Matt Duncan
Who Are You On Your Own? b/w State Bird
scum stats: limited 100 copies on hellfire red vinyl (this); there is also a black version
As now seems to be somewhat of a yearly tradition, on the anniversary of me blabbing about records here for just over FOUR YEARS, I'm focusing on the wonderful sounds released by the prolific Soul Step label.
Duncan is the "flagship" artist on the label and his smooooooth sounds are reminiscent of the 80's easy listening jams I fondly recall emanating from the speakers of my mother's Pontiac 6000. Little bit Hall & Oats. Soft vocals sooth for uncertain times.
A-side is previously released, but the flip is just hitting today. A synth-exploration worth the time it takes to listen. If you cannot roll with this, check your wheels.
Although I say it every year, I feel like the situation is more poignant now than ever. SUPPORT YOUR SMALL LOCAL INDEPENDENT LABELS. I have so much joy in the crushing numbers I hear Bandcamp reporting on their fee-free Fridays, it truly warms the cockles of my slowly congesting heart.
The lovely Melvin at Soul Step sent me two copies of this one, so the extra goes to the comment below with the best story about their state or region. State bird of Michigan is the robin and I always thought that was bullshit growing up. I wanted something like the cardinal or the oriole, mainly because of their baseball counterparts. The state stone is the petoskey, which as fossilized coral I think is pretty badass.
Tell me about your state, why it rules, why it sucks, whatever. Winner chosen solely at my completely biased discretion.
(side note: four years? I haven't given up? thanks so much for the comments everyone posts here, I truly enjoy like 72% of them)
Virginia is for lovers…just like the sweet sounds of hall and Oates…plus we are a blue state now!
Our state bird is a pelican, which is also pretty badass.
British Columbia! BC a Province that leaves you in a hazy state of mind!
Missouri – The Show Me State – I mean honestly is there even a better motto then that?
@Loriane Behin, that was beautifully expressed.
I grew up in the southwest of France, in a region known as the Causses, which is a bit of an untranslatable word that designates a very specific geological formation of limestone plateau (can’t say much more about it, i’m no geologist). Basically, it means that there is a very thin layer of soil (often less than one meter), full of tiny rocks, and then boum, you get straight to the big rocks of the plateau. Which means specific plants and trees, since you can’t have sthings with roots that need to go too deep, or things that needs too much water, or things that don’t withstand the heat of the summer. Mainly, we have oak trees forests. And, not far from my parents’, in one of those forest, there is a man, an artist, who, about 20, 25 years ago, started digging and exposing the rock of the plateau. Just by himself, he digged and got rid of the soil, of the tiny rocks, the ones that coverd the big rocks, but also the ones in between the big rocks, on a depth of about 2 meters (that’s around 7 feet i guess), on a surface of, i don’t know, 100 square meters ? It took him about 15 years to complete, to expose the bones of the land we stand on. The first time i went there, i was about 20, and i felt a deep emotion, and a profound sense of belonging. This is my land, this is where i grew off, this is where my roots are planted. This is my origin. This is what i’m made of. I don’t live there anymore, but i will forever be tied to that place.
My State, or to be accurate in my case Province, is Ontario Canada. I am not a massive fan overall, it’s sprawling and midwestern and the kind of place where the local ‘institutions’ are massive U.S. owned chains (I am talking to you Tim Hortons!) or closed, primarily because of massive U.S. owned chains. When people say they dig ‘classic rock’ or ‘punk’ they’re most likely referring to Guns n Roses and Blink 182 (cool enough but that’s where it stops). I grew up on the west side of Canada in B.C. That’s where all my nostalgia lies, but like all pretty places the housing market and the job market don’t get along and people move to the big boring dirty places where there are jobs and houses. However, it’s not all bad, my town, Waterloo Ontario, is a University town so has good shows and good record stores and enough variety in population to let all ideas flow. Right now why I think my Province rules?: Our Premier – who is the head of Gov’t of the Province, think Governor + Senator rolled into one – we have a Senate too but whatever it’s confusing, anyway this dude is Doug Ford, and he is a self-styled Canadian Trump. The name might ring a bell because he the brother of a gentlemen you may recall: Rob Ford, the crack-smoking / talking about pussy-eating at a press conference with is wife standing beside him former Mayor of Toronto who became an international celebrity for a time then promptly died of cancer and received a hero’s send-off. The guy who was elected mayor of TO on an anti-imiigrant platform, in a country where municipal politicians have 0 input or influence on immigration law – weird times. Back to Doug, suffice to say the man is an embrassing asshole much loved by conservative old rich people – the things we see all over today where externally it’s all crazy anti-environmental / anti-brown people bluster, but all that is really driving votes is the unstated “I will lower your taxes if you rich or a corp”. Meanwhile our Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, is the world’s shining cover-boy of Liberal-perfection – very pretty, very far left – all around too good to be true. Don’t get me wrong I actually love the guy, while accepting the ‘too good to be’ part is likely true. So no joke these 2 dudes really fuckin despise eachother, out loud, all the time. So what did they do when COVID hit? They went behind closed doors, and brought in the scientists and related commission-heads, and they put together a plan based solely on their input. Shutdown, 2k/mo sent to anyone who needs it, eviction bans, the whole deal. This time isn’t pretty or feeling well planned for anyone, but I will say that, compared ot what i see out there, it worked as well as it could, and things are ok. Cases do spike, assholes do occasionally get drunk and hug or throw big car shows without distancing or masks. Overall though, in a country that looks sparse on paper but is actually population dense (98% of live right at the bottom), things are stable, they never got out of control, and they continue to get better. These two dudes still get to give eachother the finger daily in every which way, but when it counted, they did the thing and we’re all ok. So for that reason despite abnormally high amount of dirt lots (never quite understood that) shitty coffee choices, and chain pizza, I am actually feeling pretty damn ok about Ontario these days.
Born in a small farming town in Iowa but moved to Louisiana in 1980 when i was 7. Recently went back to my hometown for my grandmother’s funeral. Glad I went and got to visit with people I hadn’t seen in a long time. However I did realize for the first time that I am better off having moved. I probably would have ended up stuck in that small town had we stayed.
On to your question about why my state rules. Well, one of the state motto’s of Louisiana is Sportsman’s Paradise, which it lives up to. I can go fishing in December in short sleeves. Try that in the deep freeze north.
P.S. my kid has a band, Sam The Astronaut. If you like synth laden pop that is familiar (80s inspired) but all brand new, please check them out.
I live in Vancouver and it has its own vibe. Some of it good, some not. the god includes a pretty diverse and inclusive culture. It is outdoors-y with a plethora of activities to indulge in. the downside is it is pretty cliquey and keep to your own group of friends when you are out. It’s where I had and raised a kid, fell in love multiple times and and now have met the girl I want to ride out this adventure with.