Califone is the musical project of former Red Red Meat frontman Tim Rutili. Its regular and rotating contributors include many former members of Red Red Meat and some members of other Chicago bands, such as Tortoise. Their music is less rooted in blues-rock than Red Red Meat and is more directly inspired by experimental music and early American folk music as can be found on Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music.
Califone's current lineup includes Joe Adamik (drums), Jim Becker (banjo, violin), Ben Massarella (percussion), and Tim Rutili (vocals, guitar, keyboards). Each member is a multi-instrumentalist.
Tim Rutili has collaborated with a number of other artists as well. He joined up with Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock and others in 2002 to release the album Sharpen Your Teeth under the band name Ugly Casanova. Some members also toured with Freakwater and served as a backing band to record the album Thinking of You in 2005. In 2006, Tim Rutili teamed up with Wil Hendricks and Michael Krassner under the name The Unseen Hand to record the soundtrack for Rank, a documentary about bullriding. In the same year Califone worked with animator/musician Brent Green on a series of performance art pieces featuring animation, live music, and spoken word. They are also featured on the soundtrack for the movie Stranger than Fiction.
Evidence
Califone Lyrics
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The lyrics of Califone's song Evidence are a mix of surrealistic imagery and ambiguous phrases, creating an enigmatic atmosphere that leaves room for multiple interpretations. The opening line "a white dress falls miles to the floor" sets the scene for a bridal or ceremonial setting, but the next phrase "like a blood letting" subverts this initial perception, turning it into a violent or macabre event. The following line "promises colorblind and pale" implies a sense of disappointment or disillusionment that contrasts with the idealized notion of a wedding ceremony.
As the song progresses, more paradoxical and elusive images emerge, such as the "dog, an exorcist and a bride drunk and trading drain like dream from wine dark eyes". This line compresses several potentially symbolic elements, such as the dog as a loyal but also often associated with death or decay, the exorcist as a spiritual figure that expels or confronts demons, and the bride as a traditional figure of purity and innocence. The use of the verb "trading" suggests a transactional or mutually beneficial relationship, but the image of draining suggests something ominous or parasitic.
Line by Line Meaning
a white dress falls miles to the floor like a blood letting
The fall of a white dress is compared to the shedding of blood, signifying a painful and traumatic event.
promises colorblind and pale
The promises made seem hollow and insincere, lacking passion and conviction.
let it seethe against the veil between sleep and now
The emotions are brewing and struggling within the singer's psyche, between the realm of dream and reality.
a dog, an exorcist and a bride drunk and trading drain like dream from wine dark eyes
The artist's mind is filled with disjointed, surrealistic images and characters, depicting emotional distress and chaos.
a baby smiles a widow's smile
The image of a smiling baby resembles the pained, forced smile of a widow, juxtaposing joy and sadness.
tenderly swallowed up the blame and shat out the bones and fur
The singer has taken responsibility for something, but it has caused pain and suffering, resulting in a messy, uncomfortable situation.
aerial photography evidence wrecks a memory again
Images and memories from above - perhaps metaphorically, such as from a more objective perspective - disrupt and damage a recollection.
a dog an exorcist and a bride drunk and playing hearts pace the trap and wait to let this long shadow pass
The chaotic, surreal characters continue to occupy and torment the artist, waiting for the darkness to lift.
evidence wrecks a memory again
Memories are vulnerable to damage and disruption, likely from the emotional and psychological turmoil caused by the artist's circumstances.
Contributed by Dominic C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.