Thursday, February 10, 2011

Cannonball Read III #4- In The Aeroplane Over the Sea by Kim Cooper

If any of you have talked to me for more than 10 minutes in the last year or read any of my facebook updates, you know I have become obsessed about a certain Indie Rock band and their certain album. For those of you not in the know, I have become a budding drooling hipster over Neutral Milk Hotel, a former Indie Rock band from Athens, Georgia.
This book written by pop culture writer Kim Cooper who has edited Scram- a journal of unpopular culture and co-edited two books, Lost in the Grooves and Bubblegum Music is the Naked Truth.

Ms. Cooper's task here is to chronicle the sudden rise and fall of Neutral Milk Hotel, indie rock legends. If you are not familiar the book sets up the tone for what would become such a holy grail to their fans. Jeff Mangum, the lead singer/songwriter, has become the JD Sallinger of the movement, only making brief appearances since disappearing into hiding soon after the end of the tour for In The Aeroplane Over the Sea. Its because of this shy away publicity, that has kept fans salivating for more and passing it on to new cult followers. This book pretty much shows how that came to be.

The book reminds me a lot of the album in that its hard to explain everything in the book without being intimately able to read it yourself and listen to the music it showcases. The best parts are the most raw ones describing how Aeroplane came to be and also loose interpretations of the songs. It provides an outlet for a fan based starving for more music from Mr. Mangum which given that he is set to perform at All Tomorrow's Parties this fall in Asbury Park and supposedly might tour will be getting that music.
To understand Jeff Mangum is hard, but it makes sense. He bared his soul on the album and in the book Ms. Cooper's interviews with the band and the fans really show that. He just didn't know how to deal with his rising fame so he walked away. Ms. Cooper makes an interesting point that he did something Kurt Cobain probably would have wanted to.
The music has reached countless people and has been cited by various musicians as inspirations.
The book might be short but it completely tells the story. I give the book an A but the album an A+.
I have embedded some videos if you have not heard this band.


Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Cannon Ball Read # 3- Johannes Cabal The Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard

This book was recommended to me by a friend. I am glad she did. This book makes a good follow up to Zombie Spaceship Wasteland as the setting of the book definitely qualifies as a Wasteland.
This is the author's first book and he makes it a memorable debut. His writing is funny but also beautiful. Howard also hearkens to other writers in his story including HP Lovecraft who definitely has influenced Howard's thoughts on humanity.

The book is loosely based on the fact Johannes sold his soul to Satan to learn the ancient secrets of Necromancy. I say loosely because it is so much more than just a story of Johannes making a new deal with Satan to get his soul back. Johannes travels at all lengths to do it. On a side not, does anyone else have a hard time picturing Satan as anything other than this:
South Park has pretty much created the visual of Satan in my head every time. This added to some unintentional comedy in the book though the book itself is pretty humourful.

The world the author has created is a vast wasteland that doesn't feel like our world but it is supposed to be. I still can't pinplace the exact locations but I think that is the point though I believe it supposed to take place in the UK. There is something very American about what Johannes wants in his life.

Satan gives Johannes a full year to get 100 souls so he can get his own back. It isn't really explained why Johannes wants his soul back other than he needs it. Johannes is gifted a Dark Carnival to gather the souls. Yes I know insert your ICP jokes here. The reader also learns about Horst, Johannes' vampire brother who really becomes the focal point of morality and humanity in the book. He provides the balance to Johannes' narcissism. I like the other person who reviewed this book do not want to give away the ending but suffice it to say, it is 45 pages of mindfuck!

Needless to say I am going to read the sequel to this book this year as well.
I give it a B+