- Poi Dog Pondering
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Poi Dog Pondering 
Poi Dog Pondering performing at the 2009
Austin City Limits Music FestivalBackground information Origin Hawaii
Austin, Texas
Chicago, IllinoisGenres Alternative rock Occupations Musicians Years active 1985–present Labels Texas Hotel Records/Columbia Premonition
Plate.tec.tonicAssociated acts Susan Voelz Website Official site Poi Dog Pondering is an American musical group, noted for its cross-pollination of diverse musical genres, including various forms of acoustic folk music, and electronic music. Founded in Hawaii in 1985, the band moved to Austin, Texas in 1987, where they recorded their first three albums. In 1992, the band relocated once again, this time to Chicago, Illinois, and began to incorporate elements of house music into their style.
Contents
History
The band has always revolved around the music of lead singer-songwriter Frank Orrall. Poi Dog Pondering began in 1985 in Orrall's native Hawaii. The band traveled throughout the continental United States and in 1987 settled in Austin. At this time, member Abra Moore left to pursue a solo career, however a new member joined the band; violinist Susan Voelz. The band released their self-titled album and an EP Circle around the Sun on the independent-label Texas Hotel Records. The band signed to Columbia Records, where their first album and EP were re-released as a single album. They released two more albums while in Austin, Wishing Like a Mountain and Thinking Like the Sea and Volo Volo.
Austin years; members
During the Austin years (1987–1992), the band had the following lineup:
- Ted Cho - electric guitar, mandolin, bass
- Dave Max Crawford - organ, trumpet, accordion
- Darren Hess - drum kit (1991–1992)
- Bruce Hughes - bass
- Frank Orrall - guitar, tin flute, drums,
- John Nelson - congas, maracas, tom-toms, background vocals (1989–1992)
- Dick Ross - drum kit (1987–1990)
- Adam Sultan - electric guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals
- Susan Voelz - violin, guitar, vocals
Additionally, the records featured literally dozens of musicians credited as "Satellite Poi Members". Most prominent amongst these satellite members were vocalist Abra Moore, drummer Sean Coffey and (on their third album) turntable operator Andre "DJ Cassanova" Irons.
Beginning with that third album, 1992's Volo Volo, the band began to experiment with new musical styles, including fully incorporating DJ Cassanova into the line-up. Orrall's emerging interest in dance and house music led the band to relocate to Chicago in 1992, where it developed a loyal local following and was named best band by Chicago magazine in 1997. Since moving to Chicago, Poi Dog Pondering has released two studio albums and two live albums on its own label.
Chicago years; members
For the 1995 Pomegranate album, the band had the following lineup:
- Frank Orrall - guitar, vocals
- Dag Juhlin - guitar
- Brigid Murphy - Alto Saxophone
- Brent Olds - bass
- Steve Goulding - drums
- Leddie Garcia - Percussion
- Dave Max Crawford - keyboards, clavinet
- Jason More - Berimbau
- Lloyd Brodnax King - Alto Flute
- Katherine Pisaro - Oboe
- Paul Mertens - sax, clarinet, flute
- Susan Voelz - violin
- Arlene Newson - backing vocals
- Kornell Hargrove - backing vocals
- Robert Cornelius - backing vocals
The Poi Dog line-up fluctuates frequently, and Orrall, Voelz and Nelson are the only members of the band left from the Austin era. With the release of 'In Seed Comes Fruit' in 2003, Poi Dog Pondering consisted of:
- Frank Orrall - vocals, guitar, piano, synth. vibes, drums, samples, sequencing
- Susan Voelz - violin, vocals
- Paul Mertens - flute, sax, clarinet
- Leddie Garcia - congas, bongos, ganzas, bells, shakers, various percussion
- Kornell Hargrove - vocals
- Ron Hall - bass
- Rick Gehrenbeck - rhodes electric piano, clavinet, organ, synthesizers
- Charlette Wortham - vocals
- Alison Chesley - cello
- Carla Prather - vocals
- Tim Gant - piano, synthesizers
- John "El John" Nelson - drums
Music
Using a wide variety of instruments, Poi Dog Pondering alters the traditional verse-chorus-bridge structure of modern popular music. In some songs, melodic interludes entirely replace choruses, featuring lengthy, intricate solos blending the tin whistle, violin, trumpet, or other instruments in the Poi Dog menagerie (e.g. "Living with the Dreaming Body", "Bury me Deep"). Some Polynesian influences are evident ("Aloha Honolulu", written by bass player Bruce Hughes, and the introduction to "Circle round the sun"). Following the move to Chicago, the influence of house music became more apparent.
Lyrics & Philosophy
Lyrically, many songs paint slice-of-life portraits of people and situations, without telling a story ("Living with the Dreaming Body", "Wood Guitar"). The song topics vary widely, from the joys of eating breakfast ("Toast and jelly", the coda to "Postcard from a Dream") to:
- Environmentalism ("Ancient Egyptians")
- Globalism ("Big Walk")
- Death ("Fact of Life", "Circle Round the Sun", "Bury me Deep", "The me that was your son"), and
- Spirituality ("Praise the Lord").
In Orrall's lyrics, water imagery is prominent, with water as life-giving and cleansing, "Melting, reemerging and rising up clean in the pouring rain" (this theme is also found in "Sound of Water").
Orrall describes his view of the afterlife in the song, "And I know about heaven's gate...and I know that I'll be nothing there just food for fish and twisting worms". In "Bury me deep", he sings, "Only in death can one truly return. Return the carrots, the apples and potatoes, the chickens, the cows, the fish and tomatoes".
Two songs, "Fall upon me" ("Fall upon me like a hundred flowers") and "Pulling Touch" ("Are you the cup that I hold by the cheekbones, I pull you close and I drink you up") are about love, and in particular, sex. Jealousy (particularly of past loves) is addressed in "Thanksgiving" (written by guitarist Adam Sultan) and "Everybody's trying to figure it out", and the band comes out firmly against it. Their philosophy is further described in "U Li La Lu", "You should wear with pride the scars on your skin, they're a map of the adventures and the places you've been".
In spite of the number of songs about death and spirituality, a few songs venture into comedy, "The watermellon song" and "U Li La Lu" ("If I should die in a car wreck, may I have Van Morrison on my tape deck").
Albums
Studio albums
- Poi Dog Pondering (1989)
- Wishing Like a Mountain and Thinking Like the Sea (1990)
- Volo Volo (1992)
- Pomegranate (1995)
- Natural Thing (1999)
- In Seed Comes Fruit (2003)
- 7 (2008)
- Audio Love Letter (2011)
Live albums
- Liquid White Light (1997)
- Soul Sonic Orchestra (2000)
Compilations
- Sweeping Up the Cutting Room Floor (2001)
- The Best of Poi Dog Pondering (The Austin Years) (2005)
External links
Categories:- American alternative rock groups
- Musical groups from Chicago, Illinois
- Musical groups established in 1985
- Columbia Records artists
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