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Destroyer
While many have become aware of this Vancouver, BC band, through frontman Dan Bejar’s affililiation with The New Pronographers. I’ve always been more a fan of the beautiful melodic, yet edgy, brilliant, laughing, cynical yet transcendent of Destroyer since first hearing 2001’s Streethawk: A Seduction. Bejar’s voice and lyric sensbility are a little hard to pin down; while some say it’s a cross between Pavement and early David Bowie, perhaps the early Roy Harper is a more fitting comparison than Bowie. One thing’s for sure, they have very little in common with Kiss, despite their name. They performed a fine show on Monday, May 8 at Cafe Du Nord in San Francisco, and afterwards I got to to talk to Dan and the others, about some of our favorite Vancouver based poets such as Clint Burnham, Lisa Robertson, and Jeff Derkson. I also asked Dan about the ‘for sale’ sign on their tour van, and he said it was a joke played on him by The Magnolia Electric Company while touring through Kentucky, which lead to Bejar getting many long distance calls on his cell from Kentuckians before finally scraped off two of the phone numbers
painted on his window
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Hudson Bell
San Francisco based Hudson Bell is a band led by none other than Hudson Bell, who has just released their third album on Merge Records, and opened for Destroyer at Cafe Du Nord with their beautiful melodic post grunge electric set. Though Hudson is also an excellent acoustic guitarist and songwriter, as evidenced on his first two, self-released albums, the band’s current two-guitar attack, which also features Chris Palmatier, who produced the second Continuous Peasant album, on guitar, opts for a more lush swirly indie-rock jam-band feel (like the louder side of Neil Young, Dinosaur, Jr., or Stephen Malkmus), more than his songwriting. It makes for a great live show, and I ain’t complaining, but I think it would be an even better show if he incorporated at least one or two of his more acoustic songs into future sets. Maybe this will happen more as his reputation grows and he gets to stretch out his live set as a headliner.
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Brett Eugene Ralph
Though a legend in his native Louisville, heralded by such luminaries as Will Oldham (aka Bonnie Prince Billy), who did a double-sided 7” with Ralph’s band Rising Shotgun and released Fading Out(Ralph’s mid 1980s’ hardcore band)’s album on his Palace Records a few years back, Ralph has remained largely under the radar on the national scene. His new, as yet unreleased, album with his Kentucky Chrome Review may very well change this. In the meantime, he’s appearing for a rare bay area appearance, with such local musicians as Greg Ashley of Gris Gris fame), Paula Frazer (ex-Frightwig; ex-Tarnation), Sorcerybird, Tanya Brolaski, myself and others
on Monday May 15 at The Ivy Room (858 San Pablo Ave.) in Albany, CA.
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Jonathan Richman
On Friday, May 12th at San Francisco’s 111 Minna Gallery, a benefit for Damien Echolsand The West Memphis Three featured
‘spoken word’ performances by a star-studded cast including Jello Biafra, Henry Rollins, Penelope Houston , the aforesaid Mr. Richman, and former Green Party mayoral candidate, Matt Gonzalez . This absolute embarrassment of riches ensured the event raised alot of money, awareness for a cause and drew sold-out crowds. While Biafra and Rollins have been known for their verbal performances (I personally prefer the word ‘stand-up’ to ‘spoken word’ though neither are quite accurate), seeing Richman move into this arena is a very welcome development. Maybe he’ll release a talk album himself one of these days. I know I’d love to hear it
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Queen, “Leavin’ Home Ain’t Easy”
A Brian May gem from their 1978 album,Jazz, this song tends to get lost in the shuffle of Queen’s more public songs, but give it a listen, even if you don’t already know it, or even if you don’t already like “Love Is Lies” by The Buzzcocks
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Hot Chocolate, “Emma”
Boy was I glad when local DJ/booker, Neil Martinson, played this song in between sets at The Knockout on Mayday. It’s clear to me how much Prince took from this song, and I bet he’d gladly admit it.
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Tony Torn, Lee Ann Brown and Corrina Copp
Torn, Brown, and Copp are currently curating “plays on words: a poets and theatre festival” in conjunction with Richard Foreman’s ontological hysteic incubator and Anselm Berrigan’s poetry project, at Saint Mark’s Church, the venue established by Allen Ginsberg Brothers Deluxe and others almost 40 years ago.
In addition to poet plays by such luminaries as Anne Waldman, Jimi Hendrix biographer David Henderson, Carla Harryman, Tom Raworth and Tuli Kupferberg (most known in music circles for his work with The Fugs, the event will also feature a playlet by yours truly, on Monday May 15th at 8PM. Unfortunately, I live 3000 miles away and won’t be able to make it! Anyway, For more information, contact www.ontological.com
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Jolie Holland
Jolie will be releasing a new album come May, but this past week took some time out to play some violin as well as lend some vocals for a new Continuous Peasant song. I just wanted to say thank you!
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Bart Davenport, “Everyone On Earth Is So Beautiful.”
Have to give some ‘props’ to local musician, Bart Davenport for this recent song, which has become a staple for quite a few DJS on KALX. With its great hron section, and crisp production, one may very well mistake this song for a lost classic by a blue-eyed soul musician circa 1973
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Music For America –
A San Francisco based non-profit organization that has been instrumental in combining rock music with get out the vote campaigns. For more information, contact www.musicforamerica.org
