I think Redwing is about the triumph of courage over fear.

It occurred to me John might have been talking about Ronstadt's work with Nelson Riddle and the orchestra arrangements on many of Patsy Cline's recordings, as opposed to their vocal styles. While Hem's orchestra arrangements on Eveningland definitely have a nostalgic 40s feel to them, I actually much prefer them to the Riddle sound because of the subtle way they're written to enhance the instrumentation of the band rather than overpowering it. On Cline's and Ronstadt's recordings, the orchestra typically is the band (and I'd actually listen to Patsy a lot more if it weren't for the cheesy string arrangements on many of her songs).

Two new d/l's @ Hem's MySpace:

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas & The Golden Day Is Dying

http://www.myspace.com/hem

From Hem's website:

wow, this is one of my favorite R.E.M. songs. i've only listened to it once, it's definately been HEM'd. and while i've yet to find that a bad thing with their covers, i'm going to need a handfull of listens to get comfy with this one i think.

South Central Rain - Hem

(from the forthcoming No Word From Tom)


from Hem's blog (i believe my skin is as green as my eyes right now, keith...):

from today's louisville courier-journal. pretty cool, i missed them last time they were in town (had tickets for patty griffin @ the ryman...). hopefully i'll get to see them this time. i like them but have never been able to get into them like michelle and keith, maybe a live show'll do it for me. and for a measley five bucks too.

pretty cool idea, these guys are great local promoters, bringing in some nice shows here and musicians, club/venue owners and fans all seem to be digging what they are doing. i hope they make it...

"Simple 5" Series coming to Headliners
By Jeffrey Lee Puckett
jpuckett@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal

Billy Hardison loves Headliners Music Hall, and the people at Headliners love Hardison -- or at least they love the rock shows he brings to town through Production Simple LLC, many of which are booked at the 700-capacity club.

But some Production Simple shows don't rate such a large room or the higher ticket price common to Headliners. So Hardison and his partners in Production Simple devised the Simple 5 Series, where smaller acts are treated to a night in a big room and consumers pay no more than $5.

Thursday's show with the Greenhornes, the Shooting Gallery and the Ladybirds will kick off the series (9 p.m., $5; ages 18 and up).

"Only X amount of shows out there are large enough for that room, so this is a way to get more shows in there, bands get to experience a nice PA and light show, and it's a cheap ticket," Hardison said.

The trick is to make the room more intimate, which will primarily be done by setting up all available tables and chairs. In the case of some singer-songwriters, tables would be directly in front of the stage. "When you put out all of the tables and chairs and 250 people show up, it looks pretty full," Hardison said.

The plan is to have two to four shows a month, with local bands on every bill. One show a month, starting with the Greenhornes, is a WFPK Members Night Out event, meaning that a significant number of tickets will be given away to WFPK donor supporters on a first-come, first-served basis.

Ideally, Hardison wants to create a situation in which people would risk $4 or $5 even if they're unfamiliar with the artists.

"We want to brand the name Simple 5 Series to where you can feel confident in seeing a quality show for a low risk to your wallet or purse," he said.

Upcoming shows include Hem on Feb. 15 and Edith Frost with the Zincs on Feb. 28. Both will be $5.

so... they're playing within walking distance to where i live in february. i'm going to go*!

thanks, michelle and keith!


*i'm going to go even though, according to pandora, there is only one singer between them and norah jones...

Seriously, go...I went to their show last January without having heard barely a note of their music, and I was so completely blown away. They've added a few dates on their site, hopefully they'll get to the midwest soon too.

What a lovely redesigned website...

tour 2006

Grrrrr.

*kicks the east coast right in the arse*

I'm right there kicking with you Steve
why can't annapolis be minneapolis?

kent

I realize Detroit sucks ass, but COME ON!!! Belle & Sebastian, Mogwai, and now Hem are all giving us the cold shoulder! WTF?!? they're gonna be driving right by us!

Actually it's a few hours out of the way. Why do you think I moved?

well, maybe for Hem, but I believe Belle and Sebastian and Mogwai are both doing shows in Chicago, Canada, and New York for their tours, and it is not hours out of the way when you're driving from one to the other of these places. BASTARDS!!!

I believe it was originally a kid's story about a character who somehow got squashed flat, which had the benefit of him being able to be mailed from place to place.

It sopmehow evolved into an elementary school program in which a kid cuts out and colors a Flat Stanley, and the parent mail him to a friend or relative who lives elsewhere, ideally someplace exotic and interesting. The friend then takes Flat Stanley around with him, takes pictures, and ghost-writes a letter from Flat Stanley. All of the letters and pictures then are assembled into some sort of display at each school.

Cleveland in February isn't the most glamorous place in the world, but I took Flat Stanley to Lake Erie, a few parks and rivers, and two Hem concerts, so the display included a picture of Hem with me & Stanley.

I thought sure I'd be hundreds and hundreds of miles away, but I found out yesterday that I will be in the vicinity of Lincoln Center on business for the next couple of weeks (at least what I consider to be "in the vicinity" when it comes to concerts by certain groups).

I also found out yesterday the show is sold out.

Nevertheless, I feel fairly confident that I will somehow be in attendance. Wish me luck!

Confirmation in hand, ticket at will call.

See you there, Chuck!

Their newsletter said to send it to all your friends, so...

No Word From Tom - Ecard

I'm only on song 2 so far but I'm pretty sure it's going to stream the entire album.** Enjoy!

** or not. the first 3 (all the pretty horses, rainy night in georgia & radiation vibe) are full song streams, i think the rest are 30 sec. clips.

every time i see 'rainy night in georgia' i flashback to the movie "the night the lights went out in georgia" heh (I loved that movie!).

just got the 'No Word From Tom' CD.

its really nice- Sally your voice just melts my heart!
some interesting covers and some really good live stuff.
just plain old classic Hem.

kent

Oooooh, mine is here too!! Isn't it beautiful?



Sounds good, too!

So, I'm just now listening to some Hem.

I like it. Where have I been?

p.s. I want her bed(from the picture above).

does she come with the bed? in that case, I want her bed too...

I don't see Catherine Popper's signature. Is she gone from Hem for good? (sob!)

Catherine appears on this album, but it is on the older stuff.
She is now in Ryan Adam's band- the Cardinals, and appears on all 3 of his releases this year.
I miss her in Hem- what a beaut!

kent

New tour dates for the rest of us!

April 19/06 Cleveland, OH Beachland Ballroom
April 20/06 Detroit, MI Magic Stick
April 21/06 Chicago, IL Double Door
April 22/06 Indianapolis, IN Birdy's
April 23/06 Newport, KY Southgate House
April 25/06 Annapolis, MD Rams Head Tavern
April 26/06 Washington, DC Birchmere
April 27/06 Philadelphia, PA World Cafe Live
April 28/06 Providence, RI Narrows Center
April 29/06 Boston, MA Avalon
May 04/06 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
May 05/06 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
May 06/06 Shelburne Falls, MA Memorial Hall


I'm not sure how I feel about the Double Door...it's a cool venue for rock stuff, but it's definitely more of a bar vibe than the kind of mellow ambience Hem achieved at Schubas, but I'm sure it will be a great show nonethelesss. (same with the Magic Stick) I may try to catch Indianapolis or Detroit too, we shall see.

AWWWWWWWWWWWWW SHIIIIIIT!!!!!!!
you've got to be f*cking kidding me!!!
I'll be at Calvin's Faith & Writing fest that night!
FUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCKKKKK!!!!

my ONLY consolation is that, you're right Steve, Magic Stick does not seem like a Hem-friendly environment (although I did see Vigilantes of Love there, as well as The Church, and those both seemed to work out fine, but they're a bit louder)

If this is even a decision you have to contemplate for more than 5 seconds, I'm not sure I can share a message board with you.

You're right... Hem'll be around again. The Faith & Writing fest is too good and too important to miss. What's one 2-hour concert in a pool hall compared to 3 full days of literary goodness... Thanks Steve! you helped me put this in perspective!

OK. There is something seriously wrong with me.
Hem's music is so beautiful. I love their style, presentation, instrumentation, over-all sound.
The new website is gorgeous and artsy.
I really, really wish I could get on-board with Sally's voice.
I usually know right away if a band is for me.
I've listened to so much of their stuff and I've narrowed it down to the vocal. It does nothing for me. Her voice (although nice) is not unique or special to me.
I will keep trying but I don't have control over such things.

edited for spelling.

Hey, you tried, Trudes.

I love Sally's voice myself, and I'll be listening to it in about 3 hours.

Thanks for the perspective. I waited a WHOLE year though for Hem to come back to Michigan, only to find out I'll be out of town...
Someday, someday...

Calvin scares me. You're much better off at a Hem show.

Incidentally, the Double Door's site lists it as "Josh Ritter And Hem."

Who the hell is Josh Ritter, and is Hem opening for him? That would make me very sad.

You are one of my great music sages on this ol' site. But Calvin is not scary, I promise! There are some wonderful and respected authors coming to your old home state for three days of intellectual bliss. Of course, I don't see you in the book area of the orchard much, so perhaps this does not tempt you to travel up for it...

If all my reading time wasn't spent reading crap I don't care about for school, I'd be in that section more often.

I should rephrase...the whole left side of michigan kinda scares me a little.

Birdy's is a good place. Seating in the balcony, SRO on the floor. It was the first place I heard the Cowboy Junkies live, and I've since seen them there 3 times. A good place for sound although the stage is a bit small.

Cher

Birdy's has a balcony?? I was able to see Joseph Arthur there last year, and I don't remember that at all... Of course, it was my first Joseph Arthur show after loving his music for years (he's the only man on earth whose child I would be willing to carry), so there could've been...

Yeah, I went to the OTR Birdy's show in 2004...I loved that place. I don't remember a balcony either, but the floor is nice and cosy. Seats are way overrated.

Tonight was one of those magical, one-of-a-kind evenings that really bring home to you what being a music lover is all about.

Fifteen musicians on a stage in front of a huge glass backdrop with the lights of 59th Street fading into the distance behind them -- it would take Imax cinematography to do justice to the visual impact of this concert, not to mention Sally, Dawn and Heather all looking impossibly gorgeous dressed to the nines. Here's a crappy photo I took at the end of the show:



And my God, the music! The five extra pieces, which (I believe) included viloin, viola, cello, and two woodwind players who played clarinet, oboe and flute, plus their conductor (!) made a huge difference on songs like Fire Thief, Sailor, Hollow and, of course, the instrumental Eveningland. It was clearly the fulfillment of a long-time dream for Dan Messé, who was wearing a huge grin behind a gigantic Steinway through most of the show. The balance was just about perfect -- my only complaint, which I shared with Bob Hoffnar after the show, is that his pedal steel was mixed a little too low for my taste, but he said he was afraid of overshadowing the strings. Needless to say, the acoustics in the Lincoln Center venue were absolutely awesome. While I think my stealth recording turned out pretty well, my little mikes and mAudio recorder really cannot do justice to the sound.

So it was pretty much a perfect evening, except that Karen couldn't be there to enjoy it with me (thanks to our oil burner being repaired until 3AM last night and her being unable to take the day off to sleep like I did). Chuck, however, was happy to avail himself of her seat, and I guess it was fitting that I watched the magical set unfold with the person who first made me aware of Hem's music and predicted it would enchant me. And he also snagged me a set list (thanks Chuck!). I finally got to meet legendary super-fan Christina, who (no surprise) was extremely nice, and then I got to talk to several very happy band members in the lobby afterward. Sally gave me a big hug and was first to sign my set list, Heather told me how much fun the show had been for them, and when I asked Dan how he felt, he just smiled and said "Happy. About as happy as I've ever been." I told him I've been going to concerts since Woodstock '69 and that this evening was right up there with my favorites. That seemed to make him happy too.

Well, off to bed -- My perfect night has come to an end and I have to back in the city tomorrow at 8:30 AM.

...

Hey man, you're getting your chance. :-P

Still trying to figure out what the deal is with that guy they're touring with (opening for?).

yeah, it looks like those are Josh Ritter shows, with Hem supporting.
that makes me feel so much better, in a "that still sucks" kind of way.

What's wrong with Calvin? I won't ask you what's wrong with that side of the state, because, well, this whole state kind of sucks. but seriously, Calvin? why you dissin'?

The whole idea of christian colleges kind of scares me. Well, not as much scares as, to me, defeats the entire purpose of college, which is a) to leave home and live somewhere else without your parents bugging you all the time and to be around and meet people who come from completely different backgrounds and have different attitudes and beliefs from yours that you wouldn't have found in your hometown. (and, though less spoken, c) to meet girls and hopefully learn how to not suck in bed).

I guess it's cause I started out at a regular university, but things like having entirely seperate dorm buildings for men and women just puzzle me. I lived on a co-ed floor my freshman year of college, and as much as I wished it would've been some kind of non-stop sexual frenzy, it really wasn't. I'm not singling out Calvin in particular, just the idea in general (although any university on that side of the state is suspect, given that Michigan is one big red state that happens to have some cities on the east side of it). But I suppose this conversation belongs in another thread.

Which brings me back to my initial question...who the feck is Josh Ritter and what gives him the right to force Hem into an opening slot?

From All Music.com

by David Jeffries

Josh Ritter Biography

While his name might not be on the tip of everyone's tongue in his homeland, folk-leaning singer/songwriter Josh Ritter has benefited from numerous positive reviews and a loyal fan base. Born in Idaho, Ritter bought his first guitar after hearing the Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash classic "Girl From the North Country." While attending college in Oberlin, OH, Ritter got his first listen to Leonard Cohen and Gillian Welch. He fell in love with the songs instantly and dropped his neuroscience major in favor of the pursuit of music. With classic folk venues like Club Passim, Boston was the place Ritter chose to follow his dream. He recorded and released self-titled debut in 1999, but it was 2002's Golden Age of Radio that got him noticed. Selling copies on his own funded touring, which funded more albums and so on. Signature Sounds Recordings soon picked the album up, gave it exposure on a national level, and the four- and five-star reviews started rolling in. The HBO series Six Feet Under grabbed a track from the album for their end credits, while Ritter received an offer to open for the Frames on a tour of Ireland. Soon his single "Me & Jiggs" was in the Irish Top 40, a headlining tour of the country was sold out, and a tribute band named Cork was playing nothing but Ritter material in numerous Irish pubs. Back home the following was growing with sold-out shows in New York City and Boston, while an invitation to the Sundance Film Festival began 2003 on a high note. It took 14 February days in rural France to record his third album, and much of the equipment used for the session was Curtis Mayfield's old gear. The result, Hello Starling, was released in September the same year.

Discography

2000 Josh Ritter Orchard
2001 Golden Age of Radio Signature
2003 Hello Starling Signature



Hello Starling (4.5 stars)

Review by Thom Jurek

Idaho songwriter Josh Ritter has received a lot of attention for his fine, spare songwriting and his no-frills approach to performance. As a result of his excellent debut album Golden Age of Radio, he's become a critic's darling all over the U.S. and a full-tilt pop star in Ireland. He's like a lot of young people who are shining stars upon arrival, except for one thing: the proof of his staying power is on Hello Starling, his sophomore effort for Signature Sounds. Over the course of 11 new songs, Ritter reveals that not only is he not a fluke, but he seems to have arrived on the scene fully formed. He writes with the wisdom of someone twice his age, and a sense of tender, subtle humor is as important to him as is his ability to write a personality sketch or even a love song. Recorded with Curtis Mayfield's old gear in a ramshackle French farmhouse over 14 days, Hello Starling is seemingly straight-ahead folk-rock recording that accents the more unobtrusive aspects of living in the modern world. Like Rufus Wainwright, Ritter takes the approach of being in each setting he writes about. His power of observance, not only for scenery and characters but subtle emotional states, is remarkable. He may be the guy in the story or a tree on the sidewalk, but he's there. And while his topics would not indicate being any big deal, they are quite simply profound. "Kathleen" is the story of a young man who waits on the sidelines at a party to get the opportunity to drive a young woman home. His protagonist is full of the shy, geek-love need of a bystander who has long desired a woman who doesn't even know he's alive. But rather than merely ache with the unrequited love he believes he is entitled to, he summons his bravado — buoyed by a Hammond B3, ringing electric guitars, and a poetry that is as shot through with Kenneth Patchen's last romantic ideals as it is with Mike Scott's Celtic pop melodic sensibility — and makes his stand under the moonlight. It's an anthem for the shy. "Man Burning" is a glimmering rocker with acoustic guitars in the forefront and the B3 careening over the lyrics. The story is about a man whose regrets are shackled to him, yet he seeks to transcend them with his passion for living and for regret. But there is also the tenderness of the poet, whose metalinguistic tome about writing ("Bone of Song") is heartbreakingly profound in its reverence for the craft and for the altar of the thing itself. Leonard Cohen would have been proud to write this song. Ritter's entire album can be summed up in the rocker "Snow Is Gone" when he sings "I'd rather be the one who loved than to be loved and never even know," with the kind of worldly wisdom Guy Clark has consumed himself with seeking over 30 years. Hello Starling is a step beyond Golden Age of Radio in craft, maturity, vision, and in kindness; it's one of the few recordings that has been released in recent years that will be being played a decade from now. Isn't that the true test of art, even when it's popular — its endurance?

[h]

Now, since I provided plenty of in thread material, now for some extra-thread material...

The main reason that Christian colleges have separate men's and women's dorms is charitalble funding. Grandma whoever doesn't want to give her money to college where they promote promiscuity..

[/h]

Oy. I'm sure he's probably okay but it doesn't sound overly exciting...if someone's going to cut Hem's set short, it better be the original lineup of Van Halen or the reincarnation of Freddie Mercury.

I mean, he might be okay but I have a hard time getting exciting about yet another singer/songwriter guy. Maybe if they switch the order of the show...

there is nothing wrong with you trudes!
true

thanks -- i have had the same response. i love what they do but sally's voice is not what brings me to their cd. i have to be in one of those moods to pull it off of the shelf. every now and then i bring it out of hiding and give it another spin but know it's not one of those cd's i'll listen ot often. just really don't care for her voice either.

maybe there IS something wrong with both of us

peace,
zayne

Her voice doesn't really stand out to me, but it's okay...i think it fits the music. Hem is a really subtle, delicate band. Having a really strong, powerful voice like Karin's just wouldn't fit, so in that regard, I think she's perfect for the band.

I found Josh Ritter's myspace page, and um...*shrug* I could go to a dozen coffee houses in Chicago and find a guy who sounds pretty much just like that. I'm kinda bummed, since I don't think it's gonna be worth about $25 to see Hem play a 35 minute opening set.

are you kidding? josh ritter is hands down my favorite artist... total mix of dylan, cash, and springsteen - unbelievably talented. do not miss the chance to see him live - i know i won't!