kathyp

I just read this about a week ago. It was charming for the most part. I like Rob Sheffield, and I really enjoyed his first book, but there were elements of Talking To Girls... that made me roll my eyes, especially that women and girls are flaky, superficial music fans who just want to dance. I take it that it's supposed to be some sort of compliment (we girls don't have to worry about serious stuff like bootleg collecting, or discussing the minutiae of Smiths lyrics -- my examples, not his), but it's a tired old stereotype.

1. You're Quiet - Brendan Benson 2. Versatile Heart - Linda Thompson 3. The Man Amplifier - Young Marble Giants 4. The Ballad of Bitter Honey - Eef Barzelay 5. Scarecrow - Eddi Reader 6. Strawberry Blonde - Ron Sexsmith 7. Blues Run the Game - Jackson C. Frank 8. Sweedeedee - Michael Hurley 9. Vibrate - Rufus Wainwright 10. When the Roses Bloom Again - Sally Timms

This computer only has about 300 songs on it (and over-represented by people named "Wainwright"), but here goes: 1. Know Your Chicken - Cibo Matto 2. Well-Alright - Spoon 3. I Want To Be Evil - Eartha Kitt 4. Can't Hardly Wait - Replacements 5. Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk - Rufus Wainwright 6. That Time - Regina Spektor 7. The Magic Position - Patrick Wolf 8. Not Ready to Love - Rufus Wainwright 9. Goddamn HIV - Mary Gauthier 10. Hearts Club Band - Martha Wainwright

What I Liked: Holly Golightly and the Brokeoffs - Medicine County Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - I Learned The Hard Way Charlotte Gainsbourg - IRM Goldfrapp - Head First (though not as much as Seventh Tree) Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid What I Didn't Joan Armatrading - This Charming Life (I love Joan Armatrading, but this was a little disappointing. Listened to it one time and sort of forgot it existed.) Mary Gauthier - The Foundling (See above) She & Him - Volume Two (I know M. Ward and Zooey have a lot of fans here, but I just can't get into her voice. It's kind of, um, awfu

Just picked this up today: Although Of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself: A Road Trip with David Foster Wallace - David Lipsky

Love her. Check out Metropolis, too.

These won't win me any popularity points... The Mountain Goats - Yes, John Darnielle is a great songwriter, but I'm not a fan of his thin, whiny vocals Bright Eyes See above And yes, The Hold Steady. He doesn't sing; he barks.

Yes. So. Grand is good for shopping, too, but I'm biased since I grew up around there.