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.
All Them Ghosts, Pauline Andrès’ debut album, due out next week, is both a delight and a challenge; all of her stories are good, but some are easier to listen to than others.
Here are three of my favorites – She, I Remember Her and Sweet Fortune Tellin’ Ma – chosen because of they way they showcase both her rich smoky voice, the interesting ways she winds threads of rock and roll through a country framework, and her storytelling skills:
And now, I turn the floor over to her, to share her favorite book, record and drink:
Photo credit: Ceven Knowles
A Good Read
H.P. Lovecraft. Always. Followed shortly by Cormac McCarthy, he is my absolute favorite writer. It’s probably because he is a master in crafting atmospheres and that’s always something I’m craving. No one does it better than him: telling a terrifying, weird (and sometimes philosophic) tale while creating a warm poetic bubble to hide into while you read it.
He was a true genius and a poet and inspired a dark ode called On The Doorstep we featured on our debut record. Just reading the titles of his stories is an experience: The Thing On The Doorstep, At The Mountains Of Madness, The Picture In The House . . . his work is full of fears and shadows but it is oh so beautiful and always inspires me.
A Good Listen
Well since we’re talking about atmospheres I’d go with an all time favorite by Neko Case: Blacklisted. It translates perfectly her talent for -yes here it comes- creating an atmosphere around her words with a perfect control of her monumental voice but also with the dazzling richness of the arrangements. She’s one of the best singer-songwriters I can think of anyway and this album definitely is one of her best. A perfect listen for an autumn evening while you pour the drink you’ll have in bed with Lovecraft. It’s rare for an album to get so close to perfection from writing to production; it’s flawless and hits me every time like a really sweet bullet.
http://youtu.be/3fhur6g8_BM
A Good Drink
I’m a big drinker. I drink a lot of everything and I don’t just mean alcohol, so this is a tough one. But if I were to listen to Case and read Lovecraft tonight, I would probably have some of that red wine I hide under the kitchen table. The dark red Bordeaux that makes your throat feel like its got central heating too. A perfect drink to gently fall asleep after the music stops and the story is over.