[Time Never Forgets] Farewell, Charlie Chesterman
Posted on December 16, 2013 at 9:00 am | 3 Comments
Just over a month ago, Boston-based musician Charlie Chesterman passed away. The news hit me like a brick, knocking me out of the daily hamster wheel as I prepped for a trip to the West Coast. I spent much of the cross-country plane ride with Scruffy the Cat, his seminal Boston rock band, playing loudly in my headphones.
I first heard Charlie & his songs more than 25 years ago, as a fresh-eared DJ filling summer slots at WWPV, the St. Michael’s College radio station up in northern Vermont. I was too young to be working at a college station (and one I wasn’t even planning on attending), but I had a hookup and a music obsession, and that was enough. Scruffy the Cat’s 1987 EP “Boom Boom Boom Bingo” stared at me from the stacks one day, and “You Dirty Rat“, the lead-off track, totally nailed me.
Sure, other bands outta Boston grabbed my attention – first the Cars in junior high, then the Pixies later on – but somehow Scruffy seemed more real. The were tangible, relatable, more down-to-Earth than the others, and they started me thinking that bands I could fall in love with were made up of musicians I could hang with. They were a bar band gone big, guys playing rock music that had me believing anyone could play rock music. Taken a certain way, that might sound like an insult, but from me it’s the furthest thing from it. They planted the seeds of my playing in bands – something I eventually did, something that changed my life.
I followed Scruffy the Cat, and Charlie’s post-Scruffy projects, into the 1990′s and beyond. Even though I ended up in Boston, and got the chance to see him perform a couple times, I never did try to meet the man – I wouldn’t have known what to say anyway. But I was always listening, always following, excited at any news of possible reunion shows, gut-punched by news of Charlie’s health struggles.
On November 4th, 2013, he left us. At last Sunday evening’s Boston Music Awards, Charlie’s longtime friend and studio collaborator Pete Weiss presented his wife Juliann with the “Unsung Hero” award. Here’s what he had to say to the Liberty Hotel crowd…
His own brand of wordplay, guitar finesse, and soulful (and sometimes mournful) singing defined him as a unique and valuable songwriter and performer.
I was lucky enough to work with him on seven albums over 20 years. And I was lucky to have him as a friend.
We lost one of the greats. We will miss him badly. But we’re lucky he left us such amazing music — Scruffy the Cat, the Harmony Rockets, the Legendary Motorbikes, and solo recordings.
It’s my privilege to present the Unsung Hero Award to Charlie’s wife, Juliann Cydylo.
- Pete Weiss
A fund has been established to help Charlie’s family in the wake of his passing, so please consider dropping some money in the digital hat “For The Love Of Charlie Chesterman”. You can also contribute to the cause by grabbing the 20-track “Solid Gold Electric Chestnut Dispenser” compilation, which is a “collection of hard-to-find compilation tracks and previously unreleased rarities by the ex-Scruffy The Cat frontman, spanning 1992-2012.” Well worth a measly 10 bucks.
What follows is a long form obituary that was passed along last month, and I proudly share it here. See below for some Scruffy The Cat songs to stream while you read about the gentleman who wrote ‘em…
Born and raised in Des Moines, Charlie was lead singer of The Law, one of Iowa’s first punk bands, in the late 1970′s. He moved to Boston in the early 1980s where he started Scruffy the Cat, writing songs, playing guitar and singing most lead vocals. The band was at the forefront of a budding roots-rock movement, touring the U.S. relentlessly, sharing bills with the likes of The Replacements, Yo La Tengo, and Los Lobos, while releasing two full-length albums and two EPs on Relativity Records. After garnering attention on Coyote Records’ 1986 Luxury Condos compilation, Scruffy the Cat’s first EP High Octane Revival earned the fourth spot on the Village Voice 1986 Jazz and Pop Critics Poll. The band’s debut full-length album Tiny Days was released the following year and quickly topped college radio playlists. The video for the album’s track “My Baby, She’s Alright” entered rotation on MTV and the band was later profiled in Newsweek magazine. During an interview conducted from a street corner phone booth, Charlie commented on Scruffy the Cat’s spread in Rolling Stone’s “Back to School” fall fashion issue, “We were going to get into Rolling Stone one way or another, so we figured we might as well get pictures of us with someone else’s clothes on.”
In 1988, a follow up album was recorded in Memphis with famed producer Jim Dickinson. Although Moons of Jupiter was not as enthusiastically received in pop circles as the previous album, the experience of recording in the shadow of Elvis, Al Green, Booker T and Stax/Volt left a deep impression on Charlie. It proved pivotal in leveraging both his own development as a crafter of songs and in his transition from pop star to mature artist in the wake of Scruffy’s subsequent disbandment. As Chris Heim observed in a glowing 1988 Chicago Tribune review of the album: “It wasn’t quite as dramatic as Saul on the road to Damascus, but something did happen to the Boston-based band Scruffy the Cat on its way to Memphis that converted once punky attack cats into sweet, soulfully cool kitties.”
In the early 1990s, Charlie formed The Harmony Rockets, a jangly, British-pop-rock-influenced band. Popular and critically-acclaimed, the band played around the New England region, and released one record. In 1993, he recorded a few demos as a solo artist that resulted in his signing to Slow River/Rykodisc Records, with whom he recorded three albums — From the Book of Flames, Studebakersfield, and Dynamite Music Machine — that formed a sort of tragedy-to-redemption trilogy. He later put out three more albums with his band The Legendary Motorbikes, often known simply as Chaz & the Motorbikes. After stepping away from music for a few years to focus on raising his family, he issued a collection of unreleased and rare recordings entitled Solid Gold Electric Chestnut Dispenser.
Charlie’s longtime producer Pete Weiss said, “I feel incredibly lucky to have had him as a close friend and collaborator. And I’m very grateful to have been invited into his amazing musical world. I love, love, love how uncompromising he was with his music, and how he looked at rock and roll through a visual/conceptual artist’s lens.”
Charlie loved Rickenbacker guitars, motorcycles and Vespa scooters, and collected mid-century American graphics. He studied and cherished the songwriting finesse of Buddy Holly, the raw grit and creativity of the early Beatles, the bombast of Little Richard, the twang of Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent, and the ageless pop-rock of Chuck Berry, all of whom factored into his own style of songwriting and performance. In addition to his musical career, Charlie worked for many years at Boston’s PSG Framing.
Charlie died peacefully at home surrounded by family. He is survived by his wife Juliann Cydylo, his daughter Clementine and son Woolsey, his sister Nancy Covington, his brothers Ted and Dan Austin, and his mother Carolyn Chesterman.
* Steve Morse of the Boston Globe wrote a feature on Charlie’s passing.
* For more about Charlie, visit the Friends of Charlie Chesterman page on Facebook. This post, written by his friend Michael Charles (who took the topmost photo) is where many of us first heard of his passing.
* While you’re at it, join the Scruffy The Cat fans group.
* It’s a crime that Scruffy the Cat’s major label output has been unavailable for so long, but there may be justice on the horizon. Keep an eye on those two Facebook groups while you keep your fingers crossed.
And finally, a few StC songs. Thanks for everything, Charlie…
[Last Thursday's Playlist] New Music Night XIII at River Gods
Posted on November 25, 2013 at 7:03 am | No Comments
The 13th installment of New Music Night, our final DJ night of 2013, happened last Thursday over at River Gods in Cambridge, MA. Unlucky number, my arse. Good times took place as Jay Clicky Clicky and I served up nothing but new sounds for four hours straight.
So what did we play during our stint in the DJ booth? Glad you asked, ‘cuz I happen to have my playlist right here, and it took me longer to pull together and write up than it did to actually spin. So take advantage, and follow the links to download/listen/buy. There’s a wealth of new aural greatness below…
And be sure to step on over to Clicky Clicky for Jay’s ace playlists, where there’s more valuable info and aural pleasure to be found. #NewMusicNight returns in January, where there’ll undoubtedly be plenty of new songs to be shared.
New Music Night XIII
at River Gods in Cambridge, MA
on Thursday, November 21st, 2013
* Boston-area band
Set One / Brad Almanac / 9pm – 10pm
01. Snowbird – “Porcelain”
[ From the forthcoming debut LP, "moon" / Stream song at Soundcloud ]
02. Mogwai – “Remurdered”
[ From the forthcoming Sub Pop LP "Rave Tapes" / Stream track at Soundcloud ]
03. The Notwist – “Close To The Glass”
[ Title track from their upcoming Sub Pop LP / Stream song at Soundcloud ]
04. Belgian Fog – “You Drive Me To Madness”
[ New single / Stream song on Soundcloud / Video on YouTube ]
05. Barbara Manning – “Wishes Don’t Tie You Down”
[ Her latest digital single / Listen at Bandcamp ]
06. Barton Carroll – “The Straight Mile”
[ From his new LP, "Avery County, I'm Bound to You" / Soundcloud / MP3 ]
07. Howe Gelb – “Unforgivable”
[ From his new LP, "The Coincidentalist" / Stream LP at the WSJ ]
08. Damien Jurado – “Silver Timothy”
[ From his upcoming LP, "Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son" / MP3 ]
* 09. Marissa Nadler – “Dead City Emily”
[ From her upcoming album, "July", out in Feb. 2014 / Stream song at Soundcloud ]
10. Tara Jane Oneil – “Wordless In Woods”
[ From her upcoming fan-funded LP "Where Shine New Lights" / Soundcloud / MP3 ]
* 11. The New Highway Hymnal – “By The Pool”
[ From the brand new "Reverb Room" EP / Stream at Bandcamp ]
12. Crooks on Tape – “If Feelings Mean a Thing”
[ From their new "Fingerprint" LP / Stream song on Soundcloud ]
13. Throwing Muses – “Freesia”
[ From their new LP, "Purgatory/Paradise" / Download demo version via CASH Music ]
14. Joanna Gruesome – “Tugboat” (Galaxie 500 cover)
[ From the "Sugarcrush" single / Stream song at Soundcloud ]
* 15. Reindeer – “Blue And White”
[ Debut digital release / Stream song on Bandcamp ]
16. The Middle Ones – “McBee”
[ From the October WIAIWYA 7-inch / Stream song at Bandcamp ]
17. The Ocean Blue – “No Money In That”
[ New song from the Korda 2 Komp / Stream song on Soundcloud ]
Set Two / Brad Almanac / 11pm – midnight
18. There Will Be Fireworks – “Youngblood”
[ From their new album, "The Dark, Dark Bright", out tomorrow / Stream song on YouTube ]
19. Secretary – “The Only Ones”
[ From their self-titled debut EP / Stream at Bandcamp ]
20. Let’s Whisper – “Paperclip Chains”
[ From the forthcoming WeePOP! LP / Download via the Kickstarter campaign / MP3 ]
21. Withered Hand – “Black Tambourine”
[ From the forthcoming Slumberland LP, "New Gods" / Soundcloud / Video teaser ]
22. Ducktails – “Honey Tiger Eyes”
[ From the new "Wish Hotel" EP / Stream song on Soundcloud ]
23. Axxa/Abraxas – “I Almost Fell”
[ From their forthcoming debut Captured Tracks LP / Stream song on Soundcloud ]
24. Dum Dum Girls – “Lost Boys & Girls Club”
[ From the forthcoming Sub Pop LP, "Too True" / Stream track at Soundcloud ]
25. Hospitality – “I Miss Your Bones”
[ From their forthcoming Merge LP, "Trouble" / Stream song on Soundcloud ]
26. Midlake – “Antiphon”
[ Title track from their new LP / Stream song on Soundcloud ]
27. Minor Alps – “I Don’t Know What To Do With My Hands”
[ From their debut Barsuk LP, "Get There" / Stream on Soundcloud ]
28. The Bruised Reed – “Needle In The Hay” (Elliott Smith cover)
[ Lead-off track from the Detroit-based Elliott Smith tribute / Stream at Bandcamp ]
29. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks – “Lariat”
[ From the forthcoming Matador LP "Wig Out At Jagbags" / Stream song at YouTube ]
30. Vertical Scratchers – “These Plains”
[ From the upcoming Merge LP "Daughter of Everything" / Stream it on Soundcloud ]
31. Survival Knife – “Divine Mob”
[ From their latest 7-inch on KRS / Stream songs on Bandcamp ]
32. Ume – “Black Stone”
[ Preview track from their fan-funded next LP / Stream song on Soundcloud ]
33. Bailterspace – “Today”
[ From their new LP, "Trinine" / Stream the song on Soundcloud ]
* 34. Caspian – “Hymn For The Greatest Generation”
[ Title track from their new EP / Stream on Soundcloud ]
As I said, #NewMusicNight will return in 2014. Don’t fret.
Happy Holidays, people. May they be stress-free and well-soundtracked.
[NMN Playlist] New Music Night XII at River Gods
Posted on October 26, 2013 at 9:29 pm | No Comments
The 12th edition of New Music Night is in the books. As ever, four hours of all-new music, split between myself and Mr. Jay of the Clicky Clicky. The Sox may have lost, but at least we provided the River Gods crowd with a solid soundtrack to their disappointment. Win some, lose some.
My meticulously-crafted playlists are below, and you can head over to Jay’s place for his. Join us again in one short month as we bring episode #13 to the RG’s DJ booth: November 21st, a week before you the giving of thanks. Mark it down.
New Music Night XII
at River Gods in Cambridge, MA
on Thursday, October 24th, 2013
* Boston-area band
Set One / Brad Almanac / 9pm – 10pm
01. Kim Deal – “Are You Mine?”
[ From her self-released "solo series" 7-inch / Watch & listen on Vimeo ]
02. Shearwater – “Fucked Up Life” (Baptist Generals cover) | MP3
[ From their upcoming "Fellow Travelers" covers LP / Stream song on Soundcloud ]
03. Secretary – “I Know It’s Wrong”
[ From their debut EP / Stream song at Bandcamp ]
04. Dean Wareham – “Love Is Colder Than Death”
[ From his new "Emancipated Hearts" EP / Stream song on Soundcloud ]
05. Making Marks – “Barcodes”
[ From their latest 7-inch / Watch on YouTube / Listen at Bandcamp ]
06. Chastity Belt – “Black Sail”
[ From their debut LP "No Regerts" / Stream song at Soundcloud ]
07. Cults – “High Road”
[ From their new "Static" LP / Stream full LP at NPR / Stream song at Soundcloud ]
08. Robert Pollard – “Tonight’s The Rodeo”
[ Single from the upcoming "Blazing Gentlemen" LP / Stream track at Soundcloud ]
09. Superchunk – “Breaking Down (acoustic)”
[ Acoustic version of a track off their "I Hate Music" LP / Stream at Soundcloud ]
10. Rose Melberg – “Distant Ships”
[ From Kingfisher Bluez Vancouver DIY Singles Series / Stream at Bandcamp ]
* 11. Weather Weapon – “Cement Fawn (On A Tiny Lawn)”
[ Their latest name-your-price digital single / Stream & download at Bandcamp ]
12. Girls Names – “Third Uncle”
[ From the limited release "The Next Life" 12-inch / Stream song at Soundcloud ]
13. Neko Case – “Bracing For Sunday”
[ From her new "The Worse Things Get..." LP / Stream full LP on YouTube ]
14. Grooms – “I Think Were Alone Now”
[ From their "Infinity Caller" LP / Stream song on Soundcloud / Stream LP at Vice ]
15. Minor Alps – “Far From The Roses”
[ M. Caws & J. Hatfield / From their upcoming debut LP / Stream at Soundcloud ]
16. Califone – “Frosted Tips”
[ From the "Stitches" LP / Stream song on YouTube ]
17. Frightened Rabbit – “Radio Silence”
[ From their latest EP / Stream song at Soundcloud ]
18. Neo Boys – “Give Me The Message”
[ From the new "Sooner or Later" compilation on K records / Stream at Soundcloud ]
Set Two / Brad Almanac / 11pm – midnight
* 19. Soft Pyramids – “Don’t You Tell Me”
[ From the "Tweakin on the Weekend" 7-inch / Stream on Soundcloud ]
20. Swearin’ – “Dust In The Gold Sack”
[ From their forthcoming "Surfing Strange" LP / Stream song on Soundcloud ]
21. The Moas – “Of Mice”
[ From their self-titled LP / Stream track on Bandcamp ]
22. Dream Boys – “Blue”
[ From their debut LP / Stream track on Soundcloud ]
23. Veronica Falls – “Nobody There”
[ Brand new single / Stream song on Soundcloud ]
24. Afor Gashum – “Aeroplane”
[ From their upcoming debut LP, "From The Inside" / Stream song at Bandcamp ]
25. Joanna Gruesome – “Sugarcrush”
[ From their "Weird Sister" LP / Stream song at Soundcloud / Video at YouTube ]
26. The Wedding Present – “Two Bridges”
[ Their new single, available on tour only / Listen & watch at YouTube ]
27. Black Hearted Brother – “This Is How It Feels” | MP3
[ From their debut LP "The Stars Are Our Home" / Stream song at Soundcloud ]
28. Sebadoh – “Defend yr Self”
[ Title track from their latest LP / Stream song at Bandcamp ]
* 29. Mean Creek – “Cool Town” | MP3
[ From their forthcoming LP on Old Flame / Stream song at Soundcloud ]
30. Ex Hex – “Hot And Cold”
[ Mary Timony's new band / Shared on Bandcamp... and then removed. Bummer. ]
31. Quasi – “See You On Mars”
[ From their new double LP "Mole City" / Stream song on Bandcamp ]
32. The Marthas Vineyard Ferries – “She’s A Fucking Angel”
[ From their Kiam Records LP, "Mass. Grave" / Stream track at Soundcloud ]
33. Joel RL Phelps & the Downer Trio – “Blinding Light”
[ From their new album "Gala" on 12XU / Stream the full LP at Exclaim ]
34. Bottomless Pit – “Sacred Trench”
[ From their new "Shade Perenniel" LP / Stream the full LP at the AV Club ]
* 35. Caspian – “Hymn For The Greatest Generation”
[ Title track from their upcoming EP / Listen on YouTube ]
The next New Music Night is just one month away, on Thursday night, November 21st. Come aboard, we’re expecting you.
[Live MP3s] The Replacements at Riot Fest Toronto
Posted on September 3, 2013 at 1:38 pm | 3 Comments
I’ve got plenty to say about Sunday’s sold out, yes-it-really-happened Replacements reunion up in Toronto, and about my whole incredible Riot Fest weekend trip, but the words are still bouncing around my brain and my notepad. I’ve overdosed on reviews, photos, recaps, and YouTube videos in the days since the show, so I’m going to let it all sink in a bit more before I share a proper write-up of my own.
Until then, though, here’s my recording of the ‘Mats first set in 22 years. My audio is a very different beast from the two I’ve seen/heard shared so far (MFS / Scudder). What it definitely lacks in depth, it may make up in clarity. My not-so-pro microphone grabs the high-end, but not a ton of low, so while you can hear the kick drum and Tommy’s playing, it’s not quite as woofy. I’ll let your ears be the judge, though.
Stop back in a few days for my thoughts on the show, when I’ll be doing a giveaway that fellow ‘Mats fans will surely dig. Enjoy…
Live at Riot Fest
At Fort York, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
On Sunday, August 25th, 2013
[ Download all 24 tracks in one .ZIP file ]
01. Intro (banter)
02. Takin’ A Ride [ YouTube ]
03. I’m in Trouble
04. Favorite Thing [ YouTube ]
05. Hangin’ Downtown [ YouTube ]
06. Color Me Impressed [ YouTube ]
07. Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out / Third Stone From The Sun (Hendrix)
08. Kiss Me On The Bus [ YouTube ]
09. Androgynous [ YouTube ]
10. Achin’ to Be [ YouTube ]
11. I Will Dare
12. Love You Till Friday / Maybellene (Chuck Berry)
13. Merry Go Round [ YouTube ]
14. Wake Up
15. Borstal Breakout (Sham 69)
16. Little Mascara [ YouTube ]
17. Left of the Dial [ YouTube ]
18. Alex Chilton [ YouTube ]
19. Swingin’ Party
20. Can’t Hardly Wait
21. Bastards of Young [ YouTube ]
encore…
22. Paul’s Habs Jersey (banter)
23. Everything’s Coming Up Roses [ YouTube ]
24. I.O.U.
Live sets recorded with a Sony ECM-719 mic into a Sony MZ-RH10 minidisc, converted to .wav, edited using Soundforge, and made available as 256kbps MP3s.
Stream any and all ‘Nac-hosted Mp3s at the Hype Machine.
[Ticket Giveaway] THE NINES FEST in Devens, MA
Posted on August 4, 2013 at 9:30 am | 1 Comment
It’s been too long since I’ve done a proper giveaway here on the ‘Nac, and handing out a pair of free tickets to next Saturday’s first-ever edition of THE NINES FESTIVAL in Devens, MA is a worthy reason to end that drought.
The single day, multi-stage, outdoor fest has a solid musical lineup that includes a couple of personal faves (Texas instrumentalists Explosions in the Sky and singer/songwriter Matt Pond & his band), a full slate of comedy, and an impressive list of visual artists as well. Traveling is a no-brainer, as Willard Field in Devens is less than a hour’s drive from Boston, and the extended forecast looks pretty-much-perfect.
Along with Explosions In The Sky and Matt Pond, other performers include Delta Spirit, Dr. Dog, Shuggie Otis, K. Flay, Walk Off The Earth, Kid Koala, and locals Air Traffic Controller and Walter Sickert & the Army of Broken Toys. As with the recent (and upcoming) Boston Calling Fest, it’s nice to see slots reserved for a couple of Boston-area bands. Artists will alternate between two stages, with no overlap, while comedians do their thing all day in the comedy tent.
Want to go? Sure you do. I’ve got a pair of tickets for one randomly-selected entrant, so drop me an email at giveaways [at] bradleysalmanac [dot] com with the subject line “THE NINES”, and include your full name and the city you live in. Just make sure it hits my inbox before Noon on Wednesday 8/7, and I’ll let you know that afternoon if they’re yours. If you want to increase your chances, just follow the Almanac on Facebook and I’ll throw in an extra entry under your name, or you can retweet this and I’ll add another. Just make sure you send the email in first, because that’s the important one.
Check out THE NINES FESTIVAL website for the full schedule, and to pick up tickets of your own. For updates and more, follow them on Facebook and Twitter. For songs and video from the performing bands, visit Musings From Boston (Part I / Part II) or hit up Allston Pudding, who are also giving away passes to the fest.
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