#ode banjo

[banjofilia]

Ode Banjos (Etsa Clevenger circa 1962)

[qupritsuvwix]

https://www.vintageguitar.com/1917/baldwin-guitars-and-amplifiers/

[mellowchouchou]

Pete Seeger - Goofing off Suite (includes themes from Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” and Russian yodel)

[thislovintime]

Photos from The Monkees Monthly and by Paul Undersinger.

“It was an aluminum Ode long neck with a solid, arched top. I love that banjo—there’s nothing like it today. It picks better than any frailing banjo, and it frails better than any picking banjo I’ve ever heard. You can’t replace it. I had to borrow $125 from my grandma to buy it, and I’ve had it for more than 55 years now.” - Peter Tork, Guitar Player Magazine, October 2016

[1264doghouse]

The Otis "Ode' Light Dance Band members were Otis Light on fiddle, James Light on banjo, Ben and Carl Light on guitar and Willis Ratliff on bass.

[definegodliness]

Poem for Ann

You deserve the world

With which I mean You're lazing in a bath-bombed tub With your hair styled, a soapy peak And you're scrubbing Your heels With one of those weird Brittle stones

— Fuck if I know how to use them —

There is a man For whom you would not lock your door

Arguably Sadly He plays the banjo

Yet, nakedly, he brings you yet another ode To the sheer epitome of feminine pulchritude That is your beauty

Jingle, jangle; words Almost like a Villanelle

Sung with one foot Set upon the bath tub's rim

You find yourself surprisingly admiring The way his balls dangle Just right for you As he plucks the strings

And you grab him By his loins For a high-pitched Scream; uncharacteristically

And the deluge of water, you(!), As the perpetrator Will have to clean, matters little At that kiss

Reaffirming your bond, and (arguably sadly) Inspiring brand new banjo music

Maybe even poetry, as the metaphors Scream at you both While the water runs cold To be hot again Filling a bath-bombed tub Fit for two

Diluted

You grab another from the package For him to be a witness To bursting colours And scents

The intensity of existence, alive again

He holds you gently, as if handling forever And you promise to one day tell him The secrets of brittle stones And care; the smoothing Of calloused skin For yourself For him

I wish you the dumbest kind of love The purest, and the simplest And a laugh, every day For just how hard We make this Game --- Written for @sanddollarpoems , to whom I wish the world as she has always been there. Disclaimer: I do not know a thing about happiness, but that is the wish I have tried to convey.

[five678patty]

Double drabble coming at ya... 100 words for each prompt. For @schittscreekdrabbleblog

.

Frozen 

“I would like to dedicate this song to a very special someone in my life.” 

David smiled. He loved that his husband introduced every one of his open mic performances this way.  

“Alexis Rose. There she is, right there. You can’t miss her.”

Admittedly, he loved it a little less when Patrick dedicated songs to people who weren’t him. Stevie teased him mercilessly the first time his sass-mouthed beau had done it; when dedicating a song to her, no less. And David teased her right back after watching her melt into a gooey puddle during Patrick’s ode to their friendship. 

.

Fresh

Patrick had a knack for choosing the perfect song, so David leaned against the cash waiting to see which song he’d picked for Alexis’s visit.

.

“...vroom, vroom, bitches!” He whisper-sang, strumming the final chord.

.

Alexis beamed and flounced towards Patrick. 

“Oh my god, Button, love that fresh take!” She playfully swatted his bicep. “So much better than the twangy banjo version Marcus Mumford serenaded me with.” 

Patrick grinned. “A little bit Alexis is so much better than no Alexis. We’ve missed you.” 

“Ew, speak for yourself!” David called from across the store. 

Alexis booped Patrick. “Glad to be home.”

.

[graphitesnorter]

Obligatory "I need to feed my followers before I'm swamped by college" post

Anyways! I have more ghouls and two brothers of blasphemy that I haven't shared so time to re-introduce yall

Lucian he/him about 26-28: era 3 Fire ghoul. Pyrotechnics and set design. Plays electric violin. Scottish. 6 foot 6. Roughly 7'7" with his horns. Became a ghoul after an OD

Fun facts: he will fuck up any cheese you give him. Goes through at least a pack and a half of cigs a day.

Rust- He/it about 19-22: era 5 Earth ghoul. Decomp ghoul (essentially gets rid of dead/dying things around the ministry). Plays kajon, bassoon, and banjo. German-American. Roughly 5'7" nearly 6'6" with antlers. Became a ghoul after a bear attack.

Fun fact: he does taxidermy and other macabre forms of art.

Dustdevil she/they about 36-44: era Zero earth and air multighoul. Secretary and record keeper. Plays organ, piano, harpsichord and kahen. American. Roughly 5'6. Became a ghoul after her husband shot her while pregnant. This affected her physical ghoul form permanently

Fun facts: had a small fling with Secondo for maybe a year or so, she can't recall. They have a third eye and residual third horn

Riptide he/any about 22-26: late era 5 water and quintessence ghoul. Lifeguard. Plays electric and standing bass as well as 12 string acoustic guitar. Australian-American. Roughly 6'3". Became a ghoul after a motorcycle accident. This also permanently affected his ghoul form.

Fun facts: he's a wheelchair and crutch user. Was great friends with Rust on the surface, even had a small crush on him at one point.

Soot (my Sona!!) he/it/they 20: it's hard to say exactly what era Soot is as he's a product of sibling on ghoul infidelity. They just popped up one day in the infirmary. We do know that it is a fire and earth multighoul. Semi-feral. About 5'5". Plays electric guitar when he can actually cooperate.

Brothers of Blasphemy

Ryshand 26 he/him: French. About 5'3.Began working for the clergy around the age of 20. Was a baker at first until he was given the role of caretaker for ghouls in need. Has a profound hate/love relationship with Rust due to how many times he's been bitten upon wakeup call.

Fun facts: He's a werewolf! He's a bit too close to Brother Alabaster

Alabaster 32 he/they: British. About 6'2. Began working for the clergy at about 16. His horticultural knowledge and apothecary work landed him a spot within. He now records his findings on ghouls and their elemental abilities although not in the most ethical of ways.

Fun facts: he was originally a Strange Horticulture OC. I decided to keep the monocle from the game in his design cause I thought it was adorable.

[theeverlastingshade]

Last month Katie Crutchfield (aka Waxahatche) and Jess Williamson released their debut LP as Plains, I Walked With You a Ways, and it's a warm, fully-realized country pop record that breathes new life into the form. Highlight "Hurricane" is a steady, mid-tempo march propelled by nimble banjo plucks, bright piano chords, and a tender kick/snare rhythm. "Hurricane" reads like an ode to weathering the storms in relationships, but it flips pop conventions as Crutchfield takes herself to task throughout the lyrics "If I stand in the shadows/When you day something true/Well, I might try to argue/But baby, I'll come back to you".

By the end of the first verse Williamson's lush harmonies have joined the fold, heightening the potency of the vocal melody by several orders of magnitude. "Hurricane" continues to subtly build steam until the melody resolves as Crutchfield repeatedly exclaims "Baby, I'll come back to you" with firm resolution. IWWYaW is a breezy, low-stakes record that dispels any projected pressures about how Crutchfield was going to follow-up her most beloved and successful record to date. Thankfully, IWWYaW is a welcome detour for both artists, one that nurtures their respective Americana influences without sounding overly beholden to them.

[radioladioxfm]

Album Review: Rat Saw God by Wednesday

Release date: April 7, 2023 Genre: Indie rock, Shoegaze, Alternative country, Grunge Runtime: 37:03 'Rat Saw God' rotates through upbeat, sentimental, nostalgic, and furious moods and doesn't let up. If you like Midwest emo, guitar that's one part 90s grunge and one part 70s country, and tales of ODing in parking lots and getting high on Benedryl, go listen now! Rat Saw God is my favorite album of 2023.

About the band

I am glad that Wednesday, a band that hails from the mountains of Asheville, NC, chose to tour mainly in the South. They even kicked off their tour in my home town. Growing up in the South it can be hard to find cool, new bands playing live near you. But recently, I got the fuck out of the South and the only Wednesday show I could attend was in New York City. It sold out long before I knew about it. Bummer.

I got into Wednesday for their single, Feast of Snakes (2022) and later Handsome Man, a song off of their album, Twin Plagues (2021). I was instantly drawn to the angst in lead singer, Karly Hartzman's voice. The way it rises and falls on sustained notes. I've always been a sucker for a unique singing voice. The twangy banjo, grunge distortion, and vivid imagery of their lyrics were irresistible to me.

I've borrowed this review format from Tiktok user, DailyAlbumGuy. He's cool, you should follow him. Without further ado, here's the review.

Standout ⭐ Bull Believer

When I sat down for a first listen, Bull Believer grabbed me by the horns--pun intended. I didn't expect the meandering pace of this 8-minute song to give way to one of the rawest female vocal performances with a reference to Mortal Kombat. This song has earned its place on every "GIRLS SCREAMING" playlist. The buildup to that 6th minute breakdown is *chef's kiss* What a surreal choice to make it the second song on the album. I would've put it later, but hey it got my attention so maybe that means I'm wrong.

After that amazing concert-finale-type song, it picks back up not giving you not a second to recover. The best type of Wednesday song is one where the lyrics sound like a personal story remembered, written down in a journal, and still sitting at the back of your mind. Waiting there for an intimate gathering between friends for a chance to be retold. Rat Saw God is full of those songs.

Catchiest 🦗 Chosen to Deserve

I particularly love the country sound of Chosen to Deserve. To be clear, I don't mean country country. I mean the romantic version of country I have in my head where it's a little raccoon and possum in cowboy outfits sitting around a campfire. Folk country. It's so sweet and dreamy. It's a vulnerable love song. Have you ever felt that you have so many skeletons in your closet that any lover who will have you needs to read your warning label first? "I'm the girl that you have chosen to deserve"

Standout 🔈 Quarry

Quarry makes me picture the faces of folks in my dad's neighborhood in western Massachusetts. The friendships I fostered with kids there every summer break growing up. Running around, overhearing neighborhood gossip. The stories Wednesday songs tells are very rural suburban-core. Setting the scene in towns like Sevierville AKA home of Miss Dolly Parton herself. I really empathize with their desire to talk about the places they grew up with frankness and fondness, even when it's not so glamorous.

"With any writing, I just think I’m impressed with people that are able to describe their own life in a way that captures how original everyone’s life is. It’s harder than you would think to find the things that make you and your life what it is." - Karly Hartzman (source)

My favorite 💜 Bath County

This song is the real reason why I want to talk about this album. It topped my Spotify Wrapped. I listened to this song every time I had a bad day in 2023... which was a lot. This song carried me through it.  I would blast this song in my car to sing along, emphasizing the words bad luck in "Every daughter of god, has a little bad luck sometimes." It's so Midwest emo. I could quote so many lyrics that I love. From the "Sippin' piss colored, bright yellow Fanta" to the "Be my baby 'til my body's in the ground". Guitarist Jake Lenderman (same guy from MJ Lenderman), absolutely shreds too. I adore this song. Bonus points for the not-so-subtle Christian imagery at the start of the song. As a former Catholic, I love a little blasphemy.

[banjofilia]

Bernunzio Music: From the first run of 100 banjos built by Chuck Ogsbury in 1960, this is an Ode Style 21 longneck, serial number "I" or "1” (it is plausible that this could be the first built, though we can’t really know this for sure). At this time Chuck had yet to build his first "real" shop, and was still "learning the ropes" with Tony Jacobs, "a seventy-year-old wood worker" who had a shop in the North end of Denver (https://www.omebanjos.com/about/history-part-2/). Not only is this banjo truly a "historic" Ode, the back of its head has been signed by undoubtedly the most significant members in the Old Time, Folk, and Banjo universe; Mike Seeger, John Cohen, "Honest" Tom Paley, Pete Seeger, Eric Weissberg, Bill Monroe, Pete Wernick, Tony Trischka, and more. The rim assembly is the earliest all aluminum variety, with original tailpiece and metal hardware; some tarnish to plating overall. The three piece neck was made with beautiful highly flamed maple, with a walnut center strip; no Grade stamp is present on the peghead; guitarish shaped peghead, with rosewood fingerboard (32.5" scale), with abalone fretboard dots; equipped with original geared tuners. Extra holes present from a past Keith tuner situation, and a chip present on the side of the nut; ding on top of peghead, of course. A pre-truss rod instrument, there is significant forward bow, though it could certainly be capo'd and played in a longneck style.

[allthemusic]

Week ending: 21 October 1954

Well, it's another week, and another week of this project, too. Two songs, this time, both by female singers. We're on a bit of a run, actually, with Doris Day last week and at least one next week. The charts, at this point, seem to be a bit of a dude-fest, but artists like this week's artists are holding their own, too. Plus, both of these songs reached Number 1, so there's that - no comment on whether they both deserved to...

My Son, My Son - Vera Lynn (peaked at No. 1)

It feels, just on an instinctive level, very old-fashioned to have Vera Lynn here. For Brits, at least, she's synonymous with World War II and the 1940s, a force's sweetheart. I knew intellectually before starting this project that she probably continued doing music after that point, but it's one thing to know it and another thing to actually hear it.

Vera would have been in her late 30s, at this point, so not exactly an old lady or anything, but definitely in "motherly" territory, and so we get a song that looks like it's about having a child.

We start entertainingly bombastic, even by 1954 standards, with a men's choir blasting out "My son, my son". It's almost comical, but they are clearly taking it dead clearly. There's also a clarinet, playing what is almost a jazzy bit, all of which made me think the first time round that this would be an edgier song than it ended up being.

Alas, it isn't. After the genuinely quite thrilling clarinet solo, we settle into a much more standard plod as Vera begins to sing. And the basic sentiment - emphasis on basic - is that she has a son, and really loves him. And so we get complex, difficult-to-understand lyrics like: "My son, my son / You're everything to me / My son, my son / You're all I hoped you'd be". It's fine, and I'm not one of those people that thinks every song needs to be complex, but I'd like to be surprised by some lyrics. You just know when Vera breaks out "my pride and joy" it's going to rhyme with something like "my precious boy". No suspense, no surprise, no real interest.

On the other hand, this does make me think of "Dear Theodosia" from Hamilton, which is a song I do enjoy, especially for the thing it does where the usually-witty character ends up just going for super basic rhymes, he's so overwhelmed with love. There aren't enough "ode to my child" love songs out there, either. So it's got that in its favour, if only by accident.

Finally, a little way in, we do get one unexpected shift, as the backing turns minor, and Vera's voice gains a bit of an edge. Here, she sings about how life hasn't treated her well, but how "For all the care and heartache life has brought to me / One precious gift has made it all worthwhile". It's just as mawkish as the earlier part of the song, but I enjoy the slightly ominous vibes, and the way that the backing singers keep up a haunted-sounded "ooooh" backing. There's also another clarinet solo, that starts in the same minor mode. I like it, just like I actually quite like Vera's performance, here. There's a touch of Brecht and cabaret to it, a kind of plaintive quality that you hear that is welcome.

And then we're back with a line that feels kind of awkward to modern sensibilities about how "Then do the best you can / Then in my heart I'm sure / You'll face life like a man". I don't know, I just feel like there's stuff about masculinity and parental pressure there, at least implicitly, and also it just comes off like Vera's not sure and hedging? "I'm sure you'll do fine, just do what you can, son".

Overall, though, it's fine. It's cute, even. I went into this expecting to dislike it more than I eventually did. Still, let's see what else this week has for us.

This Ole House - Rosemary Clooney (1)

Well, this tune is immediately goofy, in a fast, in-your-face way. It's loud, brash and cheery, with saxophone and a banjo, and later a janky sort-of-piano, and the overall effect, while not a rock and roll sound, isn't a million miles from rock and roll? It's at least got the energy!

Then the lyrics kick in, and they've got all the unexpected twists and turns that Vera's didn't. Seriously, whatever you're expecting, it's not what this song is going to be about.

First we hear about all the good times that the house has witnessed: "This ole house once knew his children / This ole house once knew his wife / This ole house was home and comfort / As they fought the storms of life." The "once" is ominous, suggesting already that "his" wife and children aren't around anymore. Plus that pays off straight away into a line contrasting the old laughter and shouting to an image of the old man living there now, who now "trembles in the darkness / When the lightnin' walks about". What a cool, evocative image!

We then - even better - get a chorus about how the man isn't going to have time to fix the all the things that are broken in the house, because "Ain't a-gonna need this house no longer / He's a-gettin' ready to meet the saints". You guys, this is a song facing up to old age and mortality! You don't get that in many songs, let along songs that sound so chipper about it, and I, for one, love it.

Lightening the mood further is a comically deep bass voice, which repeats certain lines in the chorus. It's a proper surprise when it chips in on lines like "ain't a-gonna need this house no longer", and he naturally gets the final line, an echo of "ready to meet the saints". Rosemary Clooney is a heck of a brassy performer, but whoever this dude is, he is very close to upstaging her.

A quick google tells me that this is the voice of the excellently-named Thurl Ravenscroft, who, aside from sounding like a Scooby Doo side-character, was apparently the voice of Tony the Tiger for years, and also the person who sang "You're a Mean One, Mister Grinch". So I've actually heard him in other stuff!

The song then pooters on, and we do at least get an explanation for why this man is so cheery about his prospects. And it's another excellent image; we learn that "he feels no fear nor pain / 'Cause he sees an angel peekin' / Through a broken windopane". It's striking, and cheeky, and I like it, especially when it launches us into a super chaotic piano solo. It's almost like the pianist can't keep up with the music, and it captures the shock of it all pretty well.

It's also a folksy song, with all its old-timey stylings, like "a-gonna" "a-gettin'" or just phrases like describing the man as "tuckered up". I don't know, it feels a lot like the sort of song you could sing around a campfire. And yet, underneath the quirky, jolly catchiness of it all, such a dark, weirdly deep heart, and all those perverse images. What's not to love?

I feel like This Ole House could annoy some people. Not me, though, and when the alternative is Vera Lynn, I think my choice here has to be clear. Not least because I am, at heart, a rock and roll fan, and I enjoy the chaotic attitude on show.

Favourite song of the bunch: This Ole House

[findasongblog]

Find A Song that is an ode to the king of birds

All The Bees - King Crow

Introspective, heartfelt and unashamed of straying into poetry, the pair’s lyrics focus on nature themes and cycles including loss, death and rebirth. Following the ethereal ‘Wildflowers’, the second single from the album, ‘King Crow’ is a nostalgic banjo-flecked vocal epic which shows off Partington’s finely honed expertise in choral arranging and McGee’s meandering flute to create a striking evocative ode to the king of the birds, ‘King Crow’.

On the development of ‘King Crow’, Partington explains; "King Crow was one of the early songs on the album, I was still finding a way of highlighting parts of the lyric with vocal washes and bringing into being the 'All the Bees' sound. I had a lot of fun creating the end section of the song, so it felt like there was a whole Royal Hall of earthly singers with good solid work boots on who are singing their praises to the King Crow. I wish I had filmed me stomping and wailing whilst recording the track in different areas of my flat. I definitely woke the baby next-door, but they didn’t make it onto the album.”

Added to FAS Spotify playlist indie folk.

[djdeathro]

hey

If you made it here, I like you. 

Some of you have already listened, but this is my favorite of the playlists I created in 2023.

I made this in September, but it feels like it has an appropriate sense of hopeful closure for the present moment. I went into it with the thought, “time well lived, life well spent” — and that’s a pretty basic but sort of lovely intention with which to shift between 2023 and 2024. Plus Anita said, “This is a good one,” which if you know her is the same reaction she would have had if she were handed a $4b winning lotto ticket. 

So, I share in the hopes that you'll like it or that it at least makes you feel something. And to give you a little window into my year. Our year.

Much love,

Ro

The Year in Review in Playlists

1. psychotic activity

Deeply disturbing and embarrassing, but got me out of running retirement to impersonate Anita in the NYC Half

2. salty

This is basically what I want to hear at any point in the summer 

3. Wedding Vibes

The playlist that kept everyone on the dance floor for five hours straight - that was requested IMMEDIATELY by 20 different people - and was talked about for the rest of the year

4. if thelma & louise drove to yellowstone

For our Michigan trip to the Piña's, the feeling of joyfully catapulting yourself towards your concurrent freedom and demise with someone you love

5. should we?

Doing things you’re not supposed to do…very much inspired by that Darondo track 

6. string theory

An ode to banjoes and fiddles 

Bonus: The song we walked down the aisle to. All credit goes to Christena, who suggested it and then insisted on it. Here, I publicly admit she was absolutely right.

[ajoytobeheld]

I threw all my friends in the river

August 14th, 2009

August 13th, my day for the van mix CD, on our drive from Kansas City, Missouri to Austin, Texas.

I Threw All My Friends In The River

-Guess Who’s Been On Match Of The Day – Frank Sidebottom- Nights Wave – Mice Parade All The King’s Men – Wild Beasts The Negatives… – Hood Dreams – Former Ghosts Hit The Ground Running – Superkings -Puff ‘N’ Blow – Frank Sidebottom- Emotional Levy – the Aislers Set Just Wait ‘Til Next Year – John Maus -Mexico ’90 – Frank Sidebottom- Flying Things And Pests – Nosferatu D2 Blindspot/Invisible Bend – Meanwhile, Back In Communist Russia… Smirenye – Zola Jesus Do Not Be Afraid – Mount Eerie I Am Not Surprised – the Organ Sad Girl – Ten In The Swear Jar Ghost Dream – Hymie’s Basement Winter Takes A Lover - Lovers -Another Fantastic Banjo Sting – Frank Sidebottom- The Perfect Gentleman – the Broken Family Band

Some Notes:

After my CD, our guitar tech, Avel asked me “Is this stuff you would actually listen to at home on your own, or did you put it on to make us laugh?”. I don’t know if this was strictly in reference to the Frank Sidebottom stuff, but I really hope so.

The inclusion of Nights Wave was a bold one, I think. It’s about a minute longer than I’d like to be, but it’s an incredibly beautiful song. Reminds me a lot of my first year of university and has a beautiful set of lyrics. The contrast between the male and female vocals is incredible. Female vox provided by Kristín Anna Valtýsdóttir who used to be in múm.

Just realised that Hood track reminds me completely of the same period of time. Am I being accidentally nostalgic? I reviewed this single for my student magazine. Then realised I was a shit writer and had to start a band instead.

This Former Ghosts track is the proper version that’s gonna be on the album. Freddy sent it me, and I am so excited to hear the full length. From all the demos I’ve heard, it’s gonna be hard for it not to be my album of the year.

Just Wait Til Next Year is the best, most accurate love song ever written.

Nosferatu D2 are one of my favourite bands of all time, and it’s a huge shame that they’re no longer together and that they didn’t achieve more whilst they were. Some of the best, most hateful lyrics you’ll ever hear. We had the pleasure of playing with them at their last ever show in 2007, at London’s Spitz venue. Ben now releases music under the name Superman Revenge Squad

Smirenye – taken from the most recent Zola Jesus record, The Spoils. Quite possibly my favourite release of the year so far.

Winter Takes A Lover – My friend Zac Pennington made me a mix with this song on it. I don’t know anything else by the band, but you know when you hear something so perfect that you’re worried if you hear anything else by the same band, and it’s shit, then it’ll ruin it for you? This is my fear. Same goes for the song Hit The Ground Running, the most beautiful ode to loveless sex I’ve ever heard.

And the Broken Family Band are one of the most consistently under appreciated UK bands of my generation.

Ten In The Swear Jar was Jamie Stewart’s last band before Xiu Xiu. This is a really great version of the song Sad Pony Guerilla Girl. It’s less electronically instrumented and the bass line is sickkkkk.

All this, joined together by our master of ceremonies, Frank Sidebottom.

[bizarrobrain]

Much has already been said about Oliver Anthony's "Rich Men North of Richmond." I don't hate it. I don't love it. I'm trying to be generous but I don't know, writing a folk song ode to trickle down makes you seem like JD Vance with a banjo. Plus if Ben Shapiro was like "I like your honkey-tonk Americana sound Mr. Hillbilly" I'd probably pick up an electric guitar and a Boss HM-2 and start a powerviolence band. Honestly it's not worth any more than a few jokes and maybe some share threads but that's it. Besides, the same weirdos pushing it have pushed much worse sounding music with worse lyrics. Just general rule: if Shapiro likes it...it's either meh, passable except for a handful of lines or total flaming crap. Tyler Childers' "Coal" and "Nose to the Grindstone" and Townes Van Zandt's "Lungs" are just better songs that cover the same topics and just don't waste your time getting sucked into this. You could be listening to better music.