Brian James's Blog, page 2

Fiction Friday (139)

 

Being the nerd that I am, I'd been waiting anxiously for Hollowpox (the third Nevermoor book) to come out. I'd been waiting since I finished the second book over two years ago. Then, when it finally did come out last October, life got in the way as life will do. I bought the book a few months ago, but had a lot of reading obligations. Also, this was the series that really inspired me to pursue the middle grade novel that I've been working on for two years and I wanted to wait until I was far enough into the manuscript that it wouldn't influence me. Oh, the complications of the reading life of a writer!

Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend(Little Brown, 2020)

Morrigan Crow has just finished her first year at the Wundrous Society and is finally beginning to feel at home, but being the only Wundersmith in a hundred years, things are bound to get complicated. Her instructors have finally agreed to instruct her the Wundrous Arts, using lessons from the past that have been frozen in time using "ghostly hours." For once, Morrigan believes she just might learn to be a true Wundersmith after all...then a mysterious sickness begins to disrupt life in the Free State of Nevermoor. 

As more and more Wunimals are infected, turning them into regular animals, the city is on the verge of panic. Morrigan soon discovers that she is the only one who can fix it...but she will need the help of the villainous Ezra Squall to do it. 

As with the previous two novels, there is such a careful build-up with scenes that engross the reader in Morrigan's world that you secretly hope the story never ends. It is clear why this book was postponed so often, it was because Townsend was busy weaving together a brilliant tale, while also building the bigger story so perfectly. The expectations for this book were through the roof and she rose to the challenge. Bravo!

Weekend Music Roundup

 

The weekend is here, and the Roundup finally returns! It's been a few weeks since I've posted. The summer just sort of got away from me, the way summer's often do. But the music keeps on playing even if I haven't written about it. This is a bit of an eclectic list, which means there some things to perk some interest. Happy listening. Enjoy.

Current Joy - Voyager: The newest album from the indie artist on one of my favorite labels (Secretly Canadian) is bit of a 80s inspired pop rock, a kind of Ryan Adams record but with fits of chaotic energy that make it unpredictable and enjoyable throughout. "Breaking the Waves," "American Honey," "Amateur," and "Voyager Pt 2" are personal favorites on this solid record. 

 

Elton John - Victim of Love: By '79, Elton was awash in drugs and this disco effort is a prime example of a coked-up odyssey. If it wasn't clear by the cover, it instantly becomes clear with the opening track, possibly the longest version of Johnny B. Goode ever made. Though pretty much panned when it came out, and still one his most un-loved albums, it's actually pretty enjoyable and one of those albums that bridges the blues based nature of 70s pop rock and the slicker style of 80s pop rock. 

 

Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells a Story: After leaving the Jeff Beck Group and joining the Faces, Rod also embarked on his solo career in the early 70s. Released in 1971, the same year the Faces' "A Nod is as Good as Wink...", this is probably Rod's most beloved solo record and features "Maggie May" as the opener for Side B. As followers of the Roundup may have noticed, I've been really into Rod these days and consider him one of the best true barroom vocalists. There's a grittiness to his voice that is so soothing and catchy. You can usually find a copy of this in the cheap bin, and it will always be worth the few dollars you pay. 

 

Royal Trux - Pound for Pound: Released in 2000, twelve years after the Chicago noise rock band's debut. This is one of those bands that's listened to on and off for a good two decades, but never found an album that I really connected to. This one, I did. It's a little more garage rock than some of the albums that came before it, a little easier to get into. I will definitely go back and explore their CDs that I have in my collection. I often find that once I connect with something a band does, I can connect with other albums that I may not have connected with before.  

 

Big Mama Thornton - Stronger Than Dirt: Released in '69, almost 20 years into the southern blues singer's career, this album is a powerhouse of soulful blues. There are many classic songs on here, each of them transformed by her captivating voice. This was one of those albums I picked up for a few dollars and instantly felt that it was worth 10x what I paid. 

The Cult - Electric: The third album from the London band was their released in '87 and sees them move away from their gothic roots and establish themselves as a hard rock band. Ian Astbury does his best Jim Morrison on here, oozing an electric vibe over grinding guitar riffs. It was the album that came after this, Sonic Temple that hooked me when I was a tween, with the powerhouse "Fire Woman". What I didn't know at the time is that this album is filled with "Fire Woman" type tracks and a much more solid album. Great late 80s hard rock that fits in with the sound coming out of L.A. at the time.

 

 

Fiction Friday (138)

 

I recently picked up a new(ish) YA novel to read, one that seemed to have some positive buzz, and one that had a premise that intrigued me. It was also a debut novel, and I've been trying to read a few more of those these days, attempting to see what this new generation of writers has to say. 

Some Kind of Animal by Maria Romasco-Moore(Delecorte, 2020)

Fifteen old Jolene lives in a dead mining town in the southern Ohio mountains, just waiting for the day she can escape with her twin sister, a sister nobody knows exists except for her. It turns out there are a lot of things that people in this nowhere town don't know, though it doesn't stop them from believing they do. One night, Jo's sister makes herself known, unraveling the threads of Jo's double life and shattering both of their worlds. 

This debut novel's strength is the ability to pull the reader into the world of it's woods, making something that is very real feel very fantastical. Because the setting and constant threat of danger, the reader is pulled into to the story which, when you step back, is completely implausible. 

I enjoyed reading this, and the imagination of it certainly occupied my thoughts, but I did have problems with it. There was a tendency for the main character to consistently repeat her thoughts on a number of subjects, thoughts that never changed and therefore did not bear repeating. The characters were also pretty unlikable, with the exception of the wild child. There was also no attempt to disguise the hatred of males that weaves throughout the book, which I'm sort of okay with because men are generally horrible. One of the male characters (one who actually does nothing wrong) is actually murdered, a murder that is totally brushed aside. 

This is one of those books that I think the author did their job, but the editor did not.

Weekend Music Roundup

 

Well, another week has passed where I didn't post anything between Roundups, but that's not going to keep me from posting another roundup. This is a pretty random collection of stuff that I've been jamming to recently. It includes a couple of Record Store Day releases, one from each of the two drops. There's some new, some old, and whatever I've been exploring. Keep exploring, that's my motto. Enjoy.

Czarface - Czar Noir: These days Record Store Day releases are typically repackaged and re-issued albums and it's rare that an artist releases new material on that day anymore. Well, not these guys. The NYC outfit led by Wu's Inspectah Deck released a new album along with a comic book. This is an instrumental record with super groovy and interesting beats meant to go along with the comic, which is also a fun read. This is really something for collectors more than for casual music listeners.

Comet Gain - Magnetic Poetry: The second full length album from the 90s Oxford indie band was released in 1997. It was a little odd for an indie band during that time to blend so many varying influences. Generally a lo-fi garage band, clearly inspired by The Jam, as well as northern jangle pop, though far more punk inspired than the more mainstream contemporaries. I really wish I had been clued in to this when it came out, it would have been right up my alley. Still quite enjoyable.    Todd Rundgren - Todd: By the mid-70s, Rundgren had established himself as one of the leading progressive psychedelic pop artists with his solo work and with Nazz. This album was released in '74, a year after his legendary "A Wizard, a True Star" record. Like that album, he continues to explore experimental rock on this double album. This takes some solid listening time to truly see how brilliant it is. It's definitely quirky and surreal, and has flashes of the kind of Blue-Eyed soul and classic rock sounds that always creep into his work. I picked up this double LP for a few dollars to continue my exploration of his work. . "The Last Ride," "Everybody's Going to Heaven," "Number 1 Lowest Common Denominator," "Izzat Love," and "Heavy Metal Kids" are standouts.  Andy Bell - All on You EP: Released in June, this EP follows the BritPop icon's debut solo album from last year. Andy has been a member of Ride, Hurricane #1, Beady Eye and Oasis and has been on the forefront of Britpop and British psychedelic pop since the late 80s. This acoustic EP is more toned back than a lot of his more recent projects, but falls in line with some dreamy Ride stuff, though far more lo-fi. Very enjoyable and something long time fans like me can appreciate.   

Richard Hell and the Voidoids - Destiny Street Demos: A Record Store Day release this year, these are the demos for the NYC punk icons' 1982 follow-up to their '77 debut, Blank Generation. They have moved into the art punk on here, but the demos are still a little rougher and have that Television edge to them. By this time, the music world was moving beyond punk and this album fell between the cracks and is one of the last true NYC punk albums from the first wave of punk. 

 Grim Reaper - See You in Hell: The second album from the UK band came out in '83, right at the peak of the NWOBHM movement dominated by Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, Saxon, and Judas Priest. These guys made their biggest impact with this album which is a blistering example of the genre. Shredding guitars, falsetto vocals, and songs about hell being a winning formula. Certainly not essential, but a nice addition to the collection from one of the better second tier bands. 

Weekend Music Roundup

 

It's that time, and though I've missed a weekend here and there during the sweltering heat of the summer and my desperate attempts to escape to the pool, my music listening hasn't stopped. Yesterday was also the second day of Record Store Day of the year, and I was able to pick up the two releases that I was really looking for. In that spirit, I've included some reviews of items I picked up on the first RSD. Enjoy.

The Sword - Age of Winters: The 2006 debut from the Austin stoner metal band was re-issued on purple wax this year for Record Store Day. This was the one Sword album missing from my collection and was glad the local shop had it on RSD. As with most debut albums, there a rawness to this one that becomes more polished on subsequent albums. That's not a criticism, as I do enjoy a polished sound, but with stoner metal, there's something special about the heathenism and energy that comes through with a raw sound. \nn/

Paice Ashton Lord - Malice in Wonderland: Released in 1977, this is the only album from the UK group consisting of members of other bands, most notably Ian Paice the founding drummer of Deep Purple and early drummer for Whitesnake. I picked this up for a few bucks, mostly because I'll pick up anything Wonderland related, but on top of that, this is a great dirty hard rock album from the age of disco when rock was sleazy and amphetamine groovy. It opens with the fantastic "Ghost Story" and then just gets more drug soaked and interesting. "Arabella," "Sneaky Private Eye," "I'm Gonna Stop Drinking," and the title track are standouts on this solid hard rock album.

 

The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin Companion: Released in '99, The Soft Bulletin was the breakout album for the Oklahoma neo-psych band. This album of outtakes and alternate mixes was originally a burned CD that their manager gave out to friends and fans at the time because they felt there was just so much great unused music. The album was officially released on vinyl for Record Store Day and is definitely worthy of the mythical hype. This is the period where the band perfected their signature sound and these are definitely quality tracks and I'm really glad they finally are available to a wider (albeit not so wide) audience.

 

Otis Redding - The Soul Album: The soul legend's fourth album was his fourth in two years. He was on top of his game. He was the heart and soul of Stax Records. This album was in a FREE crate because the cover was less than perfect, but the wax was fine. There's some pops and cracks, but in all the right places for this kind of record. Songs that make you feel. He would die less than two years later at the age of 26.

 

Supertramp - Breakfast in America: The London prog rock band's sixth album was released 1979, and in edition to being their most popular album, it also has one of the most iconic album covers of all time. By this time, the band had sort of abandoned their prog roots in favor of pop rock, which is probably why this album was so successful. And to be fair, there are a lot of pop rock classics on here, including "Take the Long Way Home," "Logical Song," and the title track. A great example of late 70s rock that holds up and is still an enjoyable listen. 

Rod Steward - An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down: Rod's debut solo album came out in 1970, one month before his first album as a member of Faces. For the longest time, I was big naysayer on Rod the Mod, but over the past few years have really grown to appreciate his talent. He makes music that completely captures the bar room vibe, a blues inspire rock that goes down easily and makes you smile. There are blistering tracks on here, including "Blind Prayer," "Handbags and Gladrags," and "Cindy's Lament."

 

Fiction Friday (137)

 

 

Having been stuck in a loop of contemporary literature, both adult and young adult, primarily due to my librarian responsibilities, I wanted to take a break from that to read a couple of short books as a way of recharging. This book was one gifted to me recently. I met Alan in a writer's group I co-host at the library and find him to be a gifted writer and was excited to read this.

 

The Wedge by Alan M. Weber(CreateSpace, 2015)

Even the casual observer of American politics would be able to tell you that the political system has been broken for decades, but the more keen observer would be able to present a laundry list of why that is. One of the biggest destroyers in the past 20 years has been the exploitation of wedge issues. Those wedge issues have been hammered so far into the system that they have done their job in splitting everything into two.

This allegorical novel introduces readers to a political science professor who has has enough and devises a plan to fix this broken system. With the help of his best friend, also a political activist, Steven Wellstone creates a campaign driven only on wedge issues, only to speaking populist soundbites made to appeal to whoever he is speaking to at the moment. In the process, he unites fringe groups to create an agenda that very much predicts what would evolve into Trumpism a year after this book was published. Unlike Trump, Steven's plan is to reveal his entire campaign as a farce as well to teach people of how manipulative the system truly is.

It's an interesting concept to consider, one that any political junky would enjoying puzzling over.

Fiction Friday (136)

 

 

My exploration of contemporary literature continues with the latest book by Pulitzer Prize winning author Jane Smiley's new book which came out in December. This was another Book Club book, and one that I was excited to read. It's been a while since I read any "talking animal" literature, probably too long given me affinity for the sub-genre. It's also been awhile since I read a book that so was joyful...something I do actually enjoy every now and then.

Perestroika in Paris by Jane Smiley(Knopf 2020)

When a racehorse named Perestroika (Peres) wanders away from the track one evening after a win, taking with her the purse containing money won on her victory, she is simply following her curiosity and the patches of vegetation that lead her eventually the Champ de Mars in the shadow of the Eiffel tower. The filly's unlikely journey leads to a more unlikely adventure with the unlikeliest of friends; an intelligent stray dog named Frida, a raven, two ducks, and lovable rat named Kurt. 

This delightful novel follows these animal friends over the course of an autumn, winter, and spring as they use the money to purchase food and eventually end up living with an eight year boy and his nearly hundred year great-grandma. Smiley invites into the intimate and fascinating world that exists unnoticed by most, and once you've visited, it's unlikely you'll want to leave.

A novel that has a classic feel, told with unquestionable skill.

Weekend Music Roundup (Jazz Edition)

 

It's the weekend, and time to roundup some music. Looking over my list, I decided it was about time to do another Jazz themed weekend. So I apologize to all you uncultured non-Jazz fans, but jazz it is. I've written over the past few years about how my interest in jazz has grown way beyond what it had been in my youth. I've delved deeper into the archives of jazz to find new artists, new sounds, and enjoy the different feelings and ideas that they conjure up. Enjoy.

 Harlan Leonard - Harlan Leonard and His Rockets 1940: This compilation features 17 or the 23 tracks ever recorded by the "forgotten man of Kansas City." After Basie left for NYC, Harlan took over his slots in K.C. clubs. It is classic swing jazz, and all of the players talented. There's not many of these records, thankfully though rare, it's not highly sought after. I stumbled across it during a sale at the local shop and ended up paying $2 for it, a total steal.

Donald Byrd - Platinum Selection: Donald Byrd is one of the most renowned trumpeters of the hard-bop era, releasing lots of music in the 50's-60's, mostly for Blue Note. This newly released digital compilation focuses primarily on that era, rather than his fusion stuff of the 70s. It's a pretty fantastic collection of music that highlights the power of the hard bop era and why it remains one of the most popular sub genres of jazz. There's soul in chaos of this music and it shines through.

Gerry Mulligan - The King of Jazz: A remastered digital compilation from one of the undisputed kings of Cool Jazz. I've been really into this West Coast late 50s early 60s time period and the laid back smoothness it captures. L.A. during this time was the golden age of Hollywood, the glorious simplicity of evolving consciousness that was taking place in the Beat Generation writers is present in the cool jazz of Mulligan and Baker and Pepper. It's swinging stuff, and it's all together cool.  

Gertrude "Ma" Rainey - Archive of Jazz Volume 28: I've picked up a lot of albums in this "Archive of Jazz" series over the past few years. They usually feature artists whose work isn't widely available, and wasn't ever widely available on LP. Ma Rainey is one such artist. She released a lot of singles back in teh '20s and was a fine vaudeville blues singer with a great voice. This compilation collects a lot of her recordings and was a nice addition to my collection.

Bunk Johnson and His Superior Jazz Band: This compilation was originally released in in '62, but recorded in '42. Bunk is one of the New Orleans jazz legends. He blows that sweet Dixieland jazz that always blows me away because it simply doesn't sound like anything else in the world. It captures a moment in time, in specific place, in music. "Ballin' the Jack" and "Make Me a Pallet on the Floor" were two tracks that stood out to me, but I've always felt that Dixieland was kind of an experience, with no divide between songs, it's all just one great ride.

 

Fats Navarro - Good Bait: One of the great Be-Bop trumpeters of the early 20th Century, Fats is one of the musicians whose catalog I've been digging into over the past few years and will generally snatch up any vinyl that I come across. This collection was released in '68, eighteen years after his death. I love the manic energy that comes through in Be-Bop, that cartoon jazz chaos. The title track is simply amazing.

 

Fiction Friday (135)

 

The cultural revolution of the 60s saw many writers examining things that had been left untouched for a long time. There was a wave of fiction that tried to tell the stories of characters who didn't fit the norms. Recently, my library weeded a large number of books that had fallen out of circulation and this is one of the many that I saved from the dumpster. I was attracted by the old style cover, but was soon taken by the story. The last 20 pages are pure beauty.

Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon by Marjorie Kellog(FSG 1968)

Warren, Arthur, and Junie Moon are three tortured souls who meet in the hospital while recovering from ailments. When these "misfits" make a pact to leave the hospital and live together, no one really believes they will make it. 

Confined to wheelchair after being shot in the back by the only man he ever admitted his love to, Warren is the unofficial leader of the group and the catalyst for almost everything that happens to them. Arthur suffers from a degenerative disease that doctors cannot identify, but perhaps is more plagued by the hurt of abandonment. Junie is a tragic figure who has had her face and hands disfigured by acid burns from a troubled lover. The are individually damaged, but together seek to heal as they move into a rundown house under a large tree that serves as a kind of protector.

Healing is hard, as they soon discover. Healing hurts. But what they find is a sense of belonging with each other, a sense of family which none has ever truly had. They find love and more importantly, acceptance.

Weekend Music Roundup: Record Store Day!

 

Today is one of my most favorite days of the year...Record Store Day. I went out early and waited for the local shop to open. This year, they had all of the titles I was looking for, which was great for me, bad for the wallet. I encourage everyone to get out there today and support your local shops which have been hurting over the past year. In the meantime, here's some things you might look for while your out. Enjoy.

The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan (Alternate Set): This unofficial release of live/broadcast versions of the album was released in 2005 on red vinyl. I recently came across a copy, and seeing as I didn't have this album on vinyl (only CD), I figured it was worth getting since it was alternate takes, it didn't feel like I was buying something I already owned. This was the band's fifth album and saw Jack exploring country influences more and really putting the "garage band" sound behind them. This is a band that always worked amazing live.

 

The Mars Volta - Landscape Tantrums: This newly released archival album explores unfinished demos from the band's debut album which was released in 2003. They're not songs that we don't know. They developed into finished songs eventually. The joy of this album is hearing a band whose music is so complicated in a bit looser form. That is one of the signs of the brilliant bands. That said, this is really an album for fans who know their music.

The Byrds - Sweetheart of the Rodeo: Released in '68, this is the California band's sixth album. This is also the Gram Parson's dominated album. I'd avoided this record until now, despite being a big Byrds fan since college. I avoided it because I knew it was country rock, and knew it would unrecognizable to the Byrds albums I loved. The odd thing about that flawed logic is that I've been Gram fan since right around the same time. I picked this up recently and can't believe I denied myself so long. This is full on country rock and and foreshadows Gram's solo albums that would come out in the early '70s. A landmark album of the genre, this was a glaring hole in my collection. 

Gnome - Six-Hi Surprise Tower: Released in '92, this is the Seattle band's debut album, which would be followed a year later by their last album "Fiberglass," both on 90s Seattle label C/Z. I've had their second album on CD since it came out and recently came across a sealed vinyl copy of this for less than $10. This is a far superior album. It came with a C/Z catalog, and the description in that is pretty fitting: "Bubble-grunge pop-core from the Sub-Pop stable of losers. Early Cheap Trick for the 90's." This is pretty raw and emblematic of the underground Seattle sound of the time, a sound that wasn't ever snatched up by the major labels.

 

Eddie Money - Eddie Money: The '77 debut from the L.A. icon was the one of his first four that I was missing and found a copy recently for a few bucks. It opens with "Two Tickets to Paradise", one of the best side one, track one songs in pop rock history. It also includes "Baby Hold On", those two tracks alone are worth the price of admission. The rest of the album is also solid late '70s rock. This was definitely one that was missing from my collection.   (My official RSD purchases)