Out this Month

More edgy, Jewish writing. Looking forward to it.

Todd P. Goes to Austin

TODD P GOES TO AUSTIN trailer from FVMMO FILMS on Vimeo.

Pink cookies in a plastic bag

Recap

This year has marked a few milestones. I've been the full time editor at MadeLoud for a year, and I've been to more music festivals this summer and fall than, seemingly, the entire time I was in college. Coming up is CMJ, which I'm excited to attend. Much of the writing I've been doing about music has coincided with some sort of festival, whether it involves MadeLoud's sponsorship at Monolith for the second year in a row, or with the Austinist in anticipation of either Fun Fun Fun Fest or ACL. Here's some of the work I've been doing for everyone I write for this year.

Interviews:

Daniel Johnston
James Husband
Ben Curtis of School of Seven Bells
Lullabye Arkestra
Neon Indian
Angel Deradoorian

Live Reviews:

Sleepy Sun
Stereo Total
Bats for Lashes

Articles:

Top 20 Around the World
In which I complain about people talking about Bob Dylan

Book-related stuff:

Austin Writers
Review of Cat Power: A Good Woman

Points of Contention at the Austin A.V. Club:

Californians
Wine Bars
6th Street
The Domain

Erik and Devon did funny installments of this column as well.

Pastiche:

The Bus Will Get You There Yet
KAOS Radio
House Shows
Practice Spaces

I'd also like to give mad shout outz to my editors. My former books editor at Venus Zine, Ling Ma, has gone on to Playboy. Sean O'Neal has been busy running the Austin A.V. Club for the last three years and will hopefully someday soon write a book of withering, undeniable pop cultural studies. Last but not least, Paige Maguire, my music editor at the Austinist, got scooped up by WOXY. They chose well.

how cool is this?

And Air love it too!

Grover Lewis

Dave Hickey calls Grover Lewis "the most stone wonderful writer that nobody ever heard of." I happened to come across a review of Splendor in the Short Grass in the Statesman after moving back to Austin in 2005, but I only just got around to reading this collection.

Splendor in the Short Grass is an overview of Lewis' much too truncated career. He had a great eye, unforgiving insight and one of the cleanest (but most lyrical) writing styles I've come across.

Lewis wrote for Rolling Stone back when it was edgy and exciting, and his article about touring with the Allman Brothers, "Hitting the Note with the Allman Brothers Band," is my favorite piece of music journalism. This collection is also framed by "Splendor in the Short Grass: The Making of The Last Picture Show" which details Lewis' experience on the set of the film (in which he also had a small part).

His unfinished novel The Code of the West could have been incredible, and his 1992 piece for Texas Monthly, entitled "Cracker Eden: Oak Cliff—a Report, a Memoir," proves his skills never diminished. I don't know whether to be sad about the unsung potential of his work or happy just to have had the chance to read him. Maybe both.

Blech!

Maybe it is a good thing that traditional journalism and print media have been sent reeling by the internet. Reasons why:

1. Newspapers and magazines = the wholesale death of trees. My god, don't we have about 10 more forests now than we did two years ago? Fucking paper.

2. Back in the day you'd read something like this, and there was nothing you could do about it: In 1967, the Mamas & the Papas had a hit with a song that detailed, with bittersweet harmonies, the checkered history of the band. The song, written by the group's John Phillips and his wife, Michelle, was called "Creeque Alley."If the song were to be updated today, it might have to be retitled "Creep Alley." Who WRITES THIS SHIT? "Creep Alley?" This is journalism? Thank you internet, for letting me complain about this in real time.

p.s. - the above quote is from CNN.com. Am I going to have to start reading Fox News? MY GOD