Whisper Fairy Stories 'Til They're Real
Vashti Bunyan, Star Trek tie-in novels, Dad Weed & JPW, "Riding Off"
Aquarium Drunkard Transmissions: Vahti Bunyan
“Whisper fairy stories till they're real
Wonder how the night could make us feel
Loving, living more with love to stay
Long past sadness that was in our way”
Vashti Bunyan, “Glow Worms”
Vashti Bunyan’s songs were too imaginative and powerful to be lost to the sands of time. Though her 1970 album Just Another Diamond Day was barely heard on original release, it became a foundational document of the freak folk scene more than three decades later. When I was coming up and first got a job working in a record store,
’s free Arthur Magazine was an essential intro to the modern counter culture, particularly indispensable if you’re a kid who grew up in rural Arizona. All the artists I loved were in Arthur, and they were all shouting out and collaborating with Vashti: Devendra Banhart, Animal Collective, Vetiver.Recently, Bunyan published her first book, Wayward: Just Another Life. It’s an exquisite read, one of my favorite books of the year. This week, she joined us on Aquarium Drunkard Transmissions to discuss the book, her horse-drawn journey across the country side, her run-ins with the Stones, Nick Drake, and Donovan, and what it felt like to have her work rediscovered.
Listen at Aquarium Drunkard or wherever you get your podcasts.
Click Vortex: Backmasked and SynthAxe-d
For the last couple of months, Sam Means (The Format/Hello Merch) and I have been doing our biweekly podcast Click Vortex live on YouTube, and while our viewer numbers are, uh, paltry, it’s beyond fun to have folks comment and josh with us in real time. If you’re new to the show, it’s devoted to our online rabbit hole journeys. This week’s episode offers a nice intro (and it’s also available as audio): hidden messages and Satanic panic, Jeff Lynne and ELO, Led Zeppelin, the strange life of the SynthAxe, sci-fi jazz fusion, and stacks and stacks of Star Trek tie-in novels.
Dad Weed & JPW, Kitimoto, DJ Grassy Noel: May 13, Linger Longer Lounge
Hey, I’m playing a double bill with all my pals Saturday night at the Linger Longer Lounge, as part of the JPW/Dad Weed combo and Kitimoto, along with one of my favorite deejays, Grassy Noel with an eclectic set of 45s. I don’t know many Phoenician readers I actually have here on Substack, but if there are any, I’d love to see you at the gig and chat. As a taste, here’s a room mic-recorded live cut from the last JPW/Dad Weed rehearsal, a version of “Riding Off,” from Dad Weed’s debut, High Time. It’s beyond thrilling to play guitarmonies like this. Just a blast. See you Saturday!
Dad Weed & JPW, “Riding Off” (rehearsal tape, recorded May 10, 2023)
Drums and vocals: Zach Toporek
Bass: Andrew Bates
Piano and vocals: Rob Kroehler
Guitar: Rick Heins
Other guitar: JPW
I'll say.
Smokin'!