The Days of Lore

Barbara Manning: From me to you

Monday, December 1st, 2008 | musiX | 1 Comment

I always thought you were supposed to get starstruck on that first encounter with someone you admire. Barbara Manning made it difficult. She was sweet and approachable. She liked my band. This was the woman who played with New Zealand indie rock royalty including The Clean’s David Kilgour and Graeme Downes of The Verlaines, had Calexico as her backing band, recorded a string of albums for Matador Records. Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore even called her one of San Francisco’s best songwriters. Despite all that, I ended up befriending her rather than fawning over her.

I met Barbara a few years ago through some mutual friends. All I could think of was The San Francisco Seals‘ cover of The Verlaines’ “Joed Out,” which appeared on 1993’s No Alternative with bands like Pavement, Beastie Boys and Nirvana. That was my first introduction to her music.

Name-drops aside, Barbara Manning simply writes amazing pop songs. Any critical acclaim—from her early years as vocalist and bassist for Chico indie band 28th Day, through her solo albums and rock bands like S.F. Seals, World of Pooh and The Go-Luckys!—is deserved. She’s never had tremendous range, but her voice is pure, strong and comforting. Sometimes it sounds like she’s singing to you in conversation, her voice floats and her words slip into these sort of poetic stanzas.

Barbara Manning’s name isn’t all over magazines these days. And sometimes I don’t think she’s appreciated enough in her hometown of Chico. But those who are in the know know better. She’s still writing songs, and has loads of notebooks filled with lyrics and probably more than a few tapes with hummed melodies that may or may not see the light of day. But I have a feeling there’s something on the horizon …

Aside from performing solo Barbara Manning is fronting two bands—pop-punks The Sleaze Tax and twang-janglers Champion, the latter of which recorded a cover of Portastatic’s “Through With People” set to be released on Merge Records in January to honor the label’s 20th anniversary, along with Apples In Stereo, Okkervil River, Death Cab For Cutie and Times New Viking. She regained control of her back catalog and recently launched a new Web site. Barbara also rejoined Calexico during the group’s sold-out September 28 performance at the Fillmore to perform her song “Better By Bounds.”

I’ve known Barbara Manning for almost four years now. We ended up becoming good friends. I played in a band with her. Wrote a song with her. We worked together. Finally, I get to fawn over her.

“Better By Bounds” - Barbara Manning (Champion)

Tags: "Better By Bounds", "Joed Out", 28th Day, Barbara Manning, Calexico, Champion, David Kilgour, Graeme Downes, Matador Records, Merege Records 20th Anniversary, No Alternative, Sonic Youth, the Clean, The Go-Luckys!, The San Francisco Seals, The Sleaze Tax, the Verlaines, Thurston Moore, World of Pooh