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  1. #1
    Crackhead Extraordinaire Dusty Chalk's Avatar
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    Jim White, Drill a Hole in the Substrate...

    ...gets the seal of approval from ol' Dusty Chalk. But first up, let's talk about Borders.

    Several of the stores in my area have been revamped. Terrible: shelves you have to flip through for everything, some kind of high up. It makes it much harder to browse, but on the bright side, it allows them to hold a lot more (maybe? I'm guessing). Sort of like the way I have my CD's (dis)organized. Also, at the same time as the remodeling, they introduced that system that allows you to hear any CD in the store. Ha! 90% of the CD's that I brought up to the system, I still have no idea (I'm sorry, but the selection you have entered is not in our database/library/whatever, please select another selection). But it is cool, every once in a while, you get a hit. So a couple I got a hit with were some electronica that I ended up rejecting (I'm glad I got to hear them first, I can cross 'em off my wish list), but two that I got hits with were the new Wilco album, and Jim White's Drill a Hole in the Substrate and Tell Me What You See. I definitely liked the latter a lot more than the former. That Wilco is B0-RING! But Jim White has a real feel for the patience and atmosphere that I really like. Also, I don't think it really qualifies as "No Depression", because it actually has a mild undercurrent of depression here and there. Not as depressing as, say, The Devics, but in a similar sort of vein. I also got to hear a little bit of that Rachel Goswell CD (ex Mojave 3, Slowdive), and that was kind of boring, too. I really don't know what y'all see in that crap, but you probably can't understand why I like the occasional exception such as The Devics or Jim White. Meh, neither do I, but I do.

    His voice is a little odd -- higher pitched than I would have guessed (no relation to Barry, I'm thinking), but not Wayne-Coyne-of-the-Flaming-Lips high, but it ends up really working to his advantage -- really cuts through the mix.

    Sounds really good on a revealing system like my Stax setup -- lots of little noisy goings-on contribute to the overall organicity. Ends on a pretty weird song, though; it could probably benefit from some judicious re-sequencing.
    Eschew fascism.
    Truth Will Out.
    Quote Originally Posted by stevef22
    you guys are crackheads.
    I remain,
    Peter aka Dusty Chalk

  2. #2
    Forum Regular audiobill's Avatar
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    Question Seal of approval....

    Quote Originally Posted by Dusty Chalk
    ...gets the seal of approval from ol' Dusty Chalk. But first up, let's talk about Borders.

    Several of the stores in my area have been revamped. Terrible: shelves you have to flip through for everything, some kind of high up. It makes it much harder to browse, but on the bright side, it allows them to hold a lot more (maybe? I'm guessing). Sort of like the way I have my CD's (dis)organized. Also, at the same time as the remodeling, they introduced that system that allows you to hear any CD in the store. Ha! 90% of the CD's that I brought up to the system, I still have no idea (I'm sorry, but the selection you have entered is not in our database/library/whatever, please select another selection). But it is cool, every once in a while, you get a hit. So a couple I got a hit with were some electronica that I ended up rejecting (I'm glad I got to hear them first, I can cross 'em off my wish list), but two that I got hits with were the new Wilco album, and Jim White's Drill a Hole in the Substrate and Tell Me What You See. I definitely liked the latter a lot more than the former. That Wilco is B0-RING! But Jim White has a real feel for the patience and atmosphere that I really like. Also, I don't think it really qualifies as "No Depression", because it actually has a mild undercurrent of depression here and there. Not as depressing as, say, The Devics, but in a similar sort of vein. I also got to hear a little bit of that Rachel Goswell CD (ex Mojave 3, Slowdive), and that was kind of boring, too. I really don't know what y'all see in that crap, but you probably can't understand why I like the occasional exception such as The Devics or Jim White. Meh, neither do I, but I do.

    His voice is a little odd -- higher pitched than I would have guessed (no relation to Barry, I'm thinking), but not Wayne-Coyne-of-the-Flaming-Lips high, but it ends up really working to his advantage -- really cuts through the mix.

    Sounds really good on a revealing system like my Stax setup -- lots of little noisy goings-on contribute to the overall organicity. Ends on a pretty weird song, though; it could probably benefit from some judicious re-sequencing.
    Hey, Peter.

    Jim White's CD is one I was wondering about. Glad to see that it get an RR Dustychalk seal of approval. I believe if I'm not mistaken that Joe Henry produced it. And, I do know that one of my favourite Canadian bands, the Sadies, play on it.
    I realize that this is a dangerous question: what does it compare to/ sound like??

    Cheers,
    audiobill

  3. #3
    very clever with maracas Davey's Avatar
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    Cool. I've only heard the one song from the latest Jim White album that he does with Aimee Mann that was on a recent Uncut sampler and thought it pretty damn fine. Tentoze and I talked a little about it since he has the whole CD. I do have his last album, No Such Place (at least it may be his last album?), and it's very good. Has a few different producer/collaborators including Morcheeba to really mix it up and even give it a trip hop feel at times. Pretty good stuff. Sometimes reminds me a little of Harvest-era Neil Young, but usually a little more ecelctic than that.

  4. #4
    Crackhead Extraordinaire Dusty Chalk's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by audiobill
    I realize that this is a dangerous question: what does it compare to/ sound like??
    Well, I'm still digesting, but a couple of references come to mind: The Devics, as I mentioned before. I know what you're saying: "who?" If you like this kind of thing, you need to check out The Devics. Their latest album, The Stars at St. Andrea is probably the most easy to get, but they're all good. I find them totally addictive. But they're much more melancholy (if that other stuff is "No Depression", I would say that The Devics are "Yes Depression"). I was just listening to the Cranberries, and he doesn't rock out as hard as the Cranberries, but might be likened to some of their softer songs (E.G., "Sorry Son" off of Bury the Hatchet). There's a groovier song, but it plods in a Peter Gabriel kind of way (yet without his "modern" sound -- it's much more of a traditional sound -- I think the Neil Young comparison is accurate, but I'm not too familiar with his catalog).

    That's not a whole lot, is it? Well, I'm still digesting.

    Oh, and a word: Can I just say I hate those stickers along the top of the CD? This is a Digipak, and it doesn't come off without ripping the cover. I've never had that problem before, but I'm having it with this one. Peeshes me awf.

    Dave -- yeah, I saw that you guys had discussed it briefly, but when I searched for "Jim White", I didn't get a whole lot (perhaps I ought to search for "drill" instead?), so I thought I'd launch a thread.
    Eschew fascism.
    Truth Will Out.
    Quote Originally Posted by stevef22
    you guys are crackheads.
    I remain,
    Peter aka Dusty Chalk

  5. #5
    very clever with maracas Davey's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dusty Chalk
    Dave -- yeah, I saw that you guys had discussed it briefly, but when I searched for "Jim White", I didn't get a whole lot (perhaps I ought to search for "drill" instead?), so I thought I'd launch a thread.
    I'm glad you did launch a thread about it. Sorry if it sounded like I was implying otherwise. I was just trying to agree and support your post based on the little I'd heard from the new one since I think Jim White is an underappreciated talent, and one that follows his own muse without worrying too much about trying to mold his sound to sell a bunch of records. Even so, he did manage to have a couple minor radio hits with the singles from No Such Place which were called "Handcuffed to a Fence In Mississippi" (which I'm also pleased to say was featured on one of my early comps called The Overflow) and "10 Miles To Go On A 9 Mile Road" which also wound up on one of my comps.

    [place shameless self-promotion emoticon here]

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