The Latest: Music, Books, and...a Recipe

And a picture of a rooster...

So it's once again been a while. My own personal Bloggo has been getting short-shrift as I've been busy covering concerts for Indy's NUVO.net (yes, that is a humble brag). It's been a total blast, but occasionally time and my lack of time-management skills get the better of me and I neglect my own personal work. Which is what this is all about anyway, right?

So now, on a nice fall evening, it's time to put on some music (Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation) and deliver the goods to my readers. How about this:

Music Recommendation:

Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks latest album Mirror Traffic. Saw these guys the other night at Earth House. Whether or not you were into Malkmus in the Pavement days--and god knows they passed me by--check out this album. Some extremely elegant guitar work and poetic, fun lyrics by Malkmus make this a contemporary classic and a very accessible album. Also a good gateway into Malkmus' extensive musical past.

Book Recommendation:

A Visit From the Goon Squad, by Jennifer Egan. This is a book about rock and roll or, more accurately, about people involved in the music business in the 80s, 90s, and 2000s. The characters run the gamut from modestly successful to downright tragic, but all characters are infused with very human, very real flaws. Egan has a deft touch with humor, and this book is nothing if not a dark comedy. In the balance, Egan manages to pawn off some trenchant social commentary without sounding preachy, bitter, or like little Bo Peep.

A Recipe for an Easy, Fun Snack:

Slice up a few potatoes, very thin. Boil some vegetable oil. Drop the potatoes in until they are golden brown. Take them out and put them on a plate with a paper towel. Wait about five minutes. Salt them up. BAM! You've got homemade potato chips.

So there you have it: something to listen to, something to read, something to eat. Not bad for three minutes of staring at an otherwise masturbatory form of self-expression, eh?