History Lesson Pt. 2

Fat Friday Feature: Scott LeFaro On "CTA"

2012-01-27T09:36:00.001-05:00

I am by no means an expert on any genre of music, especially jazz. However, if I were to recommend a starting point for someone interested in jazz, I'd point them to bebop's sub genre of West Coast jazz. To me, as a general rule, West Coast jazz is very palatable in that it's not typically discordant like hard bop can be. It tends to value nimble, precise, sophisticated playing. I think that if nothing else, this describes Scott LeFaro's playing. To me, his playing on this track is precise, aggressive, and confident. I love his solo on this piece. There's no missed notes, even at the blistering pace at which he is playing. I think haters would say that this playing is too mechanical with not much in the way of interpretation. But to tell you the truth, when I grow up, I want to play just like Scott LeFaro.

The Osmonds Shred

2012-01-26T17:09:00.000-05:00

This is what the Osmonds' "Crazy Horses" sounds like when it's slowed down. You have to admit, this is pretty damn good. Perfect for the biker bar near you.

Whoops I Did It Backwards

2012-01-24T22:42:00.000-05:00

Here's a little blurb about some of those "great" Americana bands from the 1980s at my other blog (which isn't organized thematically like this one). There were a lot of bands I didn't mention but could have - the Hickoids, Snatches of Pink, Tex and the Horseheads, Green On Red, Dave Alvin, the Blasters, etc. but my point was more or less made. Enjoy the walk down memory lane - I haven't heard some of these bands since middle school.

Kind of a tangent here - I would like to go on record and say that Maria McKee is one of the best vocalists out there. She blows the doors off your standard issue "American Idol" wannabes. I know - that's not much of an endorsement. So click here and listen for yourself.

Audio Scratch Pad: Fire In The Fire Place

2012-01-21T20:43:00.002-05:00

We woke up to a sheet of ice on everything this morning. It could've been much worse; still, we opted to stay off the roads since we heard numerous ambulance runs going by our street. We cleaned the basement and when that was done, rewarded ourselves with a nice fire. If you don't have a fire place, slip on some headphones and see if this warms you up a bit.

Fireplace - Fire Waning by mattzink
If that doesn't work, maybe this or this will.

Fat Friday Feature: Jon Taylor Of Duran Duran On "Rio"

2012-01-20T11:41:00.000-05:00

At the height of Duran Duran's popularity (mid-1980s), if you would've told me that Jon Taylor is kind of a bad ass on bass, I would've dismissed you so quickly that it would've seemed like a reflex-flex-flex-flex-flex-flex. But you know what? He is pretty damn good based on the little bit that I know by him. Check out "Hungry Like The Wolf" and "Girls On Film" if you don't believe me. I think "Rio" is probably my favorite bass line by ol' J.T. For you haters and skeptics out there, may I present to you the isolated bass track?

I should add that Duran Duran seemed to figure out the whole video thing long before most bands. I think the song/bass line go beautifully with the video.

Prison Radio

2012-01-16T22:24:00.002-05:00

I've always had this idea that at some point I'm going to start a writing group in the local jail. I've gone so far as to inquire about this with a local group, and they've even offered to help me get started. But alas, for various reasons I've not yet acted upon this calling.

I heard the story about "Prison Radio" on "All Things Considered" tonight. Man, I really wish I would've thought of this. Go listen to the story - it's great. Hell, I'll even say it: it's uplifting! I wonder if I could get away with something like that program here. Who knows? If I do, I'll post the episodes here.

Off Topic: Why MLK Day Was Kind Of A Drag

2012-01-16T22:00:00.000-05:00

Without going into too much detail, I had an incident at work that involved a racial slur that bugged the shit out of me. I ended up emailing the guy about it - carbon copying HR of course - telling him firmly to keep that crap to himself. I kept emailing* him until he confirmed that he knew where I stood on the issue. He apologized, which was nice but not really even what I was looking for. I don't give a crap if the dude is racist or not, I just wanted him to keep that nonsense to himself.

Sadly, Martin Luther King Day was the occasion of a similar, more offensive incident in college. It's not really worth repeating the terminology or details of either story. We'll probably always have racist idiots with us - I can deal with that. What is depressing is none of his coworkers told him to fuck off and keep it to himself. In fact, truth to be told, they baited the guy and he did not disappoint. Our HR department's lack of response/leadership (at least so far) on this is kind of a drag too. I found myself wondering about the myriad of reasons why people can shrug off overt expressions of racism from co-workers and family members.

Somehow, I arrived at how history is taught in schools. Lots and lots of well meaning teachers continue to portray the struggle for equality as something that happened in the past. Yes, racism flares up today now and again, but history is the long line of progress through time, inevitably leading us to the foregone conclusion of universal equality. We explore Brown vs. the Board of Education of Topeka, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Fifteenth Amendment in our classrooms and our students are (rightfully) shocked and appalled at the conditions and events that led up to those laws. But I think on some subconscious level, we teach our students that our government will legislate inequality out of our lives - that the government bestows equality, that government protects and nurtures equality. Any struggle for equality - be it Native Americans, women, those with disabilities, homosexuals - is portrayed the same way, often as side bars in our textbooks.(Okay - I know that the average American classroom isn't ready to talk about equality for homosexuals. Another depressing fact.)

I'm kind of fucking sick of it. There are a million reasons why someone might not speak out against hate speech from someone they know. But underlying those reasons is this false belief that the struggle for equality is past tense, that someone else will right the ship, that "I'm not Martin Luther King". Sadly, complacency on such issues often begins in history classes across the country. It's not that any teacher has any "agenda" (man, how I hate that word), they're often just perpetuating history as it was taught to them.

There is some hope that the struggle for equality is still alive, that non-violent, sophisticated, modern activism is peculating around us. It remains to be seen if movements such as the "Occupy Wall Street" and the Arab Spring will result in any long term, meaningful change. But on Martin Luther King Day 2012, it's a little glimmer of hope that I'll take.

* - Ideally, I'd've said all this stuff to his face. But my training as a teacher taught me a valuable lesson: document, document, document. I always make sure I have a record of stuff like this; I always make sure that the folks that have the power to hire and fire are in the loop.

Stop SOPA/PIPA

2012-01-16T14:18:00.001-05:00

Pretty much everyone except Hollywood, the music industry and their know-nothing lackeys in Congress agree: SOPA and it's Senate version PIPA are bad news. There is some momentum starting to gather for killing off these bills. However, don't rest - do your small part to stop this.

Black out your site on the 18th of this month.
Attend a meeting with your state reps.
Call or email your state's representatives - it's getting easier and easier, particularly if you have an iPhone.
Boycott the fewer and fewer companies that actually still support SOPA/PIPA.
Thank the companieswho do oppose SOPA/PIPA.
And most importantly, educate yo'self!

Guest Post/Fat Friday Feature: Bill On Trevor Bolder

2012-01-13T09:14:00.000-05:00

Bill sent along some thoughts on Trevor Bolder's work on the David Bowie song "John, I'm Only Dancing". It's good stuff - check it, yo.

Trevor Bolder was involved in such 70's Brit-prog-heavy-rock geek legends as Uriah Heep and Wishbone Ash (replacing slightly more famous Brit-prog-heavy-rock bass icon John Wetton in both bands), but before that, he was one of Ziggy Stardust's Spiders from Mars. Bowie's "John, I'm Only Dancing" has a colorful history primarily because of its overtly gay themes, and became an underground hit of sorts in the US when it saw its first release in 1976 on the insanely popular ChangesOneBowie greatest hits collection (it had already been a hit in England, where the pop crowds were a bit more tolerant . . . but only a bit: the BBC banned this video).

Bolder, for his part, was an adept, if workmanlike, hard rock bassist. I've heard plenty of Uriah Heep (can't manage to stagger through much Wishbone Ash), and there's nothing that really sticks in my mind about his work with them. On this song, however, he rides a white-hot David Bowie songwriting streak straight to bottom-end gold. Nothing against Bolder, but the real star here is the arrangement that pushes guitars than snarl and bark like leashed German shepherds against a bassline that walks itself into the twilight zone before dissolving into stuttering funk.

There are several versions of "John, I'm Only Dancing" floating around. The version Americans are most familiar with is the one from this video. Bowie's UK record company very confusingly released two versions of this single with the same catalog number: this one, and one that has become popularly known as the "Sax Version" of the song. The "sax version" differs by adding an r -n- b flavored sax to the rhythm section (natch), the addition of reverb to give it that "big room" sound, and the addition of a guitarist who sounds a whole lot like Robert Fripp going completely apeshit in the back of the mix. Now, lord knows I'm not one to complain about guitar noise in any song; but with the reverb, the sax, and the extra guitar, the song becomes much more lush and full, and loses a lot of that angular angst and rawness that make it a classic of twisting sexuality. Bolder's bassline, too, while still there and intact, gets relegated to a much less interesting role. The other versions I've heard of this song reinforce the same thing: 1) "John I'm Only Dancing" is a legitimately great (and vastly under appreciated) song that is almost impossible to foul up, no matter what the arrangement; and 2) a good arrangement (and yes, Trevor, Mick, and the rest of the boys, a good performance) can take a great song and make it immortal.

Unlike many of Matt's "Fat Friday" features, this is less about a bassist than a specific bassline. There's little doubt that, through the accidents of history, this line could have been played by John Wetton, Klaus Voorman, Greg Lake, Chris Squire, Andy Fraser, etc., etc., etc. But hey - hats off to you, Trevor Bolder. You were in the booth when one of the most memorable basslines of all time was laid down. And you were the one playing it.

You should definitely be reading some of Bill's other work, which can be found here and here.

From The Comic Archive: Peddling Musical Fantasies

2012-01-09T18:09:00.000-05:00

We have a great comic shop in town, and one of my favorite things about it is the $1 rack, where you can get great old comics like Marvel Triple Action #6 from 1972. (Sorry, no super hero on super hero on super hero action.) Of course, the old advertisements are half the fun. I wish I could interview someone who actually tried some of this stuff.

This is my son's first comic - I think he really liked it despite the fact that the plot is out there for even a little guy like him. Explaining it to him was almost embarrassing.

More scans from this comic at my Tumblr site if'n you're interested.

Let's Have A Closer Look At The Cassette Sleeve Of My High School Band

2012-01-09T13:52:00.001-05:00

I will be blogging a little from time to time about my high school band "The Unexplained". My brother Paul digitized our one and only release for me, (Thanks Paul!) and it's pretty fun to remember back to this band. You can learn a lot about the band by reading the cassette sleeve, designed primarily by me (NOT the crappy logo) and edited by Jim, if memory serves me correctly.

Some other random notes before the actual breakdown of the sleeve notes: This cassette was recorded on a four track recorder in my parent's basement. I don't remember if they were home or not. If they were, I bet they got a pretty good laugh out of the recording process, especially when Dan put his vocals to the instrumental tracks. I have never been pleased with the bass mix on this - it should've been much louder. But then again, I probably would've complained unless the bass track had the John Entwhistle style chest cavity-rattling volume levels. The actual printing of the sleeve was one of my vocational school projects. The dogs on the cover: Sammy (the hard-to-see black dog), my sister Anne's family's dog; and Quincy, our beloved Golden Retriever. "Rough" was both a pun referring to the dogs and the quality of the mix. And so, without further adieu. . .

Click to enlarge

One Side/Other Side: Not sure where this bit of wit came from, but I'm guessing it was inspired by reading smart ass Camper Van Beethoven record credits. They'd have stuff like "David Lowry - black guitar" on their records.

One Side: I don't think I know what any of these songs are about. I could never understand what Dan was shouting. Jim pointed out in a recent email how sucky the song title "I Stand Alone" is, especially considering ". . . that Dan decided to sing about watching t.v. on that song. We simply ignored the drummer every time he opened his mouth (save, apparently, for when we decided on the name of the song)...as it should be." Jim sang on "Just Different". It is an effort worthy of a Lou Reed record. "Mary Olson" was a song I made up. It doesn't actually have anything to do with "Little House On The Prairie". I didn't have title for it, so we just named it at the time of the recording. What's remarkable about this is how the song is almost identical to the Green Day song "Warning". My song predates that song by ten years. Bastards stole my song man!

Other side: Covers galore here, including a totally thrashin' version of "Bee Sting" by The Belgian Waffles! "Surfboard From Hell" was from my first band ever, the Cavity Creeps. This was also a song I made up on bass. "There Will Come A Day" is actually called "DA Intro" by the Dandelion Abortion. "??????????" is a cover of U2's "Desire". We didn't give it a name because we didn't want the RIAA to come after us. Yeah I know - that's pretty damn funny. But I guess the RIAA does have a proven record of going after moms and teens. "Death Meat" is about a biker momma. It was initially a silly poem I wrote. I didn't like it; Dan did and changed it around to become "Death Meat".

The "thank yous": Here they are, as best I can remember them.

Tom Burris - guy who recorded us, worked at A1 Records, one of our alternative music resources, all around swell guy.
Mark Hubbard and Flounder - ran "The Flipside" all ages club in Chesterfield, IN. While we were always grateful for a show there, we marvelled at how stingy and unoriginal these guys were.
Bren Olds - must've stood on the lower level, flicking a light switch on and off. We opened for his band once, I accidentally kicked the crap out of his vintage Fender Jazz Bass. Later went on to play with Poi Dog Pondering; currently playing bass for a band that sings about Illinois state history.
Cavity Creeps - gave them a shout out because two of our good friends (Matt and Rob Snyder) as well as my brother Joe were my band mates. Good guys all.
Bill and the Belgian Waffles! - My brother Bill's band. Maybe we thought shout outs would ensure brisk cassette sales.
V.B.F. - Joseph Dixon's (drummer) other band. "VBF" stands for "Vaginal Blood Fart". These dudes were hilarious - they were obsessed with Gwar and Fangoria magazine. Joseph hated that they weren't more serious.
Our families - very uncool, but we actually liked our families.
Fr. Dennis Goth - associate pastor at St. Mary's Church at that time. Real nice guy. I don't think he's in the priesthood anymore.
M. Boles - High school classmate of Jim's.
M. Solid - close friend of the band who wasn't inclined to learn how to play an instrument or to be a scenester.
Betty Meehan - beloved junior high history teacher (for Jim, Dan, Kevin, and me) and curmudgeonly rebel.
Liz Broyles - girl I met in vacation in MI who lived in North Carolina. I think I had a crush on her, and she made killer mix tapes.
Greg Sasser, Curt Corzine - I have no idea why these jokers are on here. Sasser was a local metalhead; Corzine went to vocational school with Joseph Dixon and I.
Joe Zink - brother. Surf drummer. Icon.
Seth Kelly, Uncle Lynne, Joe Toast - not sure why these guys are on here. Kevin contributed these folks.
Michele Kriner - Kevin's little sister who was hip beyond her years.
Andrea - Kevin's serious girlfriend.
Charlie Brown - ugh. No idea.
Nexxus Hair Products - hilarious thank you.
The Snyders - friends o' the band; Cavity Creeps musicians.

Equipment endorsements: I am aware how extraordinarily pretensious - and pointless - it was to have this on our sleeve. Yet there it is. There is still some humor here. I'm pretty sure the "or anything else his friends will let him borrow" was added by Jim. Dan equipment was hilarious, and the Matt Dixon equipment was a diss on his penchant for doing that dive-bomby noise with his locking tremolo bar.

Credits: Finally, the who plays what section. Nothing to say here except that I think we got the idea to type "Dan Smith - throat" from a Bad Brains record.

Hopefully, people who were involved with or remember this band will add more/correct what I have written in the comments section.

Reel Tyme String Band Flier Gallery

2012-01-09T11:23:00.000-05:00

I used to be in a bluegrass outfit called the Reel Tyme String Band - it was a ton of fun. Besides playing bass, I'd do their fliers. Below are some samples. I always stole cool graphics from the interwebs - it felt appropriate since a huge chunk of bluegrass is just stolen and re-purposed songs anyway, with the many tunes being hard to decipher from their original source.

Besides stolen graphics, most fliers have awful, corny jokes. I guess I did that because we were playing mostly family friendly venues, so I thought that a humorous flier might catch some folks' eyes. At least, that's the excuse Imma use.

I should mention that the Reel Tyme String Band is still around, tighter, more amazing than ever. You should definitely check them out if you can. Also, email them and tell them to update their web page!

(Note: The black fliers didn't download quite right, but I'm too lazy to fix them.)

Fat Friday Feature: Steve Smith Of The Vapors

2012-01-06T13:51:00.000-05:00

Each Friday, an awesome bass player and/or bass part is showcased. But you already knew that.

Please don't blow off the Vapors as a novelty band because of "Turning Japanese". It seems that catchy hooks couple with lyrics about jerking off equals record chart gold. (Example #1. Example #2.)I actually like "Turning Japanese", but the album on which it appears is full of timely topics and great bass work from Steve Smith (and the rest of the band actually). As cool as "Turning Japanese" is, I thought I'd feature "News At Ten"; but really, any track from this album is going to have a great bass line.

Besides the nimble, rhythmically interesting fretwork from Smith, the distinctive Rickenbacker bass sound that I love so much is front and center on the whole album. So check it yo. And oh hell: you might as well enjoy the 80s tackiness that is the "Turning Japanese" video as well.

Let's Start Off The New Year Right By Watching Some High School Kids Stick It To The Man

2012-01-03T22:47:00.000-05:00

I love this - my heart literally began to beat faster watching this. Skip to around the 1:13 mark. Pulaski (Wisconsin) High's Marching Band stops the Rose Bowl parade to serenade Gov. Scott Walker with Woody Guthrie's "Union Maid". I love Woody Guthrie, I love "Union Maid", and I love these kids (and whoever put them up to it) for having the sack to do this. Tip of the hat to Bill for hipping me to this.

From The Archives: 80s Songs Of Nuclear Holocaust

2011-12-30T16:43:00.000-05:00

What many readers don't know about this blog is that it has actually been resurected after a three year layoff. Below is an entry from it's earlier form.

Whenever I taught about the Cold War era to my junior high social studies classes, it was very hard to convey The Fear. If you grew up during the Cold War (or as in my case, at the end of the Cold War), you know exactly what I'm talking about: this creeping, low-level, background phobia that anything or anyone you love, anything of meaning you have achieved in your life could be negated by a lethal combination of macho posturing and nuclear weapons. I became very cognizant of it during the Reagan years. In 1983, when the Soviets shot down a Korean jetliner, I was glued to the TV wondering if this was the first in a chain of events that would lead to the destruction of the world. I think the buddy I had over for the night was pretty miffed I didn't want to shoot bumper pool instead.

If the rhetoric got out of hand, there wasn't a damn thing I could do. This feeling of helplessness was very tangible for me. Granted, I was an overly serious kid; but I suspect I wasn't alone at all. Pop culture - especially music - visited nuclear doomsday themes quite often. Below are some selections for a compilation you can make to relive this time, which for me felt perpetually overcast. Hey - that's pretty catchy. Let's call this compilation "Perpetually Overcast: 80s Songs of Nuclear Holocaust".

"It's A Mistake" - Men at Work. Someone gave me this single for my birthday. As much as the song itself, the dust cover for the single (see picture that accompanies this article) vividly conveys The Fear I felt as an adolescent.

"99 Red Balloons" - Nena. Perhaps the most popular of the nuke songs.

"Russians" - Sting. Hey, I'm not claiming to like all the songs on this list.

"Ask" - The Smiths.

"Living Through Another Cuba" - XTC.

"Red Skies At Night" - The Fixx.

"World Destruction" - Zone Time. Features Africa Bambaata and Johnny Rotten (sorry, Lydon) if memory serves me correctly.

"The Final Countdown" - Europe. See #3. Bet that craptastic synth riff is now in your head though.

"Enola Gay" - OMD. I think released when they were still Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark. Their name got KFC'd somewhere along the way.

"1999" - Prince.

"Der Komissar" - After The Fire. Not Falco, but Falco was indeed in this group.

"London Calling" - The Clash. A fine tune now used to sell cars.

As we now know, the jubilation we felt when the Soviet Union broke up and the Berlin Wall came down is long gone. The posturing, the militarism, the rhetoric - it's all back. The bomb isn't the omnipresent threat it once was, but give it time: it seems like we're heading that way again.

What songs would you add to this list? Upon further reflection, "Ask" really doesn't have anything to do with nuclear holocaust. I'm not sure "Enola Gay" does either. But Imma leave them there anyway.

Fat Friday Feature DOUBLE SHOT: Bill Clements And Francis Rocco Prestia

2011-12-30T09:37:00.000-05:00

Friday is the day I draw attention to great bass players and great bass lines. I was too busy getting my Christmas on to post last Friday, so please enjoy this double shot.

In a tiny, sweltering A-frame all ages club in Chesterfield, Indiana circa 1989, my head was blown apart by Bill Clements. He was touring at the time with a band called Catharsis - a pretty forgettable band save Bill's performance. His playing was very busy; but the lines bubbled and peculated, relentlessly pushing the band forward. Bill had a familiarity with the fingerboard that I had seldom seen. He worked the whole neck, not just the lower third (like I do) and it never seemed ejaculatory.

Oh - and Bill Clements doesn't have a right hand. That night, he wore a shiny metal hook on his forearm, almost as an in-your-face-reminder of this fact.* The one song that I specifically remember - not only because of Bill's stellar performance, but because it was an unlikely song selection for an all ages punk rock venue - was Vince Guaraldi's "Linus and Lucy". Watching Bill's hand span the fingerboard on that Washburn Status bass made me incredibly self conscious about not only my small hands, but my crappy practice ethic. I left the Flipside club vowing to work harder.

Anyway, it is good to see Bill Clements is still out and about making a go of it. Check out the clip below from the NAMM 2011 show. Note the cloth wrapped around the nut, which is used to dampen the strings to prevent unnecessary ringing and string talk. (When I saw him, he was using an old bandanna for this purpose.)

* - I had read somewhere that Bill really, really doesn't like to draw attention to the fact that he is a bass player with one arm, wanting to be known instead as just a great bass player. I'd say well done - he's great no matter what.

Bill's playing reminds me a lot of Rocco Prestia's. I love the song below - timely lyrics though the song was released in 1975. The jury's still out on that woman's singing, but the playing is parless. If you're interested, here's Rocco breaking the bass line down for you.

Thank You Call From Santa And Prancer

2011-12-27T16:29:00.000-05:00

OMG Santa and Prance Called by mattzink
I can't believe he called!!1!1!!! AND texted!

Your Holiday Playlist: A Parental Advisory Christmas

2011-12-22T07:25:00.000-05:00

Notably absent: Killdozer's excellent Christmas song. What would you add to this list? Leave your suggestions in the comments.

Original Music: "Peppermint Stick Shiv" By The Cosby Sweaters

2011-12-21T17:49:00.000-05:00

To go along with one of my favorite Christmas movies - "L.A. Confidential".

Peppermint Stick Shiv by The Cosby Sweaters by mattzink

Leslie Donovan Singing "Silent Night"

2011-12-19T08:06:00.000-05:00

Here's another track from a Christmas project I did for my wife last year. Those who've already seen Indianapolis-based singer Leslie Donovan perform know that this is the equivalent of her "indoor voice". Which is to say she can belt out tunes when necessary. I think my favorite thing about listening to Leslie perform is she has power and control. It seems like most folks get seduced by the power of a particular singer, but not so much the control. No matter how much Leslie socks it to you, she's always in control. She's not yelling at you; always singing to you.

And as this track proves, she's not a one trick pony. I love the intimacy of this track so much. I'm so glad she contributed to the project. I really hope that if you're reading this, you'll do your best to track her down and see her live. Say hello to her and you'll also notice she's no diva - she's as down to earth and modest as you can get. So go see her. You really, really will not be disappointed. Learn more about her and her band here and here.

Silent Night - Leslie Donovan by mattzink

Fat Friday Feature: Chris Squire Of Yes On "I've Seen All Good People"

2011-12-16T13:05:00.001-05:00

As regular readers of the blog know, every Friday I feature a bass player or bass part that is exemplary. Which is to say the part and the player kick ass. Today, it's Yes's Chris Squire.

I love Chris Squire's tone almost as much as I love his aggressive, in the pocket playing. Of course, I'm a huge fan of the Rickenbacker bass, the bass that Squire played a large part in popularizing. Few showcase the strengths of that bass as well as Chris Squire. His lines are loud and serpentine, wrapping around the music, binding it together. The sound is meaty and in front - just the way I like it for electric bass. There's a couple of great live takes of this tune on You Tube; I selected this one because it is less "proggy" and more "garagey" - this is probably about as "raw" as Yes gets. Still, it'll get your feet tapping.

Around The Internet

2011-12-15T14:30:00.000-05:00

Lots of interesting and important stuff flooding into the old feed reader of late:

If you enjoy a relatively free Internet, full of hilarious fair use videos and songs, do something to stop SOPA. You have to do it today! What is SOPA and why is it bad? Here's some reading for you. Just be assured a world in which SOPA has passed will be truly sad, because that means the bad guys (the recording industry) have won.
More activism: Notes Toward Everything has hipped us to some action that will allow you to indulge your creative side to support punks in Indonesia, who're being rounded up and "reprogrammed". This is troubling indeed - isn't this what the Khmer Rouge did? Or maybe Scientologists? (Sorry - couldn't resist that one.) At any rate, punks have a reputation of being a close knit, supportive clan. Time to live up to that rep if you still have the means to make mix tapes.
We bass players love drummers - here's one way to show your favorite drummer some love this holiday; and here's a slightly more expensive way to do the same thing.
And finally, check out the embedded clip below for at least two great reasons: 1.) it's a fascinating story about one of the most iconic single chords in music history, and 2.) It's hosted by Randy Bachman of Bachman Turner Overdrive fame. It's so charming to hear his delight in telling this story.

See you guys tomorrow for Fat Friday!

STOP SOPA NOW

2011-12-13T13:44:00.000-05:00

I've censored the following, in protest of a bill that gives any corporation and the US government the power to censor the Internet--a bill that could pass THIS WEEK. To see the uncensored text, and to stop Internet censorship, visit: http://americancensorship.org/posts/5154/uncensor
█████'s ████ ██████ ███████ █████ the █████████ and ████████ ███████████████ ████ ████. ██████ it and get up on the █████. ████ ████ the ███████ █████. ████ is ████████ to the █████ ██████. ████ to ████ a █████.

Seriously people - we need your help here. Don't take my word for it - do your homework and learn about SOPA. If you agree with my view, then do something NOW.

Song Writing 101: Robert Earl Keen's "Merry Christmas From The Family" [UPDATED]

2011-12-13T13:09:00.000-05:00

Welcome to yet another semi-regular feature here at History Lesson Pt. 2! From time to time, I'll be showcasing what I regard as parless song writing with "Song Writing 101" entries. Robert Earl Keen's "Merry Christmas From The Family" is the perfect place to start.

At some point, I will give in to my urge to embed a holiday music play list at this blog. You'll notice that the selections betray a few important things about my tastes in holiday music:

At Christmastime, even more than usual, jazz is king with big band music not far behind.
With only a few exceptions, the old standards you sang at midnight mass (and possibly on the way to midnight mass) are really all you need.
I don't go in for a lot of new music. I know that at the end of each year, a ton of Christmas music floods the market. I never actively seek it out. As a result, I'm more or less listening to the same Christmas music stylings I listened to as a young lad pining for the latest Fischer-Price Adventure People set.

Robert Earl Keen's "Merry Christmas From The Family" is one of the exceptions. I was hipped to it about four years ago, and it is now one of my favorites. It's the perfect balance of humor and sentimentality. I love the "Christmas card from the wrong side of the tracks" feel to it. It captures some of the oddness of family gatherings but it never portrays it's subjects with disrespect. Listen to the original here (this live version is even better than the studio version), and enjoy the Creekdogs cover below.
Here are the lyrics:

Mom got drunk and Dad got drunk at our Christmas party
We were drinking champagne punch and homemade eggnog
Little sister brought her new boyfriend
He was a Mexican
We didn't know what to think of him until he sang
Felice Navidad, Felice Navidad

Brother Ken brought his kids with him
The three from his first wife Lynn
And the two identical twins from his second wife Mary Nell
Of course he brought his new wife Kay
Who talks all about AA
Chain smoking while the stereo plays Noel, Noel
The First Noel

Carve the Turkey
Turn the ball game on
Mix margaritas when the eggnog's gone
Send somebody to the Quickpak Store
We need some ice and an extension chord
A can of bean dip and some Diet Rites
A box of tampons, Marlboro Lights
Hallelujah everybody say Cheese
Merry Christmas from the family

Fred and Rita drove from Harlingen
I can't remember how I'm kin to them
But when they tried to plug their motor home in
They blew our Christmas lights
Cousin David knew just what went wrong
So we all waited out on our front lawn
He threw a breaker and the lights came on
And we sang Silent Night, Oh Silent Night, Oh Holy Night

Carve the turkey turn the ball game on
Make Bloody Mary's
Cause we all want one!
Send somebody to the Stop 'N Go
We need some celery and a can of fake snow
A bag of lemons and some Diet Sprites
A box of tampons, some Salem Lights
Hallelujah, everybody say cheese
Merry Christmas from the Family

Felice Navidad

A note about the Creekdogs version: I did this last year. I was responsible for the recording and post production. That's why it sounds kinda sucky - I'm still learning. Still, I'm quite proud of it and I love hearing it. I think it's a testament to the musical prowess of my band mates and Robert Earl Keen's songwriting skillz.

FromTheFamily-mix by mattzink

Dan: vocals, piano, guitar

Kevin: lap steel

Matt: bass

(Kevin pointed out to me that the version I uploaded earlier today was not, in fact, the final version of the tune. The lap steel track was slightly out of sync. This is the most up-to-date, in sync track.)

Sofia Violins: A History Lesson Pt. 2 Field Trip

2011-12-12T16:58:00.000-05:00

I met John Welch in late October at a wedding reception. He was chatting up my wife, who in turn was holding our daughter Marina near the water fountains just outside the bathrooms near the banquet room. They had talked for sometime; and after a brief introduction from my wife (who was also meeting him for the first time), I went back into the din of the wedding reception to make sure my crazy dancing son was keeping it safe. My wife told me later that he was incredibly charming, and he was totally smitten with 2 of the 3 most important women in my life. I was totally stoked to learn he was the CEO of Sofia Violins in Indianapolis, and he was more than happy to let us come for a visit - his only requirement was that I bring along my wife and daughter so he can say hello.

The date for the visit was Dec. 9th - this past Friday. I wasn't sure what I'd get, but I couldn't help but be excited.

Sofia Violins is located in downtown Indianapolis in the historic Stutz Building. After climbing 3 flights of stairs, we found John's office amongst the various photography and art studios. (The windows and ceilings are high on each floor, but the rooms themselves small and affordable - perfect lighting/perfect price for photographers and painters.) John greeted us and after a brief exchange of pleasantries, we were escorted to the shop next door. I didn't know what I was going to get, but I had assumed two things: 1, that the family would have to stay out of the workshop, and 2. that the workshop would have people hustling around, attending to loud, compact car-sized machinery that was more or less guided by computers. I was wrong, so wrong. And that was when the place began to charm me.

I said goodbye to the family; John surprised me by saying they were most welcome to come in as well - yet another pleasant surprise. I knew they'd like it too. We opened the door into a one room shop with a large closet for spraying finishes onto the instruments. There were only two men in there, both hunched over their benches working on a single violin. It was quiet except for a small radio playing the news, and the only large machinery in there was a drill press and a band saw.

They both stopped what they were doing and answered all of our questions, showing us around the shop. They were very focused on us, taking their time and giving the visit a very pleasant, friendly vibe. I asked some general questions about the shop, and what I've gathered is this:

Sofia Violins are made from parts shipped from the Czech Republic.
One of the luthiers (Todd Matus) also builds his own violins there - from scratch. As he was working on several instruments, we got to see pretty much every stage of construction, from planing the top from the tone wood to finishing and varnishing the instrument.
48% of the instruments made in that workshop are purchased overseas, mostly in Europe.
All manner of players play Sofia Violins, from pros using it as their main instrument to students still learning their way.

The beginnings of the back of a viola. This part is done completely by hand to achieve just the right thickness.

Auggie was totally enthralled too - he was tugging at my shirt, dying to play one of the violins. I was a little wary of this, but the guys in the shop insisted. Perhaps this is a musical possibility for Auggie? Anyway, Auggie was just as fascinated with the construction as I was. At Auggie's request, Todd graciously bagged up some wood shavings for Auggie to take home.

Luthier Todd Matus shows Auggie how to plane a neck in preparation for gluing on the fingerboard.

I think the smells were about half of what entranced me with that place as well - the varnish has a very particular, pleasant (if a tad strong) smell that reminded me of when I went up the the Englehardt factory to get my upright bass. My bass maintained that lovely, earthy smell for years.

Works in progress.

As I have always fantasized about building upright basses, Todd has offered to help me with any advice he can. I'm going to think on it, but I feel like I'll be ready to take him up on his amazing offer once the holidays are over.

I was also delighted to find out that Todd Matus is a professional photographer who had taught for years at the Herron School of Art. Those who know me know that photography is something that is near and dear to my heart as well, so it's yet another thing to geek on with him.

A ukulele that Todd's wife started that he is finishing. Here's some footage of a Matus uke in action. Perhaps my next uke will be a Matus uke?

We stayed for probably about an hour - aside from a squirmy one year old, it was a very leisurely visit. I hope to go back very soon. I'll post more photos later on this week.

From left to right: Duder, Sofia Violins CEO and all around great guy John Welch, me, and Auggie.

Fat Friday Feature: Some Random Dude Demoing The Staggs Electric Upright Bass

2011-12-09T16:18:00.000-05:00

I've really been shopping around for electric upright basses, none of which I can afford. The Staggs bass is about the cheapest I've found, and it comes highly regarded - from what I can tell, the bass seems pretty legit. In the process of trying to learn more about them, I ran across this dude. I like his tone, I like his playing. He's pretty nimble/accurate on that fingerboard. I gotta admit he makes it look easy, which in turn makes me a bit jealous.

Some Questions For You

2011-12-08T09:51:00.001-05:00

Listen to the playlist below and tell me: why isn't Chrome huge? Why aren't they at least name dropped by pretentious music critics? I mean, I these cuts (actually, the whole album) rule because their so weird/shred so hard. I listened to some tracks from some of their later albums - they're not terrible, but the fact that their sound has been cleaned up considerably is kind of a deal breaker for me. But I need to get a copy of "Half Machine Lips Moves/Alien Soundtracks" and fast.

Okay - I promise to stop embedding playlists and get back to actual blogging soon.

Your Mostly Upbeat, All Over The Place Playlist For December 7th

2011-12-07T09:33:00.001-05:00

If you don't like the song you're listening to, skip to another. There's bound to be something you like. Listen to it while you can.

Ladies And Gentlemen: Killdozer

2011-12-06T10:34:00.001-05:00

I was trying to track down Killdozer's excellent Christmas tune, but was side tracked by this great live clip. I had to share. The bad sound almost enhances the power of this performance.

The Voice Of An Indian

2011-12-05T10:21:00.001-05:00

I spend the better part of a day fantasizing about motorcycles. I subscribe to several motorcycle blogs; I dream up the routes I'd take to get to the west coast, routes that would emphasize geographical beauty and personal debauchery. I imagine in detail the bike I'd ride (currently a Triumph Bonneville) in as much detail as a non-rider like myself can. Until I get serious about getting a license, these will only be the thoughts that keep me warm through the winter.

Because of their reputation for performance and their lean, modern looks, I've grown to really like British bikes. But I always have and always will love Indians. Yeah, Harleys are fine and everything, but where I used to live unfairly soured me on the bikes and what passes as "Harley culture". Brown county is an understandable riding destination because it is nothing but winding, hilly back roads. The views are amazing and there's no better place to test your riding skillz. But all too often, it is flooded with dipshits with exceptionally loud Harleys - all stock except for whatever they need to do to it to make it as loud as a 747. They ride into town, park their bikes in front of the court house (where they affect their "rebel" posture for all to see), eat the shitty food Brown county has to offer, and ride home to get rested up for work at the office on Monday. The riders themselves never seem to have the leathered, grizzled appearance you'd expect from someone who lives up to the tired ass bumper sticker credo of "living to ride/riding to live". Their bikes appear to spend the better part of their days in a garage, and they usually lack the accessories that betray a rider who spends any significant time touring. Based on my experiences in Brown county, I'm inclined to believe the old joke that Indian owners share: that the difference between Indian owners and Harley owners is that Indian owners actually ride their bikes.

Of course, I'm making generalizations for the sake of the argument. One of the coolest dudes I know is an avid Harley rider, not some Harley rider cliche. And I can agree with him and all other Harley riders that one of the coolest things in the world to hear is the sound of a stock Harley idling. That is, it was one of the coolest things to hear until I saw the video below. There is some amazing intangible quality to the voice of this Indian - I guess because it sounds like it's got balls without punching out your ear drums when it revs (granted, he's not revving it that hard). But there is a spirit to this sound that I can't quite place. All I know is that is sounds real good. I can't imagine how kick ass it sounds when you're actually riding it.

So for today, I'm back in my dreams, this time riding a pre-WWII Indian en route to the southwest, with the final destination being the Pacific Ocean.

Ladies And Gentlemen, Possibly The Most Condescending Lyrics Of All Time

2011-12-03T08:52:00.001-05:00

And isn't it worse that it was redone? But why do I still like this song?

Paul Young
It's Christmas time, there's no need to be afraid
At Christmas time, we let in light and we banish shade

Boy George
And in our world of plenty, we can spread a smile of joy!
Throw your arms around the world at Christmas time

(Phil Collins on the drums)

George Micheal
But say a prayer - pray for the other ones
At Christmas time

Simon Le Bon
it's hard, but when you're having fun
There's a world outside your window

Sting and Simon Le Bon
And it's a world of dreaded fear
Where the only water flowing is a bitter sting of tears
And the Christmas bells that ring there are the clanging chimes of doom

Bono
Well tonight thank God it's them instead of you

And there won't be snow in Africa this Christmas time
The greatest gift they'll get this year is life

Where nothing ever grows
No rain or rivers flow

Do they know it's Christmas time at all?

Here's to you
Raise your glass for everyone
Here's to them
Underneath that burning sun

Do they know it's Christmas time at all?

Feed the world
Feed the world
Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmas time and
Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmas time and
Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmas time and
Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmas time and
Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmas time and
Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmas time

Fat Friday Feature: Mark Rubin Of The Bad Livers On "Lust For Life"

2011-12-02T22:26:00.001-05:00

You kinda have to listen closely to hear it. I'm guessing this one is ripped from vinyl based on the sound. I have Mark's DVD of "Slap Bass: The Ungentle Art" - it's really amazing. Consider this a place holder until I can get some clips of that online.

It's December - Is Christmas Music Fair Game Now?

2011-12-01T13:40:00.001-05:00

Being raised by strict Catholics meant that we honored the liturgical seasons to the letter. Catholics are in the season of Advent right now. Advent. Did you hear me? Advent, not Christmas. In our family, that meant there was no Christmas music or Christmas decorations until the week of Christmas.

I understand why I was raised that way. It somehow made me savor the season a lot more. I'm no longer practicing that faith, so I'm cool with starting things a little earlier. Admittedly, I haven't started playing any Christmas music at home just yet. I still feel more "post-Thanksgiving" than anything else. But I'm sure that will change after I listen to the greatest Christmas album of all time.

However, if you're already in the Christmas spirit, enjoy some ukulele and lap steel!

The Cosby Sweaters in this instance are:
Matt - ukulele, bass
Kevin - lap steel

Blue Christmas by The Cosby Sweaters by mattzink

Everyday

2011-11-29T17:01:00.001-05:00

1989-90 - on the way home from vocational school, rolling in my dad's Chevy Silverado, I was blaring either the Beastie Boys "Paul's Boutique" or the Fall's "Extricate". Everyday.

Props To Elvis Costello For This Rant

2011-11-29T08:34:00.001-05:00

From a rant at www.elviscostello.com:

Tape and celluloid were rolling at the Wiltern Theater, Los Angeles in April this year and present a vivid snapshot of the early days of the Spectacular Spinning Songbook show on “The Revolver Tour” of 2011.
The live recording finds the Imposters in rare form, while the accompanying motion picture blueprints the wilder possibilities of the show, as it made its acclaimed progress across the United States throughout the year.
Unfortunately, we at www.elviscostello.com find ourselves unable to recommend this lovely item to you as the price appears to be either a misprint or a satire.

Read the whole thing here. This is a rare thing of brutal honesty.

Some Thoughts On Desired Upright Bass Tone

2011-11-28T09:58:00.001-05:00

Perhaps this is of no one's interest but mine, but I feel the need to suss out what great upright bass tone is after mentioning it in the last "Fat Friday Feature".I like the bass to sound meaty, it's notes nice and round. The attack of the notes should start with a nice thump from the pluck of the finger, the sustain should bellow loudly and have a woody, reedy character to it. The decay should resolve itself to the nice "mwhaaa" tone that every bassist since Jaco Pastorius seems to want. To hear what I mean by "mwhaaa", click here and skip to the 2:44 mark. I know it's on a bass guitar, but you should get the point.

The best way to achieve this is by using a good condenser mic. There may be an adequate pickup/preamp combo; I just don't know what it is.

In the over all mix, the listener should be able to hear all of these things without straining. By keeping the bass tone as defined above prominent enough in the mix, any given song will have a great deal more warmth to it.

There are some exceptions to this - bluegrass bass being the first one that comes to mind. The function of the bass changes slightly - it's usually up to the bass player to keep pushing the song forward, even more so than most other genres. In bluegrass, you just need to have a nice thump going on to keep the time and punch through the brightness of the mandolin/fiddle/banjo. As an example of what I mean, sing the word "thumb" (or "tomb") for the bass part to "Foggy Mountain Breakdown". Achieving the bluegrass sound requires no finesse to be honest. A lot traditional bluegrass bassists, when not sharing a mic with the other musicians, stick a microphone in some pipe insulation and wedge it between the top of the bass and the tail piece. This tends to do the trick nicely in most venues. It ain't rocket science; it's bluegrass!*

* - If there are any sensitive bluegrass fans out there, this section is by no means meant to insult. Rather, it reflects a simple, pragmatic view of what works for bass in bluegrass settings.

Fat Friday Feature (IOU Edition): "Cachiato" Lopez On "Drume Negrita"

2011-11-26T22:10:00.001-05:00

I let a Friday get by me without posting a great bass performance - sorry about that. Here's one for you - nothing fancy, it just sounds fucking right. Sonically, this is how the recorded upright bass should sound. Gah. . . Imma shut up and let this song take me way from these overcast skies for a bit.
And because I screwed up and forgot to post yesterday, enjoy the fruits of my Catholic guilt with a BONUS HELPING OF RY COODER!11!!1! This is one of my favorite songs I do believe. Freaking guy must've been born with a guitar in his hands.

Thanks A Lot, Jerks

2011-11-26T21:37:00.001-05:00

Bad news for cubicle jockeys everywhere: Grooveshark's death is imminent. Of course, this is courtesy of the jerks at Universal Entertainment. If you have the Grooveshark smart phone app, it'll be rendered useless in due time. And of course, here at ol' History Lesson Pt. 2, many, many links and embedded mp3 players will be rendered useless. Fuck it man. Assholes.

Oh well - I guess that's the way it works. Enjoy some Grooveshark awesomeness here, here, and here while you still can.

Fat Friday Feature: The Jam's Bruce Foxton On "In The City"

2011-11-18T10:53:00.001-05:00

It's Friday - that means I feature a bass player or bass part that rules. Today, it's Bruce Foxton's performance on "In The City".

I think one of the many things I love about Bruce Foxton is - and this may seem very simplistic - that he can sing and play at the same time. I love watching him perform - it's all power, precision, and action. There will be a post coming up about my "holy trinity" of bass of which Bruce Foxton is a part. This "holy trinity" are the guys that inspired me to pick up a bass; they are the well that I continue to draw upon for inspiration. I submit the clip below as a tiny bit of evidence as to why Bruce Foxton is a part of that trinity.

Some Questions For You

2011-11-15T15:05:00.001-05:00

Some questions for you:
- I guess if she's 19 she's legal, but is any one else creeped out by the lyrics from "Hey Nineteen"? Or worse still, the visual of Donald Fagan hitting on a comely young lass?

- Raise your hand if you use white noise to help you fall asleep.

- Is it bad when covers of your song are better than your song? Even the "Glee" version is better.

- Is there a more comforting sound to hear to hear in the fall/winter than the sound of the heat coming out of the duct work of your house?

More questions here.

An Edited Interview With Duder

2011-11-15T09:57:00.001-05:00

Duder Discovers The Mic (An Edited Conversation) by mattzink

Obsolete Sounds

2011-11-14T15:28:00.001-05:00

Over at the Mental Floss blog there's a fun compilation of now obsolete sounds. All of these sounds were in my life, except maybe the cash register. I suspect they'll live on as novelty ring tones and whatnot. But don't throw out your typewriters yet - there's some life still for those beloved machines. I regret getting rid of the electric typewriter I got for Christmas when I was a sophomore in high school. I guess it means a lot to me because it was concrete proof that my parents were trying to cultivate my interest in writing poetry - a fact that was lost on my self absorbed teenaged self.

I digress - check it out and feel old.
P.S. In the "Designing Women" clip, is it me or does the Jean Smart character talk just like Tommy Lee Jones in any given movie?

Fat Friday Feature: Freekbass Takes You To School

2011-11-11T11:30:00.001-05:00

The clip below is not the best representation of Freekbass. Honestly, there's only one way to see this dude: live. Please - go see him if he's coming to your town. I've seen him twice and it was like an effing clinic. The dude is a showman in addition to being a helluva bass player. That's a fairly uncommon combination. I saw him at the now defunct Patio Night Club in Indy (let's all raise a glass in memory of the Patio) years ago. A breaker tripped or something and all the power went out in the club except for the power going to the amps and mixing boards. It took them something like 10 minutes to find out what was going on. And Freekbass kept going. And not a single person left. We were all glued to the performance even though we could see nothing but the power lights glowing from the various amps. He's that fucking good.

Anyway, chalk up another great musical find discovered by my brother Paul. Like I say, the first taste below is is free; pony up the cover charge and get the full rush at a night club near you.

Audio Scratch Pad: The First Birds Of Morning

2011-11-09T12:44:00.000-05:00

The weather has changed and honestly, it hasn't gotten unbearable - yet. Still, I'm a spring/summer guy much more than a fall/winter guy, so I suspect that I'll return to recordings like this quite often to help me through the winter. Just put on my headphones, close my eyes and let myself be transported away. . . .

This was recorded in late July-early August, I'm not sure exactly when. It was a sleepless morning. I could hear one lone bird doing his thing in our front yard. By the time I had given up trying to get back to sleep, some of his compatriots in the back yard had joined it. I sat on my front steps with my netbook and mic and just pressed "record".

Listen for: dripping gutter, car that goes to the end of the street then turns, the dull hum of the city waking up in the background (which I have come to love).

First Birds Of Morning by mattzink

Stinky Mindfulness

2011-11-08T13:01:00.001-05:00

When I went to take a shit at work today, I decided I was going to quiet my mind and listen to the room. I'm not totally sure what prompted it, but I think it was because of an awesome "This American Life" episode I remembered from years ago. I heard the loud hum of fluorescent lights. I heard some pipes in the wall flexing and rattling. I heard the autodeoderizer chirping, alerting whoever cared that the canister inside of it needed to be replaced. Someone in the women's restroom was flushing a toilet; someone in the hallway was getting a drink at the water fountain.

I found this exercise quite rewarding. I must go in and out of that restroom a million times a day (trying to get enough hydration in my life, you know). I've never noticed any of those sounds before, ever. I felt like I was entering uncharted territory; I felt like the john was brand new. It occurred to me later that I might be practicing a sort of mindfulness. I made a conscious decision to be present in that moment in that stinky room. I became aware of a world that goes unnoticed though it is right under my nose. In order to do these things, I had to shut out conscious thought and make myself still from within and without. I had to listen. How else might my world change if I chose to be present, chose to my make myself still and to listen? The possibilities become numerous.

And if you believe in God/higher power, what better way to thank he/she/it then by taking an inventory of the world he/she/it created for you? I think that if you do, then that is the first step to creating a world in which we'd all like to live.

Off Topic: The Rules

2011-11-07T12:22:00.002-05:00

Time again for "The Rules", a semi-regular feature I ripped off from Esquire magazine.

116. Avoid party guests who use the following words or phrases in casual conversation: paradigm (or “paradigm shift”), political agenda, Obamacare, bro (or “brah”).

117. Watching Saturday morning cartoons is still permissible for adults provided you are watching it with your kids (or nieces and nephews).

118. “I know it’s a shitty thing to do, but we can’t refuse to accept the situation”. - Pvt. Cowboy, “Full Metal Jacket” Accept the situation. React accordingly. Or to put it another way. . .

119. It’s okay - even cathartic - to vent. But once you’re “venting” goes past the 15 minute mark, you’re whining.

120. Distrust people who eagerly and unabashedly air their dirty laundry.

Rules, rules, rules are everywhere!

A Foray Into Song Writing

2011-11-07T12:00:00.000-05:00

One of my band mates (Dan) in the Creekdogs recently returned from a visit to his daughter, who attends college out of state. While there, they checked out what I gather was an open mic night at the campus coffeehouse. He was quite impressed with one particular performer, who told the crowd she made herself write a song every day for seven days no matter how busy she was or how large the task. She admitted that this method only produced one usable song; but by my friend Dan's account, it was a good one.

It's not all that uncommon for us in the Creekdogs to tear off beautiful instrumentals in practice, agreeing that a given jam was good enough to add lyrics. Easier said then done - we've yet to add any words to some of the lovely instrumentals we have kicking around. Knowing that Dan has a pocketful of great music at any given moment, I decided to try to take the "seven day challenge" and write words everyday for a week to send to Dan and Kevin to put music to.

Starting from zero was really, really hard. It would've been difficult enough to try to distill a particular sentiment/story into song lyrics; but truthfully, I didn't have a particular sentiment or story I wanted to convey. For whatever reason, I found myself trying to write like Tom Waits. This is kinda funny as I'm at best a casual Tom Waits fan. I have profound respect for him as a songwriter and musician; yet I've never felt compelled to get very deep into his catalog. I guess the thing I admire the most about Tom Waits' writing is its attention to detail. A few carefully selected, "small" details vividly portray a given thought/sentiment much better (and a lot more artfully) than just coming right out and saying what's on your mind.

In a week's time, my song lyrics swung wildly from fictitious, third person story telling to personal and sappy as hell. I tried very hard to remove the inner critic and just get something sent out each night - a process that is trying when some inner voice keeps wondering what Paul Simon, Tom Waits, or Pete Townshend might think of a particular song.

But ultimately, I prevailed. The experiment yielded six songs in seven nights. I can't say any of them are great or even good. But I found the sustained focus and hard work to be quite rewarding. It remains to be seen if we'll be able to get anything usable out of this batch of tunes - if so, you can expect a follow up post, possibly with audio. I will say that at the last band practice - this was day two in the process - Dan had taken my lyrics from day one and put them to music. Bear in mind I thought the lyrics were terrible and unusable. But after hearing what Dan did to them - I literally almost cried. It is truly thrilling to hear words I came up with put to music. It was beautiful and honestly, I was using the wrong standard for the words: reading them there on a page almost as one would read a poem is a world apart from hearing them sung. I'm hopeful that something cool will come of this. But if not, I am creatively better for the effort.

Fat Friday Feature: MCA Of The Beastie Boys On "Sabotage"

2011-11-04T13:49:00.000-04:00

If you take away one member of the Beastie Boys, the whole thing falls apart. If you make an exception for the amazing DJs the B-Boys work with, no one member of that band overshadows the other. And yet, I can't help but think that MCA's bass playing is often overlooked - by B-Boy fans and especially fans of the bass. "Sabotage" in particular seems to be built around the bass. I guess because his playing isn't as flashy as say a Firehose-era Mike Watt, MCA doesn't end up as the topic of a lot of discussion in bass player forums.

But check it below - he (they) blow the roof off of wherever the hell it is they playing. It wouldn't even be close cool without the bass.

Fat Friday Feature: Some Random Dude On A Washtub Bass

2011-10-28T09:29:00.001-04:00

Can't say I care much for the song, but I like the guy's bass playing.

Lost In Translation

2011-10-24T09:45:00.001-04:00

Fat Friday Feature: Pete Shand Of The New Mastersounds On "Kuna Matata"

2011-10-21T11:08:00.000-04:00

It's Friday! That means it is time to showcase a spectacular bass player/bass part.

Pete Shand makes me jealous. His playing sounds like it's second nature to him; like he was born being able to play bass. It's smooth, creative and busy without being ejaculatory (which is to say he's in the pocket), and is a nod to James Jamerson without ripping off James Jamerson. The New Mastersounds are amazing outfit, and that's due in large part to Pete Shand's playing. I recommend you dive deep into their music RIGHT NOW.

At any rate, I had hoped to embed a live version of the tune below, but my brief search turned up nothing. Still - dig on this anyway. I love everything about this tune - dig the percussion, dig the Kenyan MC.

Off Topic: The Rules

2011-10-19T08:48:00.000-04:00

Continuing the semi-regular feature that I stole from Esquire magazine.

111. Be honest with yourself and with others and stop saying the phrase "I don't have time". Instead, say "that's not a priority for me right now". Because if it is a priority, you'll make the time for it.
112. Never engage in arguments with a child, especially in public. Even if you think you've "won", you haven't.
113. No matter how massively talented you are at a given thing, always remember that there is someone somewhere who is better at it than you.
114. To alter the old cliche, lead a horse to water in such a way that drinking is the only option.
115. Leadership 101: Don't ask others to do what you yourself would not.

More rules here and here.

A Soundtrack For A Cartoon

2011-10-18T10:07:00.001-04:00

Instructions: Press "Play" on the player below, then click on the image to embiggen - you need to see this R. Crumb cartoon in its full glory. Contemplate until song completes.

Fat Friday Feature: Reid Anderson On "Everybody Wants To Rule The World"

2011-10-14T11:11:00.001-04:00

It's Friday - in keeping with tradition, it's time to feature a great bassist/bass part. Today it's one of my favorite bassists performing in one of my favorite bands - Reid Anderson of the Bad Plus.

Hearing Reid Anderson for the first time (on an NPR review of the album "These Are Vistas") was a mind expanding experience for me. The possibilities of what can be done on an upright bass exploded into my mind through my ears. My reaction was just a loop: "I didn't know you could do that on an upright bass/I didn't know you could do that on an upright bass/I didn't know you could do that on an upright bass. . . " "Big Eater" staggers me every time I hear it - Reid Anderson (and for that matter, drummer Dave King) is a fucking monster, plain and simple. But perhaps the Bad Plus's cover of "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" is a gentler, less aggressive, easier-to-swallow introduction to Reid and the band. But don't confuse "palatable cover" as doublespeak for "boring unoriginality". Listen for yo'self.

Here Is Your Short Halloween Playlist

2011-10-11T22:44:00.000-04:00

Conspicuously absent:

"Flying Purple People Eater"
"Theme From The Munsters"
"Theme From The Addams Family"
"Thriller"
"Frankenstein"
"Monster Mash"

Predictably present is "Werewolves of London". I also threw in a little podcast about "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown". Hope you like.

12 October: Playlist has been UPDATED!

Scary Stories For Your Listening Pleasure

2011-10-11T13:37:00.000-04:00

Halloween (or Jesusween for our more extreme friends) will be here soon enough, so why not get started with some scary stories? Embedded below is an episode of "This American Life" that I first heard when it aired in 2006. At the time, it scared the living shit out of me. And this was listening to it on the way to church with the sun out. Even if it doesn't scare you, they're immensely entertaining stories and I highly encourage you to listen to the whole episode - especially the second story.

You have any links to good scary stories? Care to share a scary story yourself? Leave a message in the comments section. If you live close by, maybe I can come and record you telling your story and post it here.

Holy Crap - All The Sudden I Wish I Owned An IPod Touch

2011-10-07T13:34:00.000-04:00

. . . . not that I'd have the chops to put something together like this. Damn!

Fat Friday Feature: Dan Bergland On "Spunky Sprawl"

2011-10-07T11:08:00.002-04:00

Today's featured bassist/bass part is Dan Berglund of E.S.T. He and Reid Anderson (of the Bad Plus) are two of my favorite upright bass players. The speed, precision and creativity of Dan's playing blows my mind. E.S.T. fans know that the band has broken up due to the tragic freak accident of its piano player. I'll have to check to see what Dan's up to these days. For now, sit back and enjoy this performance - bass fireworks start at approximately the 1:44 mark.

Audio Scratch Pad: An American Classic - Zippos

2011-10-02T22:28:00.002-04:00

If I make it to October 7th without a ciggie, I will have gone one year without smoking. It's a pretty big deal for me as I am a guy who is owned by his appetites. And yet, I cant bring myself to get rid of my two beloved Zippo lighters. In the player below, the first one you'll hear is my "Ace of Spades" Zippo, given to me this year for my 40th birthday by my good friend Dylan. The second one is my Bucks Cigarettes Zippo, given to me by my good friend JD. See if you can guess which one needs a new flint. Feel free to use this as a sound effect for your detective story, or for your Hunter S. Thompson reading.

Zippos by mattzink

Fat Friday Feature: Chris Wood On "What'd I Say?"

2011-09-30T09:24:00.000-04:00

Going to see the Wood Brothers here in Bloomington at a tiny venue - should be sweet. Seems only logical to showcase some of Chris Wood's bass work.

Using Music In Fiction

2011-09-29T09:08:00.000-04:00

Over at The Death Of Everything, there is an excellent piece about the use of music in fiction and movies. Authors, musicians, music fans and directors, go check it out now!

According To Legend: Merry Clayton

2011-09-25T22:08:00.002-04:00

According to legend, Merry Clayton miscarried due to the strain of belting out this song. I could believe it. This is fucking raw power. This is easily one of the best vocal performances ever recorded.

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Here is her version of the same tune:

Fat Friday Feature: Bakithi Kumalo On "Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes"

2011-09-23T11:31:00.001-04:00

Each Friday, I feature a bass player or bass part that is freaking amazing. Today, dig on Bakithi Kumalo.

Bakithi Kumalo, in addition to having a cool sounding name, is an incredibly underrated but very technical bass player. I'm not sure he's ever been on the cover of "Bass Player" magazine. I'm guessing there's only a little chatter about him in bass player forums. I'm also sure that young, aspiring bass players aren't writing his name all over their Trapper Keepers. There is no flash in his gear (the first time I saw video of him playing, he was playing a Washburn Force 4 bass, which also happens to be my first bass) or wardrobe; it's in his tone, his precision, and silky smooth playing.

I was shocked at the number of highly entertaining videos that Bakithi has on You Tube. For example, dig him playing the awesome Kala U-Bass (a bass ukulele), which will likely be the topic of a future blog entry. The video embedded below is mesmerizing to me (though I'd recommend you listen to the tune he is breaking down first) because he is slowing down the bass line from "Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes" and it is no less fascinating.

If you're not already familiar with it, listen to Paul Simon's "Graceland" in its entirety. Bakithi's runs smother the all of tunes like sweet, sweet maple syrup.

UPDATE: It looks like he's showing how to do multiple songs from the "Graceland" album. I was so blown away by the "Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes" demo that I didn't go any further. So it looks like Friday just got a lot fatter for all of us!

Around The Internets/Link Dump

2011-09-21T14:19:00.001-04:00

After a delightful morning of reading Duder some books, I came to work, read this and thought "hey, what the hell? I'll make a sad to Tom Waits playlist! My life is great - I can handle it!" That move almost brought me to tears upon listening to the list. Damn that guy can write a song.

Thankfully, Jenn (happy birthday, Jenny!) emailed me with an exceptional pick-me-up tune I hadn't heard forever. Although I'm not deep into their catalog, there are some Golden Smog tunes I really like. I can remember years ago flying into Indianapolis from Arizona listening to "Looking Forward To Seeing You", with thoughts of hanging with the family mingled with the music in my ears. Good times.

In other news, the Selvedge Yard has a great post about the Rolling Stones touring in support of "Exile On Main Street" in 1972. Check it out - it's a pretty good read related to one of the greatest albums in human history. There's also a post at TSY that showcases a pre-plastic surgery Cher - mee-ow!

------

Finger tappers of the world, rejoice! Your instrument is here! This would've driven Fr. Leopold crazy if I would have had this in college. He's the prof who told me he thought I'd get much higher grades in his class if I'd quit "drumming" with my hands and feet. Whatevs. I guess I just have a hammer in my heart. I wanted to bang on the drums all day maybe. I still fidget/tap a lot, so take that, Fr. Leopold! Imma buy this device and sign up for one of your classes just to drive you nuts.

Last but not least, enjoy this NSFW mashup, which is pretty hilarious; and seriously - read this, which is as fascinating as it gets. Don't read this, which as as boring as it gets. I kinda got the sense that the B-Boys would've rather been somewhere else.

Roadtripping With Mike Birbiglia

2011-09-20T15:02:00.000-04:00

I decided to shake things up a bit about 3 years ago when we were heading out for Michigan for vacation: I downloaded a bunch of stand up comedy to listen to on the trip. My wife and I have some common ground when it comes to music; it's just the divergences in taste that causes a problems. As a result, most of the trips are done without music - it's just easier, honestly. (Note that I didn't write "silence". I'm looking at you, jabber box son in the back seat.) The drag about this is that it's harder for me to stay awake while driving. My thoughts get weirder and weirder. By the time we get to my destination, even a stiff drink won't help sort me out (but I usually end up trying that method anyway).

With no expectations, I downloaded an album each of Dane Cook and Mike Birbiglia. We listened to the Birbiglia first. His in-your-face whiteness and non-threatening persona along with his slurred delivery had us giggling uncontrollably until it was over. He joked of his insecurities in a way that's actually funny (and even cute), not annoying. My wife and I found ourselves repeating the jokes to each other for the rest of the trip.

(The Dane Cook record was okay I guess, but mostly it was just really loud.)

This is a really distracted entry because I'm listening to "Two Drink Mike" right now. It still can make me laugh, even on this overcast day in cubicle land. Take a listen, won't you?

Fat Friday Feature: Clint Conley On "Peking Spring"

2011-09-15T23:07:00.000-04:00

"The Horrible Truth About Burma" by Mission of Burma is one of my favorite live albums of all time. I'll spare you all the gushing about it because plenty of other people have already done that. To listen to this album is to hear the future of college radio for the next twenty years or so. All that crap aside, this album would be worth it for "New Disco" and "Peking Spring" alone, for realz. "New Disco" is a much better all around song, but "Peking Spring" is like audio adrenaline (though it is not terrible, don't bother with the studio version). From the moment I first heard it - I think I was fourteen or so - I vowed to learn how to play "Peking Spring". I haven't learned it yet, but I think I will tonight.

And dig this video - it charms the hell out of me. There is no pretension at all - from the clothing to the fucking Peavy amps. Just some guys blowing the doors off whatever basement they're playing in. Dude, I think Clint Conley's bass just the Solo cup of MGD out of my fucking hand.

There's much more to say about Mission of Burma and their live prowess, but I'll save that for the "greatest live albums of all time" entry. To quote The Stranger, I done innerduced them enough. To save you the trouble, Imma embed the whole "Horrible Truth About Burma" album so you can rock the crap out of your co-workers/spouse/pets.

The Wayback Machine: The Kent Johnson Project

2011-09-13T23:05:00.000-04:00

March 22nd, 2009 was the first time I ever set foot in a studio. I was asked to be one of two bass players for a CD that was to benefit a local charity. The music was written by Kent Johnson, who for a time was homeless and benefited from the services of that charity. It was a blast - there is much to write about from that experience, but for now, enjoy some photos from that recording session.

Multi-instrumentalist, arranger and music director for this project, Dan Lodge-Rigal. His talent is only matched by his humility.

Kent Johnson, whose songs we were recording. This guy is an amazing lead guitar player. That Gibson SG he's playing is a loaner. Isn't it a beaut?

Another shot of Kent.

Me warming up in one of the isolation booths. I'm so glad I trimmed my nasal hairs before this photo was taken.

MMmmmm. . . SG stylings.

My crap heaped up in the isolation booth, where I did my parts.

Tom Yeiser, owner and engineer of Sweet Owen Sound, a truly magnificent studio. He is the Santa Claus of sonic sweetness.

Kent Johnson awaiting the "all clear" to rawk.

Drummer John Astaire. Those drums used to belong to Neil Diamond's drummer. True story.

Arty farty shot.

Me no doubt nailing it on the first take.

I Was Going To, But Decided Not

2011-09-13T22:21:00.001-04:00

Oh America. You mean well - you really do. You deserve credit for that. But for every truly touching remembrance of the terrorist attacks of September 11th, there was something like this:

And this really kinda bums me out as well. I thought of posting the journal entry I wrote on Sept. 13th, 2001, but decided there is already enough crap out there on the topic. Please - read this. It is much more nuanced and thoughtful than most of the stuff you'll read about Sept. 11th. It pretty much sums it up for me.

In The Studio With An As Of Yet Unnamed Project

2011-09-12T13:56:00.002-04:00

I got to fly to Atlanta this past weekend to lay down bass tracks for a demo that will hopefully start churning up big things for me musically. I'm pretty proud of how it's coming together. We rehearsed our butts off Friday and spent almost 8 hours recording 5 songs on Saturday (though the drum tracks had already been recorded by drummer extraordinaire John Astaire). I think it's going to sound great. My only lament is a minor one - I would've loved to have played my own bass on it, but I couldn't really fly with it for various reasons.
Things I learned this weekend:

Fred is a gracious host and an incredible guitarist. He came up with this tuning that he solos in with an amazing degree of comfort. And his solos are never short on originality or ideas. There's always something cool to latch onto when listening to them.
Fred says to me: "You haven't? Well today's the day - get on. Clutch is the left hand, front brake is the right hand. Shift with your left foot, and the rear brake is your right foot. First gear is down, the rest are up, and neutral is in the middle. Don't worry the clutch on this one is very forgiving. Good luck." It was a blast, even at 20 mph and under.
The Traben Phoenix is a nicely constructed, decent sounding, heavy ass bass with inlays that are horribly confusing and impractical. But seriously - you can drive nails with this thing. It's built to last.
Relating to the above, the 1977 MusicMan Sting Ray (my electric bass, also known as "Sade" because it's smmooooovvvve) was way ahead of the times in terms of sound, electronics, aesthetics, and practicality. It is only exceeded in the "no-frills" category by the G&L L-1000 and the Fender Precision bass. It is not a coincidence that these basses were all designed by the same guy.
I have a new found respect for metal drummers. Not those pansies you hear on the radio. I'm talking about the hard drummers with the metronomic timing no matter what effed up time signature they're switching in and out of. I'm talking about the lightening fast drummers that give the snare drum the same cadences of a machine gun. And yeah, playing the double bass drum so fast it sounds like a chopper landing is pretty pointless/funny, but still pretty bad ass.

On your superbikes (or really even your Schwinn), all the braking power comes from the front. That's why the disks are so big on the front wheel. That being said, when there are rocks around, engage the rear brake first.
Jeff Tomei knows knows his way around a damn console. Watching this guy work is amazing. And I'm guessing that there's no one at that level who is easier to work with. If I sound good on this recording, Jeff should get the credit.
Fred's right: the vocals pretty much just become another instrument when they're that intense.

In short, I had a blast. I had thought to take pictures, but I didn't want any distractions. (You, dear reader, are worth much more than photos snapped on a cell phone. And also, I don't have a cell phone.) I'll post updates at some point if I can.

Original Poetry - "Still Lifes On A Warm Spring Day"

2011-09-07T17:01:00.000-04:00

And now, a poem from my teaching days in which Sunday lesson planning becomes more bearable after catching an unexpected buzz.

ella fitzgerald and louis armstrong

make the sun warmer

meat puppets "II"

make the sun linger

remember this

spilt beer

on my teacher's edition

is a mute scandal

perhaps

the weight of the soul

is unknown but

one can be sure:

its weight is bearable

at least for today

i do not envy anyone

i want nothing

time is nothing

but the promise of gifts

yet unknown

i have declared today sacred

drinking beer is a ritual

smoking tobacco is a ritual

and is thus tolerated

the decay of the body

is secondary to the

height of the soul

I Haven't Moved Beyond This Tiny Magnetic Fields Playlist

2011-09-06T22:48:00.000-04:00

Every once and awhile, I'll get so hot and bothered about a song that I can't really delve any further along into that band's catalog. I know that The National kicks ass. I've got all their stuff. But to tell you the truth, I haven't gotten past "All The Wine". That song, my friends, is pretty damn close to perfect (though I haven't a clue what they're singing about).

My friend Kara hipped me to the Magnetic Fields. She said her boy Jay was into them, so I got their whole catalog as I tend to trust Kara's judgement on everything except maybe movies. Similar to The National, I haven't gotten beyond the playlist below - I'm delightfully stuck. Using a modern sensibility, the Magnetic Fields have this amazing way of uniting 50s pop and 80s synth pop into something pretty unique. I'm sure at some point I'll go a little deeper, but for now I'm happy in this rut - thanks Kara! Kara. Kara. Oh - Kara has a website you should check out. Seriously - it's dope.

Fat Friday Feature: Charles Mingus

2011-09-02T15:31:00.000-04:00

No time for my usual razor sharp wit and insightful commentary. Just enjoy some more fat ass bass, courtesy of Charles Mingus. This particular tune is one of my favorites.

The Music Of My Courtship

2011-08-30T13:03:00.001-04:00

My first kiss with MB was in a vending room of the Double Tree Hotel in Albuquerque. It had the immediacy and intensity of a car bomb exploding. I couldn’t believe I was kissing this woman whose beauty I had found, well honestly, intimidating. From that seemingly seedy start, something wonderful grew. We exchanged long emails that started with the trivialities of the day but quickly evolved into expressions longing for each other’s companionship, mine sometimes quoting poets that I liked. At one point, I even sent her a packet of poems, some of my favorites by others and some that I had written. For me, this was a large risk. She was the first woman I ever shared my poetry with in such a comprehensive manner. I was essentially entrusting her with my heart and she has guarded it zealously ever since.

I decided to be with MB for the rest of my life at a sidewalk cafe/toy store in Albuquerque, New Mexico, right before her return flight to Indiana after a week long visit. She had excused herself from the table to go to the bathroom; and in that short time, I had decided to move closer to her and commit myself to her. It was the best decision I ever made.

And there were, of course, mix tapes. (Streaming music was impractical because we were all using dial up modems). Like most courtships, ours has revolved around music, and specific times of the relationship can arrest my memory most vividly upon hearing certain tunes. For example, hearing “Someone’s Daughter” or “My Invisible Gun” instantly takes me back to the two hour, 4 AM drive to the Albuquerque airport to catch an early morning flight to stay with her during spring break. MB had sent me a cassette of songs she loved, and I listened to it as the moon filled my darkened truck cab, loving them sometimes for no other reason than because she loved them. “Charm Attack” was on the mix tape she made me for my final move home from living in AZ. This tape was a radio show that she had hosted, complete with skits from the Red Bud Players. (“Red Bud Players” = people she worked with.) It was a great, hilarious, loving effort. I smiled all the way home to her.

I’m still smiling today. Happy Anniversary, MB. I love you so much.

(Enjoy this non-comprehensive collection of songs from our courtship.)

Off Topic: In Which My Curiousity Gets The Best Of Me

2011-08-27T10:44:00.000-04:00

Rye Presbyterian, sunny and quiet Saturday, 10:30 AM.

Fat Friday Feature: Savarah Soul

2011-08-26T12:38:00.002-04:00

My brother Paul has hipped me to the artists of the Tru Thoughts label. That's a different post for a different day (Where's that guest post, Paul?), but for now I'll say that there doesn't appear to be any duds on label. For today, Imma concentrate on Saravah Soul - I've yet to hear anything by them that is sub par. I'd say they're somewhere between James Brown and Antibalas - not a bad place to be. And they're fronted by a "fiery break dancer"! Bonus! I'm not a dancer myself, but the percolating, fluid bass playing of Matheus Nova (dig the playing that begins at the :50 mark!) and the creative drumming of Eduardo Marques could be the cure for that. Dig deep into Saravah Soul - I'm guessing you won't be disappointed.

Straight Jacket Required

2011-08-25T09:52:00.000-04:00

When I get an earworm, I usually know where it came from and why it is there. Perhaps it's a song from an album to which I frequently listen. Maybe, like commercial jingles, it's designed to get stuck in my head. Or maybe it was the last song I heard before I went to bed.

But Phil Collins? Why God, why? I haven't heard him on the radio in years (mainly because I don't listen to the radio much), and I've never owned so much as a cassingle of his. Phil was has always been on the periphery of my entertainment radar - I have to admit he was good in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?", but I've never paid much attention to him beyond that. So why is he stuck in my head? And why has this week old earworm turned into a fucking earworm playlist? Of really, really crappy 80s music?

Perhaps if I unload it on you it will flush it out of my head. Please enjoy that crap that's been plaguing me. I'm sorry to do this to you; I just want my life back.

Fat Friday Feature: Cris Kirkwood

2011-08-19T12:07:00.000-04:00

Recall that each Friday I showcase an amazing bass player or bass part. Today, you get to dig on Cris Kirkwood. We're lucky this dude is still alive. The Meat Puppets have so many amazing songs; this live recording showcases Cris' virtuosity on bass. I highly recommend you dive into the Meat Puppets' album "II", even if you don't care about bass. You'll hear amazing, highly original, drug fueled songs that can be found at the intersection of country, punk, and psychedelia that most folks think Nirvana sing. It still stands up well to the test of time. Cris never got the press he deserved for his bass playing - as far as I know, he's never been on the cover of "Bass Player" magazine or anything even close. As much as people like to rave about his brother's guitar playing (which, by the way, is legit), the Meat Puppets be nothing without Cris.

Off Topic: The Rules

2011-08-16T11:42:00.001-04:00

106. The more one talks, the less they have to say.

107. Don’t sweat it: NO ONE looks good in a bike helmet.

108. If an eleven year old can't draw an NFL team's logo on a notebook while the math teacher is droning on about order of operations, the designer has failed.

109. Fuck your cell phone, man. Seriously - put it away and don’t get it out until dinner is over.

110. I don’t care how creative it was, don’t film your wedding proposal. That’s a private, personal moment and it should be kept that way.

More rules for livin' here.

Around The Internet: 15 August 2011

2011-08-15T14:56:00.000-04:00

Yo - got an iPad? Try this mix app out and let me know how it works. It looks like it would be a ton of fun. I bet it can spruce up any damn party.

Grandmaster Mash shows off MiniMash from MiniMash App on Vimeo.
I really, really, really hope as many artists as possible take advantage of this. The thought that more money would be going directly to the artist instead of the label makes me very, very happy.

I found myself at Grooveshark looking for this tune - I had to Google it first because I didn't actually know the title. I've always liked "Ooh Child" for its uplifting message and funky drums. I had never heard Nina Simone's version. Holy. Cow. DIG that bass - I don't know who is playing, but (s)he is a monster! James Jamerson's spirit is alive and well in this version. Listen to it and you'll agree.

And while we're kickin' it ol' skool, I tender this video, which definitely has an old soul to it. Love the photography, love G. Love's guitar.

Fat Friday Feature: Esperanza Spalding

2011-08-12T12:29:00.000-04:00

There was this woman who used to play piano at my wife's church before she went on to continue her studies in music. Everything about listening to and watching her play was like seeing her perform for the first time. Physically, she always seemed fairly petite to me. But when she pulled the bench up the the grand piano, it was like watching a lion tamer - that piano did everything she wanted. She was capable of playing with such power and physicality that at times I thought she'd dislocate her wrist; she played with such subtlety that you can see the congregation leaning forward to catch every note. Her stylistic range was amazing - she was comfortable in any musical genre and played with complete cofidence and grace. She was in short professional grade.

I feel the same about Esperanza Spalding, except you can throw in envy as something I feel when I watch her play. She is so nimble, so creative with her bass playing that I can't tear myself away from watching her. She makes it look so easy, so flipping easy. She sings with the same precision that she plays bass and her stage presence is both cool and joyful - she looks like she's actually having fun. She is equally at home on upright bass as she is bass guitar; and in addition to being "just" a bass player and vocalist, she's a composer and teacher. Now, she's a bit of a pioneer too: she was the first jazz artist ever to snag the "Best New Artist" Grammy. She even beat out everyone's favorite media juggernaut Biebs. And, oh hell I'll just say it: she's a total knockout too.

As The Stranger says in "The Big Lebowski", I done innerduced her enough. She's the full package, the real deal. It was hard to pick which clip to showcase here - the one I wanted to show can't be embedded - but it doesn't matter: all the clips - all of them - are phenomenal. Just pick one and dig it. Here she is covering Stevie Wonder.

Some Thoughts On A Music Video

2011-08-12T11:49:00.000-04:00

Kathleen Edwards is proof that musically, there is a fuck of a lot more to Canada than Sarah McLachlan and Rush. "Six O'clock News" is easily the best song I've heard in 5 years and is easily one of my all time favorite songs - any band, any genre. The video for the song charmed the hell out of me.

Here is why I found it so damn charming:

I like KE's crazy ass curly hair.
I like her slightly crooked teeth.
I like her Cate Blanchett cheekbones.
I like that she had the guts to wear that stupid looking fur hat.
I like how she purses her lips when she sings.
I like how she threw in the music video cliche of throwing a tantrum on the steering wheel of her car.
I think it's hilarious that she's squirming around on the bed, singing while her deadbeat boyfriend is trying to sleep. (Why isn't he trying to, uh, "get with" her or sing with her or listen to her or something?)

Check into Kathleen Edwards - if she's good enough for Letterman, she's good enough for you.

From The Archive: Play "Beyond The Sea" At My Wake

2011-08-10T12:05:00.000-04:00

Some of you may not be aware that this blog is a resuscitation of the old "History Lesson, Pt. 2" blog. It had the same mission as this one and ended up being such a lark that I couldn't resist starting it back up again a couple years after I shut it down. Here is an entry that first appeared at the original incarnation of the blog on 4 December 2007. Wonder why I was thinking of warm weather and beaches then?

It's kinda cool when you hear a song differently after having heard it a million times before. This happened to me in 1997 when my friend Dylan sent me a Pete Townshend's greatest hits-type album. In the sleeve notes, Townshend writes of the song "Let My Love Open The Door":

"This was a song about love, but this actually about divine love. It's supposed to be about the power of God's love, that when you're in difficulty, whether it's major or minor, God's love is always there for you. But I suppose, because I used the royal "we" - I sang with God's voice - it became a song about , you know, "Hey girl, I'll give you a good time, if you're feeling blue, come over to my place, and we'll catch a movie. . . "

Reading that little insight really enhanced my enjoyment of a song I already loved.

I became hipped to Bobby Darrin's "Beyond The Sea" around 1999. Since then, it has become one of my favorite songs in any genre by any artist. That song swings. Big time. It's usually a song that gets heavy rotation at our house starting in the springtime because for me, it conjures up images of beaches and warm weather.

But while commuting to work about two days ago, I heard it differently - it occurred to me that the lyrics for that song would be perfect for a wake. Townshend states that most people misinterpreted "Let My Love Open The Door" - well, I'm intentionally misinterpreting "Beyond The Sea". Think about it: it can be a nice little metaphor for ascent into heaven and being reunited with one you love. It's a journey to a happy destination, you know what I'm sayin'? Read the lyrics - you'll see what I'm talking about.

The song would have to be played at my wake (Editorial note: "showing" is probably a more up-to-date term for this.) as my chosen faith is not known for it's noisy, song filled celebrations. And realistically, I don't care what happens to me after death - it's cool if I'm placed in a burlap sack and thrown in a hole in the ground, frankly. Usually I don't get much comfort out of thinking about death and its associated rituals, but playing "Beyond The Sea" is, oddly enough, the exception. And perhaps even weirder, thinking of people sipping cocktails and listening to "Beyond The Sea" has made that song even more enjoyable for me.

Audio Scratch Pad: Lake Leelanau

2011-08-08T21:21:00.000-04:00

Lake Leelanau - Dock, 1:37 PM by mattzink
About: Recorded in August of 2010 as I sat on our speed boat (which was perched on the boat lift). I kind of just stuck the four track over the side of the boat. You can hear other boats zipping around in the background.
Recommended Uses: Listen to this with headphones to get you through the winter; or for that matter, the workday. What other suggested do you have? Post 'em in the comments.

Some Questions For You

2011-08-08T11:11:00.000-04:00

Do you miss the early days of MTV when the songs were sung and acted out? Like this, and of course, this.
Do these pants make me look fat? What about these?
Does anyone know the back story on this? Why the switch?
I know that the line is “Well your mother told you all I could give you was a reputation”, but is that really what he’s singing? Can you sing that line?

Original Poetry - "Blue Note Fantasy"

2011-08-08T10:19:00.000-04:00

Wherein I fantasize about being the jazz cat I always wanted to be - just like the dudes on the covers of old Blue Note records.

The moment is eternal –
Filtered stage lights burn cool
I am a figure frozen in blue cut against a voracious black
I am laughing at someone off camera
arm draped around the neck of a beat up upright bass
an impossibly thick column of smoke meanders from the tip of a filterless Pall Mall
Probably before my fingers douse it in a glass of whiskey
Probably before my fingers dance on the fingerboard
orchestrating thunder.

Fat Friday Feature: Kim Clarke

2011-07-29T08:14:00.001-04:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, Kim Clarke - a woman whose right hand technique mystifies me and quite frankly makes me jealous. How she seamlessly switches back and forth between slapping and normal finger play is beyond me. She makes it look and sound easy.

Vacation, Sukkas!

2011-07-28T19:09:00.000-04:00

There will be no Fat Friday Feature next week; no confusing contradictions, bad grammar, misspellings, or cussing. There will be nothing. Because I'm going on vacation, sukkas! If things go as planned, I'll be on the lake 90% of my waking hours with a beer in my hand 75% of that time. Have a great week - I know I will.

Fat Friday Feature: Meshell Ndegeocello

2011-07-28T19:00:00.000-04:00

I've let this blog become a bit too sausage oriented if you know what I mean. This is Meshell Ndegeocello. This is power. This is range. This is fucking talent. I want to say if Prince was a woman who played bass, he'd be Meshell Ndegeocello. But I'm not going to say that because that's a sausage-based comparison to which Meshell Ndegeocello will not be confined.

In keeping with showcasing bad ass bass players/bass parts on Fridays, Imma post her first big hit below. I post it because the bass playing has a punch that I love. I'm not talking about tone or amp settings or that shit. I'm talking about playing that reverberates in the chest cavity and gets stuck in the noggin. Oddly, I don't think this is one of her best songs - the video in particular is kind of annoying in fact. But I love watching her play and she is undeniably funky. And I don't mean in that lame ass Red Hot Chili Peppers-fast-and-furious, slap-and-hook style funky. (This is not necessarily a dig at the RHCP, by the way. It's a dig at Flea's minions of imitators. I'll explain later. Anyways. . . ) The girl has soul and power. She's got soul power. If you want a better tune, dig on this, or this. Here's another. Too much for you, whitebread? Here's one for you. But if you want that punch in the chest - check out below.

When Is It Okay To "Go Off"?

2011-07-25T12:10:00.000-04:00

In any given song, when is cool for the bass player to "go off"; that is, stop what you were doing for the groove and start embellishing the crap out of what you're playing? Is it ever okay to go off on bass? More importantly, is less actually more in terms of bass?

This is a very hard question to answer. Troll any bass player forum and you'll see many a flame war about this topic. Guitar players and keyboard players perhaps don't have to think about this as much as dudes holding the rhythm - but they really should. It is definitely one of the most important things to figure out for any musician. I'm not sure I completely have the answer for myself, but I definitely know when a bass player has gone too far. This will certainly be a topic I will revisit in the future, but I hope you will swing by and check out this entry at Ryan's Blog. My jaw hit the ground when I saw the clip that accompanies the entry. This guy is using one drum. One. Yet what he does on that one drum is infinitely more interesting and groove oriented than what Carmine Appice is doing on his gazillion piece drum kit.

Anyways, check it out. Ryan is a thoughtful blogger and the digs at Terry Bozzio* are hilarious.

* - Did you watch this clip? It'll really tax your ears, man. Like I said, drum solos might be the only thing worse than bass solos.

Fat Friday Feature: Jack Bruce

2011-07-22T14:53:00.001-04:00

Imma tell you something shocking - you ready?
I could probably count on one hand the number of bass solos I actually like. In fact, I'd say as a general rule nothing bores me more than a bass solo. (Except a drum solo.) It's funny - I love the bass. I love the sound. I love the looks of various uprights and bass guitars. I love how the fat strings feel under my fingers. I love that it makes you work so hard, particularly the upright - I like the physicality of it. I've never seriously been interested in another instrument. But in my wildest bass-related fantasies (which may or may not involve assless chaps) I have never fantasized about a soloing.

Let's face it: bass solos are so awful. Jaco Pastorious? Please. No one would deny that he's an amazing technician of the bass. I even like some of the bass lines he does. But his soloing is bass wanking pure and simple. There is zero regard for the groove. And if you point me to any bassist that does solos with two handed tapping, you lose.

But there are good solos. It might be unhip to say so, but the solo in "My Generation" was not only groundbreaking and brilliantly executed, it still sounds good. And there's this beauty from Jack Bruce. It's interesting without being ejaculatory. It slithers around without sacrificing the groove. It is both technical and accessible. It never wears out it's welcome - Bruce steps back when Zappa begins to solo, but he never loses my attention. And most importantly, it's dirty. I love that the bass is distorted. It gives the solo teeth; it's like leaving a scratch on the paint job of your Ferrari. In short, it sounds good. So crank this one up! (Solo starts at the :16 mark.)

Audio Scratch Pad: "Back Seat Stowaway"

2011-07-20T13:25:00.001-04:00

Back Seat Stowaway By The Kalashnikovs by mattzink
About: This is the sound of an upright bass slowed way the hell down using using this. Imagine how much more Satanic it would've sounded had it been reversed.
Recommended Uses: Horror movie sound track, back drop for your ghost stories.

Do The Math

2011-07-17T09:10:00.000-04:00

I always thought that the harpsichord in popular music sounded pretty terrible.
I was born in 1971.
Perhaps I am a product of the times?
Also, I wonder what accounts for the steep drop in harpsichord sales from 1966 to 1970? Maybe Judy Collins' surge in popularity in the early '70s made people wake up to the incorrect usage of this instrument?

Anyway - this is gibberish. Read the great comments here, where I took this infographic.

Fat Friday Feature: The Brothers Johnson

2011-07-15T16:11:00.000-04:00

So today begins a feature wherein each Friday a bass player/sweet bass part is showcased. Let's begin, shall we?

Dig the fashion. Dig the Gibson bass. Dig that bad ass bass line. Dig on the Brothers Johnson covering Shuggie Otis' "Strawberry Letter #23". Any good funk tune fill one or more of the following requirements:

It must be about sex.
It must be repetitive as hell.
It doesn't make any sense lyrically.

"Strawberry Letter #23" fulfills that last requirement big time. No matter - it's an amazing groove.

Fat Feature Friday DOUBLE SHOT!!!1!!11!!
Some more slapping, this time from Slick Joe Fick and on an upright bass. I love this - if he played like this on tunes, I'd say it was the sort of selfish, over-the-top playing I despise. But this is more like a demo reel to me, showing what can be done on an upright using the slap method. Joe's got some other clips online (he was one of the bass players in "Walk The Line") that are more groove oriented, so check 'em out.

Off Topic: The Rules

2011-07-14T16:55:00.000-04:00

Here begins semi-regular feature I stole from Esquire magazine.
101. Check numbers start with the number “101” or higher to make it seem like your account has been established and is stable. The same should be done with the lists you make for you blog.
102. Know the chain of command and follow it. For those that don’t are busy bodies and gossips.
103. Carrying a handkerchief is still acceptable, even kind of cool. Unless you’re using it for it’s intended purpose.
104. You don’t get to choose your nickname.
105. With a grudging exception for “The Selvedge Yard”, your blog will never be taken seriously if you keep using the word “epic” to mean “really cool”.

Standards Rule: Junior High/High School Mix Tape Standards

2011-07-11T21:03:00.000-04:00

I’m not quite sure when it died off, but for the longest time, I had some strict mix tape standards. Of course, what makes it onto the tape is largely dictated by who you were making the tape for. But beyond that, I suspect we all had mix tape standards - that is, rules that we followed regardless of the recipient of the tape. Mine were something like this:

Side A: start with two fast paced/moderately paced songs; then alternate between one slow song followed by two fast/moderate songs until you ran into the leader tape. (I didn’t really care that songs were cut off. See standard number 3.)
Side B: start with a slow tune, then work back to the one slow, two fast/moderately paced tunes formula.
Never leave blank space on the tape.
If the mix tape was supposed to be slow or depressing, invert the standards so that it’s two slow songs followed by one fast/moderately paced tune.
List only band names on the cassette sleeve; song names could be done on the inside of the sleeve or on an insert that I would make. (I usually opted for the insert.)

I was crazy about organizing tapes into themes - I loved the challenge. I won’t quite call it a standard because I didn’t do it on every tape. But to be sure, I did it whenever I could get away from it. My love of thematically organized mix tapes sometimes overruled good taste - see image below. It is a scan from my first journal, given to me as an 8th grade graduation present (St. Marys Class of 1986) from my sister Anne. Those who knew me at the time knew my love for Husker Du’s music was deep, and that “Diane” was probably one of my least favorite songs by them. And Chuck Berry? What the fuck? But hey - doesn’t matter if it stinks, it fits the formula, right?


Good thing I made a note to play "Delta Dawn" on 45 rpms.

Original Poetry/Audio Scratch Pad

2011-07-07T10:23:00.001-04:00

The Fourth of July

for Auggie

On the Fourth of July
I was away from the breathy heat of the night
Away from the fireworks spit into the sky from cardboard tubes
Away from the sound of air conditioning units droning on
clicking off
and droning on

I was away from the bams, pops, crackles and booms splitting the air
resolving themselves as ghosts of ash and sulphur
I was away from the squeals of delighted faces turned upward in wonder
Away from smoke creeping through treetops and power lines
I was away from all of these things.

I was with you, laying on top of the covers of your bed
Reading books aloud with your head on my shoulder

while the ceiling fan cooled our skin and dried my eyes.

And as each book was completed, I quietly placed it on your night stand.
Then checked to see if you were sleeping

In the morning, when the burn marks on the driveway begin to fade
when the spent tubes of fireworks are swept into garbage bags
I will still have you
burning brightly in my heart.

4th of July 2011 by mattzink
About: Anyone who knows me knows I'm not fond of anything that goes "boom" - fireworks, thunderstorms, guns, balloons popping, etc. Hearing what went on in my neighborhood this past holiday without the context of being outside to see what was going on (I just stuck a microphone on my front steps) kind of confirms the feeling of uneasiness that I get from such jolting sounds. To me, this sounds a bit like a combat zone.
Recommended Uses: can be used as a soundtrack for your movie about the Battle of Hue City (link not suitable for minors and those sensitive to the brutalities of war).

In The Studio With Mike And Dave

2011-07-06T21:21:00.002-04:00

I had the extreme good fortune of being asked to play bass on a Redbird song. So I put my bass in the car (though I ended up using a different bass) and trucked out to Mahern Audio on a rainy, warm night. This time, I remembered to bring my camera.

The fate of the song is uncertain - Redbird have something coming out; this one may or may not make the cut. It really doesn't matter though - I love being in studios, and Mike Bushman and Dave Whose Last Name Escapes Me are great, upright guys. It was a very positive all around and I'm indebted to Mike for the invite. I will definitely update this blog when I know more about the release of more Redbird material. At any rate, it was definitely a highlight of a summer that's already been pretty amazing.

If'n you want to know more about Redbird, here are two woefully out-of-date bits of info - here and here.

Sliders.

Dave (sound engineer) is on the left; that's me on the bass, no doubt nailing it on the first take.

Mike Bushman - Gentleman.

Mike (left) and Dave (right) figuring crap out.

Mike doing what he does best: thinkin'.

This shot angle hides my man boobs.

Dave (left) looking at something; Mike working the punching bag.

Dave (left) and Mike.

The Fender Jaguar has a daunting array of switches, knobs and dials. But it looks soooo cool.

UPDATE: Mike hipped me to some more recent, useful info on Redbird. Dig the band's website and Facebook page. Mike posts occasionally here - so check 'em out!

Thank You, America

2011-07-01T09:32:00.000-04:00

Thank you, America, for the interstate highway system, which - when accompanied by the rush of wind from an open car window - is the perfect venue for music.

Thank you, America, for Bebop, one of the most stimulating and challenging genres of art you’ve spawned.

Happy Birthday to the land of whip-poor-will’s call, the coyote’s lament, the buffalo’s thunder, and the silence of the moon on Lake Michigan at midnight.

Thank you for the pedal steel guitar, the Rickenbacker bass and Rickenbacker 12-string. Thank you for the Fender Telecaster, the Fender Precision Bass, the Gibson SG, Gibson Les Paul and the National Resophonic guitar.

Thank you, America, for lifting your musicians to deities, then promptly eating them.

Happy Birthday to the homeland of Mike Watt, Woody Guthrie, Frank Zappa, Charles Mingus, Aaron Copland and Bruce Springsteen. Happy birthday to the land that gave us Johnny Cash, Public Enemy, the Bad Plus and Camper Van Beethoven.

Thank you, America, for those musicians of yours who kick the tires on the Bill of Rights from time to time; thank you also for the preachers, politicians, and clergymen who bring even more attention to those controversial, thankless efforts.

In short - America: Fuck yeah.
Have a great holiday weekend everyone!

Happy Birthday To My Favorite Waste Of Time

2011-06-25T06:51:00.001-04:00

It was Marshall Crenshaw who was stuck in my head at that time. The song was a demo called “You’re My Favorite Waste Of Time” and was never really meant for public consumption. Don’t ask me how it got stuck in my head because I’m not sure. I don’t get to choose what gets stuck in my head. It is often the case that I don’t even get to select the soundtrack for my life. Marina’s birth is one such instance.

“Your My Favorite Waste Of Time” was a perfect expression of my time with this little gal. She is one of the most beautiful, calm creatures I have ever seen. When we were able to bring her home from the hospital, I’d find myself in our big, comfy chair just holding her. No TV. No radio. No Internet - no distractions. Just me and her spending time together. I wanted the world to stop when I was holding her because having her sleeping in my lap brought me such peace and profound happiness. At some point, “You’re My Favorite Waste Of Time” would materialize in my head, playing through in it’s entirety and I got it: Marina was my “favorite waste of time”.

And after a year, her charm hasn’t worn off one bit. She’s a lot squirmier, so we don’t waste time when we’re together: we play together, take walks together, and eat together. She has me hustling a lot more than she used to, and I couldn’t be happier - happy first birthday to my precious baby girl.

"Marina Come Home" - The Cosby Sweaters by mattzink

Audio Scratch Pad: Microsoft Excel 2007 Startup

2011-06-22T10:59:00.001-04:00

I forget how I did it, but there is a way you can record the sound of software starting up on your computer using Audacity. This is what Microsoft Excel 2007 sounds like when it starts up on my computer.
Microsoft Excel Startup by mattzink
Recommended Uses: sample sounds to create your own Wilco tune or abstract music.

I wonder if I'll get a "cease and desist" from the RIAA on behalf of Microsoft?