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November 03, 2006
Keep Feeling Fascination
The 2006 edition of Da Capo Best Music Writing just came out, and it's got a bunch of recent music writing worth reading and revisiting. Notable inclusions in this year's anthology: Wayne Marshall's brilliant and much-linked-to blog treatise on reggaeton & rhythm, an Ol' Dirty Bastard obit by Jon Caramanica, the hilarious CliffsNotes-inspired study guide for the epic masterpiece Trapped In The Closet, and Nick Weidenfeld's fascinating FADER piece on David Berman of the Silver Jews. The latter article goes into detail about Berman's attempt to commit suicide several years ago...definitely an intense read that answers many questions about Berman's psychology and life philosophy. But I'm gonna have to take slight issue with the assertion that "this is the first extended interview Berman has ever given". Maybe the first in a long while, ahem...
At any rate, as great as many of the Da Capo selections are, I've gotta focus the most fanfare on longtime Tuba Friend and NC native Dave Tompkins, whose Scratch Magazine cover story on Timbaland was also included in this year's edition of the book. "Impression To 'Land" first landed on magazine racks in the early summer of 2005, back when the electroconvulsive "Put You On The Game" was Timbo's hottest but seemingly only beat-of-the-moment. Given all the huge success and exposure that Timbaland's had this year with Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake, this particular Scratch story is now as essential as ever.
This all leads up to the fact that Mr. Tompkins will actually be rolling into Chapel Hill at some point tomorrow...and we're planning on "redistricting" a couple of hours' worth of Saturday night's After School Special at Fuse. This month's After School Special is doubling as DJ Silvaback's official Triple X Throwdown....so Silvaback will be mixing it up at midnight in honor of his personal milestone. And Dave and I will probably be playing music of all sorts before and after....Dave's got some weird rap records to play, and I'm bringing my Human League "Fascination!" 12-inch, among other things. Sadly, Timbaland will not be around to hum the "warbled synth riff", but the super-fresh extended mix of the song ("Fascination-Improvisation") has all sorts of stuttering-beat craziness that Mr. Mosley would definitely double-dig. Take 'em to the chorus!
Posted by Tim at November 3, 2006 08:45 PM
Comments
Man, I might have to make it out just to hear that "Fascination" 12-inch. As you may or may not know, I'm an enormous Human League (and Human League offshoots) fan; how many people do you know, for example, that own not one, not two, but THREE Heaven 17 albums?
Posted by: Andy at November 4, 2006 06:40 PM
I googled "Dave Tompkins" after reading an article he wrote in the Village Voice. Is there a way to contact him? He mentioned a rap group I once promoted and I'd like to ask him about the mention.
Thanks,
Brian Humek
Posted by: Brian Humek at November 14, 2006 01:20 AM
man, i've been wondering what ever became of dave tompkins...
wiggedy, wiggedy, wack.
i burp before i yerp.
yep
g
Posted by: greg at November 14, 2006 08:45 PM