All posts tagged as: strand of oaks
All My Friends Are Right Here With Me
This week, my good friend and past tour mate Dylan Metrano of Tiger Saw released his first book, All My Friends Are Right Here With Me, which documents his ten years of making music and being a part of the American DIY community. The book features interviews and first person accounts of tours and collaborations with such artists as Dirty Projectors, Kimya Dawson, Songs: Ohia, Little Wings, Viking Moses, and Castanets. The book also comes with a CD of Tiger Saw covers courtesy of past and future Saw collaborators, including Jason Anderson, Strand of Oaks, White Hinterland, Picastro, and yours truly.
To celebrate the release of the book, Tiger Saw and The Wailing Wall will be teaming up (alongside South China) for a northeastern tour this October! Our sets will all emphasize the spirit of collaboration and friendship that Dylan’s book describes, and certain performances will include readings from the book, accompanied by puppet shows (I will be one of the puppeteers). Check out the dates HERE.
On a personal note, I was a Tiger Saw fan long before I was a friend. Dylan is constantly collaborating with new musicians and reshaping his songs, and his doing so was one of the big influences on the way I chose to work in The Wailing Wall - I have known the Saw to be everything from a gentle acoustic duo to a horn-powered funk band to an eleven-piece ensemble with both electric and upright bassists (see this mind-blowingly impressive list of past Saw members). Check out the video above of Dylan performing “Postcards and Letters” alongside White Hinterland’s Casey Deinel and Dirty Projectors’ Angel Deradoorian (and watch at 3:30 for an awesome surprise ending)!
This Is What it Feels Like To See The World End In Flames
End in Flames - Strand of Oaks
On Saturday, I had the pleasure of playing a show in Barre, MA with Strand of Oaks, aka Wilkes-Barre, PA resident Tim Showalter (no relation to Michael) (actually, I have no idea - maybe they are related?). Tim (who, as his official bio is quick to note, was a long time Jewish Day School teacher and school bus driver) is a truly awesome and humble guy, and an incredible songwriter. His debut album Leave Ruin came out in January on La Societe Expeditionnaire, and I highly suggest you all check it out!