in our vision of this world these guys live out in the foothills and are threatened not by floodwater, as in Gormenghast, but by landslides, as in The Control of Nature (John McPhee).
I keep dipping into your stuff (I'm very fond of Gormenghast as well, I've even got some songs knocking around somewhere that are directly inspired by it), but this is the first one I've listened to closely...
You guys are growing on me - you've got something that makes me keep coming back, and it's not just Mr Peake!
Faved :-)
Original working title was something like, "And after six years I finally understood why they sing in the streets here, and could go home." It's sort of about anonymity in the modern city. If that sounds pretentious, that's because it is.
(they were armed cars -- though it's a post-peak oil world somehow i still have everyone driving cars everywhere. so much for concept album, geez al. also, the lyric was intended to be "two armed cars", but it's funny to picture "two-armed cars". they might also be, as xkcd would have it, "sweet ass-cars").
The unison vocal parts at the end of lines are just perfect. I just wonder where it's going, and it holds off telling me as long as possible. One of the most arresting moments I've ever heard in music.
This is a cover of a song by Sister Savage, from her kickin' 2010 RPM Challenge album, Juped 2k10. It also introduces the genre of acoustic crossdressed spacecheese (these damn kids today with their flying cars and their hyperspecialized genres…
Sure, use it however you'd like!
If I owned a skirt I'd have worn it for the recording to get in the right frame of mind. So I had to go with the bright yellow racing shorts.
On a technical level, I'm not sure the problem is purely overpopulation. Maybe it's something like that a lot of the ways we increase the carrying capacity of the earth have great potential to destroy it.
Oh, great, now I'm overanalyzing song lyrics (I just wrote a whole album of speculative fiction, and I'm pretty sure I disagree with half of it). It's a good tune, 'eh?
The fact that the song starts out with just vocals and guitar is a remnant of the narrative that I originally planned for the album and was mostly dropped. I actually recorded a bass part covering just the second half of the song -- it worked well in the second-to-last verse but I couldn't come up with a part that didn't totally mess up the last verse/solo-coda section so I canned it. I never even thought about drums. They might work... because I wrote this song on dulcimer and play it on acoustic all the time, I never really think of it as a full-out rocker personally.
The ending keyboard part against the bass sounds especially cool. Nice soothing sounds on the album overall from what I've heard. Really hits the spot.
This is pretty cool. You're really going with lots of different styles on this album. At least so far, three songs, three totally different styles. Is there a story behind this song? I googled Kringlebach and he seems to be doing some interesting research... but I can't find anything about dog faces... or human faces :).
I wish you could see
The beautiful light
That surrounds you
It touches me, touching you
We look at these pictures
When we were young
Long for yesterday
When we knew nothing
Now we know so much
Too many things
Why can’t we let go
Forget everything…
In the moment
So alive
Taunting death
Every color sings
Every smell
Breathe deep
Open wide
All is new
Sounds inspire
Electric space
Shed the skin
Of the old
All is new
All is new
Take my hand
Run so fast
We’re alive
Taunting death
This is a bonus track as it didn't make the album
For those of you who know my stuff - does this sound like it works? or is it too much like filler - the vocals are effected, there's a drum loop - the guitar is just chopped out of a jam - i…
It enters us
Without us knowing
Not welcome
Uninvited
Go away
Leave me alone
Give me peace
Let me rest
Eat us from the inside
Bit by bit
Cell by cell
Multiplying
Taking over
Invaded
Go away
Leave me alone
Give me peace
Let…
Part one of the ten-part suite. The tracks segue continuously, so downloading them all and listening to them together is the intended experience. Thanks for checking it out!
This track makes me miss Chicago. Specifically the stretch of LSD from the river north to the S curve. Every time I make the mistake of driving it I fear for my life. That horrible Grand Ave. interchange especially (the lower level for local traffic is actually just as bad).
I like the overall idea but I have a couple suggestions for the lyrics. First, it's a little clumsy; I've never heard "401k" sound poetic. Second, you sing about a character who's lost his future, but you don't show how this happened. Especially in light of the "401k" and "faceless concerns" lines, the picture that I'm getting is of a guy who's been trapped by his own choices, both productive (career) and consumptive -- while this absolutely can be a compelling story, it has to told, and with some introspection. Jess used to tell me, "Show it, don't say it". I think the key album to listen to for songs of this sort is Bruce Springsteen's The River, especially the title track. For all his characters that have lost there futures, there's a story.
Sorry if I'm being a lyrics snob, it's just what I am. Thanks for writing about these ideas, it needs to be done.
This is your only singing on the album, no? It sounds good! You could sing more if you wanted! (Sorry if you prefer instrumentals; I am biased towards wordy songs...)
Comments on Al's left hand's stuff
I can't believe you changed your name *again* lol
I love the drums!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yup, its damn fine man
Love the energy on this. Very infectious.
i love how literate you guys are.
great, reminds me of u.s. maple!
intently crafted orchestral opera
anachronism is my favorite tone, and you guys are masters at conveying non contemporization.
nice one
Great track! Love the music, need to see the lyrics....
I keep dipping into your stuff (I'm very fond of Gormenghast as well, I've even got some songs knocking around somewhere that are directly inspired by it), but this is the first one I've listened to closely... You guys are growing on me - you've got something that makes me keep coming back, and it's not just Mr Peake! Faved :-)
Very full and most interesting track indeed!
Good song! Poor Jess, feel better soon.
great sound youve got here
this rules! cool.
WOW This one was awesome...has that good old rock n roll sound...to me anyway! Joan
An excellent album.....i will check out the rest
(they were armed cars -- though it's a post-peak oil world somehow i still have everyone driving cars everywhere. so much for concept album, geez al. also, the lyric was intended to be "two armed cars", but it's funny to picture "two-armed cars". they might also be, as xkcd would have it, "sweet ass-cars").
I really like this. Her voice is great for this song.
Brilliant love that organ
Comments made by Al's left hand
The unison vocal parts at the end of lines are just perfect. I just wonder where it's going, and it holds off telling me as long as possible. One of the most arresting moments I've ever heard in music.
Sure, use it however you'd like! If I owned a skirt I'd have worn it for the recording to get in the right frame of mind. So I had to go with the bright yellow racing shorts.
On a technical level, I'm not sure the problem is purely overpopulation. Maybe it's something like that a lot of the ways we increase the carrying capacity of the earth have great potential to destroy it. Oh, great, now I'm overanalyzing song lyrics (I just wrote a whole album of speculative fiction, and I'm pretty sure I disagree with half of it). It's a good tune, 'eh?
I really like your vocal harmonies and lyrics, and you're playing is really tight. Especially on this song -- I think I need an off switch too.
The fact that the song starts out with just vocals and guitar is a remnant of the narrative that I originally planned for the album and was mostly dropped. I actually recorded a bass part covering just the second half of the song -- it worked well in the second-to-last verse but I couldn't come up with a part that didn't totally mess up the last verse/solo-coda section so I canned it. I never even thought about drums. They might work... because I wrote this song on dulcimer and play it on acoustic all the time, I never really think of it as a full-out rocker personally.
The ending keyboard part against the bass sounds especially cool. Nice soothing sounds on the album overall from what I've heard. Really hits the spot.
This is pretty cool. You're really going with lots of different styles on this album. At least so far, three songs, three totally different styles. Is there a story behind this song? I googled Kringlebach and he seems to be doing some interesting research... but I can't find anything about dog faces... or human faces :).
Great tune!
Whoa, then this track is like something from an early Flaming Lips album. Awesome.
love the dissonance.
Jess and I really like your album!
The sound and the tune and the vocals really work great together on this song! This is my favorite from this album so far.
This track makes me miss Chicago. Specifically the stretch of LSD from the river north to the S curve. Every time I make the mistake of driving it I fear for my life. That horrible Grand Ave. interchange especially (the lower level for local traffic is actually just as bad).
This song is the most beautiful thing I've heard this year on RPM I think.
I like the overall idea but I have a couple suggestions for the lyrics. First, it's a little clumsy; I've never heard "401k" sound poetic. Second, you sing about a character who's lost his future, but you don't show how this happened. Especially in light of the "401k" and "faceless concerns" lines, the picture that I'm getting is of a guy who's been trapped by his own choices, both productive (career) and consumptive -- while this absolutely can be a compelling story, it has to told, and with some introspection. Jess used to tell me, "Show it, don't say it". I think the key album to listen to for songs of this sort is Bruce Springsteen's The River, especially the title track. For all his characters that have lost there futures, there's a story. Sorry if I'm being a lyrics snob, it's just what I am. Thanks for writing about these ideas, it needs to be done.
This is your only singing on the album, no? It sounds good! You could sing more if you wanted! (Sorry if you prefer instrumentals; I am biased towards wordy songs...)
Love the singing.