SWEET HARMONY ALSO Reviews of the Wailin’ Jenny’s “Firecracker” INSIDE and Ollabelle’s “Riverside Battle Songs” PAGE 5 WWW.MODERNACOUSTIC.COM odern Acoust c The music magazine for really cool people AUGUST 2006 - Volume 11 D LET’S GO – THE FEELIES SECON SARY NIVER AN ! M FEELIN’ ALRIGHT – JOE COCKER ISSUE i Got some tunes I’LL TAKE YOU THERE – STAPLE SINGERS you’d like others TEN FEET TALL – XTC to hear? CD clubs are I JUST CAN’T HELP IT – JACKIE WILSON a great way to share FEVER – SOUTHSIDE JOHNNY the music you love WHEN A WOMAN LOVES A MAN – BILLIE HOLIDAY WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN – PERCY SLEDGE I’VE NEVER LOVED A MAN – ARETHA FRANKLIN EVER FALLEN IN LOVE? – BUZZCOCKS PERFECT WORLD – TONIO K. IRENE WILDE – IAN HUNTER MELT WITH YOU – MODERN ENGLISH NON-STOP – SKATALITES GIVE IT UP – FISHBONE FREE NELSON MANDELA – SPECIAL A.K.A. SING OUR OWN SONG – UB40 FAITH – VIOLENT FEMMES SOUND OF SINNERS – THE CLASH BULLSHIT – GRACE JONES TRUST YOURSELF – BOB DYLAN WHEN I TURN OUT THE LIVINGROOM LIGHT – THE KINKS WHADDYA WANT FROM LIFE? – THE TUBES MIXPEOPLE – NRBQ ItMADNESS Up! IS ALL IN THE MIND – MADNESS FROM THE EDITOR The songs listed on the cover of What’s great about the list is how this issue may or may not be diverse it is: Joe Cocker and the familiar to you. And if you are Kinks nestled among the Violent an avid reader of this magazine Femmes and XTC and Billie you realize the songs don’t Holiday and the Staples Singers. PHOTO BY ADAM KASSIRER appear to reflect the kind of I was opened up to a whole and share more of themselves. music that you’ve come to expect new part of Leo’s personality I It seems only appropriate that from Modern Acoustic. That is had not known about in our five as we celebrate Modern Acou- because these songs – mostly or so years of friendship. stic’s second anniversary, we do it from the ’80s and earlier – were In 2006, while cassette tapes by sharing music (which is why given to me on a mixtape made are all but gone, the mix craze we’re in business). So sit back, in 1988. My friend Leo, who I lives on CD. As you’ll read about and think: “If I were making my met at my first newspaper job in the cover story, there are own music mix, what would be on way back when, made me this “clubs” sprouting across the it?”Then go ahead and make that tape, titled “Leo Tapes His Faves country, allowing people to share CD. Give it to a friend, or mail it 1 (Vol. 3 /2).’’ their music with others they to someone you think would want It was my introduction to the don’t know at all. It is also bring- to hear it. You may get something idea of putting a bunch of songs ing people together as these club cool back in return. together for sharing. groups decide to meet in person Rich Kassirer, editor ue? ModernModern iss d an AcousticAcoustic isse M Vols.Vols. 1-101-10 Visit www.modernacoustic.com/issues.htm and download past issues 2 MODERN ACOUSTIC LIVE SHOTS PHOTOS BY RICH KASSIRER Top: Lori McKenna plays a tune for the crowd; and (above, from left): Jeffrey Foucault, Kris Delmhorst and Peter Mulvey harmonize as Mark Erelli sings at Energy Park in Greenfield, Mass. MODERN ACOUSTIC 3 If you love turning people on to music you listen to, CD clubs are a great way to give – and receive –Mix new tunes π & Modern Acoustic, Volume 1 your friend gave you that mix- Give It Up Or Let Me Go Low Spark of High Heeled Boys tape of his or heremember fa when Bonnie Raitt Rickie Lee Jones Listening to the wild mix of styles Pocahontas Gillian Welch London Still The Waifs and genresR inspired you to hear more Slung-lo Erin McKeown Box of Rain Grateful Dead match from some of those bands. vorite songs? Don't Wake Juniper Josh Ritter Coyote Joni Mitchell Cassette tapes may be long gone, but Fell In Love With a Boy Yellow Coldplay the idea of music mixes lives on and are the Joss Stone Annabelle Gillian Welch inspiration of CD mix clubs that have popped Jolene Mindy Smith When It Don't Come Easy up nationwide. Arlington The Wailin' Jennys Patty Griffin Gen Death Came a Knockin' Oh, My Girl Jesse Sykes people.erally Each memberthe clu is assigned a month in The Duhks and the Sweet Hereafter which he or she produces a mix CD and David Nellie McKay Round & Round Bob Schneider mails it out to the other bsmembers. are made Not up only of 12 East of the Mountains Fever Breaks Michelle Shocked do you get to share the music you love, but Kris Delmhorst Pigs, Sheep, and Wolves you get 11 CDs worth of new tunes a year in Highway One The Waifs Paul Simon return. James! Erin McKeown Harvest Moon Neil Young Dixie Chicken Little Feat I Envy the Wind Lucinda Williams “I am in two clu Fireflies Lori McKenna California Joni Mitchell Gideon D’Arcangelo, who is an interactive Turnaround Jules Verdone A Fond Farwell Elliott Smith media design clubs called “Pass the CD”bs simultaneously,” for American says Pu blic Media’ er and who did a piece on CD blog, What Are You Listening To?” think about each other just by knowing their If you’d like to hear m know eachkn otherpeople at all, who would kind of Gideon D’Arcangelo’s (www.whatareyoulisteningto.net), details usical t ew each other, or didn't s “W segment on the CD club the CD clubs he is in andeekend the seven America.” others His Each groupaste has a name – the Penguins, the that were created after his show aired. “I Owls (see list on ,facing” page), the Bobcats, says D’Arcangelo. Bobcats, thought it would be interesting to see what MIXMOO, the Geckos, Gideon’s 13, etc. “I http://weekendamerica got the idea for naming the clubs from Dave Ratzlow, who organized the Bobcats, the CD programs/index_20050827.publicradio.org/ 4 MODERN go to: clu b that I originally covered in the radio .html (Scroll down to piece,” he says. “Ratzlow was in several CD ACOUSTIC clu bs, like a spor “Pass the CD”) the Cougars.which had n behind. It means nothing at first, but a lot by D’Arcangelo says the names add personality the end of the tsyear team, you've spent together,” to the groups. I thoughtames it was like funn the Cobras and he says. that people can get Rules for the clubs are decided solely by “It's a kind of social identity the members: y. mailed out on time seem to be the only m ajor requirements.Try to fill the CD and get it space for the creative and the personal. Mixing genres and styles, , about anything goes. Want to get creative And there is a lot of with packaging? That’s fine too. n ew and old, just Jamie Barth’s April CD Happiness The Weepies Flora Crooked Still As a Child Blythe Hollow Moment of the Year Bluejays Laura Cortese The Doubtful Guest Hush Child Brand New ’64 Dodge Sometimes Why (live) Greg Brown Other ways Golbarck and Crick The Only Way Mark Erelli to join the mix Rushad Eggleston Wild Irish Rose G Forever Sweet Marie The Push Stars featureApple’s called iTunes has a neat The Resophonics Thin Blue Flame you to create a mix of your Daniel Lee Sarah Borges Josh Ritter favorite songs and then post King of Spain How to Be Righteous iMix them on iTunes so it can be Moxy Fruvous Lori McKenna which allows Jamie Barth, a friend of Orion Anais Mitchell Over the Rainbow shared. Others can then buy mine, was inspired by Potter’s Wheel Josh Ritter Israel Kamakawiwo’ole your mix for 99 cents per D’Arcangelo’ song. Be aware though: If one of the clubs. Her CD, which came out in any of your songs are unavail- able from the Apple Music April, is a wonderfuls piece mix and of eclecticimmediately singer- joined Store, it won’t show up in your songwriter types (see list above). But what iMix. Check out my posted mix, m “Modern Acoustic, Vol. 1” (see akes her CD e list, on the facing page). sent along a four-page insert complete with liner-note-like information she composed START A CD CLUB? G Another cool way to post your v W mixes is at which makes the packageen morethat much intriguing more is she Contact me atANT (www. artofthemix.org), a website personal. [email protected]. TO devoted to individuals’Art of the creative Mix How much do the music mixes If we can get 12 people tastes in music. They offer a Mix reflect the personality of the interested, of the Week and allow comments creator is hard to tell exactly. our o as well as downloads on some. A D’Arcangelo agrees that it is possi- recent mix offered up Queen Ida & wn group! ble that some gussy up their mix to we’ll start Her Zydeco Band alongside Mary try to impress the rest of the group. Kay Place Wusthoff, and Captain Beefheart. “That's an open question, Yeah! , be curious to hear what other clu Tiny Volcano, Klaus think about this,” he says. “I think music tells us a lot about what m The Owls – June 2006 so it's a doorway to developing tolerance.