New (to me) Singles from Recent Paste Samplers

From Paste 37, I’m diggin’:

  • “The National Side” Romantica
  • “I Love You, You Imbecile” Pelle Carlberg
  • “Silver Dreams” Blackie & The Rodeo Kings
  • “Luscious Life” Patrick Watson
  • “Devil May Dance” A.J. Roach
  • “New York Skyline” Giant Bear

If you like Regina Spektor and/or Ingrid Michaelson, try “Unmistakably Love” Stephanie’s ID.
If you like The Fray, try “Swim” Jeremy Larson.

(Old Friends also recommended: “Take Me to the Riot” Stars; “Gone Gone Gone” Robert Plant & Alison Krauss [I can’t listen to their album in one go, but I like it in individual songs].)

From Paste 38, I’m diggin’:

  • “Foundations” Kate Nash
  • “I’ll Follow You Tonight” Anna Terheim
  • “Have to Have Everything” Milton & The Devils Party
  • “The Cornflakes Song” (feat. Glen Phillips) Dick Prall
  • “Days” She Is So Beautiful/She Is So Blonde
  • “Brand New Love” Serena Ryder (minus the Jesus references)

I guess this one must’ve come out before Christmas since it ends with three Holiday songs. Doh. (I like “It Really Is (A Wonderful Life)” Mindy Smith.)

If you like The Fray and/or Five for Fighting, try “Do I Wake or Sleep?” Homer Hiccolm & The Rocketboys and “Wedding Crows” The Josh Davis Band.
If you like the Go-Gos, try “I Call on You” The TrolleyVox

(Old Friends also recommended: “100 Days, 100 Nights” Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings; “The Opposite of Hallelujah” Jens Lekman; “Second Chance” Liam Finn .)

Mystery: “Drop Shot” by Harlan Coben

And another little break…

The second in the Myron Bolitar series. The fact that Myron is a sports agent and lawyer rather than your more typical PI or retired cop/military just soooo works for me in these books. But of course Win is my favorite character (Joe Pike but without conscience? Or questionable conscience?). I did figure out one part of the mystery a lot earlier than Myron, and not sure if I like being the one to figure it out, I am happy when the book fools me to the end sometimes. Still very enjoyable.

Mystery: “The Watchman” by Robert Crais

Taking a little break from the “big” book I am reading [I’ll do a “currently” post soon]…

Subtitled “A Joe Pike Novel” which makes me hope (HOPEHOPE) that implies an entire series focused on Pike.

I thought the Elvis Cole books were draggin’ a little, getting too caught up in Elvis’ personal life and not enough focus on the mysteries. This was a refreshing change; Pike is such an engimatic dude. The only comparable character for me is Jack Reacher and I would actually run off with Pike first if given the choice.

He’s fierce and fearless and smart and determined and crazy ass cool. I keep warning my dad I am soooo tempted to get matching deltoid arrows…

Mystery: “The Murder at the Vicarage” by Agatha Christie

Another English language pickup in Kyoto, I was really getting desperate for reading material there at the end. (And you know I had to save something for the plane!)

The first Miss Marple, when she’s just annoying as hell and only one person in the story even seems to realize that although annoying, she’s probably right. (You know, versus later on, when she’s still as annoying but people heed her advice because of her track record.)

Nonfiction: “Let’s Talk About Love; A Journey to the End of Taste” by Carl Wilson

Part of the 33 1/3 series (details here or here).

There is much more to this book than you might think. Truly a philosophical treatise on not just Celine and her music (and importance or not); but on personal taste, crowd reaction, social commentary… The level of research was pretty impressive and the combination of sarcasm and thoughtfulness had a nice smooth tone. Doesn’t make me anymore interested in listening to Dion’s music, but that’s not really the point.

Mystery: “The Naming of the Dead” by Ian Rankin

Not really sure where I am in this series, I may have skipped ahead a few books to read this one, but I was out of reading material and this was the only thing in the “english books” section of that particular store in Kyoto that I wanted to read.

Rebus is still the same disreputable mess as always, but the byplay between him and Siobhan here is great, felt very refreshing and upbeat from the last one I read. And the ins and outs of the mystery here were really well done.