[Ed. - Benjamen Walker is the passionate, knowledgeable and unstoppable force behind a whole bunch of radio, in Boston and beyond. We first got in touch when he was putting together Blog Jockeys, an NPR piece that was one of the very first big-media looks at mp3blogging. Last week, he was in NYC on a secret mission. This week, he's here with us - and spitting fire.]
Destroyer - "Notorious Lightning [live]".
My introduction to this mp3 blog thing came from trying to find a recording of Destroyer's absolutely mind-blowing performance at this year's south by southwest in Austin, Texas. I have been a fan of this band ever since finding a copy of Thief in the slush pile at WZBC, a radio station I work at in Boston. I do like the latest release, Your Blues, but its a bit uh, weird... Listening to Daniel Bejar and the talented members of Frog Eyes perform the material from Your Blues was much more enjoyable - the songs resonated with an intensity and power that is not included on the little silver disc. So, like I said I decided to search out if anyone out there in the audience recorded the performance. I found Ryan's site the catbirdseat, and while there was only a review of the show there were a bunch of mp3s and links to other mp3 blogs, and thus, one million hours later – I was not only hooked but extremely excited about what I felt was an actual NEW thing. I cannot stress how wonderful that feeling is – to happen upon something you find truly original – especially ON THE INTERNET. Long story short, I pitched the NPR program On The Media the idea and lo and behold I did a piece that you can listen to here, or here (the latter version has more lawyers in it). (fyi: the term "mp3j" is not my fault)
Anyway I am thrilled that Sean asked me be a guest er mp3j "person" - So lets start off with my recording of Destroyer performing Notorious Lightning - live at the middle east rock club in Cambridge, Massachusetts where I hail from these days. Now, I don't want to sound like I am dissing your blues, the only point I am trying to make is that, performed live, the songs are BETTER. Rumor has it that Merge is going to officially release a Daniel Bejar/Frog Eyes recording of your blues soon – I can't wait! [buy Your Blues]
PS: Ok.. I just wrote this (8.18.03) and clicking on the catbirdseat to put the link in... I find that Ryan has linked to a CBC mega post of Daniel Bejar/Frog eyes tunes.. sigh.. and I thought I was going to be COOL!!!!! Sigh... for all of you out there who think this mp3 bloggin thing is easy: well you are WRONG!
Dennis Lobban – "Runnin' from Babylon [live]".
In November 2001 I found myself in Kingston, Jamaica producing a late night talk radio show on Jamaican radio. My adventure began in Tower Street Prison with a bunch of Harvard professor types who politely tapped their shoes and swayed their hips as murderers, rapists and victims of police corruption performed reggae for us. It was a giant production; the prison officials really wanted to distract our attention away from the fact that the men of Tower Street live in conditions pretty much the same as when the stone dungeon building was used to offload slaves in plantation times. Dennis Lobban was really the only performance that blew me away. I remember marking my mini disc to make sure I didn't erase it. And then one of the guards leaned over and told me that this giant intense Rastafarian was in fact the man who shot and killed Peter Tosh. I never got a confirmation on this until a few months ago, when I returned to Kingston for more prison/radio wackatudness (including another concert at Tower Street). The running man performed another tune, this time introducing himself as Dennis something. Well, when you type in "Peter Tosh" and "Dennis" into Google you get this:
Staying at Tosh's home during this time was an old friend of the Wailers, Dennis Lobban. However, he left in a fury after an argument with Tosh's girlfriend, Marlene Brown, returning a few days later on September 11, with a gang of friends. Lobban later claimed he had merely intended to threaten the artist, and perhaps rob him, but panicked. The end result was that Tosh and all six of his friends who were hanging out in the room were shot in the head. Tosh lay dead, as did the radio DJ Jeff "Free I" Dixon and a third friend. Marlene Brown, ex-Soul Syndicate drummer Carlton "Santa" Davis, and two other of Tosh's friends miraculously survived. Lobban was arrested and sentenced to death.I am still unsure if this song is a cover or a version of a reggae standard, or if this is in fact Mr. Lobban's own creation – But the performance is most certainly his own. When you hear the crowd go crazy, midway into the song, it is because Dennis is running in place totally frothing at the mouth, determined to stay one step ahead of Babylon. I am amazed at how the visual intensity and insanity of this performance translates sonically.
B-Lite
My favorite unknown genius is my fren B-lite, the world's only blind rapper who performs with the aid of photoshopped PowerPoint karaoke slides. Think Giorgio Moroder doing the hotel conference room circuit ,delivering inspirational life-affirming lectures for the low-wage-earning artistically inclined.
Like all misunderstood geniuses, B-lite struggles with the fact that he is still unemployed and not famous - BUT - I am proud to say that recently he has sold almost all of his possessions so that he can take some ridiculous tour across North America where he will most certainly perform to crowds numbering in the tens... Fame is just around the corner now!!! Check out his website for the tentative tour schedule – maybe he's coming to your town.
On the website there are also about a dozen songs up for your listening pleasure. You might as well start with the introduction, where you can hear what its like to be a slacker-bee. My favorite number is definitely the ode to poor boy/rich girl love, "Curbside Lover," because it's got the line "hey girl just because I'm taking the bus doesn't mean there isn't room for both of us!"
But I also love "Peepers", one of the many songs B-Lite wrote about autumn for a series of radio programs I put together called Decline and Fall. And then of course there is the Wallmart song, containing the line: "just look at this country it's a piece of shit, you can't do anything but drive around in it."
and on that note...
John Prine – "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Any More".
Sean and his fellow Canadians may not realize just how bad things have become here in Freedomburg but I just have to say that thanks to that half-wit born-again dry-drunk in the White House and his administration of blood-sucking Fascists I have had the worst 4 years of my life. Now, I'm not trying bum anybody out here with some political rant but I know I am not the only one has discovered that there is nowhere to hide from these fuckers, not in music, not in books, not in art. Yes, they have ruined everything. But the real pain comes not from this gang of criminals that is hell bent on taking us all over the precipice but the mother-fucking idiotic PEOPLE who are letting them get away with it (and my friends, if my recent unscientific poll of taxi drivers in Singapore, Jamaica, Africa, Geneva and Canada means anything, us ‘good' Americans are totally screwed – because the world just isn't buying this line about there being a difference between the American people and the American government anymore - but can you blame them???) Well, the point of all this is that I have found a song that, when I find myself weeping and gnashing my teeth in total fucking despair, helps me feel a tiny bit better. Maybe it will work for you too.
We start in 1970 and Mike Cooper is "Sitting Here Watching" (from Trout Steel), looking forward and feeling good. He might be hitting the road, maybe to gig, maybe to ramble, not to run. Kicks in and I think Incredible String Band and that is all right. I feel good when I listen to this, like anything is possible. Fills me with the optimism that only kids can maintain. The cancellations of the electric guitar are a welcome jab. [buy]
This joy lasts for two years and then John Hartford slowly swaggers by and reminisces forward about the past by going "Back in the Goodle Days" (from Aereo-Plain). He is up too, but different. Not so positive all the time. He longs a bit and wonders a bit. But all the time he is sure that he will still be fucking cool, you know, smoking joints and drinking wine at the city dump type of cool. Relaxed, with free and airy musicians. They recorded it all around one microphone in the old bluegrass radio show style. [buy]
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I’m Brian Michael Roff. Sean asked me to do a guest post for him while he is away. I was so glad to agree. It would be impossible for me to get close to writing as well as he does about the music he shares, so I just did my thing. Thanks to Sean for this fun opportunity to share a couple of my favorites.
Also want to plug (with Sean's blessing) my new EP called In the Analog Woods. It is out on KEEP recordings in a hand signed/numbered limited edition of 100. It is 6 songs with banjo, accordion, guitar, and voice. You can listen to an MP3 and buy it at the KEEP site.
[Ed. - Brian has a warm voice and a steady eye. And, apparently, good taste. I especially like the American Richard Thompson verve of the Mike Cooper track. Said the Gramophone previously featured Brian Michael Roff's music here.]