"lonesome no more!" or how i started a band on my summer vacation:
this was recorded in several attempts through out 2002 starting in june and ending in november. i decided to do it on my own after my first two bands disintegrated, first was 'mundhank' (which was far more productive than it should've been given our individual abilities, or lack thereof, on our instruments). that band consisted of myself, brandon, and a host of other people who would later filter through tfa (as well as start their own bands such as 'the veterans of flight', 'shuffleplay and the mutations', and 'the variable why'). the second was 'radio islands', which was just brandon and i. we couldn't really decide what to do so most of the time it was noisy, short instrumentals that often devolved into 'ween' covers.
the first version of the record was all "glenn branca/wall of guitars" and some delay heavy loops (i was listening to fripp/eno's "no pussyfooting" a lot at the time). it was better in theory than execution mainly because it was just me overdubbing myself into oblivion. so that version was scrapped (except for some noodling, delay heavy guitar that shows up on pt.2 of the released version). in late august i started over, this time there was more melody (sorta) and my VERY limited abilities were made apparent. but the heart was there. i recorded this through out the fall IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT at the sycamore state street theatre in sycamore illinois (where we later recorded most of "we carry our fate..."). ALL OF IT WAS RECORDED ON MY TRUSTY 4-TRACK CASSETTE recorder, with some little bits and pieces recorded at my parents place. in november it was finished (but not before i received some much-needed brass and percussion overdubs from the mighty brandon welch). by the way, MIKE TAYLOR lent us his trombone, that was awesome of him.
i made 30 copies on cd-r with surprisingly elaborate packaging. by january of 2003, 25 of the copies were gone with the last 5 sold through the sadly now-defunct 'scratch & sniff records' (the catalog description for it was "glacial"). the record was borne out of your typical existential crisis that most people in their early 20's go through, i just happened to make a drone-rock instrumental record and built a band around it (thus changing my adult life forever).
in 2010 i dug out the original tapes and remastered it (the original was poorly mastered by me, mainly because i had no idea what i was doing at the time, not that i really know now, i just fake it better). i initially held off on re-releasing this record since there's only two of us on it (and most of the time it's just me), it's very different from the later full-band incarnation of tfa that played its first show a year later. but brandon kept "suggesting" it...so i relinquished. ten years on & on & on...
thanks and thanks and thanks for listening, as ever.
-bob (january 2012)
credits
released November 27, 2002
aspatore, bob: electric guitar, acoustic guitar, sea shanty organ, bass, xylophone/bells, ebow, screwdriver, field recordings, blank tapes and busted amps. (all tracks)
the sound of old tube amps humming like angels, buzzing helicopter tremolo dancing with rickety strings, drifting analog delay, and antiquated brass bursts of joy.
brandon from tfa made this record under his "fingers lift" moniker. a lovely pastoral collection of ghost songs that will leave you humming the tunes despite their lovecraftian origins. things falling apart
our wisconsin bretheren, sadly no more. this was their second album, a behemoth and an epic slab of cranked tube-amps and the greatest riffs to come out the midwest in a long, long time. truly fine. things falling apart
the best album by a cover band that isn't a cover band. glorious, fractured pop/rock that isn't so much from a different time but a different space. things falling apart
Recorded in a shipping container, the Australian artist's quirky second album is a love letter to 70’s classic rock, folk, and psychedelia. Bandcamp New & Notable Nov 15, 2023