Gordon Withers
https://www.instagram.com/gordonwithersmusic/
What are your top five albums that were released in 2021? (In order 1-5)
Deafheaven - Infinite Granite
They completely went for it. Massive kudos to any artist who just leans completely into a dramatic left turn like this. And they clearly did it out of a deep, abiding love for the style of music exemplified on Infinite Granite -- which, I must point out, owes more to bands like Lush and Catherine Wheel than the more obvious Slowdive, M83, etc.
Lingua Ignota - Sinner Get Ready
A masterwork, from idiosyncratic genius composer Kristin Hayter. This album delves into the suffocating, hellish world of fundamentalist religion, set against stylistic elements (and instruments) of the suffocating, hellish landscape where many early ultra-religious sects settled in America (rural central Pennsylvania). I grew up in that area, and this album somehow feels more "central PA" than central PA actually feels, if that makes any sense.
Lapeche - Blood In The Water
Yes, I know I played on this one. But it is legitimately excellent, and would still be a favorite even without its dulcet cello tones!
Fotocrime - Heart of Crime
Another darkwave (I think that's the right genre?) triumph from former Coliseum leader (and current Shirt Killer/Cat Magic Punks lifestyle brand mastermind) Ryan Patterson.
Mogwai - As The Love Continues
What an amazing, beautiful, varied, fun, somber, moving album. One doesn't expect a band's best album to come 25 years into their career, but here it is.
What band did you discover in 2021 (can be a brand new band or an older band) that had an impact on your life? What made them significant?
New York City's Flower, whose initial run pre-dates Versus and Cell (bands their members went on to form). They're back, and they released a beautiful, brilliant new album of richly layered guitar rock last year called None Is (But Once Was).
Improbably, my '90s art-rock band Betwixt re-formed this fall to play two shows in support of a vinyl reissue of our album The Salty Tang. Three days before our NYC show, we still had one slot open on the bill -- and I noticed that Flower was starting to be active again. The stars aligned -- I reached out and they agreed to play with us! It was a beautiful experience.
(Flower at The Delancey, NYC, 11/11/21)
How will you remember 2021? (In terms of music)
Aside from the Betwixt reunion above, and some other amazing and bizarre late-pandemic live shows, I will remember 2021 as the birth of Zach Barocas New Freedom Sound. This is a new loop-based, experimental- and jazz-influenced ensemble led by Jawbox drummer Zach Barocas. His compositions start as layered drum and vocalization loops, which he then sends to me for cello ideas. Zach takes those ideas, arranges them into a song structure, and then several of us get together at J Robbins's Magpie Cage studio in Baltimore and add more and more instruments -- J playing piano and keyboards, Mark Cisneros playing 10 different instruments, and most recently, Lenny Young playing oboe.
It is nothing short of magical. Sitting at the studio, watching folks add new ideas to Zach's compositions, it occurred to me that this is the sound of someone fully realizing their lifelong vision. It's the same (or at least very similar) left-field, wild, creative drumming you hear in Zach's rock bands, but somehow transported to exactly where it was supposed to be all along. And Zach sings! That is the best part. Which leads me to...
What can we look forward to from you in 2022?
More "Freedoms" (Zach compositions). We'll hopefully have a vinyl version of our eight current finished recordings coming out on Arctic Rodeo in 2022 (vinyl gods willing), and will likely write a bunch more than that.
Another J Robbins solo rock band record? [fingers-crossed emoji]
Also, throughout the pandemic, I've been chipping away at a Chavez on Cello LP, so hopefully that will come out in some form too.
["You Faded" on cello.]
What records are you looking forward to most in 2022?
I'm looking forward to discovering new and innovative musical groups that I don't even know about yet. Alwayz B Broadening (ABB) your horizons, folks!
What went through your head the first time you played live in 2021 after the delay? (If you haven’t -- what do you anticipate when you hit that point?)
This was a super-intense moment, which actually exists on video (below). J was asked to play an acoustic set at a gallery opening of Jim Saah's photography from the '80s/'90s scene in DC. We were packed into a tiny second-floor gallery space, surrounded by our closest family, friends, and DC music comrades, with all the history and influence of the DC music scene bearing down from every single wall.
Here is the exact moment J and I resumed playing live after nearly 2 years.
Gordon Withers – social media links
- Instagram: @gordonwithersmusic
