a punch drunk buzz

Pair Off

2010-12-03T16:03:00.000-08:00

for all of you who are pairing off to keep warm in these winter months.

old demo, a bit clunky rhythmically, but you'll get the idea.

Fresno Summer - Pair Off [demo].mp3

ps. <3<3<3

Pair Off:

'streetlights turn themselves on between piles of leaves
and sundresses become jeans and long sleeves
the air becomes thin and crisp and sweet
as the days move on.

and we live and dream in the light of dusk
as the landscape's complexion turns the color of rust
we pair off slowly and with any luck
we can keep eachother warm

so don't forget me
when you turn your lights down low
don't feel so lonely
i'm here more than you know
i'll pour my heart into this song
so don't leave me out here for too long
in the cold...

throughout changing seasons we move close and far away
i can hear it crystal clear and i hope it's not too late
the sound of your breathing in love's different shades of gray
and it's keeping me warm

so don't forget me
when you turn your lights down low
don't feel so lonely
i'm here more than you know
the chill is setting in
i want to end where you begin
there isn't anything more i could want
i'll pour my heart into this song
so don't leave me out here for too long
in the cold.'

summertime = nowhere fast

2010-07-12T20:26:00.000-07:00

okay, fresno...it's sprinkler time. when i was working on this track, the main feelings and images i had in my mind were of cooling off in the heat of summer either by the fire hydrant, through the sprinklers or even just in a cold shower with the windows open, giving that warm fresno summer air the illusion of a nice breeze. don't get me wrong, i think being submerged in a pool is nice most times and i do it pretty much every time there's one around, but there's just something i find so hypnotic and sweet about water falling on your skin, collecting on parts of your body while the mist creates all kinds of color in the sunshine. so in celebration of the fresno heat, grab a popsicle or an ice cold beer, turn the water on and relax to this jam while getting wet.

Fresno Summer - Nowhere Fast.mp3

Distance/Absence -> the Blip

2010-07-06T17:24:00.000-07:00

the blip (which in case some of you didn't know, ended around march/april of this year) was probably the most volatile band i've ever been in, but we were making some pretty cool tunes near the end. last night kyle sent me a few tracks which i remastered and tried to clean up a bit. though still demo quality, performance and otherwise, i think this is probably the best one. since it'll most likely never end up anywhere else, enjoy.

The Blip - Distance/Absence.mp3

cockrockjukebox strikes again: ruins a mirah song

2010-06-21T00:05:00.000-07:00

this track was composed by the lovely and talented mirah yom tov zeitlyn.
it appears on her classic 2001 album advisory committee and was subsequently ruined by yours truly in 2009.

here's the math:

mirah + otis
____________

talking heads

Fresno Summer - Mt St Helens.mp3

click arrow to stream or right click to save

the way to the ocean

2010-06-20T19:45:00.000-07:00

the way from here to the ocean
is monotony and i know it
like the feeling of my own skin.

the only way out of here
is to follow the string
of solemn mexican towns
disguised as a boulevard
of lonely palms and neon
struggling to shine
in the dust of the valley
like a procession of dive bars
where the patrons all drink together in silence.

it is the slow diablo crawl
up pacheco pass
in the heat of a valley summer
thicker than still-warm blood
even at night.

it's the sweetly pungent aroma of
garlic and green onions
that are mostly invisible from the highway.

it is only a syllable away from death
and i ought to know better.

watsonville is like downtown fresno
because no one wants to clean it up.
we all just want to make it up the beach.

--

--

On the drive back
I am partially drunk
and feel I could spend my life
atop one of these grass green hills
overlooking the sea
in the bright heat of spring
partially drunk
bellyaching about you and rubbing my head
touching ground with the earth
and releasing my ghosts.

So I breathe
the last breaths
of ocean air
clinging to the scent
hoping to remember it
when I get home.

get back on the train / Shake Your Neck Brace

2010-06-19T16:19:00.000-07:00

aight. i know it's been a while and the project un- intentionally went on the backburner for a bit while i settled in to a new job and schedule. now that that's pretty much squared away, i figure it's time to be getting busy creatively again. i fixed all the outdated links, changed the layout a bit and pulled some things out to post just to get back on track with this here thingamabobber. and slowly but surely new material is arriving...making beats and demos and little scribblings here and there when i'm not working and/or napping.

so for this first post, here's more hip hop for you. previously posted at the2ndrate.com, this is a remix i did for a track called 'Shake Your Face' by my homeys in New Future.

you can stream or download the track here:
Fresno Summer/New Future - Shake Your Neck Brace.mp3
or check out the video courtesy of the ever-prolific mr. adam evolawonder.

gots more for you on the way. y'all be sure to drop by the2ndrate.com (Howie's back from summer vacation) and check out the new layout and a smokin track from New Future and MIDImob! sick hi-hat.

a slapback echo from the blue yonder

2010-01-23T00:16:00.000-08:00

Remember when mixes actually went on tapes? Here's one that I made sure fills up a good 60 minute tape (the cheap ones). If you're into that and have a tape deck, I put where the side breaks should be in there. All of y'all that like the funky shit are gonna like this one. Oh, yeah...and this one really is for you...those of you that are paying any attention to this. You'll like it, I promise.

The title is from the song 'Inspiration Information' originally by Shuggie Otis, but recreated with great panache by the one and only Sharon Jones. There is some discrepancy about the lyrics on the interweb, but that's how I hear it. 'You're my little symphonia singing the weather / I get a dark blue rain / I get a slapback echo from the blue yonder.' Enjoy.

'A Slapback Echo From The Blue Yonder'

SIDE A

1. !!! - Bend Over Beethoven

2. Starlight Mints - Zoomba

3. Cat Power - New York

4. Handsomeboy Modeling School - I've Been Thinking (feat. Cat Power)

5. Sharon Jones and Dap Kings - Inspiration Information

6. Jenny Lewis - Bad Man's World

7. The Heavy - Girl

SIDE B

8. Lovage - To Catch A Thief

9. Céu - Grains de Beaute

10. Lifesavas - Double Up

11. OK Go - WTF?

12. Islands - Where There's A Will There's A Whalebone

13. Rilo Kiley - Give A Little Love

14. Staple Sisters - Let's Do It Again

15. Sherlock's Daughter - In The End

use the link above or click here to download from mediafire. peace, y'all.

loves. ben.

Moderation Moderation Moderation

2010-01-20T15:20:00.000-08:00

You've got to let the death in slowly
like dragging a cigarette.
Let the ghosts of dead singers
linger in your throat.
Watch your own face reconstruct
across the surface of the glass
as the bottles pile up.

You've got to let the death in slowly
like sips of a well-aged scotch.
Let the flavor seep in through the walls of your stomach.

You've got to let the death in slowly
one breath after another
as the ghosts become accustomed
to the warmth at the bottom of your belly.
Let them share your drink
and they will share with you the stories of their lives
as the bottles pile up.

You've got to let the death in slowly
let it creep into your lungs and spine
to make it's home where the two of you will always be
like friendly neighbors.

And remember to walk slowly down to the ocean
because once you arrive,
there's no turning back.

Mix That Shit (Updog)

2010-01-17T02:51:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I like hip-hop too. If you haven't been to the2ndrate.com yet, you're totally lost. Free records and lots of fun shit abound. This track is my submission to the current remix contest. You can hear the original track and download the entire album (MIDImob Harbor Sessions '08-'09) totally free. It's fresh.

Fresno Summer/MIDImob - Mix That Shit (Updog Mix) feat. Baby Shark and Stanley Vanagan.mp3

cockrockjukebox plays sad songs about girls

2010-01-08T20:27:00.000-08:00

if you know me, chances are you've heard at least one of my drunken and belligerent versions of a certain bon jovi classic. but i do know a ~~few~~ bunch of other tunes as well. last summer i thought it would be fun to record some so i took about a week and did a whole bunch of covers with just an acoustic guit-box. there are a few still up on the myspace page, but here are a couple that i had forgotten about.

the first (dirty girl) is a lovely little number by a band called eels that i got inspired to do after seeing the Eels with Strings: Live at Town Hall movie. great movie - highly recommended. i saw a girl today that made me think of this tune 'but that time is good and gone'...i think that encounter may have promted this whole post. bleh, you guys don't want to hear about that shit anyways...and yeah, i thought ms. sedgewick would be a good pic for this...

the second tune is one that i didn't post on the myspace because i thought doing a death cab cover was a bit too obvious but i figure eh, it's there, so why not...plus both of these tunes are about missing (out on) ladies...heh. i'm such a schmuck. meh.

Fresno Summer - Dirty Girl.mp3

Fresno Summer - A Lack Of Color.mp3

un petit air innocent

2010-01-07T23:01:00.000-08:00

i've think i've spent a few too many hours trying to throw game with a mix tape. too many hours spent trying to convince pretty girls that i'm the shit from the darkness of a lonely bedroom in front of a lonely stereo with a lonely finger on a lonely pause button. and i think i've spent too many hours spent lamenting lost romances listening to the same tapes that began them. and it's a lot of work dammit. even though people say it's easier in this digital age, i still come from that old school of mix making where you spend time listening to make sure the breaks between songs are the right length and the ending of one song flows accordingly into the beginning of the next and that the movement of sentiment breathes like a story and yadda yadda yadda... i mean, it's not just throwing a bunch of songs together. it's still a labor of love. or lust. or smitten-ass-cheeseball-make-yourself-look-a-fool-overblowing-sentiment-and-somewhat-creepy-or-just-trying-too-damn-hard-to-really-be-taken-serious foolishness. the only real difference is my finger no longer gets sore from hitting the pause button.

anyways, i made this mix for a girl a little over six months ago. it's got some oldies and some songs that sound like oldies. it's sentimental and sexy. it's got heart and it's got mack written all over it. it didn't work. okay, so it worked in the sense that it got me around the bases, but i'm pretty sure the sentimentality was lost on her (we only went out for about a week). oh well, i still think it's a nice listen. it's good for cleaning house, if nothing else. or doing the dishes. wait....i take that back...just disregard the last few sentences...what i actually meant to say was:

i made this mix especially for you, girl.
yes, you.
call me.

'un petit air innocent'

1. Buddy Holly - Everyday
2. Thao and the Get Down Stay Down - Bag of Hammers
3. Laura Veirs - To The Country
4. Vampire Weekend - Bryn
5. Hot Chip - Wrestlers
6. Meaghan Smith - A Little Love
7. The Zombies - Time of the Season
8. Alicia Keys - Teenage Love Affair
9. The Everly Brothers - All I Have To Do Is Dream
10. Atmosphere - The Number One
11. Thao and the Get Down Stay Down - Travel
12. Yves Montand - Rue St. Vincent
13. Betty Davis - If I'm In Luck, I Might Get Picked Up
14. Felt - Dirty Girl
15. Flight of the Conchords - Ladies of the World
16. Ida Maria - I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked
17. The Raconteurs - Level
18. Radiohead - House of Cards
19. The Rolling Stones - Beast of Burden
20. OutKast - She Lives In My Lap
21. Brenton Wood - Gimme Little Sign
22. G Love and Special Sauce - Baby's Got Sauce
23. A Lighter Shade of Brown - Homies
24. Sam Cooke - You Send Me

use the link above or click here to download from mediafire...enjoy.

ps. i think that girl liked shitty music anyways. hope she doesn't see this.

...you know that new sound you lookin' for?

2010-01-07T21:57:00.000-08:00

...well listen to this!

Fresno Summer - Over Ends.mp3

for those of you who don't know, fresno summer is my little music project. here's a taste. for more go to http://www.myspace.com/fresnosummer

First post...rambling...hope you enjoy...

2010-01-06T21:35:00.000-08:00

hey everyone...so this is my new year's resolution. i know i'm starting a bit late, but i'd like to try to pop something somewhat creative up here every day whether it's something that i made and worked really hard on or something someone else made that they worked really hard on. i hope you check back every now and then and drop me a line to pat me on the back or let me know that i suck.

oh, the title of the blog, by the way, comes from this pome that i wrote about how classic shit is cool (originally inspired by rock and roll, well manufactured musical equipment and mr. ej werly-klein). incidentally, the pome has no title. i was hoping that it would sort of work as a statement of theme or purpose, but i'm sure the theme and purpose will change as often as my whims. either way, here goes:

Suckled at the teat of rock and roll

I am the feral child of the digital age

Stumbling along in a ramshackle march

Just behind the flittering crescendos of the dance floor

I am a rattling drum; a sawing fuzz

In a synthesized world, I'm analog scuzz

I am the pop and hiss of vinyl, a punch drunk buzz

More dangerous and sexy than disco ever was

I'm a sneer and a wink, I'm the impossible thrill

The Protean Man amidst the Boys from Brazil.

In a sea of processed sounds, I'm a train-wreck of vacuum tubes

I am Technics and I am Electroharmonix

I am warmth and durability and I age with dignity

I'm the 808 samples you play on your MPC

I'm the hum of a single coil pickup near the bridge

I'm your ear to the ground

I'm the song that you live.

okay, okay...so if you've never read my stuff, this one's pretty representative. but i promise to post way more than rambling-ass poetry and stuff. i was thinking about posting links to mixes and music i've made and maybe even some movies (i'm slowly learning how to make little flash cartoons and such)...i'm sure i'll see some cool youtube stuff that won't be cool enough for facebook. heh. alright, y'all. be back soon. peace and chicken grease. love, ben.