Three Duos

Some of my most enduring musical memories are of male-female duos whose chemistry comes right through the speakers and sits in your lap: Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, Otis Redding and Carla Thomas, and Sonny and Cher (yeah, baby).  And later, the Eurythmics, Richard and Linda Thompson, and Everything But the Girl.

Each of these new duos manages to serve up something original, yet familiar; tuneful, yet electric. 

Tennis, Origins – These two scored last year with a sweet song cycle about a sailing trip.  This is a little edgier.  

Chairlift, I Belong in Your Arms – Straight outta Brooklyn.  If it’s brand new, can it still be New Wave?

Jenny and Johnny, Scissor Runner – Side project from Jenny Lewis (sigh) of Rilo Kiley, and her guy Jonathan Rice.  As in "never run with scissors".  Yes, Mother.  

Shortlist - March

With only days to go, here’s a grab bag of things floating around my head this month. 

Heartless Bastards, Parted Ways:  Who doesn’t love a garage band fronted by a woman who sounds like she could kick your ass?

Das Racist, Rainbow in the Dark.  Fancy a smart hybrid of De La Soul and the Beastie Boys?

Deerhunter, Primitive 3D.   Starts out Velvets and then goes all U2 on you.   Sick.

Dessa, Alibi.   Spoken word artist turned singer; listener turned powerless.  

Sharon Van Etten, We Are Fine.   A sticky tune you’ll hum all day. 

Tindersticks, Show Me Everything.  Big debt to Avalon-era Roxy Music, but what’s not to like?  

Going out like a lion. 

Finest Hour (or two)

Churchill by Paul Johnson

Somehow I managed to pass through high school, college, grad school and some decades since then without having ever read a single biography of Winston Churchill (never mind a word of the man’s own vast output). 

But prompted by a planned visit to his ancestral home, Blenheim Palace, and a nagging awareness of this gap in my education, I’ve just devoured Paul Johnson’s wonderfully concise biography of Sir Winston.  

Johnson’s rapid-fire summary of his life speeds you along to complete agreement with his conclusion:  Churchill is the greatest figure of the 20^th Century.  Johnson wraps up with a list of the man’s defining character traits that’s so concise it could earn this book a place in the self-help section. 

At 128 pages, you can knock this off on your next plane ride -- and you should.