The Agonist - Music

Mary Travers, of Peter, Paul and Mary--RIP

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:19:48 -0700

My Dad's favorite group, along with CSNY, when I was a kid. I'll always remember their performance of 'Light One Candle', with a choir from NYC...brings tears even today---especially today...

A capella Metal

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 21:12:04 -0700

I recall, sometime in the last year or two, that someone in the comments here at the Agonist stated their belief that the guitar is so popular because it sounds so much like the male voice. I'm probably misremembering the statement, but I think that's close to what was written.

Well, I've recently come across what you might call living proof of that assertion: Van Canto, an a capella metal group composed of 5 singers and 1 drummer. It's music that I simultaneously feel embarrassed and immensely happy listening to. I can't see myself listening to it in the presence of friends, but I also can't wipe a big smile off my face while listening to it alone. I have to marvel at the guts it takes to do what they do--and the skill with which they pull it off too!

Here is "Pathfinder," which starts right off with the vocal guitar:

Two more songs below the fold

Next, a cover of Iron Maiden's "Fear of the Dark":

And finally, a cover of Nightwish's "Wishmaster":

The Tardy Reporter, or

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:26:22 -0700

Deadlines? We don't got no stinking deadlines!

Sunday, August 23
The day started early for me. Got up and fed the dogs, made breakfast for Mae and myself, checked the strings on my trusty Martin....as my neighbor would say...ops check good! My ultimate destination: Luckenbach, Texas. I'm joining a group of guitarists with the intent of breaking a Guinness world record. Mae has to finish up with some online CE's and will not be accompanying me. Bummer! My first stop will be our place at the lake. Get the mail, check the water tank and feed. The deer look good here...you would not know there is a drought going on by their appearance. Back into the car and up 281 to Blanco...I'll cut across from there to Luckenbach. As I drive, I notice the spots of brown and sickly green among the cedar and oaks. The local weatherman said the oaks are going dormant early this year. Bullshit! These guys are dying. There will be no flush of green come springtime. The patches of brown will remain...the sickly green will be replaced by more patches of brown. The road I take from Blanco parallels the Blanco river for several miles, but there is something wrong with this picture as well. There is no river, just a meandering swath of limestone and river rock where there should be water. As I drive I look to the left, expecting to see some patches of the life giving liquid...there is none. Like a testament to the harshness of this summer, I see stands of sumac common to this area along the road. Normally tough and tolerant of little rain, they now appear as burnt and twisted sticks somehow reaching out to the passing traffic. A lone windmill and dilapidated wooden water tank stand next to an old house. Rushes and cattails grow from the top of the tank. It's almost surreal. The fields and pastures along the way are yellow and brown, though this area had a blast of rain over the past 36 hrs. Not near enough...not near enough.

Traffic is picking up, I'm two miles from Luckenbach and the line of vehicles is really a welcome sight. Looks like we might beat the record. The parking area is filling, but not yet near capacity. The first traffic "cop" is an acquaintance of mine...as is the second, and the third. I figured I would see quite a few folks I know. The bottom parking area is full and the line I'm in is turned to begin filling the area along the front fenceline. As fate would have it, I am directed to the parking slot that is absolutely the farthest that can be had. Oh well, grab my hat, camera and guitar and get on down to the registration booth.

I had pre-registered online in an effort to insure that I would not find something else that was more pressing to fill my Sunday. There usually is something. Even today I have to leave the event a little early. A friend is coming to the house to pick up a 1959 Karmann Ghia I sold him a few weeks earlier. The online registration area looks pretty open, except for the line that handles last names N through S. That, of course, is my line. But things flow quickly...I pick up my shirt and dogtags and I'm inside in very little time. Just inside that gate there is a buzz of activity, a stream of humanity flowing back and forth from the food to the ticket booth to the beer booths.

Like an ant I drop into formation behind a line of people. Where will this line take me? Opposing foot traffic offers glimpses of people I know, and many new faces. There are smiles and nods everywhere. The whole vibe of the place is good, very good. The line snakes around trees and people in little groups. The sounds of acoustic guitars are all around...some practicing the tunes we will play, others just jamming.
This is not some cacophonous racket...there is harmony all around...each group, each individual, each voice, each string, each note, each chord all seem to fit into a grand staff of a higher design.

Announcements are made with instructions for the pickers. From my vantage point on the hill I see the sea of white shirts and cowboy hats swell and ebb. Glints of sunlight break off the tuning keys of the many guitars. Some people are crazy. They have brought very expensive guitars with them. The temperature is pushing 102 now, and that's not good for any wooden musical instrument. Most folks, myself included, have brought their old beaters. Granted, if something were to happen to my guitar, I would be bummed, but it's easily and cheaply replaceable. (But he said "trusty Martin" earlier.) It's a Backpacker, to clarify, possibly the cheapest Martin ever made. I do have a nice one, a D16, but I like it far too much to subject it to such extremes. The sea of humanity is growing. The time to play has been pushed back, as there are still people in line registering. Another announcement: the number to beat is 1803...number 1804 has just come through the gate. The excitement is rippling through the crowd. Looking around I see nothing but happy faces. I'm one of them. This is a good gig...I'm fortunate to be here. Time for a beer.

I chat with the folks in front of me and behind me in the ticket line. The guy behind me, Dave, is from New Hampshire. He loves the heat. Obviously a nut case...but pleasant enough. He's also in the wrong line, thinking it's for beer. He already has tickets, so I use my Texas charm to wrest a couple from him and escort him to the beer booth. We go back and fall in line for tickets, having exhausted his supply. We're getting close now, close to picking time. Dave has attached himself to me, as I am the local, the expert, so I find us a nice tree on the hill to wait under. Down the hill, in the throng of the crowd, the air is thick, humid, still. It's 104 now, and the crowd is animated, the sea of humanity has a matching odor, thick and musky. I'm comfortable on the hill, under the trees with a good breeze. Another announcement: it's time! The number now is 1857, not what was expected, but good enough. About 300 people that pre-registered did not show. Too bad, that would have been quite a number. Quickly people...tune up and get ready!

We play the tunes "Luckenbach Texas" and "This Land is Your Land". They drop the level of the P.A. mains for these songs. The sound is indescribable. 1800+ guitars all playing a couple of great tunes...I hate sounding trite, but it was almost angelic. Emotion wells up in my chest like a soft knot of some flimsy fabric...this is a good gig. I'm very happy that I came. Soon after the last chord rung, I lost track of time for a short while, the whole experience reverberating in my head. I't now getting a little late for me...time to head out. Once again I drop into formation, the ant-humans escorting me back across the dry, powdery dirt. The line takes me past the food booths, the beer booths, and...a hat booth? O.K. I'll bite. Needed a new hat anyway....

It's a long walk back to the car, back to the last parking place on the edge of the pasture. The magic of the gathering is still floating around in my head. Before I realize it, I'm driving towards Sisterdale...

Just What I Need, More Easily Deliverable Crack-Cocaine

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:55:53 -0700

Well, this is just what my budget needs these days: crack-cocaine, newly refined and guaranteed to waste every last spare minute of my day.

War (What Is It Good For?)

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 13:07:41 -0700

ReThink Afghanistan

Every Waking Moment

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 10:30:43 -0700

Music Is Good

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:19:37 -0700

If you're not listening to Citizen Cope you are doing yourself a grave disservice. Go to iTunes, or whatever you use, download some of his music, I like Brother Lee, myself, or Sideways, with Carlos Santana playing lead guitar, pour yourself some coffee or a drink, pick your poison and settle in for some damn fine music.

Speaking of music, what's your top five (or ten) most played look like in your iPod or mp3 player? I reset all my counts the day I returned home from Amsterdam. Nothing like starting over, eh?

Mine are after the jump.

1. The Pretender -- Foo Fighters

2. She Builds Quick Machines -- Velvet Revolver

3. Brother Lee -- Citizen Cope

4. Free Falling -- Where the Light Is - John Mayer Live In Los Angeles

5. Superunknown -- Soundgarden

6. Sure Hope it Ain't A Train -- Mark Selby

7. Consolers of the Lonely -- The Raconteurs

8. Yellow Blues -- Charlie Robison

9. Tick Tick Boom -- The Hives

10. Use Somebody -- Kings of Leon

It's Not Country, It's Pop With A Twang

Sun, 02 Aug 2009 09:05:21 -0700

What, I ask you, does a 16 year old girl in Connecticut know about country music?

Not much, although she knows how to use YouTube, Myspace and Facebook.

Speaking of radio...

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:29:55 -0700

Though I was more than a little frustrated when the two satellite radio companies merged, I've come to grips with having two sides of the same coin. XM was always a bit more progressive and less "commercial" than Sirius, wider songlists in rotation and more emphasis on emerging artists. It now seems that the Sirius format is ever so slightly changing, and heading in the direction (hopefully) that XM took. I hope they continue with these changes...for example...heard three different songs from "Roadhouse Sun" over the period of about 4 hours. Not too shabby...

$1.92 Million Fine for Music Piracy

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 01:30:08 -0700

DAVE ITZKOFF | June 19

NYT - A Minneapolis jury ruled on Thursday that a 32-year-old woman must pay $1.92 million to six record companies for illegally downloading songs released by those labels from the Internet, Agence France-Presse reported.

The woman, Jammie Thomas-Rasset, a single mother of four from Brainerd, Minn., was found liable for violating the copyrights of major labels including Sony BMG, Warner Brothers and Universal by downloading 24 songs from Kazaa, a peer-to-peer file-sharing service.

Couple neat music events

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 06:54:36 -0700

Coouple events worth mentioning coming up in Ol Texas

1. Poodie Lock Benefit
Old BackPorch
Jun 28 2-10pm
admission- minimum 20 buck
Performers not confirmed but you can bet it'll be worth the 20 bucks

2. Current record for guitars playing at one time is 1800 and was set in Germany - thats about to be broken--August 23 in Luckenbach TX
www.luckenbachtexas.com for details aiming for 2000 pickers-

Think everyone should visit Luckenbach at least once-- Chrissy and I enjoy just stoppin in now and then- sitting under the big oaks - sippin on a long neck- listening to whoever might be pickin- maybe try a game of washers--
meet some great folks there

'Lost' music instrument recreated

Sat, 30 May 2009 23:43:10 -0700

Pallab Ghosh | May 31

BBC -

New software has enabled researchers to recreate a long forgotten musical instrument called the Lituus.

The 2.4m (8ft) long trumpet-like instrument was played in Ancient Rome but fell out of use some 300 years ago.

Bach's motet (a choral musical composition) "O Jesu Christ, meins lebens licht" was one of the last pieces of music written for the Lituus.

Now, for the first time, this 18th Century composition has been played as it should have been heard.

audio sample at link

Neil Young: After the gold rush, the harvest

Sat, 30 May 2009 01:40:55 -0700

Andy Gill | May 30

The Independent -
Next week, after two decades of fussing, fiddling, amassing and sifting, the first massive instalment of Neil Young's long-awaited career retrospective, The Neil Young Archives, finally becomes available.

It's a huge thing, both conceptually and physically: this first batch of 11 DVDs, covering the singer's career from his teenage origins in Winnipeg guitar band The Squires in 1963, through his time with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills and Nash, up to the point that he became a household name with the success of his Harvest album in 1972, arrives housed in a box the size of a couple of breeze-blocks, accompanied by a book of press clippings, lyric jottings, photos and ephemera. It is literally monumental: if the rest of Young's career is covered in similarly exhaustive fashion, his fans will not just be able to immerse themselves in it, they will probably be able to build a home from the boxes and live in it.

It's unlikely, however, that subsequent volumes will have the satisfying unity of the first set, which offers a detailed portrait not just of Neil Young but of the whole Los Angeles singer-songwriter counter-culture through the era in which it moved inexorably overground, rushing in to occupy the vacuum left at the end of the 1960s, when the Altamont and the Manson Family had effectively put the naive hippie dream to the sword.

Neil Young actually knew Charlie Manson a little, having been introduced to him at Beach Boy Dennis Wilson's house a few months before the Tate/LaBianca murders. Like many, he found the would-be songwriter a charismatic, powerful presence, with a curious gift – shared with Dylan, and Young himself – of being able to reel off lyrics apparently at will.

"Manson would sing a song and just make it up as he went along, for three or four minutes, and he never would repeat one word, and it all made perfect sense and it shook you up to listen to it," Young explained years later. "It was so good that it scared you." A few years later, he would write the song "Revolution Blues" from the standpoint of a homicidal psychotic clearly based on Manson. Back in the 1960s, however, Neil recommended Manson to his record company, Reprise, but nothing came of it. Had the label granted Manson his deepest wish and signed him up, who knows how things may have turned out? Sharon Tate might still be alive, Charles Manson might be a superstar rather than a bogeyman, and Neil Young might have been dumped by his label and retired from music altogether, as a car mechanic.

Satchmo Saturday

Sat, 23 May 2009 18:07:39 -0700

What are you listening to?

Re-reading automobile politics as cultural text

Sat, 02 May 2009 03:52:53 -0700

This is an inter-blog rescue of sorts I wrote reflecting on two posts by Steen Christiansen, a contributing writer at America Adrift. An assistant professor of English at Aalborg University and one of only two Danish libertarians (that I know of), he describes his research as, "working mainly on cultural transformations between high and low culture, investigating how these entities intersect and inform each other. Continuing within a cultural materialist methodology, I’m particularly interested in cultural resistance and how narratives help shape these variant forms of resistance." I'm not in the habit of cross posting work here but I thought this short piece, along with the links to Steen's very interesting and entertaining two articles would be appreciated here at the Agonist, particularly in light of yesterday's news about Chrysler's "financial re-organization."

Yesterday evening (gmt + 1) Danish teevee news live fed President Obama’s announcement that Chrysler will head into bankruptcy protection. Can anyone tell me if the CNNization of Danish news along with its increased obsession focus on live "breaking" coverage of D.C. political intrigue is merely a figment of my imagination?

A few weeks ago, thinking about the ubiquitous global financial “crisis,” particularly the massive gap between how the Establishment framed Detroit and Wall Street, I asked Steen if he’d write a follow up to his excellent post, “The Big Three Killed My Baby.” In light of yesterday's news I wanted to re post that piece, along with his recent article, "Motor City is Burning," which he graciously agreed to produce for us.

In both articles Steen explores musical arrangements as social criticism aimed at the American automobile industry, namely management of the top three automobile manufactures. The first looks at the song, "The Big Three Killed My Baby," from Detroit band The White Stripes' 1999 debut album. His recent post, examines MC5’s 1968/69 cover of John Lee Hooker's 1943 song “Motor City Is Burning."

Taken together these pieces, fascinating on their own, represent an important and critical dimension of a very real crisis in Detroit and across America. They reflect upon deep cultural attachments not only to the automobile, but to the politics and economics of the automobile industry. Steen summed up what's at stake thus, "So, once again, the fate of Detroit is closely tied to the industry and there is reason to believe that The Big Three will drag Detroit (and other cities) down with them."

Obama's address, though riddled with some progressive ideas, calls to protect the working middle class, and a green energy future, also revealed a regressive business as usual approach to handling Detroit. Consumerism as well continues to hold a central position within D.C. thinking, articulated by Obama in his address. Michael Shaw certainly didn't miss the consumption narrative's redeployment yet again with this terrific catch from a NY Times slide show. I also appreciated the way images 10 and 11 are sequenced. To continue picking on the Times, I personally felt that this image, leading the article, "Chrysler Files to Seek Bankruptcy Protection," serves as the quintessential visual narrative of how the establishment frames our automotive socio-economic discourse. Pretty clever dontcha think?

So what is likely to be the outcome of the current auto bail-out for Detroit, America, and the rest of the world? I trust historian David Nye will again have something important to say. But the latest headlines taken with Obama's statements lead me to imagine a continued stream of great Motor City music for Steen to analyze. Unfortunately for average Americans it will sound like more blues.

"Employees and customers watching President Obama’s announcement at Lochmoor Chrysler Jeep in Detroit. In bankruptcy, Chrysler will be able to cancel some of its dealership franchises."

(image: Paul Sancya/Associated Press, NYT)