Beck has started a new thing on his website called Irrelevant Topics that features “conversations between musicians, artists, writers, etc. on various subjects, without promotional pretext or editorial direction.” To kick it off, he offers “Tom Waits x Beck Hansen : Pt. 1,” and it’s a great read. Talking about songs disappearing over the years:

BH: There’s sort of a planned obsolescence or something. That’s just part of it.

TW: Yeah and we have every generation making a whole bunch of new ones. Even though the generation before says, “What’s wrong with these tunes? We’ve got plenty of good tunes lying around here. What are you making new songs for? We’ve got cool songs about everything you’re writing about. We’ve got plenty of songs about girls.” “No, no. That’s all right, Dad. We’re doing something else, something cooler over here. You go ahead.” And the dad says, “Do you know Jimmy DURANTE? Have you ever heard of Jimmy Durante?”

Looking forward to Pt. 2, and upcoming interviews.

MP3s: (courtesy of Anti-)

• Tom Waits – “Hold On”

• Tom Waits – “Alice”

• Tom Waits – “Another Man's Vine”

• Tom Waits – “How's It Gonna' End”

• Tom Waits – “Road to Peace”

• Tom Waits – “You Can Never Hold Back Spring”

• Tom Waits – “Bottom of the World”