Will Oldham Interview

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Anyone see this Will Oldham interview? Interesting points on David Pajo, and calls John Darnielle "a fucking raincloud with raincloud shoes." overall a fun read.

http://www.synergymag.net/section.asp

― xenophobe, Wednesday, 28 April 2004 18:52 (twenty-two years ago)

John Darnielle "a fucking raincloud with raincloud shoes."

Er.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 19:20 (twenty-two years ago)

dude, j0hn, he said you wear 'raincloud shoes'! you just gonna take that ma-an?

― cinniblount (James Blount), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 19:22 (twenty-two years ago)

The asshole doesn't tip?

― mcd (mcd), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 19:23 (twenty-two years ago)

the interview sure makes sure that everybody knows who he knows.

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 19:24 (twenty-two years ago)

*cue "never scared", j0hn climbing into a pair of overalls, grabbing a juan marichal autographed baseball bat*

― cinniblount (James Blount), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 19:24 (twenty-two years ago)

the article has been renamed:

Two Fucking Fucks Talk a lot of Fucking Garbage About Some Fucking Shit That Nobody Could Give a Giant Fuck About

fyi.

― ddb, Wednesday, 28 April 2004 19:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Man, that made me feel like shit, though. That interview was like eight years ago, and took place at three-thirty in the morning, and I was just running off at the mouth - which is me, right, of course, but W.O.'s right: who the fuck do I think I am? I was just responding to how odious an album & career move I thought Arise Therefore was (an opinion I'd stand by, but less stridently I hope), and probably expressing more than a little professional jealousy over his remarkable success. Somebody kick my ass if I ever start flappin' my gums about music I don't like again.

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 19:27 (twenty-two years ago)

man, that some shit straight outta carlito's way there

― cinniblount (James Blount), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 19:28 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't get it

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 19:30 (twenty-two years ago)

I assume Blount refers to the DDB post.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 19:31 (twenty-two years ago)

PEOPLE...WILL OLDHAM on a SURFBOARD.

THE OCEAN JUST GOT DANGEROUSER!

― ddb, Wednesday, 28 April 2004 19:32 (twenty-two years ago)

what about the saul williams poem. OH IM LAUGHING.

― cutty (mcutt), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 19:34 (twenty-two years ago)

fwiw J0hn, I think your point was valid and, aside from the last part, not terribly harsh. And even that wasn't that harsh.

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 19:34 (twenty-two years ago)

dude you're a warrior, you had the eye of the tiger, but now you're seeing the error of you ways, regrets for youthful folly, and this regret opens the window for some punk like will oldham/john leguiziamo to take you out when you're trying to get on the train with penelope ann miller, and it's ponderous man ponderous

― cinniblount (James Blount), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 19:36 (twenty-two years ago)

blount you are my hero

reading the rest of the interview made me feel less bad about being an asshole, I must say

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 19:37 (twenty-two years ago)

(the Oldham interview I mean)

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 19:37 (twenty-two years ago)

it's like Biggie and 'Pac all over again.

― ddb, Wednesday, 28 April 2004 19:41 (twenty-two years ago)

only quieter

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 19:42 (twenty-two years ago)

the only things getting hurt are egos.

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 19:43 (twenty-two years ago)

"It's like would the Lincoln Memorial look good if Jerry Seinfeld was sitting there?"
nice.
gotta admit Palace looks pretty dope in that Mojo photo

― sexyDancer, Wednesday, 28 April 2004 19:43 (twenty-two years ago)

All I know is, I gotta get me some of them raincloud shoes.

― Salmon Pink (Salmon Pink), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 19:57 (twenty-two years ago)

His comments on Pajo are pretty interesting.

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 19:58 (twenty-two years ago)

you're all missing the point: HOW COME J0HN DOESN'T LIKE ARISE THEREFORE?

(isn't it ditching the country schtick he (deservedly) gets shit for?)

hmm. this post is useless. i love you all. xoxo.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 20:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Arise Therefore is Oldham's worst album (or the worst one I've heard at least). Apart from "No Gold Digger" and "The Weaker Soldier" that album is a tuneless wreck and the production sounds cold and brittle, ie, like shit.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 28 April 2004 20:43 (twenty-two years ago)

i believe that was the point. i, for one, love the drum machine and the droney/non-hooky guitar lines. "you have cum in yr hair..." and "kid of harith" and "a sucker's evening" are easily in my oldham top 10.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 20:49 (twenty-two years ago)

I loved Arise, Therefore. It was his I'm Your Man.

― Broheems (diamond), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 20:52 (twenty-two years ago)

I liked Arise, Therefore as well (The Weaker Soldier is great, but would have been loads better with real drumming), but I think it was closer to his "The Touch of Leonard Nimoy" or his "Trans" maybe.

― Charlie Rose (Charlie Rose), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 21:02 (twenty-two years ago)

if Oldham had done the whole album w/vocoder and synths a la Trans it might have been more interesting. Still, Trans has actual catchy songs on it...

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 28 April 2004 21:04 (twenty-two years ago)

I loved Arise, Therefore. It was his I'm Your Man.

Now I'm imagining Will Oldham singing "If you're gonna do it, do it right, do it with me."

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 21:09 (twenty-two years ago)

I have no idea what you are referring to Ned.

― Broheems (diamond), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 21:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Raincloud shoes? That's got to be the worst insult ever.

― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 21:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Wham!, of course.

x-post

― El Diablo Curmudgeonbotico (Nicole), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 21:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Mymymy, it's battle of the subcult indie singer/songwriters!

arise therefore has "you have cum in your hair and your dick is sticking out", "the weaker shoulder" and "no gold digger" = the only thing odious in this thread are those already apologized for questions, i mean holy shit J0hn your narratives are as affected as WO's... not to mention the AHEM "career move" dig, i mean, really! (100% no bad feelings to JD, sweden is one of my all-time faves).

― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 21:18 (twenty-two years ago)

He didn't even tip his waiter!

― El Diablo Curmudgeonbotico (Nicole), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 21:20 (twenty-two years ago)

PS: i'd be equally baffled as will oldham, sensing the mean-spiritedness of those questions, he handled it gracefully and laughed it off. the high road offers a nicer view.

(xpost to EDC: the tip on an entree on the chateau marmont's room service menu could buy many meals by its lonesome).

― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 21:21 (twenty-two years ago)

That may be, but that kind of lack of courtesy by spoiled indie kids always annoys me.

― El Diablo Robotico (Nicole), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 21:25 (twenty-two years ago)

maybe he didn't like the service!

― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 21:26 (twenty-two years ago)

People that don't tip = cockfarmers.

― El Diablo Robotico (Nicole), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 21:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Then I am a cockfarmer because I've stiffed a couple of motherfuckers in my lifetime (sorry? if you were one of them but you deserved it).

― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 21:28 (twenty-two years ago)

I dunno, if you don't tip and it's not because of some bad service issue then yeah, yer a cockfarmer far as I'm concerned. Altho the way that exchanged was described in the interview I got the impression Oldham didn't know who was paying for it...? And if his expenses were being covered then why NOT tip...?

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 28 April 2004 21:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Sorry to derail the thread. I haven't waitressed or anything, but *in most cases* I think it's a very snotty and dismissive sort of thing to do. But it's not like he took a chainsaw to anyone...

x-post

― El Diablo Robotico (Nicole), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 21:33 (twenty-two years ago)

I've often resolved not to tip when I've received egregiously poor service, but when the bill finally arrives I always include something, even if a bit reduced from the normal percentage. It's ingrained from my days working as a pizza delivery guy in high school.

― Broheems (diamond), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 21:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Wasn’t the point that - *all* - Narratives are affected, at least all those that aren't freestyle autobiography stream of consciousness, and people - *journalists* - should be prepared/eager to question these narratives and their purposes and intentions..?

I'm glad nothing i say up off the top of my head is archived on the world wide web and I’m never going to be challenged on my eccentric, post-grammatical use of *’s ever. Maybe.

― james porter (james porter), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 21:38 (twenty-two years ago)

**** off.

― myke boomnoise (myke boomnoise), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 21:43 (twenty-two years ago)

no, seriously, otm james!

― myke boomnoise (myke boomnoise), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 21:44 (twenty-two years ago)

again I'd say "wot an asshole i am" in preface to anything else I might add BUT! in the broader context of the interview w/me from which those questions were taken: the question being posed to me was "what sort of questions do you wish people would ask you?" and my (overlong, needlessly venom-laden, fatigued) response was that I think songwriters oughta be asked why they do things the way they do 'em: using W.O. as an example, whose narrative strategies seemed (at the time, ca. '97 or '98 I think) eager to defer exactly that line of interrogation.

but again the main thing I take from all this is "John, shut your gaping pie-hole, you sound like a dick when you're running other ppl down"

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 21:48 (twenty-two years ago)

i should shut up too, but:

you should give those 3 arise therefore tracks a chance (esp. the peel session of "you have cum...")

a tip is recognition for good service.

― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 21:54 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah gygax I bought the album and gave it a real chance - I dislike it strongly from stem to stern. like the latest one though!

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 21:54 (twenty-two years ago)

("master & everyone" I mean)

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 21:55 (twenty-two years ago)

i have to say, blame the interviewer. that was a setup if i've ever seen one. sure oldham goes off, but what do you expect. that's his instant reaction. the interviewer stripped the quote of any context and surely thinks he's quite clever for pitting oldham vs. darnielle.

― Gregory T (tubesocks), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 21:59 (twenty-two years ago)

you don't have to tip for room service generally as gratuity is usually included in the bill.

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 21:59 (twenty-two years ago)

i love you hstencil.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 22:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Ian did you know the library sleeper?

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 22:34 (twenty-two years ago)

can't say i did.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 22:37 (twenty-two years ago)

how about the chick pot dealer?

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 22:38 (twenty-two years ago)

my ex sells pot.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 22:39 (twenty-two years ago)

no, the one that was in the Post today who got busted.

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 22:40 (twenty-two years ago)

nope, don't know her. though i wish i did, as apparently she had acid!

― Ian Johnson (orion), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 22:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Will Oldham is a depressingly obvious person.

― David Allen (David Allen), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 23:47 (twenty-two years ago)

And I loved how John's comments were so true they flusstered Will.

― David Allen (David Allen), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 23:47 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm Switzerland here, but I think that the meat of what John was saying in that interview is one of the most OTM things ever. I remember Matt Valentine telling me once that he misses the days when bands were booed off the stage. And I think if you asked many contemporary 'artists' working within the confines of the indieTM underground WHY they do what they do, the lion's share would be reduced to stuttering dipshits.

Nothing wrong with a little constructive shit-talking anyway (tho I disagree with John's target - Arise Therfore is brilliant!!)

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Thursday, 29 April 2004 03:26 (twenty-two years ago)

asking people to define why they do what they do seems to be pretty "unpunk."

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 29 April 2004 03:36 (twenty-two years ago)

what about when jermaine asked 'why don't you do what you do when you did what you did to me?'

― cinniblount (James Blount), Thursday, 29 April 2004 03:43 (twenty-two years ago)

punk?

― cinniblount (James Blount), Thursday, 29 April 2004 03:43 (twenty-two years ago)

or just smooth as hell?

― cinniblount (James Blount), Thursday, 29 April 2004 03:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Jermaine = total punk
Michael = Jermaine's bitch

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 29 April 2004 03:55 (twenty-two years ago)

word to the badd!

― cinniblount (James Blount), Thursday, 29 April 2004 03:57 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't want to imagine the sexual weirdness and hooligans that went on in the Jackson household. Very punkily unpunk, if you ask me.

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 29 April 2004 03:58 (twenty-two years ago)

I disagree about well-meaning, constructive confrontation being unpunk. I think that to be truly punk, you need to question everything, whether its the government or your favorite band. I mean, why DO all these fucking people play music, anyway?

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Thursday, 29 April 2004 04:11 (twenty-two years ago)

why do you play music? And why do you tell people that you don't care what they think when you do? You can't have it both ways.

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 29 April 2004 04:12 (twenty-two years ago)

that's a general you, of course.

Anyway, I think people take a totally neurotic position towards musicians. We want them to be artists, to challenge us, to do their own thing, but we also want to know why. It's totally bizarre.

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 29 April 2004 04:15 (twenty-two years ago)

but i'm not approaching the question as a fan - i'm approaching it as an inquisitor - as an angry, jaded critic who's sick of seeing crap like The Rapture flooding an already overcrowded market with dreck. It's not, "Oh, Don Van Vliet, why are you SO great?" It's "Why, Hot Hot Heat, don't you just go get jobs pumping gas somewhere?"

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Thursday, 29 April 2004 04:19 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm not saying it shouldn't be asked, just that is part of larger, contradictory impulses.

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 29 April 2004 04:21 (twenty-two years ago)

seven years pass...

http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/03/bookshelf-will-oldham-speaks

On not licensing his songs to filmmakers:
“I’ve never been into the idea of taking a song that belongs in one place and putting it into a totally foreign, totally different context. People are constantly contacting me saying, ‘I’ve been editing my movie, and I’ve been using your song in the process. What would it take to license the song?’ And for me it’s like, ‘Regardless of what you’ve been doing, my song doesn’t belong in your movie.’”

― lag∞n, Tuesday, 3 April 2012 17:34 (fourteen years ago)

cant believe john likes master and everyone better than arise therefor what a raincloud with raincloud shoes

― lag∞n, Tuesday, 3 April 2012 17:43 (fourteen years ago)

no hes rite

― Lamp, Tuesday, 3 April 2012 17:45 (fourteen years ago)

i kind of like "raincloud with raincloud shoes" -- are we sure it was a diss.

― tylerw, Tuesday, 3 April 2012 17:46 (fourteen years ago)

no hes rite

― Lamp, Tuesday, April 3, 2012 1:45 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

omg this is so messed up man

― lag∞n, Tuesday, 3 April 2012 17:47 (fourteen years ago)

i feel like the world and for sure ilx would be a better place if john had intensified the feud instead of being so sensible abt it

― lag∞n, Tuesday, 3 April 2012 17:49 (fourteen years ago)

could've called an album Arise Therefore (And Kiss My Ass)

― tylerw, Tuesday, 3 April 2012 17:56 (fourteen years ago)

retire therefor

― lag∞n, Tuesday, 3 April 2012 18:00 (fourteen years ago)

Rainclouds Shoes, Customisable Rainclouds Shoes, Keds
www.zazzle.com.au/rainclouds+shoes
Technologic raincloud shoes. $79.25 - Technologic raincloud custom shoe. by evwudeck. purple rain shoes. $79.25 - purple rain shoes. by Jordaniala ...

― )Dre( vs. (Eazy), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 19:12 (fourteen years ago)

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