Category Archives: Bands/Artists

Cat Power – The Greatest (review)

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I had read a few reviews of Chan Marshall’s new album as Cat Power called The Greatest. Some of the reviews praise the record as an attempt to become more accessible. Others bemoan the loss of the Cat Power that was risky, edgy, and underground. Chan (pronounced “Shawn”) packed up and went to Memphis to record this record at Ardent studios. Ardent is where Big Star did all of their greatest work. She worked with Memphis veterans such as Mabon “Teenie” Hodges and Steve Potts. These guys played with the likes of Al Green, Tina Turner, Neil Young, and Booker T and the MG’s. Teenie co-wrote “Take Me To The River” and “Love and Happiness” with Green. Pitchfork gives the record a 7.9/10– which is quite a compliment from them, however, their comment is that is sounds “outdated” or “musty” instead of timeless. They praise the album as one that will widen her audience.

So, I guess I stand in the widening row. I have heard some Cat Power in the past. I even have a live show that I traded for some Tortoise live show a couple of years back. I had always meant to listen to her covers record that she released in 2000, as I guess it was pretty good. I’ve sat through this album three times in a row (which I don’t usually do). I’ve come to the decision that I really like it. Sure, it isn’t really edgy or confrontational. It sounds like a record made by someone who was having a good time hanging out with some old school R&B guys. It is nice and laid back slightly jazzy with a really intimate small bar feel. The recording feels live to me, very little editing. The songs that stand out for me are “Moon” and “Love and Communication.” I really recommend this record. One of the reviewers for this record said that if “Adult Alternative” was going to include this kind of music then they should sign her up. The trouble with reviews is that all the best that anyone can do is compare the reviewed record to other records. Evidently she doesn’t have anything in her catalog that compares to this. At times it sounds more like a smoky, angry Dido record, or maybe a Natalie Merchant record after a night at the bars. I’d recommend this one. I plan to get the vinyl version, I think. Thanks to Matador’s very cool vinyl friendliness, we have a vinyl version! Also, there is a 7 inch single available for $.99!

Here is an mp3 of the first track on The Greatest.

The Pines on Live from Studio One

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One of those happy accidents happened tonight. I happened to be listening to KUNI on my way home from work and they announced that The Pines were going to be live on Studio One at 7PM. This was pretty good news because it would give me a chance to record it. The Pines are Benson Ramsey and David Huckfelt. They are living in Minneapolis today, but are both from Iowa. Benson Ramsey is the son of Bo Ramsey— who is pretty well known in Eastern Iowa as well as a noted producer for artists like Lucinda Williams and Greg Brown.

So, I recorded it to cassette on the compact stereo up in our bedroom (I need to get a receiver down by my workstation) and listened to it. They seemed humble and appreciating. They did an acoustic guitar duo set. They did a couple of Pines songs, a couple songs from Benson’s upcoming solo album The Light Under the Door which is supposed to be out this spring, and some other folk covers. They sound a lot like Bob Dylan’s acoustic guitar period. Observational stories. Really good stuff for a couple of young guys. I guess they met each other in Tulsa.

I bought the Pines first album last year and really enjoyed it. I haven’t seen them live yet, but I really am hoping to sometime. This spring we will have the solo Benson Ramsey album, as well as a Pines 7-song Folk EP.

So right now, I’m ripping the tape to .wav and will probably burn CD’s for everybody I know who likes the Pines. I wonder if I should torrent this?

Dejé mi oído en Tucson

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I’m always amazed when I stumble upon some corner of music that I haven’t looked into before. In the last week I started looking into some related bands. There is a regional music scene similar to Athens, GA in the late 80’s and like the Post Rock scene surrounding Thrill Jockey Records in Chicago today in Tucson, AZ. In similar fashion to Athens, it has a movie documenting it.

I had heard some music from Calexico. I had sort of written them off as being kind of a hispanic Post-Rock group and not really paid attention to them. I had a chance to hear the Calexico + Iron and Wine collaboration in In the Reins which was very good. Coming in March is the new release from Calexico called Garden Ruin. It seems that Calexico has veered from its mariachi roots and produced an album that stands on its own merits. I think that maybe they have learned something from the Iron and Wine.
Once I heard Garden Ruin, I started looking a bit closer to the roots of Calexico. Calexico is primarily John Convertino and Joey Burns. They were both in Giant Sand with Howe Gelb. Giant Sand have a pretty extensive history. Howe (pronouced “How”) Gelb moved to Tucson with his family after a flood at their home in Pennsylvania. He formed the band Giant Sandworm in the 70’s. They hung together until 1980 or so, when Howe started firing members. By the time he was signed to Enigma records it was just him and a drummer and he dropped the “worm” part of their name. At this point he moved from what was considered largely a punk outfit to being something else. I think that Giant Sand occupies the dry desert music space as the Meat Puppets– kind of rock and kind of western. (note: this perspective of music seems to be called “New West” and includes Wilco/Sun Volt, and Ryan Adams) Convertino and Burns are still considered members of Giant Sand, although it seems that Calexico is their primary focus. The last Giant Sand record on Thrill Jockey, Its All Over… The Map doesn’t include them. Howe Gelb has been compared to Neil Young in his sound and his method of re-inventing himself. His last album on Thrill Jockey under the project/album name of Arizona Amp and Alternator definately shows this. Howe has a new album coming up that he recorded with a gospel choir he met on tour last year. This album called ‘Sno Angel Like You is due next month. He will tour for this album, but won’t be bringing the choir with him.

Also related to Calexico and Giant Sand/Howe Gelb is the late Rainer Ptacek. Rainer played slide guitar in Giant Sand and a number of other projects with Howe. He also has a couple of solo releases. He passed away in 1997 of brain cancer. A significant loss in this regional scene.

While I was doing my research on these bands, I found out that there is an independent movie that is completed and doing the run of film festivals called “High and Dry: Where The Desert Meets Rock and Roll” that is about the burgeoning music scene in Tucson. This movie, as you might imagine, includes a lot of footage from Calexico, Big Sand and Howe Gelb, as well as Rainer. Evidently, there is a trailer on the October issue of Paste Magazine. I’ll have to dig that out.

The guy who seems to be keeping the flame for this scene is a DJ named Jim Blackwood who is considered the archivist for both Calexico and Big Sand. He has been posting stuff to Archive.org and a number of the bittorrent sites. I managed to snag a torrent off of dimeadozen which was a radio show from the community station he works for, KXCI, which includes a bunch of archive stuff from Gelb, Rainer, Giant Sand, OP8 (a side project with Giant Sand and Lisa Germano), Calexico, and an instrumental spinoff called “The Friends of Dean Martin (today called “The Friends of Dean Martinez”).

I should also point out that Giant Sand and Calexico are related to Neko Case and are part of the band that backs her up on her new album Fox Confessor Brings the Flood which was recorded in Tucson in the studio that Calexico and Howe Gelb frequents. Neko is kind of an institution in her own rite between her solo career and her side job in The New Pornographers.

So, it looks like I’ll be listing to this scene for a while. We have the new Calexico album, a new Howe Gelb album and the new Neko Case album all getting attention in my rotations. Since Calexico and Gelb allow taping I’ll be able to do some listening of the live shows. Calexico are on tour in Europe at the moment. I’m hoping/assuming they will kick off a US tour after the new album comes out on the 11th of March. I’d like to try to get out to see them.