Austin hadn’t seen cold like this in decades, if ever. The previous three days were idyllic: warmer than a pair of fleece-socked toes under a pink Snuggy after draining half a fifth of whiskey by a camp fire. Not the last day though, that last day only Nathaniel, his band mates and the yours truly crew were brave enough to weather the cold. And after dragging his shredded vocal chords through “Boil & Fight,” Nathaniel got it in him to force those lucky souls snuggling up to the furnace inside to come out to the backyard and sing one for the neighbors to moan about. After some convincing and a few more sips of tea & whiskey, a gang of Nathaniel’s closest friends came outside to sing “Laughing.” And I’m so glad they did.
YT is a dedicated group. So dedicated that we’ll do anything (including lying barefoot on the ground holding a microphone) to capture a good song.
A Goddess Among Gods
Low-hanging trees dilute the sinking moonlight and darken my path in from the island’s bare white shores. Trudging through thick brush with no hope for direction, a faint glow in the middle distance beckons but doesn’t promise anything. Every step brings new clarity, until a roaring fire comes into sight –a village burning to the ground. Matching the movements of every aimless, swirling flame are tattooed arms, spears, and grass skirts moving loosely to the muffled sounds of the marimba and their own clapping hands. They dance around their burning homes and as the clouds of dust rain down on them, a goddess stands in the middle, crimson hair hotter than the flames, shouting, “Home!” and reminding the villagers what this place once was and will always be.
The latest from Cameron Mesirow, aka Glasser, is a gorgeous, native neo-chant, made for the bonfire masquerades in the heart of the rainforest. It’s a song about the collapse of the home, the hollow core of love that we still hold on to, for better or worse.
Give “Home” a listen here.
Get it from True Panther.