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September 8, 2011
Shorties (Michele Bachmann Overdrive, Michael Chabon, and more)
Politico profiles the band Michele Bachmann Overdrive.
So far, the band hasn't been too busy. Its only gig was in December, but with Bachmann's higher profile, they’re hoping that business might start picking up. (Sager said he's "sure that her press leads have" learned of the band's presence by now.) To prepare for its big break, Overdrive has made its set list of covers more political, practicing songs such as Cream's "Politician," Radiohead's "Electioneering," Soundgarden’s "She's a Politician" and what Sager calls "the ultimate tribute": Willie Nelson’s "Crazy."
Speakeasy interviews Michael Chabon about his new children's book, The Astonishing Secret of Awesome Man.
You have four kids, so I assume you've spent hours and hours reading to them. How did that shape your approach to writing a children's book?
I definitely felt like as a parent reader, I had some very clear… I don't know if preferences is the right word. When my kids were younger, when I went through all four of their toddler-hoods and it was bedtime and time to pick out a story to read, when I went over to the shelf to grab something, I wasn’t going to pick the one that was dense with text. Too long and too many words, those were things I didn't like, and really bland, saw dusty kind of prose.
NPR is streaming Neon Indian's Era Extrana album (out September 13th).
The Wrap lists the top 10 books about 9/11.
Songwriters on Process interviews Erich Bachmann of Crooked Fingers and Archers of Loaf.
Jello Biafra talks music and politics with San Diego CityBeat.
The Hype Machine is streaming Girls' new album Father, Son, Holy Ghost (out September 13th).
The Guardian breaks down literary depictions of youth into three categories.
At the Guardian, stream Mogwai's new Earth Division EP (out September 13th).
Comment Is Free offers a primer to literary awards.
Flavorwire lists the best on-hit wonders of the '90s.
Cover Me celebrates the 12th anniversary of Magnetic Fields' 69 Love Songs album with a collection of cover songs.
At Interview, authors Christopher Bollen and Jat McInerney list their favorite New York books.
Politico profiles the band Michelle Bachmann Overdrive.
So far, the band hasn't been too busy. Its only gig was in December, but with Bachmann's higher profile, they’re hoping that business might start picking up. (Sager said he's "sure that her press leads have" learned of the band's presence by now.) To prepare for its big break, Overdrive has made its set list of covers more political, practicing songs such as Cream's "Politician," Radiohead's "Electioneering," Soundgarden’s "She's a Politician" and what Sager calls "the ultimate tribute": Willie Nelson’s "Crazy."
The Algonquin Books Blog interviews Minneapolis Star Tribune book review editor Laurie Hertzel.
The Santa Barbara Independent interviews Fleet Foxes frontman Robin Pecknold.
For many, Fleet Foxes is synonymous with vocal harmonies and live, organic instrumentation. What draws you to music as a listener?
I definitely have certain stylistic preferences, like a 1966 to '71 habit I can’t shake. But that's just taste, and I can enjoy almost any kind of song from any genre. I guess you look for some sort of core inside the music that appeals to you beyond just the stylistic trappings, a certain chord vocabulary or a certain drama in the melodies, or something.
Bookworm interviews Rikki Ducornet about her novel Netsuke.
The Guardian profiles singer-songwriter PJ Harvey.
Her work, from the raw, skewed, abrasive Rid of Me, released in 1993, to 2007's sublime, eerie White Chalk, has always seemed vital and bold, yet somehow also intimate, and indeed much of her music seems to inhabit similarly ambiguous, near-contradictory territory.
Express Night Out previews the artists to look out for in this week's Small Press Expo.
HelloGiggles shares an end of summer mix tape.
Thomas L. Friedman talks to All Things Considered about his new book, That Used to Be Us: How America Fell Behind in the World It Invented and How We Can Come Back.
On sale for $3.99 at Amazon MP3: the 27-track remastered Archers of Loaf Icky Mettle album.
At All Things Considered, Adam Mansbach recommends three classic young adult novels.
Amazon MP3
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also at Largehearted Boy:
previous Shorties posts (news and links from the worlds of music, books, and pop culture)
Atomic Books Comics Preview (the week's best new comics & graphic novels)
daily mp3 downloads
Largehearted Word (the week's best new books)
Try It Before You Buy It (mp3s and full album streams from this week's CD releases)
weekly music & DVD release lists
