KS Issue #1: The Wooden Sky, Swear and Shake, David Wax Museum

Words // Scott Pingeton
Video // Steve Legare

As part of the partnership between Kitchen Sessions and Visible Voice, we'll be digging back into the KS archives and pulling out some of our favorite audio and video from past house shows.  This is the first in what we hope will be a series of monthly installments - and it features some incredible stuff.  Enjoy - and please let us know what you think in the comments.

KS #18: The Wooden Sky

The Wooden Sky is one of my favorite bands in the world, and I've made no secret of that fact over the past few months.  Gavin Gardiner's songs are so finely crafted, and the band so adept at conveying a feeling through music.  But what's so great about this band is that they can pull off an echo-drenched jam or a banjo-folk shuffle, a whisper-quiet folk tune or a stomping call-to-arms.  Or, for example, "Malibu Rum" from their fantastic new record Every Child a Daughter, Every Moon A Sun - a melancholy lament set against a breezy coconut-scented melody - perfectly evocative.  (website)

KS#21: Swear and Shake

I discovered Swear and Shake by accident, but I fell in love immediately.  I was at the BOMB festival in Hartford and was on my way between stages when they caught my ear.  A song or two later I was convinced I had to book them for the Newport Nightcap afterparty - which they agreed to do.  Kari Spieler's voice is other-worldly, and the band's mix of indie folk and pop is irresistible.  I am anxiously awaiting their debut LP, which will include "These White Walls".  This video in particular really captures the spirit of Kitchen Sessions - great music in an intimate space.  (website)

KS #1: David Wax Museum
This set pre-dates the Kitchen Sessions name - and in many ways it inspired what Steve and company have done since.  I was lucky enough to be there that night - a cold, rainy, miserable night in March 2010.  I didn't know David Wax Museum at all, but I left a lifelong fan.  Hearing these songs - many of which would not be released until nearly a year later on Everything is Saved - was a revelation.  This was pre-Newport Folk, pre-NPR Music...just four incredible musicians playing to a room full of strangers and blowing away every single one of them away.  House shows like these were the bricks in the foundation on which they continue to build greater and greater success.  (website)

David Wax Museum
Kitchen Session #1
March 30, 2010

Beekeeper
Beatrice
The Persimmon Tree
Unfruitful
(Banter)
Rosamar
Yes, Maria, Yes
Donkey In My Soul
Banter
Look What You've Done To Me
Carpenter Bird
Si Te Vas
That's Not True
Let Me Rest
Colas
When You Are Still
The Great Unawakening

Full set download: mp3 zip

Favorite Albums of 2011 10-6

10. The Shivers – More
More reads like a series of vignettes with a common theme of love.  Or, more specifically, lost love.  A musically diverse batch of songs that draws on soul, garage and a little electro-pop, but all with a gritty NYC edge. 

The Shivers - Irrational Love

9. David Wax Museum – Everything Is Saved
On Everything Is Saved, local favorites David Wax Museum deftly marry influences as diverse as Mexican son jarocho, american folk and klezmer.  A deeply personal and joyous record.

David Wax Museum - Born With A Broken Heart

8. Wilco – The Whole Love
The Whole Love shows off the band's impressive range - but this is no Wilco-by-numbers genre exercise.  The songs push creative limits and show that as the band isn't ready to start coasting yet. 

Wilco - Art of Almost

7. Fleet Foxes – Helplessnes Blues
Fleet Foxes' 2008 debut thrust them onto the national spotlight as poster childs for the new wave of folk.  Helplessness Blues proves that their success was not a fluke.  Rich harmonies and reverby vocals remain, but the lyrics seem a bit more personal.

Fleet Foxes - Montezuma

6. Gillian Welch – The Harrow & The Harvest
The Harrow & The Harvest was a long time coming.  8 years after her last release, Gillian Welch returns with another set of timeless folk songs.  It was well worth the wait.

Gillian Welch - The Way It Goes

Review: David Wax Museum in Providence RI 12.2.11

Words // Brian Hodge

Much has been made about David Wax Museum on this site - and many, many others - along the band’s ascendant rise to indie darling-ship.  But setting aside the donkey jawbone (always awesome), going beyond the multi-instrument Mexi-’Mericana musicianship (continually impressive) and looking past their zealous marketing efforts (OK), and here emerges an undeniable authenticity in their act. 

Authenticity is often-sought, rarely obtained and difficult to describe without sounding stupid.  Maybe you just know it when you see it. Thankfully, I was able to see it on Friday night. 

On December 2, the David Wax Museum skirted south to Fête, a visually-striking (and promising) new venue in the west end of Providence.  The set burned slowly to begin with “That’s Not True” but quickly ramped up with “Beatrice,” and “The Persimmon Tree” before debuting one of two new songs for the night.

The new stuff sounded a lot like the old stuff - which is to say, lovely.  The musicality is still on full display, but an increased emphasis on vocal harmonies point toward another impressive effort.  Wax and co. plan to record the as-yet-untitled album this winter with aims of a (hopefully) fall release.

But if there any remaining pretenses about the ebullient enthusiasm on display that evening, they were quickly shed when the Museum took to the audience for an acapella version of “The Carpenter Bird.”  And then things got super-fun with the soulful “Night Was a Car” and the delightfully unhinged “Unfruitful,” two highlights from the excellent Everything Is Saved LP.

The evening closed when opener Spiritual Family Reunion joined the headliners for a passionate and personal performance of “Let Me Rest.” 

Genuine articles are few and far between, especially in today’s burgeoning, multi-Grammy nomination for Mumford & Sons, hyper-hyphenated folk music scene.  Boston should be proud to possess one in the David Wax Museum.

Spirtual Family Reunion opened the evening, journeying from New York City (“Seven hours from here, if you drive on a Friday night,” lead singer Nick Panken quipped) opened the night with revivalist foot-stompers, borrowing bits from Hank Williams and early Johnny Cash, blurring the line between past and  present all along the way.

David Wax Museum video premiere + ticket giveaway

Earlier this year, VV favorites David Wax Museum released Everything Is Saved, their third full-length and an album I called "a lovingly-crafted masterpiece".  For the record, I stand by that statement and it's still one of my favorite albums of the year.  To celebrate it's release the band threw one hell of a party at Oberon in Harvard Square - complete with trapeze artists, confetti, scorpion-shaped bass guitars and splintered jawbones (donkey jawbones, that is).  Since then they've toured pretty much non-stop, criss-crossing the US and Canada from Atlanta to Winnipeg to San Diego and pretty much everywhere in between. And, well, when you spend that much time on the road this is what happens...

It can't be a good sign when donkey jawbones start talking to you...!  Luckily Alec Spiegelman stepped up, the band marched on and now we get to look forward to their triumphant return to Boston for only their second local show since the CD release back in February.  The show is December 3 at Arlington Street Church in Boston, and in these beautiful surroundings it's guaranteed to be quite the homecoming.  Visible Voice is giving away tickets to one lucky winner (and a guest), here's how you enter:

1. Go to the Visible Voice Facebook page and click "Like"

2. Write the name of your favorite David Wax Museum song on our FB wall

We'll pick a lucky winner at random on Wednesday November 23!  Good luck!  And if you want to skip all the fun and games and lock down your spot now, you can still buy tickets here.

Newport Folk Preview: David Wax Museum

The following is reposted from October 2010: 

My first introduction to The David Wax Museum was at the inaugural Kitchen Session back in March.  I still remember showing up on that rainy Spring night knowing literally nothing about the band and leaving later in the night, CDs in hand, a fan.  A polite golf clap turned into raucous applause over the course of the night as David Wax, Suz Slezak, Jiro Kokubu and Jordan Wax played an energetic set of Mexican-infused folk songs.

Over the last six-plus months I've had the chance to see the band win over larger and larger audiences in the same way they did a small living room that night.  First it was the tiny Lizard Lounge and Club Passim, later it was the mighty Newport Folk Festival - in all cases the band's enthusiasm brought the crowds to their feet as they sang and danced along. 

Since Newport 2010, the band has continued to play big and prestigious stages - from NPR's Mountain Stage to Bob Boilen's famous desk, released one of the best albums of 2011 so far, has continued to tour the country tirelessly, and has shared the stage with Josh Ritter, Will Oldham, Bela Fleck, Andrew Bird and more.  They return to Newport again this year, the site of their biggest triumph and the show that thrust them into the national spotlight to open the main stage on Sunday. 

Listen to the band's set from the Paradise in October 2010, opening for fellow Newport 2011 band Carolina Chocolate Drops.  The set was a mix of songs from their last LP Carpenter Bird, and songs from their upcoming album Everything Is Saved.  The full set is available for stream/download below in fantastic sound - a pristine matrix of soundboard and audience recording.

The David Wax Museum
Paradise Rock Club - Boston, MA
October 16, 2010

Beatrice
The Persimmon Tree
When You Are Still
Born With A Broken Heart
Colas
Unfruitful
Lavender Street (acoustic)
Beekeeper
The Great Unawakening
Vivian Won't You Take Me In
Yes, Maria, Yes