A fine day for indie classical...

Both of these tidbits lifted from Nylon, my cultural Bible...

• Ex-Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas apparently got inspiration from relatively obscure, early 20th-Century Brit composer Benjamin Britten for his debut solo album Phrazes for the Young. I have my doubts, but I haven't heard the album yet, so let's see.Huh.
  

• Bryce and Aaron Dessner The twin brothers behind The National "dabble in everything from composing neo-classical works for Kronos Quartet to playing on In C with American minimalist Terry Riley." The documentary film The Long Count, which premiers at the Brooklyn Academy of Music's New Wave Festival 10/28-31, is their most ambitious creative statement yet. The multimedia piece explores the notion of symmetry as only twins can perceive it, featuring vocals from Kim and Kelley Deal of The Breeders and and Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond. As disparate as themes including the hero twins of Popol Vuh (a Mayan creation myth) and the '77 World Series may seem, it's all held together by the sculpture, film and animation of visual artist Matthew Ritchie.
  

Wow, dude. The "low"-culturally omniscient boyfriend recently referred to the National as the defining band of our generation and argued that they'd be playing arenas in the next year. And I've enjoyed all the songs by them I've heard. But I didn't know they had one foot into the best part of art music! (Not that playing In C is a huge accomplishment...been there, done that, though not with Terry Riley himself.)

Currently listening to "Even the Good Wood Gone" off of Why?'s latest, Eskimo Snow. It's about a mummy! What's not to love?!