Sleepy Sun live at Music Hall of Williamsburg 9.15.09

Wading through the numerous email promotions touting the "next great band" is not always an easy task. However, doing your best to at the very least give each a listen can often pay dividends. Such is the case with San Francisco's Sleepy Sun. Their debut album Embrace was an instant hit with me, and so it was off to The Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn on September 15, to see if the much ballyhooed live show would be as impressive. I'm happy to report that is was a resounding yes on all accounts.



Spread out across the unusually wide stage, the band's two guitarists took the outermost points, with Evan Reiss bookened all the way left and Matt Holliman all the way to the right. Filling in from left to right, then was bassist Jack Allen, lead vocalist (and harmonica) Bret Costantino, drummer Brian Tice and female vocalist Rachael Williams. Their songs are sprawling and epic. Early in the set, one over-five-minute ramble began with Bret whistling like a Spaghetti-western theme out of a Clint Eastwood movie.



The band quickly set the groove as Bret then proceeded to sing in the more traditional sense. But soon tempos changed and slowed down, as Rachael sang her vocal part (in tandem with Bret), as a new rhythm emerged - dark and heavy - guitarists Matt & Evan making their presence felt with Black Sabbath-style riffs - slow, weighty and lumbering. Only to drop out for more dual singing from the bands two vocalists. This back-and-forth play went on for a bit - then more heavy rifffing, to stopping while the vocalists were featured. Soon enough it was back to the full band driving rhythm. Of note was Rachael's bright and clearly noticeable tambourine playing. Brian's drumming was all tom-tom thunder and cymbal crashes. Bret makes guttural sounds and bird chirping noises. It's jammy - but not the light Grateful Dead style jamming - it's heavy, lead-boots sonic forays. Only to be halted as the vocalists sing in harmony against a more gentle background.

Listen to this performance here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0-bKGQmLuU



"New Age" has a thumping drum, beep beep percussive motion and distant vocal sighs that all contribute to lay the bed for Bret's echo-y vocals. Guitars rip off sophisticated lines with 60's-style Jefferson Airplane reverb on them. Here the bassline finds it's place of prominence amongst the instrumentation. The undercurrent of cymbal-less tom tom thuds and snare drum punctuation keeps the rhythm in a steady forward motion. "The new age of silence" (big pause) "comes with the sound," Bret sings. More layers of guitars provide a fully distorted wash underneath as additional fluid guitar lines riff over top. It concludes with the sort of guitar chaos that Lee Ranaldo and Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth are noted for. It is suffice to say that one Sleepy Sun song goes to many different places.



However, it is the bands epic centerpiece to their set and the show - the brilliant "White Dove" that truly underscores what Sleepy Sun does best. A nearly nine and a half minute piece on their record, which in and of itself is astounding in this day and age of quick sound bytes and fast moving information overload. Sleepy Sun is unconcerned with any of that though, as they stretch out and sprawl all over the sonic landscape. Another heavy Sabbath-esque groove is laid about by the bands two guitarists, as the dual vocalists sing in a tandem where Bret whispers his lines while Rachael wails like a Siren. Picking out bits of lyrics here and there, it seems that "soon, you'll fly alone - soon, you'll die alone" is one repeated phrase.



The guitar solos are fluid and quick, as Brian throttles the drum kit for maximum effect. The whole piece goes off on a near Sonic Youth-like breakdown - then all musicians drop out as Bret and Rachael make echo-y, sighing sounds. The lights are completely dark and it is quite a "spooky" minute. The band launches back in and even more guitar solos are fired off. Then back to the heavy descending hook. It gets quiet again and then there is almost a western-style passage delivered. Lovely harmonies between Bret and Rachael, followed by a lonesome harmonica break played by Bret (who's also playing an acoustic guitar). Surprisingly, it ends there. But then again, maybe not so - I mean they have to end it somewhere - right? It's grandiose - berserk - and altogether fantastic.


Rachael cuts a dashing figure with maraca
while Matt adds percussive enhancements


Vocalist Bret sighs, whistles and sings


as well as generating sounds from mysterious sources

Listen to this night's performance of "White Dove" here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJrnmDD6wP8

They even have a song with the clever title of "Sleepy Son." The band gives "birth" to this child in a slow, dreamy, casual moving way. Lots of distorted wah-wah guitar textures and lonesome traveler harmonica. The lyrics are delivered by Bret and Rachael in a similarly slow and dreamlike way. "Good by blue skies," they sing. Soon the heavy slams you in the form of classic, lumbering metal God riffs.

This is the unique hook of Sleepy Sun - the seemingly effortless way they can morph at a moments notice from gentle, quiet pastoral moods to bombastic guitar-hero riffs. There are even bits of prog-rock descending lines - only to be then replaced by blues monster harmonica.

The band also played an extended jam version of the Fleetwood Mac classic "The Chain" on this particular night. One amusing aspect of their live show was the additional percussionist who came out on stage disguised as a "Wizard". Looking like a cross between Santa Claus and the "elder" that Jimmy Page morphed into in their seminal film "The Song Remains The Same," he provided a comedic sideshow during his time onstage. Standing closest to vocalist Rachael, she could hardly contain her laughter throughout his appearances.

Rachael delights at her wizard percussionist

I caught up with both guitarists sitting at the bar after the show to check their state of mind. The flashier of the two - Matt Holliman, was also the more talkative. Having read their press release, I noticed references to them having honed their craft in an occult influenced creative community. I asked Matt directly about this, or if they actually engaged in occult practices.

"I don't think so, in the literal sense," said Matt. "We don't crack open a book and start following directions in some sort of spirit. But we do pull influences from various occult practices and religious things, I suppose. We put it together for whatever fits our needs at the time."

Their steady touring has put them together with other artists they've come to know and respect. "Earth was very inspiring," Holliman continued. "I've been a huge fan of Earth for a while. When we played with them they were on their newest record at the time which was "The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull," and we were all aware and influenced by the older Earth material. But we'd throw on "Bees" when we're driving through Texas and all of those states, and we'd get a western feel of this wonderful guitar-play and rhythm of the Red Rocks and cactus - and it was wonderful."

Sleepy Sun are in the midst of a massive tour, playing nearly every night right through till the end of the year.

Check them out if you get the opportunity.

Find all their tour dates here:

www.myspace.com/sleepysun

http://www.sleepysun.net/

Stephen Warwick & Secondhand Stories

"I have never had a way with words. I have never been a patriarch," Stephen Warwick sings on "Golden" which opens his debut album "Talking Machine by Stephen Warwick & Secondhand Stories. A gentle, melancholy acoustic guitar and harmonica number, Warwick sets the tone for what will be an introspective, but ultimately uplifting musical journey. The sound is warm and spacious, and his harmonica flourishes echo the path laid out before him by the likes of Guthrie, Dylan and Springsteen. "Maybe one day I'll get stolen and buried in the sea - and someone will see that it is me," he muses.




"Circus By The Sea" is decidedly more uptempo, as it bounces along with a 1-2, 1-2 rhythm. Warwick employs a springy, mouth/jaw harp sound behind the guitar to convey the circus-like atmosphere. Singing about "a million eyes that try to guess the secrets that you keep," and how the waves "evaporate like mistakes that we have made." The story progresses over a lifetime, however, to the point where "you see the empty shell of what was make believe inside," and how "the years went by as your sprits die, to a view of a brothel in New York." The song ultimately dissipates into an extended ambient outro - if such a thing can truly exist on a track that clocks in at under two minutes.

The title track "Talking Machine" is given the full band treatment, with full drum set and additional shaker percussion. Stephen's voice is complimented by female vocal ghosting along with his. "This time its the only thing you've ever heard before," is the hooky refrain. The vocals then morph into a full choir chorus as the group sings "words like birds, from the talking machine," which contain "fluttering notes and bended strings." Again, Mr. Warwick creatively attaches a 20 second coda of weird and wonderful sounds that lift the piece to somewhere else entirely.




The downhome, front-porch, fingerpickin' feel of "Unmade Bed" takes things in another direction. A shuffling, tambourine driven rhythm underscores why Nicole Atkins has used Stephen's formidable tambourine skills in many of her live shows. There are handclaps and shaker percussion here as well, giving it all a good-timey country atmosphere.

On the other hand, "Waltz" is odd and slightly creepy in that David Lynch way, with whistling and distant, unsettling backward looping sonic effects.

"Plans" counters that with it's "happy" vibe. There are banjos and handclaps and carnival organs. "We come alive, like devils in the street," Warwick sings. The feel and sentiment is joy over all this crazy life has to offer. Of note are the nice electric piano notes that sound like droplets of water, taking the song through its outro.





A ticking, clackety sticks-on-hard surface percussion and acoustic guitar powers along "Marlena". The lyrical references to "reins of horses" imagery tie together with the percussive groove. "There are some who will see right through the maze, down in the haze where those secrets lie. You would give your heart, but fear you have fallen, over the dagger you keep close by." This is a world where relationships are hazards of the self-inflicted. A warm trumpet emerges halfway through to give it all a richer sonic resonance. More horns enter the fray deeper in, and they remain as the only musical accompaniment left for the ending vocals.



Stephen has performed more than a few times as a featured guest
during select Nicole Atkins shows - pictured here also with the
lovely Nouvellas

Mr. Warwick flexes his ‘storyteller' chops on "Tents" via the traditional Dylan/Reed/Springsteen ‘street talk' cadence. The music grows with passion as a lively drum track (especially the snare fills) with acoustic and electric guitars, organs all emerge and subsequently recede per the artists vision. "But as the tents come down, there is an echo of a sound ," Warwick sings. "Holding on to one last gulp of air, the only one around," he concludes. The ending is a long buildup until a triumphant musical parade marches on by.



Stephen, The Nouvellas and Nicole Atkins
blend their voices in sweet harmony


A slow ambient guitar note picking and strum begins the 3/4 time signature, 1, 2, 3 waltz progression of "Tiger II." Mr. Warwick's vocals are more passionate here as he sings bout how "the tiger escapes the confines of the gates, and wanders in these city streets." Vocals are doubled and cymbal rushes dramatic as the lyrics ask "if you could escape the confines of fate, a miracle may be what you find." The emotional conclusion via instrumental passages and vocal textures are powerful and heavy.





Curiously, Mr. Warwick closes his album with what many might consider (present company included) to be the very best song of them all. "Keep On" hits an emotional high that cuts to the heart of everything beautiful and sad. Opening with a relaxed and drawn-out shuffling rhythm, Warwick sings "though I never loved you, that doesn't mean that I can't love the way - the way that we danced in the parlor." The melody is haunting - the message quite powerful. "Keep on, keep on - the radio plays, the static fades and the volume wades, and I can't remember the way that it goes, singing songs from a decade ago". There are solemn horns, organs, acoustic guitars and vocal choirs rising over the top of shuffling brushes-on-snaredrum percussion, that continue to build to an emotional peak. "And I try to find the words that will make you feel like I haven't let you down," he sings. "They're the same exact words from the song on the station that I can't remember right now."

Stephen Warwick & The Secondhand Stories are presently unsigned and have been weighing various offers for their album release. If you would like to get in touch, they can be reached at their MySpace page:

www.myspace.com/secondhandstories

Where you can listen to many of the songs described here.

Additionally, this review is also featured at:

http://www.thewaster.com/MAIN/album%20reviews/stephen%20warwick/album.html

Rhys Chatham - A Crimson Grail - 200 Electric Guitars

Minimalist avant composer of guitar orchestras, Rhys Chatham, brought his 200 six string masterpiece to Lincoln Center on Saturday, August 8, 2009. The outdoor concert resonated through Damrosch Park as Chatham returned to his native New York City after moving to Paris in 1987.


Read this exclusive feature at:



http://www.thewaster.com/main/Concert%20Reviews/Rhys%20Chatham/080809/080809.html





Many guitarists of all facial hair designs participated.





Though it appeared everyone was instructed to wear black pants and a white shirt, personal touches like the "hipster hat" were apparently allowed.



Even girls with tatoos joined in on the fun.

Section leaders were positioned in lofty command posts.

Section leader John King relaxes just before the performance.

The beatific presence of St. Chatham

Mr. King directs with authority.

Even karate chop movements were employed.

The view from my "foxhole"

He played it lefthand, but not too far

Bathed in Crimson. The Grail couldn't be far behind.


In all seriousness - it was a magnificent performance.

The Raveonettes - In and Out of Control

While performing a set at the Village Voice's Siren Festival, Danish duo the Raveonettes opened up for a Q&A about songwriting, Kerouac and their distain for violence against women. Part of Vice Records American roster, their forthcoming release of 'In and Out of Control' in set for the Fall. Dive into a whirlwind interview as we talk shop.




For a ninth consecutive year the Village Voice held it's annual Siren Fest on the shores of Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York. Along with the always-present carnival atmosphere, wild rides and various "freak shows" (some not even part of the official boardwalk), a full day of music festival mayhem was launched. On discovering that one of my all time favorite bands - The Raveonettes would be a featured performer on this day, I made the necessary arrangements to secure and interview with them, on the day of their performance here.



Despite the comings and goings of various side musicians, the core duo of Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo have been ever constant for nearly a decade now. Wagner is the songwriter, principal guitarist and creative visionary. Sharin has always been the perfect counterpart for him, with her striking good looks, fantastic voice and multi-instrumental ability. Both natives of Denmark, they are now fully rooted in America, with Sune calling New York home and Sharin residing in LA. They have toured as a four, then five piece band - as well as only a duo, where Sune & Sharin have alternated between playing guitar, bass and drums as any individual song may require. Having recently wrapped up the recording of their fifth studio album (due for release in October) they are only playing a few festivals this summer, until embarking on a proper tour in the fall.




DaveCromwell: Who do you have playing bass and drums for this show?

Sharin: Two young guys named Jens and Adrian who play in the Danish band Mellemblond.

Were they already familiar with your music?

Sharin: I think they were, yeah. They seemed very well prepared. They are really great musicians. Denmark has some really great musicians.

The new album is to be called In And Out of Control. You've posted the 11 song titles, yet the title track did not make the record.

Sune: It's going to be a good B-side.

I heard an advance song where you have gone into a dance, keyboardy direction. Was there a conscious decision to go in this direction?

Sune: Not really. The songs on this album are so different from each other. The one you heard is the dance song. On Pretty In Black (their second full-length) we had "Twilight", and that was the dance song there. So we need a dance song every once in a while - cause we like to dance. That one is a good dance song, but it is the only one on the album.

Sure, I'm well aware you like to dance. For instance, I was in attendance at your DJ set after your Webster Hall show this past January. You played a lot of rap and hip-hop, which caught me a bit by surprise.

Sune: It's the best music to dance to.

Looking through some of the songs you posted on your blogs, it was surprising to see how all over the place it was, and how much hard-edged rap and hip-hop there was.

Sune: Wu Tang, NWA, Schooly D, sure.

Whereas, what I gathered from your recent web chat with the fans last month, Sharin, was that you're not particularly much of a fan of that kind of music; that you are into more sophisticated and classical music.

[Both members burst out in laughter]

Why are you two laughing so hard?

Sharin: Well, I appreciate hip-hop but I must confess, I don't know a lot about it. I would say that Sune introduces me to this stuff.

I don't usually listen to much of it either, but I had to admit when I was at Sune's dance party, that I found myself getting into it. He mixed it up good, though.

Sune: I played Springsteen too -- "Born To Run".

Yes, I remember that as well. I have to admit though, up until that point I wasn't aware you were so knowledgeable with all these various styles of music. Something you said recently in your blogs was how you needed to get back together with Sharin, and how you need that "Raveonettes building block" to make things happen. Can you define what the Raveonettes building block is?

Sune: It's never really a "Raveonettes song" until we start singing on it. A lot of the time we do a lot of instrumental tracks that are just sort of there, and we think it sounds pretty good, but then when we put the vocals on it, at that point, it truly becomes a Raveonettes song.

Some of the early videos from the studio sessions showed Sharin and your producer Thomas Troelson whipping up interesting beats. Do you like doing this? Is it fun for you?

Sharin: Yeah, sure. I like playing the drums. When we did our solo duo tour I got to play quite a bit on the drums. I love it.

I know you both play drums, guitar and bass. What about keyboards? Have you delved into that at all?

Sharin: In the studio sometimes, yeah. That would be the instrument I find the most challenging.

When you were recording these beats with Thomas, would you first record the drum shot and then loop it on the computer, advising him on how you wanted it to sound?

Sune: We would work on stuff during the day, then Thomas would go home and we'd continue to work on it at night. Just adding on to the beats. If I felt it needed a different snare drum I would put that in -- or needed another kick drum, I'd add that.

Was it all natural acoustic sounds at first?

Sune: No, we used a lot of sampled sounds, just a good mixture of the two.

When you first started writing the new material, you stated that you were struggling somewhat to write the words to some of the songs. Were you suffering from some kind of writers block?

Sune: I had some lack of inspiration due to the fact that I was sitting in an apartment that wasn't mine in Copenhagen, so it was a little difficult to find the proper mood to write.

When you asked the fans to post their top song lyrics from over the years on your webpage, did you find any inspiration in that?

Sune: These things are always great to learn. It's good to hear different opinions of people and see what they like. It's like someone saying to you, 'you should read this book it's good,' you know. It's great to get recommendations. There were a lot of songs that people posted that had lyrics I never heard before, so it was interesting to check out.

So, as your time in the studio progressed, it then started to flow?

Sune: Yeah, it became easier, the more we started getting into the songs.

Sharin: It's always like this when you start an album, you have to find a direction. It takes a while to get the feeling of where the album is going to go, or what the album needs. So the first few weeks were very much a search for whatever that was going to be -- the centerpiece.

Sune: Once you start finding the sound of the album its a lot easier to write words for it, because the sound creates a certain mood for the song. So if you sit there with just an acoustic guitar, its sometimes difficult to find words for it. You need to be inspired by the music, I think personally.

Sure, absolutely.

Sune: For instance, there is only one lyric you could write for "Aly, Walk With Me" because it's so fitting for that song. There's only one thing you could do for "That Great Love Sound", it fits the sound of that song. That's usually how it works.

Someone told me that due to your literary interests in books, movies and music, that you sometimes seem to almost lead a little movement of retro future beats. That the dog-eared paperbacks have been swapped for blogs, but the principles are still the same.

Sune: Yes, someone wants me to be a leader of a generation. I'm not so sure. I don't feel that powerful.

Obviously your fascination with Kerouac and Hunter S. Thompson points to fact that you are a very literary individual. I'm sure you find inspiration in that.

Sune: Sure, definitely. When I was a teenager that was the stuff I started reading and obviously it inspired me to travel and see the world - see the beauty in things I might not have seen before. When I really need inspiration, I always turn to Kerouac, Ginsberg or Gregory Corso. Someone like that because it's where I come from.




In their corner since 2003.
As you are a great admirer of Jack Kerouac, could you name a single favorite book he has written?

Sune: That's a very difficult question. There is a very beautiful book of his called "Visions of Gerard" where he wrote about his brother who died of rheumatic fever. It's a little bit of an unusual book. But it's very heartfelt - a short account of the memory of his brother.

Have you read Kerouac, Sharin?

Sharin: No.

What do you read?

Sune: Only sophisticated books [laughter]

Sharin: Right now, to be honest with you , I don't read a lot of fiction. I read a lot of non-fiction about having a child.

Of course, since you are now a parent.

Sharin: Other than that, I like to read poetry. Robert Lowell and Anne Sexton.

Do you write your own poetry?

Sharin: No, I don't.

What is the best time of day for you - mornings or late at night?

Sharin: Well, right now late at night is not really an option.

You're a morning person because of your daughter.

Sharin: But I'm not a good morning person.

What about you, Sune - are you a morning or night person?

Sune: I'm a morning person. I'm usually more inspired in the morning.

One of the songs who's lyrics you have shared with us via your blogs is titled "Break Up Girls." Have you witnessed the sort of behavior you write about in it? Where boys are abusive to their girlfriends?

Sune: Yes. I saw a girl who was systematically abused by her uncle for a period of six years. I saw how that had taken a toll on her and affected her life; how it actually ruined her life. So, this song is a little bit inspired by that experience.

This is somewhat of a new direction for you, lyrically. You now have two songs that deal with violence against women - "Boys Who Rape" and this one. You are taking a stand against this sort of violence.

Sune: I take a stand against violence in general. I think it's horrible.

Previously you wrote in your blog that you would be documenting the entire album recording process on video. Any additional info on this?

[Nervous laughter from both Sune & Sharin]

Sune: Yeah, well in ten years time . . . [more laughter]

So, you have a lot of raw footage that needs to be edited?

Sharin: It actually fell apart.

Sune: Someone needed their camera back. [More laughter]

Well at least we got the two video chats that each of you did, and the two viewings of your recording sessions. One thing I couldn't help but notice was, Sharin - that in your video chat you said that you don't really read the fans comments on your various social networking sites.

Sune: [turning to Sharin] yes, you said that! I was horrified when I saw that. [much laughing]

I don't want to put words in your mouth, but was that a reaction to the fact you had just been accused of putting up a plea for people to help with your record?

Sharin: I guess what I meant was -- and I still do mean -- that it's interesting to hear what people think, but ultimately were going to make the music that we make.

Right. It's not that you don't read them, it's that you don't use it as a guide for what you're going to do.

Sune: I always read them.

Sure, I know you want feedback.

Sharin: And I probably don't read them as much as Sune does.

But, you control the Twitter account, don't you?

Sharin: Yes, I read all those messages. And you're right, my comment on the chat was a reaction to us being annoyed by the fact that some people thought we needed help.

How much of that was written? Because I read a lot of stuff, but I didn't see it anywhere.

Sharin: It was more like a media twist on what we were doing. I think they thought this would be a better story.

Early on in your blogging, you stated that you were adding a lot of synths - which points to your producer Thomas Troelson's influence - and will have a charming deal of noise psychedelic. Which songs contain the noise psychedelic?

Sune: That was actually before we did the album (both laugh). Well, "Break Up Girls" has a very nice noisy intro on that one.

Sharin: It's not very psychedelic.

Sune: We skipped the psychedelic because everyone is doing that now.

You just got right to the noise!

Sune: After The Horrors did their Primary Colors album - they did the psychedelic album of the year, so we felt there was no reason to do that again.

It is often true that everything you do is a reaction to what has just happened. There are certain record producers who have the reputation of pushing the artists they are working with in certain ways. Did you find that to be the case with Thomas Troelson?

Sharin: This is sort of what we were looking for in a way -- someone that would come in and really challenge us in a way he hadn't been before.

So, he wouldn't be afraid to tell you when something might not be working?

Sune: Yes, that's exactly what we wanted.

Sharin: He would suggest that we try and do something we hadn't done before, and encourage us to get out of our comfort zone. To try and do it differently.




Rolling with photographer and friend KAS.
No, that's not Keith Richards behind us.





Jamie of Vice Records. Has got it all under control.

JC handled the interview coordination with smooth efficiency.

KAS checks her VIP status.

Cromwell is also confirmed.

Where the interview went down.

The backstage at Siren Fest.

Coney Island boardwalk on a gorgeous day.

Don't forget to shoot the freak.

Nathan's hotdogs and sunshine.