PopWars

Ideolectic speech, the speech of the unique individual. I had intended to dive into my Christmas book, “Kansas City Lightning, The Rise and Times of Charlie Parker,” by Stanley Crouch but Louise brought over a book to borrow called “Speaking of Art, Four Decades of Art in Conversation” and that has been hard to put down. Artful interviews, conversation about art, as art, “Audio Arts” fits nicely in my “Field Recordings of the Future” category.

“Inmate Improv,” an editorial in today’s NYT was the perfect New Year’s gift for me. Anna Clark runs an improv workshop for prisioners in Detroit’s Macomb Correctional Facility and she she says she is more afraid of improv than she is of the prisoners. Improv makes the world go ’round.

Margaret Explosion will try to keep the world spinning tonight at the Little Theater Café. I’m thinking of bringing my djembe for the first number and I’m trying to figure out how we’re going to strap up my aging laptop so we can project some movies on the wall behind the band. The song below is an improv, an optimistic toast to the New Year. Here’s hoping we all find our ideolectic voice in the new year.

There are a lot of bands out there doing their Christmas songs this week. Watkins & the Rapiers have been doing them all month. But nobody does a better batch than Bobby Henrie and the Goners. We caught their annual Xmas show at Abilene on Saturday night and didn’t leave until it was all said and done. Jingle Bell Rock, Baby, It’s Cold Outside with Jimmy playing sleigh bells on the intro and outro!

A few years ago they were especially tight, knocking out songs in rapid succession. I think they had a string of Christmas parties that year. This year they were especially loose taking five minutes or so between songs. They tear it up either way. Jimmy, reliably late with the snare, Brian right on and Bobby, as always, an incredible player with a great voice and an explosive, live wire. The band, in their thirtieth year as a trio, is equal parts rock and roll. Most bands today have dropped the roll and I miss it. It allows the Goners to mix country, jazz and blues with their old fashioned r&R.

The five day forecast in these parts is all grey. I kind of like the mood. Margaret Explosion will provide a soundtrack to the weather tonight at the Little Theater Café. We promise not to play any Christmas music. Here is a song from a few weeks back.

The car was all packed and we were getting ready to leave when Noel emailed from the Little Theater. Due to almost a foot of snow they were planning on closing the café early and canceling the band for the night. They didn’t have to do that. We were ready and already looking forward to a quiet night, a situation where the band can sound especially good. Margaret Explosion is somewhere between the band in John Cassavetes’s “Too Late Blues” and the band that was playing on the Titanic when it went down. These are ideal conditions for us.

Like magic our new cd became available at CDBaby on the morning of yesterday’s release party. Scott Regan played a cut on his morning show and WRUR’s playlist showed the cover graphic from iTunes. We had our ducks in a row. Peggi and I hand painted some oversize cd covers and hung them over the grand piano. The place was packed but oddly the band was in a detached sort of mood. in the break Martin Edic suggested we “get wild” so we tried to accommodate him. If that piece sounds as good as I remember it I’ll post it here in a few days. Here’s one from the new cd.

Margaret Explosion – Fisterra

Here’s Jeff Spevak’s review from the Democrat & Chronicle:
“The sound of “Disappear” is immediately recognizable. Margaret Explosion is a narcotic soundtrack, sinuous improvisation on original impulses. Peggi Fournier not so much plays the soprano sax as breathes it. Paul Dodd’s drums are notable not only for the precision of his carefully selected notes, but the notes that he seems to not play. Like bassist Ken Frank, Dodd’s often in a hypnotic state. Guitarist Bob Martin is one of the wondrous curiosities of the local scene. He sits with his instrument and a vast array of effects pedals and buttons at his feet, creating sounds with the drawn-out elegance of Bill Frisell.

Disappear includes work by two like-minded, frequent guests of the band, bass clarinetist Jack Schaefer and Pete LaBonne on grand piano. It’s ethereal stuff from a prolific group that never rehearses, just plays. And posting much of it — including the clatter of plates and utensils from Little Café patrons eating — on its web site free for your downloading.”

Please join the band on Wednesday evening 7:30-9:30PM as Margaret Explosion releases our first cd in five years. 12 songs recorded live at the Little Theatre Café in living stereo and packaged in a handprinted, limited edition sleeve. $10, includes shipping, available at MargaretExplosion.com. Here’s a song from the new cd.