A Good Read, a Good Listen, and a Good Drink: Shivering Timbers -

It’s a simple yet sublime pleasure, and just thinking about it can make you feel a little calmer, a little more content. Imagine: You bring out one of the good rocks glasses (or your favorite mug or a special occasion tea cup) and pour a couple fingers of amber liquid (or something dark and strong or just some whole milk). You drop the needle on the jazz platter (or pull up a blues album on your mp3 player or dig out that mixtape from college). Ensconcing yourself in the coziest seat in the house, you crack the spine on a classic (or find your place in that sci-fi paperback or pull up a biography on your e-book reader). And then, you go away for a while. Ah, bliss.

In this series, some of NTSIB’s friends share beloved albums, books and drinks to recommend or inspire.

Life in the Shivering Timbers’ household, i.e. the home of Sarah and Jayson Benn in Akron, Ohio, doesn’t leave much time for leisurely drink while flipping through pages and listening to the hi-fi. On top of raising their four-year-old girl and the handful of jobs that Jayson works, the band just released their second, beautiful album, Sing Sing. But, fortunately for us, they did find a moment to share a few favorites for when they do have time to sit still for a while.

“Wayfaring Stranger/Evening Prayer” – Shivering Timbers

Sarah says: Free time is scarce, so a 78 is perfect for a moment of escapism, and I relish Ernie Andrews “Dream Awhile/Green Gin” (GEM records 1945). Add a tall glass of iced sweet tea, and the latest copy of Garden Design magazine, and I’m blissful for 10 minutes. On the road I have time to read, and it’s almost always some sort of world history (or music history) book, right now I’m reading A People’s History of the United States [by Howard Zinn], which I think everyone should read.

“Green Gin” – Ernie Andrews

Jayson says: On the rare occasion when I’m able to disappear for a while, I can usually be found lying on the floor in my living room, directly in front of the stereo. Lately I’ve been listening to the country gentlemen of guitar: Chet Atkins, Merle Travis, and Duane Eddy, to name a few. There is something about these old timers that has been lost on a lot of modern guitar players; they had grit, class, and knew how to make their instruments sing. My drink of choice is typically a glass of good bourbon (neat).

On the other hand, if the girls are out of town visiting family, I’ll grab a six pack of High Life and blow the speakers out with some Motorhead or Iron Maiden.

Reading while listening to music usually doesn’t go hand in hand for me. I do, however, have a couple of books going at the moment: Tom Waits – In the Studio by Jake Brown, and Speaker for the Dead, the follow-up to Orson Scott Card’s great sci-fi novel, Ender’s Game.

“Cannonball Rag” – Merle Travis