The Man In The High Castle by Philip K. Dick (1962) - A low-key, early PKD classic with near minimal ’sf’ content. The setting is a 1962 where the Axis powers won WWII, told through a small group of characters, some of whom never actually meet. By the ending, it becomes quite disturbing and confusing, in its quiet and subtle way.

Good For What Ails You: Music Of The Medicine Shows - 1926-1937 by various artists (Old Hat/2006) - A twin platter compendium of 78-rpm record sides from the 1920s and 30s, featuring artists and songs with greater or lesser connection to the old traveling medicine show circuit. Hokum blues, hillbilly breakdowns and other less classifiable material, with an emphasis more on laughs than tears. If you prefer your vision of history to be safely sanitized, be warned that some racial pejoratives do turn up in a few songs. On the whole, darned entertaining listening, and Railroadin’ Some by Henry “Ragtime Texas” Thomas is one of the most beautiful things I’ve heard in a while (while Beans Hambone’s Beans is one of the nuttiest). It’s all wrapped up in a classy, photo-filled package, including an exhaustive 72 page booklet covering the history of the medicine shows and details on every song and artist.

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (1861) - Another piece of legendary novel wranglin’ from Mr. Dickens. To be honest, I like Bleak House better — more complex, with its multiple narrative voices and sharper social satire. But there’s no disputing the big guy’s chops. Here he’s in more of a smooth and sly mode (wielding a billiards cue rather than a cricket bat?), with the shaggy clockwork tale of a poor boy’s journey from rags to riches to… something else. But it has to be said… Pip is a dork.

Nice press for Narthex in this week’s Philadelphia City Paper. With the exception of a piece in a high school newspaper back in 1982, I believe this is our first press ever. No, wait — the kid interviewed us and everything, but his faculty advisor killed the story because we were evil punk rockers. So this really is our first press ever. Media exposure is a strange feeling.

UPDATE 3/26/07: And now we get a nifty review at Paper Thin Walls.