Come this way, weekend music-news browser. Over at the AV Club, Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie) has interviewed Mark Kozelek (Sun Kil Moon and Red House Painters). They talk about movie roles - Kozelek's turn in Almost Famous, Gibbard in the not-yet-released Brief Interviews With Hideous Men an adaptation of a piece by writerly genius David Foster Wallace. And other stuff.
This is all very nice dude-on-dude action, precisely because Kozelek is a dab old hand, Gibbard an ever-more-mature hand. Nice, precisely because Kozelek's new Sun Kil Moon record (April) is the who-would've-guessed best album of the year thus far, while Death Cab for Cutie's new one, Narrow Stairs, continues the downward spiral (!) of the band since their peak circa 2000 (or, for those willing to be more generous, Transatlanticism from 2003).
Kozelek has had some duds in his time. Gibbard is delivering some now. Perhaps some career counselling should be arranged?
In the meantime, go read about Kozelek's dead ex-girlfriend and other things to brighten your Sunday. Maybe get tangled up in the endless comment-box discussion about everything other than the pair's music. Then go buy the record - one for you, one for a good friend - out in Australia through Spunk Records.
Meanwhile, over at The Age, Irvine Welsh - author of Trainspotting and Filth - sets down the case for more attention to be directed at The Alabama 3. The Brit band's track 'Woke Up This Morning' plays over the opening credits of The Sopranos, but you and I didn't know that. Which is precisely Welsh's point.
(Pic via Wendy Lynch)