My Grandma Lilian has decided that now is the time to go, and my mom and her sisters are in Port Townsend now easing her out. I can't sleep, though that's not terribly unusual. Grandpa Max died before I was born, and his wife Mary and Lilian's husband Ben went when I was very young. My only vivid memory of Ben is of him unconcious in bed, dying of cancer. Lilian's been the center of familial affairs for as long as I can remember. When she lived with us, we were the Christmastime mecca for the Bennetts, and it transferred to Washington when she moved. She's been run over (by a car), knocked down (by dogs), and kept going in spite of it all, and lived to see two great-grandchildren, and she's ninety-six and has earned her peace.
The Fiery Furnaces' grandma has a voice that's so soothing in its properness, even if it is a bit idiosyncratic. There are traces of Greek that make her pronounce words like "when," "whu-en." Eleanor acts as Ms. Sarantos' foil, and as young Olga. Matt has organs and tack pianos all over the place, not skimping on the brash arpeggiated keyboards and off-putting noises. They lost me around the part at the donut factory, and "as if I had been awakened from a bad dream," they got me back again.
There's a really sad piano part that's referenced throughout the album, and in keeping with Furnaces tradition, recast and revoiced for a variety of sounds. It's this kind of trick, the kind that has been employed by every single composer, that is difficult to master. It's such a simple theme, used maybe three or four times, but it binds the album together, and even without the (mostly) clear narrative, makes the music identifiable as a "piece," a unit. It's "good music." I guess I'd like to make "good music" more than pop music, but who will listen to me if I don't do pop music?
Beach Party Blockade is just about done with our hit single "Thunder in the Valley." The idea is that some film students will shoot a video for it, but we'll have to make sure it's good. It'll be good.
-Max "Gimme the Real Stuff" B-P
The Fiery Furnaces' grandma has a voice that's so soothing in its properness, even if it is a bit idiosyncratic. There are traces of Greek that make her pronounce words like "when," "whu-en." Eleanor acts as Ms. Sarantos' foil, and as young Olga. Matt has organs and tack pianos all over the place, not skimping on the brash arpeggiated keyboards and off-putting noises. They lost me around the part at the donut factory, and "as if I had been awakened from a bad dream," they got me back again.
There's a really sad piano part that's referenced throughout the album, and in keeping with Furnaces tradition, recast and revoiced for a variety of sounds. It's this kind of trick, the kind that has been employed by every single composer, that is difficult to master. It's such a simple theme, used maybe three or four times, but it binds the album together, and even without the (mostly) clear narrative, makes the music identifiable as a "piece," a unit. It's "good music." I guess I'd like to make "good music" more than pop music, but who will listen to me if I don't do pop music?
Beach Party Blockade is just about done with our hit single "Thunder in the Valley." The idea is that some film students will shoot a video for it, but we'll have to make sure it's good. It'll be good.
-Max "Gimme the Real Stuff" B-P
posted by Max at 4:35 AM
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