The Chairman Dances
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s The Chairman Dances present us with the world premiere of their video for “Augustine” from director Tom Contarino taken off their recent album Time Without Measure released on their imprint Black Rd Records. Their most powerful release to date, the band of Kevin Walker, Dan Comly, Eric Krewson, Ben Rosen & Luke Pigott pulled out all the stops in creating a series of tributes to crystallize the saints, saviors & messiahs of the modern era that have great significance. Toasting legends from Fannie Lou Hamer, César Chávez, Jimmy Carter & more; Time Without Measure proves to be more than just a time capsule of anachronistic constraints but rather showcases The Chairman Dances as a group developing & solidifying their own brand of sound. Like the dream inspirations that informed iji’s recent masterwork Bubble, Chairman Dances too take cues from the rhythm of their own thoughts & steps where the imaginative spirit is always running free.
The Chairman Dances’ visuals for “Augustine” spins stream of conscious thoughts that spring from narrative notion taken from Bob Dylan’s “The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll” as the chorus exhibits the refrain of “Bob Dylan dreamed that he saw me” that repeats to the point where the aphorism becomes deeply ingrained into your psyche. Window glances & reflections illustrate performance footage, the visage of Bobby D himself, & observations of the passersby & trams carrying about their day outside. “Augustine” itself is a po-mo pastiche where the likes of St. Augustine rub elbows up against the likes of Lou Reed & others as The Chairman Dances create the craziest dream hooks that practically creates a constant feel of euphoria. More than just “Bob Dylan’s 115 Dream”, The Chairman Dances raise a glass to their heroes of the classic & modern age like an A-list-only dinner party where the movers & shapers of popular western consciousness gather together to swap notes & war stories. The subtle & stylish video captures the feel & sophistication of “Augustine” fit for a banquet of the highest order of hierarchies. Read our recent interview with The Chairman Dances immediately after the following video debut for “Augustine”.
Looking back, what sorts of time and measure informed Time Without Measure for you?
Inspiration came from many places. My understanding and hope for the nascent work was just as complicated. Basically, I wanted to tell the stories—to give snapshots—of modern saints with a lower case s to present a narrative of the tradition as I understood it. It is vast. I’m still trying to figure out what you can do with a song, but I’ve learned—as a listener—that you can effectively point to something or someone else. Bob Dylan’s “The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll” does this very well. I hoped to shine a light on some people who might not otherwise been seen, while including a few household names. This served the implicit purpose of equating Fannie Lou Hamer, etc., to St. Augustine. So all of those thoughts informed Time Without Measure. Musically, the band and myself are all over the place. Ben, our bassist, is a classical composer who plays many kinds of music. Kevin, our drummer, is also a jazz percussionist. Dan, Luke, and Ashley are up to the minute on what’s happening in independent and underground music circles. I’m very fortunate they let me make music with them.
Can you tell us about the creative methods and processes at work that together encompass the fullness of the TCD sound?
Everyone in the band has a different vision of what each song can or should be. Most of our time is spent reconciling those visions, making a unified, compelling statement. For Time Without Measure, I would bring a finished song to the group, then we would smash all our counter-melodies and harmonies together, a thrilling and unruly process. From that point on, up until the time we mixed the record, we revisited and revised the arrangements. There was a lot of studio preparation (getting the exact tones we wanted, writing out horn lines); then, in the studio, we listened back, deleted and added. Dan, our keyboardist, wrote a good number of parts on the fly. Additionally, the entire second half of “Dietrich Bonhoeffer” was improvised in the studio.
What is next in the canon from The Chairman Dances?
This is very exciting. I haven’t a clue.
Describe what was the inception for “Augustine” for you, and the process of conveying it with visual accompaniment?
Most of the album’s songs are serious in tone. “Augustine” is not. I mentioned Dylan once already. You might know his great “I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine.” It’s lovely and earnest. Not very Dylan, if I may say so (Blood on the Tracks notwithstanding). In our song, Augustine uses some of Dylan’s words against him to say, essentially, “You have not seen me. Knock it off, Bob.” The video was directed by Tom Contarino. It was entirely his idea and doing. I asked Tom to work with us based on the strength and aesthetic of his previous work, most of which is on his Vimeo channel. Tom, I later learned, had taken a short break from film. He was so excited to get back at it that, after our two hour shoot, he spent all of the following day putting it together. I couldn’t be happier with the video.
What are you really excited about right now?
In terms of writing: Bernard Malamud’s The Assistant. Based on my limited survey, little modern literature deals directly with morality and its meaning. This book does that. In terms of music, my friends in Spelling Reform are gearing up to release an album. I’ve heard it and it’s impressive. I’ve been singing their “Expiration Date” for days. Additionally, our label, Black Rd Records, has some new releases on the way. Oh, and Ashley and Luke (aka September) are about to make an album. Be on the look out for that.
Fall & winter hopes & prayers?
We’ll be performing as much as possible, trying to get Time Without Measure out there. I just heard that it’s charting on CMJ. I’m hoping these sorts of successes continue. Additionally, my wife and I need to replace our roof. I’m hoping the current one doesn’t cave in before its replaced.
The Chairman Dances’ new album Time Without Measure is available now through their label Black Rd Records.
