You pretty much hear the Stewart Lupton story the second you start hanging out with anyone who does anything with music in DC. The story of (at this point) fabled but never realized success that Jonathan Fire*Eater (which New York Post called "The sonic and spiritual forerunners of acts like Arcade Fire and Interpol, they were the ultimate elegant Lower East Side wastrels, purveyors of noirish, organ-laden rock and sunken-eyed, dishabille glamour"), the crashing and burning, the self imposed exile and now, a decade later...a return to (new) form.
Stewart has a new band "The Child Ballads", and a wonderfully intimate record (Cheekbone Hollows) that, after being released in the UK last year, is making its way into the US market this week via DC's most unstoppable little label that could Gypsy Eyes.
(CD release party is this Saturday at Comet)
The new sound is as removed from the gritty swagger that Jonathan Fire*Eater (or its stepchild "Walkmen", for that matter) are.
Soft and warm around the edges, it relies on story and poem telling (Stewart studied poetry at Sarah Lawrence and GW, and it shows in all the right ways) and goes for the heart before it reaches for the guttural. These are the kind of songs you can easily imagine someone singing to you as a lullaby, as well seeing a full rock'n'roll band adding generous layers of fleshed out prettyness too. People will mention Dylan and they will be right, but there is also an underlying and unapologetically modern approach to music here, and Stewart does want you to know that. So, know it.
To celebrate the return we met up with Stewart, his guitar, his numerous sheets of poems and an assortment of harmonicas, this sunny Wednesday on a porch step in Columbia Heights and recorded what will now be known as "THE FIRST EVER BYT ACOUSTIC SESSION".
A little bit of music, a little bit of (motivational) talk, a whole lot of wonderful.
We hope you enjoy it.
Plus, I got to hold the harmonica.
(to download a high quality version of the video: go here)
all photos and porch by: Joel Didriksen (http://www.kingpinphoto.com/)
video: Dave Adams (http://www.wakeupthegiant.com/) and Ryan Wakeman
sound: Rodrigo
for more Stewart Details:
http://www.myspace.com/childballad
and catch him next this Saturday at Comet and on May 1st in NY with the Kills.
God loves a cheerful giver.
thanks for this.
this is a great idea
This is so cool. Thanks for spotlighting the excellent Childballads. Anyone know if the Saturday show is going to be Stuart solo, or a full band?
Look at that bitchin' Danelectro!
Great idea with the video, BTW. More of this sort of thing would be great.
And it really does look like kissing with braces.
I just need to learn how to be more there for Stewart.
Other than that, I have a sparkling hand model/harmonica holder career ahead of me.
I just wanted to say:
Dave, Ryan and Rodrigo did a great job
and amazingly fast and awesome turnaround editing time
Thanks to Kalani for arranging this
Thanks to Stewart for agreeing to this
Thanks to Joel for letting us take over the porch
Thanks to Chris for holding the boom even though he just came to have some beers
and
we will DEFINITELY do more of this.
A LOT MORE.
some amazing stuff lined up.
hello to all and fondest regards. I have a special cluster of brain cells (quarantined henceforth from the waning effects of aging and /or lifestyle choices) that will retain forever the sedate splendor of that easy breezy d.c. dusk. It calms me to recall those declining beams of summer light, particular I think to row house stoops during the last breaths of spring . Equally indelible from the slide show of that memory are all the good people I met or re met on that slow afternoon on the henceforth historic stoop. Their patience and kindness and the work we made together really do make me feel, I don't know, calm and content when I think back on our accomplishment . The lazy joy we shared in producing it is a precious currency and rare commodity in these times....good conversation and the project's organic unravelling , tackled in a medium usually plagued by hyper self cosciouness , could not have been more pleasant and pressure free, easy to be you and me, la dee da dee and so forth and what not. ALSO, COULD RYAN AND RODRIGO SEND ME THIER EMAILS AND OR #'S. IT'S MILDLY IMPORTANT. I'D MUCH APPRECIATE IT. MY EMAIL IS childballads@gmail.com and my # is 905 4613
Thank you all (esp. my lady, S. Did you get the long stemmed....we'll talk later on the private line. I need you to hold my harmonica. It misses the caresses of your shapely, ladylike fingers, perfumed ever so slightly with orange blossoms and chinese plum. kisses, s.l.
dayum. you better stand in front of the air conditioner, svet.
seeing this made me wonder: what happened to BYT sessions? you can use my back porchnyard. we have ampsnmics.
I keep coming back and giving this a listen, perhaps because I am so disappointed I was in moss-covered Savannah when this happened.
this guy lives in my old apartment.