The new issue of Paste Magazine is out, with The Flaming Lips on the cover. There are great stories on the Lips, Built to Spill, and one of my musical heroes, Alejandro Escovedo. I have a column on the late, great bluesman Chris Whitley, and about half a dozen album reviews.
And while I always appreciate the accompanying CD and/or DVD, let me note that this issue has both, and they are both superb. Usually the hit/miss ratio on the CD is about 50/50 for me, but this time it's about 75/25, with absolutely great songs from Built to Spill, Rhett Miller (of the best cowpunk band in the world, The Old 97's), Guster, The Wood Brothers (of Medeski, Martin, and Wood), Teddy Thompson (son of Richard and Linda), Donald Fagen (the mastermind behind Steely Dan) and Norah Jones' side project The Little Willies. The DVD might be even better, and features 30 music videos (as eclectic a bunch of videos as you'll ever find, including Johnny Cash, Bright Eyes, Beth Orton, Merle Haggard ("Mama Tried"!), The Decemberists, Amos Lee, The Arcade Fire, and Bloc Party), a batch of fine short indie films, and a video record of the fact that the editors really do appear on CNN once per week.
What, you're not familiar with Paste? Then hie thee to your neighborhood Barnes and Noble or Borders, or if you're feeling lazy and don't want to venture out into the snow, as I'm feeling today, you can always subscribe here.
3 comments:
sounds tasty.
i await my issue in the mail. may it come today.......
Glanced through my copy this morning, turning to the last page first, as is my usual practice, and noted the superb (as usual) article on Chris Whitley. Makes me want to go out and look for his stuff. Noted also that one of my favorite jazz singers (all right, not everything she does is strictly jazz, but that's where you find her at the music store), Cassandra Wilson, received a good review on her new CD, which I will be sure to buy. Then, I noted a mediocre 3 stars for the new Bela Fleck album, which I recently purchased, bestowed by a mean, nasty, cranky, old, and probably uncool critic who shall remain nameless (Return to Forever, indeed). I am eager to devour the rest of the issue.
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