Take Five: Make it go away
The world is on fire, so a blend of anger and comfort was the prescription this week. Oh, and conversations between angels and devils, because why not?
“Take Five” is posted each Friday, and offers five things I spent some time with over the course of the previous week. No criticism, no in-depth analysis, just a few things I think you might be interested in checking out. When the spirit moves me, I’ll post other things at other times.
Jesus, what a week (in a month in a year to date) full of awfulness. And the awful was, let’s say, equitable, in that it touched things on an international, national, statewide and local level. But this is about positivity, right? Yes, this is supposed to be a respite. But I was busy dealing with that awfulness, which means there is a little bit here that is new and quite a bit of retreat into comforting arms. It might all be new to you, so sally forth and let’s see if we can help one another to get through this.
1. Joy Williams — Concerning the Future of Souls
As is often the case, there is usually something that tips the scales for me and makes me finally check out someone who has been hovering on the periphery of my awareness for years. Such was a glowing review for Joy Williams' Concerning the Future of Souls in a recent issue of Bookforum magazine. Williams is one of the most-decorated graduates of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, so I have a professional interest in being aware of her work. But I never knew where to jump in. A 160-page book with 99 micro fictions? That sounded doable. I'm glad I finally waded in. The book, a sequel to her similar Ninety-Nine Stories of God, subtitled “99 Stories OF Azrael,” the angel who transports souls after death. That could be heady stuff, but the brevity of the stories — none more than two short pages — and Williams’s wit keep things light if thought provoking. Each numbered story carries the title at the end, some with footnotes that sometimes make sense. Those that feature conversations between the Devil and Azrael are among the best.
Do you find me perceptive? Azrael asked.
No, the Devil said. You are creative.
Oh. OK. Thank you.
I mean, you’re not really taking them anywhere.
2. Twofer! Sharp Pins and Young Guv
Subtitled, guys from aggressive bands playing the sweetest pop on the side. I never cared for hardcore, but I understand the appeal these days, young people making loud, abrasive music in defiance of everything. While I’m no closer to wanting that aural assault, I do appreciate the melodic sideline of one of its purveyors. Ben Cook is the guitarist for the band Fucked Up and vocalist for the hard core band No Warning, but it is in the guise of Young Guv that he found a fan in me. There, he makes sweet, retro sounding pop with incredibly strong hooks. Hard to believe it’s the same guy . “High on My Mind” from Young Guv is a perfect pop song, as if the sounds of twee indie pop from the year of his birth (1985) were encoded in his DNA.
Meanwhile, Kai Slater plays guitar in angular Chicago rock outfit Lifeguard, not exactly hardcore, but nothing soft or soothing either. Slater moonlights as Sharp Pins. Slater, who if he is 20 must have recently celebrated a birthday, is playing music that could have been in his parents music collections when they were his age (if they were cool indie poppers), or perhaps his grandparents. Slater and Cook might seek out musical chaos, but they also understand the value of a strong hook and a high harmony. The kids are all right.
3. Harvey Danger — ‘Cream and Bastards Rise’
I usually spend most of my time listening to new music, sometimes so much so that I never hang with something long enough to form a connection. This week, I sought the warm embrace of my creatively named “shuffle” playlist on my phone, filled with energetic songs I have been listening to for two decades or more. When I don’t want to think, when I need a boost of energy, when I don’t have the energy for a challenge, these songs are there. First up as I was writing this was “Cream and Bastards Rise.” It’s a perfectly angry little power pop song from Harvey Danger, the band best known for the annoying ’90s novelty hit “Flagpole Sitta.” It’s from the band’s 2005 album Little By Little, released as a free download as a promotional gambit. I don’t know that I ever listened beyond this song, but it has been part of my arsenal ever since. Google tells me the title is taken from a line uttered by Paul Newman in the 1966 film “Harper.” All I know is that this could be the new National Anthem:
People who could buy and sell you
Sharing a joke that they will never tell you
You think you're dialed in, someone has to win
And you know what that means
It means someone's got to lose
It's probably you
4. Robert Wilson and Ryley Walker — 'Deafman Glance'
A chance encounter with my own image leads me to write about the Stanley Museum of Art at the University of Iowa for the third week in a row. I was reading the local Sunday paper when I saw a photo of myself on the front of the arts section, standing in front of a projection of a recording of Robert Wilson's 1970 play, "Deafman Glance," which debuted at the UI that year. This was part of the “it’s a fine thing” exhibition I wrote about a couple of weeks back. The name of the play hadn't registered at the time, but it did when reading the caption to the photo this week, because it shares its title with an album by one of my favorite guitarists, Ryley Walker. One is a seven-hour-long silent play, the other an album of angular yet pastoral folk-inflected guitar rock. I don't see an obvious connection, given that Wilson's title was quite literal: "The piece is based upon the ideas of Raymond Andrews, a hearing impaired boy Wilson legally adopted after meeting him by chance in Summit, New Jersey. He found that Andrews thought in terms of images rather than words, and Andrews’ vivid drawings formed the basis of scenes from Deafman Glance." However, Walker confirmed for me that it was an intentional homage, so I have something to listen for the next time I take a spin through his album.
5. The Schramms — ‘Heart Not Within’
I’ll leave you with another of those old songs that provide a little comfort in troubled times. I don’t know when I first came across the Schramms, but I assume it was my friend, Brian, who told me I needed to check them out. Leader Dave Schramm1 played guitar on Yo La Tengo’s first album before launching his own band (or at least before it released records), but it was on his own where he shined. I came on board with the band’s third album, Little Apocalypse, falling hard for the lead single, “Heart Not Within.” It’s a twangy blast featuring Schramm’s nasal voice that has a range of about six notes. But it works, and brings a smile despite what are probably dour lyrics (I’ve never paid enough attention to notice).
A story I’ve often told that features Dave Schramm centers on singer-songwriter Richard Buckner. He was coming to town in 1997 to support his wonderful album, Since. I was working at the Cedar Rapids newspaper, and called up his publicist hoping to do an interview to preview the show. She told me he was tired of talking with writers who didn’t know his work — a fair concern for a little known performer touring through smaller markets in the Midwest. “Tell him I want to talk about how great Dave Schramm’s guitar sounds on his new album,” I told her, letting her know I was familiar with his music and knew my stuff. She called back about five minutes later to set up the interview.