Moths head to Poconos to redefine clear cutting.
We wanted to make sure the ski season was really over. MOTHS Saturday May 1 Pocono Brewing Company Route 611 Swiftwater, PA 717-839-3230 All we asked for was a maypole and a heart shaped hot tub. UPCOMING IN MAY Sat. May 8 Valentine's - Albany NY, Sat May 15 McGuire's - Atlantic City Tues. May 18 - Luna Lounge - NYC Sat May 29 - Bessie's - WEFestival Wilmington, NC http://www.smellygig.com http://www.moths.com
RE: Oliver Lake - Fred Hopkins-- Julius?? Hello!!
Twang-provisations: Kudos to Carl Z. for opening his show with WSQ's Dock of the Bay. Carl, your radio shows make me want to go back into the booth at 4am like I used to in Buffalo. I used to do a Saturday night from 1 am to 7am playing taped NPR stuff until 3am to 4am when I had an hour to play what I wished. It was great, I played what I wanted and no one bothered me...well that is until I shattered the airwaves with the Charles Gayle Quartet. That one woke the Program Director up. Ironically, Gayle was from Buffalo and had taught at UB in the 70's. My argument to the PD was that it was my job to keep drunken drivers awake at the wheel. He didn't buy it. Not their best, but it gives me a will to live some days is WSQ's Ellington record. Helps me soar sometimes. I also love the David Murray Special Quartet version of In a Sentimental Mood with Elvin Jones-Drums, Fred Hopkins Bass, and McCoy Tyner on piano. It's one of those tunes I'd live to hear a really talented steel player do. No kidding. Dan Rigney http://www.moths.com
RE: Oliver Lake - Fred Hopkins
Twang swang: Transcript of one of Fred Hopkins last interviews at this new avant jazz site out of DC: http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Nook/4381/index.html When I saw Fred at Artpark, it was like he was dancing with the instrument, eyes closed and a smiling all could see for miles. Barry NYC posse-Sorry I didn't make the Kelly Willis gig. Sister was in town and had to stay in Rockland until after dinner. We got to Arlene's at about 11pm. It was a bit of a nuthouse as the band before us had a huge following and colored hair. How was the show ? Dan http://www.moths.com
RE: Oliver lake
Progressive jazz and twang: I never saw all four together, but I have had the pleasure of seeing the three surviving members of WSQ in three separate gigs -- two I booked. Saw David Murray's Quartet with the late Fred Hopkins on bass at Artpark. Presented Hamiet Bluiett duo with Ronnie Burrage - for Hallwalls at the Calumet in Buffalo. Presented Trio 3 - Oliver Lake-sax, Andrew Cyrille drums (just won a Guggenheim) and Reggie Workman on bass. - for Hallwalls at the Calumet in Buffalo Three of the finest times. Dan Rigney
Two Moths infested evenings
Seein' double ... yet again. Friday April 23 - 10pm start MOTHS with Lowdown Payment Charleston Bar Grill 174 Bedford Avenue Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY (718) 782-8717 Saturday April 24 - 1am MOTHS with a bunch of other bands flittin' around the lights Arlene Grocery 95 Stanton St. btw. Ludlow Orchard Sts. New York, NY (212) 358-1633 http://www.arlene-grocery.com Both events only cost you what you're drinking. http://www.moths.com Operation Save America my ass. Boot 'em out of Buffalo one more time!
Criminally underappreciated albums of the 80's
Einsterzende Twang-baden: Dan Rigney's list of criminally underappreciated albums of the 80's (dating himself in no particular disorder) The Fall - This Nation's Saving Grace Husker Du - Zen Arcade Pere Ubu - The Tenement Year The President - self titled Monks of Doom: Soundtrack from "Breakfast on the Beach of Deception" CODONA: 3 Eric B Rakim: Paid in Full Minutemen: Double Nickles on the Dime Sonic Youth : EVOL Underappreciated debut 12" of the 80's: Game Theory: Distortion ep Underappreciated sound system of the 80's: On-U Sound Underappreciated single of the 80's: Chameleons: In Shreds Dan Rigney http://www.moths.com
New York twang gather
Flock of twang: Looks like maybe I will be able to show up or sumpin' for the Merc/Willis twang wander on the lower east side. What time to gather at the Merc? And anyone still standing after Kelly can help me get back to Arlene Grocery for the Moths at 1am. Gotta sell them shirts. Dan Rigney http://www.moths.com
Waco Bro. recordings
Ear twangs: I keep waiting for the boys to make their version of "Rum Sodomy the Lash", but every record I've heard so far lacks that certain something. It's like they're not mastering right or they just record too many overdubs rather than playing together in studio. Too careful. Dan Rigney http://www.moths.com
Grubbs at knitting factory
Avant Twang Gang: Caught David Grubbs solo at the Knitting Factory on Saturday night. He played some new material including an overture of a piece he has based on Steven Crane's The Blue Hotel. He said Thrill Jockey is releasing it soon, though its available on Rectagle via import. Any of the other avant twang gang heard this yet? Overall, I thought it was a good show for David, but I think the sound man was either deaf or insane. David had CD-R's of drones and other electroacoustics he played with, but they were way too far over the top of his picking. But since I was close to the stage, i got a pretty good sense of what he was doing on the guitar. His playing seems much sharper now than whn I saw him in 96. His showmanship has improved as well. But he's still my favorite twangified art geek. Dan Rigney http://www.moths.com
Out like the Moths
The nights are getting shorter, so drink faster.
Friday March 27 - 9pm
The Charleston Bar Grill
9pm - Palomar 10pm - MOTHS 11pm - Highwaters
174 Bedford btw North 7th North 8th
Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
L Train to Bedford Ave its right there
718-782-8717
Before I blacked out, I saw the first robin of spring.
UPCOMING
Easter Sunday April 4: "Look kids! Pupae!"
Moths Silk Cocoon Hunt at Mercury Lounge - 9pm
http://www.mercuryloungenyc.com
212-260-4700
Moths on MMG/Wagon Train Records
http://www.mentgroup.com
CD now available from
Vital Music Mail Order and Bleeker Bobs
http://www.moths.com
p.s. ('plug-script')- Dans helping produce
the first New York Animation Festival, May 13-15
http://members.tripod.com/~nyafest/home.html
Featuring Academy Award winning short "Bunny" plus
149 other animated shorts from 15 countries
NEA nightmares
National Endowment for the Twang: I just reread all of tonights' postings on the NEA/Alejandro thread with carl w. and junior. I have to say something as I myself was on the ass end of a congressinally pressured NEA rejection of a project I organized a couple years ago. (Actually I think you can still find a C.Carr article about the project Hallwalls were applying for in the 1996 archives of the Village Voice. I'd continue about it, but I get bitter and nasty. Suffice it to say we got boned.) What I did want to express was to Junior that I have a problem with his framing of NEA grants as "official institutional validation" and nothing else. That is not at all what those grants are about. What NEA grants should be, and it appears Alejandro's project as described here fits this to a T, is an opportunity for an artist to do something more than just what they do. in other words, going beyond themselves in order to achieve something more than the usual. Composers and musicians frequently apply for and are awarded grants that help them move into different mediums, to do projects they otherwise couldn't do through commercial channels. Actually, I mean "used to" apply for individual NEA grants. The NEA hasn't had an individual grant program in more than seven years. Only institutions can receive them. Alejandro's project would have to be presented in the context of a group's seasonal programming, or within the aegis of a related group of projects under the wings of an arts center or some such other entity, like California's Border Arts Workshop. Now, I don't think the NEA should give him money just to put out a record of just his own stuff. He has a contract and seems to do that fine on his own. His effort to "do something more" in this case is to enter the theatrical realm with his work and that could be very interesting. Especially if he collaborates with other artists which of course he will. Thus, the money affects not only him, but the people he works with as well, and if the project in some way involves his community, enriches the cultural life of the community and helps raise awareness of culture, then by God, send him the money. In the long run, that actual cash award will be small in relation to what the project will cost. Also thanks to the congressional insanity of the last few years, Alejandro will have to guarentee at least a 2 to one match of those funds from other sources. (at least the last I looked). He will have some scrambling to do, believe me. And theatrical productions have costs like you wouldn't believe. Anyway, the bottom line is these grants are not tokens or some sort of cash prize, but a venture capital investment in an artist's efforts to bring their work to new audiences and new heights. Or at least they used to be. Bring back the individual grants! Shit, wish I was on that panel. Dan Rigney http://www.moths.com
African American violin players I worship
Twang-daverius: Here's three people you all have to hear. Now the genre is more contemporary "outside' jazz and not twang, but once you hear them your life will no longer be the same. 1 - Leroy Jenkins: he's in his seventies and can still be one of the most exiting solo players you have ever seen. and he's a sweetheart. You can hear him in Henry Threadgill's Very Very Circus and other out groups. 2 Regina Carter: the queen is a monster. Check her out on the String Trio of New York's Octagon and tell me you know a stronger player. She also plays in Quartett Indigo was featured on a Mark dresser Cd and has done some smooth jazz records, but is happily dumping that last habit of late. 3 Billy Bang: Regina replaced himin The String Trio. another monster. check his duos with Kahil El'Zabar of the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble. Dan Rigney http:/www.moths.com
RE: O'Rourke/Grubbs/American Music
Twang for twang's sake: I'm kinda catchin bits and pieces of this, and some of its been said by some of the same parties before, I think around the time of the Camofleur release. I've also been less than diligent with my digest reading of late so bear with me if I seem like, I'm in left field here...again. With Grubbs/O'Roarke, I think Carl has a point about alt.americana, but I think the roots are deeper than just Fahey. Yes, the guitar influences are very pronounced in both players. i had an opportunity to present the acoustic Gastr Del Sol with Tony Conrad in Buffalo in June of 1996 and the Fahey influences were beyond obvious before Tony came on. But then... Tony came on. Now, for those of you who don't know, Tony Conrad is an original(pre Glass/Reich) minimalist, having been instrumental in LaMonte Young's Theatre of Eternal Music, and being the one to suggest the use of integers to help describe the intervals the droning music they were playing. This was a group which included John Cale in his pre-Velvet days. For more on Tony, check http://www.tonyconrad.com and the book "From the Velvets to the Voidoids". This performance was a restaging of Tony's "10 years Alive on the Infinite Plane" Grubbs O'Roarke played homemade drone instruments with Tony on vio, another drone and Alex gelescer in violin. Basicallly, its a soundwash of drones in an interval while four alternately flickering movie screens slowly coalesce into one behind them. Not a lot of Fahey there, but then... so there's this magazine with Cd called Halana and there's a John Fahey piece on it which is him playing a detuned steel string acoustic. The whole piece is him playing with overtones and resonances...is this americana? Uh...I think so. Or at least a part of the greater American tradition of iconoclasm and folk idioms. Hell, I'm going top go so far as to say I think I hear Charles Ives in this stuff, or at least an aesthetic which blurs the line between americana and classical forms. between dissonance and reason. Of course, Ives' Holidays Symphony to me is a roots of roots music, or at least a sign of the desire to frame roots music, or beter to fuse "pop' and 'classical' or like Morton Feldman or John Cage, reexamine all the contexts. No, its not the Hag, but it is an americana of a different kind, and I think, more tightly related to the discussion as a whole than might first meet the ear. American music OF ALL KINDS has always been about building up as well as breaking down identities. Whether its "Turkey in the Straw" appearing in an orchestral piece, whether its microtonal music on a steel guitar, or even the delightful mixtures of pop punk and country we all love, the effort of the music, or really the best music, is the ability to blur the artificial lines we draw between genres and by this effort, create new and unexpected genres which will themselves break down and reform as time goes on. Jim and David remind me of this constantly. Then again, so does Uncle Tupelo. Dan Rigney http://www.moths.com
Moths in Albany cancelled
Due to unforseen circumstances, Moths will not be able to play at Valentine's on Thursday. Thank you to all the people who helped with publicity. In happier news, Moths congratulate Mothweb designer Jenny Kalina and her husband Patrick O' Sullivan in the birth of their son David, 6 lbs, 10oz. yesterday. A new Moths fan born every minute. http://www.moths.com
addendum de la Moth
Dan's not functioning properly. He needs to clean his cache. Charleston times as follows for Friday 2/26: Three Penny Opry - 9:30, MOTHS - 10:30, Highwaters - 11:30 174 Bedford in Brooklyn near the L train stop Dan should be asleep in the passenger seat by 1:30
Ain't it funny how the Moths move.
This is one reunion you won't soon remember. MOTHS with Highwaters Three Penny Opry featuring Bing alum Rob Roth on mandolin Friday February 26, 10:00 pm CHARLESTON BAR GRILL 174 Bedford Avenue Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY btw. North 7th North 8th take the L train to Bedford and you're right there. And coming Easter Sunday April Fourth -- Moths @ Mercury Lounge Details to be posted to http://www.moths.com ... after I get some sleep.
Moths head for Atlantic City with a jar of quarters
Gambling is bad for you and so is scotch. Ante up, alkie. Saturday Feb. 6 MOTHS with A.C.'s own deardarkhead http://deardarkhead.iuma.com McGuire's Erin Pub, 10pm 142 S. Tennessee Ave. Atlantic City, NJ 609-345-9607 for info. Only one (stumbling) block from the boardwalk. http://www.moths.com
A Moth-eaten January
Two adjacent states in two weeks. Beat that. Friday January 22 @ The CHARLESTON BAR GRILL with Highwaters 174 Bedford Avenue, Williamsburg, Brooklyn 718-782-8717 take the L Train to Bedford and its right there. Friday January 29 with Cropdusterhttp://www.cropduster.net @ THE MELODY BAR 106 French St., New Brunswick, NJ 732-249-3784 Call for time and guidance. Coming soon: sound and video. Ooh, pretty. http://www.moths.com
