Filed under: Etc.
I picked up the reissue of Rodriguez’s 1970 album, Cold Fact, at Other Music yesterday afternoon, and it has been on the player since I woke up this morning, like 11 hours ago.
His stuff is really fantastic: psychy, folky, funky, peculiar, political, grainy, melodic, like he melted down records by Love, Donovan and Dylan and then scratched grooves on top.
OK, that last sentence made no sense; this music is totally tripping me out, and I haven’t stepped outside all day. Also, I don’t care if you don’t go to record stores anymore. If you’re into those guys mentioned above, and you’ve got some cash in your pocket, this is music that you really need to spend money on and hold in your hands and cherish.
I used to see Rodriguez around Detroit, at various festivals and shows, and was even introduced to him once, but at that point I hadn’t heard his music, and didn’t realize what an honor it was to meet him.
According to lore, Cold Fact dispersed into the ether upon its original release, and has for the past few decades been trolling the stacks of only serious record collectors, like Matthew Smith of Outrageous Cherry and Volebeats fame, who I hear is playing in Rodriguez’s band on this tour, which coincides with the Cold Fact reissue (by Seattle label, Light in the Attic) and stops at Joe’s Pub in NYC on Wednesday (Sept. 3) and the Park Bar in Detroit Sept. 20, and maybe some other places in between?
His second record, Coming From Reality, came out in 1971 and fared even worse. (A reissue of that album is forthcoming from Light in the Attic as well.) After releasing those two records, Rodriguez studied at Wayne State University, worked renovation/restoration jobs to support his family, and even ran for office in the city a few times. Here’s a Detroit News story that elaborates on his very interesting biography.
Listen to his song “Sugar Man” here, with headphones preferably.
Apparently, Rodriguez played a short tour in Australia last year, and here’s a video from his Sydney performance of the song “I Wonder.” I have to say, production-wise, this is kind of on par with yesterday’s video, but the audio is decent, and the song is amazing, and totally worth your next 3:45 minutes, from the sublime opening bass line (courtesy of Funk Brother Bob Babbitt on the recording), to simply brilliant lines, such as: “I wonder how many times you had sex.” Enjoy.
Filed under: Etc.
Thank you City Center for alerting me to the presence of this T-Baby video for “It’s So Cold in the D.” I cannot get this song out of my head, and now I’m forcing it upon the nice nine people who read this. Enjoy.
ps: Maybe someone should make one of those Coldplay/Creaky Boards comparison videos between this song and Brendan Benson’s “My Life in the D.” Just sayin’.
Filed under: Etc.
But in the meantime, I wanted to alert everyone to two exciting events happening tonight and tomorrow.
Tonight:
Extra Golden, with Mahmoud Ahmed and Alemayehu Eshete with The Either/Orchestra and Getatchew Mekurya with The Ex. 6 p.m. Damrosch Bandshell, as part of the Lincoln Center Out of Doors series. Free, no tickets required. The following is from Lincoln Center’s website, where you can find lots of information about all the artists:
The ten-piece Either/Orchestra, founded in 1985 by saxophonist/composer Russ Gershon, has earned a reputation for its fearless repertoire, top-shelf ensemble play, highly talented soloists and boundless desire to connect with audiences. In 2004 the E/O became the first US big band to perform in Ethiopia since Duke Ellington’s in 1973. Their Ethiopiques: Live in Addis concert and CD began a series of collaborations with the top names in Ethiopian music, reviving and updating the classic Ethiopian groove of the ’60s and ’70s, most recently featured on a new DVD of a collaboration with Mahmoud Ahmed.
Tomorrow:
Chris Fachini is performing with his Jamaican independence-inspired Rockbox Sound System at 55 DSL in Soho. 281 Lafayette. I believe he premiered this performance at the opening of MOCAD’s first exhibition, “Meditations in an Emergency. I’ve only seen pictures (these courtesy of Gregory Holm), and I’m looking forward to hearing it.
Filed under: Etc.
Someone told me once that I had reached my quota when it comes to writing about this band. But I don’t believe in quotas. And this video from XLR8R is so absolutely adorable that I must share: Crafting with Adult.
