Showing posts with label Bob Dylan. Show all posts

Interview: van der Wel

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Photo: Victor Alexeyev 

van der Wel is the musical project of Hamilton-based Phil van der Wel. We first met through a shared love for the slowcore narratives of the American artist Pedro The Lion, and it's wonderful to see Phil's music developing in a way which shows that influence while moving into its own space as well. He's recently released an EP called O Canada, and one of the tracks - British Columbia - is pretty magical. So - before you do anything - I'd really like you to go on and click play right here.



Phil took time out to answer a few questions about his inspirations and the making of O Canada. You can buy a download of the EP for the affordable price of $5 NZD (or more, if you wish) at his Bandcamp.  

Can you tell me about how you got started playing music? What inspired you to get started, and what did you initially set out to do?
Sure. I have been playing music in one form or another since a young age, and first picked up a guitar when I was 11 or 12. I played songs with various school mates throughout middle and high school, and after leaving school started a band with a few friends, playing mostly melodic rock along the lines of Further Seems Forever or Jimmy Eat World (or something). A defining point for me musically was in 2007 when I moved to Canada. Suddenly I was separate from my friends and the music we listened to, and immersed in new friends and new (better?) music - David Bazan, Damien Jurado, Jon-Rae Fletcher, Phosphorescent, Iron and Wine, Fionn Regan, Danielson Family, etc.. I had previously been introduced to some of the music in New Zealand, but more as a side dish rather than the main course. I wanted this music for my starter, mains, and sides. There was no objective in mind, only a desire to sing songs.

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Watch: Courtney Barnett - Avant Gardener

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Courtney Barnett is a brilliantly clever Australian lyricist. Avant Gardener is a charming track about gardening during a heatwave and ending up in an ambulance. It's got great lines like "the paramedic thinks I'm clever because I play guitar/I think she's clever cause she stops people from dying" and the tennis umpire is a Bob Dylan lookalike, so that five minutes and twenty seconds just flies by.

Update: Barnett has just announced she's coming to New Zealand for one show at Auckland's Kings Arms on September 17. Tickets go on sale from 9am, Tuesday July 22 from Under The Radar and Real Groovy.


Read: When Bob Met Woody

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Just quickly, and unintentionally keeping on the folk theme of the past few posts, I came across this delightful book in the children's section the other day and thought it might interest some of you lovely music fans/library users. 

When Bob Met Woody is a beautifully illustrated picture book detailing the early days of Bob Dylan. Starting out in the wintry Minnesota port of Duluth and culminating in Dylan meeting his biggest inspiration, it could be a good way to try and introduce little ones to good music before they start listening to whatever post-LMFAO bands exist in the future (btw I'm imagining a dystopian future where the influence of their party rocking has spread far and wide. They say that not everyone who listened to LMFAO bought a ringtone, but everyone who listened to them started a sickeningly terrible band). Here's Bobby visiting Woody in the hospital below, though the book doesn't talk about him dying (so don't worry, it's pretty upbeat and hopeful). If you'd like to borrow it, you can find it in the library catalogue here.



RIP Pete Seeger

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American folk singer and activist Pete Seeger has passed away in New York hospital at the age of 94. His career started amongst the influential folk groups The Almanac Singers and The Weavers.
Seeger was one of the artists responsible for popularising the spiritual We Shall Overcome, had hits with Where Have All the Flowers Gone and Turn, Turn, Turn (later released as a single by the Byrds on their album Turn! Turn! Turn!). He received three musical Grammy Awards and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, among various other honors, during his lifetime. 

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It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

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Christmas is slowly quickly creeping up on us! Christmas is my favourite time of year for a number of reasons, not least that it signals the summer season here in the Southern Hemisphere. 

One of the best things about the Silly Season is Christmas Carols (tinsel is a close second). Below I have compiled a number of my favourite tracks, both modern and traditional, to help get you in the merry-making mood. Merry Christmas!

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Q&A: Arthur Ahbez

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Arthur Ahbez has just released his first album Gold. In his own words, he’s been “lost in the 1960s for nearly 10 years” and it shows on a record that shows a deep love for Neil Young, The Grateful Dead, Dylan and the Velvet Underground. All Things Musical sat down one Wednesday lunchtime to do a gmail chat with him about recording Gold, his creative journey over the past couple of years and finding an eight track tape machine in an opshop.
Tell me about recording Gold and the how/what/why/when of it…
The best way to describe it is a window into the way I hear music and relate to it. And "see" it. I worked on the record for about 2 and a 1/2 years, piecing it together in my room on a 8 track tape deck I found out hunting for vintage garments… It was an amazing find, hidden under a pile of old flannel shirts. As soon as I saw it I knew it was what I needed and thus began the start of my record. The songs I decided to put on the record mean a lot to me. I've called the record Gold because that's in part what I feel subjectively it is. I'd play the songs over and over again on my guitar and on the recording as I wanted to be sure they weren't something temporal. I wanted to be sure they really meant something to me. Plus like any artist I’m extremely self-critical of my work - although I've loosed up a bit now. But being the first recorded output I've done publicly I wanted to make sure I could still enjoy it 10 years from now and have the record age into a timelessness. I'd have a lot of fun recording it, but at times it was a nightmare as I had no one to really feed back off and I had to learn as I went… how to record, how to mix, layer etc. Anyway - now that I've finished I want to keep going. I can't wait to do another record as I have all this material that I couldn't get right on the first record due to inexperience. This album was kind of the first step/leap of faith etc into becoming an artist even though I've played live music for years… I wasn't sure how people would react to my songwriting and ideas as I've been lost in the 1960s for nearly 10 years. But I’m really happy with the way it turned out, and most importantly I can hear all my influences in the songs. And hopefully other people will too. One thing to note, I'm really obsessed with folk songwriting. Not as traditional as Woody Guthrie, more like his contemporaries (though I dig Guthrie)… so with my first (and hopefully not last) record I always wanted to make it folk in heart and nature, and most of the songs bear that stamp.



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Watch: Great North live in the library

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We dusted off the blanket fort again, Great North played in the library and it was really great. The wonderful Amanda Radcliffe from amandashootsbands.com showed up to document the night and here's one of her shots of a beautiful audience enjoying the band.

Massive thanks to Hayden, Rachel and Dale from Great North for making the time to play this show. You should really consider checking out their Tui award winning record Halves at the Great North bandcamp site where it's available to download at the very modest price of $10 or $25 as a CD. It's a pretty fantastic alt-country record and if you like anything in the realm of Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Okkervil River, Dr Dog or Ryan Adams it's well worth your time.

If you missed it then check out this video below of part of their library performance for the next best thing, or come along to see Panther and The Zoo performing in the library this Friday.

End of summer & back to work

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It has been nearly two months since the last post! All Things Musical has been on hiatus while summer has come to an end, many festivals have come and gone, and now it’s raining, so time to get reporting again.
 
There’s too much to summarise, but here’s a list of highlights over the last month or so:
 
Auckland Arts Festival: a lot of good free music in Aotea Square, an international premiere of a John Psathas work, not to mention the amazing Paul Kelly and beautiful Martha Wainwright.
 
Gang of Four played an energetic set at the Powerstation, one of many classic reunited bands who Auckland’s been lucky enough to host.
 
The city lost a number of its indie kids for a weekend, for Campus a Low Hum in Bulls. A few of Auckland’s most exciting bands played, including Street Chant.
 
Nas & Damian Marley satisfied the city’s need for some good hip-hop, after Mos Def’s strange show. And Queens of the Stone Age played a deserved three rocking shows, as well as doing an instore signing at Real Groovy.
 
On the record releases front, well, there is so much to mention we’ll just link you to our New & Recommended! Lucinda Williams – Blessed, is a good listen if you’re into country. And for the best local release, check out Dudley Benson – Forest: Songs of Hirini Melbourne.
 
And what’s coming up? NZ Music Month is not far away, and Auckland Central Library’s Thursday Lunchtime Concerts are starting in April! Check out the link for who’s playing.
 
And Bob Dylan is coming to play Vector in a month or so. Have a listen to his latest single, a cover of Rebecca Black – Friday.

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