http://thenearmyths.com/news.html The Near Myths: News Jannis' PHPRss class - http://www.jannis.to/ Wed, 08 Sep 2010 01:29:18 -0700 http://thenearmyths.com/news.html#29 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwKyRi1CJMM&feature=related]]> http://thenearmyths.com/news.html#29 Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 The Near Myths' Hangout - The Near Myths - News http://thenearmyths.com/news.html#28 http://www.gotriad.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080515/GTCOM01/862181791/-1/GTCOM0200]]> http://thenearmyths.com/news.html#28 Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700 The Near Myths' Hangout - The Near Myths - News http://thenearmyths.com/news.html#27 Why not help us out and go to http://www.indie-music.com/bandsmain.php and click on the appropriate chart (near the bottom of the page). Find our songs and click on the arrow to play them.

Help The Near Myths sweep the charts!]]> http://thenearmyths.com/news.html#27 Sat, 26 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700 The Near Myths' Hangout - The Near Myths - News http://thenearmyths.com/news.html#26
If ever an album disproved the myth of the sophomore slump, Words to Burn is it. Reeling from the loss of founding member Andy Oglesby, the remaining Near Myths turned the final recording sessions into a glorious wake for their old friend, completing work on three of his songs. Taking their cue from such harmonizers as Fleetwood Mac, The Mamas and The Papas, and CSNY, The Near Myths are eclectic New Millennium vagabond mongrels, infusing traditional folk-rock and pop with a thoroughly contemporary sensibility.

1. “Romances.” Kicking off a suite of songs about the vicissitudes of love, the opening tune cruises along on a bed of crisp acoustic guitars and irresistible harmonies. “Heartbreak mixed with pleasure / Pain turns out to be treasure.” (4:01)

2. “Laughing by Now.” This British Invasion homage is a bittersweet delight. Intricate vocal arrangement, 12-string lead, it’s got it all. “We should be laughing by now / We should have kissed and said ”˜It’s all fine / Let’s make up for lost time.’” (3:50)

3. “Salmon.” Can you say “backwards piano whoosh”? Producer Phil Valera, The Near Myths’ very own George Martin, digs into his bag of amazing tricks to heighten the spooky mood of this propulsive gem. Three-part harmony “oohs” and dual electric guitars seal the deal. “The Salmon is the river of no return . . .” (3:02)

4. “Need You Gone.” In which The Near Myths seriously rock out. Crunchy, distorted electric guitars, vocal loops, psychedelic organ, wailing background vocals, killer drums. “Gonna find the heart of rock and roll . . .” (4:20)

5. “Jubilee.” Grab your baby and head on down to the creek. We’ll already be there, playing up a storm. Dig the soulful organ, and the lead guitar’s hotter than the bonfire! “If you will . . . Play the song you know!” (4:16)

6. “Slip across the Border.” The mood is mellow and the piano goes down like hot buttered rum on a snowy day. Bernadette takes the lead vocal here, a first for The Near Myths, and the background vocals fit like a velvet glove. “If you’ve been hesitating / The time is ripe for you / To make your move / You can slip across the border into love.” (3:46)

7. “Winter Dreams.” Based on the short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. A little gypsyish, a little Beatle-y. The two female backing vocals fit the story perfectly. “Pretty as a picture, when I was twenty-four / But now I don’t remember, I don’t try anymore.” (3:31)

8. “White Horse.” Catchy, and the percussion and the flutes do give it a Caribbean feel, but do not call it “The Cha-Cha song.” Please. Who is the Doc? And why is he riding that white horse? “And me, I had the voice / And you, you had the hands / And the Doc had fire and ice to give away / And all his talk and plans.” (3:03)

9. “Even Misery.” The soundtrack to the first ever Near Myths’ music video; check it out on YouTube. A retro blast of rockabilly and pub rock, complete with reverbed vocals, cheesy organ, ooohs and ahhhs, and dynamite lead break. You’ll smile at the clever tongue-in-cheek lyrics: “”˜Cause even misery doesn’t care for your company.” (3:03)

10. “Piedmont Shuffle.” Not really a shuffle, technically speaking, but a bouncy, fun song with a compelling bass line, harmonica, and background vocals. You won’t be able to get it out of your head. “Seems like you hardly open your eyes / Before they start turning out the light.” (3:35)

11. “(Take Me Back to) Dillard Street.” Andy’s swan song. A fond remembrance of and farewell to a memorable time and place. A magnum opus. Andy put his heart and soul into writing this one, and we put everything we had into it, too. “Come on in and have a seat, take a load off of your feet.” (8:21)

12. “Why . . . .” A beautifully edgy meditation on life and how it’s lived. This is grown-up music for grown-ups of all ages. The band’s four-part harmony meshes seamlessly, Teep’s guitar solo shimmers, and no one ever banged a gong more profoundly than Phil. “But ”˜Why?’ like any other foolish question / Has no answer.” (5:12)

13. “In the Big Picture.” Ben’s lovely, tentative vocal and finger picking rise wraith-like from the tense reverberation of the gong at the end of “Why . . . .” The choruses swell, full bodied and full hearted, while Phil’s Theremin wheels and spins overhead like a guardian angel. “In the big picture / The picture’s pretty big.” (6:04)]]> http://thenearmyths.com/news.html#26 Sat, 09 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800 The Near Myths' Hangout - The Near Myths - News http://thenearmyths.com/news.html#25 http://thenearmyths.com/news.html#25 Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800 The Near Myths' Hangout - The Near Myths - News http://thenearmyths.com/news.html#24 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9glUyeiQynk

The great animation was created by Ben's former student in Victoria, B.C., Josh Barnes.]]> http://thenearmyths.com/news.html#24 Thu, 04 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700 The Near Myths' Hangout - The Near Myths - News http://thenearmyths.com/news.html#23 www.teeper.org)

I could probably write a book on this subject, to tell you all the truth, but briefly, what it means to me to be one of The Near Myths might not be what the uninformed music buyer these days is prone to think. Yes, it's musical on a certain level, but these people know each other in quite a few contexts outside of musical matters, and each one of these good folks has grown in potential over the years. Most of them have day jobs now, and some of them even have grandchildren (most of them being a bit over fifty years of age at this point in time), but they all share a certain ethic emblematic of the "Stand and be counted" attitude of the 1960s, tempered with the experience of passing time. That sort of practical idealism makes these folks well worth the attention, for their music as well as for their personal views.

The wisdom of age teaches us that sometimes age shows up and leaves wisdom somewhere back there down the line. The various ways in which we deal with that is the great philosophical conversation The Near Myths have shared a considerable amount of time and energy exploring together down through the years. That gets shared in our music, so that's cool, but politics, poetry, culinary arts, history, and all other sorts of subjects and issues also tie these good folks together. And here's the amazing thing to me...instead of tragedy and loss being threatening to their survival, the passing of previous Myths only enhances and strengthens the bonds that they share. That's a mighty powerful and continually attractive thing to me! As a working musician, I have to say that I unfortunately don't experience that kind of camaraderie with most of the musicians I play with. Hey, some of the musicians I've worked with, I barely know them much deeper than on a first-name basis (if I can remember that much). That doesn't speak to their talent, of course, only the importance with which I'm able to attach them to my personal life, and my friends in The Near Myths have shared a great many magical and mythical extra-musical happenings over the last two or three decades.

Jim Clark, Katy Adams, Ben and Bernadette Greene, Matthew Adams (Katy's son), and I regathered in late July to record The Near Myths' second album entitled WORDS TO BURN, combining new tracks with posthumous tracks from our recently deceased (other) guitar-slinger, Andy Oglesby (who will no doubt be truly missed on future recordings). Although Andy's gone, his spirit lives on quite assuredly, thanks to these new recordings, and he will always be a part of what fuels The Near Myths' talent and inspiration. These ridiculously lovable folks truly exhibit no reservations whatsoever about forging fearlessly and confidently ahead toward the future together, whatever it may bring!

So I invite you all to please, get to know these urbane, intelligent, funny, sensitive and caring musicians. Jim, Katy, Ben, Bernadette, Teeper, Matthew...and Andy and Jane, too. (And even Phil, the guy on the other side of the booth...he does much more than simply klonk a righteous cowbell!) This time around, Phil is being most ably assisted by Second Engineer Chris Nelson, which will surely make this album superior to our last one in quite a few ways. No matter what kind of American you may be, you might find something exciting and meaningful to rally around with this bunch of freewheeling old youngsters! Folk-rock music with their unique attitude really is good for the soul!

All that to say only this...they're the only group I've ever worked with that can work in groups of two or three and feel to me like it's the same group of six or seven or so musicians on the albums. They're that cool. So visit their website, check out their music, and tell 'em Teeper sent you.

You know, thanks to the great new tunes on WORDS TO BURN, I believe it's very likely that The Near Myths should still be around for quite awhile. They seem to be growing exponentially beyond those of us on these latest recordings, that's for sure! (And thanks to all of you for exploring the ever-intriguing mysteries and magical myths of life with us through the years, across the continent and around the world! Your posted messages and emails are most appreciated by the group!)

Love and peace to you all! Keep visiting here for further updates on gigs and happenings involving yours truly (ol' Teep) and his many musical meanderings! Many thanks!
Teeper (Terry L. Phillips)]]> http://thenearmyths.com/news.html#23 Fri, 12 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0800 The Near Myths' Hangout - The Near Myths - News http://thenearmyths.com/news.html#19 http://thenearmyths.com/news.html#19 Sun, 01 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700 The Near Myths' Hangout - The Near Myths - News http://thenearmyths.com/news.html#18
It was hard at times to deal with our fallen comrade Andy's absence, but it was a pleasure and an honor to be able to work on his songs. When Andy learned he had cancer back in early 2005, he went into the studio and recorded vocal and rhythm and lead acoustic guitar tracks for two of his songs, "Salmon" and "Winter Dreams." Then, just weeks before his passing, he made a determined effort to get back to the studio to record guitar (his cherished new Martin) and vocal tracks for a stunning new autobiographical song "(Take Me Back to) Dillard Street." It was his example and inspiration that kept us going.

In addition to Andy's three songs, we also have three from Ben ("Even Misery," "Laughing By Now," and "In the Big Picture"), three from Teeper ("Romances," "Jubilee," and "Why?"), and three from Jim ("Piedmont Shuffle," "White Horse," and "Need You Gone"). A collaboration by Ben and Bernadette, "Slip Across the Border" featuring Bernadette on lead vocal, makes the Baker's Dozen.

Much as we all have a soft spot in our hearts for WILSON, we're all in agreement that the new album represents a quantum leap in most every way. Phil will be mixing the tracks. We'll keep you posted!]]> http://thenearmyths.com/news.html#18 Tue, 01 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0700 The Near Myths' Hangout - The Near Myths - News http://thenearmyths.com/news.html#17 http://thenearmyths.com/news.html#17 Fri, 07 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0700 The Near Myths' Hangout - The Near Myths - News