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July 9, 2008
Shorties
Popdose lists its top albums of 2008 so far.
In the San Francisco Chronicle, Mark Morford examines the internet's effect on reading.
But overall, the message is bleak: Fewer writers of real talent are being discovered, fewer publishers are willing to take any sort of risk, and serious, literary-minded reading, that glorious pastime, that fine personal art, the immersive and transportive and beautiful intellectual fertilizer, appears to be giving way to the more addictive but far less nourishing hellbeast of new media and the Net.
Social Music List lists the best social networking sites built around music.
At Drowned in Sound, Pinback's Rob Crow offers tips to indie musicians.
3. Band name
This is easy. Just copy these names: "Charles Bukowski, Kurt Vonnegut, and Chuck Palahniuk". Now paste them into Google and pick the name of one of their books (they are authors) at random. If you are feeling like doing a little more research (NOT RECOMMENDED), there is this weird reclusive author (all you need to know) named J.D. Salinger and you can use one of his character's names. I'm sure you can find these on Wikipedia. IMPORTANT: avoid reading these guys! It could accidentally start a downward spiral into sincerity (it usually doesn't, but still...).
This week Five Chapters is serializing a new short story by Josh Emmons.
Cassettes from My Ex offers the backstories to mixtapes given to literary types.
Bradley's Almanac celebrates Sub Pop's 20th anniversary by posting mp3s of both days of the 1995 Vermontress festival (including shows by Eric's Trip, Barbara Manning, Sloan, Velocity Girl, and many more).
Ta-Nehisi Coates talks to the Los Angeles Times about his amazing memoir, The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons, and an Unlikely Road to Manhood.
In a certain way, hip-hop saved him. It gave voice to his disquiet, and it built a bridge between his father's lessons and the gantlet he ran on the streets. It did all of that while becoming "the lingua franca of our time," as Coates puts it.
The San Francisco Bay Guardian reviews the memoir.
Gawker profiles Hillary Clinton aide (and former music blogger) Howard Wolfson.
Animoto allows users to create music videos simply.
WXPN's World Cafe features the Watson Twins with an interview and on-studio performance.
Drowned in Sound interviews Chris Pattinson and Jono Stevens, two of the filmmakers responsible for the Black Cab Sessions.
What are your top three, personal favourites you’ve done and why?
This changes every week! I think its Sunset Rubdown. Being in cab with someone as talented and respected as Spencer Krug was pretty special and to do a stripped down version of such a complexed song was amazing to watch. After that, probably Death Cab for Cutie as the whole experience with them was so fun. They were excellent guys. And Spoon. Britt just looks way too cool and delivers such a great version of 'I Summon You'. Also The Cool Kids which isn't out yet but they were just wicked and a breath of fresh air for us. These will all change by tomorrow though.
Urban Outfitters has made available a summer mix of streaming audio and mp3s.
At NPR's All Things Considered, author Jake Halpern recommends three books about survival at sea.
Housing Works is auctioning a guitar painted by Steve Keene and signed by Apples in Stereo and Elijah Wood.
Stream the video trailer for Calexico's forthcoming album, Carried to Dust (out September 9th).
also at Largehearted Boy:
daily mp3 downloads
Try It Before You Buy It (mp3s and full album streams from this week's CD releases)
this week's CD releases
tags: music books popculture indie news
