Across a series of American vistas appears an amphibian Where’s Waldo of sorts. He sleeps in abandoned playgrounds, he frequents novelty roadside attractions, he practices Tai chi in a parking lot, his movements strangely hypnotic. The character is a cryptic presence in three videos from Going Steady, the new album by Los Angeles-based musician, Driftless Recordings co-founder, and S&S Dreams alumnus Patrick McDermott. 3-D modeled out of the LP’s cover illustrated by Brian Blomerth, the frog becomes a fitting mascot for a collection of rolling instrumentals that scan immediately as serene yet wink a little more clever with each spin.
McDermott recorded Going Steady with friends (Julianna Barwick, Hayden Pedigo, Joel Williams, Hand Habit’s Meg Duffy, Cloud Nothings’ Dylan Baldi), tapping into an appreciation for the way finger-picked acoustics play with the great outdoors. “This record is very rooted in California and the West, both in tradition and in concept,” he recently told Los Angeles Times. “I grew up on American Primitive guitar and this was sort of my modern ode to the genre. In a time that feels more complicated than ever — I was drawn to simple music.”
McDermott follows that mode further for episode 64, a sprawling set featuring classic and contemporary strummers and tinkerers.
00:01 – 07:30 – Steve Gunn & Mike Cooper – Saudade Do Santos-o-Velho
07:30 – 13:43 – Chuck Johnson – Rigga Black
13:43 – 16:17 – Will Ackerman – Dance of a Death Bird
16:17 – 20:54 – Papa M – Pink Holler
20:54 – 25:25 – Marisa Anderson – Slow Ascent
25:25 – 27:44 – Barry Walker – Ediacaran Moonrise
27:44 – 31:38 – Richard Crandell & Bill Bartels – The Proeletarian Shuffle
31:38 – 33:22 – Loren Connors – Airs 2
33:22 – 36:37 – Itasca – Hummingbird Migration
36:37 – 40:09 – Rob Carr & Bill Kahl – Chocolate Kchiip
40:09 – 42:45 – Hayden Pedigo – Jade Rhino
42:45 – 48:55 – Sarah Louise – Field Guide
48:55 – 54:13 – Steve Gunn & Mike Cooper – Song For Charlie
54:13 – 56:13 – North Americans – Stanley
56:13 – 57:16 – Papa M – Arundel
Going Steady is out now on Driftless Recordings.
