Best email we got yesterday was from our old pal Chris Guttmacher, former drummer of Cul de Sac and current man about Los Angeles:
“just bought popular songs …the reason i’m writing is that, as a fanatical collector/DJ of old reggae/ska/rocksteady records, it was a gas to open up the package and see the crystal records label design on the disc.
“this’s the obvious choice for your next one…or maybe for the condo fucks dub remix album:
“yes it’s real!”
Who Asked You?
A Collection of Interviews & Press What-Nots compiled by Nick “Stewey” Morehouse, YLT personal chef/webmaster
• Ira dishes about that ill-fated NASCAR collaboration to Paste Magazine. They also seem to trust his ears.
• I can’t do better than Spinner.com’s headline: Yo La Tengo Make It 25 Years Without Killing Anyone. (I guess they didn’t hear about this.)
• And finally, James offers up his thoughts on the music of the 00s for Pitchfork.
Hope everyone’s enjoying Popular Songs, especially–for the purposes of this post, at least–the amazing string arrangements on “Here to Fall” and “If It’s True” by Mr. Richard Evans.
For anyone who wants to know more about Richard Evans, let me point you to the always incredible Funky 16 Corners blog. Start here, but don’t stop until you’ve moseyed through the four pages of posts you find if you run a search.
If you don’t happen to own a computer, the March 2009 issue of Wax Poetics included a great interview, and the current Signal to Noise, amidst a mind-boggling 18 pages on Marshall Allen, has a photo of Richard playing bass at a 1998 Chicago tribute to Sun Ra.
Overheard From the Kitchen
News from Nick “Stewey” Morehouse, YLT personal chef/webmaster
Got some news about that September 25th show at the Roseland Ballroom in New York. It had already been announced that The Black Lips would be opening, but get there earlier and be treated to the Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co., manufacturing some ballads, boogie and blues out in the lobby.
I also overheard Ira reminiscing about seeing the Joshua Light Show at the Fillmore East… Well, joining those aforementioned bands at the Roseland will be Joshua White and Gary Panter’s Light Show. You might remember Gary Panter from such album covers as I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass, or TV shows like “Pee-wee’s Playhouse.” Their upcoming performance might or might not be something like this (taken from a 2005 performance at the Anthology Film Archives, NYC):
Apparently there’s even more news to come about this show, but I got distracted by the Guazzetto Di Cozze E Cannellini on the stove… I’ll keep you posted.
Oh, and if you’re in the area:
For Pitchfork’s latest installment of “Take Cover,” they’ve directed their attention to none other than Popular Songs. Check out the entire interview with artist Dario Robleto here.
