spandaugoulet

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Highly entertaining show by Pokey LaFarge last night, though - and not to diminish the performance - the audience seemed pretty lubricated by the time the set began and might’ve just as warmly welcomed a cigar-smoking monkey. It’s hard to go wrong, festival-wise, with the American Music Festival and, venue-wise, with the venerable and warm FitzGerald’s in quaint and no-longer-punchline-worthy Berwyn, Illinois.

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The Unsemble: An Interview with Duane Denison The Unsemble is an instrumental three-piece featuring Duane Denison (Tomahawk, the Jesus Lizard), Alexander Hacke (Einstürzende Neubauten, Crime and the City Solution) and Brian Kotzur (Silver Jews). No need to rewrite or cut-and-paste what was succinctly stated here: http://ipecac.com/artists/unsemble The record comes out March 3, 2014 on Ipecac Recordings. Support great music by buying it. I will be buying this. It can be found streaming on the interwebs. What follows is an e-mail exchange between your humble narrator and Mr. Denison on March 1, 2014: I don’t mean to sound like a rube, but I hereby confess that I watched a video on You Tube to show me the proper pronunciation of Einstürzende Neubauten. I’ve been in conversations where I’ve thought “Gee, I hope someone else says it soon, cuz I’m having a good time and don’t want to be asked to leave with dozens of people forming an aisle for my exit, pointing and a laughing in slow motion.” Okay, I feel better. Me: You surely have one of the more-impressive – and lengthy – résumés in Rock Music; seemingly running from project to project. So what is it . . . afraid to look back . . . perpetual wanderlust or . . . ? DD: I feel like I simply want to keep working--you know, striking a balance between doing things which are creatively rewarding and financially rewarding. I try to avoid repeating myself too much while maintaining a signature style--not always easy. Me: The Unsemble’s music begs for a movie in which to accompany. Pick a song, describe a scene and perhaps name an actor/actress. I’ll get you started: “Circles Revisited” plays while an aging McLean Stevenson (yes, I know he’s dead) barrels down three flights of stairs in an apartment building, visibly limping. He departs the lobby with a small box under his arm. He seems pursued, but he never looks back as he careens down the street towards an unknown future. Your turn. DD: While "Neon" plays in the background, an aristocratic Michael Shannon gazes out his 18th century Parisian window at the rabble gathering in the streets below. Me: You guys planning to take this on the road? The possibility of some f*cked-up improvised live music has me all woozy. DD: Not sure. Hard to pull off with just the three of us. Might have to hire some assistants... Me: Let’s say The Unsemble is playing live and a drunken jackass gets on stage and starts improvising vocals. Do you roll with it, see how it goes . . . or immediately summon security to impose a beat-down? DD: I think we'd let it go for a minute, honestly. If it sounds good and wasn't distracting us, why not? Besides, we can look after ourselves....famous last words. ... Me: Any new equipment or recording techniques you were able to utilize for these sessions you care to discuss? DD: Ah, not really. Mostly organic things. Lots of hand held gadgets, prepared guitar, "found" percussion, that kind of thing. Me: Unrelated, but hard not to mention is the Jesus Lizard’s ‘Book’ comes out the same week as The Unsemble CD. The book is really an amazing document of the life of a band. You happy with how it turned out? DD: Yes, very. There's pictures I'd never even seen, lots of verbal info, song analysis, bio bits, all that. Really nicely laid out and edited. I think we're all rather proud of it. Me: Just to make sure this conversation is date-stamped in some way . . . today there are concerns about the Russian military taking Crimea back from Ukraine. This leads to a good pun I saw today: Crimea river. You enjoy or merely tolerate puns? DD: With frenzies like that, who needs enemas? Me: Any hints about what’s next on the musical docket . . . ? DD: Well, I recently finished my first installment of basic Tomahawk demos, just started doing online music lessons with Lessonface (Me: find it here http://tinyurl.com/me6quh9), and I don't know....maybe an opera with Hank III?

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If there's a "concept" or a "theme" here, I know not what it is. Some of it's definitely NSFW, but for someone of my generation these everyday and usually awkward images of punk/goth/metal kids - in particular - are very intriguing. Make sure to look at the Older Posts and just try to stop.

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Wait for the wrist check, as it is not known until then whether there is too little time on their hands or . . .

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With the wife out of town I could comfortably spend some time poring through my rock box. Dug up, scanned and posted some gems from the late '80s / early '90s. Quite frustrated by set lists, though, that aren't dated and whose venue is unknown. More will follow someday . . .

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My fascination with the mighty Jesus Lizard continues unabated. Threw together a video using shots I took at the show . . . November 16, 2009 at the Fillmore at Irving Plaza in NYC. Audio provided - and with permission from - NYCTaper/Acidjack. (See http://www.nyctaper.com/2009/11/jesus-lizard-november-16-2009-irving-plaza-flac-and-mp3-downloads/ for their review and links to the full audio.)