Tag: tom waits

BGS 5+5: Pokey LaFarge

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Artist: Pokey LaFarge
Hometown: Normal, Illinois
Latest album: Rock Bottom Rhapsody

What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?

When I heard Bill Monroe’s voice and mandolin. No one around me was doing it and I knew that was a way of being different and getting noticed. It was the most ballsy and exotic thing I’d heard up in [my] first fourteen years on earth.

What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc — inform your music?

I love to dance with my buddies and with ladies, I am an avid reader of fiction, such as novels, and non-fiction, too — usually, WWI, WWII, Mafia, and artist biographies.

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?

Well, any and all… but my preferences are water or forests over mountains and desert. I like to go to local parks and run or hike. I like long walks anywhere I can. But I actually spend a lot of time in the gym, specifically the boxing gym. I have tons of energy and need to exert that physically or my mind gets overworked. An easy mind and a fit body makes Pokey a peaceful boy.

Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?

Steak and potatoes and wine with Tom Waits, a piano, a guitar, and an orchestra.

How often do you hide behind a character in a song or use “you” when it’s actually “me”?

I almost always write in first person, or so I think.

Photo credit: Larry Niehues

LISTEN: Rosanne Cash, “Time” (Tom Waits Tribute)

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Rosanne Cash
Hometown: New York City
Song: “Time” (Tom Waits tribute)
Album: Come On Up To The House: Women Sing Waits
Release Date: November 22, 2019
Label: Dualtone Records

In Their Words: “What an honor to sing a song like ‘Time.’ Many years ago, I recorded it just for myself, just for the pleasure of singing those words. Maybe I seeded the notion in the deepest part of the creative ether, the place from where these songs travel through Tom. For whatever reason and from whatever source, I’m just thrilled to be a part of this album. There is no other songwriter in the world, past or future, like Tom Waits.” — Rosanne Cash

Photo credit: Michael Lavine

BGS 5+5: Eleni Mandell

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Artist name: Eleni Mandell
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Latest album: Wake Up Again

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

One of my favorite memories from being on stage is from Munster, Germany. For a few years a man named Volker would show up to my shows in different countries and come to say hello to us, the band and me, after we performed. He had an interesting look and demeanor, so we used to try and guess what he did for a living. I think we decided he must be a race car driver or some other exotic career. It turned out that he was the lighting guy for a special theater in Munster called Pumpenhaus. It was an incredible cultural center that focused on producing plays with adults with special needs. I believe that some were residents at the local mental hospital.

Volker, the fan that showed up in different countries, talked the theater into having me play a show there. I believe I was the first musical artist ever to perform there. I developed a special relationship with Pumpenhaus and the people who worked there. One year, one of the actors who also helped around the theater, an adult with special needs, jumped up on stage right after I finished and kissed me on the cheek. Everybody laughed and cheered. His name was Guido. It could have been weird but it wasn’t because the feeling in the room was so positive.

At least an entire year later, possibly longer, we were back in Munster for a show. They treated us like kings there. It always felt like a wonderful reunion and party. Guido came backstage before the show and shyly handed me a present. It was a framed photo of him kissing me on the cheek. I keep that photo on my mantel at home to remind me of the connections you can make with people through music.

What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?

I knew I wanted to be a musician the first time I saw the band X perform when I was 13 years old. I had already played violin and piano since I was 5 years old and I distinctly remember wondering how I could write songs and sing with the violin. I always loved singing. My mother finally allowed me to quit classical music at 13 years old. I discovered X through one of the “bad” girls at school. Their sound and lyrics hit me on a gut level that I can’t articulate. I remember looking at them on stage and thinking, “That’s what I want to do.” The wonderful thing about this is that so many years later, John Doe (singer, bass) and D.J. Bonebrake (drums) are both acquaintances of mine. I’d like to say they’re friends but I don’t want to brag.

What’s the toughest time you ever had writing a song?

I’m not sure about the toughest time I had writing a song. Sometimes I have an idea, or am inspired by a word, and then write something that is just terrible and throw it away. Sometimes I don’t throw it away but wish I had. I do remember, though, that I had an old boyfriend that was into vintage motorcycles and trucks. He was always talking about nickel plating the tank of his bike and what kind of truck he’d get, a fleetside or stake bed. Those words made me so curious. I was also in love with him and heartbroken by him all the time. I wrote the title, “Nickel Plated Man,” on top of one page and then another and another and another. I tried a million ways to write that song. I’d write it, turn the page and try again. It just never seemed to work.

Finally, the song fell on the page in 5 minutes, but it was probably a year after I first tried to write it. It came when I started plucking out those notes that repeat throughout the whole song. That is probably my most enduring song and one of the first I wrote. I’m still very proud of it. It’s also a song that Tom Waits said he thought was cool (message delivered by a mutual friend). It takes me back to a time in my life and a person that I knew (and still do). I love that about music, that it can create a whole world full of memories and feelings. I guess the lesson is that sometimes the songs that are the hardest to come to life are the ones that stick with us the longest.

What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?

My rituals before a show are not cool or romantic. I like to get one drink that I sip on throughout the night, usually bourbon. I’m not a big drinker at all but sipping a bourbon on ice puts me in the mood to perform. I need it less and less as I get older but I still like the taste and the warmth. My number one ritual, and the nerdiest of all, is that I have to brush my teeth before I walk out on stage. My father was a dentist and I worked for him after I first graduated college. I am serious about proper oral hygiene! The last thing I want to do is taste food while I’m on stage or breathe on a fan after a show. Now everyone knows. Maybe people will start bringing me toothbrushes. I also always go and hang out at the merch table after shows. I love meeting people and seeing the same people around the world over the years.

What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc — inform your music?

I feel like any artist learns and grows by experiencing art. I am a word person. I love words, the way they sound or feel in your mouth and the variety of meanings they have, in English or other languages. I love translations bouncing back from one language to another and how that can change or enhance a word for me. So, that said, I think literature always influences my work because when I read a word or combination of words or phrases in literature, I am undoubtedly influenced and inspired.

I also love photography and old movies. I am always inspired by great art that sucks me in, like an Ansel Adams photograph I saw recently at a museum. The intensity of the light and shadows made me fall in love. That euphoric feeling makes me want to pick up a guitar and sing.

Photo credit: Max Gerber

BGS 5+5: The Dead South

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Artist: The Dead South
Hometown: Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Latest album: Illusion and Doubt
Personal nicknames (or rejected band names): answers by Colton “Crawdaddy” Crawford

Editor’s Note: Look for The Dead South at the Blue Ox Festival, held June 13-15 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc — inform your music?

We’re all big movie fans. We love Quentin Tarantino, Sergio Leone, Wes Craven, etc. Those guys make awesome movies with killer soundtracks. Scores from films such as these have been a big influence on our music from the start. Having a cello can add an orchestral feel to the band, and we try to arrange our songs to include a lot of instrumental parts. It’s been a dream of the band to write a score for a film someday.

What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?

Before the show, we get dressed, listen to System of a Down, and maybe enjoy a whiskey or two. Right after we get off stage, we head straight to the green room and listen to Afroman. Then the lineup for the shower begins.

Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?

I would love to eat a Donair with Tom Waits.

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

The scene that always jumps to mind is the first time we ever saw people we didn’t know singing along to our songs. It was a show at the Owl, the university bar in Regina, and there were some people right up front who knew the words to all of the songs. After the show we all asked each other whose friends they were, thinking strangers couldn’t possibly know our music, but they were unknown to everyone in the band.

How often do you hide behind a character in a song or use “you” when it’s actually “me”?

Most of our songs are stories about fictional characters, or sometimes exaggerations of ourselves. We don’t have too many songs, if any, that are meant to be taken literally. As I mentioned earlier, we all love horror and western films, and we draw a lot of inspiration from those films and those characters when writing our songs. We try not to take any of it too seriously and always try to keep an element of comedy (sometimes very dark comedy) in our songs and performances.

Photo credit: Brandon White

BGS 5+5: The Delines

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Artist: The Delines
Hometown: Portland, Oregon
Latest album: The Imperial
Band members: Amy Boone, Cory Gray, Sean Oldham, Freddy Trujillo, Willy Vlautin

Answers by Willy Vlautin

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

Man oh man that’s a tough question. I go in phases so I can’t name just one. I grew up worshipping Willie Nelson, he’s always been my personal sorta saint, next was X and then The Pogues and Los Lobos then probably Tom Waits and Louis Armstrong and a dozen others as well.

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

The Delines were playing a gig in Madrid and in the audience, right in front of the stage, were two couples making out. A man and a woman and then two men, and I went to myself, goddamn maybe what we’re doing is working! With Richmond Fontaine no women ever came to our shows. It was all middle-aged drunk dudes and none of them had probably made out with anyone in years.

What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc — inform your music?

I always write songs thinking they are part of a movie and I write novels for a living so those two have always been a big part of my life. I love novels more than anything and I could spend my life in a movie theater. Since I started, I’ve written in characters and stories. For a shy kid it was always easier for me to do it that way. I could say what I needed to say without anyone looking at me. I was way too insecure otherwise. Writing in stories gave me complete freedom from everything, including myself.

What’s the toughest time you ever had writing a song?

Probably from age 12-26. I wrote obsessively, hundreds of tunes and not one good one. Not a single one. You would have thought I’d have stumbled upon one or two but I didn’t. But I loved writing them even though I knew I was no good at it. And then finally a good song came to me. I was 27 and worked at a trucking company loading trucks and all the drivers were talking about seeing shit on the road late at night, white line fever. I was like hot damn, I’ll write that tune. So I write the tune about a long haul trucker who never calls his wife and all the while his wife is on a bender and ends up in a psych ward. I was so proud of the tune, my first good one after 14 years of writing bad ones. Then I played it in a bar one night and a guy comes up to me and says, “That sure don’t sound like Merle’s ‘White Line Fever’ to me.” That’s when I found out Merle Haggard had already written the tune. Even when I was certain I’d gotten a good one someone had already done it.

What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?

It started for me around ten but I never thought I would be much of a musician. I just always wanted to plant my flag with musicians because I grew up believing in records more than anything else. Records were always my favorite friends in life. So after a while, just to get closer to them, I joined up.

Photo credit: Jason Quigley

5+5: Old Sea Brigade

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Old Sea Brigade
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Latest album: Ode To A Friend
Personal nicknames (or rejected band names): Here’s an ongoing list of fictional band names. I’m sure at some point some of these were rejected band names: Dog Park, Denim Ego’s, Definite Lefty, Almost Pasadena, Almost Passed Adena, Chad The Gardener, Spiders in Australia

Which artist has influenced you the most and how?

I’d say Tom Waits. A friend of mine first introduced me to his music when I was 16, and having been a big Springsteen fan, I found a similarity between his and Waits’ music. I came to find a lot of influence from Tom Waits, particularly by how he lets his songs speak for themselves. He’s not afraid to change sounds and consequently allows his voice to present itself bare-naked to listeners. There’s such an intense degree of depth and emotion in his music that always draws me in.

What’s your favorite memory on stage?

Back in February 2016 I was on tour in the UK and Europe with Joseph. For the London date I had the privilege of opening up their sold-out show at Union Chapel. The venue is an old church that has such deep history as well as amazing acoustics. The date was particularly significant because exactly a year before I was traveling around the Midwest playing to basically no one. One night I had slept in my van and woke up thinking I was going to freeze to death in a Walmart parking lot. Going from that to playing a sold out London show in front of 900 people, exactly one year later, was definitely a memorable moment I’ll never forget.

What other art forms inform your music?

I think in a lot of ways, dance has greatly informed my music. With that said, I’m a horrible dancer, but my mom was a professional ballet dancer so I spent a lot of my youth hanging out in dance studios. I’ve always been drawn to the connections between dance and music, especially for ballet. I love the unity between free flowing motions and musical rhythms, and how they seamlessly morph together to form an even greater artistic expression.

How often do you hide behind a character in a song?

I’d say I generally try and avoid writing completely fictitious songs. If it’s a character-based song, I still draw on personal experiences. Sometimes it’s easier for me to come up with one central character that embodies multiple people in real scenarios.

What’s the toughest time you’ve had writing a song?

“Love Brought Weight” was a tough one to finish. I wrote the main chorus hook years before I wrote the verses. When I initially wrote it I wasn’t releasing or performing my own music and couldn’t seem to figure out where the chorus should go. It was probably three years later that I wrote the verse to the song. I initially intended for the verses and chorus to be totally different songs until I couldn’t finish either. One afternoon I realized they were in the same key and they seemed to fit perfectly together. It was one of those moments where I realized, in just five minutes, I had solved a three-year puzzle.

Photo credit: Steven Mullan

BGS 5+5: Adam Wright

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Artist: Adam Wright
Hometown: Newnan, Georgia / Nashville, Tennessee
Latest Album: Dust

What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc — inform your music?

Whatever I’m reading at the moment usually has some impact on what I’m writing. Especially if it’s a writer that is new to me. If it’s good, it’ll spark a lot of little ideas. They’re not usually directly related to the book, but it will just get the ideas coming. Reading good writing is good for creativity. I don’t feel the same about movies. I enjoy them, but they don’t spark ideas for me the way reading does.

What’s the toughest time you ever had writing a song?

It’s really fun to work hard on a song you know is going to be good. And it’s not hard work to write a bad song that you know is bad. The real drudgery is working on a mediocre song. You have to use all your tools as though you were writing something good, but they don’t work the same and you know the result is going to be lackluster. It’s draining. I try not to get into that situation. I don’t like to settle in to the work unless I think I can land something worthwhile. Sometimes in a co-write you don’t have that luxury. You just have to push on and get it done.

If you had to write a mission statement for your career, what would it be?

I want to have contributed to the elevation of the art of songwriting. I want to entertain people. I want to be the best singer-songwriter I can possibly be. And I also want to make a decent living. Because without the means, you can’t give it everything you’ve got. And being your best means giving it everything you’ve got.

Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?

Mexican food, particularly huevos rancheros, is kind of a hobby of mine. There is a place close to where we live that plays great Mexican music. A lot of ’60s Latin pop. Some Mariachi. It’s always good. You’d have to work pretty hard at it to not feel good when you’re eating that food and hearing that music. We went to a newer Mexican place for my birthday not long ago, and it had marble floors and chandeliers and they were playing the shiniest, slickest, newest, American pop music. The food was good but the vibe was so wrong that it ruined the experience. We all ate as fast as we could and got out.

How often do you hide behind a character in a song or use “you” when it’s actually “me”?

I write quite a bit in character. It’s a lot more fun for me. I’ve never been much of a “confessional” songwriter. I’m much more interested in what someone else might do in a situation. I like to tell stories. I like to drop in on a particular moment in the life of a character and write there. Some of my favorite songwriters do that. And not just folk-song writers. Chuck Berry was a fantastic storyteller. And he made it rock and roll. Even as a kid when I listened to his songs, I didn’t have the impression that he was singing about his life. I had the impression that he was a clever writer and he was entertaining me. “Born To Dream” is probably the only song on the new album that is written from my perspective. And “The Banker,” I guess, but it’s not really about me. Shannon, my wife, says “Born To Dream” is the most Adam song on there.

https://open.spotify.com/user/adamwrightofficial/playlist/4ynVBSEIlt81if2t7sTZ8p?si=uDUH1sE4TcuaB_Ta0Zykww

Photo credit: Bret Pemelton

MIXTAPE: Red Shahan’s Orange is the New Remodeling

Posted on by Amy Reitnouer

In this edition of “Orange is the New Remodeling,” I cover music the human brain needs to survive a world of DIY home renovations amidst the Whip Cracker herself. Strap on your father’s 1987 radial arm saw and your most valued curse words and join me for your first day of remodel prison while you enjoy the music I’ve selected as my soundtrack. – Red Shahan

The Doors – “Riders on the Storm”

Today’s the day. Your hand is outstretched to the handle of the front door and the only thought you’re clinging to is, “What the hell have I done and who the hell do I think I am?”

Faron Young – “Hello Walls”

You’ve entered the home after nearly losing your life to the wasps that were conveniently located above the door jamb. It’s time to assess the damage you’re about to create. This is the calm before the storm.

Eddy Arnold – “Make the World Go Away”

Imagine yourself flung into a Quentin Tarantino-esque version of This Old Fuc$#%* House as the chorus and the head of your sledgehammer synch up perfectly in a slow-motion battle with the wall you will later regret removing.

Glen Campbell – “Wichita Lineman”

Despite the chaos you’ve just created, the Hiroshima-like living room leaves you with a slight feeling of accomplishment and the thought, “Hell, sing it to me, Glen. I know your pain.”

Melanie – “Brand New Key”

Your first taste of the midday crazies has ensued. Out of the drywall dust appears the neighbor’s dog who lets himself into your home and relieves himself on the ‘70s shag carpet your MeeMee once adorned; but you say nothing and stare in envy as it’s what you’ve wanted to do all morning.

LeAnn Rimes – “Blue”

LUNCH TIME. But this is no enjoyable burger as the only thing in your area is Johnny Wang’s “Sushi, Burgers, and More” while LeAnn plays in the background reminding you of that faded, computer-blue house you just bought.

Seal – “Kiss From a Rose”

Back to work, tough guy! With mustard on your shirt and hate in your heart, the Whip Cracker gives you a sign of approval and a sensual tap on the rear as if to say, “Keep it up and I might let you rub my back tonight….shirtless.”

Tom Waits – “Heartattack and Vine”

If a remodeled house could grow a salty swagger and sing to you while you work, old Computer Blue would have a raspy voice and abundant smell of cigarettes, just like Tom. But this place has the smell of a nasty wax ring under the toilet you just removed. Not even the bubonic plague came close to that stench.

Al Green – “I’m Glad You’re Mine”

Time for the first of many, many return trips to Home Depot. Strap on your gas station-purchased measuring tape, load your freshly-sharpened pencil in its fleshy holding device otherwise known as an ear, and walk into that Home Depot like it’s covered in neon lights and you’re an eligible bachelor ready to peel paint with your swanky presence. Strut your stuff, handy man. (*Needle scratches record) but then Whip Cracker calls to say she’ll meet you there. *leaves suspenders in the Subaru.

The Notorious B.I.G. – “Hypnotize”

You walk back into Computer Blue with your sacks of suggested tools and materials from “Leonard,” the 17-year-old pimple-faced smart-aleck that acts like he hung the handyman’s moon, when in all reality he goes to a school that doesn’t teach cursive and believes in trophies for everyone…. Anyways, with an attitude and a second wind you’re ready to pull up the urine-soaked carpet. *curses loudly* “I forgot to get gloves.”

Michael Jackson – “Smooth Criminal”

The sun is setting and your mind is telling you to go home but it’s winter solstice and only 5 p.m. You know Whip Cracker expects a solid 22 hours of labor or you can bet she’ll overcook Rachael Ray’s “Peach Bellini Chicken Thighs” because she’s too busy pacing the house with outlandish ideas. So suck it up, buddy, and let Michael moonwalk you into that kitchen you’ve been turning a blind eye to.

Joe Cocker – “With a Little Help From My Friends”

There comes a time in a man’s life when he deciphers the difference between his friends and his brothers. Just imagine peering out the window after hearing three car doors shut. To your amazement while shedding a slow tear, the “Regulators” show up with some Keystone tall boys and some judgments like slander to help you finish the day. Despite the endeavor you blindly took on and the lies you told the Whip Cracker, where there’s a will there’s a way. And when your light switch turns on the refrigerator and you’re slinging nachos at the Cowboys when they don’t make the playoffs, just remember the music that got you to that point. But for now, it’s just day one, sucka.

BGS 5+5: Paul Thorn

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Paul Thorn
Hometown: Tupelo, MS
Latest Album: Don’t Let the Devil Ride
Personal Nicknames: Bozo

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

I would have to say that Elvis Presley is the artist who influenced me the most. I grew up in the same town he grew up in (Tupelo, Mississippi).  Everyone around where I lived grew up listening to him. I always liked his gospel music and, when he would do a gospel record, he would get the great gospel artists of the day to back him. So, when I did mine, I did the same thing. I got the best gospel groups of the day — the Blind Boys of Alabama and the McCrary Sisters — to help me do my record. I did it like that because that’s what Elvis did — he got the best of the best.

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

My favorite memory from being on stage is from when I was in the eighth grade talent show. I sang “Three Times a Lady” and won first place. It was life changing. I was sort of a social outcast and, after I sang that song, I was the coolest kid in school. It made me feel good because I discovered singing was something I was good at.

How do other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc — inform your music?

Mostly art and paintings. When I create my own art, a song comes out of it somewhere. I drew a picture of a statue in my dad’s years and ended up writing a song bout it (“800 Pound Jesus”). I drew the picture before I wrote the song!

Since food and music go so well together, what would be your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?

Eating a filet mignon and seeing Tom Waits.

As you travel around the world, what is the overriding sense you get of the people?

I get a sense of family. I’m very open to meeting and getting to know my fans personally. It feels like a family reunion every time we get back together.

Photo credit: Lee Harrelson 

3X3: Chris Kasper on Beethoven, Bob, and Brewing Booch

Posted on by Amy Reitnouer

Artist: Chris Kasper
Hometown: Montvale, NJ
Latest Album: O, The Fool
Personal Nicknames: Kasper, Crisper, Skinny, Gustav, Ghost 

 

Playing #FREEatNOON on @wxpnfm at @worldcafelive Friday, May 5th. Stop by or tune in! #othefool

A post shared by Chris Kasper (@chriskaspermusic) on

What song do you wish you had written?

“Picture in a Frame” by Tom Waits or “Sonata Pathetique” by Beethoven. 

Who would be in your dream songwriter round?

Zappa, Lucinda, Townes, Tom Waits, and Bob.

If you could only listen to one artist’s discography for the rest of your life, whose would you choose?

Easy. Bob. I’m into everything he’s done, all his various stages of writing, even the ’80s-’90s stuff — 2001 on is my fave Bob period. Love and Theft, Modern Times … I even dig the Christmas record and the standards. His catalog would be cool with me forever. 

How often do you do laundry?

Too personal. Not often. I have to do some now. I’m bad with dishes, too. These are the things that never end, laundry and dishes. I’m the worst. I have to stock up socks, underwear, and towels. I also have a lot of free “SWAG” t-shirts I go through. Button down shirts stay mostly clean, pants stay mostly funky.  

What was the last movie that you really loved?

I like movies with crazy weather and good scenery. The last one that really made me tingle was maybe Beasts of the Southern Wild. Revenant was pretty great, too.    

If you could re-live one year of your life, which would it be and why?

I’m happy with this year! But that might be cheating … I’d pick 29-30. I went on my first sojourn to the desert and to the Pacific Northwest. It really changed me. 

What’s your go-to comfort food?

Cheese sandwich on potato bread with mustard. Same go-to since I was five years old. 

Kombucha — love it or hate it?

Love it. I was brewing my own years ago, when I was living in Oregon. I was also delivering kegs of the stuff, when I was living in Hawaii.

Mustard or mayo?

I say, stay stocked on both. It all comes down to, “Are there tomatoes involved or not?” If not, go mustard. iI tomatoes come into play, must do mayo.