November 2006 Archives

whoops!

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It's been pointed out that what I linked to yesterday was actually the original version of "Under the Matzos Tree." I've fixed the link so it's now the Mocean Worker remix. Sorry about that.

sweet talk from a lacquered jar

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I'm very happy to announce that the manuscript of Reading Comics: How Graphic Novels Work and What They Mean went off to my editor at Da Capo early this morning. (This is the Great Big Project I've been darkly hinting about here.) Can't even tell you how happy I am to have finished it. Of course, it's not "finished" as such--now the fun begins, with edits, rewrites and so forth--but among other things I should be somewhat more present here.

I've even got an MP3 for y'all, by way of celebration. One of the most entertaining recordings I've heard lately is the Jewface compilation of Jewish-made Jewsploitation novelty records, 1905-1924--compiled by the mighty Jody Rosen, who knows more about this stuff than anybody else. (As he points out in the liner notes, a bit of the melody of "When Mose With His Nose Leads the Band" ended up in Irving Berlin's "God Bless America"--and Berlin wrote a couple of these too, including my favorite song on the album, "Cohen Owes Me 97 Dollars.")

Another favorite of mine is Ada Jones's 1908 recording of Alexander Carr and Fred Fisher's "Under the Matzos Tree" (subtitle on sheet music: "A Ghetto Love Song"). But here's something that's not even on the album: Jody pointed me toward a 2006 Mocean Worker remix of "Under the Matzos Tree." (MP3--LINK FIXED). I love that it preserves the original announcement of the song's title and artist, and the way that Ada always seems to be hovering just behind the beat, and the crackle of the original Edison Gold Moulded Record melts into the dub echo of the remix.

A couple more links while I'm at it:

The lost collaboration between Jack Chick and Stan Lee.

Why Sue Dibny should be immortal. (note: if you don't know who Sue Dibny was, just skip this one)

Some new songs, and some alternate versions of slightly older songs, by Family Fodder. It's a little late for Armistice Day, but go listen to their version of "La Chanson de Craonne."

micro-update

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My review of Kevin Huizenga's "Curses" is up at Salon!

Pan-roasted acorn squash is easy and tasty, especially with pomegranate seeds!

That new Who album has some surprisingly awesome stuff on it!

GO DEMOCRATS WOOOO!

That is all.

quick update

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I have not entirely vanished--I'm just in hibernation while I finish the Great Big Project. Don't expect much here until later this month.

In the meantime, I've got my first-ever piece up at Paper Thin Walls (a review of a Caroline Peyton song), and a little news piece about the Rhino What It Is! box in the new Rolling Stone, and a cold, and a spouse with a cold, and a baby with croup, and a very big deadline ahead of me, and a bowl of leftover Halloween candy in the next room, and that Girlmonster compilation in the CD player, and what else do I really need?