The bill is comprised of performers who appeared in the premiere season of the SchoolHOUSE Concert series as well as a few special guests. Comet David Partridge shares the bill with Evolution, Judy Marshak, Coco Saviour and Memories Unplugged. Doors open at 7 PM and the show begins at 7:30.

Join us!

POSTCARD COMETS

SchoolHOUSE Concert

October 22nd, 7:30 PM

Aurora Cultural Centre

22 Church Street, Aurora ON

Doors open at 7 PM • Elevator accessible at the North Entrance

Tickets are $15 and are available from the Aurora Cultural Centre,

or by phone 905-713-1818, or online at:

http://postcardcometsschoolhouse.eventbrite.com/

On Saturday October 22nd, join us for the inaugural concert in a new series of “House” concerts at Aurora Cultural Centre featuring POSTCARD COMETS for a performance of lyric-driven originals from Postcard Comets’ two CDs, Bodies Of Water and SuperNormaal (available on iTunes) with a sprinkling of favourites from the classic era of pop and rock songwriting. And don’t be surprised if there are some musical guests!

The Aurora Cultural Centre is a wonderful venue, a 19th Century Victorian schoolhouse that has been repurposed as an art gallery/ concert venue/ arts instruction facility just off Yonge Street in Aurora.

From The Auroran, October 2011

SuperNormaal, Available from iTunes and Spotify.

Postcard Comets’ David Partridge muses on the songs of the new album

WATER’S NEVER FAR The album opener is an impressionistic recounting of a journey I made to Ohio to play a gig with friends. For the geographically indifferent, the trip followed the northern edge of Lake Ontario west, then up the Niagara River to the southern shore of Lake Erie and finally up the Cuyahoga River. So, water was, in fact, never far.

I was looking for a way to blend factual and emotional landscape. I kind of fell into the reference to CNN; I watch quite often. I was actually watching in the hotel before the show. They were reporting on flooding in the Midwest and it was a great chance to introduce a different aspect of the power of water.

I like to think of this as the first in a trilogy of CNN-referencing songs. The second may well be on the next album. The third is, as yet, unwritten. Can there be a 2-song trilogy?

Buck plays some nice stuff on dobro here, making the track a favourite of mine on that count alone.

HE COULD FIX ANYTHING Buck wrote this song; I did not. Dammit. Buck’s not available to share his thoughts on the song but if he were, he probably would be loath to do so anyway. Buck prefers to let them stand as they are. That’s why he’s prone to improvising and moving on where I’m determined to tinker and tweak.

But his reticence gives me a chance to talk about Buck’s oeuvre. He’d disapprove of that word, too, by the way. Right about here I’d expect an eye roll and a sarcastic remark about a French egg.

But whether he’d acknowledge it or not, Buck’s material has a unique voice. He regularly writes about regular folks– the farmer in this one as well as a variety of waitresses, gas pump attendants, even abusive husbands. Even in cases like the latter, he tends not to be judgmental. He draws a picture; you see what you see, and think what you think, about the characters he has created. That “let them stand as they are” thing again.

He Could Fix Anything is about a small town handyman and his errant daughter. It’s simultaneously concise and detailed and is one of my favourites among many fine songs Buck has written. I seldom do a solo set without it.

THE L.A. MAN Although I love many Canadian places, I don’t hear the romance in their names. Part of being Canadian, I suppose. UK place names? Sure. American names? Of course. It may be that where my homeland is concerned, familiarity drains the exotic from say, the name Edmonton. I like Edmonton, mind; I’ve been there many times. But the name doesn’t bring a mythology the way, say Kansas City might.

Canadians are not a nation of myth builders; I think that’s fair. Suffice it to say that, for me, I Left My Heart In Mimico just doesn’t resonate like that cable car song.

I raise this because someone referred to this song as “very Canadian.” And it is, in that it longs for the magic of somewhere else, and it has a bunch of snow in it.

But those attributes are not exclusively Canadian. If you switched the chorus reference from Canada to, say, “Michigan’s cooling him down,” or substituted Wyoming or any halfway-northern, three-syllable state, the meaning would be much the same.

So, I suppose, The L.A. Man is about the allure of otherness. And, if I may lead the listener a bit more, you have to wonder whether the singer would really catch fire elsewhere as he believes that he will. Does the lyric acknowledge a real geographical impediment or challenge the dream itself?

Personally, I wax and wane. So you decide.

ANGRY WORDS This song is a favourite of Buck’s. It has a straightforward and direct lyric about being pissed off. That may explain why he likes it. It wouldn’t be because it contains some of his most muscular guitar work, although it does.

I tried for years to get this the way I heard it in my head and, here, I think we got it. Of special note is the fine, “angry wordless” sax part by Bernie Tessier. And let’s nod in the direction of the great bass line from Howard Rabkin, a guy who puts the “fun” in “funky.”

MUST BE THE RADIO This is another of Buck’s character vignettes. The character this time is a working class musician, coming home from a gig on the streetcar, writing a song in his head. It’s very detailed visually; you can see the song’s movie without trying to hard, no video required.

Strictly speaking, this is a cover. Buck performed and recorded this with a previous band. It got on SuperNormaal because I was dying to sing it. Actually, I tried first to get Buck to sing it but he declined. Lucky for me.

It also includes on of my favorite Buck guitar licks, that lovely descending line off the top off the song and in the subsequent breaks. It’s as much a part of the song as the verses and chorus.

So, is this a self-portrait? Don’t know. Maybe, but like the song says, “You never were that clear”….

A LITTLE MORE THAN ME Known by some as “the song with the names,” this is another staple of the live solo shows. For many, this is the favourite from the album. As evidence, consider the fact that someone went to the time and trouble to do a video of A Little More Than Me and post it on youTube.  Thanks again, Bob! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xyHYMR-tys

As for those names, all of the folks lauded in the song are personal inspirations for me but I don’t think it matters whether you even know who they are. It’s not about the names; it’s a love song about aspiring to be more than you seem to be.

And yes, I actually did dream that I could sing like Randy Meisner. One listen to Eagles’ Take It To The limit will tell you why.

THE GUARDHOUSE AND THE MOON This is a retelling of an actual incident that occurred near the end of high school; a dear friend enlisted in the armed forces when I had decided to go to university. Hanging above this human drama at the gates of the military base was the moon. It seemed huge, about the size of the hole I expected my friend to leave in my life.

But like all things adolescent, it was not as dramatic as all that, over time at least. We still speak regularly and raucously although he’s lived far away for many years. So the “wound” has faded but the friendship has not.

I’d like to acknowledge my sister and my cousin Glenn who have both been advocates for this song for many years.

And, of course, Buck Wilburn for that wonderful lead guitar.

AT LEAST THERE’S TOMORROW This Buck Wilburn song is an interesting amalgam of elements. It starts with folky picking and continues with at least a nod toward old soul ballads with that descending chord pattern and the backbeat guitar “chick.” Even so, the latter bars of the verse and the instrumental passages have almost a chamber music feel, a blend of formality and longing. But the chorus clearly has roots in country.

For all of that, I consider this one of Buck’s most emotionally complex melodies; and the lyric is focused throughout. There is a broad reach here but a unified intent.

Also, if I may put on my “fan” hat in praise of my friend, let me say, “No one saves their lies like you”– that’s nice.  I’d steal his line but you guys certainly would bust me for it. As you should.

NEVER FALL IN LOVE This is a song that I wrote years ago. It’s relatively simple; a six line chorus where four of the lines are exactly the same, and verse and chorus chords that are virtually interchangeable.

But I find that getting simple is not simple at all.

So this one took its time and picked up a little something at every stage. There’s a scent of reggae here that dates back to some Jamaican 45s I catalogued for someone’s music thesis years ago. But this is a long way from the Wailers. It’s Toronto, not Trenchtown. It was a hard rocker for a while, too, but it lost its sadness in that incarnation. Then it went purely acoustic but I missed the pulse.

It’s more balanced now. Buck’s kinetic acoustic playing is a tempering factor; Virginia Evans’ lovely voice brings texture to the choruses and the outro. The bubble and bump comes from the fine bass playing of Howard Rabkin.

Never Fall In Love was a lesson in musical patience. And patience is an attribute where I need all the lessons I can get.

CLANDESTINY This is a story of a seedy affair told from the perspective of the betrayed. I tried to come at this from a different, ironic place because the truth is that I’m more interested in secrets than secretions.

Even though Clandestiny tells a tale of cheatin’, I hope that the seedy details are only signposts. I’m really drawn to why a deceiver fails to see that lies are almost always found out. A secret is not immortal. It perishes with a single observation or the sound of a whisper at a single ear.

The death of a sexual secret is almost inevitable. This is the origin of the concept of “clandestiny”: the destiny of a clandestine act is that it will be exposed.

By the way, I thought I invented the word “clandestiny.” Turns out it’s also the name of some old video game.  So much for genius….

ABANDONED HIGHWAY It’s odd how a thing that you saw, or a place where you stood, comes to mind much later, embodying an emotional state completely unrelated to the original event. Odd, too, is the affection we can develop toward a painful moment well past.  Odd enough to inspire a song?

Apparently so. Maybe even a modest video to boot: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FeYK4UxktQ

Abandoned Highway features Buck Wilburn on two acoustic guitar tracks and the harmony vocal. The organ solo is largely inspired (meaning stolen) from the part on an old demo of the song by a fine keyboardist named Frank Gennuso, with whom I have, regrettably, lost contact. Frank, if this finds you, get in touch.

That’s it, SuperNormaal track by track. Enjoy the album!

David Partridge

POSTCARD COMETS

]]> http://www.postcardcomets.com/supernormaal-track-by-track/feed/ http://www.postcardcomets.com/postcard-comets-schoolhouse-concert/ http://www.postcardcomets.com/postcard-comets-schoolhouse-concert/#comments Mon, 10 Oct 2011 15:12:28 +0000 admin http://www.postcardcomets.com/?p=840 POSTCARD COMETS

SchoolHOUSE Concert

October 22nd, 7:30 PM

Aurora Cultural Centre

22 Church Street, Aurora ON

Doors open at 7 PM • Elevator accessible at the North Entrance

Tickets are $15 and are available from the Aurora Cultural Centre,

or by phone 905-713-1818, or online at:

http://postcardcometsschoolhouse.eventbrite.com/

On Saturday October 22nd, join us for the inaugural concert in a new series of “House” concerts at Aurora Cultural Centre featuring POSTCARD COMETS for a performance of lyric-driven originals from Postcard Comets’ two CDs, Bodies Of Water and SuperNormaal (available on iTunes) with a sprinkling of favourites from the classic era of pop and rock songwriting. And don’t be surprised if there are some musical guests!

The Aurora Cultural Centre is a wonderful venue, a 19th Century Victorian schoolhouse that has been repurposed as an art gallery/ concert venue/ arts instruction facility just off Yonge Street in Aurora.

]]> http://www.postcardcomets.com/postcard-comets-schoolhouse-concert/feed/ http://www.postcardcomets.com/postcard-comets-on-youtube/ http://www.postcardcomets.com/postcard-comets-on-youtube/#comments Sun, 18 Sep 2011 02:57:42 +0000 admin http://www.postcardcomets.com/?p=836 We are pleased to add a modest little video for Abandoned Highway to the Postcard Comets YouTube stash. Abandoned Highway joins A Little More Than Me, produced, unbeknownst to David, by someone who took his songwriting workshop.  The more the merrier!

Both songs are from The Comets’ SuperNormaal album. Pop by YouTube for a look!

Here’s a link:
ABANDONED HIGHWAY

The song was written by David Partridge who also sings lead and contributes keyboards and percussion. David also produced the track.

DISAPPEAR is the first Comets track to feature banjo and is also the first track on which David and Dolores have sung together since Never Seen The Mountains which was featured on her album Big Girl Art.

DISAPPEAR can be found on the player at the top of the page.

Be sure to let us know what you think! We love to hear from you.

Postcard Comets: The Guardhouse and the Moon
[purchase]
I first met David Partridge of Postcard Comets quite some time ago, in an online song review group, and later in an acoustic music forum. Many of the people who are to be found in these places are amateur musicians, trying to get better at what they do and maybe make an album some day. But not Postcard Comets, at least not by the time I met them. Their music stood out, it because it was ready for the big(ger) time. I remember that, but I didn’t remember exactly what it sounded like. So when Partridge offered me their new album for the blog, I knew I wanted it, but I didn’t remember why. Now I remember.

Postcard Comets is the duo of Partridge and Buck Wilburn. Between them, they play seven instruments by my count, so the sound on the album is that of a full band. Partridge does most of the writing, and he is an expert scene setter. In The Guardhouse and the Moon, I can see that night sky as I listen, and I can feel that cold autumn breeze blowing on me.

Partridge’s voice has the texture of fine sandpaper, but he knows how to use that to his best advantage. Wilburn contributes a great part on lead acoustic guitar, with something of a Spanish flavor. All told, the emotion of this song comes through loud and clear. The subject is two childhood friends parting, as one begins military service. There are not all that many songs on this subject, so Partridge shows himself to be not only an evocative songwriter, but also a true original. The Guardhouse and the Moon is no fluke either; there are many other gems to be found on this album.

Thanks to Darius Rips for the thoughtful review!

POSTCARD COMETS: Supernormaal

This is a “guest Cometary” inspired by a post we got from a listener who bought our just released second album, SUPERNORMAAL, now available on iTunes and amazon.com. Here’s his track by track in its entirety. A big thank you goes out to this listener for taking the time to comment. We enjoyed it, hope you will too!

Water’s Never Far - Great opener. I think it sets the tone for the rest of the disc. Love the chanting and dobro.

He Could Fix Anything - Love this song and the vocals work, but it’s the lyrics that make it. It’s great story this is the best representation of Buck Wilburn’s writing, in my opinion, very “small town Americana”.

The LA Man – This is so Canadian. This is awesome! ‘Stares at the pines but he’s dreaming of palm trees’, good fucking line that is.

Angry Words - ‘nough said. I have to admit I miss the complete guitar solo from the end of an earlier version you posted but I’m partial to guitars– that’s what I play. The sax works perfect, though!!

Must be The Radio - Great imagery. I can see this guy sitting in the streetcar.

A Little More Than Me - Do you have to read the words?

The Guardhouse And The Moon - Nice groove, this is a good cruising tune.

At Least There’s Tomorrow - I don’t remember this one from the pre-release postings. Is it new? Nice production. The verses seem difficult to sing, not pitch but flow, and then the chorus comes in so sweetly, a real nice hook.

Never Fall In Love - Reggae, Virginia Evans in the background vocals? Nice!

Clandestiny - This was the best surprise. I first heard this on a cranked up blaster while taking a bath. Everything was bouncing around the room. Sounded really good. The percussion is bloody ‘A’!

Abandoned Highway - perfect closer. I think this was the first song I ever heard from you guys. David’s best vocal?? This is where the voice shines.

Well done, David and Buck.

(name withheld upon request)

New Brunswick,

Canada

Care to add some comments of your own? Email us at postmaster@postcardcomets.com or just post a comment here. Have your say about SUPERNORMAAL or BODIES OF WATER or anything vaguely Cometesque!

David

POSTCARD COMETS

SUPERNORMAAL, Available now from iTunes and amazon.com

SUPERNORMAAL is an extension of the Postcard Comets repertoire and includes for the first time the compositions of both David Partridge and Robert (Buck) Wilburn.

David has contributed 8 songs including Water’s Never Far, The L.A. Man, A Little More Than Me and Abandoned Highway.

Buck’s featured songs are  Must Be The Radio, At Least There’s Tomorrow and He Could Fix Anything.

The tracks feature Buck on electric and acoustic lead guitar, dobro, lap steel, bass and background vocals. In addition to producing, David sings lead and background vocals and plays acoustic guitar, keyboards and percussion.

Eleven tracks of Postcard Comets on SUPERNORMAAL. Own them now from iTunes, amazon.com and other fine digital retailers!