SOUNDTRACK: ANNA & ELIZABETH–Tiny Desk Concert #447 (June 8, 2015).
Anna Roberts-Gevalt and Elizabeth LaPrelle are from different parts of the country but share a love of old stories and songs. This Tiny Desk features three songs and one story (with visuals), and it’s quite different from pretty much anything I’ve ever seen.
“Long Time Traveling” is an a capella song that has a very olde sound of what I can only call “mountain music.” The women have lovely harmonies reminiscent of O Brother, Where Art Thou?
And just when you think you’ve got these two figured out, they do “Lella Todd Crankie.” This is a spoken word piece. Anna (the taller one) explains that they would go into archives and listen to blank CDs of people telling stories from the old days. And this is one that they memorized. But just telling the story isn’t enough. They have resurrected the “crankie” which is like a mural on a spool. Each one is drawn and crafted to be hand-cranked and unfurled at the pace of a song. This visual accompaniment (hand cranked by Elizabeth) follows the story as it is told, with visuals that relate perfectly to the story (I’m not sure who created those either). Part of this story tells of how Miss Lella played fiddle, and as they get to that part, Anna starts playing the fiddle, and it is magical.
“Goin Cross The Mountain” is a war-based song on banjo and guitar with, again, great harmonies. “Little Black Train” is a judgment day dark song sung with great harmonies and Anna’s twangy guitar.
I don’t think I could do a whole concert with them, but this little fifteen minute show is mesmerizing.
[READ: May 25, 2015] French Milk
I had gotten this book out at the same time of Age of License. But since that one couldn’t be renewed (someone else wanted it) I read that first. So, out of sequence, I now read this, her first book. I’m kind of glad I did read it out of sequence, because the events of Age of License shed some light on this book, which is pretty neat.
This book looks at the trip that Knisley and her mom took to France back in 2007. They lived in a rental apartment for New Years and much of January. The book sets the standard for her other books–lots of (really good but simple drawings–the sample faces on page 78 are really amazing–and belie the simplicity of her other “simpler” drawings ), many photos–rather blurry frankly, which is weird (see page 8 for an example), although the non blurry one of her mom in front of a nudie magazine is very funny.
We see some of her life before the trip. We meet John, the awesome boyfriend (spoiler: she has broken up with him by Age of License). She describes the airport, airplane (complete with kicking child) and arrival. (The descriptions in License are more enjoyable–she had become a better writer by then).
Knisley is a foodie. She talks a lot about the food they eat, including a bunch of foie gras and baguettes, sausages and the delicious French Milk (which she says is the best milk she’s ever had).
I enjoyed her descriptions of her apartment (and the creepy half-cat head on the door). The strange standing screen which blocks nothing and has hunting fabric.
There’s also talk of them not paying attention to the world around them (like the execution of Saddam Hussein–although honestly if you’re on vacation for a month in France I think its okay to be oblivious although by 2015, it would be virtually impossible to be so oblivious).
They spend a lot of time in art museums, and she says by the end that she is basically sick on naked women, even if her favorite painting is “L’Origine du Monde.” And I loved her disappointment to find out that famous Moulin Rouge is “a papier-mache windmill on the roof of a strip joint”
But as the book hits its final third, Knisley gets really bummed out. She starts thinking about failure and that fact that she is turning (gasp) twenty-two. And that’s when I wanted to throw the book against the wall. A 22 year-old being whisked around Paris has no right to complain about financial responsibility–nor even does her mother have a right to talk to her about it on the trip. The quote on page 125: “Even though I’m in my 20s, because I’m an only child, sometimes I feel a little like a spoiled brat…” Well, it has nothing to do with being an only child if you can spend a month in France. And when she says that her pie chart of her time management is spent 50% worrying 30% eating and 20% thinking about sex? No, I will not accept that. Go out and enjoy Paris for Christ’s sake.
I think its’ nice that her divorced parents are still friends and that he came to visit in France (how can a former English professor afford that?).
And then after a few more meals they are wending their way back home. The flight back is hilarious and I love that they punished the person who complained about their DVD player by talking really loudly instead.
I can’t help but feel that each book has gotten progressively better. And while I didn’t enjoy this one as much, I feel like each book has gotten better. But how much more can she travel?
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SOUNDTRACK: THE McCRARY SISTERS AND THE FAIRFIELD FOUR-“Rock My Soul” (Field Recordings, September 20, 2015).
Hearing these eight voices intertwine so beautifully is wonderful (I especially love the bass voice). Knowing how the voices are connected is pretty cool, too.
I Just Read About That... 