My Back Pages: 7/11/26
Bob & The Beatles, Panda Bear & Sonic Boom, wool & canvas
Welcome back to My Back Pages, a weekly digest recapping everything of note from the last seven days—pods, bylines, appearances, plus a few odds and ends.
Let’s get to it.
Pods of the Week
On Jokermen this week, I teamed up with my pal Tim Heidecker to interview Jim Windolf, author of the great new book Where The Music Had To Go: How Bob Dylan & The Beatles Changes Each Other—And The World.
Jim takes the novel approach of juxtaposing Bob and The Fabs as they worked their way toward each other (both artistically and physically) through the crucible of the Sixties. While some of this is well-trod ground, the book’s switchback format situates events like Newport ‘65 or Shea Stadium in a greater cultural context, drawing connections between Bob World and Beatles Land that you may not be conscious of (shoutout Al Aronowitz). Even if you are, you can’t go wrong hanging with this crew for 300-odd pages.
Lots of fun on this one—Tim is as much of a Beatles nut as I am a Bob head, and Jim knows it all inside and out.
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On Never Ending Stories, Steven Hyden and I debriefed on Bob’s performance in Shakopee, MN, which featured not only new guitarist Joel Paterson, but other new guitarist Julian Lage, as well. This was no less than the *fourth* different band lineup deployed on the summer tour so far—and judging by the tape, it’s the best yet. Who knows what else Bob has in store for the back half of the Long Hot Summer Tour, but we’ll be following along every step of the way.
Chune of the Week
Panda Bear & Sonic Boom: “Graveyard”
I was wracking my brain for a few days this week, trying to figure out what I’ve been listening to that’s worth highlighting (other than mid-career Van Morrison, about which I’ve said more than enough recently). Eventually, I realized the pick was right there in front of me.
Literally: I’ve been humming “Graveyard,” the last track on Panda Bear & Sonic Boom’s new album A ? OF WHEN, all week, tooting out a poor imitation of the idiot keyboard tone that serves as the song’s foundation. It’s a laugh out loud sound, the type of thing you’d expect to accompany a chorus of dancing skeletons in a Max Fleischer cartoon.
I spoke to Noah & Pete for an upcoming interview on Jokermen, and they mentioned how humor is a big part of their music-making process—when they make each other laugh, they know they’ve got something good. That’s very much the case with “Graveyard,” which blends that honking organ with a steady beat, a classic Noah vocal, and Formula 1 racecar sounds into a groovy boogie about staying focused on the ~posi vibes~. Perfect mid-summer listening—breezy, fun, and catchy as hell.
A ? OF WHEN is not available on streaming services, so you’ll need to hit Bandcamp or your local record store for the official release. Otherwise, you’ll have to make do with the Youtube rip of the 7” single posted above.
Fit of the Week
I wore this on Tuesday, July 7th, when I walked up to my local horologist for a couple new watch batteries.
It’s been a little strange watching the rest of the country melt beneath raging heat domes while I dig into the fall/winter section of my closet. That, however, is summer in San Francisco—the coldest winter you may ever see. It’s been hovering right around 60° all week, with the breeze up and rushing in off the Pacific, so I’ve had to adjust accordingly. Not that I’m complaining. For me, dressing well means dressing in layers, so a cool grey summer is a sartorial blessing.
I’ve got a lot on my plate the next couple weeks (travel, wedding, festival, etc), so I’ve been taking it easy the last few days. Consequently, I’ve been dressing easy. This is about as put-together as I’ve been all week: wool sweater over a tee, a nice full trouser, and chunky trainers. Certainly not the most interesting thing I’ve ever worn, but how interesting do you really need to be sitting at the computer? Comfort can occasionally take precedence.
The pants are my favorite thing here—heavyweight canvas with an elastic waistband courtesy of Los Angeles Apparel. They’re a perfect in-between option: a little more put-together than sweats, a little more comfortable than denim or chinos. I tend to opt for pants like this when I’m kicking around home during the day, then switch to something with a fixed-width waist when I’m going out.
It’s a simple little thought technology I’ve devised for myself. As soon as I put on a belt, I know I’m ~dressing up~. Until then, anything goes.