Dawn Chorus

The Dawn Chorus on earth and in space.

Last Night's Shuffle

Yesterday I threw a ton of music onto my computer - mostly older stuff that I haven't heard in a while. I couldn't figure out where to start so I just let it 'shuffle'. I know that posts like these are a bore - but I wrote it and I never ever update this damn thing (that no one reads) - so what the hey. I will be changing this later in the day because I know I cannot write and revision is king.

Female Trouble - Bootsy Collins

Ah what a great and noble song. Its relentlessly dirty and I wondered if it has anything to do with the movie. I hope so. It does sound like the gayest of all songs. Like the ‘down low’ anthem. Featuring the line “You know they call me the sugar crook”. Undeniable. Also featuring a great synth part - And - “I can only do it with the window open - Let the sunlight in”. Love this track.

Seeing Other People - Belle and Sebastian

Really sweet song about mistaken love - has all the willful confusion of the young. The ‘singer’ has a boyfriend (maybe it was just an experimental weekend) and is not so gay for him anymore. I also love the arrangements on this record. Its loose and not stodgy. Always reminds me of a forgotten Peanuts soundtrack. Something in the 60’s called We're All Fucking, Charlie Brown. But the real Peanuts were never this cool and we now know Charlie Brown was just a drag. Not sure how I took him as my role model. I always self identified and more of a Pigpen.

Too Much Sorrow - The Greenhornes

I like the 'horror house' school of music. I like the dark smoky atmosphere of this. I will embrace the singers tragic vision as he stares through the miasma of the darkened disheveled post party motel room. First heard this band for this song. Its revival music but beautifully done. “Well come on! Wanna go down to the riverside wanna take one last look / finally close my eyes...” says the broken voice of reason. I'm in.

Folsom Prison Blues (Live) - Johnny Cash

Not good enough artist to even comment on this track. Soul music at its best - it's a perfectly written song. It connects with the crowd. You've heard it. Its spare and simple as a clean new wooden boat. His voice is a fighter's: Lean stripped back and proud. What a fucking man he was.

Computer World - Kraftwerk

Every song on this record is a commercial to sell something you are not sure the band likes too much. It’s an eighties vision of our era and its so good. Never deny the power of a great arrangement. “Business Numbers Money People” Man the chorus is such a pay off. The indifference of the corporate face is so beautiful. Like an A-Bomb, or an abandoned monument. You are there in your fuck you suit at Mercedes Benz with your powerpoint presentation feeding the naked parasitic god. I am embarrassed, actually how many times I have listened to this track.

Minneapolis - Lucinda Williams

She sings this one like someone reporting an accident - or someone long dead. Such an odd but beautiful song. You never know until the end that what really has frozen her is her own rage. God she does it so well. She ends a beautiful description of her hotel room with “Shaking and trembling on the clean white linen - slivers of starlight danced across the ceiling” Its a song that feels so true its almost hard to hear - but the pedal steel player saves it - bringing the heavens down to us in our dirt.

Leucippe - Rodolphe Kuffer

Don’t know where to find this guys music - I would buy more if I could. This track is like a sculpture made out of the paper left after a parade. It is as if all the lines and near words on a jackson Pollock painting became self aware and started talking to you in a language you never heard before. I love how the ‘one’ appears and disappears like a rope being dragged in the surf far behind a huge ship. Its a bunch of noise but its always so beautiful. I have only found one other track by him - can’t wait for more.

To Turn You On - Roxy Music 

I know so little about this album - beyond the hit. I love them but my knowledge is actually limited. Brian is such a gifted man and seems to want us all to live in a beautiful 70’s movie. Its his revenge against the world. He's in a white suit and she's in a white chiffon dress and a coat made out of white foxes. Right? A cocaine hangover and a bucket of champagne. And the clincher is (as always) the absolute sadness of his voice. He always sounds like someone whose future has run away. In his voice he's always holding the bag for an empty handed woman and a hollow feeling.

Elevation - Television

Its odd. I go back and forth about Verlaine’s voice but last night it was clear as a bell. The lyrics of this one are the party I’m not invited to - and I kinda know what its about and I kinda don’t care - but he’s drowning I think. Mostly I just marvel at the perfect arrangement and the perfect guitar playing. Come on. It all jut sounds so great. I then listened to the rest of the album.

The Part You Throw Away - Tom Waits

Here is a song I wish I could have written. Lyrics: “All of your letters burned up in the fire / time is just memory mixed with desire / thats not the road it is only the map / I say gone just like matches for closed down cabarets / in a Portuguese saloon the flies circling around the room / you’ll soon forget the tune that you play / Cause that is the part you throw away”. Its a song on guitar with the usual stumbling percussion and a clarinet that floats on the track like a confused hostage. Honestly its a testament to a great songwriter when they can slather ‘style’ both inside the song and out and after a while you forget it all - and just hear the song. I love everything on ‘Blood Money’ though sometimes his voice inspires uhm fatigue.

Planet Claire - B52’s

When I was a kid this record was a pretty big deal - and though I haven’t heard this track in years it dates pretty well - It’s as good as naive retro future spy music can get - and I have to say there is a lot of room in my life for really fun dance music like this. Because its friendly and funny. I hate the music that makes people in the room mean. (mind you if I ever hear “Love Shack” one more time in my life I will get mean.) “Some say she’s from Mars / or one of the seven stars / shining down at 3:30 in the morning / BUT SHE ISN’T!” It used to be one of my favorites moments ever. Ha my eighties past. We were on the dance floor almost every fucking night.  It is odd to me how few bands like this I have seen over the years. This reminds me strangely that I must get hold of ‘Remain In Light” or “Fear Of Music” by Talking Heads... 

Numbers Stations

When I was young and in Okinawa I used to listen to stations like this all the time on my radio. Beautiful and mysterious. I still think the world is that way.

The 2012 Top Ten (or so)

Here is the "Top Ten 2012" List I gave to the great Brooklyn Vegan. I have no idea wether they will (or need to) print it. I hope they do - but here it is:

In No Particular Order - What I saw / heard this year that might have been from any year. My head doesn't have the clarity to entertain a list.

Modern Times - Charlie Chaplin - at Cinefamily LA - 

Will Johnson - Scorpion

He Can Jog - Milwaukee Pinebender (Virginia Is For Lovers And Other Stolen Phrases)

Judee Sill - The Kiss

Rodolphe Kuffer - Leucippe - Cannot find much music from this guy - but check out Audiobulb Records

Vidro Azul podcast (from Lisbon) Love these DJ's. Love the music they play. I have no idea what they are saying but they sound so so so sexy.

Chris Squire - Fish Out Of Water (Album) - Loved this when I was 16. Love it now.

Another Year - Mike Leigh (Film)

Please Give - Nicole Holofcener (Film)

Requiem For Larissa - Valentin Silvestrov

Myke Dodge Weiskopf - Shortwave Radio Archivist - This is quite amazing. Sometimes a great archivist is better than any self proclaimed "artist"

Modern Times - Charlie Chaplin

An Excerpt from here. I get a lump in my throat just thinking about this:

"This scene in the Red Moon Cafe is a delight. The gamin gets work as a dancer. He takes a job as a singing waiter. But he can't remember the lyrics! Due to a careless fling of the arms, he's "on stage" without his lyrics while the band vamps waiting for him to open his mouth. The gamin urges him to sing anything because words don't matter — get it? — so the Tramp throws himself into an improvised vaudevillian routine built on mock-Italian gibberish. They're not real words, but that's Chaplin's voice proving that strictly verbal language isn't the point of cinema.

Like the gamin, the Tramp has finally found his place, and his humanity, in an environment that couldn't be more distinct from the factory where he began — performing live before an appreciative audience. THere's little need to wonder how much autobiography Chaplin was letting slip through here."

Or even check out this piece. It features this scene....

A Desperate Attempt

Saw a deer killed today on I90 East and I can't get it out of my head. The poor thing did the mad dash across the interstate was was hit by a van and then a semi and turned into a pile of bones. I saw the look in its eyes - it knew traffic was coming and misjudged. It could happen to any of us. It just went for it and screwed up and madly ran into oblivion. A small sweet animal with no good sense - though how could you have good sense in next to an interstate and you want to get across. A pain beyond pain. A road full of hurtling traffic. Oh the poor thing. It could be any of us.

First Annual Farewell Tour

So I have been on this trip for a week and we have our first night off at the wonderful home of Marty and Susan Boratin in Buffalo who are generous to a fault - a half bottle of wine and some oatmeal cookies waiting for us in the kitchen - sweet cat in the living room. Yeah its nice.

I am playing with a gentleman named David Nagler who is a great musician and very easy to travel with. I only hope he is having an ok time.

We are having an ok time hear on this part of the trip. Had a good night at the Beachland Ballroom last night - It's a great venue with perfect sound and a staff who are efficient and smart and not at all burned out. I played in the bar and - blah blah - I wish I could play there every week.

In fact all the venues so far have been great, actually. I guess this is a boring post but honestly I have no complaints. Can you believe it.

From "The Dresser"

More About People Who Annoy Me

At the cafe by the pharmacy I thought I would sit and try and find a rhyme for forgive. .Really I do that.  It is better for the world when I wear headphones and sit surrounded by silence.

They sat sunglasses staring into sunglasses and she’s proactive and talking about her life and her career and yes honestly loves the hustle of Tokyo and yes hates the laid back feel of LA and yes she finds SF to be just the right fit for her. She is loud and shameless as if she had never been out in public before and wants us all to know she is looking for a start up and has a business college degree - and her energy - unquenchable desperate energy - I spontaneously imagined her weeping uncontrollably; vomiting fountains of sadness in her lonely studio - and with the same loud KEEN of her words - and he sits and agrees and agrees -because I'm sure he wants to have carnal relations  - which was the whole reason for the ‘coffee’ - but - I'm certain not even that would shut her up.

Finally it seemed that when in Tokyo she had to stay out by Narita and her best friend was Netflix which is sad. But as that long uninteresting story began to unfold ladies and gents I was done. The endless endless monolog about her fascination with adding up zeros finally drove me to hate her - and though I use that word for everything I actually love - I HATED her. She is like the friend who only asks for ways you can help and never asks "how are you?"

PS the people in the picture are royalty from the house of royals and so so important to us - but I have to ask - what does it mean when people stare into each others eyes and they are wearing sunglasses. I'm not sure why but it seems very much within the 'necrophiliac embrace'.

TIMF

I went to the treasure island music festival on Sunday and you know - what a very sweet event it is - put on by some good people - and god its beautiful out there - in the shadow of the graffitied and broken army base.. And so i had a great time apparently - I mean for instance I don’t remember calling J outside the restaurant after -but - gleefully he remembers and gleefully he will do this imitation of me on the phone a few dozen more times which - honestly I never drink that much so I don’t think it is fair - (but what did fairness ever have to do with good solid satisfying mockery.) I truly hope I handled myself with my usual self respect - because my god - nothing is worse than being the sad old borracho surrounded by the youth - who after all are looking to me to represent the bright future to come - with golden letters floating over their heads backlit by angel's eyes and melancholic rainbows that say: “My god I hope this sad old boraccho shows me how good the future looks!” - and I’m sure all day I did inspire this - because I certainly try to. But the sun was so bright you know? It makes me crazy. Music? I was there for Imperial Teen and Ty Segal and loved them both. It was a fun day thank you.

Prometheus

I wrote this a few weeks ago and thought I would post it here - why? because I love Sci-Fi and was really looking forward to this movie. I love Ridley Scott and this was such a drag.

Last night I was taken to see Prometheus in 3D.  I was so excited to see it.  One of those movies that I HAD to see.  But nothing life changing here.  Just a fucking movie. Paying extra for the immersive experience and experiencing nothing. A void. Where capitalism overcomes what we really want: a story.

We always sit on the front row at the Arclight.  Behind us a married couple who were huge and busily digging into their huge popcorn cups.  They sum us all up.  There to spend and watch.  There to sit and experience.  Like the drug addicts we all are in this country.  Not that I am different.

I knew within 10 minutes this movie was bad.  The acting was lazy.  Charlize Theron was ridiculous.  The characters seemed to exist only there to die. Like slaves in an Egyptian tomb. And good riddance to them. Vain and decadent characters no better than place cards.  No one had a conscience, No one had anything to say, All selfish and blind and sucking whiskey and champagnes and living the high life on a ship furnished by high end furniture stores and pricey holo screens (that already look dated), pissed off under the cynical thumb of selfish corporate masters.  Of course it’s a metaphor for today.  But I want something new.  Something new.  Come one stop with the social commentary.  Gimme a story!

The CGI was beautiful of course but like everything about this experience so excessive.  So big.  Bloated.  Much like the human mountains behind me digging hungrily into their jumbo popcorn at every quiet moment.  Kicking the back of my chair at every loud moment. They just did not care.  I kept thinking about our sleeping giant of a nation and how it has been engineered for the last 30 years to be a terrifying corporate state with executive style detachment replacing our unwieldy and expensive constitution.  Bigger than life.  And no one seems to care.

To sum up: A fancy privileged corporate ship filled with spoiled fancy privileged people who there to be blood fountains. Vain rich actors in an important movie from the privileged vain important America faded ruler of the free world. The decay of lazy dialog, lazy religious references, lazy ideas.

Dont be a stranger

So my new record is out today on (US) Merge / Decor (UK) - and that's a good thing. So happy with the people at the record companies who are helping promote it. Love the videos - and will post all of them here very soon. (after they are all released)

I asked that they put off releasing this to Spotify and other streaming services for about 6 months.. People think I'm crazy. Perhaps that is true - but after we spent all this money making the damn thing the idea of handing it over to them seems crazy. The only people getting rich off music on the Web are the owners of sites like this and the ISP's. They get rich beclause they dont have to pay the artists for the raw material they use. (calling $176.00 per million downloads a 'payment' is ludicrous) Do you remember the story of Sutter's Mill? That was where the first pieces of gold were found in the Gold Rush. Even though they filed a claim for their property - soon the place was destroyed - mill pulled down - people swarmed over the land and took what they could. This is what happened to the music industry. The ISP's (your friends at ATT and Time Warner) need to give a reason for people to pay the monthly service fee. Free music and film. One half of all Internet traffic worldwide is a BitTorrent. If the (silly) record companies would sue the ISP's for royalties (and not some poor kid) then things might change. Rant finished.

I'm racing to finish a newer CD / 12 new songs tentatively called "I Am Not A Serious Person" - trying to make it sound as good as Gomberg though that is impossible. Doing the impossible. That is my life. (I make a funny joke)

Skulls And Beer and Good Times

Oh my goodness I'm in a bar and I was writing but someone loaded the juke box at least 10 bucks with hip hop - and I don't hate it but the narrative sounds soooooo played out. Why do you got to yell at me - what did I do? And no room for anything else. Blah. Pop music - but its a drag. They are a drag. The anger is a drag. Oops actually this song is amazing - but I would rather hear Nick Drake or Smokey or something beautiful. I know the culture is dominated by powerlessness - but everyone nods their head so stupidly. Like they own something. AND BABY I WANNA ESCAPE thats why I ordered this stupid over priced fucking beer in this dead sad rock club and sat here for 20 minutes smelling the greas in the kitchen while the bitch bartender looked everywhere but at my thirsty eyes. Must be the beard. I mean I walked here on cold hard broken streets. I really don't wanna hear about cold hard broken streets. My little city specializes in immersive experiences. Heres the TRUTH fucker. Handle it! I've never lived in a place before that specializes in the chance everyday to see a living hell in someones eyes. 

Buy it here

Also the goth / crunchy touring band has loaded in ALL their stuff and god bless them  - van and trailer wow - I recognize their silence - they wanna get away from each other but also keep one eye on each other. None of them have the money or the inclination to drink. They are at work. Their discomfort is a fine thing to see. I enjoy it. Does that make sense? The general hate from the bar is like a sheet you tuck under your chin while you dream.

Some nervous guy on the floor next to me has laid out his collection of skull paintings. He sat there for a while. No one looked at them. Then he just split. Oh wait he came back to hang them in the door well next to the toilet and wow look he's back documenting the hanging of the skulls with his cell phone. Still no one looks. No one really looks at skulls. But he's right somehow.

This Is The Music Of Your Life

Last night listened to the radio. AM 1450 KEST Midnight to 6 am. Oldies. Presented by Lorri Hafer. She was in the song "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing" - now you can catch her act at the Besta One and also at a nearby retirement community. Her schedule is full. The radio show has these High American pieces of art with 5 second bursts of static in between. The dead air is vital.. I really did feel at the edge of things. Never happier. Songs? Natalie Cole and Billy Strayhorn - Lushlife. Of course. By accident this was thrown in and its SO great. Then Since I fell For You by Lenny Welch and then come on Theres Such A Lot Of Livin To Do by Nancy Wilson followed by I'm Glad There Is You by Smokey Robinson and I'm a mess. Then a long long hiss then "Scarborough Fair/Canticle" by guess who. What can I say - It was a perfect night of music for me. Let us not forget Stardust by Mel Torme:



You could feel important things happening behind the scenes. Decisions being made. You could sense blood in the background hiss. Like the walls of Jericho were being dismantled in the background. Like spies were being called to the carpet and truth was being spilled. Like the great American emptiness waiting for a ghost.

Anyway I love this music.

Angels Amongst Us

All songs are songs of praise but they are mice scrabbling around the feet of the shouting angels. If you doubt that angels exist then click on this remarkable picture.

Tim Mooney

I haven't seen Tim for a few years now but that still didn't lessen the impact of his passing. He was the drummer of AMC for many years. He was absolutely instrumental in whatever sound we had. His style was absolutely unique and as an artist no one could match what he did. He was a good friend to so many people and will be missed. What an absolute loss. I wish all the best to his wife Jude and his daughter Dixie. I have spent all day in a fog thinking about him.

For The People Who Wonder if AMC is Touring

We are not.

During the reunion in 2005 it was good to play with these guys again - though we had changed a lot in a decade. We made a great record - still we didn’t have a Bruce Kaphan or a Tom Mallon to keep the music focused and cohesive (I’m certainly not the one to do that when my own songs are involved.) We toured a bit, played one show in 2006 (at a Gap store) then I wanted to work more with Vudi and we put together a band in Los Angeles.

Fans want to see a band frozen in that time when the music meant something to them. A particular record, or a particular show that really knocked them out at the time. I do it too. I knew during the reunion AMC would not be the same group we were in 1991 - and that was tough. You want to give fans what they want (or at least I do) and its a bitch when things aren't the same. You just keep going - you just move on.

Whats in a name? Well I came up with AMC in the eighties and used it for 2 completely different bands before I decided that Vudi and Danny and Sluggo were finally it. We changed drummers and bass players quite a bit - and after a lot of work had some success. It was surprising - Especially for us. We were a dysfunctional democracy and a moody lot (yes even me). We never had that "triumph of the will" impulse that so many successful artists have. When we broke up it was about money and ego and an inability to agree on anything. I look back and regret that maybe I wasn't the leader I should have been - though if I had tried to lead the band it would have broken up much much sooner.

The name is a brand and people remember AMC in a certain way - but only Vudi and I are left. We never wanted to use the name. When we split from Tim and Danny I think we were going to call it: The MacArthur Park Music Club but no one would give us money to make a record or tour unless it was AMC. Actually it's still that way - and I would have an easier time if I continued using it for all my projects (never say never) but - for now - no. If Vudi still wants to do AMC I would be on board but part of what makes him great is a disinclination to repeat himself. 

About the crooner act I do with Marc Capelle: honestly its the best I can do at this point. I want to have live shows that are at least emotive representations of the songs. The wall of sound (e.g. AMC) is fun but touring is expensive and I don't sell out stadiums (yet). 

Wall Street Mocks Protesters By Drinking Champagne

Look they are untouchable. The same laws that allow them to fuck the country also protect them. Too big to jail. I love that this is their little counter-protest. Their little fuck you. But why do they bother? They already have their revenge. They've already abandonned the country. It looks to me as if they want people to throw rocks at them. As if they are daring people to. Maybe they get away with too much and no boundaries render things meaningless. They laugh and simper and say fuck you to the middle class kids (the protesters) whose futures they are destroying. Robbing the future is what makes them special and advantaged - Taking from the future is how they persuade themselves they are brilliant. It's so "triumph of the will".

Look at the pigs at their trough. This will lead to a civil war but let it go - they don't care they'll be gone. Like parasites that kill the host and move on.

They are the rats that abandon the ship.

Jimmy Scott at the Echoplex July 22

Watching Jimmy Scott start his set in 1991 with ‘Blue Skies’ changed my life. He walked on stage, a tiny wrinkled older man, I didn’t know what to expect, and he opened his arms and opened his mouth and his voice transformed him into the most beautiful human being. I had never experienced anyone sing like this. It was like seeing the dawn for the first time. It was pure joy out of thin air. All of the pain in his heart came out as gold. 

Mitchell Froom brought me there - and perhaps it was to help me sing a little better - and it is a lesson I am only starting to learn 20 years later. All the songs I’m writing now and everything I am doing now is to sing like this. I am lucky I was able to see him so many times through the years. I mean listen to this beautiful version of Day By Day. He lays across the orchestra as if it was a field of flowers. This record is available here.

Now he is 83 and still starts his set with Blue Skies. Stuck on a wheelchair at the Echoplex he doesn’t have the air to sing like he used to but I think its the joy that keeps him up there. Yeah maybe he needs the money as well, but the legacy of the miracle that comes through him fuels not only the obvious love of his band (the Jazz Expressions), but also kept the audience happy and present. I mean he only played 6 songs - but no one minded - we were all there to celebrate the beauty of this man.

The Rosie O'Donnell Show

I once knew a friend of Joni's who I have (sadly) long lost touch with - but she invited to accompany the Joni Mitchell party for her taping at the Rosie O'Donnell show. I LOVE Joni and was excited and grateful to be there. Joni was a great inspiration. I used to write her love letters when I was 16.

Backstage I was given the option to sit in the audience and leave the green room - which I did - as the green room was filled with stuffed shirts and I had no conversation or interest in them. I was really thrilled to be in the audience because I LOVED Rosie at the time. I laughed when it said laugh and applauded when it said applaud - at least I think I did.

You know how she used to fling foos balls into the crowd? Suddenly during the second segment I noticed that they were all aimed at me. Honestly. She was pitching foos balls at me. I would pick them up and give them all to the excited people around. It got kind of scary. In the next commercial break there was a heated conference with the director and Rosie. Then the house comedian came up to me and asked the crowd to 'Cheer Me Up! Come One Everyone Cheer Him Up!" Honestly and before God I don't remember looking so glum. It was embarrassing and actually pissed me off. I guess I was on camera briefly because Rosie's brother was sitting next to me - and some how I was not smiling enough. Ha. How could that be?

Anyway I left with the crowd and got back to the green room. Rosie loves Joni and we were all ushered back to her dressing room for a grin and grip and a photo. I stayed in the background as this was not my party. Rosie took pictures and smiled and there was general happy talk but near the end Rosie saw me in the doorway - charged up to me and said: "So who are you?" I said Mark. She stared for a couple minutes and without any ceremony kicked us all out. I have no idea what I did to offend.

This is a great music video

I've got nothing against the star of this video. I really don't know her or her music though I saw Hole do an amazing show on the 'doll parts' tour.. This is a little video about dissipation and the death of belief. She made a document of her own dissolution. Like the photo of a ghost. Characters like this always exist in the twilight. The queen drifts through the room and her minions remind her of her dread duties. A guitarist gets her to rehearse, another disappears into his cell. As if it was hard to breathe in the room. She sings the song indolent and bored as some minion films. Like songs can't touch her. She puts her make up on and sings 'Look me in the eyes and tell me that I'm satisfied'. Beyond all care. The death dance of vanity must continue because otherwise it falls apart. Beyond irony. Beyond it all, fixed in the amber of her importance. Like leaves rustling in the chamber of a mausoleum. Another show to give, another appearance to make, yawn.

Ha. Made my day.

My Schedule At South By Southwest

Wednesday March 16

Spider House 1pm-1:30pm
2908 Fruth Street, Austin, TX 78705

Noise Pop party at Red Eye Fly 5:15pm-6pm
715 Red River Street Austin, TX 78701

Thursday March 17

Treehouse Diddly Party at Cheers Shot Bar 3:45
416 east 6th street, Austin Texas, 78701

Home Slice Party 5:50pm
1415 South Congress Ave.
corner of South Congress and Elizabeth.

Friday March 18

Merge Showcase Parish on 6th Street -10pm

Saturday March 19

The Yard Dog Party - 1:30 PM
1510 S. Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704, 512-912-1613

St David's Bethell Hall on Saturday - 10PM
301 E 8th St Austin, TX 78701-3280

ME