That poster brings back memories... I had it hanging in one (or more) of my apartments as a young guy. Is it known who plays on this new LP?
― get your hand outta my pocket universe (morrisp), Friday, 17 May 2019 16:18 (four years ago) link
Is it known who plays on this new LP?
Four-fifths of Woods (Jeremy Earl, Aaron Neveu, Jarvis Taveniere, and Kyle Forester), and Anna St. Louis.
― del griffith, Friday, 17 May 2019 16:22 (four years ago) link
That's from the back of the single, though. There might be more on the LP.
― del griffith, Friday, 17 May 2019 16:23 (four years ago) link
That poster brings back memories... I had it hanging in one (or more) of my apartments as a young guy.
― circa1916, Friday, 17 May 2019 16:35 (four years ago) link
The nod to "Melt With You" in the chorus of "All My Happiness Is Gone" must be intentional, right?
― days of being riled (zchyrs), Friday, 17 May 2019 17:03 (four years ago) link
Huh, it really does sound like "Melt With You"...
DB is looking like a Brett Gelman character
― get your hand outta my pocket universe (morrisp), Friday, 17 May 2019 17:16 (four years ago) link
got a bit of a "Take The Skinheads Bowling" kinda vibe too
― Paul Ponzi, Friday, 17 May 2019 17:23 (four years ago) link
I also heard “melt” in the chorus but didn’t bring it up because I want to forget it’s there
― calstars, Friday, 17 May 2019 17:33 (four years ago) link
Is he still together with, whatshername, Cassie? (It’s none of my business, but the video pointedly projects a “lonely old guy” vibe, so made me wonder...)
― get your hand outta my pocket universe (morrisp), Friday, 17 May 2019 17:53 (four years ago) link
Thought I saw Cassie in the video
― Paul Ponzi, Friday, 17 May 2019 18:20 (four years ago) link
No one deserves to be called whatshername. But yeah, the whole ol' gang makes an appearance in the "when we last left our heroes" intro footage from the Joos' final show at Cumberland Caverns.
― del griffith, Friday, 17 May 2019 18:29 (four years ago) link
Tour dates this summer! http://www.brooklynvegan.com/david-bermans-purple-mountains-announce-debut-lp-share-single
― del griffith, Friday, 17 May 2019 18:34 (four years ago) link
Good to know (I did that as a rhetorical move, to signal that I don’t presume to be on a first-name basis with these folks)
― get your hand outta my pocket universe (morrisp), Friday, 17 May 2019 18:36 (four years ago) link
Rhetorical devices POX
― calstars, Friday, 17 May 2019 18:41 (four years ago) link
I like the cover art a lot -- are those Egglestons? Because if not, they are some of the most Egglestonian Eggleston imitations I've ever seen.
There was an interview with Bob Nastanovich a few years back where he mentioned that Berman had been making "sculptures" out of toys and things he'd found at thrift stores (it's around the 30-minute mark here: http://vishkhanna.com/2015/02/18/ep-165-bob-nastanovich-of-silver-jews/), and the middle picture on the right of the album cover looks exactly like one of the ones he described, so I'm gonna guess these are Berman orginals. Also pretty sure I've seen pictures of him with one or both of those dogs.
Anyway, Bob kind of made it sound like the artwork was inspiring some new songs, and it seems like some of the photos correspond with the tracklist (the second picture is the cover of the All My Happiness Is Gone single, bottom left goes with track 7).
― Vaguely Threatening CAPTCHAs, Friday, 17 May 2019 18:52 (four years ago) link
yeah the plastic dayglo toy sculptures and their mirror-image photos are all over his twitter https://twitter.com/prplmtns
and speaking of mirror-imagery, who knows, maybe "Snow is Falling in Manhattan" is a reference to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QDiST2a0q0
― del griffith, Friday, 17 May 2019 19:13 (four years ago) link
I worry about DB’s mental health but yeah it’s none of my business and as long as he can keep it together I guess he’s ok
― calstars, Friday, 17 May 2019 21:28 (four years ago) link
That’s Just the Way That I Feel is available for download on itunes.
― Vaguely Threatening CAPTCHAs, Saturday, 18 May 2019 00:41 (four years ago) link
From Drag City newsletter:
TOUR DATES:
Sat-Aug-10 Pine Plains, NY Huichica EastSun-Aug-11 Jersey City, NJ White Eagle HallMon-Aug-12 Philadelphia, PA World Cafe LiveWed-Aug-14 Washington, DC Black CatThu-Aug-15 Asheville, NC Grey EagleFri-Aug-16 Knoxville, TN Pilot LightSat-Aug-17 Nashville, TN Mercy LoungeMon-Aug-19 Louisville, KY OdeonTue-Aug-20 St. Louis, MO Blueberry Hill Duck RoomWed-Aug-21 Iowa City, IA The MillFri-Aug-23 Minneapolis, MN Cedar Cultural CenterSat-Aug-24 Chicago, IL Sleeping VillageSun-Aug-25 Chicago, IL Sleeping VillageTue-Aug-27 Toronto, ON Lee's PalaceWed-Aug-28 Montreal, QC La Sala RossaFri-Aug-30 Boston, MA SinclairSat-Aug-31 New York, NY Murmrr TheatreFri-Sep-06 Raleigh, NC Hopscotch FestivalFri-Sep-13 Seattle, WA NeptuneSat-Sep-14 Walla Walla, WA Huichica Walla WallaSun-Sep-15 Portland, OR Wonder BallroomWed-Sep-18 San Francisco, CA ChapelSun-Sep-22 Los Angeles, CA Lodge Room
Purple Mountains Online: Drag City-https://www.dragcity.com/artists/purple-mountainsPre Order-https://www.dragcity.com/products/purple-mountainsStream "All My Happiness Is Gone"-https://ffm.to/purplemountains
― dow, Saturday, 18 May 2019 20:51 (four years ago) link
I met failure in AustraliaI fell ill in IllinoisI nearly lost my genitaliato an anthill in Des Moines
― del griffith, Sunday, 19 May 2019 04:38 (four years ago) link
we're just drinking margaritas at the mallthat's what this stuff adds up to after allmagenta, orange, and acid greenpeacock blue and berberinedrinking margaritas at the mall
we're just drinking margaritas at the mallthis happy hour's got us by the ballsmagenta, orange, and acid greenpeacock blue and berberinedrinking margaritas at the mall
― del griffith, Sunday, 19 May 2019 05:08 (four years ago) link
"all my happiness is gone" is completely stunning.
― she carries a torch. two torches, actually (Joan Crawford Loves Chachi), Sunday, 19 May 2019 14:55 (four years ago) link
^ it is.
I got to listen to the whole new album last night, and I'm so pleased with how Woods turned out at his new backing band. So good. They're a natural pairing. I think it's the best the music behind DCB has sounded since American Water. Woods just excellent in their own right too - I only found out about them in the last year and pretty quickly I realized they were exactly the kind of band I'd been looking for. Picking up Pavement's torch actually, as it were
― del griffith, Monday, 20 May 2019 01:35 (four years ago) link
The Spotify page has two other remixes of the single.
― ... (Eazy), Monday, 20 May 2019 02:41 (four years ago) link
Where are people hearing the album? Is it press promos? I'm in no hurry, I've waited this long and can't be bothered with p2p leaks anymore. Just interested if there's label promo money behind this.
― kraudive, Monday, 20 May 2019 02:49 (four years ago) link
http://www.brooklynvegan.com/micheal-sheen-sang-silver-jews-how-can-i-love-you-if-you-wont-lie-down-on-last-nights-the-good-fight/
― mizzell, Monday, 20 May 2019 13:04 (four years ago) link
I think it's the best the music behind DCB has sounded since American Water.
― Vaguely Threatening CAPTCHAs, Tuesday, 21 May 2019 03:41 (four years ago) link
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/david-berman-was-the-cult-musician-who-went-away-for-10-years-what-made-him-finally-come-back/2019/06/03/19735620-77db-11e9-b7ae-390de4259661_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.a0300e94ffbb
― ... (Eazy), Tuesday, 4 June 2019 05:44 (four years ago) link
Really interesting article... I didn’t know a lot of the backstory (or even that Drag City has a “message board”).
― get your hand outta my pocket universe (morrisp), Tuesday, 4 June 2019 06:06 (four years ago) link
Yeah, not sure if they meant the Drag City newsletter or what. Also, surprised there's a place to live above their offices -- mostly artist-studio-type spaces without showers and so on.
― ... (Eazy), Tuesday, 4 June 2019 11:52 (four years ago) link
it's neither, it's the old disc.server board:
http://disc.yourwebapps.com/Indices/18043.html
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Tuesday, 4 June 2019 13:26 (four years ago) link
He toggles from the virtues of silence as the most powerful artistic statement, as laid out by Susan Sontag in her 1967 essay “The Aesthetics of Silence” (which he insisted I read before our first meeting), to the virtues of getting banned from websites for trolling (which he admits happened to him)
Odds on Berman posting on here at some point?
― Position Position, Tuesday, 4 June 2019 14:43 (four years ago) link
I don’t get the feeling he necessarily “loves music.”
― get your hand outta my pocket universe (morrisp), Tuesday, 4 June 2019 15:23 (four years ago) link
hasnt stopped any of us before tbf
― One Eye Open, Tuesday, 4 June 2019 15:28 (four years ago) link
lol
― get your hand outta my pocket universe (morrisp), Tuesday, 4 June 2019 15:44 (four years ago) link
The wapo interview's pretty good. Answers a few questions I had and confirms a few suspicions about the Chicago loft and the separation.
The option of anonymous posting on the disc.server board was one of the greatest things about it in its heyday. Guaranteed daily chaos. That's the board where, late one Friday night around the time of Bright Flight, someone posted David's home phone number. I called it, thinking I could just say I was only trying to alert him to its presence if he was irritated about it, but sure enough he picked up and gave no indication of irritation whatsoever but was in fact totally cheery about it and chatted with me, the lowly internet fanboy, for a good ten minutes, wouldn't let me go even, despite the fact there were all kinds of voices and noises in the background on his end from a party at his house that sounded like it was still going strong.
― del griffith, Tuesday, 4 June 2019 18:06 (four years ago) link
“He liked it when I called Jack White ‘Sir Edgar Scissor Blues.’ ”
― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Tuesday, 4 June 2019 18:15 (four years ago) link
Is this legit?: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/purple-mountains-lodge-room-highland-park-tickets-61917164907
― get your hand outta my pocket universe (morrisp), Tuesday, 4 June 2019 19:00 (four years ago) link
The first thing I thought on watching the "All My Happiness Is Gone", was 'oh no, he and Carrie have separated'
― Duke, Tuesday, 4 June 2019 19:02 (four years ago) link
Cassie not Carrie
― Paul Ponzi, Tuesday, 4 June 2019 19:20 (four years ago) link
morrisp -- there are a bunch of tourdates announced upthread.
new album is ... pretty great? still absorbing, but a bunch of really good songs / lines.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 4 June 2019 19:26 (four years ago) link
Yes! Sorry Cassie.
― Duke, Tuesday, 4 June 2019 19:29 (four years ago) link
xp Thanks, I missed or glossed over that
― get your hand outta my pocket universe (morrisp), Tuesday, 4 June 2019 19:39 (four years ago) link
Interesting how this isn’t sold out in a small Chicago club, whereas Silver Jews would certainly sell out the Metro or Vic pretty quickly.
― ... (Eazy), Tuesday, 4 June 2019 21:44 (four years ago) link
don't underestimate brand recognition. I doubt Robert Pollard sells anywhere close to the number of records Guided by Voices does. The mid-or-late-career moniker change is a tough thing to navigate (though Sun Kil Moon, Bonnie Prince Billy, and Magnolia Electric Company--to name three off the top of my head--made it work, I guess)
I bet labels hate when established bands / artists / solo acts change their name
― Paul Ponzi, Tuesday, 4 June 2019 22:02 (four years ago) link
Yup. I bet 80+% of people who'd pounce on a Silver Jews ticket don't have any idea that Berman is back under this name.
― alpine static, Tuesday, 4 June 2019 22:42 (four years ago) link
We ended up buying tix for that L.A. show (final show of the tour?); I bet it would have sold out already under the Joos name / "back in the day."
― get your hand outta my pocket universe (morrisp), Tuesday, 4 June 2019 22:53 (four years ago) link
intentional sabotage?
― calstars, Wednesday, 5 June 2019 00:06 (four years ago) link
Listening to the promo right now, as it happens.
― Lactose Shaolin Wanker (Raymond Cummings), Wednesday, 5 June 2019 00:43 (four years ago) link
That's the board where, late one Friday night around the time of Bright Flight, someone posted David's home phone number. I called it, thinking I could just say I was only trying to alert him to its presence if he was irritated about it, but sure enough he picked up and gave no indication of irritation whatsoever but was in fact totally cheery about it and chatted with me, the lowly internet fanboy, for a good ten minutes, wouldn't let me go even, despite the fact there were all kinds of voices and noises in the background on his end from a party at his house that sounded like it was still going strong.
― circa1916, Wednesday, 5 June 2019 01:39 (four years ago) link
very much so. i think the album is full of really sad, poignant observations on life, much like his other albums. squint a little bit and you can see hints of the darkness to come, both on PM and the earlier SJ albums, but you can also see him coming to grips with what it would mean to push on. it's all of those things, throughout his work.
― The GOAT Harold Land (Karl Malone), Monday, 10 August 2020 17:17 (three years ago) link
It's very probably not a deliberate "suicide note", but describing an album containing the thoughts of Nights... or That's Just... or All My Happiness... as "hopeful" just seems way off to me. He was in a bad place.
― Duke, Monday, 10 August 2020 20:02 (three years ago) link
it's hopeful to me because, for the most part, it seems like he was making an effort. there's hope in the effort.
― the quar on drugs (Simon H.), Monday, 10 August 2020 20:07 (three years ago) link
the weird thing about people who kill themselves is often that just before they do it, they seem happy and relaxed. when the decision is made there must be a big load coming off their back.
― walking towards the sun since 2007 (alex in mainhattan), Monday, 10 August 2020 21:04 (three years ago) link
personally that's not the vibe I get tbh
― the quar on drugs (Simon H.), Monday, 10 August 2020 21:30 (three years ago) link
i think it's an album about facing depression, frankly, with humility and humor. the self-deprecating parts of the album are humane, not self-lacerating, and actually finding that narrow line and walking it.
― treeship., Monday, 10 August 2020 21:36 (three years ago) link
the disease took him in the end but this is the testimony of a survivor. if it wasn't, then "nights that won't happen" would have been the final track rather than "maybe i'm the only one for me."
― treeship., Monday, 10 August 2020 21:37 (three years ago) link
otm
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 10 August 2020 21:38 (three years ago) link
Has this made the rounds? I found it today and it made me smile:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXLcpX2xUt4
For all his grouchy reclusive mystique, I get the impression that it seems like he really enjoyed dishing out little bits of himself like that, little painless things that he knew people would find special.
― turn the jawhatthefuckever on (One Eye Open), Tuesday, 11 August 2020 14:59 (three years ago) link
Mounting mileage on the dashDouble darkness falling fastI keep stressing, pressing onWay deep down at some substratumFeels like something really wrong has happenedAnd I confess I'm barely hanging on
― circa1916, Saturday, 15 August 2020 18:32 (three years ago) link
Yeah, I don’t know if it’s worth arguing whether this album is hopeful or resigned. It’s both. Guy was obviously in a battle. Love it to so much though, still finding corners and lines from it that hit me hard a zillion listens in.
― circa1916, Saturday, 15 August 2020 18:36 (three years ago) link
xpost those lines are so good
― alpine static, Saturday, 15 August 2020 20:46 (three years ago) link
Just saw this pop up on Spotify, haven't listened yet:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDE6_NUqagE
― Vaguely Threatening CAPTCHAs, Friday, 13 November 2020 17:52 (three years ago) link
could not get through more than 10 seconds of that garbage
― a (waterface), Monday, 16 November 2020 13:00 (three years ago) link
some old correspondence from DC Berman to Arthurt, 2004
https://arthurmag.com/2021/10/27/you-cannot-underestimate-how-big-a-deal-this-hair-thing-was-at-the-time-david-berman-on-a-certain-shift-in-punk-culture-in-the-1980s/
― Karl Malone, Wednesday, 27 October 2021 23:12 (two years ago) link
is that Shakey’s brother or did I conflate some weird ilx dreams w reality
― caddy lac brougham? (will), Thursday, 28 October 2021 00:19 (two years ago) link
It is.
― 《Myst1kOblivi0n》 (jim in vancouver), Thursday, 28 October 2021 05:12 (two years ago) link
?
― Karl Malone, Thursday, 28 October 2021 05:19 (two years ago) link
(Arthur Mag’s Jay B.)
― caddy lac brougham? (will), Thursday, 28 October 2021 12:50 (two years ago) link
Yeah, been going through the old drives and email folders. I also recently posted an Actual Air-era transcript of an interview I did with DCB; only a very small part of it was published. Happy to share it, nice to remember him just riffing and laughing.
https://jaybabcock.wordpress.com/2021/10/25/live-from-mallard-crossing-david-berman-on-actual-air-interviewed-by-jay-babcock-1999/
― jaywbabcock, Thursday, 28 October 2021 18:29 (two years ago) link
nice, thank you for posting that!
― Karl Malone, Thursday, 28 October 2021 18:42 (two years ago) link
thanks for posting this archival and new(ish) stuff, it's been a real joy to see this stuff pop up on the Twitter timeline
― a superficial sheeb of intelligence (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 28 October 2021 19:31 (two years ago) link
LONG LIVE ARTHUR MAGAZINE
― tylerw, Thursday, 28 October 2021 19:36 (two years ago) link
^^ hell yeah
― Karl Malone, Thursday, 28 October 2021 19:37 (two years ago) link
also i didn't know about the shakey connection, that is cool as well. i miss shakey over here
― Karl Malone, Thursday, 28 October 2021 19:38 (two years ago) link
Silver Jewel.
― pplains, Thursday, 28 October 2021 20:44 (two years ago) link
The pleasure is mine. I wish I had kept more of our correspondence/etc., but I think this is all there is. Always wonderful to hear from David. Such a bright spark.
― jaywbabcock, Friday, 29 October 2021 16:21 (two years ago) link
Purple Mountains is still a gut punch of a listen. Especially that incredible run from All My Happiness is Gone through Nights That Won't Happen. It seems like so many different ways, equally true, of experiencing and expressing grief. "She's Making Friends, I'm Turning Stranger" manages to perfectly capture that kind of long-term dissolution of a relationship, where you can see it coming and the depression just piles on itself. "Margaritas at the Mall", drinking and temporary rallies alternating with sincere laments that god isn't saying anything, even if you're listening. then the devastating Nights That Won't Happen, which has a heartbreak for the future that isn't wild or rash but is instead well-considered. Knowing that his actions would cause such horrible harm to others, and believing it was still the best decision. that is really hard to capture, and somehow he got the words down and the Woods' arrangement was there in the perfect way for it.
All of that makes Snow is Falling in Manhattan hit even harder, in the middle. It's so melancholy, but it's also like a little light, a very humble grasp toward comfort.
― Bruce Stingbean (Karl Malone), Thursday, 11 August 2022 18:30 (one year ago) link
Great post KM, thanks for that and a reminder to pull this one out again.
― a superficial sheeb of intelligence (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 11 August 2022 18:44 (one year ago) link
still find it kind of tough to listen to Berman! but I'm sure I'll get back into it.
― tylerw, Thursday, 11 August 2022 18:53 (one year ago) link
big credit has to go to Woods for much of the music and arrangements. I've always enjoyed their musical aesthetic but have been mostly indifferent to the singing and lyrics. in my mind they were a great match for berman. they have a natural tendency toward the light in their music, and at times on purple mountains they sound like they're almost pulling berman along with them to get it done. even in the more poppy songs, he sings stuff like "i confess i'm barely hanging on..." and the music, aptly, hangs uneasily there for a bit before the thwops of the snare drum snap him into the first chorus. there are lots of little moments like that. it's hard to listen to at times, but everything is in there for a reason
― Bruce Stingbean (Karl Malone), Thursday, 11 August 2022 18:58 (one year ago) link
https://www.stereogum.com/2196025/bonnie-prince-billy-shares-cover-of-the-ramones-outsider-recorded-with-david-berman/music/
― 𝔠𝔞𝔢𝔨 (caek), Thursday, 11 August 2022 19:47 (one year ago) link
xp - yeah, I was glad to see your appreciation for Woods, I think they brought a lot to that record (though I've been a big fan of them for awhile anyway)
― a superficial sheeb of intelligence (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 11 August 2022 19:52 (one year ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XTrz0yvxe0
― calstars, Thursday, 11 August 2022 21:20 (one year ago) link
https://www.creem.com/fresh-creem/david-berman-purple-mountains-final-days-feature
― fpsa, Friday, 9 December 2022 19:14 (one year ago) link
Looks promising, but damn paywall.
― Maxmillion D. Boosted (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Friday, 9 December 2022 19:17 (one year ago) link
Straight forward to join for a month, if you haven't previously done so.
― djh, Friday, 9 December 2022 19:57 (one year ago) link
Happy should be 57th birthday. Still miss you.
― Maxmillion D. Boosted (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 4 January 2024 21:19 (three months ago) link
The bareness and honesty in that Purple Mountains record is extraordinary. There's nothing quite like it. I loved his art.
― kraudive, Thursday, 4 January 2024 21:58 (three months ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qvogt_5lhkM
― corrs unplugged, Wednesday, 13 March 2024 12:47 (one month ago) link
incredible
― a (waterface), Wednesday, 13 March 2024 12:49 (one month ago) link
So great
― H.P, Wednesday, 13 March 2024 13:32 (one month ago) link
Good candidate for Artist-specific music jokes
― enochroot, Thursday, 14 March 2024 01:39 (one month ago) link
Someone apparently asked Gate Pratt about this and he said he had never seen the show when he wrote the original that was sent to Berman. (Berman finished writing it and later arranged it with Woods.) It is amusing how they have a similar vibe though.
― birdistheword, Thursday, 14 March 2024 04:28 (one month ago) link
Huh, weird that Gate Pratt doesn't get a writing credit on that one. (He does get one on "Maybe I'm the Only One...") Not that I don't believe him, and this was pretty clearly a coincidence in any case.
― Vaguely Threatening CAPTCHAs, Thursday, 14 March 2024 16:35 (one month ago) link