LISTEN: Courtney Hartman & Taylor Ashton, “Better”

Artist: Courtney Hartman & Taylor Ashton
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
Song: “Better”
Album: Been on Your Side
Release Date: August 31, 2018
Label: Free Dirt Records

In Their Words: “Courtney and I and about 25 other songwriter friends around the world had an email thread going last year where we had a weekly deadline to send in a new song, as an exercise in mutual encouragement to keep in the practice of writing. One week I forgot about it until 1 a.m. on the night of the deadline, and even though I had a gig at 9 a.m. the next morning, I spent a couple hours with my banjo and “Better” came to me. It took a second to arrive at the first line and the rest all sort of fell into place. At some times in my life I’ve been attracted to the idea that you can’t force inspiration, and that it chooses when to strike. But this is an example of a time where if I hadn’t been holding myself to some arbitrary deadline I would definitely have just fallen asleep and never written this song.

The voice in the song is sort of an amalgam of myself and of a lot of people in my life so it feels good to sing it with Courtney — it brings it into a cool middle ground for me, between a specific personal sentiment and a more universal one. And to me it feels good to sing about your personal flaws in harmony with somebody else. I think the chorus is something we all want to cry out at certain times in our lives.” — Taylor Ashton

 


Photo credit: Shervin Lainez

LISTEN: Ana Egge’s “Girls, Girls, Girls”

Artist: Ana Egge
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Song: “Girls, Girls, Girls”
Album: White Tiger
Release Date: June 8, 2018
Label: StorySound Records

In Their Words: “When I first moved to NYC it was such an exciting time. Like it can be for so many people to find such freedom in a city of millions of people in constant change. I lived in a 6’x10′ room that looked out at a brick wall 4′ from the window and slept on a piece of foam on the floor where my head and toes touched either wall. I loved it. My friend Anthony and I would walk along the water on the west side and around Chelsea and laugh about who we didn’t see pass us. He’d see the gay boys and I’d see the girls. My freewheeling early days in the city are in this song. Maybe that’s why it feels so good every time I sing it.” — Ana Egge

 


Photo credit: Shervin Lainez

3X3: Eric & Magill on Socks, Sloths, and Sneakers

Artist: Eric & Magill
Hometown: Presently Washington, DC/Ann Arbor, MI via Kenya/Brooklyn via Milwaukee, WI
Latest Album: Peach Colored Oranges
Personal Nicknames:
Ryan: Big Webs, Mzee Webs, Party Webs, Euro Webs, Ray Ray, REW, 
Eric: Soda, EMO (far less exiting than Ryan’s)

 

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If you could safely have any animal in the world as a pet, which would you choose?

Ryan: I would love a capybara. It’d be like a dog-sized hamster and the only pet I’ve ever really had besides backyard ducks were some hamsters. 

Eric: I would go with a sloth. My daughter told me last night over dinner that sloths only poop once per month. Seems pretty low maintenance.

Do your socks always match?

Ryan: I never used to match my socks. Now they match like 75 percent of the time. 

Eric: I never have any idea whose socks I’m wearing, but they are both usually the same color.

If you could have a superpower, what would you choose? 

Ryan: Time travel because I love to travel.

Eric: Turning water in to wine sounds nice … and economical, too.

 

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What’s your go-to road food? 

Ryan: Fritos. It blows my wife’s mind whenever I buy them at a gas station when we’re on a road trip since I could choose anything and, in her opinion, I choose a the most flavorless snack available. 

Eric: Taco Bell has stood the test of time. Being on the road is the only time that I allow myself to eat fast food.

Who was the best teacher you ever had — and why?

Ryan: My high school Spanish teacher because she had/has passion for what she did and was kind and taught me how to roll my rs — something I still enjoy doing.

Eric: My high school English teacher because she wore Dr. Martens boots, dyed her hair orange, and exposed me to Vonnegut and Tom Robbins.

What’s your favorite city?

Ryan: I can’t choose just one. Yerevan, Beirut, Bangkok, Amsterdam, New York, Medellin, a tiny oasis village in the Kenyan bush called Kiwawa … and I love where I live and the people that live around me right now here in Washington, D.C.

Eric: I still love Milwaukee (where Ryan and I both came from) and Austin, but Brooklyn holds a very special place in my heart. After living there for four years and being exposed to amazing people, food, and culture, it made it very hard to leave.

 

#tbt or promise of the sax/acoustic solo Eric record that has been in the works for the past 25 years?

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Boots or sneakers? 

Ryan: Boots with rubber soles unless I’m on a run with Eric. (We like to jog together when we get together.)

Eric: Ditto for me!

Which brothers do you prefer — Avett, Wood, Stanley, Comatose, or Louvin?

Ryan: Brothers Grimm

Eric: The Brothers Johnson. Who doesn’t love funk?

Head or heart? 

Ryan: Left kidney (stronger than ever).

Eric: Lead with the heart and bring in the head for the close.

7 Holiday Maker Markets to Up Your Gift Game

Thanksgiving is about to rear its tiny, turkey-shaped head, and you know what that means: It's time to tackle that nagging holiday gift list. While it might be tempting to say, "Screw it, you're getting a gift card and you're getting a gift card!" like a maniacal, Scrooged-out Oprah, there's no denying that folks love a unique, thoughtful gift. Luckily, the growing popularity of holiday "maker markets (the Artist Formerly Known as "Craft Markets") makes finding one-of-a-kind gifts for everyone on your list far easier than actually sitting through a holiday meal with them, especially with that big, orange elephant currently taking up residence in all of our families' dining rooms.

To help you out, we've rounded up a few of our favorite upcoming markets. Now get to shopping!

Austin — Renegade Craft Fair — November 26-27

This free event at Austin's Fair Market features over 125 makers. Go for the holiday shopping, stay for live music, local food and drink, and a photo booth.

Brooklyn — Brooklyn Holiday Bazaar — November 26-27

The fourth installment of Brooklyn's free, annual Holiday Bazaar is its biggest yet, with 40+ makers on site at 501 Union. Sip a craft beverage while you browse handmade jewlery and home decor and, if you have little ones, be sure to stop by the Kids Craft Corner.

Chicago — Made in Chicago Holiday Market — December 18

As if a free event with dozens of makers, local food, and local drinks weren't enough, this holiday market at Chicago's Plumbers Hall also allows guests (while supplies last) to create their own free terrarium ornaments. 

Los Angeles — Artisanal L.A. Holiday Market — December 3

A $10 admission gets you unlimited re-entry into this weekend-long event at Los Angeles's CMC Penthouse. More than 150 makers will be on-hand, with 30+ opportunities for attendees to indulge in little on-site DIY of their own.

Louisville — Made Market — December 16-17

This holiday market at Louisville's Frazier History Museum is free, but if you want to check out all the goods before the general public, you can buy a ticket to a special preview event the evening before the big day. And, with vendors like BGS pals 1767 Designs in attendance, getting there early may not be a bad idea!

Nashville — Porter Flea Holiday Market — December 10

Nashville's Porter Flea gets bigger and bigger each year, and the holiday market is not to be missed. Held at Skyway Studios this year, admission is free, although, as with Louisville's market, there is a ticketed preview market the night prior.

Seattle — Fremont Foundry Holiday Makers Market — December 18

Seattle has a strong maker community, with markets popping up across town throughout the year. This particular holiday market happens later in the season than most, so it's perfect for all your last-minute shopping needs.


Lede photo via Porter Flea/Garner Blue

Kaki King Creates Sacred Space for Musicians with Other Cathedrals

For the uninitiated, Kaki King is one of the best guitarists playing today. Since releasing her debut album, Everybody Loves You, in 2003, King has made a name for herself with her unique style of playing, which incorporates unusual tunings, unorthodox instruments, and a preternatural ability to switch between genres in the matter of just a few notes. Over the course of her career — and in addition to releasing eight full-length albums — King has been named a "New Guitar God" by Rolling Stone, helped soundtrack major motion pictures like Into the Wild, and developed a touring multimedia show called The Neck Is the Bridge to the Body, named after her 2015 album.

King's most recent project is Other Cathedrals, a private musical space in Brooklyn that enables the Atlanta-born musician to share her passion (and her guitars) with the general public. Visitors of Other Cathedrals, which derives its name from the Adrian Legg album Guitars and Other Cathedrals, can take advantage of the space's recording studio, private rehearsal space, lessons, and, perhaps most exciting, a "library" of more than 30 of King's own guitars, most of which are high-end. 

"There were several different ideas and problems I was trying to solve," King, an avid guitar collector, says of starting Other Cathedrals. "The first was that I really got to the place where I did have too many guitars that could not be maintained and played on a regular basis."

Her primary motivation, however, was providing people in her community with access to musical equipment they otherwise would likely never be able to touch, let alone sit down and play. "About a year ago, I started teaching privately and I noticed that a lot of really great players had totally outgrown their guitars and had no idea," she says. "They would do something, I’d say, ‘Okay, try this’ and they would play it on their guitar and they’d be like, ‘Well, how come it doesn’t sound like you?’ And I’d say, ‘It’s really not you. It’s actually your guitar.’ There wasn’t enough education about their $300 entry guitar versus an $800 mid-range versus something that was hand-crafted and cost a lot but, in the end, would be worth it, if they were going to continue with their studying and playing."

The space also serves as a refuge for those who get the jitters upon walking into a music store, an environment King herself says can be "intimidating" and one that, while nerve-wracking for any beginner, isn't always the friendliest to its female customers. King is quick to note, however, her hope that Other Cathedrals attracts a diverse array of players.

"I had anyone in mind that would have felt overwhelmed," King says. "But I almost feel like I did this in homage to her — I saw someone who was at a store and she wasn’t a half-bad player, but she clearly was being ignored. I had my daughter with me — my daughter is two years old and she’s just crazy, otherwise I would have said hi — but, and I may just be making this up, but she really seemed like a cool player who wanted to check stuff out. I think things have gotten so much better recently, especially in Brooklyn where people are being very practiced and very cautious about how they treat members of the opposite sex, but I still know that this is a problem all over, everywhere, and it’s kind of a micro-aggression of assuming that you don’t know what you’re doing as a female, versus assuming you do as a male. I want anyone, including many, many, many, many women who have felt intimidated by the whole process, to be able to come here and feel very safe and secure and I want to be as helpful as possible."

Right now, if you want to take part in all Other Cathedrals has to offer, the space is currently booking applications through its website. King explains that it's a simple vetting process, in place only "to make sure that no one disrespectful is going to come and create any problems." She also plans to establish a scholarship for a female player who otherwise would not have access to such high-end musical equipment. 

"I don’t want to ever turn anyone away for lack of funds, so that’s why the scholarship exists," she says. "And I want the people who do have the money to pay for it, so we can include those who are having a harder time with that.”

In addition to providing valuable resources to fellow musicians, King hopes Other Cathedrals is a space that gives visitors an experience she feels is essential to the creative process (one that in New York City is, unsurprisingly, often hard to come by): one of solitude and of freedom, buoyed by the safety to explore musical impulses. "When people come here, it’s not about being on a clock," she says. "There’s no noise on the other side of you and no one can hear you. That alone time is so crucial, if you really want to get to the core of what you want to do musically. Sometimes just being alone is enough."


Lede photo courtesy of the artist

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A Minute in Brooklyn with Victoria Reed

Welcome to "A Minute In …", a BGS feature that turns our favorite artists into hometown reporters. In our latest column, Brooklyn's Victoria Reed takes us on a tour of her favorite haunts, from a late-night taco spot to her own living room.

Marlow and Daughters
This is the best little grocery store just a few blocks away from my apartment. I cook all the time, so I'll stop here a few times a week on my way home to pick up something delicious to make. I've also recently become helplessly addicted to their fresh chocolate chip cookies. They're insanely good!

La Superior
This is the first place I ever ate in the neighborhood and it just kinda stuck. They're open late, which is crucial, and the tacos are delicious.

Catbird
I think it's a special thing to work in the neighborhood you live in. I started working at Catbird a couple of months after I moved to New York and I feel like I lucked out big time. The girls I work with are so magical and amazing, and I get to play with beautiful diamonds and jewels all day long, which is a definite perk! It's the only part-time job I've ever had where I find myself consistently excited to go to work.

Main Drag
This is where I found my 1960 Premiere Bantam Special that I play. I've also probably purchased about a dozen last-minute replacement capos from them because I can never hang on to one for more than a couple of weeks … pretty much as a rule.

Norman and Dobbin
It's where I first landed in Brooklyn and it kind of represents a major turning point for me. The studio that we recorded Chariot at is on this block and it's where I first made the decision to move from Chicago to New York. I love this block.

Fuego 718
This is arguably the coolest store in Williamsburg. It's packed to the gills with Mexican wall hangings, worry dolls, and incense, and it's nearly impossible for me to walk past without going in. The owner, a Barcelona native, is really sweet, too!

Bembe
This late-night, Latin vampire bar is just a few blocks from my apartment. It's one of the few places in the neighborhood that's really good for dancing, when you feel like really getting down.

Nitehawk
Nitehawk made me appreciate going to the movies alone, which is a great thing to do when you first move to a new city and find yourself not quite as socially stacked. They play new releases and awesome independent/cult films, and the truffle popcorn makes my mouth water just writing about it. It's also walking distance from my house, and they serve wine, so I don't know what more you can ask for. Sometimes I'll go see movies I don't even like just to eat the popcorn, drink some wine, and daydream in a dark room.

My living room
I'm always writing songs in my living room. I live in a pretty classic artist's loft building so no one ever complains about the noise, and it looks out on a beautiful view of the bridge and city that's pretty inspiring. It also doubles as a rehearsal space with just a few slight furniture rearrangements which is super fun and convenient. We'll even host concerts here from time to time!

Grand and Berry
Another one of my favorite corners. It's right in the center of all my spots, in what's become my favorite neighborhood that I've ever lived in. Work and some of my favorite restaurants are all just a few blocks away, my two life-long best friends live a block over, and it looks really nice at sunset.

Victoria Reed is a Brooklyn resident and musician. Her debut album Chariot is out February 26. Follow her on Twitter at @victralia.


All photos by Victoria Reed, except lede image by Shervin Lainez.

CONVERSATIONS WITH… Dubl Handi

DUBL HANDI (pronounced “double handy”) is a Brooklyn-NY based string band named after the washboard company of the 1800’s. Although the project originally began as a duo of banjo player and singer Hilary Hawke and multi-instrumentalist Brian Geltner, the two have recently added guitarist Ernie Vega, making DH a trio.

Embracing a worldly view of folk music, Dubl Handi draws from, as well as expands upon, the traditional tunes of the Northwest Appalachian region by employing percussion, guitar, drums, and banjo. These artists deliver their own unique interpretations of their favorite songs, while also throwing in a healthy dose of originals too.

Dubl Handi’s new album, Up Like The Clouds, is out now. I recently had the opportunity to speak with Hilary Hawke about her own musical history, how she connected with Brian and Ernie, the vibrant community of Brooklyn’s Jalopy Theatre, as well as the making of Dubl Handi’s new album.

When and how did you begin learning and playing music?

Hilary Hawke: I always really loved music and musical instruments as a kid, as well as listening to records and dancing. I formally started learning music when I was 8 years old, on clarinet. I picked up guitar around 15 and then banjo around 22.

What drew you to playing the banjo?

Hilary: I loved folk music but I actually ended up getting a degree in music on the clarinet and classical guitar (neither which I play much anymore). The practicing and studying of music in an educational setting was so intense I didn’t feel like I could be creative on either instrument. When I started playing banjo, it was like a release of creative emotion. I had an intense desire to write music and perform, and banjo just became my outlet.

When did you join the Jalopy Theatre & School of Music in Brooklyn, NY? Can you talk about your experiences there?

Hilary: I think it was back in 2006. I met Geoff and Lynette (the owners of Jalopy) at a bar called Bait & Tackle in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn. Jalopy was just a pile of dust and dreams at that time. They told me about their plans and asked if I wanted to teach banjo there one day. I of course said yes!

I believe Jalopy has now become the placeholder for something greater happening in Brooklyn. It resembles the community it is in and the strength of music to hold people together. It is in the process of becoming one of the most influential music venues/schools of its time and I am proud to be a part of that.

How and when did you and Brian meet?

Hilary: We met around 2006 playing with different folks and in different bands. I ended up doing a recording session that he was on, and we became friends after that!

When did you decide to get together and form Dubl Handi? What drew you together musically & personally? 

Hilary: Brian is one of the most musical drummers I’ve ever played with. He is extremely creative and comes up with quirky ideas that are really entertaining to listen to. For example, he might take a solo and use the things on the walls as part of the sounds. If there is a metal sign, or something like that, he uses it. He uses the materials around him to improvise.

We put Dubl Handi together as a way to make money busking at farmer’s markets. We’d get a nice crowd of folks around us every time and we realized that we had to make a CD.

You play a great number of traditional tunes. Can you describe your songwriting processes of originals, and how these culminate for you?

Hilary: Well, Dubl Handi is mostly traditional music with a few originals, but I do have two other projects that I write quite a bit in like Hilary Hawke & the Flipsides and M Shanghai Stringband.

When it comes to writing, I decide what kind of song I want to write, and what is the feel I am going for. What would add to my set? I also carefully think about the intention of the song. Do I want to write a song for people to dance to? Or, for people to listen closely, or just to sway to while you sit at the bar? This makes a big difference and usually helps with how fast I can get it done.

Then, I just shed lyrics and spill out thoughts on a page. I use a lot of imagery, so this part is fun! I lay around with chords and lyrics, experiment with ideas until something sticks, and record that idea quickly. Then I’ll keep it and listen to it on the subway. Refine!

For example, on the album, ‘Lonely Ghost’ is a fun tune in F tuning on the banjo. We were playing a weekly residency in Williamsburg (Brooklyn) and needed something up tempo to end our songs with. We’ve been playing with a wonderful guitar player, Ernie Vega, who has a strong blues background. So we really had that in mind when writing the music for ‘Lonely Ghost’.

Can you briefly share some of your sources of inspiration?

Hilary: I really am a music lover, and I love hearing people play and there are so many people I admire. I get a lot of inspiration from hearing collaborations and seeing people sharing the stage, and sharing their voices without ego. I love seeing people be creative with their music in non-commercial ways.

Was there a tune(s) that set the course for what would become Up Like Clouds? Did you have a vision for the recording overall?

Hilary: The main vision was to capture what we do live, even though some of the tracks have overdubbing and additional instruments. We wanted to capture that energy, and have an interesting choice of songs that would be uplifting and interesting to listen to.

Can you talk about your philosophy and inspiration behind bringing in such diverse instrumentation? Specifically banjo, snare drum, percussion, mellotron, marxophone, washboard, etc.

Hilary: It is interesting because we really tried to preserve the original feel and spirit of each of these traditional tunes on the CD. That being said, I think we wanted to add a little extra spice to each tune while keeping a duo sound. So, in other words, I think we had a lot of ideas and were keeping some good boundaries with how far we wanted to stretch each tune.

I would also be interested in hearing your vision of combining the traditional with the contemporary.

Hilary: I think traditional music should be played in a way that allows the performer to relate to it. I will never be Roscoe Holcomb or Tommy Jarrell, but I can make the music my own. I think, there is a fine line when relating to an audience, especially an audience of people that want to hear things played note-for-note. I play traditional banjo music, but some people find it odd that I enjoy playing both bluegrass and old time (clawhammer). I think all music in this genre shares similar roots and should be played if it relates to the performer.

Can you describe the recording set-up and process for the album?

Hilary: Many of the songs were done live in the same room without headphones. Even the lead vocals were done live on most. After listening to each track we would add minimal things to keep each song unique or just give it a bit more dimension. We listen to a lot of music from our touring friends and successful bands here in Brooklyn. I think we are all kind of influencing each other.

What have you been listening to lately?

Hilary: Les Paul & Mary Ford (always!), New Lost City Ramblers, Mike Seeger, Bruce Molsky, Fred Cockerham, Snuffy Jenkins, and tons of banjo players. I also really enjoy Rev. Gary Davis, Ian Drury and the Blockheads, a newer band called Midwood, and a lot of our friends’ bands!

What are your plans for 2013?

Hilary: We’ve starting recording our next album and we’ll be adding a fabulous guitar player named Ernie Vega, making us a trio! We’re always playing a lot here in NYC and having a guitarist really fills out the sound, especially for larger venues.

I’ll be graduating with my masters of music in May and we are really looking forward to sinking ourselves deeper into getting out of town and playing more shows, getting a booker, and meeting and playing with a lot of folks! We are also planning some touring in the UK, and working with a few folks over there already and sending our CD out. We’re excited!!!