Autumn Delights
There is something magical about this time of year. It’s hard to put my finger on it but the changing colors, the crispness in the air, and the mood of the people all combine wonderfully for me in a near perfect, romantic and quite comforting melange. Essential to all of this, of course, is great music.
Many of my favorite bands have released new music this fall (reviews coming soon!) but it’s going to be a while before I decide if any of their albums are Classic Fall Records. What makes a Classic Fall record? Well, it’s not an exact science for me but it starts with an album that came out in the fall (obviously) or sometime a little before that and I just didn’t get around to fully absorbing it until the autumn. Sometimes it’s an album that I have heard a million times, didn’t come out in the fall and simply took hold with me sometime in October.
This is the case with The Yes Album, which, in my opinion, is the best in their catalog. I played this album constantly on my then newly purchased Sony Walkman in October of 1982 when I was training for cross country. Even though it came out in February of 1971 and I had heard my dad play it a million times, I think of this record as Classic Fall. The music just goes along with the spirit of the season. The same is true for bassist Chris Squire’s Fish Out Of Water album, an often overlooked classic. Here are tracks from each:
Mostly a Classic Fall Record stirs memories that are profoundly overwhelming. Such is the case with The Lexicon Of Love by ABC, an album also heavily played in the fall of 1982. I first heard it courtesy of the brother of our esteemed host, Pete. He, too, was on the cross country team and he loaned me the tape to play on a long bus trip to a race at St. John’s Military Academy. I had never heard anything like it and was completely blown away. Here is my favorite track from the album, “Many Happy Returns.”
Saint Etienne’s Finisterre is another album that oozes autumnal magic. A Dickensian voice asks in the first few seconds of Track 1 (“Action”), “Have you ever been to a harvester before?” and we are instantly transported to a world of crunchy leaves, hot chocolate, home, hearth, and our town. Somehow Sarah and the lads have managed to capture leafy Americana while talking about life in the villages and towns of Britain, proving that the moods and feelings of autumn are indeed universal. Here’s the best track on the album, “Shower Scene,”-a must for any scenesters out there.
One very key element in a Classic Fall Record is the atmosphere. It has to be haunting…echo-y…shimmering…dark, but in a comforting way…and melancholy. Forth by The Verve is a fine example of this theme and style. The atmospheric quality of “Judas” is exactly what I’m talking about here…you just drift when hearing it.
The expression of home and hearth, as we saw above with Saint Etienne’s Finisterre, really do figure heavily into classic fall records. Tired Pony’s The Place We Ran From radiates both of these themes as does Neil Young’s Harvest Moon. “Northwestern Skies” from the former has that autumnal echo and melancholy while the title track from the latter demonstrates unequivocally that autumn is the most romantic time of the year.
While these are all fantastic albums, there is only one record that is the pure, living embodiment of autumn and that’s The Unforgettable Fire by U2. Released on 1 Oct, 1984, this record was the soundtrack to my senior year of high school. Every time I listen to it, I’m right back there and can see, taste and feel exactly what that time was like. Sometimes I literally leave my body and travel back in time!
I also played it quite a bit on the drive between Minneapolis and Racine for the holidays so it really became the soundscape for Interstate 94 in Wisconsin. I bring it with me every time I drive home to see my mom and all the great memories of autumns past wash over me and warm my heart and soul. Here is the title track.
How about you? What are some of your Classic Fall Records?
Recap: Dawes and Blitzen Trapper at the Crescent Ballroom
Hallelujah, there’s a killer new live music venue in my home town!! The Crescent Ballroom, open for just a week now, is a mid-sized room (able to accommodate 400-500 people) in a cool 1917 brick building located at 2nd Ave. and Van Buren in downtown Phoenix. Great atmosphere, friendly staff, really good food in their patio lounge/restaurant, Cocina 10 (I recommend the bean & cheese burrito paired with a Moscow Mule – tasty).
Dawes Last night, the Blitzen Trapper / Dawes traveling roadshow hit the Ballroom for a few solid hours of rock n’ folk. The tour is just getting started, having kicked off just a few days ago in Petaluma, CA.
After a very mellow but pleasing opening set by British guitar/vocal duo Smoke Fairies (Katherine Blamire and Jessica Davies), Dawes hit the stage, and, as expected, immediately won over the Phoenix crowd. Hard to tell, but it seemed like most of the crowd were new to the L.A. band, and it wasn’t long before the passion and earnestness of the four – especially frontman Taylor Goldsmith, won them over. Taylor is as genuine as they come, and a brilliant, evocative songwriter. In every song he sings, he makes sure the listener hears every word, pouring every ounce of his heart and soul into it. His brother Griffin (on drums) shares that passion and enthusiasm – his facial expressions alone are something to behold: his mouth in varied contortions of agony and ecstasy with every beat and fill. Bassist Wylie Gelber and keyboard/organ man Tay Strathairn round out the quartet, and it’s clear why they’ve been selected over the last year to back up the likes of Robbie Robertson, Jackson Browne and M. Ward. Such a cohesive, organic, and talented band.
The 10-song set drew from both of their studio albums – North Hills and Nothing Is Wrong. There were some great moments – the build up and crescendos of “Fire Away”, Taylor’s fiery guitar solo on “Peace in the Valley” – but the emotional peak came with the 1-2 punch of “A Little Bit of Everything” and “When My Time Comes.” I appreciate and enjoy “A Little Bit of Everything” more and more with each listen, and Taylor’s detailed, story-telling delivery gave me goosebumps throughout the tune. Then, of course, the anthemic “When My Time Comes” whipped the crowd up, and they were primed to belt out the chorus when Taylor turned the microphone around toward the end.
Taylor and Wylie of Dawes Since discovering Dawes in mid 2010, I’ve had the chance to see them four times now, and they just keep getting better and better. Last night’s set was another thrill as a fan.
Since finding out about the co-headlining tour with Blitzen Trapper, I’ve dug into the Portland indie-folk band’s catalog, and the music has definitely been growing on me. Now, after watching them live, I can call myself a fan. I love the dynamic of these guys. It’s a hard-to-peg grab bag of influences… I hear Grateful Dead, Zeppelin, 70’s folk, 70’s rock, Dylan… but all unique and original in their own right. Lead singer/guitarist/keyboardist Eric Early has an unassuming, shy demeanor between songs, but man, can that guy sing and shred.
Eric Early of Blitzen Trapper 
Blitzen Trapper Speaking of shredding, I got off on watching lead guitarist Erik Menteer tear it up on his Les Paul. The rest of the band chipped in on some great harmonies, but Erik was off to the side just killing on guitar (and occasionally keys).
Erik Menteer of Blitzen Trapper 
Blitzen Trapper Marty Marquis, off to stage left on guitar & keys, is the laid back jokester of the band, offering up most of the between song banter (thankful for the nice weather, unlike their last visit to Phoenix, when they “melted”).
I’ve been listening a lot to their new record American Goldwing, and they drew heavily from it, with tunes like “Fletcher,” “Astronaut,” “Your Crying Eyes,” and one of my faves, “Love the Way You Walk Away.” And then there was the sheer Zeppelinesque force of “Street Fighting Sun,” also from the new album. Loud, thrashing, arena rock size rock n roll absolutely filling the small Crescent Ballroom.
The encore was a triple treat too: Eric Early solo acoustic on “The Man Who Would Speak True” followed by an unrecorded song called “Jericho” (full band), and then, to add an exclamation mark to the evening, the finale – Zeppelin’s “Good Times Bad Times.”
Blitzen Trapper. Count me in.
As I mentioned, the tour is just getting started. Some of my buddies back east are checking out the show soon. Even if you’re not familiar with either band, one live experience will convert you – guaranteed.
The Friday Five: October 7, 2011
Friday Five : ‘frī-(,)dā,-dē ‘fīv : On the sixth day of every week, I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes, then share the first five tracks and thought for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, occasionally we’ll have a guest, but most of the time it’s just me. The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments.
The Five:
“Water Runs Dry” by Boyz II Man (from Motown Milestones in Music, 1995)
Oh, Boyz II Men, whatever happened to you? My wife’s statement upon hearing this: “Are you actually going to make this public?” Which she followed closely with, “this is what is wrong with kids today, they don’t any sappy break-up songs to listen to.”
“Words” by Umphrey’s McGee (from Saftey in Numbers, 2006)
Jammy goodness from Umphrey’s 2006 effort.
“Back to the Earth” by Rusted Root (from When I Woke, 1994)
Okay, the shuffle is just messing with me now. I can’t recall the last time that I heard this record, but the recent inclusion of “Send Me on My Way” in a commercial nabbed my son’s attention, who asked me to add it to his iPod. I’m drawing the line if he asks for a hacky sac.
“Lemon Meringue” by Fishbone (from Give a Monkey a Brain…, 1993)
That’s more like it.
“So Appalled (feat. Jay-Z, Pusha T, CyHi Da Prynce, Swizz Beatz & The RZA)” by Kanye West (from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, 2009)
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is almost a year old and still gets played once every other week in the Parr household.
What’s on your shuffle today?
How Did I Survive, Survive, Survive, Survive…?
Early last year, Brooklyn’s great new band The Drums released an EP entitled Summertime! Later that year, just before summer, they released their first full length, self titled album. Both have been in regular rotation ever since. Their latest offering, Portamento, also does not disappoint.
The missus and I caught their show last night at the 7th Street Entry (the closet that is part of First Avenue) and straight away I wondered how I survived this long without seeing them live. They had been to town twice before and, for whatever reason, I didn’t go. Their music, a delicious combo of under-the-boardwalk Americana and 80s guitar/synth pop, simply makes you smile. And want to skip around without a care who notices!
Their 17 song set last night brought all of this and more as lead singer Jonny Pierce and the lads bopped their way through tales of heartache, pain and rejection. Jonny reminded me frequently of a blond, surfer Jim Morrison…or was it Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison? Ah, the whole life imitating art imitating life thing…
Check out “Down By The Water” last night, preceding by a very special dedication.
The band is heading out west for the next 11 days so you should check them out!
A Dead Giveaway – Europe ’72 & More
It’s been a long time since I’ve hosted a contest and it’s been way too long since I’ve featured the good old Grateful Dead. And wow, do I have a cool bundle of swag to give away this time around.
Earlier this month, Rhino released Europe ’72: Vol. 2, a follow up to the almost 40 year old Europe ’72, which captures one of the Dead’s most legendary tours (not to mention Ron “Pigpen” McKernan’s very last tour). There was a lot of great music from the tour still hanging around in the vaults all these years, and lucky for the us, Dead archivist David Lemieux got his hands on them, and gathered 20 songs for Vol. 2.
The result is a collection of twenty tunes from the 22-show tour, ranging from “Bertha”, “Next Time You See Me”, and “Greatest Story Ever Told” to the always epic “Dark Star” > Drums > “The Other One” from the May ’72 Bickershaw Festival in Wigan, UK (outside Manchester). Plus a whole bunch of other Dead classics from different stops along that European road (the track list is down below).
So, let’s get to the goods. Yes, I’ve got this great new release for one lucky winner. But – how do they say it? – that’s not all!!
To the victor goes the spoils, which are:
- Europe 72 Vol. 2 (2-CD set)
- Europe ’72 (Remastered 2-CD set)
- Workingman’s Dead (180 gram vinyl)
I’m telling you, I’m envious of whoever gets this. It’s sitting here staring me in the face, begging to be ripped open and explored. Buuut I’ll be good and pass it on to one of you fine people.
It couldn’t be easier to enter – just leave a comment below, and after a week, I’ll select a winner. If you’ve seen the Dead, I’d be interested to know, what was your one favorite show or your one cherished memory? If you didn’t catch them before Jerry’s untimely passing in 1995, just go with stream of consciousness… favorite song/show? Era? Does Donna Godchaux’s backing vocal stylings from their 70’s shows make your skin crawl, or does it do something for you? (Sorry Donna, for me, it’s the former.)
I’ll pick a winner and notify him or her by email on Friday, October 7th. Make sure to leave your email address in the field below. It’s not shared with the masses, I just need a way to get in touch (once). This giveaway is open to anyone in the US or Canada.
Good luck Deadheads and non-Deadheads alike!!
——–Here are a couple from the new Vol. 2 collection…
Greatest Story Ever Told – Olympia Theatre, Paris 5/3/72 by gratefuldead
EUROPE ’72: VOL. 2 || Track Listing
Disc One
1. “Bertha” – Tivolis Koncertsal, Copenhagen (4/14/72)
2. “Me And My Uncle” – Wembley Empire Pool, Wembley (4/7/72)
3. “Chinatown Shuffle” – Tivolis Koncertsal, Copenhagen (4/14/72)
4. “Sugaree” – Olympia Theatre, Paris (5/3/72)
5. “Beat It On Down The Line” – Theatre Hall, Luxembourg (5/16/72)
6. “Loser” – Tivolis Koncertsal, Copenhagen (4/14/72)
7. “Next Time You See Me” – Olympia Theatre, Paris (5/4/72)
8. “Black-Throated Wind” – Tivolis Koncertsal, Copenhagen (4/14/72)
9. “Dire Wolf” – Jahrhundert Halle, Frankfurt (4/26/72)
10. “Greatest Story Ever Told” – Olympia Theatre, Paris (5/3/72)
11. “Deal” – Olympia Theatre, Paris (5/4/72)
12. “Good Lovin’” – Jahrhundert Halle, Frankfurt (4/26/72)
13. “Playing In The Band” – Strand Lyceum, London (5/24/72)Disc Two
1. “Dark Star”> – Bickershaw Festival, Wigan (5/7/72)
2. Drums > – Bickershaw Festival, Wigan (5/7/72)
3. “The Other One”> – Bickershaw Festival, Wigan (5/7/72)
4. “Sing Me Back Home” – Strand Lyceum, London (5/26/72)
5. “Not Fade Away”> – Wembley Empire Pool, Wembley (4/7/72)
6. “Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad”> – Wembley Empire Pool, Wembley (4/7/72)
7. “Not Fade Away” – Wembley Empire Pool, Wembley (4/7/72)- Europe 72 Vol. 2 (2-CD set)
The Friday Five: September 30, 2011
Friday Five : ‘frī-(,)dā,-dē ‘fīv : On the sixth day of every week, I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes, then share the first five tracks and thought for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, occasionally we’ll have a guest, but most of the time it’s just me. The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments.
The Five:
“Sleep With One Eye Open” by Chris Thile & Michael Daves (from Sleep With One Eye Open, 2011)
I kind of hate it when the first time I hear a tune is during the Friday Five. For one, I usually sit and scratch my head about what to write about it. Sure, I could give my visceral reaction, but I hesitate. The other thing is I rarely circle back to the record to listen to the rest of it.
“Seamus” by Pink Floyd (from Meddle, 1971)
Bluesy little ditty from Roger, David, and the boys. My dog started sniffing around the desk, trying to figure out where the dogs she was hearing were.
“Slow and Easy (a.k.a. Lawless Mike)” by The Dave Brubeck Quartet (from Time Further Out, 1961)
Not on the original track list for Time Further Out, this mid-tempo shuffle was included in the 1996 reissue.
“Crucial” by New Edition (from Hits, 2004)
“No my name isn’t Janet… ” oh, wait, wrong song. The Flyte Tyme crew’s signature sound is all over this late ’80s hit.
“Skin Ticket” by Slipknot (from Iowa, 2001)
While I don’t listen to as much metal as I once did, I still dabble here and there. Slipknot is by far the heaviest thing I can stand.
What’s on your shuffle today?
Girls! Father, Son, Holy Ghost
Sometimes an album comes along that covers you like a warm blanket. There’s no rhyme or reason to it really, it just feels right. You carry it around with you, playing it every chance you get. It’s not just a connection to one or two good songs, it’s a connection to the whole body of work. Every song seems to hit you in a good place, and every listen is a fresh adventure.
Sometimes that feeling doesn’t kick in until you’ve listened to an album a bunch of times (an example this year: My Morning Jacket’s Circuital). But other times, it’s immediate. And when it’s completely unexpected – my God, it’s such a rush.
It happened to me today with a new album called Father, Son, Holy Ghost by San Francisco’s Girls. A couple of years ago, I became enamored by one of their songs, “Laura”, and had the good fortune to catch part of their set at the ’09 ACL Festival. It’s a song that still pops into my head from time to time, including this morning. Then, I saw they had a new album out, and I clicked Play (on Rdio). And I really haven’t stopped since.
Beautiful melodies. Shades of the Beach Boys, Elvis Costello, Pink Floyd… Summery pop interspersed occasionally with an edge, but never losing its luster and beauty – all from the mind of singer/guitarist Christopher Owens.
Believe it or not, you’ll fall in love with songs called “Vomit” and “Die”. And the lead single and album opener “Honey Bunny” sucks you right in.
I’ve been listening to this record for less than 12 hours, and already it’s one of my highlights of 2011.
Here’s the official video for “Honey Bunny”, featuring Christopher and his real life girlfriend, Hannah Hunt. He channels Prince with his black belly shirt (the “Kiss” video), and MJ with his “The Way You Make Me Feel” gestures. I’ve also been reading that the video (and the band itself) takes inspiration from Ariel Pink – who I’ve heard of but know pretty much nothing about. Perhaps I shall explore.
The Friday Five: September 23, 2011
Friday Five : ‘frī-(,)dā,-dē ‘fīv : On the sixth day of every week, I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes, then share the first five tracks and thought for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, occasionally we’ll have a guest, but most of the time it’s just me. The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments.
The Five:
“Snaggletooth” by Motörhead (from No Remorse, 2001)
It’s too damn early for Lemmy. Thankfully, Motörhead tunes tend to be on the short side.
“Before You Were Born” by Toad the Wet Sprocket (from 1992-09-16: Fox Theater, Boulder, CO, USA, 1992)
This is from an excellent soundboard recording of an equally quality performance by Toad. Save for, of course, when Glen flubs the second line.
“Mighty Mighty” by Earth, Wind & Fire (from The Eternal Dance, 1992)
I’ve been listening to a lot of Earth, Wind & Fire lately.
“I Believe” by Chicago (from Chicago 18, 1986)
I spent the entire song waiting for a key change that didn’t happen.
“Traffic” by Ned’s Atomic Dustbin (from Brainbloodvolume, 1995)
Brainbloodvolume is a criminally overlooked record.
What’s on your shuffle today?
My Morning Jacket – Smokin’ From Shootin’ at ACL
Here’s My Morning Jacket performing “Smokin From Shootin” at last weekend’s ACL Festival. MMJ have just announced a set of tour dates with both Band of Horses and Delta Spirit – basically my wet dream of a show. But alas, Phoenix, Arizona is once again not on the radar. So I’ll need to live through amazing live HD clips like this. Gotta love the age we’re living in when anyone anywhere can share the live experience… it ain’t the real thing, but it’s as close as you can get.
Update: ACL video is gone, but here’s a KCRW performance:
Cults at ACL
I couldn’t make it to ACL this past weekend, but thanks to the Youtube webcast, I caught a number of acts from the comfort of my office chair. One of the bands new to me was Cults, who performed on Friday. Led by singer Madeline Follin and guitarist Brian Oblivion, they have sort of a 60’s girl group meets indie pop/electronic vibe.
“Oh My God” really got my attention. A definite earworm, but the good kind…
Visit: CultsCultsCults.com
Buy: Cults
Update: the ACL video is long gone, but check this out:
