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ESC009 | released November 13, 2007
"Enigmatic jack-of-all-trades Brian Dewan has dabbled in
everything from carpentry to free-form electronic music and
worked with everyone from the Blue Man Group to Sesame Street,
so it comes as no surprise that his latest mission is to rescue
as many long-buried American folk songs from "old schoolbooks,
garage sales attics, and basements" as he can find and
filter them through his sepia-toned armory of parlor-room instrumentation.
Words of Wisdom, the first volume in Dewan's Humanitarium
series for the Eschatone label, retains all of the snow-globe
whimsy and dark humor of his two collections of original recordings,
1993's Tells the Story and 1998's Operating Theater.
His self-built electric zither remains the delivery system of
choice, but he peppers each tune with flourishes of accordion,
autoharp, and creaky old piano, echoing the sights and smells
of the era that spawned them (some are nearly 200 years old).
Dewan's love for the macabre informs many of his song selections,
some of which were obviously drawn from the dusty pages of children's
books created in an age where parents and politicians had more
important things to do than remove "questionable"
material from scholastic texts for fear of moral depravity and
potential lawsuits. Death appears throughout Words of Wisdom
in many forms, from disaster ("The Miramachi Fire,"
"Only a Brakeman") to sin ("The Devil Made Texas,"
"Tobacco's But an Indian Weed") and - more often than
not - folly ("Blue-Haired Boy," "Carve That Possum"),
and in the grand tradition of the original Grimm's Fairy Tales,
Dewan knows that a tragedy is called such because like life
itself, there's no guarantee of a happy ending. In a way, these
are the songs that Dewan has been honoring for years through
his own work, successfully blending the imagery, vernacular,
and autumnal ache of Ray Bradbury, the tall tales of Washington
Irving and H.P. Lovecraft, and the comforting wartime illustrations
of Norman Rockwell into a tangible museum of real Americana
that, especially with this new project, masterfully conveys
the pioneering attitude, limitless imagination, and dark whimsy
of the pre-Information Age. [Four out of five stars]"
- James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide
"Like Yo la Tengo's Fakebook, Words of
Wisdom - subtitled The Humanitarium Series: Volume
One - is a collection of cover songs. Only three artists
are cited, however, since the other 13 old-timey folk numbers
were penned by 'unnamed persons.' The press notes explain that
Brian Dewan 'unearthed [these songs] in old schoolbooks, garage
sales, and in attics and basements.' He's also been kind enough
to include the fanciful and poignant lyrics as part of the gatefold
packaging, for which he provided the watercolor paintings. If
you're wondering why Dewan has only released three albums in
14 years, it's because he's been providing cover artwork for
the likes of David Byrne (Uh-Oh), They Might Be Giants
(Lincoln), and Neutral Milk Hotel (the interior of
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea). His piece for the latter
('Flying Victrola') is almost as enchanting as Jeff Mangum's
magnum opus. The notes indicate he's also worked on projects
for Sesame Street and the Blue Man Group. Dewan's follow-up
to Brian Dewan Tells the Story (1993) and The Operating
Theatre (1998) is a one-man affair with the artist on autoharp,
electric zither, organ, and accordion. Of the solo efforts I've
heard this year, Words of Wisdom is among the best."
- Kathleen C. Fennessy, AndMoreAgain
"This isn't your average singer/songwriter!" -
MTV.com |
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| Date |
Artist |
City |
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| Jul 27 |
Brian Dewan |
New York, NY |
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no blogs at this time |
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