"This Beautiful Sadness" is a web-only album – that I had the pleasure to compile for HLFP – by Miami, Florida-based independent outsider band THE ATLANTIC MANOR.
Rick Sell is THE ATLANTIC MANOR. The prolific songwriter already released his 11th album since 2001 as THE ATLANTIC MANOR this year, titled "The World Beneath This World Is Brightening".
And all that without any support by a record company. He is doing it all by himself in true Do-it-yourself-Spirit!
Listening to this great sad music makes me think of NEIL YOUNG and the third THE VELVET UNDERGROUND lp or even some stuff by THE GUN CLUB, but nevertheless Rick clearly sounds like noone else. He has definitely found his own sound: a mix of dark, dreamy country-folk, indie rock and guitar drone music with occasional feedback outburst. Reflective, slow, poetic songs filled with sadness, vulnerability and humanity.
Great stuff! I admit, I find myself getting addicted to his music...
Q: Where exactly are you from?
A. Miami Florida USA. Home of Mosquitoes, crime, overpopulation, corruption and everything else that’s wrong with America.
Q: Since when are you into recording music?
A. I released my first two albums in 2001.
Q: Any previous bands that you've been involved worth mentioning?
A. Nothing worth mentioning.
Q: How'd you "label" your music?
A. Outsider music. outsider diy, psych, folk, drone, country tunes.
Q: How many records did you already release? Please list them in chronological order. Where can people buy them?
A. This new record is my 11th release. I don’t sell many records but the ones I do sell are purchased through http://www.cdbaby.com.
2010 – The World Beneath This World Is Brightening
2009 – Slow Drugs and Other Sorrows
2008 – On The Wrong Side Of A Saturday Night
2007 – All The Best Girls Have Winter Hearts
2006 – Sneaking Up On The Death Scene
2006 – The Trouble That You Left
2005 – Special Is Dead
2004 – Failing By The Second
2002 – The Desperate Vibe of Emotional Devastation
2001 – The Hate We Get Going
2001 – When I Am A Viking
Q: Any feedback for your last record "The World Beneath This World Is Brightening"?
A. It’s always interesting to me to hear/read about the way my records are received. I think my records connect with people who are looking for something different, the music lover who is always on that journey to discover a new and interesting band. The open minded listener. The new album has been overall well received. I’m happy to reside in the outer fringes of the music community.
Q: What's your favorite track on this compilation album? Why?
A. I like some more than others. DESPERATION I think would be a standout for me along with DEPRESSION DRAMA. The mood and the lyrics work well together.
Q: How do you write your songs? What comes first, words or music?
A. It can go either way but most of the time I sit down with my guitar and come up with a chord progression and build off that. I really do enjoy the writing process.
Q: What’s the best song you’ve ever written?
A. I’ve written so many it’s hard to say. Most of the songs picked for the comp would not make my list which is why I find other peoples opinions so interesting because these are the songs you chose to include. A few of my favorite songs would be FAILING BY THE SECOND, FIRE IN THE SKY, TWO STORY HOUSE, VESSELS, THE CAPTAINS NAME WAS DEATH, DESPERATION, DEAD KING RICHARD and WARM SPRING NIGHT.
Q: Favorite line from a song you've written?
A. “Busted into town like all bad cowboys do to lance the wicked heart that’s kicking in the womb” from DEPRESSION DRAMA. I try to create some type of imagery with my lyrics to fit the song. I definitely am not writing top 40 pop hits. It tends to be dark or creepy (but I hope in a good way).
“Yellow eyes and crooked spine, sorry grin and troubled mind, black scrapes the starless sky and folds it’s dark wings” from THE CAPTAINS NAME WAS DEATH is another example of the type of lyrics I enjoy and play out in my mind when I am hearing the song. I try to envision the character or creature or situation that is occurring.
Q: How do you record your albums?
A. My albums are recorded VERY QUICKLY. There are no rehearsals involved. I have a friend who will come in and play drums for me and another who plays piano, synth and keys. Neither of them has ever heard the songs before prior to hitting the record button. I play them the chord progression and give some very general direction as to the sound I am looking for and from that point on were off to the races. I may ask for a sad piano part or a quick drum pattern and everything is improvised as we move along. This is rock and roll not rocket science. Hit record and move on to the next one. I write and record for my own enjoyment and I throw these songs up against the wall and not all of them stick but some do and those are the ones I am happy with. I know the environment in which I find myself in musically. I am never going to sell many records. I will never have any type of mainstream success and I am fine with that. I write record and release my ugly little songs and send them out into the world hoping they find a happy home in someone’s record collection. The fact that some people enjoy what I do besides me is beyond anything I could have imagined. That is success for me.
Q: Any plans for live gigs?
A. I would like to but I need some poor souls who would be willing to join me in the inevitable disaster.
Q: What are your main musical influences?
A. Roky Erickson is very important to me. Half Japanese, Jad and David Fair have been a huge motivation to me as far as the DIY aspect. The Velvet Underground. The spirit of Jandek and the way he continues to release his music is inspirational.
Q: Favorite band at the moment?
A. Nick Cave’s GRINDERMAN is the baddest band on the planet. The music is beautiful Heavy and aggressive. Nothing can touch them.
Q: What was the first record that really blew your mind?
A. The song “Little Darling” by THE DIAMONDS. It’s an old song from the 50’s that was in my father’s record collection. I played the 45 over and over and over again. I may have cried once or twice I don’t recall. The song moved me in a way that I could not explain and music became more important to me than anything.
Q: Website?
Q: The last five records you bought?
A. Vic Chesnutt – At the Cut - You must youtube the live version of “Coward”. It’s amazing.
The Stooges - Fun House
Bill Callahan– I wish I were an eagle
Space Needle – Moray Eels eat the space needle – to replace my original scratched cd
The Shivers – The Shivers
Q: Anything that you think is interesting, that you'd like to inform the blog readers about...
A. If you’re not doing this already … write record and release your own music. Make the world a better place.
(R. Sell, THE ATLANTIC MANOR, via email)
Favourite track: A Silent Moment, Bad News for the New Scene
IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR, PLEASE SUPPORT THE ARTIST!
THE ATLANTIC MANOR: This Beautiful Sadness
(A HLFP-web-only-Compilation, 2010)
(mp3-zip, 13 tracks, 77 min, 141 MB, artwork incl. @256)
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1 comment:
Again a nice discover trought your blog!!! And Chessnut playing Coward live is exactly what is music for me!!!
Thank´s again!
I´m going to hear the MacGregorBurns now.
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