i'm working but i'm not working for you

I went out yesterday and I bought some new music. I got to the record shop and I noticed that there were new records by Damon and Naomi(which was actually recommended by Xbox) and Monade. I could have easily picked both of these up and called it a day. However, in accordance with my frustrations, I opted to ignore these. I already have enough Damon and Naomi records, and as much as I like to pretend they're different, Monade is still mostly Stereolab. As you already know, I have an infinite number of Stereolab records, so one more isn't going to help me grow as a music fan or broaden my horizons or any of that good stuff. Instead, I decided to heed the suggestions made to me by Xbox. I picked up the new long players by Keren Ann and The Decemberists. I also cheated, picking up a new (allegedly super rare ) release by Rachel's. Not really a proper release as much as a single. I haven't listened to it yet.

I gave the Keren Ann record a quick listen, and I kinda dig it, in a way that's reminiscent of a bunch of stuff I already like (Autour de Lucie, Laika Múm, just to name a few). For now I'll just say that it's sweet and crafty, partially en français and from what I can tell, the girl is quite a looker. I'll give it a more thorough listen later, but I've been stuck on this Decemberists record. It isn't really in line with what I usually find incredibly compelling, but there really is something that keeps me coming back. And back. And back. I guess it doesn't really matter as long as I like it. I guess part of this has to do with the artwork in the liner notes, but this album sort of has the feel of an evening of one-act plays; they were pieced together intentionally, but they aren't really inextricably linked to one another. Each song stands on its own just fine. I don't know if that makes any sense, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

The weather is absolutely horrid today. Two days ago it was 85º and sunny. Today it's 45º and rainy.

I'm supposed to go check out this book reading tonight over at UNC-G. Dan Chaon is going to be there, reading from his new book, You Remind Me of Me. Although I don't own this book, his first novel, I have both of his short story collections, and I absolutely love them. It's a damn shame this guy isn't as wildly popular with the kids as someone like David Sedaris or Michael Chabon or Don Delillo. His style isn't at all like any one of those guys, but those seem to be the authors that all the hip kids talk about. Chaon ought to be included. So I'm going to brave the rain and the cold to check that out.
I had a million other thoughts I wanted to blogicize about, but I'm racing against time and the clock is heavily favored. More later.

Now playing:

The Decemberists Picaresque