searched for an Alasdair thread yesterday after downloading the new album. Haven't heard it yet though. But I'm inclined to trust Tyler's opinion on this.
― willem, Monday, 4 May 2009 06:05 (fifteen years ago) link
i actually just did a little email interview with him, which turned out nicely. will post the link when it's up. this new one is sort of drunk on beautiful archaic-sounding language, nice band interplay, lovely melodies. he's apparently touring the states with bert jansch this summer! a dream come true.
― tylerw, Monday, 4 May 2009 14:33 (fifteen years ago) link
I love Spoils, the melodies, stuff going on in the background (that noisy guitar in "You Muses Assist"), funny/awesome lyrics ("Unyoked Oxen Turn" is quite hilarious. Also the way the instruments start running after the protagonist starts running in the song). Fantastic. Here's to hoping he'll tour the continent as well.
― willem, Thursday, 7 May 2009 09:08 (fourteen years ago) link
here's the link heavy interview i did with alasdair: http://junkmedia.org/index.php?i=2503 i had to look up a lot of the stuff he's referencing, heh heh.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 26 May 2009 16:19 (fourteen years ago) link
great interview tyler
― bear, bear, bear, Tuesday, 26 May 2009 19:59 (fourteen years ago) link
thanks! he's an interesting guy -- I liked this bit: "I suppose my thing is always about flexibility, multiplicity, confusion wanting to reflect the turmoil of reality... always trying to remember that the oar in the ocean is a winnowing fan on dry land." Really think that this new one is great.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 26 May 2009 20:08 (fourteen years ago) link
That's my photo accompanying the interview. I'll have to hit them up for a credit. http://krakow.zenfolio.com/alasdairroberts
Very good piece. I agree that the new album is fantastic.
― krakow, Tuesday, 26 May 2009 20:47 (fourteen years ago) link
ha! i guess we are unwitting collaborators. sorry about that -- not sure where Junkmedia got the photo ... from Drag City I presume, or maybe they just grabbed it from his site?
― tylerw, Tuesday, 26 May 2009 20:52 (fourteen years ago) link
It'll have come from Drag City and/or his PR people, as I took the photos for them. Should be credited though, so I'll just email junkmedia to ask for a credit/link (every little bit helps).
― krakow, Tuesday, 26 May 2009 21:14 (fourteen years ago) link
oh yeah, that shouldn't be a problem -- just hit up Laura Sylvester, the editor, at l✧✧✧@veri✧✧✧.n✧✧
― tylerw, Tuesday, 26 May 2009 21:17 (fourteen years ago) link
oops lsyl @ verizon.net
Thanks very much tyler, I'll drop her a line. Appreciated.
― krakow, Tuesday, 26 May 2009 21:36 (fourteen years ago) link
i'm on an alasdair/appendix out bingelove him so much
in fact, i saw him on the no earthly man "tour" in chicago and it was one of the best shows i've ever seen. riveting, extremely quiet, and, not surprisingly, sparsely attended. there were some drag city ppl and about 20-25 others.
― figgy pudding (La Lechera), Friday, 31 July 2009 17:07 (fourteen years ago) link
there's an EP coming out this fall -- just got the "digital promo" but haven't listened yet ...
― tylerw, Friday, 31 July 2009 17:09 (fourteen years ago) link
oooooanyone know anything about the US august tour dates w/bert jansch?!?!?!?!?
― figgy pudding (La Lechera), Friday, 31 July 2009 17:17 (fourteen years ago) link
oooo! in chicago aug. 10!!excited.
― figgy pudding (La Lechera), Friday, 31 July 2009 17:18 (fourteen years ago) link
07/31 SPACE Gallery Portland, ME08/02 The Bar New Haven, CT08/03 La Sala Rossa (w/ Bert Jansch) Montreal, QC,CAN08/04 Casbah Lounge Hamilton, ON,CAN08/05 Horseshoe Tavern (w/ Bert Jansch) Toronto, ON,CAN08/07 Andy Warhol Museum (w/ Bert Jansch) Pittsburgh, PA08/08 Wexner Center for the Arts (w/ Bert Jansch) Columbus, OH08/10 Martyr's (w/ Bert Jansch) Chicago, IL08/12 The Dame (w/ Bert Jansch) Lexington, KY08/13 529 Atlanta, GA08/14 Farm 255 Athens, GA08/15 Pilot Light Knoxville, TN08/16 The Southern (w/ Bert Jansch) Charlottesvill, VA08/17 Golden West (w/ Lesser Gonzales Alvarez) Baltimore, MD08/18 Velvet Lounge (w/ Kuschty Rye Ergot) Washington, DE08/19 Bruar Falls Brooklyn, NY08/20 City Winery (w/ Bert Jansch) New York, NY08/21 Johnny Brenda's (w/ Bert Jansch) Philadelphia, PA
― tylerw, Friday, 31 July 2009 17:20 (fourteen years ago) link
not coming to my neck of the woods :( and bert jansch canceled his show here last month :(((
― tylerw, Friday, 31 July 2009 17:21 (fourteen years ago) link
i saw bert j when he was at the empty bottle too, so seeing them together -- whoo! i am having trouble verifying the martyr's gig, though -- website doesn't list it.
― figgy pudding (La Lechera), Friday, 31 July 2009 17:24 (fourteen years ago) link
riveting, extremely quiet, and, not surprisingly, sparsely attended. there were some drag city ppl and about 20-25 others.
At the Brighton (UK) show I went to on this current tour, there were maybe about 15 people or something like that. I hope he doesn't take this sort of turn-out to heart.
― Joerg Hi Dere (NickB), Friday, 31 July 2009 18:00 (fourteen years ago) link
here's the info on the new EP
New Alasdair Roberts EP "The Wyrd Meme" out October 20th
1. The Hallucinator and the King of the Silver Ship of Time
A Sybilline island-dweller is courted and berated by the King of Time, Chronos, when he comes sailing by in his opulent vessel. Her island exists outside of linear time and therefore does not fall under his jurisdiction; his courtship and berating prove useless and both the Hallucinatrix and Chronos go their separate ways. He advises her to mould a child of wax or chisel one from stone to banish her solitude; he also leaves her his garment, with the arrogant suggestion that she touch the hem now and again.
2. The Yarn Unraveller
The power of matriarchy, as represented by the symbol of the double-headed axe. The speaker is unfit to be an equal companion to the matriarch, who provides over her clan’s vast and ancient store of knowledge; he must serve as her yarn unraveller only. “Liberator, Lancer and Marauder” are street names in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The “harp of triple song” is that of Calliope, Erato and Euterpe. “Pastor Glass” is a controversial figure in Scottish religious and political life. The island of Simi in the Aegean was formerly known for its sponge-diving industry.
3. The Royal Road at the World’s End
The Royal Road mentioned in this context is Freud’s “Royal road to the unconscious”; that is, dreams. It is conflated with the Scottish folk tale “The Well at the World’s End”; the song describes a phantasmagorical journey narrated in the first person. Ouroubouros is invoked as a symbol of eternal recurrence (one of the themes of ‘Spoils’ LP, of which this EP is a companion piece); it transmutes into Abraxas, who entered the song via Jung’s “Seven Sermons to the Dead.” There is a reference to the display of stuffed animals in Winnemucca, Nevada, a settlement of Basque shepherds.
4. Coral and Tar
The titular substances are invoked as symbolic of a subtype of quasi-Manichaean duality. It is hoped that this song might be sung by those wishing to apologise to friends, family and loved ones after bouts of heavy drinking and/or other forms of substance abuse or self-destructive behaviour.
― tylerw, Friday, 31 July 2009 18:02 (fourteen years ago) link
lol, love this guy
worst thing was a few years ago talking to a Decemberists fan who saw Ali open for them a couple years ago ... dude was totally making fun of Roberts and then raving about the Decemberists. X^0
― tylerw, Friday, 31 July 2009 18:13 (fourteen years ago) link
props to the Decemberists for giving Ali the gig though!
LOVE THIS GUY
― figgy pudding (La Lechera), Friday, 31 July 2009 18:50 (fourteen years ago) link
haha, he does seem like he'd be a fun guy to have a drink with -- from Freud’s “Royal road to the unconscious” to stuffed animals in Winnemucca, Nevada all in one breath ...
― tylerw, Friday, 31 July 2009 18:57 (fourteen years ago) link
dude can discuss protolanguages<3 <3 <3
― figgy pudding (La Lechera), Friday, 31 July 2009 19:01 (fourteen years ago) link
The Hallucinator and the King of the Silver Ship of Time = kosmische folk
Dying to hear this ep. There remains so much to discover on Spoils though :)Still hoping for some european dates...
― willem, Friday, 31 July 2009 19:09 (fourteen years ago) link
sadly i just found thisUnfortunately, Bert is ill and his North American tour has been cancelled.
;_; for real
― figgy pudding (La Lechera), Monday, 3 August 2009 21:47 (fourteen years ago) link
Spoils is totally killing me today. So excellent.Reminds me that I need to buy the EP.
― figgy pudding (La Lechera), Friday, 4 December 2009 21:01 (fourteen years ago) link
EP might be better than Spoils! So good.
― tylerw, Friday, 4 December 2009 21:09 (fourteen years ago) link
Excellent picture of Alex Neilson on the back of it too!
― krakow, Saturday, 5 December 2009 08:31 (fourteen years ago) link
Amber Gatherers really is a great record huh?
― "I get through more mojitos.." (bear, bear, bear), Sunday, 14 February 2010 01:08 (fourteen years ago) link
Cover artist on the current Wire. Photogenic chap.
― willem, Sunday, 14 February 2010 07:09 (fourteen years ago) link
love this guy.
― by another name (amateurist), Sunday, 14 February 2010 08:04 (fourteen years ago) link
will buy this "wire."
also he disappeared from facebook. i was enjoying his updates re. his recording.
Shot this with him the other day...
http://krakow.zenfolio.com/img/v5/p165744498-3.jpg
Plastic toy guitar jamz!
― krakow, Sunday, 14 February 2010 10:54 (fourteen years ago) link
― figgy pudding (La Lechera), Monday, August 3, 2009 4:47 PM (8 months ago) Bookmark
Bert is coming back to Chicago -- will AR be there too? Does anyone know? Venue is the same...fingers crossed!!
― an outlet to express the dark invocations of (La Lechera), Wednesday, 28 April 2010 11:32 (fourteen years ago) link
Bert Jansch is opening for Neil Young in May here in the southeast.
― Robert Necrofrost, Wednesday, 28 April 2010 15:30 (fourteen years ago) link
new record! looks like trad songs: http://www.dragcity.com/products/too-long-in-this-condition
― tylerw, Wednesday, 19 May 2010 18:18 (thirteen years ago) link
oh and a free Ep too!via Drag City:
ALASDAIR ROBERTS IS FREE
…free, that is, of the hang-ups and put-downs that come from selling music and making money from it. No, this time, you can have Alasdair’s music and it’s not even “up to you” to decide whether to pay a dime or not for it. This particular music was born free and that’s the way it’s staying, courtesy of Ayrtime. They sponser free shows too – but the inheritance has to run out sooner or later, right? Check it all out here while you can. http://www.ayrtime.org/roberts.html. Meanwhile, back in the world that we’ve known, the world that employs all of us down here in the ivory bunker to serve what we love (music, kids!), we’re preparing an Alasdair Roberts record for release on June 29th that will appeal to the old-fashioned among us, and not just because you need to pay money for it. No, Too Long In This Condition is a record of traditional songs that are hundreds if not thousands of years old when all placed end-to-end. Don’t forget, our Alasdair is a man deeply impressed by the intersecting belief systems and mythologies of the world. His last album, Spoils, put forth the proposition of syncretic contemporary folk rock – and quite successfully, we might add. For Too Long In This Condition, he’s once again working with a group of like-minded contemporaries to unravel the mystery behind the immemorial inclinations of our all-too-human race. In some ways it’s Alasdair at his most traddy with fiddles, harmony singers and a rich danceable beat; at other times, he’s at his most boldly forward with arrangements that couch the songs in the modern muddle, with the eerie sound of fingernails scraping at the coffin lids of the ageless dead. It’s too much to miss! Check out a representative sample of this album on this website right now.
― tylerw, Wednesday, 19 May 2010 18:25 (thirteen years ago) link
oooooooooh! thanks for posting! i found out that meg baird is opening for bert j. she's good, but i was disappointed.
― an outlet to express the dark invocations of (La Lechera), Wednesday, 19 May 2010 18:28 (thirteen years ago) link
Alasdair Roberts on the left, as you've probably never seen him before...
http://krakow.zenfolio.com/img/s3/v23/p8643616-3.jpg
― only NWOFHM! is real (krakow), Tuesday, 1 November 2011 11:23 (twelve years ago) link
It's dead clear when you compare it with your feb/2010 pic - only the toy guitar's missing ;)
Bought Too Long In This Condition a couple of weeks ago. Great great record. I love the sound of his voice. His friends are a nice bonus, too.
― willem, Tuesday, 1 November 2011 12:37 (twelve years ago) link
I thought his Archive Trails thing was fantastic, having seen the pretty serious-seeming preview event in Dundee I wasn't expecting it to be so funny.
― sunn :o))) (Merdeyeux), Tuesday, 1 November 2011 13:12 (twelve years ago) link
listening to the forthcoming duets record w/ mairi morrison. not familiar w/ morrison, but it sounds lovely.
― tylerw, Monday, 5 March 2012 20:33 (twelve years ago) link
I STILL LOVE THIS GUY
Is the new one out yet? It says March on his website but I can't find it on the Drag City site.
― game of crones (La Lechera), Wednesday, 23 May 2012 13:37 (eleven years ago) link
http://www.dragcity.com/products/urstan
― Heaven knows I'm thirsty and miserable now (NickB), Wednesday, 23 May 2012 13:40 (eleven years ago) link
Haven't heard it - who is Mairi Morrison?
― Heaven knows I'm thirsty and miserable now (NickB), Wednesday, 23 May 2012 13:41 (eleven years ago) link
I don't know Alasdair Roberts's music at all. But it's hard to imagine that he'd be able to top Fatoumata Diawara's energetic dance grooves, anyway.
― jaymc, Monday, 15 July 2013 20:08 (ten years ago) link
http://www.kennedy-center.org/explorer/artists/?entity_id=95372&source_type=B
DC show video stream
― curmudgeon, Friday, 2 August 2013 18:56 (ten years ago) link
Alasdair Roberts & Robin RobertsonHirta Songs
10 track album concerning the history, landscape and people of the remote Scottish archipelago of St Kilda. Features guest appearances from Corrina Hewat and Robin Williamson, plus mainstays of Alasdair's live and studio ensembles Tom Crossley, Rafe Fitzpatrick and Stevie Jones.
Single CD in jewel case with 12 page booklet, limited edition 180g vinyl with insert (250 copies for the World) and download. Released November 2013.
http://www.stonetaperecordings.co.uk/str-006.html
― tylerw, Wednesday, 25 September 2013 14:38 (ten years ago) link
Looks like an amazing place (St. Kilda). Going by google maps there's about five houses on the entire island..I'm still getting my head around the Roberts & Friends album, but I say bring it on.
― willem, Wednesday, 25 September 2013 14:46 (ten years ago) link
yeah, i'm definitely still absorbing the last one... just found this place - http://libraryofaethers.wikispaces.com/ which might help.
― tylerw, Wednesday, 25 September 2013 14:50 (ten years ago) link
topics:
Animals Armed conflict & weapons Birds Body parts, functions & fluids Drinking Musical instruments & terms Numbers Points of the compass Titles & trappings Trees Vegetation Weather
i was already excited but by the time i got to "vegetation" and "weather" i was already dreaming of st kilda
must get!!
― special beet service (La Lechera), Wednesday, 25 September 2013 15:03 (ten years ago) link
did anybody go to his Galoshins show a couple of years back? (Actually looking through this thread I see that Krakow definitely did!) On one hand I kinda wish I'd written something about it after it happened so I could remember it properly, but then I quite like the weird dreamlike place it occupies in my memory.
― opie dead eyed piece of shit (Merdeyeux), Wednesday, 25 September 2013 15:46 (ten years ago) link
shit-hot guitar
finally i hear it
― j., Thursday, 5 December 2013 11:19 (ten years ago) link
New album, a collab with poet Robin Robertson, is really good. Concept album, of sorts, about St Kilda, with nice guest spot by Robin Williamson (Incredible String Band) on hardanger fiddle.
http://stonetaperecordings.bandcamp.com/album/hirta-songs
― Poor.Old.Tired.Horse. (Stew), Thursday, 5 December 2013 12:14 (ten years ago) link
Hoping to attend this, cld be an excellent setting for A.R.:
http://www.ents24.com/glasgow-events/govan-old-parish-church/a-christmas-time-concert/3669218
― Ward Fowler, Thursday, 5 December 2013 12:19 (ten years ago) link
That sounds lovely!!
― sweat pea (La Lechera), Thursday, 5 December 2013 12:53 (ten years ago) link
Dang, not going to be around for that unfortunately. I've seen him plenty of times, but Govan Parish Church would be quite something.
― Poor.Old.Tired.Horse. (Stew), Thursday, 5 December 2013 13:49 (ten years ago) link
Finally got Hirta Songs yesterday. Only heard half of it on my commute but it sounded wonderful and I look forward to spending quality time with it.
― willem, Friday, 18 April 2014 09:32 (ten years ago) link
these arethe wheels ofthe world, my friendyou must understandfor two thousand years they’ve beenspreading destructionall over this land
― j., Friday, 9 May 2014 19:48 (nine years ago) link
she's lain with one too near in blood
― j., Friday, 16 May 2014 22:31 (nine years ago) link
http://www.dragcity.com/products/alasdair-roberts
http://www.dragcity.com/uploads/products/2256/images/1030/large_DC613.jpg
Alasdair RobertsAlasdair RobertsLP/CD/MP3/FLAC
Drag CityTo Be Released 2015-01-27 Catalog # DC613
― j., Tuesday, 11 November 2014 02:28 (nine years ago) link
Ooh, I want details!
― Modern French Music from Failure to Boulez (askance johnson), Tuesday, 11 November 2014 02:37 (nine years ago) link
i like this guy.
― I dunno. (amateurist), Tuesday, 11 November 2014 10:13 (nine years ago) link
cover looks like an alisdair gray drawing
― sʌxihɔːl (Ward Fowler), Tuesday, 11 November 2014 10:23 (nine years ago) link
Ooh, going all eponymous on us
― willem, Tuesday, 11 November 2014 10:27 (nine years ago) link
There's a live rendition/recording of "The Problem of Freedom" posted here: http://onderinvloed.com/home/2014/10/alasdair-roberts-2/
― willem, Tuesday, 11 November 2014 11:51 (nine years ago) link
― j., Tuesday, 25 November 2014 21:43 (nine years ago) link
sooooo excited for new onepre-ordered
― groundless round (La Lechera), Thursday, 15 January 2015 21:18 (nine years ago) link
shit-hot bass clarinet
or what is that?
― j., Tuesday, 3 February 2015 20:14 (nine years ago) link
the new album has so many saaaad songs on it! really beautiful.
― groundless round (La Lechera), Tuesday, 3 February 2015 20:14 (nine years ago) link
i LOVE Farewell Sorrow. heard it for the first time this year. What else is as good as that album?
― scott seward, Tuesday, 13 September 2016 01:44 (seven years ago) link
i'm a big fan of the Amber Gatherers, but it's a little peppier than Farewell Sorrow.
Just saw this, which I like a lot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBjGZTy6KME
― tylerw, Tuesday, 4 October 2016 18:40 (seven years ago) link
i dig this new song! the drums are weird and i like them a lot, his voice sounds good tooalso the album is called "pangs"!
https://soundcloud.com/drag-city/alasdair-roberts-the-downward-road
― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Monday, 19 December 2016 21:56 (seven years ago) link
― j., Tuesday, November 25, 2014 3:43 PM (two years ago)
― j., Wednesday, 29 March 2017 02:35 (seven years ago) link
One thing I will bleat, as they drag my sclerotic body from this rock, is why didn't I listen to more Alasdair Roberts?
What News? is quietly glorious.
― Have the Rams stopped screaming yet, Lloris? (Chinaski), Wednesday, 24 October 2018 16:11 (five years ago) link
https://aquariumdrunkard.com/2019/07/02/alasdair-roberts-the-evernew-tongue/
is that a lil shit-hot guitar playing i hear????
― j., Tuesday, 2 July 2019 18:46 (four years ago) link
November 24: Cambridge: Alasdair Roberts + Rachel Watkins
Hadn't seen AR play in forever, it was a good time. Nagging feeling that I still prefer him singing traditional ballads vs original compositions.
― britain's secret sauce (seandalai), Sunday, 24 November 2019 23:51 (four years ago) link
just the opposite
― j., Sunday, 24 November 2019 23:55 (four years ago) link
I don’t care whether he’s singing originals or traditionals— he’s always engaging imo/ime!
― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Monday, 25 November 2019 00:14 (four years ago) link
now we need someone to hate them both
― j., Monday, 25 November 2019 00:31 (four years ago) link
Audio transcription has been my sideline for over 20 years. Please get in touch if you have any audio for speedy, accurate and confidential transcription. My fingers are a blur... thanks. pic.twitter.com/k0cktMFg1n— Alasdair Roberts (@AliRobertsMusic) March 16, 2020
― j., Monday, 16 March 2020 15:11 (four years ago) link
aw <3 99% accuracy! if i had need for this i would totally hire him
― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Monday, 16 March 2020 15:13 (four years ago) link
New Alasdair Roberts out today... it sounds like Alasdair Roberts, which is fine by me.
― Shard-borne Beatles with their drowsy hums (Chinaski), Friday, 31 March 2023 17:17 (one year ago) link
Saw him in a tiny little pub on Thursday. Just him and his guitar. He did two sets. The first was all material from the new album (Scottish & Irish folk songs) and the second set was a selection from the last twenty years. I didn't recognise a bunch of what he played, but in that small, dark space, where you could hear the creak of customers as they moved around in the pub upstairs, it was a good time to be alive.
― Shard-borne Beatles with their drowsy hums (Chinaski), Saturday, 8 April 2023 12:09 (one year ago) link
https://i.imgur.com/39xXldO.jpeg
"Coming this spring from Boatwhistle Books: 'Library of Aethers: Selected Lyrics 1994-2024'. Beautifully illustrated inside and out by Annabel Wright and featuring contributions from Robin Robertson, Rafe Fitzpatrick, Màiri Nic'IlleMhoire and Christopher Mack. Two launch events: GLASGOW Glad Cafe, Wed 17th April. LONDON Kings Place, Sun 21st April (4pm). London tickets available here: https://shop.kingsplace.co.uk/29933/29937"
https://www.facebook.com/alasdair.roberts.7/posts/pfbid07DpNRvuQszKQqKghFQYKut3o9799pZPonMLJ162V73iwpKLQeijeGasfNLSDW8hal
― brain (krakow), Friday, 1 March 2024 11:10 (two months ago) link
Love the cover art. This should be really interesting.
― brain (krakow), Friday, 1 March 2024 11:11 (two months ago) link