pretty bummed that it's the black album that got the nod but hopefully the book covers the Cliff years too
― tremendous crime wave and killing wave (Joan Crawford Loves Chachi), Saturday, 22 August 2015 00:00 (eight years ago) link
just an update to say that thanks to recommendations here i got franklin bruno's volume on 'armed forces.' it's by far the best one of these i've read and i came away thinking i had learned something and that bruno is very sensitive to the right things: nuances of arrangement and lyric, interaction of elvis costello's public profile and his music, etc. that said, the organization of the book--pretty much an "alphabetical," but really more or less random, assemblage of mini-essays--was a bit of a cop-out. i thought t hat bruno had a few threads in there that would have made really excellent, linear arguments that would have been much better served by a traditional structure that provided some context, walked through the album's production and discussed the songs one by one, then talked about relevant subsequent developments, then some kind of summary. maybe that's a little square of me, but it seemed like bruno had so many great observations but failed to develop a structure that wouldl show them off to best advantage.
― wizzz! (amateurist), Wednesday, July 1, 2015 7:01 PM (1 month ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
mm i mean i think it's meant to be mirroring the object of enquiry? in that (as bruno states repeatedly iirc) costello doesn't really have a 'thesis' or an 'argument' , just a whole bunch of stuff going on. i think that book is p great tbh
― ♛ LIL UNIT ♛ (thomp), Saturday, 22 August 2015 00:08 (eight years ago) link
this pitchfork article though:
At the time of its release in 2005, this title was the only book-length examination of Neutral Milk Hotel
― ♛ LIL UNIT ♛ (thomp), Saturday, 22 August 2015 00:10 (eight years ago) link
I've really enjoyed several of these books, but as the catalog gets deeper I'm having a harder time distinguishing this series from a tall pile of MOJO.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 22 August 2015 13:21 (eight years ago) link
http://333sound.com/2015/09/29/open-call-2015-the-shortlist/
― jaymc, Tuesday, 29 September 2015 16:52 (eight years ago) link
Lulu (JM)-Lou Reed and Metallica
is this one of y'all
― insufficiently familiar with xgau's work to comment intelligently (BradNelson), Tuesday, 29 September 2015 16:54 (eight years ago) link
No Shlomo, no credibility. Seriously, it could be the best book in the entire series by miles.
― dlp9001, Tuesday, 29 September 2015 16:56 (eight years ago) link
One of the Pinkerton proposals on the list is from a writer who identifies as "non-binary transgender". Who knows if that has anything to do with the proposal, but it could make for an interesting perspective.
― jaymc, Tuesday, 29 September 2015 17:11 (eight years ago) link
(GI) (JG) -GermsHad to look this up to make sense of it. Wasn't familiar with the Germs discog.
Muppets FTW obv. Also, hope Cobra gets a book rather than Refried Ectoplasm, and impressed that at least two people pitched the former.
But I'd read books on most of these TBH. Most exciting shortlist in… well, ever really.
― Jeff W, Tuesday, 29 September 2015 17:31 (eight years ago) link
total jazz proposals: 1 (The Inner Mounting Flame-The Mahavishnu Orchestra)
― aaaaablnnn (abanana), Tuesday, 29 September 2015 18:01 (eight years ago) link
I am so ready to pre-order a possible "Death of a Ladies Man" book.
For the most part this is the most uninspiring shortlist I've seen from 33 1/3.
― NoTimeBeforeTime, Tuesday, 29 September 2015 18:05 (eight years ago) link
YESSSS
― AdamVania (Adam Bruneau), Tuesday, 29 September 2015 18:40 (eight years ago) link
is the quality of the output predictable by the albums that will be written up tho
not that i particularly care, have only read one of these things
― dyl, Tuesday, 29 September 2015 18:58 (eight years ago) link
i can't believe turn on the bright lights hasn't gotten a book yet, or anything by animal collective
― flappy bird, Tuesday, 29 September 2015 19:05 (eight years ago) link
Animal Collective fans can't don't read.
― the top man in the language department (誤訳侮辱), Tuesday, 29 September 2015 19:07 (eight years ago) link
I would definitely read a book about Death of a Ladies Man
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 29 September 2015 19:09 (eight years ago) link
I doubt it's going to make it to the final list, but I would love an Uptown Saturday Night book.
― MarkoP, Tuesday, 29 September 2015 19:14 (eight years ago) link
yeees
― Spottie, Tuesday, 29 September 2015 19:50 (eight years ago) link
can't believe there's still never been a Violator one.
― piscesx, Tuesday, 29 September 2015 21:03 (eight years ago) link
Ten Ragas To A Disco Beat-Charanjit Singh
yessssss
― wizzz! (amateurist), Tuesday, 29 September 2015 23:20 (eight years ago) link
of course, since 95% of these books appear to suck, i won't get my hopes up
― wizzz! (amateurist), Tuesday, 29 September 2015 23:21 (eight years ago) link
also that book would sell 0.3 copies :(
disappointed that the Watertown pitch from the longlist didn't make it, one of my favorite albums ever
― the naive cockney chorus (Simon H.), Tuesday, 29 September 2015 23:23 (eight years ago) link
Brad I can't stand Lulu but I thought yr pitch was really strong, I'm having a hard time imagining the one that made the shortlist bettering it.
― the naive cockney chorus (Simon H.), Wednesday, 30 September 2015 00:50 (eight years ago) link
Everett True didn't make the shortlist:
http://www.collapseboard.com/everett-true/how-not-to-write-a-book-proposal-rejected-unknown/
I know True isn't to everyone's taste (to say the least) but this would have been a great pick IMO.
― Position Position, Wednesday, 30 September 2015 01:43 (eight years ago) link
jesus christ shut up you fucking baby
― insufficiently familiar with xgau's work to comment intelligently (BradNelson), Wednesday, 30 September 2015 01:51 (eight years ago) link
also thank you simon, needless to say i am full of curiosity and dread about the one that made the shortlist
― insufficiently familiar with xgau's work to comment intelligently (BradNelson), Wednesday, 30 September 2015 01:52 (eight years ago) link
i suppose if i were E. True i would feel pretty good about proposing a Daniel Johnston book and i would be taken aback by rejection, but...yes, what Brad said
― alpine static, Wednesday, 30 September 2015 05:22 (eight years ago) link
that E True proposal is terrible
― schlep and back trio (anagram), Wednesday, 30 September 2015 07:42 (eight years ago) link
I'm really pleased that Agata Pyzik got shortlisted, though she won't say what for. Presumably Kollaps or Solaris.
― I wear my Redditor loathing with pride (ShariVari), Wednesday, 30 September 2015 07:47 (eight years ago) link
if you only read one of these books, read TWENTY JAZZ FUNK GREATS by Drew Daniel. by far my favorite
― flappy bird, Wednesday, 30 September 2015 16:06 (eight years ago) link
I think the True proposal is great, but I can at least acknowledge that it's tonally out of step with the last 10 years or so of unambitious "here's a personal essay"-style music criticism. The word "essay" should really be nowhere near music writing.
― Position Position, Thursday, 1 October 2015 10:40 (eight years ago) link
I'm not going to rank on True. There's nothing wrong with having a hard time handling rejection. I think it's a decent proposal. Is there any market on something like Kickstarter or Patreon for writing, or is it all shitty half-baked video game/board game concepts?
― rushomancy, Thursday, 1 October 2015 12:19 (eight years ago) link
people kickstart books a lot but the whole process of writing a book likely changes in the process -- people are less likely to put aside 5k of their proceeds to hire a really good editor who'll help them shape the MS into something really great. Auteur theory is the lifeblood and Achilles heel of Kickstarter imo
― tremendous crime wave and killing wave (Joan Crawford Loves Chachi), Thursday, 1 October 2015 12:30 (eight years ago) link
there's a market for shitty half-baked writing about videogames! oh xp
― ♛ LIL UNIT ♛ (thomp), Thursday, 1 October 2015 12:36 (eight years ago) link
i suspect true's deciding to go with 'tiresome self-promotion' rather than following the advice on the pitch guidelines didn't really help his case. also curious is this list on the website:
The following projects were contracted at some point but for various reasons are now cancelled.The following albums are now fair game:
Daniel Johnston-Hi, How Are YouKate Bush-The DreamingTori Amos-Boys for PeleThe Clash–London CallingWu Tang–Enter the Wu (36 Chambers)Weezer-PinkertonBjork-BiophiliaPulp-This is Hardcore
― ♛ LIL UNIT ♛ (thomp), Thursday, 1 October 2015 12:41 (eight years ago) link
like, johnston is kind of a sensitive case, and who knows what came up related to the cancellation of the previous one (which was to be by benjamin shapiro of VICE. hm)
― ♛ LIL UNIT ♛ (thomp), Thursday, 1 October 2015 12:44 (eight years ago) link
patreon just got hacked btw
― Meta Forksclove-Liebeskind (forksclovetofu), Thursday, 1 October 2015 12:53 (eight years ago) link
I have a (frankly amazing) pitch if wholly-fictional accounts of albums that no one cares about ever become fair game.
― Famous Monsters of ILM-land (Old Lunch), Thursday, 1 October 2015 12:59 (eight years ago) link
just posting here to add my voice to everyone laughing at Everett True itt
― Hector Ringtone (DJ Mencap), Thursday, 1 October 2015 14:01 (eight years ago) link
a music version of this could be good
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Perfect_Vacuum
― wizzz! (amateurist), Thursday, 1 October 2015 19:49 (eight years ago) link
anybody who can write 50k words on, say, rosebud's "discoballs" deserves to be published.
― rushomancy, Thursday, 1 October 2015 20:56 (eight years ago) link
http://333sound.com/2015/11/04/open-call-2015-results-the-16-new-books-in-the-33-13-series/
― scott seward, Wednesday, 4 November 2015 16:37 (eight years ago) link
would probably read the Modern Lovers one...
― tylerw, Wednesday, 4 November 2015 16:40 (eight years ago) link
Have never heard of Jawbreaker, let alone any albums they've made.
― Caput Johannis in Disco (Tom D.), Wednesday, 4 November 2015 16:44 (eight years ago) link
Uptown Saturday Night!
― MarkoP, Wednesday, 4 November 2015 16:53 (eight years ago) link
xpost Have never heard of any of these authors, let alone anything they've written
(except joe gross)
― bricc baby hitlo (Whiney G. Weingarten), Wednesday, 4 November 2015 16:54 (eight years ago) link
they are the fresh young faces
― scott seward, Wednesday, 4 November 2015 16:55 (eight years ago) link
Agata Pyzik is great. Have no real interest in Japan but I'll get hers anyway.
― Al Ain Delon (ShariVari), Wednesday, 4 November 2015 17:03 (eight years ago) link
ezra furman is a singer-songwriter guy i think
― djp HOOS clouds (NickB), Wednesday, 4 November 2015 17:06 (eight years ago) link