speed of dark

Catherine Wheel, one of the 90's most-underrated bands
Indie Mom and her sister grew up listening to whatever rock music their dad and I were listening to. He was a Pink Floyd fanatic, and I was into the Byrds and Jackson Browne. Indie Mom says she was born knowing the lyrics to those songs.

In the 90's my daughters and I were getting into alternative music, but each of us had a different slant on it. Sometimes one of us would turn on another to a certain artist. On rare occasions, we would all get into the same band. Indie Mom gave me the Cure and Depeche Mode. Her sister gave us Oingo Boingo and Matthew Sweet. But I gave both of them Catherine Wheel, and we all loved them. Indie Mom had a CW decal on her car windshield up until recently.

I recall hearing "Black Metallic" for the first time on the radio in 1992. At that moment--KACHING!--two little cards with red hearts on them rolled up in my eyes, just like in the old-timey cartoons. "That album is SOLD!" I said to myself. For perspective, remember that Radiohead's first album Pablo Honey still would not be released for another year, and "Creep" was never my favorite song. Not until 1995 when The Bends was released would Radiohead begin to replace Catherine Wheel at the top of my favorites list.

I couldn't wait to find Ferment, Chrome quickly followed, and I ended up with all five full-length CDs that Catherine Wheel released in the U.S. before the band went on seemingly permanent vacation.

I was able to see Catherine Wheel in concert in Los Angeles twice, once in 1995 right after the release of Happy Days, and again with Indie Mom in 2000 at the El Rey Theater, a wonder of faded elegance before its recent remodel. I still have my white Happy Days t-shirt with the faded red letters on the back: "World Famous KROQ." At both concerts I was right at the front, just to lead singer Rob Dickinson's right and in front of lead guitarist Brian Futter. I could swear that Futter heard me moan once when he played a particularly delicious riff. He looked at me right after I did it.

I still love Ferment and Chrome, every song single song from beginning to end--my first shoegaze experience and the epitome of the genre for me. I still search for music that thrills me as much as this does--those gorgeous sludgy layers laced with squealy feedback, the zoomy distortion, the drama of the loud and quiet parts, and Rob's flawless voice floating above it all. Amazingly, the lyrics don't get lost in all that sound. Just so you know, if I left out your favorite song here, believe me, it was mine too.

Black Metallic

Tumbledown

Shallow

I Want To Touch You

Buy at amazon | itunes

More info: wikipedia
Web article: history of "the most underrated band in the world"
a CW fansite

Current projects by former Catherine Wheel band members:
Rob Dickinson's website | myspace
50ft Monster (project of Brian Futter and drummer Neil Sims) website

"Local" music for me usually refers to the Los Angeles alternative (that's the "alt" in alt-gramma) music scene even though the city is a couple of hours' drive away from where I live. Friday night I took the opportunity to connect with a truly local music event just a few miles from where I live in western Riverside County, California.

Local promoter Full Value Entertainment had put together a show with five bands, held in a local elementary school auditorium. It was literally an all-ages show, with a few children looking as young as eight galloping around the hall. Most everyone else seemed to be from mid-teens to mid-20's. The room environment was sparkling clean--no smoking, drinking, or other mind-altering amusements--and playful and casual. For example, I've never seen anyone playing duck-duck-goose in the back of the Troubadour between sets, but they did here, and I'm not talking about the little kids.

Watching the acts was like musical archeology, starting with bands still trying to find their sound, working up to the older pros who've got all the moves down pat. For a venue not designed for rock shows, with poor lighting and unremarkable acoustics, things went pretty smoothly. Each band had to move their own equipment on the stage, set it up, do a quick sound check, and then play. No warming up. To their credits, they all performed their own songs--no covers. That's brave.

First band up was Humility, a young foursome whose greatest distinctions at this point are winning the battle of the bands in nearby Temecula and having the youngest drummer I have ever seen perform in a rock band. Scott, just 14 years old, is pretty decent on the skins. The band has been together only three years, with several changes in lineup already. The boys played loud power-rock with great enthusiasm and energy, but the melodies and vocals got lost in the noise in this live performance. At one point guitarist/keyboardist Mike Pulliam accompanied a song on Irish pennywhistle, an instrument that if incorporated more often could add a unique quality to their music.
Check their myspace page for a very nice little demo song called "Moonlite remix."

Next was The Trade, a five-piece from just up the interstate in Riverside, with several years over Humility and a lot more whiskers on their chins. Not surprisingly, they list Depeche Mode, the Cure, and New Order among their influences. Dressed in classic goth black, this band demonstrated more cohesiveness and stage presence. Singer Chris Lopez (in photo) left the stage with his cordless mike and prowled the room as his voice continued disorientingly from the speakers on the stage.

The Trade have just released a self-titled five-song EP, and they will be appearing at the Texas Rockfest next month, which runs concurrently with South By Southwest in Austin. For afficionados of traditional rock, this could be a band to watch.
The Trade: White Noise
Check myspace for more songs and their full tour schedule
website





The third band was Mouthful of Snow, which to me had the most complex lyrics and interestingly-crafted songs of the first four bands.

Singer-songwriter Kyle (in photo) has made brave attempts at some progressive arrangements that didn't quite synch in the live performance. The band has been recording and expects to have a CD by the end of next month.
Check their myspace page to listen to the demo of "Keep Running."







Next was Panima (pronounced "panama" like the canal), another five-piece from Riverside. This group sounds a lot like Homegrown used to when they were more punk-rock than ska. Panima have good rapport with their audience and demonstrate excellent timing in playing their arrangements. They have scored three dates in SoCal this June on the Van's Warped Tour and hope to have an album out before then.

Panima: Wake Up
Check their myspace to stream four songs and a video.



The headliners on the bill were Orange County band Limbeck, whom I last saw about a dozen years ago (see this post). Since then, they have become a country-rock band with a completely different sound even though they have changed only one band member in all that time. They have toured almost non-stop, although they recently took almost a year off to record a new album due to be released April 10. Friday's show was just the start of a long schedule that has Limbeck playing almost every night until mid-May. Part of that schedule includes a date at sxsw

The set included older favorites like "Comin' From Tuscson," "Honk and Wave," and "Sin City" as well as songs from the new CD: "Big Drag," "Parking Lot," and "Let's Get Crazy." I saw Anthony, lead singer of Humilty, focused on Limbeck's performance, and he should pay attention to these guys because they have paid the dues to earn their chops.

Limbeck: Comin' From Tucson from Hi, Everything's Great (2003)
Limbeck: Big Drag (2007)

website | myspace
Buy at amazon | emusic | iTunes

I stayed up late to watch Arcade Fire on Saturday Night Live...can anyone translate what Win had written on his guitar during Intervention? I wanted to stay up to see the band play again, but what with the long commercial breaks and lack of humorous content on the show, I fell asleep before the second song. Sorry, Rainn, I love ya, but the show sucks.

We're just being lazy today, staying out of the rain and watching movies together as a family. I hope you are enjoying a lazy Sunday too. Enjoy these mashups from Go Home Productions:

beatles vs. radiohead: karma in the life

sting vs. elvis costello: wrapped detective

shannon vs. rolling stones: shannon stone

monkees vs. beatles: paperback believer

david essex vs. doves: essex doves

Sometimes life gets in the way of blogging (imagine that!), so today I need kind of an easy post without too much analyzation on my part. I decided to create a mini-sampler of a few of the huge number of bands that will be appearing at the music portion of the annual South by Southwest Festival in Austin, TX from March 14 - 18.

These are songs that I like a lot, but I haven't had the time to look up info about the bands, and I have maybe only one or two songs of theirs in my collection. However, I notice that my selection sometimes provides a little different take on the artists than the sample songs on the SXSW website. A few of the bands didn't provide a sample song. Enjoy!



the Nethers: She Hung Herself in a Birdcage - Washington, D.C
from In Fields We Will Lie (2006)
website | mspace | sxsw

the Redwalls: Hung Up On the Way I'm Feeling - Chicago, IL
from DeNova (2005)
website | myspace | sxsw

Luke Temple: Make Right With You - Brooklyn, NY
from Hold A Match For A Gasoline World (2004)
myspace | sxsw

the Rosebuds: Hold Hands and Fight - Raleigh, NC
from Birds Make Good Neighbors (2005)
website | myspace | sxsw

120 Days: Get Away - Kristiansund, Norway
from 120 Days (2006)
website | myspace | sxsw

the 6 Parts 7: This One or That One - Kent, OH
from Everywhere And Right Here (2004)
website | myspace | sxsw

Yesterday Calla released their fifth CD, Strength In Numbers. I have liked this band since the smoldering "It Dawned On Me" from 2005's Collisions caught my attention. From there I back-tracked to their 2003 album "Televised" and found several songs I liked there as well. If there is any flaw, it's that Calla never, ever deviate from their somber mold, but that's OK with me. This is definitely not happy-happy party music, but it is surely powerful and magnetic. It is great for late nights and earphones, and I like this kind of stuff for driving.

From listening to most of the tracks on Strength In Numbers, I would say that this album is at least as good as the previous ones, perhaps better. The smokey atmosphere and low-key drawl are immediately familiar. As usual, the tone is moody without becoming depressing. The guitars are delicious throughout, and that counts for a lot with me. The instrumental "Malo" and the lovely, melancholy "A Sure Shot" contain a hint of Spanish melodies that reflect the Texas roots of the members.

"Sanctify," "Bronson" (the pre-release single), the short but incendiary "Le Gusta el Fuego," and "Simone" (pronouned the Spanish way: Si-mo-NAY) provide the most "crunch" and energy. "Defenses Down" is a beautiful song about loss of innocence and fall from grace. I can also recommend "Stand Paralyzed" and "Malicious Manner." All in all, there are more interesting songs on this album than poor ones, and I can't at this time choose a favorite. The more I listen to it, the better I like it. It definitely gets my seal of approval.

Although the members originally came from Texas, Calla was formed in New York City in 1997 by Aurelio Valle (guitar, vocals), Sean Donovan (bass, keyboards, programming), and Wayne B. Magruder (percussion, programming), with Peter Gannon joining in 2003. Calla will be one of the showcase bands at SXSW next month.

It's very hard to limit myself, and these are just a few of the tracks that show Calla at their best:

Simone from Strength In Numbers (2007)

Swagger from Collisions (2005)

Strangler from Televised (2003)

official website | myspace
Buy at amazon | emusic | itunes (bonus track with album download)

I mentioned in our first installment of Time Travel Tuesday that one of its inspirations was the fact that I had read the novel The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffennegger last December. I just finished reading it again, and I could start yet again from the beginning--it's that good. It has all the elements a great novel should have: characters who turn into people you know and care about, joy, conflict, sorrow, mystery, deep loss, and a love that endures beyond time. Niffennegger deftly describes a devoted couple who must keep secrets in order to protect the other person.

Just one of the many things about this book that I enjoyed is that the time traveler's character, Henry, likes so much of the same music from the 80's and 90's that I like. The names of punk and post-punk bands are strewn throughout the book, and some specific songs and lyrics are even used. Paying more attention to these details on the second reading, I realized that I could share some of those songs here.

There is a detailed description of a Violent Femmes concert that occurs in the story on December 22, 1991, at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, where most of the novel takes place. The lyrics to "Gimme The Car" and "Blister In the Sun" are twined into the narrative. In another chapter, Henry is stuck somewhere in time, occupying his mind by trying to remember the lyrics to "I Love a Man In Uniform," a big favorite of mine. "The Passenger" turns up as background music elsewhere.

No specific songs of the Buzzcocks or Television are mentioned, so I chose these tracks from my own collection. I picked "In World" because guitar legend Richard Lloyd plays on this track.

Violent Femmes: Gimme the Car (1983)

"How can I explain personal pain?"

Iggy Pop: The Passenger (1977)

Gang of Four: I Love a Man In Uniform (1982)

Buzzcocks: What Do I Get? (1979)

Television: In World (with Richard Lloyd on guitar) (1992)

(click here for book review and purchasing information)

The Chinese Year of the Pig begins today, Sunday, Feb. 18, 2007

It's always the Year of Cat here at my house. I have been an unabashed cat-a-holic for the past 30+ years. The three I have now are without a doubt the friendliest and mellowest cats ever. They are so trusting, they will try as hard as they can to get the UPS man to pet them.

I once had a repair technician from our Internet provider here. He asked to use the computer for a moment to test the connection. The minute he sat down, a cat jumped in his lap. They are not even afraid of the vacuum cleaner--it's loud, but it has never hurt them, so what's the big deal? If they ignore it, it goes away. If they are feeling frisky, sometimes they give the vacuum or me a friendly tap as we go whirring by.

Spring will soon be arriving in our part of the U.S. The weather prediction calls for recurring flurries of cat hair with frequent fur drifts. Try saying that three times fast.

Psapp: The Year of the Cat
website | myspace

Cat Scientist: Pink Dress
website | myspace

The Multiple Cat: Canvassed and Spent
Buy CDs

Cat Heads: Lullaby
website

Cat Power: Sea of Love
website | myspace

Do you remember when we met

That's the day I knew you were my pet


The Fur Girlies

About the cartoon:
Mutts comic strip is drawn by Patrick McDonnell, an avid member and supporter of the Humane Society of the United States. Mr. McDonnell is also a champion of endangered land, forests, and wildlife, and is a member of several well-known organizations dedicated to protecting them.
official website

One of the most enjoyable things about having this blog and a MySpace page has been meeting and making friends with fresh young bands. Today I want to acknowledge just a few of those bands as thanks for the gift of their music.

Creech Holler

Snake-waving, Mississippi-delta blues-country with a dark sound from back up in them thar hills of Tennessee and North Carolina. Lead singer Jeff Zentner (vocals, bottleneck and clawhammer electric guitar) also ventures out solo.


Creech Holler: Country Blues
Creech Holler: Wild Bill Jones

Band myspace | Jeff Zentner's myspace
Order CDs from cdbaby
Buy singles directly from Creech Holler's MySpace page, or at itunes or last.fm



On Tour Now in the southern U.S.:
Feb 16 - 9:00P - The Local w/ The Molly Maguires-Chattanooga, TN
Feb 17 - 10:00P - Murphy's-Memphis, TN
Mar 1 - 9:00P - Town Pump-Black Mountain, NC
Mar 2 - 9:00P - Green Dolphin w/ Red Clay River-Roanoke, VA
Mar 3 - 9:00P - Ireson's Pub w/ The Fury...Heat!-Bristol, TN
Mar 16 - 9:00P - Preservation Pub w/ The Darlins-Knoxville, TN
Mar 17 - 8:00P - Downhome-Johnson City, TN
Mar 30 - 9:00P - The Local w. Bathtub Gin-Chattanooga, TN
Mar 31 - 9:00P - Tidball's-Bowling Green, KY
Apr 12 - 9:00P - Caledonia's-Athens, GA
Apr 13 - 9:00P - The Loft-Vicksburg, MS
Apr 14 - Juke Joint Festival-stage and time TBA-Clarksdale, MS
Apr 14 - 9:00P - Two Stick-Oxford, MS
Apr 28 - 8:00P - Morehead Boogie Festival-Morehead, KY
May 18 - 10:00P - Preservation Pub-Knoxville, TN
May 19 - 10:00P - Murphy's-Memphis, TN
May 26 - 9:00P - The Jinx-Savannah, GA



Argo

A Seattle band that seems to still be experimenting to find their own sound. Little bit of country, little bit of electro-dance, little bit of alternative--There's something nice for every taste on Attack of the Firebots. This one is my little slice of heaven.

Argo: Alternate Ending

official website | myspace
Buy Attack of the Firebots on iTunes

Shows:
Feb 24 - 10:00P - The Skylark - Seattle, WA
Mar 17 - 8:00P - Solo - Seattle, WA
Apr 21 - 8:00P - The Sunset Tavern - Seattle, WA



Scenic Route

Any band that has a cat in its profile picture can be a friend of mine. Straightforward rock with obvious influence from Incubus from this Palmer, Massachusetts band. Look for a new album soon.

Scenic Route: Sinking Fast

website | myspace

Shows:
Feb 19 - 8:00P - Geraldines West - Springfield, MA












Lost Ocean


Fans of Keane will like the smooth harmonies of this Bakersfield, California, band.

Lost Ocean: Just Glide

website | myspace
Buy Night to Life EP on iTunes

On tour now:
Feb 16 - 7:00P - The Underground - Modesto, CA
Feb 17 - 6:30P - South Reno Baptist - Reno, NV
Feb 18 - 7:00P - New Day Foursquare - Redding, CA
Feb 20 - 8:00P - (the) Revolution - Ashland, OR
Feb 21 - 7:00P - Portland Christian Center - Portland, OR
Feb 23 - 6:00P - Calvary Chapel - Lake Stevens, WA
Feb 25 - 7:00P - Foothills Christian Church - Boise, ID
Mar 13 - 7:00P - The Alley - w/Rachel Bishop - Fullerton, CA
Mar 15 - 7:00P - The Trilogy Theatre - w/Rachel Bishop - Victorville, CA
Mar 17 - 7:00P - The Trench - w/Rachel Bishop - Merced, CA
Jul 12 - 7:00P - Sonshine Festival - Wilmar, MN
Jul 13 - 7:00P - Sonshine Festival - Wilmar, MN
Jul 14 - 7:00P - Sonshine Festival - Wilmar, MN

So, how did you do on Valentine's Day? Are you a Phyllis, whose boyfriend showered her with gifts every hour? Or are you a Pam, who received nothing but who had to sign for all of Phyllis' gifts? Or, God forbid, are you a Jan, who has a horribly annoying semi-boyrfriend, semi-stalker? Did I watch way too much of The Office Season Two DVDs while I was sick for the last three weeks? Yeah, probably.

For those of you who made out like Phyllis, well, alt-gramma posted your songs yesterday. For those of you who identified with Pam, today I'm posting your songs - the ones you listen to while drinking a bottle of wine and thinking evil thoughts about the Roy and Jim in your lives. For those of you who are a Jan, well, there's no hope for you except to move away and change your name.

Me? Well, I won't go into as much sappyness as alt-gramma did, but I'm a Phyllis. My husband, who is of the mind that Valentine's day is a marketing ploy perpetrated by Hallmark, the floral and jewelry industries, and Hershey's (and I agree), sent me flowers at work. Except I was sick at home. So they're waiting for me at my desk, which is as good a reason to go back to work as any, I suppose. My poor husband got a card and a sick wife. Plus now, he's sick too, so I guess I could say I also gave him a cold.

For the Phyllises, Jans, and Pams, do yourself a favor and watch The Office - it's the only thing I watch now besides Lost.

the smiths: last night i dreamt that somebody loved me

broken social scene: lover's spit

amy winehouse: love is a losing game

the sad little stars: don't f**k with love

jose gonzalez: love will tear us apart [joy division cover]

material issue: valerie loves me

find more music to drown your sorrows at hype machine

I am a believer in Valentine's Day. At last I have a romantic association with it: three years ago Husband proposed to me on V-Day. At least, that is how I choose to remember it. We were in the middle of a noisy restaurant, the order was taking a long time coming, and he said, "If we are planning to live together, don't you think we should get married?" His face was glowing, and he had kind of a sheepish but expectant look on his face, like, "Uh-oh, now it's out, and what is she going to say?" I was so happy, I had no words; it was like no one else was there, and I kissed him.

He says we had talked about it before, but I think HE had been thinking about it and forgot to tell me. He does that sometimes. I do remember one time we were in the car, and he asked, "If you got married again, what would you want the wedding to be like?" It was an exciting idea, but I took it as a hypothetical question, not a proposal.

He says he isn't romantic, but he really is. He spent a lot of time researching the date we first met so we could commemorate it. He brings me flowers for no particular reason. He brings me Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Truffle Bars because he knows I require emergency chocolate supplies. He offers me the last of the coffee in the pot. And he is the best cuddler.

For Valentines everywhere:

They Might Be Giants: Another First Kiss
Ben Lee: Gamble Everything For Love
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: Is This Love?
Nada Surf: Always Love
Earlimart: Heaven Adores You
Teenage Fanclub: Your Love Is the Place Where I Come From

Listen: Rogue Wave: All You Need Is Love --Beatles' cover.

Download TODAY ONLY
Gliss: Kick In Your Heart" MP3--a REALLY good song.

It's common knowledge that I usually dislike female vocalists. However, there have been exceptions. I have always been a fan of Fiona Apple (although her last release didn't grab me), I love Portishead, and I truly enjoyed the last two bands we saw live that featured female singers (twilight sleep and midnight movies). There are a few more, but the two ladies below have grabbed my interest lately.

and it's not just my pride/it's just til these tears have dried

The blog community has been all over Amy Winehouse, both for her music and for her antics. But I'll just concentrate on her music. This 23-year old Brit with a deep, soulful voice has some major talent in her singing, performing, and song-writing. Her lyrics are intensely honest and personal, and her jazzy, smoky club style is refreshing after all of the Britney-Paris-Jessica-crap that seems to pervade the women's side of music these days.

Her single, Rehab, was written about an incident when her record label asked her to go into a program for her drinking problem, due to the way she behaved when drunk in public. She was probably embarrassing the label but actually providing herself with more publicity (as the saying goes, no publicity is bad). She refused, and left the label. Both songs below are from 2006's Back to Black, an all-around spectacular disc.

amy winehouse: rehab
amy winehouse: you know i'm no good

official website | myspace | buy amy winehouse music | find amy winehouse on hype machine
watch amy winehouse videos/interviews on youtube

you're so satin chic/look rich, talking cheap

Upon the release of Felt Mountain in 2000, Allison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory burst on the scene with sleazy, sexy glam dance music. But 2005's Supernature was where I climbed aboard Goldfrapp's bandwagon. This music makes you want to get up and dance after outlining your eyes with heavy kohl and glittery eyeshadow. "Utopia" is featured on the debut Felt Mountain, and "Satin Chic" is my favorite track from Supernature.

goldfrapp: utopia
goldfrapp: satin chic

official website | buy goldfrapp music | find more Goldfrapp on hype machine
watch goldfrapp on youtube

Another of my long-time guitar gods is David Lindley, perhaps best-known as Jackson Browne's sideman in the 1970's. I was a fan of Browne's through his first four albums, so this is where I came across Lindley's genius on fiddle and pedal steel.

What may not be generally known is that he may be credited with forming the first world music band, The Kaliedoscope. Along with his friend Ry Cooder, he has worked with and supported artists from around the world, notably Madagascan music with guitarist Henry Kaiser, and recording and touring with Jordanian percussionist Hani Nasir. Not restricted to guitar, "Mr. Dave" claims he can play "anything with strings." The list of musicians he has worked with, both live and in studio recording, reads like a who's who of anyone who ever recorded in California. Absolutely amazing.

Lindley left Browne in 1981 to focus on his own new band, El Rayo-X. For non-Spanish speakers, this is properly pronounced "el ry-oh ekees." Try to roll the "r." I heard an interviewer ask him once about the name, and he explained that with these words stenciled on his equipment cases, he could tour anywhere and not worry about ever having them stolen or messed with. The first album, self-titled, was released in 1981.

In the 80's my music collection migrated away from vinyls and toward cassette tapes. The medium had its good and bad points. The good parts were that the little plastic cases were easier to store than records, and I could record mixes from the radio or from my vinyl collection and other tapes. The bad parts were that the cases were easily broken and that players could get finicky and the fragile tapes could twist, crimp, and break. Both the tapes and the players easily got dusty in my desert environment, which contributed to both finickyness and breakage.

I had El Rayo-X on cassette tape. Indie Mom, her sister, and I would breeze around town in my '68 VW pop-top camper singing along to "She Took Off My Romeos." It took me a long while to discover what Romeos are, but I found out that they are those boots with the stretchy fabric at the ankles so that no zippers, buttons, or buckles are required. El Rayo-X is chiefly a reggae album, but a couple of my favorites defy that genre, including the completely wacky and irrestible title song. I'd love to know the lyrics, but I haven't been able to find them anywhere. Anyone want to give it a try? "Petit Fleur" showcases Lindley's violin skills. I added "Tiki Torches at Twilight" from a later album because the images of a businessmen's drunken luau are too funny to miss.

If the song titles by themselves don't tip you off that Lindley is an eccentric with an off-the-wall sense of humor, then take in his trademark unruly hair, never less than shoulder-length, the outrageously patterned shirts, and his wild falsetto.

From El Rayo-X (1981)
El Rayo-X

She Took Off My Romeos

Petit Fleur

Tiki Torches at Twilight from Very Greasy (1988)

Read lots more about David Lindley at his official website and another nice bio at rosebud.
Buy at amazon, emusic, and iTunes

Husband says he wants to start playing his guitars again. He has read my recent time travel post about Ry Cooder. These two sentences are not related; however, I think that they should be. Anyway, the barrier to these personal home concerts is that the guitars are out of tune, and Husband can't find his electronic tuner anywhere.

So on Saturday I guide him to the recently-opened Guitar Center store. As we walk up to the building, Johnny Cash is blasting into the parking lot from a large speaker on a stand near the door. That's OK with me, and good for him because he likes Johnny Cash. Inside the store it's not so pleasant. A different song is coming from each of three sections of the L-shaped main room. It isn't set up so that in any one section you hear one artist; no, throughout the store the three sound systems blend into general cacophony. Nirvana over Lou Reed over Blink 182.

Husband looks around in dismay. The store seems to cater only to the electric persuasion. Then we see that the acoustic paraphernalia is behind the closed glass door of a room in the crook of the L. Cool and dim, it's a Zen meditation retreat compared to the rest of the store. A young man sits on a bench quietly picking out "Stairway to Heaven." Row after row of birch-fronted beauties hang on the walls from the floor to the darkened ceiling. Husband starts telling me about a Martin backpacking guitar he once saw. I point to the corner where an odd thing with a Gumby-shaped body hangs. That's it! Nearby are a few ukes, looking like baby guitars not yet big enough to sell.

In another enclosed room with a glass door, we can see a young man strumming and trying to sing like John Mayer to his tall, poker-faced girlfriend. Next to that is the banjo room. "The bag-pipes are probably in there too," jokes Husband. He can joke; he plays banjo. We have to get help to locate the tuners, and Husband buys a fairly simple one. A very thin girl with black hair explains to him how it works, and he nods politely and pays attention. He already knows how it works, but he doesn't want to spoil it for her.

We go back home, and he gets out one of the guitars. Then he wants to know where the other ones are, and where are the autoharp and the banjo? I moved into his house almost a year ago, and some things are not where he is used to finding them. Like on the dining room table. My role in our family of two is Finder of All Things Lost. This is scary because years ago in my own house, Indie Mom had to be Finder for ME. Notice that I was not able to find the guitar tuner, which is why we had to buy another one. I locate the other guitar, the banjo, and the autoharp, and remind him that he gave a guitar to my grandson, He Might Be Giant, last summer.

He spends an hour or so tuning all the instruments and returning them to their cases. I'm still waiting to hear him actually play, however. When he does, he'll play funny folk songs and Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, and Dave Van Ronk. It doesn't matter to me what he plays, as long as he plays for me. I love having my own personal guitarist.

From The Best Thing You Ever Had (1996)

Lurgee (live)

Anyone Can Play Guitar (live)

Blow Out (live)

Ever since i guess I'm floating blog posted "Blueberry Tree Part II" last November, I've been anticipating the release of Husky Rescue's second full-length CD, Ghost Is Not Real. I've probably checked every week since the first of the year on either hype machine or the band's website or their myspace page for more songs or news of the album's release. That's how impressed I was with the beauty of that one song.

Finally the bulletin came this week that it is now available on iTunes, and I swiftly downloaded it. After all that mental build-up, I am not disappointed, even though I'm not as crazy about every song as I am about that one.

The album is nicely cohesive, both sonically and thematically. Ghosts from the past, butterflies, the place where dreams and real life blur, and journeys, predominately spiritual ones, create the gauzy fabric of this CD. "My Home Ghost" is a moody opener, great late-night listening-type stuff. "Nightless Nights" is the most upbeat and danceable of the tracks, a reminder that while Husky Rescue's home country, Finland, actually has nights lacking darkness, that darkness is still lurking and ready to come back with a vengeance. So dance while you can! "Diamonds in the Sky" are the stars that brighten even the darkest nights.

"The Blueberry Tree," Parts I, II, and III make a beautiful trio, flowing smoothly from a delicate introduction to a luscious, gooey, cooing/mewing middle, to a powerful instrumental ending. Part III starts with a train whistle, then begins chugging and slowly picking up steam until you finally arrive at the end, breathless and thoroughly satisfied.

Following that journey is another gorgeous song, "Hurricane (Don't Come Knocking)," a warning against a disastrous love affair.

I don't need you rocking my world
I don't feel like spinning around
The butterflies are frightened by your words
Terrified by silent sounds
I'm afraid to fall asleep for dreams
You belong to me
In this world, I'm for you

I'm not as fond of the spoken-word "Silent Woods" or the rap-like "Shadow Run," but others may enjoy them more.

The final journey is a track called "Caravan." The question of whether to stay or leave is accented nicely by an electronic approximation of a hawk's cry. There is a sound like a crow in another song. Pretty neat.

OK, so let's add them up: of ten songs, I like eight, and five are songs I'm really glad that I have. Ghost Is Not Real may not be in my Top 10 albums by the end of the year, but I'm pretty sure there's a favorite song in there. I'm giving it a thumbs up.

Blueberry Tree Part II
Hurricane (Don't Come Knocking)

website | myspace

If you've never read Birdmonster's blog entries, you should. They are a hoot and a half.

The most recent relates the exciting news that they will be appearing tonight, Feb. 8, in San Francisco with Division Day and Two Second, and we will be able to view this concert online. The concert starts at 9:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. Birdmonster comes on at about 11:15 p.m.

Just go here: Lala.com and click the big Play button on the right. Here's a little warm-up music while we're waiting:

Birdmonster: Janine

Division Day: There Is No Telling

Whoops, did you miss it? No worries; the show will be available for online streaming afterward. Lala Radio will also be providing shows from SXSW, a great resource for those of us who can't be there in person.

One of the most promising musical discoveries I've made on MySpace is a young man named Damien DeRose who records and performs under the name of Peasant. He is a very thoughtful lyricist with a sweet voice and more than decent guitar skills.

I am most impressed with his songwriting skills, and we exchanged a couple of e-mails about one of my favorites of his songs, "Can't Believe You're Believin'." I asked about these particular lines:

These are your books
Study them carefully
These are his looks
Get used to feeling sick
And these are the ways
You get used to thinking
And this is the day
You become a number

He told me it's about watching someone you know turn into a different sort of person as they compromise their values in order to keep a social standing of some kind--maybe a job, maybe a relationship. You can't believe how they're changing into someone else, becoming bitter and beginning to hate their weakness and their lives. It's a pretty deep observation that he says he didn't really think about until after he'd written the song.

"Be Free" is another short one that I like a lot, with some lovely harmonies. "I want you to love me," he sings. He wants the house and kids, all the normal things people want...but he's smart enough to know that it needs to wait. He's not ready yet.

Peasant is in the process of getting songs together for another album in 2007. He posts new songs on his MySpace page from time to time. He recently had a new song there called "Birds" that was just delightful.

From The Wind, 7-inch vinyl (2006)
Peasant: Be Free
Peasant: Can't Believe You're Believin'

Highly recommended from Fear Not, Distant Lover (2005): Icy Deep

Upcoming live appearances:
Tomorrow: Feb 9, 2007 7:00P - Bus Stop Music Pitman, New Jersey
Feb 27, 2007 8:00P - Lit Lounge New York, New York

Watch this video of Damien playing "Manners" at CMJ 2006 to get a sense of how cool it would be to see him live.

Peasant's CDs are available on his website and his myspace page.
Fear Not, Distant Lover is also available on iTunes.

British Sea Power are, not surprisingly, a British band out of Brighton. Their quirky and inventive lyrics and music were displayed wonderfully in 2003's The Decline of British Sea Power. BSP's sound has been likened to The Smiths and David Bowie, and have been endorsed by other musicians such as Radiohead, Lou Reed, and the Strokes. BSP released the excellent Open Season in 2005, and the band is currently working on their next album, hopefully to be released in 2007.


british sea power: blackout

official website | buy BSP albums |find more BSP on hype machine


Muse are a little more well-known band out of Devon. Although Muse are currently on a neo-western space-rock disco kind of kick right now, there once was a time when the band was touted as "the next Radiohead". With the release of Absolution in 2003, the band's fourth LP studio album secured their launch to stardom. The track below, "Blackout", is a morose song that has lovely orchestral ups and downs, with the soothing voice of lead singer Matthew Bellamy.


muse: blackout

official website | buy Muse albums | find more Muse on hype machine

New Orleans has always been a place of idiosynchratic charm and magical character. I lived there in the early 70's when I was single and could go to a concert on the whim of the moment. The best and most common venue was a huge place called simply The Warehouse, which was down in the industrial section of the city on Tchoupitoulas Street near the River. It was, in fact, just a warehouse, originally built in the 1850's to store cotton and coffee before it was shipped north or south. A bar and restrooms had been constructed across one corner of the otherwise open space, and a stage across the opposite corner. In lieu of seating, pieces of carpet were thrown down in the vast spaces between the wooden columns that supported the roof. Unairconditioned, unheated and without ventilation, it could hold as many as 3,500 people.

That's where I saw Elton John in his Tumbleweed Connection days, Rod Stewart and the Small Faces, and Cat Stevens, to name a few. This is the place that the Grateful Dead played just before the famous bust they documented in the song, "Truckin'." The last concert there was in 1982, and the building was demolished in 1989.

However of all these bands, my most memorable Warehouse experience was when I went with a couple of friends to see Captain Beefheart. I had a Beefheart album, although I was not a huge fan. I was just going because I had nothing else to do that night. The opening act turned out to be a handsome, dark-haired young man only a couple of years older than me. And man-oh-man, could he play that guitar. I was awestruck, watching him. He stood so tall and straight on the stage, tenderly holding the instrument, and when he stroked it--Wow! the sounds it made! The idea came into my mind that he was making love to it. To the guitar. And oh, how I wanted to BE that guitar. That is exactly the moment when guitar music and sex become bound together permanently for me, and so it remains.

The young man was Ry Cooder. Time has faded the details of that night. I have no idea what he played, except I'm pretty sure he played "Goin' to Brownsville," which is on his first album. What has lasted is the deep impression that it made in my musical taste. Very soon after that concert, I bought his second and third albums: Into the Purple Valley and Boomer's Story. I had spent my childhood in the South avoiding country music like it carried the germs of redneckedness. Now suddenly I was enthralled by music of the true country kind, the songs of dust-bowl farmers and the Depression era.

How Can You Keep On Moving unless you migrate too)?" and "Taxes on the Farmer Feeds Us All" (from Into the Purple Valley)--these are songs of dark times in United States history. They display the resilience and humor that enabled people to endure unimaginable wretchedness. Boomer's Story continues in a similar but bluesier vein and introduces "The Dark End of the Street," which Linda Ronstadt would cover on Heart Like a Wheel (1974).

There is no comparison in my experience for the mandolin plucking on "Billy the Kid," and the deepest bass note ever sung on "Crow Black Chicken" makes me laugh. But it's that exquisite blues slide on all three of these examples that really sucks me in. "Boomer's Story" epitomizes the ultimate hobo lament: "Just dig my grave beside the railroad so I can hear the trains go by." Many more talented writers than I am have dissected Cooder's skills and the origins of the music, and there are many sites with Cooder's complete biography. There is no point in my trying to repeat that information; all I can add to the story is how it has impacted me.

Billy the Kid from Into the Purple Valley (1971) -- lyrics

From Boomer's Story (1972)
Boomer's Story -- lyrics
Crow Black Chicken

Ry Cooder has had a long and illustrious career, releasing many albums and movie sound tracks that bear his unmistakable sound, and introducing the mainstream public to many fine musicians who would not otherwise be known. He seems to me like a man who has managed to do what so many of us have not--live his dream and allow what he loves best to lead him wherever it will. His latest release was 2005's Chavez Ravine, and he reportedly will release a new album in 2007 called My Name Is Buddy, the story of a cat who travels the world. I like cats.

For an excellent overview of Ry Cooder's music and career, I encourage you to read this scrupulously researched and well-written post from September 2005 on Jeff Ito's blog.

Buy at amazon and iTunes
Bios: wikipedia telecaster
Here is a website for learning some of Ry Cooder's easier guitar chords.

One of my resolutions for 2007 is to listen to more complete albums than I did last year. In my own defense, I had no idea for over half of 2006 that I would soon be writing reviews for other people to read. Even with this resolve in mind, there will be shortcomings. No one is sending us CDs by reknowned groups months in advance of the release date. Also, I have no secret aspirations to be a Rolling Stone-quality reviewer.

Which one is Kevin Barnes?

Therefore, it's taking me a while to evaluate and put down some thoughts about Of Montreal's Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?. Add to that the fact that it's an hefty piece of work and has an addendum EP connected to it: Icons, Abstract Thee. I have enjoyed individual songs from other albums by Of Montreal in the past without ever getting into the CDs from beginning to end--first, because there's just so darn many of them. There's a new CD almost every year. Second, the songs are sonically luscious but verbally dense, so I can't absorb them very quickly. Of Montreal serves a 10-course meal when sometimes all I want is a sandwich, ya know?

I'm very glad I took the time with Hissing Fauna because as it turns out, I like it very much. It's certainly obvious that it is a concept album. If you have listened to only a song or two from it, you have done yourself and Kevin Barnes, the brains and artist behind Of Montreal, a disservice. These songs are designed to flow one to the next in the order they appear on the CD.

So what IS the concept? Merely the universal themes of:
• the search for love and the unbearable burden of getting it.
• the impossibility of fulfilling all of love's ambitions.
• the gnawing fear that what you need makes your partner crazy
• the dawning realization that your partner makes you crazy
• the certainty that you make yourself crazy.
• the seductive idea that the people you love most would be better off without you.

Think back to Pink Floyd and The Wall and how many people liked it because of these same themes. These are the dreams and nightmares everyone has, and Barnes has articulated them awesomely well, and much more charmingly than Pink Floyd did. "At least," Barnes sings, "I author my own disaster."

There are twelve songs on this CD, and of those there are only two I don't care for. The fourth song, "A Sentence of Sorts in Kongsvinger," is the one that lays out for you exactly what's going on: "I spent the winter on the verge of a total breakdown while living in Norway...while trying to restructure my character because it had become vile to its creator." Suffering from suicidal depression, Barnes pleads on "Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse," "Come on mood shift, shift back to good again." Barnes begs his audience, "Is that too much to ask?" The pressure and pain keep accelerating through the first six songs, mocked by bouncy rhythms, bright tunes, and perfectly synched harmonic layers.

Then comes my favorite, right at the middle, the watershed song of the album: "The Past Is a Grotesque Monster." The first time I heard it, I played it three times in a row, completely oblivious to the fact that it is 12 minutes long. It begins with a rumbling of laser sounds and hurtles forward at relentless speed toward some cliff edge with a torrent of lyrics that are completely gripping. It still doesn't seem that long to me. I could take any few lines from this song to illustrate their power--just try these:

i find myself
searching for old selves
while speeding forward
through the plateglass of maturing cells

Barnes has said that in this song he completes his transformation into his glam-rock alter-ego, Georgie Fruit (wikipedia). Two songs that follow certainly are fruity, reminding me strongly of Prince at his campiest. In "Labrynthian Pomp" the word "drag" is mentioned several times along with "I'd just like to disappear forever" -- into the persona of Georgie Fruit? It seems that along with all the other angst, Barnes may be a man who is comfortable with neither his masculine nor feminine side. That's a rough one.

Still, by the end of the album, things seem to have been mostly resolved and put to right, at least for now. Maybe his wife/twin is OK with a husband who borrows her clothing and makeup. We can sigh with relief to "We Were Born the Mutants Again With Leafling":

sometimes we're not legible
but we're the same, stranger in mode
let them say our love is peculiar,
don't care
there's only nano-ever-after
we won't let it end in disaster
you are my twin
no, i will never go there

Further evidence of redemption is found in the sweet song to his baby daughter "Miss Blonde" that is found on the EP:

When I look in your eyes
I see me looking back
it’s kind of creepy how
you own my heart
yeah you own my heart
Let’s stay together

Creepy, indeed. My advice to anyone struggling through these years is to stick it out and get to the part with the grandchildren. It's even creepier to see pieces of yourself and your parents peeking out from someone a generation removed, but it's also comforting. And so worth it.

2007 has just begun, but I'm sure that Hissing Fauna will be a contender for the best of the year, and I hope I have more as good as this to consider. Don't cheat yourself. Get it.

The Past Is a Grotesque Animal

Miss Blonde, Your Papa Is Failing from Icons, Abstract Thee EP (2007)

In remembrance of happier times:
Lysergic Bliss from Satanic Panic In the Attic (2004)


band website: Watch Kevin apply Georgie's makeup
myspace: Watch an excellent video of Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse
Buy CD at amazon, emusic and iTunes
A pretty good, but not perfect, site for lyrics to this album. I have submitted some corrections, and you can too.

I recommend reading these two excellent posts at obscure sound. I envy him the four months he's had to absorb this CD.

The Owls are four friends from Minneapolis, three of them songwriters, two of them librarians. Maria May and Allison LaBonne do most of the vocals as well as play guitar and keyboards and write songs. LaBonne's husband, Brian Tighe, does all that too, and he and Allinson are the librarians. John Jerry plays drums.

The Owls' music will not inspire you to leap up in the morning, energized and ready to jog a few miles before your first latte. No, their music is for lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, and wondering why you let that last doomed love into your life in the first place. It is quiet and reflective and utterly charming.

I am so drawn to these deceptively simple and low-key songs. Listen carefully to the lyrics of "Air" and you'll find a clever running stream of images, alternating between the two voices of May and LaBonne. I painstakingly played the song about 50 times to transcribe the lyrics:

No head no heart no hurry no hate no fun no muss no city no state
No card no kin no call no kiss no book no bread no hit no miss
No juice no laugh no love no sin
No hand to put my handshake in
No header no footer no girl no boy no good no better no touch no toy
There is only air
Where I used to care

"City Girl" is slower and more austere, leaving the intertwining voices to hold their own backed up only by simple piano.

Although compared to the Mamas and the Papas (not sure I agree with that one) and Belle and Sebastian (that reference is clearer), I also hear a kinship with a less-strident Aimee Mann in Maria May's conversational phrasing. The overall impression may be closer to Azure Ray.

The Owls appeared last year at South By Southwest, and they are currently working on their second CD, which is due to be released sometime in 2007. Meanwhile, there are a couple of short demos on their website to tantalize.

Air
City Girl

Upcoming shows:
Feb. 3 - House of Rock, Eau Claire, WI
Feb. 23 - 318 Cafe, Excelsior, MN
Feb. 24 - Turf Club, St. Paul, MN

The Owls': website | Buy Our Hopes and Dreams

I found this website, things my boyfriend says and laughed my ass off, recognizing some major similarities between this girl's boyfriend and my husband (they could be related). My husband says all kinds of off the wall things and then asks, "are you going to tell your friends I said that?" Usually, the answer is no, due to the graphic nature and/or liberal use of profanity. But sometimes, I do tell people, or they become inside jokes and things that can make me spontaneously laugh out of nowhere when I think of them.

The other night, my husband and I were watching television when a commercial for a Christian music CD appeared. This commercial featured over 30 of the top songs about love for Jesus and some footage of people in various stages of orgasmic rapture, waving their hands around, singing along, with their eyes closed. My husband, who was born and raised Catholic, and I, who was not raised with much religion, watched in silence as these people grooved to terrible, terrible muzak.

At the end, my husband turned to me and said, "You don't rock out with God; you rock out with Satan!"

It made me laugh until my sides hurt, but maybe you had to be there. Anyway...enjoy some devil-related music and find more on hype machine.

the streets: never went to church (guillemots remix)

clap your hands say yeah: satan said dance!

black rebel motorcycle club: devil's waitin'