The Days of Lore

Aqui. Ahora. En el futuro.

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 | musiX | 1 Comment

I come to you from the past. I wrote this almost a week ago so that it would reach you in the future … as we meet here at this very moment in the present. ¿Confundido?

As you read these words I am in Guanajuato, Mexico—the birthplace of Diego Rivera—perhaps inside the very house he grew up in … that or I’m looking at dead people at the Museo de las Momias. And there’s a very good chance I have a cold Negra Modelo in one hand and a fish taco in the other (TDoL likes to multi-task). Or there’s a chance my tender, white flesh is cooking on a beach in Melaque (with a cold Negra Modelo in one hand and a fish taco in the other). I can’t really tell you because … well, I’m not even here yet. Or am I. Am I not?

That said—this is all you’re going to get from The Days of Lore until el 15 de marzo. So I’m taking this time to tell you what’s on the horizon. First off, I’ve been listening to Soft Crash, the new LP from Orland, Calif. trio Nothing People (whom I’m convinced are actually from a distant planet), and it is creeping me out … in a good way. And Titus Andronicus‘ new album The Monitor is teaching me what really happened during the Civil War—it rocked! Look for more thorough reports on these and much more upon my return. If I return.

But the big news here at TDoL HQ is that I’m gearing up for the first-ever The Days of Lore Presents show on April 16 at the Doug Fir that will include The Mother Hips along with a couple of great Portland bands in Jared Mees & the Grown Children and Monarques. It’ll be an unforgettable night of rock … and with any suerte I will have a Negra Modelo in one hand and a fish taco in the other. Look for giveaways of some Mother Hips goodies in the coming weeks.

I leave you now with a little slice of Mexico with Los Dug Dug’s, a band out of Durango that created their psychedelic sounds after hearing the Beatles in the late-’60s. The band’s self-titled debut is still one of my favorites … probably the best 127 pesos I’ve ever spent.

“Let’s Make It Now” - Los Dug Dug’s

“Eclipse” - Los Dug Dug’s

Tags: Beer Lounge, Jared Mees & the Grown Children, Los Dug Dug's, Mexico, Monarques, Nothing People, Soft Crash, The Mother Hips, Titus Andronicus

It might, possibly, perhaps get loud(ish)

Thursday, February 25th, 2010 | fliX, musiX | 7 Comments

I recently watched Davis Guggenheim’s It Might Get Loud, the documentary that takes a gander at the electric guitar by way of the calloused fingers of David Evans, James Page and John Gillis. Yeah, I’ve never heard of ‘em, either.

And I really liked it (save for maybe the trio’s flimsy rendition of The Band’s “The Weight” at the end)—especially the backstories of Jimmy Page and The Edge (Page’s early days as a young virtuoso skiffle player, and The Edge barely knowing what to do with that old Explorer). Seeing/hearing that old footage again of U2 before the members had probably ever touched razors to their faces was fun. And the smile on the (then) 64-year-old Page’s face as he played air-guitar to a crackly 45 of Link Wray’s “Rumble” was pure gold.

When I first heard about the film—and who was being featured—my immediate thought was, “Jack White?” Don’t get me wrong, I love White’s Detroit punk and R&B background (especially his love of Son House and cheap Montgomery Ward guitars), and I’m probably more in tune with his philosophy on music than I am his elders in the movie. BUT (there’s always a but) while Page and The Edge define styles that can’t be duplicated, White is more of an encyclopedia of blues licks with a stomp box.

That said, I found his thread in the movie the most interesting. He’s definitely the most charismatic of the three … I mean he had a younger version of himself following him around fer chrissakes. And in all honesty, when asked by Poor Old Dirt Farmer, I was unable to come up with another guitarist that could replace him (at least one that I could stomach).

Of course, it could also be argued that Page and The Edge could have been replaced—hell, it would probably be easier. Townshend? Clapton? Johnny Marr? Eddie Van Halen? So, let me ask you this: If you could remake It Might Get Loud, who would you feature in the film?

Post your ideas in the comments section, along with a full script (just kidding). Keep in mind this is about the electric guitar and that each guitarist represents a different era. This is not a test, although you will receive bonus points for not choosing Yngwie Malmsteen.

Tags: Davis Guggenheim, It Might Get Loud, Jack White, Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin, Son House, The Edge, U2, White Stripes

Janet Weiss talks Quasi mojo

Monday, February 22nd, 2010 | interviewZ, musiX, pdX | No Comments

The first time I threw on Quasi’s new record American Gong, I thought I was listening to a different band. Not that it doesn’t sound like Quasi, there’s just a certain—if I may borrow a quote from drummer Janet Weiss—”joie de vivre” to the new record.

Quasi is an interesting band in that it’s almost always felt like the side project to the members’ numerous other projects—multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Sam Coomes‘ Elliot Smith collaboration Heatmiser, Sleater-Kinney, and now the Jicks. Not the case here. American Gong might be the strongest, most definitive Quasi record in the band’s 16-year existence, jam-packed with guitars pushed well into the red and drumming that defies … well, everything. It’s also the band’s first record with longtime bassist (and Jick) Joanna Bolme, whose fuzzed-out basslines are solid enough to walk on. If you need more convincing, listen to the entire album here.

American Gong—Quasi’s first on Kill Rock Stars—is out now. And that’s only the beginning. The band is touring Japan, the U.S. and Europe as well as hitting all the totally hot festivals, including SXSW and Sasquatch. A quick glance at the ol’ Quasi planner looks something like this: 2010 = booked solid.

Janet Weiss took some time to talk to The Days of Lore about their new digs at KRS, the beauty of mistakes, and the band’s love of fuzz-bass.

TDoL: This is your first record on Kill Rock Stars … how did that come about?
Janet Weiss: I sent [rough mixes] out to people I knew, Sam sent them out to a couple people he knew. Kill Rock Stars were just really enthusiastic about it, and said they loved the record. Of course, I worked with them for years with Sleater-Kinney. You know, they’re here in Portland now, it was just so obvious and natural. And I love working with a label where the two people in charge are women—strong, decisive, intelligent women.

I interviewed Kathy [Foster] from The Thermals and she said the same thing.
Yeah, I mean that’s important. I come from that background of strong women, and I want to pass along that it’s important to make choices that enable that to continue. You know, try to take bands on tour where there are women performing and try to show people that it doesn’t have to be all guys onstage all the time. You have to let girls see other girls up onstage or they might not have the courage to do it. If some girl wants to go into the business and sees there’s a girl running that label, it’s really inspiring I think. And it’s very important to actively be a part of that.

I’ve been listening to the new album, and it is loud.
[laughs] I guess so, yeah … I suppose it’s only as loud as you turn it up.

It just sounds like it was recorded with the intention of blowing things out …
Yeah, I’d say we were going for a very live, sort of ballsy sound. We wanted to somehow capture what it feels like to be at a live show or be in the room with all of the molecules banging around.

It almost reminds me of the production on The Woods …
Yeah, Dave Fridmann did mix a few of those songs … I think we would love to make a whole record with him. We admire his … just his joie de vivre [laughing]. I think he’s really unafraid to push the sound and make things unusual and strange.

How long did it take to record?
We recorded it in about 10 days. We were ready when we went in; we didn’t have to do very many takes of songs, and the takes that we did do just got better and better as we went along. I feel like a lot of the music I love and that I listen to—music of the ’60s and ’70s—it was all recorded like that. They just went into a studio on tour and made a record, kept the mistakes and moved on. It’s amazing how many mistakes you hear on old records. You don’t hear that anymore—it’s sad. Mistakes can be so gratifying when you’re listening.

Absolutely. That reminds me of a post on Carrie’s [Browstein] blog not too long ago.
I don’t think I read that one … but it’s scary to think of a world where all of our mistakes are being erased when so much of creativity is about that.

Yeah, the human aspect gets wiped out …
It’s our self-loathing … we want to correct everything all the time.

Did you go into the studio with a set group of songs ready?
We knew we had too many songs. We weren’t positive which songs were going to go on the record—we knew what the heavy hitters were, and kinda let the other songs show themselves. So there are a couple extras, there’s a cover. Then there’s the song “The Jig is Up”—[laughing] Joanna and I went out to get burritos and Sam recorded that while we were gone for like a half-hour. He just pulled an acoustic guitar off the wall and recorded that with a few mics. That’s actually one of my favorite songs off the record.

That one’s great. I really like “Black Dogs & Bubbles.”
Oh cool. That’s maybe one of the oldest songs out of the batch. That one’s been around for a little while. I think we just kind of kept it simple on that one. It sort of speaks for itself … you sort of get that Neil Young-y type of vibe at the beginning. We always wanted to make sure that middle part was shocking.

The Beatles’ “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” came to mind when I heard it …
Yeah, I think I’ve heard that from one other person. That’s great, I’m glad you like that one. It constitutes part of the moody center of the album … as I like to call it, “the moody middle.” It’s funny, because I’m usually pretty involved in the sequencing of most records I’ve played on. This one was pretty easy for some reason; it just sort of made sense. The first song was really obvious and that’s always a big help. On the last Jicks record we didn’t really have a for-certain first song and it made sequencing tough. We got it in the end, but it took a lot more time.

Obviously you’re making a record, but are you ever like, “Do people even listen to full albums anymore?” Does that cross your mind?
It maybe crosses my mind a little more now. I think I’ve always been guilty of top-loading, wanting to put my favorite three songs first. On [American Gong] I feel like the last song is the heart of the record. Kind of like the old days when you’d listen to vinyl—like “When the Levee Breaks,” the last song on Zeppelin IV—the last song wasn’t the single or maybe wasn’t even the catchiest, but it represented the heart of the record. It was what they wanted to leave you with. I don’t really know how people … like do they buy three songs, four songs, one song? I don’t understand that so much, so I just do what I know, which is sequence it as a record and try to put a couple strong, catchy songs up at the top.

Besides being loud, the hooks are definitely still there …
Sam started this project Pink Mountain with some friends in San Francisco … I feel like he got a lot of his weirdo side out with that band, and kind of allowed Quasi—at least the structures of the songs—to be a little more pop-oriented. Although we all are very anti-establishment, and anti-conservative, anti-corporate—we don’t want it to sound like easy listening, we don’t want it to be boring—we want it to represent something free and something that’s not passive. I think to make those pop structures palatable to him as a songwriter we had to turn up the volume a little.

Is there much improvisation involved in the writing?
This was definitely our most collaborative record as far as the writing. Sam came to practice with less structured songs, and just parts that needed to be arranged and organized. And he really let me have a hand in that more, which is something that I did in Sleater-Kinney a lot, and something that I love to do. He’s not used to writing like that; he’s used to writing a song from start to finish. I think Joanna made up so many great basslines that I think define a lot of the songs. I end up humming her basslines more than the vocals or the drums and guitar.

Yeah, there are a couple of basslines that are super fuzzed-out that really stood out.
Well, Sam loves fuzz-bass. [laughing] That is one true statement about Sam Coomes: He loves the fuzz-bass. We’d be working on songs and we’d be like “What does this one need?” and Joanna and I would just laugh and look at each other, “Fuzz-bass!” We know he’s going to say it. That’s the answer for everything. Luckily we like it, too.

You’re about to head out on the road. I take it you like touring …
I’m really into touring, I love touring. Especially these shorter ones, anything under three weeks is totally doable. I mean I like coming home, but I really, really like going out. And I love playing. There’s nothing like playing live, nothing quite like it at all. Gotta keep your chops up.

“Repulsion” - Quasi

“Black Dogs & Bubbles” - Quasi

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Tags: American Gong, Janet Weiss, Joanna Bolme, Kill Rock Stars, Portland music, Quasi, Sam Coomes, Sleater-Kinney, the Jicks

If the electro shoe fits …

Friday, February 19th, 2010 | musiX | No Comments

What’s this? Scooped by Pitchfork, Stereogum and Urban Outfitters?! I even know a couple of the members for crying out loud.

La-La Land’s The Delta Mirror has been making the rounds through the blogosphere—places that make artists’ dreams of fame and fortune come true overnight … but are way less bitchin’ than The Days of Lore. I kid, of course (or do I?). Onward.

The trio of Craig Gordon (vox, guitar), David Bolt (vox, gadgets) and Karrie K (vox, bass) uses the descriptor “electro shoe-goth” to capture their sound. It’s pretty dead-on. As with former Portlander Bolt’s solo gig Letdown, The Delta Mirror puts together ambient indie rock with purpose—chirps, whooshes and beeps all find their place over hushed vocals and gentle beats—and, more importantly, melodies. It’s not just an exercise in self-indulgence (i.e. wankery)—these songs are good.

The group’s new release Machines That Listen is out March 16 on Lefse Records (including vinyl!)—nine songs that take place in a different room of a hospital. The concept began with a couple autobiographical songs written by Gordon, who then decided to build the story from there. Each song stands on its own, too. “He Was Worse Than the Needle He Gave You” and album closer “A Song About the End” are the standouts (the latter reminds of Zooropa-era U2). And I promise the piano in “Hold Me Down Just Don’t Let Me Go” will absolutely melt you. Ahh, would you look at that … saltwater in my keyboard … again.

“He Was Worse Than the Needle He Gave You” - The Delta Mirror

“Hold Me Down Just Don’t Let Me Go” - The Delta Mirror

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Tags: Craig Gordon, David Bolt, Karrie K, Lefse Records, Letdown, Machines That Listen, The Delta Mirror

Seeing stars

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010 | musiX | 1 Comment

I recently watched “We Are the World” redux, which premiered during the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics. The new version was led by co-writer Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones, and features a who’s-who of today’s hottest stars (at least that’s what they tell us).

Now, far be it from me to pooh-pooh a good cause, but the whole thing feels contrived … I came away feeling more icky than inspired. Of course, using the old clip of Michael Jackson was a predictable move, taken to new heights by the even more predictable (and disturbing) addition of sister Janet. I will say this: The new version serves as a shining example of the state of pop music … and Auto-Tune. They should have at least invited Willie Nelson back.

Personally I think someone should do a remake of “Stars,” the all-star heavy metal answer to “We Are the World” by Hear ‘n Aid. I guarantee nothing will make you want to empty your pockets more than an extended guitar solo by Craig Goldy, Eddie Ojeda, Vivian Campbell, Brad Gillis, Neal Schon, George Lynch, Yngwie Malmsteen, Carlos Cavazo, Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser, Adrian Smith and Dave Murray.

Tags: "Stars", "We Are the World", Hear N' Aid

Doug Fieger, 1952-2010

Sunday, February 14th, 2010 | musiX | 1 Comment

When I think of power pop, I immediately think of The Knack—”My Sharona” is arguably the example of what a power pop song should be, and it’s still one of my favorites.

Knack guitarist/vocalist Doug Fieger died today at the age of 57 after years of battling cancer. It was reported today in The Detroit News. Fieger told the paper in January: “I’ve had 10 great lives. And I expect to have some more. I don’t feel cheated in any way, shape or form.”

And well he shouldn’t.

The Knack performing “My Sharona” live n 1979

Tags: death, Doug Fieger, Get the Knack, The Knack

TDoL gets some Goodnight Loving

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010 | interviewZ, musiX | 1 Comment

“We’re already three songs into the next LP,” says Goodnight Loving guitarist/bassist Colin Swinney. “Beginning this Thursday we’ll be going back in the studio to hopefully finish the rest.”

I like the sound of that. The Milwaukee, Wisconsin four-piece has been receiving steady play over the last few months here at TDoL HQ. The Goodnight Loving’s ragged rock ‘n’ twang is the sound of a freight train chugging down a lonesome, dusty trail—fully embracing traditional country music, and tussling with ’60s folk and garage.

Of course, it only made sense that the Reigning Sound’s Greg Cartwright wanted to produce their 2006 debut Cemetery Trails (”He was really professional while still keeping up beer for beer with us,” Swinney says). Three full-length records and a handful of 7-inches later and The Goodnight Loving is still cranking out new tunes, no doubt a credit to the fact that all four members write and sing.

The band—which takes its name not from a nocturnal petting session, but from a Southwestern cattle trail established by a couple blokes named Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving—released their Nothing Conquers Us 7-inch for Portland’s Dirtnap Records in November and will—as the kids say—drop a 12-inch EP later this month on Italian label Wild Honey Records. Oh, and that new full-length? That’ll be out some time this summer on Dirtnap.

With so much on their—as everyone says—plate Colin Swinney was still able to make some time to answer all of The Days of Lore’s burning questions, explaining what it’s like to record in a cabin, getting lost in Europe, and why the band will never listen to David Bowie again.

TDoL: I read that you all started out playing in punk bands in Wisconsin. How did you end up coming together and shifting to more country-influenced music?
Colin Swinney: We definitely began with the idea in mind of starting something we hadn’t really tried before. A couple of the guys were writing songs together with acoustic guitars, and it seemed natural to try and play with a full group using those same instruments and whatever other ones we could bastardize, like harmonicas and pedal steels. We all loved country and ’60s folk music, but it’s not like we were into jam bands and pickin’ circles—you still would have found us in basements drinking Old English at a Holy Shit! show. You still can.

Do you ever listen to any of the old Bloodshot Records bands? The Goodnight Loving would sound right at home on that label …
I don’t know if we could count them as an influence, but we are certainly familiar with a bunch of those bands. I’ve seen the Sadies a couple of times and I know Kavanaugh saw Whiskytown open up when he went to John Fogerty with his parents.

Does it surprise you that The Goodnight Loving has been embraced by garage rock crowds?
Not really … everyone loves garage rock. It’s no different in spirit or anything to whatever it is we do. I don’t really know who else would embrace us, either. Soccer moms?

How was it working with Greg Cartwright on your first record?
It was wonderful. We were all really big fans of his at the time, so it was like having a highlight of your career be the first thing you do as a band. He was really professional while still keeping up beer for beer with us, so whatever nerves we had psyched ourselves into quickly passed.

What did you take away from the experience?
I’d say how to make a record to be proud of in just a few days. We didn’t quite know what to expect having never made an album with a producer or anything, but we definitely learned that you can just knock it out quickly as long as the performances can speak for themselves.

It’s not often you get a band where every member writes songs and sings. How does the process work? Does that make it difficult to whittle down songs?
It’s pretty fun and stress-free actually. We show up to practice and say, “Does anyone have anything new?” and go from there. Sometimes songs don’t work, but those ones usually make themselves obvious enough that we just don’t spend much time on ‘em.

I love that you recorded [2007's] Crooked Lake in a cabin. How did that affect your approach over recording in a traditional studio?
A big part of it was that we didn’t intend on coming away with a full-length record. We just had all these songs left over or written after the making of the first LP that we decided it’d be fun to get them down to tape. We picked a cabin on a beautiful lake in June to record them, because who wouldn’t? When it turned out we had enough songs, we fell into our next album.

You’ve had success outside the States … how do you like touring in other countries?
For as much as fun as it is, it’s also a lot of stress. We’ve been driving ourselves around while we’re in Europe, and it’s pretty intimidating trying to navigate with just a GPS that barely knows where the hell you are. That said, there’s nothing comparable to a trial by fire in another language. We always managed to have a good time and keep our spirits up when someone’s reaching a breaking point. And there’s almost always a new, delicious food to set anyone’s mood right.

Any countries in particular that have embraced the band?
Italy and Australia stand out as they’re places where we’ve had labels who released our records, and then followed through with promoting them and bringing us there. We’ve had some really great shows in both. Sometimes it’s hard though. There are some cities where nobody moves, just staring through you as you play and you think “well this sucks” … but you still might sell 200 bucks in merch and suddenly that crowd wouldn’t seem so bad anymore.

What’s usually in the CD player/iPod during tours?
Usually it’s Roger Miller, Buck Owens, Hank Williams, lots of Beatles, CCR … pretty standard road material. We once went five weeks with a Velvet Underground best of and a David Bowie 1962-1967 collection on cassette. No one ever got sick of the VU, but I don’t think anyone of us will ever willingly listen to Bowie again, no matter what period of his career. “Sell Me a Coat” will live on in all our top-five-worst-song-ever lists.

“Nothing Conquers Us” - The Goodnight Loving

“Colin Attends a Party” - The Goodnight Loving (self-titled LP)

“Drafted Into War” - The Goodnight Loving (Contaminated Records 7-inch)

Tags: Cemetary Trails, Colin Swinney, Crooked Lake, Dirtnap Records, Greg Cartwright, Nothing Conquers Us, The Goodnight Loving, Wild Honey Records