Welcome Distractions
New music, book reviews, short stories and more from blog this week
Plus lots of links to other good stuff that didn’t get there (yet)
Hi! You’re here! Thank you.
This’ll be brief. I’m writing this on Wednesday afternoon, because tomorrow I’m off for a long weekend in Montreal. It’s been almost 20 years since my last visit, and I can’t wait to be back.
I do know that Speaking In Tongues week was really interesting. The books by Coetzee & Dimópulos and Lahiri complemented each other well, and tied in nicely with finding a band that performs a couple songs in Polish, and another that wrote a whole album about an architecture style.
A ton of record reviews this morning too. Check out Warburton and his Backstory. It’ll break your heart, but the music is unbelievable.
Anyway, thanks for hanging around, you’re the best.
Got something to share? Lay it on me. And now:
Off the blog: links you shouldn’t miss
Merriam Webster breaks the bad news: irregardless is a word.
On theme: in Words Without Borders, a clever and funny guide for translators in search of a publisher.
In Vulture, the most savage review of the new Thomas Chatterton Williams book I’ve read (and there have a few)
Summer of Our Discontent: The Age of Certainty and the Demise of Discourse offers a roughly chronological account of the past two decades, from the 2008 election to the protests for Gaza. But editorial indulgence has resulted in such a sludge of footnotes and block quotes that the eye must often dismount and continue on foot.
This is too long, but there’s lots of good in it: The Rage of the AI Guy by Freddie De Boer. I’m in a group chat with a couple guys like this and it’s often insufferable.
Blog fave Chris Dalla Riva strikes again: What are the weirdest lyrics in a hit song? I love reading his methodology for this stuff.
The Why of Substack - I’m increasingly convinced that Substack is about to do a Medium and just kind of flare out. It’s also moving into its enshittification phase pretty quickly. See also: Substack’s extremist ecosystem if flourishing.
What got your attention this week? Got a hot take on something? Hit reply and let me know.
On the Blog
Reading:
Speaking in Tongues week:
The title track from J.M. Coetzee and Mariana Dimópulos, is a short but mind-expanding read.
In Other Words by Jhumpa Lahiri is just stunning
I Gave You Eyes and You Looked Toward Darkness is either one of the worst or one of the best books you’ll read. Nothing in between.
The Shortlist: Six stories: Jhumpa Lahiri, John Jodzio, Jan Hassman, Andrew Bertaina, Stefanie K. Yang, and Quinn Green. Read them here.
Got a short story? Send it my way
Listening:
Parastatic’s album Concrete Reborn let me make an amazing ‘dancing about architecture’ refrerence
SNAKES SNAKES SNAKES does psychedelic punk rock just as hard in Polish and English
mall goth’s debut EP is varied, heartfelt and great
Westside Cowboy is gonna blow up. Like maybe next year’s Mercury Prize.
Wombo makes weird music that grew on me.
The Setlist: 2 hours of great music. Standout tracks from Silks, Reverie and Prewn.
Listen on Apple Music or Spotify.
What’s on your playlist? Send me your faves
Next week: I lied about the music this week, it’ll be next week. It took me longer than expected to get through one of the books. But I have a whole thing ready to go with women in rock music. Should be fun.
Merci et au revoir!
-hugh
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