Summertime, part 3: Twilight Singers

1st Ave. Summer Night, Andrew Kastenberg

Summertime - The Twilight Singers

This ain't no lullaby. Not the way Greg Dulli sings it anyhow. Nobody does carnal sorrow, sexual scar-picking quite like the former Afghan Whig. Thank God. Because there isn’t world enough and time for more of this sneering self-loathing. But Dulli was one of the first and best in the alt-rock universe to make these particular moves, so give him credit for that. And give him and the band credit for one of the fresher and dirtier interpretations of “Summertime” in recent years, with its swollen velvet orchestra, keening organ and bruised guitar ripples. As the outro fades, you can guess where Dulli's heading: back of the shed to get it on with mama.

From She Loves You (US, UK)

Summertime, part 1: Simone
Summertime, part 2: Fahey

Next up, Billie Holiday

Elsewhere:

The always outstanding Eric of Marathonpacks has a mix of his fave tunes of 2006.

The Chicago Reader's Bob Mehr profiles Submarine Races, Ian Adams' of the Ponys and Paul John Higgins' of Red Eyed Legends new band. I pulled this snarling, garage stomp off their MySpace:

1 Forward 3 Back - Submarine Races

The Quarterly Conversation (via Largehearted Boy) lists some of the best books since 1990. I don’t know why this depresses the hell out of me. List fatigue partly. Probably more though that I didn't feel very inspired by the books here I've read (the Ian McEwan entries excepted). And the ones that I haven’t just seem like bloated nap-inducers. I'm talking to you Pynchon and Vollman, Underworld and A Frolic of His Own. Though I do want to read Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead (her Housekeeping is astonishing) and I fully intend to finish one of Richard Powers’ novels one of these days.