jakobnicholas

Tough to choose. I'll include some stuff off Sebastapol & Terroir Blues, both which have some great tunes...

Life Worth Livin

Wipe The Clock

Criminals

Windfall

Ten Second News

Too Early

Picking Up the Signal

Back Into Your World

Straightface

Feel Free

Different Eyes

Drain

Feed Kill Chain

Damaged Son

Make it Alright

All of Your Might

Hanging On To You

Dent County

Station to Station

World Waits For You

For those who have seen Inception, this article and the reader comments afterwards add great fuel to the fire of debate...

http://chud.com/articles/articles/24477/1/NEVER-WAKE-UP-THE-MEANING-AND-SECRET-OF-INCEPTION/Page1.html

So, back to the topic of the album itself...

 

I haven't gotten it yet, but I tried to go back and listen to "Whatever Happened I Apologize" again. I still don't like it. Is this one better / different? Thoughts?

"Whatever Happened I Apologize" is darker and much less layered. I like it and think it has some very solid stuff on it (Engines Are Idle, Hank) but frankly, it's not a fun record.

"Perfumed Air" is a bit lighter sounding overall, even if the lyrics are mostly in the dark vein. Musically, it's more typical Jay, but is still reserved overall. 2 songs on it I'd like to have heard more fleshed out sounds and layers (on these songs it sounds like just Jay and an acoustc), but otherwise I think it's perfect...gravelly voice and all.

I just read all those spoilers! muahh ha ha! I don't think i'd like this film, it all sounds a bit like you're all talking about Lost or the Matrix or something. Am i right in thinking that, or is it just the way you're all describing it?

I actually think Inception is really straight-forward. But the director appears to have purposely left it a little open to interpretation.

Don't watch Lost. The Matrix was WAY over-rated, in my opinion and nothing like Inception.

Inception, to me, is just cinema at it's finest.

Spoiler button is under Other Styles on the top left under Post.

I think Nolan left a few things debatable purposely. But I definitely lean towards one interpretation.

Pitchfork weighs in with a 6.8. I think the rating deserves to be at least 7.5 (and the mostly complimentary review suggests as much), but otherwise, a pretty fair review:

More than anything, Jay Bennett understood the ins and outs of a song. His arrangements were, as the tunes demanded, lush and cluttered or spare and straightaway. His playing was limber, never showy. His own sturdy output was like a workshop in form. He had a songwriter's voice-- a little gravelly, careful to put the weight on just the right syllable. He is, even now, best known for getting kicked out of Wilco for being too conservative; that's the same Wilco that would go on to make Sky Blue Sky and Wilco (The Album), mind. But Bennett was a classicist, a formalist, possessed of a subdued confidence and a clear vision. Having resettled in downstate Illinois, crafting a series of deft, restrained works with a handful of impressive collaborators, he died unexpectedly a year ago May, leaving behind a mostly completed LP, Kicking at the Perfumed Air, comprised of stalwart, sad, often quite affecting pop-rock songs.

It begins with "Diamond Smiles", a patient, somewhat unlikely Boomtown Rats cover that, under Bennett's direction, proves far prettier than its original, the "love is for others, but me it destroys" line resounding especially under the circumstances. It's offset nicely by the ramshackle "Second Last Call" that follows, a "Dreamer in My Dreams" style tumbler that's far and away the album's most upbeat number. From there the record quickly downshifts into far starker balladry, its arrangements plaintive, uncluttered, sunlit-around-the-edges. For as many sneaky, inobtrusive production flourishes he throws on the ballads, there's just as many left bare; it's here that perhaps we see the unfinished side of Perfumed, but these prove largely more haunting than the record's ruddy rave-ups and gently adorned slow numbers. Bennett was a sharp enough songwriter to suggest other master craftspeople without seemingly copping a move, and there are shades of Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, and even Bruce Springsteen here. Although most of the record is Bennett of a recent vintage, "Mirror Ball" finds him joined by a few of his old bandmates in the Wilco loft way back in 1999. Despite that-- and the occasional sharp shift in tone-- Kicking coheres in a way few posthumously compiled LPs do.

It's tempting to want to read the tea leaves in a release like Kicking at the Perfumed Air. Although Bennett's death has been ruled accidental, it's no secret that he was battling some illnesses and legal woes at the time of his death, all of which seem to weigh on the songs here. It's most assuredly a sad record, as much of Bennett's output was, and the occasional incomplete-sounding arrangement does lend the proceedings a certain starkness that suits the somber mood. But by all accounts, at the time of his death, Bennett was looking to finish up Kicking and get on with whatever was next. This, then, is to be taken as yet another Jay Bennett solo album, not any kind of final statement.

Indeed, the downtrodden tone is more maudlin than funereal; Bennett knew the power of using merely a couple of words to convey an emotion, and there's far more instances of that sort of keenly observed everyday melancholia like, "I see her twice a year/ And it breaks my heart" (which'll knock the wind out of you as Bennett sings it) than the record's more alarmingly depressive stuff. Moments of levity-- like the stunningly sputtery guitar solo on the unbuttoned freewheeler "Hotel Song" or the Boomtown Rats cover-- coupled with Bennett's easygoing arrangements keep Perfumed from feeling like a dirge or some sort of prophesy. Indeed, a few of these tunes seem a bit workmanlike, and several of even the stronger numbers might've benefitted from a bit more attention to sonic detail. But Perfumed works simply because Bennett was such a keen craftsman, his mournfulness so elegantly expressed, and as such, nevertheless serves as a fitting elegy for an under-appreciated and occasionally misunderstood songsmith and musician taken too soon.

— Paul Thompson, July 20, 2010

For the eyes of jakobnicholas, PopTodd & The Cowboy Poet only...of course, anyone else who has seen it and wants to read what I have to say about my theory:

I'm not sure how to do the spoiler button, but I'll just say your Caine idea is interesting and COULD be possible, though I definitely lean towards that idea NOT being the case. I think the movie is pretty straight-forward (with possible exception of the one detail, which I happen to think is Nolan playing with the audience a little bit.)

Maybe you can answer this....

(*WARNING* ---- THE FOLLOWING HAS A MINOR SPOILER...)

There's the explanation throughout the movie that when in free-fall in one level, there would be no gravity in subsequent levels. But that wasn't really true. Levels lower than the hotel level didn't suggest ANY problems with gravity.

What can I say about it: The cinematography is breathtaking. The special effects are old school traditionalist with lots of in camera tricks. The acting is all top notch. The pacing is flawless. There is not a moment wasted or a space on the screen wasted. The score is fucking beautiful and hypnotic and enters your bloodstream. The story is fantastic: both cerebral & emotional. This redefines and pushes few a few genres and subgenres.

 

It's bugging me to not go into detail about this certain decision or other little things etc.

Yes.

It's maybe been since Goodfellas that I left the theatre so amped up....walking out feeling like a I saw a movie by a master director who used every movie tool he knows to its fullest effect.

I defintitely want and plan to see it again.

i briefly skimmed through a review of it in the sunday papers, and the review didn't give it a good write-up. the jist of the review was that concidering it concerned dreams - it was amazing how predictable and undream-like it all was.

 

anyway, is it as good as dreamscape? baring in mind dreamscape has got max von sydow & dennis quad (when dennis quad was really good) in it, and inception has got leonardo dicaprio.

Haven't seen Dreamscape. And was neutral to Dicaprio as an actor (with exception of Gilbert Grape).

I'd ignore that review you read. It's a thrilling ride and is what great cinema is all about. And Dicpario gives a really good performance.

AMAZING movie-going experience.

Just wow.

Jay's new record makes me sad for a few reasons. one, because he is gone and two, i miss his collaboration with Jeff. This record really shows jay's great writing as well as his other solo efforts. Wilco to me, and will always be, special from the era with jeff and jay-being there-summerteeth-mermaid ave-yankee hotel foxtrot. jay brought great writing, layering of sound, production to the band back then. with all due respect to everyone in the band now, i love 'em, but on a personal level, jeff + jay= great wilco

Couldn't agree more.

There was a vibe to Wilco from Being There to YHF. I can't explain it, but their music was almost magical. They could seemingly do no wrong. The 3 Wilco albums were classics, Mermaid 1 & 2 didn't have a mis-step on the songs they contributed. The YHF Demos, arguably, was even better than the album...in great part 'cause of Jay's contributuons.

Jay's solo efforts have overall been hit-and-miss for me. But "Kicking at the Perfumed Air" reminds me of the magic I felt listening to the Jeff/Jay Wilco. Almost gives me goosebumps.

To me, it's the best Wilco-esque album since YHF.

what is the word on his personality?

I've just read numerous times that he prefers touring alone. He doesn't seem they type that would WANT to travel with a bunch of band members.

On some older recordings I have, he's fairly engaging and humorous on stage. He tends to be much more quiet now. I still hold out hope the guys in Calexico or some other guys go on a tour with him one of these days.

I really am liking this on the first listen. A lot.

A-freaking-men!

I started a thread in Someone Else's Songs about this record. I'm VERY impressed by it. The opener, a cover of a 1979 song by the Boomtown Rats called "Diamond Smiles", is amazing....dark and heart-breaking but beautifully sung and played by Bennett.

It's much more laid back in its musical textures than typical Bennett records, but does contain a handful of songs with his great arrangements and hooks. He even seems to channel Elvis Costello on "Invitation" and closes it with a song called "Beer" that seems like the perfect closer for a final Bennett album.

It contains one song recorded at Wilco's loft. It's called "Mirror Ball" and has minor contributions from Pat Sansone and Glenn Kotche. It's quite beautiful.

Definitely gonna be near the top of my best of 2010 list.

I'm a big fan of Dents and Shells. To me, that one seems underappreciated.

To me, Buckner albums are like Pixar films. You can say one of them isn't as good as another, but it's still great.

"Invitation" is probably Dents & Shells track. "Charmers" is wierd but great. "Fuse" is a good rocker.

That album, along with Impasse and Meadow, REALLY make me wish there could be a way to see Buckner with a full backing band. But because of his personality and finances, I don't think it will ever happen. A shame.

I am have listened to this a couple of times and while it is good, it is not my favorite Jay Bennett. It just seems a bit too restrained to me. I always liked when Jay threw in the kitchen sink. Sure some of the songs were complete disasters, but you could always find some gems. This album is missing any true gem. I can't seem to find one song stick out to me.

While I don't agree, I can understand that. I, too, liked many of Jay's "kitchen sink" songs.

But there's something really strong and powerful about this new album. I wonder what Jay's final version of "Footprints" or "When Heaven Held The World" might sound like. Otherwise, I think the arrangements are perfect as is. Maybe "Kicking At The Perfumed Air" is the YHF Demos version of a YHF that we'll never get to hear, which is OK, 'cause I always liked the YHF Demos better anyway.

I can only find one review of Jay's new disc, and it's a good one.:

“I’m never, ever going to have a record review that doesn’t at least start off with some mention of my participation in Wilco, you know – and a comparison of my music now to the contributions I made to Wilco’s music – or what Wilco was then to what Wilco is now. That’s just reality – I’m never going to be taken just completely on my own; it’s always going to get set up in that context. Of course, a certain amount of that is appropriate, because you need your lead-in paragraph. Well … I kinda come with a built-in lead-in paragraph.”

From a conversation with Jay Bennett – August, 2008

So there’s that. No one could’ve said it better, Jay.

Now let’s move on to the matter at hand.

The first act of the newly-formed Jay Bennett Foundation (a family-spearheaded organization supporting music and education) is the release of the album Bennett completed prior to his death in May of 2009. Kicking at the Perfumed Air (a phrase taken from the opener “Diamond Smiles” – you just wait) is classic Jay Bennett: a buffet of sound gumbos and stripped-to-the-heart-of-the-matter sonic flatbread, seasoned with sprinklings of humor, pathos, and irony.

Upon first listen, Kicking at the Perfumed Air recalls Todd Rundgren’s 1972 pop masterpiece Something/Anything, three-quarters of which was all Rundgren. (Percentage-wise, Bennett may have the Runt beat: except for a couple of cameos from buddies Edward Burch and David Vandervelde, the album is pretty much Jay backing Jay and Jay with additional help from Jay.) The cuts on Kicking are raw, leaving count-ins and verbal sticky notes in place here and there as we go from the hold-your-breath-and-hang-on lurch of “Hotel Song” to guitar-on-the-back lonesome troubadour tales (“When Heaven Held The World” and “Footprints”).

Oh, the vibe: here we have what sounds like Ziggy-era David Bowie with George Harrison on guitar (“Mirror Ball”); over here we have a bouncy cousin to Mike Gordon’s “Andelmans’ Yard” (“Invitation”); and the deceptively sing-alongable hooks of “Cartoon Physics” and “Twice A Year” will break your heart when you’re not looking. Prefer your drinking songs to be equal parts cerebral and goofy? Belly up and savor “Second Last Call” (featuring a brilliant wild-ass slide guitar solo) and the barstool honesty of “Beer”.

You have to wonder how many people would suspect that “Diamond Smiles” (the only cover on Kicking) was first recorded by The Boomtown Rats in 1979? Not many, I don’t believe: Bennett takes ownership, canning the Rats’ prancing carnival swirl and infusing the song with a Tom Waits-ish vibe, weird and chilling. There’s a whole movie in the tune’s 4 minutes and 12 seconds.

Jay Bennett’s family and friends did it right when they gathered up the tracks for Kicking at the Perfumed Air: they knew not to try to pretty or slick or polish anything up. What you have is what the man laid down with his own hands, head, and heart.

This music has nothing to do with being an ex- anything. It’s simply about being human.

You done good, Jay.

Brian Robbins

jambands.com

Yeah I also first heard of Richard opening for Son Volt during their Straightaways tour. I immediately was drawn to "lil wallet picture" and went and picked up Devotion and Doubt. There a some albums that seem like genius to me and that are criminally overlooked and hipster kids will get into 30 years from now, and I believe his album "Since" is one of those. Freaky amazing.

It's hard to pick a favorite album of his. "Since" is very good.

I think the one with his best voice and the one that draws out so many different emotions is "The Hill". It's dark & creepy mostly. But it's also very touching and, at the very end, beautiful. And Joey Burns and John Convertino's accompanying music is perfect.

Coincidentally, I've been listening to old live Buckner recordings the past few weeks.

I remember the first time I "discovered" Buckner, opening a show for Son Volt in '95 or '96. He was a hulking prescence, with a beard that looked like Grizzly Adams. His ex, Penny Jo, was very small but fierce on the drums. Then Buckner would command silence with a chilling acoustic song like "22". He had a mystery and voice that was very intriguing. I've purchased every album since and haven't really been disappointed by any of them.

"Devotion + Doubt" is probably his peak. His most recent, "Dents & Shells" and "Meadow", don't quite reach the level of all of his earlier works but still have a uniqu-ness and greatness about them.

"The Hill" or "Impasse" might be my personal favorites. Haven't even mentioned "Bloomed" or "Chance", both very good as well.

I read earlier this year that he hoped to have another album out by the end of the year. But he always seems to struggle with the finacial part of making music, so who knows if that will happen or not. Here's the only tour dates he has scheduled right now for the remainder of 2010:

07.31 Baltimore, MD Ram's Head Live

09.08 Asheville, NC The Grey Eagle

09.09 Columbia, SC Columbia Museum of Art

09.10 Raleigh, NC Hopscotch Music Festival

09.11 Charlotte, NC Evening Muse

09.18 Murray, KY Lovett Live at Murray St. University

09.22 Chicago, IL Schuba's

09.23 Cincinnati, OH Midpoint Music Festival

09.24 Nelsonville, OH Stuart Opera House

About to listen now....

Pat and Glenn play on this?? Was that an older recording that Jay recycled?

The liner notes reveal that "Mirror Ball" was the lone "recycled" song. It was recorded in Wilco's loft in 1999, with little assistance from Pat and Glenn.

Diamond Smiles

Second Last Call

Twice a Year

Mirror Ball

Footprints

Hotel Song

Invitation

When Heaven Held the World

M Plates

Cartoon Physics

Beer

Liner Notes:

All instruments played by Jay Walter Bennett, except were noted.

All songs © & ℗ 2010 Jay Bennett, You Want a Piece of This Music Administered by Bug Music, except were noted.

“Diamond Smiles”

(Bob Geldof)

© 1979 Bob Geldof

“Second- Last Call”

(Bennett/Burch)

David Vandervelde: Backing vocals

© & ℗ 2010 You Want a Piece of This Music and Eyewitness Cat Music, both administered by Bug Music

“Twice a Year”

(Bennett/Burch)

Edward Burch: Acoustic guitar and backing vocals

© & ℗ 2010 You Want a Piece of This Music and Eyewitness Cat Music,

both administered by Bug Music

“Mirror Ball”

(Bennett/Rich)

Alex Moore: Drums

Rick Plant: Bass and slide guitars

Sherry Rich: Acoustic guitars, background and harmony vocals

Pat Sansone: Harmony vocal

Glenn Kotchke: Tambourine

© & ℗ 2010 You Want a Piece of This Music, administered by Bug Music, BMG/Pandomik Music/SESAC/APRA

“Hotel Song”

(Bennett/Rich)

David Vandervelde: Drums

Jason Sipe: Electric rhythm guitar

© & ℗ 2010 You Want a Piece of This Music, administered by Bug Music, BMG/Pandomik Music/SESAC/APRA

All songs written, arranged, performed, recorded, mixed, and produced by Jay Walter Bennett at Pieholden Suite Sound, Chicago, Illinois.

Mastered by Jonathan Pines with Jay Bennett at Private Studios, Urbana, Ilinois in 2007 and 2009

Except “Mirror Ball” which was recorded in Wilco’s Chicago loft 1999. Produced and engineered by Jay Bennett.

Additional recording by Rick Plant at Little Black Studio, Nashville TN

Additional mixing by Jay Walter Bennett of “M Plates” and “Twice a Year” at Pieholden Suite Sound, Rantoul, IL.

Additional recording and mixing by Jonathan Pines and David Vandervelde of “Diamond Smiles,” “Cartoon Physics,” and “Second- Last Call” at Private Studios, Urbana Illinois.

Executive Production by the Jay Bennett Foundation, Ben Clarke, and Matt DeWine.

Artwork direction and design by Johnny Caluya and the Jay Bennett Foundation.

Digital release distribution by rockproper.com

Publicity by Jenny Pfafflin Little Priest PR and Lee Williams.

Management by Jeff Macklin.

jaybennett.org created by the Jay Bennett Foundation, Casey Meehan,

Paul Grachan, and Jason Grey.

Guidance by Jan, John, and Jeff Bennett and Kate Stanton.

Please go to jaybennett.org for more info.

Been listening to this album most of the day. I'm really impressed by it.

Curious what other long-time Wilco/Jay Bennett fans think.

I found much of Bennett's solo work to be pretty good, but usually it was a bit spotty. "Kicking At the Perfumed Air" sounds more restrained and mature. I'll need more time with it, but I don't think it's too bold to say it's his finest effort.

Over the weekend, Jay Bennett's new album became available for free download...with a recommended donation to the Jay Bennett Foundation.

Only listened once so far and like it a lot. Mostly it's quite spare, but there are also some classic Jay hooks and textures. Sucks he'll make no more records.

Here's a note posted on the website by Edward Burch, along with the website link:

Most people are familiar with Jay Bennett for his tenure in Wilco—from that very first show in the basement of Cicero’s in St. Louis (under the moniker Black Shampoo) to his dismissal from the band in August 2001. What not as many are aware of are his musical accomplishments before and after. Prior to being asked to join Wilco, Jay had been on a major label with Titanic Love Affair, was a member of the criminally underrated country combo Steve Pride & His Blood Kin (who had shared bills with the likes of Uncle Tupelo and The Jayhawks), and had toured with and/or played on records of countless artists, including Tommy Keene, Billy Joe Shaver, Allison Moorer, and Jellyfish.

To fans, Jay Bennett was a master melodicist, artful arranger, exceptional engineer, and mesmerizing multi-instrumentalist. To me, Jay was all of those things, but he was also just Jay. He was the guy who would replace the brakes on my car because it was cheaper than taking it to the mechanic. And he was the friend who began making an album with me in 1994 because it seemed like something to do—and, for me, it was cheaper than therapy. The fruits of those labors would see the light of day in 2002, when Jay and I released The Palace at 4 am (Part 1) with Undertow Records. The tours for that album at times played like a foul-mouthed Smothers Brothers for the new millennium, and when we’d finally grown weary of the sound of our own banter, we would eventually get around to what drew us together in the first place: playing songs we wanted to sing. Specific tales of those tours will eventually be shared, but the best part was that it introduced us to many new friends.

Jay followed Palace with two more releases for Undertow in 2004: Bigger Than Blue and The Beloved Enemy, far more sparse and intimate efforts than our all-bells-and-whistles-on-deck debut. These albums were primarily recorded at Jay’s Chicago studio: Pieholden Suite Sound. As his collaborations with David Vandervelde intensified, Jay began the work on what would become his 2006 release for Ryko, The Magnificent Defeat. Prior to the mixing and mastering stages of that album, Jay returned to his de facto home of Urbana, Illinois, bringing his Pieholden Suite Sound with him. With the help of friends and hired guns, Jay turned a gutted storefront into the studio of his dreams (O, what I wouldn’t have given to have the meticulously organized patch bay he included in his new studio back when we were making our recordings).

It was in the new Pieholden studio that Jay produced Whatever Happened I Apologize (2007) for Rock Proper. Eschewing the usual channels of music distribution, Jay decided to put this album out for free as a high-quality download. Sadly, and unexpectedly, it would be the final album Jay would release during his lifetime. At the time of his death in May 2009, Jay was in the final stages of completing Kicking at the Perfumed Air. It is a Herculean task to attempt to “finish” an album in someone’s absence. The album as it stands is indeed a collaborative effort of monumental proportion, brought together by folks whom Jay would trust to do the job. Between Jay’s notes, emails, and conversations as recalled by his friends (which, as you might imagine, contained equal measure of complement and contradiction), Kicking at the Perfumed Air represents, if not the album Jay had intended to share, most certainly an album of which he would be proud.

Hopefully, in the weeks and months that follow, we will uncover even more of Jay’s musical legacy to share. For now, we hope you will enjoy Kicking at the Perfumed Air.

Edward Burch

Austin, Texas

March 2010

http://rockproper.com/JayBennettFoundation/kicking-at-the-perfumed-air/

"The Hill" - Richard Buckner

"The Soft Bulletin" - Flaming Lips

"Third/Sister Lovers" - Big Star

"Out Of Time" -R.E.M.

"Loose" - Victoria Williams

"Trace" - Son Volt

"Here's To Taking It Easy" - Phosphorescent

Saw TS3, and it didn't disappoint.

Like all Pixar films, the detail and creativity within every sequence is top-notch. I never felt like any scene was a waste and never felt like I was being hit over the head to get a point across. The dialogue was believable and real. When characters get in sticky situations, we just KNOW they're gonna find a way out. But HOW the characters do it is always loaded with creativity. And the new characters, especially Ken, add lots of fun texture to the movie.

It seemed almost impossible that Toy Story 3 could maintain the high level of the 2 earlier films AND not feel forced or feel like a money-grab by Disney.

While it clearly WILL be a money-grab, I felt not one bit used. In fact, I'll be seeing it again to catch some missed details (I've heard Sid is the trash guy, and it's revealed by a skull design on his t-shirt...didn't notice that.)

And Toy Story ain't over....Lee Unkrich, the director, says a Toy Story short film will precede next June's "Cars 2".

To me, the peak moment of the Toy Story movies....and a peak moment in movies perios...was in Toy Story 1 when Buzz walks into a room and sees a commercial selling toys of him. His realization that he IS just a toy, with Randy Newman's accompanying brilliant tune, is a powerful and amazing sequence.

Mary Poppins

Sound of Music