Saving the World One Story at a Time

Weekend Music Roundup (Live Edition Part 2)

2012-01-29T16:16:00.000-08:00

Last week I wrote about my lack of concert going and the need to support bands whenever they happen through my corner of nowhere. So last weekend when I saw Aimee Mann, I decided it would be a good idea to go back to the venue this weekend to catch Langhorne Slim on the last date of his tour. I've always enjoyed his albums and at $13 and only fifteen minutes away, seemed like I couldn't go wrong. Plus he's from near the area where I grew up and I always like to represent the hometown boys. (Next week, I promise a return to album reviews)

After a high energy set by the opening band, Holy Ghost Tent Revival, a band I hadn't heard before, the half-filled venue filed out to large bar area. The Missus and I swooped in and got our places right in front of the stage. Literally, I had my beer on the stage. Normally I'm not a that concerned with being close, but since the spot was open, I figured why not. It made for some great photos too.

Slim and his band came out firing, playing a blistering version of "Rebel Side of Heaven" that immediately got the crowd going. From his albums, I had expected a more low-key performance and was completely blown away by his dynamic stage presence. Through every song, he and the band were giving it their all, hopping around on stage and simply wailing.

They played songs from each album and included some remarkable new songs due out on the next album in the spring. I was thrilled that he played my favorite song, "Colette," about three songs in, saving me the trouble of yelling it out during each pause. I took a video of the song, it's at the bottom of the post. Overall, it was one of the best shows I've seen in a long time. He had such a rock star presence on the stage, the likes of which I haven't seen since Jack White. If you ever get the chance to see him play, I would highly recommend it even if you are only a casual fan of his music.

Below are some quick reviews of his albums that I own.

Langhorne Slim - Langhorne Slim: The first of his albums I heard, this is actually his third album, released in 2008. Though probably the most uneven, this album contains my favorite songs by him and therefore is the one I return to the most.

Langhorne Slim - Be Set Free: Released in 2009, this remains the last album released to date. A little quieter than others, it's more sincere folk than the rollicking bluegrass folk of the others. Yet it remains intelligent, thoughtful and worthy in a world filled with singer songwriter albums.

Langhorne Slim - Daytrotter Session 1 & 2: Slim has done two sessions at Daytrotter.com, one in 2008 and 2010. Both are exceptional and are among the best on the site. Each are four songs long and wonderful.

Langhorne Slim - When the Sun's Gone Down: Released in 2005, this album was later re-released in 2008 with bonus tracks. I have the later release and it's pretty phenomenal. Due to a track being used in a car commercial, this is probably his best known album to date. It really defines his sound and is probably the best place to start if you are unfamiliar with him.

Dream Memories

2012-01-29T09:22:00.001-08:00

So it finally happened...a week went by without a post. I'm not sure how that happened, though it's been building toward it. Time has had a way of getting away from me lately. Or more appropriately, I suppose I've been allowing time to take me on its current without fighting the waves as is our usual habit in this modern world.

One thing that has haunted me all week is a dream I had Wednesday night. Every detail was so exact and real. I had flashes of it the entire next day. And more intriguing was the incredible emotional connection I had with one character in the dream, someone who doesn't exist in real life. But in the dream, it was someone I'd known and I had clear memories of this person and our relationship. I've had dream memories before, but never quite so vivid. I could remember circumstances, visits, time spent together, etc. An imagined life to be sure.

The main character in my novel Life is But a Dream has dream memories of someone she's never met. It's a major part of the book. Perhaps it's gotten to that point where my life is now imitating my art rather than other way around. If so, that's not an entirely bad place to be.

Weekend Music Roundup (Live Edition)

2012-01-22T17:09:00.000-08:00

Living in the middle of nowhere has many advantages for a writer, but one the drawbacks is being far away from a consistent music venue. Not that I went to a ton of concerts when I lived in NYC, but they were always there when I wanted on. Over the past year and a half, Woodstock has slowly been becoming more of a popular stop for intimate shows. Yet it's still a limited selection, so whenever anyone I like is playing, I certainly try to go, often seeing bands that I frankly would've skipped in the city.

Last night the Missus accompanied me to see Aimee Mann at the Bearsville Theater. Having been a musician we were really into at one time, though had since lost track of over the past few years, we thought it would be a fun show to see. It turned out to quite good. I've always loved her voice and she was very lively on stage and interacted with the audience. She played a lot of songs I didn't know, having not listened to her last album. I really enjoyed hearing the unknown songs though. It made me realize I needed to pay more attention to this artist again.

(photo by the Missus)

She played a decent length, about an hour. She also grouped her songs by album for the most part and actually played a few songs from the Magnolia soundtrack, which were amazing. "Save Me" was perfect and then the show ended with an amazing version of Harry Nilsson's "One." The encore ended with my favorite song of hers...it took all night, but she played it. Below is a quick rundown of her albums that I have in my vast, and increasingly rarely ventured, CD collection:

Aimee Mann - I'm With Stupid: Her second album dates to 1996. That was really a dead time for singer-songerwriters and certainly for folk. This record tries to be more power pop as a result, lacking that real singer songwriter quality that Aimee does wonderfully.

Aimee Mann - Magnolia (Soundtrack): This album was released in December of 1999, but wasn't really discovered until after Bachelor No. 2 was released five months later and become an indi hit. Plus it took time because the movie, being 3 hours long, wasn't a theater hit, but certainly was huge on VHS months later (remember going to the video store?). These are hauntingly beautiful songs and really caught a vibe of the pre-9/11, early George W Bush days.

Aimee Mann - Bachelor No. 2: This 2000 album is the one that made me a fan. I was initially drawn to it by the Lewis Carroll-y dodo illustration. Then I heard it and was blown away from the first listen. Perfect story-telling, great characters, and a wonderful example of L.A. indie folk. I never get tired of this album and actually listened to it recently while in Switzerland. It's always been a five star album. I also listened to this album with Missus many times while driving through Iceland a decade ago, the soundtrack to great memories. It's a sad album that somehow always manages to put me in a good mood.

Aimee Mann - Lost in Space: Released two years later, the follow-up to Bachelor No. 2 isn't very different. Most of the songs sound from the same series. I liked this album even if it never felt quite as special as the previous. Had they been reversed chronologically, it's possible they would have switched roles. But even after it came out, I still found myself reaching for Bachelor No. 2 instead.

Aimee Mann - The Forgotten Arm: I bought this in 2005 when it came out, but confess never really connecting to it. I don't even feel comfortable writing a review, because I think I've listened to it twice and that was nearly seven years ago. I do remember that I never really got the who boxer concept story. There have been two albums released since (though one is a Christmas album). Given the show last night, and many of songs probably being from the last one, I look forward to hearing it.

(Found a link to a video from the show. You can find it here if you're interested)

Cyber Police

2012-01-20T16:02:00.000-08:00

Yesterday the feds shut down the popular file sharing site Megaupload as part of anti-piracy campaign. Also this week, the government was considering two laws known as SOPA and PIPA that were also aimed at stopping online piracy. (They have since backed off after massive online protests on nearly every major site and retaliatory attacks by Anonymous). Not that I'm defending piracy, but both of these actions are extremely misguided and dangerous for a number of reasons.

Megaupload, for those not aware of it or it's like sites, is a place for people to upload their files for offsite storage and for easy sharing. Given the extremely slow transfer rate and file size limits when sharing large files via email, these sites have become very popular. Megaupload actually accounted for 4% of internet usage. Naturally these sites have also become very popular for sharing music, movies and video games illegally. However, these sites in my experience have always taken down any file that violates copyright law once they are informed of it. Some people say that's not enough. I disagree.

Essentially, the carrier is being held responsible for the content of its users. Now most of these files are uploaded as compressed files, meaning the carrier would have to invade the privacy of its customers by expanding the file and peering though its contents. The post office doesn't open your boxes to see what it's shipping, how is this really that different? And if they shut down a site like this for conduct of some users, then why couldn't they conceivably shut down Yahoo if someone sends a album via email to people? Same thing.

The SOPA and PIPA bills being considered are even more misguided. They will give broad powers to shut down sites that have very little illegal piracy going on. Essentially every forum type site is at risk. The laws would also give the U.S. police state more powers to go after sites overseas. I'm sorry, when did our nation's jurisdiction cross our borders?

Because it's too difficult to track down the individual uploaders, this has been the response. But what's really at stake here is file sharing of any kind. All services that allow open sharing of information will be a target. The internet is the world's greatest forum for information sharing. It's what the internet is all about. We can't allow them to shut that down for the sake of wealthy corporations. I fully agree that piracy is a major problem. But impeding free speech and communication is not the answer. Figure out a better way. That's your job.

Life is But a Dream...(Teaser 3)

2012-01-17T06:12:00.000-08:00

- In the center of my collage is a black-and-white photograph of a mother and young daughter hugging in the snow at night. They are wearing heavy winter coats and ribbons in their hair because the picture is supposed to be of a scene in the 1800s and that was the way most girls and women wore their hair, I suppose. Around the photography, I glued pictures of flowers I'd cut from the stacks of magazines Mrs. Weaver set out for us to use. The flowers are bright and colorful against the black-and-white snow. I painted the sky with watercolors, I used dark purples and blues and painted them really wet so that the colors ran together in interesting shapes. I used a little bit of pink paint on the girl's cheeks. - Life is But a Dream pages 71-72

It's now only two short months before my novel comes out. I'm still very excited about it. It seems most readers are responding positively. I enjoy that. It's not so much about wanting something you write to be adored, it's more about knowing that people out there really got what you trying to say. So far, I'm pretty happy about that.

One of the big subplots in the book is the main character's struggle to separate art from reality. In a way it mirrors my own struggle of doing that during my teenage years. That's a theme that runs throughout my books, this idea that we dream so hard for what we imagine that sometimes we get lost in what is truly around us.

* The quoted passage was inspired by a photo still of Meet me in St. Louis which I manipulated to look like the above picture.

Weekend Music Roundup

2012-01-15T06:32:00.000-08:00

Winter moved into the hills with a vengeance this week, giving me a nice dose of slushy snow. Not enough to be fun, but just messy enough to mean hours of shoveling. Throw in the howling north winds and some sinus troubles and it was a pretty good week to stay indoors. Though I mostly sought out comforting music this week, I also ventured into some albums I've had for some time but had yet to listen to. As a result, this week's list is a little schizophrenic, mixing folk, experimental blues and indie pop. Enjoy.

White Denim - Takes Place in Your Work Space: This four track EP was released in November and after the Autin band's great full length album D, out earlier in the year, I was looking forward to hearing it. Instead of taking the '60s vibe of the album, these songs have a much mellower and poppy sound. I think it doesn't work as well for them, they are much better suited to the more unhinged vibe they're known for creating. Still though, nice to see them trying different things.

Stars - The Five Ghosts: This is the Montreal indie pop band's sixth album. It came out in 2010, and though I have all of their previous albums, I didn't listen to this one until this week. That is partially due to the fact that I was a little burned on them at the time. They have a consistent sound that doesn't vary much, however they do it very well. I was glad I waited because this album is very similar to the album that came before. But since I hadn't listened to it in quite a long while, this felt new in a way. They tell stories in their songs better than most and musically they go deeper than surface level dream pop. An underrated band to be sure.

Captain Beefheart - Trout Mask Replica: In the continuing theme of buying albums on vinyl that I've long owned on CD, I recently picked up this one. Probably one of my 10 favorite albums of all time, I first heard this album on Christmas Day 1993 and it has never really left me. Beyond the experimental blues framework of the album, this is one of those records that really transports the listener into another world, one of bizarre fiction and relics of insanity. It's a pleasure to have it now on the rich sound that comes only with vinyl.

William Fitzsimmons - Until We Are Ghosts: The Pittsburgh folk singer songerwriter 2006's debut is a wonderful blend of folk with Midwest influences. For the most part, the album doesn't sound much different than a lot of other indie folk artists doing the same sort of thing, but that doesn't make it irrelevant. There are moments where it gets a little too radio friendly for my tastes, but overall I'm looking forward to exploring his more recent work.

Sophie Zelmani -Sing and Dance: The Sweedish singer songwriter's fourth album released in 2001 is a beautifully easy album. Reminiscent of Amiee Mann's "Bachelor #2", released the year prior, this is an album of downbeat sentiment disguised in hopeful melody. I've been really loving this album all week long. She has a whole catalog of work that I hope to hear soon.

Peter Green - The End of the Game: In the earliest days of Fleetwood Mac, Peter Green was the driving force behind their British Blues sound, having come up with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. But as he spiraled further into drug madness, he would leave the band in 1970 and release this solo record. It's a free-form blues jazz record that allows a master guitarist to explore the range of his craft. There are certainly moments of brilliance on this record, but there are also moments of aimlessness. Overall, it's an enjoyable listen and can create a wonderful atmosphere, but can tend to get a little boring over repeated listens.

Little Dragon - Machine Dreams: Another Swedish band, Little Dragon is a electro-pop band, but not one that's abrasive. Their sound is more of a synth heavy dream pop. This is their second album, released in 2009. This not typically my favorite genre, but there are definitely a few songs on here that have a good reinvented 80's sound that I really enjoy. There's is also something about them that reminds me of the xx. But like that band, I find their songs to be hit or miss.

Windy in There...

2012-01-11T17:21:00.000-08:00

Typically I try to be finished with a project before traveling. Time away from the writing routine has a habit of sending a war storm through the pages of a story in progress. Due to circumstances beyond my control, I took my holiday trip about the time I was starting the last third of my novel. Though I was able to work on it a little, the storm front certainly swept in. Luckily I've dealt with this type of weather before and know how to fight my way through the elements.

After a long week, the path ahead once again looks clear.

Weekend Music Roundup

2012-01-08T15:42:00.001-08:00

A new year means new music and new music is always something worth looking forward to. Getting back in the swing of things this week, I got to check out a lot of albums, plus I got to listen to some of the vinyl I picked up overseas during the holidays. For the most part, this week's list is a return to the classics. I've been in a big nostalgia period lately and my music selections prove that. Hope some of them are new to you however. Enjoy.

Hawkwind - Space Ritual Vol. 1: I bought this on CD when I was 15 and it has never fallen from my favorite albums list. While in Switzerland, I found a copy of it on re-released colored vinyl and picked it up. This is probably the best live album ever in my opinion. The band is in top form, ripping through their early heavy psych catalog with abandoned. "Orgone Accumilator" "Down Through the Night," and "Lord of Light" are incredible. Note that the CD includes Vol. 2 and has more tracks.

Soft Machine - Noisette: Released in 2000, this is a live recording from 1970 which shows the band transitioning from their early psychedelic sound into more experimental prog. It can be a bit aimless at times, but it's still a good listen. Certainly doesn't replace the first three studio albums, but makes a nice companion.

The Black Keys - El Camino: Had I gotten this a month ago, there is a good chance it would have found a place on my best of year list. It's another stellar modern blues album from the Akron boys, but there is a further exploration into a Led Zeppelin sound that really makes it yet another step up from their previous. With every album, I feel this band gets better and better. One day soon, I expect they'll make a masterpiece and I can't wait to hear it.

Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring for My Halo: The Philly native, and member of The War on Drugs, released his first full length album in almost two years last March. Though I'd been a fan of previous albums and the single from this one, "Jesus Fever," I hadn't checked out the entire record until this week. It's another one that would have made it into my top 25 or 30 of the year. He reminds me of J Mascis a bit, only with a more strung-out vibe.

The Byrds - Turn! Turn! Turn!: Released in 1965, this is the L.A. folk band's second album and includes many of their hits, which also happen to be Dylan covers. Though the band wouldn't hit their peak until their next album (1966's Fifth Dimension) this is album really demonstrates that the potential for greatness had already been set in motion. There's always been something attractive about the sunny California take on the folk movement that I really enjoy. Few did it better than The Byrds.

John Lennon - Walls and Bridges: Released in 1974, this is John's last solo album in the string of albums from his post-Beatles career. Already you can hear the softer side showing through that would later be defined by Double Fantasy. However, this is by far the better album. Though there are few songs on here that are widely known, there are several that probably should be, "Steel and Glass" being on the top of that list. This was the last Lennon album that I had yet to acquire and it was nice to hear something 'new' by him again.

Neutral Milk Hotel - Ferris Wheel on Fire: This bootleg is a collection acoustic studio tracks of unreleased material. Many of the songs have appeared in other places before, but this is a great set. Included are some rare songs like "Home," "Oh, Sister" and the title track. It's a fabulous album and worth having even if you know the material.

Otis Redding - Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul: A fantastic record of Otis signing many covers of classics like "My Girl," "Satisfaction," and "Respect." I'm a huge sucker for covers, especially when done this well. He has one of those voices that makes every song he sings unforgettable. Kind of a must-have record for anyone that likes classic soul music.

Fiction Friday (7)

2012-01-06T17:50:00.000-08:00

Winter has long been a time when I crave the world of talking animal fantasy. Something about the wind rattling the roofbeams and wood burning in the fireplace makes me want to escape into this particular stream of imagination. About a year ago, I was searching for a new series in the genre and decided on giving Erin Hunter's Warrior books a chance. Having cats of my own, and former strays at that, the concept behind the books intrigued me. Here are my reviews of the first two books in the series. Enjoy.

Warriors #1: Into the Wild
by Erin Hunter (Avon 2004)

Children's animal fantasy is a genre that one is either a fan of or not. Seeing as how Watership Down was the first novel I ever truly loved, it's safe to say, I fall into the category of one who loves talking animal stories. This first book in the Warrior series is a solid addition to the long linage of talking animal stories. Erin Hunter pays close attention to the traditional heroic arc, following kittypet Rusty on his journey to becoming Firepaw and then Fireheart. The action is extremely well written. The book is a constant page-turner. Solid middle-grade fiction with the promise of an expanding story.

Warriors #2: Fire and Ice
by Erin Hunter (Avon 2004)

Though the Warriors series lacks the timeless literary feel of some other high profile talking animal franchises for kids, it still manages to spin intriguing stories that at times are gripping and emotional. This second installment sees newly named warrior Fireheart once again dealing with several problems throughout the book. There is once again a threat from the other cat clans and these action sequences are done at a nice pace. However it's the personal issues facing Fireheart that are most interesting in this book. His faltering friendship with Graystripe, his renewed longing for his kittypet family, and especially his relationship with young Cinderpaw are the heart of this book and contribute to making it a notch better than the first installment. The growing mystery surrounding the clan's deputy Tigerclaw also builds quite nicely. I'm eager to finish the next four books in the series.

New Luck for a New Year

2012-01-04T05:49:00.000-08:00

(painting by Marc-Antoine)

There are often funny things that happen in the human mind that have no bearing on any sense of reality. One of those is the importance we place on the changing from December into January. It's only another day switching over into the next, but for some reason as the year clicks over, we feel the weight of it as though what had been the present suddenly has become the past.

I won't pretend that I didn't feel thankful that 2011 ended. I didn't even bother staying up to watch it end as a way of showing my disdain. For whatever cosmic reasons, odd numbered years have always been historically bad for me. Of course, in the universal spirit of what-goes-around-comes-around, even numbered years tend to be good in seemingly equal and opposite proportion. If that's the case this year, 2012 is looking to be spectacular.

This year already started off on a good note. Thanks to the Missus, the first words out of my mouth on the morning of the 1st were "Rabbit. Rabbit." Saying that as the first thing on the first of the month brings good luck. As readers here well know, my superstitious nature is quite prominent and this is one of those that I truly believe in. In fact, due to the nearly impossible nature of it, it is perhaps the pinnacle of good omens. I've only remembered to do it twice before in my life, but one of those times was also on January 1st and that year was quite a good one. Here's to looking for a repeat of past luck.

Best of luck in the New Year to all of you as well.

Weekend Music Roundup BEST of 2011

2012-01-02T14:38:00.000-08:00

The year that seemed to never end is finally over. That means it's time to roundup the best albums of the year. This year was surprisingly easy to pick the top 20 albums. There was a huge difference between these records and the other hundred or so albums I heard this year. There is also quite a big difference between 1-10 and 11-20. What I'm trying to say is that there were fewer albums that really wowed me this year than in years past. There were also less new bands that impressed me, with only two making this list. Perhaps I'm just getting older and more set in my ways. Either way, these albums were great and made the year worthwhile in music. Feel free to leave comments disagreeing with me...just keep in mind that there are still quite a few albums released in 2011 that I have yet to hear. Each album contains my review from earlier blog posts. Enjoy.

1. o'death - outside: The fourth album by the pioneering New York gothic folk outfit was one of my most anticipated albums of this year. Easily one of my favorite bands to emerge in the last five years, their previous albums all rank highly on my list of albums of the last decade. It only makes sense that this is hands-down the best album I've heard this year. Shifting slightly away from the death-folk harshness of their previous album, the band finds a something of a beautiful calm on this one. It's almost as if the last album, Broken Hymns, Limbs & Skin was an act of violent death and this album is the peace found afterward. Truly brilliant.

2. Uncle Acid & the deadbeats - Blood Lust: Heavy 70's prog metal music reigns throughout. Pounding swing drums, blistering guitar, and a singer that's absolutely phenomenal. From the first song when they sing, "I get my kicks from tortury and screams," I dare anyone not to take notice of the madness going on in this record. Easily near the top of my list for favorite albums of the year. These guys are from the UK and have a previous album released last year called Vol 1. A review of that album to follow soon.

3. Sivert Hoyem - Long Slow Distance: The new solo album from the singer of Madrugada is his first since 2009's Moon Landing. This is easily his best solo album since his first, 2004's Ladies and Gentlemen. It's also one of his best ever records, solo or otherwise. This is closest to Madrugada's masterpiece The Nightly Disease. The mood is dark and brilliant, something akin to the soundtrack of a mild nightmare. This has quickly become one of my favorite albums of the year. Exceptional tracks include "Warm Inside," "Animal Child," "Red on Maroon," and "Blown Away." This is a must have album, period.

4. Tom Waits - Bad As Me: The devilish howler's first studio album in ages, and first non-live album since 2006's outstanding three disc collection Orphans, this record has naturally received a lot of attention since its release late last month. Despite hearing the rave reviews, I went into it a bit skeptical. Artists that have been around as long as Tom, and who are as worshipped as him, tend to get undue praise when they do anything new. I worried that would be the case here, but how wrong I was. From the opening to the ending, this album is phenomenal. Musically and lyrically, it is what Tom has always done best, creating nightmarish tunes accompanied by his irresistible growl. Easily one of the albums on my short-list for best of the year.

5. The Decemberists - Long Live the King: This six song EP, released this week, is a companion to the Portland band's album The King Is Dead, released earlier this year. Like the full-length album, these songs continue the band's country rock phase, hearkening back to early to mid-70s California movement. There's even an amazing cover of the Grateful Dead's "Row Jimmy," a classic of the genre. "Sonnet" feels a little like a song that could have been on Five Songs, the band's first release, a sound of theirs I've missed. There are no weak songs on here and it once again affirms this is a band still at its peak. I've been listening to this non-stop this week and love it more with every listen.

6. The Bevis Frond - The Leaving of London: Nick Saloman has been releasing quality psychedelic indie rock records as The Bevis Frond since 1986. I own many of them, and they are all quite excellent. This is his first album since 2004 and is definitely worth the wait. With 18 tracks, spanning an hour and twenty minutes of great music. The formula hasn't changed much since the late '90s...driving guitars, piano melodies, and a wonderfully interesting voice singing songs representing a sense of disenchantment with the world. I've been listening to this a lot over the past two weeks and it's quickly becoming one of my favorites of the year.

7. Wilco - The Whole Love: The pioneer Chicago americana indie band is back with their first album since 2009's self-titled and it's their best since 2007's Sky Blue Sky. Every song on here is good and the album is bookended with two longer masterpieces. Incorporating strings and plenty of acoustic guitar, this album is simply beautiful and a perfect autumn pick. Stand out tracks include "Black Moon", a throwback tune to their earlier days "Dawned on Me," and "One Sunday Morning."

8. Alex Turner - Submarine: These six songs, recorded as part of a soundtrack for a film of the same title, show a side of the Arctic Monkeys and Last Shadow Puppets front man that is rarely heard on the recordings of those bands. Accompanied mainly by acoustic guitar and piano, these tracks are softer than the hard edged early Monkeys material, or their grander recent work. The result is a pretty wonderful little album by one of the best songwriters of the past 10 years.

9. Iron & Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean: I immediately knew there were some songs on here that were brilliant and among his best (Rabbits Will Run, Your Fake Name...) but I wasn't feeling the others. After months of listening to my three favorite songs that made it onto iPod and loving them, I dug the album back out and have been listening to the whole thing pretty much every day this past week. The songs I wasn't sure about still aren't as good as the ones I was, but they are certainly better than I first gave them credit for. If this keeps up, this might end up on my year end list. Another lesson in why albums need more than one chance.

10. The Rapture - In the Grace of Your Love: What started as a NYC dance punk outfit with 1999's Mirror had morphed into a more psychedelic sound by 2003's Echoes and more new wave by their last album 2006's Pieces of the People We Love. The five years off have certainly been spent wisely. This album sees the perfect combination of the greatness of Echoes with best bits of Pieces. It's still an alternative dance sound, but extremely well done. This has quickly become one of my favorite albums of the summer.

11. Okkervil River - I Am Very Far: The new album by one of my favorite bands of the last few years, this has certainly been on my highly anticipated list. However, two disappointing singles from the album over the winter kind left me feeling nervous. Thankfully, the singles were a bit of a fluke, and even those songs work much better in the context of the album. While it doesn't stray far from the folkish indie rock sound, it is certainly different from their last album, 2008's The Stand-Ins. This feels like more of a spiritual record to me. "The Valley" could be one of their best songs ever.

12. The Rural Alberta Advantage - Departing: Released in March, this the Toronto indie band's second album, following 2008's wonderful Hometowns. I really like the way this band captures the howl of the plains in an unexpected way. It isn't haunting the way in which that feeling is usually captured, instead it kind of kicks and fights against it. This reminds me a bit of a modern Eleventh Dream Day's Praire School Freakout.

13. Moonface - Organ Music: Moonface is basically just a Spencer Krug solo project (Wolf Parade, Sunset Rubdown, Frog Eyes). The EP put out under the Moonfacename was one of my favorite EPs of last year. It was just one 20-minute song, but it was fantastic. This is a full album of five songs, all over 7-minutes long, which keeps the feel of the EP. These are definitely story songs, told in Spencer's wonderful Neil Young-esquehowl and experimental instrumentation. Of all Spencer's other projects, the Moonfacetracks remind me most of early Sunset Rubdown in structure, but with later day Wolf Parade soundscapes. The combination is excellent, like most everything he does.

14. Kitchie Kitchie Ki Me O: This 2011 album from a band born from the ashes of Norway's My Midnight Creeps and Madrugada has been one of my favorites of the year so far. It has a similar moody rock sound to those previous bands, but incorporates some prog elements and horns that really bring it to another level. Not to mention it has one of the best covers in year.

15. Low - C'mon with Acoustic EP: Another album, though it came out in April, that I kind of missed. I've been a fan of this Minnesota slowcore band ever since I heard their version of "Down by the River" with the Dirty Three in my friend's apartment in Queens, circa 2001. Their blend of indie spiritual songs played sometimes at a such a slow pace that you feel the tension between notes is addictive. This is one of their best albums in a few years, and the bonus acoustic EP, with versions of half the songs included, makes it spectacular. "Witches" is one of the best songs they've ever done in my opinion. Great stuff this. Great stuff.

16. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake: After finally hearing this album in its entirety, it's easy to see why it's currently the highest rated album of this year on Rate Your Music. Harvey has continued to reinvent herself and evolve over her career. The trek has lead to this stellar alternative folkish album about England. It incorporates many different genres in an effortless cohesion of moody songs. Not my absolute favorite album of the year, but certainly high on the list.

17. Portugal. The Man - In the Mountain in the Cloud: Over the past few years, this neo-psychedelic outfit has become one of my favorite bands of all time, delivering amazing album after amazing album. Released this week, this new album continues the trend. Though I find it almost indistinguishable from their last two efforts The Majestic Majesty and American Ghetto, that's quite okay with me because those are wonderful albums. More psychedelic indie rock with falsetto beauty swirling all around.

18. Man Man - Life Fantastic: One of the more interesting bands of the last decade, this Philly's band's previous three albums are chaotic blend of Captain Beefheart meets the current world of experimental indie rock. Sounding a bit like a roving band of gypsies is what has always given Man Man their original appeal and this album is no different. Starting with 2006's Six Demon Bag (a masterpiece) to 2008's Rabbit Habits (an album I loved and have recently been listening to a ton) to this album, the band has mellowed a bit. Though anyone who knows these albums knows that 'mellow' is a relative term. There's something of a Burrough's surreal nature to these albums, like a Tom Waits album on a dust. Life Fantastic is fantastic indeed.

19. J. Mascis - Several Shades of Why: The new solo acoustic album by the Dinosaur Jr. front man follows in the footsteps of 2005 similar Sing + Chant for Amma, only with more defined song structure. I very much enjoyed that album and was interested in checking this one out. What I discovered was an album by a musician that, decades into his career, is really hitting a new creative high. This is an album that simply grooves. It never feels forced. It just taps into a vibe and keeps going through it until the end. Once it was over, I found myself thinking, damn that was really good.

20. Sic Alps - Napa Asylum: The third and latest album in my continued exploration of this lo-fi San Francisco band is definitely the best. Released in January, this is also one my favorite albums of the year so far. The band has refined their sound by now, streamlining the songs into a perfect modern Grateful Dead experiment with heavier psychedelic overlays. The songs sometimes feel like snippets, but they all weave into one another making a truly interesting and at times stellar album.

My Favorite Books That I Read This Year

2011-12-28T00:50:00.000-08:00

In the continuing spirit of making endless lists to sum up the year that is now almost over, I want to share with you my favorite books that I read over the past twelve months. I actually read quite a bit this year, finishing around 40 novels. Though I still don't quite seem to be able to read the newest books, I was better at reading more contemporary fiction than in years past. As you will see when going through the list, Middle Grade fiction was a big hit with me. I find there is a lot of room in that format for creating imaginative worlds, something that has always attracted me. I've decided to give the summary of each book that appears on Goodreads.com rather than my personal reviews, simply because I've reviewed all of these books on my blog already. However, I've also included a link to my review in case you're interested. Hopefully some of these will be new to you. Enjoy.

The Search for WondLa by Tony Diterlizzi (2010): Eva Nine is a curious and sensitive twelve-year-old who has existed only in a subterranean home called Sanctuary, cared for by a robot named Muthr. Eva's great desire is to go aboveground, and her wish comes true, though not as she had imagined. On the surface, Eva goes in search of other humans--she has never met one--and soon meets both friend and foe. MY REVIEW

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly (2009): Calpurnia Virginia Tate is eleven years old in 1899 when she wonders why the yellow grasshoppers in her Texas backyard are so much bigger than the green ones.With a little help from her notoriously cantankerous grandfather, an avid naturalist, she figures out that the green grasshoppers are easier to see against the yellow grass, so they are eaten before they can get any larger. As Callie explores the natural world around her, she develops a close relationship with her grandfather, navigates the dangers of living with six brothers, and comes up against just what it means to be a girl at the turn of the century. MY REVIEW

The House of Dolls by Ka-tzetnik 135633 (1955): The novel describes "Joy Divisions", which were allegedly groups of Jewish women in the concentration camps during World War II, who were kept for the sexual pleasure of Nazi soldiers. MY REVIEW

Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer (1969): It is Charlotte's first night at boarding school. But when she wakes up, the girl in the next bed is not the person who was sleeping there the evening before. And the new building outside her window seems to have metamorphosed into a huge, dark cedar tree! Somehow, Charlotte has slipped back forty years. MY REVIEW

Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff (2002): Hollis Woods has been in so many foster homes she can hardly remember them all. She even runs away from the Regans, the one family who offers her a home. When Hollis is sent to Josie, an elderly artist who is quirky and affectionate, she wants to stay. But Josie is growing more forgetful every day. If Social Services finds out, they’ll take Hollis away and move Josie into a home. Well, Hollis Woods won’t let anyone separate them. She’s escaped the system before; this time, she plans to take Josie with her. Yet behind all her plans, Hollis longs for her life with the Regans, fixing each moment of her time with them in pictures she’ll never forget. MY REVIEW

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (1996): When Richard Mayhew stops one day to help a girl he finds bleeding on a London pavement, his life is forever altered, for he finds himself propelled into an alternative reality that exists in a subterranean labyrinth of sewer canals and abandoned subway stations. He has fallen through the cracks of reality and has landed somewhere different, somewhere that is Neverwhere. MY REVIEW

The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane by Laird Koenig (1973): Award-winning and international best-selling novel by Laird Koenig. Some little girls can be murder! Thirteen-year-old Rynn is a gifted prodigy who lives in a big old house with her reclusive father...all alone. Or does she? When Rynn's nosy landlady and a lecherous neighbor begin to suspect that this little girl is hiding a dark and dangerous secret, Rynn is determined to preserve her isolated existence at any cost - and stop those vicious rumors dead in their tracks! MY REVIEW

The White Mountains by John Christopher (1970): On an Earth where the Tripods -- huge, three -- legged machines -- have ruled for as long as anyone can remember, thirteen-year-old Will harbors fears about the Capping ceremony he will soon undergo. Capping marks the transition from childhood into adulthood, but it also has a more sinister meaning: It is the Tripods who attach the metal headpieces to people's skulls, and once Capped, a person is forever a slave to them. As Will learns the truth, he realizes that he must escape while his mind is still his own. With two companions, he begins a journey across Europe to find the stronghold of the last free people in the world -- in the White Mountains of Switzerland. MY REVIEW

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T00:45:00.001-08:00

I'm currently enjoying the holidays in Switzerland with the Missus and her family, having a lovely time. Hope all of you are having a great day as well (or days depending on the holiday you celebrate). Enjoy, and best wishes to all.

My Favorite New TV Shows of the Year

2011-12-23T11:00:00.000-08:00

I know some writers believe television to be an abomination, but I'm not one of them. When done right, TV is very much a writer's medium, allowing for character and plot development on par with novel writing. Given the length of time dedicated to a series, it is much more akin to novels than film in a lot of cases. I've always been a big television watcher and this year there have been a lot interesting new shows. I think television has been taking risks with scripted shows again, something it hasn't done in a few years since. I wanted to share my thoughts on my favorite new shows of the year. Keep in mind, I refuse to pay for premium channels, so save the comments about Boardwalk Empire, Homeland, and Game of Thrones. I haven't seen them.

American Horror Story (FX): This show grabbed my attention in the first two stellar episodes. Though not particularly innovative in the sense that it uses classic, well-worn tropes of the horror genre, the show was instantly intriguing visually and extremely daring for television. I love how they were never afraid to embrace the truly weird elements. I thought the middle episodes of the season fell flat and was worried it would turn out to be a real disappointment. However, the last four episodes were once again exceptional. I loved how the things you thought had happened turned out to have happened completely differently. The idea of carrying a twist several episodes after the fact was very clever. There are still some characters that I'm not crazy about (I'm talking to you Zachary Quinto), but others are great and Jessica Lange is truly amazing in this show. I'm looking forward to seeing how far the writers can take the haunted house motif.

Thundercats (Cartoon Network): Easily the best American cartoon since Avatar: The Last Airbender, the new re-invention of the late 80's cartoon is bright, fun, adventurous, and contains a huge story arc that is just getting started and promises to be a fantasy adventure for the ages. Like Avatar, it is really a hybrid of American and Japanese styles of animation that is delightful. The story follows the traditional elements of a hero quest, delving nicely in the sibling rivalry, oppression, and good vs. evil. Wileykit and Wileykat, along with Snarf (all pictured above) add a great comic relief to the heady action. I can only hope this show runs for years like it's lead-in, the equally great Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

New Girl (Fox): I had very low expectations for this comedy seeing that Zooey Deschanel typically annoys me more than she delights. However, she is absolutely perfect in this show, completely changing my opinion about her. It's a basic sit-com set-up with a girl moving in with three guy roommates, but manages to bring something entirely new to it. It helps that all of the characters feel like people you know, if not slightly exaggerated. I never really cared for Friends because I always felt the characters were so obviously television characters. This show captures what I believe that show always lacked. It's quirky, funny, but genuinely has a lot of heart too.

The Walking Dead (AMC): This was a slow starter for me, early in the year was the 6 episode first 'season' which was a bit shaky and very uneven. But then with this fall's new episodes, I felt the characters began feeling comfortable in their own skins. There are things that still bother me about the show, like the old school American values feel and the sexist roles of the characters (thanks Julie for pointing that out to me, you're so right on about that.) However, the last episode of this year, especially the last ten minutes, was one of the best scenes I've ever seen in television or film. It was truly jaw-dropping and intense. I had to rewind it and watch it over again at least two times. I really hope the show moves forward on the momentum built there.

Outnumbered (BBC America): This show has been on in the UK since 2007, but it premiered in the US this year and it's such a refreshing comedy. The episodes barely feel like episodes in the traditional sense. They mostly take place in real time, following these parents of three young children, dealing with the absurd situations that are all too real. It sometimes take two episodes for a joke to build, but the payoff is the kind of spit-out-your-drink type of laughter. The two youngest kids are hilarious, especially Karen, everything she says cracks me up. There are rumors this is being americanized, I truly hope it isn't seeing as the track record for that is pretty terrible.

Suburgatory (ABC): A modern, light-hearted My So Called Life, this clever show rightly pokes fun at the ridiculiousness of the upper middle class suburbs around New York City. Having grown up in the 'burbs and migrated to NYC, I can identify with the main character's cynical disbelief at how people in her new town live compared the city. It strikes the right level of satire, without ever going over the top.

Honorable Mentions: The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret (IFC), Up All Night (NBC), Friday Night Dinner (BBC America) and G.I. Joe Renegades (The Hub)

A Traveling Mind

2011-12-22T06:23:00.000-08:00

I'm currently traveling overseas for the holidays, but I feel my mind has been traveling for weeks. Being tormented by goblins everyday, as my newest main character is, will do that to you.

Traveling is always good and bad for the writing process. While placing yourself in new environs opens the imagination to new paths, being away from the comfort of your workspace makes it difficult to get much accomplished. Writing is very much about routine and habit. Disrupt it and the results are something like trying to cook in someone else's kitchen. Here's to hoping whatever I bake still tastes pretty good.

Weekend Music Roundup

2011-12-18T15:18:00.000-08:00

At this time of year, leading up to the holidays, I'm usually re-listening to the albums from throughout the year that really captured my imagination. Also, since I'm usually occupied with thinking of gift ideas, I don't tend to look for things for myself. However, there were a few things that I did make time to listen to this week. A few of these I've been saving for some time, knowing that this drought was going to come and that I'll still want some new tunes to treat my ears. A shortened list this week, but a good one. Enjoy.

Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats - Vol 1: After hearing this UK heavy psych band's second album about a month ago, I'd been really looking forward to hearing this debut released last year. Though not quite as heavy as this year's Blood Lust, it's still pretty damned heavy. There's definitely a Sabbath meets Hawkwind vibe with these guys. Easily the best new band that I've encountered this year. Now I just have to find a way to get copies of the handmade vinyl editions.

Soft Machine - Third: The Canterbury band's third album was released in 1970 and sees them move completely away from the progressive psychedelic folk of their debut just two years before. By this album, they've moved completely into prog with each side of the album consisting of two tracks of 15-20 minutes in length. However, even in that they don't loose touch with the sound of the Canterbury Scene. This actually might be my favorite album from the era. Still not the masterpiece the debut is, but a really good album with lots of space to wander through.

Joy Division - An Ideal for Living: This four song EP was the band's first release and includes four classics: "Warsaw," "No Love Lost," "Leaders of Men," and "Failures." Though all of these songs are available elsewhere on various compilations, there is still something to be said hearing them paired and in this intended order. A fabulous EP and a sign of many brilliant things to come from one of my favorite bands of all time.

Silversun Pickups - Seasick: As the L.A. indie band continues to work on their long-awaited follow-up to 2009's Swoon, they released this 3 song EP last month. Hopefully this is a preview of what the new album will sound like, because the songs are pretty fantastic. The songs, especially the title track, have a soft sound which really suits the band. They have a tendency to be over-produced on their albums. I prefer this gentle style. Really clever and eerie songs.

Brooklyn Zu - Chamber #9, Verse 32: This is a Wu-Tang related release that came out in 2008, featuring the crew put together by ODB back in the '90s. There are some ODB verses on here, along with some amazing Wu guest appearances, most notably GZA on "Knock, Knock." Overall, it's hard to really pin this down. It's definitely aggressive, which sounds amazing on songs where the beats really click with the rhymes. But on some songs, it does feel a little unnerving. A lot of people have hated on this album, but I have to admit I enjoyed it.

Yuna - Yuna EP: A few months ago, I reviewed Yuna's new EP and raved about her voice. This debut, released in 2008 showcases her voice even better in someways. "Backpacking Around Europe" remains my favorite song of hers. You can really hear the emotion in her voice and that's why even the songs sung in Malaysian are moving. There is a longer version of this, with extra tracks and one with only four. Definitely worth the extra songs.

Fiction Friday (6)

2011-12-16T16:23:00.000-08:00

As we get near the holidays, it's always good to provide plenty of reviews to allow us all to fill those wishlists. I wanted to share two classic children's novels from the 1800's and early 1900's that have all but been forgotten. The idea of forgotten books is one that upsets me, being that I will someday be the author of a few forgotten books. It's inevitable. Trends change and people always will have a need to hear stories from their generation. But I never understand the reader who only reads contemporary books. It's important to know the foundations of the current novel structure, especially as a writer. So I always try to read a few classics every year. Here are two that I read in the last few months. Both were Christmas presents last year, so it seems apt to share them now. Enjoy.

Veronica by Johanna Spyri

(1924)

This is a traditional cautionary tale about two children beset by tragedy early on, only to be given good fortune as they grow older and closer. However the two set out on different paths as they become adults. One is impatient to have all that he wants and falls victim to the negative influences of a friend who steers him toward ruin. Veronica, the other, is virtuous and hard-working, yet sorrow is never far from her thoughts. So they both have their lessons to learn, and as is the case with most books written in this time, they eventually find their way and come together again.

After reading the author's far superior and better known work, Heidi, I was disappointed in this short novel. Whereas Heidi felt very contemporary and timeless, this story is heavily dated in its Christian moralism. The characters were very flat, which surprised me given the depth of many of the characters in Heidi. All in all, it was okay, mainly because it was so slim. If it had lingered any longer, I'm not sure I would have enjoyed it. That said, it was an interesting read. Knowing that an author can write a classic that stands the test of time, yet still fail with others is inspirational for a writer in a way.

The King of the Golden River by John Ruskin

(1851)

Like Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, this is another Victorian children's book written solely for the entertainment for one child, 12 year old Effie Gray. The connection between the two books is furthered by a later friendship between Lewis Carroll and eventually the Liddles (Alice's family). Being a fan of Lewis Carroll's, and Victorian children's literature in general, this book was naturally a must read. It's a slim novella, easily read in one sitting, that adheres to a classical morality fairy tale about selfishness and compassion. The fantasy elements are truly intriguing and there are moments of beautifully lyrical writing. The illustrations add a nice quality as well. All in all, it's a well-done fairy tale.

Life is But a Dream...Teaser (2)

2011-12-13T16:57:00.001-08:00

-Don't worry about that. I'm not going anywhere without you.- He says it like a promise that will last long after the sun dips down just below the taller trees on the tallest hills. The nurses will come then and take us away, but it doesn't matter. They can take us to different wings of the hospital but they can't really separate us. Not anymore. We are connected in a dream--that can't be broken. Life is But a Dream page 85

In three months, my new novel will be out and available in stores. Over 700 people already marking it 'to-read' on Goodreads, and several nice reviews have already been written there. I chose the quote above for this teaser because it really captures that sense of teenage love that I wanted the characters to feel in the story. The love story is a major part of this book, not just the excitement of falling in love but also how love, though it can feel so wonderful, can also lead us to misguided decisions and unintentional hurt.

After the New Year, I will be holding a contest to give away a signed ARC, so stay tuned.

Weekend Music Roundup - SONGS OF THE YEAR

2011-12-11T17:34:00.000-08:00

It's been a crazy week. I can't believe I don't write a single post, I think that's the first time that has happened since I started this little space a few years ago. Nothing terribly dramatic occurred. I wasn't in a car accident or anything so spectacular as that. It was just a combination of varying annoyances that added up to having little time and even less to say. But that will change this week. I already have some things planned. But as a way of hopefully making up for it, I've decided to reveal my favorite songs of the year. These are songs that stood out and kept getting played throughout the year. They are not in any particular order, except for maybe the first on the list, which is easily my favorite song of the year. If you click on the song title, it should take you to a place where you can hear it. Enjoy.

Iron & Wine - You're Fake Name Is Good Enough For Me

Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math

The Rural Alberta Advantage - North Star

Tom Waits - Hell Broke Luce

Beady Eye - The Roller

Okkervil River - The Valley

Red Hot Chili Peppers - The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie

The Antlers - Putting the Dog to Sleep

Arctic Monkeys - Piledriver Waltz

Low - Witches

Skysaw - No One Can Tell

The Rapture - Miss You

Jean Grae - Uh Oh

The Besnard Lakes - We're Here for a Good Time (Not a Long Time)

Noel Gallagher - The Death of You and Me

The Bevis Frond - You'll Come

Sivert Hoyem - Warm Inside

The Decemberists - Row Jimmy & Burying Davy

Joey Doyles - Holla I Got What You Need

Weekend Music Roundup

2011-12-04T06:50:00.001-08:00

For the first time in several weeks, most of the albums on this list were released this year. But I suppose that's not unusual. Around this time I'm always trying to catch up on anything I might have missed as I try to sort out my BEST OF 2011 list. There's a definite contender on here for top album of the year, so that's always exciting. This is also the time of year for bands to throw a holiday bone to fans, so there's some of that on this list too. All in all, a good week of music. Enjoy.

Uncle Acid & the deadbeats - Blood Lust: This is an album I picked up after gazing through the top rated albums on Rateyourmusic .com the other week. It's currently ranked #19 for the year and once I saw the band name and cover, I knew I needed to check it out. Almost impossible to believe, it's actually even better than I thought it might be. Heavy 70's prog metal music reigns throughout. Pounding swing drums, blistering guitar, and a singer that's absolutely phenomenal. From the first song when they sing, "I get my kicks from tortury and screams," I dare anyone not to take notice of the madness going on in this record. Easily near the top of my list for favorite albums of the year. These guys are from the UK and have a previous album released last year called Vol 1. A review of that album to follow soon.

Wilco - Speak Into the Rose EP: Released last week, this a companion EP to the band's The Whole Love, released back in September. There seems to be a trend of releasing companion EPs these days and I have to confess to being a huge fan of it. Especially when the EP, like the Decemberists - Long Live the King, coincides with one of my top albums of the year. This four song release includes two alternate versions of albums tracks, "Art of Almost" and "I Might," which are two of my favorites from the album. These aren't terribly different, but well-worth it. It also includes two new tracks that could easily have made the album.

The Black Belles - The Black Belles: This is the long-awaited full length album from the band Jack White signed to Third Man Records. There's no wonder why he was attracted to them, they sound like a cross between late era White Stripes and the recent album by The Dead Weather. There are a few songs on here that sound like warped versions of Icky Thump, but perhaps that's because Jack White also produced the record. Either way, it's not groundbreaking or particuliarly new sounding, but there's this strange quality to it that is appealing, like the sound of songs that have been left out in the rain before going through the record player.

Grand Ole Party - Under Our Skin: I really enjoyed this San Diego based indie band's 2007 debut Humanimals. It was a wild record that felt that everything was strained to the breaking point, always to be pulled together again at the last moment. Released in August, this is the follow-up album, four years later. The music on here is definitely a bit more indie dance than rock, pulling in the 80's New Wave element that is popular these days. I have to admit that I miss some of the manic nature of the first album. I can listen to this, in fact it's quite easy to listen to. It sounds like The Gossip meets the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, which isn't bad, but the first album felt more original to me. That said, there are some great songs on here as well.

Russian Circles - Empros: This is the Chicago instrumental metal band's fourth album, but the first I've heard since the 2006 debut. They still deliver great songs, full of space and story without showy electronic influence. It's straight stoner rock done well. If anything has changed since the first album, it would be that the music feels cleaner now. Decent stuff this.

Moonface - Organ Music: This is an album I reviewed back in July. I recently picked it up on vinyl and wanted to repost my review as this is another album on my list for the year's end.: Moonface is basically just a Spencer Krug solo project (Wolf Parade, Sunset Rubdown, Frog Eyes). The EP put out under the Moonfacename was one of my favorite EPs of last year. It was just one 20-minute song, but it was fantastic. This is a full album of five songs, all over 7-minutes long, which keeps the feel of the EP. These are definitely story songs, told in Spencer's wonderful Neil Young-esquehowl and experimental instrumentation. Of all Spencer's other projects, the Moonfacetracks remind me most of early Sunset Rubdown in structure, but with later day Wolf Parade soundscapes. The combination is excellent, like most everything he does.

Iron & Wine - Morning Becomes Eclectic: Released as part of Record Store Day back in April, this is a recent radio session that includes songs from various albums, including tracks from this year's Kiss Each Other Clean. It's a great show. I've heard other radio shows by him and they are always good. He's a great performer and has the kind of voice that brings new emotion every time he sings a song. I was surprised none of my favorite tracks from the last album were on there. Definitely worthwhile even if you have all the albums.

Showbiz & A.G. - Runaway Slave: A friend of mine has a masters degree in hip-hopology and introduced me to this MC duo recently. The Bronx crew released this album in 1992 and it totally captures that NYC sound from the time like Gang Starr, EPMD, Tribe Called Quest, Das EFX, among others. The style was straight dissin' over phat beats back then and this does it well. Tag team always seems to work in hip-hop, especially when both MCs can play off the other's flow. There are definitely some songs that didn't age well, but there are also some stone cold classics on here like "Soul Clap," "Bounce to This," and "Represent." ....just clap yer hands and bebop....

Fiction Friday (5)

2011-12-02T05:29:00.000-08:00

It's the end of the week and time to think about recent reads of the past. This week I wanted to share two books that I absolutely loved. Sometimes it's good to simply gush about things. Though I firmly believe in the benefit of critical reviews, I've been feeling there is too much negative energy floating around these days and didn't want to contribute to it by pointing out flaws I've found in other books. Instead, I want to talk about two books that did everything right in my opinion. I read both of these in the last month or so and they truly impressed me for completely different reasons. Enjoy.

Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff

(Yearling 2002)

Written in a direct, forceful style, Pictures of Hollis Woods is one of those books that seizes the reader from the opening page. Hollis, a twelve year old girl who has spent her life shuttling through foster homes, is portrayed with heartbreaking accuracy. In fact, she will most likely break your heart on the first page with the first of many pictures she draws. She is a girl anxious to be loved, but terrified of getting too close, because whenever she does...things tend to go wrong. The book does an amazing job of keeping the characters grounded in a story that could so easily have become over analytical. It never strays from the raw emotion of a character who doesn't know her own worth. For some the story might be wrapped in too neat a package by the end, but it didn't bother me. Sometimes it's nice to believe that good things can happen to deserving people.

The White Mountains by John Christopher

(MacMillan 1967)

The story of a future inhabited by a mind-controlled population is one I've encountered countless times in various forms with different culprits such as nefarious governments, mass hallucination, or as is the case in The White Mountains, invading aliens. The strength of this book is that it made me forget all those others as I was reading. For the most part this is due to the powerful, subtle voice of the main character, a boy named Will.

In this vision of the future, people have built a safe, seemingly normal life in the ashes of the world we know. The only difference is the roaming tripod machines that lord over them by placing a 'cap' on each person once they reach adolescence. Before meeting a strange wanderer, Will had never imagined a life where he wasn't capped. But after hearing tales of a resistance group living in the Alps, he sets off to find them, and hopefully a life of free will.

This first book in a series chronicles three boys as they venture across France on their way to the mountains. It reads less like science fiction or fantasy and more like any other adventure tale. The relationship between the three is extremely well written. The characters experience the same emotions as any young teens in contemporary fiction, which goes a long way to making the extraordinary elements of the plot feel more grounded. With so many dystopian novels out there these days, this is an old one worth revisiting. It reminded me of The People of Sparks in some ways. A wonderful book and I can't wait to read the others.

Last One in Line, Please Close the Door Behind You

2011-12-01T06:41:00.000-08:00

Part of being a writer means accepting rejection. Anyone who has searched for an agent or submitted manuscripts is aware of this hazardous aspect of the profession. Unless you are somehow lucky enough to become the new flavor of the month and people line up for any old scrap of words you throw at them, rejection is unavoidable. But even those on a winning spree will eventually taste the other end. When their flavor is replaced, they'll feel the sting of being told no thanks.

Publishing a book is more difficult than simply writing something that is good. It's a process of finding the right place for the story at the right time. Lately my luck in that department has been slim. I recently finished a manuscript that I know is one of the best I've ever written. Though as my agent tries to find a home for the book, it seems to be too similar to something else or not quite what we're looking for...and though those are all valid reasons that I understand, after a while it's hard not to let it get to you. You start wondering if it weren't better to just have a crowd of people line up outside your door to punch you in the stomach. At least that would be over in one day.

Though I remain hopeful, and there are still several people considering the project, it never gets easy to accept rejection. It comes with the job, but it's a part that never gets easier. All one can do is keep their fingers crossed and hope the next reply is a resounding YES.

Weekend Music Roundup (GNR Live Edition)

2011-11-27T15:16:00.001-08:00

While visiting family in the Philadelphia area over the holiday weekend, I had tickets to see Guns N' Roses last night. The other time I attempted to see them in Philly was in 2003, the first tour with the then new-lineup. That tour had gone wrong from the beginning and the Philly show never happened because the band never showed up. Chair throwing, t-shirt burning, and riot police in the parking lot followed. The rest of the tour was cancelled and I was worried I'd seen the end of one of my favorite bands. Thankfully, it wasn't.

I saw them again in 2006, this time in NYC, and have been wanting to see them again ever since. This current tour had been rolling along without a hitch...until last week. The show in Albany was cancelled the day before it was scheduled. Also the band hadn't been going on until 11pm, and with this show being in Camden, NJ rather than Philly, it seemed like the city's midnight ordinance would run into a problem. But I kept the faith and was rewarded with an amazing show.

The band came on just around 11pm, as expected, opening with "Chinese Democracy" as they have during the entire tour. I love this song as the new set opener. It's a great lead-in to "Welcome to the Jungle," and the two songs make for a great start to the show.

Axl sounded amazing throughout the show. At times the vocals were a bit overwhelmed by the three guitar attack of this line-up, but boy can those boys play. Bumblefoot, returning home to New Jersey, was insanely good last night.

The setlist on the current tour has done a great job of mixing in songs from every era. And now that fans have been familiar with the Chinese Democracy songs that have stayed in the rotation, "Madagascar," "Sorry," "Better" and "Street of Dreams," are all tunes that blend well with the Illusion era songs. I do miss some of the Chinese Democracy songs that have been dropped this time around like "I.R.S." and "Rhiad..." but I don't see where they'd fit. The band played for 3 hours and there wasn't a song I didn't want to hear. They can't play everything. And I can't really complain with any of the choices.

On the other side, some older songs have reappeared, including "Estranged," one of their most underrated songs. "Rocket Queen" has also come back into rotation. Of course there will always be songs I'd miss, even in 3 hours, "Civil War" and "Move to the City" most of all. But they always do a good job playing the musts. In the above photo Axl is playing piano on "November Rain." The lead-in for that song was a cover of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall." The band also played a cover "Whole Lotta Rosie," an AC/DC song that they used to play in the early days. Also, Tommy Stinson covered "Sonic Reducer," which sounded real good.

The highlight for me was a great version of "Patience," a song I think they hadn't been playing. In the spirit of GNR shows, Axl told the crowd they wanted to dedicate the next song to their agent and manager, then added that he hated them both. Classic. They rocked all the way through to "Paradise City" complete with blasts from confetti cannons and pyrotechnics. Once again the hardest working band in rock delivered an unforgettable show...thanks guys.

Special thanks to the Missus for the great pix and for being my date.

Fiction Friday (4)

2011-11-25T07:05:00.000-08:00

I figured since the whole world tends to shop on this Friday (not myself of course, I can't stand crowds), why not use that spending power for good instead of evil and buy yourself some books, or buy books for others. My books make great gifts. But of course you all know that already. So I won't talk about my books. I'll talk about other writer's books. I've always been attracted to original myths, folklore and fairy tales. My earliest writing as a teenage were often attempts at original fairy tales. Seeing as the book I'm currently working on has a elements of that, I've been attracted reading these kinds of books again. Here are two Middle Grade books I recently read that I hope you might enjoy.

The Night Fairy by Laura Amy Schlitz

(Candlewick 2010)

A quick, delightful story about a night fairy named Flory who accidentally gets a wing clipped by a sleepy bat. Understandably, Flory then HATES bats. She hates them so much, she decides to become a day fairy just to avoid them. The charm of this story is the impulsive way in which Flory seems to form her opinions. Following a more traditional fairy lore, Flory is a bit stubborn and self-centered. But the heart of the story stems from the way she is able to adapt and overcome. The plot is slight, but perfect for 7-9 year olds both in content and pacing with just the right blend of sweetness and danger. MUST LIKE FAIRIES.

Tree Girl by T.A. Barron

(Philomel 2001)

I absolutely love the concept behind Tree Girl. Part original fairy tale, part invented myth, the story borrows from various folklores to create its own world within which to exist. The setup is extremely compelling. Nine year old Anna lives in an isolated cottage by the sea with a grouchy man who supposedly rescued her from forest ghouls when she was a baby. The two live in perpetual fear of the forest that surrounds them. Day after day, the man leaves her to go fishing and Anna finds life extremely lonely. Her only friend is the old tree growing near their house. That is, until she meets a sandy haired bear cub and discovers there are more secrets to the forest than she has been led to believe.

There is some wonderful imagery in this book. T.A. Barron is exceptional at bringing this strange forest to life with the slightest of prose. The story structure is purposefully simplistic, keeping in format with the idea of a myth, however I found myself missing a more intimate connection with Anna. Her fears, desires, and longing for companionship are made clear, but I never felt them as deeply as I'd have wished. That said, I think it's still a wonderful story that 9-11 year olds of a certain type would truly love.

Sidenote: The cover illustration by Trina Schart Hyman, for this edition, is beautiful.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T06:55:00.000-08:00

Packing up the car and heading home.

Enjoy the holiday everyone.

Grievances Before Thanks

2011-11-23T06:26:00.000-08:00

A common compliant that I see with my books is that some readers find them to be 'too slow.' Though, I shouldn't feel upset about that, because reading reviews of other books, award winning pieces of fantastic literature, I see the same 'too slow' criticism popping up. It's almost as if any book that isn't filled with twists at every chapter, or bursting with plot, is labeled too slow.

Anything that requires one to think these days is 'slow.' Anything to values the language of a story and an intimacy with character as much as plot, is 'slow.' And when did reading become a race anyway? Perhaps since people started setting online goals of how many books they are going to read in a year, or tracking the progress of their page count as they read. One of the great things about books as opposed to film is that they allow you you're own time within the story. Some readers actually value that quality.

I will continue to write 'slow' books because I believe in order to capture the terrible beauty of life requires attention to detail.

Weekend Music Roundup

2011-11-20T06:42:00.000-08:00

One of the things I truly miss about the days before music was digital is how each new album in a collection felt special. It was an event to get a new record and as a result, that record got played many times over the next several weeks even if it wasn't so great. Now it's easy to simply delete or move onto the next album. Lately I've tried resisting that urge by only loading a couple of albums per week. I did that this week to mixed results. But even though I didn't love some of the choices, I decided to live with them until it was time to review them. Of course, the opposite was true as well and a few discoveries were amazing. Enjoy.

Tom Waits - Bad As Me: The devilish howler's first studio album in ages, and first non-live album since 2006's outstanding three disc collection Orphans, this record has naturally received a lot of attention since its release late last month. Despite hearing the rave reviews, I went into it a bit skeptical. Artists that have been around as long as Tom, and who are as worshipped as him, tend to get undue praise when they do anything new. I worried that would be the case here, but how wrong I was. From the opening to the ending, this album is phenomenal. Musically and lyrically, it is what Tom has always done best, creating nightmarish tunes accompanied by his irresistible growl. Easily one of the albums on my short-list for best of the year.

Soft Machine - Volume Two: Released in 1969, this is the Canterbury progressive rock band's second album after the previous year's self-titled album. For the past year or so, I've been enthralled with the debut album and was excited to finally get my hands on this one. In the short time between the records, the band's mood shifted slightly away from rock to jazz fusion. The result makes for a less powerful record in my opinion, but equally as interesting. I feel like this album loses focus at moments, but I believe that's intentional as they try to expand what can be done within the context of the music. Not my favorite album, but a fascinating listen nonetheless.

Gwar - America Must Be Destroyed: From afar, I've had a fascination with this band since the early '90s. I love the concept of a fictional band of demons and knowing the songs are the voices of characters. That said, I never explored their music, always dismissing them as something of a comical sideshow until I recently heard one of their songs and realized they could really play. I decided to begin with this 1992 album, the band's third, and was quite blown away. As a metal album, it does everything it needs to. But beyond the driving riffs, there is also a lot of other kinds of musical influences that can be heard and are incorporated perfectly. On top of that, Oderous Urungus has an incredibly diverse voice. "Gilded Lily," "Ham on the Bone," and "Have You Seen Me" are stand out tracks. Look for many more Gwar albums to make this roundup in the future.

Spank Rock - Everything is Boring...: Released two months ago, this is the long awaited follow-up to 2006's YoYoYoYoYo and one of the most frustrating albums I've heard in a long time. The record opens with the stellar "Ta Da," one of the best electro hip-hop songs in ages, complete with grimy beats and Spank Rock's clever delivery. However, the album is downhill from there with each song getting progressively worse. By the end, it was nearly unlistenable and I wouldn't even review it here except that "Ta Da" is so excellent. I'm really not sure what happened here. Perhaps too much time was spent trying to make it perfect and the life was eventually sucked out of it. Hopefully the next album will be a return to form.

Esben and the Witch - Hexagons EP: The Brighton trio follow-up this spring's full length Violet Cries with this EP consisting of a twenty minute song divided into six parts. It's atmospheric dream wave type stuff that feels like a story told on a dreary winter day. I listened to this several times this week and though it's done quite well, it never really grabbed me. It seemed to pay too much attention to mood and by the time it was over, it felt as if it never played. Stick with the full length album unless you're a true shoegazer die hard.

Ruby Throat - The Ventriloquist: This is an album I've owned since it's release in 2007 and which I've returned to over the past few months, listening to it nearly every other day. One of my favorite albums when it came out, it is still a perfect album in my opinion. Katie Jane Garside (of Daisy Chainsaw and Queenadreena) delves into a folkish style on this album, but a haunting folk album as dark and twisted as any fairy tale. "House of Thieves," "Naked Ruby," and "Happy Now" are standouts on an album of flawless songs. Absolutely brilliant in every way, shape, and form.

Black Sabbath - 1969 Demo: The last of my Sabbath haul from a few weeks ago is this four song demo the band made before being signed. The songs on here never made it onto their albums, though parts of certain songs, especially the epic "Thomas James," would later morph into Sabbath tunes. These tracks showcase the band's blues roots. "When I Came Down," and "The Rebel" are both quite good, though the guys would show significant improvement on their debut release a year later. Definitely something every fan should have.

Nina Simone - At Town Hall: Released in 1959, at the very beginning of her long, legendary recording career, this concert album features many traditional songs like "Summertime" and "Black is the Color." Nina's voice is exceptional as always. The piano accompaniment is subtle and severs the vocal performance well. The album has a very intimate feeling, which isn't surprising given the venue, which still hosts concerts today. A solid effort by a performer who would go one to bigger and better things. Sometimes it's nice to hear where it all began though.

My Day in Middle School

2011-11-19T06:27:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I spent the entire school day at a nearby Middle School, taking part in a career fair they were having. This involved an endless stream of sixth, seventh, and eighth graders wandering different tables in the gym and stopping at whatever careers interested them. There was actually an interesting mix of people who volunteered their time. There were the obvious, like the police, who hogged a lot of attention with their fancy toys and tazers. A DJ spinning a setlist of out-of-date songs that were played at my Middle School dances. A dental hygienist giving out toothpaste, etc. But there was also a surgeon, an upholster, a paint maker (I didn't know one could do such a thing), and a wig maker, among others.

Going into the day, as the "Author" at the event, I'd expected to attract a handful of painfully obvious future writers--other writers will know exactly what I mean. There are several breeds of us, but they can all be spotted by age 12. And though I certainly did receive a constant flow of those kids, what surprised me was just how many there were. An overwhelming number of the kids told me how they wrote stories and how much they liked to read. As one who typically finds things to make me feel things are going the other way in our culture, it was really encouraging and inspiring to talk to so many enthusiastic kids.

Now I wouldn't be doing justice to my experience without noting other observations. This was the first time I'd set foot inside a Middle School probably since I left mine for the last time in 1990. In those twenty years, I'm sorry to say fashion has come nearly full circle. Though it was "Crazy Sock Day" at the school which livened up the drab plaid and leggings and oversized soccer shorts. It was also impossible not to notice the stark difference between eighth graders and sixth graders. One set looked like teenagers while other looked like children. It's always amazed me how schools are organized in ways the place children of completely different levels of social knowledge together en mass.

The other thing that fascinated me was the flood of memories it brought back. There were so many students that immediately registered a counterpart from my memory. I thought about some people that I hadn't thought about in a long time. All in all, it was a good day to spread good karma. I was also able to outline the next three chapters of my manuscript during lulls.

Life is But a Dream...Teaser (1)

2011-11-15T06:23:00.001-08:00

I've always been different from other kids my age--from everyone, really. Special is one way to put it. The word is attached to me like a shadow. It's a halo hovering over me as I sit in class or walk through the halls at school. My parents always said that I was special too. Special in a good a way, like I was delicate or rare--not special like something's wrong with me. Not before. Not like now. -Life is But a Dream page 5

In four short months, my new novel will be out and available in stores. In honor of over 500 people already marking it 'to-read' on Goodreads, I've decided to share a few quotes from the book on selected Tuesdays between now and its release on March 27th. I'm also planning a giveaway of a signed Advanced Reader's Copy sometime before the holidays...more on that to come.

I'm pretty excited about this book...it's been nice to see so many others excited about it too.

Middleground

2011-11-14T07:00:00.000-08:00

When writing a novel, there a comes a point in the middle when you must evaluate what you intended a story to be and what it has become. A story takes on its own life once words are put to the page, sometimes that life is different then the one you set out to give it, much like the way children never follow the plan parents establish for them.

You can force upon the story themes that you wanted to include, but that's not my style. If the confines of the story don't make room for them, then my feeling is that they weren't meant to be discussed in that situation. As I continue to work on my new manuscript, I realize that one of the ideas that I thought would be central to the book is completely absent. Maybe in the past that would have driven me crazy. Stepping back, I now see those ideas were never really compatible and the ones that have replaced it feel more natural, and more focused.

Sometimes ideas are best left as ideas. Plans never work perfectly went put into practice. Writing is a survival sport...adapt or perish.

Weekend Music Roundup

2011-11-13T05:41:00.001-08:00

This was one of those weeks where I spent most of my time listening to albums I've had for a few weeks. I tend to go on binges with new music and as a result I sometimes have a backlog of records to review. So rather than seek out anything new this week, I decided to pay a little more attention to some things that have been waiting their turn on the Roundup. Most of it belongs to singer-songwriter category, but there are few other genres thrown in to mix it up a bit. Enjoy.

Mr. Gnome - Madness in Miniature: This is the Cleveland duo's third album. Following up 2009's Heave Yer Skeleton, the band expands the psychedelic elements of their blend of folk rock. The result is an improvement on an already solid format. Where the last album felt a little like a warped Yeah Yeah Yeah's record, this one sees the band developing a more original sound. Stand out tracks include "House of Circles," "Run for Cover," and "Watch the City Sail Away." And once again, spectacular cover art.

Andrew Bird - Norman Soundtrack: A master of chamber pop songwriting, Andrew Bird breaks away somewhat with this original score. The instrumental pieces are sparse, but full of mood and atmosphere. The more traditional songs on the album feel right at home with the rest of his catalog. There are a couple of songs from previous albums and few songs by other artists, including a great collaboration between The Blow and Richard Swift, and a remix of Wolf Parade's "You Are a Runner."

Noel Gallagher - Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds: The other half of Oasis's sibling rivalry released his solo album a few months after the rest of the band, reformed as Beady Eye, released theirs. With the fantastic first single, "The Death of You and Me," my expectations were pretty high for this album. But here's the problem with being a devoted bootleg fan of Oasis, when I listened to this album, I found that many of the songs were already familiar to me in earlier versions. "If I Had A Gun," "I Wanna Live in a Dream...," "Everybody's on the Run," and "Stop the Clocks" all exist as Oasis demos and/or releases. They songs are improved on here and are easily the best songs on the record, along with "The Death of You and Me." The new songs on here are merely okay and that disappointed me and left me worrying about the things to come. A good record, but somewhat troubling for that reason.

Katzenjammer - Le Pop: The 2008 debut from Oslo's all female gypsy folk-punk outfit, while interesting, can feel a little gimmicky at times. When their songs work, they deliver a raucous sound of murky moods that resembles a deranged Tom Waits. On other songs, it just sounds confused and manipulated. An interesting listen for anyone into the movement, but much room for improvement.

Nina Kinert - Pets & Friends: Ignore the electro-dance looking cover, this 2008 album from the Swedish singer-songwriter is a beautiful downbeat collection of sad songs. Her voice is amazing and the lyrics are heartbreakingly sincere. This is one of those albums that took a few listens before it really grabbed me, but around the third listen it did and I haven't been able to stop listening to it since. It's not revolutionary by any means, but what it does, it does very well.

Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath: My revived obsession with Sabbath continued this week as I moved onto the band's fifth album, released in 1973. By this time, the band had perfected the heavy metal sound that shines on the title track. Though not as stellar all the way through as some of the albums that came before, this is still a solidly good album. At times it sounds like the band is a little bored (releasing 5 albums in 3 years might do that). This is also the beginning of the band's slippery road to self-destruction. But even so, a damned fine effort.

Nico - The Marble Index: Released in 1968, this is the second solo album from Nico. As a follow-up to Chelsea Girl, this album seems to fail in all the places that album succeeded. On her first album, there were moments where the record threatened to unravel into a sonic mess of strings, but managed to hold it together for the most part. This album seems to lose its center from the beginning and never finds it again. Musically, it's certainly an intriguing album that attempts to capture the feeling of a dream. But too frequently it gets lost in its own maze and never escapes.

The Apples in Stereo - Fun Trick Noisemaker: The 1995 debut album from the mainstay band in Denver's branch of the Elephant 6 Collective is an indie pop pleasure. Borrowing heavily from The Beatles and The Beach Boys, the band has always delivered powerful hooks and a sunshine feel to their music. On future albums they would play a little more the psychedelic aspects of their songs, but this album is a bit more straight forward. Like their other albums, a very fun record.

Luck Shines Brightly on a Day Like Today

2011-11-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

In my own personal warped religion, 11:11 am or pm is a sacred time when all wishes made will eventually be granted, provided they are made with sincerity. Given the date today, this figures to be one of immense good fortune for all fellow believers.

As readers of my books will know, I'm a firm believer in luck. It's a trait I often pass onto my characters. In my novel Thief, I invented a form of wishing for the main character where she writes her wishes on a piece of paper, drops them in the Hudson River to allow them to float out over the ocean, waiting for the day when seagulls will carry the wish back to her. One of my readers once told me they began practicing this ritual with her daughter. I felt honored to have contributed to the pantheon of good luck.

I'm also a devoted follower of the moon and often direct my concerns to it. Over the course of my life, I've noticed how my dreams are more involved and extremely vivid leading up to the full moon. Last night was a full moon...on 11-11-11. Good omens abound and I wish you all the best on this rare holiday.

No So Perfect

2011-11-09T06:26:00.000-08:00

Part of the process for creating interesting characters requires the writer to face their own insecurities and bestow at least a portion of them onto the characters. I've never been a believer in perfect characters, or even perfect relationships between characters. Characters need flaws and need to make mistakes. It's through their failures and struggles that the reader grows closer to them.

I refuse to write novels where everything happens the way we might hope for them to happen. Life doesn't work like that and neither should fiction. A book shouldn't have to give the reader exactly what they want in order for it to be satisfying.

Lately I feel we live in a climate where fewer readers are willing to challenge themselves. They want characters who are veiled versions of themselves, only in a slightly wittier, smarter, or sexier model. There seems to be a need to reaffirm their own worth rather than examine their own possible misgivings as a way toward personal growth. That's find every once in a while, but sometimes entertainment should do more than entertain...it should also make you think.

Weekend Music Roundup

2011-11-06T08:06:00.000-08:00

There was a lot of great music released in the last few weeks and I'm finally catching up on my listening. I've also been catching up on reviews for the splurges of vinyl I bought in the past month. Somehow, this week ended up as a pretty steady diet of folk. Mostly because the weather and the manuscript called for it. As I've mentioned before, this is the time of year that I gravitate toward darker, moodier acoustic music. But there's so many different moods in a week, so I made room for some other kinds of albums as well. There's some really exciting stuff on here that I hope you get to check out. Enjoy.

The Decemberists - Long Live the King: This six song EP, released this week, is a companion to the Portland band's album The King Is Dead, released earlier this year. Like the full-length album, these songs continue the band's country rock phase, hearkening back to early to mid-70s California movement. There's even an amazing cover of the Grateful Dead's "Row Jimmy," a classic of the genre. "Sonnet" feels a little like a song that could have been on Five Songs, the band's first release, a sound of theirs I've missed. There are no weak songs on here and it once again affirms this is a band still at its peak. I've been listening to this non-stop this week and love it more with every listen.

Mazzy Star - Common Burn: When this single was announced a few weeks back, needless to say I was pretty excited. These two songs are the first material released by the band since 1996's Among My Swan, which is one of my favorite albums of all time. Despite the 15 year hiatus, the band doesn't miss a beat, picking up exactly where they left off. Their magical blend of dream folk sounds like nothing else in my opinion. Hope's voice is one of the best ever put to record. Simply beautiful. I can't wait for the new album.

The Wooden Sky - City of Light: Released last week, this EP is the first release from the Toronto indie folk outfit since 2009's superb album If I Don't Come Home..., one of my favorite albums of that year. The five songs on here follow the same direction as the band's previous work, straight-forward beautiful folk songs with a Midwestern feel. Definitely a great grab and a nice addition to their catalog of work.

Slowdive - Hide Yer Eyes: I picked up the bootleg vinyl a few weeks back and it's been hard to find any information on it. Judging by the feel of the songs though, I would say these ten tracks date earlier then their 1991 debut Just For a Day, or at least from the same period. Still present is their unique take on the Shoegazer genre, very moody and beautifully muddled songs. Not their strongest set by way of writing or performing, but still quite good. The band would later go on to produce such masterpieces as Souvlaki and Pygmalion. This hard to find, vinyl only release is most likely for fans only, but that said, fans won't be disappointed with this lost album.

Dave Van Ronk - Gambler's Blues: Originally released in 1959 under the title Sings Ballads, Blues & a Spiritual, this album was re-released in 1966 under this title. Dave Van Ronk was a NYC native and an early figure on the folk scene that developed there. He has a remarkable feel for the blues and turns many traditional folk tunes into killer blues tracks on here. Last week I reviewed a bootleg of Nick Drake home recordings consisting mostly of covers. Six of the songs on that album appear on this album, and my theory is Nick Drake had this album (as well as Jackson C. Frank's album), not the originals. Truly a great folk blues record from someone who deserves more recognition.

Smif-n-Wessun - Dah Shinin': The 1995 debut from Brooklyn's hardcore hip-hop duo was a staple in the streets of NYC during the mid-90s. Along with Mobb Deep, Wu-Tang, Nas, and Biggie, this album was part of the great hardcore awakening taking place at the time with "Bucktown" being the hot single. I recently revisited this album, and though it's certainly uneven, the best songs still hold up. Hard hitting lyrics and dope beats, that's what NYC hip hop's all about.

Mando Diao - Above and Beyond (MTV Unplugged): This career spanning set, with nearly twenty tracks, is a great overview of a relatively unknown Swedish band here in the States. I've been following this band for nearly a decade, and though they haven't progressed much, they are at least consistent, putting together a string of Oasis type power pop rock records. It's nice to hear some of their best songs in this format. "Song for Aberdeen," "Ochrasy," and "Dance with Somebody" are particularly good. There's also a nice guest appearance by Ray Davies (of the Kinks) and a surprising good version of "High Heels" with Juliette Lewis. Overall, the album does run a little long, with songs that probably could have been cut, but still a nice addition for fans.

Nico - Chelsea Girl: The debut album from Velvet Underground's Nico, released in 1967, is easily the best of her solo work. The songs, a combination of lo-key moody folk with complicated string arrangements, suit her strung-out tone perfectly. There are some truly groundbreaking, iconic songs on this record including the title track, "Somewhere There's a Feather," and "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams." The lyrics feel like an ode to depression in some surrealist underworld. There are still a few songs that are bit of a rambling mess, but unlike with some of her other work, I feel they don't detract from the power of the record as a whole. Definitely the one must-have in her catalog.

Save Me a Seat at the Mad Hatter's Table Please

2011-11-03T08:41:00.000-07:00

I haven't been posting much about my writing process lately. That's not because I haven't been writing...(I have, I swear I have). In fact, I've been writing quite a bit. The new manuscript has passed the 75 page mark and shows no sign of slowing down. What's fascinating for me is the way the book continues to shift away from the vision I had for it over a year ago when I first conceived of it.

With this book, I've followed the same process of letting my characters wander that was so successful for me during the writing of Afterworld. As a result, the cast is shaping up to be one of strange and intriguing individuals. Naturally, their oddness serves a purpose to the greater story and has contributed to a greater number of horror elements working their way into the book. It's as if the story is feeding off their madness, shaping their world into something more suitable to their personalities. In the end, I think this will be a darker book than I envisioned...but a more powerful one.

Weekend Music Roundup

2011-10-30T09:11:00.000-07:00

As the weather begins to turn from fall into winter up here in the mountains, I've noticed my listening habits retreating back to its folk roots. It doesn't help that the book I'm currently writing is steeped in late autumn imagery and requires the same type of inspiration. As a result this week's list is crowded with a variation of a folk, from traditional to more progressive psychedelic. Of course, one cannot survive on one genre of music, so naturally some other albums found their way into the rotation this week. Enjoy.

The Bevis Frond - The Leaving of London: Nick Saloman has been releasing quality psychedelic indie rock records as The Bevis Frond since 1986. I own many of them, and they are all quite excellent. This is his first album since 2004 and is definitely worth the wait. With 18 tracks, spanning an hour and twenty minutes of great music. The formula hasn't changed much since the late '90s...driving guitars, piano melodies, and a wonderfully interesting voice singing songs representing a sense of disenchantment with the world. I've been listening to this a lot over the past two weeks and it's quickly becoming one of my favorites of the year.

Richard Swift - Walt Wolfman: The L.A. singer songwriter Richard Swift has put out some of my favorite albums of the last decade, including The Novelist (2003) and Dressed Up For the Letdown (2007). In the past few years, he's released a bunch of playful EPs, most notably, Richard Swift as Onasis (2008). Walt Wolfman, released two weeks ago, continues the trend. Like the other EPs, it is steeped in proto-rock roots of twanging guitars and boulder heavy drums. The seven tracks here are decent numbers that remind me a bit of old Jack Starr tunes. Nothing groundbreaking however, unless you include the great cover and unbeatably awesome title.

Nirvana - Live at the Paramount: This 1991 concert was recently released during the media blitz surrounding the 20th anniversary of Nevermind's release. Though it had never officially been available before, I've had this show on CD since the mid-90s as part of the ultra rare bootleg Nirvana box set Into the Black. The band is in great form during this show, playing songs from Bleach era and showcasing tracks from the just-released Nevermind. They also play an early version of "Rape Me." I recently watched the video and multiple cameras provide a nice feel for the concert. If you recently purchased the Live at Reading DVD a few years ago, probably not necessary to get this as well, but certainly you couldn't go wrong having both. Otherwise, the audio is widely available in bootleg form.

Slowness - Hopeless but Otherwise: This 2011 debut, four song EP from San Francisco trio Slowness shows a lot of promise. It's a familiar sound of layered guitars with an undercurrent of moody dreamlike vocals that's very reminiscent of early '90s UK bands such as Th' Faith Healers and My Bloody Valentine. It's hard to say whether Slowness would grow tiresome over a full-record, and there's little done to update the sound, but as an EP, it's not a bad listen and makes me curious to find out.

Donovan - Fairytale: Released in 1965, this is the UK folk hero's second full-length album and, in my opinion, his best. The songs on here are so honest and simple and descriptive that they become haunting even as you're listening to them. "Sunny Goodge Street," "Colours," and "To Try for the Sun" are easily among his best songs. Later albums, though I still love them, can be gimmicky at times. None of that exists on this one. Fantastic.

The Grateful Dead - Golden Gate Studios 1965: These sessions, recorded when the band was still known as The Warlocks are the band's first studio sessions. This early version of the band was quite different, borrowing from the early California psychedelic garage sound than their later groove oriented material. On Jerry's songs, you can hear a heavy Dylan influence. Some of the songs would later evolve and appear on Grateful Dead albums, but in different forms. On these sessions you can hear a band that is still growing, but one that is clearly ready to take off. A great glimpse into the beginning of the San Francisco sound.

Nick Drake - Tanworth-in-Arden: This bootleg of home recordings made between 1967 and 1968 consists almost entirely of covers or takes on traditional folk songs. I'd heard this album back in college when my friend and I were heavily listening to Nick Drake, but hadn't heard it in in over fifteen years until this week and it really blew me away. The beauty of Nick's music is the tortured sadness that seems to surround his voice. That aspect comes out wonderfully on these home recordings. Particularly of interest for me are the several covers of Jackson C. Frank songs and his version of "Summertime." Though I own all of Nick Drake's records, I never realized how incomplete the collection was until this week. This is a must have for any fan.

Family - Fearless: This UK progressive folk band released six albums in its first three years, from 1968 to 1971, with this being the last of the six. During that time, the band's sound grew heavier, moving away from prog-folk to prog-rock. The one thing about their albums that really impresses me is the immense range found from beginning to end, making very hard to pin them down. I suppose the closest comparison I could make for this album would be to Jethro Tull's Stand Up, but even that doesn't quite fit for the whole album. But if you're into that era UK rock, this album (as well as their previous albums) are definitely worth checking out.

In the Realms of the Unreal

2011-10-28T05:04:00.000-07:00

Henry Darger spent nearly his entire life writing and creating art for his novel, In the Realms of the Unreal: The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What is Known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinian War Storm Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion. At over 15,000 pages, it is believed to be the longest novel ever written, though it has never been published, excluding excerpts to be found in many of the wonderful books of his artwork.

I've been fascinated with this story since I first encountered it as a college student. Along with the artwork, it's been one of the major influences on my imagination over the last fifteen years or so. Darger's work showed me how it was possible to stretch the imagination without limits. Elements creep into my work frequently, appearing in odd ways, most notably in Thief and my upcoming book Life is But a Dream.

Another aspect of In the Realms of the Unreal that fascinates me is Darger's real life obsession with a missing photograph that weaves its way into this brutal playland he creates. He had once possessed a newspaper clipping with a photo of a murdered Chicago girl named Elsie Paroubek. Somehow or other he lost it and spent years afterward trying to track it down. He prayed daily to find it again and grew angry when it never materialized. He was so angry with God that he wrote himself into the story on the side of evil.

After encountering the story, I set off on my own search for the photograph. Even in the digital age, it wasn't easy to find. Librarian friends of mine searched with no avail (though they did manage to get me the actual article that accompanied the photo). A few years ago I met someone who worked with one of Darger's biographers and she was able to send me the picture.

It's haunting.

Elsie has since influenced quite a few of my character since.

Little Birds Born Without a Mother or a Father

2011-10-27T08:21:00.000-07:00

Tonight I'm going to see Jeff Mangum (of Neutral Milk Hotel) play a concert at a small theater in Woodstock, NY. For those of you not familiar with the story, it goes something like this. With their second album, Neutral Milk Hotel achieved a mild level of success within the indie world and by 1998 were well on their way to stardom. Then they simply stopped playing.

In the years since, there have a been only a handful of Jeff Mangum solo shows. Recently this summer, he began playing a very small tour. When this show was announced so near my home, I couldn't miss it. And not only is it a chance to see one of my favorite songwriters of all time, it's also a benefit concert for the Woodstock Animal Sanctuary--the home of Albie, the three-legged goat I sponsored this year. I'll be there with my friend Dan, the same person I saw NMH hotel with over thirteen years ago. It should be a near religious experience.

Zombie Blondes Movie Update

2011-10-25T07:09:00.000-07:00

Last week, Smash Media publicly announced that they were going forward with a film adaptation of my book Zombie Blondes. The option for the film rights were picked up over two years ago, so it was exciting to hear the idea was moving forward. Plus, my name got into Variety, which is super cool. Two writers have been hired to write the script, Lior Chefetz and Joe Swanson. Both have written and directed a number of short films which look interesting.

Since the announcement, a lot of people have asked me what kind of input I have in the script. The answer is, that at this stage, not very much. Back when the whole process began, I did have a few conversations with the producer, Harry Winer, about certain additions that would need to be made to the story. I know some people hate it when a book is changed for the movie, but the truth is that it's often necessary.

Books, especially books like mine written in the first person, tend to be cerebral, giving a lot of personal introspection from the character's point of view. A movie on the other hand needs to have a certain level of drama play out on screen. So we discussed possible scenarios that could be added to fill out the story and were on the same page as to what needed to happen. I felt very confident in handing the story over to a screenwriter. It's a very different kind of writing compared to novel writing and that's what they've been trained to do.

At this point, there's still no guarantee that the film will be coming to a theater near you anytime soon, but it's a great feeling to know it's moved onto the next step. And judging from the overwhelming excitement in the horror blog world, I have a good feeling about our chances. Plus, it already as it's own page on IMDb (and now, so do I).

Weekend Music Roundup

2011-10-23T06:59:00.001-07:00

One thing that I always find interesting in the course of the grand musical adventure in life is how one sound can lead you to another even if they seemingly have no identifiable connection. Reading habits are the same way. I think that's what makes those two mediums so attractive to me, this sense of being on journey that starts early in your life and one which you never leave off. Sometimes it's like being on a interstate, checking off the mile markers and going with the natural course. Other times, you detour and wind through those strange back roads. This past week began was a lot of that for me. It seemed with each chapter I was writing, I was finding completely different inspiration. Enjoy.

Elvis - Rock 'n Roll Forever: This ten track compilation gathers some of the King's biggest hits, from ballads like "Love Me Tender" to big beat thumpers like "Hound Dog," "Jailhouse Rock," and "All Shook Up." What's amazing is that all of these iconic songs were recorded in a period of less than two years. I also love the cover, so for $5 this was a steal on vinyl.

The White Stripes - Aluminium: As a general rule, I'm not really into orchestral interpretations of rock music, but I gave this one a try anyway. The UK orchestra had been working on this project when Jack White was informed about it. Apparently it has his blessing and was released as an album 2006. Basically it transforms a fair number of well known White Stripes songs into arrangements that would feel at home in a Tim Burton animated movie. It's fairly enjoyable and adds a new dimension to the material. "Astro" and "Let's Build A Home" are particularly intriguing. Definitely worth a listen or two.

Bow Wow Wow - When The Going Gets Tough...: This is the third and last full length album from the new wave act, released in 1983. I have some of their earlier material, and though I was never a huge fan I picked this up on vinyl several weeks ago because it was only $1. I'm happy to say it was money extremely well spent. There are some amazing songs on here. "Aphrodisiac" opens the album with a bang. Then it moves onto tracks like "Lonesome Tonight" and "Love Me," which have a sound that feels like the place where Joy Division meets pop. One of the best new wave albums of the era.

Soap & Skin - Lovetune for Vacuum: The debut album from this Austrian singer-songwriter was recorded when she was eighteen and released in 2009. There are lot of comparisons that can made to her voice, with Nico being the clearest I think. She sings in a similar sense of removed sadness, but musically the album is very current. Part beautiful piano tunes and part electronic interference, the album has a soothing nightmare sound that is quite good. It also reminds me a bit Holly Miranda's The Magician's Private Library.

Katie Jane Garside - Lullabies in a Glass Wilderness: When this was released in 2006, it was one of my favorite albums of the year. I've always been a huge fan of hers and her bands (Daisy Chainsaw, Queenadreena, Ruby Throat). She has an amazing childlike quality to her voice that really shines on this lo-fi solo album. I pulled this out again this week and have been listening to it pretty much every day. It's been a great writing album, full of amazing imagery and insanity. Easily one of the best albums of the last decade.

W.A.S.P. - The Headless Children: So given my taste for metal over the past few weeks, I decided to check out this 1989 album from the L.A. glam metal band and it totally rocks. The guitars shred and Blackie Lawless has an amazing metal voice. There's really no bad songs on this record. Simply a great heavy album.

Black Sabbath - John Peel's Sunday Show: Always the innovator, John Peel had these Birmingham lads on his radio show in 1970 as they were just beginning to get their rocks off. Consisting of four tracks, this bootlegged show is pretty phenomenal. It opens with the wonderful "Fairies Wear Boots" continues to "Behind the Wall of Sleep" and then onto "Walpurgis" (an early version of "War Pigs"), finally ending with "Black Sabbath." Each song is played with the excellence I've come to expect from the band, but the real treat here is "Walpurgis" which has vastly different lyrics than the final version, including a great refrain about sinners eating dead rats' innards. This is widely available and I highly recommend it even if you know all of the songs already.

Nico - Desertshore: The third solo album from the former Velvet Underground member and '60s icon Nico was released in 1970 and is considered by many to be her best. In some ways this avant-folk album is a continuation of her work with Velvet Underground. It's trespasses into the same dark dens of imagination that the band explored on their earliest albums. There is nothing even close to a radio friendly song on the album, wallowing in strange arrangements and art world coolness. There are moments when the album is beautifully weird and others when it can be frustrating in its overbearing attempts at being unique. In the right mood, it can be fantastic. In any other mood, it's simply interesting.

Fiction Friday (3)

2011-10-21T06:06:00.000-07:00

It's the end of the week, time for me to share some thoughts on books I've read recently. There really is no theme to these two books except that they take place in houses by the sea. I thought since I was currently writing about a harbor town, that it might be fitting to choose these two. Having lived in New York City for so long, which many people don't realize is an ocean city, and now living in the mountains, whenever I visit a town with the smell of saltwater in the air, it kind of captures my imagination. Both of these books take advantage of that to varying degrees. Enjoy.

A Drowned Maiden's Hair by Laura Amy Schlitz

(Candlewick, 2006)

Though I admit my initial interest in this book came from the striking similarity of the girl on the cover to Alice Liddell, the book turned out to be worth the chance. This is one of those great stories that works on many levels. The surface action is immensely intriguing, following an 11 year old orphan girl named Maud who is adopted by three old ladies despite the efforts of the orphanage's Superintendent to persuade them to adopt a better child. As soon as Maud sets off with her new guardians, it's clear to the reader that something fishy is going on. But like Maud herself, you want so badly for this misunderstood child to enjoy her unexpected happiness that you tend to look past your suspicions.

As the book continues and we learn the true nature of Maud's predicament, I found myself trying to rationalize along with Maud, even though I knew better. But that's the strength of this book, that the reader shares the longings of the main character. The depth and subtlety with which it captures a lonely child's need to be loved is quite remarkable. In a round about way, it's also a surprisingly honest look at dysfunction within families, as well as the patchwork way in which families sometimes come together. This is a book I enjoyed very much and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys books with strong female adolescent characters.

Dark Stranger by Julien Gracq

(1950)

There were moments where I truly loved this book with its flashes of beautiful prose and places where time ceases to exist that intrigued me. It followers a group of wealthy vacationers collected in a sleepy beach resort on the north coast of France between the wars. The author does a delightful job in capturing the almost stifling calm and leisure that surrounds them. However, by doing so, the book tends to drag, sometimes drawing the reader too deeply into the mood. The mysterious Allan character, which is meant to be the driving force of the novel, was often times not nearly as compelling as he probably should have been. It is also one of those books that leaves so much unsaid and inferred. As a matter of preference, it is not my favorite style of story telling, though I can appreciate the effort when done well. My problem with its implementation in this novel is that there wasn't enough else going on to drive the narrative. Another element that distracted me was the presentation of conversations. In the rare scenes of long conversation, the author would delve solely into the two speaking voices, allowing any sense of place or action to disappear.

The ending is pretty masterful. It certainly redeemed an uneasiness that I felt through the last third of the book. It offers a profound look at the romantic hero. The book also serves as a document for the period between the wars, the haunting horror of the first and the pending horror of the second. Though well written, it simply wasn't my kind of book. I'd imagine fans of Hemmingway enjoying this novel...unfortunately, I'm not.

We're All In This Together

2011-10-18T06:45:00.000-07:00

Characters have a way of developing their own relationships with each other. This is one of the most fascinating aspects of writing a novel. Interactions that you never anticipated begin to develop and start to shape a story in unexpected ways.

When planning a story, you think in terms of connections. These characters are siblings, or lovers, or enemies, etc. A story can be hatched in those terms, but what those terms inevitably mean become complicated. For me, the earliest chapters of a manuscript are a way of establishing these relationships.

It can be painfully complex and slow at first, but once I've figured out how two important characters relate to each other, it makes everything that comes after that much easier to write. Motivations for their actions become second nature and even their reaction to situations is easier to see. I'm happy to say the two main characters in my new manuscript have reached a level of comfort with each other that should allow me to move forward smoothly.

Weekend Music Roundup

2011-10-16T07:55:00.000-07:00

I won't lie, I was straight grooving this week. As I mentioned two weeks ago, jazz has been the unexpected soundtrack while writing the new book I'm working on. So most of my working hours were spent listening to old Coltrane and Dolphy albums. When I wasn't writing however, I was feeling some '70s hard rock. I picked up a few fantastic records from that era over the past few weeks that are included here. In general, it was one of those weeks that I heard a lot of things that kind of thrilled me. It feels like a while since one of those weeks, so I'm happy to share this list. Enjoy.

Black Sabbath - Master of Reality: My chronological musical history with Sabbath is an odd one. In college, when money was tight, the way to go with Sabbath was to have the We Sold Our Soul For Rock N Roll hits album. So over the years as I tried to fill in the collection with the actual albums, it was tough to decide which order to get them since I knew a good number of songs from each. I've been on a big Sabbath kick for a few months now and decided it was time to fill in the remaining gaps. This 1971 album, the band's third, is perhaps their most complete. From the opening cough of "Sweet Leaf" this album is perfection all the way through. The two acoustic short pieces work amazingly among the heavy vibe of the rest. "The Lord of This World" is a track I didn't know and is easily among their best songs. Now if only the crazy dragon moon 1987 cover existed on vinyl, it would one of the best finds ever.

Nazareth - Hair of the Dog: This is a record I bought on a whim. It was $5 with 30% off and with that cover, I figured it was worth a risk. This album from 1975 is probably the Scottish hard rock band's best known. As soon as I put it on, at least four of the album's eight tracks were familiar to me, most notably "Love Hurts." I'd also known the GNR cover of "Hair of the Dog" and hearing the original, it's no wonder they covered it. This album is an obvious influence on Guns N Roses. It's not just the likeness of Dan McCafferty's voice to Axl's, it's the hard driven blues riffs as well. Just a really upbeat driving rock record.

The Beatles - Live at the BBC: Released din 1994, this double disc was the start of a wealth of Beatles material to be released. It's price tag always kept me away from picking this up back in the day, but on a recent trip to Switzerland, it was one of the few acceptable car ride selections on the in-laws music shelf. I'm really into these early performances of a lot of lesser known songs, as well as good number of popular ones. What you hear on these tapes is a young band just beginning to realize their potential. While it may not always be them at their best, it's always them at their most relaxed. Some stand out songs for me "Ooh! My Soul", "Memphis, Tennessee," "You Really Got a Hold on Me," and "Hard Day's Night."

Heavy Metal Kids - Heavy Metal Kids: This 1974 album is the London glam rock band's debut and it rocks. One note about the name, a lot of people don't realize that the term 'heavy metal' comes from William Burroughs and this band's name is taken from there, which gives them automatic cool points. This is another album whose influence is clearly heard in Guns N Roses, not to mention all of the L.A. glam rock bands. "Nature of My Game" "Kind Woman," and "Hangin' On" are standout tracks for me.

Calexico - Feast of Wire: After recently revisiting the album Calexico did with Iron & Wine, I decided to give this band another shot. I'd heard a few of their albums in the past, and hadn't paid much attention. But listening to this 2003 album over the past week, it really kind of blew me away. It's the kind of alt-country that can be heard on Wilco's albums of the last decade, but they have a way of bringing their own ingredients to it. The use of horns is subtle and affective. The songs on this album are melancholy and beautiful. It's a really good album. For me it stands out above a lot of other similar albums by much more acknowledged bands. A real treat...even with one of the worst album covers I've ever seen. Not only is it ugly, it suggests nothing of the cold feeling the album evokes.

PJ Harvey - Let England Shake: After finally hearing this album in its entirety, it's easy to see why it's currently the highest rated album of this year on Rate Your Music. Harvey has continued to reinvent herself and evolve over her career. The trek has lead to this stellar alternative folkish album about England. It incorporates many different genres in an effortless cohesion of moody songs. Not my absolute favorite album of the year, but certainly high on the list.

Charles Mingus - The Art of Charles Mingus: The thing I've always loved about jazz is the stories told within the songs. It's really a visual type of music and never fails to create pictures in my mind. With my increased listening of jazz lately, I picked up this beautiful double vinyl album last weekend and have been listening to it pretty much every evening since. Listening to Mingus is just as Donovan once sang, "listening to Mingus mellow fantastic." These recordings date between 1956 and 1961 and are generally superb. A lot of the really great songs on here come from the album Pithecanthropus Erectus. I really could sit back and swing to this album all night long.

Hawkwind - Bring Me the Head of Yuri Gagarin: This one of many infamous Hawkwind releases considered by many fans to be a blatant attempt to rip people off. Since the band's heyday, many releases of poor quality continue to surface. Back in the day, I'll admit to being a victim myself. However, this is one I always wanted despite the fact that it may be the most despised out of all the slew of '80s reissues. What can I say, the title is just impossible to resist. I finally got my hands on it and I'm happy to say it's not as bad as reported. The main issue with fans is the poor recording quality. It's a concert from 1973 that was obviously bootlegged and the quality never improved before proper release. But as far as bootleg quality goes, this isn't so terrible. You can hear everything, it's a little muddy, but the energy is still there. The track list is great, like a short Space Ritual. Certainly a worthy addition to any extended Hawkwind collection. If you're new to Hawkwind though, begin with Space Ritual.

The Escape Artist

2011-10-13T16:09:00.000-07:00

Writing a novel sometimes feels like a series of escape moves. I keep writing my characters into these situations, knowing eventually that I'll have to write a way out for them. I don't mind. It's interesting work. I just hope they realize just how much effort I go through for them...and so go the thoughts of a man after the seventh hour of writing in a day that has provided two great escapes.

Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Computer

2011-10-11T06:37:00.000-07:00

It's only a few short months now before Life Is But a Dream is released. That means it's about time for the nerves to kick in as I wait to see how it will be received.

Though I've promised myself not to get worked up about reviews, I imagine that I probably will. It's kind of inevitable not to be curious what the reaction is to a story you've spent so much time creating.

Lately, the book has shown up on a good number of blogs and there seems to be a lot of anticipation and excitement for the book. I also noticed that a lot of Advanced Reader Copies were shipped recently as it turned up in a number of In My Mailbox posts over the past few days. So the good news is, it's getting attention. The bad news...potentially more reviews to avoid.

In the meantime, I recently did an interview on Trisha's Book Blog that you can read here. I'm sure this will be the first post in many concerning my neurotic worries that seem to come with the territory of putting your work into the world.

Weekend Music Roundup

2011-10-09T08:53:00.001-07:00

I've been doing a lot vinyl shopping the last few weeks. I discovered a great store in Albany NY that was well stocked with '60s and '70s vinyl in great condition for reasonable prices. I also did a little shopping at the local shop and picked up some nice things. Some of those are reflected here, while others will show up in the next few weeks. I was writing most of the week again and found some old music very inspirational. However, I did make time for some new releases as well. All in all, a pretty interesting list. Hope you enjoy.

Bonnie Prince Billy - Wolfroy Goes to Town: Released this past week, the new album from Americana pioneer Will Oldhman is actually his first full-length solo album in two years after doing a bunch of collaboration projects. This album is more low-key than some of his more iconic releases, but I've been enjoying it very much. It's very much music for sitting on your porch, but that's okay, it just so happens that kind of music also makes for good writing music. Standout tracks include the single "Quail & Dumplings," "Cows," and "Black Captain."

The Besnard Lakes - You Lived in the City: Last year's full length from this Montreal neo-psychedelic band was one that really grew on me with each listen, so I was pretty excited when this EP was released last month. The last album had bits of Pink Floyd soaring soundscapes, this one is quite different. It's more of a psychedelic folk album consisting of four songs all over six minutes in length. There's nothing revolutionary that stands out, but it's extremely solid. It reminds a little of The Skygreen Leopards.

The Grateful Dead - Workingman's Dead: This is one my favorite albums by the Dead and I finally found a first pressing copy for a great price. Released in 1970, the band had really perfected their country rock sound on this record. This is one of those rare records where everything just clicks and every song sounds so effortlessly good. "Dire Wolf," "Cumberland Blues," and "New Speedway Boogie," are simply perfect.

The Decemberists - A Practical Handbook: This is a concert video released in 2007, but I'm only reviewing the audio track. I have all of the band's albums, so I know all the songs intimately. It's a great collection that represents their catalog up to that point. I can't argue with the song selection. Though I must say that really none of these version surpass the album versions and some are just downright lackluster. Instead, I would highly recommend 2008's Colin Meloy Sings Live!, a solo concert by the lead singer which is fantastic.

Jim Kweskin & the Jug Band - Relax Your Mind: I got this record for Christmas and was appalled to discover this week that I hadn't yet reviewed it. Released in 1966, this is the band's third album. Last year I fell in love with their second album Jug Band Music which came out the year before. This album isn't quite as perfect as that one, but it's pretty close. The band plays an old timey folk revival sound, but also very influenced with the emerging counter culture. The closest comparison would be Country Joe, but decidedly more east coast. Definitely a band worth exploring if you don't know them.

Family - Music in a Doll's House: I've been listening to this album all year and was thrilled to find a copy of it on vinyl last weekend. I reviewed it back in February, here's what I had to say then and it still holds true. This progressive folk album from 1968 had been on my wishlist for quite some time. This is a fantastic album, one of the gems of the genre. Using blues, rock, and folk elements, it creates an album that reminds me a little of Jethro Tull's Stand Up, but at the same time is remarkably different. It's quickly becoming a favorite discovery of the year.

George Benson - The Other Side of Abbey Road: I came across this jazz soul interpretation of the Beatles from 1970 and was intrigued by the cover and the concept. For $5, and in perfect condition, I couldn't resist giving it a try and I'm glad I did. It's a wonderfully smooth album. There's some great musicians on this record and the arrangements are amazing.

The Dandy Warhols - ...The Dandy Warhols Come Down: This in album that I dug up off the shelves, one I've had for well over a decade. After listening to their recent session on Daytrotter, I had a craving to pull out this classic. Released in 1997, this is easily the Portland band's most solid album. Every song on here is perfect indie pop. "Boys Better", "Hard on for Jesus," and of course "Not if You Were the Last Junkie on Earth" are brilliant. It was definitely worthy of rediscovering.

Fiction Friday (2)

2011-10-07T17:57:00.000-07:00

When I'm working on a project, I try not to read anything that I think resembles the same tone of the book I'm writing. This isn't because I'm afraid it will influence me. I more afraid it will discourage me from continuing. I'm terrified I'd encounter a book I loved and would always be trying measure up to it. Instead, I read books that put me in the mind for whatever the next idea I have floating around. While writing Afterworld, I read two amazing books that definitely helped me focus my vision for the book I'm writing now. Both of these novels sort of represent the current state of mind when it comes to working these days. Enjoy.

Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer

(1969)

I'd been wanting to read this classic British Children's book ever since I was nineteen and learned The Cure song of the same title was based on it. I recently found a used copy on a rainy day in great NYC bookshop called The Housing Works. I started reading it a few days later. That's saying a lot considering books typically sit on my to read shelf for months or even years. But this was one I just couldn't resist.

When Charlotte wakes up after her first night at boarding school, she discovers she's not quite the same in the morning...and neither is anyone else. In fact, Charlotte is somebody entirely different. Due to a magical phenomenon, skillfully left unexplained, she has swapped places with a girl named Clare who lived fifty or so years before. Switching back every other day, the two girls leave each other notes to help ease their confusion. Then one day, Clare and her sister are moved out of the boarding school leaving Charlotte stuck in the past. The longer she remains in 1918, the less Charlotte seems to remember who the real her really is.

The aspect of this book that I found remarkable was its tone. Penelope Farmer is able to capture the worry and excitement of a character in this situation in very subtle and moving ways. The emotion is restrained, yet powerful. The same can be said about the bigger themes that run through the novel such self-discovery, family bonds, friendship, and the lingering shadow of World War I that hangs over the narrative. They are dealt with in a way that feels natural and effortless. An excellently written novel that I enjoyed very much.

The Little Girl Who LIves Down The Lane by Laird Koenig

(1973)

I opened this book not knowing anything about it and was completely blown away. I literally couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting. It follows a 13 year old English girl named Rynn who has recently relocated to Long Island in the '70s. Now I must confess that Rynn is my favorite type of character, a strong willed, intelligent young protagonist who refuses to bow to the unfairness of the adult world. In that sense, the book reminded me of some of my all time favorites like Paper Moon and The Demon Flower. But in addition to creating such a wonderful character, Laird Koenig is able to build suspense in such a clever way. In the past, in regards to my own novel Zombie Blondes, I've written extensively about my appreciation for what I've termed 'slow-motion' horror. This books is a perfect example of the genre. The suspense comes from the reader's concern for Rynn, not from the fear of something. Most of the fear happens behind the surface, keeping the reader guessing all the way to the end...and the actual ending is phenomenally handled, leaving the reader with a joyously evil grin on their face as they turn the last page.

There are some powerful scenes in this book. And besides Rynn, there are other unforgettable characters. Frank Hallet has to be one of the creepiest characters I've ever encountered. The mood and dialogue in this novel are pitch perfect. I'm amazed sometimes that books this good can be forgotten by the world. It's more than a simple suspense novel, it's also an incredible, and unconventional, coming of age story. An absolutely fantastic read. If you ever come across this book at a used book store, do yourself a favor and snatch it up immediately.

Putting a Leash on Your Characters

2011-10-05T05:53:00.000-07:00

Allow your characters too much freedom and they will sprint away from the story. You want them to be adventurous, but within the confines of the page. Once they get out...well, things just get messy.

It's really in the early chapters that a writer must get a firm grip on the behavior of the main characters. Like the director of a play, you must give cues. Tell them where to enter. Set up the scene and let them know what they are expected to accomplish. Then sit back and let them act. They'll test you at first. Lizzie is currently trying to get the upper hand on me. But I think maybe today we'll come to some sort of understanding.

Weekend Music Roundup

2011-10-01T16:43:00.001-07:00

As I mentioned in this weeks' posts, I've begun work on a new novel that is taking shape to be a terrifying fairy tale of a story. I was listening to a lot of different things trying to find the mood for it. Oddly enough, I found that classic jazz was giving me a really good inlet. Though not very dark by nature, it can add just the right amount of darkness to a cloudy day. I also was listening to a lot of softer mood inducing music. As a result, this week's roundup is a little coffee shop-esque, but in a good way. I threw in a couple other kinds of sounds just to mix it up. Enjoy.

The Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz: I bought this six record box set on vinyl for $30 on St. Mark's Place when I was in college. Back then, it was a ton of money for me. I never really bought vinyl back then either, but this seemed too good to pass up. It has a great selection of wonderful tracks by all the greats, Mingus, Miles, Monk, Coltrane, Dizzy, Duke, Charlie, etc. Recently, I've found myself putting this on in the evening, randomly choosing a record and getting wrapped up into the mood. Nearly 20 years after purchasing it, there is still always something new to find within the sleeves.

Miles Davis - Kind of Blue: Another record that I've owned since my days living in East Village of the mid-90's, I listened to this album pretty much every morning this week. This is probably my favorite Miles record, it's less upbeat than other standards such as The Birth of Cool. For whatever reason, this album had the power to put me in the mind of goblins all week long. Such a fantastic crisp sound that resembles nothing else in the world.

Yuna - Decorate: A few weeks ago, I caught Yuna's video for her amazing cover of "Come as You Are" and was completely transfixed by her voice. I've since acquired both of her EPs. This is the newest, released in March and contains five really solid songs. Some of her songs veer too heavily into pop vocals, but the softer, bare singer songwriter tunes are incredible. There's also a longer version with some of her beautiful Malaysian language songs.

Wale - The Eleven One Eleven Theory: The newest mixtape from D.C.'s representative MC goes back a little to his Go-Go roots, but with a harder edge to the beats. As with most mixtape hip-hop releases these days, the material is very uneven. A lot of the songs tend to sound like toss off numbers dropped from the next studio album to come, but there are also some solid jams on here. The standout track for me is "Chain Music."

o'death - outside: I reviewed this record a few months ago and it has since become my favorite album of the year as of now. On a recent visit to NYC, I bought it on vinyl and thought it worthy of reposting my review. Here's what I wrote in March: The fourth album by the pioneering New York gothic folk outfit was one of my most anticipated albums of this year. Easily one of my favorite bands to emerge in the last five years, their previous albums all rank highly on my list of albums of the last decade. It only makes sense that this is hands-down the best album I've heard this year. Shifting slightly away from the death-folk harshness of their previous album, the band finds a something of a beautiful calm on this one. It's almost as if the last album, Broken Hymns, Limbs & Skin was an act of violent death and this album is the peace found afterward. Truly brilliant.

Sic Alps - Napa Asylum: The third and latest album in my continued exploration of this lo-fi San Francisco band is definitely the best. Released in January, this is also one my favorite albums of the year so far. The band has refined their sound by now, streamlining the songs into a perfect modern Grateful Dead experiment with heavier psychedelic overlays. The songs sometimes feel like snippets, but they all weave into one another making a truly interesting and at times stellar album.

Diamond Rings - Special Affections: After seeing the really good video for "You and Me" I was very intrigued by this Toronto native (take one look at the cover and you can see why). I was worried the album would be more Erasure than the single, but thankfully it isn't at all. The sound is somewhat a cross between Bauhaus and Violator era Depeche Mode. But it's also modern at the same time, a very respectable update of that sound with songs that have a really interesting point of view.

Jeff Mangum - Live at Jittery Joe's: Another album that I recently reviewed and have since picked up on vinyl. Even though I just reviewed this in August, I wanted to repost it in anticipation of seeing Jeff live in a few weeks. Here what I said then: This live solo album by Neutral Milk Hotel front man was recorded in 1997 but remained unreleased until 2001. This show was played around the time In Aeroplane Over the Sea was recorded and features many of the songs on there as well as some tracks from the first album and a few unreleased tracks. The atmosphere is amazing on this album. There's a baby that babbles and cries between songs, which in my opinion adds to the mood and the dreamlike quality of Jeff's songwriting. There's some bootleg NMH shows that are probably better, but this one is right up there with the best of them.

Enter Here?

2011-09-30T05:00:00.000-07:00

Starting to write a novel is a bit like entering a maze after you've circled the perimeter for a while looking for the starting point. Then once you're inside, like every maze, there are several directions which you can take--each leading to completely different stories. Some of those stories will come to dead ends. Some may get you to the finish with a little cheating. But ultimately there is one path you want to take and its important to know you're choosing the right one from the beginning.

When I sat down to start writing my new manuscript the other day, I found myself running into a series of walls. I wrote one opening page that I thought was pretty good--too good. It started to feel really familiar. Then I looked at my copy of Life is But a Dream and found the two openings to be very similar. So I had to scratch that and figure out a new way in. It took a day of rethinking, but I found another course though the story. Thankfully, I feel like I'm on track now.

Returning to the Fold

2011-09-27T06:56:00.000-07:00

I'm about to start working on a new manuscript this week. After spending some time over the past few weeks thinking about a few different possible stories to run with, I've decided to return to a project I had first sketched out last year around this time. The concept is well-thought out and ready to go. I was reluctant to write it last year simply because I didn't feel ready, but the things I've been working on in that time have prepared me for the challenge. Sometimes writing isn't just about finding the right story, it's about discovering the right time for it.

Weekend Music Roundup

2011-09-25T14:13:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned last week, there have been a wealth of albums that I've been really into of late. This week added a few more to the list. One of the things I love about weeks where I'm not actually writing a manuscript is that I have more opportunity to listen to multiple moods and genres. When I'm in the middle of a story, I tend to stick with a musical sound that fits the mood of the piece I'm writing. Since I spent this week finishing revisions and other odds and ends, I got to play a wide range of tunes and this week certainly reflects that. There are also a lot of recent releases on this list, I put them at the top to make it easier since I know the majority of the world cares mostly for what's now and what's next rather than what came before. Enjoy.

Sivert Hoyem - Long Slow Distance: The new solo album from the singer of Madrugada is his first since 2009's Moon Landing. This is easily his best solo album since his first, 2004's Ladies and Gentlemen. It's also one of his best ever records, solo or otherwise. This is closest to Madrugada's masterpiece The Nightly Disease. The mood is dark and brilliant, something akin to the soundtrack of a mild nightmare. This has quickly become one of my favorite albums of the year. Exceptional tracks include "Warm Inside," "Animal Child," "Red on Maroon," and "Blown Away." This is a must have album, period.

A.A. Bondy - Believers: This is the third solo album from the former frontman of the criminally ignored band Verbena. Since then, he's reinvented himself into a singer songwriter of folk songs that veer toward to the gothic. I find his first solo album American Hearts to be fantastic, but was a little less impressed by the follow-up. I'm happy to say this album sees a return to form. The songs are moody and wonderful and completely capture the feeling of my home, the Catskill woods in winter time, also his home these days. Highlights include the wonderful shout out to my area "Rt.28 Believers," as well as "Skull and Bones," "DRMZ," and "The Heart is Willing."

Kasabian - Velociraptor!: I've been a fan of this band since their 2004 debut and have enjoyed all of their albums since. They've evolved with each album to become a sort of neo-psychedelic version of Britpop, heavy on grooves and guitars. This is their fist album since 2009's wonderful West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum. It continues the same high-energy chaos of that album, exploring Beatles moments in the middle of electronic elements. There are a couple of songs that miss the mark on this album, but overall it's a fine addition to their catalog. Highlights include "Days are Forgotten," "Man of Simple Pleasures," and "La Fee Verte."

Wilco - The Whole Love: The pioneer Chicago americana indie band is back with their first album since 2009's self-titled and it's their best since 2007's Sky Blue Sky. Every song on here is good and the album is bookended with two longer masterpieces. Incorporating strings and plenty of acoustic guitar, this album is simply beautiful and a perfect autumn pick. Stand out tracks include "Black Moon", a throwback tune to their earlier days "Dawned on Me," and "One Sunday Morning."

Clown Alley - Circus of Chaos: This 1986 album is the only album from the heavy San Fran outfit. It has pre-Seattle sound that reminds me of the early Mudhoney singles and of course The Melvins (their guitar player would later join The Melvins in 1993). The album as a whole is very uneven with some songs sounding like a lot of other '80s hardcore, but the songs that capture a manic Stooges vibe are quite good. Worth checking out if you're a fan of this kind of thrash sound.

Sic Alps - U.S. EZ: Released in 2008, this is the second album by the experimental psychedelic lo-fi San Francisco band. This album loses some of the noisy tracks that I felt plagued the first and improves its neo-Grateful Dead vibe on the rest of the tracks. Still a bit crazed, think Guided By Voices or early Flaming Lips, but shows tons of promise leading up the next album. This is one certainly worth checking out if your into lo-fi. Highlight tracks include "Gelly Roll Gum Drop," "Everywhere, There," and "Mater."

The Cool Kids - When Fish Ride Bicycles: This Chicago hip-hop duo exploded on the scene in 2008 with the dynamite track "Black Mags." Since then, they've released a few mixed tapes and now comes this full-length album which has been delayed for years. The songs here keep their trademark slow delivery and big bass beats. When it hits on songs like "Bundle" and "Rush Hour Traffic", the Cool Kids are hard to beat. However the album falters quite a bit with slowjam R&B elements and less than stellar pool side rap. A couple of great songs, but fails to live up to the promise shown a few years ago.

The Seeds - A Web of Sound: This was the find of the day a few weeks back when I went vinyl shopping. I came across an original pressing of this 1966 California garage rock classic and had to have it. This is the band at its best, short, blistering, psychedelic rock tunes and the epic 14 minute "Up In Her Room." This band is considered one of the precursors to punk and it's easy to see why. This album is a definite must have, along with the self-titled album released in the same year.

Fiction Friday

2011-09-23T05:53:00.000-07:00

Somehow, I always seem to fall behind on posting book reviews here. And since I've been reading so much this year, I have a wealth of reviewed books to choose from. Reading is, of course, the most important activity one must do in order to be a writer. It's rare that I'll read a book and not learn something about the craft of writing. I'm still reading a lot of Middle Grade fiction these days, mostly because these are currently the most imaginative books being published. And while I've been working on my Middle Grade writing skills, a new genre for me, I've been trying to incorporate this wide-open imaginative style into my newer YA projects like Life is But a Dream and Afterworld. So I'd like to think my time spent in children's fantasy worlds is time productively spent...and if not, well, at least it's fun.

Nightshade City by Hilary Wagner

(Holiday House, 2010)

Always a sucker for middle grade, talking animal fantasy, I naturally had to read one that has been so positively reviewed. Having been a huge Redwall fan for over a decade, I admit to being a little skeptical of Nightshade City because of the publisher's obvious attempt to make the book 'look' like that series. I was actually pleased that the story doesn't resemble those books in tone or spirit, but rather is a very original story with wonderfully formed characters. Hilary Wagner certainly knows how to bring the world of the Catacombs to life. The barbarism of the Kill Army and its commanders is palpable and well-defined, as is the heroism of the rats of the newly formed Nightshade City. The story moves quickly, with enough action mixed in to keep the pages turning. I'm really looking forward to reading the next book.

However, the book did leave me with some questions. In the beginning of the book, there is a dark cloud that hangs over the plot. There is foreshadowing of a rape, which never occurs but still surprised me for a book geared to ages 9 and up. As an adult, I found it added to the sense of danger and was handled well, but as a children's author, I was simply surprised. But given that it was there, I was even more surprised that the concluding action of the plot is handled with so little violence. The entire book builds to a massive battle which never occurs. Which is noble, and also fits in with the theme of reason over brutality. But I couldn't help feeling that it somehow didn't fit the narrative structure set up in the beginning. None of this prevented me from thoroughly enjoying the book, and most people probably wouldn't notice these things, but as a writer, I found it a fascinating aspect of the book that I thought worthy of note.

The Time Travelers: Book One in The Gideon Trilogy

by Linda Buckley-Archer (S&S, 2007)

There are lot of things that are done really well in this book. Intrigue abounds in the plight of Kate and Peter after they are transported back to year 1763 during a freak accident. I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure of two modern twelve year olds navigating a grim and grimy eighteenth century London. (I love time travel even more than talking animals).

Rather than glorify the past as many stories are apt to do, Linda Buckley-Archer chose to present the horrid along with the charm. She didn't shy away from creating a vivid picture of the elements of past society which would shock modern readers, whether it be the foul stench, the deplorable food, the injustices of the legal system or the wretched conditions of the poor. I think it's important for a children's book to recall these times, not just as a way of illustrating how far we've come, but also as a way of considering how far we still need to go in order to end these practices today. However there was quite a bit of glorification of the present that I thought was ill-earned considering the lingering existence of many of these issues in today's world, even if to a much lesser degree. Still, I felt the book did a good job of showing today's world as being more convenient than anything else. It didn't hide the fact that problems still exist, they are just easier to take care of in many ways.

Despite my joy in reading The Time Travelers, I felt that the story dragged a bit with too many instances of repetition of similar predicaments facing the characters. Though each of these scenes were well-written and entertaining, I personally believe that limiting them to one example would have given the scene greater impact. I also felt the science aspect of the story to be glossed over, which stood out given the wonderful detail placed on the historical elements. With a topic of time travel, one of my favorites, I felt the science end of it needed more attention than it got. Obviously there is no right or wrong science when it comes to traveling through time, which gives the writer more freedom to be inventive. In this book, it simply felt as if there wasn't much thought put into creating a compelling way to illustrate it. I also wished Kate and Peter were a little more dynamic. Oftentimes they were overshadowed by their supporting cast (which was excellent by the way). Still, given all of that, the book was a page turner and never left me bored. Plus the James Jean illustrated cover is rather nice.

When the Ending is not the End

2011-09-21T09:05:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I wrote a new ending to Afterworld, the manuscript I'd been working on for most of the summer. This isn't the first time I've been asked to revise an ending. In fact, it's the fourth novel in a row that I've written a second ending (though once I went with the original in the end). It's not that I'm bad at writing them. As a mater of fact, I kind of pride myself on endings. My problem is that the story never truly ends in my head, therefor in my first attempt, I can usually feel myself fighting against putting an end to it. But eventually I accept it and once that happens, I'm able to close the story properly.

The scene I wrote yesterday was a little different. I didn't rewrite the ending. I added another chapter, a scene further along in the story. It was a scene I had in my head since about half way through the first draft. I had pictured it as the opening of a sequel if one were ever to come. But after a lot of thought, I realized that rather than an opening, it was the perfect conclusion.

A good ending, like a good beginning, leaves the reader with a sense of who the character is at that particular moment. I've never cared for the summary approach. The reader was on the journey with the character, they don't need to hear it again. I prefer books that leave the reader with an impression of what is to come with only a slight reminder of what has been. And I'm happy to say that I honestly believe the chapter I wrote yesterday is one of the most beautiful scenes I've ever written.

Blimey! It's Talk Like a Pirate Day, Matey!

2011-09-19T17:08:00.000-07:00

Ahoy! It be Talk Like a Pirate Day. And what could be more fun than pirate speak. I was lucky enough to pretend to be a pirate through eight chapter books in my Pirate School series. Based on kids I knew in elementary school, I had a blast writing these books.

Some of my favorite pirate creations for these books:

'icky sicky'

'Sea Slug Cereal'

'Seaweed Slop'

You can find out more about there here.

Weekend Music Roundup

2011-09-18T16:45:00.000-07:00

After a summer where I found fewer albums to be excited about than usual, recently there have been a lot of albums that I've been pretty thrilled about. By that I mean there are a lot of albums that I've been listening to repeatedly. Some of those are on this list, others are still to come. Most of these have a summer feel, but I've also been transitioning into autumn music...always my favorite time for listening to music. Enjoy.

Sic Alps - Pleasures and Treasures: Last week, my friend Marc introduced me to this lo-fi psychedelic band from San Francisco. I only heard one song, but it had a great sound, something like an experimental update of The Grateful Dead. When I searched them out, I started with this album, their 2006 debut and worked my way through their next two albums. This one is a little chaotic and noisy in places, but it works well with the moments when they slip into their stoner groove. Good stuff, but only a sign of better things to come.

Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger, & The Trinity - Streetnoise: I'd been looking for this 1969 prog folk album for about a year when I finally found it on vinyl at a tent sale two weeks ago. This is the second collaboration of these London folksters and it's pretty amazing. There a few Brian Auger keyboard tracks that I don't really care for, but are ahead of their time. The Julie Driscoll songs though are the real standouts. She has an amazing voice, sounding like Grace Slick if she sang bluesy folk. This is one of the gems the London folk movement.

The Pentangle - Pentangle: Continuing with the late '60s London folk scene, I finally got the chance to check out one of the staples of that scene with this 1968 debut. This band has a fantastic sound. I love the way the songs progress. They remind me of more controlled Incredible String Band or a more passioned Fairport Convention. I recently picked up their second album, a double album, on vinyl and am greatly looking forward to listening to it.

Hollywood Rose - The Roots of Guns N' Roses: This is the earliest version of Guns N' Roses with the original lineup of Axl, Duff, Izzy, and Traci Guns (who left to form L.A. Guns). This studio session from 1985 was long considered to be the great lost classic of L.A. glam punk. Only five songs, some of which had been bootlegged, but this still was a welcomed release when it finally came out on CD in 2004. But even though I own it on CD, the other week when I came across the limited 1000 copy colored vinyl release from 2007, I had to have it. These five songs are blistering, includes "Reckless Life", "Shadow of Your Love", and the early version of "Anything Goes."

Kitchie Kitchie Ki Me O: This 2011 album from a band born from the ashes of Norway's My Midnight Creeps and Madrugada has been one of my favorites of the year so far. It has a similar moody rock sound to those previous bands, but incorporates some prog elements and horns that really bring it to another level. Not to mention it has one of the best covers in year.

Jon Fratelli - Psycho Jukebox: Released a few months ago, this is the solo debut by the frontman of the Fratellis. Since that bands last album in 2008, there was the interesting side project Codeine Velvet Club in 2009. But this is the first album that sees him return to his roots of great Britrock. As with the Fratellis, this is more an album of singles than anything else, and there are some great ones here. I also like the way he brought in some rockabilly elements to make it sound fresh. This guy just knows how to write good pub rock.

Brett Anderson - Black Rainbows: Since Suede's 90's heyday, their lead singer has struggled at times to find his muse. Besides a one off album in a band called The Tears, his solo albums have been pretty weak. 2007's self-titled album was rather terrible and 2009's Slow Attack wasn't much better. I'm happy to say this album, while not exactly a return to form, is at least close to capturing the magic of Suede. It's uneven, but the songs that stand out are really good. Certainly worth checking out, even if you'd given up.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - I'm With You: I'm not a huge fan of this band, but certainly enjoy the John Frusciante catalog, with 2002's By the Way being the best. I thought their last album was bloated and very uneven. I could say the same for this one, the first post-Frusciante album. But once trimmed down to the six good tracks, it's a fun little EP and hearkens to the best of By the Way and Californication (their two best albums in my opinion).

The Place Where Stories Collide

2011-09-14T06:30:00.000-07:00

Last week, I spent a lot of time doing one of the things I love most in the world--flipping through fictions. At least that's how I see the time spent in book stores or record stores. The images and descriptions, covers and illustrations, jacket flaps and song titles all collide in my mind to form a collage of converging imaginations that I've always found inspiring.

As much as I enjoy the treasures I walk away with, I also find the search rewarding. I don't get that same experience shopping over a computer. Sure, I find what I want, but I don't feel any interaction with the imaginations contained within the work. My belief that a world without record stores or book stores would be a dull one has once again been confirmed.

We All Fall Down

2011-09-11T05:21:00.000-07:00

(Artwork by Joel Cruz, 8 years old)

He climbs up to where I am. pretty fast. fast as he can. He sure loses his shyness pretty quick. I think we're going to fall for sure. but I hold on. hold on to him and he holds on to me. and just before I close my eyes, I see three lights spark to life in the Twin Towers, like stars just for me. my mind is made up. there really is no choice after that. I've settled on which buildings are my favorite, once and for all. ---(from the draft of my book Tomorrow, Maybe)

This is how the original version of the last paragraph on page 55 of Tomorrow, Maybe was written in the spring of 2001. This book was meant to be an abstracted story of my first few years of living in New York City. In those years, I found New York to be a terribly lonely place at times, but always a beautiful one. The way the skyline changes as you walk is certainly a part of that. When I was kid, I loved the romantic nature of the Empire State Building, but the longer I lived there, I grew to appreciate the Twin Towers even more. Having worked in an office with a magnificent view of them, I got to see them come to life with light everyday. This was the feeling I was writing about in the above passage.

The great thing about the view was that there were no buildings in the line of sight despite the twenty or so blocks between where I was and where they were. Of course, the very same wonderful view that I loved so much also proved to have consequences. On this morning, ten years ago, I was standing outside on the patio of the top floor of that building watching smoke billowing into the sky. I stood with friends and we watched in confusion, wondering, like everyone else, what was going on and why helicopters weren't landing to attempt a rescue of the people on the top floors. Then the first tower fell before our eyes and everyone screamed.

There was a rush to evacuate the building after that. On the stairs, someone who had been in their office asked me what was happening. All I could say was 'it's gone.' Minutes later I was lost in the wild stampede of frightened people running north on Broadway. Just two days before, I had been driving into the city through the Holland Tunnel and I remember expressing my amazement at the two buildings with the person in the car with me. I had been saying, as I often did, that sometime in the distant future, civilizations were going to marvel at those buildings the same way we do at the pyramids in Egypt.

In the final version of Tomorrow, Maybe, we changed it to read the Empire State Building. This wasn't out of any 'sensitivity' that was rewriting history at that time. It was merely because we didn't want to date the action in the story of the book to a certain time. But the original version was the honest version. My favorite buildings disappeared ten years ago along with thousands of fellow New Yorkers. But as horrible as it was, on that day and the days and weeks after, no one in New York felt lonely...we all hurt and healed as one.

(Artwork by Melanie Cohn, age 8)

Weekend Music Roundup

2011-09-10T08:42:00.000-07:00

Due to the hurricane disruption, it's been several weeks since I've done a regular roundup of reviews. The good news is that since I've had weeks to store up music, there is a wealth of great albums to list here and more for the coming weeks too. I also binged last weekend and went vinyl shopping on two separate days. I found some amazing stuff, but I'm only part way through the records, so I'm saving most of them for the lists upcoming. Most of the stuff on this list are albums I've been listening to for a couple of weeks and are long overdue for their inclusion. A few others are things I've just listened to in the past couple of days. All in all, a pretty good mix. Enjoy.

The Rapture - In the Grace of Your Love: What started as a NYC dance punk outfit with 1999's Mirror had morphed into a more psychedelic sound by 2003's Echoes and more new wave by their last album 2006's Pieces of the People We Love. The five years off have certainly been spent wisely. This album sees the perfect combination of the greatness of Echoes with best bits of Pieces. It's still an alternative dance sound, but extremely well done. This has quickly become one of my favorite albums of the summer.

Olivia Tremor Control - The Game You Play Is in Your Head: Released two weeks ago, this five minute song is the band's first official release of new music since 1999's Black Foliage. Surprisingly, or not so surprisingly given the ability of bands in the Elephant 6 to consistently deliver, this three part song could easily fit on the twelve year old album. It has the band's signature sunshine pop feel combined with noise effects. Pretty fun listen, though as with most of their work, I'm sure it will fit better in the context of an album.

Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi - Rome: Released in the beginning of summer, this album was a project these two had been trying to get off the ground for years before finally getting Jack White and Norah Jones on board to do the vocals. The album is inspired by music in old spaghetti western films, though the sound has definitely been updated. The instrumental pieces are beautiful and the handful of tracks with vocals are quite good. Jack White once again proves his ability to blend into any genre, but it's Norah Jones who really shines on this. It's not the sort of unforgettable classic they may have set out to make, but it's a solid release that I've found to be a great morning record.

Jackie-O Motherfucker - Earth Sound System: For a while, this Portland, OR free folk outfit was putting out multiple albums a year during the last decade. So it's sort of surprising that this is the first release in two years. For those unfamiliar with JOMF, they are known for long compositions, mostly instrumental in nature, but quite a few including mellow campfire sort of vocals. Though this album doesn't come near the genius of such releases like Flags of the Sacred Harp, America Mystica or even Liberation, it's a solid effort. If not for the two unlistenable experimental compositions, "Raga Joining" and "Raga Separating," this would be a pretty great free folk record. Luckily in today's digital world, those two noise pieces can be deleted...as they should be. Rest of the album is 4 out of 5.

AG - Everything's Berri: My friend Marc turned me onto this album earlier this week. AG is an old school NYC rapper with a Guru type flow. The mellow jazzy beats totally fit his delivery on this album. It sounds as if he's freestyling this entire album, and with the exception of two or three weaker tracks, it's totally solid. Easily the best mellow hip hop album I've heard in a long time.

Dave 'Snaker' Ray - Kid-Man: This is the one recent vinyl score that I decided to include here simply because I listened to it last night and it's fresh in my mind. Dave Ray had been around for more than a decade before this 1977 album, but judging from the photo of him on the back compared with the photos of him on his 1967 album, the years were rough. Perhaps that's what infuses this traditional blues album with the magic that is the blues. This isn't anything revolutionary, nothing you haven't heard on other blues records, but the thing about the blues is that each person's expression of it is unique and worthy of listening to if it's down well. Some great guitar work here and a perfect blues voice. If you see this on vinyl for $4 as I did, you can't really go wrong.

Hawkwind - Doremi Fasol Latido: This is the pioneering space acid rocker's third album from 1972 and contains some of my all time favorite tracks by the band. Though I've been a pretty hardcore fan of the band's original lineup since I was 15 years old, I never bothered buying this album. That is mostly because I've always owned Space Ritual, the masterful 1973 live double-album which contains most of these songs. But somewhere in the back of my mind I knew that didn't make this album insignificant and finally acquired it. The studio versions of the songs are slightly different, more controlled, yet you can still hear them coming unhinged within their structures. "Time We Left This World Today", "Down Through the Night" and the powerful opener "Brainstorm" are among the band's best work.

The White Stripes - Live In Mississippi & Under Moorhead Lights All Fargo Night: Two new releases with vastly different results. Mississippi, recorded during the Icky Thump era is dynamic and really captures the schizophrenic energy of a White Stripe's performance. Jack is in great form, improvising on guitar and moving easily through a career spanning catalog. This album might be better even that last year's live album. The Fargo album on the other hand, though an amazing set from the De Stijl era, is of such terrible quality that it amazes me it was even released. Readers of this blog know how much I love bootleg quality material, but this isn't even that. This is of terrible quality even it were a bootleg...to have been actually released is kind of appalling. Skip that and go for the other one.

Last Exile (Episodes 25-26)

2011-09-09T06:36:00.000-07:00

Catch up on previous episodes here)

In my experience, when becoming a writer, one of the hardest things to learn is how to end a story. Because it's the last impression one leaves with the audience, it is often the most criticized aspect of any story. This seems especially true with television shows where series finales are usually remembered as moments of disappointment rather than triumph. I'm happy to say that Last Exile avoids this fate, though at times these episodes did feel slightly rushed and did leave me with many unanswered questions. But that's okay, I always like to leave readers of my novels with unanswered questions too. As a storyteller, you don't want to give everything away -- you want the story to live on in the imagination of the audience so that the characters never actually 'end', they are simply passed on.

One technique for concluding a story that I've always enjoyed is the idea of bringing things full circle back to the beginning. In Last Exile, Claus and Alvis need to make their way back to Exile in order to prevent the Guild from gaining absolute control over the world. In order to do this, they make their way to various checkpoints, allowing us last glimpses of many characters. During their flight, we also see how much Alvis has grown. Acting as Claus's navigator, using Lavie's notes, she is braver and coming into her own. We also see Claus realize his full potential. After being attacked by two Guild ships, he displays some amazing piloting skills to defeat them. On the final leg of the journey, they reunite with Lavie and their original vanship. In order to save the world, they must cross the Grand Stream in their fathers' ship, just as they had always dreamed of doing. I really enjoyed how their personal journey ended up coinciding with the greater fate of the world.

Another good rule for an ending is that you should never give the audience exactly what they may want. During the course of a story, there are certain hopeful outcomes one wants to set up. But I firmly believe you should only deliver on some them because stories, as in life, should never work out too perfectly. There is a great deal of tragedy in the end of Last Exile, but this is offset by the overwhelming sense of good will that comes after the massive battle that concludes the story. This is definitely a series worth investing the time to watch from beginning to end. It has compelling characters, a wonderful sense of story arch and development, and is completely satisfying.

Final Grade: A