Month: October 2007

Teachers very rarely glimpse concrete evidence of the impact they have on their students. Musicians aren’t present when people play, and are changed by, their recordings. Volunteers don’t often experience the fruits of their love’s labors. Everyone is sending out ripples, like stones tossed into a pond.

At Cory and Lara’s wedding the other weekend, I received some Furious-related ripple-back and affirmation, that this waste of time might be a holy one.

I finally got to meet Nate (aka Bike) (!!!), and we had a long, free-floating conversation about Kid A, the purpose of music, and facial hair. He talked about the motivation it gave him to be a part of MFR, the purity of both making his music and knowing how listeners were receiving it (freely!), and how pumped he is about the number of people who have heard his records.

Chad, who has done some amazing artwork for us (The Silent Woods, Shacker and R,CC! posters, etc.), talked with me about Robot, Creep Closer!’s upcoming EP. He openly offered his art for future MFR projects on the basis that we give our music away, so he’s 100% up/down for giving his work too. Ripples. Inspiring.

The communal aspect is what resonated with Corbin.  Corbin is all about the community – the family – the kin-dom that pools its resources and gifts and uses them in a way that turns capitalist economics on its head.  I bring my noise, you bring yours, we bring ours and throw it down together for its own sake.  I talked with Corbin for a long time; you can imagine.  And I loved that he really got it, and was affirmed that he really loved it.

Thanks, all.  I’m grateful for you, and grateful we can be MFR and a tiny sliver of your lives.

-h

Today is moving day for me; today’s post is an email exchange Cory and I had a couple weeks ago.  -h
From: cory.kibler@almamater.edu

To: howie at MFR

Subject: Comfort Music

One time, a long time ago (I’m talking 2000 or 2001), I asked you which artists’ albums you would take with you to a desert island, and you said DMB, not because they would constantly surprised you, but because you knew their albums so well that they would just be good to have as a reminder of what was good.

Anyway, even though I am not and was never the DMB fan you are/were, “Under The Table…” has been one of my favorites since high school, and this CD just fucking owns all across the board. “Best Of What’s Around”, “What Would You Say” and “SATELLITE” right in a row, and then later, you get “Lover, Lay Down.” Sheeeeit! The other songs and the hidden track are awesome, but wowie.

Anyway, this is a comfort albums for me. For two reason: (a) it’s great and never gets old and (b) it takes me to a time when discovering new music was entirely new and pure. Or at least purer. My other comfort albums:

– Phish, “The Story of the Ghost”, “Billy Breathes”

– Elliott Smith, “Elliott Smith”, “Either/Or”, “X/O”, “Figure 8”

– Beastie Boys, “Hello Nasty”

– Death Cab for Cutie, “The Photo Album”, “We Have The Facts…”

– Neutral Milk Hotel, “Under The Aeroplane Over The Sea”

– Nada Surf, “The Proximity Effect”

– Weezer, “The Blue Album”, “Pinkerton”, “The Green Album”

– Shacker, “Dimly Lit Room”, “Knowing Her Best…”

– h&s, “Signs/Comets”

What about you???

From: howie @ MFR

To: cory.kibler@almamater.edu

Subject: RE: Comfort Songs

my DMB comfort album is Dave & Tim, Live at Luther College, and DMB Live at Red Rocks. At least as much for the times and places I first listened to them as for the music.

– Common, “Be”

– Heiruspecs, “A Tiger Dancing”

– Halloween Alaska, “Halloween Alaska”, “Too Tall To Hide”

– Bike

– JV All*Stars, “Document the Fall” EP, “Distance”

– Beach-Puppy, “Creepy Eepy”

– Kanye West, “Late Registration” (I can’t explain this; just is.)

– Nada Surf, “The Proximity Effect”

– Wilco, “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot”

– Beck, “Sea Change”

– Mike Doughty, “Skittish”

– Goldfinger, “Goldfinger”, “Hangups” (from all the h&s road trips)

my most powerful comfort music is hip-hop; explain that! if i’m super-bummed, i almost always put on the raps. -h