Jarvis Cocker | Mockingbird

Scott Walker Is Dead, Long Live Scott Walker!

by David Zahl on Jan 17, 2013 • 1 Comment

“I’m a pessimist, in that I know it’s not going to end well. But most of my songs are spiritual at the core. I try not to be too cynical about things, because it’s too difficult otherwise. You have to be able to work your way through it – you have to be able to see what’s there, and deal with it.”

These are the words of the one and only Scott Walker, talking about the record he released this past December, Bish Bosch. The arrival of new Scott Walker material is still a bit of an event – only four…

Children / Literature / Music / Psychology / Relationships / Religion / Social Science / Week In Review

Another Week Ends: NeuroLewis and NeuroClark, Common Enemies, Absent Fathers, Zombie Fiction, Jarvis Cocker, Noel Gallagher, Sacred Facial Hair and Pixar

by David Zahl on Oct 21, 2011 • 1 Comment

1. Another superb volley in David Brooks’ crusade for a more compassionate view of human fallibility appeared in The NY Times this week, “Who You Are,” in which he salutes Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman’s invaluable contribution to social psychology. Brooks goes so far as to call Kahneman and his research partner Amos Tversky, “the Lewis and Clark of the mind.” Kahneman’s new book, which sounds like it has Mockingbird written all over it (wouldn’t that be the day!), Thinking, Fast and Slow comes out on Tuesday. In the meantime, I defy you not to issue an ‘are you kidding…

Christmas / Music

Silent Night Day 2: Richard Hawley and Jarvis Cocker

by David Zahl on Dec 21, 2010 • No Comments

Music / Religion

Easter Beat: Pulp’s “Sunrise”

by David Zahl on Apr 7, 2010 • 1 Comment

The last track off of my favorite Pulp record, their Scott Walker-produced swansong We Love Life, in which Jarvis Cocker and co. pull off a feat that is all too rare in modern music: a convincing song about hope. There’s a lot that could be said of the heavy-duty allusions to death and resurrection, confession and repentance, rebirth, God (the Sun) etc – in this blogger’s opinion the tune positively reeks of Easter – but I’ll let you draw your own conclusions. Musically it’s one of those wait-for-it type of songs, i.e. the closing guitar part is worthy of Slash,…

Humor / Music

Bad Cover Version – Pulp (Matthew 7:15)

by David Zahl on May 12, 2009 • No Comments

In honor of Jarvis Cocker’s new record, Further Complications, which comes out next week, here’s the final, utterly inspired video from his old band Pulp. Now that George Harrison is no longer with us, JC is the rockstar I would most like to meet (with the obvious exception of Axl Rose):

Bad Cover Version @ Yahoo! Video

Film / Music / Week In Review

Links, Whit, Jarvis, Wes, Axl

by David Zahl on Aug 14, 2008 • 7 Comments

1. I’ve finally revamped the links section. There are a bunch of new ones, so be sure to check them all out. Of special note: contemporary sacred music doesn’t get any better than High Street Hymns. And Caroline Henley’s Buy Or Don’t Buy never fails to amuse.

2. IFC just published an interview with Whit Stillman where he discusses some of his new projects. Last year I got to read a copy of the Dancing Mood script (a love story shot mainly in Jamaican gospel churches…!), and I really, really hope it gets made. Even better, his debut film…