5. CIRCE LINK & CHRISTIAN NESMITH: "I'm On Your Side"
This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl would like to thank Mr. Mark Zuckerberg for his invaluable and essential contributions to the making of This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 4.
You think I'm joking? Well...maybe you're right. But it's nonetheless true that Zuckerberg's baby Facebook introduced me (in roundabout fashion) to the magic of Circe Link & Christian Nesmith. And this compilation is much stronger because of that.
I'm not exactly sure when I first became aware of this particular dynamic duo. Dana and I saw Christian play live as a member of The Monkees' touring band in 2012, one of the best concerts I've ever witnessed. Some time later, my jaw dropped when I saw a video of Circe, Christian, and company backing up Micky Dolenz on a live medley of "Porpoise Song" and The Beatles' "Good Morning, Good Morning."Chills. Clearly, there was some amazing talent at work here.
You know how Facebook works. Zuckerberg's machine constantly suggests new friends to add to your own social network, based on mutual interests and acquaintances. So when Facebook recommended I add Circe Link to my cyber circle (probably based on our shared friendship with Keith Klingensmith), I said yeah yeah yeah even faster'n Micky sings no no no in "Last Train To Clarksville." Because why not?
It was a passive friendship, as many Facebook friendships are. Still, when Circe posted a note about a popular Facebook challenge to quote the fifth sentence on the 56th page of whatever book happened to be the nearest to you at the moment, I responded with a link to a blog I'd just written on that very subject. Circe was amused, and suggested she and Christian come on our show some time to chat about books and music.
Wow. Did Zuckerberg himself just turn on that light bulb over my head? Possibly. I just knew that now I wanted Circe and Christian on the next This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio compilation.
I already knew a little of Circe's recorded work, and some YouTube videos of covers that she and Christian had done. I went to circelink.com for a deeper catalog dive, and was absolutely smitten with a limited-edition release called The Pop EP. My God, this stuff was terrific! I ordered a CD copy immediately, and I contacted Circe to beg for permission to use a Pop EP track called "I'm On Your Side" on TIRnRR # 4. After an exchange of questions and assurances (and a much-needed, much-appreciated reference from Keith Klingensmith, just to indicate to Circe that Dana and I were sorta kinda legit), Circe was indeed on our side.
Circe and Christian are much more well-known than Dana & Carl, our hype notwithstanding. It's likely that they won't benefit much (if at all) from the exposure of appearing on this compilation. But I betcha there are still some folks out there who haven't yet experienced the delight and wonder of their work. I know that at least a couple of TIRnRR listeners purchased Circe's latest album Enchanted Objects And Ordinary Things because we played the sublime "Yellow Dress" a time or several on the show. Both "Yellow Dress" and "I'm On Your Side" seem virtual shoo-ins for our annual year-end countdown show. We spread the word of this incredible music made by our Facebook friends. That's what friends are for. Thanks, Mr. Zuckerberg. Thank you, Keith. And thank you, Circe and Christian. We're on your side, too.
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