This is the First Sound.

“How To Make A List” has been published in the Aquamarine Issue of Fairy Tale Review alongside pieces by Joyelle McSweeney, G. C. Waldrep, Edgar Allan Poe, Natania Rosenfeld, and many others. Order it here or here.

Feel you falter open shudder collapse repeat.

The Appleseed Cast-“Sunlit and Ascending” (2:47-3:18)
The Blood Brothers-“Cecilia and the Silhouette Saloon” (0:00-0:09)
Built to Spill-“Broken Chairs” (2:47-3:09)
Final Fantasy-“The CN Tower Belongs to the Dead” (2:40-2:57)
Grizzly Bear-“All We Ask” (4:21-5:10)
Radiohead-“All I Need” (2:56-3:40)

Moments of musical perfection are not necessarily found in your favorite songs. Usually, they are not choruses you like, they are not refrains or the movement of a single instrument. Rather, they are moments that songs build to, climaxes, when everything comes together. Or they are a break in the song, something surprising, unexpected, jolting. Regardless of what they are or where they are found in the song, they are moments of intense clarity and painful ecstasy. These are the moments when you remember how much you love the song. These are the moments that stop breath.

What are yours?

(Kelly immediately responds with that “Ballad of Love & Hate” song)

Zukumimika, who are you?

“In Which Sam Martone Attempts His Father’s Exercise” has been published online in the September issue of You Must Be This Tall to Ride, alongside excellent pieces by the great Brian Oliu and Steven J. McDermott. Read all three stories here.

Dwight’s New Face, after all these years, has released the Let’s Talk About the Egg EP. Listen and download here.