Photo: William Eggleston “Tanglewood Numbers (pundits in the liquor light…)”
Silver Jews “Tanglewood Numbers” 2005 Drag City
David Berman belongs to a rare genius that now seems in danger of extinction… dark and poetic, personal and magnetic. Like him, in those years, only Lou Barlow, Will Oldham, Bill Callahan, Stephen Malkmus, Calvin Johnson. Irregular slackers geniuses, with a creative nature, emotionally unstable and greatly talented. In this album the Silver Jews return, in their own way, their best indie rock songs, accelerated and distorted, which are alternate to American folk ballads, sweet and chipped, accompanied by banjo and violin. The formation of this fifth album includes David Berman and among others Steve Malkmus, Bob Nastanovich, Brian Kotzur, Mike Fellows, Azita Youssefi, Will Oldham. A great number of musicians capable of creating a full and choral sound. The words of David Berman clarify the reason for the choice of the image “it’s warm inside these photos”. The photo of 1971 is made by William Eggleston (also a pianist and organist), and published in the series Los Alamos. The image represents the busts of J.F.K., M.L.K., and R.F.K. between alcohol bottles and various ornaments. The author is well aware of how light and color contain a special musicality, descriptive and joyful, and how much attention is ‘democratically’ placed on the details and the little things. A faceted observation point to give order to the chaos of everyday life and find the multiple red lines that connect things.
© Video Silver Jews “Punks In The Beerlight”
"Punks In The Beerlight"
Where’s the paper bag that holds the liquor?
Just in case I feel the need to puke.
If we’d known what it’d take to get here,
Would we have chosen to?
Would we have chosen to?
So you wanna build an altar on a summer night?
You wanna smoke the gel off a fentanyl patch.
Ain’tcha heard the news? Adam and Eve were Jews.
And I always loved you to the max.
I loved you to the max
I loved you to the max
I loved you to the max
If it gets really really bad,
If it ever gets really really bad,
Let’s not kid ourselves.
It gets really really bad.
Punks in the beerlight
Burnouts in love.
Punks in the beerlight
Toulouse-Lautrec.
Punks in the beerlight
Two burnouts in love.
I’d always loved you to the max
I loved you to the max
I loved you to the max
© Video Silver Jews “I’m Getting Back Into Getting Back Into You”
© Video Silver Jews “Sleeping Is The Only Love”
© Video documentary of William Eggleston, filmed director Reiner Holzemer
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Text by Gianpaolo Arena
© Silver Jews | All copyright remains with the photographer and property