Video: Assembly of Dust

SONG OF THE WEEK

Today we feature Assembly of Dust with a Spotlight and Simply Six so we thought we'd feature them as Song of the Week also. From their new album with Richie Havens is "All That I Am Now".

SPOTLIGHT: Assembly of Dust

Assembly of Dust was created when Reid Genauer left the group Strangefolk, the folk rock group he helped start in 1991 and stayed with until 2000. The group consists of Reid Genauer ∞ lead vocals, guitar,Adam Terrell ∞ lead guitar, vocals,Andy Herrick ∞ drums and John Leccese ∞ bass, vocals.

Their newest album Some Assembly Required is their fourth and went on sale towards the end of July. The new album features guest artists on almost every track. From Richie Havens, Bela Fleck, David Grisman, John Schofield, Mike Gordon and Martin Sexton, these talented artists give their assist in helping Assembly of Dust create some great music. One of my favorites, Theresa Andersson plays and sings on the song "Straight."

Genauer cites the Beatles, the Band, Neil Young and Wilco as among some of his influences. The songs are character driven, "I tried on some different characters and moods" relates Genauer.

Genauer credits his AOD bandmates for shaping the record. “It’s not like we went from bluegrass to heavy metal, but we all took a bit of a turn,” he says of his peers (who were once mockingly described as “[not] the worst batch of musicians you'll ever hear”...you can find that on their My Space bio). “The songs were loose to start with – we banged out some rough recordings on a digital recorder. They were skeletons – the band delivered the flesh and muscle to the songs. Andy and John did some stuff they had never done before, and Adam, he really stretched his musical vocabulary on this one. He and I spent hours listening to records together, coming up with an overall vision.”

One of the songs is about the old blues singer Leadbelly. "In the echo hall/stood the prisoner of a cold cell/a man of any age filled the solemn cage/dead or living you could hardly tell" captures the life Leadbelly lived before he was released from Angola.

The group is making a name for itself in its hectic touring schedule. They've played Carnegie Hall as well as Bonnaroo and continue bringing their music to as wide an audience as possible. The new album is...

the creative culmination of nearly two decades playing music and being one of the music world’s most respected (if slightly under-the-radar) musicians and songwriters.

SIMPLY SIX: Assembly of Dust

Assembly of Dust is a band from New York that lists as their influences the Beatles, the Band and Neil Young.

1. For many artists, they cite a defining moment for themselves when they knew they wanted to be a singer. For many it was the appearance of Elvis on the Ed Sullivan show, to another generation it was the Beatles’ appearance on Sullivan half a decade later. Is there such a defining moment for you?

I was in a talent show at summer camp when I was about 9 and I dressed up in jeans a white T shirt and shades and sang a song that my counselor ( an Echo and The Bunnymen type hipster from Montreal) had written. He hammered out the sloppy acoustic blues riffs while I dutifully belted “see my lovin’s gonna generate ya penetrate ya owe and drive you crazy”. The entire place went nuts and I have been hooked ever since

2. When you’re not creating music what are you listening to? Who are some of your favorites?

I love Gillian Welch and Neil Young. I listen to a lot of Bill Evans – he is like Xanax for me – calms me. Truth is I listen to a ton but they are those are my “go toos”

3. What would you say is your greatest moment so far as an artist, either on record or live?

That is always such a hard question to answer. I would have to say performing at Carnegie Hall with Sonya Kitchel is way up there. Playing Bonnarroo was a high. The odd thing is some of the greatest moments come in the most unlikely places – like some poorly attended show in rural Vermont when things just clicked

4. Do you believe music can change the world or is just something to listen to? How much can music influence current events?

I know this is a potentially controversial thing to say but I believe music is like religion for many people. It’s not an either or decision (although for some it is) but it gives us hope, something to believe in, something to inspire us, somewhere to hide when the day beating you down, something to belong to. I think it is a powerful part of our culture – how exactly it influences current events is hard to say.

5. How has technology affected the music industry? How has technology affected your career as a musician?

I think it goes without saying that technology has flipped the music industry on its head. There is a mixture of panic, confusion and desperation on one end and optimism and possibility on the other. Technology has done nothing but good things for my career – from making good recordings easier and cheaper to make to distributing music to communicating with fans: three thumbs up on technology!

6. Now for my Barbara Walters question: If you were a pair of shoes what type of shoes would you be?

Ballerina slippers