“Tourist Trap” – Bright Eyes
From NPR's World Cafe
I woke up this morning to find several messages in my inbox about the Copyright Royalty Board’s decision to deny NPR’s appeal over the increased royalty fees for Internet radio. I am not a political writer, and this isn’t a political piece so I’ll let the discussion of that decision go on elsewhere. What I will say is that the thought of losing such great stations as Radioparadise, and Pandora saddens and angers me a great deal.
Real world radio for the most part sucks. When I travel the 600 odd miles to my parents' house and hear the exact same songs played by DJs who sound exactly alike with the same jokes then I know radio ain't got no soul no more. To be able to click my mouse and hear great, interesting, and unique music for free is a great pleasure. It will surely be missed.
In protest of the decision I have been listening to NPR most of the day. After getting my fill of the tragedy at Virginia Tech I turned to their vast selection of music, and found this recent in-studio concert by Bright Eyes. I’ve not gotten around to buying their new album, but after hearing their songs played on Internet radio, I think I’ll have to go out tonight and do just that.
“Rhetoric” - Mellowdramatic Wallflowers
From Continental Breakfast
Growing up in small town Oklahoma, and not exactly being the hippest cat around, my scorecard with the ladies wasn’t all aces in those early years. About junior year a lovely lass named Ashley started attending the same church as the family and me. She was a sprite little pixie, with gorgeous eyes, and a smile that made a gymnast of my internal organs. And unlike all the other cute girls I knew at the time, she was friendly, kind, and willing to give me the time of day.
I meticulously planned ways of asking her out. I couldn’t just ask her to dinner, no she was much too perfect for that. I needed something wonderful, something romantic and fun and unusual. When I learned that local band Mellowdramatic Wallflowers were playing a free set at the annual Mayfest in Tulsa, I knew this was the thing to bring true love.
Article comments
1 - jerry
I tried to give Bright Eyes a try but when he came down to Texas and bagged on us from a concert stage, all credibility went out the window. I can actually say that I despise Conor Oberst and wouldn't support anything he puts out.
On the flipside, that Jewel track is a good one. Quite sad but good nonetheless.
2 - Mat Brewster
Out of curiosity, what did he say?
3 - jerry
he did a show at the Ridglea Theater in Ft Worth, TX and started to bash Bush from onstage..fine, you want to throw your opinion out like that, go ahead but then he stated that everyone in Texas except the people at the show were a bunch of redneck indian-killers and wondered how we can ever live in a state as bad as Texas.
For those who don't know, you aren't going to find a more prideful state than Texas and when you have some pencil-neck songwriter from Nebraska come and talk shit to people who paid for a good show, that will obviously will not sit right. He doesn't exactly look like the type who can defend himself if someone called him for something he says from stage.
4 - Mat Brewster
I grew up in Oklahoma and am quite aware of Texas pride. Even if he didn't know, that's a pretty ridiculous thing to do.
I wonder if he'll say something similar when I see him in Nashville in a few weeks.
5 - Mark Saleski
hmmm, i have heard that brewster is a rednecked indian-killer.
6 - Mat Brewster
You've been talking to my mother again, haven't you?
7 - Temple Stark
"Random" as opposed to linear shuffle? .. And exactly how many ways can you shuffle three songs? What does “Rhetoric” sound like? The Melodramatic Wallflowers are a band most haven't heard.
8 - Mat Brewster
Ah yes, the Temple Stark incisive critique...
I thought "Random Shuffle" was a cute name. Perhaps a little redundant as most shuffles are designed to be random, but cute none-the-less.
The shuffling is actually of the thousands of songs on my hard drive. The three are then the songs "dealt" so to speak.
I probably should say more about the songs themselves, but Random Shuffle has turned into more of a how music makes me feel, and what it makes me remember than a real critique of the songs.
9 - Temple Stark
"What does "Rhetoric" sound like?"
I was actually curious. I haven't heard it before. The song, not the argument style before you get any cuter. ;-)
10 - Mat Brewster
Don't worry, this is as cute as I get :)
I was going to include what they sound like in my last comment, but it's pretty dern hard to explain. (maybe that's why I stick to telling stories about music instead of actually talking about it!)
It was a bit of light indie-rock with a flute. A little bit hippy dippy, but fairly interesting.
Before you get too curious though, realize they were very much a local band who put out two records on a very independent label and fizzled out about a decade ago. So chances of being able to find any of their records is pretty slim.
11 - Temple Stark
That - "flute, hippy dippy" made me think of The Spin Doctors.
I found Dancing in the Sun by the MeDr Wallflowers at CDBaby, which was calypso coupled with The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. The calypso was no doubt because of the subject. It was released on an Immutable Records compilation.
Then, I found this site, Hometown Hereos Tulsa which had MeDr Wallflowers' "Bridges That Cross Dry Land" in a February podcast. Downloaded that, skipped through all the overtalk. (Song Starts: 49:41) Blind Melon, then Violent Femmes came to mind. This song had accordion, Spanish guitar briefly, and understated twin-vocals.
I liked 'em a lot. Like the different styles (as evidenced by two songs anyway)
"So, you're in a band / I'm sure that must be / nice for you / Moravian men / to tell us what
/ we all should do"
12 - Mat Brewster
Newsflash: After being amazed that Temple found some Mellowdramatic Wallflower music, I dug a little deeper. They did change their name to Admiral Twin, but they did not fizzle out. In fact they are about to release a new album.
Before I wrote this piece I googled the old name, but only found really old Geocities websites and figured the band must have went out with a whimper. A search for Admiral Twin pulled up their official site, and their myspace page.
13 - Linda
Right your are, sir. Admiral Twin is alive and well in Tulsa. Since they happen to be my favorite band of all time I could rave about them for hours, but I'll spare you the speech. It is your blog, after all.
btw, as much as I enjoy the line "Moravian men", the actual line was "more angry young men, to tell us what we all should do."
Admiral Twin, following their foundations in The Mellowdramatic Wallflowers, feature intelligent lyrics, layered harmonies, variations in styles, often off the beaten path instrumentation and sounds, and plenty of diversity as they have three strong singer/songwriters in the group. You can find their debut CD Unlucky (Phone Call #27, Down, But I'm Dying are my favorites)and their latest CD "Creatures of Bread and Wine" (Stay The Course, Wait For The Bang) on iTunes. Their major label CD "Mock Heroic" can be found at used outlets everywhere. Their label (Mojo) folded about a week after it was released, and with no support it sadly got critical acclaim, but no airplay or promo.
The new CD, "Center of the Universe" is due out September 19th.
You can also find them and listen on myspace: Admiral Twin
Sorry about you losing the girl, but you should listen to the AT song from Unlucky, "There" about a guy who met a girl in a park, who later disappeared... Ah, nostalgia.
Linda
P.S. I grew up in Omaha...back then we knew better than to tick off Texans.
14 - Mat Brewster
Thanks, Linda. I feel like I'm finding an old friend. I'm in Indiana now which is a long ways from their stomping ground, but maybe I'll catch them sometime when I go see my family.
Their stuff on myspace sounds pretty good. I think I'll have to search out their other albums.
15 - Temple Stark
Damn, I was thrilled with Moravian men. :-) I haven't heard the song - couldn't find that one - just took the lyrics off the web.
I'm here to help push past "cute."
- Temple
PS - Professional journalists don't die, they just have superior digging skills ;-) /jk.
16 - Linda
I doubt if you can find Continental Breakfast or Daffadowndilly anywhere online, and I believe the band is even out of copies. If you want to send me a message through my myspace site I can try to figure a way for you to hear Rhetoric.
I'm in SE Michigan. Mat, if you are in the right part of Indiana you might be interested in the Admiral Twin shows next weekend in Chicago. Friday night as part of the International Pop Overthrow, and Saturday night at Lunar Brewing Company. I'll be there... I'd buy you a beer. The band still does "Splelunking Through The Chaos", an old Mellowdramatic Wallflowers song, from time to time...
AT later did a version of "Dancing On The Sun" for their second album, but it turned out to be a little "out there" for their label (it had saxaphone for petes sake and that whole latin calypso thing) so it ended up on their Odds and Ends album with the demos and rarities. It's available through their website, but I don't know of anyplace else.
Temple, if you are a lyrics fan you might like one of my favorite songs from Unlucky, "But I'm Dying".
"I'm tired of living in your constellation
Most of your friends, they still don't know my name
I've never been good at orbiting
And everything you say is Greek to me
So why don't I blow the lid off this can of worms?
I think there might be a prize at the bottom
It's a Cracker Jack deal
I'll be free and you'll be rid of me
Everything's gold on the surface of the moment
But I take my coffee much blacker than you ever will
And when my day comes crashing down
At 3 a.m., without a sound
You're fast asleep...but I'm dying."
Linda
17 - Mat Brewster
I'm closer to Louisville than Chicago unfortunately. And we're actually seeing Patty Griffin that weekend, but thanks for the info.
I just joined their myspace, and added you as a friend, so maybe I'll catch them sometime later.