We must have been about 17years of age. Dating, and both drummers, we had not yet figured out a wayto make our own music, outsideof her on the drum kit and me on lead vocals in our very firstgarage band. I had found a coupleof seasoned (24 year old) musicians, a bass player and keyboardistwhoContinue reading “#681: E is for Ed and the Boats”
Tag Archives: poem
#680: E is for Eels (18, 20, 22, 24)
Mark Oliver Everett’s father was a famous quantum mechanic, the scientistwho first posited the theory of the multiverse, of simultaneous alternative realities. There’s a documentary called Parallel Universe, Parallel Lives about E’s dadfrom E’s perspective, including interviewsby an assortment of science luminarieswho say that this guy’s theories were as significant if not more-so than Einstein’s.AsContinue reading “#680: E is for Eels (18, 20, 22, 24)”
#679: E is for Eels (96, 05, 15)
There are only two degrees of separationbetween me and one of my rock heroes because a bass player friend of mine, a bassplayer that has played in bands with meover these many years, has alsotoured with Eels on several occasionsand ultimately was recorded and filmedfor the triple record/concert film from 2015, Royal Albert Hall, aContinue reading “#679: E is for Eels (96, 05, 15)”
#678: E is for Earth Wind & Fire
I Am is the name of this record. I am having a dance party herein my study at 11:30 in the morning. I am grooving to these funky rhythms from “In the Stone” right out of the gate, and the funk hardly lets up for half a second as the tracks segue from one toContinue reading “#678: E is for Earth Wind & Fire”
#677: D is for Dylan
I have never really liked the musicof Bob Dylan. Only one or two exceptionsstand out in memory. The first: hearing covers of Dylan’s music by the Byrds. I liked the Byrds, and I liked their covers, but, at the time, I had no clue these were Bob Dylan’s songs. The second: As a child thereContinue reading “#677: D is for Dylan”
#676: D is for Dry Cleaning
I In the short storied tradition of spoken word poetswho front rock bands, stands Florence Shaw, the lead singer, or speaker, the raconteusefor post-punk English rock band Dry Cleaning. She does not sing, although she can carrya tune, as evidenced by the occasional humming or melodic lyric line. Mostly, she talks, recites, speaks her poemsContinue reading “#676: D is for Dry Cleaning”
#675: D is for The Dresden Dolls
I remember thatI came across this albumyears after its releaseat a sidewalk sale at oneof Portland’s most historicrecord stores. I had heard of them, nothing else, so I decided, maybe intriguedby the art work and by a screaming deal, to buy thisalbum. Later when I became interested briefly in Amanda Palmer’s solo stuff, it tookContinue reading “#675: D is for The Dresden Dolls”
#674: D is for The Doors
For such a humorless lot, they sure were funny, those Doors: Let’s, for example, be the first band in rock to feature an organ.Let’s write the most iconic organriff, as iconic perhaps as the guitarriff in “You Really Got Me” or “Satisfaction,” and we’ll featurethat organ riff in our most successful hit song from ourContinue reading “#674: D is for The Doors”
#673: D is for Dodie and Dolby
Two EP’s side by sideon the shelves, Hot Mess,a five song disc from Dodie, and Blinded By Science, anotherfive song number from 80’s keyboard pop god Thomas Dolby. Released 40 years apart from each other, the Dolby 13 years before Dodie was born,they are, nevertheless, good company. It would not surprise meif Dolby was aContinue reading “#673: D is for Dodie and Dolby”
#672: D is for Dirty Projectors
I’d forgotten how crazy and greatthis music was. Claps, subsonicbass, acapella female voices, nutty lyrics, great, rubbery, pitch-perfect, jazzy tenor lead vocals, gnarly guitar, a goofy and groovy mix of real drums and machines, odd time signatures, impossible sounding figures, warbley and wobbly synthesizers,suddenly a string section, female lead vocal here and there,abrupt stops andContinue reading “#672: D is for Dirty Projectors”
michael jarmer 