albums
Underway
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
2024 Battle of the E-Bands

Track List

# title lyrics time download listen started recorded rating
1 Background - 8:07 download listen locally 2003-03-02 2005-02-08
2 Green - 4:23 download listen locally 2003-03-05 2005-02-08
3 Sprint - 7:21 download listen locally 2003-03-24 2005-02-10
4 Taxed - 4:49 download listen locally 2003-03-25 2005-02-14
5 Lost - 4:51 download listen locally 2003-03-26 2005-02-16
6 Nuther - 5:06 download listen locally 2003-03-26 2005-02-16
7 Glued lyrics 6:25 download listen locally 2003-03-27 2005-02-17
8 Ciao Bella - 2:42 download listen locally 2003-03-29 2005-02-19
9 The Fool - 4:29 download listen locally 2003-04-01 2005-02-19
10 Practicy - 1:50 download listen locally 2003-04-02 2005-02-22
11 Bang - 6:05 download listen locally 2003-04-06 2005-02-23
12 Temperary - 7:41 download listen locally 2003-04-22 2005-02-24
13 April Shower - 10:33 download listen locally 2003-04-23 2005-02-28
14 Glued Reprise - 1:54 download listen locally 2003-03-27 2005-03-01
Total 76:16 play all locally album rating:

Notes

During Thanksgiving week of 2002, I was 3000 miles from my family and friends. Feeling the holiday loneliness, I decided to socialize with the only people I knew in town. They were into bar-hopping. It had been years since I'd actually gone out at night, so I was out-of-practicy, but I decided to give it a shot anyway (no pun intended).

The first evening actually went well. The novelty of being around people was stimulating, and I think others were attracted to my energy. I drank enough to feel relaxed and empathic, but not so much that I acted the fool. It was a good vibe.

The second evening required more effort. I felt self-conscious and less impressed with the people around me. In an attempt to reprise my confident groove from the night before, I drank... a lot. For some reason that "strategy" seems to work, because people kept coming over to talk to me. Perhaps I was an oddity ("what's that geek doing in here?") or maybe I still had "it" from the previous evening, whatever "it" is. I kept drinking, trying to maintain "it", even though deep down I realized that "it" was only temperary, and not sustainable.

By the third evening, I was exhausted, hungover, and unhappy; my social muscles (and liver) were taxed. My eyes had lost their sparkle. My friends dragged me out again, but this time I felt so crummy that I just tried to stay in the background. I avoided alcohol and gazes, and kept my eyes glued to the floor and the door, itching to get out of there.

The next morning, I shunned everyone. I didn't want yet anuther night of strangers and forced smiles. I fled the phone and went for a long jog. Gradually I began to feel better. I was surrounded by green, blue, and white: my favorite colors. The air was cool and invigorating, cleaning my lungs and thoughts like a fresh breeze after an April shower. I felt healthy, natural, and happy again.

After jogging through my usual route, I decided to push myself before returning home. I wanted to end my day with a proud bang of accomplishment, to make up for the wasted evenings. I thought about sprinting home, but instead decided to extend my jog another hour, to the top of the arboretum, which I hadn't visited in several weeks.

What happened next is discussed in the song "Cheating" (on Disco Hike). I won't repeat it here, because I am out of space, but I'll give you a clue: "Ciao Bella"! :)

This album is named after that fateful day, and represents a return to introverted habits. I finished it in three weeks, which was even faster than Coma Pill! All the sounds are from the Triton, except for my voice on "Glued".

Songs

Background

I guess I considered this song background when I created it. I still think it's pretty boring. In fact, it's very boring! In fact, this is exactly the sort of song that Coma Pill tried to expunge from the Tripecac vocabulary. So much for progress, eh?

Green

I don't know why I called this one "green". Perhaps winter was ending? I worked on it for two days in 2003, and didn't have to add much in 2005; my main additions were the koto and bongos, with which I tried to give the song a more "organic" feel.

Sprint

I think the song is named after the phone company rather than the race, since it's not very speedy! There's actually two parts: a short, slow, semi-annoying groove in the beginning, and then a longer, simpler, peppier jam section. The segue between the two sections is so quiet that it's almost as if this were two separate songs. To give the track some closure, I ended the second section with part of the first groove. If you think this description is long-winded and clunky, just wait until you hear the song!

Taxed

I guess I paid my taxes the day I started this mellow jam. I finished it on Valentine's Day 2005. I wish I had something insightful to say about the song, but IMO it's pretty nondescript. My favorite bit is the clav solo, which is unfortunately mixed a little soft.

Lost

I'd just gotten back from a ski trip, and discovered that my favorite spoon had been lost while I was gone. I spent several hours looking for it, but never found it. Creatively, this song feels a bit lost too, as if I'm retreading old ground while trying to get somewhere more inspiring.

Nuther

I started this trancy, krautrocky jam on the same day I started "Lost". Its name is short for "Another"; perhaps I was trying to sound German? There's a mini-climax about four minutes in; I could have extended it but decided to finish the song on the same day I finished "Lost".

Glued

I think I named this after I saw someone glued to the TV. We eliminated TV soon after. My productivity has soared ever since! In 2005 I improvised the lyrics, which are about addiction.

Lyrics to "Glued":

ok, y'all
hey, pay attention to me
  (somebody talking?)
pay attention to me
hello?  i'm talking

he was glued to the tv
oh what a shame
eyes wide open
to an empty brain

he was glued to the tv
oh what a shame
his eyes wide open
a susceptible brain

and the junk came pouring in
and the garbage came shooting out
his mouth that turned dirty
he thought it was cool to pout

and be angst-ridden
and all that gunk
  ('sup dude)
it's hip, it's cool
it's, oh it's so cool
i gotta have my junk
  (bling bling)

'cause i'm glued to the tv
i can't think for myself
oh god, neither can i sing
go travis, back on the shelf
  (go travis)

he was glued to the pc
and developed a slouch
spent all his days
hopping from his chair to the couch

he was glued to his hobbies
he was glued to his tasks
and if you tried to talk to him
he'd embarrass his big,
translucent white butt

  (did you say butt?)
  (is this rated g or something?)

his glowing big white butt

'cause he was glued to the chair
and the table and the pc and the tv too
he was glued to the books
and the cds and the dvds, yahoo!

he was glued to the inside
he was repulsed by the out
he was glued to himself
and to himself he... (what?)
  something or other

1,2,3,4
hear the snapping?
just keep to the snapping, travis

i deserve
'cause i am glued to the tripecac formulae

i was glued to the formulae
of the trippety-cac
i had to improvise every song
and then edit back

some sanity
some comprehensibility
some sense of melody
some sense of the thing we call

sanity, sanity, sanity, sanity
santitah, sanituh, sanitoo-too-too

how can you keep a straight face, travis
when you do what you do?

'cause i'm glued to the mirror
where i practice my faces
i'm glued to my images
in many strange places
like my hard drive

here we go again travis
talking about computer
talking about your geekiness
talking about yourself again
all you ever do
is stay glued to yourself travis

you are glued to yourself travis, hey
you are glued to yourself travis, hey
you are glued to yourself travis, hey
you are glued to yourself travis, hey

you are glued to yourself
you are glued to the inside
you are glued to the tv
you are glued to the computer

you are glued to your books
you are glued to your routine
you are glued to your tests
you are glued to your tune

you are glued to your bed
you are glued to your books
you are glued to the mirror
you are glued to the... something
to the something
you are glued to the something, travis

you are glued to yourself travis
you are glued to yourself travis
you are glued to yourself travis
you are glued
and now it's time to come unglued

so i wander through the tempo a little bit
i try to improvise
try to adapt to the external stuff
and this is what i get

if i don't pretend that i am
in rhythm with myself
in rhythm with the day
in rhythm with my heart
in rhythm with my body
then i can't succeed, no way

'cause i don't mind being glued
to the things that define me

ok that was really dumb

so i'm taking the mic
so i'm grabbing the mic
from the travis
from the travis

everybody let's celebrate
i got the mic from the travis
from the travis

just you and me, guys
you and my brain
i was raised by the tv
this is me
i'm gonna be
extra spicy
extra witty

i will say the cliches that i know
i will tell all the jokes that i've heard
i will say all the stupid things
that i mimic every day of my life

'cause i was glued to the tv
and i was glued to my gameboy
and i was glued to my stupid, stupid friends
and all my toys

i am stupid every day
this is what i have to say
all the obvious things
that come through my mind

he was glued
he was glued
he was glued
and i think you are glued too

you're glued
  (i just burped)
just face it, you're glued

that is the height of comedy, comedy, comedy

to burp
to make bodily functions
is the height of comedy
according to my tv

glued, glued, glued, glued
glued, glued, glued, glued
glued, glued, glued, i'm out of here
i'm being rude

slam
  

Ciao Bella

"Hello, beautiful!" Or, "Goodbye, beautiful!" Thumpity thumpity thump, it's back to the Coma Pill thumpity thump. So much for subtlety thumpity thump. At least it's thumpity thump short!

The Fool

This song's title has a couple meanings. For one, I started it on April Fool's Day 2003. Also, sometimes I feel like people think I am a fool, even when I'm being serious and strategic. I finished this song very quickly (in about an hour).

Practicy

This started as a piano-only ditty. I think I was forcing myself to practice my fingering and/or composing technique. In 2005 I added the other parts. Since the melody is so cheesy, I kept it short.

Bang

This song certainly has some punch to it at times, but seems a bit rambly overall. It was originally drowned in muddy reverb; I lightened it a bit but it still sounds soupy. My favorite bit is the jamming towards the end, which is mostly from 2005.

Temperary

I think someone was in a bad mood when I started this, and my consolation (to myself or that person) was that it wouldn't last long. Unfortunately, this song does last long; wayyyy too long! Given the title, you might think it's a fist-pounding, foot-stomping, door-slamming powerfest. Ha! Instead, you're suckered into a slow, sappy snore-a-thon, with sloppy strings, a meek melody, and muddy mixing. It's laboriously long, lethargic, and... well... lame. The only shining light is the climax at around the 5 minute point. It gives you hope for a second, but then the song descends back into its boringness.

April Shower

I guess it was raining the day I started this. Since this is the last song I started in April 2003, I decided to make it the last song on the album. There were about 10 minutes left to fill, so I made this really long. Hopefully it didn't end up too boring! I try to end albums on a positive note, no pun intended!

Glued Reprise

This is a very short, instrumental version of "Glued". It focuses on the organ solo which was buried under the vocals in the "real" version.