Mon, Jul 18, 2011
Grey Fox 2011
20 miles from the house and yet Bender (Pinky) Melon still camped for 3 nights... why? Uh... cuz it's fun. Although too old for the endurance sport of learning / listening by day
and picking all night, we certainly made a fair attempt. Highlights included an excellent improvisation workshop led by
Matt Glaser,
a speed/tone/accuracy workshop led by
Dan Miller,
Chris Thile and Michael Daves on the main stage, the Masters stage appearances of Chris Thile, Michael Daves, Tim O'Brien and Sam Bush including a comedy show / guitar schooling by
Red Stick Ramblers' Chas Justus, fine set by Del McCoury, the moon, the weather, noodling with strangers at 3:00 am
most of whom were sober and a regroup with a friend on Friday and lots of friends on Saturday after spending a day and a half with my lonesome self in a giant crowd.
[
Grey Fox 2011 Photos]
07/18/2011 13:01 |
Category:
/music
Mon, Jun 27, 2011
Solid Sound 2011
Followed a moving truck over Petersburg Pass yesterday to endure eleven hours of music, rain, mud, art and post-industrial landscape.
Highlights included sunshine on the Handsome Family, a fine set from Liam Finn, a mind-bending 45 minutes of Dave Douglas' Brass Ecstasy, Syl Johnson somehow managing
to get me moving in four inches of mud and, of course, Nels Cline. I mean Wilco.
Thanks to Wilco for putting on a music festival the way it should be, people listening to music because it's interesting.
[Solid Sound photos]
06/27/2011 10:23 |
Category:
/music
Tue, Jan 25, 2011
Joey's Song
Good music for a good cause. Get some for you and a child near you.
[
JoeysSong.org]
[
Joey's Song - Final Tracklist]
01/25/2011 13:07 |
Category:
/music
Fri, Nov 05, 2010
Helderberg Exotic Cats (and Russian Brides)
Every two years Bender Melon releases a song. Here's one about a local purveyor of felines and other associated products.
[
Helderberg Exotic Cats (and Russian Brides)]
11/05/2010 19:12 |
Category:
/music
Wed, Dec 16, 2009
2009 ear worms
Now for the first annual end of year Bender Melon picks. I wouldn't normally do this, but I don't agree with most of the ones I've read, or if I agree, I think they missed some important music. Also, I'm sure my favorite album of 2009 will become apparent to me in 2012 as there are a couple here from 2008. In any case here goes and not in any order of importance or greatness because they all make life better...
- Ciao My Shining Star - Songs of Mark Mulcahy
I can't stop listening to this, which makes sense, because I had that problem with Pursuit of Happiness too. It comes off as a fantastic mixed tape even though all the songs are written by Mark. It's also a nice introduction to some of the lesser known Western Massachusetts and New Haven artists such as Spouse and Lo Fine. The digital only tracks on the 'Deluxe Edition' are some of my favorites, so I recommend downloading the 20 extra tracks or getting the whole package digitally to save money, but keep in mind all the proceeds go to benefit him and his family so buy lots of copies to give away...
- Robbie Fulks - 50 Voice Doberman
50 songs written in a year and none of them suck. I'm still finding new things to like about it and I've had it since March. That doesn't mean I don't check his blog every day for the upcoming Michael Jackson cover album.
- Noah Preminger Group - Dry Bridge Road
This was a New York Times recommendation in the CD picks earlier this year. For me, Ben Monder's guitar playing is the reason this album has lasted, but the playing and compositions all around continue to make me squint.
- Danny Barnes - Pizza Box
I was worried about what influence Dave Matthews and his band would have on the music, but this is now one of my favorite Danny Barnes recordings. And the live extra disc with the DMB makes me bang my head on things involuntarily... in a good way.
- Skeletons - Money
This came out in October, 2008 but I don't care I heard it in 2009 for the first time after seeing them at EMPAC. I like it because they make noise and then groove and I don't care what you say.
- Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs
This is on a lot of top 100 lists and I like to be different but any YLT album will always be on my list. How they can turn 15 minutes of drone and feedback into something interesting, I'll never know. I have to listen to this every day.
- Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
Another one everybody says is a top 100 and it has to be. They're doing something new, interesting and accessible (unlike Skeletons who are doing something new, interesting and inaccessible) and deserve recognition for it. I prefer Rise Above but love this one too.
- Andrew Bird - Noble Beast/Useless Creatures
Yet another one off the common top 10 lists, but his facility with music and word blows me away so put me down as conformist.
- Buffalo Collision - (duck)
Tim Berne is another musician I would always add a release as a favorite of the year. I'm a sucker for crunchy dissonance and groove.
- Christian Laviso - Timoun a Lafrik
Another 2008 release heard this year. He's been added to my list of favorite guitar players ever since hearing him with David Murray's Gwotet. It's also been a nice parallel in the rotation to the afropop influence in Dirty Projectors / Skeletons.
12/16/2009 17:28 |
Category:
/music
Sun, Nov 23, 2008
Onesquethaw
In honor of the
resignation of three CZAC members under bizarre circumstances, Bender Melon recorded an old song about the unappreciated subtlety of the local terrigenous detritus.
[
Onesquethaw]
Wed, Oct 29, 2008
Timothy Winters
Just in time for the election, Bender reminds us of why we should throw the bums out. Written last year during one of the countless demonstrations of incompetency of our current national leaders, here's an extension of the poem "Timothy Winters" by Charles Causley. Bender Melon apologizes for the loss of wit and literacy in the original poem, but the groovy GarageBand drum track makes up for any shortcomings.
[
Timothy Winters]
Thu, Jun 26, 2008
Mr. Wrinkles
With lyrics ostensibly about a dog dressed like girl Angelina,
Astronaut has succeeded in dragging another song from Mr. Melon.
[
Mr. Wrinkles (Electric w/ Bad Fake Drums)]
[
Mr. Wrinkles (Acoustic Live Demo)]
Fri, Jan 25, 2008
Jack Grimes
As everybody's writing campaign songs, Bender Melon took it upon
himself to write one for Jack Grimes, candidate for President since
2000. Here's a sloppy acoustic demo. With any luck, an electric version
will follow.
[
Jack Grimes Addresses the Flying
Saucer Society of Dover, DE]
Wed, Nov 14, 2007
Kingston, PA
Here's a sketch of a song built on Angelina, Astronaut's lyrics.
It's up here for her approval before continuing...
[
Kingston, PA]
11/14/2007 15:26 |
Category:
/music
Little Ms. Pinky
When Bender Melon had trouble remembering the lyrics to Little Sadie
while noodling, he noticed that the lyrics for Zappa's
"Ms. Pinky" fit perfectly and the rest became history. Here is a
lost wax cylinder recording of
Meat Machine singing
with extra noodly accompaniment by Melon. Please reference the
video of the rehearsal in Jasper National Park where Bender tries to
remember which tune it was...
[
Little Ms. Pinky]
[
Video]
11/14/2007 12:54 |
Category:
/music
Sat, Sep 15, 2007
Bike
The covers (and transportation songs) project continues... in this
installment, Bender Melon attempts to take Mississippi John Hurt to the Gates of Dawn.
[
Bike]
Fri, Sep 07, 2007
Portals
Bender Melon covers a song by A. Space. Recorded live on a loop pedal (not to
make any excuses...). Perhaps this will inspire her to put the
original up for people to hear?
[
Portals]
Fri, Jun 29, 2007
Mon, Jan 22, 2007
Bender Melon relates a true story.