Updates

Good evening friends,

Did you catch the blood moon tonight?

How are the NBA finals going for you?

I’m slammed and really probably should have been doing other things, but I promised myself and the universe a weekly song, so here it is.

strangemagic.bandcamp.com/track/dont-get-carried-away

Almost at the last minute, but I do need to get to my Duolingo lesson so I don’t also lose that streak.

Take care out there.

Hugs,

Javier

Don’t Get Carried Away

Don’t be alarmed
Don’t get carried away

There’s nothing wrong
Don’t get too carried away

It’s like a vague dream
It’s like a dirty joke

It’s just a card trick
It’s just some mirrors and smoke

It’s just like
You been spinning on a wheel
It’s just like
You’ve been told what to feel

We’re gonna waste some time
We’re gonna take it slow
It’s gonna break your heart
More than you could know

They say its worth it somehow
But how could they know
It’s gonna break your heart
More than you could know

Don’t get sad
Don’t get carried away

There’s nothing wrong
Don’t get too carried away

It’s just a short time
Feels like a minute or so

It’s just a card trick
It’s just some mirrors and smoke

It’s just like
You don’t know what is real
It’s just like
You’ve been told what to feel

Hi pals,

Happy late Mother’s Day to all of you!

This week’s song is coming to you right under the wire!

Truthfully it was not easy to get going. It was a busy week and I didn’t really have anything up my sleeve. The longer I waited, the more anxious I got.

This is maybe the first time since in this experience that I began to doubt myself. I’ve been doing this long enough, that I thought I gotten rid of doubt. Nope. What a terrible feeling!

This was a slog, and there were moments that I just didn’t like this one at all.

I think it wrangled it enough and I’m pleased for the time being.

Hope you’re all doing ok out there!

If you have any positive vibes to send out, please spare some for the fires happening here in New Mexico and some extra powerful ones for my mom, she hasn’t been doing too well for the past few months.

Thanks, and I hope you have a great week.

Black Cat Bottle Rocket

I know I’m late
I’m gonna invade your dreams
I’m not too sentimental

And know that I’m not here
I’m not anywhere
I’m not gonna be late 
Tomorrow…

I’m gonna make some noise

I’m not here
I’m not anywhere
I’m gonna invade your dreams
Someday

I’m not there
I’m not sentimental
I’m gonna invade your scene
and say…

I’m gonna make some noise

Is this dream
What it seems
Is the grass always green?
Would you think less of me?

I won’t flagrantly blurt my exact age on this website my dear reader, but I will say that the 90’s will always seem at least 10 years ago and I think I will forever feel like I’m around 28 years old. As they say, you’re only as old as you feel.

It’s interesting to witness formative albums of your youth also become old, distinguished, and perhaps classic. “When did that happen?!” I often ask myself. It seems as you get older, time accelerates. I’ve spent most of my life being young, and it’s only just occurring to me that the state of youth can’t and won’t last forever.

The best part about being young is that there is a whole culture built around it which makes one feel even more powerful and immortal that you would otherwise. You almost feel like you’ve earned it! Until, of course, you hurt yourself sneezing and find stray white hairs all over. You’ve actually earned age and you don’t even want it! Age and humility, two bitter tastes that go great together.

I will say that being in your 20’s looks exhausting to me now. As I recall, it was fairly exhausting (and fun).

This song might be sloppier than I hoped for, but you have to let your children be what they are.

E=MC2

The speed of light
Just might
Take you out of the fight
Turn the wrong
To the right

The speed of day
Just may
Get you carried away
to you own dismay

The speed of death
We just met!
Your shoes
Are under the bed
The curtains twist
In the wind

Twist In the wind

The speed of light
Just might
Take you out of the fight
Turn those wrongs
To the right

The speed of time
Horseflies
These are the tilt-a-whirl years 
Hold on to something 
That’s dear

The speed of birth
What’s worse!
You are breath 
of fresh air
You’re coming in
crystal clear

Crystal clear!

Dance, like you’re in a french movie
Exhale into the abyss
Put a T.V. dinner in the oven
Shoot your shot like you can’t miss

Recently, in a certain semi-exclusive power-pop related chat room Peter Gill of 2nd Grade posted (and I’m paraphrasing) “There’s nothing more satisfying than a song that has I IV V progression with someone singing “I want you” in the chorus” I not only agree with him, but I took it as a personal challenge to try my hand at writing a song with those ingredients.

I Want You

Thinking ‘bout the crime
The time you might have 
Slunk into the waiting room

You said a single line
I find, I pine
at the first sight of you

The boss is away
I say in a not-so-pleasant tone
There’s a price you’ve gotta pay
They say for always keeping 
on your headphones

If you want the job
I think you might be overqualified…

Between here and there
We’ll have our share
Of small catastrophes

Put the lamp next to the chair
Let down our hair
And keep things in parenthesis

The kids are alright
We say goodnight in feather down soft tones
Leave the bills we have to pay
Do what we may
Forget about our cell phones

If you want the job
I think you might be overqualified

I want you

If I had to choose a favorite guitar chord, I’d go with G major. When I was first learning to play guitar, the G chord seemed very tricky and elusive. It seems the moment I mastered it, the rest was history, a guitarist I’d become.

I also love the the G chord because it just sounds so full and powerful to my ears, and as soon as I pick up a guitar it’s the first thing I play just to see if everything is in order.

A little while ago, I’d wondered if I could write a song with a single chord and this is – as you might have guessed – in G. It’s not really completely in G, there are other weird C and E shapes in there if you really listen.

One of my favorite movies of all time is Back To The Future, I really like the idea of meeting your parents when they were younger. Time travel is just so compelling! I think if I had casual use of a time machine, and also maybe some kind of invisibility, I’d just sit and chill with my grandparents in their kitchen.

So that’s the song in a G-shaped nutshell…

A Solitary Cord

If there was tunnel
If there was a way
To bend the stubborn arrow
the other way

I’d sit in the corner
and never look away
as you read the morning paper
she cracks an egg

Spin the big wheel
And watch the showcase!
Were you over by a dollar?
Who needed them anyway!

A solitary cord 
Appears on my face
I think I’d be river!
I’d be a lake!

If there was tunnel
If there was a way
To bend the stubborn arrow
the other way

Who’s playing on the TV?
What’s the score today?
Throws another interception
and that’s the game

On the big bed
The stories are the same!
Did he have a change of heart?
Did she get away?

A solitary cord 
Appears on my face
I think I could be river!
I'd be a lake!

It sure seems like there are plenty of people who are wetting themselves with glee when the topic “the end times” comes up. Some folks like bridge, or golf, or baking sourdough bread. Others are truly Armageddon enthusiasts. I mean, when you look around, one can find themselves wanting to give up on the whole thing. But, you know there are nice things too. I personally would be sad to miss out on tomorrow’s Wordle.

The people I’m complaining are usually staunchly, fundamentally, religious, which is generally their whole deal. They are after all the “chosen ones” and will somehow be excluded from the general pain and suffering that we outcasts can look forward to. (I’m lumping you in with me) How low does your self-esteem have to be for you to just blindly believe it when somebody says you’re one of the special exalted few? You’re special? You. Doreen? How about you Trig? “God” wants to hang with you for all eternity? An all-knowing, all-seeing god is really excited when it comes to you? You’re getting raptured? Ok…

This is a song about how it might feel to be left behind. I personally, might find it mildly relaxing, apart from the prevailing radioactive winds and the annoying lack of Dippin’ Dots available.

Those Post Rapture Glory Days

All the good people 
Made it to the stratosphere
And you’re left behind

There’s a heaven waiting
For creatures big and small
How could fate be so kind?

All the canned goods
And modern cinema
Should tide you over
Now

Constant comments
and the petty criminals
Who needs them anyhow

This is your corner now

Party!

Met the other leftovers
just the other day
Forgot how to say hello

Talkin ‘bout how things
are so much quieter now
Since everyone checked out

We’ve got more time
and fewer opinions
To squabble over now

Constant comments
and the petty criminals
Who needs them anyhow

This is your corner now

Party!

The mushroom cloud grows
And where it goes
Nothing grows anymore 

There are many great songs about committing crimes, from Sonny Curtis’s classic “I Fought The Law” to Jane’s Addiction’s “Been Caught Stealing” to Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise”. I thought I’d give one a go and also make it sound over-the-top romantic. A meet-cute in the worst possible way.

Moonlight Entrada

So nice to see you 
Under the moonlight
Stop and say hello

Do you happen 
To have on your person 
Your wallet or jewelry 
By now I think you know 

That I’ve got the 
Methods, the tools, and the inclination 
To butter crumpet blow your mind

And you’ll be free
Don’t wait to see

...

How did we get into this situation 
In this lovely part of town?

You see I’ve got a thing
Like a fatal condition 
The universe is jerking me ‘round

So I’m here raising some funds
In an uncommon manner
So hand it over carefully 

And we’ll be free
So joyfully

Serving all the door knobs on the fence
While the blankets try to save their hides again
May I stick this landing that I do descend 
I’m wasting my weekend…

Sure as shit I mispronounce the sound
As I work this bowl of punch across my bow
Stars and rainbows oozing out my mealy mouth
I’m wasting my weekend...

Set my glass down
Stop. 
Take a breath 
And look around
I’m the queen of this house now!
Get down
Take me down

Starting in 6th grade and up until the winter of 7th, I was blossoming into my own version of Red Panda, in that a vague hint of a mustache appeared like a looming shadow below my nose. For some reason, I was not allowed to shave this monstrosity off, and so by existing in middle school, I casually collected the loveably delightful nickname “Wolfboy”. I was not doing good in 7th grade.

A few years ago we took a trip to LA and ended up in Venice Beach for a bit. There was a very entertaining hip hop dance troop busking. As adequate as they were at break dancing, they really shone when it came to hustling. The MC kept promising some elaborate trick that never really materialized. They were fun though, and I’m glad that I recorded the clip you hear at the beginning of this song. I’m extra thrilled that it seemed to line-up so well!

You can hear the announcer refer to “J-Wolf”. My name starts with a “J” and as my 7th grade nickname was “Wolfboy”…

I’ve not been feeling great this week, so I chalk it up as a minor miracle that “J-Wolf” has been able to pull this one off.

Ode To Slumber

I’ve got a lot things to do
But I’m short on summertime
Gotta wanna have a thing to say
But, I’m short on the supply

I just wanna lay me down
I don’t wanna let you down

Here’s a blanket for my feet today
And a pillow for my head
I’m reaching for my dreams today
They’re the ones inside my bed

I just wanna lay me down
I don’t wanna let you down

Inside I’m 
All neon sound

I just wanna lay me down
I don’t wanna let you down

We just started watching this show called Severance on Apple TV. It’s great! It’s directed by Ben Stiller, and you’ll recognize Adam Scott, John Turturro, Christopher Walken. It takes the idea of work/life balance to a horrific Charlie Kaufmann meets Stanley Kubrick extreme. But I digress. I’m sure at one time or another we’ve all experienced a longing to get away. I’ve been on a Portugal kick for a minute.

This song is in the tradition of Weezer’s “Holiday”, Fountains of Wayne’s “Sick Day”, or The Cardigans “Daddy’s Car” so we know what this is about. I recall putting the chorus guitar and vocal down on a voice memo after waking one morning, it sounds familiar and I’m sure there are at least a dozen songs that have a similar progression. It’s fun.

I didn’t really know how this one would turn out, but I’m happy with how it turned out. Listening back to the past 9-ish songs, it seems like I was in 60’s/70’s land. This one has 90’s kid all over it. Perhaps eventually there will be a weekly song that sounds like it comes from this century?

Here’s to getting away…

The Incredible Wanderlust

I’ve seen you sighing, crying, nodding off
Inside your cubicle
Gazing at jpgs of the coastline
As you work your cuticles

The faulty laser jet copier
Could be on early grave
I’m into pin     a coladas 
Getting caught in the rain 

Take to the highway at the speed of sound 
We have an emergency!
I just made a mixtape of the greatest sounds
In recorded history!

There is a diner where the milkshakes
Taste like a miracle
Put in your two week notice
Let’s get physical

Let’s take off during your lunch break
Don’t even clock out
Slamming the top of your steering wheel
As you rock out!

The grass is always greener on the other side
Let’s to go see what We can find!
Faces become meaner if you stay inside
Leave behind your foolish pride

Take to the highway at the speed of sound 
We have an emergency!
I just made a mixtape of the greatest sounds
In recorded history!

You could jet to Brazil
Take a sleeping pill
And you’re on your way

You could rocket to Spain
Siesta on the beach
And forget all your pain

You could just stick around
Put on some lipstick
And a frame on your frown

You should just pack all in
Go to your apartment
And just do it again