An Interview With Duniven

We made an appointment to meet at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, which turned out to be just the right decision. I've never been into the bars of this beautifully restored Hollywood landmark, (but I did have to vote once for a presidential election in the ballroom where the first Academy Awards were held). I had been listening to and enjoying an advance copy of Duniven's CD, I Need To Try For Her, and with the prospect of an upcoming Radio Free Silver Lake/The Fold sponsorship of a Silver Lake Lounge residency in June, it seemed the appropriate time to reach out and sit and chat.

I met Patrick (who, for the sake of simplicity, is known musically as Duniven) for the first time when he came into the lobby of the Roosevelt and we headed into one of the bars in the lobby. He told me how happy he was that Radio Free Silver Lake had agreed to help present his residency, and that he had talked to Joe through emails, but that I was the first Radio Free Silver Laker he'd met in person. I let him know how much I like his album.

Not wishing to retread over areas Joe dealt with in his interview, I asked him about the time between disbanding The Capshuns and going to work on completely new material, with a far more personal edge to it. Plagued by sinusitis for years, he submitted to corrective surgery and the recovery time was somewhat lengthy, but creatively inspirational.

Determined to get away from the "Brit-pop" label mentioned in nearly every piece written about The Capshuns, he decided he needed to relocate his songwriting to a more internal place, to make his music a more personal expression. While recuperating from his surgery, he was listening to lots of artists whose best work was usually written from a point in their lives where they were at their most vulnerable.

Feeling rather vulnerable himself, he decided to try writing about 'the girl that got away', someone from earlier in his life for whom he harbored strong feelings that were never acted upon. 'The road not taken' and all that. It unleashed a torrent of emotions and resulted in the most personal and poignant writing of his career. He wrote about his regrets and his yearnings in regard to this one girl, from many angles and perspectives, ending up with around 20 songs. Choosing the best for inclusion on his album, he began assembling a new band to help him realize his compositions. (Photo above by Gaylord Hill, as it appears on the I Need To Try For Her CD cover.

This quest is detailed in Joe Fielder's interview with Duniven at Radio Free Silver Lake. Just to briefly recap: bassist Dan Komin came from The Capshuns, Chris Vargas is a drummer he had admired in other bands, who was anxious to team up with Duniven. Shea Branham is a guitarist of such skill and presence Patrick would not take no for an answer when he was asked to join the band. Jason Borger plays keys and is a hugely respected musician and has his own band, Jerry Borge who will play the first show June 6 and Ceci Castelblanco adds gorgeous vocal harmonies to Duniven's music.

I haven't done many, but this was the easiest interview I have given, and credit must go to Duniven for his ability and desire to be honest and direct. I even got a recommendation for a saline sinus spray. I've admired his talent, now I admire the person. We said goodbye as I was given a solid copy of his new album, I already know I like it. I look forward to his weekly shows this month, every Monday at Silver Lake Lounge. I outlined the various bills at Radio Free Silver Lake. See you at a show.

whrabbit

What I Listened To May 13 - 19, 2011

1. Chad VanGaalen - Diaper Island (Sub Pop)

2. Low - C'mon (Sub Pop)

3. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues (Sub Pop)

4. Torches In Trees - Torches EP (self release)

5. DeVotchKa - 100 Lovers (ANTI)

6. Lord Huron - Mighty (self release)

7. Pinback - Offcell EP (Absolutely Kosher)

8. Low - Trust (Krank Records)

9. Obi Best - Sentimental Education EP (self release)

10. The Belle Brigade - The Belle Brigade (Reprise Records)

Chad VanGaalen first popped onto my radar back in 'o6, when I was in my infancy as a new rock and roll fan (part II). I saw a couple of his music videos, for "Clinically Dead" and "Red Hot Drops", back then and was very impressed with, not only his songwriting, but with his artwork as well. I saw him back in October '06 at Avalon opening for Band of Horses, and though the audience was pretty restless, I was able to focus on Chad and see how serious he was about his music. For some reason, I still didn't pick up any of his albums back then. Because he only ventures out infrequently from his home in Canada, he kind of moved to the back burner for me, until I saw he was coming to Spaceland in 2009.

At that time I picked up his last album, Soft Airplane, and I fell head over heels in love with it. The combination of amazing songwriting, his expressive and plaintive vocal style, and the simple orchestrations, with the sophistication of a lot of computer sounds, totally intrigued me and I played the album over and over. I was completely overwhelmed by his live show and reviewed his Spaceland concert back in 2009 here.

On that basis alone, I picked up his newest CD, Diaper Island, almost the day it came out and I think it's even better than the last one. If there's a more beautiful song this year than "Sara", I need to hear it.

The other new album is the debut of The Belle Brigade, who gave a fabulous account of themselves at Amoeba that week. Released by Reprise, it's about as professional a recording as I've ever heard and showcases all the bands strong points. It's upbeat, uptempo and filled with magnificent songwriting. Stay away if don't like a happy band, because these kids are exploding with joy, and who can blame them with the press they're getting.

Pinback's Offcell EP is back on the list because they played such a magnificent version of the complex and eight minute "Grey Machine" at their concert in the 10th. Lord Huron also blazed back owing to their super show at The Troubadour on the 14th. The rest you know.

whrabbit

What I Listened To May 6 - 12, 2011

1. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues (Sub Pop)

2. Fleet Foxes - Sun Giant E (Sub Pop)

3. Torches In Trees - Torches EP (self release)

4. Low - C'mon (Sub Pop)

5. Kenseth Thibideau - Repetition (Temporary Residence)

6. Elbow - Build A Rocket Boys (Polydor)

7. Eastern Conference Champions - Speak-Ahh (RockHampton Records)

8. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes (Sub Pop)

9. Calexico - Garden Ruin (Quarterstick Records)

10. DeVotchKa - 100 Lovers (ANTI)

Guess what, this was the week leading up to the Fleet Foxes show at the Palladium and the aftermath as well. Sorry. It was an incredible show and they were fantastic and it sent me back through all their recordings (that I have). Torches In Trees played my anniversary show, and gave out these terrific EP's that night, featuring new recordings along with some previously recorded favorites. They so wowed the audience that I think they picked up some new, permanent fans.

Sorry if I look Like a Sub Pop publicist this week but I can't help it. Low's C'mon comes in next, followed by Kenseth Thibideau who totally won over the audience at the Pinback show at El Rey that week. His Repetition os a beautiful album. Elbow slides a little, but Eastern Conference Champions maintain a strong hold on my listening habits.

Calexico were still enchanting me after their Cinco de Mayo show, and another band that utilizes some of the same mariachi musicians, DeVotchKa, won't let me go either.

whrabbit

Tommy Santee Klaws (Twice)

I had the good fortune of seeing Tommy Santee Klaws twice during the past week, and since I haven't seen them since the release of their CD, Rakes, last November, I was taken aback, all over again, by the breathtaking quality of this band. On Thursday, May 19, I headed to The Echo to see this band that I've been following for a few years now, and to see a couple of new videos they were premiering this night.

After meeting up with Tommy and the band, spending some time catching up, Donna Jo took the stage and announced the first video, directed and animated by Walt Gorecki for the wonderful song, "In Formation". It was so stunning it brought tears to my eyes with it's wistful images of animal heads against a ruddy brown/red background, and the minute the lyrics, "they sing in form-a-tion" began, the screen was swarmed by fireflies buzzing this way and that. The projection was a little over the size of the screen, causing the fireflies to flood the ceiling and side walls creating a dream-like and environmental experience.

Tommy Santee Klaws took the stage (above) and overwhelmed with a beauty and power I was unprepared for. Without a full time drummer, the percussion was handled by Sam and Donna and I must say the homemade quality fit very well with the overall sound. Singing many of the songs from Rakes, they sounded somewhat more dynamic than usual. The contribution of Jason Boles on mandolin can not be discounted, for his lilting musical presence could be felt in every song. They have also added a violinist in Chrysanthe Tan, who adds not only a classical sound to the mix, but even an occasional vocal. Then balance was perfect and the vocals pristine, and the whole set was a slice of magic. The final video by Donna Jo featured Tommy as an unlikely gnome...but it worked. She cast a delightful spell.

Naturally, I had to attend their set at Silver Lake Junction the following weekend and was I ever glad I did. There I got to see an ever expanding crowd fall under the spell of this band. I saw a lot of bands at The Junction, but I don't think I saw as well a though out or so meticulously performed set all weekend. And the audience couldn't help but feel this was something special. I was so happy to see this many people so moved by this music. Watching a young band like this completely win over an audience is such a privilege to witness.

Adding Danny Banes to the vocals made the band as vocally powerful as I've ever seen them. That, and the miking made them seem like more of a vocal band than I've ever heard. They sped through their set of short songs in record time and had the audience in the palm of their hand. What a great show. They posed for the picture above after their set that afternoon. They are, without question, one of the finest bands around right now.

whrabbit

What I Listened To April 29 - May 5, 2011

1. Low - C'mon (Sub Pop)

2. Eastern Conference Champions - Speak-Ahh (RockHampton Records)

3. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues (Sub Pop)

4. Elbow - Build A Rocket Boys (Polydor)

5. Calexico - Garden Ruin (Quarterstick Records)

6. Paulie Pesh - Shining Stars EP (self release)

7. Paul Simon - So Beautiful Or So What (Concord Music Group)

8. DeVotchKa - 100 Lovers (ANTI)

9. The Lonely Wild - Dead End EP (self Release)

10. Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow (RCA)

C'mon by Low is still obsessing me and I still play if continuously, even after three weeks. I just can't get enough of it. Serious competition was provided by the terrific new CD from Eastern Conference Champions, Speak-Ahh, making it's second appearance on the list, which jumped up to almost knock off Low. Balancing their high-energy output with thoughtful, introspective songs has created an album of surprising variety.

Fleet Foxes released their long-awaited new album on May 3 and Helplessness Blues fulfilled all the early promise this band has shown. Strong songwriting continues to be a hallmark of Fleet Foxes, and it's matched by a superb production from the Sub Pop label. I only had this record for three days, and it still landed in third place as I try to burn it into my brain before their show at the Hollywood Palladium on the 7th. Elbow drops to fourth position, while Calexico's Garden Ruin album from 2006 warmed me up for their Cinco de Mayo show at Echoplex.

Paulie Pesh, Paul Simon, DeVotchKa and The Lonely Wild are all bands and musicians I've seen recently and each one has a good album to go with it. The Paul Simon album, So Beautiful Or So What, really is a remarkable achievement in that it's so startling and vibrant and alive. As Bronson said to me recently, there have been an amazing number of great albums released this year...and it's not even June.

Going backwards, I bought a new CD of Surrealistic Pillow by Jefferson Airplane. Actually the 2003 pressing, but I never had it before. I'd been living with the Gold CD that RCA issued in the early '90s and finally it wouldn't play anymore. To complete the history, I should say this was my favorite rock and roll album of all time for a long time, fuck The Beatles, fuck Bob Dylan...this was IT for me. O.K., maybe I've mellowed a bit since then, but this is just brilliant music and has it even stood the test of time, in spite of it's primitive sound. I burned my way through three copies on vinyl during the sixties, seventies and eighties, so this is the fifth copy of this I've owned!

whrabbit

Calexico Celebrate Cinco de Mayo At Echoplex 5/5/11

I really enjoyed the Cinco de Mayo celebration at Echoplex on May 5, 2011, and although I got plenty of great Mariachi music, it was also a Calexico show (photos above and below by Kappi), and the chance to see this band in a venue like Echoplex was an experience to treasure. I've only seen them at the El Rey or The Fonda before and as great as those shows were, here I got to get up close and really watch the phenomenal camaraderie this band has with all of their guest musicians. At times there were as many as nine or ten performers on stage. And the sound was tremendous.

I arrived during the opening set by Mariachi Luz de Luna and, together with the balloons and streamers, they immersed you in the spirit of celebration right away. The audience was already bouncing like crazy and the festive atmosphere was intoxicating, as were the drinks.

When Calexico took their places, they filled the stage, not just with musicians and their instruments, but with energy and passion that makes them seem fresh and brand new. Playing a lot of material from their last album, Carried To Dust, they made the album sound a lot better to me. When I went back and listened to it, I think I had underrated it before. And as I've said before, Joey Burns is one of the finest singers I've ever seen.

Augmented by a three piece brass ensemble and a string ensemble and a harp player, the musicianship was simply overwhelming and there was no way to resist. I chatted with other audience members and we were all in agreement, that it was pretty special to see them in this more intimate environment. I just had to write about this show before it got away from me.

whrabbit

What I Listened To April 22 - 28, 2011

1. Low - C'mon (Sub Pop)

2. Elbow - Build A Rocket Boys (Polydor)

3. EELS with Strings - Live at Town Hall (Vagrant Records)

4. A Hawk and A Hacksaw - Cervantine (LM Dupli-cation)

5. Eastern Conference Champions - Speak AHH (Rockhampton Records)

6. Paulie Pesh - Shining Stars EP (self release)

7. Paul Simon - So Beautiful Or So What (Concord Music Group)

8. DeVotchKa - 100 Lovers (ANTI)

9. The Lonely Wild - Dead End EP (self release)

10. Low - Trust (Krank Records)

Low wraps themselves around my top ten for this week. The Low album, C'mon, is, I believe, a game changer for this band. It ought to catapult them into the major leagues...again. The earlier album from the band, Trust, wraps up the end of the list. The Elbow album, though not as smashing as their last two albums, still has some good things on it. The new Hawk and A Hacksaw CD, Cervantine, is interesting, intellectual and slightly dull, but I gave it a few spins.

On the other hand, the new CD by Eastern Conference Champions is a real winner. This band give electrifying live performances, but they translate to disc with all the energy and musical proficiency well displayed for all to hear. Paulie Pesh played my anniversary show, (how they fit seven musicians on that stage is amazing) and I'd been given their CD and find it a nice, tight recording with some fine singing. Still high from the Paul Simon concert, I'm still enjoying the record. And the DeVotchKa album and The Lonely Wild 45 are just plain wonderful.

O.K., that's all I got for now.

whrabbit