When we released "Smash Smash Bang" last summer, I went through and broke down the songs on the EP one by one. I did it mostly for myself, so I could have a record of all the little details that slip once too much time has passed.
It got a surprisingly good response from people, so Sentence and I decided to do it for our mixtape as well.
"Girls and Music"
I am a knee-jerk-hype-hater. I remember being at South by Southwest a few years ago walking around with Sentence, during the crazy-hype-tornado that was Vampire Weekend's first album. We saw a Vampire Weekend poster somewhere, and both admitted that even though we hadn't heard a note of their music, we hated them somehow. Not a very mature reaction, for sure. And, actually, once the hype had died down and I listened to Vampire Weekend, I liked it. I ain't too proud to admit when I'm wrong. It's often.
I felt the same way about Animal Collective when Merriweather Post Pavilion came out. But at some point during my insomniac Youtube video watching marathons, I stumbled across their video for "My Girls."
And I really, really liked it. Once again, my knee-jerk reaction was completely off-base.
From the jump, in making this mixtape, I was pushing Matt (who did all of the remixing) to take a crack at this song. For whatever reason he didn't get to it. Finally, after we had most of the project done, he took a shot at it. And it sounded fantastic to us. One of the great things about remix projects is that you get to accentuate your favorite parts of one of your favorite songs. In this case, it's the "Wooooo!" Which we obviously accentuated even more on the hook.
I don't like to get into what a song is about. Suffice to say, almost every song Sentence and I have done in recent memory is somewhere about the struggle we have gone through trying to poke our heads above water in this business we call music. The hook was originally different -- more of a nod to my favorite song of last year (I think I have posted this video 10 times in this blog, but I don't care):
We changed the hook in the end, but I kept my shout to Republic of Loose in my verse. Because I wanted them to know I love them, somehow, some way. Ha.
Here are the lyrics:
Sentence --
Bring 'em in, pack out the place
Everything, everyone stays
Stowaways, runaways, strays
We all get in here today
Hands up and pledging allegiance
Plaster the tracks with your secrets
Packing up all of the pieces
Blast it back out through the speakers
Don't gotta worry about logic
'Bout what you hold in your pockets
Or if you're playing or folding
If you fly coach or fly cockpit
It's love and it's hate and it's pleasure
It's dumb and it's taking forever
It's numbness, it's pain, and it's pressure
Fuck, it's the greatest thing ever
Finger pistol, gun to the moon
Stick 'em up like nothing to lose
Wolf pack status, you can run with the crew
Till the sun comes up and the knuckles are bruised
On time when the break beat hits
Keep it cool like a AC switch
No sweat like, hey man shit
Nothing that a fresh coat of paint can't fix
Glossy black flying V
Classic, bring out the big drums
Show 'em who you're trying to be
Couple lightning bolts and a name on the kick drum
Four to the floor, now put it down
Give me some of that high-rent Brooklyn sound
Take a deep breath, look around
Nothing like some bad things to feel good about
Girls and music.
Keep my coming back.
Swell --
Shouts to the Republic of Loose. Now finna come and dust of these shoes. Act like we've got nothing to prove. Why? Because we've got nothing to do. Everybody here's already famous. Walking the streets you can just feel it. Little kids stay destined for greatness. Everything you touch is the realest. So we're back here like never before. And we're back here like never again. Sleep like we're going to work. And we work like we're making pretend. And we talk like we're making a friend. Smile while we're shaking the hands. And we blink like we're facing the end. And we jump like we're taking a chance. Baby we could have the life that we wanted. I'll make it all so easy. Paying the bills every month. No grinding teeth while we're sleeping. Taking cabs when we're going out drinking. No more fucking around with the train. You could have the clothes that you wanted. No more paying for shit with change. Little bit of wine got me fearless. I was born to be up on stage. Trust if the people could hear it they would remember the name. And the legacy's four to a track. One puts the door to your back. Two puts the dirt on your shoes. Three and four got you back here for more.
Girls and music.
Keep me coming back.
Here is what our version sounds (and looks) like:
And remember, this mixtape is absolutely free, and available HERE!
Much more coming.
Holler!
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