I Just Read About That…

SOUNDTRACK: HEM-Tiny Desk Concert #306 (September 28, 2013).

Hem is one of All Songs Considered‘s earliest discoveries. Back in 2002, we received a beautiful and unique album called Rabbit Songs. It was a homey, fireside kind of record, with a sound that could be called country or Americana, and the arrangements by Dan Messé made it feel quaint and warm. To top it off, there was singer Sally Ellyson, an untrained natural talent with an effortless yet breathtaking voice. Hem has gone on to make five more albums since Rabbit Songs; their latest, Departure and Farewell, finds the group still writing songs that feel as if they’ve always been there.

Bob is quite right about the feel of this band, the drums are actually foot stomping and piano tapping, and that makes the band sound like they are siting around cozy room with friends.   And then there’s her voice.  There’s nothing specific about it that stands out, and yet it really does.  Her voice feels incredibly warm and welcoming, making you want to stop and listen.  And perhaps it’s something about the recording which makes everything feel soft (but not muddy) and warm.

And even in the songs themselves, it feels like friends hanging out.  During “Walking Past The Graveyard, Not Breathing” they say “go George” as the intro to the bass solo and then “go Heather” for the violin solo.   “Tourniquet” has some great lyrics, between the alliteration at the beginning and the great metaphor of the song, I was so taken with the lyrics that I didn’t even realize how pretty the melody was:

Brooklyn, I’m broken — I’m breaking apart
Oh Brooklyn, your bridges are bound up in light —
Every artery’s clogged as you pull the belt tight —
And this tourniquet turns even tighter until
Traffic comes to a standstill

When the song suddenly takes off near the end (but only briefly) it really elevates the song which was already delightful.  Introducing the final song, “Seven Angels” she says they are excited to be there, playing in this format.  She says the song can be seen as a lullaby–she likes to sing it for her sister.  She says she doesn’t write the songs but she can pretend this one is hers.

It’s hard to imagine this band playing a venue much larger than this one–they seems right at home in a small space.

[READ: July 31, 2016] Stop Forgetting to Remember

This is a fascinating story about the comics artist Walter Kurtz.  I know very little about Peter Kuper, but I gather that this is sort of his life but written as an autobiography of somebody else.  (For instance, Kurtz was born on the same day as Kuper).

The back cover blurb also states how daring it was for Kurtz to write all of this –showing the embarrassing details, etc.: “My spouse would have killed me!”

This book is a collection of “stories” (not sure if they were ever published separately) that are joined by the narrative thread of Kurtz telling us about his life.  And the “occasion” for this reflection is the pending birth of his first child.  He is freaking out a bit–when he was young he never wanted kids, and then maybe he was cool with it, but recently he’s become terrified again.  He’s particularly afraid because he’s engaged with the world and he sees that as each month goes by, things get worse: AIDS, global warming, overpopulation, famine, wars (and that’s just 1996).

The story opens on October 1995 Kurtz is sitting at his drawing table.  He says he can explain the successful graphic novelist with just a few certain characteristics: missing the sports gene, rejection and getting one’s ass kicked, unjustified belief in one’s one genius, repressive Judeo-Christian upbringing, rich fantasy life, questionable social skills, read one million comics, incapable of a 9-5 job, glutton for punishment. And just as our successful artist lays out these ideas, his wife comes in and breaks his own fantasy–his gorgeous studio is revealed to be a cramped hovel.

Then we flashback to 1972, the summer of love, when everyone was getting some.  Except him.  There are many amusing stories of Walter’s fears getting the better of him–even with girls who seemed pretty willing.  It’s one of the longer flashbacks, and, while he does eventually lose his virginity, the overall humiliation of the story outweighs any success.

In between his flashbacks,we seem him hanging around with some friends.  Like Adam, one of his oldest friends. They have been friends since grammar school and they still make time for each other.  And they reminisce about their youth when they were filled with very little Sex, and way too much Drugs and Rock n Roll.  There’s a ton of pot smoked in this section, a frightening (and very awesomely drawn) Acid trip, and a hilarious section in which Walter becomes a dealer (the imagined scenario of drug king pins he’d answer to is awesome).  Not to mention an obligatory windowpane acid moment at a dead show.

And then there’s the big love-hate relationship story with Vicky–the woman who used him and broke his heart and who he could never get out of his head.  This leads to an interesting night with Vicky and her ex which helps to deflate the whole Vicky lust machine.

Kuper has been the artist behind Spy Vs Spy for a number of years and there’s some amusing references to the strip.  As if Kurtz is drawing Ebony vs Ivory.

About midway through the book, the baby is born, and now Walter has a whole new collection of things to worry about, including the fact that he keeps blowing off Adam.  Then we head into 2001.  The Bush Presidency looms heavily (he even draws a comic called Richie Bush with the rest of the administration complicit.  And then the impact of terrorism hits him pretty directly.  The way he draws it is an attempt to erase everything that happened is really wonderful.

As the book nears its end, despite all of the things going on, hope looms.

I love Kuper’s artistic style–blocky and bold–and I love all of the shoutouts to other comics (like Jim Steranko and R. Crumb) that he throws in.  And the way he himself becomes a cartoon (even though he already is one) it’s a cool meta- joke.

I’ve really enjoyed a lot of Kuper’s work and I look for ward to reading more of it.