New Book: A Homemade Life by Orangette

I gobbled up this book over the weekend. I rave about it here.

One More Year

By Sana Krasikov.

Not exactly a new book, but one worth reading nonetheless. My thoughts on it over at Blogcritics.

Also, my new Tumblr.

Music: The Viking Moses

I was tempted to just let the previously mentioned review fade into internet obscurity without a mention, because it is BAD. Not bad as in the band is bad (though I have some words about that), but bad as in when I read it over I think a fifteen year old wrote it (no offense Anna, you're sixteen anyway), and then I remember it was me. But that wouldn't be very honest of me here, to not mention it, so I'm pointing you to it, if you care, in all its embarrassing glory. I got fed up, and time was up, and even though I was still reading sentences going 'What are you even talking about?' I went ahead and pushed go. The thing is, I didn't mind the music so much, I actually like the guy's voice, but other elements of the album overshadowed the musical strengths and left me with the overal...oh geez. I'm summing up just as poorly here as I did in the actual review. Enough of that.

I'm done doing music reviews though. I love music but I'm tired of trying to vary this theme; 'The lyrics delicately walk a tightrope, balancing between cliche and obscure...' I write that sentence for just about every review and have to stop and say 'Seriously? That's all you can come up with?' It's HARD. I've used every synonym for 'vocals' and 'lyrics' that thesaurus.com provides. I'd rather do something easy. So I'm solely book reviews from now on. And there are some really good ones coming up.

Tonight Pt. 2: Desperate Measures

When a writer's block absolutely must be gotten through sometimes we revert to cheap white wine and homemade pate (yes! I made that pate! For about 5 hours last night!). I really mean business now.  I better think of nice things to say about the cacophony coming from my speakers before that whole Tupperware container of delicious fattening goodness is gone. 

Tonight...

Drinking locally grown tarragon tea (? and !) that showed up in my CSA bag this week, and trying to write a gracious review about a band that I have nothing good to say about. That's what I get for trying something new. 

New Music: The Bird and The Bee

Out today is a new album from one of my recent favorites - The Bird and The Bee. I've danced my way through Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future approximately 43 times now in preparation for the review. Zeb got sick of it about two months ago around the twentieth run, but I still love it! This song, off an older album captures their style well.

The Whispertown 2000

Gillian Welch has been releasing her own albums on her own label, Acony Records, for some time now. Today Acony introduces a new band, The Whispertown 2000. It's a great listen, though there is a layer of static over the whole record that's a little hard to get used to. The band is talented and I'll look forward to hearing more from them, but I'm most excited about hearing more from Acony Records. With Gillian Welch and her good taste at work I'm sure Acony will discover many interesting new artists. My review of The Whispertown 2000's album, Swim, is here. (Yes, I did mean littoral, not literal. I got a little dictionary.com word of the day crazy there.)

New Emiliana Torrini

Emiliana Torrini's new album, Me and Armini, is one of the best I've heard in a long time. Zeb even voluntarily puts it on and he hasn't liked a new album since 1989. The girl is good. Me trying to sound like Sasha Frere-Jones about it here.

Eliot Review

The delay on this review was not because the book was uninteresting, but rather it was too interesting. I savored it. I didn't want it to end but my two week turnaround deadline was long past so I finally finished it and wrote the review. All I really want to say about this book is READ IT!! But Blogcritics frowns on too many caps and exclamation points so the dry, stuffy, real review is here.

Weighty Stuff

I appreciate a book that is both entertaining and informative. Blogcritics sent my way The Forbidden Daughter by Shobhan Bantwal, a novel centered on the issue of gender selective abortion in India. Though the characters could have used further development and the prose a little smoothing, overall it was a good introduction to a very serious issue. My review on it is here.

Amelia Band

Here's me blogcritiquing again about a band I really like.

What I'll Be Doing With Spare Time

I've joined up with a Sinister Cabal...and there I'll be talking about stuff like this.