Happy Pants Day!

Despite the fact that post offices and banks are open, today is actually a holiday. At least amongst Vermont music fans who adore late, great Burlington rock outfit The Pants, who two years ago today, May 27, reunited at a sold-out Higher Ground.

As some of you are likely aware, filmmaker Bill Simmon has been putting together two flicks to celebrate the occasion: a concert film and a documentary on the band called "High Watermark." For the latter, my siblings and I were asked to record a version of the ballad, "Wounded," from the band's classic album Fred Sex.

For those who are just now following along, here's a little back story (the rest of you can skip to the vid):

I was a teenager during the much ballyhooed 1990's Burlington alt-rock explosion and a rabid fan of The Pants, who to this day remain one of my all-time favorite bands.  Long story super short, the day of the reunion show was also the day of my grandmother's wake, who had passed away earlier that spring. Since my siblings and I couldn't make the show — it would have been a long drive from Rhode Island — we played "Wounded" for our family at the wake. Word got back to Pants drummer Neil Cleary — whether via me or my sister, Ariel, is still hotly debated — and the next thing you know, we were recording the tune at Egan Media a year and a half later.

Anyway, the finished product (or, at least the Bolles' kids part. The full doc is still in production) is here. And I gotta say, it's pretty decent. My only quibble is that I appear to have put on some weight since this was recorded late last summer. Dammit.

Without further adieu, "Wounded" as performed by Ariel, Tyler and (me) Dan Bolles. Enjoy.

hi-res quicktime (104 MB)
http://www.poliscifiradio.com/video/bolles_640.mov

YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mllVp77sWSE

Pants site post:
http://candleboy.com/thepants/?p=28

Candleblog post:
http://candleboy.com/candleblog/article.php/20080526214835857

Hold On Dear Brother

A few posts ago, I mentioned that I'd recorded a version of the Beach Boys' "Hold On Dear Brother," which was also included in the most recent Contrarian's Corner podcast. Well, I finally got around to mixing it.

The song was penned by then-Beach Boy Blondie Chaplin, who, in the early '70s, joined the group with his songwriting partner Ricky Fataar. The two were previously in rock 'n' soul act The Flames, but put that band on hold to merge with the fading surf legends. The tune has always been a favorite of mine, although it sounds nothing like the rest of the Beach Boys' music.

I tried to keep true to the original spirit of the song, which is decidedly C&W. All of the instruments were played by yours truly. The track includes my debut performance behind a drum set. I think I held my own.

The vocals are mixed too high. Whoops.

Do let me know what you think.

The Contrarian —"Hold On Dear Brother"

New Musicks, Old Ear.

This is a repost from somewhere else. Because I'm lazy.

I've been working on some new music with my friend Mark G.Cooley. It's a long-distance, file trading project. It sounds great so far. Lots of possibilities.

Mark is an incredible guitarist in the Kottke tradition and also has a keen understanding of the avant-garde and noise worlds. One piece I've begun working on sounds a bit like Ry Cooder and Robert Fripp being disembowled by Lord Kalki. Suffice to say, it's pretty fucking catchy. A real West-East showdown.

I've also started messing around on a classical guitar-oriented piece, over which I shall add some electric skitters, my ghosty vocal harmonies and the odd soundwash.

We haven't figured out what to call ourselves yet, though. I want to keep branding myself as "The Contrarian," but this project deserves its own moniker, particularly since Mark is such a huge part of it.

Anyway, the collaboration is a saving grace for this old dog.

The only bad news is that I'm deaf in my left ear again.

Ups, downs and back-arounds.

I recently reconnected with my old friend and musical mentor Mark G. Cooley. To say he was a major influence on me is putting it mildly. From Sonic Youth to Segovia, the dude primed me for a life in music.

Mark is one of the most humble, talented and gracious individuals I've known in my entire life. Close to the only one!

I fell out of touch with him at least ten years ago, due to geographical distance and personal negligence. In the meantime, he's had gallery installations all over the country, and continues to create and record some mighty fine music. As a matter of fact, it's a lot like the shit I've been listening to over the last few years.

Anyway, I'm gonna hang out with him in a couple of weeks, and we're getting ready to start a long-distance musical collaboration that I'm guessing may be the greatest thing ever put to hard drive. If it goes well, I'm actually gonna push it a lot further than B-town, where I rarely push at all.

So that's cool.

But everything else is a pain in the ass: tracking down photos of bands for the paper (sometimes harder than you can imagine), meeting deadlines, and generally trying to stay above water. I've also been having a hard time getting hold of people who I need to do some basic business with.

But here is here, and now is now.

Someday — and hopefully not too long — we'll be in a different space entirely. Looking forward to that.

"Soft Rock" physically exists!

We interrupt the previous bitch session to bring you some very exciting news:

My teensy little 3" is now made manifest.

So I believe that Pure Pop should have it in stock very soon.

Thanks to Eric and Cooley for putting this sad little sucker out.

And super thanks to Sean Altrui for being so supportive and helping to keep my own interest up!

A moment of pure, self-advertisement.

Cut me some slack — I don't do it often. I guess this is what they'd call a "press release."

Achtung!

After numerous panic attacks, nail-biting and asinine whining by yours truly, The Contrarian's 3" CD "Soft Rock" is available to order from Icebox Records. A top-shelf label indeed.

The four-song disc is alternately dreamy, sad and terrifying. Kind of like its creator.

Buy it and weep.