Endless, Endless

Although never occupying the first row of my record rack, The Clean have been part of my personal soundtrack for a long time. I was always attracted to Flying Nun for two reasons: incredible pop music and the sense of otherworldliness the records held for me. I discovered The Clean after becoming infatuated with The Chills during my senior year in high school.

The bands stateside champion, Merge Records, released The Clean’s seventh proper (as in non-live and non-compilation) full length album, Mister Pop, this past September. I’ve listened to it easily 20+ times and have planned this writing the whole time. You’d think their music would be something so simple to write about. I mean, it’s hardly a complicated music. Generally speaking, The Clean play guitar and organ and drums and produce simple pop songs that are easily remembered and quoted. Their longevity rests in the way they play these songs, though. Perhaps unintentionally, there’s always been a certain sadness to The Clean’s music for me. (Never mind that they broke up several times, too. )

Maybe that was the initial attraction.

It’s hard for me to say but that’s got to be a component of it. Also, I find it harder and harder to write about bands that I’ve lived with for a long time. Trying to contextualize them is near impossible because they’ve been with you for so long. I do know that this new album is no disappointment at all and continues the fine tradition of the band.

Never heard ‘em? Not terribly surprising. (But, surely you’ve heard of them. Their name gets dropped all the time and if you’re reading 24HPP, which hardly has anything close to resembling a general readership, then I’m fairly certain you’re of a distinct class of folks. That is, you tend to live for this kind of stuff. ) They’ve never made a whole lot of headway in the US. Mike Turner and I were within a hairsbreadth of having them play Athens until their whole US tour got canceled.

Maybe we’ll get another chance. I certainly hope so.

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New Video From Mister Pop:

MP3: The Clean-In The Dreamlife You Need A Rubber Soul

MP3: The Clean-Tensile

Razzle Dazzle Drazzle Drone

More doesn’t mean better. Quickness isn’t quality.

I’m not lazy, Just discerning.

I made this in color just for you.

Be dazzled.

ΓΛ

Related:

Our Friend Jon

On Sunday, October 4, inside the Salvation Army church, we said goodbye to Jon Guthrie. And I want to talk about that but first I want to talk about saying hello to him.

I first met Jon when he was around 11 years old. This would have been around 1994 or so. I was working at Wuxtry Records in downtown Athens and Jon’s dad, the estimable Michael Guthrie, was a friend of the owners and would pop around regularly to hang fliers and talk records. He would often have his son, Jon, with him. Soon after this time Michael moved his classic/rare guitar and music lesson business downtown. First, he was catty-corner across from Wuxtry, upstairs above Paul Thomas’s old location of Spend Money Here (on Clayton Street near the now-former Cookies & Company) and then just a few doors down from Wuxtry. At this time, he was coming by the store every day. Again, almost always with Jon in tow.

I’m not quite sure why, but it never struck me as particularly odd that Jon was never in school during the day. I just never thought about it. As was the case, Jon suffered from a severe form of Attention Deficit Disorder that, even as recently as the mid-1990’s, was woefully misunderstood. He had been in the public schools a bit but was now being home schooled. In retrospect, it seems such a gift that he was able to spend so much time with his dad during the crucial adolescent phase. They weren’t inseparable because Mike was an ogre but because they were actually friends and got along well. They also dug a lot of the same music. And each could talk about records for hours.

Needless to say, we all got along great.

Jon started working at Wuxtry, maybe 10 or 15 hours a week, when he was around 14 or 15. I’m sad to say I had absolutely no grasp on how overwhelming and frustrating his ADD was for him. I occasionally got irritated with him when I would ask him to do tasks that seemed very simple to me. For example, one time all I wanted him to do was make a black mark across the top of several boxes of comic books so as to indicate their discount status. He got about halfway through a single box. I had no idea that it took an enormous effort on his part to sit still in one place and do a single task over and over. If only…

He was already playing guitar and bass by this point and his skill level was incredible. He didn’t so much “play” his instruments as he commanded and persuaded them. Nothing about his playing was forced, even at an early age. It seemed to come very naturally to him and it was the only time I’d ever seem him really composed and calm.

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My favorite memories of Jon from this time are when we would talk about records. Jon had such an incredibly wide musical palate. He loved The Small Faces and The Sex Pistols, Pink Floyd and 10cc, The Jam and Happy Mondays. Ok, yeah, a lot of his tastes ran to the Anglophile side of things but, even so, he never stayed within a single genre.

And he would follow the individual members of bands into their solo careers to an almost absurd degree. He was the only person I ever knew that bought Godley & Creme records because he honestly liked them and was fascinated by their keyboard tones. This was the aspect of him I admired the most. He was a true individual in a town that prides itself on individuality but, just like every other scene, can also be constricting, trendy and dismissive.

I stopped working at Wuxtry in 2001 and would only see Jon very intermittently over the next few years. I remember being struck by his appearance once around 2006 or so, though. His previously slightly chubby build had slimmed down; he had gotten a few tattoos and had plugs in his ear lobes. He still had his sweet-kid grin, though, and his kind eyes. I think a lot of folks will remember is smile for a long time. It really was something else.

His punk bands would play semi-regularly at The Caledonia where I was working (and still do) so I would see him fairly often over the last few years of his life. I bought shoes at sunglasses from him at Kum’s Fashions a few times in the past year. My favorite memories of him playing music remain those of when he played with his dad and uncle in the Michael Guthrie Band.

When the news came down on Monday, September 27 that Jon was missing I tried my best to get as much information to as many people as possible so we could all keep an eye out for him. A group of his friends (and some family) formed a search party and it was his friends that found him out off Beaverdam Road where his car had left the road the previous Saturday night. I can’t help but think Jon, while not wanting anyone to be hurt or saddened, would have been comforted knowing that it was his friends and family that got to him first. These are the people hurt the most by his passing.

They helped carry him through his life and they would be the ones to make sure he got home.

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The Salvation Army was at overflow capacity. The sanctuary had filled early and the crowd, easily surpassing 300 or more, was packed into a back room and hallway.

I’m not going to say much about the actual service because that seems a breach, to me.

But I will tell you this part: after all the friends had spoken, after his parents had said their public eulogies and the final prayer was prayed we were instructed not to leave.

That when Michael and Herb Guthrie, Geoff Guthrie and another fellow I don’t know went up to the alter, strapped on Jon’s guitars (Herb got behind the drums) and instructed all of Jon’s musician friends to join them onstage. I had no idea they were going to play. I thought the instruments onstage were just supposed to be a visual tribute to Jon. Then, at full concert volume, the Michael Guthrie Band blasted through “Johnny B. Goode” while everyone shouted, sang along and wept openly. Memorial services always have a sense of decorum about them and it can be hard for people to cry at them. Folks always stifle tears and choke back emotions because they don’t want to make any noise. When the band played, though, it was as if they were saying, “It’s OK. Make some noise. Celebrate Jon’s life.” In a very real way, we received permission to weep openly and loudly.

And that made all the difference.

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He was the first “Athens kid” I ever knew; the first I saw grow up. I was already 23 years old when we met but by the time he was an adult we could easily be called peers.

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All the anecdotes above tell only part of my experience with Jon Guthrie. There are other stories I could dig up but why? A whole lot of other people have more stories than I do. They could probably tell them better, too.

I know that I’ll miss, Jon and that I’m sad he’s no longer here. I know that Athens is a poorer town without him. I also know that he loved this town, its music, and people. In the end, I’m just very happy to be able to say that Jon Guthrie was my friend.

And, for me, that’s enough.

(Michael and Jon Guthrie, Liverpool, England, 2005)

Think Small

Hey hey the world is cruel
People are strange
I want to close my eyes
I want to close my mind
Like life is nothing at all
I will think small
Like life is nothing at all

Nothing will scare me in my sleep
And it won’t matter if I’m strong or weak
I want to close my eyes
I want to close my mind
Like life is nothing at all
I will think small
Like life is nothing at all

Hey hey let’s all fade away
And then we’ll never have to think again
Let’s all close our eyes
Let’s all close our minds
Like life is nothing at all
We will think small
Till life is nothing at all
We will think small

-Tall Dwarfs “Think Small”

mp3.

This is no dream. This is really happening.

Please click through and Help bring this incredible slice of Athens music history back to life.

The Archive

All-Way Stop: A Tribute To Heroes

Busy Week

Things have been unusually busy around here. I’ve got four wedding and a high school reunion to attend in the space of only a few weeks. Totally doable but lots of traveling here and there involved. Also trying to keep from getting sick so I’ve been slamming the Vitamin C, water, other healthy junk, etc. Normally I feel just fine and don’t worry about this stuff too much but everyone around me has come down with some sort of bug.

I had the opportunity to go see U.S. Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga. 10) on Tuesday morning when he held his last “Town Hall on Health Care Reform”. What a joker. A scary one, too. Still, it was a good time to be together with several like minded folks and give him the business. The single best thing, for me at least, to come from it is a video I shot of Ryan Lewis asking Broun a direct question and Broun, not having an answer, hems and haws and then walks away! I managed to have it edited and posted to YouTube within a couple of hours after it happened and the thing has gotten almost 1,000 views in only a couple of days and has been linked at Daily Kos, Media Matters , The Atlanta Examiner, several other outlets.

here is is.

Before we headed out to Watkinsville for the town hall meeting we met up in the parking lot of The Caledonia. Then, out of nowhere, Athens celebrity Jazzy J shows up. Here’s what he had to say about health care reform. (Note: I gave him a dollar after I shot this because I figured he should get something if I was gonna upload this and , as he says, four quarters ain’t gonna hurt.)

Normally, there’s not so much political stuff here at 24HPP. This week has been exceptional. I’m hardly an adherent to party politics and such. Lately, though, there’s been so much B.S. going around from the far-right that I just couldn’t stand it anymore.

UPDATE: 9-10-2009 @ 6:30 PM.

Ed Schultz at MSNBC picked up the video at the top of this page and broadcast it tonight. Click here to see his “Psycho Talk” segment.

A Reasonable Alternative

Prepared Remarks for Concerned Parents

Avoiding President Barack Obama’s

Back to School Event

Americaland, USA

September 8, 2009

Hey Kids,

Y’all OK today? I know you probably thought that staying home from school meant you were gonna get to play Xbox and eat Cheetos all day, and you’ll get to do that stuff, but first I want you to listen. I thought we might have some of your little friends from down the street would be joining us today but, as you can see, they’re not here. I bet they’re at that school. Why? Because obviously they’re parents don’t care about them or love them as much as your parents love you.

Sure, you probably wished you could have stayed in bed longer since you already knew you weren’t going to school. I don’t care: if I’m up, you’re up. You think I don’t know that feeling? I wish I could sleep all day, too.

The reason I kept you home today is because there’s no way I’m going to let my child be indoctrinated by the current “president”. Do you know that word, ‘indoctrinated’? It means brainwashed! As in they take your brain and wash out what you’ve learned at home and put in what they want you to believe.

I’ve told you a lot about how that school will fill your head with all kinds of ideas and now they want to put the “president” on every TV in every classroom so he can tell you about “responsibility”. Well, you don’t learn responsibility from a “president”; you learn it from your family. Did you know that the “president” doesn’t even know where his family is from or where he was born? How can a person who won’t tell us where he was born manage to teach anything to anyone? If you had bothered watching the news with your parents over the past few months you would know that where a person is born is the single most important thing when choosing a president.

This “president” is, at this very moment, attempting to tell kids across our great nation about how the government is responsible for setting “high standards” in education. That’s right! The “government”. Can you believe it? It’s true. All good people know that the only standard for a good education comes from your home and parents! Now, I’ve already read the speech he’s says he’s going to deliver today. Yes, he sounds very pretty and calm, especially when he says to listen to your “teachers; grandparents, parents and other adults.” Other adults??!! And why does he put teachers first in that list? Don’t you see, children, it’s because Mr. Obama thinks that those public school teachers are the first people you should go to when you have a question about your education. I can tell you that he’s wrong! I can honestly tell you that I went to school for 12 years and never once asked a teacher a question. I wouldn’t have gotten to be your parent if I was a dummy, now, would I? Exactly.

I know this seems boring but it’s important. Sit down! Oh, yes you will listen, mister!

I could tell you the rest of what the “president” has written in his speech but then that would be just as bad as you sitting in school listening to it. Kids, listen, what it all boils down to is this:

Do not ever, ever listen to anyone about anything (ever!) if they are different from your parents. Generally, this does not mean just because they are Black or Mexican or China-man because some of those people are some of your parents’  best friends. There can be good people of all types of colors from most parts of the world. When I say different what I mean is this: if they believe in things other than what you’ve been told at home then they are wrong. Period. They will try all types of things to disguise their true message.

They will say things like “take responsibility and study hard”. What they mean is “Your church is wrong and you should practice witchcraft”. They will say, “Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google, Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.” What they mean is “We’ve been in the brainwashing business a long time so you should really just stop struggling and come with us. We’re here to help.”

There is absolutely no reason any president should ever address the population of the nation without a signed permission slip from everyone’s parents. Do you think I could get on TV in every classroom in the United States and say what I’m saying now? Isn’t this country “by the people, for the people and…” you know what I mean. Well, why not?

So that’s what I want you to think about today. Why is the president allowed to say things on TV and your parents aren’t? Also, I want you to each write a letter to yourself and think of how you can help your parents with their goals. I will tell you what our goals are when I think of some. Write another letter to your parents promising that you will never listen to any teacher or Democrat. Remember, they are lying. If anyone says they’re not lying then you know that they are lying about not lying.

OK, that’s all. Think about what I said.

Oh, please don’t spill any more Kool Aid downstairs.

And keep it quiet. I need to lie down for a while.

Thank you and God Bless America.

Godard & Woody Allen – 1986