For Each Bookworm, Headphone Junkie and Story Drinker 2

For the little over a year I’ve been listening to The Cr?xshadows, I’ve been enraptured by the band. DreamCypher, their new album, won’t be out until January, but “Sophia”, the first single, is out now and debuted at #1 and #7 on the Billboard dance and singles charts, respectively. The song is beautiful and I’m looking forward to hearing the full album in the new year.

Over at Lists of Bests I’ve been working my way though Pitchfork Media’s “Top 100 Albums of the 1990s” (I’m at 90/100) and discovering many artists and albums I was unaware of before. His Name Is Alive has been one band that has completely captured my attention. Diverse, beautiful and surprising, this music was well described as “Like dating a star-crossed werewolf behind your parents’ back.” I’ve been enjoying each of their albums, with the recent Detrola being my favourite. It’s a superbly produced, moving and fresh album that has been in my headphones for a couple weeks now. “Sometimes Screw” is the highlight for me and I’ve had the erotic chorus stuck in my head for a while now. If you want a sample of the band’s work, they have Someday RMX, a remix album, available for free download now!

Do any of you remember the Gin Blossoms? I loved the albums they released in the 90’s and was pleased to find their new album picks up where those left off. Major Lodge Victory is everything I’d expect from the band, with wonderful rock, alt-country and pop tunes that easily become a soundtrack to lives. The band hasn’t lost any of their sharpness and offer nostalgic hints and sweet hooks that had me from the first listen.

I’m entirely in love with Metric, Broken Social Scene and the other projects Emily Haines has worked on, and her solo debut, Knives Don’t Have Your Back is on the same level as those. Intimate, graceful and exquisitely crafted, it’s become a perfect fit for this autumn. It’ll no doubt be accompanying me during my walks through dead leaves throughout November.

I discovered Found Magazine years ago and was enchanted by the glimpses into the private lives of strangers it offered. The magazine and the subsequent book collections, bring together photographs, notes, drawings and other items that were lost, abandoned or forgotten, leading to beautiful, heartbreaking, funny and facinating hints at lives we may never know. This past week I read Found II and had a wonderful time exploring each page.

Max Barry is now cemented as one of my favourite fiction authors. So far he’s been focused on corporate satire and does an amazing job of depicting the more absurd elements of business life. I finally read Company and Syrup lately and enjoyed them immensely. Be sure to check his work out for completely entertaining and sharp stories.

7 comments on “For Each Bookworm, Headphone Junkie and Story Drinker 2

  1. I'm glad you liked the new CXS song! Have you heard the album “Where's Neil when you need him?” They have a great song there 🙂

  2. I haven't found that album yet, but I've wanted to listen to it for a while. Thanks for reminding me of it. 🙂

  3. I'm glad you liked the new CXS song! Have you heard the album “Where's Neil when you need him?” They have a great song there 🙂

  4. I haven't found that album yet, but I've wanted to listen to it for a while. Thanks for reminding me of it. 🙂

  5. […] It took me a while to get it, but I’ve finally been listening to DreamCypher, The Crüxshadows newest release. I was in love with their last studio album, Ethernaut, and the band has cemented their place in my heart with this one. Emotive, mythic darkwave, it’s the sort of music I can let myself seep into at any time. […]

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.