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Shadow Disc

Terry Flamm from the great music blog, Broken Hearted Toy is the first to review our new record, “The Shadow of the Marigold.” He tells us it’s “a brooding though engaging effort, filled with sacred and destructive imagery.” And there’s this: “The more hopeful ‘Lavender Rays’ evokes Kate Bush, as Hayden – with perhaps her most gorgeous vocals yet – describes a vision while the band envelopes her in a haunting Celtic arrangement.” On Facebook Terry called “The Shadow of the Marigold,” “haunting and poetic.” Thanks for listening Terry! – Jammer

 

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radioRadio play. Turns out it’s not that easy to come by. We have been lucky to connect with an amazing musical dynamo, Lord Litter, a DJ and musician based in Berlin dedicated to “quality music.” He hosts a couple of cool “underground” shows in Europe and the States. Last night, he played our song “Curse on You,” from our forthcoming album, “The Shadow of the Marigold,” on his show, broadcast from Bodega Bay, CA,  “Lord Litter’s Magic Music Box.”

It was so cool to hear our song slotted after Spanky and the Gang, and before Cary Grace. And what did the Lord have to say about our music? “Extremely relaxed, folky, psychedelic scapes, that invite you to float along…”  Well said Lord! – Jammer

UPDATE: Here’s the link to the archive of the Magic Music Box show hosted by Lord Litter, featuring our song “Curse on You!” First Spanky and then us!

 

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The sneak preview “word of mouth” on our new record, “The Shadow of the Marigold:”

“A lost classic,” “A bit hippy, dippy, but not without it’s charms,” “Darkly beautiful,” “Powerful, mysterious, calming,” “Nothing is pretentious,” “Compelling sonic landscapes swept aloft by deep grooves…” “Like Patti Smith fronting the Stones,” “Folk-a-delic!”

Official release date: 04.07.16

The Shadow of the Marigold Packaging

photo by Melissa Gasparatto

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WWSP_INDIEGOGO_HTML

Yes, it’s true, we are jumping into the “crowd-funding pool” today! We have been working on our forthcoming record for nearly 3 years. Shooting for an early 2016 release. So happy with the recording. 9 songs, 44 mins of new music. “The Shadow of the Marigold,” is certainly the most finished, fully-realized work we’ve ever done. Great contributions from some truly inspiring musicians. We feel like it’s a step forward from our 1st release “10+1”

Anyway, we are an “independent,” band, on our own, on the margins, doing the best work we can. No help from a label or corporate daddy. We thought we would try to reach out to friends and fans of the band to see if they are willing to extend a helping hand. Another little experiment for us.

It’s 30 day campaign, kicks off today. If you are interested in supporting our project, and scoring a cool perk in the process, check out our IndieGoGo site here: http://igg.me/at/wwsp/x/10209712   – Jammer

 

 

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Cate Blanchett as Bob DylanIt is true that Cate Blanchett, world famous actress, is one of my role models, inspirers, and gurus? Yes, indeed. But is she rock and roll? Why certainly. Did you see her play Bob Dylan in Todd Haynes’ “I’m Not There.”

Cate is cool. I mean, super-cool. Chiseled from the finest stuff. But what of her wisdom? Love this from the New York Times Fashion Magazine: “She hates monologue. For her everything interesting is in collaboration. ‘That the dangerous side,’ she said. ‘You really don’t know where you’re going to go.'”

Yes, I’d say an admirable creative credo – collaboration – dangerous – interesting – don’t know where it will go. Playing alone in a room is all well and good, but the magic alchemy only really happens when you are in that room with other committed creative, souls, all working together. That’s the “everything” of the creative thing. – Jammer

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We have been kicking around this idea of doing some Edgar Allan Poe poems as r&r songs. Maybe even do a whole album of material. I do think if EAP were alive today he’d be fronting a band like the Bad Seeds.

We took out “A Dream Within a Dream” for a ride awhile back. I forgot about it, just rediscovered this track yesterday. We recorded it a few months back on a little digital recorder at our rehearsal space. It’s raw & raucous. I think this is the 2nd time we played the song.

We totally swamp Carla’s vocal in the middle of the track, but you know, I do love the energy of this thing. It was quite fun to play. No apologies. That’s Carla on vocals, Jammer on guitar, Chuck Wasserburg on slide guitar, Doug Johnson on bass and Randy Farr on drums. Funky, funky EAP! – Jammer

“Man, you should have seen them kicking Edgar Allen Poe.” – J. Lennon

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IMG_7705If you play music, in a band, like I do, (whitewolfsonicprincess & The Telepaths), you know. And/or if you love music and listen to music, intensely, religiously, you know. Music is a branch of magic. “The repetition itself becomes the important thing; it’s a form of mesmerism.” As Maria Popova’s great blog post tells us: “Music takes place in time, but repetition beguilingly makes it knowable in the way of something outside of time.”

I have marveled at how essential and all-consuming music has loomed in my life. From a very, very young age. Yes, indeed, music “enchants the brain.”

I have lately wondered if other musicians/bands love to play music, and to rehearse as much as we do. They must. I find the process almost like a form of worship. It can transform a mood, a feeling, a day, a week. It can, and it will, transform you as a being. It helps that we play with extraordinarily excellent musicians. It helps that everyone is committed to the work.

Yes, it’s also rewarding to play in front of people, an audience, but it turns out that it isn’t essential. The communication between the musicians, sitting in a room, working intensely together, establishing a secret, nonverbal relationship is an essentially rewarding phenomena.

Yes, and the repetition takes you “out of time.” Working in a room with others takes you “out of yourself.” It is a sacred thing. Even if you are just banging out wanky, garage rock, or if you are playing beautifully lyrical and rhythmic songs. Seems, that the content doesn’t really matter so much, although, it helps if you play with heart. The form of the ritual is most important. It’s a form of Magic. A conjuring. Enchanting. – Jammer

photo by Nancy Chambers

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Lovely Carla at Bucktown Garden Walk!

We played a set at the Bucktown Tree and Garden Walk yesterday afternoon. Storm clouds threatened all weekend, but it was all blue skies. It was the third year in a row we’ve played this little festival and it was the best and most rewarding so far. Thanks to CAUDOG Records and Club Lucky!

Lots of people came out to walk the neighborhood, and to check out local gardens. Lots of folks came out to enjoy the great food at Club Lucky. Lots of folks came out to listen to music too. Seems it takes a little time to seep into the consciousness, and it helps if you have great weather. This little gem of a event has found it’s place.

Our band was ready for it. We were very well-rehearsed. A big sound. It was the first show with Ian Ogden on bass, and Chuck Wasserburg brought 2 electric guitars – the Danelectro and the Gibson (he calls it the slab!), and Randy Farr was on percussion, Steve Rutstein played his brand new Gretsch drum kit for the first time – gorgeous!

The Lovely Carla was still experiencing “vertigo,” a pretty heavy case of dizziness, but she was able to hold it all together by force of will and charisma. A very satisfying show. The band really brought it. Lots of praise from many quarters afterwards. Strangers came up to tell us they loved our set. New fans. So yes, blue skies, great food, excellent sound, tight set, new fans – what more can you ask for? – Jammer

Photo by Eric Dinse

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Serpent, Hawk & CherYesterday Jammer and I picked up a copy of “The Serpent’s Egg” at Squeezebox, our favorite little 2nd hand book/cd shop in Evanston. I was turned on to Dead Can Dance in NY in the late 90’s while doing a photo shoot with fashion photographer Jeff Licata. This morning I am alone with the music. (Jammer is house-sitting, it’s 4th of July week-end and we’ll get together later to hang with his doggie pal Buster, have a Joy Yee Noodle jamboree and to listen to our latest project “The Shadow of the Marigold.” Is it finally ready to be mastered?).

I have also been forced to take it easy, I have a case of vertigo, my mind is a kaleidoscope, it tilts and spins and, I drift about… watching the leaves sway in the summer wind outside the window. I think about my father. How he would sit in silence watching the world around him, I think about the lyrics in Black, Black Wings: “there was just no gettin inside of that, there was just no getting outside of that.”

A line from Helen Macdonald’s book “H is for Hawk” has been resonating over the past few days in this fragmented head of mine, “The unspoken atempt to hold onto something that has already flown away.” Yes. The awareness of the circles of change, going round and round over time, bouncing and crashing into one another, floating away.

I love nostalgia, I so believe the stories keep us engaged and grounded. While enjoying “The Serpent’s Egg,” I read an article by Kate Christensen about the relationship she shared with her mother as a child in the 70s. Her mother, a strong women; divorced, struggling to take care of her children while getting her PH D. Her mother had very little time to spare, although they always got together on Friday nights to relax and watch the Sony & Cher show. They would admire Cher’s style, her strength, her wit, and her ability to rise up from a rough childhood to become a successful and creative woman. Cher’s career and life like many, has gone through volatile ups and downs, but still, she carries on. Kate leaves us with gratitude for Cher’s story. To have the hope and courage to keep on going. A wonderful reminder – Hope and Courage, and Gratitude, for this life, all that it holds. The successes. The failures. The energy of spirit that connects us all, to all. – Carla

Photo of Cher by Bill Clough

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jefferson street parade bandYes, there’s the new music model, streaming music to your phone, which is better than stealing, but, to be honest, I’m still very much stuck on the old music model.

This weekend it went like this: see a band playing live at a street fair, get totally knocked out by their live performance, dip into wallet, pull out some cold hard cash, and buy one of their CDs, and band t-shirts!

There was something viscerally, physically exquisite about the whole transaction. And giving real $ to musicians, and telling them how much their music inspired, and explaining how their energy, enthusiasm and musical talent totally impressed – well it’s just the best overall kind of human interaction you could possibly experience. Really!

And who was the band that did all this impressing? Jefferson Street Parade Band. How would I describe them? A funky, soulful, jazzy, marching band. A rag-tag band of serious musicians, with major jazz chops, and a funky, loose, party, street vibe. They were all dressed in glad-rags – vests and funny hats. Yes, they are a marching band – they look like hip rejects from a more traditional, half-time type band – this version consisted of three drummers with those little cocktail kits that they wear and can walk around with, and a three piece horn section – baritone sax, tenor sax and trumpet, a kickass guitar player and a funky, soulful, stunningly cool bass player.

Their set? Total, maximum, pulse-pounding energy. They played party-time jams, Balkan gypsy stuff, Ghanian soul music, Thelonious Monk jazz, all layered with cross-rhythms and a loose, good-time vibe.

So impressive. And fun. And most excellent. We bought their latest CD “Consultation with Tubby” and the record is well recorded, and does a decent job of catching their unique magic. Still, I highly recommend finding these guys and seeing a live show.

They are from that musical mecca Bloomington, Indiana and are in the midst of a little midwest tour. Worth seeking out. And while you are at it, buy a CD and t-shirt. It will make you feel extremely invested! And your being will be flooded with happiness and good feeling. I promise! – Jammer