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Mermaid Ave III - sorta


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I say good for Jay giving this a try. Obviously he's a pretty devoted Guthrie fan - did anyone see the guitar he had made for himself?

 

http://sonvolt.wordpress.com/2009/09/29/jays-new-guitar/

 

(I actually found that to be kinda overboard, but whatever.)

 

Either Jay doesn't care what people think, or he wanted to take a shot at outshining Jeff. I would tend to assume (and hope) it's the former, but what do I know. I just look forward to hearing the music. Since hearing the Kerouac project I have a very good feeling about what he's capable of.

Pretty cool... however, if Jay cared what people thought, he wouldn't allow that photo to be posted on the interweb.

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Forgive me for being endlessly curious into peoples' motives. I wish Jay the best of luck - Mermaid Ave. was pretty good, except for some of the material Bragg sang lead on.

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I still think this an odd move for Jay. What's next for him, an album with songs featuring non-standard noise with a cover shot of an interesting piece of Chicago residential architecture on it that gets rejected by his label?

 

 

Forgive me for being endlessly curious into peoples' motives. I wish Jay the best of luck - Mermaid Ave. was pretty good, except for some of the material Bragg sang lead on.

The Woody love goes as far back with Jay as it does for Jeff. I can think of some circumstances under which Jay would turn down writing music for Woody Guthrie lyrics, but "Jeff already did it" clearly isn't one of them. I mean, it's Woody Fucking Guthrie.

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from spencertweedy.com

 

Do you ever find yourself listening to Uncle Tupelo or Son Volt, or is that off limits in the Tweedy household?

 

The only music off-limits in the Tweedy household is Gretchen Wilson. Other than that, we have every Uncle Tupelo record (duhhhh) and every Son Volt record, and are free to listen or love any of them.

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from spencertweedy.com

 

Do you ever find yourself listening to Uncle Tupelo or Son Volt, or is that off limits in the Tweedy household?

 

The only music off-limits in the Tweedy household is Gretchen Wilson. Other than that, we have every Uncle Tupelo record (duhhhh) and every Son Volt record, and are free to listen or love any of them.

 

haha, provides insight to jeff's comments during farm aid

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OCB - do you have a link? Gonna try to wangle a local date.

If you are on facebook, they are lised here (and there a bunch of others that are on there):

 

https://www.facebook.com/newmultitudes?sk=app_123966167614127

 

San Francisco’s The Fillmore March 6

Los Angeles at The Music Box March 7

Portland, Ore., at McMenamins Crystal Ballroom March 9

Seattle’s Showbox At The Market March 10

Alexandria, Va., at the Birchmere March 12

Philadelphia’s Union Transfer March 13

New York’s Webster Hall March 14

Boston’s Paradise Rock Club March 16

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If you are on facebook, they are lised here (and there a bunch of others that are on there):

 

https://www.facebook...123966167614127

 

San Francisco’s The Fillmore March 6

Los Angeles at The Music Box March 7

Portland, Ore., at McMenamins Crystal Ballroom March 9

Seattle’s Showbox At The Market March 10

Alexandria, Va., at the Birchmere March 12

Philadelphia’s Union Transfer March 13

New York’s Webster Hall March 14

Boston’s Paradise Rock Club March 16

 

Thank you. Gonna try the contact at High Road, but it's a pretty low chance of success. Getting him to cross the border balanced against the number of people who would come out means the costs would be high and the contract low.

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Received this via email today:

 

Like a cadre of musical brothers finally coalescing after years on the road apart, Yim Yames has joined forces with Jay Farrar (Son Volt, Gob Iron, Uncle Tupelo), Will Johnson (Centro-matic, South San Gabriel), and Anders Parker (Varnaline, Gob Iron) to gratefully deliver New Multitudes, an intimate interpretation of American icon and musical legend Woody Guthrie’s previously unrecorded lyrics.

 

Set to coincide with the centennial celebration of Woody Guthrie’s birth year,New Multitudes will be released on February 28, 2012 by Rounder Records as a 12 track release and a 24 track limited edition. The limited edition features original Guthrie lyric sheets, the 12 track release, and 12 additional compositions recorded by Farrar and Parker. The album will also be available on vinyl.

newmultitudes.jpg

Please visit the New Multitudes Facebook page: facebook.com/newmultitudes to hear “Old L.A.” from the album, featuring Anders Parker on lead vocal. "Like" the page to receive updates including interview footage, live performance video, etc.

 

Under the invitation of Nora Guthrie, Woody’s daughter, to tour the Guthrie archives, each of the four songwriters were offered the chance to plumb and mine the plethora of notebooks, scratch pads, napkins, etc. for anything that might inspire them to lend their voices and give the words new life. “These guys worked on an amazing group of lyrics, much of it culled from Woody’s times in LA. Lyric wise, it’s a part of the story that is still mostly unknown. From Woody’s experiences on LA’s skid row to his later years in Topanga Canyon, they are uniquely intimate, and relate two distinctly emotional periods in his life.”

 

The spirit of Guthrie may have been involved in more ways than one, as all four songwriters mentioned the immediate connection to the songs they chose, or as they would suggest, “chose them.” The writing came together quickly, as if the mischief muse who originally penned them latched himself to each writer's grey matter upon first contact.

 

Musically, it is this sense of collaboration that makes New Multitudes not just another trite and traditional acoustic regurgitation of back porch blues. From the ragged jangle of its opening track, “Hoping Machine”, the loping lilt of “Fly High”, the floorboard stomp of “No Fear”, to the lush warmth and sudden sonic gut punch of “My Revolutionary Mind” the cohorts deliver a lesson in discovering a song’s sweet spot. It’s the function and preparedness of each artist’s dogged work ethic gleaned the old-fashion way; veracious songs, road weary odometers, and sweat stained live shows, all attributes of the man they are honoring.

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I wonder how she and Arlo get along then. (Supposedly, he converted to Christianity.) I suppose I have to wonder why he has not did anything with the lyrics. Or maybe he has. I am not really familiar with his work.

 

Never heard Alice's Restaurant? Actually Arlo is both a Catholic and a Republican.

Arlo's a nice guy.....with a good talent for song. but he leans towards Goodman and Prine style of writing

 

I'm glad he did not have the opportunity........he's too close from the source.

 

 

I think Arlo could have done whatever he wanted to with Woody's lyrics had he chosen to. He has done plenty of his material all his life.

 

But to say he is like Steve Goodman and John Prine is not even close to accurate unless you want to lump all "folk singers" who do clever stuff all in one category, they yea, maybe you are right.

 

This is an age thing I know, but it is hard to believe folks have not heard Arlo's records. They are of varying degrees of quality to be sure, but many are quite good.

 

LouieB

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Never saw that show, but have seen Arlo many times over the years. His act hasn't changed much in 40 years though, he just has a whole lot of grey long hair now. It used to be fun to see him with Pete Seeger. Now he tours with his kids instead.

 

LouieB

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