Brian James's Blog, page 11

Fiction Friday (110)

 

  I recently put together a presentation on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland that I did for my library. During my research into books based on Alice, I found several books that I didn't know about. This surprised me since I'm a die-hard fan and thought I knew about most Alice related stories. I immediately put in a request of the first of what I expect to be an autumn filled with Alice. This one was stunning.
 
  Alice by Christina Henry(Penguin, 2015) Alice is a broken girl in a broken world. The story opens with Alice as a young woman in a dismal mental hospital that is more like an 19th century prison. The hospital is in "Old City", a fantastical, Dickensian slum. Alice is from "New City" which we never see, but gather is a place of considerable more refinement. There is time period assigned to this world, but it feels very Victorian era.
Alice hates the hospital, but it is safe from the dangers of Old City and the criminals who run it, trafficking in girls and violence. It is also save from her memories of The Rabbit which left her hideously scarred. Plus she has Hatter, the scruffy man in the next cell whom she talks to through a mouse hall in the stone walls. But the hospital hides a secret buried below...a dangerous creature known as the Jabberwocky. Then one night, a fire breaks out, unleashing the Jabberwocky on the people of Old City, not to mention Hatter and Alice.
This is dark fantasy with noir elements, set in a world of almost unspeakable brutality. But as foreign as it is to Lewis Carroll's world, Christina Henry still captures the spirit of Alice and wonderfully integrates and re-imagines the elements of Wonderland into a compelling story that feels related enough to be part of the cannon. There's a second book in the series that I'm currently on a waiting list for.

Weekend Music Roundup

   Welcome to the weekend. I've found myself listening to a good amount of folk these days, some of which are on this list. Being summer, I also tend to listen to a lot of hip-hop, but I'm still absorbing the new albums I've been hearing and will save the hip-hop for another list. Most of this list is new releases, with the exception of classic that recently had a new limited pressing. Some old favorites, some new discovers. As always...enjoy.
   Little Kid - Transfiguration Highway: A decade into their career the Toronto lo-fi folk band's sixth album is one of a string of pleasant surprises I've encountered this summer. This reminds me of the underground bands of the late 00s and early 10s, who really jump started the indie folk revival with songs of simple beauty. These are delicate songs with the perfect wintry vibe that I like from this genre. "Made for Each Other," "Candle Out," "Close Enough to Kill," and the title track are my personal favorites on this outstanding album.  
Neil Young - Bottom Line 1974: I've had this bootleg on CD for ages, under the title Citizen Kane Junior Blues. It's one of my favorite Neil performances and features a mind-blowing rendition of "Revolution Blues" and other On the Beach tracks. There's been this weird thing that's happened recently that bootleg radio shows are being released without authorization of the label or artist. They are essentially bootlegs, but you can buy them anywhere. When this one got a 500 copy pressing, I snatched it up. Fantastic stuff, this!  Trickfinger - She Smiles Because She Presses the Button: The third acid techno release from John Frusciante under this name is easily the most listenable. Being a huge devotee of his, I checked out the first release five years ago, and wouldn't have bothered with this if it weren't for the title's nod to his second solo album. He's had a few years to work on this art, and being the talented person he is, he has improved tenfold. Though not my ideal choice of genres by any means, I can respect this one.    Woods - Strange to Explain: The first album in three years from one of my favorite psychedelic folk outfits. This band has been around for 15 years, a band that I first encountered about 11 years ago. Their music is the exact kind of psych folk I'm into, with washed out vocals and near perfect pop eeriness. This one picks up where Love is Love left off, exploring interesting parts of the inner soundscapes in an uptempo way. "Where Do You Go When You Dream," "Weekend Wind," "Fell So Hard" "Just Fall to Sleep," and the title track are my personal favorites. A really really good album. 

Queen Elephantine - Tribute to Atrophos Vol. 1: The first in a series of EPs by the avant-garde psychedelic band formed in Hong Kong fourteen years ago and currently in Philly. These improvised recordings are a pleasant bit of stoner metal that has a drone sentiment, but without the constant repetition. There are now three in the series, this first one released back in April. This was my first intro to this band and it's definitely intriguing. You can give it a listen on their Bandcamp site.

Fargo the Third

The Great Pandemic Viewing Stream seems to flow in a never ending current, kind of like the pandemic itself. For the latest binge, we turned to season three of Fargo. We had been big fans of the first two seasons, but this one slipped through the cracks as we were dealing with a two year old at the time it aired in 2017.

I'm not prepared to say this was the best season, but I'm prepared to say this was my favorite season. Ewen McGregor is brilliant in his dual role as brothers, and David Thewlis is spectacular as the shadowy villain. As with previous seasons, the show is incredibly cinematic and feels very much like a feature film. It also blends suspense, mystery, black comedy, and drama in a pitch perfect way, just like the film that inspired it.

If you're not caught up, don't worry. Each season of this show is set up as their own thing and are not directly connected, kind of like True Detective. If you missed this one, as I had, it's time to catch up. I'm now super excited for the upcoming season 4.


 

Weekend Music Roundup

Welcome to the first weekend of August, where we're holding true to the dog days of summer. It's been brutally hot in the valley over the last week, but last night the weather finally broke little bit. The only good thing about summer is that it's always a big season for new music and this week I'm taking a gander a few new releases that have been a very welcome relief to the heat. Enjoy.

My Morning Jacket - The Waterfall II: It's been five years since the midwestern alt country band's last album, The Waterfall. Jim James has been busy in that time, but the band has finally come together to make a sequel album. This has a very mature sound to it. The sound of band that knows what they are and what they want to be. It has a 70s vibe to it, a sort of Lindsey Buckingham style, and by that, I mean washed out in mellow cocaine bliss. "Still Thinkin," "Welcome Home," "Magic Bullet," and "Wasted" are standouts on this fine record.
The Kooks - Unshelved: Part III: The third in a series of EPs released this year to showcase demos that had been left off their previous two records. As with the other two installments, these songs are fantastic, and in many cases, better than tracks on the last album. I'm glad they chose to do it this way, giving us a few songs at a time, it's easier to digest than one big compilation, and each EP has a feel to it. "Window to the Soul," "Off My Knees," "Vicious," and "Let it Go" are favorites.
Keith Relf - All the Falling Angels: As the frontman for the legendary Yardbirds, Relf is an often overlooked icon of the 60s British Blues sound. After the band broke up and Jimmy Page went on to form Led Zeppelin with Plant, Relf formed Renaissance, but he also recorded several singles, the first being the great "Mr. Zero". This newly released compilation features his solo recordings from '65 until his untimely passing in '76. His sound would evolve into psychedelic folk that is reminiscent of Syd Barrett. There's some great tracks on here and well worth the listen.

Ritual King - Ritual King: The debut album from the Manchester stoner rock band was released in Feb and is a pretty solid introduction to the world. It has all the hallmarks of the genre, fuzzed out drone guitar, heavy drums, and mystical psych vocals. "Headspace" is an instrumental gem of solid riffs. "Dead Roads" is a great sludgefest track. "Black Hills" is the NWOBHM guitar shredding closer. Decent stuff.

Garland - Laser Eyes: The debut album from indie French band came out in June. It's a bit of a mix of styles, from shoegaze to indie rock to 80s goth. Unlike most shoegaze that feature a steadiness to each track, these songs are chaotic at times, though everything remains lost in the fuzz. II admit to taking a chance on this because of the artwork. You can listen to it for free on the band's Bandcamp site (linked above). This is one of those albums that washes over you and doesn't quite absorb into you unless you really pay attention. "The Northern Wind" was by far my favorite track.

David Bowie - Ziggy at the BBC: Years ago, I snatched up the three disc Bowie at the BBC set that came out, and while I've always loved Bowie, those takes were eye-openingly terrific. My favorite disc had been the Ziggy years, and when it came out on vinyl, I just couldn't afford the $75 price tag at the time...it's now much more. So when I came across this bootleg of my favorites, I definitely picked it up. Plus, Ziggy Stardust is one of the few Bowie records I didn't have on vinyl, so this killed two birds with one stone. Fantastic stuff.

Fiction Friday (109)

When I finished reading the last book I was reading, the libraries were still closed, which meant going once again to my "To-Be-Read" shelf. After reading some lighter books recently, I really wanted to dig into something literary. On my shelf was a hundred year old copy of this book which I'd been meaning to read for years. It was time, and it was really a good time to read this book with all the unrest in the world at this moment.

 
 
Light by Henri Barbusse(1919)
France at the turn of the century was like many Western societies at that time. The industrial revolution had sunk it's teeth into the culture, and when it started to falter, it dragged the working class down within its clutches. The aristocracy remains relatively unaffected except by the increase of wealth and influence, with a decrease in civic responsibility.
Yet, there is always love if only for the youth. We are told the tale of a young man making modest gains in life when he falls in love and sees beauty despite the misery and political unrest around him. But the young man learns that love fades and that upward mobility is reserved for the few.

Life begins to pass quickly when it becomes monotonous...but there is always war to change all of that.

The divided ideals competing for space all converge in the culmination that would become The Great War. Anarchists, Communists, Militarists, Nationalism, Royalty and ruling classes, workers and radicals...it erupts into war, as it always seems to do. Swept up in a wave of national pride, our young man, who isn't quite as young as he used to be, enlists in the Army.

The descriptions of life in the trenches between France and Germany reads literally like Hell. It's an emptiness void of humanity, of personality, of choice. It's a never-ending repetition of hopelessness. I've always thought of Barbusse as a writer of bleakness. He sinks into the depth of the human soul and finds the void that exists after each layer is peeled away. There was no doubt in my mind that he could capture that experience, as well as the perspective of the lost man who returns home from the front into a world of patriotic nonsense.

What I didn't expect was the last thirty pages or so which renew the sense of hope from earlier. Love is renewed, though not the same as youthful love, but a deeper understanding of what it means to share a life with someone. And there is an endless hope for humankind. No matter how terrible the forces of war are, the people will always rise up again. The wave of militarism will pass. Equality and Justice will prevail, because regardless of nationality, we are all human.

This is not a light read, but a powerful one.

Weekend Music Roundup

It's that time once again. This week's roundup is mostly new albums that I've been listening to over the past few weeks. There's some dynamite albums on here, including one of the best albums I've ever heard. There's some new stuff by old favorites, and also an album from a terrific new band that I hadn't heard before. There's also an oldie but goodie that I recently was able to pick up. Mostly rock stuff here. Enjoy.

Jason Molina - Eight Gates: This archival release is the first album to be released since Jason passed away seven years ago. He was the first real influential person in my life to die after my father, and it broke me up. It's only time I think I wept for an artist before. Songs: Ohia and Magnolia Electric Co. made so many albums that have spoken to me a deeper level than almost anything else. This album is bleak and beautiful and represents a proper closing chapter to his wonderful career. Not much to say except that this is a haunting masterpiece.
Black Ends - Stay Evil: The newest EP from the Seattle indie band is one of the best sounds I've heard out the great Northwestern town since Nacho Picasso. This definitely has roots in the underground vibe that Seattle as always had. This brave and goes in surprising directions, reminding me of the most psychedelic of the late 80's early 90's bands. "Monday Mourning" and the title track are amazing. My only complaint is that it's only four tracks long. I'm definitely going to explore their other EPs on their Bandcamp site.

The Bonnevilles - Meet the Bonnevilles!: Released in 1962, this Milwaukee band is one of those early rock 'n roll bands that was built on back beat. This is a rare record, one that I'd searching for, mostly because of 12 year old Wendy Colby's dynamic vocals on two tracks. It's usually very pricey, ranging around $100, but I found a very nice copy priced at $20 and snatched it up. Beyond Wendy's tracks, it's pretty solid early beat stuff. A nice addition to the collection.

Sea Wolf - Through a Dark Wood: It's been six years since the L.A. indie band last released anything. This is the band's fifth album and came out this past Spring. There blend of indie rock mixes folk influences with indie pop and definitely feels born out of the late 00's along with bands like Wolf Parade, Sunset Rubdown and The Dears. Despite the long lay-off, this album picks up right where they left off and stands as their most complete work to date.

Brendan Benson - Dear Life: It's been seven years since the Detroit native's last solo album, but fresh off a year of Raconteurs success, he's returned with his seventh solo record. This is more like his songs on Raconteurs last album than he previous solo stuff. A lot of power pop rock riffs and his usually musings about life. His confidence shine on this record. He's a professional, and perhaps that one thing it suffers from...it's polished. But still, a decent album with some decent songs. "I Can If You Want Me to," and "Good to Be Alive" are personal favorites. 

Now it's Dark...

One of my favorite pandemic binge watches has been Dark, the German language original Netflix show. Having caught up with the first two seasons, I was eager to watch the new third season that just began streaming last month.
Admittedly, this last season started off a bit of a mess. As if it weren't hard enough to keep track of dozen of characters throughout three different time periods, they added a mirror world, with mirror time periods, oh, why not throw in like six or seven other time periods. To say it makes your brain hurt is an understatement. To say you spend the first five or so episodes scrambling to keep up, is also an understatement.

However, when it all came to a close, it became clear that all of that confusion was necessary in order to wrap up the complicated story in a way that felt conclusive and stratifying. Easily one of the best sci-fi stories involving time travel that has ever been made.

Weekend Music Roundup

The weekend is here and we're right in the thick of summer up in the Hudson Valley with the mercury burning around 90 for the next several days. Though I hate that weather, the plus side is records spinning, volume blazing, and windows open so that my good musical taste is forced upon the neighbors. This week features a couple of new releases, and a bunch of recent acquisitions, mostly of newer stuff. It's mostly rock on here, with one jazz record. There's a full on Jazz roundup coming soon...so you've been warned. Enjoy.

Liam Gallagher - MTV Unplugged: Released last month, this is the recording of the Manchester show that aired last fall. It was one of those triumphant hometown returns that see a superstar once again claiming his throne. Liam has been on a skyward trajectory since his first solo album a few years ago, and the wonderful follow-up last year. Taking solo songs, and Oasis songs and doing them acoustically, what could go wrong. "Sad Song" is a highlight for me, since it was a song that only Noel had sung previously.
Built to Spill - Plays the Songs of Daniel Johnston: For their first album in five years, the iconic indie band released this album of covers of songs by the late Daniel Johnston. Though recorded in 2018, Johnston passed away last Fall. This is a wonderful tribute and they play these songs with a soft sensibility that feels right, and which has always suited them as well. There's a Buddy Holly simplicity and beauty to these songs that I really enjoy. "Honey I Sure Miss You," "Good Morning You," "Heart Mind and Soul," and "Fish" are personal favorites.

Green River - Rehab Doll: The only full length album released by the Seattle band featuring members who would go on to form Mudhoney and Pearl Jam came out in 1988 and one the founding bands of what would grow into the "grunge" movement. The title track is a blueprint for rock music that would emerge over the next five years, while also showing the influence of glam punk on what would become grunge. There's a sleaze element to the guitar and strained vocals. Had this band not splintered into two of the bigger bands of the scene, surely they would have been in the forefront of the coming rock revolution.

Balloon Pilot - Blankets: I know very little about this German indie band except that this is their second album, released this year. Their previous album was released eight years ago. I'm sure the story of what happened between those two is quite interesting. I gave this a listen on a whim and I'm glad I did. I suppose you could call it indie-pop, though that label is used so often these days, it's hard to define. This isn't happy pop, there is a dreary cloud that hangs over it, reminding me of some great albums from the late '90s early '00s by bands like Medal, Haven, Travis and Starsailor. This falls into that category and it was a perfect soundtrack for my rainy winter morning drives. "My Biggest Aim," "Here Goes My Sleep," "Your Eyes," and "You'll Be a Part of Mine" are my personal favorites.
Pat Metheny & Lyle Mays - As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls: Released in 1981, this still has that "last gas of the 70s" feel to it, but I mean that in a good way. It's a new age-y jazz fusion album that seems to tap into 70s sci-fi themes. The title track, which takes up the entire first side of the record, has an eerie film score feel to, and I found myself transfixed. The second side is a little more upbeat, but has darker, contemplative moments that make it less adult-contempo than Pat sometimes can feel. Very nice relaxing album.

Electric Acid - TrouperspHEARe: The debut album from the German rock band was released back in January. This is clearly inspired by 70s hard rock, with its heavy blues feel. It reminds me of early Heart, and not simply because it features female vocals, but also its Zeppelin sound. This is a solid okay in my book and worth a listen, but definitely not anything that leaves a lasting impression. "That's Gettin' Me Down," and "The Stray" are my favorites. 

I Know This Much is True

While so much remains unknown about COVID-19, I think it definitely be said that it has been good for binge watching...as least for a lot of us. Having finished True Detective and waiting for the new season of Dark, we dove into HBO's adaptation of Wally Lamb's I Know This Much is True. This was a project that most people around here knew about, seeing as it was shot in my town and neighboring towns, despite being set in western Connecticut.

This is not an uplifting story, but it's a powerful one. Mark Ruffalo plays twin brothers, one who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and another who suffers from a savior complex. These identical twins are both tortured souls, but whose pain is far from identical. It's a story about how the mistakes of the past are often connected with the struggles of the present. It's about forgiveness, not only of others, but of your own failings.

I admit to having never read the book, though it has always been one of those books that I've looked at, so I cannot compare it to the book. But as a mini-series, it was very moving. One of the biggest surprises for me was Rosie O'Donnell, an actress whose work I rarely care for. She was absolutely brilliant in this, and I've gained a completely new respect for her.

Weekend Music Roundup

It's a holiday weekend...perhaps the last birthday of America, or maybe the first birthday of a new America. Either way, there will always be music. When the rest of the world goes nuts, there's always music and it will always be my first means of escape. This week I'm looking at some new releases I've been checking out as well as some old discoveries. Some nice surprises, and also features one of my favorite albums of the year so far. Enjoy.

Man Man - Dream Hunting in the Valley of the In-Between: This is the Philly experimental indie band's first album in seven years. I pre-ordered the color vinyl, which was delayed but finally arrived. I've been a big fan of these guys since their debut 16 years ago. They have Tom Wait's feel them, but still contemporary. I was a little worried about the long layoff, but this is a triumphant return. Probably their most complete and mature work to date. I can't stop listening to it. Fantastic.
Pink Floyd - Live '67-'69: Released in 1987, this bootleg features many BBC recordings of early Floyd singles as well as their there late '60s experimental pieces. I'd been looking for a copy of "The Man" and "The Journey", a short-lived set they were doing in '69, and this bootleg features some of those songs, and also great lesser known gems like "Julia Dream" and "Point Me at the Sky". I found it in a shop during a recent visit to Cape Cod, a store that is grossly overpriced, but has a solid selections of fine bootlegs. These songs were the soundtrack of my creative life at the age of 16 and 17, and still move me to create.
Open Hand - Honey: The third and last album from the Hollywood rock band was released ten years ago, and recently was re-issued. This is a band that was born out of the ashes of the L.A. hardcore scene and falls into that post-hardcore category which blends fuzzy shoegaze vocals with heavy edge rhythm and guitar of hardcore. This is a decent album, though it can get a little bland for my taste at times. "The Hand" and "So Far" are standouts for me.
Pearl Jam - Gigaton: The 11th album from one of the current elder statesman of rock was released this past spring. Though never my favorite band of the early 90s rock revolution, they have proven themselves to be one of the most sustainable and consistent rock bands of the last 30 years. This band has not really evolved over time, but instead has chosen to stay what they've always been, a band steeply based in 70s hard rock. It opens with the classic PJ formula track, "Who Ever Said" and from there continues to follow their proven formula. "Superblood Wolfmoon," "Retrograde," and "River Cross" are my personal favorites on this decent album.

Jesse Malin - The Fine Art of Self Destruction: In the mid-90's, Jesse led the NYC punk band D*Generation. And while the band never made mainstream success, for a brief time they were kings of the underground NYC punk scene. It was a crash-and-burn outfit and in 2002, this solo album emerged. He sort of channels Elliot Smith meets Thurston Moore in these honest singer songwriter tracks, and this new deluxe edition includes a bonus album of demos and rarities. "Queen of the Underworld," "Brooklyn," "Riding on the Subway," "Bad Friday," "Sorrow," and the cover of "Hungry Heart," are standouts. His solo career continues, having released his eighth solo album last year.
Lester Young - Pres is Blue: Recorded in 1950, but not released until '62, two years after his death, this live recording captures the cool jazz sound of Lester (known as Pres). A disciple of Colman Hawkins and Count Basie, his sound is well steeped in the cool jazz tradition. Aaron Bell on bass is amazing on this recording, and Lester plays blue jazz perfectly. Some nice ambient background noises really let you experience the feel of a jazz club back in the hey-day.