LITTLE GIFTS
by Sean
Please note: MP3s are only kept online for a short time, and if this entry is from more than a couple of weeks ago, the music probably won't be available to download any more.


 

Photo by Saku Soukka

Sister Suvi - "Golden". Spent some of yesterday with Merrill Garbus, the woman who is Tune-Yards and one third of Sister Suvi. We took our bikes to the quarry, threw on our walkmen, went down deep. In the gloom we listened to Billy Joel, Pavement, mined copper and zinc. We came out with our jean-jacket pockets full. We biked back to my place, stopping for dark beer and honeycomb toffee. We listened to the Velvet Underground's Loaded and smiled and laughed, window open, crows weaving in murders outside my open window, and with our metals spread flat before us we hammered, hammered, hammered our armour until it was brass.

Sister Suvi, one of my favourite new Montreal bands (previously, previously), continue to tour themselves sick. Catch them all across the United States, and buy their album for a price of your choosing.

---

Kath Bloom - "Come Here".
Marble Sounds - "Come Here".

A wonderful double CD compilation is being released tomorrow, by Australia's Chapter Music. On Disc 1, some of the best songs by Kath Bloom - a 70s and 80s folk-singer first introduced to me here by Jordan. And on Disc 2, covers of these songs by artists like Josephine Foster, Bill Callahan (Smog), Devendra Banhart, Mark Kozelek and the Dodos. Unusually for such a comp, the covers are on average very, very good. Both discs are. Also unexpectedly, I think my favourite cover is by an artist I had never heard of. Marble Sounds' take on "Come Here" is more straight-backed than Kath's, has european marbles in its mouth, but the longing is still there, cast in hopeful silver. There in the plain-faced waiting, the level-voiced singing, is four whole hearts of wanting; love that sounds out hot from the organ.

And Kath's original version, well, it's the sound of a cup that runneth over.

[buy]

---

One week ago, we launched our 2009 Funding Drive. Inside of just two hours, we raised $315 and met our goal for this year's technical expenses. Our eyes just about fell out of our potatoes. For the rest of the week, we kept open a fund for people to donate to some of mine, Dan's and Jordan's other projects. Over these seven days, we received a further $1,127. The figure is staggering. Literally, if I had to walk while typing this, I'd be staggering. It's hard to articulate just how much the continued generosity, warmth and contact from our readers motivates and inspires us. Not just at Said the Gramophone, but everywhere in our lives. We're blessed, kissed, coaxed, and made credible. It means more, I think, than you can know.

So to the 77 people who donated this year - our appreciation is deep as seas. Special thanks go out to Howard, who made the single largest donation, and to Brian, whose was the first donation to be received this year and who is the only person to have donated every year since the funding drive's inception. To the others who are also here, chirping in the wings - thank you too. We hope you'll want to keep reading.

(We'll be sending out individual thank-you emails & postcards as soon as we can!)

(photo by Saku Soukka)

Posted by Sean at April 6, 2009 11:09 AM
Comments

It's about time I left a comment.

I've been reading and enjoying this blog for the past 2 years, and over that time- been introduced to some amazing songs and artists. If I was older than 20, and had money I would have given you something!

Anyway, this was more of a comment just to say thank you and keep up the good work.

Posted by Vincent Lillis at April 6, 2009 11:53 PM

I'm in a similar boat with Vincent. Wanted to express my gratitude for this site and what you do. Even when the buffer rate is encrouching on my enjoyment of any given song I stream from here, at least it feels like there's somebody on the other end managing bandwidth, making sure everyone gets a fair share. Like a telephone operator in the digital era.

Posted by Sean at April 7, 2009 1:38 AM

From that great scene in the listening station in 'Before Sunrise' - vertive glances and Australian folk... Mm, Mm, Awesome.

Posted by beverlyhillssupperclub at April 7, 2009 12:19 PM

Sean - I tried to donate during the drive but had multiple rounds of trouble with PayPal. Not sure if this happened to anyone else. Email me your snail mail address and I'll send a donation that way.

Posted by Mike W. at April 8, 2009 8:12 AM

thanks for the great work. It's very appreciated!

Posted by mike at April 9, 2009 4:26 PM

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(Please be patient, it can be slow.)
about said the gramophone
This is a daily sampler of really good songs. All tracks are posted out of love. Please go out and buy the records.

To hear a song in your browser, click the and it will begin playing. All songs are also available to download: just right-click the link and choose 'Save as...'

All songs are removed within a few weeks of posting.

Said the Gramophone launched in March 2003, and added songs in November of that year. It was one of the world's first mp3blogs.

If you would like to say hello, find out our mailing addresses or invite us to shows, please get in touch:
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"And I shall watch the ferry-boats / and they'll get high on a bluer ocean / against tomorrow's sky / and I will never grow so old again."
about the authors
Sean Michaels is the founder of Said the Gramophone. He is a writer, critic and author of the theremin novel Us Conductors. Follow him on Twitter or reach him by email here. Click here to browse his posts.

Emma Healey writes poems and essays in Toronto. She joined Said the Gramophone in 2015. This is her website and email her here.

Jeff Miller is a Montreal-based writer and zinemaker. He is the author of Ghost Pine: All Stories True and a bunch of other stories. He joined Said the Gramophone in 2015. Say hello on Twitter or email.

Mitz Takahashi is originally from Osaka, Japan who now lives and works as a furniture designer/maker in Montreal. English is not his first language so please forgive his glamour grammar mistakes. He is trying. He joined Said the Gramophone in 2015. Reach him by email here.

Site design and header typography by Neale McDavitt-Van Fleet. The header graphic is randomized: this one is by Neale McDavitt-Van Fleet.
PAST AUTHORS
Dan Beirne wrote regularly for Said the Gramophone from August 2004 to December 2014. He is an actor and writer living in Toronto. Any claim he makes about his life on here is probably untrue. Click here to browse his posts. Email him here.

Jordan Himelfarb wrote for Said the Gramophone from November 2004 to March 2012. He lives in Toronto. He is an opinion editor at the Toronto Star. Click here to browse his posts. Email him here.
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