In The Mailbag

So I realised today that I haven't purchased a CD all year long. Which isn't to say that I haven't stumbled across some really great music. Betweeen the library, periodic iTunes/Pepsi song giveaway campaigns, various music blogs, and MySpace, it's been a good year. I suppose it also doesn't hurt that I get press packs with free goodies every so often. Anyways, here's what's crept into our mailbox in the past couple of weeks: Ester Drang's Rocinate I haven't listened to this one yet, but it's always really neat to get a release so far in advance (the street date on this disc isn't until 24 January, which should give me ample time to write a review). Nicole and I saw these guys open for Pedro the Lion in Asheville a few years back. I wasn't too impressed at the time. But sometimes hearing a band live is the worst possible first impression. Then again, sometimes not. You roll the dice and you take your chances. Anyways, the press kit calls Ester Drang symphonic, ethereal and strikingly harmonic, which are all nice adjectives. It doesn't hurt that some of the band played quite extensively on Sufjan Stevens' Illinois. The Narrator's Such Triumph I haven't cracked this disc yet, either, but Flame Shovel Records hasn't let me down yet. These guys are playing at The Pilot Light in Knoxville tomorrow, so check them out if you're there. Camper English's Party Like a Rock Star (Even When You're Poor As Dirt) This one's a book. It's one of those how-to-live-inexpensively-and-be-an-asshole-at-the-same-time sort of manuals. Abbie Hoffman did it better. And he was more of a hipster than Camper English will ever be. Chris Fabricant's Busted!: Drug War Survival Skills Pretty interesting stuff. Fabricant is a trial lawyer from New York. He explores everything from drug possession to cavity searches, showing the ins and outs of drug law in the states. There's also some insight into how the poor and minorities are basically screwed when it comes to drugs, but that the richer and whiter you are, the better off you are. Not that that's a big surprise (ask Rush Limbaugh). Ah, and being read your rights? Yeah, cops don't really have to do that. Nor are they required to give you that phone call. (Yes, kids, it's best when you your view of the law isn't shaped entirely by Law & Order reruns.) This is worth checking out even if you don't use drugs, particularly if you're in college or younger. You can screw up your life pretty severely just by being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or by hanging around the wrong people. Update: Oh, I lied. I bought a Mozart collection in Vienna. Damn you, Mozart! Damn you!