Words by Sean Moeller//Illustration by Able Brown
The songs on Mike Kinsella’s latest Owen record “At Home With Owen” don’t seem to be about his home life at all (but he does have over a month left until the Nov. 7 release date to change that), if last week is any indication. Then again, it’s possible that schooling a 12-year-old racist video game player might lead directly to reflection of the hurt feelings left from a bygone romance or some unforeseen insight into the relationship of a good friend. In these very songs he cops to selling Vicodin to a band he’s let crash on his floor for a night. He claims it’s sketchy when he’s left alone with his vices and when he sings, “It’s way too late or much to early,” you feel like he’s described these eight songs better than anyone else ever could. The words seem to come from the bottom of the fourth or fifth bottle or the warm side of the pillow—slept on and unresolved for hours, but they’re clear as a bell, hinting that there’s more than gravity to them. This is when you’re sure that it’s way too late. You’re sure that most of these words would scatter and disperse at the break of dawn just as Bela Lugosi would. He fires off one-liners that connect sentiments to the hours on the darker side of midnight, explaining so straight-forwardly that the slamming door was a result of his anger. He doesn’t mince words. You get the sense that if you’re being a prick, he’ll call you on it. He might even expect the same treatment. I think that’s what the gentle finger-picking means and you wonder if anyone’s ever said this to him (“Free beer and basement shows don’t mean you’ve made it.”). He might have gotten that from those miscreant gamers.

Five favorite things last week:

1. Carnivale (season two)—Holy shit, I’m so creeped out that I have to watch another episode because I’m too scared to get off this couch to go to bed because when I get there my wife’s face will probably have no eyes!

2. This one new part I’m working on—I’ve got this one new part I’m working on that I really like. Unfortunately, I can’t figure out another part that I like to go with it, so I just keep picking up my guitar and playing that part over and over and over…

3. My mom going to a “medium”—My mom (after some mild coercion from friends) went to see a “medium” (person who talks to dead people) and, fortunately, my dead dad had nothing but nice things to say to everyone.

4. Cutting my finger—I didn’t enjoy the actual splitting-of-skin part, or having to cancel a show because of it, but the
treating-myself-to-whatever-i-want-to-make-me-feel-better that ensued was awesome! I ordered a movie on-demand! I bought some new furniture! I ate McDonalds! I lived like a nine-fingered king!

5. xBox live—What the fuck was I thinking not signing up for xBox live until now?! I can play Halo against my friends whenever i want! and better yet, I can hang out with stupid/racist 12 year olds who say the stupidest/most hilarious things whenever I want! The future is now! (And the future is gonna suck when these kids are old enough to vote…)

Polyvinyl Records