Originally Posted October 18th 2007
This first track we're posting is about a year old since completion, maybe about two years since the beat first appeared in skeletal form. I'm a big fan of Modest Mouse's album Lonesome Crowded West and the song “Cowboy Dan”, which is sampled here (and easy to spot). An interesting thing about the album is that several of the guitar riffs and melodies show up multiple times in different contexts throughout the album, which I always thought was pretty neat. It's kind of like they were sampling themselves.
The first vocal sample is some technical mumbo-jumbo nonsense for some sort of industrial “Retroencabulator” that may or may not exist. Any of you familiar with those funny internet videos that are so popular now will probably recognize it. I was introduced to it by Ebaum's World a few years ago, where I also found this track's second sample, appearing at the bridge. One of my favorites, it is of the one and only G.W. himself speaking, we'll say “extemporaneously”, at a wedding. I assume this is from when he was governor of Texas, but it may date even earlier. All the other sounds are either Hughes' Bass, or manipulations of short violin stabs.
The track is sometimes inspired by Tom Robbins' Even Cowgirls Get The Blues. The rest of the time it's trying to imitate industrial research hallways leading to a polytech instructor's lecture on Computational Number Theory. Hall 303. He's at a cherry-trim victory style podium which is standing on a layer of that short stiff purple carpeting you find at public institutions like the YMCA.
At least that's the best way I can communicate in words what it's like being presented with this really vague diorama from my mind. Describing music is like trying to remember dreams. I don't know any more about it than you do. I guess that's why Hosey sticks to music when possible, eh? Lyrics are posted below. Don't forget to Eat Right.
Cowgirl Blues
Here at Rockwell Automation's
World Headquarters
Research has been proceeding
To develop a line of automation products
That establishes new Standards
For Quality,
Technological Leadership,
And Operating Excellence.
With Customer success as our primary Focus,
Work has been proceeding
On the crudely conceived Idea
Of an Instrument
That would not only provide
Inverse Reactive Current
For use in unilateral phase detractors,
But would also be capable
Of automatically synchronizing
Cardinal Gram Meters.
God Bless America
Yes.
This being an election year
You know,
They're wonderful People.
Fine Taxpayers.
Beautiful People
Yes
Beautiful.