The Happy Booker: If I Only Had An iPod...

x-static

Welcome to “if I only had an iPod…” The third installment in an occasional series where visiting authors drop by the blog to test drive my iPod (refresh your memory of previous author visits here and here).

Here at the blog authors get a chance to show off their musical know-how, while the Happy Booker gets a few new tunes to add to her download list. It’s a win-win—well, mostly a win for me, but you can listen in… (and when all your friends are raving about some great new book, you’ve got the inside scoop on the author’s favorite playlist—remember, you read it here first!)

Today’s guest DJ is Quinn Dalton , a novelist and short story writer who will be reading from her new collection, Bulletproof Girl , at 6:30 tonight in DC at the Barnes and Noble on 12th street. Don’t miss it!

We’re very happy to have Quinn stop by today, because if there is one thing we love around here it’s the short story. And that’s not just because of our attention span issues, it’s because we believe in the short story as an art form, and we’re hopeful that people will continue to read and discover what treasures await them in a well-rendered story. Pick up Bulletproof Girl today and you'll see what we're talking about.

Quinn Dalton shares her musical tastes for your listening pleasure…

1. Dawn Chorus — "The Disappearing Dawn Chorus" — This is a new 2-CD set coming out May 6. This Greensboro, NC-based band is terrific. I recommend the whole thing, but I especially like the tracks “Robin’s Egg” from CD 2 and "If We Were Rich" from CD 1. An expansive, dreamy sound — Red House Painters meets Crazyhorse – but some great rock tracks too.

2. Dispatch — “Bang Bang” – “The General" is my favorite track…very groovy tune, tight acoustic guitar and timely lyrics about the cost of war, though I think this CD came out in 2000. I cried when I heard it first on theGuilford College’s WNAA 90.9 but…maybe I was hormonal. It’s just that the chorus just nails you.

3. Sun Kil Moon — "Ghosts of the Great Highway" — Again, love the whole CD but kept humming “Carry Me Ohio” for a long time after I first heard it. Very mellow, great driving - through - the - countryside - with - the - windows - down music.

4. Pretenders — "Learning to Crawl" — And while we’re thinking about Ohio, I’ve gotta hand it to Chrissie: “My City Was Gone” still rocks after 22 years. I love that pissed-off woman.

5. John Lee Hooker — “Mr. Lucky" — One of the last albums from the late and great Mr. Lucky himself. It contains my favorite version of my favorite song of all time, “I Cover the Waterfront.” Turn off the lights on a warm night, get something to sip on, prop your feet on the windowsill and listen.

Happy Listening!