Ooh La La
A musical novel published in 2002, featuring a story by Sam Magavern with a soundtrack of 14 songs performed by Minneapolis musicians Matt Wilson and John Munson.
It appeared as a CD-ROM – a technology now obsolete – and so it awaits resurrection as a digital novel; but you can listen to two of the songs below.
The story is narrated by Robert, a graduate student in philosophy who finds himself on the road with Sprawl, a rock band in which his best friend, Shaw, plays bass. The songs were recorded live in three Minneapolis bars, with Wilson and Munson singing and playing acoustic guitar and upright bass. These two musicians have worked, together and separately, in many bands, including Trip Shakespeare, Semisonic, the Twilight Hours, and the New Standards.
“As you click through the text of Ooh La La CD rom, songs from the Flops recorded live at three different Minneapolis venues form a sonic background. There are photographs complimenting the story and a video of the Flops performing live. Magavern says none of these elements directly illustrate Ooh La La, but are designed to add to its resonance.”
Ooh la la! Flops flip for a new
kind of musical storytelling
by Chris Roberts, Minnesota Public Radio
November 29, 2002