Recently Acquired

Listening:

The Martinis, "Smitten": I wanted to like Joey Santiago's post-Pixies project more than I did. The guitar is smokin', the vocals are okay, the lyrics are mostly shite, and the songs are, well, adequate pop, but nothing amazing.

Loretta Lynn, "Van Lear Rose": Okay, this one I like. The duet with Jack White, "Portland, Oregon," which I expected to be gimmicky as all get out is actually quite lovely. And it gives props to one of my favorite towns.

Masta Killa, "No Said Date" sampler: "The long awaited solo debut from Wu-tang member Masta Killa!" Featuring all the usual Wu members. Just listened to it once, but it's serviceable hip-hop in the Wu Tang mold, which, for me, has grown a bit old over the past decade or so. But worth a listen, esp. for die-hards.

TV on the Radio, "Young Liars EP": This is weird, loopy, sensually vocal, mechanical...what is it? I'm not sure, but it's growing on me with every listen. Reminds me of some old-school trip-hop stuff, e.g., Tricky, etc. but not really. The Portland Mercury described them as "The Commodores on Frank Black's chain gaing," which is a nifty phrase, but I'm not sure if that fits, though they do cover "Mr. Grieves."

Recently Rediscovered: Breeders, "Safari EP." Just four songs, one of them a cover (I think). All of them perfect.

Eating:

"Simple to Spectacular" by Mark Bittman and Jean-Georges Vongerichten. This book is amazing, and incredibly useful for the home cook. Make fancy French-ish food in your own poor kitchen (as long as you don't attempt the recipes with truffles, foie gras, or caviar, of which there are, admittedly, a lot). I learned how to make spaetzle from this book.