"Microwaved Potatoes" is a twofer - my latest statement on life in Trump's "Golden Age" AND a (hopefully humorous) answer to every grocery store check-out person asking how I'm doing in it. It's also a Little White Radio track, so another number where I'm "playing all of our records all at once,” mixing Rock and Bluegrass with Synth Pop, Rap, and EDM (Electronic Dance Music) all over a pseudo-Philly Sound - while sampling everything in sight. It's a lot of heavy-lifting. (Headphones are highly recommended). If you like it, consider a donation to PayPal, because the wolves are out there and those samples are NOT gonna clear themselves. Here are the lyrics:
Burning biscuits is so delicious, with
sour milk in the early morn
Pork that’s turned is as good as something burnt
Food poisoning almost as good as porn
Horse radish done destroyed my salad
I found a roach somewhere on my ear of corn
An expiration date don’t mean that something’s late
Wow - I got some donations today! - so, as a major "Thank You!", here are two more original songs by The Crack Emcee available for free download! (If you choose to donate, please know it's going to get me back out there, so I can "fight the bad guys" in person.)
Also - because I don't want anyone to think you get nothing for your money around here - click on this same photo seen above (but the one located to the lower right of the blog →→ →) and you will be transported to Soundcloud, where you'll find my earlier uploads of Pop, Rock, Rap, Jazz, Electronic, and Live performances. Here's today's songs:
"Talkin' To You" - a little commercial Pop Rock tune (with a Ska feel). I've always liked it because A) it's not the kind of song anyone would expect out of me, and B) it's powerful, uplifting, and happy - I hope you like it, too:
"Lies" - a Blues-based Rock song, with an explosive ending that still impresses me. Because we recorded the parts separately (Bass and Drums, first, guitars second, etc.) we didn't count it out correctly, and were forced to improvise, which we did - masterfully:
The irony of some of keynote speaker Sir Bob Geldof’s remarks on Thursday morning at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas, were palpable. As thousands of musicians of all sounds, shapes and sizes converged on the festival to sing, rage, bellow, croon and dance, inside the Austin Convention Center, Geldof, the singer, songwriter, humanitarian and honorary knight of the British Empire, complained about the sheer volume of music being produced today, comparing the combined output to “the half-witted mutterings of the village idiot in the dark corner of the local pub.”
Given that a majority of bands over the five-day music showcases are, quite literally, performing in dark corners of 6th Street pubs, it was hard not to make a connection, and that Geldof was there to rain on everybody’s parade. Over the course of his hour-long keynote, the singer, who’s best known as the organizer of the 1985 Live Aid concerts for African relief, looked the music of today straight in the eye and found it severely lacking.
Expressing outrage at the economic inequality that's permeating the lives of the many, Geldof wondered where the voices are to convey that feeling: “What’s music got to say about it? I don’t hear it. Maybe I can’t hear it. Maybe this hyper democracy of the Web simply gives an illusion of talent. You can download a studio. Download any instrument. You can pick up any instrument for nothing. You can make, cut and paste to create fab artwork to make your CD. Everybody has got the means to say anything they want, but nobody has anything to say. We need to talk about it."
Courageous stuff, delivered as it was from a podium from the smartly dressed, witty, eloquent Irishman who, 36 years earlier had defiantly introduced himself to the world with the line, “The world owes me a living.” The song, "Looking after Number One," wasn’t about selfishness per se, but about the feeling of a perfectly able man standing in line for his dole check and wondering what the hell he ever did wrong to deserve such a fate.
Music, he explained, is the best tool to deliver this message of outrage, and throughout the address Geldof walked around on stage, comfortable and in his element, citing the musical heroes of the past who transcended individualism to speak for entire populations, from Howlin' Wolf to Mick Jagger and John Lennon to the Sex Pistols, the Clash and the Ramones. He drew a distinct line between "good" music and "bad" music, and suggested in so many words that we're currently living in a world with a lot of bad music, and that somebody needs to step up and overthrow the proverbial institution that rock 'n' roll has become to send shockwaves across the world.
It's hard to argue with his point that we lack unifying voices, and that the music world is so fragmented and saturated that it's hard for anything to be heard. And that in times prior, music has helped frame political conversations in ways that artists never imagined, and that it has power to impact not only individuals but entire constituencies. The problem, he said, was complacency. "I don’t hear the disgust in music, and I need to. It doesn’t have to be literal. It has to suggest it."
He then declared music to be "the most powerful cultural tool that has been invented in a dozen lifetimes. Music is dangerous." That being the case, Geldof concluded, "We need someone to pause, to reflect, to consider, to be wise, to make decisions, or to interpret, to stop time for a moment, and suggest. And that seems to be the function of the artist."
I've been saying I'm that person, and - down to the details of "good" music and "bad" music - delivering that very same speech, for years.
Moving a little slow today when it comes to blogging - discussing music with people elsewhere - but I thought I'd show how I work, since I don't read, play, or do notation:
This is "Temporary Jigsaw", a demo that was started by an artist I respect immensely - "Uncle Ray" Wilcox. He had it laying around in it's original version and played it for me, blowing me away, so I told him I'd finish it for him. I took it home, re-did it on my computer, and wrote some very-conservative lyrics for it (criticizing both gangsta and hippie posturing) resulting in this:
Later, I presented that recording to the band and here's what we did with it - you'll notice nothing is different but the outrageously good lead guitarist having his way with it (Mike Cavesano, above in the brown jacket, with our bass player, Ubi Whitaker, who is Bob Dylan's God Son) and my spectacular drummer, friend, and long-time collaborator, Kevin Carnes, doing his thing:
I've got three tracks for you today - actually two, but the second one, "Democracy Sucks!", had to be re-worked to fit on the CD you see above, The Big Lowensky: Crackhouse Hits From the Clinton Era. I'm putting them together because of what makes them special to me:
I wrote them both on a napkin over breakfast, rehearsed them that day, and had them on stage that same night.
"Baldhead Friend" was written for a friend of mine - Darren - who had a rough time choosing between the two girls he was sleeping with, ultimately losing them both, of course. Being happily married at the time, I found his problem funny.
This version of "Democracy Sucks!" should be downloaded and put in your music player, to immediately follow "Baldhead Friend", so, together, they achieve the proper "flow". They're from several sets of tracks - labeled "Little White Radio: Broadcasting LIVE" - recorded at the end of a tour (listen to my voice - it's wrecked.) Little White Radio is the name I release my Rock music under.
Next is "The Bill & Monica Mix". Like most Americans, I was fascinated by that whole mess at the time - and thought Bill got what he deserved - though I must admit I've been confused since then by the respect he's maintained - Hillary, too, for her role in the cover-up. If back then anyone had ever told me she'd one day be our Secretary of State, I'd have said they were crazy.
It's my opinion that Bill's a NewAge sleaze, Hillary's a NewAge liar, and Monica's a fool.
There, I said it - I've been invited to a friend's house for coffee, so I'll post my usual stuff when I get back - hope you like the re-mix, and - again - donations (to help get me back to doing this) are always accepted:
O.K., Tea Partiers, here's the studio version of "Grease" - which was the centerpiece of the LIVE! recording - and (in case you missed it) here's a link to my Rap track, "I Am The Crack Emcee".
Below the music player are the lyrics. Let me know what you think and I'll keep putting them up. And, oh yea, donations happily accepted!
GREASE (My heart is pumpin') Can't get no PEACE Now tell me something: when will it CEASE? and when I'm nothing I'll lose my LEASE on this life, right?
NIGHT will start to slipping into the DAY Look out now heaven I'm on my WAY Ain't nothing that the Devil will SAY except I eat too much GREASE
GREASE GREASE GREASE - yea, I eat too much (repeat)
PORK - you won't be getting it on my FORK You must be thinking I'm some kind of DORK Must think my head is all made of CORK Don't touch the bottle - Gotta
LIVE: I got to give all I've got to GIVE I got no other life to re-LIVE I'm going to be bigger than Bell & BIV Devo - Yo!
Here's a *really rough* live recording that captures my energy at work. It starts off harsh, so turn the sound down until your ears adjust, and then reset the volume to enjoy the "you are there" ambience. There are four songs in this clip:
Black Cowboy Talkin' To You Grease Love (To The Pyromaniacs)
All written, arranged, and sung by The Crack Emcee.
I especially like the audience chatter, with some guy telling a woman I'm a vegetarian! If you can, drop a small donation if you like it.
Radiohead's got a new album out. We're not the biggest fans, but we do admire how they're staying true to themselves - committed to their art - because we're sick of the crass commercialization, and the lowest-common-denominator American Idol-ization, of everything. Thank goodness there's no girl in the group, either, just dying to show us her tits or whatnot.
This track ain't bad, but it reminds us why we're not crazy about the band - they're elitists who won't deign to make music for the rest of us - and that can fuck up the iPod flow.
As a matter of fact, it does every time.
UPDATE: You can listen to the whole thing, but pay special attention to track number six, because KROQ reinforces our assessment of the band in their album review by saying:
A modern, sophisticated piano-based track, “Codex” is full of glistening echos and groans, stunning silences that give way to sonic epiphanies, almost New Age-y traces of culminating violin and the brassy swoon of a meditation bowl. Yorke indulges a naturalistic spirituality, asking you to “jump off the end into a clear lake/no one around.”
Folks, we know Faggy NewAge Shit when we hear it - enjoy:
So this friend of mine has been telling me about Soundcloud and saying I should forget MySpace - Soundcloud's waaay easier to deal with. And now that I've been there and signed up, I have to admit, I think he's right.
Here's the first track I've uploaded, and what I like is the portability: I can actually put the track here, or email it to others - or whatever I want to do with it - which beats MySpace because all I can do there is upload them, and (to be honest) their site sucks to maneuver through and deal with.
Now I have to see if they allow for continuous playlists. If so, i'll be able to let you hear whole albums (which is what I'm into making) instead of just individual tracks. Anyway, here's the song and the lyrics below (for those who haven't heard it) and I hope you like it and even pass it around. Let me know if you do, or even if you don't:
Y'all niggas out there listening to other niggas y'all done finally figured out them motherfuckers ain't nothing but doorstops and sugar, huh? Now your dumb asses need to be re-educated on the motherfucking basis that you know you done shoved your mind full of boogers now
Oh no, you can't be left alone the trust is gone The rolling stone is the only thing that's left to love you let me hug you I'm just gonna run my mouth and we gonna stay right here in the house with the blinds down low and the helicopters flying above you:
A friend with weed is a friend indeed but a friend with crack is better! We can rap all night (Oh yea) we can rap all night (repeat)
I ain't 50 Cent: never been shot I ain't Eminem: no longer hot I ain't Dr. Dre: where they think I'm gay I ain't Lil' Jon: wicked ugly I ain't Lil' Kim: ain't going to jail I ain't P. Diddy: ain't going to hell I ain't Ice-T: wanna be a pimp? I ain't Jay-Z: talking about retirement I ain't Busta Rhymes: always showing off I ain't Easy E: dying with a cough I ain't Cee-Lo: where did he go? I ain't Kurtis Blow: breaking at 44 I ain't G-Unit: but, then, I ain't tripping I ain't Dead Prez: still politicing Man, I ain't Xzibit: on MTV I ain't Talib Kweli, Fool - Crack Emcee! (Chorus)
I'm the one that gets high, then I want to do it, again [High on drugs] Whenever it's almost light, I want a night with no end [High on drugs] If I can just get a ride, we'll go to your ATM [High on drugs] Because I'm the one that got high, then I want to do it, again [High on drugs]
I ain't D12: I make real bands Man, I ain't Common: never could have been I ain't Fat Joe: because I ain't fat I ain't Fat Lip: can't explain that Man, I ain't The Firm: but, then, I ain't cold I ain't the Beastie Boys: but, then, I ain't old I ain't Wu-Tang: think I'm writing books I ain't R. Kelly: getting dirty looks I ain't The Geto Boyz: because my mind's O.K. I ain't Ice Cube or The House Of Pain I ain't Kenye: never been to college I ain't K.R.S.: ain't claiming knowledge I ain't O.D.B.: because I'm still alive I ain't DMX: because I can drive Man, I ain't Xzibit: on MTV I ain't Talib Kweli, Fool - Crack Emcee! (Chorus)
[Sample:] "Have you forgotten, that once we were brought here, we were robbed of our names, robbed of our language - we lost our religion, our culture, our god - and many of us, by the way we act, we even lost our mind,..."
I ain't E-40: talking crazy talk I ain't Mystikal: walking that perp (pervert) walk I ain't Wyclef Jean: playing on everything I ain't Nate Dogg: always trying to sing Man, I ain't N.E.R.D.: no longer heard I ain't Beanie Seagel: kicked to the curb I ain't Snoop Dogg: got more than one style I ain't US3: with Jazz with a smile I ain't OutKast: never been pretentious Or Grandmaster Flash: think that heaven sent us Man, I ain't Missy: because I ain't a slut I ain't A Tribe Called Qwest or The Beatnuts I ain't Tupac: don't think I'm all that I ain't Kool G Rap: with my career all flat Man, I ain't Xzibit: on MTV I ain't Talib Kweli, Fool - Crack Emcee! (Chorus)
