Goodbye, Almira

Original liner notes by Shafer Hall

September, 2011

Few songwriters in contemporary New York City are as considerate to their audiences as Alex Battles. From JFK Airport to the foothills of the Rockies, Alex gives us everything from old blue pickups to fondue. There is something of the country and something of the city in this extraordinary young man. 

And that is just his lyrical content. His melodies and arrangements take us from the polka halls of the Midwest all the way down to the cantinas of Mexico.

If a show at Hank’s Saloon calls for raucousness, Alex and the band will rock. If it’s midnight at Sunny’s in Red Hook, he can play quietly with the folkies. The amazing thins is that at both places he will play the same songs. 

This collection of songs is the lost and found of the heart; this album is the box beneath the pool table win the back room where you left your innocence, and I left my dignity. Alex is the emotional designated driver for our late night souls. 

If it’s true, as a young man once said, that Alex is akin to Kirk Douglas’s nephew Sam Douglas, and that the Whisky Rebellion is like Sam’s entourage, then the Brooklyn night burns bright with this celebrity. There is another Fifth Avenue just south of the one you know; let Alex show you around.

~ Shafer Hall is the author of Never Cry Woof ~

~~~

Goodbye, Almira is available for purchase and streaming on bandcamp.

Taking a look at the lichess.org 2020 wrap-up, one notices two distinct bumps in chess players; the first stemming from the pandemic, the second from the popularity of the Queen’s Gambit.

As a new chess player myself, I wanted to recommend the Perpetual Chess Podcast, which interviews individuals involved in all levels of the world of chess. I was especially inspired by the interview with Thibault Duplessis, the founder of the free and ad-free lichess.org. Another interview I enjoyed was with adult improver Neal Bruce discussing Yasser Sereiwan’s book Winning Chess Strategies.

The picture below is a “berserker” from the historic Lewis chessmen.

I’ve taken myself off of social media because I no longer trust myself with presenting honest, thoughtful opinions in these difficult times. I have long believed that Thou Shalt Not Kill is a pretty important commandment. Unfortunately, we live in a world where the guns will always win. As a pacifist, I will always be on the losing side. And yet for some reason, I cling to such empty human concepts as hope, love, and peace.

From now on, I will share whatever I need to share on this website.

Before production began on his new Austin, Texas based podcast, Shafer Hall, one of the two hosts of One Magical Hour: A Matthew & Shafer Podcast Spectacular asked me to provide him with a theme song. As I turned the title over in my head, Matthew & Shafer set sail on their podcasting adventure.

By the time I was ready to work on the theme, Matthew and Shafer had just released Episode 19. It was clear that I had work to do. I donned my headphones, opened Garage Band, and put my favorite Harold Lloyd movie on the television with the sound turned down.

I started with the beat, then added some whistling, synthesizers, and vocals. My first version clocked in at over six minutes. Over the next two days, I was able to edit this down to a three minute version, which makes its debut at the end of Episode 21.

A shorter version of theme opens and closes Episode 22. And then opens all subsequent episodes beginning with Episode 25.

You can catch up on all the adventures of Matthew & Shafer over at onemagicalhour.com