Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Favorite Autumn Jams - Dragon Turtle / We Have Heaven

As the leaves turn color in Pennsylvania, we've been speaking with our friends and compadres from around the globe. We'd like to share what keeps them motivated, what makes them tick, what nostalgia is triggered by the changing season. Music, food, films, yoga positions, home remedies; all of the great condiments of life. 


For our second Fall 2011 installment, Brian Lightbody and Tom Asselin from Dragon Turtle, along with Eric de Jesus of We Have Heaven, share their autumn favorites. They've just finished a collaborative recording that we'll be releasing in the form of a 7" piece of vinyl. 


Brian Lightbody / Dragon Turtle:

Brian, Looking ahead to winter.
Frank SinatraThe Capitol Years
As some La Soc mates know… I could easily fill a blog about my obsession with Frank Sinatra. I'll just say this is one of the only fitting soundtracks to have in your head if you are ever hastily running down to city hall to get married in the perfect autumn magic of NYC.

Sea And CakeThe Fawn
I always listen to this record in the late fall. It is completely unlike any of their other records, before or after. The songs blur together without notice, in a darkness that never feels heavy. I have this amazing memory of picking this up as well as Joyce's impossible 
Finnegan's Wake at the same time. Bringing them both back to the house and trying to figure them out. The two are always linked for me in that; the same way I've only ever read a handful of pages of Finnegan's Wake at a time, I've never tried to understand what Sam Prekop is singing on the Fawn — I like to think of them both occupying the same world of intangible dream.

Nick Drake Pink Moon
Nick Drake in fall almost feels too obvious to list, but there are certain universal truths, aren't there? This record is playing at a coffee shop or used book store somewhere in a college town right now — it's a right of passage.

Jawbreaker24 Hour Revenge Therapy
I can't even say how huge this record was for me in high school. Great memories of driving around the dark and lonely Pocono Mountains with this record on. The sound and emotions were raw but the words were smart and crafted, that opened me up to Bukowski and Kerouac and made some of the other records in piles on my floor feel juvenile. I owe those guys big time.

Fripp & EnoEvening Star
I got this in the late fall in college and it was the perfect soundtrack for the leaves last triumph into the winter. At the time I was doing 4 hours a day commuting to NYC from Jersey, and then working a night shift with about 4 or 5 hours sleep. If you are that cracked out driving a desolate late-night highway - I recommend Robert Fripp's solo's and frippertronics mixed with coffee for a unique sleepy euphoria.



Tom Asselin  / Dragon Turtle:


Tom @ the HQ in Delaware Water Gap, PA
Like some of my peers I am having a hard time limiting this list for fall. To make it easier on myself I am making a list of my top 6 favorite bands I saw (or have tickets to see) this fall.


Thee Silver Mount Zion
I finally saw these folks a few weeks ago with Matana Roberts. I love the V formation on stage. Horses In The Sky is a top 10 fall album for me and the songs were better live. The new song they played was also amazing.

A Winged Victory For The Sullen
I am very psyched to see this in a few weeks. I wind down almost every night listening to thier album.

Shinji Masuko
Shinji recently played in a warehouse space in Allentown. There is a link above to the show I was at. Checking it out for yourself is much better than anything I could say.

We Have Heaven
These guys opened for Shinji Masuko and killed it.

Dick Dale
I am amped to see Dick Dale. I wrote my senior research paper in high school on him. I was always so disappointed that whenever he came around it was 21+. Wikipedia tells me he is 74 years old and youtube tells me he still kicks ass.

Mystical Wizard Business
I am currently recording their debut LP. These guys are tight. The music is kind of like an instrumental version of Hawkwind but without the flute sounds. Their current set puts the posted youtube video to shame(they are now a quartet). They have some shows coming up in NY and Wilkes-Barre, PA.



Eric de Jesus  / We Have Heaven: 


Cheers!
THE FREE DESIGN
butterflies are free
Reminds me of being a little kid back in school again and ruminating over how badly it sucked while staring out the window of Notre Dame Elementary at the blue mountains out of reach by the distance of a whole school year to the north.


BARCELONA, CATALUNYA, SPAIN -
I was hanging in barcelona last fall. I couldn't believe how good and warm and sunny it was. and all the longboards. I still cant believe how good that city felt. I want to go back there right now.

THE PHOTON BANDgenius
This song is totally about back to school for me. Walking across Temple campus with Art, heads down talking like young english majors and serious, in old earthen jackets from thrift stores, while never wearing socks, our pants rolled up above our ankles. in October air.

SONIC YOUTHteenage riot
I was living in London, al wobegone and goopy, the fall this came out, on a flexi disc with art screen across it by Savage Pencil himself. Probably the best subculture video ever made.

FAREWELL POETRYthe bold jaws of bear traps
Last October I was sneaking around Paris with Beth, selling books and digging book and record shops. Upon entering Bimbo Tower, this amazing Farewell Poetry song was on the system. I asked wtf it was and then immediately bought the shop's own single copy of this compilation, on Colin Johnco's awesome Leep label. Their new LP and Jayne's DVD on Gizeh records is my current no 1 fave.

The brand new TWIN CITIES release on Future recordings, esp song 2, which is my current fave no.2. So great so emo so live and gnarly so autumnal so sad....




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