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Black Friday / Cyber Monday – Support Indie Music
Update 11/25: Black Friday & Cyber Monday music-loving shoppers… support indie music by supporting Ric Hordinski’s new Kickstarter – Arthur’s Garden. He has 6 days left and need has around $2k left to get it funded.
Guitarist extraordinaire Ric Hordinski has been a favorite of mine for a LONG TIME. He’s the kind of guitarist who is subtle and unassuming in his approach, but you end up wracking your brain how he gets such lush and complex sounds out of the frets. I’ve seen him many times (Monk, Over the Rhine, Kim Taylor, Ellery, solo), and sometimes I wish I was back in Cincinnati, just to see his intimate Monastery shows.
Well, late last week, he announced a way that even those not in SW Ohio can help him make his next record… behold another Kickstarter than I think is worth specific highlighting:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/609278336/arthurs-garden
(watch Ric’s personal video about the project)
About This Project
I’ve been trying to play guitar for over 30 years now. Really, 30 years. It’s been long love-affair, with highs and lows, rich times and lean. The guitar was my doorway into Music. That Music has taken me around the world, it has accompanied me through joy, laughter and tears: as well as allowing me to share the stage with an amazingly varied group of people: Johnny Cash and Moby, Bruce Cockburn and the Indigo Girls, Bob Dylan and Over The Rhine. Through it all, I’ve generally said what I had to say with the Electric Guitar. It’s smaller and a lot less fragile, if you know what i mean…
A couple of years ago I toured playing guitar for one of the great guitarists of our generation, Phil Keaggy. The record we were touring required me to dust off my classical and steel string acoustic guitar chops. This was more challenging (and rewarding) than I could have imagined.The influence of that music and tour on this recording was enormous and I think it planted a seed in me to try my hand at one of the most demanding kind of recordings i could make- one centered around the simple sound of strings vibrating a tiny little cathedral of wood: The Acoustic Guitar.
So, here i am!
I’m joined on this journey by several friends and collaborators. Michael Wilson will be documenting the process with both still and moving images. Grammy Winning Designer Greg Sylvester has signed on to design the art and packaging. I’ll have Josh Seurkamp, David LaBruyere, Dan Dorff and couple of lovely surprise guests (to be announced soon…) I’d love for you to take an even bigger part in the process than you usually do. We’re documenting the recording and mixing and will have a home-spun DVD available as well as some other surprise. Please join me on this journey!
He’s trying to raise $4,500 by the of the month. Take a gander at his site, and if you like what you hear, consider helping him out! For as little a $10, you can make a difference and get some great music in return.
Ric’s records stand out in my collection, and I’m stoked to be a part of making the next one a possibility.
~Dan – np: Ahleuchatistas – Location Location
Arthur’s Garden by Ric Hordinski
Guitarist extraordinaire Ric Hordinski has been a favorite of mine for a LONG TIME. He’s the kind of guitarist who is subtle and unassuming in his approach, but you end up wracking your brain how he gets such lush and complex sounds out of the frets. I’ve seen him many times (Monk, Over the Rhine, Kim Taylor, Ellery, solo), and sometimes I wish I was back in Cincinnati, just to see his intimate Monastery shows.
Well, late last week, he announced a way that even those not in SW Ohio can help him make his next record… behold another Kickstarter than I think is worth specific highlighting:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/609278336/arthurs-garden
(watch Ric’s personal video about the project)
About This Project
I’ve been trying to play guitar for over 30 years now. Really, 30 years. It’s been long love-affair, with highs and lows, rich times and lean. The guitar was my doorway into Music. That Music has taken me around the world, it has accompanied me through joy, laughter and tears: as well as allowing me to share the stage with an amazingly varied group of people: Johnny Cash and Moby, Bruce Cockburn and the Indigo Girls, Bob Dylan and Over The Rhine. Through it all, I’ve generally said what I had to say with the Electric Guitar. It’s smaller and a lot less fragile, if you know what i mean…
A couple of years ago I toured playing guitar for one of the great guitarists of our generation, Phil Keaggy. The record we were touring required me to dust off my classical and steel string acoustic guitar chops. This was more challenging (and rewarding) than I could have imagined.The influence of that music and tour on this recording was enormous and I think it planted a seed in me to try my hand at one of the most demanding kind of recordings i could make- one centered around the simple sound of strings vibrating a tiny little cathedral of wood: The Acoustic Guitar.
So, here i am!
I’m joined on this journey by several friends and collaborators. Michael Wilson will be documenting the process with both still and moving images. Grammy Winning Designer Greg Sylvester has signed on to design the art and packaging. I’ll have Josh Seurkamp, David LaBruyere, Dan Dorff and couple of lovely surprise guests (to be announced soon…) I’d love for you to take an even bigger part in the process than you usually do. We’re documenting the recording and mixing and will have a home-spun DVD available as well as some other surprise. Please join me on this journey!
He’s trying to raise $4,500 by the of the month. Take a gander at his site, and if you like what you hear, consider helping him out! For as little a $10, you can make a difference and get some great music in return.
Ric’s records stand out in my collection, and I’m stoked to be a part of making the next one a possibility.
~Dan – np: Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood – In Case the World Changes Its Mind (live)
F*ck That! Erin McKeown’s Anti-Holiday Album
If you’re here for the Pomplamoose Portland 10/27 photos & review,
I apologize, but it’ll be up tomorrow (10/31).
I generally abhor holiday albums. Good ones I can count… Over the Rhine’s The Darkest Night of the Year is dark & hauntingly gorgeous, Monk’s How Like a Winter shows off Ric Hordinski’s lush guitar work, Vince Guaraldi’s A Charlie Brown Christmas is part childhood lexicon and part perfect piano jazz wonderment. I hate holiday albums, but I can wholeheartedly recommend these…
Then, you get utter rubbish like this… Kenny G’s Happy Birthday Jesus I Hope You Like Crap, Mannheim Steamroller’s Christmas Toots and Synths that Your 5-Year Old Could Make But Doesn’t Because They Understand Quality, Tran-Siberian Orchestra’s I Remember When They Were Savatage and Took One Song From a Great Concept Album and Turned It Into a Cringe-worthy Christmas Juggernaut, and lastly Middle-Aging Rocker’s I’m Being Non-traditional in My Grab for Cash.
Well, along comes a favorite pint-sized singer-songwriter, Erin McKeown, to add another FAVORITE album to my winter-listening pile. I present to you F*ck That! Erin McKeown’s Anti-Holiday Album…
GO HERE for sound samples of all these songs
1. Christmas Waltz (F*ck That!) [Explicit]
2. Santa Is An A**hole [Explicit]
3. Go Tell It On The Mountain (That Karl Rove Is Born)
4. Fa La La La
5. Visions I Have Had While High
6. It’s a Very Queer Christmas
7. Christmas (Love It Or Leave It)
8. Frozen Smiles
9. You Wish Us A Happy Holidays
10. Toyland
11. Christmas Waltz (Kleen Mix)
12. Santa Is An A**hole (Kleen Mix)
It’s out-now digital/mp3 download from Amazon (and iTunes), and it comes out physically on November 1st. Check her out at http://erinmckeown.com/.
~Dan – np: Under Byen – Samme Stof Som Stof
REVIEW: Over the Rhine @ WOW Hall (Eugene, OR – 11/15/10)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM
It’s been three long years since I’ve seen Over the Rhine. I missed them on their last tour through Portland (Doug Fir 2009) due to illness. Going three years between shows is odd… I mean, when I lived in Southwest Ohio, I would see them 5 times a year (on average) for about 10 years. Well, I’m making up for lost time by seeing them in both Eugene and Portland (Aladdin show review link). One might call me a fan.
For those that don’t know Over the Rhine, they started out as a four piece in Cincinnati in 1989 and put out their “post-nuclear, pseudo-alternative, folk-tinged art-pop” indie debut ‘Til We Have Faces in 1991. It was Karin Bergquist on vocals & guitar, Linford Detweiler on bass & keyboard (later focusing on primarily keys), Ric Hordinski on guitar, and Brian Kelley on drums. They put out four studio albums and a dark, broodingly beautiful Christmas album as a four-piece. Then in the late 90s, Ric & Brian left. Ric went off to do some amazing records under the moniker MONK (check it!). Brian still drums for various groups around Cincinnati.
Karin & Linford carried on the Over the Rhine flame throughout the years… moving away from a rockier feel to a more folky-pop-Americana thing. What I like about Over the Rhine is they continually change and evolve into a different band with each album and each outing. I’ve seen them rock out, I’ve seen them jazz it up, I’ve seen them happy, I’ve seen them somber, I’ve seen them celebratory, and I’ve seen them tell stories that will make you laugh and cry.
They’re on their annual West Coast tour as a precursor to their forthcoming album, The Long Surrender – which (last I saw in print) comes out on January 11, 2011 (aka 1/11/11). I’ve heard the songs from it (it pays to pre-order), and I’m digging it a bunch.
They also have a huge back catalogue (my count: 8 studio albums, 2 Christmas studio albums, 3 studio & live b-side releases, 4 official live releases, 1 greatest hits, and 3 Linford solo releases). While it’s hard to limit a large catalogue to a few albums, go check out some of my faves: the indie rocker Eve (1994), the acoustic homespun Good Dog Bad Dog (1996), the re-imagined band on Films for Radio (2001), or the magnum opus Ohio (2-CD 2003). You can’t go wrong. Happy scout’s honor.
So, being that I haven’t seen them in three years, it was noted as a duo show by their publicist, and they have a large catalog of songs to play, I was excited for the hopeful surprises. But first the opener…
Lucy Wainwright Roche played a humourous 30 minute set prior to Over the Rhine going on. She was a great mix of stand-up comedian (unintentional?) and singer-songwriter. Nice banter in between the songs. You can see her father Loudon’s humour in her. Where else are you going to hear about a car break-in “clean up” instead of a theft? Or a first date whose lung collapsed at dinner? And then top it off with a “Hungry Heart” sing-along? Lucy was a very formidable crowd warmer-upper!
A suprise to me based on the initial reports, Karin & Linford weren’t just a duo on this West Coast jaunt. They also brought along percussionist and cuatro player Nick Radina. He provided some nice layers to the already grogeous sounds coming from the guitars and keys and voices. Nick and Linford also played a nice instrumental which was called “Descarga” on the Santa Fe setlist. I don’t know if this is the actual name, or just some other setlist identifer. Anyway, it had a nice Latin feel.
They played a lot of their forthcoming The Long Surrender songs, with a few Trumpet Child and Drunkard’s Prayer songs thrown in. Linford was on keyboard for most of the night, but did join Karin on guitar for a handful of tunes. Karin also busted out some poetry prior to their “Bluebird” tune and a nice backstory about her mom’s nursing home prior to “Only God Can Save Us Now.” The backstory made the song make much more sense to me… especially all of those characters.
Setlist: about 75 mins
- The Laugh Of Recognition
- I Don’t Wanna Waste Your Time
- Trouble (horny & inebriated mix)
- “The Bluebird” by Charles Bukowski [poetry reading by Karin]
- There’s A Bluebird In My Heart
- Rave On
- Undamned
- I Want You To Be My Love
- (Instrumental)
- Oh Yeah By The Way
- The King Knows How
- I’m On A Roll (to be covered by The Judds on their next record)
- Drunkard’s Prayer
- Only God Can Save Us Now
- Days Like This [Kim Taylor song]
- All My Favorite People
- Encore: Infamous Love Song
- No Kill Shelter
It was soooooo great to see them again after too many years. We got to chat with Linford for a bit after the show. I forgot to ask / confirm the release date of The Long Surrender (the merch lady said Feb 8th instead of Jan 11th). Here’s hoping they stick to 1/11/11, because that’s a superb release date… if I remember and I see him, I’ll check on Wednesday.
Anyway, Linford was glad to be able to spend a little bit of time in Oregon. He said that had a great experience on their Roots on the Rail tour (go here for Bill Ivester’s write-up of the experience). They might be doing another train tour next year in the west/central United States (Colorado area?). I’ll be seriously considering it for 2011 vacation plans.
For the meantime, enjoy some Eugene photos. Sorry about the primarily black & white and graininess… WOW Hall is a dark venue with normally high use of red lights (i.e.- death for my camera’s focus). Here’s hoping I’ll get some better shots at the Aladdin Theater show in Portland on Wednesday.
more photos below
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Over the Rhine’s Site
- Over the Rhine: The Orchard
- OTR’s Social Media Links (see below)
- Lucy Wainwright Roche’s Site / MySpace
- My Other Related Reviews~
- Aladdin Theater (Portland – 11/17/2010)
- Doug Fir Lounge (Portland – Sept 2007)
- Bogarts (Cincinnati – March 2001)
- Canal Street Tavern (Dayton – June 2000)
- WOW Hall’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
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Check out more tour dates below.
~Dan – np: Alanis Morissette – Jagged Little Pill 
OVER THE RHINE PHOTOS
these 11 pictures (cc) 2010 Margaret O’Brien (emobie photography),
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
these 22 pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Fall 2010 Tour Dates
- Fri, 2010-11-12 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour
- Sat, 2010-11-13 San Franscisco, CA Great American Music Hall
- Mon, 2010-11-15 Eugene, OR W.O.W. Hall
- Wed, 2010-11-17 Portland, OR Aladdin Theater
- Fri, 2010-11-19 Seattle, WA Triple Door
- Sat, 2010-11-20 Seattle, WA Triple Door
- Sun, 2010-11-21 Seattle, WA Triple Door
- Fri, 2010-12-03 Marion, OH Palace Theatre
- Sat, 2010-12-04 Kent, OH Kent Stage
- Sun, 2010-12-05 Ann Arbor, MI The Ark
- Tue, 2010-12-07 Columbus, OH Lincoln Theatre
- Fri, 2010-12-10 Louisville, KY Bomhard Theater
- Sat, 2010-12-11 Chicago, IL Old Town School of Folk Music 7pm & 10pm
- Fri, 2010-12-17 Cincinnati, OH THE LONG SURRENDER PREMIERE @ the Jarson-Kaplan Theatre (in the Aronoff Center)
- Sat, 2010-12-18 Cincinnati, OH Taft Theatre
- Sun, 2010-12-19 Norwood, OH St. Elizabeth’s
Ric Hordinski – Notes from the Monastery
So, I’ve gotta tell you about a fantastic new collection of previously unreleased songs from Ric Hordinski‘s monastery studio… Notes from the Monastery. It ships December 18th, and with the pre-order you get an immediate 320kbps mp3 download of it. It has new songs by Ric Hordinski (aka Monk), Over the Rhine, Ellery, singer-songwriters Kim Taylor and Sarah Masen, a great new instrumental piece by guitarist Phil Keaggy, et cetera…
http://richordinski.portmerch.com/stores/product.php?productid=17109
Track Listing:
- With Me Tonight (Ellery)
- I Used to Know (Sarah Masen)
- Hard Times (Over the Rhine)
- Rabbit (Harrod and Funck)
- Clover (Kim Taylor)
- Always Right (David Wilcox)
- Hopscotch (Phil Keaggy)
- Bella Luna (2K9) (Venus Hum)
- Yesu Bhajan (Aradhna)
- Villainous Company (Ric Hordinski)
MP3 Bonus Track: Flown Free (Over the Rhine)
I’ve been a fan of Ric Hordinski for a long time. Ric (pronounced “Rich”) was a founding member of Cincinnati band Over the Rhine. When he left Over the Rhine, he went on to make some gorgeous music via his creative outlet called MONK. The mostly instrumental affairs hit the spot on a great fall or winter day – sipping your favorite warm beverage and chillin’ with loved ones (or a loved pup). :) Ric has moved lately to more of a producer / studio expert… and the above songs are unique glimpses of his varied studio work (all previously unreleased by the artists).
I’d highly recommend the above Notes from the Monastery… and check out some of Ric’s other work (all kind of harder to find now except the more recent ones: The Silent of Everything Yearned For and When I Consider How My Light Is Spent). Anyway, here is his key discography in reverse order…
(easier to find)
(harder to find)
If you can dig up the O -EP- on eBay, I’d also recommend it. I got it hot off the presses… and I ain’t lettin’ mine go. :) Oh, and yeah, searching for Ric’s Monk CDs on eBay is really difficult due to a certain Thelonious Sphere Monk who may have released a few albums. Just a few… happy hunting!!
Anyway, I get hundreds of records a year, and I don’t specifically blog about all of them (this is more of a news and concert reviews blog). That should clue you in that this new Ric Hordinski compilation is a special one… go get it.
~Dan – np: RAZR13 w/ Doug Pinnick – RAZR 13
Could it happen?
Could a live album make my favorite’s list by year’s end?
Well, I just pre-ordered the latest Live from Nowhere offering (#4 to be exact) from Cincinnati band, Over the Rhine. It’s a double-disc recording of most of the Dec 2008 Taft Reunion concert with founding guitarist Ric Hordinski and founding drummer Brian Kelley joining the still-in-the-band wife-and-husband team of Karin Bergquist (vocals / guitar / etc) and Linford Detweiler (keyboards / bass / etc). Ric left in 1996/97 (I don’t know when exactly as he was gone before I got into them and their Wiki page is weak*), and Brian left at the end of 1998 (IIRC). I saw OTR with Brian, but never with Ric (though I’ve seen Ric plenty of times with his band Monk & solo).
*– Hey, Bruce, if you read this, the OTR Wiki could use a Bruce’ing up... especially on the early era.
With the new release (expected out in August), you get an immediate download. I’m on track 6 of disc 1 now, and I love it. It makes me wish I could have afforded to go to the actual show back in December.
Anyway, here’s the artwork & tracklist (95 minutes total):
(click for larger)
Disc 1
Eyes Wide Open
How Does it Feel (To Be On My Mind)?
HDIF Reprise
Within Without
Like a Radio
Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander
June
Circle of Quiet
Daddy Untwisted
Disc 2
Paul & Virginia
Poughkeepsie **
Faithfully Dangerous
A Gospel Number
All I Need is Everything
If I’m Drowning
Encores: I Painted My Name ***
Latter Days
**– Songs missing per the reported setlist… Mary’s Waltz & Silent Night were after Poughkeepsie
***– Encores per the reported setlist… E1: My Love is a Fever / I Painted My Name; E2: Happy With Myself? / Latter Days / What’s So Funny ‘Bout Peace, Love, and Understanding?
You can pre-order Live from Nowhere IV now from Port Merchandise.
Though I’m usually pacifistic…
~Dan – np: Over the Rhine – Live from Nowhere 4
Over the Rhine – Taft Theater Friday the 19th
Over the Rhine – 1st Decade
Friday the 19th of December 2008
Taft Theater, Cincinnati, Ohio
Does anyone have a good recording of this reunion show with Ric Hordinski and Brian Kelley?
If so, please email me. :) I wasn’t able to attend, but I would love to hear it…
~Dan
Photo by euro60
Setlist posted by rotary11
SET ONE
Eyes Wide Open
How Does It Feel?
How Does It Feel? (Reprise) <– this was silly and awesome
Within Without (with Kim Taylor)
Like a Radio
Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander
June (with Kim Taylor, Jake, Kenny Hutson, and Julie Lee)
Circle of Quiet (with Kim and Julie)
Daddy Untwisted (with Kim and Julie)
SET TWO
Paul and Virginia (L&K with Jake, Kenny, Mickey, Kim, and Julie)
Poughkeepsie (same minus Mickey) <– this was different than before, so much FULLER
Mary’s Waltz (L, K, Paul Patterson)
Silent Night (Duet) (L, K, Paul, Julie)
Faithfully Dangerous (with Jake)
A Gospel Number (with Jake, Kim, Julie, and some awesome “cool” glasses and berets)
All I Need Is Everything (with Jake, Kim, and Paul)
If I’m Drowning <– old-school one-by-one departure. My best moment of the night
ENCORE NUMBER ONE
My Love Is a Fever
I Painted My Name (with Kim and Julie) <– my second favorite of the night. What a beautiful song, I’ve always loved it
ENCORE NUMBER TWO
Happy With Myself? (except I don’t think they played it?)
Latter Days (L & K)
What’s So Funny ‘Bout Peace, Love, and Understanding? (with Jake)
Ellery, Ric Hordinski & Free Holiday Music
As mentioned around Thanksgiving, Ric Hordinski (guitarist extraordinaire from Cincinnati) is having his annual holiday show with pop duo Ellery (Dec 12th @ Ric’s Monastery Studio in Cincinnati).
Well, same as last year, Ellery is giving away their holiday EP for free. It’s called December Days. Last year’s was a 3 song EP. This year has an additional fourth track, the brand new collaboration with Ric Hordinski called “We Can Dream Tonight.”
Get it here: http://www.ellerymusic.com/downloads/decemberdaysep2008.zip
It’s free, yo!
~Dan – np: Ty Tabor – Balance
Ric Hordinski back with Over the Rhine… one night only
I knew about this a bit ago, but don’t know why I never blogged it… anyway, guitar master & production wizard Ric Hordinski (aka Monk) is playing a one-off show with his former band, Over the Rhine, at their annual get together at the Taft Theater in Cincinnati, OH. This is one of those shows that I’m totally bummed I’ll be missing. Ric is an amazing guitarist, and Over the Rhine’s sound has been missing a ton of what I loved ever since he left in 1996/1997. I also assume that original drummer Brian Kelley will be playing with the band, too. But I haven’t heard either way///
Anyway, one night only… Over the Rhine with Ric Hordinski, December 19th, 2008 at the Taft Theater, Cincinnati, OH. Check out http://overtherhine.com/ for more info.
Ric is also doing his annual holiday show at his monastery studio with Ellery (my new favorite husband-wife duo from Cincinnati). Ellery’s 2006 debut album (Lying Awake) and very recent EP (You Did Everything Right) are among my favs in that genre that includes singing*.
*– Yeah, this year is my first year with more instrumental intake than vocal… alas, I still dig me some folk-pop stylings… especially that of Tasha & Justin Golden (i.e.- Ellery).
The Ric Hordinski & Ellery get together is the week prior (December 12th):
– Doors open at 6:00pm, with caroling at 6:30pm
– Tickets are $15, only 100 seats available!
~Dan – np: Steven Wilson – Insurgentes
REVIEW: Ric Hordinski & Leigh Nash @ the Monastery (Cincinnati – – 6/26/07)
great show last night. Ric‘s set was loud and buzzy, but good songs nonetheless. he didn’t play anything from his new record, The Silence of Everything Yearned For, which was odd… but it was a good set anyway. 
and his new record is great. listening to it now… perhaps more similar to Hush but more straight-forward guitar rather than ambient guitar. Josh Seurkamp joined him on drums, and Mark Lukie (sp?) on bass (aka “Shaggy” per Bruce).
Leigh Nash‘s set was great as well. She played roughly an hour, containing songs from her solo album (last year’s Blue on Blue) as well as “Breathe Your Name” and “Kiss Me” from the 6p catalog. Cute persona and beautiful voice. We stayed for her whole set, even though I’m known for liking sleep on a weekday. It was a highly enjoyable evening.
~Dan
np: ric hordinski – the silence of everything yearned for
-Eyvind Kang
-Frank Zappa
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