2007 Year End Survey | Jay Ekis & Brian Clark

Jay Ekis, formerly of EKIS, and Brian Clark of Kris Gruen's band have formed a new band which I believe is tentatively titled Jay Ekis but I'm not 100% sure about that. Regardless, they have a debut album coming out early in 2008 called "Touched By War". While I haven't heard them yet, they say it's a departure from the world pop stuff that marked Ekis' earlier band, EKIS.

That's certainly evident from Jay and Brian's musical faves of 2007.

Brian Clark

1) What was your favorite song of 2007?

"Goodnight Rose" from Ryan Adams' Easy Tiger, which came out this past spring. I really liked the album, with the exception of a couple songs, and felt the whole thing had a great interplay between band members (the Cardinals are his backing group) and Adams. The sound and feel is an organicy rock with a bit of an acoustic slant. A nice, spontaneous-in-the-studio vibe, to my ears. I really like it- this song in particular. I like the strangulated, desperate voice he uses.

Ryan Adams | Goodnight Rose | Buy


2) What was your favorite album of 2007?

New Moon by Elliott Smith. No hesitation there. I've loved his music since the first moment I heard it and nothing's changed over the years. I love the later stuff that most don't like as much as the early albums too. It's just all of a piece for me. I think he's one of the best things to have happened to music in a long time- one of the greatest. So to have all these wonderful songs from a very vital and productive point in his career is really important to me. And it's incredible that these pieces didn't make it into the albums at the time. They are beautiful, every bit as good as what did make the cut and punctuated by 3 covers that feel tailor made for me (as I'm sure they do for countless of his fans). He does a solo studio take of Thirteen by Big Star that breaks my heart every time, as well as solo versions of See You Later and Half Right. Those are songs from his band of the time, Heatmiser, from their Mic Cit y Sons album- a desert island album for me.

3) What was your favorite concert of 2007?

Well, I've got two sons, ages two and four. Meaning the night life ain't exactly my life these days. Which is to say I don't see a lot of shows these days- I try to use that kind of time rehearsing, recording and gigging. But I did get to see The Sea and Cake at Higher Ground, which was great because they are an important band for me and I like their new album. And I love Nels Cline's guitar playing so I enjoyed Wilco this past summer.

Most memorable for me was seeing Sean Lennon at Higher Ground. I got to watch the soundcheck and was fairly unimpressed. It was boring, actually, and they were still working out how songs were going to be structured and things that felt like they should already have been worked out. But when they took the stage they were just ON all of the sudden, in a very professional way. They gelled and the energy was great and Lennon was personable and smart and the music came across very well.

4) What was your favorite thing about 2007?

Driving to town with the kids in the back begging for "Paul Westerberg!" and wanting it louder and louder... or... my wife and I taking our first ever night away from the kids, going to a good concert and staying overnight in a hotel after going out for drinks in a small, quiet, dimly lit bar...or ... starting with a pile of rough lumber and some tools and creating some necessary piece of our home (which I will apparently never ever ever never ever finish)...or ... I discovered, to my dismay, that I like tea. Herbal tea, in fact; as a form of comfort. Weird... or... I got to play guitar a lot this year- I was lucky in that regard... or... kicking a ball around the yard with the boys; pulling them around behind me in a bike trailer... or... seeing the dim light of a better American administration on the horizon... or... the three days stuck at home after three feet of snow came down on us... or...some kind of amalgamatio n/culmination of all these little things. Maybe it was the year of trying to appreciate the little things. That must have been my favorite thing.

5) What are your best wishes for 2008?

That somehow, some way, even by whatever means necessary, our country can come together and figure out how to get slightly more than half of its citizens to vote for the lesser of two evils for president. Is it okay I wrote that? Can I say that here? Hey, why not- this is still Vermont, for a little while at least. Maybe I should be realistic and just wish for more tea. Or scotch.


Jay Ekis

1) What was your favorite song of 2007?

from CD below, "Soft Place To Land"

Mary Gauthier | Soft Place To Land | Buy


2) What was your favorite album of 2007?

Mary Gauthier's Between Daylight and Dark
(her previous release Mercy Now from 2005 is even better)

3) What was your favorite concert of 2007?

The Gourds at Higher Ground. Nov. was it?

4) What was your favorite thing about 2007?

my six-year-old daughter and I have been learning to play the piano together.

5) What are your best wishes for 2008?

I hope that the Second Coming will occur in the new year so all the "chosen" will be on their merry way and the rest of us can live in peace.