We Get Out: Kate Walsh

I don’t always get to attend the shows I write about, nor do I always want to, but when I wrote a Post preview about the 3-act all female Amoeba Music tour, sponsored by the hip west coast retailer, I was anxious to make it happen.
It wasn’t Brandi Shearer’s bluesy rock, nor Quincy Coleman’s jazzy, quirky arrangements that called to me, but the sheer simple beauty of Kate Walsh’s new CD.
1. KATE WALSH – Tim’s House (Verve)
The CD is a quiet joy, as was the show. Though the crowd was sparse (30 people would be a most generous guess), it was a fiercely devoted one, many choosing to sit on the floor and all in rapt attention. Which meant a lot, as Walsh’s sweet, often sad material is the fragile sort that wouldn’t hold up well to lots of crowd murmuring and glass clanking. You could have heard the proverbial pin drop as she sang of love found, and generally lost. And though she chatted amiably between numbers, the melancholy vibe led one of our friends, after the set, to say that he wanted to give her a hug and tell her everything would be OK.

I chatted briefly with Walsh shortly thereafter, told her honestly that “Your Song” kills me (it’s the heartbreakingly poignant lead track on the CD) and said we all hoped she was happy. She laughed and said she’s been in a great mood recently – and hasn’t written much as a result! I hope she stays happy and finds inspiration to match it.

2. QUINCY COLEMAN – Come Closer (self-released)
The bad news was, we missed Coleman’s opening set (I thought she was going on second in the bill). The good news was, when hubby and I got to the club, we ran into friends of ours and spent time sitting on the back deck, chatting, drinking and catching up.

My other Post preview last week was for Louisiana swamp stomper
Tab Benoit

While I’m on the subject of live shows, I’ll O/CD tally up a few CDs based on who’s coming to town…
3. HOLLY COLE – S/T (KOCH Records)
The album was released in January and Cole was set to tour at that time, but the date here in Virginia was cancelled. She’s now set to perform at the Birchmere on June 1st. I can’t say that the CD appeals to me – it’s so smooth and pretty as to feel sterile.
4. The GIBSON BROTHERS - Iron & Diamonds (Sugar Hill)
At IOTA on June 1
5. JULIE OCEAN – Long Gone and Nearly There (Transit of Venus)
Bright and shiny power pop that puts me in mind of Fountains of Wayne and Weezer.
At the IOTA Club on June 6th.
6. REM – Accelerate CD/DVD set (Warner Bros.)
Here’s one I spent my own cash money on. I didn’t intend to get the deluxe package, since Hubby said he didn’t care about the DVD extra, but when I went to Target to pick it up, encouraged by the tunes I’d heard on radio and the Colbert Report (hysterical interview), there were no regular versions left. And the packaging – including a thick, cheap paperback insert marked “This book will fall apart” looks pretty nifty - so I didn’t mind shelling out the $17.
Yes, it appears on first few listens that the band has redeemed itself and thank god it’s true, since Hubby now has the CD in heavy kitchen rotation (I made him a “sloppy copy”). We watched the DVD, too, which divides into fine live footage, fairly illuminating interview bits and some of that insufferable B&W shaky camera crap that passes for Art Film.
We have tickets to see the band at Merriweather Post on June 11th, with a faboo triple bill including the National and Modest Mouse.
And that reminds me, in anticipation of the new R.E.M. hubby purchased:
7. R.E.M. – And I Feel Fine: The Best of the I.R.S. Years (I.R.S./EMI)
8. GEORGE MICHAEL – Twenty-Five (SONY)
29 songs over two CDs, including duets with Paul McCartney (when did that one slip by?) and Mary J. Blige, plus solo and Wham! Hits.
I’m going to edit this down to a killer, single disc compilation.
Playing July 29th at Verizon Center

And a few from shows I missed:
9. The MYRIAD – With Arrows, With Poise (KOCH Entertainment)
10. The B-52s – Funplex (Astralwerks)
Is it just happy coincidence that the B-52s have returned (with their first studio album in 16 years!) within weeks of the new R.E.M. CD? The bands function as a yin/yang team of the original indie rock scene, both Athens, GA-based bands who made it big by playing against the type of “southern rawk,” both quirky and danceable but the B’s choosing a goofy, party vibe while R.E.M. hinted at Big Thoughts. I’ve always had a warm spot for both bands, though I doubt Michael Stipe would ever deign to attend a dance club party dressed in a gorilla suit, as Fred Schneider once did, god bless him. The band sounds as good as ever, with the knowing wink of elder statesmen toward those who’ve followed in their grooves (such as The Rapture, Scissor Sisters and Daft Punk, whose very name is a description of the B’s sound). Producer Steve Osborne has worked with Happy Mondays, Doves, Kt Tunstall and New Order, all of whom, in some way, can also pay psychic royalties to the B-52s. So nice to have old friends back.

And now, in an effort to begin catching up to the scads of scattered CDs still to be tallied, I resort to the Goldilocks method, meaning I will simply say…
This music is too soft:
11. THOMAS & FRIENDS – Thomas’ Train Yard Friends (KOCH)
12. THOMAS & FRIENDS – Thomas’ Songs & Roundhouse Rhythms (KOCH)
13. The WIGGLES – Pop Go the Wiggles (KOCH)
No, not pop tunes, but nursery rhymes.
14. DEBORAH HIGHTOWER – Her Name is Deborah (Highest High Records)

This music is too rough:
15. ARCHITECTS – Vice (Anodyne Records)
16. GREELEY ESTATES – Go West Young Man, Let the Evil Go East (Science)
Post hardcore is not my thing, but I’ll give the band credit for a few choice song titles like“If We’re Going Out, Let’s Go Out in Style” and, my choice for title of the month, “Desperate Times Call for Desperate Housewives.”
17. COIN OPERA – What Went Wrong with the Right? (Umbrella Etiquette)
Comes out June 15th.
18. WHITE LION – Return of the Pride (Airline Records LLC)
A 12-track collection, two of them live. And yet, just when I was about to dismiss the entire package as second rate Big Hair/Sorta-Hard Rock, I get snagged on the hook of “Finally See the Light,” and have to admit that this arena guitar god posing can still offer some fun - and great riffs to sing in mock-parody with Matt Nathanson,

And this music is just right:
13. BON IVER – For Emma, Forever Ago (Jagjaguwar)
Bon Iver, A.K.A. Justin Vernon, has created a lovely, intimate album that creeps up softly, whispers in your ear and makes you smile and sigh.
14. LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO – Ilembe: Honoring Shaka Zulu (Heads Up International)
Tha harmonies are as good as they ever were back in the “Graceland” days.
15. BILLY BRAGG – Mr. Love & Justice (Anti-)
A class act, still classy.

Year to Date O/CD Tally: 101

Treasure Hunting in NYC

My Own Cash Money - and worth every penny!

The family drove up to NYC to celebrate College Girl's graduation. And, as she noted, it may be time to give her another name. Post-Grad Girl? Smarty Pants? (She graduated with honors, boasted the proud mommy.)

Anyhoo, half the family had to return to Virginia for work/school obligations but, as all I had to deal with was a pair of Post previews, I stayed to enjoy a few extra days of Big Apple playtime and attend the second grad ceremony - in Yankee Stadium! (NYU does everything, including charge tuition, on a grand scale.)

The trip’s fine musical adventure began when I walked into the Strand bookstore, Fulton Street annex, to pick up a carry bag for CG, who wanted to replace one that was worn out from its long service. Meandering through the store, I glanced at a table of jumbled CDs to see what kind of stuff was offered. At first, I was unimpressed; it seemed to be cast-offs from in-store play, some in rather funky condition, and some promo singles. But since I saw a few recent, if relatively obscure, releases and every disc was only $4.oo, I kept sifting through the shoddy display.

1. GENE KRUPA - Big Band CD 10 (NA)
This was the first disc I put in my keeper pile. A single disc in a generic cardboard jacket, it looks to be part of some larger set. Since I don’t have any Krupa in the collection, this was a good chance to start things up.

And then magic started to happen!
2. JOHNNY FLYNN – A Larum (Lost Highway)
If anyone had been watching me at the point I discovered the generic black slimline case holding this CD, they would have thought I’d found some Holy Grail. And in a way, it was. Ever since returning from England, (Post)College Girl has been singing the praises of said Johnny Flynn, a young Brit who also acts in an all-male Shakespearean troupe called Propeller. She’s seen the theatre group about eight times and Flynn in concert once. She’s collected all his tunes from his myspace page (there are two free downloads there now) and had me order beautifully designed 7’ vinyl singles from ebay. A multi-instrumentalist with a singing style that puts me in mind of Richard Thompson, Flynn tills the rich earth of British folk tradition, writing original songs that sound like obscure classics from dusty songbooks of times past. Drinking songs and wenches abound.

Anyway, I have been hearing about this guy for over a year now and was put on warning that his debut American CD is due this summer. Finding two advance copies of his CD in the Strand pile was the musical equivalent of panning for gold and getting a nugget the size of your fist. I got a huge, happy reaction from (P)CG, and from a fellow student who’s also a big fan and got the dupe. The album is out in the UK on March 26.

So now, like a fish who had been half-heartedly nibbling at a worm, I was hooked! What other cool stuff was buried in these racks? I paid particular attention to those slimline and cardboard cases, and was paid off with…
3.AIMEE MANN - @#%&! Smilers (SuperEgo)
Still-sealed in its cardboard cover, it will make a pleasant surprise for the huge Mann fans who fed the tortoise while we were away.
4. STEVE REICH – Three Tales (Nonesuch)
A CD/DVD advance, the latter being a video by Beryl Korot, for which Reich did the music, plus an audio-only version.

I also found some new/recent releases for the bargain 4 buck price:
5. MGMT – Oracular Spectacular (Columbia)
Just before leaving Virginia, I heard a track from this on KCRW’s “Morning Becomes Eclectic” and found it intriguing in the same way I did Battles’ “Atlas.” In the latter case, the full CD didn’t live up to the promise of that lead track, but again, it’s just a few bucks to take the chance. BTW, the table had both an advance and a commercial copy of the CD, but I took the formal edition, with enhanced content.
6. PUNCH BROTHERS – Punch (Nonesuch)
Brand-new, still-sealed commercial copy of the latest from bluegrass wizard Chris Thile, for whom I’ve harbored a little thing every since I saw him cover Nirvana in a musical documentary.

And then some miscellaneous fun:
7. VARIOUS ARTISTS - Live at KEXP Volume Three (KEXP)
Also still sealed, this benefit CD carries a sticker declaring that all proceeds from its sale will go to the deserving Seattle-based alternative station. I doubt that the station is getting any money from this particular sale, so I’m sorry ‘bout that, but I am delighted to get rare songs by the likes of Ghostland Observatory, The Long Winters, Cloud Cult, Grizzly Bear and more.
8. LITTLE ANNIE & Paul Wallfisch – When Good Things Happen to Bad Pianos (Southern Records)
I almost didn’t get this, knowing absolutely nothing about the act, the songs or the label, but the cover, the title and the track listing – “Private Dancer,” “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” “All I Want for Christmas” and more for an odd mix of rock and pop favorites - leads me to believe/hope that these are cover tunes played by hideously out-of-tune pianos. The idea tickled me one grande latte with almond’s worth. And I’ll let you know how that works out.
9. VARIOUS ARTISTS – The Other Side: London: Damian Lazarus (TimeOut)
A sealed, double sided CD and DVD from the hipster travel company, this one offering a set of audio tracks including folktronica from Gruff Rhys,electronics from Nathan Fake, and tracks from the Magic Numbers and Yazoo amongst others. The interactive DVD gives insider tips on edgy shops, bars, restaurants and such. The booklet includes listings and a map of the city, so I can pass the set on to College Girl after I’ve checked it out (she’s off to England in the fall as a prelude to graduate school).

Year to Date O/CD Tally: 86

Coincidentally, just as I was working on this post, my desktop picture changed to a shot of the Raconteurs onstage at L.A.'s Amoeba Records. And just to remind us all of what a pleasure a well-stocked music shop can be, I place it here.

elbow triumphant! (my Guy...!)

It was a little over a week ago when Hubby and I had a most delightful evening out with the Manchester UK band known as elbow. He had seen them open for Doves (I was sick that night) and said they “blew Doves off the stage.” I had seen the band do a short set at the CMJ daystage and watched another truncated show on a video screen later that night when the club they were playing was overcrowded.

This band has been around for many years, but has had a different label for nearly every one of its previous albums – Asleep in the Back, Cast of Thousands, Leaders of the Free World – and never got the traction it needed to break the American market.
Now, finally, the band has released an album, The Seldom Seen Kid, on a US major (Geffen) that appears willing and able to support a proper tour, and we were thoroughly psyched to see elbow do a full headliner set and to see it together. (This is a very romantic band.)

The show was a triumph on all counts. The venue – the Historic Sixth and I Synagogue – is a jewel. The audience sits in the pews of the sanctuary under a gorgeous domed roof while the musicians perform on the raised….altar? (I was rasied Catholic, so I don’t know if that’s the proper word). And any concerns we had about the sound were knocked out by the first number. We heard it all just fine.

The opening act was Jessca Hoop, a woman with that little bit of quirky edge that raises her above the usual singer/songwriter crowd. I knew one song from exposure on KCRW’s “Morning Becomes Eclectic” show (available via Internet stream every weekday from noon-3 EST) so I was pleased to get a chance to hear the rest.


Hoop wore an old-fashioned long print dress, the new hip matron look, and was barefoot. Her patter with the audience was a tad arch, but with a sense of humor to it, too. Her guitar playing stumbled some, but her voice and songs were intriguing and strong. Her set was maybe a half-dozen songs, and the audience was respectful-to-enthusiastic. She lingered in the small lobby during intermission and we were going to buy her CD (she and elbow were selling all their albums for a kind $10 each) but hers sold out before we got to the table.

And then came the main event. In trying to think of a single word to describe it, I decided on “majestic.”

Instead of simply walking onto the stage, the band strode down the center aisle, leader Guy Garvey being one of a few members carrying horns. Taking the stage, they opened with the beautiful blare of “Starlings” from the new CD. The audience’s ovation reflected hubby and my own sincere joy in finally getting to hear the band. The applause after every song was sustained and loud, as if we were trying to convey to the group our congratulations that they might finally break through and our delight in tasting victory with them.

Garvey – a burly, bearded man with the stature of a melancholy literature professor (the kind all the graduate student girls fall in love with and want to save) was in fine form. His voice soared to choirboy Kyrie heights with a rough vulnerability that resonates at the midpoint between Bono and The Blue Nile’s Paul Buchanan. And he seemed as happy to be with us as we were to be with him, frequently commenting on the beauty of the venue and the strength of the audience’s response. He taught us all the anthemic chorus of “One Day Like This” and sang the repeating coda of “Newborn” with an intensity that brought the audience cheers to a new decibel, and generally endeared himself all around with amusing asides and little stories between songs.

We left with big smiles and full hearts. A great night out.

As I type, with 92% of the vote in, Indiana is still too close to call. Unbelievable!

We Get Out: Justin Currie (ex-Del Amitri)

Another fine night at Jammin' Java, last Thursday, to see a solo set by a guy whose name may not right a bell but whose former band, Del Amtri, was a bright spot on the fringes of the '90s pop/rock scene.

I'm not sure why I had the impression that Justin Currie was a tough cookie (I dimly recall a friend talking about a disappointing concert experience with the band), but I wasn't prepared for the chatty, funny Scottsman who took the stage and joked about his former band and the vagueries of the pop life.



Naturally, he played a goodly number of songs from his recent CD, "What Is Love For," opening with the sobering title track, but he was also great about dipping into the Del Amitri songbook - playfully doing "Not Where It's At," in faux lounge-singer style...


and "Roll to Me" as a tongue-in-cheek romp with ukelele. When an audience member expressed surprise that he did the song at all (it was the band's biggest hit, but more poppy by half than any of Del Amitri's generally bittersweet material), he explained matter-of-factly that "I owe that song about a million and a half dollars," adding that much of it was gone. "Tell Her This" was stripped-down, straight and still lovely, and he even did "Be My Downfall," a personal favorite.

Throughout the show, Currie was beautifully supported by multi-instrumentalist Peter Adams and an old LP cover of Sylvia, which became a running joke after the musical partners found it in the greenroom.



At the end of the show, I went to the merch booth to lend my support. The PR team at his label had already sent:
1.JUSTIN CURRIE - What is Love For? (Ryko)
So I bought the only other CD he had on sale:
2.JUSTIN CURRIE - No, Surrender (Ryko)
Eight dollars for a 5-track EP is not my idea of a deal, especially when three of the tracks are the same song, in Part One, Part Two and demo versions, but I got in for free (thanks to the lovely Jammin Java team, who treat me so nicely), so I consider it artist payback.
Anyway, note the telling punctuation. The song presents, in a torrent of near rap-like lyrics, tales of rampant materialism and the soullessness of modern life and asks whether to fight back. No, surrender. Take away the comma and you've got a Springsteen anthem. Leave it there and you can feel the defeated sigh. Good thing Currie has a sense of humor onstage or we'd all be out in the venue parking lot with our mouths wrapped around the tailpipes.


I didn't see much of the opening act, Michigan-based singer/songwriter Angie Mattson, but when I first arrived at the show, I scanned the merch booth, as I usually do, and chatted with the guy manning it, who turned out to be her brother. When I came back to get the Currie disc, he was still on duty, alone - and she was sitting right there, too, so how could I not buy something of hers, too? Luckily, she had an EP on sale, too - 7 songs for only $5 - and I chatted with her as she signed it.
3. ANGIE MATTSON - Monarch EP (self-released)
She will be returning to town to open for Uh Huh Her at the 930 Club on May 14th.

While I was at the club, I also picked up a CD by a local singer whom I will be covering in an upcoming Post preview:
4. CHELSEA LEE - S/T (self-released)
Six tracks, written and performed by the 16-year-old Northern Virginia native with area stalwarts Daniel Brindley and Todd Wright. My interview/preview will be here next week, so I'll finish off with a pic of Lee back when she stood in for a few songs at the club months ago with The Kin.


Year-to-Date O/CD Tally: 78

Another One Bites the Dust

High School Girl required my driving services this evening so, after I dropped her off at a far-flung high school musical (not the Disney one; "The Music Man"), I decided to fill the down time by visiting a nearby indie record store whose business card I'd been carrying in my car for a long time - Strange Land, in Annandale. But when I got there, and climbed the wrought iron steps to the shop on the second floor, I found a padlocked door and a pile of wet and yellowed mail on the doorstep.

Just looked it up online and found that the store closed last month. Sigh. Even today, as I was browsing in a FYE store at Fair Oaks Mall, I was mourning the empty space I drove past where Tower Records used to be. There are so few places left to shop for music!

Sounds like a good time for another edition of (drum roll....)
MY OWN CASH MONEY.

Took a bulging bag of CD rejects to the trade-in store last week and most of them were dismissed as too lame. But, with the $23 in credit from those that made the cut, I scored thusly:
From the $1.99 clearance section:
1.BIG DIPPER – Supercluster: The Sampler (Merge)
This 9-track single CD pulled from the 3-CD box set that came out last month may be all the Big Dipper I need for the moment. A chance to play catch-up.
2. STEPHANIE’S ID – Grus Americanus (Nine Mile Records)
I mentioned this band in passing in an old Post preview and liked what I heard about them doing the research. They’re playing a DC Artomatic show next month, so a 2-buck investment seemed in order.
3.PSYCH OUT! – Various Artists (MOJO magazine)
“15 nuggets from the scene that spawned Pink Floyd.” Donovan, Small faces, The Troggs, The Zombies and such.

In the growing vinyl section (I eagerly await my USB-turntable, coming next week), I found:
4. SWEET EMMA and the PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND (Preservation Hall)
This amazing find was just staring at me from the front of one of the rows; I wasn't even searching those bins (with all the vinyl I have at home, buying more seems madness - until that turntable arrives!). Having just seen the PHJB perform recently, I had to spend the mere $3 to own this lovely disc. Just looking at the cover makes me smile.

5. COUNTING CROWS – Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings (DGC)
A yellow sticker means ever-so-lightly scratched (and I’ve never had a problem), so this was only $7. Why do the critics delight so in bashing Adam Duritz? One review of this album was titled “Saturday’s Trite and Sunday’s Boring,” and that’s just mean (albeit clever). So he sometimes whines about his life. Don't we all? At least he's got the sense - and sensitivity - to explore his feelings. When the band is on, it creates a sound that I once tried to convince my brother-in-law has the classic Americana rock beauty of The Band. He never replied.
6. PAUL WELLER – Bonus Tracks (V2)
Not sure why this six track bonus disc from 2004, was $3 but it includes interesting takes by the ex-Jam/Style Council’s leader on Sly Stone’s “Family Affair,” John Sebastian’s “Coconut Grove,” “Let it Be Me” and more.
7.STEP RIGHT UP: The SONGS OF TOM WAITS – Various Artists (Manifesto)
Violent Femmes, Frente!, Magnapop, Tim Buckley - and no Scarlett Johansson! $3.99

Other recent purchases...
8. NOW HEAR THIS – Various Artists (Word magazine)
15 tunes in line with the British magazine, including B-52’s, Supergrass, k.d. lang and some new blood.
9. FLIGHT of the CONCHORDS – S/T (SubPop)
HSG and I have tickets to see our New Zealand heroes at the Lisner Auditorium in two weeks! The tickets are single seats in different sections (best I could do) but I see on StubHub that tix in pairs are going for $300 and up each!
10. ELBOW – The Seldom Seen Kid (Geffen)
More live excitement - Hubby and I will see this wonderful band tomorrow night - the first time we'll get to see them together (he saw them open for the Doves; I saw two truncated sets at a CMJ years ago.) We are thoroughly psyched, and the new CD has an even more ambitious, epic quality than the previous ones. Let’s hope that this wonderful, intelligent, intense Manchester band finally gets the American break it deserves.
11. DEMETRI MARTIN – These Are Jokes (Comedy Central Records)
A CD and a DVD for $12, which is great since his charts are such a key part of the act. Comedy acts seem to be doing the paired audio/video thing more and more, and at good prices. Musicians, take note!

O/CD Year-to-Date Tally:74

Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?

And the concert joy just keeps coming! On Wednesday night, the intrepid Sally and I headed off to the Barns at Wolf Trap, where the Preservation Hall Jazz Band was performing. I had spoken with the band's musical director, Ben Jaffe (hey, along with the guy from Honeyhoney, that makes two Ben Jaffes in just over one week!) for a Post preview. And, if I can say so myself, it's one of my favorite articles in a long while, so I'll give you the link again.

I've been to New Orleans only once, years before the hurricane horribleness. Hearing this joyful noise, played by a mix of old-timers and young turks who obviously love each other and what they're doing with near-religious (in the best way) fervor, I vow to get back there again soon.

(press photo)

The band's manager graciously invited us backstage during intermission to meet Jaffe and some of the band, which was a kick. We talked about Polaroid film, set lists, and a great character in N'awlins who prefers to do his sets after he cooks BBQ for the audience.

The second half kicked it up to a level of celebration worthy of Mardi Gras, with sing-alongs, great solos and a band stroll through the crowd which resulted in a bunch of us creating a second line that went up onto the stage. Sally and I stood right behind/between the drummer and the piano player, looking out over the on-their-feet dancing crowd and "shaking our things." Fun, fun stuff.

Time to get cracking on the O/CD Tally, so here are a bunch of discs that came to me as potential concert previews, but didn’t make the cut:
1. The BIG SLEEP – Sleep Forever (Frenchkiss Records)
2. ROBBIE FULKS – Revenge! (Yep Roc)
3. HAALE – No Ceiling (Channel A Music)
Pronounced as in “halle-lujah or jale-peno," this Iranian-American singer/songwriter is going for a Persian mystic vibe, but the near-dour tone gets kinda drone-y.
4. SECONDHAND SERENADE – A Twist in My Story (Glassnote/East West)
For those who need another Dashboard Confessional (one’s enough for me), singer/Songwriter John Vesely of Menlo Park, CA became MySpace's #1 unsigned artist for 7 months at the end of 2006 and sold over 20,000 copies of his self-produced, debut album before making a record deal. But I feel like I've heard it all before, and better.
5. AUKTYON – Girls Sing (Geometriya)
John Medeski and Marc Ribot are two of the hot players in this “Russian bohemian-rock band.”
6. HOT CHIP - Made In The Dark (Astralwerks /DFA Records)
Unlike a lot of electro-dance traxx, this album was informed by two years of touring, so the music is meant to be performed live and has a beating human heart (metaphorically speaking) audible in the mix.
7. CHATHAM COUNTY LINE – IV (Yep Roc)
Produced by Chris Stamey, of Yo La Tengo, Alex Chilton and dBs fame.
8. JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE – The Good Life (Bloodshot)
Justin Townes (named after Van Zandt) is the son of Steve Earle, and a chip off the smart block. Fired from his own dad’s band for what his press kit calls “some very bad habits,” he’s cleaned up his act and upped his songwriting game, citing influences as varied as Kurt Cobain, Jimmy Reed, Ray Charles and the Pogues in narrative tales that reflect shades of acoustic blues and country-tinged folk.
9. WINK KEZIAH & DELUX MOTEL – Working Songs for the Drinking Class (Great South Records)
10. KEVIN DEVINE – Put Your Ghost to Rest (Capitol)
Devine is no longer with the label, but he's got a voice like Ben Gibbard's, a writing style akin to Josh Ritter, and a bright, smart sound, so it's their loss.

YTD O/CD Tally: 63

Add to your own tally -
Tomorrow (Saturday, April 19th) is Record Store Day - go to a real music store and buy some real music!

We Get Out: Matt, Colin and honeyhoney

This entry will be a combo platter of recent concerts seen and CDs obtained in relation to same.

Sunday night found Sally (stalwart musical companion and neighbor) at the 930 Club for a solo set by The Decemberists' Colin Meloy. In preparation for the event, I purchased his new CD:
1.COLIN MELOY – Sings Live! (Kill Rock Stars)
direct from the KRS website, and the nice people at the label sent it with all sorts of cool extras – a Meloy bookmark, tour poster and postcard and even a bonus CD by a band I know nothing about:
2. COMET GAIN – City Fallen Leaves (Kill Rock Stars)

The show was all I hope it would be. Meloy seemed in fine spirits, joking with the crowd, encouraging a camp fire sing-along vibe and - oh, happy day - performing the two songs I had on my Please Play list - "The Bagman's Gambit" (You Tube has an epic version performed with a symphony at the Hollywood Bowl) and "Red Right Ankle," the latter a tune I have always loved and never heard live. The fact that Meloy fumbled on the last, most poignant verse, didn't so much take away from the moment as make it more ephemeral.


I had no photo pass and was using an old camera that I hadn't played with in ages, the controls so foreign to me that I had no idea what I was doing (even more so than usual). I got only the one previous shot that came even close to being clear and a whole bunch that I kinda like as studies for color abstract paintings.

We caught only a few songs by opener Laura Gibson and that was fine by me. Though she appeared to have a lovely rapport with the crowd, the songs I heard were simple to the point of simplistic. Her talents were better shown as she came out to sing harmony with Meloy on "Cupid," one of the tracks on the merch table CD, which I purchased that night:
3. COLIN MELOY – Sings Sam Cooke (tour only CD)
Five tracks for $10 (the package deal was $20 for this and the "Sings Live!" set) - a nice compliment to the "Sings Morrissey" set I got at the last solo gig I saw, at IOTA. (There's also "Sings Shirley Collins," but I missed that tour.)

Earlier this month, the label behind the new duo Honeyhoney reached out to promote the band's 930 Club show opening for Lifehouse (yawn) and Matt Nathanson (a young god in our household), so High School Girl and I went to the show. I had a photo pass, and a little better luck with my camera.

Honeyhoney's Ben Jaffe


Honeyhoney's Suzanne Santos


The rep had sent the CD a few days before the show:
4.HONEYHONEY - Loose Boots (Ironworks Music)
This 5-track EP is the fourth release from Jude Cole and Kiefer Sutherland’s O&O indie label.It's a bright, poppy set with dark undercurrents, apparent immediately in the catchy and slightly creepy (in a good way) opener, "Little Toy Gun." And "Thursday Night," is an upbeat number about screwing that if sung in another language, you could play for your mom and she’d tap her foot and say, “that’s catchy.”
Live, it's clear that this isn't one of those He Does The Musical Heavy Lifting While She Just Sings couples. Santos plays a mean fiddle.
From the duo’s self-penned press bio: “if you buy/illegally download one EP this year, let it be ours.” (Cue the sound of record company reps fainting.)

HSG, who has no vested interest, said she also liked them, but to be perfectly honest, we were there for the inimitable Matt Nathanson, whose recorded works to date (except for the "At the Point" live set) can't begin to express his impish potty-mouth humor and sweet charm.

He seemed genuinely surprised and pleased at the number of people who made it clear they had come for him, not Lifehouse, and won over many of the others with his intensity and goofball penchant for dropping fun covers ("Jesse's Girl," "Kids In America") into his own material. Can't wait for him to come around again soon - as headliner.

I would have stayed for a few Lifehouse songs (three-song rule) just to see if they were any more interesting than I remember them from an HFS Nutcracker show long ago, but HSG was tired, so we split. I was also a little wary of the Lifehouse crowd - an older crowd than I would have expected, with more artificially enhanced boobage than I've seen in ages.

I'll finish off with one more 930 memory, from some weeks ago. HSG and I caught OK Go, again thanks to the opening act, a horn-driven band called Bonerama, at a benefit for New Orleans relief. I don't have any of my Bonerama shots handy, though here's one when a few of the guys from the band came out to play with OK Go:


At the show, I picked up:
5. OK GO – Oh No Deluxe Edition (Capitol)
I’ve wanted this for a long time, since the second disc has all the videos, including the glorious treadmill dance for "Here It Goes Again." And, at $15, it was a good deal for concert pricing.


I also recently purchased a signed (by Damian Kulash) copy of the book, "Lessons I've Learned From Women Who've Dumped Me" from the OK Go web site, and picked up another CD on the way:
6. OK GO – Pink EP (Okgo.net)
This 3-track CD includes “Hello, My Treacherous Friends,” “What to Do” and – the reason I bought it – “Antmusic.” Nifty letterpress cardboard sleeve, too.
The puffy envelope it came in had the return address "OK Go Loves You." Ahhhh....

Year to Date O/CD Tally: 53

We Get Out: Be Good to Your Traveling Band

You may just drop in to grab a drink and sample some sounds, but chances are the band on stage has traveled over many hours in a small van to bring you some amusement. Pay them back.

Last year, I had hoped to see Barcelona at CMJ, but circumstances got in the way, as often happens during that crazy week. I got a chance to catch them at Jammin’ Java but this time, too, I was partially thwarted, and only caught a few songs. I hope to get another chance some day, as I liked what I did see. The album is great in a melodic, Keane-y, Coldplay-y kind of way, which gets kicked up a notch live.

I spoke briefly to lead singer Brian Fennell after the show and had him sign my CD (“This was better than CMJ” he wrote) and also bought some stickers and buttons which he didn’t want me to pay for. “I’m buying you a gallon of gas,” I said, passing along $4 and his grateful smile was worth it. Poor guys were a long way from home (Seattle).
Sad to say that there was only a small crowd in the club that rainy Tuesday night and the number decreased during the set change so that there were only about a dozenpeople in the joint – including the staff! - when the next band - The Everyday Visuals - went on.

I’ll give any band three songs while I decide whether to stay, and these guys won me over right away. I bought a CD and some buttons from them, too (a few gallons of gas in this case) and asked them to keep in touch in case I might be able to write about them in future. Charismatic singer Christopher Pappas (who also plays guitar, keyboards) seemed genuinely pleased that someone cared after what must have been a dispiriting turnout.

1. EVERYDAY VISUALS – Things Will Look Up (self-released)
This group has a melodic sound, too, with bits of noisy experimentation and some alt-country leanings that made me think of Wilco. Originally from New Hampshire, they were named Best Band in the state by 92.5 the River, and their first record "Media Crush," was named the "Best Record of 2005" by local magazine The Hippo Press. The group moved to Boston and repeated the feat, earning another best band award there and praise for the CD. There's a lot of care evident in these tracks and I'm enjoying it in steady rotation.


and while I'm tallying CDs with shows:
2. ROONEY – Calling the World (Geffen)
This California quintet opened for the Jonas Brothers at the Patriot Center last month (I scored not-unreasonable tix for High School Girl and pal thanks to Craig's List). The group took no chances in winning the crowed over, beginning their set with “When Did Your Heart Go Missing?” as if to reassure the squealing mass that it would be a distracting wait, at least, for the main event. Out on the smoker’s patio, I met a fatherly escort who’d I befriended earlier on the way into the arena. I told him that Rooney had a good rep and made real music (something you can never take for granted at these arena pop shows.) He told me, “yeah, those guys were pretty good.” And when HSG heard me playing this CD the week before the Really Big Show, she paid it her ultimate compliment “Can I steal that?” This deluxe edition contains free ringtones – if I ever figure out how to load them.
I like to blog my own photos, but since I didn't shoot them live, here's a press shot:


And here's one of the Jonas Brothers that I did take myself, once I realized that my little digital camera could handle it:



FREE COOL MUSIC!
Those sweet SPOON boys are giving away a free mps of a countrified demo for Cherry Bomb. Though I still prefer the horn-y version, it’s fun to hear how the track evolved.



O/CD Tally: 47
ye gawds, it's been weeks since I've tallied any new CDs, and they are piling up, but more anon.

And the WInners are...

Last night, while we drove home from the honeyhoney/Matt Nathanson show (more to come soon), we conducted our highly scientific selection of winners for the "Alvin and the Chipmunks" DVDs.
High School Girl wrote down the names of everyone who sent in a Chipmunk Memory, each on a separate high-quality post-it. She meticulously folded each one and scientifically dumped the bunch in her lap. Then, in a studiously random manner, she tossed away all but these three winners:
atrischitta (an intriguing name!)
Mark
John Weber
and let's not forget Sally, who won by getting her comment in first.

The winners are now officially invited to get their squeak on by sending me a mailing address. (just post in the comments; I won't publish them)

Congratulations to y'all (as we say here in ole Virginny) and thanks (and condolences) to everyone who didn't achieve the thrill of victory. Blame HSG.

CPF Chipmunk Giveaway - it's all over but the sorting!

So, somebbody DOES read this thing!
Thanks to all who submitted a Chipmunk Memory.
We now have more comments than there are DVDs to give away, so I will close the goodie bag - for now. (Hopefully, we can do something like this again soon.)
With the use an independent selection service (probably High School Girl pulling names out of a hat) we'll pick the winners and contact them to get correct mailing addresses.
Again, thanks for playing!

You've been Munk’d! Alvin & The Chipmunks DVD Giveaway

When the nice people at FOX (there’s a phrase I never thought I’d write) offered CPF some free copies of the brand new (out today, in fact) “Alvin and the Chipmunks” DVD, I said, sure. And why not? I know there are CPF readers who have kids, and I especially like the readers who don’t mind acting childishly. (Meet ya at the playground!) So let’s do this thing!

First, I’ll tell you why you might actually care. This is not a kid’s movie that spends a lot of time doing nudge-winks at parents with over-a-kid’s-head jokes (David Seville does have some pretty smart books on his end table, though). It’s straight-on CGI chipmunk mayhem and, but for an unfortunate “raisin” joke, there's little beyond safe Saturday morning cartoon style fun. If there’s any hipster quotient, it’s in the casting of eternal nice guy Jason Lee as struggling songwriter Dave Seville and eternal smartass David Cross as the (can you guess?) greedy record producer who exploits our singing chipmunk heroes. (Justin Long and Jesse McCartney provide character voices, but who can tell with the sped-up vocals?)



But even through the film has family-friendly, comfortably numb intentions, it becomes a rather spot-on indictment of the record industry despite itself. Seeing the wildlife trio decked out in track suits, performing “Witch Doctor” with headset mics, booty-shaking dancers and a rapping DJ, while their images are projected on stageside monitors to a rapt downtown crowd, you realize that Alvin, Theodore and Simon might as well be Britney, Ashlee and Milli Vanilli – although in this film, as in “Singing in The Rain,” the exposure of lip-sync cheating leads to a happy ending.



The subtle-as-a-sledgehammer moral of the film is Family Beats Fame. But there’s a subversive dismissal of the bland mass marketplace tucked in underneath. Combine that with a bonus feature focusing on the hard-working musicians behind the scenes, desperately trying to convince themselves that it’s not selling out if you really try to do your best, even if it’s selling sugar pop to kids. And believe me, as one who has toiled in the fields of children’s media (from working with the Muppets to Barbie magazine), I don’t begrudge them that fantasy at all. It's mine, too.

And who's to say who's delusional? I still have intensely fond memories of wrapping Christmas presents as a child with my family, hot cocoa and fresh cookies at my side, the ‘munks wonderful “Christmas Song” playing in the background. I doubt that “Alvin and the Chipmunks” is destined to become a kid classic, but it’s more fun than listening to Sonic Youth.

WANT A FREE COPY OF THIS DVD?

It’s simple. Tell Close Personal Friend a Chipmunk Memory – a moment where you enjoyed a Chipmunk song, TV show or even this recent film. Leave it in the comments section below. At the end of a yet-to-determined time period, if there are more comments than there are copies to give away, I will arbitrarily pick my favorites.

Today's Post Report

We're off to Pittsburgh tomorrow, so this will be a quick hit.
Here are the latest live music previews to appear in regional sections of the Washington Post. Both include interviews. Enjoy, and go see some live music!

East Village Opera Company at Reston Center Stage


Luke Brindley & Eric Brace at the IOTA Club

Easter Sunday with some nice Catholic boys

The hubby and I had a lovely Easter Sunday, worshipping at our altar of choice - music and art.

After dropping College Girl off at the bus so that she could return to her academic career, we had a great brunch at Jaleo, a tapas bar/restaurant, and then headed off to the National Portrait Gallery and National Museum of Art, which had fine shows about Katherine Hepburn and the "Color Field" movement.

The highlight for me, however, was a visit to the Portrait Gallery's third floor bathroom, the hallway of which is the temporary home of Stephen Colbert's portrait. You could tell even as you approached it that fun was afoot; the people who stopped and stared were either overjoyed to have found their hero (as I was) or confused tourists who had no idea what was going on.



And props to the National Portrait Gallery for having a sense of humor!

After more art museum-ing, we headed to the National History Museum for the 5:45 showing of "U23D," which was pretty amazing. The technology is advanced so far that the glasses barely register, and you quickly move beyond the gimmick element to a total immersion. The band performs a (typically) blistering set, about 85 minutes of true favorites and a surprisingly successful one from the B-list, "Miss Sarajevo." (Still preachy, but less so than in the live show we saw last year.)

As a mild claustrophobe, I found some of the you-are-in-the-audience shots disconcerting (my personal hell is being stuck in a football stadium crowd, with no access to the photo pit!), but the shots where you are standing over Larry Mullen, Jr. watching him pound the skins, or when Bono reaches out, within inches it seems, to "wipe your tears away," are stunning.

If you've never seen U2 live, it may be the next best thing, and if you have seen a show, here comes a chance to relive it from the best seats in the house/on the stage.

All around, a very happy Bunny day.

Happy Easter, everybunny!

May your spring be warm and sunny and all your chocolates yummy.
Joy to all the peeps!

Where Have I Been?

Enquiring minds want to know why there hasn't been any blogging in a while, and I have no good answers or excuses. Not that much busier than usual, though I had a deadline for a magazine aimed at retired federal government workers (and no, it had nothing to do with musics; it was about political activities by older people) and the girls are home for spring break, so family action is up, free time down.

I tried a few times to post new photos from last week's adventure - the Jonas Brothers concert - but Blogger was giving me some trouble.

So, just to give those unused blog muscles a little stretch, here's the latest Washington Post previews.

Taste of Chaos featuring Bullet for My Valentine (interview with Matt Tuck) at the Patriot Center
Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca at Rosslyn Spectrum
Maceo Parker at the State Theatre
Saw Doctors (interview with Lee Moran) at the Birchmere

In Other News...
here's my Pazz & Jop ballot from the Village Voice critics' poll, including my Top Ten albums and singles for 2007.

Head Banging and Birthdays

It’s the day after my birthday (thank you) and I chose to spend part of the day in one of my favorite pursuits – checking out the wares at the CD trade-in store. I took in two small bags of unwanted CDs, for which I got a relative pittance (not quite $30) in store credit. There was, I’ll admit, a lot of lame stuff, but it worked out to less than a buck a disc, and there were some recent/decent releases (I’m not telling). And since I picked out a few choice things to bring home, including a couple of DVD's, I wound up giving them about the same amount of my own cash money.

And now, as the day winds down, after a yummy meal, a few more presents, and a TiVo reviewing of last night’s SNL (wasn’t Wilco great?!), I’m typing while I watch (sort of) the DVD portion of one of today’s purchases...

1. BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE – The POISON (Jive)
No, this isn’t really my thing, but I’m due to talk to lead singer Matt Tuck on Tuesday for a Post preview of the upcoming Taste of Chaos tour (Patriot Center, March 17th), and the new CD hasn’t arrived yet, so I figured I’d spend the $7 to see what they’re about. Turns out this leader singer is quite the cute guy and while I ain’t no cougar, I can see what the little girls understand. It’s metal with an underlying sense of hooks and melody. I may be on the wrong side of 40 (and I’m not telling that, either) but I don’t begrudge the kids their loud aggro fun. I still don’t know how to throw proper devil horns, however.
2. STAX 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION – Various Artists (Stax)
This is definitely more my speed and I’m all for celebrating, so this 2-CD set made for a great listen on the drive home. I went for Disc 2, opening with “Time is Tight” and grooved right through some Isaac Hayes classics (“Walk on By,” which is where Hooverphonic got the great sample for “2 Wicky;” “Never Can Say Goodbye” and “Theme from Shaft”), plus Staple Singers, “Do the Funky Chicken” and more great soul.
I probably have many of these songs on other collections but it was only $12 (from the “slightly scratched” group; the CD Cellar is very good about not selling bum discs) and the lenticular cover – watch the finger snaps! – was too cool not to grab.
3. STEVE NIEVE and MURIEL TEODORI– Welcome to the Voice (Deutsche Grammophon)
Case in point as to why I love to browse record stores – pleasant discoveries like this, a CD I had no previous knowledge of. “A multi-faceted music-theatre piece” that tells how “a steelworker tries to seduce a young diva.” The liner notes helpfully suggest that the disc be filed under “Costello” or “Sting” in the pop section, since both sing on it (as well as Robert Wyatt) or (Barbara) “Bonney” in the classical racks, where Brodsky Quartet fans would also be happy to hear about it. The date here is 2007 – why didn’t I hear of this?
4. BOYS LIKE GIRLS – S/T (SONY/BMG)
High School Girl, a friend of hers and I were driving this morning when the BLG single came on, which led to a discussion of how much they sound like All American Rejects. I said I’d look for the CD so we could hear more and decide whether the similarity holds across the whole CD – and whether the group's upcoming date with Avril Lavigne (April 15th at the Patriot Center) is worth checking out. It was still sealed, came with a bonus DVD and cost $6.
5. ACROSS THE POND - Various Artists (Starbucks Entertainment)
College Girl asked me awhile back if I had this CD, since she is an Anglophile who wanted to hear some new music from her would-be adopted home. At the time, I said I probably wouldn't buy it since I have tracks by KT Tunstall, Paolo Nutini, Amy Winehouse, Fratellis and Guggenheim Grotto already, but finding it here for $7 means I can honor her request - and hear the remaining tracks - at a discount.
6. SHOUT OUT LOUDS – Bonus CD (Merge)
The generic plastic sleeve reveals nothing, but I found this in the singles section and wanted to see the short film for “Our Ill Wills.” The two audio tracks – “Impossible” and “Tonight I Have to Leave It”- took me by surprise with their sweet poppy charms. I had this band lumped with more frenetic ones, like Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
7. GROOVE ARMADA: The Dirty House Session (Muzik magazine)
A steal from the $1 clearance section, an energizing 12-track mix from the magazine of urban dance sounds which is providing the soundtrack for my typing now that Bullet for My Valentine has ceased wailing. Includes, it says here, the “rare Groove Armada diskotek mix of Superstylin’” and “Harvey’s Sleepy Ibiza Mix” of Planet Funk’s “Inside All the People,” which sounds hip just reading it aloud! I don’t recognize any of the artists except GA, but hey, it’s one lousy buck!
8. DAVID YAZBEK – Evil Monkey Man (Ghostlight Records)
I always check the clearance racks for paper or cardboard envelopes, ‘cause that’s where the advance discs can often by found. This album actually came out last week, so I scored a new release for less than a cup of (drip) coffee at Starbucks. I was gonna ask the publicist here to send a copy, but I can save him the postage. Yazbek’s name may be recognizable to some as the composer of Broadway hits “The Full Monty” and “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” but he’s also known for his slightly skewed, more personal solo material. A former writer for David Letterman, he’s a strange duck, and I mean that in a good way.


YTD O/CD Total: 44
Looks low, but I have an old Tower Records plastic shopping basket filled with CDs I have yet to list!

Sparky's Flaw(less)?

I lost track of this posting, begun back at the end of January, when High School Girl and I had a great time at Jammin Java seeing this fine young band.

Okay, so the headline's a bit hyperbolic. Sparky's Flaw isn't perfect, but I'd put quintet from Charlottesville, VA.in the highly melodic pop/rock school of Ben Folds and Jack's Mannequin, though keyboards are at the front of the sound only part of the time.

The songs are catchy, smart and easy to sing/bop along with, as HSG did heartily, and the addition of saxophone gives an extra ska-lite kick.

Opening act was Phil Bensen, a singer/songwriter from New Jersey who shares a cute, shaggy blondness with that state's own Bon  Jovi.

Bensen's myspace page lists two musical partners, but tonight he played in duo form with his ever-smiling drummer, George.

After the show, I handed him my contact info and explained that I write for the Post, encouraging him to keep in touch. I handed him $5 to pay for his CD (at that price, I couldn't resist) and he tried to hand it back, saying it was a press copy. I told him to consider it gas money and he smiled gratefully. Support your local artists, and those that have to drive to get to you!

So, that (finally!) brings us back to the O/CD Tally.

1.PHIL BENSEN – Not Good Enough (Linc Star Records)
Released back in 2006, Bensen's CD has 8 tracks, so shall we call it a mini-album or
an XL EP?

More music paid for with real cash money:
2.VAMPIRE WEEKEND – S/T (XL Recordings)
I’m responsible for 90% of the CDs that come into the house, and the girls take it up to about 99%, so when Hubby comes home with a new album, you know it’s got buzz going on. I had previously downloaded the “Mansard Roof” EP from emusic.com, but the full-length caught Terry’s attention when he was at a Borders store. Glad to have it. Hype can kill, but good music survives a battering of it. This album brings back fond memories of new wave dance parties, “Graceland” global rhythms and Talking Heads preppie/alt. rock, but with none of that nasty nostalgic aftertaste. Hubby, High School Girl and I all love this CD and take turns putting it on the family CD player every damn day.

3. JONNY GREENWOOD - There Will Be Blood soundtrack (Nonesuch)
Well, we missed out on Radiohead tickets at Nissan Pavilion but, given how much I hate driving to and negotiating the parking lot of that could-be, should-be, but isn't comfortable venue, maybe that's not such a great loss. I bought this CD (and the next in the list) as Valentine's tokens for Hubby, the obsessive Radiohead-head in our home (but the ladies like them, too!) I am surprised at the CD's rather meager length and the fact that it's nowhere near as screechy as I was made to believe. BUT, having just checked in at the Nonesuch web site to see if I could get an accurate timing for the album, I see that the Nonesuch store offers 3 bonus tracks - only if you buy through them. Arrgh. That's not fair!

4. MAGNETIC FIELDS - Distortion (Nonesuch)
It doesn't appear that the Nonesuch store is offering extras here, so I won't bitch. Hubby has played the CD a few times and declared it great, but I'm not convinced yet. I like the Fields in general, and like what I'm hearing so far, but I can't be sure yet that the roiling fuzz (good name for band?) in the background isn't a gimmick that will wear thin over time.

Barking Up The Wrong Tree
Sometimes I get stuff for reasons that are beyond me. I rarely even mention country musicians and, unless they're coming to play and are looking for a preview, why would they reach out to me? Why am I on these mailing lists and not Nonesuch's? And what do I do with these albums now that I have them?
This one package arrived with three custom created disc-holding folders that open up to a three-page brochure about artists that are strictly in the Red State Mode.
5. REBECCA LINDA SMITH – Renewed (Renewed Records)
Really, I try not to be cruel, but the cover on this one looks like a Talbot’s catalog shoot before the stylist arrives. For people who know such things, this one offers special guests Dottie Rambo and Marty Raybon.
6. BRETT HILL – S/T (HMG Nashville)
5 tracks of god-fearing (and loving) music. The inside pic shows Hill wearing his American flag and eagle shirt, holding his guitar and his babe, April Hill. Brought to you courtesy of the Jesus Ministry of Alamo, TX Inc.
7. DAVE CALEY – Live This Life (Renewed)
Least scary of the bunch, although his white cowboy hat and pale skin make him look almost albino. 4 tracks, including “Redneck Love Gone Bad.”

Yeah, so I guess I'm just a city snob, and speaking of which, here's something that's just Grand (as in Central Station) fun, and more evidence that New York City still is the greatest:
GCS Prank

YTD O/CD Tally: 36

...and featuring me, on theremin.

On those deadline-driven days, when I feel chained to the computer, grumbling about having to write yet another preview, I need to remember moments like the one I had yesterday...
I'd written a preview about a composer/pianist and theremin player named Rob Schwimmer, who was performing at my local community center. Since I wouldn't be attending his show (dinner plans) but lived close by, I asked if he wanted to meet at soundcheck, and I'd drop off a copy of the finished article.
With High School Girl in tow, I stopped by the venue in the late afternoon, and he invited both of us to actually play the theremin! Quite a trippy feeling and not the kind of thing you get to do everyday.
Grace and I both did our "freestyle" thing - waving our hands tentatively around the vertical antenna that controls the pitch (the preview tells a little of the principal behind it; for simplicity sake, I'll call it controlled feedback) for random weird, fun noises.


Grace, who has more recently studied voice and an instrument in school, had a better feel for the whole thing, or maybe it's just that, being young, she's more in tune with the spontaneous vibe that fuels such activities.



In addition to letting us ramble, Schwimmer played musical puppeteer, holding our hands, literally, and moving them in a manner that created real songs. I "performed" the Disney chestnut "When You Wish Upon a Star" while Grace wowed the empty concert hall with "Over the Rainbow."

Until I figure out how to get the latter up on YouTube, here's a taste of general playtime...

Crumbs

There's a list brewing of many new acquisitions to add to the OC/D Tally, but this is just a quick hello to add in the two most recent Post previews, which ran yesterday.

First off, an old favorite, fine talent and lovely chap to chat with, Brian Vander Ark, who'll be appearing at the Iota Club next Tuesday (February 19th) with Kristy Kruger.

And a seasoned session player who also does his own thing on piano and - too cool! - theramin, Rob Schwimmer, performing at Reston CenterStage tomorrow night (Saturday, February 16th).


Peter Frampton is doing a Geico commercial as I type. Little Richard's was so much better...
oh, and in other commerical news, I finally discovered who does that catchy "hey, la" chant in ads for University of Phoenix online classes. It's from the New Pornographer's "Twin Cinema" CD.

All You Need Is...

Love to all the CPFs on Valentine's Day.