Chris Mansfield, Photo by Katy McCourt-Basham

Chris Mansfield, frontman of Seattle band Fences, is heavily tattooed and seems to have a rough-and-tumble “chip off the shoulder” air about him. Though I’ve always been told not to judge a book by its cover, such judgment is something easily passed in the music community.  I have to admit my own guilt in this situation—Mansfield’s simple, quiet, Elliot Smith-esque sound  was not the first thing I would have expected from this tough-looking fellow.

Though Mansfield seems to resent having his tattoos and relative difference pointed out, these unique qualities are what really make him stand out in Seattle’s relatively monochromatic folk scene.

I clearly remember almost everything about the first Fences show I went to—Mansfield was quiet, relatively awkward and avoided looking at the crowd for most of the show—mostly, I remember being floored by his performance.

This is an interview I originally did for the KEXP blog.

Katy: So Where did you grow up?

Chris Mansfield: Kind of all over, like, mostly Florida, here when I was really young, California, Arizona…but from age 13-22 was in Boston.  Then I moved to New York and then Seattle.

Katy: Were you in a military family?

CM: Nah, my Mom and Dad were separated when I was really young.  They had me when they were teenagers, so they got married because of religious reasons on my Dad’s side, then my Mom kind of freaked out and moved back in with her mom.  Then she’d meet a dude and we’d go there, then she’d break up with him and we’d go back to where her mom or other family were.  So it was just kind of…rolling around with my mom for a while until I was old enough to know that I didn’t want to do that.  Then I figured out that I had a rich dad in Boston, and I went there.  Then I went there and he put me through college and all of that good shit. So that’s what happened.

Katy: When did you start playing music?

CM: Pretty young, none of it really had to do with the kind of music I do now.  I was pretty much into jazz and Frank Zappa and weird crap like that.  I ended up going to Berklee, and I wasn’t even playing guitar at the time.  I was playing upright and jazz bass.  My roommate John was really into folk songs and stuff like that…I don’t know.  It was a bummer because we’d be drinking beers or something and he could play songs and it would be really entertaining, and I hated the fact that I couldn’t really…I mean, no one wants to sit there and hear you play some jazz walking line or hear you play a jazz solo on a trumpet.  I just wanted something that you could communicate more to your peers.  I wanted something that could be expressed a little easier, not as abstractly as with jazz.  I just kind of freaked out and just quit what I was doing and started copying him pretty much.  This girl that I hung out with a few times, she was a pretty girl.  And she played Elliott Smith for me, and I was obsessed with it.  Six months into me being really into him like “man, this dude’s saying how I feel” and shit, and then he killed himself and it kind of freaked me out.  It kind of inspired me to keep playing music.

Katy: In all of the descriptions of Fences I found, people said very specifically that Fences is your “solo project”. Have you been involved with other bands or projects?

CM: No, I don’t really understand why people say that.  I mean, all of the reviews are pretty stupid.  They all talk about really stupid things like “oh, he has tattoos”…I mean, yeah, I write the songs alone on my acoustic guitar, but when I play live I have other people.  I think the only reason that it could be considered a solo project is because everyone in the band can change at any given time.  I don’t necessarily have a lot of emotional attachment.  It’s not like I grew up with them and we started this together.  I guess it is my band…I mean, I could move tomorrow and find new people if I had to.  I just don’t necessarily play solo live anymore…but I guess that’s probably what they’re talking about.

Katy: Can you tell me about your work with Tegan and Sara?

CM: It’s with just Sara, and she just found me through a producer in Vancouver that had found me on Myspace.  I kind of ignored the guy for like a year because I don’t really respond to compliments.  I’m always kind of nervous about shit like that.  I don’t want to be like “Oh yeah, totally, I don’t know who the fuck you are and you’re from Canada. Let’s do it.” But it turns out that he’s friends with Tegan and Sara, and he gave them my music and I was home one day and Sara had emailed me—it was really random, but awesome.  We just kind of stayed friends and talked back and forth and I would send her music and come to their shows when they were here, and one day she was like “Dude, you should come to Canada and I’ll produce a record for you.  It won’t cost anything, just pay me back when you sell ‘em”.  So I went there and stayed with her for like two weeks and we recorded every day from early morning ‘til night.  I used their band for the recording, and then I was done.  It was cool. It was totally random and a good deed on her behalf, just helping out some bum, y’know.

Katy: The last couple of times I’ve seen you play, you’ve played some new songs that you’ve written just a few days before.  Are you working on some new material for a new record?

CM: In all honesty, you just don’t know when songs are going to come.  I mean, you’ll have a dry spell for months and you’re like “man, I’m fucked, I got nothin’”, and then one day you’ll wake up and pick up the guitar and just start playing.  I could be sitting there watching ‘Rescue Me’ or something and just be playing and then start humming something and be like “woah, oh shit.”  Once you go a certain distance with it you can’t really stop, so it’s just like “man, I better think of some lyrics and finish it”—and it’s totally not on purpose, like I’ve never just sat down and said “I’m going to write a song now”.  I could write my best song tomorrow, or I could not write a song for another year.  The record I did with Sara isn’t even out yet, so I’m not really planning anything.

Katy: What was your first tattoo?

CM: It was a Chanel tattoo on my left calf.  It was with a homemade tattoo gun, and we traced a sodapop lid…John, that kid that pretty much showed me how to write music, he and this other kid and I had a grindcore band called My Spine Your Spine, and I just screamed into the mic …it was ridiculous and mostly for fun.  We all got a circle tattoo in the same spot.  But a week later I was like “dude, you should put the Chanel C’s in mine”, because I thought it was funny.  I still like it. I don’t regret it at all.

Katy: You went to alcohol rehab earlier this year.  How has being sober affected your music?

CM: It’s alright.  I mean, it’s a little difficult because it was such a part of the live experience on my side of the stage.  I’m not a naturally brave person.  It makes me uncomfortable to be looked at by a bunch of people, especially now that the shows are a little bigger.  It kind of scares the shit out of me.  It’s harder in that respect because alcohol makes nothing scary.  That’s kind of a bummer, but, I don’t know, I think there’s a time to be the drunk crazy guy, but I think you have to be famous first.  I mean, I could be wild now, but then it’d be like “yeah, his music’s pretty good, but that guy’s an asshole and he’s kind of crazy.”  I just have to be responsible I think.

Fences’ new record is expected to drop in early 2010

The last few days have been quite demanding physically. I have moved the majority of my earthly possessions to my new home and tomorrow i will be joined by a handful of friends and together we will finish the business by moving the heavy items that take two or more people to move. Tonight i am really sore in my knees and feet from all the moving and from having to spend the day on my feet working as staff support for a youth event. Staff support for me usually means setting up, making food, taking pictures and cleaning up. I am wiped out and i want to go directly to bed but i can’t do that yet. I still have to pack a few items before the crew comes tomorrow.

I have to do that packing tonight because the morning is taken up already. It will be Saturday morning and that means the weekly weigh-in and meeting. I’m afraid this will be a definite bad news week for my weight. Thanksgiving dinner plus packing up my kitchen (which meant eating out) plus Friday’s youth oriented food (including many snacks in which i indulged) plus not as much exercise plus poor food tracking (due to the major disruption of moving) will all show up in tomorrow’s number when i step on the scale. I anticipate a weight gain of between 1.5 to 2.0 pounds.

I will not help my cause by what i am now about to do. I have decided to have a small celebration. Why? Because tonight will be my last night as a resident of Bellevue, WA. This is my last night of sleeping in Bellevue. tomorrow is the official end. “Bellevuarian Captivity” is over and the exile comes back to the Promised Land.

“When the Lord brought back the captives to Zion, then were we like those who dream; Then was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with shouts of joy.” Psalm 126:1-2

Urban Craft Uprising is almost here again!  120+ vendors gathering at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall on December 5th & 6th to show their magnificent goodies.  We will try to post some info on a few favorites this week – in the meantime, check out the UCU blog for interviews with some of the vendors.

-jon

If you’re like me and have spent most of your life on the West Coast, there’s a pretty good chance your experience with real Chicago-style pizza is pretty limited.

My wife — and eating companion for this meal — for instance, couldn’t really say if she’d had any before. Like many West Coasters, the closest thing she’d tried was something more accurately termed thick-crust, than deep-dish. Those pizzas tend to come with plenty of toppings, but the crust resembles bread more than something more commonly seen in a pizzeria.

Kylie’s Chicago Pizza — the newest addition to the Fremont dining scene, located in the old Mad Pizza spot just down the street from Dad Watson’s — puts those kinds of misperceptions to rest immediately.

Chicago-style pizza is often derided, mostly by fans of the more ubiquitous New York-style pizza, as being all-toppings and more like a lasagna than pizza. I can only assume that those people haven’t had the opportunity to try anything like Kylie’s.

The crust, while certainly not the focus, is a key component. With just a hint of cornmeal that gives the crust a little extra crunch, Kylie’s offering is pie-like, flaky, moist and just sturdy enough to comfortably control the mounds of toppings. Oh, and what toppings.

We opted for the Chicago Classic. The sausage, onions, green peppers and mushrooms that form the pie’s filling are simple enough, but ones any pizza connoisseur can appreciate. Beneath the “toppings” is a layer of mozzarella cheese, while a layer of seasoned tomatoes tops off the pie — both classic elements in this varietal. It’s advisable to have a fork handy, but the crust is actually hands-friendly.

If any of this sounds familiar, and you’ve spent some time in the Bay Area, there’s a decent chance you’re already familiar with the owner’s work. Lance (I didn’t get his last name) moved from the Bay Area in May, where he had a hand in the pies currently being served at two of that area’s acclaimed Chicago-style pizzerias, San Francisco’s Little Star and the East Bay’s Zachary’s. In fact, Kylie’s California Special is a pretty close approximation to Zachary’s Spinach & Mushroom.

We visited Kylie’s on what was apparently its official first day of business (they had a “soft open” the day before Thanksgiving). While I was assured the pies are essentially a finished product, the rest of the operation is still a ways from being finalized. The menu features a grand total of 12 items — including several thin-crust options — and still isn’t serving alcohol. The interior is clean, but not really decorated. The operation is currently cash-only. Even the website is listed as “under construction.”

All of that is expected to change in the coming weeks. Among the more welcome additions is expected to be an array of mostly  local microbrews and wines.

As for the prices, $17 for a 10-inch pie probably sounds a little expensive. Considering the two of us were barely able to finish it, though, I think it’s actually a pretty good deal.

Kylie’s may still be working out the kinks, but that pie makes it pretty easy to overlook.

Alice In Chains MTV Unplugged from 1996 is likely my favourite from the Unplugged series. Their music is perfect for that setting. Alice In Chains is back with a new vocalist in William DuVall, a new album titled Black Gives Way To Blue and another outstanding performance. AIC recently dropped by Yahoo! studio. Here are 3 tunes and an interview.

Check My Brain:

Black Gives Way To Blue:

Your Decision:

Interview:

(Unfortunately the source embed code will not allow for these videos to be viewed outside of the United States – bastards! – thus I had to use Vodpod. This results in videos that autostart. Sorry! The clips may also be watched at Yahoo!)

Thanks to Geoff Tucker for shooting the video, then writing and coming up with the initial visual concept for an ad, Keith (Kaminski) for taking the concept and running with it (hell yeah!), and then, of course, Marc Erickson for participating and giving us full usage clearance. You guys ROCK! xo

TONIGHT two of my new favorite bands will be performing in Seattle.

London’s The XX & Friendly Fires and…Holly Miranda

Neumos, 925 E Pike St, 709-9467. 8 pm, $12, 21+

After hundred of miles of National Park, we braved civilization again.  The next stop was my old room mates new dwelling spot in Missoula Montana.  The house was going through renovation, and we woke up to a barricade of debris blocking our exit as the workers were tearing the roof apart.  I climbed my way through some rubble to a window and got out in time to let the workers know people were still inside.  It was really good seeing Brandon again, and Missoula felt identical to Lawrence in a lot of ways.

broccoli faced

i have no idea what look abby is doing here

alley lighting

Shay and the good luck horse head

party lights downtown missoula

After a few days we kept trucking west toward Seattle.  We ended up staying a lot longer than expected.  Abby lost her passport in New York and we had to figure out how to illegally smuggle her through Canada fix the problem.  Seattle lived up to all the stereotypes.  Lots of coffee shops and lots of rain.  On the 3rd day we actually saw the sun come out for a few minutes.  We found a prime parking spot and set up camp for a few days.  We hit the vagabond jackpot and found a free futon listing on Craigslist one night.  We scooped it up immediately, and almost squeezed in the free inflatable hot tub too, but were tight on space.  Next time.  The futon was definitely a nice upgrade.

Halfway through the week, Todd came back into town and we got to hang out with him for a few days.  Todd works at K2 and gave us a nice tour of their new offices, his studio, and a fun after hours skate session on their warehouse mini ramp.  Todd has been busy building motorcycles, directing a few films, working at K2, and scoring an amazing subsidized artists loft spot in the middle of downtown.  Definitely an inspiring stop on the trip.

great drive through washington

folliage

Bob Ross scenery

rain rain go away

night walking

our new address

the sky is gray but there is color in the streets

window glows

the infamous gum wall

stickiest wall in North America

saliva tagging

new city, same outfit

camo lobsters

fox dog!!!

we never figured out the half numbers

slipping all over the sidewalks

futon upgrade!!!

Todds loft of instant jealousy

abby was hyped!

poster spotting in the k2 office hallway

sweet notebook found in Todd’s apartment

abby not stealing paint

the crustiest m&m dispenser ever

Todd at his favorite but not favorite deli

]]> http://ayearofdays.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/6365/ Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:46:10 +0000 hmskillick http://ayearofdays.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/6365/

ryan

drunk driving.

rena

whipped cream on coffee: so wrong, yet so right.

Wow, an amazing piece. An example of the true focus of Americans. OK all is fair in love and war, but using a Santa Clause figure to say there is no God? I’m sorry, did I offend you? Did a nun slap you with a ruler? Is there a reason I have to explain to my daughter that what I’m teaching her is aloud to be publicly ridiculed and displayed on an ad space for all to see. Thank you Freedom From Religion Foundation, my eyes have been opened to the separation of church and state. This message is without a doubt coursing through my veins and fueling my impulses to show others this message. I think I’ll go to an after school church program and ad space the bibles, or maybe I can picket a churches parking lot; yeah then they’ll get the message to stay away from my state. In all honesty your right there is a serious problem. I mean our founding fathers were guided by religion and godly principles. Our country is based on these things.

In fact lets look at some influential people in history

Alexis de Tocqueville
I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample
rivers, and it was not there…in her fertile fields and boundless forests, and it was not there…
in her rich mines and her vast world commerce, and it was not there…in her democratic Congress
and her matchless Constitution, and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America
and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power.
America is great because America is good; and if America ever ceases to be good, America will
cease to be great.

I’ll leave the foot work and googling to you.

More to come.

On December 5th, Brandon will be the featured vocalist at one of Seattle’s biggest night of giving. The Hutch Holiday  Gala is one of the most lucrative fund-raising events in the country rivaled only by a few star-studded charity events in California.  The Gala expects to raise nearly 10 million dollars this year for Cancer Research.

On December 28th, Brandon will lend his voice to another very worthy cause, introducing new music to the world. Back and better than ever, New Voices gives Seattle its first look at the future of musical theatre. An exciting blend of Sondheim and pop/rock, this next generation of composers is turning Broadway on its ear with musicals about ADD, grunge bands, red-heads, and Ritalin. Join us for an evening of show tunes your grandma would not approve of, performed by some of Seattle’s hottest talent. Some material may not be suitable for younger audiences.

Presented by The Central Heating Lab at ACT.

To all my life.mac Blog viewers,
I will endevear a trip to Seattle in a few days, I am moving there soon and will be living there here on,
The great thing is, there’s about 6 Apple stores in Seattle and surrounding areas, I will make it to every single one of them! Perhaps slowly but surely I’ll end up visiting everyone of them and talking to every member of staff that day. PHOTOS ARE ESSENTIAL for proof!

Also, Another very scary thing about moving is that it is the HQ of Microsoft, the mothership of PC’s. I keep wondering if wearing my genuine Apple employee shirt is wise, However, having 6 Apple stores in Seattle would probably save me, I mean, we’re all family, so there should be brothers and sisters everywhere! I wonder if there will be a kind of racial (whatever you wish to call it) tension between the two kinds of religions.

So, there is going to be a whole separate page for the Apple stores and Microsoft encounters I have.

Wow. 2 days ago, one of my photos from the engagement session was on WedPlan.net’s featured gallery for that day. Today I got another email from WedPlan.net, that another photo of mine is on today’s featured gallery!

If you google the term ‘wedding photographer’, WedPlan.net shows up as the 1st rank in the search result & if you google the word ‘photographer’, WedPlan.net shows up as the 2nd rank in the search result.

According to Google AdWords, the above terms generate more than half a million searches each month!

Thank you very much for the staff @ WedPlan.net to choose my photos from so many photos that you have! I really appreciate it! Thank you!

I first came across Eleanor’s music about a month ago after hearing about her on the Urban Outfitters blog. After listening to her song, “Belgium,” I was hooked and haven’t stopped listening to it! I was amazed when she found my blog so I asked her if she would be interested in doing an interview. Let me just say that Eleanor is one talented lady. She was also super excited to do this interview

Q: Eleanor, how old are you and where are you from? Plus, I have to know. Is Eleanor Seabird your real name?!

Eleanor: I’m 22 years old, and I’m originally from America! I still like to call London my hometown as it is the first place I finally feel able to call my home.  No, Eleanor Seabird is not my real name, it actually came from my old landlord/friend who was in the music business briefly and we were driving along and I was trying to come up with a stage name and I wanted to be Eleanor SEBERG after Jean Seberg my favourite actress and Sandy thought I said SEABIRD and was like, “Genius! Eleanor Seabird is great!” And I never corrected him. It might not be the name on my birth certificate, but Eleanor Seabird is a real person it’s who I am and who I’ve always been.

Q: When did you first begin singing and was it just for fun or could you see this as a possible career?

E: I began singing when I was four. I started off with Elton John cassette tapes and a little walkman and then did talent shows with my kid sister (we’d sing gruesome versions of the Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen songs) then when I was about 17, my aunt took me to this music group and I would sing Wham! Songs at the mall to people. I didn’t take it seriously till I moved to London and felt like I had nothing to lose, so now I’m embarking on a proper career.

Q: Who are you usually compared to? And do you think that this person and you are alike?

E: Looks wise, people say I have this Karen O thing going on, and music wise it’s a combination of Karen O and Lily Allen, both of whom I love so I take it as a compliment.

Q: What is your favorite song to cover?

E: ANYTHING by Hall and Oates. I end my sets with a killer acoustic version of MANEATER and we want to do a Hall and Oates show of just their songs. They are so much fun to sing!

Q: Who were your influences growing up?

E: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN! He was and is one of my heroes. I really loved Elton John, AC/DC, Genesis, the Police, a lot of classic rock growing up as I think I was in a state of rebellion coming from a conservative home so anything loud that made me feel like I was going to get the heck out of dodge had an impact on me. As I got to my late teens’ early 20s when I moved to London I became seduced by French pop of the 1960s and fell madly in love with Jacques Brel. He is, to me, such an amazing vocalist and performer. I really hope as an artist to be as captivating as he was/is.

Q: If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?

E: Jacques Brel, Dizzie Rascal, or Bruce Springsteen.

Q: What influenced your relocation to London from America?

E: Because I left the states to pursue a better life for myself I don’t have too many good memories but I will say the ones that mean the most are the ones with me and my radio. I always found solstice in listening to music. I think now as an adult and coming back to the states on different terms I’m looking forward to meeting people who love music, who are passionate about life, and to be able to see the parts of the country I haven’t seen, such as Seattle. I think growing up in a small town you’re just not inclined to travel so I’d only go to places where I had relatives, we never really could afford to travel much so even though I’m from America I’ve met Europeans who have seen more of it than I have.

Q: Describe to me the London music scene.

E: The London music scene is vast. Music is on every night of the week, and there is sooo much of it. That’s what’s great about London, it’s really chaotic and multi-cultural and the music capital of the world and any and everything goes here. I will say it’s cool to be a artist here as it does feel like a community and you go out to support your peers and they come out to support you and there are some big faces around so it’s cool to bump into some bands you really like and get the chance to strike up a conversation.

Q: What is a typical day for Eleanor Seabird?

E: This question makes me laugh as I know people expect a musician to have this lifestyle, but I’m quite boring to be honest. I eat breakfast at the same café every morning, I’m usually writing and recording throughout the day and at meetings with different people I want to collaborate with, and in the nights I’m either rehearsing or checking my Myspace and then off to bed. I had someone ask me where all the great nightclubs are in London and I couldn’t name ANY! I prefer films, art galleries, photography exhibits in my spare time. And of course going to gigs to see friends play or  a really great band I like.  It’s pretty standard.

Q: What has been most challenging for you as a musician?

E: I think taking the criticism. I have people tell me I’m crap or that my music is shit to my face and because I put a lot of myself and my life into my work, it’s hard not to take it personally. I have those moments where I’m ready to quit sometimes…….. it’s not a life for the faint of heart especially when trying to make a living doing it.

Q: At the end of the day, what makes it all worth it for you?

E: This! When people want to interview me or chat with me because they really enjoy what I do and want to learn more about who I am. It’s cool to know that there are people out there willing to give me a chance and come on this journey with me because I’m still unknown, but hopefully I’ll drum up support along the way. I really love to play and put on a good show for people and I’m glad that more people believe in me and my work than don’t so the fans and friends who believe in me make it worthwhile and it makes me want to really succeed!

Q: What are you listening to these days and who would you suggest my readers start listening to, besides you of course!

E: Oh there are a few suggestions: I really like this band called the Dark Room Notes based out of  Dublin, Ellie Goulding is great, The Temper Trap, The XX,  The Big Pink are great and put on a wicked show,  Pelle Carlberg is an indie guy from Sweden who’s great,  Dizzie Rascal is a rapper from London who I quite think is fun, and Mayer Hawthorne is cool! He’s like Amy Winehouse, but a bloke!

Q: Where can we expect to see you next Eleanor?

E: I’m starting up a show on my YouTube channel ELEAVISION called ELEANOR GOES where I go on little adventures. It’s not a reality show, though if I did a reality show I’d call it THE BILLS because that’s wherein my drama unfolds.  Me a telephone and the lady on the other line. LOL  It’s just a little documentary style show where I go off and do stuff. My first one is ICE SKATING and then I’m going to Norway to find this red phone booth I have an obsession with. Apparently phone booths are on the historical society’s list to preserve in Norway or so my Norwegian mates tell me. So going to go on a safari and try to capture them in their habitat before they disappear.  Good times……….

Check out Eleanor’s music here

This was a great day for our family and hope it was for you and your’s as well. It has been a challenging year with the loss of dear friends and my Dad, financial circumstances for most of our children, but today — I am thankful for our health, our home, food to eat, a car to drive, and six wonderful children and four awesome grandchildren. It has been an amazing year for me as a writer with three books released during this year of 2009.

Great things are happening during this wonderful holiday and Christmas season. Come back and see the “Spirit of the Season” online catalog on December 1st.

“Shelter from the Storm”, my latest novel, is set for release that same day – December 1st, as well as “Flash Tales: An Adventure in Words”, an anthology that includes 20 very short stories I wrote. There are five contributors, including myself, in this fun little book.

I’ll be doing a book laugh autographing in the Seattle area in mid-December and will keep you’all posted for details. Please come back often and check out what’s coming up.

Melvins se presentó en Buenos Aires el jueves 4 de septiembre del 2008, dando un demoledor show que hizo temblar hasta mi médula. Recuerdo que ese día estaba totalmente congestionado, enfiebrado, pero eso no me impidió de ponerme al frente de la valla meticulosamente ubicado enfrente de la bateria de Dale Crover. Cada golpe seco que le daba a su redoblante era como una dosis de vitamina c para mi deplorable estado.

Melvins – Antitoxidote – (Eggnog – Boner Records 1991)

Dale Crover se unió a Melvins en 1984, uniendo fuerzas con quien seria su aliado musical, Buzz Osborne, y el bajista Matt Lukin, que luego fuera echado de la banda vaya a saber uno por qué. Lukin luego pasaría a la leyenda con su propio grupo Mudhoney y a la inmortalidad en un tema que Eddie Vedder escribió describiendo las andanzas de su amigo (el tema Lukin del disco No Code). Crover también ayudó al grupo de Cobain y Novoselic en las sesiones de “Bleach“, siendo partes de sus giras hasta que encontraron a un batero estable como Chad Channing. Cuando Nirvana encontró a quién seria su batero definitivo, Dave Grohl, el mismo Cobain lo describió como “un pequeño Dale Crover“

Un mes antes de su presentación en Buenos Aires, con nuestro colaborador Julio Nusdeo pudimos conseguir una charla via telefónica con Dale. Una parte de esta entrevista fue publicada en la revista La Mano, acá va la versión cruda y completa.

Dale Crover: Nos encontramos en New Heaven, Connecticut, tocamos bastante seguido acá, es una ciudad universitaria.

El boom sónico:  Dejando de lado de que cada miembro de la banda tiene varios proyectos, ¿Pensás que encontraron una formación definitiva? (la formación actual de Melvins es Buzz Osborne en guitarra y voces, Dale Crover en bateria, Jared Warren en bajo y voces y Coady Willis en bateria, estos ultimos en conjunto tambien son Big Business) Teniendo en cuenta de que ustedes cambiaron de bajistas demasiadas veces…

DC: Bueno, vamos a ver qué pasa. Hemos estado tocando por mucho tiempo con diferentes bajistas, asi que me gustaria pensar de que esta formación permanera por un buen rato..

BS: ¿Cómo fue que encararon la grabación de este álbum? ¿Hubo material que quedó afuera de A Senile Animal y lo utilizaron en Nude With Boots?

DC: Originalmente hubo material que quedó afuera de A Senile Animal, decidimos de que ya habia demasiado material para ese disco y de alguna manera pensamos que no encajaba en él, entonces dijimos “dejemoslo para el proximo disco”. Hablando sobre el proceso de grabación, es bastante simple, 13 noches pasadas en un mismo estudio, grabando las partes al mismo tiempo, luego agregando “overdubs”. Grabar para nosotros es un proceso muy simple, solo pasamos 13 dias en el estudio y eso incluye la grabación y masterización de todo el disco. En realidad fueron 12 dias, el último lo usamos para grabar un par de covers y también hicimos una version de nuestro himno nacional “The Star-Spangled Banner”

BS: Ahora con un segundo batero, ¿Cómo cambian los arreglos y construcción de las baterias?

DC: Depende, algunas veces con Buzz nos juntamos y trabajamos en las canciones cuando los otros estan haciendo otra cosa, pero usualmente nos metemos en la sala y Buzz trae un montón de ideas y riffs, algunas veces ideas para las partes de las baterías, y otras veces empezamos a zapar y pongo mis partes. Igualmente dejamos que Jared y Coary agreguen sus propias partes, y es buenisimo porque Coady no tiene las mismas ideas que yo, y me gusta cuando alguien trae algo que a mi no se me hubiera ocurrido y quede muy bien. Hay otras bandas tienen sus “songwriters” y tienen una idea estricta de como debe sonar o como tienen que estar los arreglos, y no dejan que sus compañeros de bandas pongan sus propias ideas, ese no es el caso en Melvins.

BS: Cuando escuchamos canciones como The Kicking Machine y Dog Island, pensamos que uds sobregrababan las voces usando algun efectos, pero cuando ví sus videos en vivo, todos usaban mics…

DC: Todos cantamos armonías, usualmente canto las harmonías bajas, y teniendo a Jared es basicamente como tener otra cantante en la banda, así que tratamos de que él y Coary participan en las voces todo el tiempo. Somos gran fans de Queen y The Beatles, asi que ahora tenemos una manera de harmonizar como lo hacian ellos…

BS: Volviendo a 1988, ¿Cómo fue tu colaboración con Nirvana?

DC: Esos chicos necesitaban un batero y me preguntaron si yo los podía ayudar en la grabación de su demo. Eramos buenos amigos con Kurt y Krist, asi que trabajamos en un par de canciones. Pasamos alrededor de 6 horas grabando y al día siguiente ya tenían un contrato con Sub Pop Records.

BS: ¿Y te pidieron que sigas tocando?

DC: Sí, pero yo básicamente los estaba ayudando, yo tenía a mi banda y preferí seguir en Melvins, creo que fue lo mejor para mi, tomé la decisión correcta. Musicalmente era mas excitante, no quiero decir de que no me guste Nirvana, ellos eran espectaculares, pero musicalmente con Melvins me sentia mas excitado, era mas divertido.

BS: ¿Cuál es tu memoria mas grata de esos dias cuando Cobain mencionaba que Melvins era una de sus bandas favoritas?

DC: El era una persona muy divertida, muy cómica, a diferencia de que la mayoria de la gente piensa, que era un chico solitario y depresivo.

Melvins – The Bit – (Stag – Atlantic Records 1996)

BS: ¿Qué recuerdos tenes de los dias en que estuvieron en una compania multinacional, Atlantic Records?

DC: Me encantan los 3 discos que sacamos en Atlantic, tuvimos un acuerdo muy bueno con ellos y nos tomó por sorpresa que nos quisieran “signear”. Pensamos que luego de editar “Houdini” nos iban a echar, pero terminamos editando 3 discos con ellos. Muchas bandas una vez que estan en una multinacional empiezan a cambiar la forma de escribir sus canciones para conseguir un “single” radiable. Los reps en Atlantic sabian que nosotros habiamos editado varios discos anteriormente y nos dejaron hacer lo que queriamos. De esa trilogía mi favorito es “Stag”

BS: Ustedes fueron los curadores del festival All Tomorrow’s Parties en Minehead, Inglaterra, ¿Cómo surgió eso?

DC: Nosotros habíamos tocado en el ATP varias veces, asi que los organizadores nos pidieron que para el festival de navidad nosotros fueramos los curadores. Hicimos una lista de artistas que queriamos que participaran (Os Mutantes, Meat Puppets, Teenage Jesus & The Jerks, Fantomas, Boss Hog, Butthole Surfers, Mastodon, etc), se las pasamos y ellos los contactaron

Melvins – Nude With Boots -  (Nude With Boots, Ipecac Recordings 2008)

entrevista: julio nusdeo, sebastián jarpa

traducción: sebastián jarpa

Part II of our trip to Seattle was a visit to the highly-acclaimed Rover’s Restaurant.  It was another perfect meal except that . . . John lost his notes from dinner (which included the wine pairings).  John is a wine freak, and losing notes from a wine dinner is like losing a friend.  So this post is more about the food that we had at Rover’s than the wine that we paired with it. 

Rover’s has five-, six-, and eight-course tasting menus, and nothing a la carte.  In other words, the place exists only to lead diners down a gastronomical experience.  It’s on the other side of town, nowhere near central Seattle. It’s in what appears to be a residential district. Even the cabbie wasn’t quite sure that we were in the right place. The restaurant is tucked in the back of a small complex that could have passed for a doctor’s office. The dining room is all of one room with no more than ten tables and half as many servers. Intimate with lots of attention. We knew we were in for a ride. “Buckle up,” we agreed.  So did our waiter:

Our Very Friendly and Knowledgeable Waiter Assured Us that We Were in for a Wild Ride

He brought us the wine lists (two, of course, one for me, one for Nick). We told him that we were there for the eight course tasting menu but wanted to relax with the wine list first. He was all too pleased and offered to bring a cocktail while we waited. Instead of the usual Hendrick’s martini, he suggested we try Broker’s, a rather obscure gin.  To our surprise, it was clean, fresh, with just a hint of citrus on the nose, and a slightly vegetal midpalate.

So back to the food.

The eight course tasting menu (“Grand Menu Degustation”) started like a freight train and kept coming at us for the next four hours. We left exhausted, spent, as if we had been in a gastronomical gym on a culinary treadmill for the better part of the evening. And it was in a word . . . wonderful.

Before the actual courses started, the waiter brought us an amuse bouche, actually three items: a tuna tartare, a crab and onion relish, and a mushroom soup that was to die for. Even Nick, who hates mushrooms, liked the bowl.

Tuna Tartare, Crab and Onion Relish, and Mushroom Soup

On to the courses . . .

First up was the green asparagus with spot prawns and osetra caviar.

Green Asparagus with Spot Prawns & Caviar

Fresh asparagus from the chef’s local garden wtih just enough caviar to remind us that the sea was only a few miles away. No doubt, this was paired with Krug or something similar.

Second was the halibut ceviche with mango, “ocean salad” and rice vinegar infusion.

Halibut Ceviche with Mango, "Ocean Salad" and Rice Vinegar Infusion

A ceviche is a chilled “soup” of raw seafood that has been “cooked” with citrus or another acid. The trick with ceviche is to use enough acid to “cook” the seafood but not too much, which renders the seafood stringy and tough. Halibut is an especially tender fish, and this was the chef’s opportunity to dazzle us with his ability to create a ceviche out of something so delicate. Dazzle, he did. There was just enough acid to firm up the fish, and whomever had the idea to juxtapose it with the sweet mango is a gastronomical genius. The “ocean salad” was a small salad of fresh seaweed and some sort of seeds. It was nice but I think it drew unnecessary attention away from the star of this dish – the halibut.

Third was dungeness crab with carrots and toasted hazelnuts, with a bisque of soft shell crab.

Dungeness Crab with Carrots and Toasted Hazelnuts, with a Bisque of Soft Shell Crab

I call this “crab two ways.” And talk about crab overload. But hey, this is Seattle, and you have to eat crab in Seattle. I’m so bummed that I cannot recall the wine that we had with this. I suspect it was a Riesling or a young, bright earthy white. What a bummer that I lost my note! And after the sommelier (remember, that’s the wine dude) had taken care to select eight different wines for us, one for each course. << sigh >>

Fourth up was the star of the evening for Nick, the quail with King Oyster mushrooms and herbed quinoa.

Quail with King Oyster Mushrooms and Herbed Quinoa

This was the best dish of the evening – a single quail’s leg braised in the most earthy, scrumptious, reduction of (what I think was) root stock, paired with King Oyster mushrooms on top of quinoa. The whole thing just sang. We licked our plates clean. I seriously contemplated asking if we could have seconds. I recall a Syrah joined us, but sadly, I can’t tell you much more about it. (Sorry about the photo of the half-eaten dish. We got carried away and forgot to take a picture until halfway through.)

Our server kept the food coming, each time taking care to explain each of the ingredients. For the fifth course, he brought out another star of the evening, seared foie gras (is there any other way to prepare foie gras?) with poached Ranier cherry.

Foie Gras with Poached Ranier Cherry (the remains!)

Another perfectly prepared dish. Foie gras, in my opinion, must be quality or it just fails. There is no middle ground with foie gras – it’s either very good, or very bad. This foie gras was very good – lots of fat, so much that it really did just melt in the mouth. It was quickly seared with just salt and pepper and then served with what I think was a cherry reduction, with some bits of fresh cherries. It was awesome, and the only sad part (other than the fact that it disappeared so fast) is that I can’t remember the wine that we had with it.

Next up was the Copper River Salmon with English Pea puree and smoked bacon ragout.

Copper River Salmon with English Pea Puree and Smoked Bacon Ragout

This was another chance for the chef to shine. The salmon here was amazingly fresh and tender. And of course, it should be, since it was no doubt purchased down the street at Pike’s. I’m just guessing, but if you’ve been to Pike’s Market, you know that it’s a good guess. One cannot go wrong with English peas, of course, and the combination of the fresh, vegetal peas and smoky bacon (hey, it’s bacon!) paired perfectly with the rich, meaty salmon. I’m thinking we had a nice, young Pinot Noir.

Finally, out came the lamb medallions with mushrooms, potatoes and leeks in garlic sauce.

Lamb Medallions with Mushrooms, Potatoes and Leeks in Garlic Sauce

Another expertly prepared dish. We licked our plates clean with this one too. Thankfully, by this time, there were only four other diners in the restaurant – a couple so engrossed in each other that they didn’t notice us, and another couple just as engrossed in the food as we were!

A variety of desserts were brought out with the coffee, but frankly, at this point, we could eat no more.  We were delirious, having partaken in eight courses of culinary heaven, each of which could have stood alone in its own right as a meal. We were the last guests to leave Rover’s, but we assured the staff that it would not be our last time.

While in Seattle, Nick & I did what any food and wine freaks would do – we ventured to the outskirts of Seattle, to a long-time Wine Spectator Grand Award winner — Canlis Restaurant, a fairly small, very quiet place with stellar food, wine and service.  Keep in mind that as of its last printing, Wine Spectator has awarded only 78 restaurants in the world with the coveted Grand Award.  In other words, Canlis is truly world class. A destination. A must visit. One of those places that we knew we had to try before we die.

When we made the reservations, the hostess asked if this was a special occasion. “An anniversary? A birthday?” she said. “No,” we educated her, “It’s just that we’ve heard so much about you from Wine Spectator that we knew we had to visit you.”  “Oh,” she said, “You’re wine people.” “Yeah, you could say that.”

We arrived at 6:30 pm, and to our surprise (and delight), we were seated at the best table in the house. It was above the lower dining room, in the middle of the main dining room, with a view of the valley, and we knew that in a few hours, we’d get a glorious view of the sun setting, through the enormous floor to ceiling windows.

The wine list was presented. One for each of us. 104 pages.  We learned that Canlis had three cellars. And almost 20,000 bottles. We caught our breaths and dove in.  After 30 minutes, the owner came over to check on us.  ”I guess you like your wine?” He suggested that it would take at least an hour to make it through the list. This was our kind of place.  We made ourselves comfortable, ordered martinis to help us get through the thick volume of wine after wine after wine. We saw many familiar bottles but of course, also many bottles of which we had never heard. We love trying new wines, and when we eat out, we almost always try wines that we’ve not had in the past.

So it was that about an hour into it, we told the waiter that despite the challenge of picking a bottle or two from the list, what we really wanted was the Tasting Menu.  The Canlis Tasting Menu had six dishes, all accompanied by wine. The wine choices were selected by the wine director, and we had a choice of one of two flights of wine. Unable to decide, we picked both, one for me, one for Nick.

We strapped ourselves in.

First was melons with geoduck (clam) and basil and balsamic vinegar.

Melons with Geoduck Clams

These were the most amazing balls of fresh melon that I think I’ve ever had. The clam was ok, and I’m not sure that they really worked with the melon. Nick loved it. The basil was, in a word, ecstacy. Little nubs of pureed basil (with water and gelatin), atop the plate here and there. It could have been a soup, and I would have lapped it up. It was served with the Krug Grande Cuvee (champagne). Hey, you can’t go wrong with Krug. Even Nick, who hates champagne, loved this one.

Krug Grande Cuvee

Second was the yellow fin tuna with tomatoes and nori (seaweed).

Yellowfin Tuna with Nori

This was sushi grade tuna on steroids. It melted in our mouths. And the tomatoes added the perfect acidity to cut through the fatty tuna and oddly-paired sweet nori. Nick had the County Line Rose from Anderson Valley, and I had the Robert Weil Dry Riesling. Both of us agreed that the Riesling was an infinitely better pairing, as its minerality brought out the essence of ocean with the fish and the nori, but not in a harsh way. It coaxed it out.

Third was the black cod with squash blossom, raratouille and smoked brandade. [Sorry, no photo] For me, this was the highlight of the evening. I can still taste the cod. Ethereal and understated, mild, flaky, with just the right hint of saltiness. Though I thought the blossom added nothing to the dish, Nick enjoyed the effect. Sorry, there’s no photos of this one – we devoured it before we realized we had not taken photos. With this, I had the Delille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc, and Nick had the Schloss Gobelsburg Gruner Veltliner. We both agreed that the Veltliner was the better of the two, as its slightly sweet undertones paired perfectly with the slightly salty fish and the creamy blossom.

Fourth was the lamb loin with eggplant and arugula.

Lamb Loin with Eggplant and Arugula

I want to go back here just for the arugula. Nick said that this was the best meal of the evening. To be sure, it was lamb to die for. Perfectly prepared (i.e. medium rare), perfectly marbled, perfectly charred, and perfectly sauced. With this, Nick had the Long Shadows Chester-Kidder Red from Columbia Valley (WA), and I had the Staglin Family Cabernet. We thought both were awesome pairs, and either were excellent with the lamb. The Long Shadows seemed a bit young, while the Staglin was definitely ready to drink (but alas had a bit of smokiness that tended to fight with the mild lamb).

Fifth was the only non-wine course of the meal – the strawberries sumac meringue.

Strawberries

Picture pureed fresh strawberries, around one single fresh strawberry, topped with sumac meringue, with only enough natural sugar to tease. Put it all in a small (i.e. handful) container. Give the container and a spoon to two guys who have already had four glasses of wine. What do you get? The best dessert ever that gets eaten in six seconds flat.

Sixth was the blueberries and corn dessert.

The Oddly-Paired Blueberries, Corn & Tarragon Dessert

This was comprised of the oddly-paired blueberries, sweet corn, and tarragon, of all things. As we ate it, we remarked that the chef was clearly a genius (and insane), because what normal (and sane) person would think of combining these three flavors on one plate? Still, as you can see from the photo, it worked (at least visually). It worked in the mouth too! Let’s talk wine. Nick had the Cateaus de Chamboureau Savennierres Doux Roche Aux Moines Anjou, and I had the Fontadi VinSanto.

Dessert Wines: Cateaus de Chamboureau Savennierres Doux Roche Aux Moines Anjou & Fontadi VinSanto

Nick hated both. I loved both. Both were sweet but reserved, with smokiness and earthiness that complemented the blueberries, and sweetness that complemented the corn. The tarragon was an odd addition, but it really did work. And it was so pretty.

But right before we could cry “Uncle,” the coffee arrived.

Coffee (for John) and Cappuccino (for Nick)

And so it was that we unstrapped ourselves, and they wheeled us out of there at around midnight. We voted this meal as one of the Top Ten tasting menu experiences of our lives.