Trump’s Recent Comments About Sexual Assault Had Juliana Hatfield Reaching for Her Valium - The Talkhouse

Juliana, writing for The Talkhouse:

A few months ago I tweeted, “All Trump footage should be prefaced by a trigger warning.” I was sort of joking, but sort of not. Trump’s lurid omnipresence has been irritating, but you could kind of laugh it off: “Oh, he’s just a clown, he’ll eventually go away. The country that voted for Barack Obama — twice! — will never elect Trump president.” He was unpalatable, but he was still a clown. A scary clown, but a clown.

But it’s not funny anymore. Since the Trump “pussy grab” tapes were released, I’ve found myself wanting to reach for my emergency supply of valium, which I keep mainly for plane travel to ease my visceral fear of flying. These viscera of mine are currently in a state of constant high anxiety. It’s the Trump effect: the sight of his face and/or the sound of his voice tightens the stomach, the heart, the sphincter. Everything’s clenched. Even — maybe especially — the “pussy.”

The venom-spewing from and around Trump is a black cloud hovering over this country. Trump has re-opened the emotional wounds of millions of people. It’s his special talent, apart from self-propagandizing and con-artistry. He stirs up bitterness, hatred, anger; he brings out the worst in people. He does it to people on both sides — all sides. There’s bile all around.

Trump hits people where it hurts, he feeds on bad blood; he’s a viper. Trump hits people where it hurts, he feeds on bad blood; he’s a viper. (“Everything Trump Touches Dies ” read one recent headline quoting a GOP strategist.) He brings back bad memories — memories that have been safely stored away in the dusty basements of our minds.

Juliana goes on to recount such a memory, dating back to the early Blake Babies days.

Read the whole thing.

thetalkhouse.com/trumps-recent-comments-sexual-assault-juliana-hatfield-reaching-valium

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The Morning After: Tanya Donelly, Juliana Hatfield, and Yuck on the Legacy of Elliott Smith | Consequence of Sound
The Morning After: Tanya Donelly, Juliana Hatfield, and Yuck on the Legacy of Elliott Smith | Consequence of Sound

Juliana, speaking to Ryan Bray at Consequence of Sound:

Just by choosing the song, that’s tribute enough. You’re honoring its existence by tributing it. Whenever I’m choosing covers, I wonder, ‘Can I bring something of myself into this? Can I add anything to this?’ And if not, then I won’t do it. You have to throw yourself into the mix.

Juliana's cover of Needle In The Hay features on Say Yes! A Tribute to Elliott Smith, due for release this week by American Laundromat Records.

This is the same recording as released in 2014 as part of a tribute to the film director Wes Anderson.

Today's article at Consequence of Sound features further comments from Juliana about writing to Smith back in the Blake Babies era, and her approach to the song's theme of addiction.

Bray also speaks to Tanya Donelly and Yuck's Max Bloom, who also feature on the album.

Juliana Hatfield covers "Needle In The Hay" for "Say Yes! A Tribute To Elliott Smith" due out October 14, 2016. Exclusive pre-order bundles now available from www.ALR-MUSIC.com

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Audio Interview - The Future Of What - Episode #54 - God Bless the Blake Babies
Audio Interview - The Future Of What - Episode #54 - God Bless the Blake Babies

In 1986, iconic alt-rock band Blake Babies was born at Berklee School of Music. John Strohm, Freda Love and Juliana Hatfield released a few albums and toured before breaking up in 1991, but their work impacted both the Boston and national alternative music scenes. Despite their short run, Blake Babies helped define what we think of today as an independent band. On the heels of their reunion, we welcome John, Freda and Juliana on the show to talk about their enduring legacy and future plans. Music: "Mind Your Own Business" - Delta 5 "Nothing Ever Happens" - Blake Babies "On" - Blake Babies "Waiting for Heaven" - Blake Babies Produced by Will Watts and Anna McClain. Recorded by Brent Asbury at Beta Petrol.

Released today, here's a 53 minute long show featuring interviews with all 3 Blake Babies by Kill Rock Stars president Portia Sabin for the radio / podcast The Future Of What.

The first 30 minutes features John in conversation touching mainly on his involvement in the music industry both as artist and lawyer.

The second part is Juliana and Freda interviewed together on the Blake Babies history. It's great to hear Juliana describe Earwig and Sunburn as 'timeless'. She's rightly proud of the band.

Juliana goes on to confirm that they have new material planned with songwriting either imminent (in Juliana's case) or having already started (John and Freda). Fabulous.

You can listen right here from the embed above or subscribe to the podcast via the links at killrockstars.com/thefutureofwhat.

Thanks to Anna McClain who produced the show for getting in touch.

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Ye Olde Records selling 7-CD back catalog package
Ye Olde Records selling 7-CD back catalog package

Juliana, at her official site:

I am liquidating the Ye Olde Records CD back catalog, so now is your chance to stock up on my music at a huge discount. I am offering, for a limited time, a 7-CD package for $25 plus $10 shipping (and packaging) to anywhere. There are 83 songs in this package. The titles are “How To Walk Away”, “Made In China”, “Wild Animals”, “Juliana Hatfield” (cover songs), the “How To Walk Away” demos (all solo albums), plus “Whatever, My Love” by The Juliana Hatfield Three and “Sittin’ In A Tree” by Juliana Hatfield and Frank Smith. Get ‘em while they’re hot/before they’re destroyed! 
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Allston, MA, Sep 10, 2016 - Photos, Set List
Allston, MA, Sep 10, 2016 - Photos, Set List

Blake Babies played an outdoor event yesterday for Allston's Awesome Christmas. It looks like it was a lot of fun.

Thanks as ever to David Young for these excellent photos of the show.

  1. Cesspool
  2. Take Me
  3. Julius Fast Body
  4. Look Away
  5. I'm Not Your Mother
  6. Her
  7. Downtime
  8. Your Way Or The Highway
  9. Out There
  10. From Here To Burma
  11. Loose
  12. Nothing Ever Happens
  13. Wipe It Up
  14. Rain
  15. Lament
  16. Star
  17. Sanctify
  18. On
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Take a Peek Inside Juliana Hatfield's '90s Journals - The Talkhouse
Take a Peek Inside Juliana Hatfield's '90s Journals - The Talkhouse

Juliana, for the The Talkhouse:

In late 1990, my band the Blake Babies set out on tour. We were young. I kept a diary. We were doing shows with Firehose, Mike Watt’s band at the time. These pages describe the scene one night, from my point of view, after we’d finished our opening set in Northampton, Massachusetts — plus what it was like to talk to Watt.
 
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Blake Babies announce two US shows for October 2016
Blake Babies announce two US shows for October 2016

Photo: David Young

 

I think we can call it a bona fide reunion now.

After the release of the 1980s Earwig demos and the semi-private shows last month for PledgeMusic subscribers, Blake Babies today announced a couple more shows in John’s “hometowns”:

October 15, 2016 - The Basement East, Nashville, TN
October 16, 2016 - Saturn, Birmingham, AL

Support at both shows is Phoebe Bridgers.

Tickets are on sale Friday, August 5, 2016 at 10am CDT.

Magnificent.

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Evanston, IL, July 23, 2016 - Photos
Evanston, IL, July 23, 2016 - Photos

Regular visitors here will be familiar with David Young's excellent live photos. He has kindly provided us with another exceptional set from the Blake Babies show at Evanston, IL yesterday.

David has sent a different photo set to the band too so look out for them should they be posted across the official accounts. 

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Evanston, IL, July 23, 2016 - Set List, Video Links
Evanston, IL, July 23, 2016 - Set List, Video Links

This is the setlist from Saturday's Blake Babies show at Space, Evanston, IL:

  1. Lament
  2. Wipe It Up
  3. From Here To Burma
  4. Rain
  5. Your Way Or The Highway
  6. Julius Fast Body
  7. Train
  8. Grateful
  9. Severed Lips
  10. Baby Gets High
  11. Out There
  12. Cesspool
  13. Star
  14. I'm Not Your Mother
  15. Take Me
  16. Sanctify
  17. On
  18. Look Away
  19. Downtime
  20. Nirvana

Thanks for spiketop for sharing the info and for the video of Rain above, taken from a YouTube playlist with 6 other clips.

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Somerville, MA, July 9, 2016 - Set Lists
Somerville, MA, July 9, 2016 - Set Lists

With thanks to spiketop, here's the set list from the 2 Blake Babies shows on July 9, 2016:

July 9, 2016 - Q Division Studios (Somerville, Massachusetts, USA - First Show)

  1. Lament
  2. Her
  3. Steamy Gregg
  4. Your Way Or The Highway
  5. Rain
  6. Grateful
  7. From Here To Burma
  8. Severed Lips
  9. Baby Gets High
  10. Out There
  11. Cesspool
  12. Star
  13. Downtime
  14. Sanctify
  15. Take Me
  16. On
  17. Girl In A Box
  18. Nirvana

July 9, 2016 - Q Division Studios (Somerville, Massachusetts, USA - Second Show)

  1. Lament
  2. Julius Fast Body
  3. Your Way Or The Highway
  4. Rain
  5. Her
  6. Grateful
  7. From Here To Burma
  8. Wall Of Death (Richard Thompson)
  9. Baby Gets High
  10. Out There
  11. Cesspool
  12. Nothing Ever Happens
  13. Downtime
  14. A Million Years
  15. Star
  16. Sanctify
  17. Take Me
  18. On
  19. Girl In A Box
  20. Nirvana
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Interview: Indie Stars Juliana Hatfield & Blake Babies Discuss Their Evanston Reunion | chicagoist
Interview: Indie Stars Juliana Hatfield & Blake Babies Discuss Their Evanston Reunion | chicagoist

From a Blake Babies interview at chicagoist on the subject of future plans:

STROHM: Nothing specific, but we’re generally feeling good about the way things are going. I can only speak for myself, but I would love to find a way to do more with Freda and Juliana.

LOVE: Not yet, but I hope we play a few more shows. We are also discussing the possibility of reissuing our back catalogue.

HATFIELD: As far as the Blake Babies go, we are not really looking past this Chicago thing. We have no solid plans for anything else but the Boston shows were fun and I hope that at some point we can maybe try and do some more.

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Radio Interview (Blake Babies) - WGN Radio
Radio Interview (Blake Babies) - WGN Radio

WGN Radio of Chicago has an interview with all three Blake Babies:

Now, this is a treat! The highly acclaimed and much beloved indie-rock band the Blake Babies (John Strohm, Freda Love Smith and Juliana Hatfield) join Justin [Kaufmann] to talk about their careers, how they came together, when they decided to try a career in music, seeing the bands around them become successful, what they learned from being in a band, trying to create something unique, what they remember about making those early records, releasing the demos of their record, “Earwig” what it means to be a part of this iconic band and the role that music plays in their lives now.

You can listen to the 40 minute interview at WGN's site.

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How Boston’s Fort Apache Studios Captured the Sound of an Era | Consequence of Sound
How Boston’s Fort Apache Studios Captured the Sound of an Era | Consequence of Sound

Ryan Bray, for Consequence of Sound:

Boston in the mid-to-late ’80s was a fertile, if underrated, hotbed of musical talent. The city boasted scores of bands that were poised for big things just a few years around the bend, among them the Pixies, The Lemonheads, Buffalo Tom, Juliana Hatfield, Morphine, Belly, and Throwing Muses. The talent was flowing over the proverbial brim, but it needed a hub, an outlet through which the various sounds coursing through the city’s veins could be heard.

Fort Apache Studios filled that void. When Sean Slade, Jim Fitting, Paul Kolderie, and Joe Harvard officially opened Fort Apache in the spring of 1986, it was a no-frills operation run out of an industrial space in Roxbury — hardly the stuff of legends. But what started as an effort to document the local scene quickly grew into an enterprise that would produce some of the biggest guitar rock records and acts of the ’90s. The Fort Apache story is one steeped in the DIY ethos that defined the American rock underground and helped pave the way for grunge and alternative to explode into the mainstream. More than the story of a studio, this is the story of a largely unsung underground movement that helped define a musical era.

 

It's a lengthy 'oral history' style article, well worth your time with quotes from Fort Apache staff and musicians such as Lou Barlow, Kim Deal and Bill Janovitz.

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