Doom & Gloom Dispatch #41: We Can Talk About It Now
Dustin Wong, The Band, Lagniappe Sessions, Galaxie 500, Sonic Youth
Dustin Wong - Perpetual Morphosis
I’ve been a fan of Dustin Wong for some time now, but I’ve done a bad job keeping up with his recent releases. That changes now! Freshly released by the Hausu Mountain label, Perpetual Morphosis sees Wong performing typically dizzying feats of guitar wizardry, twisting his strings into kaleidoscopic visions, balearic drifts and strangely beautiful shapes, embellished by electronic production and other unidentifiable sonics. There’s an ever-shifting, almost hyperactive sensibility at work here, but things never get too manic; Dustin always has breezy melodies and playful textures up his sleeve, ensuring that you’re not exhausted by the end of the LP. Instead, you’re ready to go back to the beginning to hear what you missed.
The Band :: Wollman Skating Rink, Central Park, New York City, June 30, 1971
As you’ve no doubt heard, we lost The Band’s lead guitarist / songwriter Robbie Robertson this month — and of course, I’ve spent a lot of time in the past few weeks revisiting The Band. Including this very nice audience tape of them in Central Park way back in the summer of ‘71, which you can check out for yourself (along with some of my rambles) on Aquarium Drunkard.
It always sort of bugged me when fans ragged on Robertson over the years. Sure, he seemed to sometimes hog the credit and act as an un-elected spokesman for their legacy. He certainly couldn’t have achieved what he did without Levon, Garth, Rick and Richard … but by the same token, they couldn’t have achieved what they did without Robbie. That was the whole point of The Band (or the whole point of a band) — that the sum is so much greater than its parts. But as I note over on AD, all of these concerns disappeared when the group stepped onstage. A whole lot of joy, a whole lot of fun.
More The Band!?? This Sunday on Radio Free Aquarium Drunkard, I’ll be playing a mix of rarities / deep cuts / live recordings, etc. Tune in!
Lagniappe Sessions :: Sean Thompson’s Weird Ears, Spencer Cullum’s Coin Collection, Emergency Group, Hollow Hand + Aoife Nessa Frances
Aquarium Drunkard! What a nice website — and I’d be saying that even if I weren’t a regular contributor over there, swear to god. For example, the Lagniappe Sessions! Extremely cool cover versions played by extremely cool artists all for the extremely cool price of $0.00. This summer there have been some great ones, so let’s get caught up.
Straight outta Nashville, Sean Thompson’s Weird Ears give us some country-fried (emphasis on the fried) sounds, including an inspired Tennessee Three-style remake of Lucinda Williams’ classic “Lost It.” Pedal steel maestro Spencer Cullum’s Lagniappe features some of the same Weird Ears crew, putting imaginative spins on Slapp Happy, Soft Machine and Mariangela Celeste.
Meanwhile, Brooklyn’s Can-tastic Emergency Group takes things into the outer reaches of interstellar space with what I believe is the Lagniappe Sessions’ very first Prokofiev interpretation. It works! And finally, Hollow Hand and Aoife Nessa Frances join forces for two wonderful covers: the Robert Wyatt / Elvis Costello masterpiece “Shipbuilding” and a magnificently hazy rendition of Yo La Tengo’s “Always Something.” What a gift!
Listening to all of these makes me think that it might be time for a third volume of Lagniappe Sessions on wax … check out the previous editions here and here. (And hey FYI, I wrote the liner notes for that second volume.)
Galaxie 500 - The Middle East Upstairs, Cambridge, Massachusetts, May 16, 1990
A very pleasant surprise from the Galaxie 500 vaults — a lost video of a pretty unique, drum-less semi-unplugged show during the spring of 1990. Wobbly early camcorder visuals, sure, but it hits that oddly nostalgic sweet spot just right (and the sound is quite good, all things considered).
Damon, Naomi and Dean had just released their unbeatable On Fire the previous fall, but in the cozy environs of the Middle East Upstairs (where they had played some of their very first gigs), they workshopped a bunch of new material destined for their This Is Our Music swan song. A lot of the arrangements seem to be generally in place, though some of the lyrics — especially on “Way Up High” — have yet to be finalized. There are also some typically terrific covers, including Naomi taking the lead on a dreamy rendition of Young Marble Giants’ “Final Day” and an inspired take on Red Crayola’s “Victory Garden.” Come ride the fiery breeze of GALAXIE 500!
Damon Says: The tape is a time capsule of the late 80s/early 90s scene at the Middle East: the attitudes in the crowd (and on stage!), the banter, the smoking, the cookies…
Thanks to the late Tucker Stilley for filming all those years ago, Mimi Lipson for unearthing it all these years later and G-500 for generously sharing. And hey, Damon and Naomi are kicking off a short tour in a couple weeks … in Iceland! Go see ‘em.
Sonic Youth - The Beacon Theatre, New York City, December 2, 1994
This is sort of where I come in! Sometime in 1994, I heard “Bull In The Heather” (on MTV? on KROQ?!! I don't remember) and thought, “It’s time to get into Sonic Youth.” I had heard the name around, but soon my friends and I were devouring everything we could get our hands on. And eventually, the poster you see above was hanging in my bedroom.
But while 1994 was a big year for 15-year-old me, it was a relatively small year for Sonic Youth (as a band, at least — Kim and Thurston did have a baby that summer). In addition to a smattering of late show appearances, they only played one proper gig, an AIDS benefit in NYC hosted by none other than John Waters.
An interesting gig, in that it’s dominated by Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star tunes, many of which were rarely played in later years. And while SY are a little bit ragged after such a long time away from the stage, there’s a raw energy and excitement on this audience tape (something that seems to be matched by the very rowdy crowd). “Starfield Road” sounds like it might turn into a trainwreck at any minute, while “Androgynous Mind” seems to go off the rails entirely. I love it. There are some old faves too, including a thoroughly explosive “Candle” and a woozy-as-can-be “PCH.”
After some well-deserved time off, Sonic Youth were gearing up for one of their biggest years ... it was almost time to put a quarter in the Washing Machine.
Bandcamp | Merch | Concert Chronology
From the Doom & Gloom Archives
Talking Heads - Texas Opry House, Houston, Texas, December 12, 1978
Let’s spend an hour with Talking Heads, live in Space City. The Texas Opry House … David, Chris, Tina and Jerry must’ve really felt like they’d arrived in that mysterious Big Country, discovering all those shapes they remember from maps. A long way from CBGB, that’s for sure. Regardless, the whole show smokes from start to finish, with especially great renditions of “Warning Sign,” “New Feeling” and “Take Me To The River.”
Currently Reading: Lou Reed: The King of New York by Will Hermes
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