Art Alexakis of Everclear "Heartspark Dollarsign" At: Guitar Center
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- čas přidán 8. 09. 2024
- Art Alexakis of Everclear stopped by our Hollywood Guitar Center for this amazing performance of "Heartspark Dollarsign" Check out the full Art Alexakis Podcast, and other great podcasts, at www.guitarcenter.com/podcast.
For more info on Art Alexakis of Everclear:
www.everclearonline.com
This bloke and his band saved me in the early days. Thank you Art..
Art Alexakis was really unique in his songwriting and song topics. Everclear was really famous and well loved but in some ways I feel like he doesn't get the respect he deserves.
contactkeithstack I completely agree...
You are right, but he brought it (the diminished level of respect) upon himself. In the past, the guy could be a total jerk. Don't get me wrong, he can be really cool too (I talked to him multiple times in bars, I was in the video for Heroin Girl, I carried around a guitar pick of his in my wallet for years, saw a ton of local shows when they were still a T/K band), but in Portland, he always had a bad rep, and he would treat people in other bands bad at times.
There is the feud between him and Courtney from the Dandy Warhols over "Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth," (where to be honest, Art's point of view on it was not wrong. For those that don't know, the DW song has the hook of "I never thought you'd be a junkie because heroin is so passe," which was nothing more than a snide "Fuck You" to an ex named Gretchen, but Art took offense at the idea of being pissed at someone for being a junkie just because using was "the cool thing to do" and not because it was a waste of a good person's life.). Or Jim Rondinelli, the first producer of "So Much For The Afterglow" who got fired when he innocently implied to the record label that Art was having problems with the album. Jim only said to their A&R guy (Perry Watts-Russell. A&R for Dandy Warhols, too. Not that it matters.) that Art's lyrics were falling behind, so he wanted to be able to go use that time on another project. He didn't want to leave the Everclear album, he just didn't want to have to sit around and wait, doing nothing. Or his problems with Pete Krebs, who was basically an icon of the Portland music scene at the time. I mean, no Robin Banks, but who could be? (OK, that was a bit of a joke). Anyway, when Art started calling around to papers to have negative stories about him killed, that was the last straw for a lot of people.
Take "California King," which ends with:
" I will find you in the crowded room
I will knock you off your feet
I will break you into pieces
Hold you up for all the world to see
Yeah, what makes you think you are better than me?
What makes you think you’re better?"
When asked who this is about, he gives different answers, but they are all along the same vein. Mostly, he says it is directed at the "scenesters" in Portland who refused to accept him. But, when asked about the title, he will say that he is from California, so he's the King, but he'll also say "But you know, Pete Krebs is from California, too." (Pete Krebs is also the subject of the song "For Pete's Sake.") Ultimately, people say that Art admits that it is about him, Courtney (from Dandy Warhols, though he grew up in Beaverton, Oregon) and Pete Krebs.
So, while he had amazing songs like this (written before he even formed Everclear), Fire Maple Song (with one of the single most powerful lines I've ever heard in a song - "I can't believe this letter that says you died" - buried late in a beautiful track) and Heroin Girl ("I heard the policeman say 'it's just another overdose.' Just another overdose?!"), people were not prepared to support him out of fear of how they would be treated. I mean, how many people from that generation CAN'T relate to "Father Of Mine," and yet there are so many people who never have even heard it.
Sorry, didn't mean to turn this into an essay. And don't take this to just shit on the guy. Like I said, he was amazing. Unfortunately, he was also a bit self-destructive with certain decisions he made as he tried to succeed.
Acel Damia sold the rights to most of the evercler catalog for less than a million dollars from what I’ve read. Smh. What a shame. He had some incredible timeless songs. Guess he had some child support and bills to pay
Agree
Beautiful
Always loved the chord progressions in this song.
krevo81 good old GDCD. Always sounds good
This song is worth more than ten decades worth of platinum albums. Most people won't ever get to "know" what this song means first-hand, much less write something so powerful it moves people.
Rawk on, Art. Also, your solo in this song fuckin blows my mind every time I listen to it.
His voice is perfect for the songs he writes.
Loved Everclear... one of the few enduring "alternative rock" bands from my youth
“She said, she said....” I like the fact that she is the hero in the story.
A power bigger than the pain....... that's one awesome lyric
favorite Everclear song.. love it!!!!
I miss these guys, man...
That’s how you write a song with meaning
Amazing ,,love all everclear music
So glad a came across this!
He should be made a Saint for this song alone
This song always sounded like What's So Funny 'Bout Peace, Love, and Understanding to me.
Weird comparison but I can see it. I love Elvis Costello, too. Like Art, another talented misfit
Hmmm, I hear zero resemblance to that one. Both great songs though!
Awesome
🎥Great song
What guitar is he playing?
what does the title mean?
haha power puff girl tatoo!
heroin