For the little over a year I’ve been listening to The Crьxshadows, I’ve been enraptured by the band. DreamCypher, their new album, won’t be out until January, but “Sophia”, the first single, is out now and debuted at #1 and #7 on the Billboard dance and singles charts, respectively. The song is beautiful and I’m looking forward to hearing the full album in the new year.
Over at Lists of Bests I’ve been working my way though Pitchfork Media’s “Top 100 Albums of the 1990s” (I’m at 90/100) and discovering many artists and albums I was unaware of before. His Name Is Alive has been one band that has completely captured my attention. Diverse, beautiful and surprising, this music was well described as “Like dating a star-crossed werewolf behind your parents’ back.” I’ve been enjoying each of their albums, with the recent Detrola being my favourite. It’s a superbly produced, moving and fresh album that has been in my headphones for a couple weeks now. “Sometimes Screw” is the highlight for me and I’ve had the erotic chorus stuck in my head for a while now. If you want a sample of the band’s work, they have Someday RMX, a remix album, available for free download now!
Do any of you remember the Gin Blossoms? I loved the albums they released in the 90’s and was pleased to find their new album picks up where those left off. Major Lodge Victory is everything I’d expect from the band, with wonderful rock, alt-country and pop tunes that easily become a soundtrack to lives. The band hasn’t lost any of their sharpness and offer nostalgic hints and sweet hooks that had me from the first listen.
I’m entirely in love with Metric, Broken Social Scene and the other projects Emily Haines has worked on, and her solo debut, Knives Don’t Have Your Back is on the same level as those. Intimate, graceful and exquisitely crafted, it’s become a perfect fit for this autumn. It’ll no doubt be accompanying me during my walks through dead leaves throughout November.
I discovered Found Magazine years ago and was enchanted by the glimpses into the private lives of strangers it offered. The magazine and the subsequent book collections, bring together photographs, notes, drawings and other items that were lost, abandoned or forgotten, leading to beautiful, heartbreaking, funny and facinating hints at lives we may never know. This past week I read Found II and had a wonderful time exploring each page.
Max Barry is now cemented as one of my favourite fiction authors. So far he’s been focused on corporate satire and does an amazing job of depicting the more absurd elements of business life. I finally read Company and Syrup lately and enjoyed them immensely. Be sure to check his work out for completely entertaining and sharp stories.
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2 comments on “For Each Bookworm, Headphone Junkie and Story Drinker 2”
I saw the Cruxshadows a few feet away from me in person several times at Dragon Con I think they put on a show that weekend. I didn’t know you liked them.
I’ve always loved Emily Haines’s music, well you know that.
Wow, that makes two people I know who have seen the band in person. Yeah, I’ve become a huge fan of the band, ever since Susana introduced me to them.
Yeah, I remember that you liked Emily. Did you ever hear the Stars songs she did on their early songs?