“From where I sit inside the whale, ’70s rockmags and alternaweeklies generated a lost trove of American criticism. With Willis and Nelson added to the eight other names now compiled one way or another — Lester Bangs, Greil Marcus, Robert Palmer, Richard Meltzer, Dave Marsh, Nick Tosches, Jon Landau, and myself — the early record is in a sense complete.” Robert Christgau on recent books by or about Ellen Willis and Paul Nelson. Joe Hill on where he does his […]
Morning Bites: “not beat poets,” last Sonic Youth show, Victorian hoarders, animating Bolaño, and more
Today you should do birthday shots for Voltaire, Goldie Hawn, Björk, and Ken Griffey Jr. Robert Hass, the 70-year-old former Poet Laureate of the United States, writes an op-ed about being beaten by police at Occupy Berkeley. At Granta: Animating Bolaño. The Los Angeles Review of Books talks to Helen DeWitt. The Victorians: Original hoarders? 3:AM Magazine talks to Alina Simone. Ted Leo and Titus Andronicus are playing an OWS benefit in Brooklyn tonight. Possibly the last Sonic Youth show ever? […]
Ten Musicians Who Would Probably Write Good Books
Posted by Jason Diamond 1. Milo Aukerman of The Descendents Sure, he’s a biochemist, but who ever said biochemists couldn’t tell good stories? Maybe he could write a really good, short YA novel? 2. Stephen Malkmus (Pavement, Solo) Buddies with David Berman (Silver Jews, poet), writes lyrics that a lot of people cream themselves over. Might be good? 3. Mark E. Smith of The Fall Influenced the above mentioned Malkmus. Might give us a 500 page post modern novel about […]
Weekend Bites: New Jersey Rock, Dr. Seuss on the Couch, Twain’s Political Legacy, Portnoy Turns Forty, and More
In the New York Times: Ted Leo, Titus Andronicus, and New Jersey rock Speaking of T.A., Pitchfork basically echo my statement made a few weeks back, about the bands newest album, The Monitor, being one of the best albums of the year. Levi Asher plays analyst on Dr. Seuss. The enduring political wisdom of Mark Twain. Portnoy’s Complaint is 40. “Can you turn a J.D. Salinger into a Mark Cuban?” Huh? Indie rock and classical composers: the list. L Magazine […]
Bites: The end of indie, the guy who isn’t Tao Lin, Bob Dylan and the Christmas spirit, and more
Richard Nash on the end of indie. When literatis were celebs: “What Edmund Wilson won’t do.“ According to the Guardian, “a Little Red Book-esque collection of Fidel Castro‘s thoughts has been published in Cuba.” Oh hey, a picture of Tao Lin on the front page of Iamcarles.com – the site created by the mastermind of Hipster Runoff who we all know isn’t Tao Lin. Bob Dylan is putting out a Christmas album. Seriously Bob, where is the record of Yiddish […]
Conversation: Chris Leo
Chris Leo, of the Leo clan, writer of books (his book of shorts, Feathers Like Leather is going into its second pressing), member of bands (The Van Pelt recently reformed for some shows, also formerly of The Lapse, and Native Nod), and sometimes expat discussed a few of these topics with us a week before he takes the stage as our featured reader at our Vol. 1 Brooklyn Story Series. You got the band back together, and your book is […]