The David Whitaker Songbook. David Whitaker is a British arranger. He did an arrangement of the Rolling Stones’ “The Last Time” for an orchestral record of Stones’s songs. This was famously stolen by the Verve for their hit “Bittersweet Symphony”. That track is on the CD, as well as songs by Nico and Lee Hazlewood. It can be found on the French label Tricatel.

Spectrum: Highs, Lows and Heavenly Blows. I believe this is the 2nd album from Spectrum (led by Sonic Boom of the Spacemen 3). It was released in 1994.

Joy Zipper: American Whip. New album from this NY-based duo. It’s not in stores yet, but should be this summer.

The Hong Kong: Rock the Faces. A cool band from New York, they remind me a little of Blondie.

Nelson Angelo e Joyce: Nelson Angelo e Joyce. Joyce is a great Brazilian singer, this record is a re-issue, it was originally released in 1972.

The Animals: Animalization. I found a scratched up vinyl copy of this record last week. It has some great songs, notably “You’re On My Mind.”

Marc Bolan & T.Rex: 20th Century Boy: the Ultimate Collection. This CD is an excellent introduction to T.Rex. I’m also enjoying Unicorn by Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Nina Simone : Here Comes the Sun: My parents played this record all the time when I was a kid, and it’s finally available at a reasonable price on CD. She does covers of Dylan and George Harrison, among others

Dean (1/16/02)

12 albums I enjoyed in 2001

1. Hope Sandoval -- Bavarian Fruit Bread
This was my favorite of the year, really beautiful.

2. In the Mood for Love -- Soundtrack
Worth it just to hear Nat King Cole sing in Spanish.

3. Mink Lungs -- The Better Button
We played alot of shows with this Brooklyn band last year. They are hilarious
on stage.

4. Richard Hawley -- Late Night Final
He plays guitar in Pulp.

5. The Langley Schools Music Project
Recordings of children made by a music teacher in the mid 1970’s. Doing cover
versions of “Band On the Run”, “In My Room” and others. This is not a
novelty record, it’s truly haunting.

6. The Velvet Underground -- the Quine Tapes
This one is also my favorite, three great CD’s document the band live in
performance, and the sound quality is very good.

7. Stereo Total -- Musique Automatique
Features a song called “Love with the 3 of Us”.

8. Slumber Party -- Psychedelicate
A rare good “indie” guitar band, from Detroit.

9. The Strokes -- Is This It?
I heard the Strokes being played on TV during the football yesterday.

10. The Moldy Peaches -- The Moldy Peaches
Another act from New York City. There’s this new thing called the
“anti-folk” music. Actually I thought we had that in NYC about ten years
ago, but people have short memories.

11. The Divine Comedy -- Regeneration
Produced by Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, but not such a downer.

12. Bjork - Vespertine
Wow.

Some books I enjoyed last year (2001):

American Pastoral and I Married A Communist, by Phillip Roth
Two novels that chronicle the U.S.A. post-World War II. Communists, liberals, witchhunts, businessmen, the Vietnam war, the rotting infrastructure of our cities etc.

Positively 4th Street, by David Hajdu
Which tells the tale of Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Richard Farina and Mimi Farina, how they met, the lies they told, where they stole their ideas from etc. Thomas Pynchon also makes a an appearance in this book, but there is no photograph of him.

Dogwalker, by Arthur Bradford
A funny collection of stories about strange people and their dogs. Including one about a guy who has sex with a dog, and they have a baby together.

Letters to Wendy’s by Joe Wenderoth
Very very funny.

Dean (3/21/01)

I have been listening to:

THE SAINTS - Wild About You, a compilation of this great Australian punk band (great for a few years anyway), who appeared about the same time as the Ramones and Sex Pistols. I’m also very fond of the solo records by their guitarist Ed Kuepper, especially “Electrical Storm”.

LAST TANGO IN PARIS soundtrack by Gato Barbieri. It’s very sexy.

DAFT PUNK. I just bought this CD and track 3 “Digital Love” is very funny. I’m not sure what I think of the rest of it.

I have been reading:

I just finished reading Volume 2 of Peter Guralnick’s biography of Elvis Presley, which is fascinating and sad. Drugs, sex, karate, insanity. And music, some of it very beautiful. Elvis was capable of conveying so much emotion with his voice, before he got so fucked up that he couldn’t remember the words. And even then he had his moments.

Dean (11/10/00):

- The Adventures in Stereo: Monomania
- Michel Houellebecq: Presence Humaine
- The Kingsbury Manx: The Kingsbury Manx
- B. Fleischmann: A Choir of Empty Beds

Dean (4/26/00):

I really like the new Papas Fritas CD "Buildings and Grounds".

And I've been listening to a CD by Joyzipper. I think they're from Long Island but their record is only available as a U.K. import on the EYE Q label. It has a sort of home-made feel to it.

Le Tigre. This CD is alternately brilliant and annoying.

At Amoeba records in San Francisco I bought LOW's Christmas record. Mostly originals, with a few covers thrown in. Christmas music generally makes me ill, but there are some beautiful moments on this.

I have been reading Contempt by Alberto Moravia. This book was made into a great movie by Jean-Luc Godard. It's about a man whose wife stops loving him one day over a very minor incident.

Dean (1/26/00):

I have been listening to the following:

Sigur Ros EP. This is a band from Iceland who play nine minute songs that are quite beautiful.

Cat Power The Covers Record. Someone sent me an advance copy of Cat Power doing songs like "Satisfaction" and "I Found a Reason". I was surprised by how good this was.

Canto Morricone Vols 1 and 3. A fantastic collection of songs written by Ennio Morricone from the 60s and 70s.

I have been reading the same book for months:

Victor Bockris' biography of Andy Warhol. All the dirt and much more.