What I'm listening to, and a new short story
October 22, 2022
I'm listening to
- Soberish – Liz Phair. This is really good. It's warm and clever. Her lyrics have always been good but something happened musically where she got in with some mainstream producers (Liz Phair, 2003), knocked out a perfect pop album (Somebody's Miracle, 2005), played around with textures (Funstyle, 2010) and then folded back everything she'd learned into her earlier stuff. Soberish is a classic rock album that's way smarter than a classic rock album. (Guess why I like her.)
- Deluxe – Harmonia. Classic (pre?) motorik beat. Excellent walking music. I do a lot of walking now. Too much.
- Indestructible – Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Blakey is so alive – his music always makes you sit up. This is his final Blue Note album, issued 1964 – which was a good year.
- Mercurial World – Magdalena Bay. My favourite new band since Khruangbin and as talented as fuck. 'All you do' is Burt Bacharach with an M83 chorus. My definition of pop is a song you listen to, then listen to again, then again ... They have a Robert Smith durability. Speaking of which:
- 'And Nothing is Forever' – The Cure. A new Cure album is on the way, apparently, and if this is a live preview then I'm all in. Who would have predicted that Robert Smith would age so gracefully? I hear Moonface in it, too. Definitely passes the over and over test.
I have a new short story out. Dream Machine Winona is about a road trip and Beat poets and art. It's available on all the usual digital platforms for $0.99 USD – links below:
This is Fridays now: upload a short story, code a sell button. I write every day, and then spend an hour fiddling with online stuff. The web is a choke point. Once you get past it, it's all just words. I'm working on a new short story that will be out in time for Christmas.