SOUNDTRACK: RIVER WHYLESS-Tiny Desk Concert #502 (January 19, 2016).
River Whyless is an interesting band, at least during this Tiny Desk Concert. They have several singers, different instruments and a whole bunch of interesting percussion on hand–including a typewriter!
The band has one EP out, from which the first song “Life Crisis” comes. The female singer (none of the players’ names are given) says that this was their tiny desk submission.
On this song the male singer (actually everyone sings) plays typewriter and presents his typed document at the end of the show–although the audience never gets to see it–I imagine it’s gibberish, but it would be amazing if it wasn’t). The female singer plays a violin solo in the middle of the song (which was unexpected since she doesn’t have it as the song opens).
Under the typewriter is a pump for a harmonium which has an accidental vibrato on it. Shes says that one day it started doing that and they love it and hope it never fixes itself.
The other two songs are new–not on their EP from last year. “Sailing Away” starts with violin and harmonium. There’s also a guitarist who sings leads and a percussionist (who has all manner of gadgets and drums and mallets around him). The harmonium player/typist also plays a melody on the toy piano. All of these items may seem like novelties or goofs, but their songs are quite lovely and these little accents just add to the overall feel.
“Baby Brother” opens with a buzzy acoustic guitar and a whole landscape of percussion. And this time the harmonium player switches to guitar while he sings lead (everyone sings lovely harmonies by the way).
I love everything about this band…except their songs. All three songs are quite nice, and while I’m listening to them I certainly enjoy them, but they are really not that memorable. There’s no hooks in them. Despite the fact that all of their accouterments are not really gimmicks, those are the things I will remember most about River Whyless.
[READ: January 18, 2016] “Learning to Fly Part 4”
This is the final part of the 4 part essay. A series like this is bound to be anticlimactic because presumably if his solo didn’t go well, he’d be dead. And if he didn’t do the solo, there likely wouldn’t be a part 4 (unless he talked about chickening out instead).
But Ferris takes an interesting tact for this end section.
He opens the essay by explaining that he was commissioned by Popular Mechanics to write this essay. This makes sense but is something hadn’t thought about–they asked him to do it.
He says that he was full of anxiety the entire time–which we knew he would be. He was terrified to fly–a wobbly commercial airplane takeoff would totally freak him out. Plus, being a writer, he had an overactive imagination.
He took lessons three days a week from August through December. It took him months before he even considered the practical aspects of having a pilot’s license–like being about to fly to Key West on a whim. Of course, when his wife when up with him while he was flying she said it was the most scared she has ever been and will never fly with him again.
As it turns out, the only reason he agreed to do it was to write about it.
But he also says that if you are a afraid to fly, taking off and landing a plane yourself several times a day, you will get over your fear sooner or later.
And yet…fly solo?
He talks about how he was likely to flake out even when he should have been most focused. He relates an episode where he was landing entirely too fast and his instructor told him calmly three times to pull up, but he simply didn’t. He was too focused on his own head to listen to life saving advice. Finally, the instructor had to save them at the last minute.
There’s some personal details about his father’s death and his subsequent abuse of drinking which lead to bad nights sleeping on top of it. But that is far less interesting than that he had his solo flight on December 26, 2014, nearly five months after he began his lessons.
He says he whooped with happiness while he was in the air–an unexpected reaction for one who was once so afraid.
It was all pretty satisfying read, although it doesn’t make me want to take flying lessons (well, maybe a little although I know I could never afford it, so I just don’t thin about it).
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