If you visit my shop unannounced, the first thing that happens is this: I turn down the thundering stereo so I can hear what the hell you’re saying.
I try to keep my passion for music to a minimum here on the blog. But sometimes, all the pieces seem to fit, and I allow myself to slip.
This is one of those posts.
John Moreland is one of my favorite artists. Based in Eastern Oklahoma, we share a lot of the same ground (I’m from Northwest Arkansas). Moreland came up through heavy metal bands, then did an about-face to become one of the most promising Americana singer-songwriters I’ve heard.
His songs are impossibly sad, as the best songs are, and are suited for listening during a late-night drive down the Kentucky AA highway. Mountains, country darkness and a humid breeze in your face.
The song that prompted this blog entry is “Cherokee,” from his outstanding “High on Tulsa Heat” album. I don’t much care for music videos, but fellow Chair Chat citizen Klaus Skrudland insisted I make an exception for this one.
I’m glad he did.
Now back to the normal woodworking-plus-the-odd-animal-reference content.
— Christopher Schwarz
You should give a listen to Lost Dog Street Band if you haven’t already.
Thanks for that! Listened to John Moreland, now have Lost Dog Street band on. Maybe Chris could do a Saturday morning music blog post every week? The right music always makes for better work in my shop.
Good recommendation. Thanks. And if anyone is interested in rockumentaries, a new one called Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World is fantastic.
https://www.rumblethemovie.com/home
Thanks for sharing that Chris.
Yet another thing I have in common with my woodworking hero. 😉 It’s speakers in my home shop and earbuds on the day job, but there’s always music. That album was my intro to John Moreland 4 or 5 years ago and I’ve been a fan ever since.
I second this. The time Chris made a reference to The drive by truckers, my knees went weak with the intensity of my friends crush.
Every single one of his songs is excellent. That voice just cuts right through you. I first heard him in 2013 at Nelsonville music festival in southern Ohio. He had two sets on different days and I went to both. Man.
One thing about the video is that it shares the same tenuous grasp on a portrayal of woodworking that a lot of the ancient paintings do. I love the video and the old paintings. Surreal.
Thank you.
Is it the animal content that’s odd, or the animals themselves?
Or perhaps just the blogger.
Or the reader.
He’s incredible. First heard him on the NPR Tiny Desk Concert show.
https://www.npr.org/2018/04/20/603902766/john-moreland-tiny-desk-concert
echoes in my heart
There should always be a space for music in the place where we create. Whether it’s John Moreland or Yo-Yo Ma, music’s intangible power to influence our mood to raise our spirits or edge us to introspection surely improves our work. Some may say that the repetition of the saw or the mallet is enough, maybe so, but not for me.
A great song by an artist that I wasn’t (yet) aware of – thank you, Chris!
And indeed: music in the workshop (and in the office too, for that matter) has always been and will always be essential to my wellbeing!
I just came up from doing some planing down in the workshop, and looking through what the random selection on my phone music player put through the workshop speakers, I can see that over the last hour or so I have listened to Heureux qui comme Ulysse (Georges Brassens), See See Rider (Jo Cola with Pajot Swing Jazzband), You’re a Heartbreaker (Leon Redbone), Caravane Rabouine (Fapy Lafertin Quintet & Tim Kliphuis), Nobody’s Sweetheart (McKenzie & Condon’s Chigaoans), My Resistance is Low (Hoagy Carmichael), Du är mitt livs kärlek (Anna Sise), Dowland: Forlorn Hope Fancy (Sting & Eden Karamazov), Tecumseh (Townes Van Zandt), Im Head Over Heels In Love With You (Flatt & Scruggs), Embraceable You (Billie Holiday acc. by Eddie Heywood and his Orchestra), Let’s Do It, Let’s Fall In Love (Canal Street Syncopaters), Världens dyraste slum (Olle Adolphson) and London Blues (Bent Persson et al.).
And I shall most certainly take a closer look into John Moreland’s music – as soon as I’ve gotten round to getting the Harry Smith B-sides album, that is …
Cheers,
Mattias
That B-Sides collection is outstanding. A lot of the tracks are from the original set. But they have been remastered and cleaned up. The book and box are beautiful. The book has a cork cover!
And I think our musical tastes would work together just fine in a shop environment.
To be perfectly frank, the only reason I haven’t bought it yet is because there is a, not huge but still, possibility it might turn up under the tree in a couple of weeks’ time … but if it doesn’t … !
Mattias
Perfect, thanks for the introduction.
You mentioned Jason Isbell in one of your previous blogs, thanks for that. The sound fills my workshop and joins Johnny Clegg, Holly Near and so many thoughtful, outstanding musicians. And now John Moreland. Without your mentioning Jason Isbell and John Moreland I’d be the poorer. Please keep on sharing!
My sad-songs-in-the-woodshop musical artist is Travis Meadows.
Old Gohsts by far my favorite.
“God’s Medicine,” is a favorite in my North Eastern Ohio shop.h
Thanks Chris, and everybody else who mentioned the names of Americana artists I’m not yet familiar with. I do a 2-hour Americana music show once a week on our local community low power FM station and am always on the lookout for new (to me) voices.
To each his own, I prefer quiet in my shop. How can you hear how your tools are working with music blasting?
But I’m a crabby guy, I like the solitude and getting away from all the noise that we are bombarded with on all sides all the time.
When I drive my car there is no radio playing, am I the only one? ( yes 16 hour trips with nothing but my thoughts)k
The music I enjoy is in my head, I no longer listen to any other source.
I suppose it’s part of aging.
Tom, I agree with you that not all want music in their shop. Sometimes I do like to listen to it for a short while as I work, but mostly I do not. Same for traveling by car. Still enjoy music though, so to each his own choice.
Quiet can be a very good thing to rest our busy minds.
I usually drown out the machines in my workshop/noises in my head with early 90s hardcore junglism, but seeing as this is a hand tool blog I’ll recommend “Wood Work” by The Danish String Quartet.
Chris,
Thanks for the info on musician John Moreland. I have now listened to him and really enjoy his music.
Just as good as your woodworking advice.
Cheers,
Michael O’Brien
Alabama
Clicked over, now he shows up on the YouTube recommendations. Seeing lots of vids 5 years old and he’s not half the man he used to be! Congrats to him.
I found John Moreland going down a deep rabbit hole of Sturgill Simpson and Tyler Childers. I sang one of his songs to get my infant son to sleep. I still use it on him when necessary. Along with Jason Isbell, the 4 of them have been in near constant rotation in my home, car, and office.
Sturgill’s story is and should be followed by any anarchists that love this blog. He put out almost his entire catalog this year in 2 bluegrass albums as a response to a pandemic fundraiser he started that blew by his modest goal.
Childers has a presence in his voice like no one I’ve heard.
Yes — the fellowship of woodworking, music, and silence. Thanks.
Great recommendation. Reminds me of Steve Conn’s Famous, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmDMKRhBKP8 as well as Flesh and Bone. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEGhQC1ZJI4 along with his latest
I discovered John Moreland couple of years ago, not sure if from Youtube via NPR or from Spotify, but ever since he’s been in my music that I regularly listen to.
He sounds like an even more depressing version of Chris Knight. But rather than being depressed to read that we lost another 3,000 Americans to a communicable disease yesterday, I’m going to listen to ThaMuseMeant. “Love is all there is to love about life.”
Bluetooth headphones, John Moreland, Arlo McKinley, Devil Makes Three, and some Corb Lund make for good times while I’m working in my shop. Thanks for the post here.
Cheers from The Great White North
John Moreland’s music is great! Just a bonus that he’s from the best state. Check out Fairbanks and the Lonesome Light, too. “Crow” is a fantastic song. They’re in Austin, down there in Baja Oklahoma.
Thanks for the recommendation, the vibe kind of reminds me of The Civil Wars. I have to say my shop time enjoyment has increased substantially since I took a recommendation from one of Vic Tesolin’s videos and put a turntable in there. He has a great point – the regular break to flip sides or change records really gives you a nice way to gauge your time and a good designated break from time to time.
And since I’ve been recommending these guys for years to just about anyone I think may be inclined, if you have the time you should check out Elliott Brood – by their own designation they play what they call “death-country” but it certainly slots into the Americana genre despite their north-of-the-border origins. They’re also the only band I’ve seen blow the sound system at the folk festival…
Check out Jeffrey Martin and Anna Tivel too. Their Zoom concerts have been a great musical balm this year. http://www.jeffreymartinmusic.com/listen
Chris,
Thanks for the suggestion. I don’t think I have enough time in the shop to listen to all of the things I want to listen to, with music and podcasts I have on my lists.
Also, I want to send John a slim taper.
Wow. Thanks. I watched it twice.