In this episode, Eugene, Oregon’s “The Stagger and Sway’s” lead singer, Mike Last, shares the story behind their eponymous song “Stagger and Sway.”

This song was written on the tail-end of a LONG drive from Chicago to Eugene, Oregon, in a rattle-trap of a box-van. This was the kind of drive where the beginning marked the end of one journey, and the end-of-the-road marked the start of a whole new adventure.

But in between, there was a long drive, with plenty to think about.

This song nearly wrote itself, like a reconciliation of my own personal, if very common, “better-to-have-loved-and-lost” type of story. Phone conversations had begun to reveal more and more in the fuzzy line-hum between our sentences; a quiet staggering off of “the straight and narrow” that didn’t seem to fit our steps anymore.

This long drive ended with a peaceful resolve, where I could tell myself, “Here is a very good person, who’s been a good friend … so let’s nevermind all that other bs, okay?”

I hope that feeling of resolution resonates with people; of putting aside whatever past grievances — not out of spite, or attrition, or for the sake of being right — but out of being just ready to actually move on.

Stagger and Sway

So far gone, escape Cook County crimes;
they say a good friend is hard to find.
Okay, oh well, nevermind.

Valleys crossed to face steep canyon climbs,
they say a good friend is hard to find;
okay, oh well, nevermind.

Now whatcha doin’,
since the stagger and the sway
came across the static on the phone?

No regret in placing second bets;
lift a smile through embarassment,
like a bumbershoot in the cold
and in the wet.

Clutch in coast down a slow decline,
they say a good friend is hard to find.
Okay, oh well, nevermind.

Now whatcha doin’,
since the stagger and the sway
came across the static on the phone?

In this episode, Mentone, CA’s Steve Carroll shares the story behind his song “Fall.”

Lately I’ve been in the habit of ending each show with this song. It has a nice flow to it. Poetic and emotional, and resonant, maybe it echos within people a little after I finish, which is a good way to end, I think.

“Fall” was inspired by a conversation I had with a friend of mine. It was her first winter in windy Chicago, and we were going back an forth about her experience during those first few months. She said it was cold and lonely, and that the wind blew bitterly cold off the lake. I just kinna sat and listened to it all, when one of her statements caught me a little by surprise. It was such a small observation that that’s why I think it hit me like it did. She said the snow in the city was so dirty and ugly.

I think someone who had grown up in a big city would have never made that same observation, but for her this was important. After all, snow should be something white and beautiful, but the city pushed it aside, making it dirty and ugly.

When I sat down to write “Fall” I meant it to be just about her experience, but what came out was really a broader statement than that. It’s about how we all, myself included, can take for granted those things that we should really enjoy. How we can ignorantly or greedily drink down the gifts of each day and not once think of the purposes for those things that have been given us or from whom they were given.

Fall

It falls on the lovers,
and the cheaters and the cry’n,
on the hands of the guilty,
and the tongues of the lie’n,
on the backs of the hopeless,
and the heads of the prayerful when they don’t.

It falls on our fathers, and mothers and daughters,
on the skins of the aged, and breaths of our hatred,
in every mouth open wide, it tastes the same.

And we let it fall,
in the cups of our hands,
and we drink it in,
but we don’t understand.

Though the black in our veins,
it runs through our cities,
in every alley, oh profaning mercy, still it falls.

And it falls for our harvests, and brimming our waters,
though none should be grateful for its presence, still it falls.

And we let it fall,
in the cups of our hands,
and we drink it in,
but we don’t understand.
And I let it fall,
in the cups of my hands,
and I drink it in grinning,
but I don’t understand.

In this episode, Kathryn Ostenberg, of Hollywood & Colorado, shares the story behind her song “Who Really Knows.” Kathryn will be playing at the Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles on January 30th. Details for this and other upcoming shows are available on her MySpace page.

This is definitely the most personal song I’ve written, even though I feel like I’m more vague with they lyrics in this song than I am in my other songs. It’s about finding someone you completely connect with, but the timing is off or there is some road block in the relationship. This particular road block I ran into was me falling for this one guy immediately…almost right off the bat. We were friends and as things progressed and were going well he totally froze up. And I was kind of like ‘Hey wait a minute I know you feel something too…we have something good!’ And unfortunately, I’m pretty sure the fact of the matter was that deep down he was scared as hell to actually get close to someone…and I realized he was totally guarded…(total opposite of me) Definitely a road block…It’s a bummer because I find as I get older people are more and more scared of taking a risk, falling in love, etc. and it’s so easy to miss out on the good things in life because of that fear. This song was kind of a way of me letting all get all these feelings out…(that I never really got to express to him by the way) and still maintaining hope for things to work out if they are supposed to work out. And then there was the whole notion of ‘If you’re going to not let me in..when you realize that there is something there you will find that because of you now I’m guarded…I’m scared..etc’ But the point of this song is that no one ever really knows what is going to happen and life can take you by surprise but I think it’s important to be hopeful that whatever is supposed to happen, will happen and I want to be positive and rely on that even if I might get my heart broken along the way.

Who Really Knows

trouble’s not hard to find
when you’re looking at love right in the eye
don’t know why I lose my mind
can’t stop a clock from running out of time

and i don’t know
why you won’t
jump in with out looking down
won’t lose control
can’t let it go
won’t give it up and just fall for me

you said ‘i won’t leap unless i know how deep I’ll be fallin’
if you won’t take my lead I’ll take a lesson from you
I build my walls up so high you can’t come in
I’ll be up down off on
one second here
next second gone
and maybe you will miss me
and the way you used to kiss me oh oh oh
who really knows

and things can break so easily
when they’re full of plans
bursting at the seams
of how each thing is supposed to be
face it baby,nothing’s guaranteed
and you can go to bed peacefully
cuz you followed the lines so perfectly
but what if its just passing you by?
can’t be the one to make you realize

and i don’t know
why you won’t
jump in with out looking down
won’t lose control
can’t let it go
won’t give it up and just fall for me

you said ‘i won’t leap unless i know how deep I’ll be fallin’
if you won’t take my lead I’ll take a lesson from you
I build my walls up so high you can’t come in
I’ll be up down off on
one second here
next second gone
and maybe you will miss me
and the way you used to kiss me oh oh oh
who really knows

you said “i won’t leap unless I know how deep I’ll be fallin”

In this episode, Los Angeles’ Tucker Booth shares the lyrics and story for his song “Christy Montana” off his upcoming album “Bum Rap.”

The song ‘Christy Montana’ was originally written as a last minute anniversary gift for the protagonist of the song. I had been in love with Christina aka Christy Montana for over 3 years and when this song came into existence I was hard pressed to come up with a quality 3 year anniversary gift on a starving artist, street busker budget. So I asked the angels to write me a love song. And this was what transpired.

As you can see from the lyrics the chorus is not necessarily hopeful and upbeat. At this point in our relationship Christy and I had reached an impasse that both of us instinctually knew would be our undoing. The lines ‘What did you say? Is this love?’ are a direct reflection of the ambiguity and insecurity that we were dealing with at the time. That said, the upbeat strum pattern mixed with the emo hook makes for a sort of Ryan Adams meets The Pixies vibe that persists through the earnest 3 1/2 minute duration.

To order Tucker Booth’s albums ‘Valet’, ‘Tucker Booth 4 President’ or ‘Will Rap 4 Food’ at $10 each go to www.thefrozenfoodsection.com.

Christy Montana

Verse:
I like your chain
Your nice cocaine
And I like your platinum plaque
I like your trucker hat
I like your wrestling mat
And I like your leather straps…

Chorus:
Where do we go?
What do we do?
What did you say?
Is this love?
Where do we go?
What do you want?
Am I the one you really want?

Christina…
Christy Montana…
Christina…
Christy Montana…

Verse:
And I like your mom
Your sake bomb
And I like your pretty dress
I like your natural breasts
I like your lack of dreads
And I like your taste in men (well, i used to…)

Chorus:
Where do we go?
What do we do?
What did you say?
Is this love?
Where do we go?
What do you want?
Am I the one you really want?

Christina…
Christy Montana…
Christina…
Christy Montana…

In this episode, Rob Getzschman, the man behind Analog Jetpack, shares the story behind their song, “Bury Me In My Jetpack.” The band is originally from Washington, DC, and currently based in Los Angeles, and their comic strip and unique aesthetic are Rob’s inspiration as well.

“Bury Me In My Jetpack” owes a great debt to the fingerpicking style I learned from Dave Van Ronk. More specifically, I love his arrangement of Leadbelly’s “Death Letter Blues”, and I remember thinking, “I really love this song, so to honor it best, I should rip it off.” You know, aspiring to the aphorism that great artists steal. So if you listen to them side-by-side, you’ll notice the fingerpicking in the verses play in a similar style and the same key. To that I added a power-chord chorus as a hard-rock adaptation to the style I admire so much. And in the second verse, I worked in a direct homage to “Death Letter Blues”, which has a line that goes, “You never miss the water ’til the well runs dry”.

I think I had some of the lyrics before the thought came to tweak “Death Letter Blues.” That song is about going a man going to the train station to collect the body of his dead lover. “Bury Me In My Jetpack” plays on a similar blues theme, the post-mortem instructions: “See that my grave is kept clean”; “Bury me deep with a pan of molasses buried at my feet”; etc, but it updates that theme with a technological request. Beyond being cheeky, the practical purpose of a jetpack is to get to heaven.

The lyrics add up to an anthem against religious dogma. If you preach to me about Armageddon and purgatory, I’ll preach to you about science and jetpacks. The second verse even paraphrases the Bible, which reads, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you”. That tells a different story than Memphis Minnie, who sang, “If it keeps on raining, the levee’s going to break.” So the song sort of presents the disparity between the promises of religion and the reality of the blues.

Bury Me In My Jetpack

They left a little light on in purgatory for me
But they saved the whole seventh circle for you
‘Cause I know the gates of hell are just mythology a-calling
But you swear it’s all the god’s honest truth

Chorus:
So when I die, you may bury me in my jetpack
With nary a hint of setback ’cause I am gone
And you may lay me deep and pile that earth on easy
And I will trade the dirt for breezes when I turn that sucker on

You never miss the water until your well, well, well hits a dry spell
And you’ll pray on the day that the levee breaks
And ain’t it just a sad, sad song to think catastrophe just has to be
But you say that it only takes a grain of faith

(chorus)

So when the heights rain fire and the hailstorms set on
I will fire my pack and meet the horsemen head on
‘Cause I am a child of the sky and the heavens
And I won’t be caught underground for Armageddon

(chorus)

In this episode, Eugene, Oregon’s Justin King shares the story behind his song “Sparrows,” which is featured no his latest album, Humilitas Occidit Superbiam.

I wrote this tune sitting on a roof in New York. It’s mostly a song about the failure I felt in my relationships and with the band. [Justin King and the Apologies] I was drinking a lot, not sleeping much, etc.. I was feeling very tired of trying and tired of myself.

Sparrows

Unsurprised look up into the sky
She tells you how you’ve failed
With eight lives spent
Repent repent repent
The bottle’s just no savior

LA loves herself and no one else
Jesus wastes his blood and time
Yellow lines divide the sides of vine
She has hers and I have mine

Planes pass overhead against the red
Sky counting black sparrows
Overdose there’s lead inside my clothes as I work my tired miracles

One last hook the piss is nearly took
I’m fresh out of fairy tales
Warm regrets against the coldest winters yet
This song sleeps in our marrow cause I love you so, cause I love you so, cause I loved you so

In this episode, Portland Oregon’s Fred Van Vactor tells the story behind his song, “Leaving Eugene.”

I remember a piece of sage advice from my 7th grade writing teacher who told the class, “write what you know.” I’m completely familiar with the city of Eugene, Oregon. I’ve spent over 25 years bouncing in and out of this rainy Northwest college town, a town my friends and I nicknamed; “the happy fun bubble.” When you live within the confines of a certain geographic area; faces, characters, places, streets and yearly events, can become almost annoyingly familiar. It’s this sort of “worn out” frame of mind in which the song was written. Eugene became like a favorite concert t-shirt you’ve worn for years; comfortable, familiar, and filled with holes and fond memories. One day, even though it still fits perfectly, you pull it out of the drawer, take a breath, and let it go. As the zen saying goes, “one door closes, another door opens.” In this case, a song was born.

Some songwriter friends of mine sometimes play a songwriting game where somebody picks a word or group of words and each songwriter goes off and writes a new song using the agreed on word (or words) in the song. (usually within 24 hours time) Then everyone gets together and play’s their song for
each other. Pretty much, anything goes. BUT, if you don’t do the assignment, you may get “kicked out of the band,” so to speak. It doesn’t matter if the song completely sucks, what’s important is that you complete something that has the word(s) in it. Then the “winner” gets to pick the new word and it starts all over again.

The game for Leaving Eugene was long over before I got involved playing it. I found a list of old song titles (from past games) and wrote some of them down, to hopefully provide some later inspiration. Several of those ended up on my album; Everything Good All At Once. Leaving Eugene, Pixie Stick Girl, and Falling In Love With Jill Kotowski were all born from that list.

I had my journal that I scribble lyric ideas into and Leaving Eugene had been sitting there for weeks. I didn’t have the usual time limit because the game for it had long been over. I usually tend to start and finish songs fairly quickly, in a matter of hours. This particular song title had been sitting in my consciousness for quite a while. One day I picked up my guitar and came up with the opening riff, it just popped out! I really liked how happy sounding and upbeat the music was. It had this sort of “Brady Bunch” quality to it. The musical riff went against the satyrical and mocking lyric style. Yet it really worked well together. The music and lyrics had a sugar and salt-like relationship, or dare I say, “love and
hate?”

Once the song was finished the next step is to show it off in public. I remember inviting a friend up to hold the new lyrics at a solo acoustic gig in Eugene. The crowd went nuts for it. They totally got it, jokes and all! It was, in my mind, a keeper song. After playing it live in several situations and having it on the CD, it definitely sometimes gets a mixed reaction. Some Eugene folks have came up and asked me, “So, why do you hate Eugene?” So just for the record, let it be known I am definitely not anti-Eugene. It just captures that sugar-salt essence of any long term relationship. It’s like visiting family at Christmas. It’s a feeling everyone can relate to; “We grew up together and I love you, but sometimes you drive me nuts!” Besides, I didn’t move far, I’m just residing in Portland now! One door closes, another door opens!

Fred Van Vactor

LEAVING EUGENE

I’m sick of Eugene. She’s making me ill.
Like an old roller coaster. There’s no more thrill.
I’m so sick of Eugene. She’s bringing me down.
You can really get stuck in this f*cked up town.
Well Eugene, it’s been nice, glad to know ya.
But Eugene, now’s the perfect time to blow ya.

I’m sick of Eugene. I’m stuck in a rut.
In a town so dead, like old king tut.
I’m sick of Eugene. She always repeats,
it’s the same old song in her pot-holed streets.

Oh Eugene, it’s been nice, but now i’m leavin.
And Eugene, if you want me to stay here, well, you’re dreamin.
Eugene, it’s been fun, but it’s all been done.
F*in Eugene, it’s so over, I’m leaving Eugene.

I’m sick of Eugene. There’s no more action.
I don’t smoke the stuff, Can’t get satisfaction
So good ole Eugene, it’s LA or bust,
you’re always raining, I’m covered in lust.
Well eugene, it’s been nice, glad to know ya.
But eugene, now’s the perfect time to blow ya!

I’m leaving Eugene (“he’s leaving Eugene)

I’m sick of Eugene. Got one last verse.
I’ve kissed your lips and felt your curse.
How i love you Eugene, but you make me sick.

I’ll get in this car and i’ll leave so quick!

In this episode, Seattle’s Ehren Ebbage shares the story behind his song, “Snakes.”

Almost all of my songs are written with at least one degree of separation; a real life experience inspires an idea but the names and dates are changed to protect identities, so to speak.

Snakes is one of the few that are totally unaltered reflections of my life. The song started to emerge during a particularly challenging period. I was touring non-stop with a band that was slowly but surely achieving some rather large goals, including a major label record deal. We were crackling with excitement and big success seemed to be just around the corner. For the first time in my life I was a full-time musician and I was rubbing elbows with big time industry folks. It was truly exciting.

As time went on and the novelty wore off I noticed a consistent, nagging feeling of profound unhappiness. I was lonely. My relationship was on the rocks. I was going deep into debt (a Google search will provide many details as to how bands who sign record deals usually go broke). I was spending most of every day in a van or hotel room. I was booking the national tours for the band so the few scattered days that I was home were spent working long hours to prepare for the next tour. The stated goal of the bandleader was huge success; he wanted to play stadiums and arenas and I was at odds both because of the improbability of the goal and the fact that I didn’t see myself being any happier if we did happen to become rock stars. I wanted to be a musician but I was playing music for no more than 45 minutes a day. After a long period of this I realized that the sacrifices I was making were much greater than the rewards. I quit the band.

The song is written in a general way. There are no lyrics about ‘…the road ain’t no place to start a family…’. It deals with the points in life when you find yourself torn between options; what you thought you wanted and what you obviously need. It deals with growing pains and the feelings of failure.

It took some nerve to pack up and hit the road with the band but it was ten times more difficult to quit. This song came as I sorted through the process.

Snakes

I can’t explain
I just need to do things my own way
Cause this heart of mine
pulls in two directions at the same time

Loneliness here it comes
it’s been so long since I’ve loved someone

It doesn’t really ever pass
it just waits around like a snake in tall grass
at every opportunity
I turn my back and it sneaks up on me

but it doesn’t bite
it just hisses and spits
so why should I be scared of it

I don’t like to show it
when I’m feeling beaten
but nobody goes their whole life undefeated

it’s a matter of confidence
it’s just something you find
cause you’re not born with it

I’m starting to understand
even my dad had to learn how to be a man

I see those signs
just as clear as they get
like red lights flashing right over my head

this is my challenge and I’ll try to meet it
but nobody goes their whole life undefeated

which of us is brave enough
to throw away their fears
mostly we just save them up like little souvenirs
we keep them wrapped up
with all the other stuff
at the back of the dresser drawer
maybe someday I’ll take them out and say
I don’t need these anymore

These holes I keep falling in
there’s nothing to do but climb back out again
I just need a little privacy
some place to think without everybody watching me

everyone goes through the same kinds of feelings and
happiness is really just how well you are dealing
you say I am strong and I’d like to believe it
but nobody goes their whole life undefeated

In this episode, Portland, Oregon’s The Dimes share the story behind their song, “Paul Kern Can’t Sleep.” (As told by lead singer, Johnny Clay.)

“Paul Kern Can’t Sleep” is the story of a WWI vet who was shot in the head in battle. Doctors were able to save him, but the bullet struck the part of the brain that controls sleep and he never slept again for the rest of his life. I read about Paul Kern in an old newspaper from the late 1920s, and at the time of the article he’d been awake for 15 years straight. In fact, the article was written about the fact that he couldn’t pay his tab at a local night club. It seems that he’d been spending his nights at the local bar, looking for someone to talk to since everyone else was asleep. There’s not much information about Paul Kern after that article, but hopefully he was able to get some shut eye.

The Dimes – Paul Kern Can’t Sleep from grammar school on Vimeo.

Paul Kern Can’t Sleep

The year was 1915,
when Regret won the Derby,
and the war was on…

They say it must have struck a vein,
the bullet lodged in his brain,
and he’ll never be the same

Paul Kern can’t sleep,
and he can’t afford his whiskey neat
Paul Kern can’t sleep a wink

The year, 1930,
and Paul made the dailies
for 15 years he’d been awake,
and it’s earned international fame

and by 1945, 30 years without shut eye,
if Paul was still alive then,
would fatigue have finally set in?

Paul Kern can’t sleep,
he can’t afford his whiskey neat,
and Paul Kern can’t sleep a wink

Paul Kern can’t sleep,
for 15 years he counted sheep,
and Paul Kern can’t sleep a wink

Words and Music by Johnny Clay
C, P HursterSongs (ASCAP)

The Dimes are playing a New Year’s Eve show at The Mission Theatre in Portland, Oregon. This show and the video above both feature appearances by sometimes-Dime Ehren Ebbage.

In this episode, These United States, from Washington, DC, and Lexington, KY, share the story behind their song, “The Important Thing.” (As told by lead singer, Jesse Elliott.)

This is the most straightforward song I’ve ever written. I couldn’t say exactly what it’s about. A lotta people assume it’s Love. Just as many have asked me if it’s God. Some people take it as a Joke, a send-up: there isn’t actually any one important thing. It might be all of those, but plural. I like plural. I think the universe it made mostly of plural – just from where I’m standing, anyway. Maybe it’s a love song to plurality – to the belief that, at any given moment, there are actually quite a few things in the world worth considering the most important. That’s certainly true for people, plural. Might even be true for a single person. The video we made for this one tries to get at that – young, ignorant, unbridled Belief. Again, it’s not a parody, though I could see how some people have taken it that way. It’s more of an homage (maybe slightly caricatured) to youth, one of the most important things, and of course to music. Oh yeah, I think this song is about music, now that I think about it. Music is the roses and the revolutions and the changes and the wings, definitely.

The Important Thing from These United States on Vimeo.

The Important Thing

The important thing is to love me when your love’s all gone.
The important thing is to let me love you, too.
The important thing is to remember all the little things that aren’t even important.
And you do. You still do.

The important thing’s to throw roses from all the balconies.
The important thing? Throw your arms into the air.
The important thing’s to start outrageous revolutions –
like I love you like no other anywhere.

The important thing will strongly surely change with time.
The important thing will meet you through the night.
The important thing will always leave you breathless, deathless,
restless – I’m gonna love you like I’m senseless.
That’s gonna be alright.

The important thing’s gonna grab your hand in those summer storms.
The important thing left a nice note by the door.
The important thing is to spread your wings and fall and ask for mercy.
Ask for any, ask for every, ask for love to leave you lossless, ask for more.

In this episode, Oregon’s “The Comforters” share the story behind their song, “Lazy Sundays.”

I would love to be able to say that when the muse strikes, I just have to get out of the way, that I’m merely a conduit for the song to get out. The truth is, I’m more like that annoying faucet that drips in the bathroom. The story behind Lazy Sundays is pretty much the same story behind most of our songs. That is, it’s not the result of a singular moment of inspiration and it didn’t come quickly. As I recall, we had Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (Lucinda Williams), Transcendental Blues (Steve Earle), and Crossing Muddy Waters (John Hiatt) on heavy rotation at the house around that time. I think I was also reading Capote’s In Cold Blood. All of that stuff filters through and creates a certain mindset or mood, which I think contributes to Lazy Sundays’ mix of swagger, detachment, and a dim sense of hope and solace.

The verse section probably came first with the chord progression and its slightly syncopated melody being interesting enough for us to pursue. I’d keep playing the chords on guitar while Pia sang or hummed ideas. The nonsense words or sounds that served as placeholders for lyrics would have been there for a good while until a phrase popped out and a direction for the lyrical content of the song became evident. After that, it’s just a lot of work trying to make it sound like it’s not a lot of work. That way, if someone asked, I could say that I picked up the guitar and it just came to me – words and music together – as if I were merely a conduit…

- Jason Robbins

Download a free MP3 of “Lazy Sundays” at Last FM by clicking HERE

Lazy Sundays (Pia and Jason Robbins)

I’ve been hanging around the house
I’ve been shooting off my mouth
Sleeping, dreaming, mostly just keeping to myself
Ain’t this the life?

Long live lazy Sundays
On the porch with the radio real low

Sunday morning hallelujah
Thank god for silent prayer
Thinking, being, mostly just drinking by myself
Ain’t this living?

Long live lazy Sundays
On the porch with the radio real low

Sunday
Sunday is the world
Frozen in a pose
Close to heaven I suppose

Long live lazy Sundays
On the porch with the radio real low
On the porch with the radio real low
On the porch with the radio

In this episode, Seattle’s “The Soft Hills” share the story behind their song, “Molten Change.”

Molten Change consists of two parts: A and B. In part A there are several layers of experience juxtaposed together, happening all in the mind of a man named, Ashely. The story begins with Ashely peering into his psychic landscape of madness, teetering on the verge of collapse. He realizes that his fear is founded upon a false image of himself, which is merely an illusion. The realization comes to him in a moment of darkness and despair.

In the 2nd verse he is mesmerized by a woman’s eyes. His desire for her drives out feelings of loneliness. This new found love opens up a vault of things to be discovered within his heart. The second chorus, “Man is not alone, so why’s he paying the fee?” suggests that human suffering stems from one’s feeling of isolation. But the irony is that we are actually connected to everything around us, at one with the whole universe, so why are we causing ourselves misery? Metaphorically, the “molten change” might be thought of as a state of mind that comes through catharsis. It is something equivalent to being struck by a ray of illumination.

Part B lifts off into a space and points towards a new horizon, a different way of seeing things: consciousness transformed. It poses a reflective question, “Are you happy?” It seems that many of us are constantly running around, looking for distractions, expending our energy in all directions, chasing a mirage which we call happiness. The lyric asks the listener to stop for a moment and think about their motives and actions, to ask themselves if they really are happy. What is happiness? Is happiness this blind pursuit of some far off future where we never fully arrive at? I think that when we really stop and look at ourselves, it becomes clear that our life is overrun by a kind of madness; it is as if we were caught in the cogs of a monstrous machine whose wheels never stop turning. It’s a shame that we spend our whole life wasting away in the treadmill. So why not get off the treadmill?

Molten Change is about overcoming fear and abandoning the old, stagnant way of life and finding a new way of living where we are one and at peace with ourselves. Ultimately, it is a song of healing.

Molten Change

Ashley was looking deeply into the chaos of his soul
He fell like a crumbling ceiling through a vast sea of holes

Why do you fear for your limited life?
The solution seems clear in the dead of the night
You’ll awaken to the molten change

Her eyes were a fascination like rubies on fire
You’re no longer feeling lonesome as your heart visions fly

Man is not alone, so why’s he paying the fee?
Through the lens of delusion you’ll be following me
You’ll awaken to the molten change

Are you happy?

In this episode, Swedish almost-legends Spärhusen share the story behind their song, “Apples & Fish.” Also featured is a video of the band performing the song live at the premiere of season two of Illeana Douglas’ Ikea-based Web series, Easy to Assemble, which features the music of Spärhusen and celebrities like Justine Bateman!

Sparhusen was formed in 1967 by manager Bjorn Epstein. The original members of the band of Olf Nystrom and Gert Forseberg of Olf and Gert and Beirget”Candy” Kattson.

After winning Eurovision Sweden in 1967 with Candy the Revenge Song Sparhusen followed up with Ice Fishing. When it failed to rise above number 12 on the charts manager Bjorn Epstein brought in famed record producer and inventor of the “whale of sound” Vorste Feirron to work on there latest song Apples and Fish. Vorste believed the low frequency of whale sounds under music caused listeners to subconsciously want to listen to the song again and again.

Apples and Fish was a tribute to the foods the band loved to eat. One day Beirget was reading a cookbook when Olf asked her what she was going to make for dinner. She laughed and said the cookbook was filled only with recipes of either Apples or Fish so it was up to him. Later that night while they were eating a large cooked fish with baked apples. Olf said the meal was so good they should write a song about it because, “To eat is to love”. Gert jotted the phrase down and the next day they wrote Apples and Fish.

On the day Sparhusen recorded the song they had reluctantly agreed to have documentary filmakers in the studio. They captured the work experience of Sparhusen and record producer Vorste Feirron in The Making of Apples and Fish. Vorste’s methods were controversial. He spent hours making the band hand a fish back and forth and forcing them to listen to whale sounds which he painstaking recorded on his 8 track. They were in the studio for over 11 hours but in the end they made magic because when Apples and Fish was recorded it not only became the bands most enduring hit, but it became a bit of a cult classic in Sweden with lyric’s like, “I give you a fish”, and “thank you for the apple” which are said to have hidden meaning’s.

In 1974 Sparhusen was still filming what was now called The Triumph of Sparhusen. Amidst rumors the band was breaking up they were involved in a plane crash. At first the band was thought to be dead and the country went into mourning. On the third day after the crash they were forced to come forward admitting the crash was a publicity stunt. Some say to aide lagging record sales, others say it was Olf’s desire to leave the band and go out on his own. What ever the reason Sparhusen soon exited the spotlight and retired to their home in Sorrow Lake,Sweden.

The documentary was never released and to this day is caught up in legal wrangling. Sparhusen music was recently used in the web show Easy to Assemble and the “Almost famous band” as they are now known made a rare appearence at the red carpet premier of the show. They recently released The Best of Sparhusen showcasing some of their biggest hits.

Apples and Fish words and music by Olf Nystrom Gert Forseberg and Beirget Kattsson

Apples & Fish

Apples & Fish (dee da da), you’re my favorite dish

Ya Ya
Seafoam, Mackerel, Walleyed Beauty

This is my wish, (dee da da) touch your heart with my fiske

Ya Ya
Seafoam, Mackerel, Walleyed Beauty

Floating apples in the sea (thank u 4 the apple)

I picked a fish for you and me (I give u a fish)

A love like ours is hard to see (I picked a fish for u & me)

Six months dark but we don’t care

Caviar, long underware

Apples & Fish (dee da da), you’re my favorite dish

Ya Ya
Seafoam, Mackerel, Walleyed Beauty

As a bonus, here’s the episode of Spärhusen from My Damn Channel documenting the recording of Apples & Fish and their introduction to the “whale of sound.”

In this episode, Los Angeles-based rockers Carney share the story behind the lyrics to their single “Love Me, Chase Me,” as well as its new music video featuring Evan Rachel Wood…

Love Me Chase Me is actually a really special song for us :-) It is the first song that Carney ever co-wrote as a band, the song whose demo enabled us to record our album the way that we wanted, and the song that provided the inspiration (and soundtrack) for our first music video.

I remember how the song was written and looking back I see the embryonic stages of our still maturing band approach to writing. Reeve, our lead singer, has long been the main songwriter of the band and so this new sort of experience really snuck up on us overnight. I showed Reeve a simple riff that I had been messing around with for a year or two in what turned out to be the intro and verse guitar part, and Reeve thought I should share it with the band so we could give a shot at writing something together. The next day I showed him another riff that I had been hearing in Am (what turned out to be the bridge lead guitar fanfare) and somewhere along the lines that triplet landscape came into focus behind it.

Then we brought these two ideas to Aiden and Jon one day in rehearsal and from that point on started to figure out the arrangement of each section. We definitely were not trying to write a “single” so it’s quite ironic that it’s the first song we’ve released – we were just taking it to a place that felt natural while still maintaining that sense of exploration and the rest sort of fell into place.

It’s been really awesome to get people’s response to the song. Even if it’s not our favorite song on the album, it gives people an strong idea of what we sound like and shows that we’re not afraid to take some chances. Plus, there’s a guitar solo which I always like ;-)

Anyway, times a wastin’ so go watch the music video!

Sincerely,

Zane (Carney)

“Love Me, Chase Me”

I don’t want you baby
I don’t need you lately
Love is ever-changing
And I think you’re crazy

Girl, I’ve got to let you go…

Let me touch your daisy
Give me what I can’t be
Let tomorrow face me
Love me, kill me, change me

Girl, I’ve got to let you go…

I’m a jumper, baby
Mama, don’t forsake me
Madness can’t contain me
If you love me, chase me

Aw girl, I’ve got to let you go…
Girl, I’ve got to let you go…

Girl, I’ve got to let you go…

Carney is playing their last Los Angeles show for a while at the El Rey Theatre on November 28. They’re great guys, so you should definitely check this out if you can!

In this episode, Singer/Songwriter Christa Mae shares the story behind the lyrics to my favorite of her songs, “Diesel”:

I wrote Diesel at a time when I was really disgusted with the way corporations were manipulating people into (becoming) consumers, making the almighty dollar the only contribution we as human individuals can make in this world. I was learning about sales pyshcology in college and was appalled at the levels advertisers would go to attract people’s attention, and harp on their insecurities to get a buck out of them.

For example, making women feel bad about who they are by setting up an unattainable beauty image. No woman can measure up to makeovered-photoshopped-strategically lit photo shoot in everyday life, still she may potentially spend her time and money obssessing over an image that is completely unrealistic. Paying through the teeth to be like these fantastical images on magazine covers. It seemed like a low blow, so I started to write Diesel as a way to say no to that kind of false advertising campaigns.

It’s funny because it sounds a lot like I am putting a man on blast, and I can listen to it like it’s some sort of girl power break-up song even though it wasn’t the intention. Still a comparison can be drawn I think between a woman and an emotional, abusive patriarch. A woman who is being subliminally abused by a system that is set up to keep her down.

Diesel

Stop filling me
Oh stop filling me
up with your gasoline

Your words
pollute the air
when were all just
trying to breathe

Stop taking me
oh stop taking
every mile I’m
willing to go

My spedometer’s
counted the kilometers
and now the mileage
is showin

your heart has it’s place
taped to your iron sleve
and you’ve got your
geers rollin
like a well oiled machine.

Manufacture it
go on and package it
make it quick and so easy

But I ain’t buyin it
so don’t even try it boy

Don’t advertise to me
Don’t advertise to me.