Reader’s Notebook, 5/14/24
Reckless – Chrissie Hynde While doing my research for the recent RFTS post about The Pretenders, I came across several references to Hynde’s memoir. As soon as I completed that post, I checked and, LO!, the ebook was available at the library. I got it onto my Kindle and knocked it out over the next 36 hours. It is a great, if limited where it really counts, rock memoir. Hynde shares pretty much everything she experienced in life, good and bad. From her traditional childhood in Ohio to her discovery of music and the alternative lifestyles available on college campuses…
Weekend Notes
A nice weekend here in Indy. I know eventually it will come back to bite us in the ass, but this is like the fifth or sixth straight season here that has been terrific. It got warm early but didn’t turn into summer in April. We’ve had a few cooldowns but none of those surprise weeks when you go from shorts and tees to coats and hats again. All that after a mild winter, a normal fall, a terrific summer, another nice spring, and I believe a relatively warm winter a year ago. Mother Nature is loading up for something…
Friday Playlist
I had to get up early to attend a function this morning. I’ve very excited to share details next week, but that is the explanation for this getting out a little later than usual. “22” – Hana Vu Remember when turning 22 felt like you were getting old? “22” – Taylor Swift Had to do it. “Ceasefire” – Frank Turner Frank released a new album a week ago. It sounds like every Frank Turner album. Which means it is like 90% awesome but doesn’t really separate itself from his other music. Still plenty of good songs to choose from. “LEECHES…
Car Notes
I could write about the Pacers-Knicks series today. But given how the first two games have left me royally pissed off, I think you all would rather read more car content rather than me bitching about the referees or the Nova Knicks or how the Pacers refuse to play defense or block out guys four inches shorter than them. Another Addition For roughly 60 hours we were a five-car family. Saturday S and I were browsing through the options for M and we found a Mazda CX-5 that checked almost every box at the CarMax in Cincinnati. That made us…
Dark Matter
We are nearly three weeks out from the release of Pearl Jam’s Dark Matter. As an OG PJ head, I should probably do a review. Especially since I’ve been listening to it daily over that entire stretch.[1] That last sentence could be the entire review. For the first time since 2006’s self-titled album, a Pearl Jam disk has stuck with me for more than just the few days after its release. As much as the band has meant to me over the past 30+ years, I haven’t had much patience for their post–2006 albums. They each featured one or two…
Weekend Notes
Kid Hoops Teenagers are funny. One day they are on top of the world, the next everything is shit. That might be a little dramatic but it kind of sums up the weekend for L’s travel team. Saturday they played great, winning their two games by a combined 22 points. They should have one the first by 20+ – they got to a running clock midway through the second half – but turned sloppy and let the lead slip to single digits before stretching it out in the end. We had a girl score 22 points in this game. In…
Friday Playlist
It’s a two-video week! “Prep-School Gangsters” – Vampire Weekend There have been times when I’ve loved Vampire Weekend, others when I would be happy to never hear another song from them. Thus it took me awhile to get to their new album. Which I ended up liking a lot. I could have picked any of four or five tracks to represent it. So maybe you’ll hear from them again here soon. “Kiss Me (Kill Me)” – RINSE, Hatchie Husband and wife combining to make something that splits the difference between their styles and sounds very good. Real G’s will get…
Reader’s Notebook, 5/2/24
The Bullet Swallower – Elizabeth Gonzalez James This book has gotten crazy praise in literary circles, landing on numerous Best Of lists already. With good reason. It is a very well-told, fictional story of three generations of Mexicans and their family history. One is a bandit in the late 19th century border territory, who is forced to bargain for his life after a raid on an American train goes off the rails (so to speak). The other two are his son and grandson, living in 1960s Mexico City, with the third generation uncovering the secret family history the middle generation…
April Media
Back in February I vowed to get my YouTube algorithm re-calibrated so it was sending me more good videos. Jumping into the car-buying process kick-started that process. It might be time to swing back the other way, as I only watched a few “normal” shows in April and my YT feed is overrun with car vids. Movies, Shows, etc Curb Your Enthusiasm, season 11 Five foot fence! B+ Curb Your Enthusiasm, season 12 LD pretty much stuck the landing. I wasn’t sure where the season was going early on, but it slipped into gear in the middle and finished up…