Some Depression

Blogger tells me that the last time I updated this post was on July 28, 2013. In truth, I started writing it long before that, but I never had it in me to push the little orange Publish button. Robin Williams' death and all this talk of depression has kind of pushed me over the edge, and I've been dwelling on it all day. This was not easy for me to write and it is not an easy read. Except for a handful of sentences and the last few paragraphs, most of this was written over a year ago.

____________________________________

I haven't had it in me to update my blog in the last eight 21 months (except that Boston Marathon post, to which I never wrote a follow-up). When your hobby becomes a chore, it's time to find a new hobby. But what the hell? I used to love blogging about music. And it's not like I am going to fewer shows (well, I sort of am, but we'll get into that later), or listening to less music, or have found a new hobby. What the fuck, Amy?

In early May 2011, after an 18 month hiatus, Allie at Hyperbole and a Half wrote a brilliant blog post about depression. While I didn't relate to everything she said, a lot of it hit close to home and I found myself doing some of the exact things that she described, like this:

and this:

and this:

And I thought, "Dammit Aimz," and was briefly motivated to at least update the format/header of my blog (although I am still not happy with it). But I still couldn't fire up the activation energy to even post the damn set list for Hayes Carll's gig at Johnny D's (May 2013, killer show, by the way), or write about openly weeping when Jason Isbell played "Elephant" at The Sinclair in July 2013, or being one of eight people at the amazing Lee Bains III and the Glory Fires show (Feb 2014), or getting my face melted by The Turnpike Troubadours and American Aquarium (July 2014, best show I've seen this year). I even have a half-written blog post about my very first Son Volt show from June 2013.

And it's no secret that I've been dealing with some shit lately. Hell, I'll just say it. I've been formally, medically coping with clinical depression and/or generalized anxiety disorder and/or other diagnosis on and off (mostly on) for the last 15 years, and I am fairly sure that I have been actually dealing with it for most of my life.

Being the northerner that I am, I like to describe the feeling as like when you are trying to walk through snow that is up to your knees. Only it's July and it's 90 degrees outside and there is no snow on the ground. It's a huge effort just to lift up one foot and put it in front of the other. Another analogy that I like is that you are trying to wade up an ankle-deep, fast-moving stream, only all of the people on the shore are walking at a regular pace and can't even see the stream. Then you reach a boulder in the stream and and grab on to it so that the stream doesn't wash you away. Only your fingers start slipping off of the rock and you are having a hard time hanging on, while everyone around you is oblivious to your struggle.

You sleep until noon, drink three cups of coffee, then go back to sleep until 4pm. And do it again the next day. And the next day. Sometimes you skip the coffee and sleep straight until 4pm. You're exhausted all of the time and you can sleep anywhere, anytime, including the subway, at the movies, and in your living room with all of the lights on and the TV blaring. You only consume coffee, donuts, chocolate, ice cream, and beer, and you put on 15 pounds. Then none of your pants, shorts, or skirts fit. You can't remember the last time you showered. Maybe you showered on Tuesday but didn’t wash your hair, which would explain why my your head is so greasy. Your leg hair is a half inch long.

I tried to believe all the things that you said, but my friends that aren't dying are already dead. 
- The Hold Steady - Constructive Summer.mp3
Buy: Stay Positive (2008)

The following friends of mine have passed away since I moved to Boston in January 2011 (rough chronological order, ages in parentheses, after July 2013 in italics)

Maggie (63)
Leslie (47)
Jonathan (55)
Dan (40)
Linda (58)
Sandi (55)
JT (65)
Stephanie (40)
Tony (60)
Don (69)
Andy (59)

Some of these people were close friends, some I was not close to. All of them I hugged at one point or another. All of them had some sort of influence or impression on my life. Some died very suddenly, some after weeks, months, or years of illness. Being active in the organ donation and transplant community allows me the privilege of knowing people who have gone through similar health issues as I have, but it also hurts twice as much when they pass away because you know that could easily be you. Two of these deaths made me extremely angry, and one broke my heart.

What do you do when this happens? Do you take their information out of your phone? I haven't yet. Do you "unfriend" them on Facebook? Stupid Facebook. I do find some comfort in reading the messages people have left posthumously on their Facebook pages. All of these people lived far away and I didn't attend any of their funerals, plus some I learned of their deaths after the fact. What do you do next? What the fuck do I do?

The Jim Carroll Band - People Who Died.mp3
Buy: Catholic Boy (1980)

Unemployment almost killed me. I moved to Boston for a job in January 2011, and was let go in July 2011, and didn't work again until May 2012. Then was let go again in November 2012. Two seven-month jobs in two years is a huge red flag on a resume. And unemployment assistance does not come close to covering rent in Boston, much less all of your other expenses. You are perpetually broke. Then the government "sequesters" and cuts down your pittance by an extra $100 a week, then finally cuts you off altogether. At one point I was working three part time jobs just to try to keep going. The only reason I stayed in Massachusetts is because, up until Obamacare (Jan. 1, 2014), it was the only state where I could get health insurance without having a job. Fortunately, I found a job at the end of March 2014. It pays 27% less than my previous job, but it's a start. The work is interesting and I really love the people I am working with. I can't say that about my previous two Boston jobs.

Boston is a hard city, especially when you are by yourself and don't know a lot of people in the area. My family doctor referred me up to a psychiatrist who was crazier than most of her patients. Seriously, she made Dr. Jacoby from Twin Peaks (right) look normal. My insurance company charged a $20-$35 co-pay for a 20 minute session with her when money was already exceedingly tight. She was always being trailed by a young medical student, who I am certain that I taught more medicine to than she did. Hell, I have a kidney transplant, a history of GI problems, other maladies, and I'm a head-case. I'm interesting as fuck from a medical perspective. However, I never once felt better coming out of her office. I usually felt extremely annoyed. I would frequently go straight home from an appointment and go back to bed.

Regardless, the one thing nut-job shrink was correct about is my lack of support system in this town, which I knew before I set foot in her office. And it isn't just this town. I felt like I couldn't reach out to friends who were far away. I would be a bother to them. Or they were too busy with their kids and families and careers to hear about my problems. And I'm embarrassed that I can't handle it. I know there have been times in the last 15 years where I have been weird, anti-social, negative, or melancholy, and it's affected my friendships and social life. "Here comes that weirdo Aimz and her bad attitude. I don't want to deal with her." I never want someone to do something they don't want to do. Boston is not an easy place to make new friends. Professionals in Boston and Cambridge are hyper-competitive about their careers. Natives of the area are suspicious of outsiders. People in my age range are busy with families and kids. Which brings me to the thing I miss most about Dan: us commiserating on our parallel lives. He, unlike me, was chronically happy, and always made me feel better about us being "losers with no friends." (His quote.) And I miss that loser with no friends more than I ever thought possible.

The below song has always haunted me.

Candlebox - Far Behind.mp3
Buy: Candlebox (1993)

Here's what I don't want: I don't want all of my friends frantically calling and texting me now that I have "opened up." I don't want people to leave comments below about "you can always call me" blah, blah, blah. I know, I know. But my pride gets in the way and I muddle through as always. Just know that depression/anxiety disorder/what-the-fuck is a son-of-a-bitch, and I have my good and bad days. I'm better now that I have a job and new friends. But it's always lurking in the back of my brain, anticipating that the stream's current may surge, and there may be another slippery rock that I have a hard time holding on to.
Edit: My friend Sara e-mailed me and, "You're not the boss of me! I'll call and text and leave comments if damn well want to!" Sara rules.

Kasey Anderson - Some Depression.mp3
From: Let the Bloody Moon Rise (2012)

This Week in Boston

It's a killer week for live music in Boston. Check this out:

Monday - July 16
Elizabeth Cook with Tim Carroll at Club Passim in Cambridge. I wrote about Cook a few days ago. I'm really looking forward to this show. Tickets are $15 at the door.

Tuesday - July 17
I went to your school and I did my detention, but the walls were so gray I couldn't pay attention.
That's right, one of my top five live bands is in town Tuesday night. The Hold Steady at the Royale! Tickets are $20. And it's going to be hotter than balls tomorrow in Boston (seriously, record high temps expected), so it may be double whiskey, Coke, double ice for me.

Wednesday - July 18
1. My homeboy Kasey Anderson is in Boston!!! He's bringing his band The Honkies to Cafe 939. The Wandas and The Rationales also perform - both of these highly rated bands are local to Boston and both have free stuff on their websites.

2. Not a gig, but movies!!! The Brattle theater is having a double feature of Color Me Impressed: a Film About the Replacements (6:45 screening) and What Did You Expect? Archers of Loaf Live at Cat's Cradle. The double feature is $15, or each show is $10. The Replacements doc will be follow by a Q & A with director Gorman Bechard. Actually, Bechard directed both films.

Thursday - July 19
Well, Aerosmith is in town, at the Gahden, but I would rather watch the Weather Channel.

Friday - July 20
Refused with OFF! at the House of Blues. I have never seen Refused, but I saw OFF! open for Dinosaur Jr. last year and they were killer! Refused is a Swedish hardcore punk band who originally broke up in 1998. I believe that this Boston stop is part of their reunion tour. OFF! is a hardcore punk super group from Los Angeles featuring former members of the Circle Jerks, Black Flag, Burning Brides, Redd Kross, Rocket from the Crypt, and Hot Snakes. Now that's a lot of punk.

OFF! - Fuck People
Buy: OFF! (2012)

Saturday - July 21
Sleep off the hangover. It's been a long week. Or get your prog rock on with Yes at Bank of America Pavilion.

Sunday- July 22
This show is all kinds of sold out, but if you can find a ticket make sure to hit the Gaslight Anthem with Dave Hause opening at the Middle East. I saw the Gaslight Anthem about two years ago, and they totally lived up to the hype. A GREAT live act. Their new album Handwritten is out next week. If you are reading this post on Monday, they are live streaming their show tonight at 10:15pm! Dave Hause is the opener for Gaslight, and I have seen him twice in the last year. He's kind of a punk rock folk singer. So, so good.

Dave Hause - Pray for Tuscon
Buy: Resolutions (2011)



Did I miss anyone?

My Favorite Albums of 2010

My normal year-end favorite albums list usually tends to favor the bands/artists who I saw live in that year. This is only somewhat true for 2010. While The Hold Steady, The National, Drive-by Truckers, and Justin Townes Earle all had killer live gigs in Toronto this year, I just couldn't get into their 2010 releases (I didn't write a review of The National at Massey Hall on June 8 because every other blogger in Toronto did). Turns out that I tended to like some of the opening acts better than some of the headliners, which makes me sound like an even bigger music snob than I already am. And this list makes me sound worse! Only three pseudo mainstream indie records made the cut. I also noticed that the albums I favored this year leaned towards the Bruce Springsteen/Tom Petty-style of rock. I'm not sure why, but that's just what tickled my fancy, or something, in 2010. If I could, I supplied links to buying the albums directly from the band's/artist's web site (more $ for the band). Go buy these records! Most have cheap shipping, and it's only like $1-2 more to ship to Canada. All of these records are worthy of being in you collection.

1. The Fox Hunt - Long Way to Go

This modern bluegrass quartet out of Martinsburg, West Virginia, put out the best album in 2010. From my original review posted in September: The band has two primary songwriters, John R. Miller and Matt Kline, who both cover a range of human emotions in their music. Women, sinning, drinking, misery, temptation, you know, the happy subjects, are covered in depth in their lyrics. Their music is mostly uptempo country/folk, filled with vocal harmonies, and lots of banjo and fiddle, rounded out with acoustic guitar, mandolin, and upright bass. And the musicians frequently rotate instruments and share lead vocals. Now that's talent!

Long Way to Go spans an entire range of roots music, with a mid-tempo opening track called "Screw Me Up" which is about a woman messing with a dude's head. Later, a snappy song called "It Suits Me" which is ostensibly about a one night stand (the instrumental outro kills me). One of the best songs on the album, "Four Horses" is a slaying meditation on life and death. "No one said that life was easy. No one said that life was fair." Gulp. One of my favorite songs on the album, "I'll Drink Cheap," is about breaking the bank to please your lush of a woman. I listened to and enjoyed this album more than any other record released in 2010. You should be doing the same.

Third runner up to song of the year:
Four Horses.mp3
Buy: Long Way to Go

2. Glossary - Feral Fire

Remember when The Hold Steady released their first few albums and everyone, including me, said they were the second coming of Thin Lizzy? Wrong! Ladies and gentlemen, I present Glossary. Feral Fire is such a killer rock album. It takes its name from a line in the Cormac McCarthy book, The Road. Apparently this is their sixth album, but I am just hopping on the bandwagon now. Can't wait to listen to their back catalog, some of which is free on their web site. If you like Bruce Springsteen/Tom Petty/Drive-By Truckers kind of rock, then get this album pronto.

Second runner up to song of the year:
Save Your Money for the Weekend.mp3
Buy: Feral Fire


3. Matthew Ryan - Dear Lover (electric and acoustic)

I got a copy of Matthew Ryan's Dear Lover back in October 2009, and I have been dying to put it on my top 10 list for the last fourteen months. From my original review from February: The entire record revolves (evolves?) around the theme of a romantic relationship. Relationships are complicated, wonderful, confusing, stressful, exhilarating, scary, empowering, and even lonely, sometimes all at the same time. "I could be your super hero. I could be your biggest disappointment." Ryan is telling stories in his songs, but the stories are vague enough where each listener can interpret the song in his/her own way. The mark of a great songwriter is the ability to let his audience decide what the song is about, and Ryan thrives in this aspect of musicianship.

The songs on Dear Lover are power pop anthems, indie rockers, soft ballads, and electro/synth tracks you could hear in a Manhattan martini bar. Some people may be turned off by the ambient/electro-sounding songs, but I think they really add to the overall feel of the album and show Ryan's willingness to experiment with diverse sounds. In fact, one fan called Dear Lover "Matthew Ryan's synth/techno/electro Nebraska."

Later in 2010 Ryan released Dear Lover as an acoustic album, with a different track order, and one new track, which makes it a completely different album. I haven't heard of an artist doing this before, except in the context of a live album or something. This approach may be a new way for indie/DYI artists to get more mileage out of one record. Screw that iTunes "exclusive" or iTunes "sessions" crap. I may be old school, but I like the physical disc in my hand, in both electric and acoustic forms.

City Life.mp3
City Life (acoustic).mp3
Buy both: City Life (electric and acoustic)

4. Joe Pug - Messenger

I saw Joe Pug open for Justin Townes Earle back in March, and I was totally taken with Pug. At the time I didn't own the album Messenger, but after subsequent listens I was enamored with his work. This is a solid singer/songwriter folk-ish, country-ish album, with brilliant lyrics and great storytelling. I don't have a lot to say about this album. The music speaks for itself.

Fourth runner up to song of the year:
Not So Sure.mp3
Buy: Messenger

Pug has a free EP out right now. You can download it for the cost of your e-mail address.

5. Tim Barry - 28th & Stonewall

I had the pleasure of seeing Tim Barry in concert twice this year: once opening for Chuck Ragan in February and once opening for The Gaslight Anthem in July, both times solo acoustic.

Barry is intense, and pissed off, but also deeply sincere and forthright. He has deep convictions, and he stands by them. You don't fuck with Tim Barry. You also don't fuck with his album 28th & Stonewall, an intersection in Barry's home town of Richmond, Virginia. I would love to know about the significance of this particular corner. This album continues with Barry's style of simple storytelling about complicated people. The characters in Barry's songs are presumably semi-autobiographical: they are fucks-up who are trying to do the right thing, but keep stumbling into people who are constantly letting them down. In addition, he's also very self-deprecating and self-aware. 28th & Stonewall is Barry's most well-written solo album, with vibrant lyrics boosting his powerful voice. But, this album is not for the timid. You may be offended by some of the content, but Barry doesn't give a shit, and neither do I.

(Memento Mori).mp3
Buy: 28th & Stonewall

6. Two Cow Garage - Sweet Saint Me

The fact that Two Cow Garage hasn't cracked the indie rock glass ceiling completely baffles me. Sweet Saint Me is their fifth album, and as I said in my November review, this album as a whole is their strongest one yet. Sweet Saint Me is nearly a pure rock album, but this time the lead singers, mostly Michal Schnabel with a few tracks by Shane Sweeney, seemed to have really concentrated on honing their songwriting technique. The entire album seems more mature and focused. But don't worry, "mature and focused" can also kick fucking ass! Take my favorite track, "Lydia;" "Lydia, you're much too young to have your teeth on the tip of my tongue. If your lips were just a little bit older…" I heard through the twittervine that when Schnabel premiered "Jackson, Don't You Worry" at SXSW, a song dedicated to Sweeney's baby son, grown men were weeping. Indeed, I took a hard gulp the first time I heard it. And I'll be damned if Schnabel didn't steal the "Insolent Youth" lyric "just because you can doesn't mean you should" from me, cause I've been saying that for years. Sweet Saint Me is peppered with hard rock anthems ("My Great Gatsby"), love songs ("Closer to You"), and stories ("Lucy and the Butcher Knife"), with the occasional lyric borrowed from Bruce Springsteen, Townes Van Zandt, and Bob Dylan. To paraphrase my reader Ron from Buffalo, Two Cow Garage has written better individual songs ("No Shame," "Swingset Assassin," "Humble Narrator," "Mediocre," "Saturday Night," "Come Back to Shelby") but this album is solid everywhere.

Lydia.mp3
Buy: Sweet Saint Me

7. The Sadies - Darker Circles

A few months ago I was listening to a podcast of the CBC radio show Q where the host was interviewing The Sadies lead guitarists/singers/songwriters brothers Dallas and Travis Good. One of them said that after their mom listened to Darker Circles she called them to make sure they were OK. You know you've made a good album when you freak your mom out.

Per my May review: Darker Circles is a very different album from their 2007 release New Seasons, although both were produced by Jayhawks member Gary Louris. Darker Circles is, well, much darker than New Seasons, with lyrics like, "it won't be long 'til all your hopes and dreams are dead and gone," ("Another Year Again"), and "I turn to oblivion night after night," ("Tell Her What I Said"). The songs have themes of isolation, regret, remorse, and ponderances of "what could have been." There is even a country-rock killin' song ("Violet and Jeffrey Lee," not quite a murder ballad). The entire album has a very psychedelic feel to it, like a 2010 version of The Byrds. Especially my favorite track "Postcards," (listen below) which sounds like it could be straight out of Roger McGuin's 1960s catalog.

This is not an album that will cheer you up on a bad day, but it is a killer country-rock psychedelic folk bluegrass record (its damn impossible to categorize The Sadies). As my friend Whiskey Devil said, "Dark Sadies might just be the best Sadies."

Postcards.mp3
Buy (Maple Music): Darker Circles
Buy (Amazon): Darker Circles

8. The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang

I was apprehensive about The Gaslight Anthem's newest release until I saw them live back in July. They totally lived up to the hype. Blew me away actually. They blasted into the title track "American Slang" and never looked back.

American Slang and The Gaslight Anthem are filling in a much needed niche in music right now: they are a solid rock band. They don't fart around with pretentious new sounds, or have weird outfits, or feel the need to do namby-pamby acoustic folk songs (and I like namby-pamby acoustic folk songs). American Slang is essentially following the same Tom Petty/Bruce Springsteen rock formula that they have been using since their 2008 debut album Sink Or Swim, except that they have become better singers/guitarists/musicians in general. I'm hoping that the Gaslight Anthem will get today's teenagers interested in rock and roll. God knows that popular music needs it.

Stay Lucky.mp3
Buy: American Slang

9. Kasey Anderson - Nowhere Nights

Nowhere Nights came out in early 2010, and as I predicted in February, it set my standard for the year in rock music. It contains eleven tracks of solid rock songs: some slow, some fast, some you can dance to, some that will make you think, and some that will just make you rock out.

Anderson's rock influences are all over this album. You can hear Tom Petty in "Sooner/Later," Bruce Springsteen in "Leavin' Kind," and Mike Cooley-penned Drive-By Truckers songs in "All Lit Up." "Real Gone" is an obvious nod to Tom Waits, but it also seems like it could be Anderson's "Desolation Row."

"I Was a Photograph" is the song of the year. Anderson wrote this song about Lance Cpl. James Blake Miller after reading an article about the Iraq veteran in Rolling Stone. You can read Anderson's thoughts on the song on a post he did for Ninebullets.net.

While the album is largely autobiographical, the themes and stories easily resonate with everyday folks (in other words, me). Two songs specifically hit home for me. The first track, "Bellingham Blues," reminds me of never feeling at home in the town where you grew up. Similarly, the song "Home" reminds me of my home town. I'm assuming that this song is also about Bellingham, a city similar in population to my home town. "That's how it goes in a town this small. You either play your hand a little closer to the vest, or you don't play at all." Great lyrics, and so true.

Song of the year, easily:
I Was a Photograph (Blake's Song).mp3
Buy: Nowhere Nights

10. The Black Keys - Brothers

The Black Keys do it again with a killer blues-based rock album called Brothers. This album makes me want to tap my feet, shake my ass, and drink hooch like an old blues man on Maxwell Street. Some have compared The Black Keys to The White Stripes in terms of a blues-based rock duo, but The Black Keys has a deeper, more restrained and disciplined sound, as opposed to blues-spaz-rock and bizarre lyrics that sometimes spews from Jack White. For Brothers itself, the recording is raw and uncomplicated, but you can also hear a bit of punk rock and hip-hop influences throughout the record. The songs are catchy, fiery, and sexy, and will get stuck in your head. This is a good thing.

Brothers also has the worst/laziest album art of 2010.

Apparently The Black Keys are driving some of my US peeps crazy because several of songs are licensed for TV commercials. But those licenses didn't reach Canada, so I can't complain!

Next Girl.mp3
Buy: Brothers

Rock Schedule June 14-20

There are so many great gigs coming up in Toronto in the next few months that every Sunday night I am going to highlight what I think you should go to. I can't go to all of these, and some are on the same night, so if anyone wants to guest post, please say the word (rockstaraimz at gmail dot com).

NxNE is Technically from June 14-20, but most of the gigs start on Thurs, June 16. I am still not sure exactly which shows I am hitting. More on that later in the week. But for now, here is what I think you should go to.


Tuesday, June 15
1. Austin Lucas with Gentlemen Husbands at Sneaky Dee's (431 College). I will be at this one for sure.

Somebody Loves You.mp3
Buy: Somebody Loves You (2009)

2. The New Pornographers with The Dodo's and The Dutchess and the Duke, The Sound Academy (11 Polson Street)


Thursday, June 17
1. Kasey Anderson, part of NxNE, Cadillac Lounge (1296 Queen Street West), 12:00. I'll be there!

Sooner/Later.mp3
Buy: Nowhere Nights (2010)

2. NxEW Showcase. Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen Street West), 8 p.m. - 3 a.m. I'll be bouncing between this showcase and various other NxNE acts.

There is a sweet FREE compilation featuring the above artists available from Zunior.com. Download here.

3. Outlaws and Gunslingers Showcase presented by Six Shooter Records and Starfish Entertainment, NxNE, Lee's Palace (529 Bloor Street West).

Friday, June 18
1. Uncle Sinner, part of NxNE, Cadillac Lounge (1296 Queen Street West), 11:00. I'll be there.

Jack of Diamonds.mp3
Buy (CD Baby): Ballads and Mental Breakdowns (2008)

2. Buddyhead Goes Canadian! 2010 NXNE SHOWCASE! I didn't realize it when I posted this yesterday, but the following showcase is being presented by the LA-based irreverent punk blog Buddyhead, one of the best blogs on the internets. The Great Hall (1087 Queen St. West), starting at 9:00 pm.

9:00 - Avi Buffalo
10:00 - A.A. Bondy
11:00 - John Doe and  Exene Cervenka from X (unplugged)
12:00 - Mini Mansions
1:00 - The Icarus Line

Travis Keller – DJing the most smashing and crashing Rock N’ Roll all night long!

If you can't get into this one, come join me at Uncle Sinner, just a few blocks down the street.


Saturday, June 19
1. A.A. Bondy, NxNE, Dakota Tavern (249 Ossington Avenue), 9:00. I'm probably going to park my sorry carcass at the Dakota for the night.

2. Toronto Island Concert. I'm too broke to go to this, but I would love for someone to do a guest review (or give me a ticket)!

Album Review: Kasey Anderson - Nowhere Nights

2009 was a really great year for music, but one of my complaints about last year's releases was the dearth of rock records. Where were the guitar solos, the back beat, the "three cords and the truth?"  Asides from albums by Dinosaur Jr.and Them Crooked Vultures, who bring their own unique styles to the rock genre, it was a pretty sparse year for good, old-fashioned, rock and roll.

Fortunately, Kasey Anderson is rectifying this trend in early 2010. His third album Nowhere Nights is officially out next Tuesday, February 16, and is currently available through iTunes or Anderson's label Red River Records.  This record contains eleven tracks of solid rock songs: some slow, some fast, some you can dance to, some that will make you think, and some that will just make you rock out. 

Anderson's rock influences are all over this album. You can hear Tom Petty in "Sooner/Later," Bruce Springsteen in "Leavin' Kind," and Mike Cooley-penned Drive-By Truckers songs in "All Lit Up."  "Real Gone" is an obvious nod to Tom Waits, but it also seems like it could be Anderson's "Desolation Row."

"I Was a Photograph" will be the song of the year.  I can't see how any other song will top this one. Anderson wrote this song about Lance Cpl. James Blake Miller after reading an article about the Iraq veteran in Rolling Stone.  You can read Anderson's thoughts on the song on a post he did for Ninebullets.net.

While the album is largely autobiographical, the themes and stories easily resonate with everyday folks (in other words, me). Two songs specifically hit home for me. The first track, "Bellingham Blues," reminds me of never feeling at home in the town where you grew up.  Similarly, the song "Home" reminds me of my home town. I'm assuming that this song is also about Bellingham, a city similar in population to my home town.  "That's how it goes in a town this small. You either play your hand a little closer to the vest, or you don't play at all." Great lyrics.

Nowhere Nights sets the standard for what I hope will be a more rock and rollin' 2010.

Sooner/Later.mp3
Home.mp3
Buy: Nowhere Nights (2010)


Make sure to check out some Kasey Anderson live tracks over at A Truer Sound.

Remembrance Day

Its Remembrance Day in Canada, Veteran's Day in the US. Having lived in both countries, Canadians take Remembrance Day very, very seriously, much more so than in the US. Perhaps it is because Canada doesn't have a formal Memorial Day like the US does. November 11 is recognized internationally as Armistice Day commemorating the formal end of World War I in 1918.

Most people in Canada don bright red poppies on their left jacket lapel, above the heart. Many will read the poem In Flanders Fields written by Canadian Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae in 1915 after witnessing the death of one of his friends. In Toronto, after the formal remembrance ceremonies, people will place their poppies at the war memorial in front of old city hall, similar to the above photo.

Here are a half dozen song about veterans. The first song may be one of the best songs of the year. Kasey Anderson wrote this song about Lance Cpl. James Blake Miller after seeing an article about him in Rolling Stone. Anderson wrote a short essay on why he wrote the song, which was posted on NineBullets.net in July. NineBullets also posted the lyrics today.

Kasey Anderson - I Was a Photograph (Blake's Song).mp3
Buy: Nowhere Nights (2009)

I find this Jason Isbell track to be so remarkable because it tells a story of the realities of war without being judgmental or opinionated. This version is a bootleg from when Isbell was still with the Drive-By Tuckers. I found it on the Truckers message boards. It was recorded live during a Truckers show in fall of 2006 (I think). To me the solo acoustic version is more powerful than the recorded version.

Jason Isbell - Dress Blues (bootleg).mp3
Buy: recorded version appears on Sirens Of The Ditch (2007)

This song isn't all about veterans, exactly. I think its actually more about blue-collar family holidays in general, be it Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, etc. I saw James McMurtry do this song live in winter of 2007, just him and an acoustic guitar. He did the last verse a capella, and you could have heard a pin drop. It was seriously one of the most moving musical moments I have ever witnesses. Here are the lyrics to the last verse:

Departing Chicago at 9:52
In clean desert camo all baggy and loose
Sits an Iowa Guardsman alone by the gate
The place sure looked different, in 1968
When he traveled with mom, first time on a plane
To visit some kin, he’s forgotten their names
But he remembers the soldiers, still in their teens
In their spit polished boots and their pressed army greens
With the creases so sharp, and their faces so smooth
But their eyes looked so heavy, he wondered how they could move
Now he’s got that same look, like his insides are black
He’s in his mid forties and he has to go back
And he can’t even smoke while he waits for his plane
The uniform’s different, but the mission remains
To do like they tell you, don’t make a fuss
Why’s not an issue, so don’t think too much
Just do what you have to, shut up and drive
If you come apart later, well at least you’re alive
You can get you some help, you can deal with it then
And life will be better, ‘til it happens again

‘Cause there’s something inside us that won’t let us be
In stalks through our days ‘til it’s too dark to see
And it’s damn near as deadly as Texans on ice
Lord don’t they beat all
Y’all have a nice holiday

Gulp!

James McMurtry - Holiday.mp3
Buy: Childish Things (2005)

Ben Nichols of Lucero frequently writes about the experiences of men in the military. In the below song he writes from a perspective of a 19-year-old joining the World War II effort in 1943, and the trials that he goes through, and the regrets that come with war. Also check out "One the Way Back Home" (the narrator sleeps in his car so that his buddy on leave from the army can get laid), and "Joining the Army" (the narrator doesn't feel that playing guitar lives up to his grandfather's accomplishments, presumably in WWII).

Lucero - The War.mp3
Buy: Nobody's Darlings (2005)

In this song Matthew Ryan contemplates how the decisions of rich politicians who have never been in the military effects the families of the men who risk it all.

Matthew Ryan -Veteran's Day.mp3
From: Hopeless to Hopeful (2002, out of print)

My main man Johnny Cash sings from the perspective of a Vietnam vet trying to live in everyday society. He remembers being scorned when returning to the US from the war, tells how he still has nightmares from the 'Nam jungle, and wishes that he could explain his feeling and experiences to his children.

Johnny Cash - Drive On.mp3
Buy: American Recordings (1994)

Kasey Anderson T-Shirt Giveaway

To help Kasey Anderson promote his upcoming release Nowhere Nights, a bunch of us blogging types have set up a promotion in which you can not only hear some demos off of said release, but also have a chance to win some cool swag.

On the album cover to the left you will see a phrase at the bottom center of the cover art. This phrase is part of a lyric to one of Anderson's new songs. Just match the phrase with with the rest of the lyrics and you may win one of three Nowhere Nights LP/Admit One t-shirt bundles or one of two additional Admit One t-shirts. (See Red River Records for more details.)

Where can you find the rest of the lyrics? Here is where you will have to do a little pointing and clicking. May I suggest you start at A Truer Sound. Or, if you have already stopped by A Truer Sound, I suggest you check out Fencepost. Once you have all of the lyrics, you will be instructed as to where to send the lyrics to be eligible for the prize pack. Good luck! Isn't this fun???

Kasey Anderson - Like Teenage Gravity (demo).mp3
Buy: Nowhere Nights (limited edition signed vinyl LP).
Official release date is February 16, 2010.

Kasey Anderson: Way Out West

2009 is turning out to be a really great year for new music. It is also turning out to be the year of the covers/tribute albums. Already we have heard covers/tribute releases from Phosphorescent (To Willie), The Sadies and John Doe (Country Club), Steve Earle (Townes), and the upcoming Yim Yames (Jim James of My Morning Jacket) Tribute To George Harrison (Aug. 4). For me, all three of former releases don't do much that the original songs can't do on their own. Don't get me wrong, they are good, solid albums. Its just that, for the most part, I would rather listen to the originals.

When I first received Kasey Anderson's latest album Way Out West, I didn't look at the track list and just popped it into my MP3 player to listen to while I ran my Saturday afternoon errands. It took me until the sixth track to realize that it was a covers album. Now you are probably thinking that the reason I flaked on the first five tracks is that I am not the music geek that I claim to be, which may be true. Its no secret that I don't really dig the Arcade Fire, and I have never listened to Keith Urban. But damn, I've listened to the shit out of Tom Waits Mule Variations, and I totally missed that one too! My point is that, unlike other covers albums released this year, Anderson truly makes these songs his own. Most of these songs are reworkings rather than genuine covers. Anderson adds his own style to each track, without tarnishing the beauty of the original song.

Anderson's musical approach is clearly influenced by the alt country styles of early Steve Earle albums. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Bob Dylan tune "High Water (for Charlie Patton)." Anderson turns Dylan's banjo-infused folk song into a country-rock anthem that sounds like it could be easily out of Earle's back catalog.

But Way Out West is not all country-rock. "I Still Miss Someone" is so ethereal that I can easily see it being used as background music in a heart-wrenching movie scene. Anderson's version of "Open All Night" is electric blues-based rock that sounds like it should be blasting from the stereo speakers at your favorite dive bar. I might actually like the Arcade Fire if they pulled out all of the foo-foo instrumentation and stuck to rock and roll, like Anderson's take on "Keep the Car Running"

Anderson performed all of the vocals and played every instrument on the album, with the exception of female backing vocals on "Walls" (performed by Anna Foster). The Pacific Northwest native self-recorded Way Out West earlier this year while living, traveling, and gigging around Europe. This digital-only release is one of the first releases on his own label, Red River Records. Anderson said that he recorded these particular tracks because they are tunes that he loves as well as songs that he has been playing for years.

His passion for these very different tracks is highly evident. The ten reworked songs span 52 years of music ("I Still Miss Somone," 1955, to "Keep the Car Running," 2007), highlight indie (Marah) and mainstream (Keith Urban) musicians, and cover folk, rock, alternative, and country genres. For me, Way Out West is what I expected and hoped the other covers/tribute albums released in 2009 would be like. Anderson adds something novel to these songs and make them his own.

Track List
1. Open All Night (orig. Bruce Springsteen)
2. Keep the Car Running (orig. Arcade Fire)
3. Hold On (orig. Tom Waits)
4. Days Go By (orig. Keith Urban)
5. Drifting (orig. Pearl Jam)
6. Walls (orig. Tom Petty)
7. High Water (for Charley Patton) (orig. Bob Dylan)
8. Round Eye Blues (orig. Marah)
9. I Still Miss Someone (orig. Johnny Cash)
10. To Live is to Fly (orig. Townes Van Zandt)

Walls (Tom Petter cover).mp3
Buy (iTunes or CD Baby): Way Out West (2009)

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Its Kasey Anderson week in the blogosphere! Anderson recently wrote a wonderful guest post for NineBullets.net. He also included a brilliant original song to go along with his article. If you can't get enough of Mr. Anderson, he also has a four song bonus EP entitled The Seeker that will be available on Aug. 25. Some of the tracks are currently streaming on the Red River Records site. Anderson is planning to release his third original album Nowhere Nights in early 2010. You can listen to the forthcoming song "All Lit Up" on the Red River site.