1. |
Girard
03:50
|
|||
|
In the morning fog, I go walk my dog
Past the coffee shops as they're opening up
Sun's on the rise, and I squint my eyes
At the cityscape, taking shape
And we can see the skyline
From right across the street
But we've got room to move
Right underneath our feet
Girard, you concrete river of double-parked cars
You never fuss, and you've been a home to us
Girard, I've wandered on and traveled far
But I came back to your stretch of trolley tracks
Construction sounds echo from the ground
And the screeching tire and car horn choir
But there's harmony in cacophony
Something in the noise my brain enjoys
|
||||
2. |
Election Year
03:56
|
|||
|
Unplug the TV
Disconnect my internet
I've seen all I can see
Now let me forget all I can forget
And I've got nowhere to hide
But I'll cover my eyes
Try to turn off my ears
It's an election year
And please let me fall in deep
In the deepest of sleeps
And hibernate through
My election season blues
Come on out of the woodwork
All you once-every-four-year fools
I know you've got all your plans that could work
If you made up your own rules
And the latest polls show
That polls mean nothing at all
Wasting away
Between here and next Fall
And I've got nowhere to hide
But I'll cover my eyes
Try to turn off my ears
It's an election year
And please let me fall in deep
In the deepest of sleeps
And hibernate through
My election season blues
I can't handle the news
Don't paint me red, don't paint me blue
It's my worst fear
It's an election year
|
||||
3. |
Sunshine
02:42
|
|||
|
I know it's not as easy
As holding your chin up high
I know it's not as simple
As taking a walk outside
And even if your head is in the clouds
You still feel you're crashing down
Whatever else is disappearing, love
I'll still be around, I'll be around
And sometimes you need assurance
And hell, I know it's hard to find
Sometimes you need some sunshine
And I'll open up the blinds
I know it's not as easy
As taking some good advice
I know it's not as simple
As wishing on weighted dice
Cause even if your head is in the clouds
You still feel you're crashing down
Whatever else is going up in smoke
I'll still be around, I'll be around
And sometimes you need assurance
I'll tell you there's nothing to fear
Sometimes you need some sunshine
I love you, I'll be right here
|
||||
4. |
Compartmentalized
03:53
|
|||
|
If time were flying slower
I swear it would be moving backward
But then I could rewind
If only to find
One or two good days to redo
Once upon a time
I wasn't always waiting in line
But now I've got bills, I've got rent
My wallet is spent
And god damnit, I'm a little spent, too
And all I know is
We're only trying to live these lives
We know are compartmentalized
In boxes all mislabeled
We stack under the table
And once our small paychecks have cleared
We'll go spend it all on beer
And I will buy us all a round
And we'll drink those woes right down
And this cycle may never end
So have a seat my friend
Now my head starts to throb
Working this nowhere job
I can barely repower
I just sleep a few hours
Wake up and stumble back out the door
Dad says it's time to get real
I know he's right, but I just can't feel
Like another overtime
For a couple extra dimes
I forget what I was working for
And when will we not be
Struggling just to live these lives
We know are compartmentalized
In boxes all mislabeled
We stack under the table
And once our small paychecks have cleared
We'll go spend it all on beer
And I will buy us all a round
And we'll drink those woes right down
And I still don't know when
This old cycle will ever end
Oh, but until then
And I still don't know when
This old cycle will ever end
Oh, but until then
Have a seat my friend
|
||||
5. |
Stranger
05:18
|
|||
|
It's strange seeing life through a spyglass
Stranger still, waking up in the sky as
Headlights pass by, and I'm high as
Satellites little flashing lights that fly past
Streetlights, they make clever shadows,
but it seems even they have hit a sad low.
They circle me, like black crows,
and reach for me, but am I me? I don't know.
Strange to have a broken mind,
watching time tick by
faster than a heartbeat,
awoken by thoughts so wild.
A smirking conscience, joking, mine,
says to wait a while
as thoughts they drift to nothing, why?
I guess it's goodbye, high
I see myself in the puddle's mirror,
and ripples, they just make my face grow clearer.
I can feel the ground draw nearer.
Oh, and everything is getting queerer
It's strange seeing life through a spyglass.
Stranger still, now that the night's passed.
Not sure where I am, so I ask
"if I'm coming down anyway, why not crash?"
I guess it's goodbye, high
Guess it's goodbye
|
||||
6. |
||||
|
All day, peering through the blinds
Scowling at the passersby
That's about the extent of your day
And tomorrow will be much the same
All night, you won't put out the light
Is it paranoia or genuine fright?
When no one here would do you any harm
But you've got other cause for alarm
And I feel sad for you
Cause you have nothing else to do
I feel bad for you
And I hope you can find a better way
To live the rest of your days
Three sisters, hiding from the sun
Spinsters, behind the drapes they spun
And God forbid you'd take their parking space
Well there'd be some hell to pay
A new day in decades of decay
Trying to redirect the winds of change
I don't know how it could come to this
But you don't want to coexist
You don't want to coexist
All day, peering through the blinds
Scowling at the passersby
|
||||
7. |
Happy, Alone
04:25
|
|||
|
It's clear out now, the stars are bright
My windows up, 'cause it's cold tonight
I've been cruising around for a good bit.
Breathe in slow and feel my heart beat
in the radiance of night;
Happy, alone
Breathe in light.
Breathe in light,
take it slow
When you're on your own
It's not that bad, you know?
When you're on the road,
sometimes it feels slow.
Nobody but you inside your head.
You really get to know
yourself, inside out.
Embrace your doubt and learn to be afraid.
You'll be OK
Taps on my window,
little rocks fly by.
Leaving scratches
on this glass of mine,
but I still see fine.
Oh I still see fine.
Breathe in slow, and feel my heart beat
in the radiance of night;
happy, alone.
|
||||
8. |
Only Me
03:15
|
|||
|
Well I'm running again
25 years, and I'm looking back
On a life I should have never began
But anyone could let themselves get lost
I won't suffer this
Do I deserve anything that I get?
Doubt permeates all bliss
You try to cope when you feel hopeless
Am I alone?
Well, I've been down
Everyone thinks they can save me
I'm up and down
So give a little space for me to breathe and know
When you find me lying on the floor
I'm all right, yeah, I've been here before
Could I take a break now?
Try a little to see a way
But I'm lost in a breakdown
You get tired when people say
Maybe you could try
And get over yourself, this time
But that's not good advice
For someone who's stuck inside their head
You're not alone
Well, I've been down
Everyone thinks they can save me
I'm up and down
So give a little space for me to breathe and know
When you find me lying on the floor
I'm all right, yeah, I've been here before
Maybe you can love what you can't see
It's hard to tell what that means to me
Trust me, you can tell when to tell yourself a lie
It's all right
Breaking the chain of fragile knots
A derailed train of fractured thoughts
Maybe I can't love what I can't see
It's only me
It's only me
|
||||
9. |
Give It a Rest
02:47
|
|||
|
Maybe I'm lost
I can't see the forest through the fog
Is there a cost
For keeping all my troubles locked
Inside my cluttered mind
I've been here a thousand times
Just waiting for the sun to rise
Taking up all the time I have
Running around inside my head
I feel like something's gotta change
Nothing has ever felt so strange
Can't keep on wasting my time, thinking about it
So I'll give it a rest now
I'll be all right
Sometimes it all makes sense
When you start to rearrange
See life through a clearer lens
Sort out some pocket change
When I said I'd clear my head
This isn't what I meant
But I know that I will shape up in the end
I think I'll have better luck next year
But I don't know where to go from here
I'll be all right
I feel all right
|
||||
10. |
20th Century
03:18
|
|||
|
How's the weather there in Smalltown, USA?
I get the sense you've never had the urge to get away
It's a big, big world out there, but you won't ever catch a glimpse
Your narrow-minded bigotry just feeds your ignorance
The 20th Century's come and gone
There's nothing you can do to keep us all from moving on
But stand in defiance if you must
You'll be left covered head to toe in our collective dust
Hey Confederate flag sign
The Civil War was over in 1865
For what kind of allegiance do you stand?
You miserable, old, bitter man
The 20th Century's come and gone
|
||||
The Upticks Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
A four-man rock outfit from two ends of Philadelphia. We make music in an attic.
If you like The Upticks, you may also like:
Catholic School
by Joey Sweeney & The Neon Grease
The riotous new LP from Joey Sweeney is full of jagged-edged, bristling Americana. 50% of the vinyl proceeds benefit Rock to the Future.
go to album
As Far As Gardens Go
by Carroll
Spacious, psych-tinged indie rock from Philly; painting in blurry watercolors (but not without percussive headiness).
go to album
Outfitting harmonnic indie rock with elements of folk, surf, and more, this D.C. quartet have a warm, homespun sound that's easy to love.
go to album
Life on the Lawn
by A Country Western
The Philadelphia group sharpen their hooks and internal dyanmics for a fun and non-dorky take on power pop anyone can get behind.
go to album
Double Your Relaxation
by So Totally
With chiming, droning, and shimmering guitars galore, the Philadelphia shoegaze group debut their strongest collection of songs yet.
go to album
White Plastic Chairs
by Mavis the Dog
Soft-focus bedroom pop from this Philadelphia group powered by lo-fi keys and hazy production.
go to album
Access To The Lonely
by Rid Of Me
The Philly DIY punks balance pulverizing riffage with bottomless hooks on their arena-sized second album.
go to album
