Dual discos, and a potential new start.

When I first heard Pretty Hate Machine (probably '91) it was a revelation. Not only did I not know that you could make music that sounded like that, but I didn't know that one person! could do that. However, by the late nineties I wasn't really interested in anything but Jazz and lost track of what Mr. Reznor was up to. For the project I "got" and listened to the entire discography. First of all, it re-enforced my belief that re-mix albums blow. Take a decent song and make it go dikka-tsa, dikka-tsa? No thanks. As for the regular albums, the first two I enjoyed, although probably as much out of nostalgia as anything else, and the rest I thought were ok. I feel like NIN is a band I should like more, but I just can't get past the goth-esque "I'm so afraid of God" thing. There are moments here and there of musical or textural beauty, but the over-all impression (for me) is that I just don't care. That being said, I did really enjoy Ghosts (perhaps because it is instrumental) and am seriously contemplating buying it on vinyl despite the $45 price-tag.

Last week I went to Maine for a few days, and my entire ride up was the Nirvana discography. Even after this recent listening I have such mixed feelings about this band. Because they were good, but they were also overrated. And while Kurt was saddled with that "voice of a generation" tag, he was very much the embodiment of that moment. It's not that he, or his band, were extraordinary visionaries, more like they were the absolute stereotype of what was happening at the time. The first time I heard "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was over the loudspeakers at a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert (openers: Smashing Pumpkins (who I hated) and the completely unheard of Pearl Jam) and while I had been hearing buzz about Nirvana by then (Nov. '91) it was just another new good band, not some out-of-the-blue bolt from heaven. Now, in 2008, the still-played hits from these albums have the feel of classic rock chestnuts, which I guess they are. And none of my impressions of individual albums changed. I've always thought Bleach was overrated by people who wanted to pretend they were on the bandwagon earlier than they were. Nevermind is as poppy as they get. Incesticide, being a b-sides & rarities collection, has some hidden gems and some throwaways. In Utero is still my favorite, noisy and angry. And Unplugged revealed that some of their songs were actually good.

On a completely different subject, it looks like I'm going to be moving to Providence and going back to school. A confluence of forces have conspired to lead me to these decisions. The first is that Chris not only sort of has to sell the house, but also wants to move to someplace warmer. (He is, after all, old.) That made me look at my life and think about where, physically, I wanted to be. As he talked about Florida as an option I looked into Full Sail University, which has certain benefits, but then I'd have to move to Florida. As I started to think about school, I decided to look into URI, specifically the Continuing Education (or Old People's College as I like to call it) up in Providence. Then there is a social element. With Harry starting college this semester I'd have a sort of school buddy, even though we'll be at different campuses. Next is the fact that I'm now in the system at as220 and have the opportunity to grow that a bit more. And finally, Kyle has been dating someone who lives in Providence so he spends most of his time up there anyway. The other night he and I met after work and when I asked if he wanted to move to PVD he said sure.

All the chips are in place. Let's proceed.

So, I have. The other day I met with an advisor to get the ball rolling. He told me some things that I might have figured out on my own, but it was useful to hear from someone in an official capacity. And yesterday I filled out my application, mailed it along with my CCRI transcript and called my high school to have them send that transcript. Next week I plan to meet with a financial aid advisor, and perhaps the heads of a couple of departments. So things are moving forward. Future, here we come!

RI's premiere dance band! (clap, clap)

I'm not really sure when I first met Harry, but I do remember the first time we really talked. It was at a bonfire at Jon's and we started talking about music. We liked a lot of the same music and in that regard at least he reminded me of myself as a teenager. Eventually he uttered a phrase that can strike fear into the heart of any music snob such as myself, especially when coming from someone in their teens. He said, "I'm in a band." Oh shit. His father, who I've known for a long time, was standing there and just so happened to have a disc of said band. Fucking great. With a physical disc in my hand I'd have no excuse for "forgetting" either the band name or the MySpace address. This disc sat on top of my stereo for at least a few weeks before I got around to putting it on. I expected to have to be diplomatic the next time I saw him saying something like "Not bad. Not my thing, but not bad." When I finally worked up the courage to listen to the disc I discovered that not only was is not bad, it was in fact good and is was my thing. Drums, bass, guitar, and ... saxophone? No vocals? Hot Damn! Sign me up!

My initial reaction to a Troop of Echoes was that they were on the right path, but weren't quite there yet. I debated with myself quite a bit as to whether I should jump in with a million suggestions or just sit back and watch them develop on their own. I like to think I've done a bit of both over the years.

They hate being called a Jazz-Rock band (mostly because, well, they're not) but it is an all too convenient starting point for describing their music. They're more like a somewhat noisy post-rock band that fired their singer and replaced him with a sax player with some serious skills. Add the occasional bit of synth for texture and you start to get the idea. The songs range from the beautifully melodic to screaming sonics to ass shaking grooves. The influences of several local RI bands from Hircine to Mahi Mahi are abundant without ever sounding like imitations. More like this is what they are listening to and absorbing.

Last Saturday was (I believe) the 15th* time I've seen them live and in an over-all sense easily the best. It was definitely one of, if not the biggest in terms of attendance and people actually paying attention and digging it. Over the course of those shows I've been able to watch them grow and mature into a truly amazing and original band. I can honestly say that while I started out as a friend of the bass/synth player, I've become a dedicated fan of the band as a whole. For starters the music has gotten tighter. The complex interplay between all four of them has more noticeable definition. The balance of sounds is distinct and nobody gets buried in the mix. The biggest difference though is that they have all become much more sure of themselves, both as a group and individually. They've become confident but not cocky, and they are clearly enjoying music they are playing.

*(I can count 14 shows with certainty, but feel like there's at least one more. They are far and away the band that I've seen the greatest number of times, but they still have awhile before catching up to the amount of stage time of the six times I saw the Grateful Dead.)

So far it has truly been a pleasure watching the band grow and watching their fan base grow along with them. On the eve of their "excursion" as they're calling it I wish them the best and look forward to hearing them develop even more in the future. I feel honored that I've been along for the ride.

Drinking with Harry

Sometime around '87 I went poking around in my father's record collection. There were some things that I listened to a few times but never really cottoned to (Quicksilver Messenger Service) some things I wasn't quite ready for (200 Motels) and some things that I loved and continue to listen to to this day (Klaatu, Harry Nilsson.) So what is it about Nilsson that caught my ear over twenty-one years ago and still delights me today?

The two albums that drew me in were Nilsson Schmilsson and Son of Schmilsson with their funny titles and strange songs like "Spaceman" and "Coconut." Add to that the fact that he *gasp* _swore, and since they were my father's albums it was ok for me to listen to them. So, I would pedal around on my bike delivering newspapers with my walkman on humming "You're breakin' my heart." Twenty-one years later, not much has changed. I was able to get the majority of the Nilsson catalogue and listened to it on my iPod while walking to and from work.

Listening to Harry was like getting back in touch with an old friend you haven't seen for over a decade and discovering that you not only still like the same things, but have all sorts of new things to talk about as well. The two albums mentioned above, and to a lesser extent The Point, were the only ones I was really familiar with and they delighted me just as much as they ever did. But the real discovery for me was the rest of the catalogue. There are so many songs throughout that I found so completely wonderful. And there are some low points to be sure, (Pussy Cats, A little touch of Schmilsson in the night) but they were easily overshadowed by the good stuff.

Now to see if I can find the other few albums I couldn't get ahold of.

The Banter is dead, long live the Banter!

As I start this entry I am sitting at AS220 about two hours before performing what I'm considering to be my last Banter/3.1 show. Harry has already weighed in on the subject, so here are my thoughts, etc..

To begin with, the reasons (yes, pun intended.) I've long since felt that the b/3.1 format has had some limitations about it and I've wanted to expand into other areas. Over the last year the b/3.1 style has been greatly refined, but working in it seems like just more of the same. Lately my attention has also started drifting back towards filmmaking, and in particular to the idea of creating an integrated art work (or works) which combine film, music, and possibly even acting. And then came the "Big Coincidence." Last year I started work on the 114 Song Box Set, releasing two new songs every week for fifty-seven weeks. At the outset I stated that as soon as I was finished with the 114 songs that I was going to stop working as Banter/3.1. Now I "pressed pause" on the box set a few months ago, however, today (July 28th) was supposed to have been the last day of the fifty-seven weeks and therefore the last day of Banter/3.1. Seemed like a sign to me.

The first major downside to ending b/3.1 may not be a problem at all, and is directly related to tonight's gig. I got this specific show through no effort of my own. Having played here before I was simply asked to play tonight. This is such a major change from a year ago where it seemed like I wasn't one of the "cool Providence people" and therefore couldn't get booked.

(At this point in writing my friends started to arrive so it is now a few days later)

In one sense it seems a shame to throw away this foot-in-the-door as it were, however, hopefully by the next time they come a-knockin' at my e-door I'll have a new project in the works (more on that later.) Another downside is that the current presentation is at a pretty refined point and can be done at a moments notice. But, I'm not particularly interested in doing that. I would rather make myself scarce for a bit while I work on the new thing and then roll that out when it's ready. (And I promise, I'll talk about "the new thing" before this blog is over) And finally, I'm starting to get some recognition as "Banter/3.1"* and moving away from that may be unnecessarily confusing. But, this is a chance I take. (*two days after I wrote that I got recognized as Banter while at work)

I was very pleased with the show. One thing that struck me as funny was that the first three acts (myself included) were one guy with a keyboard and a laptop. I'm going to refrain from writing about them because I liked one and didn't like the other and I'm going to leave it at that. The final band was a duo from Amsterdam called Controllar who really need to be seen to be appreciated. There was a decent turn out for a Monday night and a good time was had by all. Yeah.

So, what's next you ask? Well, the current show is the jumping off point for the next phase of the Banter Cycle. Basically what I'm thinking about is taking all of my talents/interests, throwing them into the blender, and searching for the balancing point where it all emulsifies. It will most likely include not only music and film, but acting, narrative story telling, and perhaps even DJ-ing. I plan on taking my time developing this, so don't expect to get any previews any time soon. Perhaps if I get offered a gig before "the new thing" is ready I'll see if CockSlap can play instead.

Now, who wants to join Banter the Band! ?

Is she asking me to look at her tits?

To wit.

Heterosexual men tend to qualify themselves as being "leg men" or "breast guys" as a way of identifying which physical characteristic they find most attractive in the opposite sex. I will now use this as the basis for an imperfect metaphor for what people look for in music. Bear in mind that all my choices in this analogy ultimately reflect my sensibilities more than they unravel some deep human mystery.

So.*

"Breast Guys" are people whose primary concern is the lyrics. It's the most obvious, in-your-face asset, and the hardest to deny. I mean really, who doesn't like a good, um, lyric. Although many will disagree about what makes for a good, um, lyric, there is fortunately enough variety to keep everyone happy.

Now "Leg Men" are a more rarefied lot. I liken them to those for whom the music is most important. Legs are, after all, the support upon which we stand. There is a more subtle beauty to be found here, one that can speak to a deeper place.

As for me, the most important thing is the face, which I will liken here to the over-all sound. Why, you ask, does the face equal sound? Because it's my damned metaphor, go get yer own.

So.*

Yesterday I was listening to Joanna Newsome's Ys. The first thing I noticed was the lovely sound of the work. The way her voice weaves through her playing coupled with the wonderful support of Van Dyke Parks' production makes for a beautiful disc. However, the words, and there are a lot of them, seem to be the real focus of this work. And as I pondered this music, and this bizarre metaphor, I was left with one question. "Is she asking me to look at her tits?"

*used with acknowledged debt to K.V.jr.

Alphabetically speaking

I'm exactly halfway through the project. I finished "M" this morning.I have no idea where that puts me in terms of disc count or over-all real time.

Woke up this morning...

..with Hannah Montanah stuck in my head. Life's just not fair.