Legible Harm

Dryvetyme Onlyne: An Interview with Leigh Marble

Thu, 03 May 2012 12:44:28 -0700

Dryvetyme Onlyne: An Interview with Leigh Marble:

On the heels of my recent review of Where the Knives Meet Between the Rows, I was happy to have the opportunity to exchange e-mails with Leigh Marble to talk about the record, his inspirations, and life in general.

Spoiler Alert: Cancer Sucks.

Also, please feel free to check out this…

Dryvetyme Onlyne: Leigh Marble - Where The Knives Meet Between The Rows

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:26:37 -0700

Dryvetyme Onlyne: Leigh Marble - Where The Knives Meet Between The Rows:

dryvetyme:

Leigh Marble
Where The Knives Meet Between The Rows
Self-Released; 2012

“Write what you know.” This very common bit of advice is typically handed to idealized dreamers hoping to write the great American novel, but I also feel that it applies to songwriters in the best possible…

RT @junkyardmessiah: The Wire Monopoly Board Game. “Omar’s coming! lose $10,000.”...

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 03:09:19 -0800

RT @junkyardmessiah: The Wire Monopoly Board Game. “Omar’s coming! lose $10,000.” http://t.co/P36Xoi90

“Sullivan is being held on $250K bail in the jail that bears his name, the Patrick J. Sullivan...

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 20:46:12 -0800

“Sullivan is being held on $250K bail in the jail that bears his name, the Patrick J. Sullivan Jr. Detention Facility.” http://t.co/EKmPmePk

Your honey is fucked: I read this a couple weeks ago and keep thinking about it. Devious food...

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 09:06:26 -0800

Your honey is fucked: I read this a couple weeks ago and keep thinking about it. Devious food industry practices: http://t.co/uCDfBxlf

Was going to be wrapping up vocals for the new album this week, but still hacking up a lung....

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 08:33:36 -0800

Was going to be wrapping up vocals for the new album this week, but still hacking up a lung. Sickness = suckyness.

You know those online ads that supposedly are location-specific? This glitch revealed the bullshit...

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 21:36:46 -0700

You know those online ads that supposedly are location-specific? This glitch revealed the bullshit behind those: http://t.co/HDASQQ11

Geek revelation: Image Capture has been sitting under my nose all this time. iPhoto’s good for...

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 04:18:43 -0700

Geek revelation: Image Capture has been sitting under my nose all this time. iPhoto’s good for organizing, but when you want raw photo data…

They call it a “personhood” argument, but they use that term totally backwards....

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 17:01:40 -0700

They call it a “personhood” argument, but they use that term totally backwards. “Genetically human” ≠ personhood! http://t.co/kdVF15NQ

RT @butterylords: JUST RELEASED: “Monsters & Madness” now available online on...

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 03:30:01 -0700

RT @butterylords: JUST RELEASED: “Monsters & Madness” now available online on Bandcamp!!! http://t.co/glaVdBg3

RT @butterylords: Mark it on your calendar: Buttery Lords release show this Thurs at Star Theater!...

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 20:18:54 -0700

RT @butterylords: Mark it on your calendar: Buttery Lords release show this Thurs at Star Theater! Video preview of our new EP: http://t …

What kind of company neglects to mention a 4-week shipping delay, when placing an order with them...

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 07:07:05 -0700

What kind of company neglects to mention a 4-week shipping delay, when placing an order with them over the phone? @att @attcustomercare

It’s gonna be OK, though - I’ve got my familiar working on this #ATT problem....

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 18:19:17 -0700

It’s gonna be OK, though - I’ve got my familiar working on this #ATT problem. http://t.co/nCqjBjOq

Tom Waits & The Indie Rock Nation (edited) http://t.co/wfn437FA

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:16:29 -0700

Tom Waits & The Indie Rock Nation (edited) http://t.co/wfn437FA

Waits and Indie Rockers

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 12:08:00 -0700

Now indie-rockers study him, emulating not only his rasp-and-growl vocals and spiky arrangements, but also his self-guided career path.

- Jon Pareles @NYTimes piece on Tom Waits

I find this a curious and self-validating turn of events. I distinctly remember an indie-rock bandmate in the 90’s berating me for liking “that cheeseball” Waits. I was like, what the hell are you talking about, Bone Machine is a bad-ass album! But I could gain no traction in that debate.

And it wasn’t just that one bandmate back then, and it’s not just Pareles saying it now. I have sensed this as a sea-change, among an indie nation lost in the desert (post-music industry boom) looking for guidance. In Waits they see a guy who has not only survived this long (40 years) in the biz, but keeps actually making new, interesting works of art. Indeed, that’s something we can all aspire to.

Not all of Waits’ wisdom is being taken to heart, however. The biggest rift between his approach and current indie-rock practice is the attitude towards licensing songs for commericals. Waits does not allow his songs to be used in advertising, and once famously asked, “If Michael Jackson wants to work for Pepsi, why doesn’t he just get himself a suit and an office in their headquarters and be done with it?” Up-and-coming indie bands, however - broke and with label funding largely dried up - toe the line of selling out to corporate sponsors, balancing their once unquestionable independence with an economic realpolitik. Perhaps they lose a bit of cred along the way, but if they’re going to make it even 10 years in the biz (nevermind 40), they feel they must take support where they can find it.

But Waits, of course, established himself in an earlier era of the music business, so it’s not fair to compare apples to oranges. And enough of the music biz talk, anyways! On simply the aesthetic level, it’s heartening to see Waits so well-received, his rough edges and muscular beats delivering ~~an invigorating tonic~~ [Never say that again - Ed.] after a diet of far too many quiet, whispery songwriter types.

[NOTE: on re-reading this, I freely admit that last paragraph sucks. I was trying to wrap up this piece, the scope of which was initially only to quote from that article. But I started rambling, then needed to bring it on home, so there you have it… awkwardly so.]

A qualified yeah…, @KaseyAnderson But, there are CEOs who came from business schools, and then...

Sat, 08 Oct 2011 19:03:23 -0700

A qualified yeah…, @KaseyAnderson But, there are CEOs who came from business schools, and then there are CEOs who came from garages.

Dear Internets, Desperation makes a stinky cologne. Everyone wants to be liked, but yr obsession...

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 16:03:42 -0700

Dear Internets, Desperation makes a stinky cologne. Everyone wants to be liked, but yr obsession with it is tiring. #fb http://t.co/H6VtpqZc

 Whoa. RIP to a man who understood, and prioritized, Quality. Even when it was bad for business....

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 13:40:15 -0700

 Whoa. RIP to a man who understood, and prioritized, Quality. Even when it was bad for business. #Jobs

Looks like apple.com got hacked. Ouch, hacker dudes. http://t.co/1n7eCOki

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 23:30:32 -0700

Looks like apple.com got hacked. Ouch, hacker dudes. http://t.co/1n7eCOki

Just passed a Jiffy Lube. Marquee says “Everyday 19.99”. Man holds sign reading...

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 20:28:32 -0700

Just passed a Jiffy Lube. Marquee says “Everyday 19.99”. Man holds sign reading “Crazy Day 19.99”. Ergo, every day is crazy day @ Jiffy Lube