The Moonlight Butterfly/Go With Me

The Moonlight Butterfly - The Sea and Cake (Thrill Jockey, 2011)
The Sea and Cake's latest, a mini-album by the ridiculous name of The Moonlight Butterfly, is exactly what I've come to expect of the band. I am not offended at all that the band's sounded hasn't changed all the much over their 15+ years of existence (aside from maturing). In fact, considering how vastly different The Sea and Cake sound from everyone else, I don't think any considerable changes were ever needed. Sure, these classy Chicago men have experimented more with synths and different musical cultures over the years, but the overall feel of their music has remained the same. All of this to say that, even though there are no drastic surprises here, The Moonlight Butterfly still might showcase the highest number of subtle ones out of any Sea and Cake release. Also, it is in no way their absolute best work, but I believe it to be their most mature. These songs are more wide open than usual: their structures are not as straightforward and their backgrounds are much more ambient. This might even be drummer/producer John McEntire's greatest work behind the board. That these recordings have a lot more atmosphere to them really lends itself to the mood of the record. Also, I'm loving the added jangle to all of lead vocalist Sam Prekop's guitars. While The Moonlight Butterfly probably isn't close to being my favorite release by The Sea and Cake, it is a long awaited and much appreciated follow-up to 2008's stellar Car Alarm, and "Lyric" and "Up on the North Shore" specifically are on par with the band's best songs from their more recent resurgence.


Go With Me - Seapony (Hardly Art, 2011)
Surprise, surprise. Seattle's Seapony are yet another band with jangly guitars, lo-fi production (much closer to mid-fi here, actually) and sunny/summery/surfy undertones. Are you getting tired of this brand of indie pop yet? I am, except when it's done well, like on Seapony's debut full length, Go With Me. Part of me thinks that there is nothing to these songs and a lot of the melodies are cheesy. But then again, half of them have been stuck in my head for the past three days straight. Seapony could easily be tossed aside as yet another twee or jangle pop revival band, but there are a few elements that take Go With Me above that. These songs are not blatantly in your face happy sounding. I mean, some of them are, but there are some nice moodier pieces too. Also, there is an undeniable 80s accent throughout the record in some of the guitar riffs and tones (a lot of it might have to do with the overwhelming presence of drum machine, too). Though I'll probably be done with them within a year, Seapony have wone me over for now. "Dreaming" and "Always" are excellent standout cuts that should be checked out immediately.

Demolished Thoughts/Innings/Tomboy

Demolished Thoughts - Thurston Moore (Matador, 2011)
I'm not really one to champion Sonic Youth much. I like Rather Ripped, and intend to give Daydream Nation more listens than the few that I have, but I honestly don't know or care much beyond that (I'm open to anyone changing my mind). So, I'm not sure why I decided to take a chance on Thurston Moore's latest solo record, Demolished Thoughts, but I'm glad I did. This LP showcases Moore's skill at stripping things down and just getting real. The songs are laced with interweaving acoustic guitars and accented by sparse strings and some harp here and there, all of which make way for Moore's flawed and wounded vocals. Overall, the sound is simply gorgeous, but the real selling point is how Moore integrates such beauty in songs that are made up of chord progressions that are so haunting and even unsettling at times. Demolished Thoughts should truly shine come fall.

Innings - Nodzzz (Woodsist, 2011)
I unfortunately still haven't listened to lo-fi jangle pop band Nodzzz's self-titled debut aside from the one time that Bravender shared it with me. From what I remember, it seems that LP #2, Innings, picks up right where they left off: rough around the edges production, very short and succinct guitar pop songs, clever, quirky and innocent lyrics, and fun as hell melodies galore. There isn't anything particularly special going on here, but I'm not really requiring that from the band. Innings is just a quick, enjoyable listen featuring simple yet impressive song craft. "Old Clothes" and "Spirit & Soul" are especially jams.

Tomboy - Panda Bear (Paw Tracks, 2011)
The long wait is over. Tomboy is finally arrived. Well, it's been here for a few months now, but, you know what I mean. Back in April, Jensen shared his sentiments on Tomboy and remarked that it is a gray album. While I agree that it is nowhere near as vibrant as Panda Bear's 2007 masterpiece, Person Pitch, I don't think that Tomboy is necessarily lacking color. And, the vast differences between the two make it quite a charming listening experience. Here, Noah Lennox depends more on live instrumentation and naturally created sounds, which ended up leading to more sparse arrangements and darker moods. Still, Lennox's immaculate melodies and harmonies dominate almost every measure on Tomboy, and is obviously the element that ties everything together. Opener "You Can Count on Me" and standouts "Surfer's Hymn" and "Last Night at the Jetty" are the brightest moments on here, but they still fit in perfectly with all the darker ones. I love every song but one on the record, but "Slow Motion," "Last Night at the Jetty" and "Alsation Darn" are far and away the best. Tomboy is not perfect, and probably not quite as great as Person Pitch, but it is definitely a satisfactory follow up, and easily one of my favorite albums to be released in 2011 so far.

The Dark Knight Returns/The Jungle/The Sun Also Rises

The Dark Knight Returns - Frank Miller (1986)
What a great twist on the Batman story. This time through it probably wasn't as mind-blowing as my first, but still, The Dark Knight Returns is just incredible. Frank Miller spends the entire book focusing on Batman's morality, his stance on city and national government, and it gets way deeper than that. In The Dark Knight Returns, Bruce Wayne is an aging, insanely rich man (obviously), and had retired as Batman, until Gotham City is tortured by a large crew of wretched souls dubbed Mutants. He triumphantly and scandalously returns as Batman to save the city once again, but only sort of. Do Batman's vigilante actions cause more harm than good? That is the main question in this book. Then things sort of take a turn, and shit gets really crazy with arch-nemesis The Joker (their somewhat symbiotic relationship is touched on artfully) and perhaps his second greatest enemy, Superman. The ending is just perfect. If you haven't read The Dark Knight Returns (and you're crazy and probably don't actually exist if you're a fan of comics and haven't), there is maybe only one singularly collected graphic novel that I can recommend higher (Watchmen). The Dark Knight Returns is challenging, brilliant, fun as hell and tremendous in the all encompassing way that it further complicates and darkens the character of Batman and answers many questions and then asks a shit ton more in return. Get on it, duh.

The Jungle - Upton Sinclair (1906)

Perhaps Upton Sinclair's most popular and important work, The Jungle is probably the most difficult novel I've read since I tackled One Hundred Years of Solitude last fall. Not so difficult to follow as that novel or, say, Infinite Jest, The Jungle's neverending spiral of tragedy just wore so much on the emotions. I'd argue that it is almost as overtly heavy handed as Sapphire's Push, albeit much better written and more realistic. I know that's a ridiculous comparison that a serious reader would probably be offended by, but let's consider the heavy subject matter that Sinclair covers here. The Jungle is about so much more than just the meatpacking industry. It is more broad than that. Here, Sinclair describes the life of a United States immigrant in the early 1900s. He covers all of the following: the worst possible working conditions, poverty and homelessness and a hopelessness that was dominant amongst the working class. Without giving away too much, main character Jurgis faces horrible tragedy after horrible tragedy, and at times it was just too much to read. However, The Jungle is exquisitely written, and if you read my reviews on here, you know I like messed up shit in novel form. Between all of that and all of the insight gained from Sinclair's investigative work turned novel, The Jungle is definitely a great novel in every technical way. I'm not sure I would call it an enjoyable read by any means, though.

The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway (1926)

Supposedly Ernest Hemingway's greatest work (according to some), The Sun Also Rises started off just as I had expected and hoped, then I sort of became bored with it. In rough summary, a group of American and British expatriates hang out and drink in France, then decide to basically go on a bender in Spain, hang out, eat and drink a ton, watch bullfights, fish, and generally yuck it up. There is interesting dialogue and some truly great relationship drama that is handled in the most childish of ways. Themes such as sexual freedom, masculinity, travel, culture, and leading a fulfilling and enjoyable life into adulthood are touched on in ways that I could see having been controversial back in the late 1920s. I also appreciate how all of the dialogue and descriptions are so understated. There were a few minor emotional sentiments (put to text quite wonderfully by Hemingway) that hit me in the right way, but other than that, I had difficulty relating to any of these characters. Again, I ended up getting bored because, well, nothing really happens. And, I like meandering stories. Call me jaded or ignorant or below this or whatever, but The Sun Also Rises ended up not being all that it was cracked up to be. Not that I hated it, because I really did enjoy a lot of the character interactions and the simple, yet beautiful language. I guess I just wasn't engrossed with any of the events that took place nor did I care very deeply about any of the characters. I'm sorry, people.

Emotional Listening #12

Addicts and Drunks - Ghosts & Vodka (Six Gun Lover, 2003)
Showcasing the immense guitar playing talents of Cap'n Jazz's Victor Villareal and Sam Zurick, it's no surprise that Ghosts & Vodka is a musician's band. As much of a fan as I always have been of this bright, mathy, wanky, guitar-centric style of music, it took me until now to fully appreciate G&V's output. Releasing only one 7", one LP and a reissue (which is the focus of this blurb) collecting the two and adding an unreleased track, it shouldn't have been so difficult for me, considering how gorgeous and fun all of these songs are. Villareal's trademark noodly, waterfall guitars are ever present here, and Zurick's jagged rhythms present a great counterpoint. Add a tight rhythm section on top of that and you have quite a beast of a collaboration. I think that the initial hurdle for me to get over is the fact that there is no real variance on this sound throughout all of the songs. They just run together. However, now that I consider myself a fan of repetition in music, this isn't an issue at all anymore. Addicts and Drunks is an excellent collection of Ghosts & Vodka's minimal discography, and "It's All About Right Then" and "Futuristic Genitalia" are two of my all-time favorite instrumental jams.
Top jams: "It's All About Right Then," "Good Luck With Your Multiple Personalities," "Laser Guided by God," "Futuristic Genitalia," "Hot Dot Above, Tan Man Below," "Four Red Brains," "Cowboys and Sailors," "Doo Dee Doo Dee Do," "Bizarre Funeral"

Alien Lanes - Guided by Voices (Matador, 1995)
It's about time I get into Guided by Voices. Apparently I wasn't ready when I first purchased 1995's Alien Lanes a bit over one year ago. I felt that it was indulgent and obnoxious, in spite of a select few great jams (opener "A Salty Salute" still probably being the best). I also was completely overwhelmed by the 28 tracks cruising by in only 41 minutes. I feel much differently now. Still a little overwhelming, and yes, indulgent, I've come to terms with the amount of songs, and now I can regard the lo-fi guitar pop of Alien Lanes as a charming experiment in pop songwriting and recording. Somehow, each song sounds drastically different, and vary in quality by insane degrees. What a fun way to go about a record. Plus, I can take away 11 songs that I consider to be fantastic at worst. "As We Go Up, We Go Down" and "Blimps Go 90" revealed themselves as two of the album's strongest points, and "My Valuable Hunting Knife" probably rivals "A Salty Salute" as one of the greatest songs of the 90s.
Top jams: "A Salty Salute," "They're Not Witches," "As We Go Up, We Go Down," "Game of Pricks," "Closer You Are," "My Valuable Hunting Knife," "Striped White Jets," "Blimps Go 90," "Strawdogs," "Little Whirl," "Alright"

Pirate Prude EP - Helium (Matador, 1994)
A while ago, my buddy Matt encouraged in me an interest in Sleater-Kinney and the mid-90s era of the Riot Grrrl movement in general. This led me to download two full lengths from Mary Timony's Helium (which I am yet to spend much time with) and to purchase their debut, the Pirate Prude EP. I had pretty high expectations, and was still pleasantly surprised. I anticipated a badass, angular punk group not unlike Sleater-Kinney. Pirate Prude is more like a bad ass, heavy, mid-to-slow tempo, slightly emo take on the male dominated indie rock style of that time. Timony's voice is strong here, but undeniably melodically challenged, which can be distracting at certain points. The thick, heavy guitars and more than capable rhythm section make up for it, and the subtle flaws throughout the EP are sort of appealing. "XXX" and "Love $$$" are especially good songs. Timony certainly proves herself a force to be reckoned with on Pirate Prude, and I can't wait to dive in to the rest of her work in Helium and her newest project (with Sleater-Kinney members Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss), Wild Flag.
Top jams: "Baby Vampire Made Me," "XXX," "000," "Love $$$"

Real Estate @ The Magic Stick Lounge, 7/18/11

In preparation for the October release of their second full length, Days, I could not pass up the opportunity to see Jersey by way of Brooklyn band, Real Estate, live. The smaller, stripped down version of Detroit's Magic Stick, the Magic Stick Lounge, was an appropriate setting. The band's jangly and chimey guitars sounded perfect in that room, and though their sound is tame, it seemed like the boys were truly enjoying themselves with the intimate and enthusiastic crowd.

I couldn't really have asked for a better set. Real Estate played my two favorite jams from their 2009 self-titled debut, "Beach Comber" and "Fake Blues," plus "Suburban Dogs," which features some of the most gorgeous, shimmering guitars since, I don't know, early 2000s Death Cab for Cutie? Believe it. The highlight was probably their latest single and best song yet, "Out of Tune." Beyond that, their set was dominated with new material, and I had no complaints.

Real Estate are the perfect band to spend a hot summer evening with. Their ballads and more upbeat numbers have a lazy feel that is perfect for this time of year. I was really blown away by all the new songs, especially the one they opened with, which featured a wonderful extended jam that I never really wanted to end. The songs on Days seem to be more focused, upbeat guitar pop, and I am totally okay with that. I wouldn't be surprised if the album ends up being my favorite of the year.

2011 MLB Mid-Season Report

Ok, so last week reached the All-Star break and are now beyond the half-way point of the 2011 MLB season. Per usual, there have been some nice surprises so far, but not so many to make this season shocking or substantially more exciting than the previous. But, don't get me wrong. 2011 has been great so far. Pitching once again is proving to be the strong point of the entire league, and it is really fun to watch the results of that. Unsurprisingly, the Yankees, Red Sox and Phillies are looking like the absolute best in all of the MLB. Surprisingly, the Atlanta Braves are on their way back to that elite circle, the Tampa Bay Rays are still quite good after all of the players they lost, and also, the Cleveland Indians and Pittsburgh Pirates are in first place in their divisions (albeit bad ones)? Exciting stuff!

Here's how I predict the rest of this 2011 season to pan out.

AL East
1. Boston Red Sox
2. New York Yankees
3. Tampa Bay Rays
4. Toronto Blue Jays
5. Baltimore Orioles

The only real surprise in the AL East this year has been how good the Tampa Bay Rays have played in spite of the losses of Crawford, Pena and Garza. Hower, that doesn't mean they're getting a playoff spot this year, because they're not. This division will be an even tighter race in coming years, but things seem to be going exactly as I expected in 2011. I like how close things are between the Yanks and the Red Sox, but Boston is definitely the superior team this year.

AL Central
1. Detroit Tigers
2. Chicago White Sox
3. Minnesota Twins
4. Cleveland Indians
5. Kansas City Royals

The AL Central is just awful. Even though both the White Sox and Twins currently have losing records, either one of them could nab the title here. But, if the Tigers make a move for Carlos Beltran or someone of that ilk, or somehow nab an awesome pitcher, I think they'll sneak away with the division. That's not usually the Detroit way though, so who knows. Cleveland has been a pleasant surprise, but I don't see them running away with the Central. It should be a really tight finish.

AL West
1. Texas Rangers
2. Los Angeles Angels
3. Seattle Mariners
4. Oakland Athletics

They started off on a roll and are on another one now, but overall, the Rangers have been just about as good as expected. They're solid hitting combined with how good their young pitching has been should easily give them the AL West title. Jered Weaver and Dan Haren have been immensely successful if not Cy Young caliber for the Angels, but their hitting is whatever, so they shouldn't present any real challenge for Texas. Seattle's young pitchers are starting to look quite dangerous, and add Felix Hernandez, who is also quite young, on top of that and they might be competing more in the next few years.

NL East
1. Philadelphia Phillies
2. Atlanta Braves
3. Florida Marlins
4. Washington Nationals
5. New York Mets

Even though Roy Oswalt has underperformed and been struggling with injury all season, you couldn't really be asking for better performances from the other three Philadelphia aces. Roy Halladay should be on his way to yet another Cy Young award, while Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels have been almost as dominant. The Phillies definitely need hitting help if they're going to beat Boston in the World Series. Or, maybe if Oswalt gets healthy, they're pitching will be just enough. Atlanta is looking to be a serious roadblock for Philly this year and years to come. They're pitching has been insane, and apparently they have a few top pitching prospects still to be brought up. Florida should be better than they are. Jose Reyes has had an MVP caliber season so far for the Mets. I can't believe the Nationals are still at .500, but all that really matters is that they get Stephen Strasburg back next year.

NL Central
1. Milwaukee Brewers
2. St. Louis Cardinals
3. Pittsburgh Pirates
4. Cincinnati Reds
5. Chicago Cubs
6. Houston Astros

The Milwaukee Brewers are doing it pretty good this season, and I'll stand by my decision that they'll win the NL Central thanks to their immaculate hitting and improvements at pitching (which should actually be performing better than it is). St. Louis has done a good job battling all their injuries, and they've had some pleasant surprises in Lance Berkman and the outcome of all their bullpen drama. No one saw Pittsburgh doing what they're doing, and part of me thinks they'll keep it up, especially if they make a move before the trade deadline, but Milwaukee, St. Louis should overpower them. Cincinnati could too. I'm not sure what they're deal is, because they have quite the offense, and promising young pitchers, who aren't throwing so hot right now. The Cubs and Astros just suck, though Aramis Ramirez, Starlin Castro and Hunter Pence have been bright spots for their teams.

NL West
1. San Francisco Giants
2. Colorado Rockies
3. Arizona Diamondbacks
4. Los Angeles Dodgers
5. San Diego Padres

It's weird that the Giants are where they're at while Tim Lincecum's record is just barely over .500. They're pitching has been pretty sick though, and that is all that's going to carry them to another NL West title. The Rockies have been pretty disappointing, but they have tons of talent and are always a second half team anyway. Who knows, maybe they'll run away with the division. I'm perplexed as to why Arizona is so good right now. I'm not counting on that lasting. LA and San Diego are just about where I expected them to be, though Matt Kemp is having a monster season for the Dodgers.

ALDS
Boston over Detroit, 3-1
Texas over New York, 3-2

NLDS
Philadelphia over Milwaukee, 3-1
Atlanta over San Francisco, 3-1

ALCS
Boston over Texas, 4-2

NLCS
Philadelphia over Atlanta, 4-3

World Series
Philadelphia over Boston, 4-2

Now, here are my top three choices for MVP and Cy Young in each league.

AL MVP
1. Adrian Gonzalez, Boston
2. Jose Bautista, Toronto
3. Paul Konerko, Chicago

NL MVP
1. Jose Reyes, New York
2. Matt Kemp, Los Angeles
3. Ryan Braun, Milwaukee

AL Cy Young
1. Justin Verlander, Detroit
2. Jered Weaver, Los Angeles
3. CC Sabathia, New York

NL Cy Young
1. Roy Halladay, Philadelphia
2. Jair Jurrjens, Atlanta
3. Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles

My Valuable Hunting Knife/Little Dipper

Here are my two jams of the past week or so. They're both from 1995!

"My Valuable Hunting Knife" by Guided by Voices, from Alien Lanes (1995)

"Little Dipper" by Hum, from You'd Prefer an Astronaut (1995)

David Comes to Life/The January EP/Giving & Receiving/Terra

David Comes to Life - Fucked Up (Matador, 2011)
I wasn't sure that things could get much better from Toronto's experimental yet extremely accessible hardcore band, Fucked Up, than 2008's The Chemistry of Common Life. Well, I was wrong. Their first long player since (and it really is long) is even better in suprisingly substantial ways. If someone had a gun to my head and forced me to complain about one thing on David Comes to Life, it would have to be that perhaps the drums are a bit overproduced. Everything else concerning the record is damn near perfect. The guitars are ridiculously layered, bright, thick, and are just about the best sounding one could ask for. The rhythm section's masterful subtleties are easy to miss, which always makes for a fun listening experience. If it weren't for Damien Abraham's grunting and screaming, David Comes to Life just might have been an over the top pop punk album. Instead, it is an artful, intense, highly energetic, bright sounding monster of a hardcore record, and I haven't even had the chance to dive into the concept-y lyrics. Oh, and pretty much every song is really great too. I feel like it's been a while since I've been so excited about a new album.


The January EP - Here We Go Magic (Secretly Canadian, 2011)
So far, I've been pretty happy with Here We Go Magic's recent run of recorded material. The band's move from the moody and slight experimental folk of their self-titled debut to the tight and upbeat psychedelic pop of last year's Pigeons is similar to the progression that Grizzly Bear made between Yellow House and Veckatimest. The January EP is a good if not great continuation of the higher powered sounds of Pigeons, and it may even be an improvement. I'm not sure anything Here We Go Magic have done touches last year's kraut-pop masterpiece, "Collector," but pretty much every song on The January EP is strong. Opener "Tulip" features a nice, steady groove and probably the best chorus on the EP, but "Backwards Time" reminds me a little bit of an even more jittery Dismemberment Plan (with awesomely funky bass), and thus it is the best song here.


Giving & Receiving - Lake (K, 2011)
It's always nice when you randomly decide to take a chance on an album and it turns out to be a big deal to you. This occured to me with Lake's 2009 jamhouse, Let's Build a Roof, which I think was my sixth favorite album of that year? With the consistency of all of its 70s soft adult contemporary pop sounds and almost complete lack of Sufjanisms (with the exception of one song), Giving & Receiving should be the better album. But it's not, and I'm not sure if its because the outright jams aren't quite as good as the ones on Let's Build a Roof, or if its due to the loss of the element of surprise. Regardless, Giving & Receiving is a high quality boy/girl pop record full of smooth, subtle ballads not unlike those of Fleetwood Mac or even Steely Dan. "Roger Miller" is THE JAM.


Terra - Julian Lynch (Underwater Peoples, 2011)
I will not disagree with anyone who feels that Julian Lynch's music is boring. However, I cannot deny its beauty. It is ambient, artful, quiet and just gorgeous. That being said, Terra isn't all that different from its predecessor, and aside from two or three songs, there isn't anything all that memorable. I guess Lynch just makes some sort of special mood music where you can get lost in all the weird but pretty saxophone solos, guitar loops and reverb-drenched vocals. 2010's Mare is definitely better, but both are perfect to fall asleep to. I mean this in the best way. Honest.

Vineland/Skinny Legs and All/Push

Vineland - Thomas Pynchon (1990)
I really want to like Thomas Pynchon, but after two novels of his down now, I'm not sure that I'm capable of getting him. It's crazy to me that there exists a book that is more difficult to follow than David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest (which I loved), but Vineland is it. It started off more cohesively than The Crying of Lot 49, but as it is roughly 250 pages longer, it was even easier to get derailed by all of the intricate and bizarre plot lines. I have no idea how to even begin explaining what exactly took place within this novel. I can try, and probably cover all the bare essentials, but am not willing to put forth the effort. There are definitely some stylistic things to like, though. Pynchon's influence on DFW is pretty obvious (in fact, Vineland almost feels like a DFW novel as it dips into a plethora of genres and is post-modern as hell). A lot of Pynchon's imagery is entertaining if not beautiful, and his sense of humor is impressive (and at times right up my alley). I also think the subtle references to The Crying of Lot 49 are a fun little detail. However, the fact remains that Vineland was nearly impossible to follow, and that is a turn off.


Skinny Legs and All - Tom Robbins (1990)
Skinny Legs and All is only the second Tom Robbins novel I've read, and I think it's pretty safe to say that I probably don't need to read any more. All the charm and magic that was Still Life With Woodpecker is just obnoxious here. The weirdness of Robbins' writing style is still funny and entertaining, and I enjoyed if not loved the majority of the characters (major, minor and inanimate objects). Skinny Legs and All showcases a hefty amount of magical realism and absurdism, which is fine by me, but for some reason here it feels a little stale. I think that the greatest hurdle to get over is that Robbins has a lot of ideas concerning politics, religion, culture, art and sex, and it seems like he tried to compact them all into this 400+ page novel. Unfortunately, those ideas are way too many and too complex to really have any effect. It doesn't help that Skinny Legs and All features the usual intricate, multiple plot lines. It's hard to keep track of everything going on. In spite of all this, it was still an enjoyable read. I still look forward to spending time with Jitterbug Perfume, eventually.


Push - Sapphire (1996)
Tragic, depressing, graphic and utterly disturbing. These words usually describe books and films that I really love. However, Push may have been slightly too much. Not in the awesome way that American Psycho was, though. I don't know, I guess that here, Sapphire literally pushes the idea that beauty can somehow come out of even the most fucked up situations. However, the character of Precious Jones is in the shit a bit too deep, and the positive, inspirational side of this novel may be a bit too unrealistic. I apologize for being such a downer, but these were the first thoughts that crossed my mind when I finished. Aside from that, the writing, from a technical standpoint (not that I'm a pro, obviously) got a little annoying at times. Aside from all of that, I still thoroughly enjoyed reading Push. As I'm sure I've stated before, I love tragic and disturbing, and this, Sapphire's first novel, has those elements in spades. And despite my complaining of the somewhat forced hopeful message, the inspirational moments were pretty charming (albeit rushed and a little random). I'll admit that I'm ignorant regarding the writing of this novel. Is it based on a true story? I don't know. Whatever. Solid book.

The Recursive Girl

"The Recursive Girl" by Fucked Up, from David Comes to Life (2011)
Of the 18 tracks on David Comes to Life, Fucked Up's third and latest LP, literally half of them are in contention for my favorite song of the year. More on that at a later time, but until then, feel free to enjoy maybe the album's greatest jam.