Nada Surf

Lucky

Barsuk; US: 5 Feb 2008; UK: 5 Feb 2008

1. The latest book or movie that made you cry?
The Road by Cormac McCarthy.

2. The fictional character most like you?
Shaggy from Scooby-Doo. Screech, unfortunately.

3. The greatest album, ever?
Abbey Road dude. C’mon.

4. Star Trek or Star Wars?
Trek. No, wars. That’s a tough one. There’s lots of great treks but only two great wars. Feel me?

5. Your ideal brain food?
Blood sausage.

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—PopMatters Staff

1. The latest book or movie that made you cry?
A book of poetry by Philip Larkin. I’m a latecomer to his work, and I don’t usually do this, but a combination of his awesomeness and a hangover made me cry. On the train. Everyone thought I was weird.

2. The fictional character most like you?
Hmm, maybe Sal Paradise from On the Road. That’s what I’d like to think anyways. A recordist for the madmen of this world.

3. The greatest album, ever?
Almost impossible question. Possibly Springsteen’s Nebraska.

4. Star Trek or Star Wars?
Star Wars, but no way the new episodes.

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—PopMatters Staff

1. The latest book or movie that made you cry?
I cried while watching The Cutting Edge, but let’s keep that between you and me. I mean, Moira Kelly was really a sweet girl under her aloof veneer, someone just had to get her to open up.

2. The fictional character most like you?
Columbo. I’ll tell ya, I got this cousin Ralph who says I look just like him, but he’s kinda cockeyed so it’s hard to trust his opinion. Now me, I think I’m more of a Rockford type. You know, it’s funny how people are different.

Oh, there’s just one more thing. I don’t have a glass eye. Let me ask you this: Was Columbo supposed to have a glass eye, or was Peter Falk’s glass eye playing the part of a real eye?

3. The greatest album, ever?
Jackie Gleason’s Music to Make You Misty. Women will melt if you put this on. Besides, it has the best cover ever, bar none.

4. Star Trek or Star Wars?
My roommate lobbies hard for Star Trek. Again, let’s keep this under wraps, but I think Janeway’s really got something going for her, I mean in a sexual way.

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—PopMatters Staff

Jaymay

Autumn Fallin'

Blue Note; US: 11 Dec 2007; UK: 28 Jan 2008

1. The latest book or movie that made you cry?
Book: Music for Torching by A.M. Homes because it’s so sad.
Movie: What About Bob because it’s so funny. Ratatouille because it’s so so sooooooo inspiring.

2. The fictional character most like you?
Midori in Haruki Murakami’s book Norwegian Wood. Although I haven’t read it in a while and maybe I’ve changed. I like to think of myself as Holden Caulfield, but that’s just because Catcher in the Rye is my favorite book. I’m prolly more of a Phoebe than a Holden anyway because I changed my name too. Or maybe I’m one of Kafka’s characters since I’m crazy bout coffee.

3. The greatest album, ever?
Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks. I listened to it for a year non-stop. It’s like one long song or a long dream or a long trip on a train through Italy in the rain.

4. Star Trek or Star Wars?
Not really, but if I had to pick one, it would be Star Wars because of lightsabers and Princess Leia’s hair.

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—PopMatters Staff

Jenny Owen Youngs

Batten the Hatches

Nettwerk; US: 10 Apr 2007; UK: import

1. The latest book or movie that made you cry?
Hmm… I definitely remember crying during the Simpsons movie. I am most likely to cry during any episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition… and that’s not a joke.

2. The fictional character most like you?
I don’t know how to answer, unless of course we are all not real, but rather characters in a novel that’s being written RIGHT NOW… in which case the answer would be me.

3. The greatest album, ever?
The Beatles: Revolver. Or, The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds. Or, Kate Bush: The Dreaming.

4. Star Trek or Star Wars?
Firefly, thank you.

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—PopMatters Staff

American Music Club

The Golden Age

Merge; US: 19 Feb 2008; UK: 4 Feb 2008

Reclusive, dour, spare, and possessed of a dry sense of humor he may be, but Mark Eitzel’s work with American Music Club is marked with beauty.  With complexly melodic ballads that range from the strikingly direct to airy dreaminess, Eitzel’s work is notable for its unreserved honesty and elevating sentimentality over the saccharine, all exemplified on American Music Club’s recent release, The Golden Age.  So it’s unsurprising that Eitzel would choose to say a lot in a few choice words. 

1. The latest book or movie that made you cry?
J.M. Coetzee’s Age of Iron.

2. The fictional character most like you?
Crusty the Clown.

3. The greatest album, ever?
Iggy Pop’s Lust for Life.

4. Star Trek or Star Wars?
Star Trek—of course!

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—PopMatters Staff