Keep meaning to pause this summer feeling set, but not yet not yet (from the Burger Boogaloo, or something like that, last year in Oakland; 39 minutes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4TjC20AOds
― dow, Wednesday, 20 April 2016 23:05 (eight years ago) link
Now that's a band.
― dow, Wednesday, 20 April 2016 23:29 (eight years ago) link
it's true that the early-mid 1980s was the high point for him, viz.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ta6EnFN48xk
― wizzz! (amateurist), Thursday, 21 April 2016 19:11 (eight years ago) link
There's so much wisdom, purity and personality in his current live act that I hadn't even considered the idea of him touring with a full band.
But it'd be interesting to see; even on the new record he's got a ton of backing singers all over his songs, and he has a lot of fun playing off of them. I kept hearing them in my head when he played "Let Me Do This Right" live (great song, btw).
― Evan R, Thursday, 21 April 2016 19:23 (eight years ago) link
xpost. Pretty much any live recordings from the Rockin' Robins period are essential!
― everything, Thursday, 21 April 2016 21:01 (eight years ago) link
absolutely class act
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbUYJfbZ-Qc
― niels, Friday, 14 October 2016 08:55 (seven years ago) link
Nobel Prize one day surely.
― (SNIFFING AND INDISTINCT SOBBING) (Tom D.), Friday, 14 October 2016 09:13 (seven years ago) link
last year's album has finally been put on the bandcamp they created for him the other month
https://jonathanrichman.bandcamp.com/
― Isi, Wednesday, 18 January 2017 12:44 (seven years ago) link
The ancient weird guy in his togaStaff in handThe ancient bearded guy doing yogaOn the sand
― AdamVania (Adam Bruneau), Saturday, 8 July 2017 14:52 (six years ago) link
Really glad to get to hear Ishkode! Ishkode! all the way through and all the other recent material. It's a really good album, I think. I find what he has to say to still be very interesting and I love his musicality. The abstractness in his compositions has obviously gotten even more extreme.
― timellison, Monday, 10 July 2017 00:09 (six years ago) link
From Bandcamp: JONATHAN RICHMAN DOES NOT USE THE INTERNET. ALL EMAILS WILL BE SENT TO BLUE ARROW RECORDS, HIS LABEL.
― smug dinner-jazz atrocity (Dan Peterson), Tuesday, 11 July 2017 21:56 (six years ago) link
I wish I could say more than "I love his musicality." I suppose it's not the simplest thing to discuss. He's obviously exploring the use of very minimal melodic and harmonic materials more and using more dissonance. I live his voice as an improviser, too, in his singing and his playing.
― timellison, Thursday, 13 July 2017 03:49 (six years ago) link
*like*
― timellison, Thursday, 13 July 2017 03:53 (six years ago) link
Jonathan re-wrote and re-recorded Old World for the 2008 album
years late but ty for this, had no idea that new version was on an album. as I mentioned upthread, it floored me
― sleeve, Thursday, 13 July 2017 04:07 (six years ago) link
New single:
https://jonathanrichman.bandcamp.com/album/penchant-for-the-stagnant-b-w-not-so-much-to-be-loved-as-to-love
― timellison, Wednesday, 23 May 2018 23:49 (five years ago) link
Nice
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 24 May 2018 03:56 (five years ago) link
:)
― Et Dieu crea l' (Michael White), Thursday, 24 May 2018 04:24 (five years ago) link
Old and New at the same time; so divine.
― bodacious ignoramus, Friday, 1 June 2018 16:56 (five years ago) link
M. White!!! hail fellow well met
― Οὖτις, Friday, 1 June 2018 17:07 (five years ago) link
this guy is a class fucking act
― niels, Friday, 1 June 2018 19:21 (five years ago) link
Jerry Harrison plays on b-side!
― Cow_Art, Friday, 1 June 2018 19:30 (five years ago) link
Okay, now you’re speaking my language
― omgneto and ittanium mayne (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 1 June 2018 20:02 (five years ago) link
have been enjoying the Action Packed compilation that's on Spotify and really this guy is just the classiest act
― niels, Wednesday, 13 June 2018 07:57 (five years ago) link
Took my 7 year old daughter to see him a while back. After the show she gave him a drawing of beavers partying at a dam and he was very appreciative and talked to her about the joys of drawing.
Klassy all the way.
― Cow_Art, Wednesday, 13 June 2018 09:55 (five years ago) link
Bit of a "Sister Ray" groove on the new one. (:
― timellison, Monday, 18 June 2018 17:34 (five years ago) link
Weird keyboard drone even
― timellison, Monday, 18 June 2018 17:40 (five years ago) link
I may have to travel to the states to see this guy
― niels, Monday, 30 July 2018 06:47 (five years ago) link
He used to tour elsewhere
― curmudgeon, Monday, 30 July 2018 12:46 (five years ago) link
makes sense, songs in French and Italian too... but seems he's only toured US the last 10 years?
― niels, Monday, 30 July 2018 16:17 (five years ago) link
I'm pretty sure I saw him in the UK in 2009
― lilcraigyboi (Craigo Boingo), Tuesday, 31 July 2018 06:14 (five years ago) link
...so the Astral Weeks book has a long section on Jonathan & the Velvets.
― that's not my post, Tuesday, 31 July 2018 06:19 (five years ago) link
xp aah ok, and now I see there was actually a 2012 euro tour as well
I guess I'll write him a letter
― niels, Tuesday, 31 July 2018 06:19 (five years ago) link
x-post--
I got the Astral Weeks book but haven't yet read the chapter on Jonathan & the Velvets. I saw the author do a book reading & talk. He said the Velvets played Boston a lot, and that young Jonathan sometimes was driving them around the city.
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 31 July 2018 12:54 (five years ago) link
New album! Co-produced by Jerry Harrison who plays Mellotron, harmonium, and clavinet!
https://jonathanrichman.bandcamp.com/album/sa
― timellison, Tuesday, 2 October 2018 15:30 (five years ago) link
Coool!!
― niels, Tuesday, 2 October 2018 15:31 (five years ago) link
what the hell?!
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 2 October 2018 15:39 (five years ago) link
There was the Paramahansa Yogananda song on the last album. Eastern influence becoming much more prominent!
― timellison, Tuesday, 2 October 2018 17:38 (five years ago) link
this is what the world needs now
― niels, Wednesday, 3 October 2018 07:56 (five years ago) link
i understand your dating bar ways
― reggie (qualmsley), Friday, 5 October 2018 22:56 (five years ago) link
Can't go back to fainting couch and corsetryCan't go back to pompadour and cummerbund
― timellison, Wednesday, 19 December 2018 04:29 (five years ago) link
Saw Jonathan last night in Denver — still a class fucking act. A fair amount of vintage French and Italian poetry set to song.
― tylerw, Sunday, 20 October 2019 15:01 (four years ago) link
He was doing the French and Italian a bit last time I saw him, plus a Sufi poem. My buddy wanted to see that Denver show but he said it was sold out by the time he tried to buy a ticket.
― curmudgeon, Monday, 21 October 2019 15:36 (four years ago) link
I plan on visiting the states with the sole purpose of seeing Jonathan
this is goodhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6dBDc82om0
― corrs unplugged, Friday, 15 May 2020 07:03 (three years ago) link
That was really great... until Andrew Bird's song at the end.
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Friday, 15 May 2020 17:56 (three years ago) link
I really like the one Trouser Press article on him from back in the day.
― How I Wrote Neuroplastic Man (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 4 June 2020 15:19 (three years ago) link
From TP 44, November 1979
― How I Wrote Neuroplastic Man (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 4 June 2020 15:20 (three years ago) link
https://trouserpress.com/magazine-covers-5/
― How I Wrote Neuroplastic Man (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 4 June 2020 15:21 (three years ago) link
I mean of course it is really about the first few Modern Lovers incarnations but still.
― How I Wrote Neuroplastic Man (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 4 June 2020 15:22 (three years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9hYp3X76iE
― budo jeru, Thursday, 4 June 2020 16:34 (three years ago) link
Nice.
― How I Wrote Neuroplastic Man (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 4 June 2020 16:41 (three years ago) link