Now that all the music is up on the site, here's something to help you navigate all the different stuff. Although recorded at the same time, each album sounds completely different.
NEW YOUNG CENTURY
Field recordings from different places in the USA.
After "Mikenomics", I wanted to do something simple, in fact, as simple as possible. Stripped of all big arrangements, acoustic, as few chords as possible, simple simple simple as possible.
I ended up not doing that exactly but...
I also wanted to make a really pretty album, that was the goal, like the most beautiful album ever. After "Mikenomics", which was like a nightmare in sound, I wanted everything to just be as pretty and beautiful as I could possibly do it.
I ended up not doing that either but......well, I think these things helped inform what ended up as "New Young Century", as well as other things that reveal themselves in the album itself and I just hope you have the same feeling for these songs as I did, which are different and set apart from all the other ones.
New Young Centurions
Chris Moore
Ted Schreiber
Tom Gavin
Natasha Kozak
Jed Marshall
Lars Jacobsen
Steven Goodman
Grace Liberty
Jesse Justice
Dave Engelhardt
Lawrence Krauser
Thank you Centurions.
I dedicate "New Young Century" to Cate and Taralee Polonoski, their kids, and all of my friends' kids.
DON STUPIDO
First I was going to take a vow of silence, then I was going to give up my job and home and become a wandering guy, then I made this.
The Don Stupidians are
Tom Gavin
Jed Marshall
Steve Goodman
Lars Jacobsen
Natasha Kozak
Lawrence Krauser
Dave Engelhardt
And me, of course.
It's 11 minutes, it's what used to be called an e.p. Extended player is what it stood for, I believe (as opposed to a "single" which was just two songs, one on each side). So it's a quick little magic carpet ride and I hope it pleases your ears and makes you forget all about your worries for a little while.
Unlike "New Young Century", which I started working on practically as soon as I finished "Mikenomics", "Don Stupido" was pretty much written and recorded in March.
I dedicate it to Two Seven.
LAMBCHOPS 2
Some of you may remember "Lambchops", which isn't on the site, but maybe I'll upload it soon. Well anyway.....this is "Lambchops 2"!
"Lambchops" explained
Whenever I make up a song that's slight or goofy or whatever, maybe it just doesn't fit into anything else I'm doing at the time, it becomes a "lambchop". Don't ask me why, that's just what I call them. I also sometimes call them "B-list" songs, but that's not fair to them! They're usually made up when I'm walking somewhere, or around a title or something, usually fun to write and fun to play and record and goof around with. Or, like I said, it just doesn't fit in with whatever project I'm working on, which usually has some kind of theme.
"Lambchops 2"
Lambchops 1 was all the stuff from the "Serious Party" marathon session that didn't make it on to the three "Serious Party" albums! It was a big bounty I came back with after that session! Anyways, similarly, "Lambchops 2" is mostly from a mammoth weekend session I had by myself at The Bunker in Brooklyn, as well as some very productive sessions at the Memegene Record Machine (helmed by the amazing guitarist/engineer Dave Engelhardt who, along with Pete Galub, plays some great guitar over the course of "Lambchops 2"! What a job you did, Dave and Pete! Thanks! You guys got music all over you!) There's also a song that was recorded during "Strong Death" ("The Miserable And The Wasted"), a couple of little things recorded during "Mikenomics" at the great Northsix (RIP). All the slow serious songs are old, "Following You", which we play in our shows once in a while and "The World Is Just Waiting For It To Rain" which is from, like, 1996, I don't know why I thought to record it but anyways, there it is. Or should I say, there we do.
The desired effect of "Lambchops 2"
The sound of this album has a bit of a 70's feel, goes through a bit of a White Album, side two, acoustic, country-ish feel for a bit, and hopefully this album will give you a smile or a laugh or something, that's mostly what I was going for.
I dedicate "Lambchops 2" to......all 70's mustached rock guys. I don't mean the insufferable posers in Williamsburg with the 70's mustaches, I mean the actual guys, the ones on the album covers. Like Mike Pinder from The Moody Blues. I dedicate it to you Mike, from one Mike to another.
HERBANOMICS
Epigram for "Herbanomics": "I smoke pot every chance I get"-Allen Ginsburg
Recorded gradually over a few years, mostly last year, and it's just a bunch of smoking songs, as opposed to drinking songs. I can't say that the album is particularly stoney, but I hope you find it funny and maybe, by the end, even a little touching! How about that! Like "Serious Christmas", it's a little under 20 minutes, just a little bon bon! What you should do is listen to this, and then immediately listen to "New Young Century". Trust me on this.
I dedicate it to the Two Seven Smokers Club, and to anyone I've ever shared pot with.
(I've actually quit smoking pot recently and am feeling great....clear-headed! I can breathe better also and sing much better.) (But I endorse marijuana for many reasons, and certainly over alcohol or any other stimulant legal or otherwise. It's illegality is confounding.) (I hear Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to make pot legal in California?!?)