so as the past goes breaking by....

Posted by Chris Campbell at Saturday, May 08, 2010 0

This week certainly wouldn't make my Top Ten Weeks list. For the past 4-5 days I've been nauseous for a good part of each day, and I'm pretty sure that I'm not pregnant. And somehow, likely either in one of the dog parks or while shooting hoops, I seem to have screwed up my knee. I've never had a knee problem in my life, but something's going on. I tried to fire up some threes yesterday and just couldn't. The little pain in my left knee was resulting in freakin' brick after brick. I'm talking Louis Orr bombs that were drilling side backboard. I called it a day and took Bennett to the park.

To me, these are the times that I learn the most. The things that I love take on a deeper and more resonant meaning. For example, listening to the Jim James/Calexico cover of Dylan's "Goin' To Acapulco" sounded so sweet today. And the Thao song "Goodbye Good Luck" makes me very happy. And then I had lunch with a pal today and the conversation was long, deep, hilarious, insightful and just kinda moving. And I talked to N tonight and it felt really nice. And I'm about to start Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian, which I'm quite excited about. And the Yanks seem to win every game, which despite my issues with MLB, is pretty fun to watch (I like Hughes and this Cervelli kid).

And then there was the discovery of Richard Buckner's performance on Daytrotter. My love of Buckner is no secret, and I've worried of late if he's done with music. He had that interview a few years ago where he kinda hinted that it's a wrap and it's been four years since Meadow. And last time I saw him live he looked pretty bad: bloated, voice suffering, the passion just not there. When I see those who mean the world to me in such shape, it's heartbreaking. I don't know Richard Buckner, but his music has played an enormous role in my understanding of things. I remember driving back from Central Pennsylvania one night and at around 3am, still a few hours from home, I listened to Devotion & Doubt. The highway was completely barren. I was alone with this music. The record is so deep and dives into our core that it was somewhat overwhelming. I felt lonely but was enjoying the loneliness because it felt like the words understood. Or maybe I was understanding Buckner. I felt some solace in that hour. When considering heroes and stuff like that, I've come to gain greater and greater respect for folks like Buckner. I mean, these folks make such unbelievably important art, it goes virtually unnoticed, yet they keep on, with little (if any?) monetary return. I hope folks like Buckner, Easton, Roby, Pernice, Farrar, Vlautin, Best, Johnson, Mann, Russell/Smith, Ryan, Robinson and the rest know how much their music means to me, and others. I couldn't imagine my life without them. When I heard Buckner's "Town" from Daytrotter, I almost lost it. I thought he was gone, but the emotion in this take is some of the best of Buckner. Just stunning. And I'm incredibly grateful to be given such a gift. We all should be. Artists, especially the great ones, deserve more.

That's my take on things now at 851pm on a Saturday night. Bennett's at my feet, Buckner's coming through the headphones and I'm going to spend this night listening to my heroes.

In the Park

Posted by Chris Campbell at Tuesday, May 04, 2010 0

The pup and I went on our few-times-a-week trip to Golden Gate Park this afternoon. We seem to have found our favorite spot out around 41st Avenue where there are less people, lots of trails, and huge open spaces. In usual fashion, once he tires out from me rifling the ball for about 30 minutes, I found time to toss on the iPod and rest in the park while he pummeled his ball.

My iPod was playing one gem after another. The biggest stunner was Neil Young's "Ohio," which came streaming through as I considered that today marks 40 years since the Kent State Massacres. This one gave me quite the chill. But it was Jay Bennett's "Survey the Damage" from The Magnificent Defeat that came on for the fourth day in a row. I've grown to love this song, and sitting there in one of my favorite pieces of land on Earth, I was thinking of Jay Bennett and his contributions to the world of music.

The Life of Alex Chilton

Posted by Chris Campbell at Tuesday, April 13, 2010 0

This story in The Times-Picayune is so moving that it bears repeating. Some may find it odd, but this portrait of Alex, to me, is a life lived honestly and a life worthy of admiration. There is so much focus and value placed on monetary success in our society and Alex didn't seem to care for it. He lived how he wanted to live. He lived how he felt he was meant to live. He didn't need the spotlight. He didn't need people fawning over him. He wanted a normal, simple and comfortable life among the people of New Orleans.

Hero is a grossly overused term in our society, but when pressed to name some of mine, I always start with Martin Luther King, Jr. To me, he was the embodiment of good, courage, humility, justice and altruism. I then toss around folks like Bruce Springsteen, Woody Guthrie, my grandfather, my mother, Jeff Tweedy, William Faulkner, Paul Wellstone and a few others. Folks who either inspired me and others or played a direct role in impacting my life. But if pressed to add another, Alex Chilton would make the short list. I loved Big Star the moment I heard them, and that love only grew and grew as the years passed. They only released three records, yet every one, now 30+ years later, sounds not only fresh, but absolutely alive. The music business failed them. And Chilton stepped away for a quiet life. Big Star maybe wouldn't have been as big as The Beatles, but those three records prove that they were almost as good. Many say that they defined and were the forefathers of power pop. To me, they were much more: rock and roll, beautiful songwriting, spirituality. Listen to #1 Record and you'll quickly move from jumping out of your seat on "Feel" or "In the Street" to soaking in the beauty of "The Ballad of El Goodo" and "Thirteen." The quintessential power pop band, some say. The quintessential band, I say.

Son Volt's "Question"

Posted by Chris Campbell at Friday, April 02, 2010 0

Jay Farrar has an almost endless list of incredible songs. Some are amazing lyrically, some have an Americana beauty that few current artists can touch and some barrel you over like the best of Crazy Horse. With Uncle Tupelo, he penned some of the best songs of the early 90s with "Chickamauga," "Looking for a Way Out," "Postcard," "Steal the Crumbs," and every other song he wrote alongside Jeff Tweedy.

When considering his post-UT output, most point to Son Volt's 1995 debut Trace. Although I do consider it a masterpiece, I've always been a bit more partial to their last record with the Boquists and Mike Heidorn, 1999's Wide Swing Tremolo. This record, unlike any Farrar record before or after, shows Farrar's aggressive side (Did anyone ever see him doing something like "Straightface" or "Jodel?"), without parting with the balladry that would make Gram Parsons' nudie suit get chills ("Hanging Blue Side").

Musically speaking, some turn to punk rock to get their rush. Some to hip hop or rap. I find it in Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Slobberbone, Arcade Fire, Pavement, The Clash and T. Rex. You know, the songs that have you pounding on the steering wheel as you drive down 280 or 95. The songs that make it impossible not to open the sunroof. The songs that have you dancing in your apartment. The songs that drive life right through you. Of the hundreds of Farrar songs I love, I'm not sure there's one that combines lyrical and musical force like "Question." The sound of the band is heightened by the lyrics and the combination knocks me on my damn ass.

Thoughts careen 'til I can't stand up
Where's the crime in a streak of bad luck
Words to pick at, retreat from
Words that fester if only to get at the truth
It's a question of you
What it all comes down to, is a different set of values
Throw away or mobilize to use.

The River of Spirituality

Posted by Chris Campbell at Thursday, March 25, 2010 0

Yup, another one of those moments. Well, not one of the big ones, but smaller scale.

This afternoon I was driving around San Francisco on a stunning day listening to Springsteen's The River. When the song "The Price You Pay" came on, I was pulling into Safeway to pick up a parm and had one of those experiences. The wind was perfect, the sun was strong and the music filled me with spirit. As I was sitting in my car singing along, I peered across the way and directly in front of me was a beautiful church. Meaning? Who knows. But there was certainly meaning in my clunker.

The Archives : Bobby Bare Jr. "Young Criminals Starvation League" (2002)

Posted by Chris Campbell at Tuesday, March 09, 2010 2

You just keep going back. Those are the records that prove to be the greatest pieces of art, as pretentious as that sounds. I can't count the number of records I raved about at the outset, but just didn't stand the test of time (Flaming Lips? The National?). Bobby Bare Jr.'s brilliant Young Criminals Starvation League may not have made my year-end best-of in 2002, but it's a record that I listen to regularly, and it's slowly becoming one of my favorite records of the past decade.

More than any record I can think of right now, it's unbelievably unique. The stories can be touching at one moment, hilarious the next, and maybe even bizarre. But it works. In "Flat Chested Girl From Maynardville," the girl laments, "No one pays attention to me, so no one knows nothing about me" and later "Does anyone wanna get high with me? Cause no one is watching so no one is worrying about me." It's a sad song, but delivered with some sort of abundance that makes you sing along.



Bare then sings the quite touching "Bullet Through My Teeth," which, seriously, is touching. There's of course "The Monk at the Disco" and "Dig Down," which begins, "This letter is addressed to Mr. Pete Townshend. Hey brother, I write you to say thanks for nothing. Your generation used up all the feelings, and if we rock, it looks like we're ripping you off." There's Bare's homage to Texas, that woman who's "Painting Her fingernails waiting for something to happen" while dreaming of Paul Newman's smile and, of course, the gorgeous opening track, "I'll Be Around."

There are so many emotions throughout this record, and so many moments of sympathy and perhaps empathy, that I'm sure most can relate to something. I mean, he even tells me that "San Francisco rocks and sways. And one day she'll fall into the Bay" before returning to his love for Texas. As much as I love the record Bobby, I'm going to take the risk.

Moment/Song : Blind Pilot's "3 Rounds and a Sound"

Posted by Chris Campbell at Tuesday, March 02, 2010 0

There are songs that always remind you of that place, person, event, headlock, etc. This is a new series that may consist of one post or many.

This tune came on my iPod a few weeks ago while standing at a little pond in Golden Gate Park. I was kinda just hanging around, watching the ducks and it started to drizzle. The trees were absolutely beautiful and a little less than half the sky remained blue. A few of the ducks were just floating and looking up at me. It was peace. I then walked to Amoeba and bought about 90 records.

As Lou Reed Sings

Posted by Chris Campbell at Monday, February 08, 2010 0

69 Love Songs 10" Box Set

Posted by Chris Campbell at Monday, February 01, 2010 0

There are things in life that are great. Herein lies one.

I would argue that Vol. 1 of the Magnetic Fields' 69 Love Songs is one of the best records of the past 25 years. I picked up the three-disc set at Waterloo Records in Austin in 2000 and still listen to it often. I listen to tracks from Vol. 1 every day.

Ten, errr eleven, years later, Merge is set to release this magnificent set on 10" vinyl. It's just a bit shy of $100, which means that I won't be getting it unless Mom surprises me, which she probably will, but man, what a beauty.

Description from Merge:

The story has it that Stephin Merritt came up with the idea for 69 Love Songs while sitting in an elegant midtown Manhattan gay piano bar. He originally planned for it to be a live musical revue, performed with a rotating cast of singers in the plush hotel bars and cabarets of New York City. 69 Love Songs was released in September of 1999. Fans and critics were ecstatic and 69 Love Songs became one of the most talked about records of 1999. It remains one of the most beloved albums in our catalog. As Spin Magazine said, "Like the best cabaret, Stephin Merritt's triple-CD monsterpiece charms on contact, and like the best indie-pop, you'll want to unravel it endlessly."

The limited-edition box set includes: all 69 love songs remastered for vinyl on six 10" vinyl records housed in a super-sized 69 Love Songs box with a 10" version of the original booklet featuring liner notes written by Lemony Snicket author Daniel Handler. The boxset also contains a download coupon for the full remastered album download.

Big Star

Posted by Chris Campbell at Monday, January 18, 2010 0

There are times when I listen to this band and seriously think that they are the greatest thing ever to happen in music. This box set Keep an Eye on the Sky is so phenomenal that words just can't do it justice. I know it's a bit pricey, but oh boy, just go out and buy it. Many of the demos of the songs that made it on their records are so raw and full of emotion that it's hard not feel as though you're sitting in on the recording sessions. And although they went on to re-record these tracks, had I been in the room, there would have been a loud, "Perfect! Done! Fucking shit!" coming from my mouth. I mean, how on EARTH were these guys not enormous. Ok, forget enormous, why the hell aren't they talked about in the same breath as say The Kinks, The Who, The Velvet Underground and say, The Clash. I won't lump them in with The Beatles or Stones, simply because they didn't have the output, but Big Star are one of the greatest bands ever.

It's okay to look outside, the day it will abide, and watch the sunrise

We Are Totally Under Construction

Posted by Chris Campbell at Saturday, January 16, 2010 0

Given that my last template no longer works, I'm trying out some new stuff.

Songs of the Decade : Loose Fur "Laminated Cat" (2003)

Posted by Chris Campbell at Wednesday, December 30, 2009 0

Jim O'Rourke entered Jeff Tweedy's recording life at the exact right time. Not only did he help in putting beautiful touches on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but he opened up Tweedy to a world of sounds and exploration that changed the way Tweedy played and viewed music. Tweedy and O'Rourke's side project, Loose Fur, released their self-titled debut in 2003, and although it's a mixed bag, Tweedy offered up one of the best songs he's ever written. Formerly known as "Not For the Season," when performed by Wilco or Tweedy solo, Jeff and Jim renamed it "Laminated Cat" for its official release. The more passive Tweedy/Wilco fans may not know that some of Jeff's best songs bypassed both Wilco and Uncle Tupelo. Songs such as this one, "Blasting Fonda" (Feeling Minnesota soundtrack), "Please Tell My Brother" (Golden Smog) and "The Family Gardener" (The Minus 5) represent just a sampling of the fantastic songs that are a bit hidden. But "Laminated Cat" is on a completely different plane.

Candy left over from Halloween
A unified theory of everything
Love left over from lovers leaving
Books, they all know they're not worth reading
They're not worth reading

The Thin Blue Line

Posted by Chris Campbell at Sunday, December 27, 2009 0

I spent two years in college volunteering for Amnesty International, took a number of classes on capital punishment, I own every Steve Earle record, and hell, I've seen Dead Man Walking about seven times, yet nobody's ever told me about the documentary The Thin Blue Line? C'mon folks.

On a lazy Sunday afternoon, I was looking through documentaries on Netflix when I came upon this spectacular yet horrifying documentary. Errol Morris' 1988 masterpiece documents the erroneous conviction of Randall Adams for killing a Dallas police officer. At one point, Adams was within 72 hours of being executed, yet the United States Supreme Court began the lengthy process of saving his life. One year following the release of the film, the case was reviewed and Adams was exonerated. And the state of Texas, through corruption (really, Texas is corrupt?), false testimony and a testosterone-fueled district attorney nearly put this man to death for doing absolutely nothing. George W. Bush should watch this film. And Errol Morris has paid a lifelong deed to society.

A must see, no matter where you sit on the issue of capital punishment.

Songs of the Decade : Eels "Blinking Lights (For Me)" (2005)

Posted by Chris Campbell at Sunday, December 27, 2009 0

The words, the lights, the string section, the brevity, the spirituality. "In a rainbow, in the sky, in the middle of the night, but the signal's coming through, one day I will be alright again," Everett assures us. And as the strings pick up, you can't help but believe in his words.

Vic Chesnutt Donations

Posted by Chris Campbell at Friday, December 25, 2009 0

If you're interested in helping Vic's family pay his medical bills, you can donate via Paypal right here. Thank you to Kristin Hersh for setting this up.

If you'd like to hear a recent interview with Vic, where he discusses his insurmountable bills, despite having health insurance, here's the NPR interview. I hate to get political, but I'm going to: If this interview doesn't make your blood boil regarding the state of health "care" in this country nothing will. I won't go so far as to say what I want to say because I clearly don't know all the factors, but I'll just say this: Our current system is responsible for many, many preventable deaths in this country. We need single-payer. Anything short of this is criminal and inhumane. End of story.

Vic Chesnutt "Until the Led"

Posted by Chris Campbell at Friday, December 25, 2009 0

Vic has more than his share of sad songs to choose from, but today, I'm going to go with perhaps my favorite Chesnutt song, one that's always inspired me to cut some rug around the apartment. Rest in peace, VC.

Songs of the Decade : Tim Easton "Dear Old Song & Dance" (2006)

Posted by Chris Campbell at Wednesday, December 23, 2009 0

"The same old thing over and over again is kinda self-defeating," howls Dave Bielanko on the opening track to Marah's phenomenal 1998 release Let's Cut the Crap and Hook Up Later on Tonight. Yes, different decade and different artist, but the message rings the same. Over ten years ago, as I fell madly in love with Marah, that line had little impact on me, but I did remember it. With age and a bit of wisdom, that line, and perhaps to a greater degree, the Tim Easton song I mention here, offer messages that even the deepest introspection may fail to locate. Easton's clearly talking about alcohol and drug abuse, but this could really apply to anything. Perhaps it's a destructive relationship or friendship, maybe it is booze, or maybe it's something else that's gripped you and just won't let go. There's a time when you have to let go, even with the knowledge that the immediate and near pain could be nearly impossible to bear. But somewhere in the depths you know it's time to bid farewell. And when you find your way out, you hope that the wounds that remain remind you of the courage of the fight.

Songs of the Decade : Bruce Springsteen "You're Missing" (2002)

Posted by Chris Campbell at Wednesday, December 23, 2009 0

Really the only song about 9/11 that made sense to me.

Songs of the Decade : Nathan Moore "Yeah Yeahy" (2002)

Posted by Chris Campbell at Monday, December 21, 2009 0

I love this song more for its longing for days past more than anything else. I know I'm romanticizing a world/life that's mostly gone, but it's hard to not feel nostalgic for these times. This is probably why I'm drawn to songwriters like Hank Williams, Nick Drake, Bob Dylan and even contemporary throwbacks like Richard Buckner and Jeff Tweedy. I can watch The Grapes of Wrath over and over and I feel at home in the worlds of Faulkner and Russo. I guess I wish we lived in simpler times, and on this sweet folk song, Nathan Moore wishes for the same.

Songs of the Decade : Josh Rouse "Michigan" (2004)

Posted by Campbell at Sunday, December 20, 2009 0

I think it was 2003 or so when I saw Rouse play back-to-back shows at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan. My girlfriend at the time was an enormous fan, and when they allowed us to stay for the second show, without paying a second ticket price, she was thrilled. And that night we heard "Michigan." Rouse recorded so many beautiful songs throughout the 2000s, but it's "Michigan" that rounds out Rouse's spirit as a writer. He's always had a keen understanding of people's emotions, and this song captures one person's need to leave a town that won't accept him. The visuals this song creates are nearly impossible to miss.