Books:
Inherent Vice
by Thomas Pynchon [Penguin]+ New Pynchon, and it's a noir-ish detective story. That's about all that needs to be said.
Music:
The Antlers - Hospice
[Frenchkiss]+ This album was really released earlier this year, but the band signed to Frenchkiss and had the album remastered. It's out in the new version now (and it just got Best New Music on Pitchfork). Buy this. It's breathtaking. It's easily a top five album to come out this year and you'll be really upset (and not even know it) if you don't buy this.
Modest Mouse - No One's First, and You're Next
[Sony]+ Modest Mouse can be a little hit and miss (how's that for a vague statement?) but this album is definitely on the mark. They've been releasing 7" singles all year and this brings them all onto a single collection. If you haven't seen their new video you should go check that out right now too (it's directed by Heath Ledger).
Theater:
Beeswax (Andrew Bujalski)[Cinema Guild/Sisters Project]
+ This is a great film. I'm a big fan of everything the man does, but Beeswax is as good as anything Bujalski has done. If you're in New York this weekend come to (le) Poisson Rouge, there is a screening of Bujalski's last film Mutual Appreciation (starring Justin Rice of Bishop Allen) and following the screening I'll (Dustin) be doing a little Q&A w/ Bujalski.
DVD:
Flight of the Conchords: The Complete Second Season
[HBO]+ Flight of the Conchords almost didn't get a second season, and even though you're happy when you found out it was going to continue you weren't quite sure if it would reach the poetic majesty that it attained in it's first season. It did.
by Stieg Larsson
by John Updike
