Robert Pollard – From a Compound Eye (Merge)
A sprawling double-LP that’s less reminiscent of Guided by Voices than the obtuse, thick rock of some of Pollard’s other recent solo works. I haven’t entirely made up my mind about it yet (it’s a lot to take in), but am enjoying getting into it.
Philip Glass – Philip on Film: Filmworks by Philip Glass (Nonesuch)
I’m on Philip Glass in my alphabetical music-collection journey – this 5-disc collection of his film music contains some really entrancing works, and is more diverse overall than the common perceptions of Glass might suggest.
Various Artists – Songs to Break God’s Heart, Vol. 1 (Acuarela)
A compilation from the Madrid-based label, of exclusive tracks and mixes. It’s sequenced perfectly for listening, and includes some really fine tracks (by The Zephyrs, The Strugglers, Aroah, Darren Hayman, P:ano, and 14 others).
Kimya Dawson – I’m Sorry That Sometimes I’m Mean (Rough Trade)
In anticipation of her upcoming new album Remember That I Love You (K), I’ve been going back and listening to Kimya Dawson’s first solo album, from 2002, which contains some really powerful, emotionally bare moments.
The Decemberists – “The Mariner’s Revenge Song”
I love this song, off Picaresque (Kill Rock Stars), for how they just dive completely into an esoteric narrative – about a quest for revenge that takes its characters onto the wild seas and inside the belly of a whale – and stick with it, no matter how long or musically repetitive it gets.
Modern Giant – “Angie Hart”
From the Australian band Modern Giant’s excellent 2005 album Satellite Nights, this 7-minute track takes a melancholy instrumental and places over it an intriguing narrative about memory and circumstance, about the might-have-beens and should-have-beens of life.
David Dondero – “Pornographic Love Song”
A fascinating song, off his latest album South of the South (Team Love). There’s a disarming bluntness and pessimism to this tale of falling in love with a prostitute, yet it’s also the catchiest song on the album.
Jens Lekman – “Be Good”
This song’s a free download from his online rare songs depository The Department of Forgotten Songs, and I just can’t get it out of my head lately.
Sunset Boulevard (NR)
I saw this 1950 Billy Wilder-directed classic for the first time recently, and thoroughly enjoyed it. It has a suspenseful mood and fascinating characters, and offers a rich, multi-layered look at Hollywood goings-on.
Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors (NR)
A truly original film. Korean director Hong Sang-soo’s 2000 film (just out on DVD) looks at a romance from the perspective of the man and the woman, showing the same basic circumstances twice, each version colored by the narrator’s own memories and perspectives on what happened.
