The Song Reader issue: 20 free songs, fiction film review + homemade ranch

Even though summer no longer means the break I enjoyed in my school and college years, there's still something about the long days that makes me want to sit down with a good book and glass of homemade sangria when I get home from work. I've been on a real sewing kick, however, so lately I content myself with reading on my BART train and while eating dinner, before diving into the dress I started sewing on my recent vacation.

I need to get back to evening writing soon, but in the meantime I'm enjoying a lively Russian comedy a friend recommended, called The Master and Margarita. It's daring and entertaining and has yet to disappoint me. Should you want non-fiction reading, here are my two latest pieces:

• One Good Phrase: The Lord is kind to the undeserving (a meditation on goodness vs. kindness)
• There's No Such Thing as a 'Boy Color' or 'Girl Color'

Happy Friday!

:: Song Reader ::

I think I practiced piano almost nine hours the week of last month's sightreading party -- just one reason I'm nursing a minor obsession with Beck's sheet music-only album. Thanks to the work of my co-worker, you can hear all 20 songs from that night -- wrong notes and all. Despite the rough nature of the performance, you can still start to hear the shape of the strongest songs. Some of my personal favorites: "Do We We Do," "Sorry," "Eyes That Say 'I Love You'," "We All Wear Cloaks" and my favorite, "Last Night You Were a Dream."

After giving the public months to make the own recordings of Song Reader, Beck finally assembled an impressive cast of musicians for a July 4 performance at London's Barbicon. It looks like about seven official videos from the show have been posted (based on what Pitchfork and Paste shared), but I was able to find about 14 of the 20 songs:

• "Don't Act Like Your Heart Isn't Hard" - Beck
• "Saint Dude" - Franz Ferdinand
  
• "Now That Your Dollar Bills Have Sprouted Wings" - The Staves
• "America, Here's My Boy" - Sam Amidon
• "Old Shanghai" - Conor O'Brien
• "Sorry" - Michael Kiwanuka
• "Eyes That Say I Love You" - Joan Wasser (Joan as Police Woman)
• "We All Wear Cloaks" - The Mighty Boosh
• "Please Leave the Lights on When You Go" - Beth Orton and Sam Amidon
• "Just Noise" - Beck and Charlotte Gainsbourg
• "Why Did You Make Me Care" - Jarvis Cocker
  
• "Do We, We Do" - Joan Wasser, Conor O'Brien
• "I'm Down" - Beck
  
• "Rough on Rats" - Everyone (finale)

You can also hear the entire album performed by the Portland Cello Project and assorted guests.

:: events ::

• The Mazzarellos have brought back their film-viewing series. This summer they're going through Simon Schama's The Power of Art on Thursday nights. Learn about Bernini on July 25, Jacques-Louis David on Aug. 1. Contact them for details.

:: tunes ::

• Beck has also released the title track from his forthcoming album I Won't Be Long. You can hear it on NPR, but I have to confess I don't like it nearly as well as anything from Song Reader.
• First Listen: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes
• This profile of rising radio star Glynn Washington, who's based in Oakland, highlights the influence of various Bay Area talents in public radio's "golden age."
• After months of silence and speculation about the Civil Wars -- who are still on hiatus, but will release their second album next month -- Joy Williams spoke to the Associated Press. Read the interview.
• Meet the nuns whose a cappella album beat out the 50 Shades of Grey album on the classical charts.
• You say skyscrapers, I say, yodeling with Jimmy Fallon and Brad Pitt (Yes, really). 
• 10 free songs! Download the songs from NPR's latest "heavy rotation" set of songs popular with public radio DJs.
• Get 10 more free songs from Noisetrade: download the Anti Records summer sampler, featuring Neko Case, Calexico, Mavid Staples, Tom Waits and Keith Richards.
• This is a few months old, but worth reading if you missed it: the Alan Lomax recording archive has been released.
• Lastly, those of you who got to see Matt's documentary Eighth Street a few weeks ago probably shared my delight with the short film and the beautiful cross-section of East Bay residents brought together to watch it. In particular, I loved the blues on the soundtrack, courtesy of former West Oakland resident Saunders King. I had no idea what a thriving blues scene the neighborhood used to enjoy, but this L.A. Times piece gives a hint of the lovely sounds that once competed with the BART tracks' screech. It would be wonderful if Dave's mural and Matt's documentary could, in their own way, contribute to a cultural revival in that neighborhood.

:: film & visual art ::

• Jeff Overstreet began a new experiment in film criticism earlier this year: reviews written through the form of fiction. The setting: a group of film aficionados who regularly meet up at a store called All-Thumbs Video to discuss and debate recent releases.
• Part 1: To The Wonder
• Part 2: Iron Man 3
• Part 3: Before Midnight

• On a related note, members of the Arts and Faith online community (affiliated with Image journal and the Glen Workshop organizers) compiled this list of their top 25 films on  marriage.

:: food ::
As some of you know, I left for a "sewing vacation" shortly after the Song Reader party, which meant a week at my parents' house in Riverside. In exchange for making such a long stay with them, I offered to make dinner each night. Mom sometimes handled the side dish, though, like a simple green salad for which she made a tasty homemade Ranch dressing. When I got home, I found myself craving the same thing to go with some lasagna. I'm not exactly sure this Ranch recipe is the same one she used, but it's pretty good. Notes:

• I was short on mayo, so wound up using about 1/4 each sour cream, mayo and milk for a half batch of the dressing. I liked the consistency with the milk, though; otherwise it's pretty thick.
• The flavors need more than 30 minutes to really blend nicely — which Mom also said — but even so it wasn't bad on my dinner salad.
• This recipe calls for all dry herbs, but if you prefer to use fresh chives, dill, garlic, etc., check out the Pioneer Woman's Ranch recipe. I might have to try it next time.