Turn Down the Music and Read: Confidence or the Appearance of Confidence

Here’s To The Girls They Were Thank the Universe (for My Aunt)

Turn Down the Music and Read: Confidence or the Appearance of Confidence

I have a major crush on McSweeney’s, the San Francisco publishing company founded by Dave Eggers that operates not just a daily humor site and a quarterly literary journal, not just a monthly magazine called The Believer, and not just a growing book publishing arm. No, they also have a vibrant national nonprofit – the San Francisco branch is called and located at 826 Valencia – that promotes writing for young people, especially those in underserved schools. And if that weren’t enough, they have A PIRATE STORE. Yes, the 826 Valencia storefront is your go-to spot for planks, eye patches, and other paraphernalia. For all I know, McSweeney’s keeps bees and builds nuclear power plants on the weekend. It wouldn’t surprise me a bit.

So when I saw the vibrant yellow, red, and black cover of Confidence or the Appearance of Confidence: The Best of Believer Music Interviews,(McSweeneys, 2014) of course I had to have it. I am writing this review before I finish it, because at the rate I’m purposely savoring this collection, it’ll be summer by the time I get to the last one, with Leslie Feist being interviewed by Claudia Dey.

These interviews, which took place between the years 2003 and 2013 and are presented chronologically, are not your typical music magazine interviews. They’re more like listening to the conversations of two cool kids who don’t mind you eavesdropping. They talk about non-music stuff as much as, if not more, than their musical journeys, and the Believer interviewers don’t just tolerate the tangents but encourage them. Pat Benatar pretty much sounds like every mother of grown children who is still measuring to see if she did her job right, as evidenced by her children’s lifestyle choices. Steve Malkmus of Pavement talks at length about why “Paul Rudd” is such an unfortunate name. And who knew Jack White was an upholsterer in his earlier life?

The interviewers themselves are as interesting as the subjects, with Patton Oswalt, Miranda July, and Eggers among the crew asking the questions. One of my favorite interviews thus far is Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam being interviewed by fellow Pacific Northwest music diety Carrie Brownstein, of Sleater Kinney and the television show “Portlandia.” Having one successful musician ask informed questions of another seems to elicit a less guarded answer, and the follow ups take us into territory that we mere mortals might not even know to ask about.

The artists featured are from every corner of the music world, from British Sri Lankan performer M.I.A. to indie goddess Karen O to jazz guitarist Pat Martino and composer Nico Muhly. You will definitely know some people in this book. You will definitely NOT know others. That’s what makes it such an edifying read.

I’m going to have to insist you buy this one in hard copy, not an eVersion (though I doubt one even exists.)The interviews are short, the paper stock is gorgeous, the cover illustrations by Charles Burn are eye catching in a Roy Lichtensteinian way. This book is why summer, and beaches, and beach bags, and bookmarks exist. You can take this with you everywhere and read an interview or two and, like me, stretch it out for as long as humanly possible.

Here’s a tune from one of the interview subjects, Irma Thomas, the Soul Queen of New Orleans, singing “You Can Have My Husband (But Don’t Mess With My Man.)”

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You’re feeling sleepy…very sleepy…either you need more coffee, or you just clicked through to read the guest post I have on TueNight.com today, about my Top 10 Sleep Songs. Check it out, though you should probably let the dog out to do his business and put on your jammies first. It’s that potent.