Wildebeest Music Sightings, Book Release and Performance

Sad I missed it @ Space Space, a book release and chime performance by Wildebeest. OCM updated a while back about a sighting at an awesome garage show. Wildebeest has been busy. The book "TO TASTE LIKE PAPER Enduring Freedom at the Foot of Love" is the result and the first release by RECOVERED WRITINGS. Inscription on the back jacket: “A construction over which text flows and runs off The book began to talk to itself. The writing left. The Object was the only constant. No need to break a fourth wall when the entire box is made of mirrors." Henry Winn. OK peeps! if you were there, please leave some comments. Let us know. People do come here seeking out anything on the Beest.

Turner Cody Radio Hour with Special Guest

Thrifty, Brave, and Clean is Boy Scout Recording's radio turn into the best folk music traditions. This week's broadcast features a special guest and host, Turner Cody.

This is a treat for my readers who appreciate great finger-picking on guitar, banjo, and old traditional songs. A year and a half ago, I wrote to Joe Ahearn and asked if he could book a young musician who was sixteen at the time. I wrote a little copy. “After hearing him play, I thought I had just witnessed the reincarnation of Jimmy Rogers or a young Woody Guthry. He is a guitar savant, plays the harmonica, sings, and even yodels. He does share the sensibilities of the greats, but he delivers his own material and covers in a very original way.” Joe booked him to do a few songs as one of the openers for Turner Cody. Turner was blown away but was sorry to lose track of him. They were reconnected when the young man showed up at a show recently. The end result is this incredible hour of music and discussion on Brooklyn Radio hosted by Turner Cody called Thrifty, Brave, Clean. It is a little awkward at first but hang in there. Trust me, it gets very interesting. The first song he played was “I’m Tired Of Everything But You, " performed by Nick Lucas 1927, the jazz guitar pioneer. About midway through, he played an awesome murder ballad on banjo and a few originals later in the set. Their conversation is informed, relaxed, and refreshingly sincere, just two musicians talking and sharing what they love. This young man's talent deserves exposure, but I am embedding this discreetly without the usual pictures and links to afford him the space he will need to continue to explore and develop. Although some bookings would be great! Enjoy HERE “One of the first times, I was just blown away by a performer” Turner Cody.

Drink Up Buttercup; A Sick Night Of Catchiness!

Drink up Buttercup came to play the Cake Shop all geared up. Aside from the large metal garbage cans, melodica, assortment of electric guitars, bass guitars, keyboards, drums, and official mascot manikin head, they were armed with some new props. New was the baby head sound gear and hand-held sleigh bells. The all-time best prop that tells the sick story of the night is the little pink bottle of Pepto-Bismol propped on top of the side of the keyboard. This was intended for Farzad’s case of food poisoning. Maybe? Ben Money was recovering after having four wisdom teeth extracted presented another dilemma.

Whether they were sick or recovering, nobody would have guessed. They were their lively selves and, regardless of how they felt, put on a spectacle as if it was the most important show of their lives. What an awesome treat. They are eye and ear candy mixed with the roaring crash of metal and sweet swell of harmony. Moving about the stage, falling to the ground, operatic vibrato, tambourine in mouth, and theatrics abound, but the music is the essential ingredient of Drink Up Buttercup. I rarely go to shows and play a key role. Usually, I listen, observe, and take pictures. Tonight was different.

To be upfront, Farzad’s mic stand broke in the middle of a song. His harmonies play a key role. He looked at me with hand motions and gave me my marching orders,  So I held the mic through two songs, following his lips with a steady hand and making sure I didn’t hit his teeth. He moved quite generously from one side of the keyboard to another. It was finally resolved when Simon, their manager, found a small mic stand that he had placed on the keyboard. Relieved of my duties, I was able to take more shots. Although I have seen and reviewed Drink Up many times, I have yet to see them play in a big venue. I don’t always have the luxury of going out during a workweek, so when a Saturday shows come up, I take it.

Anyway, my intentions were to show some Roman visitors a good time. They were young, in their early twenties, so I thought going to an eleven o’clock show would not be too difficult. They left just as soon as the first note to get some rest. Shit, I have yet to find people who can keep up with me. Forget my age group. So I’ll continue to go alone to be mistaken for the band's mother, not the dedicated Blogger I am. What was assumed to be food poisoning was catching on. Some of the other members and traveling friends were feeling sick. The impending doom of a stomach virus was a predicament. As they packed their gear, the thoughts about throwing up the next day to come back the following night to the much bigger Union Hall would linger. I decided to come to the smaller Cake Shop after all, but I’m sure they put on an amazing show regardless. That is just who they are!

Novice theory & Aria Orion Unveil New Music @ Joe’s Pub

This was a night of vision, mood, presentation, and the unveiling of a new project Aria Orion from composer and performer Jules Gimbrone and headliner Novice Theory. Interestingly enough, Aria Orion includes Geo Wyeth (Novice Theory) on drums, accordion, and vocals. So to say I got my Geo on is an understatement. Aria Orion is a five-piece group of guitar, violin, stand-up bass, accordion, clarinet, drums, and percussion novelties such as Indian Cowbells and hand-held native skin drums. The dramatic dark stage lighting set the mood as Jules stood center stage dressed in a branch headdress in front of the ensemble. The music was an acoustic dream of eerie, ethereal, bold movements and spine-tingling combination of instruments. Jules's emotionally shaky high vocal range turns and twists within and mysteriously edges around the instrumentation. Opening with “When I Awake,” a trance developed. The folky classical guitar style and accordion softly began to interact as other instruments were slowly introduced. After some violin pluck, the full ensemble soared sonically into an acoustic feast. “Augur (Part 1)” began like a religious chant and segued into an experimental sound kaleidoscope. A vocal seduction, “One By One,” featured the awesome contrast of range by Jules and Geo singing / I am lucky to be here with you /. The short impressive set was an intriguing introduction to Aria Orion, leaving me wanting more.

Everyone left the stage except Jules, who was statuesquely poised playing Indian Cowbells. In the distance, Novice Theory entered the upper level with his guitar, singing / see me hanging on that yellow tree / walking towards the stage, he completes the song on the grand piano. Hearing Geo Wyeth perform is all in the details. In-between singing is huffs, grunts, and ticking that insinuate specific sounds. The piano chops were at an all-time high, infused with syncopated rhythms and classical offshoots intertwined with an improvisational attitude. Wyeth is transgender and biracial. While that has little to do with his incredible musicianship and performance acumen, it does factor into his songwriting process.

My hope is that a talent as bold and prodigious as his is not marginalized. Do I feel a commonality with the raw lyrics presented? Emphatically yes. We are all given a set of circumstances that we navigate the world with some are more challenging than others. The set was primarily new material mixed with a few performance staples and a Kate Bush cover song, “You Speak In Tongues.” The second song started with / maybe / maybe / maybe it’s the circus / that playfully coordinated piano styling and vocals like a round. A song about transformation formed a theme for everything that followed. An autobiographical dialogue of discontent addressed the schism of not feeling comfortable with birth-gender assignments. All pissed off, he extolled a litany of lyrics examining ages and stages, one example was / when I was eight, I wanted hair like Macaulay Culkin /. Novice Theory in the song strongly claims his racial identity. Pale skin is one biracial outcome that is a camouflage of deception and is hard to navigate in our society. / Black is my voice /black is my blood / we stay black /. A song for Harriett had curious inferences in lyrics. “Something Flat In Her Face” combined disconnected piano chords with the vocal phrasing of tic tic tic tic in-between. The encore was a negotiation of sorts and time constraints.

Geo pointed out that Joe’s Pub is serious, and they mean it when it’s time to go. So he gave us a choice “I can either play a Patty Griffith song on the piano or bring out the squeezebox.” The accordion was it and the night ended with “About a Dream,” a song that comes on strong and fades theatrically for emphasis. (Video About A Dream on Jools Holland) Glad I came out on this rainy Wednesday night. Driving home at moc speed, I listened to the stirring Aria Orion 35-minute EP Let the Sharp Stone Fly hot off the press. It had more clashing drum pounding than I expected. It knocked me out! Flickr Set!

O'death & Titus Andronicus Making Noise That Moves

I usually go to shows alone, but not this time. I ended up distracted and needed to pay more attention. Seeing three bands, knowing how exhausting o'death is, would be too much. I came to the incorrect conclusion that Wye Oak would be second on the bill, not first. I hadn’t heard of Titus Andronicus and now realize I’ll have to expand my regular reading list.  Titus Andronicus was a welcome pleasure. Not knowing anything about their music was a plus. It is such a great opportunity to hear a group for the first time without any preconceived notions. I like that. Beyond the noise and punk, there was an incredible nuance to their sound that rose above the revved-up amplification. It had order and structure with beautiful scales of lead guitars that could be heard above all the noise with wave-like variations.

While they sound raw and similar to the punk originators The Sex Pistols, they are more musically inclined. They manipulate instruments with the raging distortion sound, amplified at full tilt. This was witnessed throughout the set as all three guitarists had access to stationed platforms. There were also two keyboards, bass, and drums. Some songs have a balladry-type feel of The Pogues but are electrified. They also add beat-driven punk sing-along chants to the mix. Patrick Stickles's voice was unadorned, real, rough, and awesomely off-key. I just loved watching him. Lots of drama and strange moments, especially when he picks up a cold pizza and takes a few bites between verses.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure what he would do with it. Some fans in the audience, thinking they were at an all-age show, started moshing to the chagrin of the rest of the crowd. The lights went on briefly to look for someone’s glasses. Don’t get me wrong, the crowd was engaged, including me! 

o'death ruled this night. I am always enamored by their ability to work up an audience but headlining at the Bowery Ballroom makes a difference. The sound system is just great, and the band was delighted and thrilled to be there. The audience at an o'death show is just awesome. There is unity and love that generates even among o'death virgins. And there were many. They immediately succumbed to the robust energy of the songs. The dancing is fascinating to watch and to take part in. Because the song structures are unusual, fans could dance to a waltz-like tempo and instantly break out into an uncontrollable frenzy of jumping, pumping, and head-banging. The smiles and nods among the crowd acknowledging a shared experience were a highlight for me. An artifact of the evening was a bra relinquished from an adoring fan that Jesse Newman gladly draped over the microphone. The hour-and-a-half set ended with a chant. David Rogers Berry jumped away from his drum set to the center of the stage, all instruments were abandoned, and the band member’s voices rose in unison. Suddenly Bob Pycior dove into the crowd of outstretched arms, willingly propping his sweaty body above the throngs of appreciative fans. That night music was experienced as a community, as it should be.

Peasant Daytrotter Sessions

Peasant (Damien Derose) has done the Daytrotter sessions. The recordings are pure and unadorned, like seeing him live alone with his guitar. Sean Moeller Daytrotter’s founder so adeptly described, “What becomes so beautifully clear in listening to Derose sing – in that clear mountain stream, weepy-voiced way of his – is that none of his characters and none of us are ever rid of any of the people that we’ve shared the dark or a kiss with.” Peasant's album On The Ground will have an official re-launch in late January to be distributed for exposure with the help of Team Love. This makes me happy for Peasant and those who long to hear the simplicity and beauty of songwriting with vocals that embrace the listener.

His music and voice have gotten under my skin since 2006, and I’ve written a lot about him. When I love something, I stick with it. I never waver. I never get bored. Damien’s voice is just one of those things. The effect was similar to how I felt when I first heard Conor Oberst eight years ago. While searching for Peasant, it is often difficult to find without typing his name Damien Derose. Hopefully, soon that will change.

Download Daytrotter Session

Go to peasant's myspace page for tour dates and be on the lookout for the upcoming WOXY session.

Record label Paper Garden Records

B3nson Recording Company; Thrifty Albany Music Collective

Site Scavenger Series B3nson Recording Company is a collective doing it independently. They remind me of the early years of Saddle Creek Records. Omaha & Albany have some similarities. And like the newer model Wham City that has taken shape in Baltimore.  The B3nson collective of musicians’ artists, and writers are friends with benefits. They benefit by living, working, and performing in Albany? Rather than moving to Brooklyn, they are staying put with a plan. Sgt. Dunbar and the Hobo Banned, the largest outfit in the collective book, shows in the tri-state area about twice a month and regularly plays in Albany and upstate locations. Many bands pass through Albany, and Dunbar has opened for Rock Plaza Central, Deer Tick, and Avett Brothers. Staying put does have some benefits. They work as a collective recording, booking, video production, web design, flyers, and handmade merchandise. Their creative skills complement an aesthetic approach that is consistent with their ideals. Their music and artistic directions have a thrifty aesthetic representing a lifestyle of choice and necessity. Living cheaply and creatively from the outset makes choices about gas for touring, housing, instruments, food, and clothing a given. Sometimes the most interesting things to look at and hear are authentically represented and not commercially misrepresented. In tough times people who stick together help each other grow. The crews all have big hearts and can share a big tent. Their open spirit is represented candidly on the B3nson Blog, where members contribute articles about other musicians they meet. It is cool to read about music from a musician’s perspective. Take talent, commitment, focus, and the ability to say why not. This is a collective well on its way to contributing to the music culture while creating its own viable movement. Interview with Alex Muro of Sgt. Dunbar and the Hobo Banned conducted via email, in which he previewed a rough synopsis and answered the following curiosities. 

OCM What is the upside of forming and being a part of a collective?

AM I think the biggest upside is having so many great friends. Our house lately has become somewhat of a collective hang-out with the recent increase in B3nson activities, and its simply fun to have people around all the time, hanging out, playing music, making things, and playing Tetris. It's a great environment to conduct any sort of artistic activities. Beyond that there is the great advantage of talent and equipment sharing. We are lucky to have some really talented people in the collective who are good at all sorts of things from graphic design to recording and mastering to video editing, painting and all sorts of other stuff. The fact that we all enjoy hanging out together makes using those talents feel less like work and has allowed us to accomplish a great deal over the last month or so. 

OCM Were there any concerns? 

AM I don't think there were any general concerns about collectivizing as far as I know. We recently sort of "officially" added a bunch of new bands to the collective, like Beware! The Other Head of Science, Swamp Baby, and the Scientific Maps, but there was already all sorts of membership blurriness and good friendships going on that made the transition seem kind of obvious. 

OCM There seems to be a similar music sensibility between all the bands is forging a singular band identity a problem? 

AM There definitely is despite the fact that some our music sounds quite different with bands ranging in styles from laid back soundscapes to folk to synth-spazz rock and lots of other stuff going on. I think the similarity comes from the fact that most of us have similar-ish backgrounds and have been in bands for a long time and listen to some of the same music. In general I'm not really sure how come the B3nson aesthetic works as well as I think it does, but it's pretty cool. I think people are really going to enjoy the B3nson Family Funsgiving Compilation for that very reason, it fits together like an album way better than it’s supposed to. 

OCM Are there plans for a large group tour like booking all the bands or some on one bill outside of the Albany area? Is that feasible? 

AM There currently are not. I think that would be awesome and there is no group of people who I would rather spend an extended stay on the road with. Wham City has been doing something like that with Round Robin tour where they set up all the bands you listen around a big room each band plays a song and they go around in a circle the whole night. I think B3nson is still in much earlier stages than Wham City in that regard, we don't have any bands with national recognition like Dan Deacon or Beach House that can bring out the people to the shows that are needed to sustain so many musicians on the road. Give us a couple years though and we would really love to do something like that. 

OCM What does being in Albany offer the bands? 

AM The real answer is nothing, there is nothing in Albany that there isn't in any other city of similar size, we just sort of ended up here and the reason we are staying now is because we have made it a fun place to be. We are hoping that eventually b3nson and other currently growing facets of the Albany music scene make Albany a destination for new musicians but I definitely feel there is work to do before it really becomes attractive as a "music scene".

OCM Do you have other ambitions for the future? 

AM I know that the members of Sgt Dunbar all want to be professional musicians and we would love to be able to quit our day jobs. We are working on a new album for release next years, working with some friends of ours to help promote it and planning our route to SXSW in for March. B3nson Records will also be releasing the debut record from Barons in the Attic in January and following with an album from Pinguinos hopefully shortly afterwards. For now though our ambitions are mostly concentrated on putting on a killer release show tonight for our 10th release the B3nson Family Funsgiving Compilation. 

OCM Does working together build moral and help with a positive outlook for the future? 

AM Working together sure is fun. I personally am not so concentrated on the future beyond March 09. It just seems like we have so much stuff to do between now and then. Working together on our current projects though definitely makes for a more positive outlook because the stresses and concerns are shared among such a large group of people. 

OCM Were you asked to be a part of SXSW or are you going renegade and hitting the streets? 

AM We got invited To SXSW by way of some good luck. I was doing my daily blog reading during CMJ and there was post on Idolater about unknown bands at CMJ and I commented about my feelings on the subject. It must have been a good comment because someone from SXSW saw it and invited us to the festival. We are really psyched to know so early that we've been accepted it would have been much more difficult decision to make if we had found out on Feb 1. It allows us enough time to plan a really good tour. We will certainly be hitting the streets like renegades once we get there though.

Pocket Concert Series featuring bands in the B3nson Collective.

Sgt. Dunbar and The Hobo Banned “The Weight”, filmed in an open field.

Swamp Baby “Lavender” Nick Matulis is joined by Jen O'Connor, Donna Baird, and Frances Quinlan (Hop Along, Queen Ansleis)

B3nson is: Barons In the Attic Beware! The Other Head of Science Blood Desperately Obvious Pingüinos Littlefoot Scientific Maps Sgt Dunbar & the Hobo Banned Stacey Gets Drunk Swamp Baby The Hoborchestra We are Jeneric

Deer Tick, The Felice Brothers; Spiegleworld

Deer Tick won over the mostly Felice Brothers crowd with the first song. You would never think the assembled crowd wasn’t 100% behind them. I loved their CD War Elephant, which displays John McCauley’s incredible gift for songwriting and melody. It has been re-released on a new label. But seeing is believing, and Deer Tick delivers just as much and more live. Deer Tick musicianship is evident. They rocked strong and tight at Spiegleworld. John McCauley’s gritty, raw vocals contrasted with the clear, almost pristine musicianship. A polished rawness was the result, a weird but unexpected dichotomy. This band can shuffle it up acoustically, sing classic-style country tales and tear it up with rock n roll.

Deer Tick’s outstanding lead guitarist Andre Tobiassen, was unleashed at many points during the set. John also has great guitar skills. Chris Ryan on electric / double bass and Dennis Ryan on drums were the perfect accompaniment. Starting strong with “Ashamed” / what a crying shame / what we became /. John McCauley put his metal fingers to string on acoustic guitar and did nice shuffle drumming during “Art isn’t Real (City of Sin).” A killer song and heartfelt lament was “Song about a Man” / tugging at your lips to make you frown / that integrated harmonica and stand up with a bow. For “Little White Lies,” John abandoned his acoustic for a baby blue electric. Baltimore Blues # 1 lead guitar was amazing. Their 10-song set concluded with a fancy 50’s classic and an encore cover of La Bomba. Standing up front next to me were two enthusiastic, newly initiated fans. They were so smitten they asked Dennis Ryan for a drumstick souvenir, and he obliged.

I'm looking forward to a headlining Gig!

The Felice Brothers can wow. 19 songs and counting and counting. They feed off of each other and the audience. Their crazy, rambunctious, loose, sloppy barn stomp combining the guitar, bass, fiddle, accordion, washboard, and drums is unforgettable. The Felice Brothers are in constant motion and rotation. So their show is equally interesting to hear as it is to watch. There were tender moments as well, staged to provoke interest. Especially strong was James Felice on accordion singing “Mary Don’t You Cry” and “Ruby Mae” with the earthy, rough vocal of Ian Felice. Frankie’s Gun was a crowd-pleaser. They introduced two new songs from their upcoming March release. Run Chicken Run was great, and the accordion intro to Coney Island song / here comes the rain pounding on Coney Island /. Song 19 was the best audience participation chant directed by Simone Felice. He was perched on top of his drum kit, directing the crowd, saying, “You must repeat dying people, watch for the signal.” Longest encore... This was exciting. The band's staging area extended to the ledge where our coats and drinks were propped. Things revved up considerably when Deer Tick joined them for what I thought was a grand finale. Little did I know that the Felice batteries just don’t die. I put my camera and notes away, and they played an additional 45 minutes of unbridled music. Seeing The Felice Brothers is like having a hangover without even partaking in one drink. But I was drunk with excess and woke up in a haze singing I put some whiskey into my whiskey. Can’t get this shit out of my head. Flickr Set Spiegleworld

Jamie Lidell; Crackerfarm / Volcanic Productions Public Assembly

Jamie Lidell

A Little Bit of Feel good goes a long Way! When I was sixteen, I must have listened to Otis Redding for an entire year. I still love really good soul music. Jamie Lidell, as DJ, can move a crowd. Bring that up 100 notches when he takes the mic. His music and vibe are contagious and something to catch. Diagnosis: flushed face, sore feet, revitalized soulful spirit, happy. 

The Crackerfarm photography duo and Volcanic Productions presented Partyfarm for friends, associates, and passersby, with DJ Bonehawk, guest DJ Jamie Lidell, and Vinyl Life closing the festivities. This was not a typical dance crowd, but slowly, they got their dance on during Bonehawk's set. By the time Lidell came on, they totally let down their guard. 

Take a little bit of Al Green, Otis Redding, Prince, and some Stevie Wonder and infuse Max/MSP digital tools, and that is Jamie Lidell. The man knows how to use his tools. As a one-man band, he moves the genre of soul forward. His vocal styling can elevate, reaching the peak of exuberance in body and soul with auxiliary percussion. His timing is impeccable, and can sing and strut with attitude. His vibe is friendly-cool with a loving desire to spread his feel-good around. 

By Midnight I had to make my exit but lingered a bit longer by the bar to catch the awesome close of Lidell's set. Unfortunately, I missed Vinyl Life, who always draws a big crowd at Public Assembly.  

The Crackerfarm team is headed to document Jamie’s European tour supporting Elton John for the next month. Wow, it is perfect when talented people find each other. Just look at the videos down under! Also, check out Jamie's NEW ALBUM 'JIM'

"A Little bit of "Feel Good" filmed by Crackerfarm

Jamie Lidell and Kevin Blechdom sing "Relieving Our Power" filmed by Crackerfarm

Flickr Set!

Conor Oberst and The Mystic Valley Band; Terminal 5

Bad photo just to prove how hard it was to get a shot.

Terminal 5, whoops, I mean Terminal Hell. I will never go back. I only went because for the last 8 years, I’ve seen Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes) at every venue in the tri-state area. This is a long Obsession that won’t quit. I endured and tried to keep a positive outlook, and I’m glad I did. Having wandered around the event to find somewhere within viewing range for Ben Kweller's upbeat and engaging performance of countrified pop was close to impossible. His fans were vast and even with the two-story balcony, I didn’t find one slight opening to fully appreciate the music. 

Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band set started similarly. I stood by the WFUV Tables and had a side view for the first half of the set. Speaking of die-hard fans, standing next to me was a pregnant woman with her mate, lovingly hanging on to every word. I laughed and got such a kick out of watching Conor dance and lead the band in a new and out-there sort of way. Doing moves that seemed so unlike him. He sang and added sign language to outline certain lyrics in a pop-rap fashion. It was a hoot. I find it endearing after seeing so many shows with him literally shaking with fear. I still love those special shows and hold them dearly in memory. A very comfortable and very much in command Conor emerged. Maybe it was the hat. That always helps. It gave confidence to the new and unfamiliar persona of Conor Obeast.  

The band was tight and explosive. Most of their sound is countryesque mixed with a solid rock and roll spirit, guitar leads, and bluesy piano riffs. The sound was loud and emphasized the muscle of the music but too loud to appreciate the nuance. “Moab” shined, showing off the great melding of vocals. They played quite a few new tunes. A very strong new song, "Ten Women," highlighted Conor’s gift for writing. He ended the set with “Milk Thistle” and returned with a strong four-song encore, including one with Ben Kweller. “I Don’t Want To Die In The Hospital” was spectacular. They ended on an experimental new song, "Breezy" that spoke volumes about future endeavors. It had atmosphere and strange distant scratchy sounds of what I thought was metal on guitar. Better Photos from Prefix