music, sci-fi book
Books and music from DC denizens, mostly:
If you like scifi, David J Williams's book comes out in May-- first of a trilogy, I think:
http://autumnrain2110.com/
I am a former roomie of the author.
Luke Brindley has some pleasant roots rock tracks on myspace. http://www.myspace.com/brindleybrothers I have a myspace account mainly so I can listen to the wealth of music that you can listen to for free on there. It's an esp. nice way to get to hear 3 or so tracks by someone you're interested in maybe seeing, but you want more info.
Something about those Brindley Bros makes me suspicious though. I saw a link to where the
Washington Times (Moonie paper) reviewed them favorably, but I can't find the actual article (and don't
want to spend too much time on the WTimes site looking). But it started out like this: "'AMAZING...YOU'LL FIND OUT THE REAL MISSION OF THE POP SONGWRITER.' --THE WASHINGTON TIMES [read more]...."
The "real mission"? Are the Brindleys conservatives with a pleasant roots rock veneer? I guess I should not cast aspersions.
It is bittersweet to see all these tracks now available from my one-time favorite band Sardina. They were together in the 1990s in Indiana (Bloomington and Indianapolis) and Chicago. I saw them play several times in Bloomington. They released one album, called Presents, which I bought, and which is great start to finish. The lead singer Michelle, had a very strong, beautiful voice. Indie rock with almost an epic feel at times.
Other Bloomington bands of that era that I enjoyed: Joyride (then they changed their name, and I can't remember what they changed it to), Arson Garden, and anything with John Strohm in it. I liked the Smears too. And Pizzle.
The Sardina bassist PJ has now made Presents available for free on the web, along with many live tracks and demos. At the Sardina website (http://www.admiralsound.com/sardinamusic/sardina.html), he said he might as well make the album tracks available for free, since used copies sell for pennies on the internet. See also: http://musicalfamilytree.com/bands/sardina and http://www.myspace.com/sardinatheband
For Arson Garden, http://www.myspace.com/arsongarden, The Belle Stomp (1994, American records) was their flirtation with making it big. It is great. Wisteria, an earlier effort, is also worth a listen. On the myspace page, "Mind Talking" and "She Reconsidered" are both songs I listened to over and over when they first came out (and am thus glad to have them brought to my attention again).
That bugs me-- other really great artists also have old CDs that are selling for pennies on the internet. Linda Smith, Tara Key (of Antietam), Lida Husik. Of the three, Tara Key has the least stuff available now at itunes. Her two solo CDs are magnificent.
BTW, I heard from Donald Keesing, a DC-area friend of Lida Husik, that she lives in San Francisco area now, and that she and her husband are moving to Sausalito. At least you can find some of her stuff at itunes. the most recent single "Nuclear Soul" (2006) was the only thing there I didn't already have, so I just got it. It's actually also here: http://www.myspace.com/nonukesmusic And her web site has some cool stuff too: http://www.lidahusik.net, including mp3s.
Here is a slideshow D Keesing recently put up on youtube, to the Lida Husik song "Trash Out Tonight": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVMOgKycXhU
And another he put up of his own band: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klJkv_6vDmk (he is now in Dollar Bin).
And one Don put up of a performance featuring some Slickees, including Martha Hull, live on Nov 26, 2007, at Iota, Arlington, VA-- 30 Years Over D.C. concert: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hvx-RGcuR5k
Fast-forward to the present:
Liam Finn, of New Zealand-- I didn't know he was the son of the Crowded House guy. (Actually, I've never listened to Crowded House.) I like his songs a lot, especially "Second Chance" and "Gather to the Chapel." You can hear these on the myspace site http://www.myspace.com/theliamfinn (I wonder who's squatting on the myspace site without "the"--the same thing happened to the Raveonettes, another band I'm way into-- their myspace site is http://www.myspace.com/theraveonettes, because someone else has the one without "the"--sounds OK in the Raveonettes' case though).
upcoming shows:
Mar 19 2008 9:00P Liam Finn at DC9 w/ Miracle Fortress & The Most Serene Republic Washington DCMar 29 2008 8:00P The Raveonettes at Black Cat Washington DCThese are both midweek, of course, so I don't know if I will go. :(
If you like scifi, David J Williams's book comes out in May-- first of a trilogy, I think:
http://autumnrain2110.com/
I am a former roomie of the author.
Luke Brindley has some pleasant roots rock tracks on myspace. http://www.myspace.com/brindleybrothers I have a myspace account mainly so I can listen to the wealth of music that you can listen to for free on there. It's an esp. nice way to get to hear 3 or so tracks by someone you're interested in maybe seeing, but you want more info.
Something about those Brindley Bros makes me suspicious though. I saw a link to where the
Washington Times (Moonie paper) reviewed them favorably, but I can't find the actual article (and don't
want to spend too much time on the WTimes site looking). But it started out like this: "'AMAZING...YOU'LL FIND OUT THE REAL MISSION OF THE POP SONGWRITER.' --THE WASHINGTON TIMES [read more]...."
The "real mission"? Are the Brindleys conservatives with a pleasant roots rock veneer? I guess I should not cast aspersions.
It is bittersweet to see all these tracks now available from my one-time favorite band Sardina. They were together in the 1990s in Indiana (Bloomington and Indianapolis) and Chicago. I saw them play several times in Bloomington. They released one album, called Presents, which I bought, and which is great start to finish. The lead singer Michelle, had a very strong, beautiful voice. Indie rock with almost an epic feel at times.
Other Bloomington bands of that era that I enjoyed: Joyride (then they changed their name, and I can't remember what they changed it to), Arson Garden, and anything with John Strohm in it. I liked the Smears too. And Pizzle.
The Sardina bassist PJ has now made Presents available for free on the web, along with many live tracks and demos. At the Sardina website (http://www.admiralsound.com/sardinamusic/sardina.html), he said he might as well make the album tracks available for free, since used copies sell for pennies on the internet. See also: http://musicalfamilytree.com/bands/sardina and http://www.myspace.com/sardinatheband
For Arson Garden, http://www.myspace.com/arsongarden, The Belle Stomp (1994, American records) was their flirtation with making it big. It is great. Wisteria, an earlier effort, is also worth a listen. On the myspace page, "Mind Talking" and "She Reconsidered" are both songs I listened to over and over when they first came out (and am thus glad to have them brought to my attention again).
That bugs me-- other really great artists also have old CDs that are selling for pennies on the internet. Linda Smith, Tara Key (of Antietam), Lida Husik. Of the three, Tara Key has the least stuff available now at itunes. Her two solo CDs are magnificent.
BTW, I heard from Donald Keesing, a DC-area friend of Lida Husik, that she lives in San Francisco area now, and that she and her husband are moving to Sausalito. At least you can find some of her stuff at itunes. the most recent single "Nuclear Soul" (2006) was the only thing there I didn't already have, so I just got it. It's actually also here: http://www.myspace.com/nonukesmusic And her web site has some cool stuff too: http://www.lidahusik.net, including mp3s.
Here is a slideshow D Keesing recently put up on youtube, to the Lida Husik song "Trash Out Tonight": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVMOgKycXhU
And another he put up of his own band: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klJkv_6vDmk (he is now in Dollar Bin).
And one Don put up of a performance featuring some Slickees, including Martha Hull, live on Nov 26, 2007, at Iota, Arlington, VA-- 30 Years Over D.C. concert: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hvx-RGcuR5k
Fast-forward to the present:
Liam Finn, of New Zealand-- I didn't know he was the son of the Crowded House guy. (Actually, I've never listened to Crowded House.) I like his songs a lot, especially "Second Chance" and "Gather to the Chapel." You can hear these on the myspace site http://www.myspace.com/theliamfinn (I wonder who's squatting on the myspace site without "the"--the same thing happened to the Raveonettes, another band I'm way into-- their myspace site is http://www.myspace.com/theraveonettes, because someone else has the one without "the"--sounds OK in the Raveonettes' case though).
upcoming shows:
Mar 19 2008 9:00P Liam Finn at DC9 w/ Miracle Fortress & The Most Serene Republic Washington DCMar 29 2008 8:00P The Raveonettes at Black Cat Washington DCThese are both midweek, of course, so I don't know if I will go. :(