Party like it's 1999: The Music Tapes

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Party like it's 1999: The Music Tapes

POSTED: Wednesday, March 4, 2009, 7:19 PM

Filed Under: Music Show

The Music Tapes ' the idiosyncratic project of Julian Koster, probably best known as the musical jack of all trades in Jeff Mangum's legendary Neutral Milk Hotel ' will be in town tonight at the First Unitarian Church. Our own K. Ross Hoffman gives you the skinny in this week's music section:

Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes is a particularly creaky incarnation of the E6 aesthetic, what with Koster's warbly blurt of a voice, fetish for antiquarian recording devices and reliance on novelty-factor instruments like banjos, toy organs and his beloved singing saw (not to mention whimsical creations like the 7-foot-tall metronome), but its fragile, folksy charms shine through the cutesy gimmickry.

I'll be going to the show tonight. I first saw Koster and the Music Tapes back in 1999 when they opened for the Olivia Tremor Control at Penn's Pi Lam. Their set was notable more for, IIRC, the giagantic papier mache hands-clapping machine than for the music (and for the fact that since it was at Pi Lam, the show ran like two hours behind). But it was an experience I'll not soon forget (as evidenced by the fact that I remember it vividly 10 years later).

The year prior, on the eve of Neutral Milk Hotel's performance at The Pontiac, I interviewed Koster about the finer points of playing a saw. That show stands as the single greatest concert I've ever seen.' Read the full interview after the jump:

How does one start playing the singing saw?

When I was little I saw an old guy in Central Park playing it. It was the most amusing thing I ever saw. It took me a while to figure out that you have to find a saw that wants to sing. I think mostly you have to learn how to pet the saw in just the right way and get it to where it's comfortable singing and then you just let it go. Once it's caught up in the vibration it sings its heart out. And be considerate. Most saws can sing- they're like people, some are gifted and some don't need tobe coerced and some do, but any saw can sing.

Is it possible for a saw to be out of tune?

Oh sure. It's sometimes very difficult for a saw to be in tune. It's usually the sort of thing where the relationship between the saw and the person is fresh. It's kinda like that sound with young kids playing in the orchestra. It can be a lot like that.

Are there different pitched saws, like a tenor saw, an alto saw and a bass saw?

Oh sure, definitely. The smaller ones sing higher. I have this picture of these women in the '40s playing these really big saws.

Do you have a favorite brand or kind of saw?

No, I try not to discriminate. I've yet to meet a bad saw. There's one that was here when we moved in. He sings pretty low. Every one's different' where it came from and its lineage and how it was treated. There's abuse in a lot of cases. Being experienced and confident has a lot to do with being able to generate a certain vibration, and once it's happened [it's important] to not prohibit it.

So you're playing it as much as you're letting it play?

In a sense. You have a lot of responsibility in guiding and reassuring it. In some respects they're shy.

Can you reveal any trade secrets?

There's really specific things that you couldn't impart with words. Patience is really important. And I think that if it hurts, keep trying different ways. The way I learned I got myself hurt a lot. It shouldn't kill your fingers. It's not hard to show someone, but it's kind of hard to describe.

How is it that you guys can work all these odd instruments into songs without going nuts trying to arrange things?

In some respects what Neutral Milk Hotel is is Jeff's little world and we all have our own little worlds and we all care about each others' little worlds. I think that's the coolest thing about the time and space we share together. There's always someone who loves your ideas and is willing to add their own ideas. Sometimes your ideas have such a strange one-dimensional feel to them. It makes it more real and human to be able to open up to your friends and let them breathe life into them. Jeff has dreams and visions and says, "Hey, just come and screw it up so it's not just a pile of me."

The liner notes say that you also play an instrumentcalled the wandering genie. What's that?

I think that's best kept a secret for now.

Michelle

Posted 2009-03-04 19:05:09

To learn about how to play the saw, brands of saws that play well, history of the instrument, and get all your singing saw questions answered: there is a Musical Saw Festival every July in NYC -  http://www.musicalsawfestival.org 

Last year 30 saw players attended. Watch the video on the festival's page to see them all play together.

Maybe Julian will play there this year?

Ali

Posted 2009-03-05 16:38:02

I was at the show last night, it was fantastic! The best show I have ever been to.

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