This was actually my first time at Highline. It's a little fancy for my tastes, but on this night, the ambiance was all but forgotten. The place was packed and Mark was very well received by the crowd. Maybe too well received. NYC crowds are always more aggressive and more annoying as well. This doesn't bode well for the stage-freightened Kozelek who isn't shy to calling people out, which happened tonight a couple times. But who cares about that. His voice sounded amazing and his picking is just impeccable, especially on the songs, "Duk Koo Kim" and "Tonight in Bilbao," the first of which was one of my favorites. He only played three RHP songs but two of them were "Michigan" and "Summer Dress" which both rocked. It was refreshing to hear the new songs, especially "Lost Verses," "Moorestown," "Heron Blue" and "Lucky Man." He had a lady-friend join him in the middle of the set for "Follow Me, Follow You," the Genesis cover he did for The Shanti Project. Fellow Red House Painter band mate Phil Carney accompanied Mark on stage as he did on the last tour. Carney is an excellent guitarist and since most of these songs feature more than one guitar, Carney's presence is more valuable than people realize. Mark opened up with two of his Modest Mouse covers, the first being "Trucker's Atlas." It was so sublime. His rendition of "Gentle Moon" from Ghosts of the Great Highway was also exceptional.
THINGS TO DO AT NAROPA
1. Buy margaritas and drink them.
2. Watch Tracie Morris conduct a chorus of students reciting poetry. awe.
3. Watch film by Eileen Myles' class. Jive funk credits.
4. Read Selah Saterstrom: "Get Off Your High Horse and Come to the Party."
5. Write an ode to Ronald Johnson (poet of ARK).
6. Spy chocolate skirt-pants and grey blouse tank top on a girl giggly as a goose.
7. Listen to superb reading in Spanish (Daisy Zamora's class).
8. Lust after tall lumberjack guy.
9. Hoist Hannah Helen Hesperus However Handsome.
10. Buy margaritas and drink them.
In a session that has been hailed as unmissable, Spoon played four tracks at the Daytrotter studios amongst the plains of Indiana. Only one song, however, came from last year's successful Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga: "The Ghost of You Lingers." The Portland transplants also played a song from my favorite Spoon album, Kill The Moonlight: "Back to the Life," as well as an early track, "I Can See the Dude." The fourth song was an unreleased Paul Simon cover, "Peace Like a River."
Today is July 4th, America's Independence Day. I have put together a collection of Americana/Roots music as theme. Some artists are not strictly in this genre, and to group them together might be unfair, so I suggest if you like what you read and hear, find out more about them on their respective websites.
Of course, when you think of "America", the one name that really comes to mind is Bruce Springsteen. Since 1973, "The Boss" have been representing the everyman with his American heartland rock music. He's probably best known for his album (and song), "Born in the U.S.A." at the height of his popularity in 1984.
The album tied for "Most Top 10 Songs from One Album" award, alongside Michael Jackson's Thriller and Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814, with - count 'em - seven songs: "Dancing in the Dark" , "Cover Me" , "Born in the U.S.A." , "I'm on Fire" , "Glory Days", "I'm Goin' Down" and "My Hometown".
With an amazing string of hit songs, it's actually not surprising that find out that Springsteen's albums consistantly hit #1 on the Billboard charts, with eight #1 albums: The River (1980), Born in the U.S.A. (1984), Live/1975-85 (1986), Tunnel of Love (1987), Greatest Hits (1995), The Rising (2002), Devils & Dust (2005), and Magic (2007). With the exception of Jay-Z, all of the chart-toppers are no longer around (The Beatles, Elvis, and The Rolling Stones), so this is a pretty amazing feat for an all-American New Jersey boy.
By the way, I have never seen Springsteen live, but from watching SNL and reading about it, I get the impression that The Boss and the E Street Band plays an amazing, live show, full of blood, sweat, and tear.
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CORY CHISEL
thewanderingsons.com ♥ myspace.com
The EP I have here is called Cabin Ghosts, and it's listed simply as "Cory Chisel", but I believe the full, and correct, name should be listed as "Cory Chisel & The Wandering Sons". There is also no cover art with the EP, so please note that the art that I used to represent them here is not the final CD cover. I tried looking up when the CD will be release, but I couldn't find any details of the details. I am assuming it will be release sometime in 2008 and/or only sold on tour. Listening to the EP, it sounds to me to be very Springsteenesque, especially when Chisel sings out, "The thunder roll, its angry heart, across my shoulders in the dark, maybe I'm losing ground" on "See It My Way". I am also guessing that the EP was recorded live as there's clapping from the audience inbetween the songs, but on some songs, the audio sounds too perfect (you can clearly hear everything, from backup singers to the quiet acoustic guitar). The song I was asked to use is "Home In The Woods", which I can understand as its lyrics and theme is about wanting to escape from the city and live in an isolated cabin in the woods - perfect for an EP called Cabin Ghosts. They are currently on tour with Joshua James. See tour information below.
Jul 16 - The Intersection - Grand Rapids, Michigan
July 17 - Club Cafe - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania July 18 - Radio Radio - Indianapolis, Indiana July 19 - Beat Kitchen - Chicago, Illinois July 20 - The Ark - Ann Arbor, Michigan July 22 - Shank Hal - Milwaukee, Wisconsin July 23 - Varsity Theater - Minneapolis, Minnesota July 24 - Waiting Room - Omaha, Nebraska July 25 - The Record Bar - Kansas City, Missouri July 30 - Toad Tavern - Denver, Colorado July 31 - Belly Up - Aspen, Colorado Aug 1 - Club Sound - Salt Lake City, Utah Aug 3 - The Triple Door - Seattle, Washington Aug 4 - Doug Fir Lounge - Portland, Oregon Aug 5 - Boardwalk - Orangevale, California Aug 6 - Hotel Utah Saloon - San Francisco, California Aug 8 - Casbah - San Diego, California Aug 9 - Hotel Cafe - Los Angeles, California Aug 10 - Rhythm Room - Phoenix, Arizona Aug 15 - Lawrence Memorial Chape - Appleton, Wisconsin Sep 13 - Red Rocks Amphitheater - Morrison, Colorado Nov 26 - New American Theater - Rockford, Illinois
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SAMMY WALKER
ramseurrecords.net ♥ myspace.com Sammy Walker is a folk/country singer/songwriter from Georgia (but I think currently in North Carolina?), was briefly popular from 1975 to 1977, with two of the albums on major label, Warner Brothers. It would seem he went into early retirement until 1994 with Old Time Southern Dream. Now, after 14 years since that release, he is back now with Misfit Scarecrow to be released on July 22nd on Ramseur Records. Walker has a very distinctive, southern, and clear, but aging, voice. Some of the melodies and lyrics really made me think of Bob Dylan. Since I don't have Walker's earlier works, I can only imagine what his earlier works might sound just like early Dylan. Walker's songs all tells little timeless stories, all told through the eyes of the protagonist. Sometime that person might be a corpse ("Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone") or a scarecrow ("Misfit Scarecrow") or a farmer ("Proud and Poor"), but they all tell epic tales. I really enjoyed "Another Sad Song About You", a song about running into someone from the past. It goes into great detail describing someone leaning on a lamp post: "a blue scarf around your neck, and a silver charm across your heart". Despite a timeless feel to the song, I did enjoy the modern references, in such lines like: "I heard about your brother, when the Twin Towers came crashing down." The country/blues song, "Someday I'm Gonna Rock and Roll", ends the album with a humourous tone. I get the impression that the song is really about Walker, himself. He must get a lot of people telling him he should do rock and roll, but he scoffs at it.
In case you were wondering why that line is so funny, it's because Rodgers is often considered as the father of country music. |
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FISKUM
fiskum.com ♥ myspace.com
Fiskum is actually from Minneapolis, and his album, Darkness/Fire/Dancing was released late last year. The first time I heard "Tom Waits' Bar And Grill", I thought of Harry Chapin's "Taxi", especially when he sings "and she says 'hi, how'd you been? I saw your call, I stopped on in'". With the title, you can tell that he is giving a little nod to Tom Waits, and, like Waits, paints a story about a chance encounter with an old close friend at a bar & grill. I later read Fiskum got the idea for the song from a short conversation with someone trying to "explain to his new girlfriend why he was seen hanging with his old flame." He wrote notes for each of his song on his music page, and this is for "Tom Waits' Bar & Grill":
There is a
surprise at the end of the album, it's another version of "Winter
Moon". The song looks like a live recording, and it's sung entirely in
Welsh by an uncredited woman. You can find Darkness/Fire/Dancing at your usual location on Amazon and iTunes. |
JOSEPH ARTHUR
josepharthur.com ♥ myspace.com
Peter Gabriel saw something in Joseph Arthur, because he signed Arthur on his record label, Real World. Although he's no longer on Real World, he's releasing a ton of material on his own record label, Lonely Astronaught. Already this year alone these are the EPs that's already released: Could We Survive (Mar 2008), Crazy Rain (Apr 2008), Vagabond Skies (Jun 2008), and Foreign Girls (July 2008). At the rate he's going, he'll probably have three or four EPs released before his album, Temporary People comes out September 16th, 2008. I actually have only two of the EPs, Could We Survive, which seems to have a (anti?) war theme, and his latest, Vagabond Skies. There's something perfectly folk and pop on the lead song, "Slow Me Down", that you should check out. As you can hear on that song, it's not completely traditional folk. Such beat/loop machine can be found in the background of "Pretty Good Company" and "Second Sight". It's also nice to hear Joan Wasser (violins) doing some backup vocals on some songs, I hope she participate more in the upcoming album. I like what he's doing, bundling his limited art prints if you buy two EPs ($20). This is good for hardcore fans to collect his art, while at the same time give the second EP as a gift of music to their friends and family. |
PS, this article took very long to write. There may be a part two later tonight.
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Links:
www.weheartmusic.com
Big thanks to Anna, Mike, Owen, Griffin and Isabel for watching T a couple weeks ago. Al and I went out for a good meal at Range. I spent most of the time reminiscing about when it was Timos and the birthday spot in our twenties. We pulled out some of the toys and stuff in our art bin; kids of all ages still love Playmobil.
Notes from Richard Tuttle Lecture/ Naropa/ July 3, 2008, 1:30-3pm
[Richard wears bright hibiscus-pink button-down over sea-blue t-shirt--he's been reading poets in Latin--Ovid, Catullus, Virgil--Mei Mei wears interesting yellow-green snake-skin slippers with drab jeans silver watch cuddles toy poodle holds head in her hands]
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The 3 Types of Writing Are:
1. To dig something out.
2.
3. To point toward what cannot be said.
*
from Richard Tuttle's reading (read in a very halting, cadenced voice):
"the flowering evil... why should people be annoying to each other?... there was never a romantic solution... I can please myself then I can please you... the rigorous green that makes the world round... I do not do this to make sense... sacrifice to the hidden gods... I don't feel ok... yes we can take it back... colossal... even the forest empty in what you say... take care of something small... we see with our own eyes... my pleasure is there what would you do?... a novel progressive enough... I would do anything to know an angel like that... even if no one watching... they don't care because they're not artists"
If you're a fan of typography, I highly suggest checking out Words Are Pictures. I was pleasantly surprised to find the first two featured pieces for two of my most decadent passions - BMW and Persian poetry. Call it synchronicity, if you will. Maybe it's just a stroke of sheer randomness.
Special thanks to Espi for sharing this great find.
Could write of fucking--
rather its instant or the slow
longing at times of its approach--
how the young man desires
how, older, it is never known
but, familiar, comes to be so.
How your breasts, love,
fall in a rhythm also familiar,
neither tired nor so young they
push forward. I hate the metaphors.
I want you. I am still alone,
but want you with me.
. . .
AMERICA
America, you ode for reality!
Give back the people you took.
. . .
Allen's saying as we fly out of NYC--the look of the city
underneath us like a cellular growth, "cancer"--so that
senses of men on the earth as an investment of it radiates
a world cancer--Burrough's "law" finally quite clear.
. . .
CITIZEN
Write a giggly ode about
motherfuckers--Oedipus--
or Lysergic Acid--a word
for an experience, verb
. . .
"But now it's come to distances..."
--Leonard Cohen.
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