Fertile Crescent

WOOM

2010-01-09T19:40:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody!
We have some exciting news!
Next weekend we're heading to LA to master the record that we've been working on for the last year. We're so excited to finish this music and get it out into the world. In reflecting on what we've made, we've noticed that after the epic 2.5 month tour we did last fall Fertile Crescent stopped being Fertile Crescent and started being WOOM. We think this happened somewhere between New Orleans and North Carolina, around the time of Eben's birthday, when we were doing some 17 hour days in the car. When we reached our doorstep we were changed and the music we were making changed, too. It's called WOOM now. We have a new blog and will be posting with more frequency to it.
http://w-o-o-m.blogspot.com/

There's not much on it yet, but stay tuned for some music, shows, and tours that we'll be rolling out over the course of 2010.

Happy New Year!
Sara + Eben

Fertile Crescent show December 7th- CANCELLED

2009-11-30T12:58:00.000-08:00

The Knockout

3223 Mission St

San Francisco, CA

Monday, December 7, 2009 at 9:30pm

Butchy Fuego (Pit Er Pat) - Sex Worker - Fertile Crescent - Los Gringos
4 bands $5!

Unfortunately we just learned that this show has been canceled due to a double booking issue. We were looking forward to it, but we'll do other shows soon.

Anecdote Archive by Joseph del Pesco

2009-11-08T10:42:00.000-08:00

This is a video from the Anecdote Archive, a project of the amazing Joseph del Pesco which catalogs ephemeral happenings through word of mouth. He interviewed me at the Headlands, just north of SF in California, about a show we played on tour last fall at Woulds gallery, which was set up by David Wilson and included Avocet and Lucky Dragons and an incredible paper cave installation by David and Kelly Roth Best. Apparently I talk with my hands, especially when I describe things you cannot see.

I Never Told Anybody

2009-10-29T10:25:00.000-07:00

There's a book by Kenneth Koch called I Never Told Anybody. It's about teaching poetry in an old folks home. Those of you who read this blog might or might not know that I'm very interested in alternative forms of education or "alternative pedagogies," as those in the know will say. I have consulted Koch's other book on teaching, Wishes, Lies, and Dreams, many times for inspiration for classes I've taught as well as for personal artistic inspiration. That one is about teaching to elementary-aged children.

Anyway, this morning I was eating rice and eggs and I opened I Never Told Anybody to a random page and began reading some poems. I was unprepared for how moving they could be. It amazes me how often the simplest, most unadorned language can have the most immediate emotional impact. It's something I always want to remember. It seems like something that "uneducated" people understand much more clearly that academic folks. So much of learning is unlearning.

I wanted to share a few poems with you:

To My Husband Frank

Honey dear, I want to tell you
How much I am lonely.
I am living by some friends
They treat me very good but
Not as how you would treat me.
Sweetheart dear, I wish you would
Come on home soon. Love, Mary.

Mary Tkalec

Poem

It feels good to make love when it rains.

Sam Rainey

Friendship

We were friends, that's all we were.
I thought of you and I thought I'd write
to see what you were doing.
I thought that by corresponding
we could tell each other whatever we felt.

You lived next door to me, and you went away
and I missed you. We used to read together, right here.
It wasn't a love affair
but you lived near me and I could talk to you, little secrets.
I'll leave it open to you to answer me.
I'd love to hear from you
So I can tell you my secrets, if I had any.
Right now I don't have any. Nadya.

Nadya Catalfano

Becoming Commons Show in Bolinas

2009-09-21T11:28:00.000-07:00

Next weekend Fertile Crescent is playing at a retreat in Bolinas, CA in conjunction with a talk at the Headlands Center for the Arts about art collaboratives, communes, and generally working together. If you're in the Bay Area we hope to see you there! The retreat is being put together by the amazing Jana Blankenship and Erin Elder.
Info for the talk and retreat below:
Becoming Commons:
J. Morgan Puett with Brian Conley, Erin Elder & Allison Smith
Date: 9/24/2009 (Thursday)
Time: 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Location: Mess Hall Ticket Info: FREE Admission
http://www.headlands.org/
Becoming Commons is a clustering/swarming/gathering of people entangled in the complexities of everyday living and working together. Looking to historical models of communes, collectives, homesteads, experimental outposts, and other forms of collective barn raising, participants are invited to share their stories and ideas in an intimate exchange at the Headlands Center for the Arts. This town hall-style program is collaboratively conceived by interdisciplinary artist co-founder of Mildred's Lane , J. Morgan Puett (AIR '09), artist Allison Smith (SMITHS), curator Erin Elder and CCA professor Brian Conley. These collaborators invite the public to join them for an evening of conversation. This is the first in a series of conversations that will continue in 2010.

C O M E T O B O L I N A S : B E C O M E C O M M O N

Putting conversation into action, this retreat will build on the Headlands' hosted event "Becoming Commons" through an assortment of events, conversations, convergences, explorations and experiments. On the Bolinas Mesa, participants will collaboratively ask questions, share ideas, learn to forage, bake bread, make food, make music, build a structure, watch films, watch stars, and become friends. A series of informal workshops and activities, as well as the space for unscripted bliss, provides the setting for a deeper examination of what it means to become common.

DATES & TIME: Saturday, September 26 at noon until Sunday, September 27 at 6pm

LOCATION: Bolinas, details available with RSVP

RSVP: $25 for the weekend. All meals, live music and camping included. Space is limited! Email your reservation to Erin Elder -- mserinelder@gmail.com

Wildwood

2009-08-31T21:07:00.000-07:00

We're in LA mixing our record while the fire rages in the background. We ate tacos on our back porch and watched the fires which are just over the hill, behind Dodgers Stadium. I said to Eben, "Should we get outta here?" He shrugged. I said "Should I take pictures of this?" Those are the urges we vacillate between...documenting and fleeing. It's really really close. On the radio they said "The fire is 5 percent contained" as if that's good news. Guess it sounds better than "95% out of control."

Anyway, last night I took a break (from mixing and fire-watching) and watched a movie called "Wildwood N.J." about the beach town where I went every summer growing up. It's pretty amazing. It was shot in the 90s, but looks like the 80s. The movie is a social documentary along the lines of "Heavy Metal Parking Lot," but with a little more depth and emotion. Being from the Philly area, and having grown up with people exactly like those in the film, it really brought me back.

SHOW WITH AVOCET

2009-07-30T10:28:00.001-07:00

Last minute announcement:
We are playing 2 shows with our friend Meara who plays as Avocet. We're helping with video projection, percussion and vocals. This isn't a Fertile Crescent thing, just something we're helping with.
She's opening for Deerhoof and Busdriver tonight in Santa Barbara at Velvet Jones and tomorrow in LA at the Echoplex.
Hope to see you there!

We Will Do Something New

2009-07-08T14:07:00.000-07:00

*** A last minute show addition***
Meara (AVOCET) has invited us to play at a summer fun potluck show in beautiful Bolinas, CA. If you happen to be around the bay area please come join in the fun! We will do something NEW!
with...
***LUCKY DRAGONS & AVOCET***

at 398 Tulip Road in Bolinas MAP

There will be a potluck dinner starting around 7 and music will begin around sundown.
Feel free to bring friends,children, pets and yes yes please forward on.

Come out for a walk, dinner, music and good times and then head homeward or bring a tent and spend the night sleeping under the stars in our yard.

Please bring something tasty to share and/or refreshing to drink and warm sweaters for the cold night air.

Directions are attached, but they can be a little tricky towards the end. Call if you need help finding the house (510) 529-9204.

Hope you can come!

Yip yip yay!

Jana

Conversation/interview with Sara and Shoko

2009-07-05T19:37:00.001-07:00

Hello! It's been a while since my last post. We've since moved to the west coast and have been mixing our record. A few shows are in the works for August and the fall. These are poppies from our kitchen window.

I've been working on this for a little while. It's an interview/conversation about drumming and psychological states with our friend Shoko Horikawa, who we were on tour with this fall. She plays drums in Experimental Dental School.

New Home

2009-06-27T09:53:00.000-07:00

Tom Tom

2009-05-08T16:50:00.000-07:00

Today I wrote a blog post about Inuit Throat singing for Tom Tom Magazine and they've asked me to do so weekly from now on.
In other news the tadpoles are really busy in the vernal pools! Check 'em out:

Flying's Draw it in the Dark dvd/7" is out

2009-05-02T10:04:00.000-07:00

Our other band, Flying, made this dvd/7"...and it's finally out!

DRAW IT IN THE DARK, a dvd of music videos made by video/film artists:
Jeannie Simms
Catherine Ross
Brittany Gravely
Jonathan Kendler
Ben Spiegelman
Erica Magrey
Sara Magenheimer
Eben Portnoy

It comes in a beautiful package with paintings by Dana Schutz and a 7" that contains the songs:
Fear of Flying
Stains
Draw it in the Dark
Cloud in Doubt (alt. take)

It is available at Insound and most independent music sellers and was published in a small edition of 750 by Menlo Park Recordings.
Please ask for it if you don't see it.
Thank you!

ME MAY MIX MA

2009-05-01T19:57:00.000-07:00

Congratulations it's May! And a new mix for the month from FC HQ where we're watching damp oak trees slowly budding.

Download here

You're listening to:

1. Rex Griffin - You Gotta To Go To Work
2. Abana Ba Nasery - Atisa Wangu
3. The Van-Dogs - Hey Girl
4. Elis Regina - Comadre
5. Enrique Bofante - Soledad
6. The Shirelles - Doomsday
7. Andres Segovia - Marieta (comp. Francisco Tarrega)
8. Albert Ayler - Love Cry
9. The Shirelles - A Girl Is Not A Girl
10. Caetano Veloso - Chuva, Suor E Cerveja
11. Sami Kamara and his Black Diamonds - Tete
12. The Jay-Tees - Buck Town Corner
13. Exporta Samba - A Taxa
14. Arthur Russell - A Little Lost
15. Robbie Basho - Variations on Claire de Lune
16. The Moools - Birthday

MIX NOW WORKING

2009-04-10T18:55:00.000-07:00

Sorry if you tried to download my mix and it didn't work! The link seems to be functional now.
Thanks for letting me know!
S

New Sun

2009-04-08T08:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday a friend informed me that, according to a pagan-turned-Jewish tradition, the sun returns every 28 years to its original place in the divine creation of the heavens. Well, that is happening TODAY! The SUN! REBORN! Whatever your belief system, I thought it was a good enough reason to post another mix. The last time this happened was 1981, the year I was born.

Zip

Tracks:
01 Love Is Overtaking Me Arthur Russell
02 Spooky Drums No.1 Baby Dodds/The Laneville-Union Brass Band/The Lapsey Band
03 In The Shadow Of The Pines Bascom Lamar Lunsford
04 Come Sing Me A Happy Song To Prove We All Can Get Along The Lumpy, Bumpy, Long And Dusty Road Bert Jansch
05 Cry To Me Betty Harris
06 Maria Chibu Bira
07 Chances Are (Original) Bob Marley and the Wailers
08 I'll Come Running Brian Eno
09 Comme À La Radio Brigitte Fintaine
10 Terra Caetano Veloso
11 Spoon Can
12 Frownland Captain Beefheart
13 Single Girl, Married Girl The Carter Family
14 Um Tom Caetano Veloso
15 Vitamin C Can
16 Muck Muck (Matt Matt) Yochanan (Sun Ra)

Duplex Balcony

2009-03-23T18:47:00.000-07:00

Here's a video from the other night at Gay Gardens. More to come!

SHOWS SHOWS SHOWS BDAY SHOWS

2009-03-20T08:56:00.000-07:00

We're playing tonight at Clark University (@ the Grind) in Worcester, MA, and tomorrow at Gay Gardens at 10 Greylock St in Allston MA. It's Sara's birthday tomorrow so come get loose!

Experimental Dental School's Free Album

2009-03-17T18:10:00.000-07:00

Experimental Dental School made an album and are giving it away for free on their website. You should go get it! They're amazing musicians who blew our minds nightly as we toured with them and Deerhoof in the fall.

Eric's Romantic Evening

2009-03-12T12:01:00.000-07:00

We started a tradition of well-wishing last year by sending "Happy New Year" mixes to our buddies. This year we intended to carry on that tradition, but through various interventions of reality we ended up posting our mix HERE and now instead of on January 1st. This year our mix is called "Eric's Romantic Evening." It's a mix full of easy melodies and warm feelings, one that I find is just nice to have in the air anytime of day, not necessarily only in the evenings. Since posting mixes on this blog is way easier than making packaging and mailing out mixes all over the place we'll definitely be making more in the near future. We really hope you enjoy it!

ps Check out our friends Cryptasize who have posted amazing mixes as well!

Track listing:
Joy In The Morning 4:04 Alton Ellis Sunday Coming
Sheria Yatukataza (The Rule Forbids Us) 4:21 Maulidi Juma/Maulidi Musical Party Zanzibara, Vol. 2: Golden Years Of Mombara Taarab
Alice Coltrane (Unnamed Song) 4:19
Ené Alantchi Alnorem (I Can't Live Without You) 5:02 Mulatu Astatke Ethiopiques, Vol. 4: Ethio Jazz & Musique Instrumentale, 1969-1974
Variations on Clair de Lune 3:36 Robbie Basho Art of the Acoustic Steel String
Manha De Carnaval 3:00 Antonio Carlos Jobim & Luiz Bonfa Orfeu Negro
What A Wonderful Thing Love Is 3:40 Al Green I'm Still In Love With You
Alice Coltrane (Unnamed Song) 5:33
Tezeta (Nostalgia) 6:17 Mulatu Astatke
Utrus Horas 8:43 Orchestra Baobab
Easy To Love 3:18 Edith Frost Wonder Wonder
Send One Your Love 3:07 Stevie Wonder Journey Through The Secret Life Of Plants
Ui! (você inventa) 3:03 Tom Zé Estudando O Samba
Brigitte Bardot 2:56 Tom Zé

Jumping

2009-03-10T21:17:00.000-07:00

In the vaults of our fall tour archive I recently dug up this video that I presume had been buried because of the seriously embarrassing hyperventilation-style laughter of the videographer in the background. Good thing that wasn't me! Here's what we do for fun on tour:

Recording

2009-02-17T12:45:00.000-08:00

Hi! It's been a while since we've posted. That's because we've been in the woods in Massachusetts recording and experimenting and generally "seeing what happens". We promise to emerge soon with something! Here are some pictures that are informing our process thus far.

Orlando, FL

2009-01-28T08:48:00.001-08:00

Fertile Crescent, originally uploaded by the social.

2009-01-28T08:47:00.001-08:00

Fertile Crescent, originally uploaded by the social.

At The Social in Orlando, FL

2009-01-28T08:41:00.001-08:00

Fertile Crescent, originally uploaded by the social.

END OF YEAR TOP TEN

2008-12-19T19:29:00.000-08:00

Top Ten Intriguing Establishment Names Seen on Tour:

1. Things She Likes (TX)
2. Stop N' Get (Houston, TX) (corner store)
3. Catedral de Mariscos (Houston, TX) (Translation: Cathedral of Seafood)
4. Aroma De Jesus (Los Angeles, CA) (Translation: Aroma of Jesus)
5. Cowboy Bible Church (TX)
6. Jesus Pizza (Detroit, MI)
7. Yvonne's Snacketeria (Balmorhea, TX)
8. Juan in a Million (TX)
9. Spearmint Rhino Gentleman's Club (Los Angeles, CA)
10. Visible Nails (Louisiana)

Boobs Across The U.S.A.

2008-12-16T15:55:00.000-08:00

Here we have some lovely t-shirt models!

Daytrotter

2008-12-16T13:58:00.000-08:00

Daytrotter is really special...these guys set up a recording studio and invite bands who are touring through Iowa to stop by and record some songs. Fun! They have great amps, and all kinds of other instruments. We had been driving like crazy (14hrs, 10 hrs, etc.) in the days leading up to our session, so it sounds a little off-kilter to us, but we hope you like it, and if you don't NOTHING LOST because it's FREE to download the songs! What could be better?
http://daytrotter.com/article/1516/flying-fertile-crescent

THANK YOU

2008-12-16T11:25:00.000-08:00

We're home from our longest tour ever, 2.5 months, and what a long trip it was! Looking back on all the places we played and people we met, it was really quite a journey! Some things that stand out are...pre-election drive through Iowa...seeing a big handmade sign on an auto repair shop, in a largely republican town, that said "Enough is Enough, Vote Democratic this November!"...being in New Orleans on election day and riding the cable car as the results came in...having Thanksgiving in CA with so many good friends and the best food we've ever had...playing in David's paper cave in Oakland...there are really too many stand-out things to list...
our show in NY a few nights ago was really great, too...we played with AcHT(eN) and Hospitality and Little Gold and The Beets all of whom blew our minds in different ways.

So THANK YOU for coming to see us, sending us words of encouragement in our dark moments, taking pictures and videos, letting us photograph you in our infamous BOOB t-shirts, letting us sleep on your floor or your couch, feeding us, telling us where we can buy cold medicine at 3am, telling us where to get the best tacos, giving us directions, setting up amazing party shows in your house, slow-dancing to Duplex Balcony, and inviting us back to do it again someday. We honestly couldn't have done it without you! Playing music is as much about the community in the room as it is about the musicians and you really made each night what it was. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Last Night in Phoenix

2008-11-30T14:25:00.000-08:00

the Treasure Mammal 5-yr anniversary

Tour Continues!!!

2008-11-30T13:39:00.000-08:00

Still Going Strong!
With two weeks left on our long road, here's a few more snapshots of recent days past. XO and thanks to all the friends old and new who are sharing it with us!

The cave that turned into the sea

2008-11-25T11:39:00.000-08:00

http://ribbonsribbons.blogspot.com/

We made a video for Deerhoof

2008-11-15T12:08:00.001-08:00

Family of Others by Deerhoof from Sara Magenheimer on Vimeo.

Halloween in Athens, GA

2008-11-01T22:27:00.000-07:00

Tour Plans Changing

2008-10-29T16:06:00.000-07:00

Hi
So, it's a long story, but the Flying tour ended with our van breaking down outside DC. Eliot is home, and we decided to continue as Fertile Crescent in a borrowed car. Deerhoof has been kind enough to let us jump on some of their shows, so tonight we'll be playing in Asheville at the Grey Eagle and tomorrow we'll be in Nashville. We've updated the tour dates on the right. Hope to see you out there.
Love,
FC

Record Record Re-Re-Record

2008-10-20T17:43:00.000-07:00

Now in hand: Our First 7"! The cover is a collage by our friend Carol Bove. It will be available while we are on tour with Deerhoof (as Flying) and afterwards while we continue around the country as Fertile Crescent. Since we were in the neighborhood (Detroit) we swung by the Archer record pressing plant where we met Mike Archer and took a picture of this Machine.

Wild Wild Mushrooms

2008-10-02T11:27:00.001-07:00

Has anyone else noticed the intense proliferation of mushroom blogs in recent months? We have, and we're hopping on this trend like a golden trampoline. Not only that, but we're actually eating the evidence. Wellfleet's sandy soils are the perfect habitat for the elusive "King Bolete" - and we caught more than a king's ransom. Stay tuned, mushroom lovers.

Fertile Crescent w/ Dark Meat and Stars Like Fleas

2008-09-26T09:17:00.000-07:00

**A portion of our proceeds from the show will be donated to the Obama campaign in honor of it being exactly one month from election day!

Saturday October 4th @ SCHMARKET SCHMOTEL

:: Dark Meat
:::: Stars Like Fleas
:::::: Fertile Crescent -----> mems FLYING

[ SCHMARKET SCHMOTEL ]
1142 Myrtle Ave @ Bdwy | Bushwick, Brooklyn
JMZ-Mrytle, L-Jefferson, G-Myrtle/Willoughby | 8pm | $8 | all ages | no phone

We're making a 7"

2008-09-03T08:34:00.000-07:00

First 2 Shows in 2 years

2008-08-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

Death by Audio
Aug. 19th 8pm

and

Aug. 22nd
The Stone
curated by Shelly Burgon
www.thestonenyc.com