What is one expected to do with
such talented friends? Rip
them off, of course!
(Zip File
containing all music + 'artwork')
Yet another version of Recovery (live!)
Caleb Engstrom: I very
distinctly remember the first time I met
Caleb. That is to say, I distinctly remember the first time I
remember meeting Caleb. While I can't recall the exact
circumstances in which I ended up at Pokey (GC represent!) that
night. I am not even sure who else was there besides Joey.
But I definitely sat next to a very awkward new kid. It is not in
my nature, being an awkward person myself, to be cordial or personable
to people in general much less people I have never met before, but I
imagine Joey, being the cordial, personable person that he is probably
made sure that I was properly introduced to this person sitting right
next to me. And he did. I shook Caleb's hand and said 'hey'
or something. That was about it.
Since this meeting, I have probably
spent more time in close proximity
to Caleb than I have with most people. We experienced our first
'tour' together. And while I am sure we are still picking
sunflower seeds out of our clothes and shoes, I still enjoy Caleb's
music. The old stuff reminds me of leaving my apartment in St.
Louis, lonely and axious, at 1:00 in the morning, scraping 4 inches of
ice and snow off of my car, terrified that I was going to be mugged,
driving to Wash U--only smoking half a cigarette because I was
completely broke, walking aaaaalllll the way across campus to the
computer lab just to check my myspace--which was a lot cooler back
then...And the new stuff cannot be divorced from my most memorable
Martha's Vineyad experience.
Sappy, sap.
Oh My God
Johannah Swank: Hard as I may
try, it is hard to make a completely
clean break from my past. It is, hands down, safe to say that we
spent waaaaaaayyyy to much of our lives in Greenville, IL. And I
know that when I left, I didn't want anything to do with it ever
again. That isn't to say that it is, in any way, a bad
place. It was just too comfortable a place for us. Anyway,
after I had spent so much time there, there is no way I wasn't going to
check in and see what was going on. So, the classic myspace
friend to friend to friend surf ensued. If you are in Greenville
right now and you make music/art/anything, chances are I have given you
as thorough a listen/(etc.) as my ADD will allow. One of the many
great artists I clicked across was Johannah. I mean, technically
I
have met her once in the basement of St. Paul's, but I can't say that I
know her at all. Nonetheless, I was definitely intrigued by her
music. Joey, apparently had also listend to her music and was
equally interested.
It is difficult to say well, and I
sincerely hope that anybody reading
really tries to understand what I mean, but this song reminded me of
why I haven't had a girlfriend in seven years; difficulty grasping the
[seeming?] posessive connotations associated with relationships of a
romantic nature, attempting to overcome the objectification stereotype
all the while watching as it seems as though others are willing
participants in their own objectification, my being objectified by
those assuming me to be nothing more than an objectifier, marriage as a
'holy' excuse for sex, a contract with the state, tax benefits,
familiarity and it's connection to love, induction vs. deduction, work,
courage, love as reality? ...too much to think about.
Mopey, dope.
Possible
Lover
Samantha Crain: Now, if there
was one time when it would be appropriate for me to tell a funny story,
this would be the spot. I mean, I have so many great stories from
touring with Sam...I am just not confident in my abilities to make you
laugh...Like, I could tell you about all the people she has made out
with, or all of the wildly, though unintentionally, inappropriate
things she has said...but this isn't a fukkin' gossip column. She
made me mac & chesse and played me in Scrabble--and lost--and even
tried to describe human behavior in terms of electromagnetic
principals. If you have ever been around Sam, you know how fun
she is to be around. And chances are you have or will one
day. She is as close as I can imagine to omnipresent.
Anyway, after spending an entire
freezing cold month on the East Coast with Sam, I definitely know all
of her music and even what she likes to say in between songs.
'This song is about a preacher who drowns the man he is
baptizing.' Her music is fantastic and we love her to
death. ...but what's with the accent?
Okie, dokey.
Devil's
in Boston
Student Film: I probably
shouldn't have seen these guys the first
time that I saw them. In fact, I just might have been the only
member of the band that did see them the first time at Wall of Sound
Fest in, your favorite state and mine, Texas... We were either
the first or the second band to play that day. Very nearly no one
was there to see us (I will chronicle this experience more fully later)
and immediately after us were two remarkably uninteresting bands.
I was just about ready, myself, to be done with this festival, well,
until Okkervill River at least. However, I decided to go ahead
and give the next band a shot; you know, be the change.
Wise decision! I remember
thinking something like, 'man! their songs are so pounding!
they's got a Native American guy playing drums! no wonder!'
Needless to say, I spent the next year--before we FINALLY got to play
with them again--listening to their myspace [on repeat] and playing
scrabble--I know their songs forwards and backwards.
I remember hanging out on Martha's
Vineyard (recording Caleb's album coincidently) and Paul talking about
cancelling our pending 'West Coast Tour' and I said to him something
like, 'You know, that's cool with me, but we HAVE to play with Student
Film! Fuck the coast, let's do Oklahoma!' ...And it was
awesome! If I could play a show with these guys every day of my
life, I would.
Fanny, fan.
Extravagant
Living
Sam Campbell/Jake Russel: Sam
quit our band two years ago and it nearly killed us. It's no
secret. He is just about the greatest bass player I have ever
heard. Or musician for that matter. If Sam is in a room
with a guitar (bass or otherwise) and others are there with instruments
as well, something amazing is bound to happen. The most brilliant
sounds emerge virtually effortlessly. And, for the most part,
nobody ever hears it. I remember Sam, Zach H., and myself playing
in the basement of Ladue one night (in the hopes of starting some sort
of band)...it started off like any typical jam session. You've
been there, you know...but by the time it was over...I had had one of
the most memorable sonic experiences of my life!
And Jake has achieved the rare
honor of appearing on two Berry albums in a row. I wish both of
these guys would just move here, seriously!
Sammy, cam.
For
Nina
Thassit,
Matty, Matt.