The current New York Times list for Hardcover Fiction puts Anne Tyler's Noah's Compass at #13.

Tyler nudged out Stephen Hunter's I, Sniper, which came in at #14.

What piece of art changed your life? How did it affect you?

Lisa: Well, thinking back to when I was a kid makes sense since we do music for kids. Two life-changing visual arts that captivated me were: the Disney films Fantasia, Snow White, and Bambi. They were absolutely beautiful to watch, and I did so, over and over (even though it always frustrated me that Snow White cooked for seven little men and hardly knew her prince.) I was also captivated by the Warner Bros. cartoons of Chuck Jones.

I realize these are two very disparate entities, but perhaps that gave me balance. Sort of like my love of the Beatles and Rolling Stones.

Both the Beatles and Rolling Stones provided the soundtrack to my early life, with "The Long and Winding Road" and "Something in the Way She Moves" playing as I role played romantic stories with my Barbies.  The Rolling Stones' "Angie" and "Fool to Cry" (and many others) mark off teen dances and the romantic blues in my early life. Linda Ronstadt's "Hasten Down the Wind" record got me singing and was the first album I ever bought. But it was Chrissie Hynes and the Pretenders that made me want to leave home and move to New York City, which is exactly what I did.

Lastly, the movie Amadeus really got me loving Mozart. And within that movie there's a piece by Mozart used in scene when Salieri (F. Murray Abraham) recalls hearing Serenade No. 10 in B-flat, KV361. I have it on my iPod now, and whenever I'm on the road and need peace, I listen to it. Another classical piece that has a similar effect on me is Eric Satie's Gynopedia. I remember listening to it on one of the lullaby CDs I bought for Jesse when she was a baby. It was always effective in soothing both of us.  Now, years later, she plays it on our piano and it has become one of those many magic things I am thankful for.

When I think of it, there are countless wonderful songs that have absolutely affected me, and can--like looking at a favorite old picture--transport me back to a time, even a moment in my life. If there's one good thing about humans, it's our ability to make art--whether aural or visual.  I honestly think it's one of the things that makes us what/who we are.

Mikel: A changing point for me was my first visit to the campus of Johns Hopkins University. I was an unsophisticated 14-year-old kid from East Baltimore whose cultural high point was Black Sabbath. A friend from high school invited me to see a film at Hopkins on a Friday night. Afterwards, we saw some bands and visited the coffeehouse. It was like a whole new world in technicolor had opened to me. Art exhibitions, music of all styles, and interesting people from all over the world eager to share and converse made my weekends new and exciting.

I would later see musicians like Michael Hedges and Howard Markman and develop friendships that are still lasting. Though I was never a student there, I will always see JHU as the place where my personal exploration began.

Milkshake's latest CD, Great Day, was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Children's Music category. Lisa and Mikel are in L.A. for the awards ceremony, which is today! Wish them luck.

A memorial service celebrating creative genius David Franks takes place this Sunday at the Creative Alliance. Franks, who passed away two weeks ago, was an inspired and inspiring trickster, a restlessly creative, astute, perceptive, and witty soul. Among his many projects, highlights included a symphony for tugboats (which was performed at the Harbor!) and Dead Letters, a piece that involved shooting letters from his father and composing poetry from the fragments. The latter piece became a compelling installation at the Halcyon Gallery over Margaret's Cafe in Fells Point.

The Signal's Aaron Henkin put together an excellent Franks tribute, which aired last Friday on WYPR. You can listen to it here. And David Beaudouin has put together a Franks tribute that is essential viewing/reading.

Sunday's memorial is scheduled for 3-7 pm and includes a potluck.

Let's hope the snow doesn't materialize, because there's lots of great music happening this weekend. Avant-jazz aficionados should check out Tim Berne's latest project, Four Limones, at An die Musik tonight (8 & 9:30 pm). The Poulenc Trio performs there tomorrow.

Indie rock fans are in for a treat. Tonight, Bmore Musically Informed presents a truly amazing bill featuring Arbouretum, Wye Oak, Sri Aurobindo, Weekends, and The Violet Hour at G-Spot. Doors open at 7 pm.

Tomorrow, the awesome Aural States Fest II includes Pontiak, Thrushes, Caleb Stine, Height, Dustin Wong, Office of Future Plans (w/ J. Robbins), Leprechaun Catering, and more at Sonar.

And Sunday, Bmore Musically Informed presents Get Em Mamis at Ottobar.

Dag.

What piece of art changed your life? How did it affect you?

A crucial part of my life was when I lived in Paris and was exposed to silent theater. It was all about making things out of nothing, trying not to over-embellish. I saw a lot of things and was taught a lot of things that moved me, that were epic and intense. I learned that what is right in front of you can be the greatest source of inspiration. When I moved to Baltimore, I think the beginning of Beach House was like that. Meeting and working with [bandmate] Alex [Scally] was very much like that. Our work in Beach House shows that you can make big things out of little things.

The new Beach House CD, Teen Dream (see cover art above), comes out today on Sub Pop. It's excellent, and you can read a review in the current issue of Baltimore. 2010 figures to be a break-out year for the local duo, who recently performed on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and at Sundance. They'll be touring Europe in February and March, playing Coachella in April, and returning home for a show at 2640 on May 8.

Tomorrow night, An die Musik hosts the release party for the Maryland Traditions in Jazz CD, which grew out of a collaboration between saxophonist Carl Grubbs and pianist Lafayette Gilchrist. The pair worked together as part of Maryland Traditions' Master Apprentice Program and recorded a disc of tunes by local jazz heroes such as Eubie Blake, Chick Webb, Albert Dailey, Billie Holiday, and Grubbs.

An all-star quartet led by Grubbs--and featuring pianist Tim Murphy, bassist Mike Formanek, and drummer Eric Allen--will play material from the CD during two shows (8 & 9:30 pm), and there will be a reception with free food and a cash bar between sets. Tickets are $20.

Spike Lee was the guest speaker at Loyola's 17th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation last night. He proved to be an excellent choice. Dressed in a Jets cap, black turtleneck with silver crucifix, and jeans, the iconic filmmaker gave a talk that was witty, blunt, provocative, big-hearted, and warm. He started out by noting that exactly one year ago he was "freezing his butt off" at Obama's inauguration and quipped that "some of the shine has worn off" the president. But Lee quickly made it clear he was an ardent supporter of Obama's and steered the talk to MLK and various other subjects.

Over the course of an hour, he riffed about...

Dr. King and his legacy: It’s incredibly important, especially for the young people who weren’t alive. These days, we tend to think of Dr. King simplistically—there’s a holiday, he was assassinated, and there's "I Have a Dream." But we owe it to ourselves to find out what he was really about, so he won’t be marginalized. And there’s no excuse to not find out how he was viewed at the time he was alive. Have you read the "I Have a Dream" speech? See, Dr. King was viewed differently once he voiced opposition to the Vietnam War and started talking about workers’ rights. When he was killed, he was in Memphis supporting the sanitation workers down there, who were mostly black. As a Morehouse man, I became keenly aware of Dr. King and what he stood for.

Busting your ass: Whatever you want to do, you have to do that thing and just keep at it. These horrible, horrible reality shows have you thinking you’re going to be an overnight success. You’re being bamboozled. You have to bust your ass, in whatever you do, to get what you want. I go to bed every night saying my prayers and giving thanks that I get to do what I want to do. Most people on this earth go to a job that they hate.

Dreams deferred: Choose your major based on that you want to do, not based on what’s going to make you a lot of money, and try not to give in to parental pressure. Parents kill more dreams than anybody. I know they mean well, and they just want something better for their children. And I know it’s hard because some children might be the first in their family to attend college. I understand that. But I want to say something to the parents in the room: Young people need encouragement. Think about how you react when your children come to you and say, "I want to do this." I have a 15-year-old son, who plays... ice hockey. [laughter] He plays other sports, but ice hockey is his favorite. Now, I thought, "There ain’t no black kids playin’ hockey." But there are. And he loves it. I get up at 6 am to take him to his hockey games and watch him out there scorin’ goals. So, as a parent, I’ve had to keep myself in check.   

Diversity: According to the U.S Census Bureau, by 2040, whites will be a minority in this country. That’s not me sayin’ it. That’s not Al Sharpton sayin’ it. That’s not Jessie Jackson sayin’ it. That’s the Census Bureau sayin’ it. A smart university will realize this now. A smart business will realize this. If you wake up in 2040 and realize it, it’s too late.

U.S. culture: The U.S. dominates the world, not because of atomic weapons. It dominates the world because of culture: rock and roll, hip-hop, Levi’s, Coca-Cola, and films.

Lee finished by critiquing American mythology that passes for history and telling the audience he would "answer intelligent questions"--which he did for another 45 minutes, even though a few of the queries fell short of his criterion.

[photo: John Lewis]

The mysterious visitor who's been placing roses and a bottle of cognac on Edgar Allan Poe's grave was a no-show last night. The toaster usually appears on Poe's birthday between midnight and 6 a.m., and Poe House Curator Jeff Jerome told The Sun the ritual has been repeated annually since 1949. So why didn't the toaster visit this year? Is it related to last year's bicentennial of Poe's birth? The mystery deepens.

HBO has announced that David Simon's new series, Treme, will air in April. Taking its name from a legendary New Orleans neighborhood, the show will focus on post-Katrina life in the Crescent City. The cast includes Wendell Pierce and Clarke Peters from The Wire, and you can check out a trailer for the new show here.

From Process to Print: Graphic Works by Romare Bearden opens Saturday at the Reginald Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History. It figures to be an excellent show, spotlighting lesser known works by an artist known primarily for his poignant collages, and I'm hoping it includes examples of his work for The Afro-American. Bearden was the paper's political cartoonist in the 1930s, and his perspective on that decade's events figures to be powerful and illuminating.

And Bearden had another Baltimore connection, which subway riders should already be aware of--in the early 1980s, he created the impressive glass-and-tile mural (titled Baltimore Uproar) for the Upton station near Pennsylvania Avenue.