No, not really, funny image of like a Bender-date though. Ok, so, I had a fifty-fifty shot at the reasons writers might want to quit. So that was a "Why bother when people buy junk like that?" I have it, too, sometimes, every time one of those "The Cat Who..." mysteries comes out, especially.(I need to stop thinking I am provincial and not cool because my instincts *told* me that sucked, but then I felt like "Well, that's fine for you, Miss Stuck In The Seventies and went to a state college, but if it was really deep, you'd never get it anyway.") That's all it takes to make me mistrust myself. Somebody is gonna make me buy a canvas with a dot on it, aren't they, if I ever make any money. I need to cut that shit out.

I can't tell the diff between Greil Marcus and Robert Christgau

To be fair, they look a lot alike.

To be fair, they look a lot alike.

Ahhh, the old David Lee Roth putdown: "You know why rock critics like Elvis Costello? They all look like him."

Their writing styles and aesthetics are very different though. Christgau actually enjoys music and isn't embarrassed to love something dumb if it rocks or pops or grooves or whatever. Greil will apologize sheepishly for admitting he likes "Surfin' Bird." Christgau spent umptyjillioni years doing the Consumer Guide so his writing style got condensed and gnarled - thus spawning the evil sentence I cited upthread. Greil's writing is better longform where he can stretch out with his notions. (He only really listens to music because it makes him think Deep Thoughts. I think he'd have preferred to be a movie critic if given a do-over.)

Greil peaked with Lipstick Traces when Punk dragged him away from his Dylan brooding. But he's done some serious backsliding then and I doubt he's listened to more than five bands that came up after 80s. Certainly no hip hop. Whereas Christgau was the first rock critic to write extensively about hip hop. And African music too, for that matter.

In short: Christgau much more reliable for music opinions; Greil more interesting to read, broader range of references, doesn't really like music, should stop writing about Dylan and Elvis altogether.

New coinage for Tom!

No, not really. I picked it up from here: [link]

My In the Aeroplane book arrived. I got a grin reading Hec's name in the Acknowledgments. I'm on pg. 12 AIFG! (Coincidentally, I also ordered Marcus' Mystery Train but I have a few other books to read before I get to that.)

In totally unrelated news that matters not because no one here knows what I look like - I just got a kerbillion inches cut off my hair and it's all rockstar and I love it. (Sorry I am digital camera-less or there would be pics. You'll just have to take my word for it.)

Oh - back to music - An Emusic find (I saw it on lots of year-end Best of Lists) I am loving a lot right now is Alligator by the National. Anybody?

Allmusic sez:

Setting up their tunes on a creative territory amidst American electric rock and indie rock's mellowest tunes, The National ultimately present melodious and inspiring compositions also enlightened by a set of influences, including country-rock and even British pop/rock. Originally coming from Ohio, the band eventually formed in New York in the late '90s

Hard to describe as I've only listened to it twice but I find myself wanting to put at least three of the songs on mixes and that's always a good sign.

just got a kerbillion inches cut off my hair and it's all rockstar and I love it.

Yay!

(Sorry I am digital camera-less or there would be pics.

Boo!

You'll just have to take my word for it.)

Oh, okay.

Boo!

There is a digital camera at work I could use tomorrow... I'll do that.

I searched flickr for photos tagged with "new haircut" so I could get some ideas and got over 4000 photos as a result. Lots of cute cuts and tons of babies getting their first haircut and about as many dudes in different stages of shaving their heads. Interesting.

I need to clean my apartment for impending Mom visit but I can't put Kim's book down - I keep getting chills as I read other people talk about the album and my reaction is "yes! exactly that!"

There is a digital camera at work I could use tomorrow... I'll do that.

Right on! You just made my Wednesday.

Btw, are you acquainted with the very cool and fun Little Hits site? Music for the nabbing, and much of it vinyl only. Lots of great new wave and indie pop and power pop stuff from 70s-90s.

Btw, are you acquainted with the very cool and fun Little Hits site?

I am now - looks very cool and fun.

My blog discovery the other day was Puritan Blister. Not so much with the writing but it has a ton of mp3s of everything from the more popular indie rock bands to older stuff to mashups and lots and lots of covers. Just kind of fun for trying stuff out that you've heard of but are not really sure you want to buy. I got several of the tracks for my cover mix from there. Which I still need to post.

Their writing styles and aesthetics are very different though

Ah, but that's why I was talking about their appearances. Still, that was a nice delineation between the two. Since I'm all about appearances, another physical one is that Greil is in Berkeley and Xgau in NYC.