Big Black Sleep was written and performed before there was a band…and it never stood a chance in a solo context. It was exciting to finally hear this one come together, especially how it accentuates the influence of Fugazi and the Kronos Quartet; the string section of Barb Hunter, Melissa Montalto, and Sam Collins (arranged by Sam) helped bring out the Kronos factor, and the instrumental bridge is a nod to Fugazi.
I like playing with (or destroying) blues cliches whenever possible, and Lincoln’s skronk-blues freak-out pushed the song’s ending over the top. It’ll be a “love it” or “hate it” moment for many, but I think (or hope) it effectively straddles the line between the familiar and the obscene as intended. It’s one of the more unique cuts on the album…and a hard one to pull off live as a trio.
I’ve been asked quite a few times if Gotta Get Right was a traditional gospel song rearranged into a rocker, but it’s an original written in “the spirit of” the many fiery field recordings of gospel songs that I love–and heavy on the ‘Road Warrior’ vibe. Mad Max-meets-Alan Lomax I guess.
Sam Russell (Sam Russell/The Harborrats) has lured me into the studio to record gang vocals on many of his recordings in the past, so I finally returned the favor; Producer/Engineer Brad Zeffren shouts along, too, as well as Sam and Brian of The Dark Pioneers. Nathan Spicer treads lightly (but carries a big stick) with the organ so as not to undercut the aggressive vibe; too much organ and the song started to sound like the Spencer Davis Group instead of The Germs.
While the band and I have been spiraling our way out into suburbia, it’s time to return to Seattle for a show at our favorite local pub:
FRI, May 21st @ 9:00pm Conor Byrne Pub (21+/$7)
5140 Ballard Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98107
It will be a special evening with our eternal brothers-in-rock, Red Jacket Mine–and if the stage can contain us all, we’ll also be teaming up as frequently as possible.
Stay tuned, too, for more information regarding the official release of The Gospel Of Rust…it’s been a long time comin’.
May 1st is not only May Day, it’s International Workers Day. To celebrate, Conor Byrne Pub in Ballard is throwing a fundraiser/hootenanny with a ton of great folks on the bill; I’ll attach the poster for your perusal.
SAT, May 21st @ 9:00 Conor Byrne Pub ($10/21+)
5140 Ballard Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98107
We’re up later in the night with a few work-related songs by the likes of ZZ Top and Rush. Ever thought you’d hear The Dark Pioneers play a Rush song? (Neither did we.)
And speaking of Conor Byrne: we have a show coming up there with Red Jacket Mine on Friday, May 21st. More details next week.
Oh, and check out the photos from Friday’s show at The Skylark in West Seattle, courtesy of our friend Colby Perry. We even recorded the whole deal for posterity, so expect some live tunes (and maybe some of my expletive-laden rants) to be posted in the future.
The Dark Pioneers return to West Seattle to headline a show at the Skylark. It’s been ages since I’ve played with bill-mates Jibran and Eric Miller (pre-Dark Pioneers, in fact), and all three of us have formed bands in the years since. This reunion is sure to be light on jerked tears, but heavy on the kicking of ass.
FRI, April 23rd @ 9:00pm
Skylark Cafe & Club (21+/FREE)
3803 Delridge Way SW, W. Seattle, WA
w/Jibran & Eric Miller
“Argot (pronounced ar-GOE): a secret language used by groups to prevent outsiders from understanding their conversations.”
We’ve finally made our RPM 2010 project, Argot, Vol. 1, available at Bandcamp.com. It’s the first in a series of side-albums meant to co-exisit restlessly alongside our more polished studio output. And did I mention you can download it for free?
Recorded live in a small room with a handful of microphones (and no plan whatsoever), Argot, Vol. 1 is an id-driven trip across a surrealistic neverland, revealing a side of the band that you’ve never heard before. Every track is an improvised first take, edited down from three hours of non-stop recording into 14 mind-warping musical curios.-NW & TDP
The Rendezvous is a hidden gem of a place, complete with a theatre that dates back to 1927. Just down the street from The Crocodile, the Jewel Box Theatre is an intimate venue with cabaret-style seating and table service. Four acts for five bucks? Indeed.
Next, we rejoin our Brothers-in-Rock (aka, Red Jacket Mine) for a night at A Terrible Beauty. It’s Renton’s newest rock club and it even has plenty of great reviews from the often-fickle Yelp! community. If you missed the Red Jacket Mine/Dark Pioneers pairing at The Hard Rock Cafe, you cannot afford to miss our “reunion” show.
This coming Sunday, The Dark Pioneers and I return to downtown Portland:
SUN, March 21st @ 7:00pm Kelly’s Olympian (21+/$5)
426 SW Washington Street
Portland, OR 97204
Quinn Allan opens the evening, followed by long-time pal Chad Hinman (who, coincidentally, I played my very first Portland show with). The Dark Pioneers are on at 9pm and doing our damndest to wrap up the night by 10:00.
And, in case you missed our triumphant christening of Seattle’s newest Hard Rock Cafe stage, The Dark Pioneers and Red Jacket Mine joined forces during the night and wrapped up the show as a 7-headed beast. Check out these excellent shots by Seth Wonner for photographic proof that (lower-case, not upper-case) hell was raised on March 9, 2010.
The band has been laying low for a while, but we finally get to announce a secret show that’s been brewing:
TUE, March 9th @ 7:30pm HARD ROCK CAFE SEATTLE ($5/21+)
116 Pike Street
Seattle, WAÂ 98101
The Dark Pioneers have been invited to share Red Jacket Mine’s first night of a month-long residency, so expect to see some inter-band collaboration (and maybe a few other surprises). The show starts promptly at 7:30 with a short solo set by Patrick Porter (of Explone + Red Jacket Mine), followed by The Dark Pioneers & RJM’s interwoven musical circus. And it all has to end at 10pm–so you’ll be home in time for the evening news (?).
The new Hard Rock is a block away from Pike Place Market and it’ll be hard to miss the giant guitar outside; additionally, $1 of every ticket goes to the charity Musicians On Call.
We hope you can make what will prove to be a one-of-a-kind musical experience.
Once again, I’ve (foolishly?) handed over the month of February to the RPM Challenge and–once again–I fully intend to write and record an album’s worth of material in just 28 days. My album in 2008 (Future Warnings/Field Recordings) was a great success and a lot of worthy new material came out of that high-pressure situation. My only hope is that you’ll wait for me at this year’s finish line, perhaps with smelling salts, Gatorade, and a bottle of vodka.
It has also occurred to me that the booking machine I keep in the garage hasn’t been ignited in a long time. Well, following a vicious clang and a bilious cloud of brimstone, it’s fired up and operational–like the “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” of the Apocalypse–and it will surely deliver the band to plenty of venues, old and new, as March approaches.
...are Seattle’s purveyors of apocalyptic Americana, hitching the rusted scraps of American roots music to a battered pick-up truck and dragging it across a broken 21st Century landscape. It’s a cinematic trip down a desolate highway as the dashboard rattles apart and the truck radio blasts songs of murder, drug abuse, and Biblical arcana. Learn more.
