6.07.2013
RECORD COMING DOWN
Triple Crown Audio Recordings is putting out the Fiver LP in Late Summer. It's called "Lost The Plot." duh duh duhm.
5.11.2013
4.26.2013
George Jones
On this sad April 26, 2013, I'd like to express my sadness with the passing of my favourite singer of all time, and one of the reasons I'm in music. The first time I heard George Jones sing was in a cabin in Hubbards, NS. I'd been sent to visit my brother who is a bluegrass musician, and he'd gone out gigging on my first night. Left alone with a stranger named Billy with a Labradorian accent so thick I could make no sense of his words, I pushed play on a five cd disc-changer in order to fill the confusing silence. The Essential George Jones came, "Just One More" played out, and I was transported.
I returned to Toronto and bought all the George Jones I could find, singing along to tapes, contorting my childish and unpracticed voice to try to fit his. I did not sing professionally for another seven years, and in the beginning my voice was awkward and strange, bending flat away from the melody at the least opportune times, in weak imitation of Jones' delivery. I'd adopted a twang that had nothing to do with my geographical rooting, but had everything to do with my musical rooting in Jones.
In my life I was lucky to see the Possum twice, first at Massey Hall in Toronto in 2007, and then this summer at the Shenandoah County Fair, with my friend Dan. His voice had changed considerably from my old favorite records, but the way in which he handled aging and wrapped his way around the melody was none short of magic. At the county fair his band hocked CD's to a crowd of people who sat in great anticipation of No Show. His gospel songs resonated with the crowd, and he spoke of being saved in his later years. It seemed to me that George was aging with grace in an industry that often throws its older heroes into obscurity.
I can't lend much to your knowledge of George that you wouldn't better pick up somewhere else. I should tell you to read his autobiography, "I Lived To Tell It All" and to listen to him all you can. For the most part, the characters he conveys couldn't be less sympathetic to me - most often they are men being left by women they likely mistreated. They are men who deserved to be left, who don't tend to be all that admirable in fact, yet because of Jones' delivery they become just that. Survivors of patriarchy, hard done by, gut wrenching in their apologies and their pleas, the tone of his voice conveying the deep betrayal felt by men in a world where they are not encouraged to express their emotions.
A public thanks seems contrived, and yet I felt it necessary. I won't go on any longer though. With much love and thanks to you George- thanks for showing up.
I recorded this quickly on my phone: https://soundcloud.com/fiverfines/blue-must-be-the-color-of-the
I returned to Toronto and bought all the George Jones I could find, singing along to tapes, contorting my childish and unpracticed voice to try to fit his. I did not sing professionally for another seven years, and in the beginning my voice was awkward and strange, bending flat away from the melody at the least opportune times, in weak imitation of Jones' delivery. I'd adopted a twang that had nothing to do with my geographical rooting, but had everything to do with my musical rooting in Jones.
In my life I was lucky to see the Possum twice, first at Massey Hall in Toronto in 2007, and then this summer at the Shenandoah County Fair, with my friend Dan. His voice had changed considerably from my old favorite records, but the way in which he handled aging and wrapped his way around the melody was none short of magic. At the county fair his band hocked CD's to a crowd of people who sat in great anticipation of No Show. His gospel songs resonated with the crowd, and he spoke of being saved in his later years. It seemed to me that George was aging with grace in an industry that often throws its older heroes into obscurity.
I can't lend much to your knowledge of George that you wouldn't better pick up somewhere else. I should tell you to read his autobiography, "I Lived To Tell It All" and to listen to him all you can. For the most part, the characters he conveys couldn't be less sympathetic to me - most often they are men being left by women they likely mistreated. They are men who deserved to be left, who don't tend to be all that admirable in fact, yet because of Jones' delivery they become just that. Survivors of patriarchy, hard done by, gut wrenching in their apologies and their pleas, the tone of his voice conveying the deep betrayal felt by men in a world where they are not encouraged to express their emotions.
A public thanks seems contrived, and yet I felt it necessary. I won't go on any longer though. With much love and thanks to you George- thanks for showing up.
I recorded this quickly on my phone: https://soundcloud.com/fiverfines/blue-must-be-the-color-of-the
2.06.2013
up and coming
One of the band's I'm in, The Highest Order, is putting out our full length on Idee Fixe Records in March. I'm very happy about that. Yeah?
The Fiver LP will be out later in the year.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)