Jerry Jeff Walker

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Bob Dylan

Harry Nilsson

Neil Diamond

David Bromberg

Tom T. Hall

Do you know what all of those artists have in common?

They all appeared on a mixtape that I made sometime in the ’70s. The first name on that list is Jerry Jeff Walker, who wrote the song. All the other names are people who had covered the song, and I had the album in my collection; there was no streaming back then, and a mixtape was literally on tape, cassette in this case. I like the song, and I enjoyed hearing how different people interpreted the song. The best-known cover is by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, which I enjoyed seeing twice at the same venue, just forty years between shows.

Back to the 70s again, I meticulously made the mixtape enjoying every moment and note played. That weekend I got together with some family and friends, and as per usual, I was nominated as DJ for the night since I had the best stereo in my car and the most tapes. Several beers and a couple of joints into the night when I made the ignominious decision to play the Mr. Bojangles mixtape. The first couple of songs went well, but then there was a shift in the party’s momentum; the good vibes were turning into sour notes. Thankfully, someone told me they had heard all the Bojangles songs they cared to listen to for the night and could someone play some good party music. I swapped Mr. Bojangles for some BTO, and the vibes came back into the party.

I say all of this in the context of a release that I streamed. Yeah, I know it’s not the same as a mixtape, but it has some familiar vibes.

Revolution Above Disorder recently debuted with ‘Illuminate,’ a 3-track offering. Produced, mixed and mastered at Jacknife Sound by Jason Corbett of ACTORS, which also featured all other members of ACTORS’ (Shannon Hemmett and Kendall Wooding on backing vocals, Adam Fink on drums) and Josiah Webb of Magic Shoppe on guitar. The video, directed and edited by Eliot Galán of Galán Films, stars Analissa Longoria and Mat Durie. Dublin-based artist Delta Omega a.k.a. Conor Paxton (House of Dolls, Buffalo Sunn, The Brothers Movement), also contributed to the more dance-oriented ‘Illuminate (Delta Omega Remix).’

I was grooving with the first mix, which I assume is the original version mixed by Jason Corbett. It had some good things going for it, and I wanted to hear more by Revolution Above Disorder. Then it moved to the Delta Omega Remix. Not much different but listenable. Then Acoustic Remix kicked in, and it was then that someone shouted to play some party music. Oh, wait! That was me shouting. Nothing wrong with the song, but three in a row was more than I could handle. My shout was answered with the song Scream Quietly, Revolution Above Disorders tribute to Television Personalities.

Yeah, I had to look Television Personalities up, having never heard them before. So much music and so little time, right? I am glad I took the time to familiarize myself with Television Personalities. I don’t know how I missed them for the last 45 years. Their music is right up there with some of my favourites of that era.

I’m going to listen to some more Television Personalities, but before I do, I will throw this out there for you.

Revolution Above Disorder pays tribute to Television Personalities on ‘Scream Quietly,’ produced by ACTORS’ Jason Corbett.

FOR SHARING

‘Scream Quietly’ on Bandcamp https://revolutionabovedisorder.bandcamp.com/track/scream-quietly-a-television-personalities-cover

Revolution Above Disorder curated playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5oWAfNsagt9wY4kPNI0laI

‘Illuminate’ https://youtu.be/bPu2IXxe3e0 

‘Illuminate (Delta Omega Remix)’ https://youtu.be/LMfVreGvp3w

‘Illuminate’ https://revolutionabovedisorder.bandcamp.com/album/illuminate 

Apple Music https://music.apple.com/us/album/illuminate-single/1584289966 

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/18V1XQDI77J2EQnyYIOU0i

Dublin postpunk / nugaze / electro artist Revolution Above Disorder presents the single ‘Scream Quietly,’ paying tribute to the groundbreaking band Television Personalities and the songwriting genius of Dan Treacy.

Revolution Above Disorder is the solo moniker of Vancouver-based Dubliner Stephen Nicholas White (The Orange Kyte, House of Dolls, Magic Shoppe). Revolution Above Disorder’s music is a melting pot of postpunk, psychedelic rock and electronic music. This is guitar-based rock augmented by synths, drum machines and heavily treated instrumentation with haunting reverb-soaked vocals.

“The lo-fi outsider-art indie-pop of Dan Treacy’s Television Personalities occupies a place in my heart all of its own. Stylistically all over the map, Treacy’s four decades (and counting) of off-kilter demonstrations of punk and psychedelia are held together by the emotional depth of the songwriting and the vocal delivery, which sees Treacy careering unconstrained from acerbic, to playfully whimsical, to heartbroken and vulnerable. Beautiful,” says Stephen Nicholas White.

This cover originally appeared on ‘Mummy, Mummy Please Look At Me: A Tribute to the Television Personalities,’ released via Dandy Boy Records.

Revolution Above Disorder recently debuted with ‘Illuminate,’ a 3-track offering produced, mixed and mastered at Jacknife Sound by Jason Corbett of ACTORS. Which also featured all other members of ACTORS’ (Shannon Hemmett and Kendall Wooding on backing vocals, Adam Fink on drums) and Josiah Webb of Magic Shoppe on guitar. The video, directed and edited by Eliot Galán of Galán Films, stars Analissa Longoria and Mat Durie. Dublin-based artist Delta Omega a.k.a. Conor Paxton (House of Dolls, Buffalo Sunn, The Brothers Movement), also contributed to the more dance-oriented ‘Illuminate (Delta Omega Remix).’

As of January 11, ‘Scream Quietly’ will be available via Apple Music, Spotify and elsewhere digitally. Scream Quietly can already be downloaded via Bandcamp, where the debut single ‘Illuminate’ is also available.

I am now off to listen to more Television Personalities and quit typing because it is a real pain in the ass with a massive bandaid on one finger that keeps wanting to hit two keys at a time.

Also, keep listening for new music by Revolution Above Disorder; there is a surge of new music coming out of the wet west coast and I’m loving it.