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ivan@stellysee.de
| From | mkropp@comcast.net |
| Subject | Re: Random Things |
| Date | Mon, 18 Oct 2004 17:25:35 +0000 |
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If anyone can provide a link to the article on Andrea, I'd sure like to see it.
And "here here" on seeing Eugene Edwards live. I drove an hour to see EE, Cliff Hillis, and Parallax Project on Saturday night, and all three were brilliant. EE's stage-show was addicting and his band was very tight. I know that his album has been sneered at a bit on Audities, but it's still my favorite disc of 2004 (so far).
Cliff's set was also high-energy and his band was excellent (esp drummer Dave). Kudos to the bassist for the McCartney tour t-shirt as well! LOL. I finally bought a copy of the new disc on the strength of this show. It was also nice to meet Cliff and Beth who were very gracious to this gregarious stranger.
I had never heard Parallax Project before and was immediately won over by their set and choice covers. McCartney's "Jet" was really good as was a note-perfect version of Costello's "Radio Radio". Just purchased PP's disc from Tallboy this morning.
Michael
-------------- Original message --------------
>
> > 1) First, congrats to our own Andrea Kremer, who was profiled in this
> > Sunday's Boston Globe "Your Career" section. She's successfully changed her
> > career
> > full-time into something music industry related, and certainly seems to love
> > it. It's somewhat inspiring to me since I'm in my own career crisis (ie.,
> > I've been in one since finishing college) and am currently unemployed and have
> > absolutely no idea what to do. I've grown so discouraged in the past few years
> > that I don't even know what field to go into anymore. I'd be happy with any
> > job that pays a living wage and is 9-5 and close to home about now.
>
> Aw shucks - thanks! I think I'm the only one who hasn't actually seen that
> article.... I hope I didn't sound like a dork. Uhh, you know, or at least
> sounded like less of a dork than usual. And Jason, you should email me offlist
> about your career crisis... I might be able to help. (In fact, I wish I'd
> known you were unemployed a few weeks ago!)
>
> Also, while I'm writing -- I've got three shout-outs from the Boston Pop
> Underground shows this weekend, for three bands I had the pleasure of seeing
> live for the first time:
>
> 1. Eugene Edwards. I know *everyone*'s been singing this guy's praises, but I
> had to see for myself to see what all the fuss was about. Well, all the fuss
> is justified -- Eugene is an incredible, high-energy, immensely talented and
> likeable performer who obviously derives great joy from performing and
> radiates that joy to the audience. I think the true litmus test of a great
> live act is when the venue staff come over to compliment me on my lineup, and
> Eugene won everyone in the place over, audience and staff alike. His songs are
> tight, fun and memorable, and his band seriously kicks ass. If you have the
> chance to catch him on his East Coast or UK tours, please do. Highly
> recommended.
>
> 2. Adam Marsland. His live full-band set was a revelation. I get kind of a Ben
> Folds Five vibe from both his material and his delivery. And his count-offs
> were memorably clever ("One, two, buckle my shoe"; "One, two, three, go.") But
> here's the really genius part: he's got Evie Sands on guitar --- famous in her
> own right -- and a female bassist, and they both sing backing vocals. Which
> means that every song gets the full-on Tony Orlando and Dawn treatment on the
> 3-part harmonies. There's just something about a male lead vocal with two
> female backing vocals that lends a sort of choir-of-angels effect that really
> illuminates the songs and shows them off to their best advantage. (It didn't
> hurt that these women were also terrific musicians, too.) I don't understand
> why every male singer-songwriter doesn't take advantage of that same sort of
> musical halo effect by surrounding himself with female musicians who can sing.
> Think about it. Also, they did a killer cover of Joni Mitchell's "Free Man in
> Paris, a great song that you just don't hear enough of these days.
>
>
> 3. SNMNMNM. They might be my new favorite band. Very much like They Might Be
> Giants, in that they are funny and goofy and also monstrously talented. I
> think they have the potential to be huge. Their instrumentation is guitar,
> drums, accordion and tuba. The tuba player brings a pedal board which
> includes, among other things, a wah pedal... and you really haven't lived
> until you've heard wah-wah tuba. The guitarist doubles as a trumpet player
> and, at one point, as a karaoke singer during a brilliantly inspired medley of
> cheesy karaoke favorites that all seem to have the same chord changes. The
> accordion player jumps up and down. The drummer twirls his sticks. The songs
> are great, bouncy and fun, and are about things like Spanish cucumbers. It
> would all be easily dismissable as fluff and gimmicks, were it not for the
> fact that they're really great musicians and songwriters. You can try, but you
> can't not like this band. They're too good; they've won you over before you
> even knew they were doing it. And then suddenly you're in love.
>
> That's all from here...
>
> A
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