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.
Cory Branan recently released his fourth album, No-Hit Wonder; the title track is below. The song, like the record, feels – lived-in, I guess – familiar and a little rough around the edges. It’s also sharply observed; the lyrics have bite in unexpected ways.
Other highlights include All The Rivers in Colorado (my personal favorite); C’mon Shadow and Daddy Was A Skywriter.
He’s currently taking his show on the road; New York, your show is on Oct. 1 at the Mercury Lounge, and Ohio, yours is in Columbus on Oct. 8 at the Rumba Cafe.
With that, I turn the floor over to the man himself, to tell us a little bit about one of his favorite books, records and drinks:
Photo by Marco Krenn
A Good Read:
I was just talking to someone about Garcia Lorca‘s lecture: In Search of Duende. The Spanish concept of Duende is different from the western idea of muse/inspiration. Lorca describes it as “wrestling the angel” that can only happen in live music and dance because those art forms occur in real time and then are gone. Anyway, it’s what I’m after in the music I play and seek out. Lorca explains it much better.
A Good Listen:
I haven’t heard the whole thing yet but there’s a collection of Keith Richards‘ solo work with the Xpensive Winos I’m itching to check out. I heard the one track Locked Away and it was tore up and beautiful in the best of ways.
http://youtu.be/2vFAv5HJwuY
A Good Drink:
My wife makes a good moonshine Manhattan. Some buddies work this still in Gatlinburg that makes a rye based shine. Mix that with sweet vermouth and a dash of bitters and brace for impact.