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August 20, 2009
Shorties (GreenPunk, A Grownup's Guide to Indie Rock, and more)
Enter the Octopus creates a new genre of science fiction/fantasy: GreenPunk.
Rejecting steampunk’s romanticism while embracing its focus on approachable, “knowable” technology (as opposed to the “black box” nature of digital tech), GreenPunk envisions a world in which the detritus of consumer culture as propogated by the Elite is appropriated and repurposed by the masses toward the reconstruction of a devastated ecology and the address of social ills.
The Santa Barbara Independent offers a "grownup's guide to indie rock."
Amazon MP3
NPR reviews Jessica Shattuck's latest novel, Perfect Life.
Despite her ambitious agenda, Shattuck keeps Perfect Life lilting with sharp characterizations, a lively narrative line and wry observations. It's a more contrived setup than the one that animates her first novel, though she again manages to make even her Type A strivers sympathetic, even as she gently skewers them. Her sensibility, more mocking than dark, is closer to Jane Austen than Cheever. Most impressively, she dares us to flex our social consciences with questions that include "Who 'deserves' to be happy?" even as she reminds us that not just breeding but life itself can be hazardous — but worth the risks.
Read Shattuck's Largehearted Boy Book Notes music playlist for the book.
On sale at Amazon MP3: the 21-track soundtrack to the 1982 film TRON for only $1.99.
NPR Music lists songs to say goodbye to your summer sweetheart.
Newsweek's Pop Vox blog interviews Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips.
The new record sounds like it was an adventure to make. It's less pop-oriented and more tripped-out than your last two records: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots and At War With the Mystics. Was that always the plan?
In a sense you want them all to be an adventure that way. You really do want to get lost in this sh-- that's coming out of your subconscious and let it overtake you. I've said it, but it's not my quote, it's [filmmaker] John Cocteau's: "I don't have ideas. Ideas have me." And it's like you're just a slave to them. You know Cocteau?
Alison Mosshart of The Kills and Dead Weather talks to Seattle Weekly.
Gawker lists the initial slate of acts scheduled to play this year's CMJ Music Marathon (October 20-24).
GeekDad lists 5 science fiction/fantasy books it wishes had never been written.
Relevant magazine lists the best albums of 2009 (so far).
JBooks.com features short seaside fiction from Neal Pollack, Danit Brown, and others.
Cartoonist David Small talks to the Lansing City Pulse about his exceptional graphic memoir, Stitches.
"My parent’s never spoke about anything, ” he said. Small has been at this anguished, redemptive memoir for some time, first starting it as a short story about 10 years ago, then trying it in novel form. About five years ago he became intensely involved in turning it into a graphic novel. “Drawing [‘Stitches’] opened all the doors,” he said. “My memory, it was pretty cloudy. I was lost in a dark forest. "
Cracker visits The Current studio for an interview and live performance.
Zombaritaville offers up zombie-themed song parodies three times a week.
Starting Monday, Five Chapters will post a new short story every day for 15 days.
100 useful Twitter feeds for book lovers.
Spin lists the worst album titles of 2009.
At the Guardian, Malorie Blackman lists the top 10 graphic novels for teenagers.
Win three Spy vs. Spy comics compilations in this week's Largehearted Boy contest.
Follow me on Twitter for links that don't make the daily "Shorties" columns.
also at Largehearted Boy:
daily mp3 downloads
Try It Before You Buy It (mp3s and full album streams from this week's CD releases)
weekly music & DVD release lists
tags: music books popculture indie news
