The pause on the other end of the phone line seems interminable, as if filtered through the delay of a satellite connection reaching somewhere beyond the ranges of normal communication. Stephin Merritt, the notoriously wry leader of the Magnetic Fields, lingers, supposedly, on the other end. Finally, his almost abnormally low and scruffy voice responds: “I’m fine. How are you?” Merritt is often regarded as a difficult interview subject, perhaps unfairly. After all, even if the languorous and somewhat impatient inflections of his answers are unsettling, it should be expected from a songwriter who has consistently penned some of contemporary music’s most caustically humorous pop songs, and woven heartache, depression, and longing with steely deadpan amusement. It is often difficult to ascertain whether Merritt’s songs are intentionally coy or, having reached the bottom of a psychological well, laughter is all that is left. Like his music, however, there is an undeniable charm and sincerity to Merritt, even as his measured responses set an uncomfortable distance, and it is impossible to decipher through his stoicism whether he is actually being funny or not.

Four months after its initial encounters with the gentrification of East Austin, the satirical comic Tales of the Really White Vigilante returns with a second issue. Masterfully written and drawn by Michael Schliefke, the masked superhero battles hipster cynicism and Spurtz-thirsty zombies, two of which look strikingly similar to Ghostland Observatory, at some festival called SWXS. Local screen printing kingpins Bearded Lady Printing host a free art show with Schliefke on Saturday, 6-9pm at their new chop shop (3504 E. 4th St.). Personally, OTR can’t wait for the issue when the RWV steps into Club 1808. Chris Davis of We Dream in Daylight was killed while bicycling home on Sept 28. He was 32. A memorial benefit and bicycle forum is taking place this Sunday at the Alamo Drafthouse South, while a tribute show is being planned for Saturday, Nov. 15, at Hole in the Wall. Transmission Entertainment has rounded out the lineup for the third annual Fun Fun Fun Festival, Nov. 8-9 in Waterloo Park, with the addition of the Black Heart Procession, Municipal Waste, and Neil Hamburger, along with locals the Black Angels, Black Joe Lewis & the Honey Bears, the Octopus Project, Golden Arm Trio, and Ume. Other notable adds include James Petralli of White Denim, Spot & Albert, Grampall Jookabox, Camp X-Ray, and Zeale & Phranchyze. Flipper has regretfully dropped from the bill, due to the departure of former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic. Another stellar bumper crop of local talent is heading to the Big Apple next week for the 2008 CMJ Music Marathon and Film Festival, Oct. 21-25, including the Lovely Sparrows, Ringo Deathstarr, Tenlons Fort, the Belleville Outfit, the Black & White Years, Black Joe Lewis, and Headdress, not to mention Australian Cattle God’s Lick Lick, Good Times Crisis Band, and the Snake Trap. Safe travels!

She’s no dog. Don’t put her down. For at least one curious Francophile mid-throng last night at Mohawk, a venue stuffed with young hands in the air, Yelle whiffed a faint hint of early, “Burnin’ Up” Madonna, looking totally French actress, however – Vanessa “Mrs. Johnny Depp” Paradis crossed with now Parisian Leslie Feist. One audience member mouthing the singer’s native tongue pegged la chanteuse from the Bretagne region of France as resembling Sophie Marceau. Her electro-pop, for better or worse, banged all of the above. For an hour, mademoiselle Julie Budet and her two sidemen in “Dance or Die” black tees, entreated “Aouse-teen” back across the decades, throngs invited onstage mobbing pure Soul Train from a New Wave age celebrated with fat, 1990s abandon. No subtitles on Yelle’s 2007 debut Pop-Up meant none live either, so the masses danced and did the pogo like they just didn’t care. DJ GrandMarnier and a live drummer beat home the main set with “A Cause Des Garçons,” two tunes for the encore including French hit “Je Veux Te Voir,” a rude sexual putdown put across same as the rest of the evening: ecstatic. As the venue emptied just past 11pm, M.I.A. pumped through Mohawk’s P.A., substance to Yelle’s style. See image gallery.

The 2008 VH1 Hip-Hop Honors freight train rolled through Time Warner Cable’s broadcast schedule this week, premiering on Monday and continuing into the next day until every innocent channel-surfer had the chance to see Jim Jones bust out his best B-Real and hear actor Michael Rapaport tell us how he named his son after Maseo from De La Soul. I know, Maseo Rapaport. His Irish grandmother must be horrified. The Hip-Hop Honors are a nice gesture put on by the great folks over at Video Hits One. Every year they select a few OGs who deserve a little recognition, and then they bring out a few more corresponding YGs to pay tribute to the heads who set them on the right foot. This year’s honorees included Cypress Hill, De La Soul, Naughty By Nature, Too $hort, and Slick Rick, and showing them love were myriad current artists, including Ghostface, Bun B, the Roots, Q-Tip, MC Lyte, EPMD, and Kid Rock.

[audio-1] That's right – the Hustle is here, Audio ChronCast style, blowin' up the spot like Bill Ayers! Above is the first episode of HUST FM, a political discussion between yours truly, Wells Dunbar, and Hustle co-creator, Mike B. We're hustling on the highway, behind the mighty wheel of Mike's '97 Ford Expedition, on the way to edit the latest edition of Hail to the Hustle. (Hey, if you wanna help HUST FM go green, we'll take a hybrid.) The debate is on our mind, along with the racist, xenophobic, and anti-intellectual agit-prop increasingly gurgling up from the right. Below, links to several of the topics we discuss:

Why did McCain pull his debate punches? How to refute the Right's guilt-by-association smears Gidget address the Reichstag "[Sarah Palin] represents a fatal cancer to the Republican party" And one we didn't get to discuss: "Winning" in Iraq is a regular talking point of McCain/Palin rallies, but Gen. Petraeus "said he did not know that he would ever use the word 'victory'"

The listen's about 20 minutes – thanks for hustling with us!

Perhaps moved by the spirit of the Clintons, Dan Grant, a former Democratic candidate for Congressional District 10, has finally broken his silence on endorsing his primary opponent, Larry Joe Doherty. Trial lawyer Doherty is challenging two-term Republican incumbent Michael McCaul in the district that Tom DeLay's gerrymander sent sprawling all the way from Austin to Houston. “In the midst of the most serious financial crisis since the Great Depression, Larry Joe Doherty wants to turn the page — and Mike McCaul wants to laminate it," said Grant. In the May primary, Grant took 33,072 votes (39%) to Doherty's 51,977 (61%). Full press release from Grant after the jump.

[video-1] For the second presidential debate, the Hustle heads down to a Dem watch party at the Long Center. But watch out for Zombie Reagan!

The Alamo Drafthouse Ritz kicks off a Movie Musical Sunday brunch series with the award-winning classic West Side Story. Chefs John Bullington and Trish Eichelberger have designed a delectable four course menu to be complemented with unique cocktails, and the cost of your first drink is included in the ticket price. Bloody Maria - Tomato juice with annato, tamarind, and sofrito puree, pickled plantains, and fried cilantro Bloody Antonio - Proseco with blood orange juice and passion fruit West Side Bagel - Toasted onion bagel with whipped cream cheese, and mojito isleno (Puerto Rican olive sauce) Shark's Escabeche - shark that's been lightly fried and marinated overnight, served on a bed of baby spinach with grilled chayote squash Eggs Riff - a fried egg with Irish lamb sausage on a black pepper biscuit with roasted garlic gravy and fried onions and Eggs Nando - a poached egg on carnival cornbread with pernil al horno (roast pork shoulder) and papaya tarragon sauce Office Crumpet - crumpets torn between two rivals: guava-lime jam and strawberry jelly The feast is at noon on Sunday, October 12th. Tickets are only $40 and are available online at www.originalalamo.com.