Andrew has a long-held passion for American folk music, of which his knowledge borders on the encyclopedic. It began with a lesson from his father's cousin, the Grammy-Nominated folk musician David Bromberg, who studied with Reverend Gary Davis in the early 1960s and started Andrew off backwards through the catalog of the early 20th century. With Passing Knowledge, Andrew incorporates the musical techniques and intimacy of those early recordings with his modern style of songwriting.   This combination is well-suited for the collection, which focuses on themes of yearning, longing, and acceptance – the stretch for things just out of reach.  Vladeck colors these songs with sparkling details, in largely narrative fashion, with lyrics that cascade in rhythm to the music. 

The digital pocket book and the artwork are an homage to the Pocket Poet Series published by City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco, in particular the work of Allen Ginsberg.   Accordingly, this pocket book demonstrates the influence of literature upon Vladeck's writing.   Vladeck's cousin, the American writer Will Heinrich, winner of the PEN/Bingham Award, contributes a letter of introduction and an epilogue. 

The record begins with "Living the Dream," a quasi-hallucinogenic ode to Allen Ginsberg's HOWL in which the words are more spoken than sung.  The interplay between the skyline and sunset become a canvas for existential yearnings.

The title track, "Passing Knowledge of the Sexes," is about the modern-day search for love and the creative and oft-misleading way people choose to present themselves to the world through their online profiles.  The song was inspired by a passage from Freakonomics, by Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt and was written with members of The Honey Brothers.

There is a new rendition of Vladeck's psychedelic slide-banjo dream-song, "Coney Island," a romantic vision for a lost love from another time.  The song first appeared on Vladeck's eponymous debut CD, performed with The Honey Brothers.  In this version, Lauren Balthrop adds piano and the cello arrangement by Colette Alexander carries the song to a dramatic conclusion.

"Within Reach" is a song about the loss of a soulmate, and, as Joan Didion wrote about in her book, The Year of Magical Thinking, the "magical thinking" that can comfort and console as one grapples with such a thunderous loss.

Vladeck borrows the musical refrain from the American folk song "Moonshiner" to help convey a modern-day story of the joy, passion, and reckless sadness of growing up. "Can't See Why" brings the listener along on various escapades – breaking into the Hayden Planetarium, swimming in a water tower, drinking by the Domino Sugar Factory – as they watch the protagonist wrestle with self-image and acceptance, only to alienate herself further.

Finally, East meets West in this post-Cold War love song, where the remaining barriers are language and distance.  Written with Grammy-Nominated songwriter Morgan Taylor (Gustafer Yellowgold), the song describes the thrill and the challenges of lovers from different worlds as they explore ways to communicate with each other.

Produced & Engineered by Misha Volf
Mixed by Dave Schiffman
Mastered by Joe Lambert
 
Musicians 
Andrew Vladeck – vocals, guitars, banjo
Lauren Balthrop – vocals, keyboard, glockenspiel
Misha Volf – keyboards, guitar, percussion
Jason Bemis Lawrence – drums, percussion
Katie Scheele – oboe, english horn, arrangements
Colette Alexander – cello arrangements
Giovanni Palacios – guiro

The Music Cycle (USA)

Vladeck’s skill as a singer-songwriter is impeccable.  His guitar work on Passing Knowledge is excellent, sounding carefree yet displaying a wonderful technicality at the same time. His vocal styling gives the impression of a cross between a crooning Bob Dylan and a soaring Joel Plaskett. The title track, “Passing Knowledge of the Sexes” puts all of this on display, exemplifying this virtuoso of traditional folk music...

Folk Radio UK
Published by End Up Records and in cooperation with BOOKlyn Artists Alliance the EP is a six track affair of alt-folk, slight tinges of Jeffrey Lewis’ anti-folk and Springsteen’s Americana guiding it along its ragged dirt track.

Music Headquarters (Germany)
[Thank you google translate (from German) for the phrases: fully friable, oral accordion, gin mountain.]

He underlines the specific feature that Andrew Vladeck has found banjo, acoustic guitar and oral accordion ... These are tender songs fully friable of charm and Vladeck proves in " Coney of Iceland " that he can sound also wild absolutely and impetuous. Many of his texts are inspired by books… in particular to the works of all gin mountain.

Musik Instinkt (Germany)
Thank you Google Translate.
Once again, his flair is impressive for expressing a few words, very sensitive big emotions without losing the focus on essentials.  "Living The Dream" and the wonderful but extremely sad provoking "Can not see why" shows how great Vladeck manages with simple instrumentation and a wonderful melody a very special mood to conjure from the speakers, looking at times their peers. For me, "Can not see why" almost comparable to the masterpiece "The Magnet" on the previous album and definitely a must-hear!

Whiskey Soda (Germany)

[Thank you Google Translate.] The 'Passing Knowledge'-EP shows a new development Vladeck particular strengths as a songwriter. He combines the six songs from his subtle wit and clenched soul with skillfully honing their traditional folk music, banjo and guitar playing.
 
  
Concert news (Germany)
 
Exciting and beautiful, poignant and exhilarating.
 
“Passing Knowledge Of The Sexes” von Andrew Vladeck geben. Sollte man tun und man wird es mögen. Genießen. Denn wenn schon Singer/Songwriter, dann doch bitte so. Spannend und schön, ergreifend und berauschend.

LYRICA

Living the Dream
 
A mound of broken stars
A pile of dusty sparks
A stack of glowing coals
A thousand shattered disco balls
The skyline looked like all of those things from the rusty stumps of the old shipyard.
We sat at the cracked concrete banks of the river as the city sparkled to life.
The cherry bomb sun slowly sank,
We squinted and stared,
And we speechlessly spoke.
 
Step up, come down my friend
How many times we go ‘round again
Step up, come down my friend
What do you say ~
Let’s make this moment stay
We’re living a dream - living the dream,
Living a dream - living the dream
 
A dried-up river bed
A twice healed scar
A derailed train
The spine of a well-thumbed book
My lifeline looked like all of those things at one time or another.
The sun hot enough to make us sweat,
The air cold enough we could see our breath.
We inhaled pink clouds of the sunset,
As it swallowed us.
 
Step up, come down my friend
How many times we go ‘round again
Step up, come down my friend
Come down today ~
Let’s make this moment stay
We’re living a dream - living the dream,
Living a dream - living the dream
 
A stand of cluttered tombstones
A blurry neon billboard
A rehashed Atlantis
An exquisite, speckled canvas
The future looked like all of those things.
A man at the makeshift pier pulled a silver fish out of the black water.
He wrapped it in a wrinkled newspaper and laid it beside me.
It was moving.
The headlines on that paper made no sense at all, and made all the sense in the world.
 
Step up, come down my friend
How many times we go ‘round again
Step up, come down my friend
What do you say ~
Let’s make this moment stay
We’re living a dream - living the dream,
Living a dream - living the dream
 
 
 
Passing Knowledge of the Sexes
 
Tell me your vitals and income range
Level of ed., threshold for pain
To separate the whey from the chaff
Please include a photograph
 
Peruse a profile easily
Take La Belle Dame Sans Merci
A man’s income with a woman’s looks
Do you like the way she cooks the books
 
Whoever you think you are
I’m sure that you are over-par
The blondes are lying or they’re dying their hair, but my guess is
All you really need is just a passing knowledge of the sexes
 
Men yearn for a soul mate
Women want the occasional thrill
Swapping truths about our dreams
We’re all playing a slot machine
 
I been to London and Berlin
You should see the shape I’m in
Who said “seek and ye shall find”
Didn’t know that love was blind
 
Whoever you think you are
I’m sure that you are over-par
The blondes are lying or they’re dying their hair, but my guess is
All you really need is just a passing knowledge of the sexes
 
And you can share intimate truths
But it will be of little use
Traits that draw a big response
Won’t be a big surprise
 
I been round the world and back again
I found no love but lots of friends
Maybe I’ve been tryin’ too hard
Now I’m standing in my own backyard
 
Tonight I’m gonna take my time
Have a drink and write this rhyme
And who knows, maybe someone dear
Will hear my song and draw me near
 
Whoever you think you are
I’m sure that you are over-par
The blondes are lying or they’re dying their hair, but my guess is
All you really need is just a passing knowledge of the sexes
 
 
Coney Island
 
There’s a sacred dance that my love knows
Surrounded by the sea
Is a sacred place my love goes
Once she took me
 
I could not hide my awestruck face
I recognized her form
A rag-tag angel with a gypsy’s grace
Gliding ‘cross the foam
Coney Island Baby
 
I danced for her, I leaned on a shell
For to catch my breath
I know I don’t know her so well
But I can more than guess
Coney Island Baby
 
Where the waves meet the shore
I am yours, I am yours
Where the waves break in time
I long to make you mine
 
A sacred dance by a sacred dame
I long to see again,
If she hears my song and she feels the same
I will say amen
Coney Island Baby
 
I am yours, I am yours
I am yours, I am yours
 
 
Within Reach
 
Your eyes are as bright as the night we met
They haven’t faded as yet
It’s hard to believe as we stand in the eve
That the sun, never faded, does set
 
The moon burns a hole through the clouds
I wait underneath ~
The breeze blows the stars through your hair
Soon you’ll be within reach
 
Our candle burns low, the pages turn slow
In this book we have written so plain
As the chapter unfolds, the letters in gold ~
I cherish each word that remains
 
The moon burns a hole through the clouds
I wait underneath ~
The breeze blows the stars through your hair
Soon you’ll be within reach
 
Within reach ~ how long, not long
Within reach ~ that’s where you belong!
 
Darling, it’s fine, you can leave me behind
‘Neath the pines in the twilight
I’ll be with you soon in the bright afternoon
of a day that will never know night
 
The moon burns a hole through the clouds
I wait underneath ~
The breeze blows the stars through your hair
Soon you’ll be within reach
 
 
Can’t See Why
 
We camped out in Central Park, with Carl and an old guitar
The stars rose ‘bove the buildings, over the reservoir
We busted through the back door of the planetarium
The constellations looked just like the freckles on your shoulders
 
We swam in the water tower, how it sparkled and shined
Goosebumps on your body, I held you next to mine
Our voices shook the wood walls of our sanitarium
As we floated ‘cross the tops of the light-brite skyline
 
What were you drinking, thinking you’re mighty and high
We miss you and you can’t see why
 
I see the whites of your eyes, by the lights of the refinery
Through your greasy hair, the breeze blows sugary
Your voice chimes and crashes straight through our craniums
Slaying all fear and conquering all our cares
 
What were you drinking, thinking you’re mighty and high
We miss you and you can’t see why
 
What’s the use don’t you care ~
About the truth, it just glares ~
What’s the use of sitting there ~
What’s the use ~ we’re outta here
 
Gargoyles shiver on your fire escape
Jackhammers crack the front steps of your place
We breached the bridge as sunset - it lit up the West Side
The buildings glowed red as if they were just like Chinese lanterns
 
What were you drinking, thinking you’re mighty and high
We miss you and you can’t see why
We miss you and you can’t see why
 
 
St. Petersburg
(Morgan Taylor/Andrew Vladeck)
 
Our common language was body
We invented new words
As the sun set slowly
I can’t forget a thing I heard
 
The curtain drops and I fall
For a girl across The Wall
You know charades don’t have no words
Early morning, St. Petersburg
 
Our second language was music
Through the park we’d promenade
To the organ grinders tune
We danced with a bear cub while the old man played
 
The curtain drops and I fall
For a girl across The Wall
You know charades don’t have no words
Early morning, St. Petersburg
 
Feelings run strong
It’s been way too long
Will we make do
I can’t wait to speak to you
 
Our final language is lying
We gaze eye to eye
We’ve run out of words
And we don’t know how to say goodbye
 
The curtain drops and I fall
For a girl across The Wall
You know charades don’t have no words
Early morning, St. Petersburg