Hello - Eric here, drummer from Realistic Orchestra. I just wanted to post a quick couple of notes about the songs we have up as of 4/5/09 in case you were curious. The first three songs are brand new to this myspace page. They are going to be released on our upcoming album that's getting mastered turned into bright shiny cds (and eventually mp3's on iTunes) you can buy later this month.
(songs and song order may change from time to time, so these notes might not exactly match up later down the line, email if you have questions)


1. Captain Goes Down with the Ship - music by Eric Garland, lyrics by Dublin
I wrote this tune a few years back with the sax intro inspiring the jumping off point for everything else. I didn't originally plan on writing a tune for Dublin to rap on, but as I continued writing I realized that that there were sections that would work well for it. Dublin came up with the completed lyrics much later down the line and yet even though we didn't come up with this tune and lyrics at the same time the lyrics seem perfectly fitted to the music in my opinion. Joel Behrman on the trombone solo.
Avaaast ye!

2. Vegetative States - music by Adam Theis - This tune was brought into the orchestra long ago in a shorter unfinished version and eventually Adam finished and holy shit it sounds fricking awesome! It opens with a slow choral type intro with Sheldon Brown soloing on bass clarinet. Later in the tune the meter changes and goes between 5/4 and 4/4, with some speed ups and slow downs (technical terms - ha). This tune utilizes some alternative instrumentation by Adam, with two bass clarinets and flute creating an unusual sound. Also features Evan Francis on flute and a super crazy dubbed out keyboard solo/drum duet with Colin Hogan on keys and Eric Garland on drums.

3. Fugata - music by Astor Piazzolla, arranged by Colin Hogan. Our keyboardist extraordinaire is also a drummer, guitarist, juggler annnnnd plays the shit out of the accordion among other things. So with accordion in hand Colin arranged this amazing Piazzolla tune for Realistic Orchestra. Features solos by Colin on accordion and Jon Monahan on guitar.

4. Flying Thru - music by Eric Garland - I wrote this tune in 2007 in fits and starts, took me about a year to finish. It's basically the sequel to another tune I wrote for Realistic Orchestra, Hard Times. Both tunes represent a newer direction for me compositionally with an effort to bring in some of the personal digging I've done into myself and my childhood over the last three or four years. The original idea I had was based off of the bass line and had an afrobeat feel to it, but as usual when I write, this turned out only to be the beginning, but you can hear at the end that I bring back the original them a little bit in the last few bars. This particular version is the first time we every performed it in February of 2008 and features one of my favorite solos EVER by alto saxophonist Joe Cohen.

5. Venus - REMIX - music by Bjork, arranged by Michael Emenau (MNO) and remixed by Headnodic.
Our old vibraphonist MNO who now lives in France did an arrangement for the Realistic quintet originally and then expanded it for the Orchestra in 2003. I really love this version actually, Headnodic did a great job of taking the original recording and doing something special with it and then manages to bring it all back in the end.

6. Contusion - music by Stevie Wonder, arrangement by Colin Hogan.
Another arrangement by our amazing keyboardist Colin. It's one of the few instrumentals that Stevie wrote and it's from the album, Songs in the Key of Life. It goes between shifting meters. Features Mike Olmos on trumpet and Kasey Knudsen on alto sax.

7. Live at Bruno's MIX - This is a collection put together by Adam Theis of tunes from our first album, Live at Bruno's, plus a few other tunes mixed in as well. It's a journey, take it with us.

8. Spanish Castle Music - music/lyrics by Jimi Hendrix - arranged by Adam Theis.
What can I say? It's a rocker featuring Kim Nalley and Joe Bagale on vocals as well as Jon Monahan on guitar. As is per usual, Adam finds a way to take the original and add some cool arrangement differences as the tune progresses, but then brings it all back for some serious rocking at the end.

anyways, hope you enjoy. email if you have questions!

e