A Western Medley
A mixtape for the beauty of America that extends beyond 250.
Heatwave Fever
I know it’s dangerous, but you bet your ass I love these 95 degree days we’ve been having. Summer rocks, and I’ll take every heatwave in stride. I’ve got a few trips coming up, some NYC weekend plans (museums? botanic gardens? concerts? oh yeah), and a million smiles for every sweaty person I see. The city is never more alive.
I’ve been taking big long walks around Prospect Park on my free days and taking turns I’ve never taken. Just trying to see every corner previously undiscovered (by me—and many others, I assume). It provided a perfect opportunity to workshop this month’s mixtape. Highly recommend it.
You may be wondering why this month’s mixtape is a day late. Well… I forgot. Summer rocks, etc. This mix began as the collection of tunes I put together for the cocktail hour at my wedding—largely western in aesthetic, if you can believe. I’ve since expanded and refined it into a 90 minute collection just for you. I hope you adore it.
This month’s mixtape isn’t available on Mixcloud but is on every other service. Because of the nature of the mix, it features many tracks by the same “artist,” and for copyright reasons, etc., I can’t upload the fully mixed track. Oh well! We’ll get ‘em next time.
Got another one in the can that’ll come in hot for August, then likely some more collabs! Thanks for listening, as always.
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A Western Medley
Created for the beauty of America that extends beyond 250.
*****
I don’t quite remember where I read/heard Luke Bell talking about the nature of his song “Glory & The Grace,” but his thoughts really stuck with me. He said that he wrote the song to express his sense of patriotism, but not the “bullshit patriotism” that gets espoused most loudly these days. His comes from the parts of America that are truly worth celebrating: the landscape, the splendor, the people, the sense of adventure.
250 years is enough to make you consider America and your identity as one of its residents. Couple that with the World Cup in your backyard and, holy moly: how am I supposed to feel? Do I take pride in all this? The land of the free where an enormous population is incarcerated and all others live under the duress of capitalist forces? Do I instead focus on its projected ideals, the words on the Statue of Liberty? How does every other nation on earth view me?
Of course, I could also just zero in on old cowboy movies—their themes and settings and scores and stories.
That is the best of America. In my heart, that is America: a promise—of beauty, prosperity, potential, exploration. One day we will stomp out the colonialism and capitalism of it all, and we will be left with the most diverse and beautiful landscape known to man.
You can hear all of this in the works of Aaron Copland and those who worship him. The western film scores of Elmer Bernstein, John Williams, Dimitri Tiomkin, and more all evoke this insatiable desire for a better life, the El Dorado waiting beyond the horizon.
It has been incredible seeing the sea change in the American political sphere these past few months. Democratic socialists are winning all over the country. People are taking the power back, no longer satisfied in waiting for those in power to change their hearts. I believe in a better world, and it will be the America we always envisioned: one where every person has the opportunity for a truly glorious life in a glorious land.
I hope you’ll find an opportunity to play this music loud and outside on a sunny day. Maybe you’ll roll the windows down as you drive through the endless stretches of the Great Plains or the unbeatable reds of Monument Valley. Perhaps, like me, you’ll just find a new stretch of green in Prospect Park. Either way, go on adventurers. The world is ours for the taking.
This land is your land. This land is my land. From California to the New York Island. From the Redwood forest to the Gulf Stream waters. This land was made for you and me.
*****
Love you all. Hope you enjoy!
Join Me: Hovvdy @ Webster Hall, Wednesday, November 4th @ 7 PM
I caught Hovvdy the last time they swung through Brooklyn, and I was blown away by how great the show was. Love their studio recordings so much, but wasn’t sure how it’d translate. Let me tell you: the room was electric.
The live rendition of “Bubba” was so special, and I’m hoping to feel something similar this next time. Very much looking forward to their new record, out in August, and this show. Let’s hang.
RIYL: Alex G, Pinegrove, sweet and earnest indie pop from guys who seem like genuine good friends
Some Western Films That I Love
(that you might love too!)
The Searchers - This is widely recognized as not only one of the greatest westerns of all time, but one of the greatest films. Watch it to understand Scorcese. Watch it to find a reason to love John Wayne (you might want to hate him, but he’s so phenomenally good in this). Please, just watch it because it is one of the most beautifully cinematic films in history.
Jubal - A Technicolor triumph. This story of the destructive nature of jealousy is gripping throughout. Every character reveals a little depth that makes you really feel for every poor decision they make. These poor, sweet idiots.
Destry Rides Again - It was wild for me to know James Stewart as a romantic comedy stalwart and then find out he’s one of the most prolific and important western stars of all time. He shines in this film with Marlene Dietrich, who—turns out—rocks.
Bad Day At Black Rock - Is it a true western? I don’t know. But it’s cowboy-coded, and it’s one of the most thrilling films I’ve seen in the last decade. I can’t wait to track down a blu-ray and watch it over and over for the rest of my life. If you like any sort of crime/mystery/noir stories, you’ll eat it up.
