Stapled

Hey gang. I know you're all itching to get to the tunes (and I've got a killer set coming up for y'all), but we gotta take care of some business first.

A lot of you have been writing in asking me to reveal my secret identity. Respectfully, that's not gonna happen. Not right now, anyway. I could give you a bunch of reasons, but what it boils down to is this: when I'm writing about music on this blog, I like being the KassaNostra.

One of the absolutely greatest things about music -- singing it, performing it, listening to it, talking about

it -- is how easily it lets anybody redefine themselves. When you wear your favorite band's t-shirt, or break into paroxysmal air-guitar gyrations, or purchase a CD, or give yourself a cool-sounding punk name (whether you're in a band or not), or get excited about an upcoming show, or spontaneously start singing to your boyfriend, or girlfriend, or spouse, or child, or pet. . . when you do any of that, plus a million other music-related actions, you become something bigger than yourself that lots of other people can suddenly relate to. In every instance, how far anyone chooses to run with that transcendent version of themselves is a pretty personal decision. For me, in this particular moment, with this particular project, this is what clicked.

I'm sure at some point, as this blog evolves, that perspective will change and I'll see fit to come out from behind the curtain. Meanwhile, if you want to learn more about me, asking me who I really am is definitely the wrong question. What you should be asking is, "Hey KassaNostra, who has better cover versions, Bob Dylan or the Beatles?" Or, "By the way KassaNostra, what's your position on disco?" Or, "KassaNostra, what are your top-five songs named for celebrities?" Or, "Hey KassaNostra -- how can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?"

Everyone got it? Alright. . . let's get down to it.

I know we're probably never going to name a camp building after a gospel group, but just in case the bigwigs at 16 Court Street ever take the idea under consideration, I'm getting my campaign started right now to have that group be the Staple Singers. I defy anyone to name me another band with the versatility -- let alone the work ethic -- to move so smoothly between chart-topping hits (I'll Take You There, Respect Yourself, Let's Do It Again), civil rights burners (Freedom Highway, Long Walk to D.C.), and the occasional killer cover (For What It's Worth, Slippery People), all while staying true to their spiritual roots (Deliver Me, City in the Sky)? Oh yeah, and they sound un-freakin'-believable on just about everything they sing.

But Mavis Staples is clearly not ready to start resting on her laurels. (Maybe she's pushing for the dining room?) In the past two years she's released two fantastic albums, with more than a few K-Land classics spread throughout. 2007's "We'll Never Turn Back" is a collection of civil rights anthems, sung by a woman whose first-hand experiences on the movement's front lines inform every note. (BTW, that's Ry Cooder on guitar, and behind the boards.) Lots to choose from here, so I'm going with We Shall Not Be Moved and the title track. We'll Never Turn Back (a.k.a. We've Been 'Buked) is not a song in heavy rotation in Tolland, but seems to get performed every few years via a cultural event, in all its harmonic glory. I like that -- it's already a singularly beautiful song, and keeping it under wraps for special occasions seems to add to its aura.

The other album is "Live: Hope at The Hideout," recorded last June at that renowned Chicago club. This is a more stripped-down approach, but Mavis is in top form, and the contrasting sound makes this a perfect companion to "We'll Never Turn Back." From this disc, I chose This Little Light, which apparently has a lot more words than we've been singing all these years.

Mavis Staples: We Shall Not Be Moved

Mavis Staples: We'll Never Turn Back

Mavis Staples: This Little Light [live]

BONUS FEVER: I haven't forgotten my promise from the last post for more Fever covers, so here's Dean Carter, from 1965, on his own Milky Way label. Carter eventually gave up the rock 'n' roll lifestyle to sing gospel, so I figured this was a good pick to follow Mavis Staples in a full-circle, karmic closure kind of way. It's sort-of a rockabilly-meets-garage hybrid sound. The two or three Mojo Nixon fans out there will surely recognize the influence. I could go on at length about this version, but truthfully, words can't do justice in describing the sheer weirdness of this track. So quit yer readin' already and start listening!

Dean Carter: Fever

Peace & Vinyl,

The KassaNostra