'Pulphead' shines light on dynamic music essayist

Ran across a very entertaining "Soundcheck" podcast and book preview from Southern writer John Jeremiah Sullivan. 

I've never heard of Sullivan but I like what I heard and read in this excerpt from his collection of magazine essays titled "Pulphead: Essays." Sullivan seems to tackle the predictable by taking unorthodox approaches to the topic at hand, hints of which surface in the podcast and the Pulphead excerpt (which unfortunately cuts off before Sullivan describes his own deeply evangelical experiences as a youth).

In some ways Sullivan's style returns us to the glory days of music journalism, when Nick Kent and Stanley Booth lived the ups and downs of their subjects. But there seems to be a nice twist in Sullivan's work. Perhaps it's less focus on the wreck and more on the train. 

The Jayhawks are back with legendary lineup

It's been 15 years since Mark Olson and Gary Louris both performed in The Jayhawks but the full band is back with a new album and tour. It's been way too long. 

WNYC's "Soundcheck" episode above features a mix of old and new tunes, as well as short interviews with host John Schaefer. The set closes with "Blue," which for the life of me was never a hit for them or anyone else smart enough to cover it. This is Americana at its best. 

I'm not a huge fan of the band, but whenever I put on "Sound of Lies" (the band's 1997 album and first without Olson), I think, "Man, this is so awesome. I need to listen to this more." For some reason I don't. (note to self: Must not be so stupid).

Gum chomping drive you crazy? This might be why

Anyone who knows me very well knows I can't stand people who chomp their gum or otherwise create a lot of drama while chewing. 

Some people close to me have told me I need to let it go, but I must say I broke out a huge smile this week when listening to a "Soundcheck" podcast about a disorder called Misophonia that's, you guessed it, a formal recognition that over-the-top chomping is a public health threat. 

I kid -- kinda. I think it's somewhat silly to formalize what I consider a personal quirk. Then again, I think I have my "problem" under control, so others who go off the deep end may indeed need professional help. 

What's comforting is I know I'm not alone, as this follow-up "Soundcheck" segment attests (you can listen to the first show above and the listener comments below).