Bill Calahan's Smog project (sometimes represented as (Smog), also) (Allmusic.com entry here) (not, either, to be confused with Golden Smog) played in town tonight; I didn't go - due partly to being broke, and partly to being sick - so I thought tonight's post could be one of my favourite Smog tracks. Apparently some people are less-than-familiar with the man's work, so it's partly a public service-type post as well; though if I were you, I wouldn't go getting used to this style or degree of altruism.Smog - I was a stranger (right-click and Save As to download)
The track is from his 1997 LP - and my favourite - Red Apple Falls; however his 2000 album Dongs of Sevotion would be the one regarded as his breakthough effort, so that may be the one to investigate first, if one were to be going to make such an undertaking.
FWIW I've always found him to be a neat intersection between Leonard Cohen's melancholic introspection and gutter-humour, and the dead-pan baritone and gently-but-out rock arrangements of The Silver Jews' David Berman and Stephen Malkmus (formerly also of Pavement).
On a kinda-thematically-related note, on Friday night The_Sifter and I, err, sifted on down to Morocco to meet up with a bunch of other bloggers from Wellington; somewhat disappointingly, it would seem that we missed all the action. I'm ok about it now, but at the time it felt like being stood up for a blind date feels; a confusing and adrenaline-charged mix of hurt and sociopathic anger. I was all for hunting the fuckers down then and there and throwing sugary mixed-drinks all over them; Ol' Siftey, ever the calm head amidst the chaos, advised a more long term strategy. Reason - and the age-old thrill of impending war - prevailed.
I feel unable to divulge any more details at this point.
8 comments:
Thanks. I had heard of Smog but couldn't place it.
Is it just me, or is he using theriff/motif from Air Supply's (I can't live if living is ) Without You.
Oh - and I mad not commitments.
But def another time! ;)
Keen to try Harem sometime. Tom's post on that place looks interesting. By all accounts it is a grotto looking bar with ok food.
Fuck, wish I could remember what the long-term plan is... :-)
I did have enough sense left to stop off at Wasabi on the way home for a late-night feed. Which came to a grand total of $9.50. I got them to check the addition, but it was correct. Bargain.
I had to download an mp3 to refresh my memory of how Air Supplies' [sic] Without You sounded, but you are right - the Smog 'riff' is the same progression as the first half of the Without You 'riff', albeit transposed into a very different key.
Thanks, Kate, for pointing that out. And my remarks re. Friday night weren't in anyway directed at you - more in Tom's direction.. I've noticed that Tom's gone quite quiet.. perhaps it's for the better, as I was going to have to taunt him a second time.
Jo - what a bizarre combination of pathos and the surreal. Are you sure we're even on the same page?
No you're right, that bit was obvious. It was everything else I was referring to. ;-)
Let me recap: "would have felt like a loner" (in a room-full of Wgtn ppl w. websites - uh?); "skinny bitches on telly" (WTF?); "someone else cooking for me" (I sure as hell wasn't making the pizza!)
Hey Jo, I was jus' teasing you a little. Sorry for the confusion ;)
Wild Love is his best album Stephen. Sheesh!
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