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April 30, 2006
Clarksdale
The first guitar was called 'wire on the wall' . Workers on the southern plantations took the wire from worn out mops, and strung them between two nails pounded into the wall. They used rocks wedged on either end as bridges to tighten the wire enough. Then someone decided to pull the board off the wall and lay it on their lap, using bottles as slides. This was called a diddley bow. Flip those words and now you know where Bo Diddley got his name... So much history down here...home of the famed 'crossroads' where Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil in return for mastery of the blues guitar...
This day trip was really a history lesson in America's great indigenous musical genre, the blues. Downtown Clarksdale has retained a lot of its original feel. Lots of old buildings, time worn but dignified.
Started the day learning all I could from Roger Stolle, a devout student of the blues who picked up from Columbus, OH to move to Clarksdale and pursue is passion for the music. In addition to being a walking blues encyclopedia, he books music for Morgan Freeman's local Ground Zero Blues Club (below), and has launched a fast growing annual Juke Joint Blues festival.
Continued my education with Robert Birdsong and Bubba O'Keefe - long time locals who have all sorts of great stories. Bubba is renovating the WROX museum - a local treasure and birthplace to many 'firsts' including Elvis on the radio. Ike Turner was the janitor. Rows of old 45's and 1/4" reels, even the original mic still set up in the upstairs control room. This is REALLY where it started.
Lots of names: Big Jack Johnson, Super Chicken, Arthur 'knees' Jones, T- Model Ford, Wesley 'junebug' Jefferson, many guys still around playing gigs.
Loaded up on CDs from Roger's Cat Head blues store and headed out as the sun was setting to get to Jackson. Really glad to have spent time here - there's something about just walking on the ground that holds so much. I think Clarksdale is going to go through a significant revival in the coming years.. mark my words.
Posted by Tim Westergren at 06:54 PM | Comments (25)
April 28, 2006
No Mainstream Fridays! Vol. 2
Ah, another Friday has come, which means it's time for me to post some more choice alternatives to the usual....
For everyone's info, the song links below go to Pandora song-info pages, where you can hear a sample clip of the song, and see artist info. There are station creation links from the song pages, as well, so you can easily create a Pandora station based on the song. How cool! And as usual, the artist names go directly to Pandora stations based on that artist's music.
This week's list is, as always, off the cuff, unpremeditated, and UNUSUAL!
Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra * Bollywood - I love this track! bliss out to bollywood-based, extra-groovy electronica, with tablas, sitar, synths, and much swirl....
.
Boom Bip * Third Stream laid back, bass-heavy, chilled electronica. fall into your weekend... [warning: the sample contains one *harmless* f-bomb].
Busdriver * Unemployed Black Astronaut - first off, this features the opening line "it's the return of the happy black rapper." what's not to love? for fans of Aesop Rock and such. and if you think you don't like hip-hop (you probably actually do), maybe try this one...
Oriole Quartet * Brother Michael, Won't You Hand Down That Rope. From 1895! You can hear the 78 scratching on this one. A curiosity from waaay back. Kind of disturbing in some ways...
Penguin Cafe Orchestra * Flux. Most people classify this incredible ensemble as new age, but that's lazy. this is groundbreaking acoustic ambient stuff from 1981 that anticipated both The Books and Animal Collective. a stunningly lovely piece.
Mother Mallard's Portable Masterpiece Co. * Cloudscape for Peggy. Ambient 'scape from what most people agree is the world's first synthesizer ensemble. from 1970.
Ray Wylie Hubbard * Dust of the Chase. Quality songwriter material from this underrated progressive country artist. He's got lots of great songs, this is just one... for fans of Jimmie Dale Gilmore and such.
APSE * Leer. This is a brilliant new band (who are playing tonight in NYC with the great Charles Atlas by the way), doing interesting post-rock music that is epic, sad, beautiful, and smart.
Machinae Supremacy * Elite. This is a very urgently requested band around here, so we're happy we've finally gotten them into the Genome. the music is a blend of (get ready) metal and video game music. They hail from Sweden. Let the Norsemen rule (at least at Madden 2005).
and finally, I have to go back to the soft spot...
Cat Stevens * Trouble. I heard an Elliott Smith version of this yesterday, and it made me really want to hear it again.
until next week!
best,
mz
Posted by Michael Zapruder at 12:59 PM | Comments (17)
April 23, 2006
Memphis
Well, I didn't make it to Graceland, but there was lots more to see. I'll just have to go back. There's a certain aura about Memphis - music history so rich you really feel it in the air. Across the street from my first stopoff (Stax Museum) was an old church where Rev. Herbert Brewster used to pen songs for the legendary Mahalia Jackson. He wrote them on the cardboard inserts for laundered shirts, that parishioners delivered to him every Sunday...
Stax had actually dismantled and reassembled a 100 year old church house in the museum. The well-worn wood floorboards (an under-recognized instrument of the day) and low wood ceiling really brought you back to the time.
My sincere thanks to Tim Sampson for taking so much time to walk me through the historical landmark and museum. They're doing great things, including the recent launch of the Stax Music Academy - a music magnet school for underprivileged kids. Stax Records was ground zero for the Memphis R&B movement. An integrated music collective thick with talent. From the great Isaac Hayes (check out his nice ride below)...
... to Booker T and the MGs. It was my great pleasure to lay my eyes upon the actual B3 used in the original recording of Green Onions... This may not mean much to most people, but to the few organists who will read this, feast your eyes...
Seems like just about everyone was from here, or found their way here at some point: BB King, Ray Charles, Elvis, Al Green, Jerry Lee Lewis, the Bar-Kays, Otis Redding... Memphis was the grittier cousin of motown. The combination of country, gospel and blues are all apparent - they all really share the same roots.
It was the assasination of MLK at the local Lorraine Hotel (the one non-segregated hotel in town) that triggered the demise of the scene.
Moved on to Shangri La records and loaded up on local disks - then hit the BBQ Shop for an evening of great conversation and dry ribs. Fun bunch showed up, including two young founders of local Makeshift Records. Through Makeshift, artists barter their trade skills (painting, carpentry, etc) for studio time. Great idea.
Topped off the evening with a fun open mic at Mo's Memphis Originals (always great to see amateurs just giving it a shot - very friendly and supportive crowd), and some rock from the Tearjerkers at HiTone Cafe.
Between the two I visited Sun Records, home of Elvis Presley and countless other greats. Still an active recording studio. I stood for quite a while outside in the warm night, just soaking in the history. Sam Phillips, the founder of Sun, had a reputation as a true champion of musicians. I felt a certain sense of awe as I wandered around the old back alley... made all the more surreal by the neon and passing cars... Won't soon forget that.
Posted by Tim Westergren at 06:56 PM | Comments (42)
April 21, 2006
No Mainstream Fridays! Vol. 1
Welcome to Volume 1 of "No Mainstream Fridays," a weekly listing of songs that are
1. worth listening to
2. probably not being featured elsewhere at the moment
3. would be mainstream if there were such a thing
Without further ado:
"Got to Get the Nerve" by Field Music - for fans of early xtc. My favorite record of the year so far.
"The Fence Feels its Post" by Frog Eyes - sorry, I just can't explain the complex brilliance of this band. It's just chills from start to finish... passion from Victoria Island in British Columbia.
"Our Love Lives" by Impossible Shapes - absolute brilliance! every time one of these songs comes on, I freak out.
"Internal Crash" by Loquat - beautiful pop from sf!
"Melody 1" by Tera Melos - incredible instrumental avant indie stuff.
"Crushed Bones" by WHY? - yoni wolf is a hip-hop ray davies!
and speaking of ray davies:
"Dedicated Follower of Fashion" by The Kinks
And from the more recent past:
"Subterranean Homesick Alien" by Radiohead.
I recently listened to OK Computer again and was surprised to discover that I might well think it's the best record ever made (and yes, that includes the untouchables: Sgt Peppers and Pet Sounds).
Happy Friday!! Have great weekends! And maybe go out this weekend and buy these records, so as to hear these amazing songs in their natural habitat. I'll post more next Friday!
best,
mz
Posted by Michael Zapruder at 12:41 PM | Comments (31)
April 13, 2006
Hattiesburg
Wound my way up to Hattiesburg, home of the University of Southern Mississippi and little known fact, home to the world's first rock recording. Anyone know what it is? Had a nice lunch and chat with John Smith - longtime band manager and mainstay of the Hattiesburg music scene. Popped our heads in on his latest project, Friday Night Gigolos who were working on the finishing touches to their CD. Familiar vibe of the studio..."let's isolate the kick and bass guitar..."
John riffed on what is fast becoming a familiar theme - organic growth of bands. Worked with 2LiveCrew, Afroman...
and many others. Clearly another guy who cares about the bands.
Stopped in on the rehearsal of the USM big band under the direction of Larry Panella, tenor saxphonist and I learned a grad of UNT in Denton (small world). They play in a refurbished firehouse. Nice space.
Spent a while talking with Larry about his experience as a teacher. Very interesting to learn that the real catalyst behind the jazz programs at many of these large southern colleges has been a desire to assemble a good marching band for the football team. All music scholarships come with some kind of commitment to the marching band. Larry is a lot like a college athletic coach in that he recruits too -attends competitions, hosts summer programs, networks with high school teachers. Goes as early as middle school... I can picture the documentary: "Jazz Dreams"
After an interview with studentprintz, the college paper, I had the pleasure of talking with Clinton Kirby, Music Director for WUSM, the student radio.
Made a bee line to T-Bone Records, the local choice fo indie music. Owner Harry Crumpler plied me with a bunch of local favorites. Had a nice conversation with Jackie Lee from theburger.net, a local entertainment paper that she started. Always love talking to other entrepreneurs.
Ended the night at the Thirsty Hippo - the consensus favorite music spot. Shared a drink with Tandy Byrd and Ross Walton. Tandy runs a great local online site - deadmandancing.com Total labor of love that has become the go-to site for info on local bands and entertainment.
On to Tennessee...
Posted by Tim Westergren at 04:35 PM | Comments (54)
April 11, 2006
Pandora at BayCHI Tonight
If you live in the bay area and are interested in learning more about Pandora's approach to user experience and playlist creation stop by tonight's 7:30PM BayCHI meeting:
http://www.baychi.org/program/Several exciting developments in social search and personalization help users find information: recommendations based on personal tastes, social trends, tags, ratings, popularity, and friends tastes. These methods go beyond the classic search paradigm of relevance and flat lists of results, resulting in different user experience challenges. This panel brings together panelists from Netflix, Live365, Pandora, and digg to explore trends in social search.
Rashmi Sinha has put together a great lineup for the panel including Neil Hunt from Netflix, David Porter from Live365, Kevin Rose from Digg, and Joshua Schachter from del.icio.us. I'm really looking forward to meeting all of these people; I'm a big fan of their work. Hope to see you there.
Posted by Tom Conrad at 09:18 AM | Comments (6)
April 08, 2006
Biloxi
Arrived in Biloxi after a drive through the windblown, woodsy/marshy Hwy 10. Evidence everywhere of the storms. Fallen lamposts, litter, even still some abandoned cars that are gradually getting cleared away.
First stop was the Government Street Grocery cafe in Ocean Springs, a quaint little town that was spared the flood because it sits on higher ground. After a nice evening chatting with local musicians/fans, and a beautiful sunset, I headed out with my guide, Justin Hooks, the entertainment editor for the Sun Herald for a tour of the local music scene. (Justin thanks for everything).
We wound up out in the woods several miles off the main highway at a storage shed that has been adopted as the rehearsal space for a bunch of local bands...
Was warmly welcome by local metal band Feid and their storage mates Kiss the Cop. They've completely decked out their shed - knocked down walls, put up carpet and insulation, even moved in a fusball table. Nice PA system. The perfect practice spot -miles from civilization so they can crank it up... which they indeed did!
Both bands are managed by Jon "Fat Guy" Marte, a promoter and real champion of local bands. A Sacramento transplant, he's been at it for years and clearly cares about the musicians. One thing EVERY young band needs is a good manager or mentor to help them be smart about their careers. Fat Guy also gave me a pile of other local selections. What really needs to happen is a joining of these local music communities with other towns across the country.
Three doors down (band of the same name is a local group) were Down II None, another pretty hard-edged rock band. They've also created a nice space - which had not long ago been under 5 feet of water. (one amp was found floating and was salvaged!)
I remain really inspired by all of these musicians. They've been together for several years, practicing 3-4 times per week, and touring regionally, while holding down jobs to pay the rent. It's true dedication. The music was really solid - good musicianship and plenty of intricate part-writing. Could only get there through a lot of work. Most have learned to play on their own.
Headed back in the wee hours to the bed and breakfast I shared with some displaced families and some FEMA contractors in town for the reconstruction. Even though this is my first time to MS and I don't have a sense of that the state was like before, it has clearly gone through a trauma. Wishing everyone the best.
Posted by Tim Westergren at 06:32 PM | Comments (17)
April 04, 2006
New Orleans
I need to go in reverse order on this one. Spent the last night at Maple Leaf Bar near Tulane's campus listening to Papa Grows Funk. Monday regulars for the past 4 years. For anyone who has ever played in a band and really tried to funk, you know how hard it is to really funk.
Papa Grows Funk could FUNK...
It's an incredibly difficult thing for a band to find. The drummer needs to have impeccable time, but also have the perfect organic sloppy groove to make it hum. The bassist needs to be telepathically connected to the kick drum and know just how long to hold notes. The guitarist needs to skank like a madman, and know when not to play... and everyone else needs to know how to stay out of the way. And the soundguy has to have the mix dialed in. When it all comes together it's pretty magical. John Gros, bandleader and B3 player, got a performance degree on French Horn, but gravitated to big band and funk after college. These guys are out continuosly - all over the US.
Earlier that afternoon hung out on the Tulane campus for a battle of the bands final, after chatting with Jeremy on WTUL.
Also visited the legendary Tipitinas jazz club - now part of a non-profit. It was first built to create a venue for Professor Longhair - Blues great. Cool layout with a wrap-around balcony overlooking the stage and mainfloor.
First night I saw some great bluegrass at Check Point Charleys. Mountain Sprout jammed - lead by Grayson on Banjo (who plays on the streets for tips all day). The dexterity of these banjo players is amazing. And while I listened to music I did my laundry. Really. Check Point boasts a self-service laundromat!!
So much of the city was wrecked by the storm, and many are nervous about the exodus that has really undercut the whole economy. But every hall had music, even on Monday and Tuesday.
On to Biloxi...
Posted by Tim Westergren at 09:52 PM | Comments (50)
April 03, 2006
Baton Rouge
Any day that starts with a garbage bag full of fresh crawfish, homemade cocktail sauce, wine, and bluegrass music is likely to end well... If first impressions count the most, I'm moving to Louisiana.
Big thanks to John and Alan for the warm welcome and great food. John regaled me with stories about the clubs known as the 'crawfish circuit' and salt&pepper bands. Imagine a mixed race band playing across the South in the 50s. Johnny said those mesh wire cages really were used...
Spent the afternoon and evening hanging out with Alex Cook, writer for the local 225Magazine. Got another history lesson: Leadbelly (godfather of the blues) got a pardon from Earl Long and was released from Angola Prison when his musical talent was discovered by an RCA talent scout. He was serving a life sentence for murder. Many bluesmen spent time in jails - Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, 'Bukka' White.
Very interested to learn that in the 50s, black music was sold in non-traditional outlets (barbershops, etc), while white music was sold in the mainstream record stores and appliance stores (note: just like the current chopped&screwed. Amazing parallels).
Alex took me on a great musical tour in the evening. Started off at Teddy's Juke Joint - hundred year old shack out in the woods - for some blues from blind Bryan Lee. Would have partaken of the homemade BBQ, but we'd eaten. Settled for mud pie...
Then on to Red Star for some swamp-cajun-rock-boogie from Shreveport's Dirtfoot. Amazing sound - guitars, standup bass, sax, pans (as in kitchen pans), drums, and a drop by euphonium player (a shrunken tuba). Plus ad hoc percussion from the crowd. Picked up their CD.
Gentle end to the evening with some jam band music at Chelsea's.
Hope to be back here.
Posted by Tim Westergren at 06:34 PM | Comments (35)
Meetups
Meetup tonight in New Orleans, LA
MONDAY, April 3rd, 2006 at 8:00pm
Carrollton Station
8140 Willow Street
New Orleans, LA
504-865-9190
Meet up in Mississippi
A special thanks to everyone who wrote in with suggestions on where to go while I am in Mississippi this week.
If you live nearby and want to meet-up for a drink, here's where you can find me:
TUESDAY, April 4th at 6:00 pm:
Government Street Grocery
1210 Government Street
Ocean Springs, MS
228-818-5676
WEDNESDAY, April 5th at 8:30 pm (drinks, then open mic at 10:00):
The Thirsty Hippo
211 S. Main Street
Hattiesburg, MS
601-583-9188
Posted by Tim Westergren at 03:10 PM | Comments (7)
Update: On September 21, 2006, I'll be meeting listeners at the Magnolia Theatre in Dallas (3699 McKinney Ave), beginning at 7pm. Join us and send an RSVP to tour@pandora.com with 'Dallas' in the subject line!
I'll be back in Texas in the middle of September for the National Association of Broadcasters conference being held in Dallas, and would love to use my time there to host a listener meetup for local Pandora users. Last time I was in the area, the people were very welcoming - met some great folks in San Antonio, Houston, and Austin to name a few. If you have any ideas about venues that you think would be great for a town hall meeting, please suggest it below in the comments section!
We love reading and responding to your feedback on the blog - the comments have been a treasure trove of great insights and guidance as we plan our visits. If you have a particular idea you want to discuss, or just want to get more involved, we're eager for help - just drop us an email at tour@pandora.com. Please include your location in the subject line of your message too. No idea is too big or small!
Posted by Tim Westergren at 11:20 AM | Comments (12)
April 02, 2006
Houston day 2
Continued a very enjoyable stay in Houston. Morning with John Lomax (great nephew of the music historian Alan Lomax), a long time Houston music journalist. His father managed Steve Earl and Townes van Zandt - John was Earl's youngest roadie (12 yrs old). As with so many folks who've been around music, John was full of interesting anectodes and history. Explained how Zydeco was largely supported by the churches - clubs wouldn't have it because people came to dance, not drink. Most Zydeco bands tour regional parishes, where their shows are actively promoted by the priests, and often include a potluck. Arhoolie, a label in Berkeley is the principal label for these acts.
His blues stories were all too familiar. The older generation (Albert Collins, Joe Hughes, etc) are now survived only by Little Joe Washington, a 60+year old blues guitarist who has been essentially homeless for years, showing up randomnly at shows with his guitar, playing a couple songs then passing his hat for tips and dissappearing - surfacing a couple hours later at another show. Drugs have been everpresent. Blue is truly a hard luck world.
Spent a great afternoon being driven around by local music buff, artist and techie Akil Head. Included a stop at SUC, DJScrew's record store/shrine that is the epicenter of the Chopped&Screwed world. DJScrew OD'd on codeine in 2000. It's unlike any store I've seen (see pictures). The store exclusively stocks mixtapes which you buy, cash only, from a clerk behind glass. On any given day there are 50-75 different Cds for sale. Picked up a good sampling.
Then on to a great meetup at Star Pizza. About 15 people showed. Lots of new CDs and some great discussion about local music, pandora features, and of course the various required eating. Was given a collective lecture on the preparation of crawfish. thanks to everyone - Kevin, John, Wilson, Raena, Sean, Akil, Bonnie, Garland, et al
Topped off the night with a collection of local bands at Walters. Satin Hooks rocked the house.
Got to get up early for the trip to Baton Rouge.
Posted by Tim Westergren at 11:34 PM | Comments (23)
April 01, 2006
Baton Rouge - NOLA - Biloxi - Hattiesburg
I'll be in Baton Rouge this evening, then heading to New Orleans tomorrow:
Meetup in Baton Rouge, LA
Meetup is set for Saturday, April 1st at 6:00pm
The Chimes
3357 Highland Road, Baton Rouge (north end of the LSU campus, next to the Varsity Theatre)
(225) 383-1754
Meetup in New Orleans, LA
Meetup is set for Monday, April 3rd at 8:00pm
Carrollton Station
8140 Willow Street, New Orleans
(504) 865-9190
Biloxi & Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Biloxi, April 4th
Hattiesburg, April 5th
If you have suggestions for must-sees and must-dos in either town, please drop us a comment.
Thanks. Tim
Posted by Tim Westergren at 03:15 PM | Comments (24)
