The Near Myths: News

Check out The Near Myths' cover story in the current issue of the NC Triad area's Arts & Entertainment weekly GOTRIAD. The article focuses on Andy and his swan song "(Take Me Back to) Dillard Street." Make sure you watch the excellent slide show set to 3 minutes or so of "Dillard Street." The link is to the right of the article. We're very pleased that Andy is being commemorated in this way in his hometown of Greensboro, NC. The online version of the article can be accessed here: http://www.gotriad.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080515/GTCOM01/862181791/-1/GTCOM0200

The Near Myths are topping the charts over at Indie-Music. com with songs from our new CD WORDS TO BURN. We currently have two number 1 songs: "Jubilee," on the Americana/Alt.Country chart, and "Romances" on the Folk Rock chart. Both of these songs are by Terry "Teep" Phillips, our resident secret weapon and Mad Musical Genius. We also have other top 10 songs on those charts, as well as on the Pop, Pop Rock, and Rock charts.
Why not help us out and go to http://www.indie-music.com/bandsmain.php and click on the appropriate chart (near the bottom of the page). Find our songs and click on the arrow to play them.

Help The Near Myths sweep the charts!

A DJ and Reviewer’s Guide to Words to Burn/The Near Myths

If ever an album disproved the myth of the sophomore slump, Words to Burn is it. Reeling from the loss of founding member Andy Oglesby, the remaining Near Myths turned the final recording sessions into a glorious wake for their old friend, completing work on three of his songs. Taking their cue from such harmonizers as Fleetwood Mac, The Mamas and The Papas, and CSNY, The Near Myths are eclectic New Millennium vagabond mongrels, infusing traditional folk-rock and pop with a thoroughly contemporary sensibility.

1. “Romances.” Kicking off a suite of songs about the vicissitudes of love, the opening tune cruises along on a bed of crisp acoustic guitars and irresistible harmonies. “Heartbreak mixed with pleasure / Pain turns out to be treasure.” (4:01)

2. “Laughing by Now.” This British Invasion homage is a bittersweet delight. Intricate vocal arrangement, 12-string lead, it’s got it all. “We should be laughing by now / We should have kissed and said ‘It’s all fine / Let’s make up for lost time.’” (3:50)

3. “Salmon.” Can you say “backwards piano whoosh”? Producer Phil Valera, The Near Myths’ very own George Martin, digs into his bag of amazing tricks to heighten the spooky mood of this propulsive gem. Three-part harmony “oohs” and dual electric guitars seal the deal. “The Salmon is the river of no return . . .” (3:02)

4. “Need You Gone.” In which The Near Myths seriously rock out. Crunchy, distorted electric guitars, vocal loops, psychedelic organ, wailing background vocals, killer drums. “Gonna find the heart of rock and roll . . .” (4:20)

5. “Jubilee.” Grab your baby and head on down to the creek. We’ll already be there, playing up a storm. Dig the soulful organ, and the lead guitar’s hotter than the bonfire! “If you will . . . Play the song you know!” (4:16)

6. “Slip across the Border.” The mood is mellow and the piano goes down like hot buttered rum on a snowy day. Bernadette takes the lead vocal here, a first for The Near Myths, and the background vocals fit like a velvet glove. “If you’ve been hesitating / The time is ripe for you / To make your move / You can slip across the border into love.” (3:46)

7. “Winter Dreams.” Based on the short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. A little gypsyish, a little Beatle-y. The two female backing vocals fit the story perfectly. “Pretty as a picture, when I was twenty-four / But now I don’t remember, I don’t try anymore.” (3:31)

8. “White Horse.” Catchy, and the percussion and the flutes do give it a Caribbean feel, but do not call it “The Cha-Cha song.” Please. Who is the Doc? And why is he riding that white horse? “And me, I had the voice / And you, you had the hands / And the Doc had fire and ice to give away / And all his talk and plans.” (3:03)

9. “Even Misery.” The soundtrack to the first ever Near Myths’ music video; check it out on YouTube. A retro blast of rockabilly and pub rock, complete with reverbed vocals, cheesy organ, ooohs and ahhhs, and dynamite lead break. You’ll smile at the clever tongue-in-cheek lyrics: “‘Cause even misery doesn’t care for your company.” (3:03)

10. “Piedmont Shuffle.” Not really a shuffle, technically speaking, but a bouncy, fun song with a compelling bass line, harmonica, and background vocals. You won’t be able to get it out of your head. “Seems like you hardly open your eyes / Before they start turning out the light.” (3:35)

11. “(Take Me Back to) Dillard Street.” Andy’s swan song. A fond remembrance of and farewell to a memorable time and place. A magnum opus. Andy put his heart and soul into writing this one, and we put everything we had into it, too. “Come on in and have a seat, take a load off of your feet.” (8:21)

12. “Why . . . .” A beautifully edgy meditation on life and how it’s lived. This is grown-up music for grown-ups of all ages. The band’s four-part harmony meshes seamlessly, Teep’s guitar solo shimmers, and no one ever banged a gong more profoundly than Phil. “But ‘Why?’ like any other foolish question / Has no answer.” (5:12)

13. “In the Big Picture.” Ben’s lovely, tentative vocal and finger picking rise wraith-like from the tense reverberation of the gong at the end of “Why . . . .” The choruses swell, full bodied and full hearted, while Phil’s Theremin wheels and spins overhead like a guardian angel. “In the big picture / The picture’s pretty big.” (6:04)

WORDS TO BURN, The Near Myths' second album, is now officially in production. January 28 is the projected release date. The album contains thirteen songs, which allows the band to stretch out stylistically. This time around you'll hear a bit more jazz with "Slip across the Border," a piano-based ballad featuring Bernadette's debut as lead vocalist, and a bit more rock with "Need You Gone," Jim's hard driving anthem. As some of you already know, Andy's nostalgic eight minute plus masterpiece "(Take Me Back to) Dillard Street" is a standout. Ben and Teep's in the pocket duet on Ben's British Invasion homage "Laughing by Now" is a bittersweet delight. And the band's four-part harmony has never meshed more seamlessly than on Teep's beautifully edgy "Why . . . ." Samples of all thirteen songs are available on our Music page, and pre-release downloads can be purchased on our MySpace page (see our Links page).

The first ever music video by The Near Myths, featuring Ben's song "Even Misery," is now available on YouTube for your enjoyment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9glUyeiQynk

The great animation was created by Ben's former student in Victoria, B.C., Josh Barnes.

(From Teep's website, www.teeper.org)

I could probably write a book on this subject, to tell you all the truth, but briefly, what it means to me to be one of The Near Myths might not be what the uninformed music buyer these days is prone to think. Yes, it's musical on a certain level, but these people know each other in quite a few contexts outside of musical matters, and each one of these good folks has grown in potential over the years. Most of them have day jobs now, and some of them even have grandchildren (most of them being a bit over fifty years of age at this point in time), but they all share a certain ethic emblematic of the "Stand and be counted" attitude of the 1960s, tempered with the experience of passing time. That sort of practical idealism makes these folks well worth the attention, for their music as well as for their personal views.

The wisdom of age teaches us that sometimes age shows up and leaves wisdom somewhere back there down the line. The various ways in which we deal with that is the great philosophical conversation The Near Myths have shared a considerable amount of time and energy exploring together down through the years. That gets shared in our music, so that's cool, but politics, poetry, culinary arts, history, and all other sorts of subjects and issues also tie these good folks together. And here's the amazing thing to me...instead of tragedy and loss being threatening to their survival, the passing of previous Myths only enhances and strengthens the bonds that they share. That's a mighty powerful and continually attractive thing to me! As a working musician, I have to say that I unfortunately don't experience that kind of camaraderie with most of the musicians I play with. Hey, some of the musicians I've worked with, I barely know them much deeper than on a first-name basis (if I can remember that much). That doesn't speak to their talent, of course, only the importance with which I'm able to attach them to my personal life, and my friends in The Near Myths have shared a great many magical and mythical extra-musical happenings over the last two or three decades.

Jim Clark, Katy Adams, Ben and Bernadette Greene, Matthew Adams (Katy's son), and I regathered in late July to record The Near Myths' second album entitled WORDS TO BURN, combining new tracks with posthumous tracks from our recently deceased (other) guitar-slinger, Andy Oglesby (who will no doubt be truly missed on future recordings). Although Andy's gone, his spirit lives on quite assuredly, thanks to these new recordings, and he will always be a part of what fuels The Near Myths' talent and inspiration. These ridiculously lovable folks truly exhibit no reservations whatsoever about forging fearlessly and confidently ahead toward the future together, whatever it may bring!

So I invite you all to please, get to know these urbane, intelligent, funny, sensitive and caring musicians. Jim, Katy, Ben, Bernadette, Teeper, Matthew...and Andy and Jane, too. (And even Phil, the guy on the other side of the booth...he does much more than simply klonk a righteous cowbell!) This time around, Phil is being most ably assisted by Second Engineer Chris Nelson, which will surely make this album superior to our last one in quite a few ways. No matter what kind of American you may be, you might find something exciting and meaningful to rally around with this bunch of freewheeling old youngsters! Folk-rock music with their unique attitude really is good for the soul!

All that to say only this...they're the only group I've ever worked with that can work in groups of two or three and feel to me like it's the same group of six or seven or so musicians on the albums. They're that cool. So visit their website, check out their music, and tell 'em Teeper sent you.

You know, thanks to the great new tunes on WORDS TO BURN, I believe it's very likely that The Near Myths should still be around for quite awhile. They seem to be growing exponentially beyond those of us on these latest recordings, that's for sure! (And thanks to all of you for exploring the ever-intriguing mysteries and magical myths of life with us through the years, across the continent and around the world! Your posted messages and emails are most appreciated by the group!)

Love and peace to you all! Keep visiting here for further updates on gigs and happenings involving yours truly (ol' Teep) and his many musical meanderings! Many thanks!
Teeper (Terry L. Phillips)

It's official - the name of The Near Myths' second album will be WORDS TO BURN, a phrase lifted from Andy's epic "(Take Me Back to) Dillard Street." We have heard a rough mix of that song, and it sounds good! Katy and Jim went back to the studio on September 23 to overdub some 12-string guitar, banjo, and harmonica. Check out some new photos from the 2006 sessions in the Photo Gallery. More to come!

Once again, in the very dog days of summer and almost exactly two years after the WILSON sessions, the five remaining Near Myths returned to the little studio that could in Wilson, NC. The recording sessions ran from July 25 to July 29. Phil Valera once again served as our co-producer and chief knob twirler, and this time he had an able assistant in Second Engineer Chris Nelson. The sessions benefited immeasurably from the creative and rock steady drumming of Katy's son, Matthew Adams, a Near Myth in spirit if ever there was one.

It was hard at times to deal with our fallen comrade Andy's absence, but it was a pleasure and an honor to be able to work on his songs. When Andy learned he had cancer back in early 2005, he went into the studio and recorded vocal and rhythm and lead acoustic guitar tracks for two of his songs, "Salmon" and "Winter Dreams." Then, just weeks before his passing, he made a determined effort to get back to the studio to record guitar (his cherished new Martin) and vocal tracks for a stunning new autobiographical song "(Take Me Back to) Dillard Street." It was his example and inspiration that kept us going.

In addition to Andy's three songs, we also have three from Ben ("Even Misery," "Laughing By Now," and "In the Big Picture"), three from Teeper ("Romances," "Jubilee," and "Why?"), and three from Jim ("Piedmont Shuffle," "White Horse," and "Need You Gone"). A collaboration by Ben and Bernadette, "Slip Across the Border" featuring Bernadette on lead vocal, makes the Baker's Dozen.

Much as we all have a soft spot in our hearts for WILSON, we're all in agreement that the new album represents a quantum leap in most every way. Phil will be mixing the tracks. We'll keep you posted!

The Near Myths, including Ben and Bernadette Greene in a very rare appearance with the band, will perform at the Luna Bean Coffee Bar in Wilson, NC, Saturday, July 29, at 7:30 p.m. The Luna Bean has reopened in the former Golden China restaurant space, near the Bojangles off Tarboro Street. The cover charge is $3.00. We hope to see you there!

Our dear friend and band mate Andy Oglesby passed away Monday morning, July 3, in the arms of his large and loving family. We're not at all sure how we'll manage without him later this month when we gather in Wilson again to work on the second Near Myths album. But Andy made sure he got his part done, and left us with guitar and vocal tracks for three of his songs: "Salmon," "Winter Dreams," and the epic, autobiographical "(Take Me Back to) Dillard Street." So we'll find a way to do the work, and dedicate this one to LiberalAndy.

Saturday, June 10, 4:00-5:30 p.m. - The Near Myths will play a short and sweet afternoon gig at the Coffee & Cream House, 2544 Alamance Church Road, Greensboro, NC. Come see Teep, who's coming over from Knoxville. Come hear Andy play his new guitar!

The big news, of course, is the upcoming Near Myths CD release party at R.A. Fountain General Store and Internet Cafe, Fountain, NC, Saturday, April 29, at 7:30 p.m. There's a possibility we might even sponsor a pig-picking earlier in the day, and make a day-long party of it. We'll keep you posted. At any rate, come see us! If you've never been to R.A. Fountain, it's a great old funky place. It's a big storefront in downtown Fountain, NC, that functions as a community center, coffee shop, bookstore, gallery, gift shop, performance space, internet cafe, museum, and who knows what else. The proprietor, Alex Albright, is one of the nicest, most interesting guys you'll ever meet. The Near Myths have been practicing steadily and performing occasionally since the release of WILSON (alas, without the help of Near Myths Ben & Bernadette Greene, who find it hard to swoop down from Vancouver Island, B.C., every time we have a gig). We're red hot! The cover charge is nominal, and well worth it! Here's the link to R.A. Fountain: http://www.rafountain.com

On Saturday, April 1 (yes, April Fools Day, appropriately!), we will be playing at a new venue outside of Greensboro, NC, the Coffee and Cream House, 2544 Alamance Church Road. We'll be playing from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. It'll be a very friendly, laid back affair. We're looking forward to it! Join us!

Finally, the buzz is that The Near Myths (all six of them, or seven, including Phil) will once again convene in the legendary little eastern NC town of Wilson this summer to record a follow up disc to WILSON. We're so excited! We are negotiating to bring in a terrific drummer (Katy's son Matthew) to lighten the load on multi-instrumentalist Teep. We've all got more great songs in the bag, and at last count Ben had about 28. What can we say? If we didn't record again, and soon, he might explode. We've been debuting a couple of Andy's new songs live lately, "Salmon" and "Winter Dreams."

This just in:

The Near Myths will play two shows in Greensboro, NC, celebrating the release of WILSON. Here is the info:

Thursday, December 15, 8:00-10:00 pm
Fishers Grille - 608 N. Elm St.

Sunday, December 18, 9:30-11:30 pm
College Hill Sundries - 900 Spring Garden St.

BE THERE!

The Near Myths, minus Ben and Bernadette, alas, played a house concert and CD release party at the Smith-Smoller House in Wilson, NC, Saturday, November 5. Gourmet cuisine was served, courtesy of hosts extraordinaire Steve and Jenny. The Myths played a spirited first set, comprised of "Old Mill Road," "Rapunzel," "Mine Tonight," "(Turn This) Water into Wine," "Fool Me Once," "Westward Quest," and a new song by Andy, "Salmon." After a break, the Myths returned for a loose but inspired set of covers including "Ripple" and "Friend of the Devil" by the Grateful Dead, "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" by Bob Dylan, "Human Highway" by Neil Young, "Helplessly Hoping" by CS&N, "The Weight" by The Band, and even a brief but spirited run through "Involuntary Shuffle." Co-producer Phil Valera was in attendance, and was heard to remark, "You guys sound terrific! You've been practicing." While in Wilson, The Near Myths also participated in the first annual Whirligig Festival in downtown Wilson, in honor of local folk artist Vollis Simpson, whose art is featured in the WILSON packaging.

The Near Myths' debut CD WILSON is now available for on line purchase. Go to our "Buy" page and click on the link.

Copies of WILSON arrived in all their glory late this afternoon. We're still working on gearing up website sales, so check back soon.

WILSON should be available by October 1. We will soon have on-line ordering set up, as well as regular mail order. Check our website regularly for new info! Hope you enjoy the intro "Splash" page image of WILSON when you surf to our website. Hats off to our art director, Keith Tew.

The Near Myths' art director Keith Tew has completed his work on WILSON's wonderful packaging and has sent his graphics files to Oasis. This represents the final piece of the puzzle. Everything is now in the hands of Oasis CD Manufacturing, and we are simply waiting. WILSON should be available before the end of September.

The Near Myths' first CD, WILSON, has now been mastered by the highly respected Brent Lambert of The Kitchen in Chapel Hill, North Carolina (http://indyweek.com/durham/2000-11-15/cover2.html). The CD has been shipped to Oasis CD Manufacturing where it will be pressed. Check out the news section over the next few weeks for further updates and information on how to obtain copies.

Some people (OK, two anyway) have asked about the windmills in The Near Myths photo. These are the handiwork of Mr. Vollis Simpson, of Lucama, NC, in Wilson County. Mr. Simpson's reputation as a folk artist is considerable, and his whirligigs, as he prefers to call them, have been exhibited at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, the North Carolina Museum of Art, and the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore. You can find out more about Vollis Simpson and his work here: http://www.sci.mus.mn.us/sln/vollis/index/frontvollis.html. Watch a nice short feature on Vollis Simpson's whirligigs from WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC: http://www.wilsonnc.org/whirligig/videolist.asp