I'm not sure if you have ever had the opportunity to experience the film 'Almost Famous'. It's one of my favorite films. I grew up when rock and roll was brilliant, when it could be everything to a 16 year old kid.
That kid was me.
I dreamed of being in Linda Ronstadt's band, traveling the country, experiencing the fans and the spotlights and yes…. we were a couple. Those were my daydreams, by day I hung out at record stores and read every music rag on the shelf at the closest Tower Records.
I was a realist however and didn't let all those fanciful daydreams cloud my real life goals but I did always want to be one of the bylines in Rolling Stone and Cream, later SPIN and NME. I read all those reviews and I must admit I wanted to be Lester Bangs or Dave Marsh.
When I first saw Almost Famous many years later I recognized that I had always wanted to be that teenage kid based on Cameron Crowe. We grew up at the same time and his story of a kid who, because of his association with Lester Bangs, gets to write a feature that would make the cover of Rolling Stone is the kind of thing that many of my daydreams had been made of.
So reader, when I was given the chance to write this column and interview local musicians and cover music for Wonder Valley's website I looked forward to asking this question…
Skyler Fell, What do you love about music?
Skyler: I love most things about music, the way it is a universal language, our precious musical communities, live culture and talking to our ancestors by song.
Ronnie: Not everyone can live in the desert. How does the desert color your music?
Skyler: Well, we have a select set of songs we play when it’s over 105F, they are all pretty slow and involve lots of beer drinking between verses.
Other than that, I love singing while I’m riding my mustang pony around the desert and his hoofbeats keep time.
Ronnie: How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard it?
Skyler: Hi Desert Time Traveling Accordion Rampage!
Ronnie: You are currently laid up with a broken ankle, how did that happen and how is your rehab going?
Skyler: I broke my ankle out herding cattle in the high country of Wyoming
Ronnie: Ouch! Tell me about your music heroes?
Skyler: My music hero’s are usually my band mates. I’m also super stoked about my local music scene and what other folks out here in the Hi Desert are up to.
Ronnie: I miss the feeling one gets from a real protest song, do you feel music can be a force for change?
Skyler: Live music is always a force for change, these days just getting folks to interact without their smart phone can be a stretch. Now more than ever gathering for live music and creating culture is essential.
Ronnie: What are you working on now?
Skyler; Right now we have a 9pm every first Saturday night residency at your local Joshua Tree Saloon.
Ronnie: What's the favorite recording you have made so far:
Skyler: Tumbleweed Timemachine recently recorded Dan Abbott’s song ‘Life is Excellent’ for the 2020 Accordion Babes Calendar & Album. Our stand up bass player Steven McCarthey recorded the song in his home studio. It was a great experience to record with such inspiring characters from my musical community and feel open to bearing my soul through our creation of REAL LIVE CULTURE.
Accordion Babes Calendar
https://igg.me/at/accordionbabes2020/x#/
Tumbleweed Timemachine Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/apocalypseaccordions/
I hope you enjoyed our first Artist Highlight, stay tuned for more to come.
Ronnie Ruff
Wonder Valley California
