I Hope Your Ears Bleed » ryan adams

Catching Up with Ryan Adams

Nathan — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 20:00:04 +0000

The last time I shared anything about Ryan Adams on here was a little over two years ago when he had announced his supposed “retirement” from music. Well since then, he’s released a Valentine’s Day EP with an unreleased track on it, a full-length double LP crafted from 2007′s Easy Tiger sessions, III/IV, and most recently the Class Mythology EP, a Records Store Day release of outtakes from the Cardinology sessions. Oh and I forgot to mention that he plans to tour Europe the entire month of June. That doesn’t really sound to me like the musings of someone who has retired from the music business. That is because he is far from retired.

Ryan Adams – Your Name is On Fire (Vinyl Rip) (from Class Mythology EP) thanks Tympanogram

He recently announced that he will be heading back into the studio soon to record a new album, and thanks to a surprise appearance at a recent Emmy Lou Harris show at El Rey Theater in L.A., we have a few new songs to hear.

“Dirty Rain”

Untitled New Song #1

Untitled New Song #2

New Norah Jones Record, “The Fall”

Nathan — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:07:29 +0000

There has been a decent amount of buzz over Norah Jones making a rock record. Not sure if that is the way I would describe it. But it is definitely worth talking about. While staying true to who she is, Jones has indeed managed to shake things up a little. But it’s not a rock record. It’s got more soul in it than it does rock and it doesn’t stray all that far from her jazzy roots.

The key component for change here was the switch to Modest Mouse and Kings of Leon producer Jaquire King. He definitely adds a little edge to the final product on several tracks. She is also playing with a completely new band who have collectively recorded with the likes of Beck, R.E.M., Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, The Roots and Herbie Hancock. Also the “retired” Ryan Adams and Okkervil River’s Will Shef gave a helping hand and each helped Jones co-write a different song on the album.

The Fall is easily Norah’s best effort since her delightful 2002 debut. Norah Jones enthusiasts won’t be disappointed and it is sure to attract a brand new batch of fans. Take a listen to the opening track, which gives you a great idea of the shift taking place on this fantastic record.

Ryan Adams Releases V-Day EP

Nathan — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:37:54 +0000

To commemorate Valentine’s Day this year, Ryan Adams has decided to release an EP of love songs that he has titled Extra Cheese. From the looks of the cover, I’d say he went with extra pepperoni, but that’s just me. Either way it’s making me hungry. Well the album is an Itunes exclusive put out by Lost Highway, and includes one previously unreleased tune. This would be a great bargain for an intro to Ryan Adams catalog, as you can get all seven songs for just 3.99. But if you’re like me and already have pretty much his entire catalog, it’s not so great deal, as the one new song is listed as an album only purchase.

In other news, Adams will be releasing a book this April called Infinity Blues. I wonder if he realizes that he can’t just hit the delete key once this book has been out for a couple of weeks. Should be interesting.

Extra Cheese tracklist:

1 Two (Easy Tiger)

2 Blossom (Cold Roses)

3 Answering Bell (Gold)

4 Evergreen (Cardinology)

5 My Love for You is Real (Follow the Lights EP)

6 Desire (Demolition)

7 Hey There, Mrs. Lovely (unreleased)

Ryan Adams Walks Away from Music

Nathan — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 20:44:12 +0000

According to a blog post from Adams himself on cardinology.com, the man who brought us 10 albums in less than 10 years (not counting his unofficial releases) is apparently done with music. Now he could just be saying that he and The Cardinals are done. He was sort of vague. But he seemed to hint at the idea of not writing music at all anymore. Now not for a second do I think he will never make another album. If that were the case, I would add some teardrops in with this post. But even if we don’t hear from him for the next ten years, he has left us with plenty of music to digest. I have five of his albums and have even begun to exhaust them. Hopefully this will just give me some time to catch up, while giving him a chance to experience life beyond drugs, alcohol, and rock n’ roll. Check out some of my favorite tracks from the albums I do own, and check out his painfully long farewell speech that he has already deleted from the blog (thank you stereogum). And I’d encourage you to get some tickets for his current tour with the Cardinals while they are still available. For I am sure that after this, each and every one of those shows will sell out.

Ryan Adams – Goodnight, Hollywood Blvd.

Ryan Adams – Cry On Demand

Ryan Adams – This Is It

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals – The Hardest Part

Ryan Adams – Two

me- 34-a non smoker and happy, for the first time in my life.. i am excited to finish this wonderful time i have had with the cardinals and whatever new adventures may come after march. atlanta will be my last venture with the band and i am grateful for the time we have had and maybe someday we will have more stories to tell together. i am however ready for quieter times as i think it is very evident i am struggling with some balance and hearing issues.

also, no drama or anything but i am okay to step back from all of this right now and i think i did enough manic blogging when i felt alone and isolated during the last few years of travel. these last few years were the hardest i can remember and the most rewarding but i have loved ones to care for now and i am lucky i have been given a chance to turn around and see just what i am capable of as a friend and as someone who is not gone forever every year- it rendered me incapable of things i needed to be to myself and others- and my schedule sometimes never ended when the shows did- and some of that was my doing. and i lost someone i loved, and i lost myself.

that changed. i got to know just who i am in this little spell of time here recently. and change is the nature of the world and i naturally embrace that.

i won’t be blogging here anymore either- but not for effect- it just is not being kind to myself- i need a life that is mine- i need to grow up and grow in to who i have subtly been working back towards since i stopped all that nonsense and i know also no matter what i choose to do in the music world, because i chose to do things my way and never lie i will always be viewed as an “asshole” ( i hear and have seen things in the past) and i am not, and i know the truth and i know who i am.

also it is kind of ridiculous to blog as i am a musician and anything i say here just gets reprinted at some point out of context. i say NOT FAIR but it doesn’t matter what i say anymore or what is fair anymore really does it- the 21st century media has it’s own rules about what is true and what is not. it is not a life- not one i want to live anyway and i don’t really care to participate in narcissistic over-indulgent behavior anymore- that was never my intention- i just wanted to fight for my right to make music and to be given the benefit of the doubt. now, because i have stood up for myself and fought for myself i am labeled all kinds of awful things. well, i will walk away now and it will not matter what anyone say’s. there are other things i can do in this life, other ways to be creative and to try and help others and be expressive without being demonized for attempting to gain the same things any other human being desires- love- friendship- understanding- and being able to express yourself without constant fear of being mistreated for speaking up

i have friends to make, brand new books coming (two of em’ not counting that one already printed and on it’s way out there and i LOVE writing….yay!) and a whole lot of living and learning to do.

i am excited to step away. i lost more than anyone will ever know (hearing, someone i loved, my sense of dignity, a never ending losing battle with stage fright and now my hearing and balance due to an inner ear issue- people accusing me of not being sober when i am suffering tremendous pain and nausea from my inner ear symptoms- people accusing me of theft (THEFT- ….awful) and this is not much of a life, not glamorous like those ridiculous video’s a long time ago television played and no it is not monetarily as rewarding as people would like you to believe and yes, it is soul destroying. especially when you spend your life trying to write about the really difficult stuff and you stand there losing your way and people yell at you like you were in a circus. when it was your dream to matter and you realize one day, it never mattered- i mean, i am a punch-line and a footnote in what is worse to yell at someone besides “free-bird”. i mean, i lost. and it’s okay because i seriously snuck some pretty neat idea’s in there in the work when i was making those mistakes or they were being made by others. this business is no science.

andf you know, whatever this is- it’s not my dream. and it is a punishing thing to endure when you are getting worse and worse- it’s not my dream, my dream was to try and tap into that energy i saw watching Minutemen vcr tapes when i was just a little shit in NC of mike watt’s crazy shaking leg and his electric fingers- or how sonic youth droned into beautiful clouds those guitars shaking, kim and steve rattling the pulsing lines into feverish thudding imaginary subway cars racing through my heart- and how it felt to just let go and static up a riff and find the sweet spot- but getting yelled at for just being a songwriter- to be called so many horrid things because i chose to love music so much, and also to look for peace and balance in my life- that is not kindness and just not my thing. at least not now.

and i loved somebody. and i let others decided if that was okay and that was wrong and i was wrong and no one should deny themselves or others love or understanding because people don’t get it. that was an awful mistake. i always make big mistakes. it’s like i let myself learn that because that was a role, a niche’ i filled that make sense to a loud voice of strangers who would never really play a real part in my life.

never become that if you choose this path- if you go this route with your art. never listen to those loud dissatisfied bystanders who only want to see you fail because that will be entertaining for that moment. hold fast to your dreams, hold faster to your heart and never step out of the light of that love that made you whole. i did. and i know better now. and better late than never i suppose.

but i am okay now. i see a peaceful way to better days now. i am healing. and most importantly i feel loved and i have learned to treat myself with that same curiosity and lover that i have been lucky enough to feel and to learn to let guide my life. love is the great teacher and i am happy to be learning now. happy to be listening to that over this never ending painful ringing. this is the great lesson of my life. for once i want to be dignified in my study and in one place long enough to hear and understand without my pride or my lack of faith in myself leading me further away from things i need to know once and for all.

this is the real work now. the rest is something else entirely.

quitting smoking was a good step and i am happy i also am just now beginning to understand how important it is i take better care of myself in every way right now. hell i am even beginning to sleep a little and i can feel the things good and bad that i did not have time to feel when i was running towards a new oblivion of work, hoping somehow someday what i did would be accepted and maybe that would make me feel loved. how foolish.

that is not love. love is being accepted for who you are. love is taking care of yourself and caring for others and dreaming out loud when it matters. not chasing rainbows. not hoping for some eventual collective sigh of approval which will never come. how did i ever think in those terms? i always knew better. thank goodness i know now how to be honest with myself.

anyway, enjoy these shows ( i will enjoy them immensely and i will miss them just as much) and know that i am not abandoning anyone, not the cardinals and not the fans, this is just something i need to do now, and that i loved playing music in the cardinals and hell, even before i was in a place to try and learn to be well, music was my life source- and cardinals was such a heavy crush and a real dream…i honor it too much to have any regrets right now, i am just proud.

maybe we will play again sometime and maybe i will work my way back into some kind of music situation but this is the time for me to step back now, to reel it in and i wish everyone peace and happiness and if music is your dream, or if just dreaming is your dream, may you find your way through the rough patch with ease and i hope you let go and it takes you all the way there-

loving kindness to all.

This Week’s Noteworthy Releases: Ryan Adams

Nathan — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:07:21 +0000

Music

Ryan Adams – Cardinology

Ryan Adams & the Cardinals – Fix It (removed 2/13/09)

I absolutely love this guy. I think that he is one of the greatest songwriters of our time. And he is doing it at such a record pace. He has had at least, one full-length release a year since 2000. And there isn’t a one that I don’t like. And that includes my first listen of Cardinology. If you were a fan of Easy Tiger I think that you will find this one easy to enjoy. But don’t take that to mean that this one is “a lot of the same.” It’s a solid album from an artist who continues to mature and surround himself with great musicians as the years go by.

Jon Foreman – Limbs & Branches

Jon Foreman – The Cure For Pain (removed 2/13/09)

Our good buddy Jon Foreman, frontman of the Christian rock outfit Switchfoot, has been a busy guy the past several years. Switchfoot released two albums back to back, Nothing Is Sound in ’05 and Oh! Gravity in ’06, both of which I was greatly disappointed in. Then as Jon Foreman he released four seasonal EPs in ’07 and ’08- Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer. And then tomorrow he gives us a sort of best of collection taken from those EPs. And in case you never listened to them and since we regrettably have not mentioned them on here, they are fantastic. His writing is back up to par, comparable to some of the writing he did with Legend of Chin or Learning to Breathe, both of which are must haves for any one who has ever even thought about liking Switchfoot.

Film

Quantum of Solace

Since there wasn’t much worth talking about with movie releases this week I thought I would take an early start at getting you excited about the new Bond movie. Quantum of Solace is coming out this weekend in the UK and then in two weeks here in the U.S. I was a huge fan of Casino Royale, I think that the series definitely is on an upswing. Let’s see if they can pull it off again. This preview definitely makes me believe they will.

I hope you head for the hills.

ACL Preview – A.A. Bondy

Nathan — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 12:07:03 +0000

He’s just another name on the never-ending list of acoustic folk singer-songwriters. Or is he? Scott Bondy, like my last ACL highlight, has totally reinvented himself for his newest release. The former frontman of the 90′s grunge-rock outfit Verbena, who now performs under the moniker A.A. Bondy, has just released his first solo effort, American Hearts. And I am here to tell you that this musical transformation is worth your attention, especially if you are planning on attending the Austin City Limits music festival. I am having a hard time putting into words why this guy stands out among the ever-growing mass of aspiring musicians armed with nothing but an acoustic guitar. How about this. His music sort of exudes a similar sense of honesty and sincerity you get from guys like Ray Lamontagne, Ryan Adams, and Bob Dylan. Not really sure what that means, except for that I think that he deserves some of the respect that these guys are getting.

In all seriousness I think one of the easiest ways for me to describe him would be an American version of Fionn Regan. I can’t believe that it took me this long to hear one of the best alt-country albums of the past decade. Had I heard it just a couple months earlier, it would have had a real good shot of making my top ten list. So please check it out. I have here for your listening pleasure, the title track from American Hearts and then a traditional track he recorded for Daytrotter that he heard from a guy named Blind Willie McTell. I have no doubt that after hearing these songs that A.A. Bondy will end up on your must-see list for ACL.

A.A. Bondy – American Hearts (removed 2/13/09)

A.A. Bondy – You Got To Die (Daytrotter Session) (removed 2/13/09)

“When you hear this song, I hope your ears bleed.”