Soundtrack to a Book Swap

So I'm finally getting off my butt and running this swap that I've wanted to do for like 5 years.

Back when I was still trying to write my novel (well I'm still trying to write it, I guess, I mean back when I thought I'd do more than incessantly re-work the 1st chapter) which reminds me I should start incessantly re-working the second chapter. I used to create these elaborate playlists to write to. I actually had a playlist and music profile for each of the 3 main characters. You know how there are method actors, well I might just be a method writer. Each character has a type of notebook paper and pen they like, their own handwriting, everything. (I never write first drafts on the computer, even my regular work, I'll figure out what copy should be on paper with pencil first.)

Anyway, I'm digressing, I always thought the book soundtrack was an under-explored idea and then [The Real] Tuesday Weld came out with his I, Lucifer album which was a soundtrack for the book of the same name that Glenn Duncan wrote. (It's both a great book and a great album that you should check out if you've never read/ heard them.) and I was excited to see someone else felt that way. OK, Poe's Haunted is also sort of related to her brother's book House of Leaves, but she also said that it was not a soundtrack it just followed similar themes because both works were influenced by their father's death. So obviously even though it's clearly related to the book (especially the song where her brother reads part of the book) she's just not that into the idea of writing an admitted soundtrack to a book.

At any rate I'm hosting a swap over on swap-bot for a soundtrack to a book. It should be both interesting and a nice challenge. Take a book and make a mix CD that relates to the book, either a true soundtrack, or where all the tracks are inspired by and related to the book's theme and/or characters. Then send a copy of the book and the mix to your partner.

You should sign up. It'll be fun.

This is probably why I don't write music reviews

As I'm a hopeless music addict I thought I'd also start doing a random set of reviews of things I've downloaded or listened to in a week. Thus providing content to this journal in these times when nothing is particularly going on in my life otherwise to write about. I'm so generally long-winded it's an interesting exercise to blurb like this.

This week's downloads (part 1):
nobody and mystic chords of memory-- tree colored see: what it is: Sweeping alt-country Americana mixed with electronic elements and hip hop that makes for a genuinely satisfying indie pop record, and a perfect addition to your summer soundtrack. Just listening to the tracks surrounds you in an aural version of hazy summer heat and floating idly in a canoe down the creek or lounging on a picnic blanket somewhere in a wooded clearing (or maybe I've been down the basement too long and I'm hallucinating the childhood I didn't actually live, but imagined I would have if only I could have lived in the books I read growing up.) I wouldn't be surprised if this album pops up on some year end best of lists.

Ed Harcourt-- the beautiful lie: Apparently, this chap is rather prolific. I don't know how I've missed him before, probably because I'm not the sort who usually downloads lush pop singer-songwriter type albums, mainly because that genre is full of utter shite (like James Blunt), but lately I've been more willing to give anything a shot, and this album is well worth it. What it is: the sort of sweet mainly acoustic pop album whose tracks you could imagine on a thoughtful gen-x romantic comedy's soundtrack. You'll likely like it if you like: M Ward, Tom Waits or The Eels My favourite songs: 'you only call me when you're drunk', 'I'm the drug' 'the last cigarette' and 'whirlwind in d minor'

Peeping Tom: You can always trust that a Mike Patton project will be different and interesting. They all sound slightly like an AM easy listening channel run through a perverterator, and would probably soundtrack a porn film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, but that's interesting right? Of course it is. Peeping Tom is actually a soundtrack of sorts, the project was inspired by the 1960 thriller. Collaborators include Amon Tobin, Dose One, Massive Attack, Kool Keith and Norah Jones. The Norah Jones track 'sucker' is genius. Made to be listened to: while driving downtown at night or at any party where you want to invoke a slightly seedy stripclub that for some reason is where to too hip to trend hop congregate. Best tracks: 'five seconds', 'mojo' and 'sucker'

quasi-- when the going gets dark Quasi remains a darker more sonically complex cynical and bitter Ben Folds five. The music is harder and less twee than before, but still unmistakably quasi. Best tracks: 'I don't know you anymore' and 'death culture blues'

casiotone for the painfully alone-- etiquette Owen Ashworth is sounding a bit scarily like Connor Oberst on his new album, well minus that obnoxious tremolo. If you think I'm kidding, listen to 'young shields.' Etiquette is a much slicker, more produced effort than the previous albums, the lofi casiotone is still there, but it sounds more like an instrument rather than a gimmick this time. Overall a really nice progression musically and a worthwhile album. best tracks: 'young shields', 'I love creedance' and 'bobby malone moves home'

Gomez-- how we operate: Gomez is one of those bands that I never got into despite the many times they were supposed to be on the cusp of being the next best thing. They still sound like they're on the cusp of being big, but I mean they sound like they're on the edge of being great, not that this album could put them into the big. Don't get me wrong, it's an alright album, though I think it sounds like it could have come out 10 years ago as much as today it has a kind of bland 90s alt-rock timelessness about it.

Keane-- Under the Iron Sea Dear Keane, Why do all the songs on your new album sound exactly alike? And why do they sound like they could also be on a Coldplay album? Is it because someone told you that the world needed more coldplay songs, but Chris Martin could only write so many at a time so you thought you'd bravely step in to fill the void we all felt? To be honest, I like Keane more than I like Coldplay, mainly because as soon as 'Yellow' hit the airwaves I immediately loathed Martin et al for making me want to puncture my eardrums. I'll probably not delete the album from my harddrive just in case I ever have one of those days where I need to wear a thin floaty blouse and khakis and walk through the rain in the park distressed about fucking up and mucking up a relationship with my soulmate, because we all know this would be the soundtrack for that montage that ends in a profoundly revealing makeout session while the synths swell to orchestral levels, and I'm certainly not doing the makeup makeout to coldplay.