Sunday, April 25, 2010

Pete Drake



I don't know too much about this guy but I gotta extend a public thank you to my buddy Asa at Black Iris as he showed me this ridiculously epic video the other day. The song is by Pete Drake, it's called "Forever" off the 1964 Smash Records album of the same name. Apparently this shit sold over one million...remember when people used to be rad...? I don't.

Pete Drake - Nashville pedal steel wiz, record producer and all around innovator. Apparently he played steel on all of Dylan's Nashville records, he played with Joan Baez, Marty Robbins, Don Gibson, George Harrison and Ringo. Definitely the first guy to use a talk box with a pedal steel guitar, though apparently Alvino Rey and Luise King were the first to employ the sound with a guitar in 1939. Nerd Alert!

Stay thirsty my friends.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Ain't No Grave


So I've been meaning to post about this for a while now. There's a new Johnny Cash jam called "Ain't No Grave" up on iTunes but more importantly it's streaming on his myspace page if you're not on lala yet...

This is amongst the last sessions he ever did with Rick Rubin before his death, and really I haven't heard J.R. sound quite so ominous ever. Maybe it's because he's accepted the inevitability of his death and is saying to all of us future listeners that even the grave can't hold him down. Creepier and more metaphysical still is the fact that we are now those present future listeners listening to the moribund (even in life) chant of the dead man, Mr. Cash, making these statements. A total mind-fuck, and just another excellent song by the godfather of goth.

CORRECTION: Ain't No Grave is actually a traditional, most notably performed by the late great Odetta. Sorry for my ignorance.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Long Time No See

Hello Children, it's been too long and I apologize. Things were extremely hectic.



I was inspired by a couple things going on, first the ATP NY 2010 announcement...gosh darnit if only I had the coin. Small bands like:

Iggy and the Stooges (doing Raw Power)
Explosions in the Sky
Breeders
Sonic Youth
Not one but two of the ironic Fuck bands - Fucked Up and Fuck Buttons
Brian Jonestown
etc.

Jim Jarmusch curated, well played.

But really most impressively SCIENTISTS from down unda, in their first US appearance apparently, performing one of my favorite lost gems, "Blood Red River."



In order to fulfill my quota of Nick Cave references, without further ado...
Along with Nick Cave (maybe before him), Kim Salmon of Scientists had a band called Cheap Nasties which was one of the first Australian punk bands. Really opened the flood gates for some genius shit, I don't think I have to sit here and tell you how rad Radio Birdman, The Saints and the Birthday Party were.

Scientists have that gnarly blues gothic post-punk sound that I adore, definitely more "rock & roll" than the Birthday Party, and a good place to start for someone looking to break their ears in to that aggro noisy sound. Maybe this is pushing it, but it's something like a cross between Mudhoney and Gun Club.

As penance for my long absence...here's some extra credit. These dudes are just so goddamm good at life.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Happy New Year and the Art of Contradiction



Just wanted to let everyone know that the Sheriffs EP is now available for download at several fine digital retailers.



In other news, the holidays have been good to me and I've been hoarding hidden record treasures like some sort of hybrid squirrel pirate. Amongst one of the records I picked up was "Seconds of Pleasure" by a band called Rockpile which features the serendipitous synergy of Dave Edmunds and the "Jesus of Cool" himself, Nick Lowe. I've been meaning to post a little something on the Stiff Records scene as it has always been fodder for pretentious banter between my equally supercilious friends, and my father who initially passed on the knowledge to me. However, that might be a story for another time.



Anyway, this record has power pop balls, and just oozes with no frills rock and roll under the supremely competent flag of its master songwriter co-captains. For how simple the music truly is, it's amazing how this record sounds unlike anything prior.

I've grown pretty weary with a good deal of the new "buzz band" music I've been hearing as of late. That's why, in case you haven't noticed already, I'm gonna be devoting a larger bulk of my time to forgotten gems--the lonesome, discarded masterworks of the past.

And in an effort to completely contradict myself, come see Papa and Slang Chickens at the Unknown Theater this Friday, because there's an exception to every rule. Namely if I am currently, or at some point was in a band, I will write about that band.