with the young stars of literary hipster america
by daniel handler + photographs by lemony snicket
nobody ever asks writers what they're listening to, when chances are they
spend the whole day listening to cds and staring into space. so this here's
a jukebox jury starring michael chabon (the amazing adventures of kavalier
and clay, the mysteries of pittsburgh, etc.), dave eggers (a heartbreaking
work of staggering genius, editor of mcsweeney's, etc.), daniel clowes
(ghost world, etc.), ayelet waldman (the big nap, etc.) and cameron tuttle
(bad girls guide to the open road, etc.), erika clowes and lisa m brown, who
aren't writers but are married to them and are quite lovely.
s.f. seals
"kid's pirate ship" (confidential)
brown: [laughing] is this really what you're playing? what is this?
chabon: I don't like this at at all.
tuttle: no.
eggers: ugh. it's dumb.
clowes: oh. oh.
erika: I liked the sort of calliope thing until the vocals came on and then, no.
eggers: wait. is this barbara manning?
cf: yeah. it's s.f. seals.
chabon: good name.
waldman: it's about pirates. dave, you could play this in your store.
eggers: we don't play pirate music in our store because real pirates
wouldn't listen to it.
the would-be-goods
"leave my mind alone" (all's fair in love and chickfactor compilation on
enchanté)
tuttle: oh, I think this is a lot better. I would listen to this.
eggers: this is belle & sebastian.
waldman: it's o.k. you can tell the vocalist can't speak english.
cf: it's a british band called the would-be-goods.
brown: they have a new album? yay.
eggers: no, it's belle & sebastian.
chabon: when this is over, if we could listen
to more of this, I would like to.
graeme downes
"mastercontrol" (chickfactor comp, enchanté)
clowes: randy newman. it has a randy newman thing.
eggers: it's because it is randy newman. yes! the vocals!
waldman: I wish there were more instruments on this. is all the music like this? I haven't really liked anything and I usually like randy newman.
cf: it's not randy
newman. it's graeme downes, from the verlaines.
eggers: oh, the
verlaines. I used to have this new zealand compilation that I loved and I
just found it again at my old record store which is one of the ones they
featured in high fidelity. that was my record store, and I just found the
compilation from there again.
tuttle: new zealand? who was on it, like split enz?
eggers: no.
cf: the chills?
eggers: no. I don't know. the verlaines and some other bands.
nobukazu takemura
"meteor" (thrill jockey)
waldman: no! techno, or whatever they call it.
chabon: it's not techno.
clowes: is this drew?
erika: it's drew. it's matmos, right?
cf: no, it's nobukazu takemura.
erika: sounds like matmos.
chabon: I know this is -- it's lame to ask, but is there something wrong with my cd player?
eggers: no, it's just electronic stuff. --
brown: I think you should take this off. I don't think people are liking
this right now.
future bible heroes
"losing your affection" (instinct)
tuttle: 80s.
erika: but the bad part of the 80s.
tuttle: was there a good part?
clowes: yeah, but this isn't the‹well, maybe it is.
chabon: I think the lyrics are good but I can't hear them. but I heard a
simile I like. this is o.k. who is this?
cf: future bible heroes.
tuttle: great name.
eggers: [leaving room] no, it's not a great name. you're thinking of another band.
gary wilson
"groovy girls make love at the beach" (motel)
erika: this is more fake 80s stuff but I like it better.
clowes: this is real angry and bad.
brown: everybody wants to sound like it's
the 80s.
cf: it's a reissue from 1977. gary wilson.
waldman: gary wilson?
clowes: brian's superuntalented psychotic brother?
chabon: could I see this?
erika: it sounds fake but now that I know it's not fake I like it for
sounding fake.
clowes: things sound better when they're fake.
chabon: this is very strange. this is the ugliest
packaging I've ever seen in my life. who is
this guy? why would people put this out again?
clowes: I don't think gary wilson is his
real name.
marianne faithfull
"kissin time" (virgin)
waldman: this is good.
chabon: marianne faithfull? I love her. this is good.
tuttle: is this from that new ridiculous album with beck and blur?
cf: this is the blur track.
waldman: yeah, this is good.
chabon: I would buy this album if it sounded like this.
clowes: I wouldn't. or I would buy it but not listen to it.
archer prewitt
"gifts of love" (thrill jockey)
waldman: yes!
chabon: I like this.
clowes: yeah, it's --
[vocals start]
waldman: no.
chabon: vocals are the problem on all these songs. once they start singing it's something else.
tuttle: no, I like this.
clowes: who is this?
cf: archer prewitt.
clowes: really? he's like one of my best friends, but he won't let me listen to his music because he says I'd hate it.
chabon: I don't hate this.
ferrante & teicher
"a whale of an aquarian finale at sea" (varese sarabande)
waldman: oooh.
erika: this is beautiful.
chabon: oooh. yes, this is good.
tuttle: I like this.
clowes: this is the only good one.
brown: this is that cd you always listen to.
chabon: this sounds like -- um, who are those guys? those piano guys?
clowes: what is this? this is good.
cf: ferrante & teicher.
chabon: those are the guys! except usually they're playing cheesy showtunes and glissandos. this is really good.
waldman: we should buy this because we could all swoop around the living room playing it.
clowes: this is good.
eggers: [returning] what's this? oh, finally.
I like this and the belle & sebastian. and I
guess barbara manning. I usually like her.
chabon: I love this. can I make a copy of
this right now? it'll only take minute.
cf: or, you could buy it yourself, mr. pulitzer prize. cf
