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.
I’m in Instagram jail, and I can’t follow any new accounts. They say it’ll only last 48 hours, but those hours include Friday morning, and they advise against posting until I’m out. So it’s a forced detox, which isn’t the worst thing in the world. I’ll either r
I’m not done processing Niko Stratis’ book yet. It’s been more than a week since I finished reading it, and almost a week since I wrote about it, but it bubbles up in my memory constantly. It’s already one of the top 5 nonfiction books of the year for me.
Regular readers know that I’m the dad of a trandgender kid, I grew up in a remote, small town, and had issues with alcohol. I write about music a lot (though nobody pays me to do it). There are so many ways that I relate to her story, and I think it’s a book I’ll be gifting to a couple people this Christmas.
There are links to a couple of excerpts from Stratis’ book here and here, so if you’re at all interested, check them out to see if her writing is up your alley. (spoiler: it is.)
One thing about Stratis’s book is that her definition of dad rock includes Courtney Barnett, HAIM and Neko Case. It’s about songs from people with wisdom to share, not just dour dudes with drinking problems.
I’m going to do a post on the pivotal songs from my life in the same vein as Stratis. It’s obviously not as impactful as her list because (a) she’s an incredible writer, and (b) her story is more compelling than mine. What are the most important songs in your life?
The other two books I wrote about this week are also very good - Concrete Dreamland and Rebel Girl, and they all have a connection to the Beastie Boys (though it’s a stretch for one of them).
And now:
Off the blog: links you shouldn’t miss
Here’s a new word you already know the definition of: a familect is the language spoken only inside a family. In my house, the rotisserie chicken place is known as “Swish Ballet”
Finding Good and Short Books plots the NPR best books for each year starting in 2013, by sales rank and page count. It’s interesting, but I haven’t had much time to play with it.
That time I went through the U.S. psychic spy program and saw an angel: Journalist Jen Gerson, inspired by a book by Annie Jacobsen, does exactly what the headline promises. It’s an excellent piece of writing:
Reading this is going to feel a little like being there, like following me right through the looking glass and into an altered state in which vivid hallucination merges with a grounded assessment of what the program offers.
It gets weird. Please bear with me.
Why Private Equity Needs You More Than You Need Them: If reading Bad Company made you furious, you might dig this piece about why the glory days of PE might be coming to an end.
Sarah Wynn Williams might be bankrupted by Facebook. The author of Careless People is in deep shit, maybe. I still don’t really get her whole deal.
The only legitimate reason for not applying for support of your creative practice is if you already have enough time and money to do whatever it is you do. That’s it. Everyone else, sharpen your fucking pencils and get to work.
Virality is not building fandom: The Line of Best Fit makes a case for intention in finding music because social platforms and algorighms aren’t doing the job anymore, based on this report
My Literary Fiction is More Literary Than Yours: A new way of thinking about the whole literary/upmarket/genre fiction debate.
Booker Prize Shortlist I’ve read exactly zero of these books. Do you have recommendations?
How to be a good literary citizen by Maris Kreizman. Yes to everything here, I’m missing the Word on The Street festival in Toronto this weekend and I’m salty about it.
Ed Zitron is Mad as Hell: I think Zitron’s bit is tiring even though I largely agree with him. This profile in FT validates my feelings.
AI Workslop is Destroying Productivity: I have a longer piece about AI coming next week (time permitting) and this is going to be a part of it.
The ISS Piss Tracker is a Bluesky account that tracks the level of the pee tank on the space station. Why? Here’s why.
What got your attention this week? Got a hot take on something? Hit reply and let me know.
On the Blog
Listening:
Dear Tash: for people who loved the first Garbage record
Adore: Like the younger siblings of SPRINTS
People Mover: Aussie indie rock with fantastic songwriting
Rest Up: French art-rock that puts its foot on your neck
The Setlist: 2 hours of new music.
A more electronic-leaning list today, with feature tracks from I’ll Show You Magic, Joyer and The Thing Is….
Listen on Apple Music or Spotify.
Reading:
The Dad Rock that Made Me a Woman is essential reading
Concrete Dreamland is very good, even if you don’t know who Patrick Dougher is
Rebel Girl is also brilliant, a classic memoir it took me too long to get to.
The Shortlist: There’s a story set where I used to live! It’s among a handful of fantastic stuff. Read ‘em here.
Something I should read or hear? Send it my way
Next week: Oh man, there’s so much great music out there right now. Just today, Sofia and the Antoinettes, SPRINTS, Talon, Grumpy and Coach Party are on my weekend listening plans. What have I missed? What are you spinning?
-hugh
Copyright (C) " target="_blank">unsubscribe