“Chasing Dreams, Chasing Time (feat. Emmett Folger)” by STATHI – A Song Feature

 

     The song from STATHI offers a reflective journey into shaping a lifelong perspective. Vocally, “Chasing Dreams, Chasing Time” is reminiscent of a calmer version of the Scottish band Biffy Clyro. And the use of a landline answering machine recording from a loved one (Mom?) is similar to the far less positive, but equally introspective, single “Hate Me” from Blue October. With maturity comes perspective? Well, not often enough. But STATHI explains:
   “This is a song I worked on with my good friend and producer Emmett Folger throughout 2023 in his Brooklyn home studio. It is a follow up to our last song ‘Make Sense, Make Amends’ and it is a song about growing. I have been thinking a lot about how to get healthier in mind, body and spirit and a lot of those themes show through in this tune. It is also about finding ways to preserve a childlike spirit and to not give up on dreaming just because you're growing older and things are getting heavy. I hope this resonates with listeners.” 
 
     The lyrics intelligently accommodate interpretations that are personal to different listeners. A personally relatable verse provides the basis for the song’s title, “Chasing my dreams and chasing time // I’m setting some goals to feel alive.” The full lyrics are included at the bottom of this post.
 
     STATHI is the project of Stathi Patseas, a singer-songwriter from Omaha, Nebraska. He is now based in New York City.  His debut album, “Life of Compromise,” was released in March 2019.
 
     “Chasing Dreams, Chasing Time (feat. Emmett Folger)” by STATHI

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theStathi/
Bandcamp: https://stathi.bandcamp.com/

Lyrics of “Chasing Dreams, Chasing Time (feat. Emmett Folger)” by STATHI
I had to eat my words
And now I’ve done it like a thousand times
I have defined the meaning of me.
 
I listened to my heart
I swear I listened like a million times
I swore never again
I meant never again.
 
I try and convolute
I'm really hoping just find some truth
I place the blame on everything.
 
I never contemplate
I'm only wanting to appreciate
I think it’s finally doing some good.
 
And I made you feel small
You said I did it like a hundred times
I said never again
I swore never again.
 
Every Sunday is lasting longer
Mindless patience, mindless wander
Chasing my dreams and chasing time
I’m setting some goals to feel alive.
 
[Interjection]
I'm really hoping just find some truth, some truth, truth, truth…
[Interjection]
I listened to my heart
I swear I listened like a million times.
 
Chasing my dreams and chasing time
Feel the best when I feel alone
On my own and I want to go home.
 
Call a cab and I call it quits
Fell asleep so I could just forget.
 
Every Sunday is lasting longer
Mindless patience, mindless wander
Chasing my dreams and chasing time
I’m setting some goals to feel alive.
 
I wanna place my future in your hands
Taking these outcomes as they land.
Fighting those thoughts that can intrude
To tell the truth I still believe in you.
 
I have defined the meaning of me.
 
I swore never again
I meant never again.

“Big Cat Tattoos” by Hamish Hawk – A Song Feature

 

     "Big Cat Tattoos" holds the power to build an emotional fervor within the listener, who likely isn’t sure where to channel that emotion. The first-person lyrics clearly show that the protagonist is intelligent. How many of us replay Middle Age wars in our head? And clever – “You with all thе modesty of big tech in bloom.” With the assuredness is the vocals and the determined march of the melody, it is easy to jump into the sentiment of “Big Cat Tattoos” with both feet, but where is the landing spot? The lyrics are not intended to gently guide the listener along a familiar path. But Hamish Hawk provides some explanation:
   “I tried to avoid cleaning things up at the time of writing, I cornered myself into a warts-and-all approach. But don't be fooled, ‘Big Cat Tattoos’ is all talk. Our hero gets a few barbs in nice and early, and lands a couple of clumsy jabs, but in the end we're witness to nothing more than a petty diatribe. It's embittered, unbecoming, and wholly embarrassing. It does have a certain get-up-and-go, though."
 
     The song is a single from an upcoming album, which is scheduled for release on August 16, 2024, via SO Recordings & Fierce Panda. The album, “A Firmer Hand,” can be preordered at https://hamishhawk.tmstor.es/. Again quoting Hamish Hawk:
  "‘Big Cat Tattoos’ is just one of the great unsaids that make up the new record, and it's the birthplace of the album's title: ‘A Firmer Hand.’ Unknowingly, I'd been building up an ugly arsenal of great unsaids over the past few years, and the album became a place I could offload them, and with any luck put them to rest.
 
     “Big Cat Tattoos” has a feel of Talking Heads at their best. The track features a strong bass line and unexpected instrumental bursts. It's melodic, but includes off-kilter, adventuresome interjections. Both Hamish Hawk and Talking Heads’ David Byrne were born in Scotland. But while Byrne was relocated to Canada at the age of two, Hawk still calls Scotland home. He is based in Edinburgh.
 
     “Big Cat Tattoos” by Hamish Hawk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hamishhawk
Website: https://hamishhawk.com/

Lyrics of “Big Cat Tattoos” by Hamish Hawk (with some guesses)

A billion dollars in your eyes

Beside a hospital bed

Hot wars of the Middle Ages replaying in my head

 

You wore your Colonel Tom Parker signet ring

With the unmistakable air of get up there and sing

I watched you and time itself, sharing a fat cigar

The Puritans were pulling with their paws on my jugular

 

You get used to fighting talk, doing what you love

Turns out the soft boy gets hard, when push comes to shove

 

I think you'd prefer a firmer hand

With big cat tattoos

And a wedding band

 

You could laugh at his jokes

You could bury your nose in his shoes

Is this a bad time?

 

Don't push me

With your safe pair of hands

Don't shush mе

With that playground jazz

 

I'll find me a man

I'll find me a man, who understands

 

You with all thе modesty of big tech in bloom

I tire of you honestly when you sworn around the room

How I used to like to watch you fixing me a drink

'Till manhandling the crystal ware, became your kink

You told everyone of my miserabilist movie

You bored my friends from out of town with the virtues of shoegaze

With all the upright strength of an infant's neck

 

And yet

And yet

And yet

And yet

 

Will you record the sound I make when I die?

What the devil would it take for you to look me in the eye?

Am I your number one?

Or just some other guy?

If I asked you for real, would you wise up and die?

 

Don't push me

With your safe pair of hands

Don't shush me

With that playground jazz

 

I'll find me a man

I'll find me a man, who understands

How I like to play with my hands

 

I think you'd prefer a firmer hand

With big cat tattoos

You could laugh at his jokes

You could bury your nose in his shoes

You'd like that wouldn't you?

 

Don't push me

With your safe pair of hands

Don't shush me

With that playground jazz

 

I'll find me a man

I'll find me a man, who understands

How I like to sit on my hands

“Nagoro” by Supercaan – A Song Feature

 

      The vocals in “Nagoro” possess a charisma that pulls the listener into the emotion of the song, regardless of any attempt to understand the lyrics or grasp any meaning. Simultaneously, the instrumentation offers another compelling element, adding to the allure of the single by Supercaan. Interestingly the song features a vitality profile that is the reverse of the Japanese village from which it borrows its name. “Nagoro” establishes energy expectations during most of the track, then exceeds those expectations beginning at 2:48. In contrast, the Japanese village is characterized by realistic scarecrows that represent former residents, many of whom left to find work elsewhere.
 
     Supercaan posted an interesting explanation of the song:
  Nagoro shares its name with an eerie rural Japanese village where faded handmade scarecrow dolls have replaced a population drawn to the brighter lights of the cities. “I saw that village as a metaphor for the cost of progress,” says lyricist Tom Whitfield. “The tiger represents the creeping threat of modernisation and the sense that our place in the world is fragile.” The track is built around skittering glitchy drums and anthemic indie guitar, and takes is structure from techno with an extended drop.
 
     Supercaan released its second album, “A Tiger Walks The Streets,” with “Nagoro” among its 10 tracks. Other than the two instrumental songs, each song offers lyrical intelligence and social insight. The band does not shy away from exploring political and social topics. The album is “about the things you look at in society, things that worry us about bringing kids up in this world, and what we are leaving behind for future generations.” It is an album that will remain interesting over time, since the song touch upon many topics, including the death of a bandmate (“Everything Collapses”).
 
     The members of Supercaan are Greg Milner (vocals), Tom Whitfield (synth, lyrics), Stuart White (drums), Justin Januszewski (bass) and Ralph Frost (guitar). The band is based in Birmingham, UK, but the members are from London, Birmingham, North Shields and Denbighshire, Wales. They refer to producer Simon Weaver as a sixth member.
 
     “Nagoro” by Supercaan

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/supercaan/

Bandcamp: https://supercaan.bandcamp.com/

 

“See Ya Next Time” by Zach Bailey – A Song Feature

 

     Zach Bailey showcases his refined brand of sophisticated Pop Rock with his latest release, "See Ya Next Time," a heartfelt breakup recovery declaration. The Rock sensibilities are best displayed during the guitar-driven bridge that begins just before the two-minute mark. The sophistication permeates the entire track, with a standout moment occurring around 2:21, when the vocal processing sometimes carries an ethereal beauty reminiscent of monks delivering a Gregorian Chant.
 
     Still, “See Ya Next Time” is best characterized by its energy and the vocal range of Zach Bailey. The song is an Alternative Pop Rock tune about looking towards the future optimistically after a recent breakup. The lyrics, which paint a poetic picture of the relationship, are included at the bottom of this post.
 
     Bailey is originally from Kansas, but he is now based in Los Angeles. The credits of “See Ya Next Time” list Bailey as the songwriter and performer. The lead guitar is from Justin Cohn, while Nathan Pence contributes the bass. Bailey's plan is to continue to write, record, and collaborate with fellow writers, producers, and musicians. 
 
     “See Ya Next Time” by Zach Bailey

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zachbaileymusic

Website: https://www.zach-bailey.com/

Bandcamp: https://zach-bailey.bandcamp.com/

Lyrics of “See Ya Next Time” by Zach Bailey

Darling, the flowers you left me

Aren’t dead yet

I like how they remind me

Of something different

 

‘Cause that’s what you told me

Before we said goodbye

Now I’m done crying

Cause maybe you were right

 

What if you said:

“Not now,

Maybe in a year or five

I’ve got some growing I oughta do with my life”

You’ve got your dreams

And I’ve got mine

I hope it’s not farewell

It’s see you next time

 

I know we weren’t perfect

But gosh darn we tried

To keep the fire going

But what’s burned wouldn’t light

 

Now I’ve been in the darkness

Since you left

I feel a spark yearning

In my chest

 

What if you said:

“Not now,

Maybe in a year or five

I’ve got some growing I oughta do with my life”

You’ve got your dreams

And I’ve got mine

I hope it’s not farewell

It’s see you next time

 

Though this chapter has ended of our love story

Where we ride into the distance separately

I’ll think about you often in golden memories

See you in a year, or twenty…

 

What if we weren’t meant for:

“Right now,

Maybe in a year or five

I’ve got some growing I oughta do with my life”

You’ve got your dreams

And I’ve got mine

I hope it’s not farewell

 

What if you said:

“Not now,

Maybe in a year or five

I’ve got some growing I oughta do with my life”

You’ve got your dreams

And I’ve got mine

I hope it’s not farewell

It’s see you next time

Featuring Attitude – Slow Fiction, Burning Jacobs Ladder, and Dog Race

       This post features three songs in which attitudes and emotions are “worn on the sleeve.”

     “Monday” carries the appeal that drew us to Savages, the Post-Punk band fronted by Jehnny Beth. Savages are no longer together, but we will take “Monday” over the potential of anything new. The lyrics are fast paced and intelligent. The percussion is skillful and the vocals are committed to the message.

 

     Slow Fiction is based in New York, NY. The members are Julia Vassallo (vocals), Joseph Skimmons (guitar), Paul Knepple (guitar), Ryan Duffin (bass), and Akiva Henig (drums). “Monday” is one of five tracks that will be on their EP “Crush,” which will be released on May 24, 2024 via “So Young Records.

      “Monday” by Slow Fiction

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/slowfictionband
Website: https://slowfictionband.com/home

Lyrics of “Monday” by Slow Fiction

I am a subsidiary

of my own sadness

I’m hoping to find

some clarity, I think

about vintage videos

things that used to make me happy

my little socks with cowboy

hats, scary films & things like that

 

I am a subsidiary

of your daddy’s capitalism

your thoughts traded for pennies,

well they used to make me happy

you write your bodega lollipop tragedies

like my broken toe, on your skinned knee

 

It’s a Monday and

I’m going to find

some clarity cos

I can’t stand

this ordinary living

No I can’t stand my

fake inner peace

And I can’t stand

my bad energy

 

So get out

Get out

Get out

baby get out

while you can

make your plans

cause I can’t stand

my fake inner peace

 no I can’t stand

my bad energy

anymore

 

I am telescopic illusion

turning into fractions of myself

the meaning of joy is whenever you’re laughing

I was born in a pool of blood

I am a remnant of my youth

the meaning of time is whatever I make it

My love is an overflowing bag of laundry

My friends are the dust bunnies

in the corners of my bedroom,

sometimes I bite my lip

sometimes to taste the blood

 

Well, it’s a Monday and

I’m going to find

some clarity cos

I can’t stand

this ordinary living

No I can’t stand my fake inner peace

And I can’t stand my bad energy

 

So get out

Get out

Get out

baby get out

while you can

make your plans

cause I can’t stand

my fake inner peace

no I can’t stand

my bad energy

[Repeating]

      Australia-based Burning Jacobs Ladder is the project by multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Jake T. Johnson. While explaining “Deer In The Headlights,” he said:

     "The song is about the pressures of adolescence in the modern world. It’s having the weight on your shoulders to constantly feed a mortgage, rent, bills, cars, repairs... It’s how those pressures start taking priority over your aspirations and passions. I don’t think anyone is fully prepared on how to deal with these responsibilities until they hit you in the face."

     “Deer In The Headlights” by Burning Jacobs Ladder

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/burningjacob

 Lyrics of “Deer In The Headlights” by Burning Jacobs Ladder
Breath away you’ve seen the worst
Feel like I wanna run
Just breath it in the loss of worth
I’m a fool like I never was
 
Hold me closer now
I’m a deer in the headlights no way out
Hold me closer now
I’m a deer in the headlight no way out
 
Doubts they speak to shatter dreams
To a life slowly killing you
End the man to end the thoughts
No more ideology
 
Hold me closer now
I’m a deer in the headlights no way out
Hold me closer now
I’m a deer in the headlight no way out
 
Hold my hand
Every dawn I feel we should walk away
walk away I, I know we should run away
Leave the rats to play
 
Hold me closer now
I’m a deer in the headlights no way out
Hold me closer now
I’m a deer in the headlight no way out

     London five-piece Dog Race unleash their latest single 'It's The Squeeze', a cold-sweat invocation of modern anxieties and personal suffocation. The members are Katie Healy (vocals), Jed Finkelstein (drums), James Kelly (guitar), Will McNabb (bass), and Dillon Willis (synth).

     “It's The Squeeze” by Dog Race

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dograceband/
Bandcamp: https://dograceband.bandcamp.com/track/its-the-squeeze

Lyrics of “It's The Squeeze” by Dog Race
How many studies, have aided your dysfunction
I’m in pain over here, and I can’t get a dog’s attention
It's a mutual understanding, that your bluey takes the winning
And I must download a squeezy app, to cure my suffering
 
Oh no, he won’t leave me alone
I owe my life to him, it’s just the situation
If a park run makes me bleed and cry
Then why suggest a marathon
I call it alone time with fiber glass insulation
 
I know that it’s my fault, but then it’s not
But then it is, but then it’s not, but then it is again
 
It’s the squeeze, it’s not the love
It’s the squeeze, it’s not the love
 
A budding rose bush is bursting into season
European nightcrawlers are itching for a feeding
Sawflies haunt the rosa peace, they ponder what is destined
She wonders if she’ll ever breed or shortly follow nature
 
Oh no, he won’t leave me alone
I owe my life to him, but it's just the situation
If I wage a war with life, I’ll never make a parent
I call it alone time with pesticide chrysanthemum
 
I know that it’s my fault, but then it’s not
But then it is, but then it’s not, but then it is
But then it’s not, but then it is again
 
It’s the squeeze, it’s not the love
It’s the squeeze, it’s not the love
It’s the squeeze, it’s not the love
It’s the squeeze, it’s not the love
It's not the love [Repeating]

“Silver Stain” by Maudlin Strangers – A Song Feature

 

     With “Silver Stain,” Maudlin Strangers engage in another dark exploration of the complexities of human emotions. This time, this song intelligently delves into the difficulties of a troubled relationship. Their other 2024 release, “Don’t Worry, I’m Fine” addressed burnout and the need for recovery. That release is also included in this post. Late last year, Maudlin Strangers tackled the subject matter of addiction and the resulting inner conflicts and turmoil.
 
     The first verse of “Silver Stains” is misleading in its description of a willingness to be led and molded into shape. But the second verse pivots to a less appealing description and the third goes even further by declaring:

I’m sick and tired of playing games with you

All the losing streaks you put me through

That’s just the luck of my draw

 
     Maudling Strangers is the brain-child of Jake Hays, who is based in Los Angeles. Originally, it was a solo Indie Rock project, but Hays added members as a touring band. After a hiatus that started in 2016 and continued into 2023, Maudlin Strangers re-emerged as the combination of Hays, Richie Gonzales (drums), Alexander "Schmorgle" Morgan (guitar, keys), and Drew Bruchs (bass).
 
     “Silver Stain” by Maudlin Strangers

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaudlinStrangers/
Website: https://www.maudlinstrangers.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maudlinstrangers/ 

Lyrics of “Silver Stain” by Maudlin Strangers
I’ll go wherever you take me
Follow however you make me
Lost souls dance in a daydream
I’ll go wherever you’ll save me
 
Sweet like a honeymoon
But I lost my sweet tooth
The flavors making me crazy
 
I’m sick and tired of playing games with you
All the losing streaks you put me through
That’s just the luck of my draw
 
You’re like a sunny day
If it starts to rain
And washes away
That golden sky
 
Like a silver stain
You won’t go away
It’s all just the same shit we did before
 
Why’d you have to go out and change me?
I wish I wasn’t someone you know
Tattooed the words you’ve been saying
But I wish I wasn’t someone you love
 
Our songs weigh on me, lately
But I keep them playing on repeat
Losing control is our safety
So we keep driving the same street
 
All your mirrors and smoke
Are making me choke
The glass in my throat
Won’t wash it down
 
You’re silver in my veins
You make me insane
Doing all of the same shit we did before
 
Why’d you have to go out and change me?
I wish I wasn’t someone you know
Tattooed the words you’ve been saying
But I wish I wasn’t someone you love

 
     In discussing “Don’t Worry, I’m Fine,” Jake Hays said:
  “I wrote this song about dealing with a burnout I experienced, and how I needed to recover from it. I took a long hiatus and always kicked myself for it, but I realized it was all necessary to make it to the point where I am now, mentally. Sometimes you have to give yourself time to reflect to figure out truly what it is that you want, and what will make you happy.”

     “Don't Worry, I'm Fine” by Maudlin Strangers

Lyrics of “Don't Worry, I'm Fine” by Maudlin Strangers
Headstrong
I found out by dealing
So long with my own damn head
I′m feeling so wrong
Forgotten by my own self, yeah
 
I'll be honest
(I′ll be honest)
I needed the time to know what I wanted
(What I wanted)
Whatever it is I think I'm on it
(I'm on it)
Tired of running back
 
Don′t worry, I′m fine
Funny how
It's been a long time coming
Yeah, it′s been a long time coming
It's been a long time coming
 
Settle down
I know just how you′re feeling
Bad sounds made by anxiety
It's so loud
I hear it with my own ears
 
I′m being honest
(I would hope so)
You need to make time for your honest self
Whatever it is, I think you oughta try
(Just give me a minute)
Stop running back
 
Don't worry, I'm fine
Funny how
It′s been a long time coming
Yeah, It′s been a long time coming
It's been a long time coming
 
Don′t worry, I'm fine, now
Funny how
It′s been a long time coming
Yeah, it′s been a long time coming
It′s been a long time coming
Don′t worry, I'm fine, now
It′s been a long time coming
It′s been a long time coming
Don′t worry, I'm fine, now
It′s been a long time coming

"We're Lost" by Little Oil – A Song Feature

 

     The initial 21 seconds of “We’re Lost” share the tonal personality and charm of the guitars in The Beatles’ “Blackbird,” despite the melodies being fundamentally different. Then, the complexity and skillfulness of the instrumentation leap forward into the second part of the intro of Little Oil’s song. This two-part introduction establishes high expectations, and the entrance of an engagingly distinctive voice only serves to raise the bar higher.
 
     Still, there is more to the appeal of the song than guitar and vocals. Shortly before the one-minute mark, the harmonica enters with a warmth and elegance that aren’t inherent to that instrument. Similarly, “We’re Lost” showcases the ukulele played with the adroitness that isn’t typical.
 
     Victor Mitrani records under the performance name Little Oil. While talking about “We’re Lost,” he explained, “Very pretty finger-picked folk tune at least initially inspired by an attempt and ultimate failure, at moderation. Getting lost on a whim and paying the ultimate price for it.”
 
     “We’re Lost” is a song from the album “Twelve Songs,” which was released on March 28, 2024, on Fountain Tapes Label. On the album, multi-instrumentalist songwriter Victor Mitrani is the vocalist and plays guitar, bass, piano, harmonica, ukulele, and percussion, although Mike DeVito provides the bass for “We’re Lost.” “Twelve Songs” is available via the Bandcamp site of Little Oil – CLICK HERE.

     Mitrani was born in Mexico City, but Little Oil is now based in the San Francisco Bay Area (Richmond, California). He is described as “A lover of Punk, Classic Rock, Indie, and old time Country & Blues; his music is a voodoo brew that sounds both familiar but fresh and original.”
 
     "We're Lost" by Little Oil

Bandcamp: https://littleoil.bandcamp.com/

Lyrics of "We're Lost" by Little Oil
Just a little and I want it
Put my head in the light socket
 
It was easy to fly
After so long
Oh even I can't see
That I'm lost
 
Dumped the river of ice on it
Burnt that bridge but I'm still on it
 
It was easy to sigh
After so long
Oh even I can't see
That I'm lost
 
Just a little and I want it
Put my head in the light socket
 
It was easy to die
After so long
Oh even I can't see
That we're lost
 
Lost, lost, lost, lost
Lost. Lost, lost, lost