A Storm In A Teacup

Hank “You Are The Child Of Betrayal” – Though the new EP by Hank may lack the lo-fi “wait, was this recorded live at some crazy party in a basement someplace?” quality of their How To Prosper In The Coming Bad Years album, the songs remain spare, concise, and catchy, with an emphasis on contrasting Cab Williamson’s deep, droll monotone with the expressive voices of his female bandmates. “You Are The Child Of Betrayal” is a grim title, but the song itself is rather optimistic. The singer seems a bit surprised by her own happiness and good fortune, and though she’s calling up her friends to let them know, she’s obviously a bit worried that she’s about to jinx herself. I especially love the way her voice pitches up slightly each time she sings the word “up” (as in “things are looking up!”), conveying an excitement and enthusiasm tempered by doubt and cynicism. (Click here for the Hank MySpace page.)

Elsewhere: I’ve been a bit busy and so I’m coming to this a tiny bit late, but I highly recommend Amanda Petrusich’s interview with PJ Harvey. It’s a really great example of how good the interview format can be when the writer steps out of the standard talking points, has some interesting ideas of her own, and engages with the subject as something more than a celebrity promoting a new product. It’s always so much better when the interviewer is asking the subject questions and they genuinely want to know the answers, you know? At certain points in this piece, it seems like Amanda is searching for some good advice on the topic of writing in general, and she totally gets it.

Also: Joel Turnipseed interviews Jennifer Love Hewitt and “noted information liberator” Cory Doctorow.