Instead of writing, I listen to music

What I've been listening to: Bertine Zetlitz. Sadly, her music is essentially unavailable in the US -- I may have to send overseas if I decide I can afford it. In the meantime, her website offers some great streams, especially "Girl Like You," a poppily vicious song, and Fluxblog and Music for Robots have posted tracks. Her "For Fun" is the girl's version of Voltaire's "When You're Evil." (Which you can and should download at his site; scroll down the frame on the left.)

I won't be down in Texas for SXSW, but the festival's website offers tracks by Tegan & Sara (official website here, with mp3s of some of my favorite songs, including "My Number," and some b-sides and demos -- Buffy fans may know them from the vid "Superstar"); Crooked Fingers (as country as I'm ever going to get, which is to say I might approach city limits; their site is here, and they might've rotated the downloads recently, because I can't find my favorites "New Drink for the Old Drunk" and "Sweet Marie" -- "I know you'd never cheat with anyone but me" -- though they should be available on iTunes); Kings of Convenience (this song is just so sweet, except not -- "I'd rather dance with you than talk with you" might be my perfect Spike/Buffy song); and Aimee Mann, among others, so I benefit from its existence anyway.

Three nonfiction reviews

Attacking the backlog. ( Food history, metaphors and memory )