albums
Underway
2023 Battle of the E-Bands
2006 Wonday
Compilations
1993 Songs to Sleep By
1997 Songs to Sleep By 2
2002 Sunday Sampler
2002 Dad's Picks
1999 Mix 1 (sy55)
2010 Mix 2 (triton vocal)
2010 Mix 3 (triton instr.)
SY55
1991 Archives
1992 College Collection
1993 College Collage
1994 The Hermit
1997 Where's My Muse
1999 South or Southeast
Triton
2001 In the Margins
2002 Renewal
2002 Re-treat
2002 Convenience
2002 Back Up
2003 So So
2003 So On
2003 So Long
2003 Baby Steps
2003 Baby Talk
2004 Schmocial
2004 Brroom
2004 Chuckadee
2004 Disco Hike
2004 Extra Extra
2005 Coma Pill
2005 Ourboretum
2005 Jaminy
2005 Padden Drift
2005 Gorilla Love
2005 Aminals
2005 Vegibles
2006 Fruitine
2006 Dignored
2006 Miner
2006 Mouseculine
2006 Yata
2007 Zipit
2007 Sixawon
2007 Halfdosin
2007 Whatcom Home
2008 What Roses
2008 Pho Kit
2008 Composed Pile
2009 Decomposed Pie
2009 Swaddlicious
2010 Lost Train
Soft Synths
2011 Out the Margins
2011 Redebut
2011 Reprogression
2012 Working Progress
2013 Tripico
2014 Aerosol Concrete
2015 Reduced to Clear
2016 Motions
2017 The Walking Dad
2018 Mockolate
2019 Still Testing
2020 Slow Wins Teddy
View printable CD cover for album: Aminals Click on the thumbnail to view a printable cd sleeve.

Track List

# title lyrics time download listen started recorded rating
1 Egg lyrics 4:04 download listen locally 2005-08-12 2005-08-13
2 Chick lyrics 4:10 download listen locally 2005-08-15 2005-08-16
3 Pup lyrics 5:08 download listen locally 2005-08-19 2005-08-20
4 Kitty lyrics 4:38 download listen locally 2005-08-24 2005-08-25
5 Snaky lyrics 4:01 download listen locally 2005-08-29 2005-08-30
6 Mouse lyrics 7:14 download listen locally 2005-09-06 2005-09-12
7 Pig lyrics 3:44 download listen locally 2005-09-14 2005-09-15
8 Heron lyrics 6:01 download listen locally 2005-09-20 2005-09-22
9 Sloth lyrics 5:19 download listen locally 2005-09-28 2005-10-01
10 Snail lyrics 5:23 download listen locally 2005-10-10 2005-10-11
11 Bear lyrics 5:51 download listen locally 2005-10-18 2005-10-20
12 Deer lyrics 4:33 download listen locally 2005-10-25 2005-10-27
13 Owl lyrics 8:00 download listen locally 2005-11-01 2005-11-02
14 Seal lyrics 3:26 download listen locally 2005-11-06 2005-11-08
15 Corpse lyrics 6:20 download listen locally 2005-11-11 2005-11-12
Total 77:52 play all locally album rating:
  1. Egg
  2. Chick
  3. Pup
  4. Kitty
  5. Snaky
  6. Mouse
  7. Pig
  8. Heron
  9. Sloth
  10. Snail
  11. Bear
  12. Deer
  13. Owl
  14. Seal
  15. Corpse

Notes

Vocals have always driven my music forward. Not that I'm a great singer or anything (ha!)... but when I add words to my music, the songs seem to gain focus and memorability.

Same with adding humor to my writing. If every sentence were formal and polished, this would be a boring read. But my informal conversationality (or conversational informality) makes this block of text more "human" and easier to connect with. So, like, that last sentence had horrible grammar, but hey, this isn't a textbook or a legal document. And my music isn't on the radio, stage, or anyone's CD player other than mine, my girlfriend's, and three family members'. That makes us an audience of five. So I can afford to be casual.

The vocals have the same attitude. They're defiantly casual. And funny. At least they try to be. Hey, are you laughing? Are you even reading? Hellllllloooo??? Okay, time to skip the Treadmill. Back to the story.

Padden Drift was my first set of "all new" songs in three years. I played it pretty safe, sticking mostly to familiar-sounding jazz/funk/reggae instrumentals. Consequently, it's hard to remember the names of the songs on that album; right now I can't think of any. And that's kinda depressing, knowing that I worked for a month or two on material that I don't even remember!

Gorilla Love was my deliberate effort to create a more memorable collection of songs. I did that by adding vocals. My "rule" for Gorilla Love was that every other song had to have vocals. But you already know all this, right? You read those liner notes too. Right???

Anyway, after I finished Gorilla Love, I decided to try to make a 100% vocal album. I was excited about it, but worried that I wouldn't have enough to say. I also wanted to have an outlet for any long instrumental jams and other non-vocal ditties that I might generate. Therefore, I opted to work on two albums at once: Aminals (all vocals songs) and Vegibles (all instrumentals).

Since these albums are a conceptual pair, and since I'm running out of space, I'll continue these notes on Vegibles. See you there!

Songs

Egg

I wanted to start the album with something very simple. This is just some drums mixed with instruments and vocals (aren't all songs?). I purposefully tried to keep things sparse and raw, so that you could hear the individual components. The bass line is a rising chromatic scale, which is very basic and represents growth.

Consider this metaphor: the drums are the shell (since they support the rest of the song), the vocals are the yolk (the focal point of your attention), and the other instruments are the white (the goo that holds stuff together). Or maybe the instruments are the yolk and the vocals are the white. Oh, I don't know! Make something up!

The lyrics are improvised. They're really dumb. But hey, to me words aren't as important as the sounds that the voice makes; otherwise I'd be a writer instead of a musician! And as you know from these notes, I definitely am no writer! No sirrree!

Lyrics to "Egg":

it's an egg, it's an egg
it's an egg, it's an egg...

what is that coming out of your hair?
what is that coming out of your ear?
what is that up in that nest?
what is the thing that i like the best?

what is that under there the hen?
what is that around the bend?
what is the name of this song you say?
when should i stop singing this way?

what is the name of this song you say?
when should i be quiet?
what is the name of this song you say?
when should i be quiet?
right now

[repeat]

what is hard on the outside
and chewy in the middle?
what is hard on the outside
and give you a big middle?

what is a rock on the outside
and living in the middle?
what is a rock on the outside
and living in the middle?

[repeat]
(c) 2005 Tripecac

Chick

After an egg comes a chick. After a chick come drooling guys. That was the original idea behind this song.

But then it turned into a barnyard horror story. It's ambiguous whether the song's about eating animals or lusting after girls, or, um, lusting after animals. Whatever piques your interest, you know? The lyrics were improvised, and are very dumb. So's the music.

Okay, this song made me hungry. I have to eat now.

Lyrics to "Chick":

INTRO:
  peep peep peep peep...

VERSE 1:
  i see the chickies in the yard
  i see them pecking so hard

CHORUS 1:
  do the chickies notice me?
  'cause i see them and they are so cute
  do the chickies notice me?
  are they afraid of me?

VERSE 2:
  i see the rooster in the yard
  he's a very scary looking fellow

CHORUS 2:
  does the rooster notice me?
  does he see me?
  go away rooster, stop looking at me
  i'm gonna rip your head off
  hey

VERSE 3: [organ solo]
  cock-a-doodle-doo goes the rooster
  peep peep peep go the little baby chickies
  cock-a-doodle-doo goes the rooster
  cock-a-doodle-doo goes the rooster

CHORUS 3:
  all the aminals
  having so much musical fun
  how i wish i could join them
  but when i go there they run

VERSE 4: [guitar solo]
  all the aminals
  seem to be afraid of me

CHORUS 4:
  why are all the aminals running away from me?
  i try so hard not to be scary
  come here beautiful

VERSE 5:
  i see the farmer in the yard
  with one hand around his sheep
  what's in that other hand?

CHORUS 5:
  does the farmer notice me?
  does he see me?
  on your knees, boy
  uh-oh i think he saw he me and he's coming this way
  i better get away from him

VERSE 6:
  i'm running away so very hard
  and the chickies are following close behind

CHORUS 6:
  speaking of behinds
  here comes the farmer
  with a hungry look in his eyes
  i can hear him drooling and panting
  i bet he's estimating my size

CODA:
  estimating estimating estimating...
  double meaning, double meaning...

  hey cutie, you're a baby
  hey sexy, little chicky
  how i like you and your feathers
  you're so yummy, you're so fluffy

  little chicky, how i love you
  will you come into my home tonight?
  little chicky, you're so sexy
  i want to eat you up

  those barnyard beauties
  yum yum yum...
(c) 2005 Tripecac

Pup

This song is about the relentless annoyance of youth. Whether you interpret that as "youth is annoying" or "youths are annoying" is up to you. And the pup.

Lyrics to "Pup":

INTRO:
  woof woof, woof woof...

CHORUS:
  hear the puppy down the street, barking up a storm
  hear the puppy down the street, barking every morn
  hear the puppy down the street, barking up a storm
  hear the puppy down the street, buggin' every morn

  hear the puppy down the street, barking up a storm
  hear the puppy down the street, barking every morn
  hear the puppy down the street, barking up a storm
  hear the puppy down the street, buggin' puppy norm

VERSE:
  woof woof, woof woof...

  sit sit sit sit
  lay lay lay lay
  stay stay stay stay
  obey obey ok go away

CHORUS:
  hear the puppy down the street, barking up a storm
  hear the puppy down the street, barking every morn
  hear the puppy down the street, barking up a storm
  hear the puppy down the street, barking puppy norm

VERSE:
  oh it's a puppy, a pokey puppy
  oh it's a puppy, a yappy puppy
  oh it's a puppy, a poopy puppy
  oh it's a puppy, a crappy puppy

CHORUS:
  see the puppy down the street, chasing his own tail
  see the puppy down the street, barking at a snail
  see the puppy down the street, chasing his own tail
  see the puppy down the street, hear that puppy wail

VERSE:
  can you hear that puppy wail?
  can you hear that puppy wail?
  can you hear that puppy wail?
  can you hear that puppy wail?

  oh it's a puppy, a pokey puppy
  oh it's a puppy, a yappy puppy
  oh it's a puppy, a poopy puppy
  oh it's a puppy, a crappy puppy

  sit sit sit sit
  lay lay lay lay
  stay stay stay stay
  obey obey ok now go away

  obey ok i'll go away
  obey ok i'll go away
  obey ok i'll go away
  obey ok i'll go away

CHORUS:
  see the puppy down the street, chasing his own tail
  see the puppy down the street, barking at a snail
  see the puppy down the street, chasing his own tail
  see the puppy down the street, hear that puppy wail

VERSE:
  sit sit sit sit
  lay lay lay lay
  stay stay stay stay
  obey obey ok now go away

CHORUS:
  hear the puppy down the street, barking up a storm
  hear the puppy down the street, barking every morn
  hear the puppy down the street, barking up a storm
  hear the puppy down the street, buggin' puppy norm

  see the puppy down the street, chasing his own tail
  see the puppy down the street, barking at a snail
  see the puppy down the street, chasing his own tail
  see the puppy down the street, hear that puppy wail

END:
  hear that puppy wail
  now go away
(c) 2005 Tripecac

Kitty

The title is a pun on kitty (as in poker) and kitten. This music is a slow guitar/keyboard jam. It has a couple organ solos, but most of it is geared around the vocals.

Lyrically, it's about, um, poker, I guess. Or maybe it's about investments in relationships. Like when you keep giving and giving and you want something in return. Or perhaps it's about a girl who's tired of watching her sibling's children and wants kids of her own.

Or maybe it's an expression of my disgust towards the idea of (unearned) entitlement. An Ayn Randian criticism of welfare, perhaps. Or whatever. Not that any of this has any autobiographical relevance. It just sounded melodic and witty!

Lyrics to "Kitty":

VERSE:
  i keep on antein'
  i keep on antein'
  but i get nothing

  i keep on antein'
  i keep on antein'
  but i get nothing

CHORUS:
  gimme the kitty
  i want the kitty
  gimme the kitty
  it's my turn for the kitty

VERSE: [same sound, different spelling]
  i keep on auntie-n'
  i keep on auntie-n'
  but i get nothing

  i keep on auntie-n'
  i keep on auntie-n'
  but i get nothing

CHORUS:
  i want the kiddie
  it's my turn for the kiddie
  gimme the kiddie
  i want the kiddie

VERSE:
  meow
  i want it now
  meow
  we want it now

CHORUS:
  gimme the kitty
  gimme the kitty
  i want the kitty
  it's time to have that kitty

BRIDGE:
  meow meow meow
  hi little puss
  how are you doing today?
  beware the racoonies
  the racoonies will eat you up
  they will bite you and break your neck
  and then chew you up into little bits
  and use their little miniscule hands
  to paw through your innards
  they will digest you slowly
  and when they burp they will have
  kitten innards on their breath
  beware the racoonies
  beware the racoonies!

VERSE/CHORUS:
  [combination of previous VERSES and CHORUSES]
(c) 2005 Tripecac

Snaky

I'm lucky to live in a place without any poisonous snakes. The only snakes we have are small and cute. They're also quite numerous in long grasses during the summer. To admit, it's a little startling to hear them, but I'm not afraid of them once I can see them.

This song is about how people like to pick on snakes. Some people think fear of snakes is instinctive; others say it's learned. Whatever. Okay, yeah, it's pretty shallow, but I like the groove. So zip your criticism or I'll bite you!

Lyrics to "Snaky":

VERSE:
  you're walking through the woods one day
  with a really big smile on your face
  you don't think anything could go wrong
  but then you happen to remember this song

CHORUS:
  about the snake, about the snake...
  the song about the snake, the song about the snake
  about the snake, about the snake...
  it's a song about a snake, it's a song about a snake

VERSE:
  and you're walking in the forest one day
  looking at the pretty birdies in the trees
  but then everything goes quiet
  and you think you hear a rustling in the leaves

CHORUS:
  it's a snake, it's a snake...
  beware of the slithering things
  it's a snake, it's a snake...
  slither slither slither, adam and eve bane

VERSE:
  i don't understand
  what you mean about the adam and even bane
  is it a joke? 'cause i don't get it
  can you please explain?

CHORUS:
  about the snake, about the snake...
  well, it's in the bible that you need to read
  about the snake, about the snake...
  it used to terrorize adam and eve

SOLOS:
  here comes the snake...
  watch out!
  beware the snake...

CHORUS:
  it's a snake, it's a snake...
  it's a sin, it's an evil snake
  it's a snake, it's a snake...
  i wonder if it was god's mistake

  hire a hunter to kill the snake
  maybe he will make snake steak

  it's a snake, it's a snake...
  the only good snake is a chopped up snake
  it's a snake, it's a snake...
  i want to take a chainsaw to a snake

  it's a snake, it's a snake...
  you're so mean, you know i'm just kidding (yeah right)
  it's a snake, it's a snake...
  it's just a cutie, little sweetie snake

END:
  don't hurt the snaky
  listen; leave the snaky alone
  stop swinging it around your head
  as if it were a lasso
  it's not a lasso; it's a snake
  it's a living thing
  put the snake down
  no, get away from it with that rotatiller
  no, don't even think...
  oh my god!
  poor thing

  come on snaky, come on snaky
  fight back snaky, you can do it, fight back
  come on snaky, please come on snaky
  come on snaky, bite his hand, just bite him!
  you can do it snaky, you can do it!
  kill him snaky, kill him!
  bite his head off snaky!

  case my vote for the snake
  mine too
(c) 2005 Tripecac

Mouse

I wanted to contrast a city mouse and a country mouse. There are two musical patterns: a dense and tense city dirge and a light country ditty. Can you tell which one is which (without listening to the vocals)? Can you tell where my bias lies?

It took me several days to find a good enough time and mood to record the vocals. When I finally tackled them, I was impatient to finish the song. I sang the pre-written lyrics twice as fast, so had to improvise the rest. I couldn't think fast enough to be subtle, so my adlib became cartoonishly polarized against city "rats". Hence the death and destruction references, which are a weak attempt at non-PC humor. Ha ha. Laugh now. You laughing? Ha ha? Why aren't you laughing? Hmm...

The lyrics are about city life being "bad" (hectic, aggressive, and full of superficiality) compared to "country" life. Of course, it's not like I know what true country life is like, since I've always lived on the edge of cities. It's also not like I performed any real objective comparison; I just griped about the city and painted the countryside all rosy and happy. Given more time, I might've put more intelligence into the words, but like I said, I wanted to finish the song quickly.

The term "city rats" refers not to city dwellers themselves, but to the elements of city life that turn me off. Do I want all city people to explode into little bits? No! Just the bad guys, right? So who are the bad guys? People who wear high-heels? Make-up? Ummm... Am I into anarchy? No way! I'm into nature, and minding my own business. Well, am I minding my own business? Uh, not really! So I'm a hypocrite.

Yeah, the lyrics are pretty dumb. I mixed them low so that you can't hear all the really tactless bits. I also censored the lyrics on this page; I don't want google attracting weirdos to my site! Sorry if the words aren't as peppy and polished as the music! They're just babbling, making sounds to flesh out the song so that I can move onto the next one. Oh well! At least the instrumental version will be cool!

Lyrics to "Mouse":

INTRO
  it's a mouse
  it's a mouse
  it's a mouse
  it's a mouse

  feed the mouse
  speed the mouse
  weed the mouse
  impede the mouse

  feed the mouse
  speed the mouse
  weed the mouse
  impede the mouse

CITY
  here comes the city mouse
  terror of my city house
  beware the city rat
  disease, hate, exterminate

  here comes the city mouse
  terror of my city house
  beware the city rat
  disease, hate, exterminate

COUNTRY
  leagues away, leagues away, leagues away
  amidst grasses and twigs
  lives a fluff ball field mouse
  squeaking and hopping merrily along
  never bothering anyone
  the hero of this song

CITY
  not so the city rat
  he'll even attack the city cat
  he lurks in sewers, and sleeps in scat
  gorging on trash makes him fat

  spreads death via plague and rabies
  chases pets, and gnaws on babies
  thinks he's the top of the food chain
  but he ends up rotting in a dark drain

  city city city city rat
  city city city city rat
  city city city city rat
  are you a city rat?

  city city city city rat
  city city city city rat
  city city city city rat
  are you a city rat?

COUNTRY
  hop hop hop goes the country mouse
  through the mazy bouquet of nature
  bouncing from leaf to leaf, nestling in the flowers
  surrounded by freshness and vitality

  sniffing at petals, nibbling seeds
  napping in the afternoon sun
  cleaning his tiny paws
  ready for the next dainty adventure

  we love the country mouse
  we love his country house
  we love his innocence and cuteness

CITY
  but not the city rat
  but not the city rat
  but not the city rat
  are you a city rat?

  don't like the city
  no, no the city rat
  we hate the city rat
  are you a city rat?

COUNTRY
  'cause i hate the city rats
  [...]

  i hate the city rats
  i hate the city rats
  [...]

  i hate the city rats
  i hate them city rats
  i wish they would all
  just explode into little bits

CITY
  but on the other hand
  i guess the world needs the city rats
  to keep everyone protected from the city cats
  or is that the other way around?

  i forget
  do i really care?
  no, i don't think i do
  nice improv, travis

COUNTRY
  [...]

  a plague upon the city rats
  [...]
  a swampy swampy life for the city rats

  i hate the city rats
  i hate the city rats
  i hate the city rats
  [...]

  meanwhile, among butterflies and clear skies
  the field mouse hops along
  humming to himself
  not worldly, not cosmo
  just naive and happy

  not bothering anyone
  not biting anyone
  not killing anyone
  not eating anyone

  not beheading anyone
  not looting anyone
  not drowning anyone
  not raping anyone

  not burglarizing anyone
  not stealing from anyone
  not pirating anyone
  not copying anyone

  not copying anyone
  not copying anyone
  not copying anyone
  not copying anyone

  not wearing stupid bell-bottoms
  not wearing stupid punk hairdos
  not wearing stupid nose rings
  not wearing stupid orange and blue

  not wearing stupid dreadlocks
  not wearing stupid baggy pants
  not wearing stupid high heels
  not wearing stupid make-up

CODA
  which mouse are you?
  which mouse are you?
  which mouse are you?
  which mouse are you?

  'cause we are alllll...
  pigs
(c) 2005 Tripecac

Pig

Simple, cheesy music. Really dumb, 100% improvised vocals. Oink oink! (Laziest song notes ever).

Lyrics to "Pig":

oink oink oink oink ...

you're a pig
a bit fat pig
and you don't do anything
for anybody but yourself

you're a pig
a big ugly pig
p.i.g. is your name
you think you're big

but you're a pig
swallowing the mud every day
and there's the phone
why can't they just leave me alone?

i know who it is
it's an old man
and he's wondering
if he can talk to his grandson

he's a pig
a big old pig

he's a pig
oh he's a pig
and he drinks his life
and respect away

oh he's a pig
a big old pig
i know i'm talking out of my butt cheeks
but it's okay

'cause i am not such a piggy as you
even with the fake accent i'm kinda cute

i'm not such a piggy as you
i've got something i call self respect
you're a pig
yes, you're a pig

you're a pig
a cute little pig
and i think i want to tweak your tail
i think i want to rub you in the mud

and sprinkle water on you
and look at you
eat so messily
'cause you're a pig

little pig
little pig
i think i like you even though
you are a piggy piggy pig

little pig
i think the music got eaten by a big fat pig
  [you ate my song 'cause you're a pig]

it's a pig

i'm a pig
yes i'm a pig
i know you think i'm clever
but inside i am a pretty selfish pig

yes i'm a pig
when it comes to my own stuff
i'm a big fat pig

i'm a pig
oh i'm a pig
when it comes to my ideas
i'm a pig, pig, pig

i'm a pig
yes i'm a pig
and you know i cannot sing
with a sausage in the pan

and you know i cannot sing
with a sausage in the pan

this song needed a little bit more bakin'
(c) 2005 Tripecac

Heron

I have no idea why I picked the word "Heron" to represent the music. I knew it had to be a vocal song (for Aminals), but didn't design the song around vocals. Instead, it's a long trace. How do you fit vocals to a long trance? No clue.

So I wung it (ha ha). I made up some puns on the word "heron" and improvised the rest. The squeaking you hear is my exercise bike. It kinda sounds like the honking of a bird. Pure coincidence.

Lyrics to "Heron":

INTRO:
  from post to post goes the birdie
  the big birdie
  and there's the squeaking, the squeaking
  we'll just pretend it's a heron

  did you hear the little squeakin'?
  no, no, 'cause i'm hard of hearin'

  did you hear the squeakin'?
  no, no, 'cause i'm hard of hearin'

CHORUS:
  i'm hard of hearin'
  i'm a heart of heron
    [repeats after every 2 lines:]

VERSE:
  you've got the hair on your chest
  you've got the hair on your chest

  you've got the hair on your head
  you've got the hair on your head

  hey waiter, there's a hair in my soup
  hey waiter, there's a hair on my plate

  do you like the pickled herring?
  yes i like the pickled heron

  hey al, hey scott, hey jim, hey ron
  that's right, hey ron, hey ron

  i can't think of any puns on a word
  that's a biggie-biggie bird

  i like the way he flies through the sky
  when we walk by the bay it really makes my day

CHORUS:
  oh i love the heron
  oh i love the heron

VERSE:
  do you hear my bike? it is squeakin'
  do you hear my squeakin' bike?

CHORUS:
  no, i'm hard of hearin'
  i'm hard of hearin'

VERSE:
  ok, that's enough song
  i've held the joke too long

CHORUS:
  i'm hard of hearin'

  where'd the music go?
    it's not a bird
    that's my bike
    it needs oil
  where'd the music go?

  [jabbering]

VERSE:
  isn't it a delight
  to walk by the bay?
  look at the bird
  soaring above the blue waves

  isn't it a delight?
  does it make your day?
  to see them soar
  to see them sway?

END:
  oh the might heron
  how i love the heron
  see the solitary heron
  i wonder does he have a harem of herons?

  see the mighty heron
  see the harem of heron
  see the mighty heron
  hear the mighty heron

  my bike is squeakin'
  it keeps repeating
  and the song's repeating
  and it keeps repeating
  and it keeps repeating
  and i keep repeating
  and my feet are on cycling
  and i keep on pedalling
  and i keep on thinking
  about the mighty heron
  does he keep repeating?
  does he tire of beating?
  does he tire of feeding?
  oh the mighty heron
  does he tire of his harem
  oh the mighty heron
  does he tire of being him
  oh the mighty heron
  see the mightly heron
  does he seem like cryin'?
  i cannot tell; he's flying
  there goes the heron
  where goes the heron?
  fade out on heron
  oh the mighty heron

  it's just a bird that squeaks all the time
(c) 2005 Tripecac

Sloth

I'd been feeling very low-energy for the past couple days. So I decided to write a song about a very slow, dazed creature. Hence the rhinocerous. Oops, I mean the sloth. Ha ha ha. I'm so funny.

Actually, that joke was pretty lazy. In terms of effort, it was a 2. Very low-energy. Very slothlike. Ha ha ha, I did it again; I made a funny! Funny how my funnies are very funny anymore. Hmm, something about that last sentence doesn't seem right; it seems a little off... It seems a little... umm.. "funny"... Ha ha ha ha. Man, I'm a riot tonight. Hey, are you there? Are you awake? Or are you sleeping? Man, you sleep a lot! You sleep more than a slo..t...h... :)

As for the lyrics, well, they're very lazy too. I didn't have the energy to decide what to sing about (or how to make this sentence grammatically correct), so I improvised about whatever was on my mind at the moment, which was the the making of the song. Minimal effort, minimal return. Unless I get lucky. It's like my long bombs in basketball.

Lyrics to "Sloth":

VERSE:
  here comes the sloth, brain of a moth
  here comes the sloth, his will is soft
  here comes the sloth, his skin's like cloth
  here comes the sloth, his mind is soft

  here comes the sloth, his brain is soft
  here comes the sloth, will of a moth
  here comes the sloth, his mind is cloth
  here comes the sloth, will of a moth

CHORUS:
  gotta an hour and a half to work on the sloth
  gotta an hour and a half to work on the sloth
  gotta an hour and a half to work on the sloth
  gotta an hour and a half to work on the sloth

  gotta an hour and a half to finish the sloth
  gotta an hour and a half to finish the sloth
  gotta an hour and a half to finish the sloth
  gotta an hour and a half to finish the sloth

BRIDGE 1:
  climb the tree, sloth
  get the veggies, sloth
  go up into the leaves
  and lift your eyelids
  assuming you have the energy

  you are a lazy bugger
  sorry if that's profane
  i'm too lazy to fix the lyrics
  today or any day

BRIDGE 2:
  one hour and a half
  tick tock tick tock
  time's racing
  seconds going by
  life going by
  what am i doing?
  what am i doing?
  am i finishing the song
  or am i just sitting on the couch
  watching tv and eating
  three tubs of ice cream
  three tubs of ice cream

VERSE:
  here comes the sloth, brain of a moth
  here comes the sloth, his will is soft
  here comes the sloth, his skin's like cloth
  here comes the sloth, his mind is soft

  here comes the sloth, his brain is soft
  here comes the sloth, will of a moth
  here comes the sloth, his mind is cloth
  here comes the sloth, will of a moth

  gotta an hour and a half to work on the sloth
  gotta an hour and a half to finish the sloth
  gotta an hour and a half to record the sloth
  gotta an hour and a half to capture the sloth
  gotta an hour and a half to follow the sloth
  gotta an hour and a half to capture the sloth
(c) 2005 Tripecac

Snail

This continues the encounter between the puppy and the snail (in "Pup"). The lyrics don't have any deep meaning. That's okay.

Hmmm....

Okay, while the song records I might as well type up something intelligent. Ummm...

Originally, the lyrics were gonna address real estate, from the perspective of a snail and a dog. They kinda touch on that in the beginning, but I got bored with the topic, so I made the lyrics more about, well, ummm...

Hmmm... Think fast, Trav... What can I say to make the lyrics seem clever???

Ummm... There's a bit of the old tortoise-and-the-hare theme in here. And a bit of "Treadmill". And "Keep On". And some other stuff, too, I guess. Hmm. It's really messy and shallow. And the bridge is jarring. But I like the energy of the solos and the groove. Is that validation enough? Okay, the mix is done. Time to upload!

Lyrics to "Snail":

VERSE/CHORUS:
  i got my home on my back
  cut me some home buying slack
  you think i only have a knack
  for following my own track back

  you think you're hot on the trail
  but you're just chasing your tail
  you think you're moving so fast
  but you keep treading the same grass

  and now you're barking at me
  are you afraid or angry?
  you think i'm moving so slow?
  well, at least i'm able to go

  and when you tire and sleep
  i resume my persistent creep
  and when you awake i am gone
  and you're where you were the last dawn

BRIDGE:
  so said the snail
  to the puppy chasing his tail
  so spoke the snail
  to the alpha male

  [repeat the above lyrics]

AD LIB:
  alpha, i said alpha, you're the alpha
  where are you going mister alpha papa?
  where are you going so fast in a flurry?
  i see that your paths are furry

  you are going around in circles
  i'm sliming my way somewhere
  which one of us is going further?
  is it slow and steady or is it the mania?

  the mania, the mania, the mania, the mania...
  the mania, the mania, the mania, the mania...
  the mania, the mania, the mania, the mania...
  the mania, the mania, the mania, the mania...

  where does the mania get you?
  does it get you anywhere quickly
  where does the mania get you?
  you little fluffy whirlwind

  where does the mania get you?
  why aren't you going anywhere?
  i saw you standing there yesterday
  have you not gotten anywhere?

  you keep on circling, circling
  i keep on sliming slowly
  i keep on getting somewhere
  you keep on getting nowhere

  i keep on sliming somewhere
  you keep on circling nowhere
  i keep on sliming somewhere
  you keep on slowing somewhere

  i keep on, i keep on
  i win, i win
(c) 2005 Tripecac

Bear

Woah, like psychedelic! I started this song a day after my first dental fillings. I was still feeling (or should I say "filling") a bit woozy. I had trouble keeping time with the vocals. Also, I couldn't maintain focus on the music, so it seems a bit schitzo, alternating between too dense/busy and sparse/boring.

I recorded two vocal takes. They were 100% improvised. I then cut and pasted bits of those tracks on top of each other. The result is a mess. Kinda like the mess a bear makes when he rummages through a campsite.

Lyrics to "Bear":

TRACK 1:
  with a huff we hit the trail
  we hiked 5000 miles that day it felt
  oh my god

  with a huff we hit the trail
  we hiked 5000 miles that day or so it seemed

  your voice is a bear, travis
  it's a bear
  oh no, i don't want to go over there

  with a huff we hit the trail
  my mouth feels numb
  it feels numb

TRACK 2:
  with a huff we hit the trail
  we searched everywhere for a safe way down
  we could not find one

  with a huff we hit the trail
  calling to each other
  worrying that we would find a ...

  with a b and an e and an a and an r
  the songs spells bear
  i feel barely there
  barely there

[repeat shreds of the above]
(c) 2005 Tripecac

Deer

Speed is key. But so is care. Speed and care. It's every artist's challenge to find that balance.

For Tripecac, the sweet spot is around 5 hours. If I take much longer with a song, I get bored, and the energy gets polished away; Renewal suffers from over-tweaking. If I try to rush and cram everything into an hour or two, though, I make so many mistakes that the songs end up shallow and messy. I'm not good enough at either writing or performing to crank out a solid tune super-quickly.

Anyway, there was a lot of pressure to make this a nice song. "Bear" was consciously atonal (vocally), so this time I wanted more melody. But there's that time issue; I really didn't have more than a couple hours to record the vocals and mix. So what to do? How can I crank out a listenable song in a couple hours?

I knew I had a time crunch, so I had to really concentrate. I didn't have time to write the lyrics, so I improvised them. But then I wrote them down so that I could sing harmony along to them. That was the "secret" of this song: writing down improvs so that I could repeat them and make them sound intentional. If it worked, great. Otherwise, well, doh!

Lyrics to "Deer":

i got a deer in the yard today
i got a deer in the yard today
i sent out the doggies to play
get along, little doggies

and the deer he looked at me
and he thinks he is sexy

let's try this again

i got a deer in the yard today
i got a deer in the yard today
i sent out the doggies to play
get along, little doggies

and the deer he looked at me
and he thinks he is sexy

i've got a dear dear song
and i'm trying not to do it wrong
i've got a dear dear song
and i'm trying not to do it wrong

so i pick up the mic and i improvise
what is my track record?
well, i pick up the mic and i do my best
how is my track record?

it's a dear dear song
and i hope i don't do it wrong
this is a dear dear song
and i hope i don't do it wrong

how is my track record?
how is my track record?
how is my track record?
how is my track record?

it's a dear dear song
and i hope i don't do it wrong
this is dear dear song
and i hope i don't do it wrong

well that was not so bad
i think i preserved my track record
well that was not so bad
i think i did okay this time

it is a dear, dear song
and i don't think i made it bad
it is a dear, dear song
and i made it to the end without screwing it up

it is a dear, dear song
and i think i did it justice
it is a dear, dear song
and i'm glad i didn't rush it
(c) 2005 Tripecac

Owl

Funkorama. I wanted to make this dark and ominous. Is it? It's inspired by a video we saw about a proposed development project.

Lyrics to "Owl":

owls live in a deep wood
and the deep wood's gonna die today
if we plow the owls' deep wood
all the owls will fly away

developers kill the deep wood
hear the owls howl today
developers plow the deep wood
plow the owls' howls away

deep wood to desert...

developers drain the wetlands
drain the wetlands
drain the wetlands into desert

developers drain the wetlands
kill the wetlands
turn the wetlands into desert

vote no vote no vote no vote...
the animals have no vote

no vote no vote no vote no
the animals have no vote
no vote no vote no vote no
the owls have no vote

that was a stinky!
what are you doing, travis?
this is a serious issue

shake your fist at the developers
and that will make you get your way
uh-huh uh-huh...

  [repeat bits of the above]
(c) 2005 Tripecac

Seal

The name was inspired by a bunch of harbor seals we saw the day before I started this. The lyrics were inspired by... ummm... Okay, they weren't inspired at all! They're just improvised. So much for quality control! So much for end-of-the-album tightening! So much for three minutes and twenty-six seconds of your life!

Lyrics to "Seal":

chorus:
  it's a seal...

verse 1:
  hey what's that?
  what's that swimming?
  what's that jumping?
  what's that smiling?

chorus:
  it's a seal
  it's a harbor seal

verse 2:
  what's that flying
  what's that eating?
  what's that laughing?
  what's that pointing?

chorus:
  it's a seal
  it's a harbor seal

verse 3:
  see the seal eat
  see the seal swim
  see the seal dive
  see the seal splash

chorus:
  it's a seal

bridge:
  where did he go this time?
  when is he gonna come up?
  where did he go this time?
  where is he gonna come up?

  where did he go this time?
  when is he gonna come up?
  where did he go this time?  [stupid phone!]
  why doesn't he ever tire?

  [repeat bits]
(c) 2005 Tripecac

Corpse

Fitting that I started this on Rememberence Day. Also fitting that I started this with a big ole' glass of wine. I'm talking huge! Not like a little bitty wine glass, but like a humongous water-gulping carafe. Yeehaw!

Well, I wanted to end the album on a bang. I didn't want it to whimper its way into the soil. So I made this music really aggressive. I had no idea what the lyrics were gonna be when I started this. I just knew they had to be about death (to bring closure to the album).

Speaking of death, there's a couple of Julian Cope references here. The music in the beginning sounds a bit like Cope's non-album track called "Torch" (I think). Also, the lyrics are similar to Cope's death theme on Citizen Cain'd, although they refer more to people who waste their days (and lives) than actual death. The rest of the music is pretty non-Copish.

The vocals are a bit of a mess. The music actually sounds much better without any words. But hey, rules are rules.

Lyrics to "Corpse":

we no want no walking dead
we no want no walking dead
we no want no walking dead
no wanna

we no want no walking dead
we no want no walking dead
we no want no walking dead
no wanna

don't wanna feed the walking dead
don't wanna feed the walking dead
don't wanna feed the walking dead
don't wanna

don't wanna feed the walking dead
don't wanna feed the walking dead
don't wanna feed the walking dead
don't wanna

i don't wanna watch the walking dead
don't wanna watch the walking dead
don't wanna watch the walking dead
don't wanna

i don't wanna watch the walking dead
don't wanna watch the walking dead
don't wanna watch the walking dead
don't wanna

we no want no walking dead
we no want no walking dead
we no want no walking dead
no wanna

we no want no walking dead
we no want no walking dead
we no want no walking dead
no wanna

i don't wanna see the walking dead
don't wanna see the walking dead
don't wanna see the walking dead
don't wanna

i don't wanna know the walking dead
don't wanna know the walking dead
don't wanna know the walking dead
don't wanna

i don't wanna see the walking dead
don't wanna hear the walking dead
don't wanna know the walking dead
don't wanna

i don't care about the walking dead
i wish that they would rot in peace
i do not wanna know the walking dead
i do not wanna know the walking dead

i do not wanna know the walking dead
i do not wanna get inside their head
i do not wanna get inside their bed
i do not wanna get to be their friend

i do not care about their stupid life
i do not care what they might be like
i do not care about the walking dead

the lazy bums they should just rot in hell
the lazy bums they should just rot in hell
the lazy bums they should just rot in hell
the lazy bums they should just rot in hell

i hate the lazy, stupid rotten dead
i hate the lazy, stupid rotten dead
i hate the lazy, stupid rottin' dead
i hate the lazy, stupid rottin' dead

i hate the lazy, stupid walking dead
i hate the walking dead
i hate the walking dead
i hate the walking dead

i hate the walking dead
i hate the walking dead
i hate the walking
and they're walking
and they're walking
and they're swarming my house

i can't escape the walking dead
they surround me every single day
i can't escape the walking dead
i can't escape the monkey dead

i can't escape the monkey dead
i can't escape the monkey dead
i can't escape the monkey dead
and they're banging down my door

i can't escape the monkeys
and they're banging down my door
i can't escape the monkeys
and they're begging me for more

they're always asking me for more
they're always asking me for more

i can't escape the city rats
i can't escape the lazy sloths
i can't escape the messy pigs
and the snarling puppies

i can't escape the hungry bears
i can't escape the horny farmers
i can't escape the aminals
that are haunting me

i can't escape the city rats
i can't escape the lazy sloths
i can't escape the messy pigs
and the hissing kitties

i can't escape the hungry bears
i can't escape the horny farmers
i can't escape the aminals
that are haunting me

haunting me...
they're haunting me

i can't escape the city rats
i can't escape the lazy sloths
i can't escape the messy pigs
and the selfish children
(c) 2005 Tripecac