Lopsided Love Songs return to the Circle Bar – Press release

Richard Bates

Happy Hour, 6:30PM  –  9PM

Saturdays in September and October

 

1032 St. Charles Avenue at Lee Circle

504-588-2616

“Bates sings to his strengths and keeps it cool, staying in the pocket like a power-pop Frank Sinatra”  –– Red Levine, OffBeat

“…unabashedly sincere guitar-pop jangle, with shades of Elvis Costello in guitarist/songwriter Richard Bates’ voice” – Keith Spera, Times Picayune

Bates alternates between ukulele and guitar playing a nice mix of original and pop favorites.  Ukulele covers include the Overture from Die Fledermaus, standards à la Louis Prima, Guns ‘n’ Roses, and Britney Spears.

Download samples of his singing and songwriting with the hons (who will join  Bates several times through the series) at: http://thehonsmusic.com

Read Jay Mazza’s announcement of the July series at:

http://www.thevinyldistrict.com/neworleans/2013/06/richard-bates-begins-saturday-residency-at-the-circle-bar/

Touching Leaves

Touching Leaves is and was the newest song on the album when we started recording in July of 2005. It was written while pursuing a long distance runn– er, relationship of dimension defying proportions. It benefited from my dad’s editting as an earlier version squeezed “over the moon” between “shooting stars” and “with anyone anywhere else.” I now wonder if there’s a better qualifier for “world” than “Western,” borrowed from Son Volt. Seems insane to omit China now… Perhaps Allison Pitcher or Jonathan West (Ghostwood, Backtracer) will think of one. They’ve each been kind enough to compliment this song at least twice (THANKS ALLI and JONATHAN!!!!).

Meanwhile, this was one of first that I started mixing and mastering albeit a couple of years after the first tracks were laid (pettymotherf-ckinpettycandyassnastysh-tspewinggonnabreakyourarmssomeday–Katrina..) with the intent of quickly producing a 3 song demo. For this reason, Touching Leaves and If Wishing Made It So are CransTork-less … for better or worse, that’s me on guitar and synth pad… note:Hey Girl was originally in this fast track batch but was tremendously improved when a Cranston session for another song ran short, and he reinvented replaced scorched my part :endnote. In Touching Leaves, the bouncy panning is also my idea, another occasion for potential regret, if it were still possible for me to go there.

This was the recording that Robert Tarango said he couldn’t fix. I almost believed him. He also said that the song should feature more prominently the outro/ending/vamp, whatever you call it. Perhaps that’s launching point for a reprise. Shushing Leaves anyone?

Special thanks to Pete for playing and designing such an awesome, jivey jump bass line that he has to relearn it before every gig! And he can dance too :)!

Post Feb ’11 Facebook Jibber Jabber!

Thanks to all 115 who Clyde counted through the door Friday night celebrating our album with us, especially Allison Pitcher, Julia Bates, DC Harbold & CRANSTON CLEMENTS for being on stage, The Help for torching the second set…..Shawn Miranda representing the Airline Park Drinking Society with Jamie, Jessica, Ben, Francisco, Scott, Seana, Genevieve & Kelly O., Mustangs Bill Devlin and Gil Blankenship, Funky Butters Sally and Roxie, CO-CO, Carmelo, Therapeutic Auntie Cin, John Alfilmatriphone…was it really Dave Clements, Affectionados de la String Monica and Natasha, and did I see Leslie from Jacques-Imo’s back in the day, Date Nighters Vic loves Karen, Jay loves Melissa, Julian loves Julia, and Jermy loves Erin, Julia Mott’s B…rad Glaser Love Machine featuring Barrett and Friends, Happening Barry Fitz, MY Daaddd Randy… and BarMaster Andy who politely smiled at unsolicited recommendations circa the Tao of Drunk Ass just before I was the last one to leave :)! As my grandmother advised, we set out to have a good time and did!

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Jonathan Henderson No idea what you are talking about here… but your grandma gave good advice!
Sunday at 10:38pm · LikeUnlike
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Richard Bates Thanks for noticing … I didn’t know what I was talking about either but commend Andy for smiling through it. Here’s to hoping that I LISTEN to bartenders in the future 🙂 … the quiet drunk gets to drink all night!
Sunday at 10:44pm · LikeUnlike · 1 personLoading…
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Jonathan Henderson More advice from granny?
Sunday at 10:45pm · LikeUnlike
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Richard Bates actually, I think that was Andy’s advice.
Sunday at 10:59pm · LikeUnlike
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Jonathan Henderson Smart guy!

Keith Spera’s Hot Pick!

We also were Keith Spera’s first recommendation for Feb. 11!

Hot Picks
A week’s worth of good music
Friday, February 11, 2011
Keith Spera

FRIDAY

Local trio The Hons peddle unabashedly sincere guitar-pop jangle, with shades of Elvis Costello in guitarist/songwriter Richard Bates’ voice. They’ll celebrate their recent CD, “To Skyward,” during the early set at Carrollton Station tonight. Guitarist Cranston Clements and keyboardist David Torkanowsky, both of whom appear on “To Skyward,” are slated to sit in. The Help, featuring singer Barbarba Menendez, closes the show. …

Weekend Shots – Jay Mazza’s Top Recomendation

Our Celebration of To Skyward (the album) was recommended in several high profile locations including Jay Mazza’s!

From The Vinyl District

TVD Presents:
Weekend Shots
By Jay Mazza | Published: February 11, 2011

One of the coolest things about New Orleans musicians is the cross generational nature of their collaborations. Tonight, the Hons, the vehicle for up-and-coming songwriter Richard Bates, are joined by two musicians that are legends in this town- the keyboardist David Torkanowsky and the guitarist Cranston Clements. The Hons are celebrating the release of a new CD at Carrollton Station. They go on early, but stick around the see the Help, which is Barbara Menendez’s new band. She fronted the Cold back in the day.

Over at Tipitina’s, another cross generational show down gets started with Papa Grows Funk opening for George Porter, Jr. and his Runnin’ Pardners. Keyboardist John Gros, the Papa in Papa Grows Funk, has long been a disciple of Meters-inspired funk. But then you knew that…

…for more of last weekend, click the link above!

There Was A Time

OffBeat called this faux metal. Check the drums though ’cause it seems more dancy to me. Yes, more open ended unresolved love love love, but what do you expect from 90’s non fiction?! Meanwhile, Madaffari and Misha combined for a monster snare that actually holds up against Cranston’s and Tork’s stripped gears — blip, squeal, and thunder on the mountain. Tork’s chords melt like 24 hour pork roast … in exactly 3 minutes!

Hating the Songs

I know I said If Ever was for Paul McCartney, but Hating the Songs really is. Romantic love’s fine and all, but, for Shakespearean narcissists in Greek Drama, it’s mostly self inflicted obsession disorder.

Whatever you think of the song, the recording features Cranston Clements cubed as he contributes percolating rhythm in stereo. Skip directly to 2:38 for the best 58 seconds on the album and his extended impossible guitar solo. And peasants call Clapton god.. Wait til they hear this!

Saving Grace

For most of my life, my dad has suggested that topics other than love are less over-run with clichés, better received, and healthier for the singer. Recently though, he surprised me with a statement of reverse opinion, that no subject is more political than love.  This transformation inspires guarded wonder. Is it aging’s magic toward bias? that indirect criticism was most suitable for earlier work? or simply his penchant for surprises?

Meanwhile, this song responds to accumulation of awesome exes. Merideth Sullivan sings beautifully on an early demo (likely, still posted at myspace.com/thehonsmusic), and this version benefits from DC Harbold’s influence  as he’s responsible for A’s early impact before “and always” and “saving grace.”

It’s easy for me to love the playing: Tork’s early fills and late swells, Cranston’s everything, especially accents and lifts, Madaffari’s snap, and Pete’s fills, especially in line 2 and 4 of the second verse… by the “to give you loving” part, I almost feel presentable.

If Ever

If Ever

If Ever was written circa 1997 while living in a small New York apartment. A picture of me and a friend at Euro-Disney was the lyrical inspiration, if you can call it that. As is often the case, I am usually in love with a melody long before I can wrangle any meaningful, natural syllables to fit it and so sing place holder lyrics to help keep from forgetting it. A common side effect is that, the longer I sing the place holder lyrics, the harder it is separate my mind from them. On this song, I tried for imploding the “Wish on a star” clichés. Another love song for Paul McCartney!

Cranston plays gorgeous guitar right. This was the first track he worked on and did so while I was in Asbury Park to see the awesome Feable Weiner. Thanks to modern technology, after, “I say Feable, you say Weiner, FEABLE!” “WEINER!” I was able to unwind in the lonely hotel room with the gift of his part.

Tork’s birdies are thrilling as well…

A few people have spoken out against the complicated drum parts designed with a drum machine on the original demo … hallelujah thank heaven for Madaffari’s ability to improve them … and still I love  the way they lift off…

The Way It Should Be

This song’s lyrical hook was lifted from  Jeremy Daum’s eloquent toast at his brother Mike’s and Elena’s wedding in 2000. It’s also informed by Everette Maddox’s “Here’s to Falling,” a poem worth finding. An early demo exists that was recorded by DC Harbold. If you catch me humming one of my own songs, it’s most likely this one.

On the new recording, Torkanowsky’s warm bath of B3 is brilliant from intro to the “you too can be saved” harmony in the chorus …  and always, Cranston’s guitar shines, especially in the third verse which opens with an impossible interphrase stab and features a nod to Bowie’s China Doll. Their patient, elegant interplay in the 8 bar break shows that beauty does not have to be quantized!