TJ O'Pootertoot Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 Pardon me if it's been mentioned on the boards but I didn't see it anywhere... Has anyone here heard the album WONDER WHEEL by the Klezmatics? It's fascinating because it's exactly like the MERMAID AVENUE albums: Nora Guthrie allowed the band to go into the archives, pick out lyrics and give them music. It turns out that Woodie Guthrie's wife was Jewish and her mother was a Yiddish poet - so the band picked out several of the rather-surprising "Jewish" songs Guthrie wrote. (For those who don't know, the Klezmatics play Klezmer which is kind of like...mmm...Jewish swing. Upbeat, dance, music.) Some of the songs on the album sound more "ethnic" (for lack of a better word) than others but some (like "Mermaid Avenue") could easily have been done by Wilco et al. I've only listened to it a couple of times and while I don't love every little bit, some of the songs are as transcendent as those on the Wilco/Bragg albums. It's probably not to everyone's taste but since I'm sure there are people on these boards who don't even like Billy Bragg, it's not that out there. (Village Voice Guru Robert Christgau gave it a great review!) You can read more info at the band's website which I won't paste here just in case that seems advertorial... TJ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
anodyne Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 nora guthrie is such a pain in the ass. they're not her songs, they're her dad's. i thought julian lennon and hank williams III were annoying offspring, but she takes the cake. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
explodo Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 nora guthrie is such a pain in the ass. they're not her songs, they're her dad's. i thought julian lennon and hank williams III were annoying offspring, but she takes the cake.I think that you take the cake. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lizish Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 (edited) I really tried with the Klezmatics. I love Klezmer music and listened to the samples of the guthrie stuff, but it just didn't do it for me. Did I miss something? Is there a standout track on the CD that you would be able to post as a YSI perhaps? Edited October 4, 2006 by lizish Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sharkycharming Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 I heard the album but found it intolerably bad. I like klezmer, and even some Klezmatics songs that I'd heard before, and I love Woody Guthrie... but this just wasn't for me. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
willywoody Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 they played a song or two from this on world cafe a while back. i thought david dye said it was the plasmatics. needless to say i was confused. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TJ O'Pootertoot Posted October 4, 2006 Author Share Posted October 4, 2006 I really tried with the Klezmatics. I love Klezmer music and listened to the samples of the guthrie stuff, but it just didn't do it for me. Did I miss something? Is there a standout track on the CD that you would be able to post as a YSI perhaps? I have to say, very little of the album is Klezmerish (Klezmery?).If you can tell me how to post a sample or two I can.Off-hand the ones that standout for me after only a couple of listens..."Mermaid Avenue" is a jaunty kinda melodic song in the vein of "Secret of the Sea." There's a really nice lullaby called "Headdy Down" and "Come When I Call" reminds me a lot of "I Was Born." I wouldn't expect it to be to everyone's taste but, as I said, I'm guessing everyone here would have certain tracks on the Mermaid Avenue albums (even, gasp, among the non-Bragg tracks!) that they don't love either... I think it's worth a listen and beyond that, chacun son gout! TJ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lizish Posted October 4, 2006 Share Posted October 4, 2006 (edited) TJ 1) have Mp3s of the CD on your computer 2) Go to Http://yousendit.com 3) register 4) on the upload page, fill out the instructions - usually putting your own email address in the TO: box. This also includes finding the MP3 on your hardrive using the 'Browse' function. 5) Wait till the file uploads 6) Copy and paste the YSI link back into a post on this message board. Edited October 4, 2006 by lizish Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mchchef1 Posted October 5, 2006 Share Posted October 5, 2006 they played a song or two from this on world cafe a while back. i thought david dye said it was the plasmatics. needless to say i was confused.What ever happened to Wendy O'Williams Quote Link to post Share on other sites
aricandover Posted October 5, 2006 Share Posted October 5, 2006 What ever happened to Wendy O'Williams she died Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mchchef1 Posted October 5, 2006 Share Posted October 5, 2006 she diedWhat no story? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
caliber66 Posted October 5, 2006 Share Posted October 5, 2006 wikipedia Quote Link to post Share on other sites
aricandover Posted October 5, 2006 Share Posted October 5, 2006 What no story? search google Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mchchef1 Posted October 5, 2006 Share Posted October 5, 2006 I have!I am just skirting the real issue here?What the hell kind of name is TJ Opootertoot!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TJ O'Pootertoot Posted October 6, 2006 Author Share Posted October 6, 2006 I have!I am just skirting the real issue here?What the hell kind of name is TJ Opootertoot!!! Irish, obviously. Actually, as always, Google holds the answers.It's from a skit on the ol' Ben Stiller show... http://www.benstiller.net/episodes/12/ TJ p.s. Been lazy but I'll try to do the YSIs later. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mchchef1 Posted October 6, 2006 Share Posted October 6, 2006 Irish, obviously. Actually, as always, Google holds the answers.It's from a skit on the ol' Ben Stiller show... http://www.benstiller.net/episodes/12/ TJ p.s. Been lazy but I'll try to do the YSIs later.That show was far to good to last on TV, must have missed that skit I remember U2 Playing Bah Mitzvahs, and Eddie Munster in Cape Fear Truley some of the best TV parody of all time.Oh and Midevil Cops awesome Quote Link to post Share on other sites
choo-choo-charlie Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 Well, I'm only starting to dip into this band and these recordings, and was about to put up a fresh post about it, but the search function quickly revealed to me that this has already been discussed. At any rate, I've also learned that they're going to be playing in the College Park, MD area and was going to check them out - any others in the area that would want to go? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 Actually this was discussed here before (back when the Klezmatics CD came out.) Their album hardly is in the same category as Mermaid Ave, but what the heck. The Klezmatics are a very fun band however, if you like that sort of thing. Check out some of their other work, not trad Klez, but enjoyable. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Doug C Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 What no story?Sure. She was one of those people. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouisvilleGreg Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 I have a friend who has been the singer for a fairly successful punk band for close to 20 years who was contacted by Bragg several years ago about the possibility of collaborating on MAIII. My friend rejected the offer out of fear of living up to all of the hype of both Guthrie and the first two records. Needless to say I feel pretty certain that Bragg will revisit the series at some point in the future. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lizish Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 I have a friend who has been the singer for a fairly successful punk band for close to 20 years who was contacted by Bragg several years ago about the possibility of collaborating on MAIII. My friend rejected the offer out of fear of living up to all of the hype of both Guthrie and the first two records. Needless to say I feel pretty certain that Bragg will revisit the series at some point in the future. As you say, I guess Greg Graffin must have passed on the whole thing. But it looks like Jay Farrar, Jim James, Anders Parker and Will Johnson didn't. Think this is from a Will John/centro mail list, but don't have a link: 'Will Johnson is the Swiss Army knife of indie rock. During rare downtimebetween his bands Centro-matic and South San Gabriel, the prolific localsongwriter is taking a backseat to the Monsters of Folk Bright Eyes' ConorOberst and Mike Mogis, M. Ward, and Jim James of My Morning Jacket on anational and European tour, following the release of the quartet's eponymousdebut Tuesday. "I play [drums] as much as I'm allowed on recordings, butit's been a little while since I've played live," says Johnson, who lastgigged behind the kit with Jandek in July 2007. His return coincides withthe November release of Jason Molina & Will Johnson (Secretly Canadian), hisdebut collaboration with the Magnolia Electric Co. frontman, which Johnsondescribes as "a pretty subdued listen." Here's the real bombshell, though.Alongside Jim James and Anders Parker, Johnson is also taking part in JayFarrar's version of Mermaid Avenue, recording original music based onunpublished Woody Guthrie lyrics at the behest of his daughter, NoraGuthrie. While no details have been confirmed as far as a release date orlabel, the album, which was recorded in New York in March, is currently inthe mixing stage. "Jay sent me a priority mail package full of the lyrics,and I opened it at 4:30 in the afternoon," Johnson recalls. "Within 17minutes, I had already documented this one called 'Chorine My Sheba Queen'to the recording machine. That speaks far more about the song than anythingI did. The lyrics struck me in a way that the music sounded automatic. Itmade such sense to my soul and my spirit. It's got an empty and regretfultone but in a very beautiful way. I just latched onto it." Personally this is friggin' huge news. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
choo-choo-charlie Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Here's the real bombshell, though. Alongside Jim James and Anders Parker, Johnson is also taking part in Jay Farrar's version of Mermaid Avenue, recording original music based on unpublished Woody Guthrie lyrics at the behest of his daughter, Nora Guthrie. While no details have been confirmed as far as a release date or label, the album, which was recorded in New York in March, is currently in the mixing stage. "Jay sent me a priority mail package full of the lyrics, and I opened it at 4:30 in the afternoon," Johnson recalls. "Within 17 minutes, I had already documented this one called 'Chorine My Sheba Queen' to the recording machine. That speaks far more about the song than anything I did. The lyrics struck me in a way that the music sounded automatic. It made such sense to my soul and my spirit. It's got an empty and regretful tone but in a very beautiful way. I just latched onto it." Personally this is friggin' huge news. Wait, what!?!?! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Moss Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 What no story? She died running a school bus into a giant stack of TV's. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lizish Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Wait, what!?!?! Yeah I know. Totally psyched for this. I'm thinking this is gonna be a Gob Iron like traditional interpretation, which would be pretty cool. What they really need to do is invite Frank Turner to help, record a couple more songs in Dublin, and this becomes a Bizzaro world Mermaid Ave. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gogo Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Wow, that's major. I am changing the thread title! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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