by Chris Alarie
"Tidy universe" seems like a contradiction in terms. After all, the universe is an unimaginably vast, chaotic, hostile place composed primarily of mysterious substances such as dark matter and dark energy. But even in this vast chaos, the laws of physics function as an underlying order. On Tidy Universe, the new album by his Dirty Snacks Ensemble, Oakland-based vibraphonist and composer Mark Clifford similarly balances order and possibility in a set of songs that explore the intersections and tensions between composition and improvisation.
Among the tags for Tidy Universe on the Dirty Snacks Ensemble's Bandcamp page is "chamber jazz". This is an apt description. Clifford—who plays vibraphone and keyboards in addition to his compositional and occasional vocal duites—and his ensemble certainly have jazz chops and the album features some impressive improvisational passages, particularly saxophonist Aram Shelton's work on the album. But Clifford's background is in composition and all of these songs1 lean heavily on that foundation. To return to the cosmological metaphor, if the Ensemble's improvisations represent the chaos and possibilities of the universe as we observe it, Clifford's compositions are the laws of physics that dictate the shape and contour of those possibilities.2
Clifford's compositional skills are impressive and the sophisticated, multi genre songwriting is one of the most enjoyable things about Tiny Universe. Considering that Clifford's main axe is the vibes, it is unsurprising that the most immediate touchstones are late-1960s, early-1970s albums from Bobby Hutcherson and Milt Jackson, such as Now! and Sunflower. Similarly, one can hear the influence of Andrew Hill and Eric Dolphy—both of whom featured Hutcherson on some of their greatest albums. But the album also brings to mind Joni Mitchell's mid-70s fusion albums,3 Canterbury scene prog weirdos like the Soft Machine, and even Sleepytime Gorilla Museum's prettier moments. All of these influences coalesce into a collection of complex-but-catchy songs that reward repeated listens.
Clifford offers a decidedly different interpretation of the phrase "tidy universe". He explains that it comes from Carl Sagan's "Pale Blue Dot". To Clifford, it serves as an indication of earth's small position in the universe and a reminder not to worry too much about the difficulties in creating an album such as Tidy Universe.4 The album's cover, a painting by Austin Matthews of three hikers walking a path beneath mountain spires reaching toward toward a star-filled sky, encapsulates both interpretations of "tidy universe". A hiking excursion is not unlike the performance of a musical group such as the Dirty Snacks Ensemble. Each hiker explores his or her own path just as each musician finds his or her own way to perform their parts. But at the head of the line is their leader and at their feet is the trail on which he leads them, just as Clifford leads his ensemble through the paths of his compositions. Alternately, the image evokes the sense of one's small place in an expansive, expanding cosmos. Clifford ties the Ensemble's genesis to the canyonlands of Utah, where he draws inspiration from the "freedom [he] get[s] from feeling so small in a place that is so vast."
Tidy Universe will be available from Recollect Records and the band's Bandcamp page on June 11. The Dirty Snacks Ensemble will play a record release show for the album that evening at The Peralta Station in Oakland, California that evening.
Chris Alarie is Spectacular Editor-in-Chief of Uncanny Valley Magazine.
1 Save for the three thankfully brief "Bobby" interludes.↩ 2 I've had a number of conversations over the years with Clifford about his frustration with finding the right balance between composition and improvisation in various groups that he's played in and written for. He's found the right balance on this album by leaning more toward the composition side.↩ 3 "Peepee" is especially reminiscent of Mitchell's "The Jungle Line".↩ 4 He also says it is a bit of a playful dig at himself for being a disorganized person. Having played in a band with him for three years, I can attest to the veracity of this bit of self-criticism.↩
by Chris Alarie For more than five years, Derek Barber has been a busy, integral part of the Oakland music scene. He's lent his prodigious six-string talents to a number of bands, including Bells Atlas, Astronauts, etc., Madeline Kenney, and In Watermelon Sugar (my old band), among others. But in revent years, he's turned more of his attention to his solo project, Perhapsy. Barber is preparing to release the second Perhapsy album, Me Tie Dought-ty Walker, on March 3rd. The album, which he recorded over the period of several years with his friend Jonathan Thompson, is a lush, nostalgic slice of midwestern sincerity and musical sweetness. I interviewed him about the album and his plans for Perhapsy.
Derek Barber of Perhapsy
Uncanny Valley Magazine: First of all, what took so long? I remember you starting to work on this album more than three years ago. Derek Barber: Well, it's a combination of a long-distance musical relationship with my Olympia, WA-based, long-time friend Jonathan Thompson (who recorded the majority of the album and played drums on it) and being busy with my other two projects Astronauts, etc and Bells Atlas. To be honest, there were a couple moments when I considered scrapping the whole thing and thought it may never be finished.
UVM: Who else plays on the album? What was the recording process like? DB: Aside from Jon Thompson on drums, backing vocals, and a few various instruments, I enlisted the bass guitar talents of my friends Christian Carpenter and Scott Brown. However, I do play some bass on the album as well as pretty much all the instruments (guitars, keys, vox, etc) which I enjoy doing. The album was recorded mainly in Oakland—drums on your kit at the old practice space, in various apartments, and also with a good deal of help from Bijan Sharifi at Robot Envy studios. He's the guy who mastered it. The mixing was done in Olympia by Jon and myself though.
UVM: This album has a very particular sound. What were you aiming for in terms of production, etc? Do you feel happy with the results? DB: I'm a firm believer in trying to make the best sound possible with whatever tools are at your disposal. I put a lot of stake though in Jon's magical ability to tweak meager sounding things into a really interesting and fuller musical vibe. He did the same sort of thing with the first Perhapsy album (which was pretty much all-instrumental) yet this time around I kinda wanted things to be a little more sloppy hi-fi. I'm pretty happy with it.
UVM: This album reminds me of a lot bands and styles (post-rock, 90s indie rock like Built to Spill and Yo La Tengo, midwestern second-wave emo, even some mainstream alternative rock like the Smashing Pumpkins)—most of which date from the mid-to-late nineties. I also know that you are very much interested in the popular culture from when you were a kid/teenager (e.g. your Jurassic Park and Neverending Story tattoos; the fact that the album is named after a story from Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark). Do you consciously look back to the music of your early teenage years in your songwriting and production style? Or is it more something that filters in unconsciously? DB: It's definitely subconscious, most of the time. I've become more and more comfortable in not shying away from influences, whatever they might be. I think that what connotes originality, often times, is simply a combination of diverse and plentiful influences. Because I did grow up with a lot of mainstream alternative rock (Weezer, Nirvana, etc.) that pull towards writing songs with a hook is something I've always felt. Just like how late-90s post-rock was very informative and important to me and my friends growing up — its aesthetic and very climactic way of interpreting and writing music.
Still, it's been nice to see musicians of my generation steadily become unafraid of admitting the influence and identity they found in pre-mainstream emo. I think my fascination with nostalgia, however, is more based upon the role it plays in social interaction. Usually, nostalgia gets a bad wrap when it refers to an artist who's regurgitating what's deemed trendy or whatever. I believe, though, if you have a strong memory associated with a film or piece of music (say, Neverending Story or something like it) and you find you share that same feeling or memory with another person, that's a powerful and fascinating connection.
UVM: You've played guitar in a number of bands in Oakland in a number of different sorts of roles. You've been a lead guitarist in bands where somebody else is the primary songwriter (Astronauts etc, In Watermelon Sugar, Madeline Kenney) and been in bands where much of the songwriting is done collectively (Bells Atlas). But Perhapsy is your own project entirely. How is that experience different from the others—both in terms of songwriting and the basic mechanics of running a band? Has your experience playing music in these other sorts of roles influenced your approach to Perhapsy? DB: That's a good question. I really value having Perhapsy as my own solo project. I've been in enough bands and musical situations that when the creative control isn't clearly understood, problems inevitably arise. I honestly think that anyone who does music should have a solo project. Not only does it allow you to get some of the ideas out of your head that wouldn't fly in another (more collaborative) band, but it makes you appreciate those more democratic musical activities a whole lot more. I'm also lucky to have a backing band for Perhapsy with musicians I know extremely well, and are very quick to pick things up. When it comes to rehearsing, for instance, some bands take a very long time to get things together. With Perhapsy, though, I have enough trust in the capability of my bandmates that I never wish to do more than one or two rehearsals before a show. I want the music to sound like its a little on-edge. It's not that I want it to come off as unpolished but I certainly try to allow room for happy accidents.
UVM: You are an excellent guitarist and have frequently performed some pretty spectacular guitar heroics in some of these other bands (we used to specifically leave space for you to solo in some In Watermelon Sugar songs). And while Me Tie Dough-ty Walker is definitely a very guitar heavy album, it is less reliant on solos, containing, instead, lots of shimmering, layered guitar textures, more subtle riffs, and interesting chord voicings. In terms of melody, the focus is much more on the vocals than the guitars. Is there a reason why you adopted this style, downplaying your soloing for these other elements? DB: Thanks. Well, a lot of the songs that appear on the album were written right around the time I first started writing with the intention of singing. It was an altogether terrifying but undeniably rewarding period in my life as I was trying to figure out if I could summon the courage to do so. I got very little encouragement (even discouragement) in my youth when it came to singing, so I always just focused on the guitar being my musical identity. I have nothing against guitar solos — in fact, a lot of the newest post-MTDW songs seem to be headed towards more guitar-featuring zones. But I think this album is a bit of an embrace and statement of intent when it comes to singing these songs. UVM: Speaking of your singing, there is a sweetness and earnestness to your vocals. There is something very midwestern about it. Again, relating to the nostalgic quality of the music, you grew up in Ohio but have lived in California for several years now, and, as I understand it, didn't start singing in public until after you moved out west. How have you developed your singing style? What are you trying to communicate with your vocals? DB: Well, it's funny, I always wanted to sing. I just thought if my friends told me I should stick to guitar, why would they steer me wrong? Ha ha. At any rate, I like the idea of earnestness and sweetness associated with the Midwest because I think, to a certain, extent, that's true. I think, as great creative minds like Kurt Vonnegut Jr. suggest, the Midwest is a great place to be from. (In my case, the emphasis is on from, however). I do remember a moment, late one night, in my dorm room at the University of Michigan (where I studied Jazz Guitar and a bit of English) when I caught myself singing along to the closing track on Elliott Smith's excellent album XO. The song is called "I Didn't Understand" and it's just a cappella, gorgeous, and fucking tragic. I tape recorded myself singing it and it didn't sound horrible to me. That was the first moment I thought maybe this could be a possibility. The one friend that actually did offer me encouragement, in terms of singing, once described my voice as sounding like "calm water." I thought that was really kind of her. But yeah, I still have a lot of hang-ups with singing. Before recording any vocals on any song, I have a ritual: I say "Fuck it" and hit record. As far as communicating goes, I can only hope to give a listener the same feeling I get when I hear Daniel Johnston, Elliott Smith, or Bob Dylan: honesty.
UVM: What are your plans for the album, in terms of release? Is there going to be a record release show? Will there be a tour? I know you've traded off between performing Perhapsy solo and with a full band; are your planning on continuing this flexible sort of arrangement? DB: Well, the album comes out on March 3rd and there's going to be a release show on March 6th at the Starline Ballroom in Oakland—you've been there, yeah? Anyhow, it's kind of a fancy joint now and is a good hangout space for the artsy music kids. I hope to have physical copies soon and if an ideal tour presents itself, I'd be interested. However, I'm getting older now and time away from my girlfriend Maddie is kind of a big deal. But I never thought I'd be in the kind of relationship that meant this much to me, so it's cool. Also, I do like the flexibility of playing solo when the opportunity seems to fit. But playing with the full band is freeing in its own way and usually a hell of a lot more fun.
UVM: As discussed above, this album took a while to make and you've written and recorded (as demos, ostensibly) a good batch of new songs since then. Has it been strange, leading up to the release of the album, to focus on these older songs, some of which may have since left your usual repertoire? Do you have plans to record another album in the next couple of years with the newer songs? DB: Yes, it's a bit odd releasing songs that are nearly four years old or so. Strangely enough, while I was working on the album, I had serious doubts about the quality of the songs. It's only in the last year, however, that I've realized that I actually like the songs a lot. Not that I can't do better, hopefully, but that the songs where I'm making myself kinda vulnerable actually are pretty satisfying. I think I'm always a bit scared about how my music comes off to my friends or random folks. But finally putting this thing out will be very healthy for whatever comes along next. And yes, I currently have about thirty or so new ones to choose from for the next album. I assure you, sir, it won't take as long to put together. Me Tie Dough-ty Walker is available for pre-order on Perhapsy's Bandcamp page and will be released on March 3rd. Derek will perform the album at the Starline Social Club in Oakland on March 6th. Chris Alarie is Spectacular Editor-in-Chief of Uncanny Valley Magazine.
by Douglas Slayton My taste in music is myopic and driven entirely by emotional reaction. This list is not objective and is mostly about listening to sad music while being sad. The list is ordered in a haphazard manner; don't attach any significance or meaning to the order.
Time Spent Driving Passed & Presence
When I was in high school and developing a curated affectation that would solidify to the bullheaded personality that I now embody, seeing this group of older guys playing the sort of music that I was just discovering (I was five years younger than most of the band's fans, at the time) really made an impression on me.
Some number of years later, they made a record that feels like something that would have come out when I was still eighteen and still discovering this music.
I spent several cold winter weeks in 2015 sitting on curbs listening to this album and crying but feeling alright about it.
The Saddest Landscape Darkness Forgives
It is hard to talk about this record without feeling tears well up in my eyes.
The Saddest Landscape has perfected a certain sort of immediacy to their delivery. This record exhibits that and never feels well worn.
Foxing Dealer
This fucking record. Albatross was a seemingly insurmountable achievement that was annihilated when this was released.
I was able to see them on either side of the release of Dealer this year and post-release was easily one of my greatest experiences from the entirety of 2015. I remember walking home, having my headphones on and not listening to anything, just going over it again and again in my mind, trying to make sense of it all, then sitting on my porch just breathing in the entirety of the night.
Envy Atheist’s Cornea
This has a lot in common with the Saddest Landscape's record. But where the Saddest Landscape are immediate, Envy is pensive and contemplative. Though not as sprawling as their previous efforts, the brevity doesn’t go against their strengths.
Envy has always been a band the matters greatly to me but I can never really explain why to anyone unless they already know.
Spraynard Mable
Spraynard says all the things they think and feel and don’t hide it under much metaphor, which makes them very antithetical to my usual favorites.
They fit into a style of punk that I don't usually like. But the uncut honesty makes this album something that I spent a lot of time listening to last year, and will probably continue to listen to in the future also.
Football, Etc. Disappear
This has a fair amount in common with the Time Spent Driving record, except it taps a separate vein of the same scene that birthed TSD a decade or so ago. Plus Football, Etc. is younger than those bands, so it still brings in other touches that are new and exciting.
They have lots of other EPs and even a full length but this is easily my favorite release of theirs.
Warm Thoughts Intangible
This record is two songs, and they are both really good. Like really good.
Dikembe Ledge
Dikembe released a really good full length in 2014 called Mediumship, but this EP is better.
They talk a lot about not being good enough or living up to your own expectations, and that is something I can really get behind. Plus their song titles are usually inside jokes, so it feels like they could be your cool friends who smoke a lot of weed in order to deal with their anxieties and insecurities.
Make Do and Mend Don’t Be Long
Make Do and Mend sound like Hot Water Music, which is hard to top.
I am a sucker for someone who shouts their feelings in songs, and that is a feature of most of this record—in the best way.
Hop Along Painted Shut
This is angular pop, and so much more. They manage to transcend that and everything else that they touch.
Plus Frances has a singular voice, one from which it is hard to turn away.
Doug Slayton is Professor Editor-in-Chief of Uncanny Valley Magazine
by Chris Alarie
What follows is my personal, highly subjective list of the best music of 2015, including songs, albums, and live performances, organized in ascending order from 20 to one. If you disagree, that is your prerogative. But I will personally judge you very, very harshly. Alright, with the preliminaries out of the way, on y va!1
20. Gary Pryor - "Grizzly Bears"
Normally (Uncanny Valley Magazine contributor) Gary isn't deserving of "best of" accolades, neither as a person nor as a musician. But with "Grizzly Bears", he has improbably managed to create an excellent synth-pop song that represents his varied, eccentric tastes. He put three different versions of this song up on his SoundCloud profile this year. All three are good but my personal favorite is this fuzzy take. In addition to the fucked up Sega Genesis style production, the song features such inspired lyrics as "Feel the power in your hand / You know it's time to be a man / Like a grizzly bear" which come across as a mutated version of some inspirational song from a 1980s sports movie. Honestly, Gary has no fucking right to make music this good. Oh well.
19. Kamasi Washington - The Epic
Saxophonist Washington's appropriately titled album2 evokes both the large-band hard bop of Oliver Nelson's Blues and the Abstract Truth and the sort of post-Coltrane, earthy music that artists like Pharoah Sanders and Archie Shepp released on Impulse! in the late 1960s.
Of course, that explicitly retro quality does undermine the importance of the album quite a bit. Everything that Emily Lordi told Eric Ducker about Leon Bridges is more or less equally applicable to Washington's album. It is good but non-essential music. Of course, this leads me to wonder why I would include The Epic on my list of the best music of 2015 but wouldn't even begin to consider Leon Bridges's pleasant-but-limp album, Coming Home. Is it because Washington is reviving a style of music that was even underappreciated in its own time while Bridges is just engaging in limp, displaced nostalgia that exists purely to provide an empty but affirming answer the meaningless question "Why don't they make music like they did in the old days?" Is it because my personal tastes align more with Washington's music than Bridges's? Or is it just that The Epic is simply a better album in every way than Coming Home? I'd suspect that the answer lies in a combination of the three.
18. BAUS - DEMO 2015
I saw these Oakland post-punk weirdos open for Violence Creeps a couple of years ago and they only seem to have gotten better since then. Their demo from this year is a straight shot of groovy, nervy, distorted goodness.
17. Ghostface Killah & BADBADNOTGOOD - Sour Soul
The only reason this album isn't higher on my list is because I included one of its singles on my list for 2014. But this excellent album that he made with the otherwise horribly dull, Canadian trio of jazz dweebs, BADBADNOTGOOD, continues the late career resurgence of 2013's Twelve Reasons to Die and 2014's 36 Seasons. 3 With all the other bummers associated with the Wu-Tang Clan this year, it's nice to know that we can count on Tony Starks to provide us his usual high-quality, idiosyncratic blend of drug dealing tales, oddball slang, and dark humor.
16. Death Grips - Jenny Death
Welcome back, Death Grips. Stay weird.
15. David Bowie - "Blackstar"
I think the Classical—whose album Diptych was on my best of 2014 list—summed it up best:
You might think David Bowie is ripping us off but actually we're just both ripping off the same Scott Walker era https://t.co/Gr1gkQ4rLN
14. Vince Staples - Summertime '06
My dislike of Drake and Kendrick Lamar and general indifference toward Future kept me mostly out of the hip hop zeitgeist this year. But Summertime '06 is a really good album and the music video for "Señorita" is awesome.
13. Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit
Most of Courtney Barnett's songs blend together in my mind, but that's not necessarily a problem because they are generally very good. She reminds me a bit of Pavement in that she makes clever, unassuming songs that are memorable despite the fact that they are mostly unremarkable. Her music is much better than my description makes it seem.
12. Shannon and the Clams - Gone by the Dawn
Our friends, the Clams have long since established their signature blend of 60s pop melancholy, punk energy, and outsider music weirdness. Gone by the Dawn is their most fully realized album, featuring their most sophisticated songwriting, production, and vocal harmonies. "Corvette" and "Telling Myself" are particular standouts.
11. Joanna Newsom - Divers
I am unable to explain why I love Joanna Newsom's music without delving into my feelings and personal life. So let's just say this album is really good and leave it at that.
10. Violence Creeps - On My Turf
Crushing, funny, angry, weird—the best of Oakland in microcosm. All hail Violence Creeps!
9. Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell
I didn't actually listen to this album much but I want to include it because of the concert I saw him perform on Halloween. While his (admittedly amusing) cover of "Hotling Bling" got most of the attention, the entire concert was an intense, immersive, borderline religious5 experience. Sufjan and his band of multi-instrumentalists created a sound that veered from spare, fragile, achingly pretty acoustic numbers to loud, electronic, almost violently cacophonous sounds. And the lights and projections were fantastic.
As a side note, my friends and I met a friendly, middle aged, Chinese tourist on the train to Jersey City. My friend who had bought the tickets struck up a conversation with this man and offered him a spare ticket. So this man, who had never heard of Sufjan Stevens and had not begun his night with any intention of attending a concert, joined us. His look of awe and amazement at the end of the concert spoke to the power of Sufjan's music.
8. Julia Holter - Have You In My Wilderness
Her music reminds me of several artists from across the spectrum of catchy pop weirdos, particularly Karl Blau and Kate Bush. This album is full of strange earworms. Highly recommended.
7. Titus Andronicus - "Fatal Flaw" The Most Lamentable Tragedy, Titus Andronicus's rock opera about manic depression is, in its entirety, borderline unlistenable. But "Fatal Flaw" succeeds where much of the rest of the album fails, with its sugar rush, in-the-red6 pop punk giving way to an energy deflating crash.7
6. Built to Spill - Untethered Moon & There's Nothing Wrong with Love
Built to Spill's new album, Untethered Moon, is not markedly different from the rest of their oeuvre, both in terms of style8 and quality.9 Additionally, the music videos for "Living Zoo" and "Never Be the Same", when viewed in succession, make for two of the most genuinely funny music videos I've ever seen. Doug Martsch is a strange man.
Also, this year, Sub Pop reissued Built to Spill's classic 1994 album There's Nothing Wrong with Love. I don't know if there are any funny music videos to go with that reissue, but it is an excellent album.
5. Kurt Vile - "Pretty Pimpin"
I read a description of "Pretty Pimpin" as the best song that Neil Young never wrote. I find that description apt, as this song has the same hazy, addictively catchy stomp as some of Young's stonier 70s hits such as "Walk On" and "Are You Ready for the Country?". The rest of Vile's album is unmemorable but this is one of the best songs of the year.
4. Ben Goldberg - Orphic Machine
I wrote a review of this album for Elmore Magazine. This is an album of incredible depth and weight. It rewards repeated listening.
3. Dave Rawlings Machine - Nashville Obsolete Nashville Obsolete is an excellent album that seems both consistent with the music Rawlings and Gillian Welch have released under her name and something different in and of itself. Letting Rawlings's excellent guitar playing and warm, reedy voice take centers stage complements the relatively long, shaggy songs on this album. Like with Vile's song, there are strong shades of 70s Neil Young, particularly on "The Trip"—which also evokes Bob Dylan's long, addled mid 60s songs like "Desolation Row" and "Queen Jane Approximately" (which the Machine has covered in concert). "Pilgrim (You Can't Go Home)" is more like the songs on the Gillian Welch albums: a beautiful, humanist tune that fits snugly within the tradition of American folk and country music.
2. Unoperator - Something Something Something: Part 1
Returning to my list for the third time, Dak has crafted another unique, bizarre album. As is his wont, he released a bunch of music this year, including multiple versions of some songs. And, as is also his wont, he subsequently made much of that music unavailable. But this particular album was his best of the year and one of his best ever. It is the fullest realization of the dichotomies he so often explores with his music: catchy and noisy, funny and terrifying, fragile and heavy. If he makes it available again, I will update this entry.
1. Rihanna - "Bitch Better Have My Money"
When this song first came out back in March, I declared it the best song of the year. Eight and a half months later, this remains true.
Chris Alarie is Senior Editor-in-Chief of Uncanny Valley Magazine. 1 In the interest of blatant self promotion (hidden in a footnote as a nod toward modesty), I'd like to point out that Doug and I released three new albums this year. Check them out here.↩ 2 It is a triple album.↩ 3 In retrospect, I should have put this album on my 2014 list↩ 4 During a recent Uncanny Valley Magazine editorial discussion, Professor Editor-in-Chief Douglas Slayton actually said that he didn't think that David Bowie was cool. Despite the extremely evident stupidity of this statement, we ultimately decided against asking him to resign from his post. We support the freedom to express indefensibly dumb opinions here at UVM.↩ 5 Not necessarily (for me) due to the overt religiousness of Sufjan's lyrics while still acknowledging that the religiousness is probably inseparable from the meaning of the music.↩ 6 Or, to use a term from another song on the album, dimed out.↩ 7 I asked a friend of mine who is diagnosed as schizo affective to offer her analysis of the song with regards to the experience of a manic episode. She said that the song was far too slow to accurately reflect her experience of manic episodes but that the wooziness at the end did evoke some of the sensations of the crash that comes at the end of the episode.↩ 8 Melodic, knotty, guitar-driven.↩ 9 Really fucking good.↩
by the Uncanny Valley Magazine 100% Good Time Family Band Solution
To celebrate the brand new year, we wrote and recorded a song special for you. Enjoy!
The Uncanny Valley Magazine 100% Good Time Family Band Solution is rotating cast of miscreants and musical reprobates.
by Kristopher Nope Editor's note: Our favorite mysterious contributor Kristopher Nope interviewed Senior Editor-in-Chief Chris Alarie about music sub-genres and then created this map. Look & Learn!
Kristopher Nope was born on Catalina Island. Blue Ribbon Rowing Champion 2008, Crater Lake. SS Andrea Doria survivor. Accomplished essayist.
Originally, I planned to make a fact sheet for this unholy Friday, but eventually it became evident that the best way to celebrate is with song, so I made a playlist. The bite-sized chunk of info below will give you a tiny historical foundation concerning the significance of this day.
Theories on the unluckiness of the number 13 concern Christianity,numerology, and norse mythology.
From an article in National Geographic in 2004, founder Donald Dossey of the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina traces "the fear of 13 to a Norse myth about 12 gods having a dinner party at Valhalla, their heaven. In walked the uninvited 13th guest, the mischievous Loki. Once there, Loki arranged for Hoder, the blind god of darkness, to shoot Balder the Beautiful, the god of joy and gladness, with a mistletoe-tipped arrow. 'Balder died and the whole Earth got dark. The whole Earth mourned. It was a bad, unlucky day,' said Dossey. From that moment on, the number 13 has been considered ominous and foreboding. There is also a biblical reference to the unlucky number 13. Judas, the apostle who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th guest to the Last Supper."
ENJOY!
Alexis Faulkner is Executive Editor-in-Chief ofUncanny Valley Magazine
by Chris Alarie
As part of the Uncanny Valley Magazine Halloween Extravaganza, we've got our own original, brand new Halloween song in the tradition of "The Monster Mash" and "Mind Playing Tricks on Me". Check it out! (You should be able to download it for fre, as well, by clicking the ⬇️ icon in the upper right corner).
Chris Alarie promises that he is not a ghost. Yet.
by Douglas Slayton and Chris Alarie In the first of an irregular series, two of our editors discuss a pertinent topic—in this case, Ryan Adams's full album cover of Taylor Swift's 1989.
Chris Alarie (Senior Editor-in-Chief of Uncanny Valley Magazine):I suppose the best way to start our discussion of Ryan Adams's album length cover of Taylor Swift's 1989 is to lay bare our allegiances: you are a huge fan (maybe just short of a superfan) of both artists while I am something of an agnostic on both fronts. I'm pretty sure the only Ryan Adams album I've ever listened to all the way through was his nostalgic, 80s hardcore-style EP 1984. And I am pretty much only familiar with Swift's original version of 1989 from hearing the big radio hits ("Shake It Off", "Bad Blood", "Welcome to New York", "Blank Space") at the supermarket. That said, I think this is a relatively successful project. It may not be the most important or serious artistic statement and not all of Adams's versions of the songs are interesting, but in its high points, it is an enjoyable listen. What say you, Doug? Douglas Slayton (Professor Editor-in-Chief of Uncanny Valley Magazine): I think that is a fair assessment of how I feel about both artists. It is actually funny for me that this record exists, as they are two of the only currently active "mainstream" artists that I genuinely care about. As such, when this was announced, I was stoked. My feelings sound like they are more complicated than yours, but that may be colored by anticipation. I want to get into this because I want to work through these feelings. What are the bits you found to be interesting? CA: I think Adams did a good job with the hit songs, for the most part. I know Adams had originally said that he wanted to cover1989 in the style of the Smiths but on the finished product, his touchstones seem to be MOR 80s dad rock like Bruce Springsteen and Dire Straits as well as college rock like R.E.M. and the Replacements.
The Springsteen influence seems particularly strong on "Welcome to New York" and "Shake It Off". The expansive, driving Springsteenish midtempo stomp that Adams brings to "Welcome to New York" really seems to fit the sentiment of the song. It is the song that most evenly divides itself between Swift's original and Adams's other influences while still bringing enough originality in Adams's performance. It is not my favorite song on this album but it is probably the one that most successfully realizes Adams's intentions.
His version of "Shake It Off" is less successful as it is more of a pure pastiche. As Christina Caterucci points out on Slate, it is basically just Adams reimagining Swift's hit as Springsteen's "I'm On Fire". Maybe it's the specifity of the reference or maybe it's because Adams doesn't really bring anything original to the song, but it just doesn't work as well as "Welcome to New York".1Really, it seems much closer to Father John Misty's obviously comical cover of Adams's cover of Swift done in the style of the Velvet Underground. Misty's version of "Blank Space" is a pitch perfect send up of the Velvet Underground—while also simultaneously revealing the weakness of Swift's lyrics. The difference is that Misty is aiming for humor and criticism (not just of Swift, Adams, and Lou Reed but also of the whole post-modern, ouroboric nature of internet culture) while Adams is trying to produce something more heartfelt and faithful (if not exactly reverant).
I think Adams is much more successful in his cover of "Blank Space". Like "Shake It Off", he turns it into a primarily acoustic ballad. But unlike "Shake It Off", there is no other immediate reference. Indeed, it falls squarely within the tradition of acoustic covers of pop hits. While most acoustic covers are unsuccessful because they are either lazy or poorly suited to the song, Adams's version of "Blank Space" works well because of the earnestness of his vocals2 and the quality of the melody. "Blank Space"—which is probably the song I like the most of the Swift originals—is a (musically, if not lyrically) well-written song and thus is well-suited to Adams's stripped down interpretation.
What do you think, Doug? I suspect that you may not agree with me on some of these points. DS: I knew we were going diverge pretty early in this discussion, but I almost feel bad that it was at the beginning. When I first started the record with "Welcome to New York", I immediately begin to have misgivings. In subsequent listenings, I have come to appreciate it more. The issue I seem to be having is that I have listened tothe Swift version so many times at this point that I still hear hers. So there has been a transition period for me. The observation about the Springsteen elements make sense, though. Springsteen, and by extension similar heartland-styled rock, has never done anything for me. So the times Adams has leaned on this influence in the past, it has largely left me cold.
"Shake It Off" is easily one of my two favorite songs on the record though. It gelled for me immediately, which, again, is strange because the Swift version had the opposite effect when it first debuted. As a non fan of Springsteen, I am not familiar with "I'm on Fire" so maybe that helps my appreciation. There is an authenticity in Adams's delivery of Swift's words that works for me, but that has always been Adams's strong suit and is the place where the two of them are most closely connected.
The parts of this project that work for me have to do with both Adams's and Swift's roots in country music. There is that simplicity to Swift's songs that gets muddied on 1989 a little with the poppiness of it all. At the heart of Adams's work here is him finding that a little bit of simplicity and drawing it out, which is why most of the subdued songs work for me, except "Blank Space."
It doesn't feel like Adams is having any fun with "Blank Space". I get to that song with every listen and the momentum of the album just crashes. There is pained quality to his performance of "Shake it Off" that resonates with me, while "Blank Space" is the one point on the record where he felt like "oh, I am doing EVERY song on this thing, aren't I?" It is actually shocking that we had the exact opposite reaction to those songs.
Along with "Shake it Off", the track that worked the best for me was "Style". This could go back to me already being invested in the original and this being one of two songs, along with "Clean", that diverges the least from the originals. I have some minor quibbles in that some of his lyrical changes (the Sonic Youth reference) don't really add anything, but ultimately it seems like this is one of the songs that he felt most invested in.
CA: Yeah, I agree that "Style" is one of the better songs on Adams's album. In fact, I liked it so much that I went and listened to Swift's original, which I had never heard. 3 And it's interesting that you mention his lyrical changes because that Slate article that I linked above includes an interesting analysis of how Adams's lyrical changes reinforce heteronormative pop song tropes. I am not going to defend Adams's changes but I will say that I think "Daydream Nation" scans better than "James Dean daydream" to me.
So how much of our difference of opinions on Adams's album comes directly out of our different expectations before listening to it? DS: The argument about his lyrical changes is good as it is a problem that that pops up in a couple places on this record. "Wildest Dreams" suffers from that heteronormativity probably the most and maybe actually hurts the song more than similar changes on "Style". The "Daydream Nation" line has a slightly different meter than the original that isn't as pleasing for me. The alliteration of "James Dean Daydream" adds a stuttering to the vocal rhythm that I like. I think our expectations colored our experiences pretty significantly. I have seen lots of my friends who are Swift fans dig this, so my feelings may be not be the norm for us Swift fans. Ditto for fans of Adams. I have spent a lot of time listening to Swift's 1989 since it came out. It has been one of those records that I will just leave on repeat while I do what I do, so it probably is in my bones at this point, making Adams's version a difficult fit. As someone who had not spent the time with original maybe that made this a better thing for you? You mentioned listening to some of Swift's after but how much have you gone back?
CA: I literally went back and listened to her version of "Style" half of one time so I could compare it. But I didn't finish it because I found her version to be boring. Taylor Swift: the celebrity and Taylor Swift: the songwriter definitely seem to be figures worthy of attention but I find Taylor Swift: the singer to be generic and unmemorable. If somebody were to play me unfamiliar songs by Swift, Carly Rae Jepsen, and, say, Ellie Goulding, I doubt that I would be able to tell them apart.
The question of expectations makes me wonder about the ultimate value of a project such as things one. If you, as a fan of Adams and Swift, are disappointed by the project while I see it, at best, as enjoyable but ultimately inessential, how meaningful is a project such as the one? Is there a level of execution that would have made this a genuine artistic success? As much as I love cover songs, it seems like it's sort of project necessarily has a built in ceiling of "enjoyable but inessential". The only full-album cover that comes to mind that is rises even slightly above that level is Petra Haden's version of The Who Sell Out, which was a fairly dramatic reinvention. Can there be an earnest full album cover that is successful beyond the conceptual level?
DS: There is a criticism of Adams that comes up frequently—though it feels less true nowadays—that he is too prolific for his own good. This could be relevant here. He had the idea to cover 1989 and had to make it happen immediately. There are parts that feel like they are simply there because he committed himself to it and the project became more compulsion than anything else.
I feel like he is well intentioned and some parts work while other parts don't. The same thing could be said for any non cover record. But when it comes to cover records, those things can be easily exacerbated because you are essentially retooling something that already exists. Covers are primarily for fun, unless an artist has an absolutely unique take that truly makes it artistically valuable. I think where Adams fall short, for me, is that there wasn't an interesting enough idea for every song to necessitate a cover album. This could have been a strong EP, but so many times it feels like he just fell back on stripping them down to a minimalistic acoustic version with altered lyrics. It doesn't feel like a Ryan Adams record. It feels like a Taylor Swift record rerecorded by Ryan Adams—which doesn't make this a valuable addition to his oeuvre. Chris Alarie is Senior Editor-in-Chief of Uncanny Valley Magazine. Doug Slayton is Professor Editor-in-Chief of Uncanny Valley Magazine.
1 It also probably doesn't help that the Screaming Females have already done a much better cover of this song.↩ 2 Which is an interesting coutnerpoint to the archness with which Swift sings in the original and the sneering, blase irony of Father John Misty's cover↩ 3 I prefer Adams's version.↩
Among the tags for Tidy Universe on the Dirty Snacks Ensemble's Bandcamp page is "chamber jazz". This is an apt description. Clifford—who plays vibraphone and keyboards in addition to his compositional and occasional vocal duites—and his ensemble certainly have jazz chops and the album features some impressive improvisational passages, particularly saxophonist Aram Shelton's work on the album. But Clifford's background is in composition and all of these songs1 lean heavily on that foundation. To return to the cosmological metaphor, if the Ensemble's improvisations represent the chaos and possibilities of the universe as we observe it, Clifford's compositions are the laws of physics that dictate the shape and contour of those possibilities.2
