They Might Be Giants - Minimum Wage

It's been quite some time since I listened to 90s alternative stalwarts They Might Be Giants, but I cracked out a few discs over this past weekend and put them in the car (It's also been a while since I listened to a CD in the car). 

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NCBD:

Here's what's on tap for NCBD this week:

Love that cover. This book is a mixed bag - I dig it, but I don't know that I feel enough momentum to continue after this arc. We'll see. 

I'm reading House of Slaughter monthly for the duration of this arc. In catching up a few weeks ago, I have to say the consistency isn't great. The first arc that concentrated on Aaron and Boucher, who returns this issue, was pretty good. The second one - I just didn't get it. 

Okay, Cates is gone. Let's see how this series continues on to its conclusion in April. 

The final issue before Immoral X-Men starts. Great cover- can't wait to see where this goes.

This one's on the chopping block. I love Shalvey's writing and art, and maybe it's just the book seems to be so sporadic that it doesn't actually feel like a series to me. 

The penultimate issue of Phantasmagoria. I've been keeping up with reading monthly, but I can't wait to read it all in one straight shot after next month's final issue.

Not gonna lie; I'm not feeling this series. That being said, being that DeMatteis penning a sequel to his original story, I'm in for the long haul, which is only another two issues anyway, so no biggie. 

The final issue of Strange, before Doctor Strange relaunches in a few months. I'll miss this book; what a fun ride McKay and Company have brought us on. And to think, I picked up the first issue entirely on a lark!

Still not reading the "Event" this ties into, and definitely not feeling that I need to. 

I'm waiting for Boss to take over the art again before I go back and re-read everything. Despite reading the entire series up to the hiatus in July, a lot disappeared during that break, and the fill-in artists - by no fault of their own - really made re-entry upon the book's return two months ago rough. I need to sit down and go through it all again. 

After all the love I gushed on Dark Web last week for ASM 17, I ended up fairly disappointed in that issue. Hoping this doesn't fizzle out now that we're in the climactic moments. That is what Events and Crossovers tend to do, though, so we'll see. 

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Playlist:

They Might Be Giants - Flood

David Bowie - Black Star

David Lynch and John Neff - BLUEBOB

LABRY'S - Eponymous

Blvck Hippie - If You Feel Alone At Parties

Mastodon - Once More 'Round the Sun

A001 - Nyctophobia EP

Lustmord - Hobart

Thou - Rhea Sylvia

Various - Dirt Redux

Emma Ruth Rundle and Thou - May Our Chambers Be Full

Meathook Seed - Embedded

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Card:

From Jonathan Grimm's Bound Tarot, which you can buy HERE.

These four cards flew out of the deck while I shuffled this morning, so I figured it would be important for the day's Pull to log them all. I'm not in a place at the moment where I can interpret this - I'm fried from a nearly 11-hour work day yesterday and looking down the barrel of a similar situation today.

Barry Adamson - If You Love Her

If you're not familiar with Barry Adamson, former bass player for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Nick Cave and the Cave Men, Magazine and for a short time the Buzzcockss, and you dig any measure of the stuff I toss out on this page, go get 1996's Oedipus Schmoedipus. An anthological record that features Adamson's jazz/noir musicality and style plus a number of great guests (Carla Bozulich, Nick Cave, Jarvis Cocker to name a few). If you're a David Lynch fan you'll recognize track number two on the record, it had a pretty memorable moment in Lost Highway. Mr. Adamson's soundtrack to Carol Morley's 'Dreams of a Life" which will be aired in the UK tonight, Feb 7th. Said ST can be purchased here on iTunes.



All of the man's albums are fantastic, especially my favorite, 1998's As Above So Below. Atticus Ross assisted with some of the programming and produced it and Flood's on hand for a couple of tracks as well. It's fantastic; a dark, jazzy descent into a noisy, ionic hell where the kiss of an angel waits mockingly just out of reach. Overdoing it? I don't think so. You don't know Barry.



Adamson's earliest records (Moss Side Tory, Soul Murder) are fascinating because they are soundtracks - complete with dialogue snippets - to movies that never existed outside Mr. Adamson's mind. The genius displayed therein put him on Trent Reznor's map back in the early 90's. Reznor used a few of Adamson's tracks and the influence of his MO to put together the Natural Born Killer's ST and then a few years later of course the aforementioned Lost Highway. Two years ago Adamson - a "Cinematic Soul" by his own admission, wrote, directed and released his first film - a 'novella' entitled The Therapist. The film is a heavily-influenced first film but it is good, strong in tone, and it points to even better things to come from this man whose work I love so much. A friend and I saw him live last year in an intimate show at LA's Hotel Bar. Just Barry, minimal accompaniment. It was awesome.