Allysen Callery at Portsmouth Publick House
Portsmouth Publick House
1 King Charles Drive
Portsmouth, RI
2pm
Allysen Callery at Luthier’s Co-op
Luthier’s Co-op
Easthampton, MA
7pm
The diePods at Celtic Pub
with Dying Breed
Celtic Pub
Pawtucket, RI
Dan Baker ‘Pistol in my Pocket’ review at Some Diurnal Aural Awe
You can read the review here
Pistols and rifles: Dan Baker sings very occasionally about firearms because they exist, not because he’s trying to grab any mantle from Charlton Hestons’s cold dead hands. Based near Boston, in a town called Chelsea, Baker is a gritty singer songwriter in as much as he often snarls and shouts his songs, and the ghost of Dylan is in that growl somewhere, a lineage that seems important to me in reflecting musical authenticity, not that Dylan ever howled like a freight train as Baker does near the end of One of Them. The rawness of so many of the fine songs on this album also reflects another kind of authenticity, sincerity over polish, not that the performances aren’t carefully crafted, but just that their immediacy conveys honesty. I like the simple chronological observations of Up On The Roof that seem to evoke the power of music and even a spiritual suggestion, but it gets lost a little in the drawl, again as if any polish would spoil the sincere stream of consciousness in the lyric. Musically it is mainly a piano-in-an-empty-room fullness and the occasional emotive violin of Rob Flax. There’s resignation in the tone at times, not quite world-weary but pragmatic dismay, as in the album closer Not Gonna Say It. This is counter-balanced by my favourite, the comparatively lively Threw Me Down The Well – with Rob Flax’s empathetically tortured violin – and Baker argues against his lover’s mistreatment with all the pained anger of defeat. Brilliant. This is followed by another howling in Never Alone where defiance shuns irony for a genuine declaration of simple pleasures, exemplified in these opening lyrics I have unraveled a little from the seemingly intoxicated slur,
I got six strings, I like to strum
…tuna fish, pack of gum
and I got the moon shining on my soul
I ain’t ever alone
Sick Pills at The Pour Farm
with Pink Beans and Nick Sundman
Pour Farm Tavern
New Bedford, Mass
Dan Baker ‘Pistol in my Pocket’ review at Keys and Chords.
You can read the review here
Op zijn vroegere langspelers ‘Outskirts of Town’ en ‘Sad Song Junkie’ profileert deze jongeman zich al als een begenadigd storyteller die zich in de inspirerende driehoek Dylan-Prine-Waits manifesteert. Evenals zijn illustere voorgangers komt bij Dan Baker alles recht uit het hart en wordt die stuff met ongehoorde passie gedebiteerd.
Vanaf de eerste gezongen noot sleurt hij je mee met niet zelden beklemmende verhalen die een uitzichtloos leven aan de zelfkant laten vermoeden. Ten tijde van de opnamesessies leefde hij toevallig in Chelsea, een bescheiden voorstad van Boston. In die wat troosteloze omgeving rijpten heel wat songs. Een van die songs haalde de cd. De titelsong ‘Pistol In My Pocket’ stamt uit flarden van een conversatie die Baker in de plaatselijke 7-Eleven supermarkt opvangt. Wat later smijt Baker de song op tape in de plaatselijke 1867 Studio, een voormalige pleisterplaats van vrijmetselaars waar hij met zijn begeleidingband een tijdelijk onderkomen vindt.
Die beklijvende, bij momenten hallucinante sfeer kleeft ook aan ‘Threw Me Down The Well’ en ‘ What I’m Looking For’, ‘Down In The Canyon’ Baker zingt of beter gezegd, huilt als een gewond dier dat zijn wonden likt . Dit wordt geventileerd in songs waarin steevast een onderhuidse spanning wordt opgebouwd.
Je hoeft zelfs niet aandachtig naar de teksten te luisteren van pianoballaden als ‘Never Alone’, ‘Up On The Roof’ om te begrijpen dat Baker niet bepaald als een vrolijk Franske door het leven dartelt. ‘Coming Home’ en ‘Not Gonna Say It’ wedijveren om de titel van meest desolate song. Als de lusteloosheid in deze donkere tijden even toeslaat sla je dit gitzwarte werkstuk beter over en ietwat labiele personen gelieve zich bij voorbaat te onthouden. Ze missen wel een verdomd intens en doorvoeld werkstuk..
Junior Varsity Arson – Self Titled EP
75OL-176 Junior Varsity Arson – Self Titled CD
[sold out]
Track Listing
1. Her Parents Love Me
2. Brown Jacket and Purple Keds
3. Hippy Dippy Milk Man
4. Skull Collection
5. I’m Hooked
Junior Varsity Arson play Lonely Guy Rock. A soundtrack for men who are banned from certain establishments; men who were thrown out of record stores and video stores; men who have endless theories and endless amounts of time to explain those theories; men who are willing to tell you what you’re doing wrong; men with big crushes on the women behind the counter; men with the inside story; old men who despise what this country has become; young men who play Dungeons & Dragons with vintage pewter pieces; men who know their own IQs; men who cannot rock. Junior Varisty Arson have a lot of rock to do. They consist of Kraig Jordan, Don Sanders, Dave Narcizo and Guy Benoit. Featuring original artwork by William Schaff.
The Uncomfortables at Waterfront Tavern
with Stare Down the Sun, Untitled, and Crescent Hill
Waterfront Tavern
920 Main Street
Holyoke, Mass 01040
$5
8pm
21+
Dan Baker’s ‘Pistol in my Pocket’ #5 on December EuroAmericana Chart
Mark Cutler – Dreamland
75OL-182 Mark Cutler – Dreamland CD
$10.00 S&H Included
Digital download is available here
Mark Cutler’s new record Dreamland is a collection of songs recorded in a little room in his little house and features some guest appearances by his good friends Jim Berger, Rick Couto, Richard Reed and Bob Kirkman. It’s an intimate record that you might enjoy with headphones but feel free to blast the stereo. It’s also the first record he’s done since he quit his day job to pursue a life outside of the rat race. Dreamland features songs about every day life and every night life and the times in between.
Rhode Island guitar slinger/songwriter Mark Cutler’s latest release is called “Dreamland”. It’s an apt title for the followup to last year’s critically acclaimed and award winning “Sweet Pain” (both available from 75orLess, iTunes, etc.). Along with sparse touches of accompaniment from his excellent live band The Men of Great Courage, MC plays most of the instruments himself this time around. Recorded at his home studio- just down the hall from his bedroom- dreamlike qualities abound, in the title cut, in songs like “I’ll Play For You”, “Soul Flame” and “You’re Gonna Need My Help”, to name but four. Like the mixed memories and visions of wonderful recurring dreams you wish you’d have more often, instruments, lyrics, harmonies and riffs intermingle in ways both familiar and surprising. And, like a dream you can’t quite get out of your head all day, the rustic surrealism of this “Dreamland” will stay with you long after your ear buds are slipped into a pocket.- DR
CD is limited to 200 numbered, brown and white jackets with screen print design