Potty Water sings “The Club”

It’s certainly a lot heavier than Nick’s original version. More of a drone-rock take on it. It works, though, don’t ya think?

Asylum Street Spankers: Strawberry (Bootleg Series Volume One)

2004, Spanks-a-Lot Records

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With so many bands, either I like them in concert or I like them on album, but I don’t like them both ways. The Spankers are the rare exception for me — their concerts are different from their studio albums, for sure, but I really like both formats, for different reasons. This album, Strawberry, splits the difference: It’s a recorded-live album, from a music festival they played back in 1998, out in California or something. It really captures their live show at its best, I think, although I’ve never been too disappointed with a Spankers show.

No doubt, part of the reason the Spankers have released so many live albums (5 out of their 9 releases, I think, if you count Nasty Novelties and Spanker Madness in there) is that the band does sound very different in the studio. I’m sure people have demanded albums that capture the antics of their crazy live shows. Unlike a lot of live albums by other bands, the Spankers’ live albums do a good job of that.

The Spankers got started right about the time I was moving to Austin, back in ’94 or so. The Spankers were an Austin supergroup because it brought together a bunch of random musicians who had hot Austin music careers going in their own right: Guy Forsyth, the young blues hotshot; Olivier Giraud, from 8 1/2 Souvenirs; Stan Smith and others from the Jazz Pharoahs; etc. As legend goes, these folks had all gotten together at this hotel out in the hill country somewhere (the Dabbs Hotel in Llano, according to the liner notes to Spanks for the Memories). Evening came, and all these folks found themselves hanging out together on the front porch of the Dabbs, singing and smoking and talking about old-timey music. They sang a bunch of songs together that night… and the Spankers were born.

They took the old-timey theme to heart, and to this day, they refuse to use any “demon electricity” at their shows — it’s a bunch of musicians with banjos, guitars, harmonicas, and just about every sort of semi-musical noisemaker you could imagine, playing ‘coustic to whomever is close enough to hear…

Over the years, the lineup of the Spankers has shifted a lot, and there were also some tiffs, apparently. (I suppose keeping a supergroup together is especially challenging.) Tiffs, plus folks getting busy with their own schedules and lives and such. After a couple years, Pops Bayless and Mysterious John split off to form Shorty Long, Olivier left, and Guy Forsyth went back to doing the solo thing. These days, the only original folks are Christina Marrs and Wammo, I think, although you still find Guy Forsyth or someone sitting in from time to time. It’s still a fun show. Amy and I went to see the Spankers at the Saxon Pub not too long ago (a year ago now? oof, time flies) for Stan Smith’s “goodbye” show. His health has been getting worse (liver failure) and he has needed to cut back the gigs. It was still pretty fun, even with many new folks on the roster. Then there was some Spankers show not long ago that advertised itself as “all the original lineup,” so I guess at least some of the water has passed under the bridge.

In the early days, the Spankers would play regular gigs plus a “Sunday Gospel Brunch” at La Zona Rosa. We even went to see that sunday brunch show over our wedding weekend; I think we took Granny Liz to that, it being a gospel show and all. (And who better to appreciate a gospel show than the Southern Baptist grandma?) Part of what made seeing the Spankers so much fun in those days is that you just felt like you were in the presence of greatness. They were all such amazing musicians, and there you were, ten feet away, just basking in their deitous glow. (Is deitous a word?) You felt personally connected to them, just by being there.

And really, if I think about it, I guess that’s a lot of what I find fun about writing down stuff like this, and reminiscing about my little personal connection with bands. Somehow, when I trace my “six degrees of separation” stories from these musicians, it makes me feel like I shared that fun, that coolness, that fame, that glory with them. And who doesn’t like a little rock ‘n roll glory?

That being said, around the time that we got married, Amy and I were on a friendly basis with Stan, because his band, the Jazz Pharoahs, played our wedding. We had lunch with him at the Magnolia Cafe on Lake Austin, and we talked about all the arrangements for our wedding, and had a fun conversation about his life. He was really gracious and friendly, and we got on pretty well. Turns out he had roots in Indianapolis, and had been involved with a couple of jazz clubs there. He and I shared some stories about Indy (since I lived there for a while and my mom still does).

One of the fun revelations from that conversation was that Stan had known Duke Tumatoe pretty well. Duke Tumatoe is one of my guitar heroes, in part because I used to go see him in Indy and Ann Arbor at about the time I started playing guitar. Because he was older and seemed to be having such an amazing time, he was a big inspiration to me. It made me realize that you didn’t have to be a big rock star to have a great time playing music — you could have a hell of a lot of fun playing to twenty people in little clubs. One of my favorite memories from a Duke Tumatoe show was him having this little tiny electric guitar and a really bright headlamp on his head; the band was totally rocking out and he took this long, extended guitar solo while he walked all through the audience and eventually out into the street, just totally wailing on the little thing while he walked around on the sidewalk shining this really bright spotlight on the people walking by. How fun is that? As a little personal tribute to Duke, one of the things I always wanted to do was put a great bar-blues band together and call it Kid Tomato and the Toads, in honor of one of Duke’s early bands, Duke Tumatoe and the All-Star Frogs. (I still might do it.) I even went up to him after a show once to tell him that he was one of my inspirations: “Thanks, I appreciate that. How long you been playing?” “Three months.” “Keep practicing, kid.”

A couple of months after our wedding, the Spankers were on a national tour (!) and they came through Pittsburgh while Amy and I were in grad school there, getting our nonprofit degrees. The Spankers played at Rosebud’s in the Strip District, and of course Amy and I went to see them and dragged as many of our friends as we possibly could to that show. At one point — and how cool is this? — Stan introduces a song with “This one goes out to Amy and Brent. Me and Jimmie Dean and a couple other guys played at their wedding a couple months back. So here’s to the happy couple.” And then they played “Since I Met You Baby,” which is one of our songs…

You know, looking back, that probably came at a really good time for me and Amy. After we got married, we had a lot of big, scary second thoughts about whether we’d made the right decision to marry each other. We couldn’t stand each other a lot of the time, to be honest. That “what have I done?” kind of thing. But I remember dancing together that night while the Spankers played that song, and how amazing and in love I felt. And I still do feel that way when I think about that song. Every once in a while, me and Amy put that on and dance in the living room together. Sure, it’s corny, but is that so wrong?

After the show that night, I got all of the Spankers’ band members to sign my copy of “Nasty Novelties.” I don’t have that many signed albums, but there’s a few that I cherish. My signed copy of Nick Lowe’s “Nick the Knife,” for instance. For my dad’s 60th birthday, which is next month, I bought him a signed vinyl copy of “Blind Faith” off of eBay. It’s signed by all four members of the band: Eric Clapton (my dad’s musical hero), Steve Winwood, Ginger Baker, and Rick Grech. It was pretty expensive, but how often does your dad turn 60? Don’t know if he’ll really like it, but I sure couldn’t figure out anything else to give him.

Anyway, when Wammo signed his autograph that night in Pittsburgh, he wrote, “Brent, Thanks for the blowjob. —Wammo” …And to this day, I still don’t get it. Was he playing off my gushing over the show, calling that a blowjob by analogy? Was he trying to be deliberately offensive? Was he just trying to be funny? I can’t figure it out.

Maybe sometime I’ll take that cd with me to a Spankers show, and ask him what he meant…

17 sep 05

P.S. Here’s the Spankers at the top of their game, performing “Funny Cigarette”

SXSW 2010: Sixteen Deluxe – Spinner.

Therefore, I humbly present to you my top 10 albums from 2009, in no particular order.

Note that the headings (the band and album names) are clickable links:

White Rabbits: It’s Frightening

This album is as fresh and sparkly as a cold shizzle on a hot day. Smart, precise, bouyant pop, with an ever-so-slight edge of darkness/anxiety thrown in. The hand of Britt Daniel (who served as producer or engineer or something) is strong on this album, and that’s a good thing — the Spoon touch is perfectly suited to this material.

This performance of the album’s main single, “Percussion Gun,” on David Letterman, is unbelievably tight (in every sense):

*

Sonic Youth: The Eternal

Every time I listen to this album, I’m surprised again by how good it is, and how innovative and interesting it is, given that it’s still the same old Sonic Youth, doing the same old thing. Their songwriting is as good as ever, and the sonic textures that Sonic Youth create are unlike anything else out there. I think it was the Paste review of this album that said, “All these years later, no one does Sonic Youth like Sonic Youth.”

Here’s the video for the first track on the album:

*

Matt the Electrician: Animal Boy

Finally! Matt’s last few albums have seemed unfinished to me. More like demos than completed albums. The songs have been fine, but they just needed a little… more. Doing this new album over an extended period of time, fiddling about in the studio with Mark Addison, experimenting with noises and sounds — horns, percussion, backing vocals of all stripes — all of these elements elevate this album to be one of Matt’s best. Love it.

Here’s Matt performing live on the local news, showing his sweet romantic side:

*

Iron & Wine: Around the Well

These are “b-sides and rarities,” and yet every one is a heartbreaking work of staggering genius. Amazing. As Iron & Wine, Sam Beam’s influence on the whole music industry has been profound: he’s helped usher in a new era of singer-songwriters, all with minimalist, moody introspection on their minds — and this album is another example of why his work is more than good, it’s important.

Here he is, performing with an accompanying vocalist:

*

The Raveonettes: In & Out of Control

Where did this come from? I wrote off the Raveonettes a few years back as utterly useless, so boy, did this album slap me in the face. It’s mature, complex, and surprisingly deep. Since when are the Raveonettes deep?!? Plus, that tasty pop sound that was only fleetingly realized in their earlier work is finally channeled here, to good effect. Every time I listen to it, I find something else I like about it.

Here’s the video of “Last Dance” — not the strongest song on the album, but it’ll do:

*

Ha Ha Tonka: Novel Sounds of the Nouveau South

The first word that comes to mind? Restless. Ha Ha Tonka takes bubblegum and rawk and ozark bluegrass, and spins them in a blender for a while. Out pops an album with as many styles as songs, as many heartfelt portraits as good-time rockers. These guys are terrific. Also, this music translates really well live. Seen them a couple of times, and would happily go again right now.

Here’s them performing live at a radio station’s studio. Awesomeness!

*

The Duckworth Lewis Method: The Duckworth Lewis Method

I’m the only person I know who’s even heard of this album. Description: If XTC did an acoustic concept album about the game of cricket, this would be it. (Yes, it really is a concept album about cricket.) I’m not a person who pays attention to lyrics, so that’s sort of lost on me. Instead, it’s the musical craft that hooks me. Good stuff.

Here’s a perfect showcase of their quirky, good-natured, fun-time sound — and almost sounding like the Beatles here:

*

Dirty Projectors: Bitte Orca

I find this album challenging, engaging, off-putting, captivating, beautiful, and very satisfying… These are studio-heavy, keyboard-rich, quirky songwriter’s songs, performed with layered, criss-crossing, ethereal vocals. The vocals make this album, for me; they are used as instruments, as much as anything, and that’s no easy feat. I had to listen to this a few times before I could even decide whether I liked it; now, I wonder how I ever lived without it.

This song’s a good place to start. Stick with it long enough to heard the bridge at 2:17…

*

The Bird & the Bee: Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future

This is bubblegum, but it’s today’s bubblegum. And it’s good. Imagine the Dave Clark Five, reborn in the late 80′s and making silly records on GarageBand. This would be it. Crisp, melodic, fun, and glittery like a disco ball. At times, it verges on pure electronica, but it’s poppy and playful throughout. Part of the appeal, for me, is that it wears its silliness on its sleeve — how else to explain an ode to one’s childhood crush on David Lee Roth? Put the top down and have some fun!

And speaking of fun:

*

7 Worlds Collide: The Sun Came Out

This is Neil Finn’s new project, and it’s another one that caught me by surprise. I mean, I’ve always kinda liked his work, but only kinda, y’know? A good song here and there, but… This double-disc album is a bunch of collaborations with other artists (like K.T. Tunstall, Jeff Tweedy, Tim Finn, Liam Finn, and Johnny Marr), and even though they’re straight-up singer-songwriter fare, every one of the songs is original and head-turning. I mean that literally — last week, my iPod was on shuffle, and I kept hearing new songs and perking up, going, “Wow, that’s cool. Who is that?” Again and again and again, it was a song from this album…

Here’s a good example (though this one’s more mellow than most of the album):

*

… And, beyond the top 10, some honorable mentions:

Obits: I Blame You

The songwriting is almost too complex at times to be accurately described as “punk,” but that word’s energy is right on target.

Todd Snider: The Excitement Plan

Charming, funny, political, smart, folky. Todd Snider’s the bomb.

Telekinesis: Telekinesis!

Gorgeous, oft-minimalist songwriting from Seattle…

Ryan Bingham & the Dead Horses: Roadhouse Sun

Hmm, maybe this one should have been in the top 10. Country rock, as seen through the bottom of a whiskey bottle.

Heartless Bastards: The Mountain

Yay! After their second album, I’d almost lost hope, but the Bastards are back.

The Gourds: Haymaker!

Kinda like that quote about Sonic Youth: All these years later, no one does the Gourds like the Gourds.

Pearl Jam: Backspacer

Who’d a thunk that Pearl Jam still had a great album in them?

…P.S. If you’re one of those haters who says, “All new music sucks!” then you gotta open your ears. 2009 was an amazing year.

http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/12/the-25-best-albums-of-2009.html

(This song is copyright 1980 or so by Electra Music, I think, and was originally released as track #3 on the Eddie Rabbitt album, Horizon. Potty Water has no permission whatsoever to record, use, or distribute this material.)

Despite the boppy nature of the original song, the lyrics are actually very dark and desperate. The idea here was to try to do this in the tone of Springsteen’s Nebraska (which was released a scant two years later, by the way) — and try to make it sound a little dark and desperate.

Click on this link: Driving My Life Away

TheSixtyOne

The challenge of doing a song a capella is scary as hell to someone who’s not very confident about their vocal ability. This isn’t totally a capella except for one verse — go ahead and say it — but I still think the vocals turned out pretty well. The sound of the guitar sucks; that’s what happens when you only have a single mic and kindof crappy equipment… Or maybe it’s when you don’t know how to use the equipment you got? Possible, but whatever.

Post it anyway! Why the hell not, right? Enjoy.

Click on this link: That Train Don’t Stop Here Anymore by Potty Water