Songs of Duster Knuckle
Wolves
Duster Knuckle was moved to the ends of the earth at the last Phosphorescent show at Schubas, especially by the band’s opening song, Wolves. This is our cover of that wonderful song. We’re not going to pretend that it does the original any justice, it was something we felt like trying. Check out Phosphorescent’s Daytrotter sessions
This That and The Other
Duster Knuckle beats on some deep drums. This is a small Duster sketch that we will likely abandon, so listen to it while you can.
Joan Jett of Arc
This song has recently surfaced from the dusty Duster Knuckle archives. It's a 2002 recording of a Clem Snide song full of double and triple meaning in almost every line. It even has a Jimi Hendrix style guitar solo. Let's hear a resounding yes to making love in parking lots made from the fossils of small birds!
Reno Dakota
This is a cover, or what I like to call a "saddening" of a Magnetic Fields song.
The 3 a.m. Robin
There is this Robin that hangs out near my bedroom window and starts singing around 3 am. By 4 am his singing turns into screaming, probably for a lover.
Sunshine in Nebraska
Dave thought this was a good song about sunshine in Nebraska, but it's also sunny in the garden of the gods.
Dancers Make the Room a Ballroom (not the ball)
With or without a sparkling ball, I'd dance to this when I'm old. Is that an electric milk jug I hear Agda playing?
The Story of Duster Knuckle
Scott Blackburn, formerly with Radiant Darling, a semi- chamber-pop folk-jazz rock quartet that released "Cryptomnesia" in 2005 on Chicago's Tense Forms, has been working out tunes that he has been humming while walking and biking around the city.
Blackburn recorded several impromptu sessions on piano and guitar onto mini-disc mostly in public spaces like the Cultural Center, and at various music shops where the gear is so much better than what he owns.
Later, on a string of dark and dusty nights, Blackburn took these sketches and started to play them with friends, Agda Holmgeirr (bass, and electric milk jug) and Raed Siyam (drums), in his apartment in the early early mornings when the neighbors were on vacation. No band was yet conceived, but being happy with the half-odes and small celebrations the three decided to form one and named it Duster Knuckle. And it was good. They drifted off to sleep dreaming of frog and sparrow orchestras.
The songs of Duster Knuckle are just sketches, studies really, with all the instruments being caught on the first take. The nascent melodies leap more like frogs than fly like sparrows.
The songs are to the left. You can download them or simply press the play button. We hope you have speakers or headphones.
