Click on the thumbnail to view a printable cd sleeve.- Title: Piano Farte
- Artist: Trex
- Timespan: 1999
- Theme: more piano practices
- Length: 76:46
- Tracks: 27
- Lyrics: 18
- MP3s: 27 play all locally
- Rating: *** [3] (1 rating) rate this album
Track List
- My Name Is Travis
- Piano Cheese
- Forte Cheese
- Canned Cheese
- Barks
- Drizzle in Cancun
- Thumbpeggio
- Bug in My Taco
- Redemption Improv
- 20 Sept Intro
- Too Much Coffee
- Sept or Oct
- Not Every One
- Persisdance
- Eptness
- Lyricist
- Can You Tell
- Last Full Day
- Tolling
- This Will Make
- This Next Song
- You're a Head
- The Gentle One
- Autumn Train
- Advent
- All About Me
- Pity
Notes
In late 1999, I finished grad school and planned a second trip to the Pacific Northwest, hoping to move there. On 6 October I headed west via train. I visited friends and my sister and wound my way to Bellingham. I job-hunted for a few days and then headed north to the Canadian Rockies and Alaska.
Spooked by the cold, I flew back to Bellingham, looked for jobs, gave up, joined my sister for Thanksgiving, and headed home. I was bummed about not being able to move west but had a plan: work for a couple years and save enough money to move west and "coast" until I found a job. It was a gamble, but I loved the Pacific Northwest and wanted to take it.
Most of these songs are from the weeks before that trip; the final couple are from my first days back. The music is pretty cheesy, but there are some nice moments in here. You just have to dig a bit. No instant gratification here.
Songs
My Name Is Travis
- Piano Picks track 10
- Piano Farte track 1
- recorded: 1999-08-30
- location: Charlottesville
- length: 1:55
- Travis Emmitt - piano, vocals
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Cute. Melodic. Nice.
Great start to an album that quickly becomes unbearably boring.
Lyrics to "My Name Is Travis":
and my name is travis don't wear it out i know i'm bad responding i'm soon going out my name is travis and i'm the only one with full appreciation of what i've become my name is travis and i cannot play my fingers are crippled my talent's gone away my name is travis and the tape is disappearing i really gotta go now 'cause i gotta work no more playing
Piano Cheese
- Piano Farte track 2
- recorded: 1999-09-17
- location: Charlottesville
- length: 1:04
- Travis Emmitt - piano
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Very cheesy. Blech.
Forte Cheese
- Piano Farte track 3
- recorded: 1999-09-17
- location: Charlottesville
- length: 2:00
- Travis Emmitt - piano
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Super-duper cheddar cheese. Yuck.
I hate music like this. Unless it's in a movie. With swirling snowflakes or something. But not on a CD! Barf!
Canned Cheese
- Piano Farte track 4
- recorded: 1999-09-17
- location: Charlottesville
- length: 0:49
- Travis Emmitt - piano, talking
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Oh great, more cheese. Well, at least this one is darker than the last two flavors.
I got bored and deleted the ending, replacing it with a groan.
You're welcome.
Lyrics to "Canned Cheese":
oh yeah
Barks
- Piano Farte track 5
- recorded: 1999-09-17
- location: Charlottesville
- length: 0:02
- Peta - barking
- Woodie - barking
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Peta and Woodie were barking. They evidently didn't appreciate my muzak.
Drizzle in Cancun
- Piano Farte track 6
- recorded: 1999-09-17
- location: Charlottesville
- length: 3:22
- Travis Emmitt - piano, talking
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This was a combination of "Drizzle" and "Christmas in Cancun". "Christmas in Cancun 2" was a different song.
Pretty boring.
Lyrics to "Drizzle in Cancun":
something that goes something a little bit like this this is a cross between drizzle and christmas in cancun 2 it's called drizzle and christmas in cancun 2 actually, it's more like drizzle and christmas in cancun poo
Thumbpeggio
- Piano Farte track 7
- recorded: 1999-09-17
- location: Charlottesville
- length: 3:02
- Travis Emmitt - piano
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Thumb arpeggio. Not too bad. Not too good. To be honest, I hardly noticed it while I was supposed to be listening to it in order to write this description. File under: nondescript.
Bug in My Taco
- Piano Farte track 8
- recorded: 1999-09-17
- location: Charlottesville
- length: 0:02
- Travis Emmitt - talking
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
I don't know if it was true or if I was joking. Pretty gross joke.
You know, I don't remember the last time I had a taco. Maybe I wasn't joking after all?
Lyrics to "Bug in My Taco":
i found a bug in my taco
Redemption Improv
- Piano Farte track 9
- recorded: 1999-09-17
- location: Charlottesville
- length: 3:50
- Travis Emmitt - piano
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Peaceful and melodic, not bad.
20 Sept Intro
- Piano Farte track 10
- recorded: 1999-09-20
- location: Charlottesville
- length: 0:05
- Travis Emmitt - talking
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Introduction, named after the date it was recorded.
Lyrics to "20 Sept Intro":
and the 20th of september
Too Much Coffee
- Piano Farte track 11
- recorded: 1999-09-20
- location: Charlottesville
- length: 1:24
- Travis Emmitt - piano, vocals
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
I can't hear what I was singing. The music is very repetitive. Pretty steady, though, which is rare for me.
Lyrics to "Too Much Coffee":
??? ??? running through the ??? wooh it's called too much coffee
Sept or Oct
- Piano Farte track 12
- recorded: 1999-??-??
- location: Charlottesville
- length: 4:10
- Travis Emmitt - piano
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This and the next few songs were recorded in either September or October; I'm not sure.
This particular song sounds pretty dirge-like. It's okay. The ending is kinda nice.
Not Every One
- Piano Farte track 13
- recorded: 1999-??-??
- location: Charlottesville
- length: 0:07
- Travis Emmitt - vocals
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Pep talk. :)
Lyrics to "Not Every One":
not everyone can be a winner that's the theme of this side of the tape yeah keep going keep playing
Persisdance
- Piano Farte track 14
- recorded: 1999-??-??
- location: Charlottesville
- length: 9:03
- Travis Emmitt - piano
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Persistance. Dance. Combine them and what do you get?
Something other than this song, that's for sure. There's no danciness here. It's just a long, sleepy improv. It's not horrible, but it's not dancy either.
I hit some wrong notes about 3/4 of the way through, but recovered from them gracefully. By "gracefully" I mean I used lots of grace notes.
Eptness
- Piano Farte track 15
- recorded: 1999-??-??
- location: Charlottesville
- length: 0:08
- Travis Emmitt - talking
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Ha.
Lyrics to "Eptness":
that sustain pedal can take ineptness a long way down the road towards eptness
Lyricist
- Piano Farte track 16
- recorded: 1999-??-??
- location: Charlottesville
- length: 1:28
- Travis Emmitt - piano, vocals
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Kinda cool repetition. The piano is a little too simple to sustain my interest, though. Sustain... Get it?
Lyrics to "Lyricist":
can you tell that the well is empty? i'm the lyricist of the family [repeat many times]
Can You Tell
- Piano Farte track 17
- recorded: 1999-??-??
- location: Charlottesville
- length: 6:56
- Travis Emmitt - piano, vocals
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Similar lyrics, different music. Since when is a muse refered to as a man?
I kinda like the music. I practiced a lot back then. I could never do something like this nowadays.
About half way through the music gets really fast and weird.
Lyrics to "Can You Tell":
can you tell that the well is empty? can you tell the river went dry long ago? well, here's what i gotta show can you tell that the head is empty? can you tell that the brain cells left long ago? can you tell that the muse has left me? can you tell that he got bored long ago? he went out to the snow ooh he went out to the snow can you tell that the energy left me? can you tell that all i am is a blob? a disorganized slob can you tell that my dreams have left me? i know that it's cliches but please pardon the puns can you find any puns 'cause i don't remember saying any puns can you tell that the talent has left me? can you tell that all that's left are papers? ??? can you tell that the talent has left me? can you tell that it's dead and buried long ago? there's nothing left to sow i'm not just talking about today i'm talking about the last 5 years but today is exemplary in the example sense not the ultimate sense oh yeah can you tell that i cannot stop playing until i come up with a memorable witticism? that's my redemption a momentary point of clarity most likely inadvertant like all the best moments can you tell that i'm trying to ??? the satisfactory way to end this song but unfortunately the song is a victim of 5 years of a girlfriend and college lots of alcohol or ??? and ??? and all that bad stuff ??? more ??? more ??? ???
Last Full Day
- Piano Farte track 18
- recorded: 1999-10-05
- location: Charlottesville
- length: 3:59
- Travis Emmitt - piano, talking
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This was my last full day in Charlottesville. I was preparing for my second big Northwest trip.
It's okay. Not as good as the last session's songs, though. It's especially disappointing when it lapses into a "Christmas in Cancun" wanna-be.
Lyrics to "Last Full Day":
this is called last full day recorded on the 5th of october the day before i head west
Tolling
- Piano Farte track 19
- recorded: 1999-10-05
- location: Charlottesville
- length: 3:35
- Travis Emmitt - piano
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Snoring is more like it.
This Will Make
- Piano Farte track 20
- recorded: 1999-10-05
- location: Charlottesville
- length: 0:02
- Travis Emmitt - talking
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Huh?
Lyrics to "This Will Make":
this will make all songs sound good
This Next Song
- Piano Farte track 21
- recorded: 1999-10-05
- location: Charlottesville
- length: 0:05
- Travis Emmitt - talking
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Hmm.
Lyrics to "This Next Song":
this next song is entitled "stop while you're ahead" with the emphasis on the word "a"
You're a Head
- Piano Farte track 22
- recorded: 1999-10-05
- location: Charlottesville
- length: 9:58
- Travis Emmitt - piano, vocals
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
So-so epic jam. I can't understand most of the lyrics. Can you?
Lyrics to "You're a Head":
i'm singing about the last full day ??? now i'm singing about the last full day singing about the last full day ??? but ??? gotta leave virginia ??? gotta try again gotta leave virginia gotta leave ??? ??? ??? ??? train station and ??? gotta ??? tomorrow ??? ??? gotta leave my family gotta leave my games and computers gotta leave my ??? ??? my wayyyyy leave virginia gotta leave ??? at home gotta leave ??? at home in virginia ??? gonna leave my ??? behind gonna leave most of what's mine in virginia i'll be seeing ya i will travel ??? i will travel ??? like some people ??? i don't see that happening any time in this century gonna leave virginia gotta leave ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? so many people out ??? ??? shoot gonna leave virginia gonna leave ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? here in virginia people depend on me, yes here in virginia yes yes yes yes...
The Gentle One
- Piano Farte track 23
- recorded: 1999-10-05
- location: Charlottesville
- length: 0:53
- Travis Emmitt - piano, vocals
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Funny.
Lyrics to "The Gentle One":
travis breaks into something that sounds familiar and almost listenable because he wrote it a long time ago back before the dogs started barking so much the name of this song is "the gentle one" the gentle one was walking down the street one day everybody said "hey, look, there's a gay" the gentle one was sitting alone in his room the gentle one didn't have anything but a broom the gentle one cracked open the door to the snow and opened it and then jumped to his death and that was the end of the gentle one all they found was a few bristles of broom
Autumn Train
- Piano Farte track 24
- recorded: 1999-10-05
- location: Charlottesville
- length: 4:15
- Travis Emmitt - piano
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This was the last song I recorded before my second trip to the Pacific Northwest. The first leg involved taking a train from Charlottesville to Portland, Oregon; I named this song after that trip. It was very scenic. Too bad the song doesn't have much variety to it.
Advent
- Piano Picks track 11
- Piano Farte track 25
- recorded: 1999-12-04
- location: Charlottesville
- length: 7:23
- Travis Emmitt - piano, talking
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
This was semi-composed. By that I mean I practiced the main idea a couple times and then wung it. I kinda like it, and ended up using its main theme in later practices too.
Lyrics to "Advent":
this song is called "advent"
All About Me
- Piano Picks track 12
- Piano Farte track 26
- recorded: 1999-12-04
- location: Charlottesville
- length: 7:05
- Travis Emmitt - piano, vocals, talking
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Melodic and witty. This was recorded in a couple takes. I stitched them together later.
Lyrics to "All About Me":
it all started simply with a riff and a melody and then they asked me to sing but i couldn't think of a thing and then it was all about me it was all about me i really have to go after this it's one time through the many other things that are all about me are like stepping outside into the world and the air and the fresh breeze is all about me and then i'm gonna have this thing about a girlfriend or something and she has a list of all the things wrong in her life and i look at the list and it's all about me and i just come back to the idea of writing a song that was supposed to be a trivial little song and that has become all about me you know, the whole thing about the girlfriend and stepping outside so here i go it started simply with a riff and a melody and they asked me to sing and i couldn't think of a thing and then it was all about me and then it was all about me it started simply with a tune and a melody and it was all about me and it was all about me and then it was all about me and then it was all about me and then it was all about me and then it was all about me [repeat] i started simply with a riff and a melody and ??? sing i said i couldn't think of a thing and then it was all about me and then it was all about me and then it was all about me and then it was all about me so i got up one day and i looked and the sky was gray and i said i don't feel like staying inside but what ??? so i ??? and i looked inside the door and i ??? breeze and i stepped out into the glory and then it was all about me and then it was all about me and then it was all about me and then it was all about me and ??? ??? like i needed ??? ??? i said what you talking about ??? ??? all that good stuff ??? enough and then it was all about me and then it was all about me she had written a list of bad things all the things that had ??? and ??? ??? and it was all about me and it was all about me and then it was all about me and then it was all about me and the song started simply with a simple melody? i ??? melody ??? me me me me me me me me me me me me me me that's when ??? going ???
Pity
- Piano Farte track 27
- recorded: 1999-09-17
- location: Charlottesville
- length: 0:04
- Travis Emmitt - talking
- mp3: download listen locally (flash player)(HTML5 player)
Final words. Thank you.
Lyrics to "Pity":
all right, um out of pity for the audience i've just cut off that