Louis vs. Schmeling

Adam + Marc. #strat @strngwthr

Sat, 26 Jan 2013 12:52:43 -0500

Adam + Marc. #strat @strngwthr

Punch-in day.

Sat, 26 Jan 2013 12:49:28 -0500

Punch-in day.

The fourth tune is finally ready to share. A giant. His mother...

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 16:44:00 -0500

The fourth tune is finally ready to share. A giant. His mother (and father). A big heart. You take it from there. Diane Arbus keeps taking us to strange dark places, but there is a flicker of light in there if you look closely enough.

Jewish Giant at Home with His Parents in the Bronx (1970)

* * *

I wish I were a normal size / I think I’ll stay home tonight / Draw the curtains and chain the door / I’m staying home tonight / Don’t crane your neck at me / I’ve tried honestly /My heart’s the same size as yours / It’s just working overtime / I’m staying home tonight / Just last weekend those kids pushed me in the chest / But that was just some fucked up teenage test / It’s really the heartache / It’s really the heartache / It’s more the heartache / It’s really more the heartache / They’re always asking how’s the weather up there / I wish I wasn’t in the clouds / My heart’s the same size as yours / It’s just working overtime / I’m staying home tonight

"She’ll hold your heart like she owns the place."

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 19:25:43 -0500

“She’ll hold your heart like she owns the place.”

- Imaginary Johnny’s “Debutant”

#3Dkeys (at Strange Weather )

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 18:48:17 -0500

#3Dkeys (at Strange Weather )

Sylvia on the fly. (at Strange Weather )

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 18:40:49 -0500

Sylvia on the fly. (at Strange Weather )

They get me through the lonesomeness.

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 23:18:16 -0500

They get me through the lonesomeness.

"My heart’s the same size as yours, it’s just working overtime."

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 09:15:44 -0400

“My heart’s the same size as yours, it’s just working overtime.”

- Imaginary Johnny’s “Giants Work Overtime”

I have my doubts. (at One Girl Cookies)

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 13:39:48 -0400

I have my doubts. (at One Girl Cookies)

The latest installment of our Diane Arbus project, this one is...

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 15:58:00 -0400

The latest installment of our Diane Arbus project, this one is tale of a man watching his world fall apart and thinking that may not be so bad.

Man at a parade on Fifth Avenue, N.Y.C., 1969

* * *

A father who told me we couldn’t lose / Put your hat on your heart / Cheat if you have to / A father who told me we get what we get / Kick ‘em in the shin / God is on our side / Put your hat on your heart when the flag goes by / I always had a fairly clear view of my path / I never had a doubt / Until the floor caved in / Right about then we all took cover / Locked up what we had / And went looking for more / Put your hat on your heart when the flag goes by / I think it might be all lies / A haze over the hurry of this muscular town / Another boy on the block who thought he’d run this place / A father who told me we’d never lost a war / Only losers look out for a life-preserver / Put your hat on your heart when the flag goes by / Oh, I think it might be all lies / Maybe the kids are right this time / Look to your right there’s another rhinoceros

"Why do all these gawkers always show up when we’re dreaming"

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 11:57:27 -0400

““Why do all these gawkers always show up when we’re dreaming””

- Imaginary Johnny’s “Spitting Into the Fire”

“Spitting Into the Fire” is another Diane Arbus...

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 11:50:00 -0400

“Spitting Into the Fire” is another Diane Arbus inspired tune. Quickly, Arbus’ images have turned on me a bit. They are feeling mean. I’ve known most of these pictures, and the overarching mood of her work, for a long time so it’s me that’s changing not the photos. But while writing this tune, this image felt especially exploitative and aggressive. So here we have a couple who is probably fairly used to getting more than their fair share of shit, looking defiantly at the camera in a take-as-many-goddam-photos-as-you-want kind of way. Atleast that’s how I was seeing it. Enjoy!

Young man and his pregnant wife in Washington Square Park, N.Y.C. 1965

* * *

This park bench is an island on an island / Take that camera / I can hear my soul dripping on the pavement / Take that camera back uptown / Your face is far too shiny in this light / Take those sad eyes / Can you move that hand a bit to the right / Take those sad eyes back uptown / Why do all these gawkers always show up when we’re dreaming / My hand on your hand / You keep your head up / And keep me from stumbling over the edge / I feel a change in the weather / Take your cool breeze / If I only had a nickel / Take that free lunch back uptown / This park bench is an island on an island / Take that camera / I can hear my soul dripping to pavement / Take that camera back uptown / Why do all these gawkers always show up when we’re dreaming / I don’t believe in spoiling our luck fighting for something bigger than us / My hand on your hand / You keep your head up / And keep me from wandering over the edge / My hand on your hand / You just won’t give up / You keep me from spitting into the fire

This the first song in an open-ended project where we look at a...

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 10:26:00 -0400

This the first song in an open-ended project where we look at a photo by Diane Arbus and see what sort of song comes out. This tattooed man is the inspiration for “We’re All In Tents.” Lyrics are below.

Tattooed man at a carnival, Md., 1970

* * *

My mother and the bank sent me out on my own / My brother and my dad had left us for the west coast / Some valley somewhere / And they said I had eyes that could shoot lightening / They said I had eyes that could bend nails / The winds they change fast / And we fended for ourselves / Scatter, scatter, scatter / The water from all the storms / The water from all these storms collects somewhere / One tattoo at a time and I just sort of blended in / At first it didn’t feel right but it’s just another tent in your town tonight / And we’re all in tents / Safe little tents / And here I am / Doesn’t the water from all these storms / Doesn’t the water from all these storms collect somewhere

"I could drive a train through the space between my brain and the things you say."

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 10:45:52 -0400

““I could drive a train through the space between my brain and the things you say.””

- Imaginary Johnny’s “Soak City”

Well, the last track of 2010 came a little late but mostly due...

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 13:55:00 -0500

Well, the last track of 2010 came a little late but mostly due to snow. We wrapped up our modest song-a-month project with “Soak City.” This will be the last track on the upcoming album “Dig.” We all have our Soak City and hopefully you’re there already.

Sometimes you just have that one thing and it’s all you...

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 00:24:00 -0500

Sometimes you just have that one thing and it’s all you need. We seem to know this instinctively as kids. Kids kids kids. Well, I like the idea of holding on to that one thing that always made you feel comfortable.

She’ll point to the moon and whistle through her teeth / A sad little tune no one ever hears / She cocks her back when an airplane’s in the sky / And she keeps her head back till the plane disappears / She keeps her eyes peeled till the plane disappears / There’s magic in the sky for her / And somehow it doesn’t fade / She stands in the rain and the hail / What ever comes from above / Held by the clouds, one step closer to God / Held by the clouds, one step closer to God / We all start with something / With her it was stars / The constellations are stuck to her walls / And as she got older she just wanted more / She climbed and she climbed as far as she could / She climbed and she climbed as high as she could / There’s magic in the sky for her / And somehow it doesn’t fade / She has the sky

Chasing luck and approval, a man stalks the sole survivor of a...

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 16:27:00 -0500

Chasing luck and approval, a man stalks the sole survivor of a passenger airplane crash. That’s my one sentence pitch for this song. Hopefully it does it justice. Again, special thanks to Andrew Soto for the drumming.

I’m courting the sole survivor of a passenger airplane crash / I hope her luck rubs off on me / I’m seeing stars again sitting in my padded room / Writing letter after letter with no reply / She was a headline at the lunchroom table; a hometown girl who walked away without a scratch / Now I want a dinner with the lone survivor of a passenger airplane crash / I think her luck will rub off on me / All I wanted was a good luck charm / Something you would see and say / Boy, your luck has changed / Your luck has changed / She’s a tiny little sliver of a girl / I wonder if the metal and fire missed her by a mile / It’s getting hard again pacing on this hallway rug / What do I have to do to get a reply / I’m courting the sole survivor of a passenger airplane crash / Take me away from my fiery places / All I wanted was a good luck charm / Something you would see and say / Boy, your luck has changed / Your luck has changed

I’ve sat on this one a few weeks now and I still like it a...

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 18:36:00 -0400

I’ve sat on this one a few weeks now and I still like it a whole lot. It’s a pretty depressing song if you really listen which is, I guess, just how I roll. Money. We all think about it. It seems like more people would write about it, or write about thinking about it. Special thanks to the guys on this one. Marc’s background vocals are right in the sweet spot of funny and poignant; Adam’s interweaving guitars create a beautifully swirly sandwich pie; and drummer Andrew Soto came in a total stranger and left us all very impressed — nailing his bit in about 20 minutes, never having heard the song before.

We’re hanging on for our lives / Like litter in the trees / Breaking down, breaking down / Piece by piece / Don’t tell me money isn’t magic / The river seems to steam / In this new kind of heat / Running down, running down / It all heads downstream / Don’t tell me money isn’t magic / Don’t tell me money isn’t magic / You know it isn’t true / I’ve seen it save / I’ve seen it heal / I’ve seen it love / And God, it seemed real / Money can take me downstream from here / I’ve got enemies in my blood / You have to say these things out loud / Spinning and spinning / Just dancing around / I Just want to have a shot / Don’t tell me money isn’t magic / The cards are stacked / Don’t tell me money isn’t magic / Don’t tell me money isn’t magic / The river seems to steam / In this new kind of heat / Running down, running down / But it still heads downstream / Money is magic / Don’t tell me money isn’t magic / You know it isn’t true / I’ve seen it rain / I’ve seen it pour / I just want my shelter from the storm / Money can get me downstream from here

"I’ve got enemies in my blood. You have to say these things out loud."

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 21:47:17 -0400

““I’ve got enemies in my blood. You have to say these things out loud.””

- Imaginary Johnny’s “Money is Magic”

A brand new one. Part love song part Where the Wild Things...

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 11:14:00 -0400

A brand new one. Part love song part Where the Wild Things Are.

Claws and beaks and terrible things / Put your hands to your ears / So you can hear your heartbeat / Put down the magazine you’ll need your sleep / When we wake we will dig / On your hands and knees / Yellow eyes, sharp teeth, and terrible things / Back luck piled up on pretty bad genes / In the morning you breathe / We’ll just dig / Dirt over your shoulders / A thousand tiny tunnels / God doesn’t throw dice / Take that lead tape off your back / Get some clay in your nails / Put a fort in the hillside / Poisonous bites and glorious stings / Turn your eyes to the ground / Terrible sound / Terrible sound / Dirt over your shoulders / A thousand tiny tunnels / God doesn’t throw dice