SXSW – Thursday
Dear Louisville,
LEO’s music department spent another day in Austin, TX, yesterday at the SXSW music conference, and it was even finer than the previous day. As much fun as the endless grinding blurt of music and “music” was, the highlight might have been the Shiner-flavored ice cream from the regionally famous Amy’s Ice Cream.
For here, Falls City lovers, the word “Shiner” is used for beer as interchangeably as “Coke” is used for soda – so, in the name of research, LEO had to try it.
Oh, and the music tasted fun, too. We got a sneak preview of what the next “Waterfront Wednesday” show will look like when we caught their next headliner, the Chicago-based soul band JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound, at a Google/YouTube event on top of a parking garage – an event that was also being simulcast on YouTube, so check to see if it’s still on there.
Local favorites Houndmouth played a lunchtime set next to the Hotel San Jose, outdoors on an actual stage in beautiful weather. They give off such a friendly vibe that it wasn’t surprising that they committed the un-rocking sin of starting their set early, instead of the usual let’s-sit-around-for-an-hour rock show business.
(An attempt to hear Boss Springsteen’s keynote speech was abandoned after he’d failed to materialize after 25 minutes, as LEO had to concentrate on pressing matters like going to see a band that hadn’t already peaked back in 1978… Just teasing, Bruce, we’ve always had your back, even when “Lucky Town” confused us).
Other highlights included spotting a pedicab driver (plentiful here) dressed as Waldo (of “Where’s?” fame); finding an incredibly rare and surprisingly reasonably priced album, as well as finding some rare .25 gems in awesome store Friends of Sound, leading the clerk to congratulate me on finding hidden treasures in his own store; realizing a bit too late that, yes, I probably should apply that sunscreen; and sharing a delicious and highly memorable BBQ dinner somewhere out in the woods with LEO art director Ron Jasin and our crew, in what can only be described as a cross between Disneyland, The Playboy Mansion, and Mike Linning’s.
More tomorrow, though it probably won’t be posted here until Monday morning.
Until then, throw on your old copy of Bruce’s “Darkness” album and don’t worry about listening too closely to his new one. It’s got bagpipes on it.
SXSW – Wednesday
Dear Louisville,
Greetings from the South by Southwest (SXSW) music conference and festival in Austin, TX.
There’s about 3 dozen of us Louisvillians here, and LEO music editor Peter Berkowitz (me) saw half of them yesterday, either intentionally or, “Hey! I know that guy.”
LEO’s official sponsored band here, Natives (see photos here, by LEO art director Ron Jasin) played at a delightfully cavernous bar, Valhalla, last night, delivering a potent blast of their psych garage rock while some hometown pals cheered them on and drank local brews (my notes on that are spotty, at best, but I recall something about an “Angry Turtle” or something?) The band’s posse included two notable musicians who traveled with them, essentially as roadies slash bros, Parlour’s Tim Furnish and OK Deejays’ DJ Narwahl. Bassist Drew English had also played two sets earlier in the day with Cheyenne Marie Mize, which LEO missed due to travel, but apparently also went well.
LEO also caught up with Houndmouth and Justin Lewis, as well as other local music media personalities. Houndmouth’s set was running behind schedule, and – here’s the thing: Walking is healthy and awesome and stuff, but LEO seemed to pick, or need to be, at shows that were consistently booked a 20-minute walk away from each other. So, first we went west; then, we had to go east; then, back west again, and so on… So, not only was LEO not wearing the right shoes, but LEO also spent a full day traveling, and, oh, also, Austin is on central time. So, if it says “midnight” here, it’s really 1 a.m…
So, because Houndmouth’s set was going to run into Natives’ set, and Houndmouth plays again today, we had to miss them last night. But they, and Justin, and Cheyenne are all playing again today. That’s just how it is in this bizarro world where people don’t do anything but watch hyped bands and drink Monster energy drinks.
Tomorrow, Coliseum, Trophy Wives and The Phantom Family Halo all play, so we hope to catch them, as well.
Meanwhile, there’s a lot more walking to do today, and we’re hoping to see Bruce Springsteen at a urinal, or on the street. We’re pretty sure we saw the singer/guitarist of the Black Keys last night but, if we did, he’s a lot shorter than he looks in Rolling Stone. Other than that, our biggest celebrity sighting was seeing Chrissy Murderbot on our plane. No Jay-Z, Norah Jones, or Skrillex sightings yet.
Stay tuned, neighbors.
The many faces of Cheyenne Marie Mize
Our favorite is the “Classic Madonna” look:
local Natives videos
The band Natives says, “Natives have given all of the songs from their Loose Secrets to different artists in Louisville. They were given free reign to make whatever they wanted. The first one was by SCAD graduate Lora Gettelfinger and is for the first track, ‘Where the Land Meets the Water’.”
“Here is the second artist created video. This one is by U of L art student Lindsay Sant. We are super excited about this one.”
The LEO interview: Rock ‘n’ Roll comedian Andrew Dice Clay
BY PETER BERKOWITZ
pberkowitz@leoweekly.com
Andrew Dice Clay was a huge comedy star briefly in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, playing to crowds of 10,000 at his peak. His fans turned away almost as quickly as they embraced him, though; while he was a shocking and unexpected comedian, at first, in tune with a harsh post-Reagan cultural spirit, the bullying style of much of his material and attitude did not endear him to a mainstream audience once they realized that he lacked a more dimensional, relatable side to his persona, especially as his first starring movie, The Adventures of Ford Fairlane, bombed and a kinder, gentler America took hold. His one booking as a guest host of “Saturday Night Live” met with protests from cast member Nora Dunn and guest musical act Sinead O’Connor, who objected to the misogyny in his act. Dice never went away, though, continuing to perform stand-up to smaller crowds, and last summer, acting in an arc of HBO’s “Entourage,” a job that could have helped his career more had the series not been limping through its final season, years past its commercial and critical acclaim.
Andrew Dice Clay performs at The Improv on Thursday, March 1st, at 7 and 9:30 p.m., with Jim Florentine and Don Jamieson, co-hosts of VH1 Classic’s “That Metal Show”.
LEO: “Entourage” was a high-profile return to a large audience for you. How have you capitalized on that? Has that brought more acting work, helped with your stand-up audience?
ADC: First of all, to have a recurring role on one of the best shows ever on television was unbelievable! Definitely picked up some new fans along the way and get the old ones happy. After “Entourage,” I did a guest shot on “Raising Hope,” once again playing myself — I guess everyone in Hollywood thinks that’s my range.
LEO: In an interview I read from 2009, you were happily banging lots of ladies and didn’t want to be tied down. Now, last I heard, you’re married to a wonderful woman. How did she change your perspective?
ADC: As you know there is a difference between sex and love. When I met Valerie, it was most definitely love at first sight. Plus, the sex is pretty amazing!
LEO: According to media hype, Sinead O’Connor has been making a comeback lately, too. How do you feel about her now, and the way her life and career has progressed?
ADC: I don’t think about that bald chick for a minute. I won’t even dignify her by saying her name. She tried to get some cheap publicity by using my name and still it wouldn’t help her career.
LEO: Your act is full of thoughts that many people have, yet are afraid to express — but comedy is supposed to be full of people saying those kind of things. Why is your act so unique, after all these years?
ADC: I could name countless comedians who tried to copy me, but they all come off as cheap imitations. Simply: I am the best fucking rock ‘n’ roll comedian. I don’t care about all this PC shit — I just know how to make people laugh better and louder than anyone else.
LEO: You are Jewish, by birth, though many think you’re Italian-American. Which would you rather be, or have people think you are?
ADC: Good question, never that heard one before. If people want to think that Andrew Dice Clay is Italian, that’s fine by me. But all they had to do is Google me, and you will know I was born Andrew Silverstein. So, to answer your question — beneath the leather jacket is a nice Jewish boy from Brooklyn.
LEO: Your son has begun a stand-up career, as well as a music career. How has he been inspired by your career?
ADC: I think show business is an exciting career, and it’s been in my son Max’s life since the day he was born. He does play the drums, which he learned from me, and is probably better than I am. As for stand-up, the only real advice I gave him was to be himself on stage — don’t try to do what I do on stage. And if you watch him, he’s coming into his own, he’s like an edgy Seinfeld.
Warning: this video contains adult content —
Forecastle lineup announced
Well, it turns out our psychic powers are strong, as we nailed at least a few of the bands playing this year’s Forecastle Festival, July 13-15. Here’s the lineup, which will include our predictions Wilco, Andrew Bird, Neko Case, Dr. Dog, Ben Sollee, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, The Ravenna Colt, Lydia Burrell, Scott Carney’s Wax Fang and many more:
Forecastle Festival X – The 10th Anniversary
My Morning Jacket
Bassnectar
Wilco
Girl Talk
Andrew Bird
Sleigh Bells
Atmosphere
Neko Case
Clutch
A-Trak
Galactic
Flying Lotus
Beach House
The Head and the Heart
Stax! Soul Revue
Dr. Dog
Deer Tick
Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires
Beats Antique
Real Estate
Justin Townes Earle
Washed Out
Walk The Moon
Dean Wareham Plays Galaxie 500
Wye Oak
Atlas Sound
Fruit Bats
Daedelus
Ben Sollee
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo
JEFF the Brotherhood
The Features
Mike Doughty
Tanlines
Zion I
Sleeper Agent
Floating Action
Wick-It The Instigator
James Vincent McMorrow
Wax Fang
Daniel Martin Moore
King’s Daughters & Sons
Houndmouth
Cheyenne Marie Mize
The Ravenna Colt
Rachel Grimes
Nerves Junior
Cabin
Scarlet Smile
Lydia Burrell
album review – The Internet
The Internet
Purple Naked Ladies
(ODD FUTURE)
What to do when one has great influences, but isn’t a very good songwriter? On Purple Naked Ladies, Odd Future’s lone female member Syd tha Kid’s own song states, “She DGAF” (your imagination is correct). Syd’s collaboration with Matt Martians as The Internet, lifts from N*E*R*D, Kraftwerk, Erykah Badu, and Sa-Ra, but mostly goes nowhere. Los Angeles is home to a broken beat soul scene that’s been releasing great material for years, from J*Davey to Nikko Gray and Thundercat, and it’s obvious Syd wants a seat at that table. Ladies works as a demo, a calling card for future work. As wallpaper, some of the grooves can work their way into your late nights, though you’ll likely be working harder than some of these simple mood pieces did in their creation. With few exceptions (the beautiful “Visions”), we’ll call this a mulligan. — Damien McPherson
Guessing My Morning Jacket’s plan to take over Forecastle
My Morning Jacket has already been announced as the Saturday night headliner and curating-assistants of the 2012 Forecastle Festival in Louisville, KY. The next round of bookings is scheduled to be announced soon, and LEO Weekly was wondering what a potential MMJ FF might look like. Based on previous covers, collaborations, conversations, friends, labels, tours and such only-so-scientific data, LEO has analyzed MMJ’s historical patterns and deduced that such a festival might – assuming that there is only one stage, as scheduling multiple, overlapping sets is not our strong suit – look something vaguely like this:
FRIDAY
12 p.m. Old Baby
1 p.m. Good Girl
2 p.m. Anders Parker
3 p.m. Centro-matic
4 p.m. Laura Veirs
5 p.m. Dr. Dog
6 p.m. Calexico
7 p.m. Andrew Bird
8 p.m. M. Ward
9 p.m. Bright Eyes
10 p.m. Eddie Vedder
11 p.m. Bon Iver
SATURDAY
12 p.m. Workers
1 p.m. Lydia Burrell
2 p.m. Cortney Tidwell
3 p.m. The Ravenna Colt
4 p.m. The Louisville Leopard Percussionists
5 p.m. The Muppets
6 p.m. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band
7 p.m. VHS Or Beta
8 p.m. Kool and the Gang
9 p.m. Erykah Badu
10 p.m. My Morning Jacket
SUNDAY
12 p.m. Silver Tongues
1 p.m. Whistle Peak
2 p.m. The Fervor
3 p.m. Scott Carney
4 p.m. Ben Sollee
5 p.m. Jimmie Dale Gilmore
6 p.m. Son Volt
7 p.m. John Prine
8 p.m. Neko Case
9 p.m. Wilco
10 p.m. Neil Young & Crazy Horse
LONGSHOTS
Bobby Womack
Donovan
Foo Fighters
Jack White
Metallica
Prince
Sly & the Family Stone
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
The Who
Again, please note that this is a purely speculative, music lovers’ game of Guess Who (though we feel safe predicting that Canadian classic rockers The Guess Who will be overlooked this year). We will surely be wrong about probably 89% of the lineup (at least), but hey, if we are right, this could be fun, eh?
And please add your thoughts in the comments section!
Carolina Chocolate Drops: The LEO interview
LEO contributor Damien McPherson spoke with Dom Flemons of the Carolina Chocolate Drops recently. The band plays tomorrow night at the Clifton Center. A version of this story can also be found in today’s print edition.
LEO: HOW WAS WORKING WITH BUDDY MILLER ON THE NEW RECORD?
DF: Buddy Miller was great. He was really gracious. We did it at his home studio. We switched personnel in our group so he was really gracious about letting us work out some of the material. We had some of the material together beforehand but it really; it was a whole new experience even for us. Rhiannon and I have been doing this for six years and so just working with new material, figuring out how to rework the group. He was great at letting us work through it, a great fellow.
LEO: WHAT WERE THE DIFFERENCES WITH WORKING WITH BUDDY VERSUS JOE HENRY ON THE LAST RECORD?
The biggest difference is that for this record the material is very fresh. Genuine Negro Jig, a lot of that material we’d been playing for quite a while, so it wasn’t quite as fresh as this here. We came up with a lot of the arrangements right on the spot or right near the time we recorded. There’s just a lot more spontaneity. With Buddy, we made a point to record a lot more stuff live, all in one room. When we did it before, we recorded live, but we were in isolation booths, which is fine, because that’s what we’ve done for several of our albums. We just wanted to get a really live and vibrant sound, that’s something that Buddy did really great. We hit that mark.
LEO: THERE’S A RAWNESS ON THE NEW ALBUM. CAN YOU SPEAK ON THAT?
That’s something we’ve always strived for. Too much cleanliness is like an enemy that’s waiting in the studio. It’s good to have cleanliness on a recording but it can sometimes stifle a song or a performance. Especially with stuff like ‘Riro’s House’ – there’s a raw, beautiful quality to it. It wouldn’t be the same if it was scrutinized, and that’s something we were trying to get. And ‘Read Em John’, we recorded that one into one microphone and I really like how that one turned out.
LEO: WHAT HAS (NEW MEMBER) HUBBY JENKINS ADDED TO THE GROUP?
Hubby has been great. He’s just a really versatile musician. I say this in the most general way. He handles all the banjo duties on the five-string. He knew how to play the five-string before. I’ve known it since he started playing guitar, and the blues and country stuff. He’s been playing the mandolin for a relatively short amount of time, maybe a year. He’s a very well rounded musician and really knows how to put in some really tasty licks along the way. Also he’s another guitar player and that’s been nice, at least on my end, because I’ve been the only one, and the only one who knows chords and how to use chords since the beginning of the group and that’s been really freeing. He’s been really nice to have someone else who can handle some of these musical duties.
LEO: ANY HAZING ON TOUR TO BREAK HUBBY IN?
Oh no. nothing too extreme. We just, Hubby doesn’t need hazing. He figures out enough stuff for us to make fun of him about, little things here and there. He’s a fun guy. We don’t give him too much he ll.
LEO: WHAT DOES ‘LEAVING EDEN’ MEAN TO YOU?
With all our records, we’ve been fortunate that there have been songs that define the overall mood of the record. Leaving Eden happened to speak it this time. When we all started thinking abstractly about it, Leaving Eden, whether we like it or not, our popularity is growing more and more. Not that that’s bad, but with more popularity comes more, like Biggie said, more money more problems. Stuff starts changing different demands as a musician and also as a touring musician, your lifestyle changes. Rhiannon has a baby, I have a wife; those things are changing. But as we have been elevating on the musical level, we’re starting to reach into the bigger pond of music and so that’s something that came up as we were talking over Leaving Eden. We also lost our original member Justin Robinson and that’s something that’s different because up to that point, for six years, it was just the 3 of us and so returning out into this new world as a new group, with the personnel changes and a definite rearranging of how things are done in the group. That’s another point that leaving Eden ended up representing, so when we were thinking of titles, just looking at the track listing and thinking of that, it just seemed like the perfect song to place there. It’s just sad, but progress has to happen, just like the original story of Adam leaving Eden. We don’t love Adam having to leave Eden, but where would that leave any of us?
LEO: WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SONG ON THE ALBUM TO PLAY LIVE?
It’s between “Read Em John” and “No Man’s Mama”. That shows both sides of me, the lead side and the accompanist. I really like “No Man’s Mama”; it has a really neat chord structure. It helped me pick up a few new ideas on how to handle material of that nature and of course Rhiannon sings it so beautifully. “Read Em John,” I just really love that tune; it’s so simple but powerful in itself. And I’m a really big fan of vocal R&B and stuff like that, and these spirituals are an older link to that stuff. I really like how we all came together to sing it and work with the back ground singers to create a full sound.
LEO: WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT: PRESERVATION OF HISTORY OR ENTERTAINMENT?
Not that the history part isn’t as important, but entertainment has to come first and the history side should be there, ready and available in case someone says ‘hey that’s a neat tune! Where’d you get that?’ and then you can lay the history on them. That’s one of the things about, a lot of people talk about, oh how do you keep from being a museum piece and how do you keep the songs contemporary and keep them from sounding like old songs? The best way when handling this material is to remember that it is being performed for an audience so no matter how deep you get in your head about the history or the significance of the music it still has to remain entertaining to the people that you’re playing it for.
It’s easier to contemporize it if the performer has anecdotes and a connection to the tune with different historical pieces to it and then you can say, oh, you like that song? You may not know that such and such this that and the other. It doesn’t have to be much, even if it’s just, like “Read Em John,” oh that’s the Georgia Sea Island Singers; they were recorded by Alan Lomax in the 50s. that’s a very small amount to tell somebody, but if a person is dedicated enough to want to look any of it up, you pick up some of the books or recordings, you’ve got a couple years of stuff that you could listen to in your own way.
The entertainment always comes first, giving to the audience. Also, the audience can listen to the old recordings on their own and as a performing arm trying to present music out to an audience that has to at least be appealing to them. Most people aren’t just going to go to the library unless they’re already going anyway.
That’s how they were doing it then, looking at it like this is how we entertain people, this is the music that comes out of our communities, and to not treat it that way, something gets lost.
LEO: SPEAKING OF THE COMMUNITY NATURE OF MUSIC, THERE’S A GUY IN TOWN WHO WORKS FOR THE ALAN LOMAX ARCHIVE, WHICH IS GOING DIGITAL AT THE END OF THIS MONTH –
I read the New York Times article, and have been waiting and waiting. I can’t wait for it to happen. It’s also great that happens to be coming out the same time as our new record, which is exciting to be side by side with that archive. It’s amazing that Alan Lomax in his head came up with something that technology has finally caught up to. To make those connections, be it on a linear or nonlinear level, that’s fascinating to me. That they are finally able to digitize and get the Global Jukebox running, I think that’s going to be, with good fortune, it’ll change the world like it did 50 years ago, 80 years ago when he first started, with good luck we may have another interesting folk revival, a digital folk revival. I don’t know what to call it. Something will happen; sparks will fly.
LEO: THIS WILL BE MY FIRST TIME SEEING YOU GUYS PLAY.
I’m a big fan of a lot of the history and culture of Louisville. Things like the KY Derby and the interesting phenomenon of Black Louisville and how the KY Derby was a strong part of Black Louisville and slowly over time, that’s been forgotten. I mean, even though when you go to the Derby website, they have the stuff there; it’s just general people don’t know about it. Stuff like that fascinates me, interests me, and makes me want to get out there.
People like the Memphis Jug Band and Cannon’s Jug Stompers get a lot of press, but the Louisville Jug bands are a different level of good. You hear some of that stuff, and it’s like, they’re really playing their instruments like a real band, like an orchestra, and it’s just, wow, this is some good shit. Clifford Hayes and Earl McDonald? Whew, my God. It’s going to be great to get out there and play a show.