The Capital Times, March 21, 2005 9
40.
Phot
o courtesy of www.ironandwine.com
Kellye's
Sound
WAYves
By Kellye Way
Staff Reporter
kjw2o3@psu.edu
Band: Iron & Wine
Album: Woman King
Release Date: February 22, 2005
Number of Tracks: 6
Rating: ****
With warmer weather just
around the corner, it is officially
time to introduce some refreshing
new music as my form of spring
cleaning for mid-term fried brains.
From roots in the rich soils of the
traditional South, the brother
and sister team of Iron & Wine
produce a folk rock collection
that is simply pure and relaxing.
The six track EP "Woman King"
is a little bit country, and a little
bit classic rock, but with other
interesting elements that is hard
to categorize. Just as the duo's
name implies their sound can
be slightly hard, but it is mostly
sweet and delicious.
Listening to this album, it is
hard not to imagine the peaceful
innocence of the hippie era.
I pictured long skirts, braids,
guitars, and lighters, where
the birth of modern folk music
happened during eww
parents' generation. However,
rather than coming off geriatric
or corny, Iron & Wine can only
provide a sense of comfort and
peace that loud, mainstream
music lacks. The experience
of this album is a refreshing
cleanser, much like the well
needed rinsing of salt from a
dirty, winter car.
Samuel Beam is the face of
Iron & Wine, providing lead
vocals, acoustic guitar, piano,
and electric guitar. He also wrote
and produced all his own tracks,
an extremely rare quality in this
musical age. His sister Sarah
Beam offers a melodic innocence
on back vocals that seem to
complete and refine each track.
Their pure sound remains
unspoiled by contemporary pop
and rock and therefore you'll
never hear music this rich on any
Top 40 radio stations.
Described by their record label,
Sub-Pop Records, as being
"....an ode to an older South; a
part of America that is defined
by 'traditional values,' pastoral
imagery and arcane manners,"
Iron & Wine is definitely a treat
to be experienced at some point.
As the stress of mid-terms and
the impending final exam period
looms over us (with a giant lion
smile), Iron & Wine can be a
great help in unwinding at the
end of a long day, especially for
us commuters.
Love;mule? Love your
°pistons', Want your
voice to be heard?
is the next mete
reviewer for the
Capital Times,
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Cornerstone feels like home
By Elizabeth Wingate
Staff Reporter
eawl 91 @psu.edu
I'm sitting at a little white tile-and
blonde-wood table, small enough
to permit intimate conversation,
but just big enough for a laptop,
a bevy of overpriced Penn State
textbooks, and the brew of choice
for fatigued students everywhere,
a steaming cup of coffee. A little
lamp glows softly on my table,
illuminating the buttercup hue of
daisies perched on the windowsill
and edging out that wintry chill
lurking on the other side of the
wall. The air is sultry with the
scent of roasted coffee beans
and baking cookies, a cocoon of
warmth and contentment.
Five minutes ago, the angst
ridden wail of a teenage pop
princess offended my ears, but
now some decidedly mellow
strains of Portishead can be
heard drifting above and below
the hum of conversation. (Gotta
love that satellite radio, and the
employees who keep changing
the channel) A little girl, bundled
up in a rainbow of fleece, digs
intently into her hot chocolate
with its mile-high whipped cream,
wearing most of it, drinking the
rest. The guy whom I've seen
hogging the Mac in the corner for
the last three days is at it again, as
the older gentleman who comes
in every afternoon to read the
New York Times rambles through
the door right on schedule. Four
crazy employees are trying
to fix something behind the
counter with a hammer and their
our
Time to unwind with Iron & Wine
By John Fox
Staff Reporter
jtfls3@psu.edu
Iron & Wine, on Sub Pop
Records is the brainchild of
South Carolina-native Sam
Beam. Currently living in Miami
with his wife and 3 children,
Beam, 30, has released many
EP and full length albums under
the name Iron & Wine, beginning
with 2002's hugely successful 4-
track recording, "The Creek Ran
The Cradle Dry."
Beam's music is not typical of
any other style out on the market.
In fact, he is even hard pressed
to force a label on his music.
"I suppose I would call it folk in
the broadest sense of the word,
I guess," said Beam, laughing at
the thought. "I don't really know. I
don't think of those things. I just
make the music."
Asked about the unique name of
the band, "It's [lron and Wine] from
a home remedy made of castor
oil and a protein supplement,"
said Beam. "It's pretty gross but
I thought it was . an interesting
coupling of words."
Beam went on to add that there
is also a connotation of yin and
yang within the meaning of Iron
and Wine.
Beam's music was first heard on
the soundtrack of the blockbuster
film, /n Good Company, starring
Dennis Quaid and Topher Grace.
Beam said that it is very flattering
to have his music included in a
major motion picture soundtrack.
Some of these songs include
"Naked As We Come," "Sunset
Soon Forgotten," and "Trapeze
Swinger," which is the only
song that did not appear on
their previously released "Our
feet. Welcome to Cornerstone
Coffeehouse in Camp Hill. It's the
best brew in town.
Cornerstone is a place I love,
and have loved, for more than
seven years, and they may just
have to pry the mug out of my
hands and drag me out when
This Cornerstone regular sits by the window while enjoying his coffee. Affectionately referred to as just
"Stan," the retired lobbyist is just one of many interesting people that frequent the popular little Camp Hill
coffee shop
my time is up. As seniors at been coming here ever since. many patrons and employees of
Harrisburg Academy, three of I can now be found at Cornerstone, and more recently,
my friends and I used our free Cornerstone at odd hours someone vaguely European who
period to sneak out of school, working on articles and other likes fountain pens and stole my
and we would screech into the work which is usually overdue, or heart. But I digress. I've watched
Endless Numbered Days" [Sup
Pop, 2004].
TTrapeze Swinger'] was written
for the movie," said Beam. "The
director, Paul Weitz, asked me to
take a stab at writing something
for the movie. That was one that
just happened to work out."
Many bands become successful
by being first discovered by a
record company A & R executive,
and Beam recalls how Sub Pop
discovered him.
"I had a friend from Seattle and
he drove back with me to the
Carolinas," said Beam. "We were
both in a band and I was just
recording at home on a 4-track.
We would send each other music
back and forth for fun. Sub Pop
was talking to him about using his
stuff in a compilation and he gave
them my stuff. They listened to it
and called me, basically."
Beam said that his relationship
with Sub Pop is great, and that
they work very hard for him.
Though he admits that he has
no other basis to compare it to,
he adds that he does plan to
continue to record for Sup Pop in
the future.
Beam's music is relaxed, his
voice often toned down to an
inaudible hush. The fingerpicked
stylings of his acoustic guitar take
the listener to another realm of
consciousness, a realm without
pretension. Beam's music elicits
raw honesty, emotion, and
elegant intimacy. "They're really
not autobiographical songs," he
said. "It's away of communicating,
a way of storytelling. The subject
matter comes from all over the
place. Either personal experience
or things my friends have told me.
Or stuff I read or just made up."
From "The Creek Drank The
parking lot of Cornerstone every
weekday, eagerly anticipating
the best cappuccino and oatmeal
cookies money could buy, their
respective frothy bitterness and
gooey sweetness heightened
by the thrill of our deviance. We
never did get caught, and I've
Iron & Wine's music can be heard on the soundtrack of the blockbuster film, In Good Companv The band
is scheduled to hit the east coast sometime in June to support their latest album, "Woman King."
Cradle" to "Woman King," - a full
length CD released February 22
- Beam said that his music has
evolved by taking "baby steps".
"I know the latest one ['Woman
King] is a little more playful with
the instrumentation," said Beam.
"The first one was just recorded
at my house with the instruments
I had. Now, I have more toys
to play with and a bit more
percussion."
Beam also shares producing
credit with Brian Dick, whom he
said is great and has a great ear
for Beam's sounds. "It's a real
collaborative thing," he said.
Before making a full-time
go at music, Beam was a
college professor at the Miami
on Saturday mornings for a bagel
and conversation with retired
friend Stan Singer, who keeps
me wonderfully scandalized with
tall tales about his past life as
a lobbyist and what he had for
breakfast at Kuppy's. Over the
years, I've come to know a great
Photo by Elizabeth Wingate/Capital Times
International Art Institute, where
he taught cinematography and
screenwriting. "I did like teaching,"
said Beam. "Though I did it as a
means to an end. I was doing a
lot of production work and when
my family came along I decided
to teach so I could spend more
time with the kids."
Beam went to Richmond Art
School as an undergrad and was
most interested in film. He finished
at Richmond with a degree in
Painting and Photography. He
then headed further down south
for grad school where he attended
Florida State, Tallahassee, and
received his masters in Film
Production.
Now, the level of success he
Cornerstone grow up and flourish,
and feel a sort of foolish pride in
seeing my little place blossom
into a sort of Cheers-like second
home where everyone knows
your name.
What was once just a cozy spot
for great coffee is now a crowd
pleasing venue for a great many
pleasures. Cornerstone offers
sumptuous espresso concoctions
like the honey vanilla latte, a
refreshing pick-me-up of clover
honey, vanilla Torani, espresso
and milk (Whole, 2 percent, skim
your choice), or the Caramel
Lovers latte, which speaks
for itself and caramel lovers
everywhere. There's always a
Hallmark holiday coming up, and
Cornerstone can get you in the
mood with an appropriate drink,
such as the White Kisses latte
for Valentine's Day, a white ivory
mocha with a shot of raspberry
Torani and billows of whipped
cream, or the Wonka milkshake
of peppermint stick ice cream,
a shot of chocolate, and milk.
Torani is available in many sugar
free flavors.
More than 30 kinds of tea are
offered, by the mug or by the pot,
as well as four versions of chai,
milkshakes, fresh-squeezed
lemonade (seasonal). Italian
and French sodas, ice cream,
all of the traditional espresso
drinks, and of course, regular
joe. Standard roasts, among
them Sumatra, Southern Pecan,
Breakfast Blend, and Brazil Nut
share the spotlight with season-
CORNERSTONE cont'd on 10
Photo courtesy of subpop,com
has achieved and the amount of
fans that follow his career humble
Beam. "It's great," Beam says. "I
think anybody who does creative
work wants to be appreciated
at some level. I think it's very
flattering. It's just wonderful."
Iron & Wine are scheduled to start
touring in the Midwest in support
of "Woman King" in late April.
They are set to hit the east coast
sometime in June. For a detailed
tour schedule, purchase their CD,
or just check out the band, go to
Iron & Wine's official homepage
at http://www.ironandwine.com/
or go to Iron & Wines page on
Sub Pop Records site at http://
www.subpop.com/scripts/main/
bands_page.php?id=4o3.