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On March 3, 2011 we hosted two great indie artists in our city. I wanted to share the experience I had with you. First, I need to give a little history and/or context.
Back in 2006 Myspace wasn’t what it is today. I got an account and started hearing some music I’d never known about before. From 2006-2009, Myspace was a mecca for me and others like me who wanted to discover unknown and emerging artists who had a lot of talent but not necessarily the money to really promote themselves. Don’t get me wrong, there were a lot of lemons out there too, there still are. Or perhaps I should say there were and are a lot more people with some good ideas and a little talent, but need experience and mentoring before they’ll really be able to market their work in a successful way. During this time, I discovered some excellent indie artists like our good friends Lindsay Katt, Jerzy Jung, Bess Rogers, and William Fitzsimmons. The first thing that stuck out to me was the storytelling and the amazing beard. I admit to being a little jealous of guy’s that can grow the big beard. My facial hair doesn’t have that capability, which is why I grew the goatee so long. But I digress.
Shortly after first hearing William’s music, I messaged him about an interview. He quickly replied and thus began our friendship. Over the years, I’ve been able to keep up with his writing and music through phone interviews and concert interviews. In the interview we’ll present this coming weekend, I reference an interview I did with him in the backseat of a friend’s car, which we also did with indie artist Rosi Golan whom he was touring with at the time. That was a trip, and both were great sports about it.
Me laughing with William and Jake, Elliott Park is setting up the mic
Since 2006, I’ve been working and scheming to get William out to Abilene, namely to perform at our beloved Paramount Theater in a concert series with public radio station (and carrier station) KACU. Finally after 5 years, my colleague and friend Barry Smoot worked it out and scheduled William to perform at the Paramount in a special performance right after the release of his 2011 album Gold In The Shadow. It would be a special concert before his tour began to promote the album, and would feature his good friend Jake Phillips, who was on his tour with Rosi a few years ago. This concert set up an in-studio session with William and Jake that we recorded at Flyboy Studio the day before. The session was recorded and engineered by Elliott Park and Jeremy Strom, whose work and expertise made this a greater experience than I ever imagined.
From the moment we sat down, it was like a private concert taking place in the studio. William and Jake just started playing around on songs. They hadn’t had a practice time up until that point and were going to be performing together in 24 hours. They went through a few songs from the setlist, which was yet to be written completely at that point. They also messed around with a Creedance Cleerwater cover which I think they should record as a single sometime. I’ll have to look and see if we got that on tape or not. It was cool. Towards the end of our talk he asked me if there was a song I wanted to hear and there was, my favorite from his debut album Until When We Are Ghosts called Find It In Me. Unfortunately Jake didn’t know that one, so they couldn’t do it. But they were both great and cool enough to practice it later on (I can only assume) and performed it on stage the following night at the show, which was amazing.
There was a lot of joking and just fun. After we’d been recording and taped a lot of the interview portion, my wonderful wife brought us all coffee that she’d crafted at home (down the road from the studio). I don’t want to brag, but she’s the best at a lot of things. You can read her blog located in our Blogroll category called Tales Of A Clyde Woman to know more of that. But even Jake and William noted that it was the best coffee they’d had in a long time. Afterwards, she also had made some desert for us all. A great touch for a show centered around the commonality of food and music.
The conversation involved everything from that interesting interview from Dallas a few years back to the evolution of his songwriting and journey as a human coming to terms with loss and difficulties in life. Fans of his music know that his first 2 albums told the story of how his family dealt with the divorce of his parents. The third record (Sparrow and the Crow) gave a voice to the two parts of that healing process as he continued to dive into the depth of the hurt, loss, and healing. Being a professional therapist and counselor gives him a unique insight into the process of inner healing. But it can also make it more challenging to deal with yourself when the same symptoms are present. That’s something he had to face in his own life, which led to a different kind of music. His new album Gold In The Shadow deals with a variety of different psychological disorders, and the hope of wholeness that anyone who has experienced loss and pain strive to achieve.
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The radio program has a running time of 59 minutes, which includes the acoustic songs they performed. There was a lot in the interview I had to leave out because of time. If you’d like to hear the uncut interview, you can email us at info@appetizerradio.com.
This session will air Saturday afternoon at 3P on KVLU-1 in Beaumont, TX, Saturday at 9PM on KACU in Abilene, TX, and Sunday at 9PM on KTRL. Click on the links to go to the station sites to listen live.
All the photography is the work of the amazing Meagan Hernandez.
I’ll say this on the show this weekend, but our favorite dine-in restaurants have menu items that are off the beaten path, and sometimes because of that cost a little more than the standard plate. This is especially true at nicer restaurants or at steakhouses. It’s that idea that we’re going to dive into in the next few hours of The Appetizer radio program, airing this weekend across Texas on KACU, KTRL, and KVLU.
For me, I’m a fan of steak, but not the regular cut of meat. I think sirloin is a good piece of steak, and if prepared right can make a great meal. But depending on where I am (and if my pocketbook agrees with me or not), I like to try a nicer and deeper cut, something along the lines of a filet mignon or prime rib. If we’re at a place that serves a different kind of meat, like lamb or elk, it’s an even bigger treat. Now I’m not a chef in the culinary arts, so anything done to the steak beyond cooking it medium-rare or medium and adding a little seasoning is beyond me. Instead, I’m a chef of the musical arts, and I will be serving some deep cuts of music from artists you are probably quite familiar with by name, but have not ever heard the tracks prepared for you on our show. At least you haven’t heard them on the radio before. This weekend, I’ll present some Deep Cuts, and here’s some information about these fine selected pieces of musical flavor. Enjoy!
Bruce Springsteen
Storytellers are a dime a dozen, but great ones are diamonds amongst much rough. Such is the career of Springsteen, who emerged from a few auditions for rock bands in the 70s. I was privileged to get to experience the special collection of his work and pieces of his story at the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland a few years ago. Apparently, he auditioned to be the frontman for a small band in New Jersey in the early 70s. He was rejected, told that his voice wasn’t good enough and he needed to work on his guitar skills. My guess is either this startup band got it all wrong, or Bruce went back to his apartment and crafted his talents to improve on what he was told he lacked. Possibly it ended up being a combination of the two, but chances are that the band he auditioned for was totally wrong, which is why no one knows their name. We’ll sample 2 tracks from an older album and a more recent release that showcase his prowess with a pen, a guitar, and a microphone. From 2007′s Magic release which contained the hit “Radio Nowhere” we’ll feast on a song about the tragedy of falling off pedestals and being elevated to high positions for weak reasons called “You’ll Be Coming Down.” When I think of people I either know or have had contact with who have promising careers or futures, but is such because of their outward beauty and not the quality of their heart or character, this song comes to mind. It’s quite powerful. Also, we’ll taste a track from The Boss’ 1987 album called Tunnel Of Love, which featured a reflective imagery on the love lost and love gained. It presaged the breakup of his marriage to Julianne Phillips and described some of his unhappiness in the relationship. We’ll hear the track “When You’re Alone,” which deals directly with this loss of love.
Iron and Wine
Representing a newer generation of powerful storytellers, Iron & Wine uses poetic imagery with soft folk stylings to describe life and people in very unique ways. Though his newer material crosses more platforms in musical style, his older work kept more in the folk realm. Two albums from his repetiore will represent his ability to transcend traditional styles and rules of songwriting, especially in the standard verse-chorus-verse song structure found in most recorded compositions, as illustrated in the song Passing Afternoon from his album Our Endless Numbered Days. Another great song we’ll heard from Around The Well includes Communion Cups & Someone Else’s Coat, a track about a girl with a rough past and an unknown future who only wants to focus on the present. It’s an incredible song.
Otis Redding
Ray Lamontagne
Like Iron & Wine, Ray is a leader amongst the current generation of folk singer-songwriters, though his style and sound contrast with I&W quite a bit. His rusky deeper vocal tones are iconic, and the subject matter of his tracks veer off the beaten path on most occasions. For me, his latest album accomplishes a lot in just presentation, in taking the landscape of traditional folk music and adding a modern lite bluegrass or folk-rock band to the mix. There’s a sound that’s classic blended well with a modern feel that just works in the arrangement. We’ll taste a piece of God Willin’ & The Creek Don’t Rise called Devil’s In The Jukebox.
Johnny Cash
There is hardly a person who has heard recorded music in the last 30 years or more in any style or genre that is not at least somewhat familiar with The Man In Black. He’s covered music from just about every genre, and sometimes made songs famous that were already well-known (ie Hurt originally by Nine Inch Nails). But there are also some tracks he’s covered that might seem like originals if not for a little research. One of them is my all-time favorite recording of his titled I See A Darkness, originally by Bonnie ‘Prince Billy. You can see the original author of the song perform it I See A Darkness Original. Cash’s version is so much more deeper and powerful, at least to me. Another great deep cut is For The Good Times
Tracy Chapman
Feist
Indie songwriter Feist is growing in not just her fan base, but also in acclaim from the movers and shakers of the music industry. I keep talking to people who are just discovering her and are blown away with her music. It’s not just her voice, which is great. It’s the rhythm of her songs, the melodies and the presentation of each track that stands on its own, not relying on one or two songs to carry the album as a whole. I love that about her. One of my favorite tracks from her album The Reminder is called The Limit To Your Love, which I’ll showcase.
Hootie and the Blowfish
Darius Rucker is now a well-known country music star. Before his success on that stage he was the frontman for a band some might not remember as well as others called Hootie and the Blowfish. Their debut album Cracked Rearview had several songs that were commercially successful including Hold My Hand, Let Her Cry, Only Wanna Be With You, and Time. These songs made Hootie a staple in rock music in the 1990s. But the song that closes the album is one of the most beautifully written of them all, and probably the saddest as well. Let Her Cry is a pretty sad song, dealing with a woman who continues to make poor decisions and finds herself always in the drudges of life. Goodbye is the album closer, and it might be one of the best relationship ending songs out there (comparable to Pearl Jam‘s Black in my mind). Piano driven and featuring only a vocal from Rucker who anguishes over the end of the love he had, it’s a tragic yet poetic tune that’s too great to miss.
Fiona Apple
I admit that I had not known too much of Apple’s music prior to a few years ago, other than her hit song Criminal. Fortunately my wife and a few friends are quite taken with her songwriting, so I was introduced to some amazing pieces of music from her. Her sophomore release is called When The Pawn….., which is the shortened version of the actual title (When When the Pawn Hits the Conflicts He Thinks like a King What He Knows Throws the Blows When He Goes to the Fight and He’ll Win the Whole Thing Fore He Enters the Ring There’s No Body to Batter When Your Mind Is Your Might So When You Go Solo, You Hold Your Own Hand and Remember That Depth Is the Greatest of Heights and If You Know Where You Stand, Then You’ll Know Where to Land and If You Fall It Won’t Matter, Cuz You Know That You’re Right). The title is a poem Apple wrote after reading letters that appeared in Spin regarding an article that had cast her in a negative light in an earlier issue.[13] The title’s length earned it a spot in the Guinness Book of Records for 2001. One track on the release that did not receive commercial coverage is called Love Ridden, and that’s our deep cut for Mrs. Apple.
Brandi Carlile
John Mayer
For many people, Mayer is too commercial. I know some of you might feel that way, especially if you’re driven to listen to the show because of our regular features in indie and emerging artists. I understand that. And yes, there’s a lot of Mayer’s work that I don’t like in his songbook, mostly stuff that commercial radio has overplayed into the ground (tracks like Daughter, My Stupid Mouth, Waiting On The World To Change, and Heartbreak Warfare come to mind). But let’s face it, he’s an incredible songwriter, and a phenomenal guitarist. I love his version of Jimi Hendrix‘ Bold As Love on Continuum. But I really enjoy his older stuff, work that’s now forgotten in pop culture except for his fans and those who love tracking artists’ beginnings like myself. Room For Squares was his starting point, and if you get a chance to listen to that album you’ll find some great tracks including St. Patrick’s Day, which illustrate his teeth cutting on songwriting and guitar work.
Jason Mraz
Along with Jack Johnson, the folk stylings of Hawaiian and surf music have taken a more prominent role in pop culture. Mraz and Johnson have a lot in common with their compositions, but there are some stark contrasts as well. One of my favorite albums from him is Waiting For My Rocket To Come from 2002, his debut release. Before his hit tracks like Wordplay, Jason Mraz was a Curbside Prophet, laying down both solid lyrics and rhymes with a cool guitar track.
I’m fortunate to get to hear all kinds of new artists emerging from all over the country. I also get to hear stuff from people who have been around a while and are still trying to keep their place in the music world. It’s a strange phenomenon. For some, it’s competition when new people hit the scene. For others, it’s a welcomed event.
Indie music is becoming a hit all over the place. Some aren’t quite sure what it means to be indie, and that’s ok. It’s just a short and easy way to say that a band or artist isn’t signed to a major record label, therefore they inherently work in more freedom and less commercial pressure. Most indie artists are getting their start on public radio and community radio, because these outlets are more open to trying new things and don’t have to report to Billboard (the company that controls and runs the top charts on music).
Billboard is the reason why most pop, rock, country, rap, and other stations play the same songs over and over again all day. I got sick of the same song repeated several years ago, hence I started The Appetizer. Others are starting to get equally sick too, and looking for alternatives to this redundant media form.
I’m seeing this progression continue across the country. Public radio is growing in prominence in media in it’s music platforms, whereas it used to mainly attract listeners and supporters in news and classical music. The big stations in California and Pennsylvania are among the leaders in introducing new artists to the world of music and giving these artists a platform they might not have other wise. Us smaller media outlets are doing the same thing.
This is why public radio and community radio is so important. As time goes, commercial radio will either be forced to change its strategy and open itself up to unknown artists, or they’ll become extinct. I go to conferences where companies who study and track how all media sectors are doing, have shown a steady decline in the public’s interest in commercial radio. Public radio is on the rise and so is Pandora. XM radio has held steady because as people buy new cars, they get it. Yet when the free subscription is over, they aren’t renewing. So the numbers balance out. Pandora builds playlists for you based on your interests, but you don’t hear from a person on the other end. Not so much as a radio outlet as much as a programmed music outlet that picks songs based on your preferences. It’s not a bad idea, but there’s no connection with what you’re listening to or information on how/where to hear more.
It’s the personal side that I think we’re all looking for. That’s why we go to concerts and coffeehouses. We want to hear the musician live, but we want to enjoy it with other people. We want to talk about our experiences with music, what it means to us personally and how it impacts us. That’s what draws music lovers to new things. We want to be engaged in something bigger than us and share that with someone else. This is public radio. It’s a sharing and showcasing on music and the stories the music tells. This is where music is going, because this is what we’re hungering for, not just new things but an avenue to share our experiences with music.
I didn’t start this post with the intention of doing a sales pitch for public radio or public broadcasting. This is just where I really see things going. I was talking with indie artist William Fitzsimmons about where he sees indie music going and he said something that really stuck with me and I think is right on. We’re moving out of a place where people are going to sell millions and millions of albums into a place where people will have large followings, but those people will also follow and support other artists. They’ll sell albums and songs online and sell out concerts, but the platinum recording artist won’t be the big deal anymore. There will be those people who do draw the big numbers, but it won’t be as rampant as it has been in the past.
If you’re someone looking for new and emerging artists that you aren’t finding on the radio dial, you need to tune in to The Appetizer. We’re heard on KACU and KLVU and are looking to be added to other stations across the country. I’m not the only radio outlet doing this stuff, but public broadcasting is leading the way. Public broadcasting relies on contributions from regular, everyday people like you. Please support the stations that carry us. Go to www.kacu.org and http://dept.lamar.edu/kvlu/ for more information and to support their stations. Thanks.
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