Sunday, January 29, 2012

Pheaturing Kyle Carey


Hello, welcome to the Peverett Phile, for another Sunday. How are you? President Obama gave his annual State of the Union address the other night in Washington, D.C. Did the Supreme Court justices really need to wear their robes to that? Have you been watching "American Idol"? I love that show. Wednesday's auditions were held in Aspen. Where else better to find talent than a snowbound town that's 400 miles by icy road to the nearest city? Well, Facebook users probably know, in September, the site unveiled the Facebook profile page, which they call "timeline." Or more fittingly, "waste of timeline." It's revolutionary because it allows your friends and co-workers to see drunken photographs of you, not just from last night, but from any point in your existence. There was another Republican debate here in Florida. What is left to know about these candidates? Is someone going to confess to a murder? Fortunately, tonight's debate was the last one we're going to see. The candidates are going to take a break, spending more time attacking the morals of their families. Recently, Apple Inc. has come under fire for the labor violations of their suppliers in China. Long hours, unsafe working conditions and a shamefully inconsistent policy on “Casual Fridays” are just some of the complaints being voiced. But Apple, always the nimble marketer, is responding quickly to the situation. Not by improving the conditions, but using the tragic events as an advertising tool. Take a look at this new ad that Apple put out.

Speaking of ad's... have you seen the new ad for Elmer's Galactic Glitter Glue? If you haven't, here it is.

So, there's like four candidates left on the Republican side running for President this year, but it seems more and more people are coming out to run. Look at this new campaign.





Do you see it? Look at the movie theatre screen real closely. Jar Jar Binks. Actually, I like Jar Jar and cannot wait to see him in 3D. Alright, so, the Mayans predicted the world will end in December as you know, but that's not the only clever things the Mayans have said. Those Mayans are pretty smart. So, I thought I would once again invite a Mayan to the Phile to give some words of wisdom. So, please welcome, once again...

Me: Hello, Marvin, so, what kinda words of wisdom do you have for us today?

Marvin: Nya b’a’n tu’n tjax tk’on chi’l toj twiy, ku’n b’e’x ch’ajila tu’n tx’yan.

Me: Marvin, once again I don't talk Mayanese or whatever you call your language. Can you translate that in English please?

Marvin: It’s not wise to put a basket on your head as you will be eaten by a dog.

Me: Thank you, Marvin. Marvin the Modern Day Mayan, everybody.


The 11th artist to be pheatured in the P.P.A.G. is a guy who goes by the name Bleach Methane. I know, it sounds like a character I would make up, but it's not. Anyway, this is one of his pieces. It's so good.



Bleach will be a guest on the Phile next Monday.



Today's guest is a singer and songwriter whose new album "Monongah" is available on iTunes and from her website. She'll next be appearing at Holderness Prep in Plymouth New Hampshire on March 5th and starting March 7th her Netherlands tour begins. Please welcome to the Phile, the lovely and talented... Kyle Carey.

Me: Hello, Kyle, welcome to the Peverett Phile. How are you?

Kyle: I'm not too bad now, just coming off a three month tour, and looking forward to a bit of rest :).

Me: There's not many women named Kyle I don't think. Kylie, yes, Kyle no. Is Kyle short for something?

Kyle: It's just straight Kyle, my parents are under the impression it's a girl's as well as a guy's name. It used to drive me crazy, but I must say its grown on me.

Me: Kyle, where are you from and where do you live now?

Kyle: I lived in the Alaskan bush until I was seven, in Yupik Eskimo villages where both my parents taught. Then our family moved to New Hampshire, where I finished elementary and high school. I've been living in Ireland and Scotland for some time, but I'm about to either move to Amherst or Boston to base myself, haven't quite decided which yet!

Me: You have also spent a lot of time overseas, right? Where was the first place you went to?

Kyle: My junior year in college I spend eight months living in West Kerry, Ireland, in one of the regions where Irish is still widely spoken. Following graduation I went up to Cape Breton for a year on a Fulbright Fellowship to study Gaelic song and Cape Breton fiddle style. After that I lived on the Isle of Skye in Scotland for a year, where I became fluent in Gaelic as part of an immersion program. And finally, another year in Ireland, 2010-11 in West Kerry again.

Me: Didn't you record your album "Monongah" over there in Ireland?

Kyle: Yes, "Monongah" was recorded in Ireland this past year, in Donogh Hennessy's studio in West Kerry, the plan was to do part of the album in Boston, but everything was going so well with Donogh, we decided to finish it up there, and I'm delighted we did.

Me: I bet you met and played with a lot of people with an 'O' in their name, right?

Kyle: Surprisingly not! There are Fitzgibbons, Scanlons and Clancys, but only one O'Sullivan on my CD!

Me: Why did you go to Ireland to record your album?

Kyle: Actually, I thought I was going to Ireland to learn Irish Gaelic for a year. A month or so in, and old college friend, Jeff Chu, contacted me and said he was starting a production company. He wanted me as one of the artists on his roster, and suggested I record an album. Before I knew it, it was #8 on the Folk DJ Charts, and my life had changed completely.

Me: Let's talk about your album. Is "Monongah" a a place, or someone's name?

Kyle: "Monongah" is a native American name, it comes from the Monongahela River in West Virginia, where the greatest coal mining disaster in American history occured, of which the Appalachian poet Louise McNeill wrote a poem of the same title.

Me: How did that song get to be the title of the album, Kyle?

Kyle: I was thinking of titling the album "Adenine" or "John Hardy's Wife", but I wanted the title to reflect the Appalachian/Celtic mix of my album. Or be ambiguous enough to go either way, which I think is why I chose "Monongah". It could almost be an Irish word, but it's rooted in West Virginia history. I also think it's one of the strongest songs on the album.

Me: One of the songs on it is called "Gaol Ise Gaol I". Is that in gaelic or something?

Kyle: Yes, that is Scottish Gaelic and it means "She is my love". It's a waulking song. Back in the day, women in the Hebrides of Scotland would gather together to 'waulk' the tweed, or bang it on a board or table to tighten the fabric. They would sing as they worked, and "Gaol ise Gaol I" is one example of and I think the prettiest, of waulking songs I heard while living in Scotland.

Me: Speaking of different languages, you spent some time in Alaska and learnt Yupik. I didn't know Alaska had their own language, unless it is the language Eskimo's speak. What is Yupik?

Kyle: Yupik is the language of the native people of southern Alaska. I think I was quite efficient in Yupik when I was younger, but unfortunately I've forgotten most of it. Scottish Gaelic is the only other language I speak now, and I'm still working on my English ;).

Me: How do you say, "Hello, and welcome to the Peverett Phile, the world's greatest blog" in Yupik? LOL.

Kyle: Well, I can translate that into Gaelic for you: Haidh, agus failte dhan Peverett Phile, am blog as fhearr san t-saoghal. There should be a strac or two in there, but I can't find the symbol on my keypad!

Me: That's cool! Thanks. The Phile isn't the world's greatest blog though. Anyway, are their any other languages you know? I once told my mother-in-law I speak five languages... Canadian, English, American, Australian and South African. She was impressed.

Kyle: Bizarre coincidence, I know all those as well! I guess that brings me up to six ;).


Me: Kyle, you play fiddle, right? For the Phile readers that don't know, what's the difference between a fiddle and a violin?

Kyle: I do play a bit of fiddle, though prefer to sing more than anything else, I always make sure I'm backed by a good guitarist and fiddler for my shows. In terms of the physical instrument, there is no difference between a fiddle and a violin, it all depends on the style in which you play, and the manner in which you hold the instrument.

Me: On the album cover that's not a fiddle you are holding. Do you also play guitar?

Kyle: I do play guitar, and I write all my songs on guitar, though again, I prefer to sing in my shows, with good Irish-style guitar backing.

Me: Let's get back to the album. On it you sing about a mining disaster and about a river in Kentucky, am I right?

Kyle: "Monongah" was about a mining disaster that happened in 1907 on the Monongahela River, which is actually in West Virginia. Three hundred and sixty-five men were killed in the accident, many of them were first-generation immigrants to the country. Louise McNeill wrote a beautiful poem on the tragedy, she was the first poet Laureate of the country, and wrote ballad-like poems in the dialect of the Appalachian community where she was born.

Me: What is the mining disaster story? My wife's dad used to be a coal miner in Kentucky.

Kyle: To be honest I'm not sure what the cause of the disaster was, but I think it was a common enough occurrence back in those days.

Me: How do you pick what subjects you are gonna write song's about?

Kyle: They quite often pick me to be honest! I'll hear a song, read a poem, or have an interesting conversation, and before I know it, it's found its way into a song! I do think my love of literature helps me to come up with song ideas. For example the song, "The Star Above Rankin's Point" was inspired by a short story named "Island" written by Cape Breton author Alistair MacLeod, I'm always getting song ideas from poems, short stories and novels.

Me: Kyle, who is in your band with you?

Kyle: My band is ever-changing but for the fall tour I was backed by a guitarist from Athlone, Ireland named Neil Fitzgibbon. For the first month we had a fiddler from Cape Breton with us named Rosie MacKenzie, who was later replaced by Vermont fiddler Russell McCumber.

Me: Thanks so much for being here on the Phile, Kyle. I love your record and you have a beautiful voice. Go ahead and plug your album, and please come back. Will you?

Kyle: Thanks so much for having me Jason! I will certainly come back! To order copies of my album, please visit: kyleannecarey.com.

Me: All the best, and continued success.

Kyle: Thanks again. Le meas.



There you go, another entry of the Phile done. Thanks to my guests Marvin the Modern Day Mayan and of course Kyle Carey. The Phile will be back tomorrow with singer, songwriter Charity Chapman. Then on Wednesday it's Brian Sumner from The Sumner Brothers. Next Sunday on Super Bowl Sunday it's entertainter, actor, and singer Smilin' Tom Fridley, then on Monday it's artist Bleach Methane. So, spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes an alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye. Happy birthday to the best wife ever!!!





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