On one hand it’s absurd, what with the country in the shape that it is in, that anyone would need further incentive to vote. On the other, sometimes people need to pledge things to their friends and family in order to actually go out and do them.
And of course, if you’ve already delivered great music for over a decade, evolved, changed, and proven yourself in virtually every way, how do you earn even further allegiance.
And when presented with the opportunity to distribute creations far and wide with barely an expense, how do you use this gift in good ways to get more done (and perhaps help people realize what will soon be lost if we lose Net Neutrality…).
Twisted kids’ music by Kimya Dawson comes out today. The parents will know her from doing songs for that movie Juno. But you can still love her for songs with lyrics like:
A is for Apple, B is for Butt, C is for Cat-butt, D is for Doo-Doo, E is for Elephant-butt, F is for Fart, G is for Gorilla-fart, H is for Hairy Gorilla-fart”
The desire for authenticity is an interesting thing. I often have had creative executives say to me that they are looking for something that “feels authentic”, which I take it is something entirely different from something that is authentic. The DFA is closely related to “keeping it real” which is a style I’ve seen worn quite well by those who are anything but (see Adbusters’ great article on Hipsters).
Anyway I think Jeffrey caught all that and more with this Will Oldham (see prior post) Williamsburg Subway Horror. When I first saw it I felt it was very much “right here right now”, but that was earlier this year, but now when I watch it get then same kind of eye-well that the best nostalgia trigger gives.
I have a song list on my iTunes called “Songs About Songs and Singers”. It is one of my favorite groupings. Jeffrey’s made it far more than once. Leonard Cohen should be proud of all that he inspires.
Early this year, we stumbled into a show at Joe’s Pub. We were there to see some folkie that there was some buzz about. Luckily there was some guy all alone at his table with great sight lines and we invited ourselves to join him. Then Jeffrey Lewis took the stage.
Somehow we knew nothing about Jeffrey. He wasn’t whom we came to see. On top of it all, he was even performing his own songs but those of the Anarcho Punk band CRASS who I also knew absolutely nothing about. The night remains one of my favorite rock events ever! Okay, not quite X’s Wild Gift tour at Boston’s The Channel, with Mission of Burma opening, but still, right up there, and that other one was sooo long ago.
Jeffrey has an incredible body of work. I have now bought or otherwise acquired virtually all of it and it thrills me repeatedly. The songs are consistently a blast, funny & wise, and occasionally work their way deep into my subconscious. I love his comic books, but his histories (The History Of Lower East Side Punk, Of Communism, Of The Fall) really get me. Now he’s written something on the NYTimes’ consistently great Measure For Measure blog that is the music equivalent of Jonathan Lethem’s piece on influences earlier this year.
I look forward to this world where Jeffrey Lewis continues to consistently makes all kinds of stuff to delight and wake us up. There’s so much of it out there, I am going to have to make it a couple of posts, so stay tuned.
