Vetiver Rising

It was good to be back after a while at the Café de la Danse last Friday evening. It’s one of my favorite venues in town; it’s a place where I saw great performances in the past from a large selection of bands.
It was good also to see Vetiver playing live again two years after their last stop at the Maroquinerie (LS/2006/09) and to have a little chat with Andy Cabic again. Finishing a long European tour the band will be heading home (San Francisco) right after a last stop at the Glastonbury Festival next Sunday. Last Friday, the same night, you had Bruce Springsteen in a stadium close to Paris, but for me, no hesitation, I preferred to be in the Café de la Danse enjoying what Andy Cabic called “a lovely show”.
As usual Vetiver played with a relaxed style, comfortable and easy. The setlist consisted of songs from there previous albums and new ones just wrote during the tour. For the encore, they offered to the audience two covers songs: Michael Hurley’s Blue Driver and I Must Be In A Good Place Now, from Bobby Charles' 1972 self-titled album. Those two songs can be found in an excellent cover record released last may, Thing of the Past (Fat Cat Records), a 12-song collection that features tracks by an odd assortment of characters, both legendary and forgotten. Let me tell you that it’s not just another cover record, the song selection is excellent and the interpretation very much inspired. Highly recommended.

Web: vetiverse.com/blog
MySpace: myspace.com/vetiverse
More info: midheaven.com/artists/vetiver.html

Vetiver - Blue Driver .m3u
Vetiver - I Must Be In A Good Place .m3u

Vetiver - Farther On .mp3
Vetiver - Maureen .mp3 via Girlpants

Bonus: Michael Hurley - The Werewolf .mp3
Bobby Charles - Small Town Talk .mp3 via The Rising Storm (a great blog!)

Photo: Leaky Sparrow – Vetiver – Café de la Danse, Paris – Friday June 27, 2008

More pictures here.

Rodolphe Burger – No Sport @ The Alhambra

Rodolphe Burger (pronounced Burjer with the silent “r” at the end) is one of France’s best and most innovative guitarists and musicians! Why this man remains unknown to most of the general public here is a puzzlement. He has a long and successful gigging and recording history both as solo artist and with his band former band Kat Onoma (deceased in 2004). He is also one of the few modern French artists who have been able to export his music abroad. After seeing him in concert recently with his band, I was again struck by the power of his live performance and the mastery he displays of his material. It’s not easy in this country to find such a combination of simplicity, technique, sonic skill and professionalism that this native Alsatian evinces. I’ve been lucky enough to see him numerous times over the years and he just keeps reaching for new and better sound all the time. Both Julien Perraudeau on electric bass and piano and Alberto Malo on drums make free but tasteful use of modern technologies in presenting a tight, musically complex and ultimately entertaining show.
A slow burner, Rodolphe Burger sat center stage for the first 45 minutes and, flanked on either side by Julien and Alberto touched his sampler and began with the first song Advance from his latest CD No Sport. He is a fascinating guitarist to watch with his crab-claw, fingerpicking style. He very lightly caresses the strings and produces such an amazing avalanche of sound that I was trying to figure out where all the notes were coming from. Make no mistake though and it’s not a trick: this guy is for real and his many years of gigging make it quite clear that his is a very real and deep talent. Burger is not the typical lyricist that one usually associates with guitar players either. In fact I would say he is more of a guitarist and “soundscapist” then singer-songwriter. That’s not to say he is not “lyrical” though. His lyrics (or at least those that I can understand anyway- he sings in both French and English and often combines the 2 in 1 song!) are implicit rather then explicit. He uses words like riffs, dropping them here and there to help shape and color the overall sound. He reminds us (and especially in his newest CD) a bit like Serge Gainsbourg at his best. A deep, resonant and powerful voice of a man at the center of his life. Musically the style is rock and roll that swirls and meanders in dark moods- you might say a sound collage. Experimental yet focused and quite centered.
The CD No Sport (EMI) is a bit more “restrained” then the live show shall I say? I think these days of recording in small studios with digital information it is not all that uncommon to hear this emotional “distance” in a record. The live show I saw the other night had a real feel of looseness and fun about it. Of course making records and performing live are 2 completely different worlds and I don’t want to disparage this record. It’s a very good record- tasteful, interesting and fun to listen to. Some other CD’s of M. Berger’s that I like a lot are Cheval-Mouvement (1993, which was the first French record I bought during my first visit to France) and also Meteor Show (1998) which is a much more esoteric album featuring Berger in collaboration with the great Irish/French sound sorcerer Dr. L.
For those of you that are not familiar with Rodolphe Berger, please do yourself a favor and check his music out! You will find him to be a nice addition to your record collection and of course, please see him live and in concert. Truly great French rock and roll!!
PS - Two words about this newest Parisian venue: it’s cool! I think there were about 600+ people here on this night and there was room for more to fit comfortably inside. A balcony (with seats) for the old folks or faint of heart and a nicely sloping main floor gave most all of us a clear view of the stage. Very good sound system (and operator on this night!) as well. The only downside was the jammed-packed, tiny upstairs coat-check room where they sold overpriced, plastic cups of watery beer. I’d suggest bringing in your own in but don’t quote me on that. Otherwise Alhambra is a nice addition in a city much in need of more quality medium-sized music venues.

Bookerfatz2

Web: rodolpheburger.fr
MySpace: myspace.com/rodolpheburger

Audio: Rodolphe Burger - No Sport

Kat Onoma (Rodolphe Burger) - Sam Song .mp3 Cupid (1987)
Kat Onoma (Rodolphe Burger) - La Chambre .mp3 Far From The Picture (1995)

Photo: Katy for Leaky Sparrow – Rodolphe Burger – Alhambra, Paris – June 12, 2008

Dennis Wilson – Pacific Ocean Blue

“…Loneliness is a very special place
To forget is something that I never done.
Silently, silently you touch my face.”
Thoughts Of You – Dennis Wilson, Pacific Ocean Blue (1977)

There was a time, in the ‘70s, when records came from nowhere and knocked you down for ever. I mean records like Berlin (73) by Lou Reed, No Other (74) by Gene Clark, What’s Going On (71) by Marvin Gaye, Time Fades Away (73) by Neil Young, All Thing Must Pass (70) by George Harrison and, of course, the one and only Pacific Ocean Blue (77) by Dennis Wilson.
All of those LPs mean something very personal for all listeners who had the chance to share and experience the music of those masterpieces at that time. Each one built a very strong and rich relation between the artist and the listener based on the music and the lyrics. Maybe because all of them have in common one simple link: the loneliness. Since, Gene Clark, Marvin Gaye, George Harrison and Dennis Wilson passed away.
I was a little bit scared of what will come from the digital treatment of this first time ever (official) released of the first solo LP to be released by a member of the legendary Beach Boys, Mister Dennis Wilson. I bought the deluxe 2 CD Legacy Edition and I must admit that I am amazed by the sound and the packaging. Just, I have only two slight comments, first, Bambu (The Caribou Sessions) and all the Bonus Tracks should have been released separately in a special CD later on, second, I miss the moment after Thoughts Of You (end of side A) when I had to stand up from my coach and turn the record and put the needle on side B… a moment of silence and meditation.
So June 17 is a special day and like the liner notes say: “Newcomers will be amazed as they discover the musical treasure within one of rock’s cult classics.” Please be one of them, don’t hesitate and enjoy.
Oh, by the way, my vinyl copy won’t be anymore a collector now… shit!

Web: pacificoceanblue.net

Dennis Wilson - River Song .mp3
Dennis Wilson - Thoughts Of You .mp3
George Harrison - All Things Must Pass .mp3
Berlin - Sad Song .mp3 via The Rising Storm

Steve Wynn - Crossing Dragon Bridge

To quote directly from Steve Wynn’s self-written liner notes from Crossing Dragon Bridge: “…It’s a snapshot, a dream, an acid flashback, a tourist guide, a midnight snack, a morning cup of coffee…” and I couldn’t agree more. Bringing all of his considerable talents and 25-year history of record making to bear, this fine musician has really come up with a winner. Recorded and produced by multi-talented Chris Eckman at Studio Zuma in Ljubljana, Slovenia and mixed (in Portland, Oregon) by the ever-great Tucker Martine, this album is a joy! The list of Mr. Steve Wynn’s bands and history is far too long to document here (ok- Dream Syndicate, Danny and Dusty to name but two…) but trust me, this guy’s been around forever and, luckily for us, is playing some of the best music of his life. I suppose if you had to sum up his “sound” in one sentence it would be electric guitar, bass and drums combo. This one’s different though and Crossing Dragon Bridge attempts to step outside those confines and/or at least to cast a different perspective on the format. Still, the touchstones are always Steve’s sharp eye, clever pen and ever present sense of humor. The CD skips easily between quiet and acceleration, reflection and the madly grinning clown, whole notes and skipped stones, acceptance and rebellion. It has a sense of fun and yet the music is always focused and flows evenly, clean and pure.
Each song follows the other like a good friend and you come to not only enjoy what you’re hearing but also to relish the arrival of the next. Stepping outside of one’s musical environment and attempting something new is NOT always an easy thing to do. Especially in today’s world where “safe” is usually considered best, what Steve Wynn has achieved with his newest collection of songs is truly a remarkable feat from this long running songwriter and musician. Encore Steve!!

Bookerfatz2

Given all of the above, this CD also very much bears the stamp of its recordist and producer Chris Eckman as well as the mixing engineer Tucker Martine. Characterized first and foremost by fine contributions from the live musicians, the production itself is stellar. It is made more so by the use of interesting samples, loops, sonic subtleties, refreshing musical interventions and lush string arrangements. This is not the invisible hand that is producing. Respectfully done though and with a deft hand and skilled application of modern recording techniques Crossing Dragon Bridge feels to us like Eckman has yet again expanded his own production skills and boundaries. I had the chance to recently talk with him about this CD and Chris was kind enough to answer a few questions about the making of Crossing Dragon Bridge (Released February 18, 2008):

Leaky Sparrow: What was the most challenging aspect of putting Crossing Dragon Bridge together?
Chris Eckman: The most challenging part was to keep heading in a new direction. Steve came to me wanting to try something different, and that is not always an easy thing to pull off. Everyone has their style, the thing that makes them special and unique, and you certainly do not want to abandon that completely. That would be pointless. But I guess you try to stretch it to include some different shadings and different colors. Anytime that we thought that we were venturing into business as usual we would discuss it and see if there was another path we could take. I think in the end we did a pretty good job of balancing the new and the time tested. But it is something you have to be aware of all the time or it is very easy to slip into established patterns.

LS: What was the most rewarding part?
CE: The most rewarding thing for me, was definitely just hanging out with Steve. Besides being a great guy he is an encyclopedia of music and it is very inspiring to be around that kind of energy. I guess the other big personal satisfaction that I got out of the project, was that Steve trusted me to do rather large scale string arrangements for the album. This is something that I am increasingly interested in, and it was a real thrill to go to Prague and work with orchestral musicians of that caliber. Now I am spoiled and I won't be able to work with anyone else but them.

LS: Can you tell us why you used Tucker Martine to mix the record?
CE: When Steve and I started the album, we were not even sure it would develop into a full-length project. At one point we thought maybe it would only be an Internet only EP or something like that. During the three weeks he was in Ljubljana we finished most of the recording, but we did not have enough time to mix the record. What to do? I suggested Tucker Martine as a mixer because not only do I think he is magical with sonic details, he also had mixed Terry Lee Hale’s Shotgun Pillowcase without either of us being there, and the results [were] amazing. I think you can reach a point with an album where you are just too close it, and it is really a relief to hand it over to someone with a gifted perspective. On Crossing Dragon Bridge I wore a lot of hats: producer, musician, recording engineer, string arranger and I think the album really benefited from handing it over to Tucker for the mix. Steve and I stayed involved in the final mixes, through the Internet. Tucker would send us along mp3's of the mixes and we would make comments: during a few of the discussions we were having e-mail conversations in real-time in three different cities and time zones: Portland (where Tucker is based), New York and Ljubljana. What a small world we live in.

Web: stevewynn.net
Web: The Walkabouts.com

Steve Wynn co-wrote a few songs for the Brad Rice album Karma Bed. Here is one: Brad Rice - What_I_Know.mp3
Steve Wynn - California Style .mp3
Terry Lee Hale - Hearts .mp3 (Shotgun Pillowcase– 2007 – Produced by Chris Eckman and mixed by Tucker Martine)
Chris Eckman - Novi Svet Theme .mp3 (Novi Svet O.S.T. - 2003)

Jesse Sykes - The Dreaming Dead .mp3 (Oh, My Girl – 2004 – Produced by Tucker Martine)

Head To Head - Radiohead vs. Portishead

We’re only in June and so far since the beginning of the year I listened to more attractive records that during 2007. Thanks to Sun Kil Moon, to Gregor Samsa, Shearwater, MGMT or to Tindersticks. Also, I discovered promising or confirmed talents like, to name but just a few, Emily Jane White or Jeffrey Foucault.
I didn't mention Radiohead, In Rainbows (the CD!), which I bought on New Year’s Eve and never reviewed here on Leaky Sparrow. To be honest it’s the record that I have listened the most frequently since the beginning of the year; it's never boring even after dozens of listening. Portishead, Third, was very much expected and didn’t disappoint me at all. The record is just too good, full of incredible ideas and perfectly produced. It’s a very strong work exactly like the Radiohead one. Those two records were made by artists who work on a very very high level of creativity.
Of course, I am far from having heard everything that was released during the six first months of 2008 - thanks for my ears! Sure I missed some jewels here and there, please let me know which ones.
In few days, the Dennis Wilson, Ocean Pacific Blue, will be out. It's one of my favorite LP of all time. I said LP because vinyl is the only version that I have of that masterpiece. As soon as I will purchased it next week in CD (June 16th), I'll tell you why it is so important to spend your next summer with the music of Dennis Wilson.

Web: www.radiohead.com/deadairspace
Web: www.portishead.co.uk

Portishead - The Rip .mp3 (Third) via Music Is Art
Radiohead - The Rip (Portishead Cover) .mp3 via Music Is Art
Portishead - Machine Gun .mp3 (Third)

Bonus: Radiohead - Life In A Glass House .mp3

Merzhin On Tour

“French Brittany is like Texas (music wise)”, Bookerfatz2 said to me as we arrived last evening at the door of La Boule Noire, Paris. Merzhin’s show was sold out – one more! Just to confirm what he meant: the music from Brittany has followers like Texas music does: everywhere it can be heard, people from those parts of world will come and listen to it.
Merzhin is a Celtic Rock’n’Roll band from Landerneau, in Brittany (France). Merzhin stands for Merlin in Breton (a Celtic language). Merlin was a noble magician in Celtic mythology. The group was originally formed by six college friends in 1996. The six musicians combine traditional Celtic instruments like bombarde, which is a kind of flute from Brittany, along with conventional Rock’n’Roll instruments to produce signature music.
Honestly, I’ve never been introduced to the musical universe of this band before last night (and big thanks to promoter Anne-Cecile who encouraged me to come and hear them) but it didn’t take me long to appreciate the energy of the band on stage who are lead by a charismatic Pierre on lead vocals. Even though they are a bit formulating on many of their songs, they held the attention of the friendly audience until the very end of the evening. Some songs had a political meaning like “Betti”, dedicated to the Tibetan people and the crowd was naturally enough happy to hear some anti-Sarkozy speeches.
Of course, for those of you who live abroad it won’t be easy to see Merzhin live even if they tour quite a lot at the moment, so the band has released a live recording simply called Merzhin Live (June 2nd). If you’re curious enough you can find official samples of Merzhin’s music on their different sites and if they continue to play as well as they did last night in the sold-out Paris show, I’m confident you’ll be able to see them somewhere near you soon enough.

Web: www.merzhin.net
MySpace: www.myspace.com/merzhin
Label: Sony Bmg.fr & RCA Music.fr

Yann Tiersen And Shannon Wright - No Mercy For She .mp3

Photo : Leaky Sparrow – Merzhin, La Boule Noire, Paris – June 5th, 2008

Cat Power @ L'Olympia

Don’t expect a show review. Sorry. The man at the door said to me “Complet !” (sold out!). Cat Power at the Olympia four months after her performance at the Bataclan where she celebrated her birthday and the release of her last record, Jukebox, I thought I could wait the last days to purchase a ticket… Wrong.
I forget one important fact, Cat Power is now a very well-known artist and very popular, thanks to her talent and to the patience and help from her label, Matador. Therefore, a show of Cat Power is not anymore reserved for the long die-hard Indy fans, those who discovered and supported her during her first CDs and shows. Her music reaches now the bourgeois boheme from every big city, those who will fill the Olympia tonight.
There was a Cat Power and now there is a different Cat Power (isn’t it, Lyle?). Jukebox has nothing to be compared to with What Would The Community Think or Myra Lee. The record is ok, specially the bonus cd, very well produce, her voice is still amazing, but it’s far to be her best work. I listened to it at the beginning and quickly listened to someone else.
Leaky Sparrow started more than two years ago. Cat Power was the first post - because it matter to me - but this evening I will not go to her show at the Olympia because I didn’t really wish to see her playing those cover songs again with those too good and unexciting musicians. Time fades away?

MySpace: myspace.com/catpower
Label: Matador Records

Those people played at l’Olympia (among others):
Jeff Buckley - Lilac Wine .mp3
Ray Charles - Georgia .mp3
Edith Piaf - Hymne A L'Amour .mp3
Jimi Hendrix - Bold As Love .mp3
Bob Dylan - Lay Lady Lay .mp3

Photo: Leaky Sparrow - L’Olympia, Paris. June 1st, 2008