Words from the artist :

Sad Stories & Cautionary Tales is an album of ten songs, originally conceived on a back porch in Alaska in fall 2008. I had a batch of freshly written, handmade songs, that wanted a home. The idea was to make an old-fashioned album, that you'd want to listen to all the way through and then start playing at the beginning again. One that had a sound and a soul and a rise and fall and a climax and a resolution, like the albums we grew up with.
Now, almost two years later, this dream of an album is completely recorded and mixed. You can listen to the opening and closing songs here.
Over the last year and a half, I rented and borrowed microphones, sound cards, instruments, and learned how to engineer recordings. I gathered many of my favorite musicians to play on sessions in Los Angeles, Oakland, and Virginia. If I could get into a studio it was late at night, but more often it was living rooms and practice spaces. None of the people I knew who mix music were available, so, lacking the money but utterly determined, last summer in Hawaii I decided I was going to have to learn how to do it myself. Many a moon waxed and waned while I mixed and listened, sent out mp3's for feedback, invited people to private listening parties. I moved from place to place, but kept working, and now the music is in its right place.
I am very proud of what this album has become. It tells stories of love, mystery, longing, sadness, nature, friendship and memory. Tales of the desert and the mountains and the ocean, and bears the fingerprints of all the people who sang, played and helped me record. It is the culmination of my musical pursuits up to this moment, and is by far the clearest reflection of my musical soul I've yet achieved. It's an old-fashioned kind of album, and it's time to get it out to the world.
Here's where I need your help. So far I've been able to make this album on borrowed equipment, much free consultation and tutorials, paying the musicians in pots of gumbo, grilled sandwiches, beer and mulled wine. But to get this music out, it's going to take more than home cooking.
I have commissioned Zach Holtzman to make a series of woodcut prints and drawings for the album art. The talented folks at Monkeyclaus are set to do the final mixdown and mastering. Owen Gjertesen-Troy at Des-Troy Designs is a genius at graphic design, and Sire Press makes these amazing cd packages with all-natural ink, 100% post-consumer-waste chipboard, with silk-screened art.
My plan to release this album as a short-run deluxe CD with a booklet containing art, lyrics and more, and as a digital download.

This (Kickstarter) is a very exciting and democratic evolution of the creative process. The way I see it, this is a lot like a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). You contribute a share, the farm gets to grow things, and during the harvest season, you get fresh homegrown tomatoes. More tangibly, a musician gets to put out a dream album, a visual artist gets to make wood-cut prints, and an inspired recording studio and a graphic designer get some good work. Hooray! Help the Economy! Help the cause of Art! Support real non-commercial homegrown Music!
Thank you much,
Gabriel

Loren decided to return to Charlottesville to spread the gift of Indian Music and open the Virginia Branch of the Taalim School. Loren returned recently to Cville to perform at the Indian Cultural Center on the UVA Grounds as a soloist and as an accompaniast to the Rhythm Riders Ensemble, Tabla Ecstasy, on their Tabla Tour around the United States.

Loren has been a friend to Monkeyclaus and has recorded many times with Monkeyclaus Engineer and Producer Abel Okugawa. We decided to share some of these recordings here. Loren is currently looking for students interested in learning the art of Tabla. Please contact him at lorenoppenheimer [@] yahoo.com, 434-882-1310 .

Keep your eye out for this rising star and look out for more recordings now that we have him back in the family.

Talibam! is nearly impossible to pin down. Both men, drummer Kevin Shea and
Mottel, spend the majority of any given year on the road in the US and Europe,
whether it be with Talibam! or their various other projects. It is a metaphor
for their sound: it will never stay in one place, but will remain completely
recognizable and true to its spirit. It seems the duo has embraced flux as their
modus operandi.

Talibam! presents a collage of sounds, rapidly and fiercely, often not allowing
time for the listener's mind to adjust before moving on. Their show at the Echo
Curio consisted of 35 songs in 40 minutes.

The drumming is always "out", jazzy, freaky, and swinging, even when it settles
into a heavy, doom-laden groove for a minute. Shea is a skilled and formally
trained drummer who seems completely bored by conventionality and uses his
gift to forge a wild new style. His set up includes a Roland SPS drum trigger pad,
which he uses to introduce anomalistic sounds to his pallet. Shea is able to play
completely around the beat while keeping within it, creating very abstract beats,
which push the music forward always. Mottel is surely his equal in skill, fearlessly
shredding throughout gigs and recordings both. The curious thing about Talibam!
is that they have fantastic chops and pro skills yet they have decided largely to
deconstruct music to find a home for their talents.

Live, Talibam! comes across as an untamed beast of sorts. Mottel and Shea
fancy themselves a party band, which I can definitely see, but it seems that many
audiences don't know how to digest the music. Folks look dumbfounded. There is
definitely a good amount of smiling and head bobbing but also plenty of puzzled
looks. Talibam! is a band that I describe foremost as a free-jazz-punk-comedy
duo. Their set also encompasses elements of electronic and dance music,
trance, heavy sludge, pop, chants and cheers, and sing-a-longs. No matter
what, it always swings and is always high energy and kinetic. It is marked with
confidence, attitude, and elan, and often feels as if it is on the cusp of derailment.
I loved all of the 40-minute set, although there was about a 3-minute period of
ecstasy where I was overcome by the muse of dance and thrashed as if Talibam!
were my puppet master. It was serious.

Talibam's last proper studio release "Boogie in the Breeze Blocks" is a testament
to all the thoughts voiced above. It is mercurial and fanciful yet completely well
crafted and vastly enjoyable; its police scanner comedy sketches are hilarious
highlights; it has a heavy crew of collaborators; and it was released by the
legendary jazz label ESP. Their upcoming release is to be a hip hop foray
called "Puff Up the Volume". The direction of the album was forged by an odd
event, whereas a gong fell on and broke Shea's foot during a dance performance
in Europe, just prior to their entry into the studio to record. I can't wait to wrap my
ears around this one.

Enjoy the live recording presented here. Drink some Kombucha because
Talibam! would. Thanks to Grant from the Echo Curio for the recording
hook up!

C-Town and his axe

With full disclosure I must admit that I am a close friend of Colin and I supplied drums on the last cut of the record, so I have witnessed that process to some small degree. Dozens of folks participated in the creation of this record, but the concept, heart and soul, and driving energy was all from Colin. It is a deeply personal recording which was enabled through the efforts of a community of friends and collaborators, The Colin L Orchestra. The original concept of combining the easeful, bluesy, laid-back vibes of country music with avant-garde minimal repetition survived the three years of growth and change. The sound transformed and became its own entity, new and exciting.

What really strikes me about "Infinite Ease" is the wonderful quality of production which make the recording sound polished and whole, innovative but never overdone. Production credits are attributed to Colin and Eli Winograd. Eli's solo project, Two Prong, is a soulful and eclectic collection of sonic delights. His earlier solo work as Two Prong was electronic and more abstract, whereas the newer record "good vs. bad" is lush textural pop. It seems that the duo's inventive arrangements for "Infinite Ease" came to life in studio mixing sessions. The fidelity of the recording is total, giving great hope for the new genesis of home recordings enabled by Pro Tools and such. I can state all this with conviction based upon my experience laying down rhythm tracks for the song "Best Thing" in September 2007. We recorded in a musky basement in Virginia, with low ceilings and no real sound treatment or dampening. Hearing the simple arrangement that we learned just hours before recording transformed to such a lustrous gem via studio manipulation and sonic honing is incredible and inspiring.

The album is divided into three tracks, the first of which is actually four distinct songs. The opening tune, "You Need Sleep" is laid down with help from the Boston's, Devil Music Ensemble, with supple bass via Jesse Lent and gorgeous ethereal flute from Maxx Katz. Colin's vocals are beautiful, contemplative and spot on. In no other past project was the quality and range of his voice thusly displayed. I especially enjoy the ghostly falsettos which occur on this cut, and several other times throughout the album. "Beer Can Blues" follows the dreamy repetition of the opener with a unique and slightly jarring rhythm which sounds as if it was created from ping pong balls bouncing off a warm sounding alarm tone. This cut is by far the most raucous of the album. As the intro to the song concludes, a party whistle blows and the train leaves the station full force. The familiar country vibe of the record returns with a wilder edge, then melts into "Descaped". This is essentially a washy melodic segue with wailing psychedelic guitar leads soaring overtop. It begins with haunting fiddle and the tones stack until flutes swirl and finally the guitar takes over. I felt almost like I was droning away with Sigur Ros the first time I listened to the album, until Colin's signature guitar shred crept in, not unlike Hendrix's "Star Spangled Banner" interpretation.  Track one concludes with "Numbers Hall", a classy and comic ditty reminiscent of Graham Parsons at his best. Vocal lines are repeated over and over: musings such as "I just want to fornicate, to fornicate, to fornicate....." and "I should shut up and do the dishes, do the dishes, do the dishes....."

"Hold Tite" is a gentle beast unto itself. This is the most experimental and delicate piece of the record. It is warbly, sprawling, deconstructed and heart wrenching. I recommend giving it a listen on some quality head phones if possible. All tracks are completely treated, even the percussion, to create a somber, dreamy, druggy anthem, complete with Acapella breakdowns and insect noises. Nice one.

The final cut "Best Thing" has the sound of a monster Neil Young riff repeated for ten minutes with some high flying guitar leads and crucial dynamics, which keep the jam fresh. It is indeed a monster and a head bobber, with boldly projected vocals, full of conviction, or perhaps irony? All in all, it's a nice closer to a brilliant record, which keeps the listener engaged throughout. It is easy to listen to over and over, while driving, writing, thinking, or doing the dishes...and feels unique and original, whilst obviously rooted in very familiar American musical traditions.

This fine platter of psychedelic country minimalist songwriting is slated to be released Spring 2010 from Providence R.I.'s Corleone records, on 12" vinyl and as digital download.  It's a stark contrast to Langenus' first Corleone release "The American Dream: Living with the Rock", a lo-fi production of hilarious short songs tackling most all genres: dub, noise, punk, country and karaoke, etc.  "Infinite Ease" is now available as a short run CD-R direct from Colin himself until the official release in Spring.  Contact him for mail order inquiries. ( massdistro@yahoo.com) This is bound to be a universally lauded release for 2010.  "Infinite Ease" is a sleeper cell success, made infinitely listenable through painstaking efforts.

Words by Matthew R. Clark

"This is a record capturing something haunting, melancholic and all-together charming.” -Jeff Royer, Fly Magazine.
The Honey Dewdrops are headed out on the road this summer traveling west to California and playing at all points in between. They’re looking forward to joining up with Anne and Pete Sibley, winners of A Prairie Home Companion’s 2009 talent show in their great state of Wyoming for a set or two toward the end of the summer.

Listen And Download HERE :

Bluest Blue Eyes - The Honey Dew Drops

Fly Away Free - The Honey Dew Drops

If the Sun Will Shine

So Heavy for Something So Empty is an intricate chronology of fragile, acoustic gems and soaring, overwhelmingly pounding rockers.  Uncle Jemima's album dances between acoustic and electronic music, often blending the two in unexpected situations to create a unique dialogue between nature and wall socket.  The album begins with a strange, warbling glimpse of a tune called "Mr. McGregor's Shed", which presents itself as a nursery rhyme that quickly turns to a voice haunting one from a closet.  Just as the listener is confused enough to raise an eyebrow, in come the acoustic masterpieces "Destroyer" and "Last Flight" to rectify the senses.  The listener is then taken on a wild journey that ebbs and flows between glimpses of happiness and anger, of depression and solitude, as if the listener is snatching quick glimpses of sunshine between the clouds of a thunderstorm.  This journey peaks at the tumultuous second-to-last song, "Election Day", before ending in the heart-wrenching finale, "Somebody Else".

You can buy the full CD at his Myspace HERE

Alex Schein

Alex Schein has once again blessed Monkeyclaus with his presence,this time recording acoustic. Schein recorded two songs , an acoustic version of the amazing Rise Up and a new song titled Breathe Out. You can check them out below or at AlexSchein.com. Once again it is time to rise up and make music and choices. Please enjoy these songs and let us know what you think.

Rise Up Acoustic

Breathe Out

We used a Sony C37 Mic and our Millenia TD1 for the guitars signal ran directly into Pro-Tools . The songs were recorded and mixed in 3 days.

These two wonderful musicians majestically settled into Monkeyclaus quite comfortable. Setting up their zone in the Live Room , they began the music making process with a few home made dehydrated sour cherries picked from Peter's cherry tree outside the studio. They cut 7 tracks and then continued the session in the bus where they were interviewed in depth and out of inspiration. Soon the recordings, interview and multi media slice of the creative process for The Honey Dew Drops will be ready to enjoy online .

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mp3

Words and Live Recording by Matthew Clark

Live at Tea Bazaar - 2007
Note: There is a file embedded within this post, please visit this post to download the file.

Zorn's own secret weapon, Joey Baron, is also a Richmond native, and a total modern jazz-drumming wizard. On July 25th 2007 Jones brought his Guitar Quartet to the Tea Bazaar for a night of chronic modern jazz. The group featured two electric guitars, upright bass, and Jones on trap kit. Joining Jones for the set were guitarists, Trey Pollard and Alan Parker, and upright bassist Matt Hall. The set ranged from Jones own compositions to a loose interpretation of "Eleanor Rigby". The feel was always free, with drums leading the way and triggering cues for direction. The drumming swayed between abstract and groove, yet always managed to elucidate the situation completely, guiding his stringed crusaders into wild and unruly territory. This throw down was heavy and heady, like a jungle safari adventure fever dream, with a head full of malaria meds. Take heed.

Modern jazz, comes with a heavy dose of skepticism from jaded audiences. The potential for cliches associated with the genre are an ominous shadow, from which true players must shine through to express their merit. The Guitar Quartet took all of 30 seconds to destroy all naysaying. They displayed the art of shredding, which walks a fine line with the art of wanking. The line was drawn clearly and shredding it surely was. Jones unique battery skills, leave jaws dropped and minds blown. His compatriots are always on par with his level of skill, in what ever group he presents or participates in. The two wailing guitars carefully avoided filling the same register while, naturally coming unhinged and being fully lost in the music. One guitarist would often create ambiance with swells and slides, whilst the other would play a lead role with more annunciated notes, sometimes sparse and other times frantic. The bass grooves were spot on, solid, thunderous and robust. Matt Hall would sometimes employ his bow, even if only for 5 seconds then switching back to plucking away, to evoke the right tones.

As with all styles of music, there is the good the bad, the talented and the hacks, the innovators and the recyclers, the shredders and the wankers. I expect that the Slang Sanctuary family, involving dozens of musicians from the Richmond jazz, noise, free, out and avant scenes all have multiple projects worthy of exploration. As improv music seems to be making a huge resurgence in the rock and folk realms, let us not forget the bedrock of improvisation, and one of the most valid "American" cultural contributions, "jazz music". Brian Jones and Co. show how fresh it can be.

live at Tea Bazaar
Note: There is a file embedded within this post, please visit this post to download the file.

Hezekiah Jones kicked off the set and filled the room with his sweet sounds. Unfortunately I arrived only in time to hear his last song. I set up my recording gear as quickly as possible and was able to record most of this finale. It was a fine rendition of the traditional number "Dark Hollow", with back up vocals supplied by fellow Philadelphians, the Spinning Leaves. We made a point of posting this fragment, even though we'd have loved to have captured the whole set, so you can hear the sublime quality of his voice.

Spinning Leaves, played next and demonstrated the many facets of their sound. Michael Baker and Barbara Gettes took turns leading the way as songwriter and lead vocalist, and backing each other up. Michael, at times, employed the harmonica and guitar together, ala Dylan which for me is always a treat to hear live. They even threw in an entertaining cover of the early ska-reggae hit "Pressure Drop", which added another nice layer to the presentation of their music.

Sarah White represented the local talent for the show. She is Charlottesville's stalwart female songwriter and one of the most promising local musicians currently around. Morgan from Yer Bird, described her contribution to his compilation as, "Striking a balance somewhere between her early Jagjaguwar lo-fi releases and her newer melodic emphasis with the Pearls, this is sad, wonderful and all stripped-down to it's essence." Whether performing solo, or with her band the Pearls, Sarah always projects and plucks away with precision and elan. This brief solo set was no exception.

Chris Bathgate, a Michigan native, closed out the evening with an impressive set, employing looping pedals, a Fender amp, and two vocal microphones to elicit a lush sound, without straying too far from the rest of the evening's vibe and flow. Chris carried the air of a confident professional, while retaining a endearing humbleness. He built up walls of guitar loops and drenched vocals, to play over top. His primary, straightforward vocal sound and delivery was somewhat hushed and whispery but carried a certain strength within. As the clock crept forward and the Tea Bazaar was to close, the audience demanded more music and Chris obliged with one last number, a funny song about an old friend who alway found his way to trouble.

Folk enthusiasts and lovers of honest straight forward music and those who love to support those who love music all should consider supporting Yer Bird and any or all of the folks who gave tracks to the "Folk Music for the End of the World" comp. Please enjoy the live recordings made during the show!

text and recordings by Matthew Clark