The Sally Fields Are Often Confused With Sally Field

I do a solo musical performances under various names. My longest-running alter-ego is The Sally Fields, which was originally named as a mashup of The Salvation Army and Magnetic Fields - another one-man band (at least, it was when The Sally Fields started).

I consistently get emails and letters from fans of Sally Field, the actress best know for The Flying Nun, now starring in some TV hoo-haw. These emails arrive in the inbox, and always blow me away because of their sincerity.

I thought I'd include a few here, for people to check out. Take note that when people email me / Sally Field, they include their full names, email addresses, home addresses, phone numbers and in one case fax number. I have blanked all that stuff out, but I thought it was worth noting to show how open these people are (to a perfect stranger, and as it turns out, not even the one they thought):

From "Robyn":
Hey Sally,
I think you are the greatest female actor in the world. I’m 37 year old mum with 2 girls, I love you & I’m so glad to see you back on TV. Your kids are so gorgeous, you should be proud, you know I just wanted to tell you, I admire you so much that you a great person you are gorgeous BE PROUD YOU ARE ONE IN A MILLION. GO GIRL
LUV ROBYN AUSTRALIA

From "William":
You are amazingly inspirational for us all. You are a true treasure in the fortunes of time. With the world in all its broken dreams and drudgery you are a beacon to show it is still a beautiful world. If I ever make it in the entertainment industry it will be a pleasure to meet you someday. If not this is just a chance to say Thank-you. 555-555-5555 2911 Blank Blank Harbor Florida 55555

From "Bill":
Dear Sally, I am an old 85 year old fan and I have never tried to contact a movie star before, but I just wanted you to know that you are the best. You put your heart and soul into your part. My wife, Mary and me never go to movies many more, she is deaf, but if on TV, in CC, we watch it. Mary and I have been married for over 61 years and are still in love. Our love to you, Bill and Mary.

Far be it from me to make fun of the sincerity and candour in these notes. I just wanted to post them, to give a bit of an inside view of what goes on at Sally / Urban Camouflage HQ. Between receiving these notes, writing hit songs, earning millions as a journalist, and my work as a part-time Air Traffic Controller, things are very busy for me here.

Amon Tobin - Foley Room

Amon Tobin
Foley Room
Ninja Tune, 2007

A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to get a guided tour of CBC’s Foley studio from the resident sound technician. It was pretty incredible. She explained how she created the sound of many oars in a lake with a bathtub, some baffles, and a few strategically placed microphones. She took me down a long, gravel-filled hallway, noting how the echo deadened as we walked further, until the crunching sound underneath us was completely isolated. The craziest thing, though, was she said she is so attuned to listening for sounds-within-sounds that she can wake up and know whether it is going to rain or not by the sound of the trains by her house; the sound of the train differs, she explained, depending on the barometric pressure.

When she said this, the only sound in the room was my mind being blown.

So it is with Amon Tobin’s latest release, Foley Room. Recorded in various settings around various cities, the album shows Tobin utilizing different source material for his experimental, head-nodding electronics. After many years of success cutting and re-sampling, this album marks Tobin’s first attempts to make an electronically-inspired album that combines found sound and “real” instruments. The concept is not especially new, as Tobin acknowledges on the DVD that accompanies the disc, but I have a lot of respect for an artist who is willing to push themselves toward change, and broaden their sound. And Tobin’s previous work informs Foley Room as well: there are thickly thudding bass sounds, high-end twitters and whirs, and an overall drive that seems out of keeping with such an experimental album. However, on this release, those electro sounds are provided by Kronos Quartet, the Bell Orchestre and field recordings from silos, farms and other non-traditional recording spaces.

My only complaint about Foley Room is that it seems to still root itself firmly on the dance floor, whereas I would have liked more tracks that let the sounds grr and whorl in their own beauty. However, this is merely a matter of taste (aaaaand the fact I almost never go dancing), and Foley Room remains an interesting, texturally rich album worth exploring.

On tour through europe now.

BNW Stories - Keep Them Coming

Okay, so I have started talking to people about Brave New Waves and its impact on their lives growing up. I am working on this idea that BNW acted like the internet to many of us, providing a music resource of depth and breadth before the internet was as widespread and ubiquitous as it is now.

A couple of conversations have happened and an email or two have come my way. However, I am still looking for more snapshots from former BNW listeners. And frankly, I think almost everyone has a story or two. Here's something Andrew Wedman said in a note:

"bnw was definitely important to me. not only did it expose me to all sorts of new music, but they were also one of tinkertoy’s biggest supporters. patti was playing the first cdr shit that we made. I always loved that she would play pretty much anything from anyone as long as she thought it was interesting."

And these are the sorts of reports that I am trying to track down. Drop me a note with a couple of lines about your favourite BNW stories, and maybe I'll try to cook up some sort of prize pack.

(Note: prize pack will not actually involve cooking)

BNW Stories - Philly

My request for peoples' Brave New Wave stories is beginning to yield results. Today I received an anonymous comment on the original post about this, but it was so moving to me, I thought it deserved a post of its own.

I don't know how this little blog was seen by someone in Philadelphia, but I am honoured to have such honesty shared with me. So thank you, Anonymous, for your story. Have a read:

"I'm a rare breed, I'm a long time American listener of BNW. I don't live in Detroit/Windor, or Seattle/Vancouver. I live in Philadelphia, PA. And by some force of sheer luck, one night 15 years ago, scanning the dial I discovered this show was simulcasting on one of the local public radio stations here. I was 12, about to turn 13, and at the time I was living with my family in a shelter. I hated being there, the food was awful, and the beds were not that much better. I heard this crazy cut-up of Heatwave's "Grooveline", and everything changed. I had no idea what it was, but it was the escape I needed every night since. To make a long story short, the simulcast didn't last long, and then when we found a new place to live and I got online I have been listening ever since. All I can say that it wasn't just my musical tastes that have been altered by this show. It also affected my philosophies as well. Losing this show is losing the driving force of my life, and as much as it has changed over the last few years, I still come home from work listening to it and being blown away by what I hear. There will be nothing on Earth like Brave New Waves again, and I'm glad I got to know it so well and for so long."

If you have a comment, or a story you'd like to share, by all means, send it my way. Thanks again for such candour.

National Registry of Recordings - Inductees for 2006

My accomplice and I watched the News Hour with Jim Lehrer last night (reason enough to support PBS) and toward the end of the broadcast, James H. Billington of the (US) National Registry of Recordings was on, discussing their 2006 inductees.

The Registry is part of the Library of Congress, and their objective is to preserve (in digital format) the audio recordings that have shaped America, in one form or another. Many of these recordings are on brittle pre-78 forms of vinyl, audiotape or wax cylinders, none of which are particularly well-suited for long-term storage. But delicious on a salad.

Generally, the list of recordings is impressive, and contains significant speeches such as Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech and , important sports events recordings (including the second Joe Louis-Max Schmeling fight of 1938) , and otherworldly audio (such as Neil Armstrong's remarks on the moon), along with a great deal of jazz and soul, country and folk, classical and contemporary musical recordings. Take a look at the complete list - it is pretty cool.

Impressive to me, of course, is that in 2004 the National Registry deemed fit to include Nirvana's Nevermind and Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation. Likewise, in 2006's crop of inductees there is the seminal VU album The Velvet Underground and Nico, released in 1967, alongside Roosevelt's "Day of Infamy" speech, Ginsberg's Howl, and the National Defense Test by John Joseph Pershing.

One strange thing I noticed with the Registry is the inclusion of the Beatles Sgt Pepper's. I couldn't find any American affilation, other than its impact on the US, or minor pressing differences. My people are working on it.

Lastly, the coolest thing is that you can make suggestions to the Registry for pieces you feel should be included. Billington and his team sort through everything I guess.

Circuit Bent Casio Played in Silo Number 5

On a whim I thought it would be fun to play the little piece from the modded Casio through the Silophone, located in downtown Montreal.

The Silophone is an interesting thing: essentially it is an abandoned grain silo, outfitted with microphones and speakers, with an internet connection. The idea is to play pieces in the grain silo, and take advantage of the natural acoustics and reverberations that colour the sound. The internet connection takes this experiment one step further: it allows home users from around the globe to upload their audio and play it back to themselves through the Silophone.

To hear the modded Casio through the Silophone, visit the site, click the 'play the silophone' tab, and find the track by Faunaflage, posted on March 1st (Faunaflage is a project name I am working under right now).

Bear in mind that the Silophone uses RealPlayer, which is easily the worst file player possible (though one of the most common, internationally). Also, take note that it will take about 1 minute or so for the sound to come back to you. It may, in fact seem like nothing is actually happening, but I can confirm it does work. I think sometimes you have to wait for other files to stop playing first, too.

I thought this was an interesting experiment. All the sharp trebles in the piece are muted, and the thick, glitchy organ is rounded off and warmed up considerably. Also it is a very cool thing, to hear your stuff played at some remote industrial location downtown. Playing it back once I heard some random dude in the building talking. The unexpected happenstance of an experiment like this.

Give it a try. Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

(photos provided by the Shearwood photo essay in The Reservoir section)

Audio from Circuit-Bent Casio SK-1

More on the modded Casio SK-1 (see a previous post).

Just letting you know that I’ve found a crude way to provide some audio of the circuit-bent synth. No player will open, no sales agent will visit your home. This piece was something I was working on to see how different circuit-shorts would sound and colour chords. I’m finding there is much to learn about recording this keyboard. Despite its overall freakiness, there are a lot of subtleties in texture that can get rail-roaded without some finesse with EQs and limiters. Like the keyboard itself, it is an ongoing learning curve.

Leave a comment and let me know what you think of the piece.

Also, here are some links to various other circuit-bent resources, if you are looking for some general information, more specific information, or craaaaazy information.

Circuit Bent Casio

I realize it has been about three weeks since I last posted, but I've been busier than I expected I'd be. I will endeavor to have more posts up more frequently in the coming weeks. Of course, you can always click the "Midnight Poutine" link at right to get your weekly fill of my unique brand of the lowest-form-of-humour.

Part of what has been keeping me busy is a recently re-acquired keyboard. I've had this Casio SK-1 kicking around for many years, but about a year ago I gave it to circuit genius David Smith to re-work. The idea of "circuit bending" is to create short-circuits inside the keyboard that result in unpredictable (often non-repeatable) sounds. The SK-1 happens to be particularly suited to these modifications as it was one of the first sampling keyboards made, and has this strange one-key-play function, which allows you record a phrase and play it back bit by bit with a single button.

I'll figure out a way to post some of the short pieces I've made with the modded Casio, but I thought that I'd post some images of it, just to explain my absence and also, you know, make people jealous. I'll be using it in a few upcoming projects, but right now am simply trying to figure out what happens when I plug cables into various touch-points. The variations are very nearly endless. Which, for a guy with very limited skillz, makes for a very steep learning curve and gobs of post-it notes. Stay (altered) tuned...

Johnny Rotten & Justin Timberlake - Are They The Same Person?

I happened to notice that today is the birthday of both ex-NSync'er Justin Timberlake and ex-Pistol Johnny Rotten. Justin turns 26 today, whereas Johnny turns 5,001...sorry, I mean 51. Just like with punk, I got hung up on the zeros.

Think the similarities between these two end there? Well, think again. To make this coincidence even stranger, I found out that Johnny Rotten has suggested that in an upcoming movie about all-things-Sex-Pistol, Johnny wants Justin Timberlake to play him.

I have respect for Timberlake, and like Johnny Rotten, but I have to say that I would not have seen this coming. It's like a really unpleasant surprise, wrapped in a box.

The Cure for Great Days

Yep. Been a great day. A really great day...ugh.

About the only thing making anything (at this point let's say, everything) better is a great girlfriend and "By This River" from Brian Eno's Before and After Science.

It's the same kind of "better" that a pitch black room offers, to be honest. But it seems to help.

That's it, but right now, it's worth saying. If you have the album (or either soundtrack it is on), put it on now -- think of me. I'd do it for you.

Music for Winter Storms

There are a few essential elements when facing the elements - in this case a snowstorm that is obliterating Montreal. My defenses against winter today include: a parka, headphones, and the music of Arvo Part.

There is enough stillness in Part's compositions that you can hear the snow crunching beneath your feet, and yet the consonant melodies of Alina seem to add overtones to that strange melancholy that winter can produce.

A completely enriching experience, albeit a little cold.

Musicians Who Died in 2006

2006 has been a year of death, really. International conflicts and natural disasters kept death in the news all year, and cast a very dark pall over New Year's celebrations.

Yet it was also a year to lose some significant musicians and artists, many of whom spent their careers trying to inspire and move people. Here's a short list of some artists that passed on in 2006.

The list could have been far more extensive, but I chose to only post about those people who moved me directly. Obviously, another writer could have a very different list.

Most notably, in 2006 we lost James Brown, the Godfather of Soul. Dutch Mason, the Canadian blues guitarist, died late in the year. Sid Barrett, the original singer of Pink Floyd and a notable solo artist in his own right also died this past year.

Ahmet Ertegun, while not a musician, was a force behind artists as diverse as Joni Mitchell, Miles Davis and Ray Charles. He died from injuries sustained backstage at a Rolling Stones concert. While sad, it could probably make some other list of "best ways to go".

Robert Lockwood, Jr, like all blues guitarists, died described as "a legend". Billy Preston, (see image above) was described by many, including himself, as the 5th Beatle.

Ali Farka Toure, guitarist and singer, achieved some commercial success in his later years, whereas J. Dilla, hip hop producer and DJ (and some would say genius) created an indelible mark despite his young age.

It is no exageration to say that scrolling through the seemingly endless lists of notable deaths in 2006 made for one of the hardest posts I've had to write (and took much longer than expected). Seeing all the "notable" people made me think of how we'll each be remembered. And obviously, addressing the death of others can often inspire thoughts on one's own mortality. Not fun when scanning hundreds of names of the deceased.

However, I can take some solace in listening to the works of the above artists, or the artists they were most associated with, as we move forward in 2007.

Hip Hop Action Figures - Just in Time for the Hollah Days

Wondering what to get for the hip hop fan on your holiday list, who already has everything (including this, this and this)?

Why not consider picking up the new Madvillain action figure, created by Kid Robot. Or, if your hip hop holiday is more traditional (read: ol skoo!), consider Chuck D & Flavor Flav of Public Enemy. Or, perhaps the late, great Notorious B.I.G. (now incongrously 8.5 inches tall) would fit the bill?

What strikes me most about these figures is their similarities, despite being made by different companies (Kid Robot made the Madvillain figure, as well as figures of Gorillaz, and PE & Biggie were made by Mezco Toyz). Roughly the same size, made in a deliberately chunky style with extra bling, their most notable similarity is probably the disproportionately large hands. Cuz you know what they say about hip hop guys with big hands (they make tiny action figures).

Perhaps some company will make an 8.5 inch tall likeness of The Power for these hip hop heroes to fight...

A Note on the Amen and Apache Drum Breaks

I was inspired on the weekend, reading Will Hermes' piece in the New York Times about a recent re-issue of material by The Incredible Bongo Band. The Bongo Band's song "Bongo Rock" produced the drum break most widely known as "the Apache break", which, depending on exactly how Ol your Ol Skool knowledge is, could be considered the most widely sampled drum break in hip hop history.

Those who know hip hop really know hip hop, and I am not going to argue about the specifics of hip hop history--particularly when reprisals can be so dangerous.

However, when you begin to include trip hop, cinematic hip hop, electronic music and other hip hop offshoots, it would seem the most widely sampled break is either the Amen, or Funky Drummer.

All of this is noteworthy to me for a simple reason: sample culture is awesome. While I maintain that the chasm between the merely mediocre and truly brilliant producer is significant, there is something culturally cool about referencing the same source material and taking it in new directions. Not unlike jazz solos that riff and reference other jazz pieces, sample-based music may be linked by a common passion for what each DJ or producer carries in their crate, but it is also linked by a few artists and motifs that act as pillars for the overall aesthetic.

Some further reading on the Amen break.

Ed Bradley's Music Writing

Ed Bradley (1941 - 2006) is being euologized in the press right now. All the tributes are glowing and I have not disagreed with a single one.

He worked in mainstream media and that carried a certain puffiness with it, but his ability to work inside the medium was skilled and subtle. He could get the tough questions asked without hardening his affable, cool demeanor. He unlocked doors, he offered some light.

The footage of his career, especially early reportage out of Vietnam, is impressive. His interviews with 60 Minutes were well regarded (18 Emmies) and well known. But less recognized is Bradley's musical knowledge.

His interview with Bob Dylan in December of 2004 offered insights much richer than Dylan's autobiography at times. His love for and knowledge of jazz was well known, hosting the Jazz from Lincoln Center performance series and generally supporting the music.

But I prefer his piece on U2, which just goes to show that if you want to hear Bono say something pretentious, just ask him a question. Or, possibly, stand near him for awhile.

Pop Montreal Coverage in Midnight Poutine

Whew. It has been a very busy few days, checking out some stuff at Pop Montreal for local blog Midnight Poutine. As it is all music related, I thought I would post a link to it in this post, rather than re-producing all the content here (everything I write for MidPout is also available via the links at right).

I particularly enjoyed the set by A Northern Chorus, and would gladly see them any other time they come to town.

Also picked up some more material for review, so there will be stuff about that in the coming days.

In the meantime, have a read of this stuff.