Friday, July 23, 2010

Blogisode: "Ghost Towns" (the song, not the album)

Asbury Park, NJ. A veritable "ghost town" of its former self.

track name


about
written in the late winter/early spring of 2008, this is the oldest song on the album.

written in the late winter/early spring of 2008, this is the oldest song on the album.
Inspired by touring around the United States and seeing dead and decaying towns, killed off much of the time by moving American jobs overseas, such as some mentioned at the beginning of the song: Clevleand, Janesville (WI), Camden, East St. Louis, etc.
lyrics
Like Cleveland, Janesville, Camden,
or East St. Louis, where they used to make,
the things that we would all use every day.

Now we've shipped it to Korea, China Indonesia,
left like Ghost Towns, of the old west laid to west,
and left decayed.

They say, "lets get with the program,
there's nothing like the globalization"
of our paychecks, bank accounts, and place to stay

Lets give free trade to the masses,
cuz Americans have assets,
like satellite tv's, big cars, iPods, and fancy dress.

Left you drowning in the street,
bills a rope around your neck
and that big ole flatscreen tv,
wont mean a thing to me when you're dead.

We're kept separate by the waters,
cut off from one another, where we used to play,
in fields as kids at night time with the moon.

Now lets get out of the suburbs, these modern sprawling deserts,
and take back all,
the cities, towns and counties we once knew.

Left you drowning in the street,
bills a rope around your neck,
and that big ole flatscreen tv,
wont mean a thing to me when you're dead.
Left you drowning in the street,
well bills a rope around your neck,
and we'll talk about the hard times,
the ones we ain't be leaving yet.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Album Released For Digital Download


I am pleased to announce that the new album, Ghost Towns, is now available for digital download at johnstatz.bandcamp.com for $10, or $1 per individual track. Along with the download, you will receive all artwork, and can read all of the lyrics and track information at the bandcamp site.

The physical album is currently available at the shows I am playing in Alaska right now, and will be available at the CD Release Show in Madison on August 12th and for order online at that time as well.

Also, I'm giving you two great reasons to keep checking this blog in the coming weeks. First of all, I am currently touring Alaska (in Fairbanks at the moment), and will be posting pictures and commentary as I travel along, as I have for past tours. In addition, I am going to try and post a little bit about every song on the new album, giving you some insight into my inspiration and providing the lyrics.

Thank you for your continued support and interest, these are exciting times!

John

Saturday, July 17, 2010

2nd New Song This Week - "To My Dismay"

Apparently I'm on a roll, two new songs in one week? That is rarity for me.

This is "To My Dismay", which for some reasons seems like a Christmas song to me, but is most certainly a childhood sweetheart song. You know, the kind where the boy annoys the girl because thats how you flirt. Duh.

On my mother's front porch,
In the month of May
You just looked so happy,
To my dismay.
to my dismay.

And the measles came back,
and then they went away,
but you were always laughing,
to my dismay.
to my dismay.

Sitting by the ice,
covering the bay,
you would always break it,
to my dismay.
to my dismay.

Running through the wheat fields,
to the sounds of trains,
You could always get me,
to my dismay.
to my dismay.

Friday, July 16, 2010

New Song - "Sneakers"

So there will be a couple of big news posts coming up in the next couple of days, as next week I will have copies of the new album, Ghost Towns, in hand, and will fly up to Fairbanks to begin the Alaska tour. But, before that excitement, I wanted to share some lyrics from a new song I wrote the other day while flipping eggs at the diner. I'm calling it "Sneakers" for now, but we'll see, I haven't exactly been on top of the naming game lately. Enjoy!

Well the farm lights off in the distance flicker,
and you're driving home on the 94.
The band on the stereo, begging you to listen,
but your mind is stuck on the night before.

When the summer's half gone and you've beat it to death,
and the days come and go like the feeling in your chest.
Don't you think about what you almost had,
suitcase and telephones ain't bad.

Mmmmmm, and you're up all night.
Mmmmmm.
Mmmmmm, and you're up all night.
Mmmmmm.

You told me you'd be trouble,
you were right, you were right.
and the devil's in the distance,
in the night, in the night. (x2)

And the drive was short,
'cause you weren't really thinking
'bout the road, its straight,
but your brain is a twisting.

And the red lights have all started looking,
like the landing strip if the plane mistook it.

Mmmmmm, and you're up all night.
Mmmmmm.
Mmmmmm, and you're up all night.
Mmmmmm.

You told me you'd be trouble,
you were right, you were right,
and the devil's in the distance,
in the night, in the night...

Monday, July 5, 2010

One Last Single For Free Download

Just wanted to let you all know that I've put up one more free single for download at my Bandcamp site, an upbeat rootsy number called "Come Down". The album will be available for purchase next week, so this will be the last single released before that time. Enjoy!

John