Dreamboat Annie- Ann Magnuson

Video by Krystyna Olsiewicz

From the new release Dream Girl

http://annmagnuson.com/

Released September 2016

Happy Baby by The Farmers (Daved Hild/Roger Miller)

Video by Krystyna Olsiewicz (June 2016)

Daved Hild of The Girls and Roger Miller of Mission of Burma teamed up in 1984 to perform as The Farmers. This track was recorded live at The First Congregational Church in Cambridge, MA on August 11, 1984.

This and other tracks are available on 12" vinyl through Feeding Tube Records. Other guests on the album include: Robin Amos , Dave Minehan, and Dan Salzman.

Cover Art by Steve Stain
Video by Krystyna Olsiewicz

http://feedingtuberecords.com/release...

Farmers (Daved Hild / Roger Miller) - Aug.11, 1984
LP inserts/ mp3 download code
Edition of 350
Release Date – Nov. 27th, 2015


This is listed as a Farmers LP, but it’s actually a survey of Daved Hild’s earliest work after the dissolution of Boston’s best ever band, the Girls. Chronologically, the earliest recording here is “The Fear,” recorded at Sorcerer Sound in NYC for a proposed Lust/Unlust EP called A Dog’s Prayer. Daved is joined by another ex-Girl, Robin Amos, and ex-Mission of Burma multi-tasker, Roger Miller.

After that come the Farmers tracks, recorded in Cambridge. Daved had been doing solo work in NYC, dressed as a Menonite farmer, but when he was up north the Farmers were a duo with Roger, who’d add trumpet, keys and whatnot to the mix.

Finally, there are a couple of demo tracks recorded in Boston with Roger, David Minehan (of the Neighborhoods) and Dan Salzman (ex-Maps, then in Christmas).

Daved, of course, played in a vast array of different units and configurations after the Girls, but this album is a solid survey of his early output. His approach to songwriting (perhaps best known for “Jeffrey I Hear You,” from the Girls’ Hearthan single), is amazing and cuts into personal flesh no matter whether he knows anything about yr history or not. Singing like a pro wrestler trying to get all sensitive, he manages to convey huge vistas of hurt and strangeness without coming off like either a fop or a thug.

It is a sheer pleasure to present this album of Daved’s purist inventions.

-Byron Coley, 2015

Lament for Charleston - Ralph Carney

Video by Krystyna Olsiewicz (July 2015)

In Case You Missed It: Ralph Carney's "Lament for Charleston"
Posted By Mike McGonigal on Fri, Jun 26, 2015 at 9:39 PM


Ralph Carney is from Akron, Ohio and currently lives in San Francisco. He's a multi-instrumentalist who was in the popular band Tin Huey in Akron in the '70s, and since then has done everything from making curious solo recordings to collaborating with Tom Waits, Jolie Holland, Elvis Costello, the B-52s, and dozens of others. I myself am particularly fond of his work with Daved Hild and Mark Kramer in the 1980s alt-rock band Carney-Hild-Kramer.

And one week ago today, just two days after the horrible events in Charleston, SC, Mr. Carney posted a solo recording of multi-tracked saxophones to his bandcamp and Facebook. "Lament for Charleston" is a remarkable, strong work. I spoke with Carney on the phone today about how it came together, what the inspirations were, and future plans for the song.

It's worth noting that "Alabama" by John Coltrane was written in response to a brutal church bombing undertaken by members of the KKK in 1963 in Birmingham, Ala. which killed four young black girls.


Ralph Carney: The tragedy happened and something in my head said, 'Go record.' I was thinking of Coltrane's "Alabama." I decided to start with my bass sax. I thought I might just do it as a bass sax solo, but then decided to build up different layers of sax, until it got higher – six saxophones in all.

I was in a trance while recording it, and everything happened so fast. I just picked a key, and then made sure the higher register horns were in key with each other, which isn't the easiest thing to do with this instrument, you know. I laid the saxes down in layers, including call and response parts. I was thinking a bit of Albert Ayler or, you know, Sun Ra, when I went into the chaos part. It seems that people have not been minding that part because I was just feeling the same pain that all have been feeling. And then there is a release to the pain, at the end.

In terms of references, of course there is the history of New Orleans funeral marches, and of saxophone quartets. I'm friends with the Rova Sax Quartet people, here in town. And I myself did a multi-sax thing in 1980 with Mars Williams and Donnie Davis, called Sax to the Third Power. We recorded, but never released anything.

It's a weird thing to do. I’m not waiting for tragedies so that I can capitalize on them. There’s been so many terrible things of late, but I felt compelled here.

And now it's going to be performed by the Kronos Quartet. Out of the blue, David Coulter, a Londoner who’s a multi instrumentalist and who just moved here to the Bay Area, phoned me up the morning after I posted it — last Saturday. He called up crying, and said 'Man that's incredible, and timely and perfect. I have to play it for David Harrington,' who's the leader of Kronos.

Two days later, David called and asked if they can get permission to do the piece. They’re doing a transcription, and they want me to sit in and play bass sax when they play here later this year, and be a guest on the song. I still can't believe it. Kronos are from [the Bay Area] but they're internationally known, so it still doesn't seem real.

Julie Wilson, an LA based artist who does a lot of needlepoint art [did the image on the Bandcamp page]

The Fear by The Farmers (Daved Hild/Roger Miller)

Video by Krystyna Olsiewicz (June 2016)

Daved Hild of The Girls and Roger Miller of Mission of Burma teamed up in 1984 to perform as The Farmers. This track was recorded at Sorcerer Sound, NYC. Guest synthesizer by Robin Amos. Charles Ball was the engineer and the title of the project was "A Dog's Prayer." It is the only track remaining out of 5 or 6 recorded. 

This and other tracks are available on 12" vinyl through Feeding Tube Records. Other guests on the album include: Robin Amos , Dave Minehan, and Dan Salzman. 

Cover Art by Steve Stain
Video by Krystyna Olsiewicz

http://feedingtuberecords.com/release...

Farmers (Daved Hild / Roger Miller) - Aug.11, 1984
LP inserts/ mp3 download code
Edition of 350
Release Date – Nov. 27th, 2015


This is listed as a Farmers LP, but it’s actually a survey of Daved Hild’s earliest work after the dissolution of Boston’s best ever band, the Girls. Chronologically, the earliest recording here is “The Fear,” recorded at Sorcerer Sound in NYC for a proposed Lust/Unlust EP called A Dog’s Prayer. Daved is joined by another ex-Girl, Robin Amos, and ex-Mission of Burma multi-tasker, Roger Miller.

After that come the Farmers tracks, recorded in Cambridge. Daved had been doing solo work in NYC, dressed as a Menonite farmer, but when he was up north the Farmers were a duo with Roger, who’d add trumpet, keys and whatnot to the mix.

Finally, there are a couple of demo tracks recorded in Boston with Roger, David Minehan (of the Neighborhoods) and Dan Salzman (ex-Maps, then in Christmas).

Daved, of course, played in a vast array of different units and configurations after the Girls, but this album is a solid survey of his early output. His approach to songwriting (perhaps best known for “Jeffrey I Hear You,” from the Girls’ Hearthan single), is amazing and cuts into personal flesh no matter whether he knows anything about yr history or not. Singing like a pro wrestler trying to get all sensitive, he manages to convey huge vistas of hurt and strangeness without coming off like either a fop or a thug.

It is a sheer pleasure to present this album of Daved’s purist inventions.

-Byron Coley, 2015

Brother Gorilla (from the Cold Dirt Press archives)

Today's fable is courtesy of English singer/songwriter and poet, Jake Thackray with his interpretation of Georges Brassens', "Brother Gorilla."

The Best Wedding Band Ever (from the Cold Dirt Press files)

The Turkish duo Derdiyoklar Ikilisi cram incredible dynamics into their performances. I wonder what it would take to book them for a gig.

My Favorite Theme - From the Cold Dirt Press Files

As a film geek, I've seen countless movies but I only rank two as absolute favorites. The Magic Christian directed by Joe McGrath, based on Terry Southern's book and starring Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr holds the number two spot. The slice of cinema history that I can watch endlessly and love no matter what condition the print is Carol Reed's The Third Man with Joseph Cotton and Alida Valli. Yes, Orson Welles is in it but Joe and Alida make me salivate. 

The musical theme and the soundtrack throughout is by Anton Karas playing the zither with innovation and mastery making modern ears think it's electronic gimmickry. Love the movie, love the theme, and so did many others as the variety of renditions spanning genres and generations proves.

As my anniversary offering to Cold Dirt Press, I have gathered some of my favorite versions of The Third Man Theme a.k.a. The Harry Lime Theme. First up are the iconic opening credits of the film with vibrating strings.

 Here is Anton playing live!

Carney*Hild*Kramer - "Clown"

Clowns are scary fun! Here is a killer clown track from the Blind Faith of the alternative music pantheon, Carney Hild Kramer.

Carney*Hild*Kramer - "Clown" from Krystyna Olsiewicz on Vimeo.

Carney*Hild*Kramer - "Javalena"

Here's a little ditty about porcine love done by the alternative supergroup of Carney*Hild*Kramer: Ralph Carney, Daved Hild and Kramer from their 1987 LP "Happiness Finally Came to Them" in Shimmy Disc.

Carney*Hild*Kramer - "javalena" from Krystyna Olsiewicz on Vimeo.

Krystyna Olsiewicz - "Dancing in the Mirror"

This recording was done over 15 years ago. It seems like another lifetime.

B.A.L.L. Reunion at Bowery Electric 5/25/13

On May 25th, 2013, the alt-supergroup B.A.L.L. reunited for one show at Bowery Electric in NYC. I was lucky to capture the entire gig. Messrs. Kramer, Don Fleming, Bob Bert, and Jay Spiegel gave a mind-blowing performance, and here 'tis.

The Girls - "Jeffrey I Hear You"

Here's my video for "Jeffrey I Hear You" (Hearpen HR106) by the seminal late 1970s Boho-art punk band from Boston with Daved Hild, George Condo, Mark Dagley, and Robin Amos. It was produced by David Thomas and recorded at Suma Studios on 2/10/79.

Video Experiment in Terror

My Father, the Harmonica Whiz

Dad was a born entertainer who loved making people laugh and dance. His harmonica playing was stunning for the speed and expertise as well as a deep repertoire of old Polish tunes. He also loved to make up new songd. Here is a recording that he made for me on cassette in 1985, after having surgery to remove a lung. I featured it on my radio show on WFMU from time to time. He strove for a professional sound in his own way and even threw in some station IDs. I miss him every day, but his love of music remains an enormous part of who I am, and I thank him.

Kramer and Daved Hild - "The Veronica Building"

Here is a video that I made recently for the plaintively beautiful song "The Veronica Building" by Kramer and Daved Hild from their album "Rubber Hair." It uses home movies of someone's trip to Disneyland in the 1950s and a Police Athletic League promo from the early 1960s.

Krystyna Josephine Olsiewicz - "Edison"

Back in 1991, some of the djs at WFMU participated in a tribute album to Thomas Alva Edison devised by staff member and improv master, Jim Price that was available as a fundraising marathon premium to support the radio station. This was my contribution, a cover of the Bee Gees song "Edison" from their 1969 album "Odessa." It was an abbreviated version of the song, and my full name was longer than the song itself. Last year I decided to make a video for the song and used footage from the Prelinger Archive, my favorite source for industrial and ephemeral films in the public domain.

Here is the Bee Gees' original version.

Carney Hild Kramer - "Hands"

To inaugurate this blog of my musical favorites, I am posting a video that I created for the song "Hands" by Carney Hild Kramer: Ralph Carney, Daved Hild and Kramer from their 1987 Shimmy Disc album, "Happiness Finally Came to Them." This was a song that I played on my radio show at the time on WFMU. Hope you enjoy the frenetic energy as much as I did and still do.