ryan thomas becker. uncomfortable index fingers. all songs/ideas/accidents recorded from sometime late 2003 to early 2005 on 4trk and various handheld tape recorders in norman, ok and highland village, tx.

this here album is available on compact disc for 10 bucks (postage paid) on the Special Session Recordings website: .... it'll be 5 bucks at all live shows (and in my room). Currently SOLD OUT. Sorry. take luck for ol' time's sake.

tunes:
1. take to hey. ya take a snare drum and turn it into a guitar and use your fingers as a scratcher then you boom down on a pedal with your foot, hittin' the mechanism to trigger the down-low feelin's, oh trust me, when you got a lil' spare time, it can brighten the dickens outta ya glory. part of a collection of songs concerning my grandfather's ol' 4-string triolian resonatin' dobro. slide guit-fiddle. bass guitar played on acoustic 6-string. handclaps optional.
2. he only car. recorded on a hald-held micro-cassette tape recorder. slamming a fist on the console of a '95 jeep. stopped at the intersection of FM 407/Justin Rd. and Sellmeyer. didn't want to forget the words really.
3. next train. the intro involves the 4-trk and micro-cassette recorder. the mcr counts off the the beginning riff on the 4-trk, then the mcr handles the first few words. and then the 4-trk takes hold. like many of these songs, it was recorded under the influence of nasal congestion and related sickness. only able to sing the high harmony for the first verse before the voice went out. used a tiny tamborine to emphasize the hits. miked the acoustic with a pick-up running into a small amp with distortion. the lead guit gots some delay that distracts you from the poor execution. the phone rang at the end there.
4. beckham takes train. the upright piano belonged to my grandmother, her name was justine, every christmas she would bring out a toy car that would play the most annoying x-mas song, she brought it out because she knew that i was the only one who liked it, after dinner she would be washing the dishes and humming to herself the sweetest tunes that ever existed. one guit and three pianii tracks. all recorded while "bend it like beckham" was blaring from the toshiba. wanted only wisps, but i think something else came about. enjoy.
5. god will be the one to blame. one of the earlier recordings of the batch (jan 2004). played the recording of just drums and guitar to an audience of~5'2'' through the toshiba. the response was good. a year and a half later, the vocals were recorded in octaves with a pitch shifted-assed low guit. the outcome is a religion and a nod/rip-off/coincidence to fastball. you guessed it.
6. bottle the bees. 303 heavy. repeating bassline. a rare doubled vocal. acoustic with verb. bookend warbles. these times are teaching us.
7. coffee. older song. became three different versions of same song. decided to squinch them all together. it ain't brian wilson, but it'll do. 303 keys and strings. the middle segs were recorded with shitty intent. i just hope geoff likes it.
8. bottle o' bees. also jan 2004. vocals recorded with the worst mic i own. it was a gift. pianii, guit, and lowdown. i mean, i wanted it to sound looowwwdooowwwnnnn. cheers.
9. another weight to be removed. the chord organ isn't mine. i think it belongs to travis. had to tape some keys up for it to work. unfortunately, this was only the second take.
10. you are golden when you walk. when you talk. you'd set the sun if jesus didn't have to. you are a case left open waiting for hands. you'd make a man cum if jesus didn't have to. now you're something that i'll hold on to if you're not too busy. you'd stop at nothing if jesus didn't have to. now you are happy, living long, loving strong. you love a boy, and jesus doesn't have to.
11. a runaway from sunday grease tree. house sitting in january 2004.
12. sarahs in cars. boom boom. sarahs in cars speed twice as fast. so long to gold. by mail i'm told. sweet frozen mind held borders and time. quite low i'm sure. find yours in mine. we stained your dress on legs that shake. in corners of rooms, we came too soon. sleep falls in time. make yours like mine. i mail you things in softest dreams. we crash our cars. we break the seams. i mail you thanks in softest dreams. we crash our car. we break the seams.
13. bweams. and sweet dreams, 'cause there's sumthin' in those dreams and you deserve that blissful state and your kisses are chocolate tonight. i'll see ya in dreams (when we get there).
14. it's too late, i love you. one finger falls. the others will join her. through tiny brick walls, you pass through so gently. i'll meet you on the floor with your brains in mine. our love will grow with your blood in my eyes. once again, from the top.
15. needle/eye. you are a sea of gold never to be washed away. you are sick inside with a small baby in our belly. you are hiding with your lies. you should name our waiting child. vander has his mother's eyes (blue/blue-gray/lil' green). please keep your innocence. may your teeth stay clean and fresh. we are the needle and the eye, calling out to show we try. my last words are yours to keep. god forgive us when we die.
16. stake thru heart. we'll drag our faces over fields of roses and pass the time by counting all of the stems. you've never tasted so sweet. you've never tasted so good. when i first saw you, that's the day i was born. through all of the circumstances we have written one sacred book without the help of institution. i've never loved you so sweet, but you've never tasted so good. the first time i saw you was the day i was born. i'm rolling like a rock straight into your arms. i'll drive a stake through your heart.
17. quick teddy hey. want-ta-pizza-box-it's-so-late. four strings. tin cans. hurdy voices. boom-tic-booms. harp. 12345678.
18. weight to be removed. youareaweighttoberemoved youneedalovetohaveahome youneedthestringstohearyourheart youaretheboyswhoplanourdemise youarethehandtoholdahand youneedthismorethanidomorethanido youarethegodthatatetheworld youarethedotsovermyeyes yousingasongandwesingalongsingalong youarenotfreeyouarenotfree youarethefingersforthehands youarethebooksiunderstand you'rereading"andonemorething,don'tthinkthatthegreatlove whichwasoncegrantedtoyou,whenyouwereaboy,hasbeenlost, howcanyouknowwhethervastandgenerouswishesdidn'tripen inyouatthattime,andpurposesbywhichyouarestilllivingtoday, ibelievethatthatloveremainssostrongandintenseinyourmemory becauseitwasyourfirstdeepalonenessandthefirstinnerwork thatyoudidonyourlife"you'rereading youarethebreathiholdforyou youarethearmsthatpushusthrough youarethekissonsaturdaykissonsaturday youarethebodythatichoose youaretherootsthatreacharound youarethetreeswithdyingleavesdyingleaves youarenotfreeyouarenotfreeyet.
19. sinner/saint. you never heard a sound. we already found the kids in the park. you had us on the run for awhile. yeah, but we found little dylan's eyes buried with your gun. we would never know that you took the breath of a girl to save her soul. when did you realize that the gun made the blood and the hole between your eyes? i'm not a sinner. i'm a saint. my actions were true. i only killed when i was told. we were making room for the world.
20. drink that. drink this and: a)see how it ends b)see the truth c)bless your soul for stopping by to catch a glimpse d)feel only love e)forget the earth f)you'll never have to worry again g)burn in the sun h)live once again i)go to sleep for a very very very long time j)feel your heart beat again (you see, it never beats on its own) k)don't you worry 'bout a thing l)i'll be your friend m)follow your heart n)sing la la la la.
21. 5,342,121 pictures of my baby in a bed. miles of folded flesh; i remember many a' mile. red eyes and alone; i remember you alone. white waves of legs that never roll back. red shoes and falling asleep; i remember you falling asleep. sunlight around her silent body. i must shower and rinse these dirty bones. i'm just like you: a god-fearing american, too. i cut out these pictures for you. ya need them more than i do. i'll leave you alone now.
22. i'm home. i am home, darlin'. i haven't seen you in seven years. i won't see you in seven more. you'll never lie, but you'll lie next to me. in the middle of dreams, i'll see you there. i'll suck the grease from your hair. see you in my dreams. i am home.
23. star, keys, and map. programmed the 303 with organ and synth. opening is a theremin throwing up on angels with tremelo. acoustic counts in/out. harp recorded with hot and high trim to create distortion with tremelo ("safe as milk" inspired). glitch at end created in the "initial" "mastering" phase at the normalizing hands of jeff gruber's computerand grady don sandlin. thanks. the drums feel like an after -thought; recorded in a wooden room of a friend's house on monnett ave in norman with the mic laying on a box of dryer sheets at the end of the room.
24. unfortunately, you can't do the same. swing over the seas lift over everything with your wings because today you're here with me i've never seen the country-side where you found me we will spend hours alone laying next to everyone we loved you turn and you speak asking me if it's too late to leave you pack your bags your shirts and books and the ring i never gave to you as the door slowly falls the light is out and so are you i am home when i awake i find you alone you're writing by the dying light then i kiss your dreaming head and read your final words "i loved you, too".....

unreleaser/outtake from "uncomfortable index fingers" (same rules apply):

abrokentreeline.
all that you wanted was a broken treeline, a row of eyes to follow everything you do, a bag of chips, and a life to save. never known for you to buy a pair of anything new. it's a faded kinda love with seven holes in the side. it could never hold water; it could never hold dreams. all it ever wanted was some thread in the seams. "you'll never get it back, son," they say to yer face. so see through the spit and shit and take yer place. long may you follow the sun, my darlin', til it burns out yer eyes and burns off yer ears. it's a faded kinda love with seven holes in the side; it could never hold water or dreams. all it ever wanted was some blood in the seams. kick and snare and tam with a hammer. upside-down glockenxylospielphone and an old light bulb. dirty guitar. lil' tiny acoustic buried in the hay. add one year.

thanks.