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11-04-04
I started writing this before the election and now my woes seem
naïve and insignificant. Yesterday, I sat outside a strip
mall on my cell phone in the company of lunchtime America, trying
to talk my best friend out of moving to Canada. For sure it's
hard to claim my Americanism today and harder to still to claim
my place as a Southerner, but I am ready to stand and fight. I
know I need to allow for a certain amount of bitterness and grieving
time, but this is no time to let the bastards get us down. My
home state of Georgia is doing its best to convince everyone that
it is just as ignorant and bigoted as the “civilized world”
believes. And the media isn't helping any. As I listen to the
latest NPR special on White Southerners, I am struck by how tired
I am of the media's obsession with rural verses urban folk. I
am tired of the way they analyze, fetishize, or patronize the
South with so much intellectual vigor. I know the South has a
lion's share of demons; but being a diehard Southerner, I also
know that there are good people here, good people from all walks
of life. I am not gonna fall for this trap of self fulfilling
journalism. I will seek out my allies and create a family where
I am. I love the way the earth feels here and the way the air
sits so heavy. I love the music and art for no rhyme or reason,
half of it the signature of the oppressors. These are my roots,
and though many of my friends would abandon this out of principle,
I just can't walk away and see it overrun by the Moral Majority.
I am staying here and I'm gonna work to make it a better place.
Here's what I was thinking about three days ago…
11-01-04
I need to go back and re read Fast Food Nation, I have been on
a French fry binge for two weeks now with no end in sight. When
I found my self at Burger King ordering a BK Veggie, it was all
over. I remember the long hard road to boycotting them for plowing
down the rainforest to graze their beef cattle. And now look at
me. These fast food boycotts are the hardest. They seem so open
ended, but I know it's just me and my ability to rationalize my
need for sugar and grease. I went as far as hoping the grease
from my fries was contributing to some veggie gas on someone's
converted VW van. I know I am just tired like the rest of America.
With the election looming over us, and survey after survey making
us feel crazy and insecure, who wouldn't want to shop at the local
Walmart and hit up the Taco Bell on the way home.
And who can afford not to these days. We really need to raise
the minimum wage, stop outsourcing jobs, and get our health care
in order. Maybe if we made all these changes at once, everything
would fall into place and people could afford something besides
sweatshop clothes and cheap burgers. I know political correctness
tends to weigh heavy on the pocket book and I hate that. It seems
like just one more way the conservatives cast the Democrats as
a yuppified intellectual gang of rich pseudo progressives. The
idea of class is certainly dividing us these days as well as the
latest touchstone of “gays, guns, and God”. Being
a Gay, pagan, Jesus-loving, environmentalist shouldn't mean, I
can't stand up for the labor unions. It shouldn't cost more to
do the right thing; in the long run it should cost much less.
A sustainable way of life takes a long attention span and this
is something that just isn't taught in the schools anymore. If
we are gonna win the fight for human rights, a healthy environment,
and self sufficiency, we are going to have to come to the table
with a hunger for understanding and acceptance of each other,
and learn to work for common goals.
11-04-04
So there I was so full of hope in some ways, ways that are different
now. I was poised to see Kerry as our next leader and to challenge
him and myself to do the right thing…hmmm…what I wouldn't
give for a french fry right now.
Anyway, as I was saying we do need to come to the table and unify.
Its hard not to feel alienated especially if you are queer or
a person of color, or you are a generally disenfranchise human
living in the heartland or the countryside. Look around though,
you have allies, people who want to stay where they are, people
who love the feel of earth beneath their feet the way you do,
people who are compassionate and willing to overcome differences
to make this country as good as it can be. And for the city folks…don't
let anybody tell you that you are simply a bunch of isolated,
intellectual elitist. We need to get beyond these sound bite divisions.
Those political maps can be deceiving, so don't fall for it.
And
now for something completely different…I am still working
away on my solo project. I think I am actually gonna make the
deadline that I set for myself. I should be mastering the record
on January 3rd with Bob Ludwig-the champion of equalization. The
players on this record include some of the Stag gang and a few
newcomers. NineteenFortyfive has
a strong presence on my new CD.
I have been recording with them throughout the last year and we
finally had our last session a month ago. We recorded two songs.
One song is called “Sober Girl” and the other has
yet to be named. They really came through for me- Katharine, Hunter,
and Will are a powerhouse trio and inspired me to keep plugging
away on my new songs.
Here's a couple pictures from the basement…
Lyrics from a new song…not quite finished…
March
When you march, stand up straight
When you fill the world with hate
Step in time with your kind
Let it ring
When you speak against me
Would you bring your family?
Say it loud, pass it down
Let it ring
Let it ring to Jesus so he knows just what you do
You made fear an institution and it got the best of you
Let it ring in the name of the one that set you free
Let it ring
As I wander through this valley
In the shadow of my doubting
I will not be discounted
Let it ring
You can cite the need for war
Call us infidels or whores
Either way, we'll be your neighbor
So let it ring
Let it ring in the name of the one that set you free
Let it ring
And the strife will make me stronger
As my maker leads me onward
I'll be marching in that number
So let it ring
Let it ring to Jesus
Cause I know he loves me too
And I get down on my knees and I pray the same as you
Let it ring, let it ring cause one day we'll all be free, let
it ring.
 I
have also been working with Kate Schellenbach (Lucious Jackson)
on drums and Jody Bleyle (Hazel, Team Dresch, and Family Outing)
on bass. These two make up a fierce rhythm section for the other
half of the record. Our first meeting was at Jody's practice space
in L.A., where we threw around ideas and made some demos. This
past June they came over from L.A. to record with me at Tree Studio
in Georgia. We got 4 songs done and have another 2 to go. I expect
I will be out L.A. in December and working on the last 2 songs
with Jody and Kate. Also, I am really excited to say that Donna
Dresch will be coming down from Portland to join us in the studio.
Michelle Malone came into
Orphan Studio in Atlanta to sing and play some electric guitar
on a song called “Pennies on The Track.” This is one
of the Kate / Jody songs.
Here are the lyrics…
Putting
pennies on the track, shiny and flat,
It was the best we could be, sexy and free.
I grow away from myself with each passing bell
With all these new accessories, I just stumble and bleed.
For a moment I feel the coldness
at the end of a Fall day
I put my hands down deep in my pockets
As my body awakes
So I'm heading back to school all brilliant and new,
Trying hard to fit in and not to walk like a man.
A girl that I never noticed asked me to hold this-
A secret too hard to tell and I never will
.
For a moment I feel the coldness
Of everything that's been taken away.
I put the phone back in the cradle,
I can't make this okay.
The
damage she'll survive
But damn the sacrifice of
Every life we've lost
Damn all the cost of the assault
You tied a knot and you dared me,
the stem of a cherry,
To find my own humanity
and just let it breathe.
Hold my head up in this moment
keep myself from fading away.
Pull my hands out of pockets,
feel my body awake
The record is going to be called Prom. It has a lot of themes
running through it that make me think of that word- highschool,
the dance of life, suburbia, rural life, and innocence….but
really I am still sitting with it all to figure out what it means.
Expect an April 5th 2005 release date and a spring tour before
the Indigos start their summer season. Whatever I don't hit in
the spring, I will do in the fall.
Now
a quick run down of what's happening…
I am in good company with my upcoming Daemon release. This is
proving to be our most exciting year ever. Athens
Boys Choir is out there letting the rhymes out in their rambunctious
way, helping to bring a new understanding of gender, race, and
culture to the table. ABC has words for the battle weary masses,
they will energize you and feed your need for action.
The
good news of Girlyman is spreading
like wildfire. They are currently on tour with the Indigos and
I just can't say enough about them. The kicker is that they have
just begun. They will be releasing their second Daemon record
in the Spring 2005.
Here's Girlyman on tour with Indigos:
The Bambix CD just came out
and it is apparent that people are really hungry for this kind
of music-a strong woman in front of a killer punk band. I heard
this Cd when it was passed to me along with a letter that referenced
Kaia and The Butchies. I must of run 100 miles to it.
Next up, The
Great Unknowns. This perfectly crafted Americana /
Country record is due out in December. We are having a party on
December 11th at The Echo Lounge in Atlanta to celebrate the release
of Presenting The Great Unknowns. Its gonna be a huge bash with
a portion of the proceeds going to Atlanta based organization
-Sisterlove. Sisterlove,
Inc. is the first and oldest nonprofit community based organization
in Georgia to focus specifically on the needs of women, particularly
African American women and those of African descent, who are at
the risk for contracting HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted
diseases
We will start the New Year out right with a release that really
brings me full circle in my life. In the first years of Daemon,
I always wanted to work with Magnapop
and now its gonna happen with the January release of their new
CD MouthFeel. This band is still vital to the Southern Punk scene.
We are joining up with AK Press for another folk release. We welcome
songsmith Casey
Neill to the Daemon
family.
Katharine McElroy (NineteenFortyfive)
has a new band called Snow Machine.
The music is keyboard based and feels like a movie sound track,
falling over the senses, creating images and emotions with each
note. The stories are fragile and to me, sort of capture the suburban
plight. Her CD will be released in February.
Word on the street is that Paul Melancon
is creating another masterpiece. The release date is not set yet.
We
are also still waiting to release the Utah
Philips box set. But this collection is worth the wait.
It is his definitive songbook.
That's it for now. I will be back sooner than later.
Amy Ray
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