The Books

From The Books' website's FAQ:

Q: Please describe the division of labor in the Books. Who is doing what?

A: Nick goes to kitchen. Paul goes to studio. Nick goes to studio. Paul goes to kitchen. Nick and Paul in the studio. Paul and Nick in the kitchen. Paul and Anne in the studio. Nick and Paul in the kitchen. Anne in the kitchen. Paul, Nick and Anne in the studio. Paul in bed. Nick in the studio.

The Books are two people that love music and food. Nick Zammuto and Paul de Jong comprise the Books, who started out in NYC in 2000 but have been living and recording in North Adams, MA since 2002, where their show this Saturday March 7 happens to be. MASS MoCA will host the Books at its Hunter Center, $18 in advance, $22 at the door, and $15 for us students.

The Books are what Paavoharju wish they were, since the Books did it first. They combine bizarre samples and field recordings with chopped vocals and minimal acoustic instrumentation to craft something completely separate from any other artist collective. Their sound is at once rhythmic and disarming, allowing the listener to tap their toe for a few seconds before the sounds shift and decompose from synthetic to natural and back again.

I got into their album The Lemon of Pink (a dutch lipstick color) quite a few years ago and was basically floored. Later, an English woman who would often come through my line at Guido's Fresh Marketplace (and also told me she used to play with either Nick Cave or Nick Drake, I can't remember which) mentioned knowing them and let me borrow their next record Lost and Safe (both released on Tomlab). They're also know for accompanying video projectionsI've missed out on seeing them in North Adams before, but I'll be there Saturday.

Here's "Classy Penguin," a clip from their Playall DVD, which I recommend buying from their website if you've got some bucks lying around. I'm pretty sure you can also stream most if not all of their songs from their website, but we're always into supporting the artist so grab a physical copy while you're there.