Hi Mastodon,

I’d like to reintroduce myself and introduce my album “A Cufflink-Wearing Guy”.

I write songs and over the past 6 years roughly, I’ve collected 10 from about 100 to be recorded, mixed and mastered. As of today, those 10 songs are available to listen to at bandcamp as the album “A Cufflink-Wearing Guy” (https://alastairleonard.bandcamp.com/album/a-cufflink-wearing-guy)

There are songs about fleeting marketplace romances (Sunflowers), and going in search of your life’s purpose (Desert Rose). There are other songs about taking the easy road and waking up late (Mid-Morning Guy) and the housing crisis in Australia (Yoshino Removals). There are even more songs — about bad haircuts (West Coast Haircut) and the disappearance of the bees (Honey Bee). The title track follows a pair of cufflinks given to me as a young man and their trajectory through the following decades. All the lyrics are up there so you can read along while listening if that’s your preference.

The music is roughly what I’d call indie-pop including jangly guitars numbers and piano ballads but there are forays into country twang, latin percussion, and doof. Some of my influences include #jeffreylewis #bjork #davidberman #cassandrajenkins #dangelo #leonardcohen #hopesandovalandthewarminventions #lucindawilliams #jenslekman #jonathanrichman #ninasimone #arethafranklin #pixies #thecure #thefieldmice #thesundays #thelemonheads #themagneticfields #tmbg #thegobetweens #motown

Attention is a commodity these days and I don’t expect too many people will hear the record; but if you do feel inclined to listen and can find a moment, I hope you find something joyful in these songs. Creating A Cufflink-Wearing Guy has been a labour of love. Mostly love, a little labour. Until next time, keep looking on the bright side. Thanks for reading. AL

#songs #song #music #indie #indiepop #pop #songwriter #acufflinkwearingguy #alastairleonard #introduction #reintroduction #album #newalbum #record

SILVER JEWS
Tanglewood Numbers
2005 U.S. pressing

David Berman was another one of those very troubled but very talented artists.

I love all six of the Jews records, but Tanglewood is the one I come back to more than any other.

It’s got one of the all-time best opening tracks in “Punks In The Beerlight”, as well as a long list of talented guest musicians.

Besides regulars Steven Malkmus and Bob Nastanovich of Pavement, there’s Bobby Bare Jr., Duane Denison (The Jesus Lizard), Will Oldham, William Tyler, and Paz Lenchantin.

And just on a personal note, every Jews album has a certain amount of sadness to it.
However, I cannot listen to Berman’s Purple Mountaintops album, which was his last.

It’s just a little TOO sad, knowing what we know happened.

A great talent who is greatly missed.

#vinyl #vinylrecords #vinylcommunity #art #music #vintage #retro #physicalmedia #records #vinylcollector #silverjews #davidberman #indie #alternative

Handwritten lyric sheets created by David Berman for the Silver Jews album LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, LOOKOUT SEA 🎵 ✍🏽 🏔️ 🌊 #music #PopSongs #DavidBerman #SilverJews #SongLyrics #PopMusic #IndiePop

https://www.reddit.com/r/DavidBerman/s/9uCGXvYm1a

Here’s an incredible David Berman poem I’ve never seen: “Democratic Vistas”

(Via leonorgrave on Twitter, published in Baffler sometime in 1993)

#poetry #DavidBerman

New Bill Callahan: Last One At The Party

Video: Bill Callahan - "Last One At The Party"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAtaQy-exak

Directed by Mikey Kampmann and Anthony Gasparro. From YTILAER, out now on Drag City.

I love it when artists don't play the typical music release promotion game. Normally, first you see a single released out of nowhere, and the...

Read more: https://gloriousnoise.com/2023/new-bill-callahan-last-one-at-the-party

#BillCallahan #DavidBerman #DragCity #videos #music #blog

Get ready for the most niche poll ever.

In the Silver Jews’ song “Tennessee,” when David Berman sings “Her doorbell plays a bar of Stephen Foster/Her sister never left, and look what it cost her,” what Steven Foster song are you imagining?

#IndieRock #SilverJews #DavidBerman