Silver Jews

Singer-songwriter David Berman is as much of an ironist in life as he is in art. Note that after landing in rehab following a Xanax overdose (an act with sardonic aspects of its own), he belatedly embraced Judaism — a belief system he'd never taken that seriously despite his band's...

By Michael Roberts

June 5, 2008

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Singer-songwriter David Berman is as much of an ironist in life as he is in art. Note that after landing in rehab following a Xanax overdose (an act with sardonic aspects of its own), he belatedly embraced Judaism — a belief system he'd never taken that seriously despite his band's name. Even after trading chemical dependency for religion, however, he remains a deadpan wit of charm and skill, as he demonstrates on Lookout, the first Silver Jews record made without assistance from Berman's longtime cohort, Pavement leader Stephen Malkmus. The melodies are ultra-simple, but they're paired with multi-faceted lyrics whose humor is tinged with melancholy on tunes such as the lazy lope dubbed "Suffering Jukebox." As for "San Francisco B.C.," its protagonists boast "sarcastic hair." Don't we all.

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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