Sunday, September 27, 2009

New Sufjan Stevens Songs

I was not one of the fortunate few to score tickets to the Sufjan Stevens show at the 400 Bar tonight. If any readers made it in, I'd love to hear a review.

For the rest of us, Stevens debuted a few new songs at a show in Ithaca recently. Here are some great You Tube videos of three of those songs:

"There's Too Much Love"


"Age of Adz"


"Impossible Souls"


I'm eagerly anticipating a new proper LP from Sufjan. It's been four years since his last one! These and other new songs make me salivate to hear studio recordings of them. Hopefully soon.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

No Longer Fly-over Country

It's an interesting time to be a Minnesota sports fan. The last months have been anything but dull around here. The media usually doesn't have much to say regarding the sports teams of the Twin Cities other than "I wonder whether great player X will end up in New York or Boston next year". Now it seems that Minnesota is spending time in the headlines of each major sport, each for different reasons and with plenty of controversy. Consider:


The Minnesota Twins finally secured permission and land to build a new open air stadium last year. Construction on Target Field has been going on all year as the Twins play their last season in the outdated and boring Metrodome. The season itself feels like a big build up to next year with the squad going up and down all summer. However, Joe Mauer is once again vying for the batting title and the Twins are now poised to make a late run in their division. Will the owners actually spend some of the money they're getting from the new stadium (and tax-payers by proxy) to improve the team for the inaugural outdoor season or will they continue to scrimp and keep as much as they can? Big questions for this year and next are still unanswered.

Speaking of new stadiums, theUniversity of Minnesota Golden Gophers Football team will be played this fall in a brand new, on campus stadium of their own. TCF Bank Stadium replaces the already mentioned Metrodome as the place to see Gopher football. With a classic look and plenty of seats, fans will no doubt flock to it. Of course, controversy is here too as U of M officials decided to outlaw liquor sales within the stadium, prompting many alumni season ticket holders to complain. Plus, the use of state funds to underwrite the construction rubs some the wrong way. In any case, outdoor football is something folks around here have been aching for since Met Stadium was razed.

Though I don't follow the Minnesota Wild very closely, they've also had a crazy year. After a lackluster season last year, the owners fired the GM and Coach Lemaire left for greener pastures. Coupled with Marion Gaborik finally admitting he didn't like playing here, the Wild have drastically changed their look and course. Now with a new staff and new players, they look to make another playoff run to soothe the State of Hockey.

Of course, the Minnesota Timberwolves have had a tough stretch of fortune dating back to the conclusion of their deep playoff run in '03-'04 season: firing a few coaches, trading away Kevin Garnett, watching Garnett promptly win it all with the Boston Celtics, finally axing Kevin McHale etc. It's been one thing after another and something had to be done. The team finally admitted defeat and decide to start fresh with new blood. They hired a new GM named David Kahn who immediately made his presence known by dismissing McHale and trading Mike Miller and Randy Foye for a high draft pick. Kahn then used that pick to draft Spanish presumed-phenom Ricky Rubio, who inexplicably fell to #5 in the draft. Kahn then took another talented point guard with pick #6 (Jonny Flynn), causing every draft analyst to furiously scratch his head. Since then, a flurry of trades has left the team in an almost unrecognizable state and Rubio is still in Spain. Kahn swears he wants both Flynn and Rubio on the roster, but is having trouble working out a deal with Rubio's old team. In the midst of all this roster chaos, Kahn hired long-time Lakers assistant Kurt Rambis as his new head coach. A very splashy choice since Rambis was the presumed heir to Phil Jackson's team. Really, the Wolves have nowhere to go but up, so this will be a very intriguing season. Flynn has looked very good in his summer league play and Rubio is still a question mark, therefore the point guard spot will be a huge talking point this season.

Finally, the Minnesota Vikings have seized headlines by finally luring Brett Favre out of his perennial retirement. After months of speculation, Favre said he was staying retired. Then, once training camp was over, Brad Childress called again and gave Brett one more chance to join him. This time, Favre's magic 8-ball gave him the OK and he signed on the dotted line. The Vikings were already a favorite to make a good run this year, so naturally this development spawned a media circus the likes of which hadn't been seen around here in years. The rivalry between the Vikings and Packers has now reached a previously unknown level. We're now subjected to news stories about what Favre's wife was buying at the Kohl's in Eden Prairie this week

Beneath the hype is the singular question: can a 40-year-old Brett Favre still succeed in this league? This is what's bother me most. We all watched early last season as Favre gunned his Jets team into a great position to make the playoffs and then gunned them right out again late in the year. His arm basically fell apart was was reconstructed in the off season. My fear is that this is where we're headed again. However, our team this year is more talented than the Jets were last year and the coaching staff appears to have learned from the Jets fiasco by placing Favre on a pitch count to save his arm for the late season. With all the questions that are still unanswered, one thing is certain: the TV ratings for the two Packers/Vikings games will be off the charts. The Twin Cities will become the center of the sports universe. For better or worse remains to be seen.



Saturday, August 15, 2009

Baby's First Mix


It was exciting when I learned that our baby is now able to hear us from inside the womb! Becky and I have been trying to talk more to the baby so that he/she can learn our voices a little before he/she is born. It's also time to start playing some music for the baby! I've been meaning to make a mix CD for the baby to listen to for awhile now. Yesterday I finally got the chance to sit down and do it!


I wanted to give the baby some music that wouldn't be too loud or aggressive sounding. I also wanted the mix to be a journey of sorts for the baby to listen to. I wanted to start with some "waking up" songs to get the baby's attention. Then, progress through the set and finally end with some songs to help the baby fall back to sleep. I wanted the songs to tell the baby how much we love him/her and also how much God loves him/her. I also wanted to highlight some bands that I think are worthy of our baby's attention when he/she gets older - some classics and some smaller bands that Becky and I really like. 

So here's the tracklisting for the baby's first mix!

1. Welcome - Waterdeep
2. Wake Up, Baby - Waterdeep
3. Can't Take My Eyes Off You - Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons
4. You Are the Sunshine of My Life - Stevie Wonder
5. Baptize My Mind - Jon Foreman
6. Go Tell It On the Mountain - Simon & Garfunkel
7. The Friendly Beasts - Sufjan Stevens
8. In My Life - The Beatles
9. Love Song for a Savior - Jars of Clay
10. Northern Sky - Nick Drake
11. Easy Baby - Waterdeep
12. Blackbird - The Beatles
13. Vito's Ordination Song - Sufjan Stevens
14. My Aurora - Rocket Science
15. She Lost Feeling in the Ends of Her Fingers - Linford Detweiler
16. Blue in Green - Miles Davis
17. Samskeyti - Sigur Ros
18. The World Out My Window - Aristotle's Lantern

Hopefully the baby will enjoy this hour long mix before and after birth. I'm sure I'll be crafting a few more too. Baby's got to learn what good music sounds like!


Monday, July 20, 2009

More Photos

I've added a number of new photographs to my Photos of the Moment album and thought I'd embed a new slideshow to feature them more prominently.



You can view this and other albums on my Picasa web-album by clicking the link in the sidebar.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

The Life and Legacy of Nick Drake

I was standing in line at the AMC Rosedale theater last week waiting to see the new Pixar film "Up" when I heard something shocking over the PA system. AMC's lobby soundtrack was advertising a brand new band and billing them as "being compared to singer-songwriter Nick Drake". As the nothing-like-Nick-Drake, Xeroxed acoustic emo band played their song I thought about this: Nick Drake was just name dropped over the lobby PA system of a 14 screen movie theater in 2009.  I felt like this was the perfect time to give a little history on one of my favorite musicians of all time and why my experience was so surreal. Who was Nick Drake?


Nick Drake was born in 1948. His parents were living in Burma at the time for his father's job. In 1952, the family moved back to England and settled in a village called Tanworth-in-Arden and a house called Far Leys. I love how things in England are named. As a youth, Nick was a great student, an accomplished athlete and a staple of his school's choir. Both Nick's mother and sister were musical as well and early recordings exist of the family playing music together. In his late teens, Nick began to develop a love of music - learning the clarinet, saxophone and piano. Soon a friend taught him some guitar chords and his fascination with the instrument was kindled. His friends remember him and a joyful person, though shy and introverted. 

After school, Nick took a year off and traveled with his friends around Europe. It was during this time that he began writing songs and devising his own guitar techniques. It was also during this time that he began to smoke marijuana. This was 1966 and marijuana was a huge part of the youth culture at that time, however this habit became something that Nick struggled with the rest of his life. 

Nick enrolled at Cambridge in 1967 to study English. He was now writing many songs and playing them for his friends and at folk gatherings. It was at one of these gatherings in 1968 that a member of the folk powerhouse "Fairport Convention" heard him play and asked Nick if he could get him in touch with a record executive. Nick accepted the invitation and was soon signed to a deal with Island Records. 

Nick set to work crafting his first album while studying at Cambridge in late 1968. By July, he was ready to head into the studio to record it. Joe Boyd, the producer, envisioned Nick's songs backed by a 15 piece studio orchestra, but Nick didn't like how they sounded. He asked if one of his Cambridge friends could arrange the backing instruments instead. Though Nick was a shy and soft-spoken person, he had a clear vision for what he wanted his songs to sound like on tape. This perfectionism and scheduling conflicts caused the sessions to last almost a full year. Finally, Five Leaves Left was released in September of 1969. The album garnered a number of good reviews, but did not sell very well. 

Island Records encouraged Nick to get out and play some live shows and sell his music, but Nick's personality and artistry were not suited for the stage. There are accounts of Nick playing at coffee houses and not completing his set because people were talking instead of listening. Nick simply was not comfortable performing his songs in front of people. Unfortunately, this made it difficult to build a fan base to buy his records. 

Nick's style of guitar playing was and is totally unique. He started out playing blues standards and progressed into intricate finger picking and alternate tunings, devising cluster chords of the guitar to create impressionistic arrangements. Nick's vocals are also instantly recognizable. His hushed tones evoke misty spring mornings or crisp autumn afternoons. He also often breaks from typical vocal convention by drawing out consonant notes instead of vowel notes. "River Mannnn" instead of "River Maaaaan". While these things may seem trite, they were very unique in Drake's day. Plus, Nick constructed these hallmarks solely on his own without instruction. Nick was truly a musical prodigy.

In late 1969, Nick dropped out of Cambridge to pursue his music full time. He moved to London and kicked around while writing songs for his second album. He went back into the studio in early 1970 and began laying down what would become Bryter Layter. The sessions went slowly again and the album wasn't released until November of 1970. Nick's producer was present for the sessions and encouraged Nick that this would be the album that really sold well and brought him recognition and praise. However, upon release, the album again sold poorly in spite of a large number of good reviews. Nick told his producer that he wanted his next album to be just him and his guitar, nothing else. 

At this point in his life, Nick began to settle into a deep depression. He stopped playing gigs completely and moved back to his parents' house in Tanworth-in-Arden. His friends and family noticed that his shyness and introversion had become something much darker and arranged for Nick to see a psychiatrist. Nick was prescribed anti-depressants, but they seemed to have only minimal effects. He remained at his parents home for a year. His parents would later say that he would stay up all night played guitar and singing in his room and then sleep most of the next day. 

After a year, an executive at Island Records lent Nick his villa in Spain in an attempt to help him overcome his depression (though the company did not want or expect another album from Nick). Nick stayed there for a time and appeared somewhat rejuvenated upon his return. He informed his producer that he was ready to record his third album. 

He arrived at the studio in October of 1971 late a night and began recording. When he was finished, the producer asked what Nick would like to keep from the session. Nick said "All of it." He came back the next night for another session and declared that the album was complete. With only one overdub and two nights of recording, Pink Moon is a huge departure from Nick's first two albums. Later that week, Nick arrived at the Island Records offices with the master tapes in hand. He sat in the press officer's office in silence for about 30 minutes before muttering that he should be going. He dropped the tapes off at the receptionist's desk and left. Pink Moon sold fewer copies than either of his first two records, but again gained some positive reviews. 

Nick again retreated to Tanworth-in-Arden and considered his next move. He was evidently convinced that he would gain no success as a musician and began considering other careers. Depression weighed heavily on his shoulders, however, and the anti-depressants were a continual part of his life. He would borrow his parents' car, drive until he ran out of gas and then call home for a ride. He would visit friends, but hardly say a word and then leave again. He went through periods of neglecting hygiene and his friends would note his change in appearance. In 1972, Nick was checked into the hospital after suffering a nervous breakdown. It was becoming clear that Nick's depression and mental illness were spiraling out of control.

In February of 1974, Nick seemed to be experiencing a period of diminished symptoms. He contacted Island Records and stated that he was ready to record a fourth album. The ensuing recording sessions were difficult. Producer John Wood was quoted as saying that Nick's new songs were angry and bitter. Nick's appearance and demeanor had changed and he could not play guitar and sing at the same time anymore. Nick also told the producers that they had told him he was talented, but he wasn't because he had nothing to show for it. Four tracks were laid down in a one day session and Nick's spirits seemed to rise after that. These four tracks were the last that Nick ever recorded.

In November of 1974 Nick was still living at Far Leys with his family. It was the morning of November 25th that his mother decided to check on him in his room. She entered to find his body sprawled over his bed. Nick had overdosed on his anti-depressant medication and died in the night. There was no suicide note and it is still unknown if his death was accidental or deliberate. His family maintains that the fall of 1974 had been a time of relief for Nick and that he seemed happier than he had in the last three years. They maintain that his death was accidental. Accidental or not, Nick was obviously a very tortured person in his later years. He was buried in a cemetery in Tanworth-in-Arden. His tombstone bears a lyric from the closing track of Pink Moon: Now we rise / And we are everywhere.

Ironically, his music began to find a much larger audience in the 1980's. Popular musicians began citing Nick's music as their inspiration and a demand for his music grew. Island Records released a collection of non-album recordings and realized that an improbable fanbase was springing up around Nick Drake. In 1999, British paper The Guardian named Bryter Layter the #1 Alternative album ever! And in 2000, Nick Drake's music was heard by more people than ever when "Pink Moon" was featured in a Volkswagon commercial. Soon, more compilation albums were being released and Nick's music was being heard in more films and soundtracks. The recognition and acclaim that Nick never saw in life was everywhere thanks to word of mouth and the power of the Internet. 

It's a tragedy that a talent a great as Nick Drake's was never fully appreciated, that a life of promise was crushed by depression and mental illness. Drake's mother was quoted as saying that Nick was "born with a skin too few", meaning he was an incredibly sensitive person and found it difficult to function in a harsh world. I've often wondered if Nick would have had a longer artistic career had he been born 30-40 years later. With modern musical technology, anyone can record an album in their bedroom, distribute it online and gain a large audience and acclaim. But the fact remains, Nick's depression was deeper than simple lack of fame. Nick had a troubled soul and found no relief in this life. What he really needed was something to heal that troubled soul,  he needed to find Christ. Sadly, it seems that did not happen. Even so, Nick left us many beautiful songs that depict the joys and struggles of living this temporary life. From the brightness of "Northern Sky" to the contemplation of "River Man" to the darkness of "Pink Moon", Nick drew an arc through his music and his life that may look eerily familiar to many listeners. And that is why his artistry is now gaining the delayed admiration it enjoys today. There was and still is no one like Nick Drake. 








UPDATE: I was surprised and flattered today to find that Joe Boyd (one of Nick's producers) had left a comment here. I thought I'd add it to the post as he provides some sharper focus to the story and some personal insight. Thanks for your comment, Mr. Boyd!
It's always good to read about people appreciating Nick Drake's music and recordings. The timeline is mostly accurate, but there are a few errors/omissions. As the producer who signed him to Island Records, I shared Nick's vision of recording with strings and arrangements. Nick didn't mention Robert Kirby, his friend at Cambridge, until after we had recorded one session, which we both agreed was not good enough. I immediately agreed to work with Robert Kirby when Nick suggested him.

Nick and I agreed he would tour after the release of the first album - Island Records did not interfere much in Nick's affairs.

Pink Moon was recorded immediately after the release of Bryter Later. Island Records was not informed or consulted. I had moved to the US, so Nick contacted engineer John Wood, and he produced Pink Moon. The period in Spain came after Pink Moon.

The "last sessions" grew out of a meeting I had with Nick in early 1974. He was in bad shape and I felt recording might be a good kind of therapy.

Joe Boyd

Thursday, May 07, 2009

Concert Review - Flight of the Conchords

My wife and I have been fans of New Zealand folk-parody band Flight of the Conchords since season one of their HBO series. When they announced a show at the Orpheum Theater last year, I tried valiantly to purchase tickets online right when sales opened. Unfortunately, the show sold out in a matter of minutes and I was left out in the cold. This time around, I was more fortunate (thanks to a band pre-sale). I was able to purchase a pair of tickets and surprise my wife with them on Valetine’s Day. As we watched the second (and final) season of their show wrap up, our excitement levels for the show kept climbing. Last Sunday, the day had finally arrived.

This time around the band booked Northrop Auditorium on the U of M campus instead of the Orpheum (though it might have had something to do with the fact that Leonard Cohen was playing there that night). We arrived early enough to park and scurry through the campus tunnels to the auditorium. After the obligatory stop at the merch table, we found our seats and settled in. The first thing I noticed about the stage was two large screens on either side. I also noted large manned cameras flanking the seating area. Since a large part of the Conchords’ appeal are their facial expressions and characterization, I was happy to know that we’d be able to easily see them from anywhere in the auditorium.


As we chatted and people-watched, waiting for 7:30pm to arrive, we were suddenly treated to a very loud alarm sound reminiscent of a car alarm. Like most people, we were not sure if this was a fire alarm or part of the show. Soon police officers entered and began examining the stage area with flashlights. People from the front began filing out and we knew that it was indeed an alarm. However, the ushers were still seating people and no one seemed to think it was a real fire. The alarm was soon silenced, only to start up again and repeat the on/off pattern for about 20 minutes. Finally, the alarm was fixed and the show began.

The performance began with the stand up observational comedy of Eugene Mirman, who actually plays a small recurring role on the HBO series. He opened by informing us that the alarm was a false one and thanking us for staying and not burning to death. His routine was actually quite hilarious (with the exception of his take on religion) and the audience was very much on board with his dry humor. But really, anything other than a loud alarm would have been universally praised.

Finally, Eugene introduced the main event and the lights went down. When they came back up, the stage was occupied by two men in cardboard robot costumes. Instead of opening the set with the expected “The Humans Are Dead”, they chose instead the 2nd season hit “Too Many Dicks on the Dancefloor”. From there Bret Clement and Jemaine McKenzie free-wheeled through a good mix of familiar favorites and newer songs. In between, they engaged in straight faced absurd banter and traded barbs with the talkative audience. Bret complained that an unnamed band member had been 15 minutes late for practice earlier that week, though he himself was also late that day. And actually they had walked to practice together.

While the dry wit that both Bret and Jemaine exude is amazingly funny, I was also repeatedly impressed with their musicianship. On TV you can never be sure if what you see is real, but these two have some serious chops. From guitars to synths to drum kits, Bret and Jemaine were in top form. They were joined on most songs by a friend from New Zealand named Nigel on the cello, who helped give their tunes some bass. I was particularly happy to hear them perform the song “Carol Brown”, a tune in which Jemaine recounts the circumstances under which all his ex-girlfriends left him. And of course, ending the main set with a cello-only rendition of “Sugalumps” was absolutely inspired. Bret and Jemaine let Nigel carry the tune musically while they preened and posed at the front of the stage, to the delight (and discomfort?) of those in the front rows. I’ve never seen so many camera phones aimed a one man’s crotch before (and I hope I never do again). When the band exited the stage to a standing ovation (punctuated by a communal “whooop” imitating the hated fire alarm), it was clear that an encore was in play. Sure enough, the band returned clad in skimpy, outrageous glam-rock attire for the song “Demon Woman”.

As we filed out, I thought about how this band doesn’t need an absurdly funny HBO series to stay in the spotlight. Their dry charisma, whip-smart song writing and genuine musical talent should keep their star rising and shining for a long time. And if it doesn’t, they could always go back to shepherding.

Setlist:
1. "Too Many Dicks On The Dance Floor"
2. "Hurt Feelings"
3. "The Ballad of Stana"
4. "The Most Beautiful Girl (In The Room)"
5. "Jenny"
6. "Business Time"
7. "Mutha’uckas"
8. "Crying"
9. "Bus Driver's Song"
10. "Think About It"
11. "Carol Brown"
12. "Albi The Racist Dragon"
13. "We’re Both In Love With A Sexy Lady"
14. "Sugalumps"
15. "Demon Woman"



Sunday, April 19, 2009

I've been listening to a lot of new m...

I've been listening to a lot of new music lately and there is a lot of good stuff out there right now. I thought I'd give a quick rundown of some of my new favorites.

Bat for Lashes - Two Suns


Natasha Khan's trippy, ethereal poetry takes another step forward on her sophomore album. The song "Daniel" has been getting a lot of attention, and it's well-deserved. 

Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - Outer South
Conor's extended break from his Bright Eyes persona continues, but with much better results than his last outing. This disc features better songs and more of a band feel that was missing from his last. Great driving music.

Manchester Orchestra - Mean Everything to Nothing
I haven't really liked this band up until now. This album is a drastic stylistic departure for them, turning to a more hard-edged sound. I absolutely LOVE the song "I've Got Friends" that's been playing a lot on The Current lately.

Metric - Fantasies


Metric has been around for awhile, but I've been late the party. This new disc is a fun synth-pop romp that pulls you in quickly. The opener, "Help, I'm Alive", is impossible to ignore.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!


More stylistic change. The YYYs have always been known for their punky guitar riffs and the unmistakable vocals of Karen O. This album finds them relying more on dance beats and synth washes. It actually fits them really well, making this disc a fun listen.

St. Vincent - Actor


Annie Clark's last album was delightful in its experimentation. Her 2nd collection of songs picks up where she last left off, but with an air of even more confidence. Her talent is fast becoming undeniable. 

Silversun Pickups - Swoon
Comparisons to the Smashing Pumpkins will not die, but this band has a talent all their own. This disc hasn't grabbed me quite like their first one did, but their style is on full display in this strong release.


What albums have captured your attention so far this year?