Video Shoot for Fate Line – with Evan Trestan and his crew from LifeStyle Media Inc. – November 23, 2014.
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Category : Blog
Fate Line Friday for November 7th, 2014
Fate Line Friday:
Jen here with my turn again to share a musical love or passion or influence – and the obvious choice for me this week, particularly in light of her own release and impending Toronto gig, is Lucinda Williams!
I’ve long listened and been a fan – had the honor of meeting her at Merlefest in North Carolina some 15 years ago. I was very pregnant with my daughter at the time and so in addition to sharing my admiration for her music, we talked about my large belly and why I had given my baby the in utero name “spudnik.” I still have the autographed Car Wheels on a Gravel Road CD which states: “spudnik – hurry up and come soon.”
It is her poetic plain spoken lyric, her gravel voice, her Gurf Morlix and her moody southern sound that always got me. Seems her new album shows that she’s still got it – but I’m choosing an old one I use to cover all the time. “Hard Road” is a jaunty tune for her but equally edgy poignant lyrics – a cry out to a friend in need.
I’ll be missing her show on the 20th as we’ll happily be performing at the Justice for Children and Youth Benefit that night – but I’ll be sure to dedicate my song “Living Out Loud” to her, as she is referenced in the tune and lives out loud as a songwriter in a way that always inspires.
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Fate Line Listening Party
Dark moody shots of a luminous evening! We had an intimate listening party for friends and family at Canterbury Music Company last night. We wanted to say a special thanks for the support the band and project have received. Great food and drink followed by a listen front to back of “Fate Line” interspersed with comments and illuminations into the process and songs. We ended the night with an acoustic version of the song that ends the album, “After A Fall.” Simon was on the gorgeous grand piano used during the recording. Very beautiful night of music and appreciation in a beautiful space – thank you to all who showed up and warmed Canterbury on what was a cold first day of November. Especially grateful to Jeremy and Jonny and Imali and all the Shiners, who contributed to making the evening memorable
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Fate Line Friday from October 31st
Simon says…
CHILLING HALLOWEEN FATE LINE FRIDAY!!
Just a couple of weeks to go before our album launch… there was really only one choice for the tune to choose.
It has all the elements that we love…that glorious phatt crunchy 70s sound, plenty of ‘tude… with a twisty, mysterious lyric on the top!
There are other resonances too: we played the heck out of this tune years ago together at the Jackman School Harvest Festival ( where our kids went) That wonderful event had a big part to play in the story of our band. Also Jen’s song He Once, second on the album, talks about a geezer dancing away his demons in London Town!
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Fate Line Friday for October 24th
FATE LINE FRIDAY.
Here is our good Dr John’s second installation:
A few of you may be aware that I am a Who fanatic and have spent many years honing various Pete Townshend guitar techniques. Although his acoustic guitar playing is fantastic, he is probably best known for his slashing power chords on radio staples like Baba O’Riley and Won’t Get Fooled Again.
A standard chord involves playing the first, third and fifth notes in a given scale (with additional notes added for more complex chords). These kinds of chords sound great on acoustic guitars and non-distorted electric guitars. However when played through distortion, these chords usually sound very messy. The reason for this is that when two notes are played with distortion, a whole host of additional notes are generated. By limiting the notes in the chord to just the first and fifth, you also limit the number of extra notes generated and thus the chord sounds cleaner and more “power”ful. (You can sneak in a third note without making it too messy, but only if it is up high.)
In a Hand or a Face is far from my favourite Who song. But it does prominently feature power chords at the beginning, including the technique of cutting them off suddenly to make them more percussive.
Pure and Easy is a much better song, but the power chords only really come in at the end, starting at 4:03. Also at 4:07, you’ll hear Pete hit the power chord by hitting the strings open (no chord) initially and then hammering on the chord a split second later. This sounds like striking the strings twice but he is only doing it once at the start with the left hand hitting the strings completing what sounds like the second strike.
I use all of the above power chord techniques in Audience – the quick cutoffs, hitting the open strings and then hammering on the chord. I also do a lot of power chords in 17 Years, both in the refrain and particularly in the bridge.
I’ll admit it is very tempting to windmill these power chords in performance, but I am not sure such stage histrionics would fit the Shiners vibe.
—
John
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Fate Line Friday October 17th
Simon here with another FATELINE FRIDAYS post…in the run up to our album Fateline release party on the 15th November at The Jam Factory Co.
The Incomparable and Major Dude Neil Young with his haunting song Mr Soul. ( Originally a Buffalo Springfield tune)
I am constantly inspired… surprised…amazed by this great artist…a truly great man of our times. A prolific gifted songwriter , guitarist and singer who easily straddles the decades with integrity and honesty…serving at all costs “the music” . When making our album , which is the kind of record I had never produced before, I was guided and inspired by Neil Young’s approach which to me always has soul, a groove …a mystery about it… Here in this acoustic version his guitar voice and harmonica is so compelling.
To me he defines what an artist is: relevant, honest, mysterious, surprising….
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