masturbating, don’t worry) and an epiphany while looking at a heron on a beach. Emboldened, he gives himself this pep talk: “I’m not saying it won’t be a lot of work. But it should be a lot of fun, too…OK, you […]
Morning Bites: Heart of Darkness opera, Novel Writing Month, River Phoenix, Groucho & T.S., and much more
Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness to debut as an opera. Happy National Novel Writing Month. Here are six works that were written in under 31 days to serve as inspiration for you. Groucho Marx and T.S. Eliot were were penpals. Emma Straub writes about the death of River Phoenix and the effect it had on her for Rookie. Vol. 1’s Jason Diamond hangs out with Gigantic Mag’s James Yeh to listen to the new Real Estate album over at Impose. Stream the Beach Boys SMiLE […]
Seth Fried is his own favorite person
Posted by Jason Diamond The days when I predicted Seth Fried would become one of my favorite new authors are long behind us. Having read and loved The Great Frustration, I’m now officially a prophet who is trying to parlay my fortune-telling success into a gig as a preacher for the Church of Fried. Today’s installment comes via his story over at the Freerange Nonfiction site, “I Am My Favorite Person.” Mr. Fried has even made a video for the […]