Thanks for visiting. The year is getting near the end and I have a lot of catching up that just might be out of reach. Lots of people like to compile best of lists. This won’t be necessarily best of lists but I think it’s worth providing highlights.
Books I read recently:
Quantum Criminals: Ramblers, Wild Gamblers, and Other Sole Survivors from the Songs of Steely Dan by Alex Pappademas and Joan Lemay. A fun book about the musicians, songs and their characters. It inspired me to hear records some of their records I own.
No Longer Human by Junji It. A manga depiction of Osamu Dazai’s novel. Great recommendation by my graphic novel loving coworker.
The Great Rock n Roll Swindle by Michael Moorcock. Book tie in with the movie featuring the remnants of the Sex Pistols. Moorcock was a curious choice realizing he had little use for the British boy band.
The Glass Closet: Why Coming Out Is Good Business by John Browne.
Just Kids by Patti Smith (audiobook). A selection picked by an internet book group with friends of ours.
All Tomorrow’s Parties: The Velvet Underground Story by Koren Shadmi. Graphic novel of the influential New York rock band.
1964: Eyes of the Storm by Paul McCartney. Coffee table book collection of photos including the Beatles’ first tour of America.
Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Recommended if you like classic horror movies, heavy metal with a smidgen of occult influence. An interesting follow up to the author’s Doctor Moreau spin-off.
Monica by Daniel Clowes. Original and disturbing portrait of someone trying to find their parents.
Martin: A Life by Jonathan Eig. Excellent biography of Martin Luther King Jr. offering a more human portrait of this civil rights and anti-war legend.
Sonic Life by Thurston Moore. I enjoyed this lengthy look into the influences and experiences that provoked this member of Sonic Youth.
What I’ve been listening to:
Various Artists – Pacific Breeze: Japanese City Pop, AOR and Boogie 1975-1987
Iggy Pop – Rare Trax.
Pretenders – Relentless
Spencer Cullum – Spencer Cullum’s Coin Collection
Jacquelin Nova – Creacion de Tierra
R. Ring – War Poems, We Rested
Company Flow – Funcrusher Plus
Adam Faith – I Survive (Deluxe)
Drive By Truckers – The Complete Dirty South
Sandie Shaw – Reviewing the Situation
Gena Rose Bruce – Deep Is the Way
Marc Maron WTF Podcast with Chevy Chase
The Replacements – Tim (Let It Bleed Edition). The soundtrack for the end of my high school years remixed with some live footage of the Minneapolis brats included.
Steely Dan – Can’t Buy a Thrill
Bob Dylan – Midland Theatre, Kansas City, MO. This was my first time seeing Dylan live in 20 years. He impressed me as a piano playing band leader lit darkly performing a fair amount of newer songs instead of greatest hits. It was kind of fun watching young people dancing to his version of Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away” – often a highlight of Grateful Dead set lists. Zimmy kicked off this tour with two performances in Kansas City and I wondered what the next night included.
Steely Dan – Countdown to Ecstacy
Brian Blade & the Fellowship Band – Kings Highway
Song Yi Jeon/Vinicus Gomes – Home
Steely Dan – Pretzel Logic
The Fun and Games – Elephant Candy
Frank Zappa – Funky Nothingness
M – New York, London, Paris, Munich
MC 900 Ft Jesus with DJ Zero – Hell With the Lid Off
Fenella – The Metallic Index
Steely Dan – The Royal Scam
Jolle – Wirtschaft Arbeit Technik
Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs – Land of Sleeper
Albert Ayler – Slugs’ Saloon
Steely Dan – Aja
Meshell Ndegeocello – The Omnichord Real Book. One of my favorite 2023 releases. Check out her recent Amoeba Records visit.
Grateful Dead – Wake of the Flood
WITCH – Zango
Steely Dan – Gaucho
Donald Fagen – The Nightfly
Angel Bat Dawid – Requiem for Jazz
Walter Becker – 11 Tracks of Whack
Silvio Cesar – Som e Palavras
Vivian Stanshall – Rawlinson’s End
The Rolling Stones – Hackney Diamonds. They’re back!
The Church – The Hypnogogue
Dwight Twilley Band – Sincerely
The Fall – In a Hole (Live Expanded Edition)
Dwight Twilley Band – Twilley Don’t Mind
Kate Fagan – I Don’t Wanna Be Too Cool
Mark Lanegan – Houston Publishing Demos 2002
Miss Grit – Follow the Cyborg
Extemporaneous Music and Arts Society – Compressed Space
Dwight Twilley – Jungle
Ciccone Youth – The Whitey Album
Sly & the Family Stone – A Whole New Thing. I’m also reading the long awaited memoir by Sly Stone which is considerably shorter than Sonic Life.
Various Artists – Young Limbs Rise Again: The Story of the Batcave. Good compilation of goth music with some glam rock suggested as its ancestor?
Various Artists – Deviation Street: High Times in Ladbroke Grove 1967-1975
Shana Cleveland – Manzanita
Hack-Poets Guild – Blackletter Garland. Highly recommended UK folk including a Waterson.
London Brew – S/T. If you’re a fan of Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew this might fit your bill.
Lankum – False Lankum. Irish doom folk that will probably make a lot of best of 2023 lists.
Ian Hunter – Defiance Part 1
Drive-By Truckers – Dirty South
Various Artists – No Wave New York
Shindler’s List 
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