The people of the particular region of the nation, commonly called Appalachia, live in an extreme poverty that few people in Chicago could even comprehend as existing in this country. The living conditions in this area are infrequently highlighted in news segments, if ever at all. The stark contrast to the extreme impoverishment of the area is the severe beauty surrounding, everywhere one looks. Go in the autumn, and your senses are bombarded, on a level that compares with the leaf season in New England. The hills, which are really more like mountains, are overrun with trees covered with the Kudzu Ivy. There are little shacks dotting the landscape here and there. If you drive through the hollows (pronounced 'hollers') after dark, you get the sense that you have somehow been transported back a hundred years, to a time when life was a lot simpler, but also a lot harder. Every so often you come across a strip mine, or a giant coal factory. This is the major industry in Appalachia, and its effects are everywhere.
  This is the setting that I found myself driving through, every day for about 14 months, sometime between 2001 and 2002. Its easy to lose sight of the beauty in life when one engages in a job every day, but at that time, and that place in my life, I did not find this to be the case. Every day, something would strike me as being extraordinarily wonderful or heartbreaking, affixing that moment permanently in my mind. It is hard for me to think about that period of my life without an extreme sense of nostalgic longing associated with the thoughts.
I would travel these winding roads, through hollows, past coal mines, and long abandoned buildings and towns, past small plots of land with family gardens, and rivers that would flood the towns on its embankments every summer. As I made my 30-75 minute commute to work (the length of time varied depending on the jobsite), I would listen to the local community radio station, based out of Whitesburg, Kentucky. The call letters were WMMT. The position on the dial was 88.7. And this was the best radio station I have ever heard. The station was primarily a bluegrass station, but they also had this Americana/Alt Country show that would play in the mornings, when I would drive to work.
  This is where I first heard Townes Van Zandt, Lyle Lovett, and Ryan Adams. This was where, on a particular evening in late October, while driving to a show, I heard Judy Collins sing 'With God On Our Side', an acapella version of the Dylan song. I hadn't even heard the original at that point. But I was just floored, and actually remember pulling the car over so I could take in the sheer depth of beauty that moment in time was presenting to me.
  I have never encountered another radio station like that one. The bluegrass they played was top notch, the alt country was very well selected, and they even had a hardcore show on Saturday nights, where some of the local teenagers would make a point to have completely random conversations over the airwaves. It was, and hopefully still is, a truly incredible voice of independent radio. If all radio was that well done, I would have a vastly different view of radio as a whole.
  There is a point to all of this.
  Shelley Miller is putting out a new album. It's called 'When it's All Gone, You Come Back'. Recently, Shelley sent us a digital copy, and we agreed to talk about it on the blog. After listening to the album several times, I realized that the feeling evoked by several of the songs on this cd were vastly reminiscent of my time in Appalachia as a whole, and more specifically, that radio station, which I now consider to be the soundtrack to my year repairing houses in the hollows of Appalachia.
  I wanted to talk about one song in particular. Track 7- 'All the Way Down' represents this feeling most especially. It really is a great song on its own, but when coupled with my personal experience, it really hit home to me, in a way that few songs do. The tender fingerpicking and the emotional honesty of the lyrics together weave images and feelings of younger days, and of times when things make sense, without any sort of explanation. To me, this song is a nice representation of the best life has to offer and the willingness to see the simple beauty in it all. In a way, this song just feels like home to me, which is a rare thing indeed.
  I highly recommend listening to this song, and then heading over to Martyr's on Friday night to catch Shelley debut these songs as an album, at a really great Chicago venue.

All The Way Down


Shelley Miller CD Release Show
Friday, February 12th, 2010
Martyr's
3855 North Lincoln Avenue
9 PM $8
w/ Micah Walk and Steve Dawson

Find Shelley Miller online!
Myspace
Website
Purchase the album there, or directly from her, at Fridays show. ShareThis

Sometime during the winter of 2009 one of the bands I play in had a show at Ronny's Center for the Performing Arts on California Ave in Chicago, IL. It was frigid, dimly lit (a singular small lamp sat on the floor providing the only illumination), and everyone in attendance was bundled up inside the venue, as I'll never forget, yet all became the formula for a lovely evening of local music inside the old garage. The occasion, also, was another one of those evenings when one plays a show, shares the bill with other musicians, quite often other bands/musicians one doesn't have any prior knowledge of, and their music is so good it gives one pause, prompting the self and the audience to listen a bit more attentively, perhaps even causing a person to become a fan. That particular night, one of the other acts on the bill was a local Chicago musician going under the name, Meander. Her set consisted of a refreshing collection of songs and provided a fitting texture by which to conclude the evening of music.

I wrote Meander last week and she expressed interest in letting me post one of her songs (Snow Lightning Bugs) for the Derelict Songs blog readers. In most instances I immediately hear the sonic features of a song before being drawn in by the lyricism - that's just the way my brain functions - here is no different. Meander has a fantastic way of playing the guitar and organizing a tune, it was striking to hear some of the tones coming from her guitar during that night at Ronny's. I hope you'll enjoy this song and, perhaps, visit the website listed below to learn about the other song offerings from Meander. I seem to recall that her album is available at Reckless Records on Milwaukee Ave in Chicago, IL. Surely, Meander will have additional upcoming local shows listed, before too long, on her website. Be sure to catch a performance if you have a free night on your calendar!

www.myspace.com/meandermeander



Snow Lightning Bugs



Thank you for reading and listening!

- Updater ShareThis

most singer-songwriters play songs of a somber-variety. tennessee troubador henry daggs is more likely to inspire a shit-eating grin. in his songs, daggs tells you why he'd rather visit graceland than go to heaven and why bears are like giant dogs that want to kill you. the light-hearted nature of so many of henry's songs makes it that much more effective when he wants to drive home a serious point about loyalty or a friendship gone awry.






Fuck Heaven
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Here are a couple of more songs from Saturday Jan 30 2010 in South Haven, MI at The Foundry Hall. These are featuring the bluegrass band Twenty-Three.


Twenty-Three - audio from video 2.mp3

Twenty-Three - audio from video 3.mp3 ShareThis

Nathaniel Seer recently sat down with us after a show in Madison, Wisconsin, during the last week of his most recent tour (Nov 2009) to do an interview for audio posting within the blog. This guy has some remarkable songs to his credit and is just fantastic at playing the guitar and singing, as well as an all-around good guy.


Nathaniel Seer Interview - 60MB



This is the blog's first audio interview posting. What comes with that is the real possibility that fades are getting worked out and levels are getting figured out and I am gaining a better understanding of how audio editing software works and how I can possibly get better with it over time. The interview with Nathaniel is a very good one, and quite lengthy. I do hope you enjoy. Please forgive any amateur mistakes with the editing. For a first attempt, I think the trimming and general editing didn't turn out all that bad after all, but it is clear I have some areas to improve upon with subsequent audio interviews.

You can learn more about Nathaniel Seer and his record label at the following:
www.chestnuttreerecords.com


I look forward to doing this more with other musicians as each one has a fascinating story to tell and expand upon.

Please enjoy and thank you for reading!


Mr. Whiskers ShareThis

cover art for latest Rob Reid album 'The Principles of Crop Rotation'

I thought I would post this little bit from a few weeks ago. This is a photo taken at the Rob Reid/ Them Damn Kids show at Uncommon Ground on Tues Dec 29 2009. Rob Reid officially released his latest record on that night 'The Principles of Crop Rotation'. The photos of the cables and the gear always pique my attention. Along those lines, here are the instruments of choice for Rob Reid. Every musician is a chemist.

Rob's album, and music, in generally, is fantastic. Try to catch his next show at Phyllis' Musical Inn on Tues Feb 10 2010. The address is: 1800 W Division St., Chicago, IL 60622. Rob will be taking part in a night showcasing a few local singer-songwriters. This particular night, I believe, will involve each of the writers playing one another's songs. The night will be hosted by Chris Darby.



I am a fan of live recordings. I love seeing the myriad of possibilities in live performance, and then being able to capture that one moment, whether the medium be an audio recorder or a video camera. The live recording listed below is actually the audio feed from a video of Rob performing a few weeks ago. The reason I didn't post the video is because there is a non-verbal interaction between Rob and the audience that is actually quite priceless, but on video (upon further review) I determined it would be a bit distracting, were I to go on with posting it. Rob did a really nice job of this track that night, it's a pretty fine performance, and so I thought listing it might be an alright course of action.

www.reliablerascal.com


Rob Reid - Tuvalu - live Fri Jan 1 2010 Kenosha WI.mp3 ShareThis

How about some Bile Greene music for the readers?

The first two photographs for this post were taken by Rob Reid from the show he co-headlined with Bile Greene at The Satellite Cafe in West Philadelphia, PA on Tuesday Dec 22, 2009. The word coming across the telegraph was that the show took place in the midst of the most recent blizzard that walloped the East Coast and Atlantic Seaboard before the winter holidays.


(Note the Marshall amp that is situated on its side, beneath the Vox amp. Rob was disappointed in himself for not taking a photo of Bile lugging that amp from the apartment to the venue and then back to the apartment. Apparently it was a remarkable feat in the snow, which I suspect was anywhere from 8 inches to 15 inches at that time.)




The people in Chicago miss that grimace now that he has moved back to West Philadelphia.



(Another shot of that grimace. Taken at a show in late October 2008 in Skokie, IL. It might well have been his last official show as a resident of Chicago, in the general area.)




Bile Greene - track 1 - Thing Not There - from the album 'Blue Train Thing'.mp3
Bile Greene - track 2 - Cathedral - from the album 'By the Waters of Chicago'.mp3

I have played a number of shows with Bile, here in some of the surrounding states. I really wished I had a copy of the song 'Death' by Bile, at least on this laptop. I am sure it is somewhere nearby, I'd post it alongside the others below if I had it accessible. The first time I heard the song was back in Oct 2007, he played it at a venue in Oshkosh, Wisconsin that he and I were both performing at. Wow, what a composition it is. Anyway, this man is a gem and I hope more folks get a chance to experience his music. There is a live video of him, performing another song from an earlier album of his, that I'd like to put up on this blog soon, I just need to learn how to edit video first. Look for the video in the coming days or weeks.

www.myspace.com/bilegreene2 ShareThis

He lives to sing.

Perhaps every entry I develop and submit reminds me of exactly why this blog exists: to be a vehicle and a conduit for getting good music across to a more broad audience. Here, in this particular entry, I have some words to share about Adam Faucett. It was a pleasure to host him with some friends one day last June 2009, the 5th, to be exact. Some nights are so shockingly brilliant, a person has to write about them, just that they might perdure. I'm hoping to do just that with this posting. The story follows below.



To frame this properly and give some context, the audience that given night was completely different than any kind Adam had ever played to before. I suppose every night is like this. This show took place at my job, so I think all of us, musicians and audience alike, had some trepidation going into this. And, much to our delight, it worked out extraordinarily well for all involved.

If there were a snapshot of me from late this morning, I could've been seen reading a little article from Tape-Op magazine about how music and the brain interact with each other, in the process of creating music, editing new songs in one's notebook, listening, re-listening, and performing, etc. There was a brief segment of the interview/conversation that dealt with the emotions in humans. At the time of this writing, it is once again music that is the victor or hero, this evening in my life. Things aren't right at the moment and music seems to be tipping the scales so that matters can get realigned. Part of that process of calibrating the emotions, tonight, involves listening to a song, which will be depicted in the video for this blog posting, 'No More Story'. It is the right song, the right cadence, and it is the right prescription for now. So the author of the song and the performer in the video need to be discussed.



Adam is another one that, when I watch him perform live, I wish i could play and sing as well as he. The experience of listening to Adam, if one were to take a moment to step back for awhile after hearing a few songs, often situates a person into a state of being grateful to have come across such good songs in a lifetime. Once again, the story is repeated that there exists a body of song in this world, written and unwritten, that astounds and that is not heard enough of. These songs from Faucett cause a man to shake the head in disbelief. Slap the face to wake up from a dream. It is probably the voice. Its dynamism. Couple that also with the fingerpickin' on the guitar. The J-45. The patterns of arrangement, the construction of the melodies. The mood. Mix it all together and a person could come up with some of the reason why this man's music is important. But undoubtedly, Mr. Faucett can craft a song, tell a story. Just knowing Adam and encountering him, a person can tell a good story.



I cannot wait to see the trajectory of this man in the coming years because the story isn't going to conclude anytime soon. From Hotti Biscotti to where? I'm looking forward to it. He recently completed a lengthy 8-week stint (Sept into early Nov 2009) of touring with his backing band, Chad Conder on drums and Jonny D on the bass guitar. I didn't have occasion to watch their show at the Gallery Cabaret due to my line of work preventing such good fortune, but I hear the tour, in general, was a real outing that took them across the the span of the country, one coast to the next. Surely they had great nights where all parts of the band were dialed in, as it is often said. Shame I missed it. Last time I heard the band in full was at a house show in Russellville, Arkansas in Aug 2008, They blew me away then.

About this show from June 5 2009, I'll be working hard to get it posted online soon, in the mp3 format. Stay tuned to this here blog for the updates. I heard from my bandmate that Adam recalled blowing out his voice on a song that he shouted during that moment of the night when the crowd just can't let go of the magic: the encore. I believe it was a soul song, might have been funk, but Adam rendered it using the acapella method. I am embarrassed that I can't bring the name to mind. It was the kind of thing that might equate to eating a wonderful dessert item from The Bleeding Heart Bakery on Belmont at Damen, which used to be near the old Lithuanian grocer on Chicago by Damen, their desserts finish off the coffee really well, they also conclude a meal in an profound way. Adam's encore was no exception, it rounded off, nicely, the audience's collective music palette, that one special evening in Skokie. Got some photos to show, too.


There's William Blackart right behind the blurred Adam Faucett during his impromptu encore.

Adam was traveling with William Blackart that night. They both played a set and brought some good friends along, as well. The apprehension I felt about the night was because I wanted these guys to have a great show. I just didn't know if the folks at my job would be a receptive crowd. All of the feeling quickly dissipated within minutes of Adam and William arriving and meeting the folks I work closely with. As I get to realizing that the seasons just changed by calendar, we are now freshly into the vernal equinox. The snow is on the ground and more is falling right now as I edit. I was waiting for the change of seasons, for the snow, and now it is here. It is also about due time that I see Adam perform again. This season of not having seen Adam Faucett and his band perform in a while has now passed. I better go reference his tour dates. I will be waiting for the next time Adam rolls on into town with Chad and Jonny D.

www.myspace.com/adamfaucett
www.bluetintrecords.com


Everyone, please enjoy! Thank you for reading.

Mr. Whiskers


oh, yeah.....here's a photo from said house show in Russellville, Arkansas August 2008

p.s. A special 'Thank You' to Daniel Makos, from Warsaw, Poland, for the permission to use his photos from the show in June 2009.

Adam Faucett - (1 Track) - you'll do it too - 5 June 2009 live.mp3
Adam Faucett- 2 Track - 5 June 2009 live.mp3
Adam Faucett - 3 Track - 5 June 2009 live.mp3
Adam Faucett - (4 Track) - poor directions in rabbits blood - 5 June 2009 live.mp3
Adam Faucett - 5 Track - 5 June 2009 live.mp3
Adam Faucett - (6 Track)- interlude about Caroline - 5 June 2009 live.mp3
Adam Faucett - 7 Track - 5 June 2009 live.mp3
Adam Faucett - (8 Track) - no more story - 5 June 2009 live.mp3
Adam Faucett - (9 Track) - 5 June 2009 live.mp3
Adam Faucett -(10 Track)- california - 5 June 2009.mp3
Adam Faucett - (11 Track) - 5 June 2009 live.mp3 ShareThis

everyone should know eric nassau. his songs are well written, and engaging. his personality is warm. he gives giant hugs, and his smile will stick with you for years. sometimes, when the day is rough, i think of this song, and i cant help but smile.

Jeremiah Weed ShareThis