Tuesday, April 04, 2006
The white stuff
Snow. Heavy, heavy snow. Falling from the sky. Right now. But I'm over it. I'm not bitter. I enjoy this changeable weather. I welcome it. There's nowhere I'd rather live. Maine! The glory that is Maine! And the bookshop? No customers today, it almost goes without saying.
I didn't read a book last night, because my new issue of Paste magazine came in the mail yesterday, and I spent three hours with my nose in it. I've subscribed for two+ years now, and I don't think there's a better music/culture mag out there, it's quite something. I read it straight through: great writing, tons of quality reviews of music, movies, books, cultural happenings, general cool stuff. And it comes with a music cd sampler (usually over 20 songs) and often with a dvd, too, of music videos, short films, and indie film trailers. This issue has The Flaming Lips on the cover, and contains articles on Calexico, Googie architecture, Josh Ritter, Wim Wenders and Sam Shephard, Alejandro Escovedo, etc., plus the first in a series of articles by author Hollis Gillespie. I played the dvd at work today, loudly (again, no customers, because of the snow) - it includes videos by The Decemberists, Bright Eyes, KT Tunstall, Amos Lee, Liz Phair, Beth Orton, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash... What's not to love. Have I mentioned Paste before? Well, if so, here it is again, because it's that good. If this kind of thing is your cup of tea, I'm just passing on the good news, not trying to sell this to anyone. I recommend it in the same spirit that I might recommend a local family restaurant that serves the best lobster stew and homemade gingerbread in the area (Angler's, in Searsport). Delicious and filling. Yum.
Back to the books, tonight, though, I'm reading the aforementioned Nick Hornby's Songbook again. I can rarely stand to read one good book without then reading everything else I also have by that author - call me compulsive. Favorite quotes to follow, stay tuned.
I didn't read a book last night, because my new issue of Paste magazine came in the mail yesterday, and I spent three hours with my nose in it. I've subscribed for two+ years now, and I don't think there's a better music/culture mag out there, it's quite something. I read it straight through: great writing, tons of quality reviews of music, movies, books, cultural happenings, general cool stuff. And it comes with a music cd sampler (usually over 20 songs) and often with a dvd, too, of music videos, short films, and indie film trailers. This issue has The Flaming Lips on the cover, and contains articles on Calexico, Googie architecture, Josh Ritter, Wim Wenders and Sam Shephard, Alejandro Escovedo, etc., plus the first in a series of articles by author Hollis Gillespie. I played the dvd at work today, loudly (again, no customers, because of the snow) - it includes videos by The Decemberists, Bright Eyes, KT Tunstall, Amos Lee, Liz Phair, Beth Orton, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash... What's not to love. Have I mentioned Paste before? Well, if so, here it is again, because it's that good. If this kind of thing is your cup of tea, I'm just passing on the good news, not trying to sell this to anyone. I recommend it in the same spirit that I might recommend a local family restaurant that serves the best lobster stew and homemade gingerbread in the area (Angler's, in Searsport). Delicious and filling. Yum.
Back to the books, tonight, though, I'm reading the aforementioned Nick Hornby's Songbook again. I can rarely stand to read one good book without then reading everything else I also have by that author - call me compulsive. Favorite quotes to follow, stay tuned.
