The release dates of Tracts is rapidly approaching and the songs have rounded into form. I am incredibly excited about this collection. It may seem like bluster but I really believe these are the among the best songs to ever come out of The Alder Fork. The track listing (in no particular order) is: Random Places We Meet, Who Wants To Know, Space, Ghosts and Mysteries, and Summer Running Down.
I also want to mention that I will be releasing a second collection of 5 songs at a later date. The Lost Spoons will feature 5 acoustic song. One is the familiar Twenty-Five from The Lights I See You In Shadow. The other 4 songs are brand new and two have never been heard before by anyone.
Please join us in this public service announcement, with guitars!
Joe Strummer
This blog began with a long series of posts dedicated to the release of a new album by a new group. I thoroughly enjoyed writing about The Lights I See You In Shadow and the history of my music. I have returned today to begin a new series on a new collection of recordings by The Alder Fork. Over the past few months I have been working on a number of songs with no real plan for what to do with them. I am in the early stages of creating a new band, The Histrionics, with some friends, which means The Alder Fork is at risk of vanishing. This EP of 5 songs, called The Long Spoons, may represent that last new material from my solo project for awhile. It also might not, such are the whims of my musical career (If you really want to know about how I have evolved musically go back to post number 1 and start reading). The release date is September 17t, with more details to follow. In the coming days and weeks I will be making posts about the tracks and other related material. It should be another fun ride.
An interesting project has been floating around for several months. It focuses on eating disorders and is mostly musical. Although most of the work is still to come, here is a piece of literature that was written for it. Many anorexics describe their illness as a person. Essentially they have a relationship with their eating disorder. In treatment this relationship is challenged and addressed. I hope these words capture some of the inner turmoil.
Taking on any kind of creative project under a deadline is an immense challenge. Max Woghiren, aka The Mass Romantics put together a 7-song collection during the month of February. He says that he fell a little short of his actual goals, but is satisfied with the output. He should be more than happy with this solid group of songs. Once again, The Mass Romantics blend indie-rock style with Beatles-esque melodies. Indeed this album spans generations of musical convention featuring pieces such as Songs We Lost that mimic The Doors and Genesis, two fairly different bands. These influences are implicit for Max rather than an overt effort.
The album starts out in triumphant fashion with the moving I Know That You Are a Decider. He really shows his influences in a genuine way without succumbing to blatant copying. This quality is very hard to find in popular music. The second track The Fiction may give you flashbacks to the mid-90’s. It is homage more than an exact copy. Max has always been a skilled melodist, and on Cardinal Patrol he has really expanded the texturing of his songs.
Although each of the tracks is enjoyable, We Fall Together was my personal favourite. Coming in at 3’28 it is the second longest song on the album. It has an inexplicable quality that is both goofy and moving. It also demonstrates Max’s influences in a compelling fashion. In my mind I was transported to another place, particularly during the instrumental interludes.
Lyrical composition is a great strength of this collection. In the past, Max has been known to deride his writing. Cardinal Patrol, despite being written over only 28 days, is filled with compelling and well-written songs.
Max pays particular attention to creating an atmosphere on this album. Monotony is the biggest risk in an album created in a month, but although the songs have an overarching textural quality, they each operate within it differently. This is especially remarkable because the songs average about 3 minutes in length. That is not a lot of time to make an impact. Max is willing to change time and explore tangential ideas in even the shortest songs.
Overall, Cardinal Patrol is an album well worth checking out. Although it is not available in wide release it is hoped that The Mass Romantics will be confident enough to let the world hear. These songs are moving and dramatic. It is 22 minutes in an alternative world where the vibe is solid and ideas are free. There is no fear in these songs. This is The Mass Romantics best album to date.
No reason for the Peter Gabriel quote. In Your Eyes is one of my favourite songs of all time. Beautiful.
New podcast today. You can click on it over on the side there–>. Today’s show features The Alder Fork performing at my recent festival. Here are two more video clips from the show (thanks to Martin!):
Contemporary indie music falls into many categories. But perhaps the most recognizably “indie” songs contain guitar, keyboard riffs, and male/female vocals (including generous portions of ooos, ahhhs, and ohhhs. I was listening to my ipod while laying some interlocking brick, and this lovely old tune came on. It seems to fit in well with contemporary music. Considering that The B-52’s were an underground phenomenon before making it big, they seem to fit the mold.
I tried to imagine the group as up-and-comers and what impact they might have on the current scene. They were willing to be unusual, experimental, and even at times somewhat bad in pursuit of making interesting and fun music. Apparently Rock Lobster was written and ultimately played on a guitar missing the middle two strings. Certainly, these days there are many people who also experiment with music. With the proliferation of the internet it’s possible to be constantly exposed to these folks. Thus a group like The B-52’s could become one voice among thousands. Fortunately for them, those thousands didn’t write Love Shack.
I promise that I haven’t disappeared. My life has been a bit more hectic of late, so the blog and podcast have had to suffer for it! The good news is there is ample archive material to sift through, and I should be back to regular postings soon. The Supercrawlis on tonight in downtown Hamilton. I am out of town for a wedding, but I’d be there if I could. It promises to be an awesome, if wet, time. Here is The Alder Fork performing Great Lakes at the festival in September:
A new episode of the podcast is available. This week I talk with Amanda Putz about her new (or actually new again) show, Bandwidth, on CBC Radio One (Saturdays at 5pm). We also discuss the Polaris Music Prize. This ever more prestigious Canadian music award will be handed out at a gala event on Sunday evening. The short list of nominees is:
As always Amanda’s passion for Canadian music knows no bounds. She is among the most knowledgeable followers of our indie scene. The first episode of Bandwidth is available from the North by East West blog.
In the aftermath of last night’s festival, great little pieces of the evening are trickling out. First up we have a video, courtesy of The Alder Fork drummer Martin, of the band’s opening number Coast to Coast. Enjoy!
Although Rockapella brought geography and acapella music to a generation of youngsters, this post is not about them, or the Carmen Sandiego line of video games. Instead, I have an update on a previous Alder Fork Podcast guest.
Laura Smith is a very talent B.C. based musician and songwriter. You can hear her on the June 15th, 2009 episode of the podcast. Her music is available here. She has a tour diary and some live videos on her youtube page. I mention her today because she is setting out on a West Coast tour and I am privy to the dates. If you get a chance to check her out live, you will be very pleased. Here is the list:
September 1st 8pm-10pm Melodies in Mind on CJSF 90.1FM, Vancouver, British Columbia
September 6th 8pm The Railway Club w/ City of Glass and Isobel Trigger, Vancouver, British Columbia
September 8th 11:30am UVIC BBQ – w/ City of Glass, Victoria, British Columbia
September 8th 3:00pm CFUV 101.9 FM live acoustic performance/interview, Victoria, British Columbia
September 8th 9:00pmLogan’s w/ City of Glass and We are the City Victoria, British Columbia
September 10th 8:00pm The Habitat w/ Immaculate Machine, Kelowna, British Columbia
Friday, September 11th at the Ironwood in Calgary
September 12th 4pm-6pm The Empress w/ Colleen Brown (early show!), Edmonton, Alberta
September 14th 8:00pm The Exchange w/ Eldorado, Shiloh Lindsay and Joseph Blood, Regina, Saskatchewan
September 15th 8:00pm The Park Theater w/ Living in Red, Patrick Keenan and guests, Winnipeg, Manitoba
September 18th 10pmHoustonsWestern Canada Music Awards Brandon, Manitoba
September 26th 8:00pmRifflandia Festival Metro Theatre, Victoria, British Columbia
The Alder Fork is a musical group and a creative project. This blog and it's companion podcast showcase music, art, photography, drama, and culture. The blog is updated daily and the podcast weekly. You can also find the podcast on iTunes by searching for The Alder Fork.
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