All About Hem

November 2004 Archive (Older news link at bottom of page)

November 30, 2004 -- Twisted Folk Tour

As you may have already seen on the tour page, Hem will tour the UK in February 2005 as part of the Twisted Folk Tour with The Earlies, Martha Tilston, and Jackie Leven. The Tour now has a website that you may want to keep your eye on. I'll note any Hem-related updates to that site here, and I'll of course still include new tour information on the tour page.

While in the UK next February, Hem will record a session for Bob Harris's BBC Radio 2 show according to his website. There's no recording or air date yet.

In other, more sad tour news, the December dates in Chicago and Louisville have been cancelled, so if you have tickets, check with your point of purchase for a refund.

November 29, 2004 -- City Paper & Random Site Updates

The November 17, 2004 edition of Baltimore's City Paper includes a nice, amusing article and interview with Sally Ellyson and Dan Messe that you can read online here.

In site news, I added two new albums to the discography page, All Songs Considered 3 and Under The Influence. They each include one song from Hem's Rabbit Songs. Also, the meanings page now includes some information about one of my most adored Hem songs, "Leave Me Here."

November 27, 2004 -- Paste and NPR

There's a terrific new article about Hem in the latest Paste Magazine. You can read it online here. Some quotes from that article on now on the meanings page for the songs "Horsey," "Burying Song," and "The Fire Thief."

Dan Messe contributed a choice for NPR's most recent edition of its show "All Songs Considered" that included perfect songs picks by various artists. You can read what Dan had to say about his pick, Glen Campbell's "Wichita Lineman," on this page. That isn't the first time Dan's mentioned the influence of Glen Campbell (or even that particular song) on his music. He also mentioned Glen Campbell in ASCAP's Audio Portrait (clip #1) and with reference to Eveningland's "Receiver."

November 24, 2004 -- Weekend America Radio and a correction

The November 13, 2004 edition of the nationally syndicated radio program Weekend America included Hem's "Carry Me Home" as their featured song of the week. Scroll to the bottom of this page to read a little blurb about Eveningland and to hear a long clip of "Carry Me Home."

I'd previously said that George Ross was the upright bass player on Hem's current tour, but it's actually George Rush. Sorry George! Maybe Sally should spell his last name when she introduces the band the way she often spells the name of the group. ;-)

November 22, 2004 -- Atlanta Pictures & EP Meaning

View some nice pictures from Hem's November 14 show in Atlanta by clicking on the picture to the left or through a link on the tour page. Also, I updated the meanings page to include some information about the title of the Birds, Beasts & Flowers EP that I used to have on the discography page for some odd reason that probably made sense to me at the time.

November 18, 2004 -- Los Angeles Pictures & A Few Meanings

Today it is all about site news. You can view some lovely pictures from Hem's October 28 show in Los Angeles by clicking on the picture to the left or through a link on the tour page. You can also read on the meanings page some new information from a 2002 article in the Birmingham Post about "Stupid Mouth Shut," the title of the I'm Talking With My Mouth EP, and its song "A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes."

November 16, 2004 -- UK Tour Dates

Hem will be in the UK for a number of dates in February 2005. Check the tour page for dates and details.

Hem's World Cafe show aired today. There were four songs and one interview segment. The songs played were "The Fire Thief," "An Easy One," "Redwing," and "Half Acre." As noted below in the October 8 news update, Hem also played "Hollow" and "My Father's Waltz" at the taping, but the set was apparently not aired in its entirety. That's too bad because I think that "Hollow" in particular is gorgeous live. In any event, hope you caught the show!

November 15, 2004 -- World Cafe Reminder

Don't forget that Hem's World Cafe segment airs on US radio airwaves tomorrow. Check this page for stations in your area that carry the show and the times they carry it, or stream the show via that page at 2:00pm EST.

If you'd like one of the posters from Hem's Nov. 9 show at New York's Bowery Ballroom that I posted a picture of in the last update, you can email the poster's creator at brain_inajar@hotmail.com for details.

November 13, 2004 -- Various Exciting Things

The November 11, 2004 edition of Thirty Fourth Street Online, the Arts & Entertainment magazine for The Daily Pennsylvanian includes a nice article with the punny title "A-Hem!" that you can read here. In related news, I added to the meanings page a quote from the article by Dan Messe about the band's name. Now we probably know why all the previous band name information came from Sally!

I've added a number of little things around the site, including new information about "Receiver" to the meanings page, a site including all the lyrics on Rabbit Songs to the links page (which should help answer one of the questions I hear most - "Where can I find lyrics online?"), and a picture of the stylish promotional poster for Hem's Nov. 9 New York Bowery Ballroom show on the tour page. I've also been updating the tour page with setlist and new date information as I receive it. Keep an eye out for dates near you - you don't want to miss the band live!

November 10, 2004 -- No Depression Redux

In the excitement of perusing the nice, long article I managed to miss one of Hem's pictures in the November/December issue of No Depression. Edited March 2005: All the pictures from that article were here, but I had to remove them. Visit http://www.nodepression.net to learn how to order a back copy of this issue.

In site news, the meanings page received some love. It now includes information about "A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes" and "Jackson." I also added additional tidbits about the band's name as explained by Sally on the Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour and about the title of the Rabbit Songs album from an article in Go Brooklyn. FYI, Hem's set on the Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour is available for listening and viewing (if you have a terrific Internet connection) on this page. It's show #251.

Midwest US tour dates are starting to pop up for December, so be sure to keep an eye on the tour page.

November 8, 2004 -- Miscellaneous Fun

The Journal News (a New York newspaper) has an interesting article/interview with Hem that you can read here. You lucky New Yorkers, getting a glockenspiel on stage!

In a previous update I mentioned Hem in The New Yorker, and here's what the November 8, 2004 issue had to say about Hem's show tomorrow at New York's Bowery Ballroom:







	The Brooklyn-based ensemble’s latest album, "Eveningland," inches toward the countrypolitan sound favored by seventies acts as well as recent preservationists like Lambchop, and was recorded, in part, with the Slovak National Radio Orchestra. Hem won’t have the orchestra at the Bowery Ballroom, but they’ll still have the languid soprano of their front woman, Sally Ellyson. Nov. 9. (6 Delancey St. 212-533-2111.)

You can see a larger picture of Cartoon Sally by clicking on the picture to the left.

November 6, 2004 -- World Cafe and Concert Pictures

The songs and interview Hem recorded for World Cafe on October 8 will air on Tuesday, November 16. Visit this page for a streaming broadcast information and for radio stations that air the show near you. Check the October 8 update below for details about Hem's taping.





	Normally I update the tour page as needed and don't mention it here, but when there's a significant or particularly interesting update, I'll note it here. In the arbitrarily interesting category, today I added a link to number of pictures from yesterday's Hem show in Boston. You can find them by visiting the tour page or by clicking on the picture to the left.

November 4, 2004 -- The New Yorker Magazine

The November 8, 2004 issue of The New Yorker includes a little bit about Hem and their upcoming show at the Bowery Ballroom in New York in the "This Week" section near the front of the magazine. There's also a small caricature-style cartoon of Sally. I'll post a picture as soon as I have a copy.

In site news, I added information about "All That I'm Good For" to the meanings page. (Thanks, Rosie!) Also, expect some midwest tour dates to start popping up for December.

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