Lots of Amens and Halelujiahs All Night Long

Reflections (left) performs w/Diamond Caverns at Fresh Up.

Dave Bryant of Diamond Caverns played a big part in Austin's music underworld. Last week he moved to New York because that's the thing to do, I guess. Here, sometimes in REALLY BIG LETTERS [all Dave's typing intact], is an interview so full of information it's a lot like the man himself, a constant stream of good ideas and sounds.

Listen to DCs on our compilation.

W & A: Seems like there's sort of a lo-fi renaissance happening where music from more than 30 years ago is being revisited by the folks in our generation and recording quality is not the focus. Tell me about a bunch of records that have influenced you from before 1975.

D.B.: RECENTLY : THE FIRST FIVE JONI MITCHELL RECORDS (SONG OF A SEAGULL, CLOUDS, LADIES OF THE CANYON,BLUE, FOR THE ROSES), BLIND FAITH, REVEREND GARY DAVIS, MICHAEL HURLEY - ANY OF HIS RECORDINGS BUT ESPECIALLY BLUEBERRY WINE, FAIRPORT CONVENTION (LEIGE AND LEF), ROKY ERICKSON, BILL FAY, AXIS BOLD AS LOVE BY JIMI HENDRIX, THE SONG 'RYE WHISKEY' BY TEX RITTER, YESTERDAY'S WINE BY WILLIE NELSON, SKEETER DAVIS, INCREDIBLE STRING BAND (BE GLAD FOR THE SONG HAS NO ENDING), HANK WILLIAMS ESPECIALLY THE SONG JAMBALAYA, DUSTY SPRINGFIELD MEMPHIS RECORDINGS, ELVIS "I LOVE YOU BECAUSE", SAM COOKE "A CHANGE GONNA COME", JIMI CLIFF "MANY RIVERS TO CROSS", ALL THIGS MUST PASS-GEORGE HARRISON, CAETANO VELOSO, PARIS 1919 JOHN CALE, VAN MORRISON "ASTRAL WEEKS', ELIZABETH COTTEN 'FREIGHT TRAIN SONGS', DEATH OF A LADIES MAN BY LEONARD COHEN, SKIP JAMES 'CYPRESS GROVE', ANY SONG WITH 'WABASH' IN THE TITLE, VIDEO OF JAMES BROWN LIVE PERFORMANCES, ALL TOWNES VAN ZANDT (OUR MOTHER THE MONTAIN AND DELTA MOMMA BLUES ESPECIALLY), JOHN PRINE 'SAM STONE' SONG, SABBATH, UNCHAINED MELODY BY ANYBODY LED ZEPPELIN, ROBERT JOHNSON '32 20 BLUES', PLASTIC ONO BAND, EMMYLOU HARRIS 'BOULDER TO BIRMINGHAM' SONG, JUDEE SILL SELF-TITLED, JOHN MARTYN AND LINDA PERHACS BOTH GOOD FOR IDEAS THOUGH I DON'T LIKE TO LISTEN TO THEM ALL THE TIME, KAREN DALTON, DOUG SAHM 'TEXAS ME' SONG, FRED NEIL, LITTLE SURFER GIRL-BEACH BOYS, 'TROUBLE' OR ANY OFF OF MONA BONE JAKON BY CAT STEVENS, 'IN THE SUMMERTIME' MUNGO JERRY, 'BOOGIE BOP OR BOOGALOO" BY TERRY CALLIER, DYLAN DYLAN DYLAN; EVERYTHING HERE FILLS VERY CLASSIC. THINGS I'D LIKE TO LISTEN TO FOR A VERY LONGTIME. MUSIC HAS BEEN A TRUE COMPANION.

What's some of your favorite music happening today?

ANTONY AND THE JOHNSONS, JOHN MCCAULEY (DEER TICK) OF PROVIDENCE, NAT BALDWIN, DANICA NEWELL, MOUTH OF LEAVES, HELLO LOVERS, MIKE AHO, REFLECTIONS (NEW RECORDINGS JUST BLOW MY MIND), PETER AND THE WOLF, JANA HUNTER ESPECIALLY 'ALL MY BEST WISHES', THE BLACK, LITTLE WINGS, ANIMAL COLLECTIVE, ONEIDA, THOSE PEABODYS, DIANNE CLUCK, VIKING MOSES, DEVENDRA, FEATHERS, KNIFE IN THE WATER, ENTRANCE, THE TOTALLY WRECK KIDS. RECORDINGS FROM BURUNDI.

What would you like to be reincarnated as?

I'd like to be reincarnated as myself and live the exact same shit over again. maybe i would appreciate it all more next time.

Diamond Caverns at Church of the Friendly Ghost, Austin.

You've recorded a lot, but the first CD you're officially releasing is Orange on Celebrate Magic Hands. How was it recorded? Tell me about three of the songs on the record.

ORANGE WAS MADE IN COSTA MESA CALIFORNIA WITH MIKE AHO IN JUNE OF 2005. WE RECORDED UNDERNEATH A SKATE PARK AT NITES ONTO A LAPTOP COMPUTER. I DON'T KNOW MANY TECHNICAL DETAILS. BUT I KNOW IT WAS GOING THROUGH A PA AND MANY TIMES WE WOULD PLAY THE TRACKS THROUGH THE PA WHILE I WAS OVERDUBBING AND THAT MADE IT HAVE A FOUR TRACK SOUND, EVERYTHING DOUBLING. I WOULD PLAY GUITAR AND SING ON THE FIRST TRACK, BECAUSE I STILL CAN'T RECORD A GUITAR PART WITHOUT SINGING. MIKE PLAYED MOST OF THE INSTRUMENTS ON THE RECORD AND WAS SUPER FUN TO WORK WITH. MIKE IS MY JOKE INTERPRETOR. I SLEPT DURING THE DAY WHILE HE WAS IN WORK. I WAS VERY INTO EATING WHILE WE RECORDED, SO I DID A LOT OF THAT AND I WENT TO THE BEACH AND CALLED NEW YORK AND TEXAS A LOT. I DIDN'T PREPARE A LOT FOR THE RECORDINGS AND DIDN'T KNOW WHICH ONES I'D RECORD. I ENDED UP RECORDING TWO SONGS FROM 'LITTLE SONG' WHICH I RECORDED IN NOVEMBER IN AUSTIN WITH CORY PLUMP. THE OTHERS WERE NEWER SONGS. THE SONG I LIKE MOST IS 'EVENTUALLY'. VERY LOW IN THE MIX IS A BACKWARDS VOICE THING THAT SOUNDS GOOD. THE SONGS I AM ALWAYS HAPPIEST WITH HAVE GOOD SINGING. 'FOREVER' IS ALSO A GOOD ONE AND PERHAPS MY BEST SONG. I LIKE THE ENDING AND IT GOING ON FOREVER AND THAT IS WHY IT IS AT THE END OF THE RECORDING. 'EASTER BUNNY' WAS RECORDED WITH DAVID NOLEN IN JANUARY. CLINT, OMAR, AND DAVID L. ARE SINGING THE OOO00S WITH ME. THIS IS A SONG THAT HAS SORTA STUCK WITH ME SINCE I STARTED PLAYING IT. IT IS THE SONG THAT IS EASIEST MOCKED AND IS PROBABLY THE EASIEST TO LOVE BECAUSE OF THAT. AS A WHOLE, IT IS REALLY NICE TO HAVE SOMETHING COMPLETED THAT I CAN GIVE PEOPLE. I DON'T THINK OF TRYING TO MAKE A CLASSIC. NOT YET AT LEAST. I HAVE IDEAS ABOUT RECORDING BUT THE EXPERIENCE IS WHAT IT IS ABOUT FOR ME. I PREFER PLAYING LIVE. GETTING TO WORK WITH PEOPLE IS MY MOTIVATION TO RECORD.

Where can people find it?

BUY IT FROM ME ON MYSPACE. OR SOON-ISH ON WWW.CELEBRATEMAGICHANDS.COM

In Austin you see a lot of the same folks at all the good shows. It's almost like you don't need to call someone because you know you'll see them at the Parish or whatever. Do you think you'll find the same kind of strong community in New York? What musicians are you looking forward to seeing when you're there?

I HOPE TO NOT GO OUT A LOT IN NEWYORK. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE GUYS IN THE SUBWAY. I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING JANA HUNTER BUT NOW SHE IS MOVING TO AUSTIN. SAMUEL DE LA ROSA IS IN A BAND CALLED MOUTH OF LEAVES AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THEM. ALSO, LIGHTS, MEADOWS, OTTO HAUSER. DAVID NOLEN AND DANICA NEWELL BOTH ARE AMAZING MUSICIANS UP THERE THAT USED TO LIVE HERE. I'D LIKE TO SEE ANIMAL COLLECTIVE AND BLACK DICE BUT I JUST CAN'T SEE FIGHTING THE CROWDS. BUT MAYBE OPEN MIC AT SIDEWALK CAFE. I AM MOST EXCITED ABOUT PLAYING OUTSIDE OF THE CITY, UPSTATE AND THROUGH NEW ENGLAND AGAIN. ALSO, I'D LIKE TO SEE ANTONY PLAY LIVE. AND DIANNE CLUCK.

What will you miss most about Austin's music community?

I WILL SERIOUSLY MISS PLAYING MUSIC WITH CLINT NEWSOM (Reflections). HE IS MOVING TO LONDON JUST AS I A MOVING. HE JUST RECORDED IN CHICAGO WITH JASON WARD AND THE RESULTS ARE AMAZING. HAS TO BE PRETTY MUCH MY FAVORITE MUSIC THIS SUMMER. WE GET ALONG WELL. Ilearned to play music from Country Club (mike aho and john king ((hello lovers))) and from samuel de la rosa in 2003. then sometime after that Danica Newell, Clint, David Longoria of The Black, John King, and various others started playing little acoustic shows at our houses, underneath tress, at the church of the friendly ghost. this was called Animal Wife, then Animal Hammer, but was supposed to be called Tutti Frutti (i forget who came up with the name- but i hope i did) but everyone hated that name. after these shows and jams in october of 2004, and after going on a northeast tour with John and Samuel, the wonderful austin band Knife in the Water started doing a residency at Beerland on tuesday nites and i was asked to play a lot of those shows. So those were my first experiences in playing in clubs. Then Knife and Viking Moses and I went out through Texas for a little tour. Then random DC shows in Austin with various peoples. And finally the formation of Shadows and Reflections: Clint, Yamal Said, Clarke Wilson and I. playing rock and roll and me as some sort of front man. there was yelling and all, we played 6 shows, together 6 weeks, and no we are no more- had to be the most fun i had ever had. All of this to say, I will miss all of these people that have helped me learn how to be diamond caverns . And i am forgetting many of the others. Austin is a nice town. somewhat cheap. most of the kids are doing things. there is hipster virus in full force, though. Austin was college for me, though I wasn't accepted into school here. I learned how to love girls, and break girls hearts, and get mine broken, and how to go into debt, and enter depression. I also learned how to focus my energies on what i love: friends, drawing, and songs songs songs. i love austin.

Of all the songs you've written, which one would you want to survive for 100 years and why?

If someone would remember one of my songs it would be: well, i have always liked love songs and i used to get pissed when i was making a mix tape for a girl and one of the songs would be pretty much perfect but then it would say "beth" or "laura" or mention something specific and then i felt like i couldn't use it. so 90% of all diamond caverns are about something directly going on in my life, about specific people, etc. but i hope that the song that would live on would be the one that people could put on a mixtape and it would say exactly what they wanted to say.

Who are some of your favorite painters?

Favorite painters in no particular order: neo rauch, trenton doyle hancock, erig gibbons, brad tucker, andrew guenther, philip guston, billy grant, francis picabia, chris johanson, dana shutz, tal r, fred tomasselli, samuel de la rosa, sean landers, reed posey, pia fries, erik parker, francesca russo, peter droig, peter saul, sol lewitt, and my favorite "the high priestess of soul" AGNES MARTIN.

What's on the horizon for Diamond Caverns? Shows, recordings, tours, etc.

Well, i am moving to brooklyn, working for a tv show, going to try to find nice people and not get too freaked out by all the newyorkness. i have two recordings finished tentatively titled "live without" and one called "understand your ghost". deludde records in california are making 100 of one of these recordings. then six gun lover in austin will put something of mine out in limited edition sometime this year, i think. not sure what they will put out though. so i've been saving up the good songs and some sorta real heavy hitting shit will come out -- I am calling it the Diamond Caverns LP--- this one i want on vinyl and for it to be in a store somewhere. anyway, you will find such gems as "public garden" "i fell in love" "halleloo" "amen" "i'll never understand your blues" "my heart still whispers your name" "you don't have to slit your wrist" and others. i am excited about making this record. who knows when it will happen. but i want to do it right. have a bigger sound. hopefully before years end i will have the songs finished in some sort of 'demo' manner and maybe will release as is. but eventually would want crazy cymbals and strings and shit. so that's that. um... i'll be playing shows some. Shadows and Reflections will play brooklyn sept 11th. and mid october dates in baltimore, providence, philly, boston, and ny with The Black and Peter and the Wolf. I hope to learn how to play bass for a band. i'd like to get an ipod. i want to have a show of my drawings. i want to go to somewhere beautiful. i want for all of my favorite people to be in one place at the same time. and i want to make HER happy.