basedworld by andrew mcclain
What to do with Lil B? Rhetorically trying to intellectualize something that is ostensibly stupid is a fun game, but it never fails to make you look like a jackass. It’s also condescending to whatever thing you’re trying to defend. Lil B needs no defense from me; he’s lecturing at NYU and has already made a quantifiable mark on mainstream hip-hop without being signed to a label. I’m not going to preach to you that he’s a secret genius, since that argument is obnoxious and a serious oversell. I’m just here to make you a little less confused about this. [for the purposes of this article, when I refer to Lil B, I’m talking about the recorded persona of Lil B and not the intentions of real-life Brandon McCartney. There is a line between these two characters where one ends and the other begins, but the exact placement of this line and how it works is one of the quintessential mysteries of Lil B and a very separate topic] “So is he serious?” “Is it a joke?” “Am I supposed to enjoy listening to this?” Hip-hop is a massive world, and lyrical themes range from thought-provoking and socially-conscious to inane and irresponsible. This is a culture that values empowerment through language. A good rapper can be a shy, insecure, anxious asthmatic kid who finds their voice through the longhonored art of shit-talking. We all understand that what’s being said might not be 100% literally true, but we’ve seen this weak kid transform into a stone-cold badass, simply because they have the nerve to present themselves that way. (I’d actually argue that most rappers started off this way. Think about it: if you were actually a stone-cold badass, why would you need to tell everyone about it?) So it’s safe to say that hip-hop, as a whole, values style over substance. “Being real” is relative here. The Internet has had an incredible effect on the world of hip-hop with mixtape download sites and the sharing of instrumental tracks, the pressure for a rapper to generate a high volume of material is on, and the bar for entry into the world of hip-hop couldn’t be any lower, keeping the whole machine running faster than ever. I subscribe to the belief that Lil B is not a rapper. Lil B is a guy who read “The Secret” and decided that he was going to become a rapper. What makes him unique is that he’s an unskilled rapper, but his understanding of hip-hop is savant-like in its wideness and comically shallow. What do you get when you have an inarticulate rapper with an understanding of hip-hop that is purely stylistic? It’s like listening to a child explain an entire movie to you. It might be impossible for some people to listen to, but gives you a perspective on the movie that might not have occurred to you. Hip-hop through Lil B’s eyes is a place where you don’t need skill to be the best rapper alive; all you have to do is insist that you are, in fact, the best rapper alive, and put out as many mixtapes as
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you can, because good rappers rap a lot and have a lot of mixtapes, right? This isn’t far from true, but the way Lil B takes it all to excess provides needed perspective. Out of his need to produce this volume of music is born a crazy mixed bag of quirks. Then all of the lyrical stuff. When Lil B parrots back hip-hop cliches, he starts destroying their meaning. When Lil B talks about the amount of “bitches” that he “fucks,” with such insistent hyperbole, we start questioning what that phrase even means to him. Then we start questioning what it means when other rappers say it. Then it starts sounding ridiculous whenever anyone says it, because in Lil B’s world, it seems to be a vague currency or measurement of “swag,” (another word Lil B has beaten to death by way of dubbing himself chanting the word throughout the entirety of several of his tracks) and doesn’t have any literal meaning anymore. This isn’t the whole picture, though. Reading Lil B (either his intent or anyone’s enjoyment of him) as an ironic soft-parody of hip-hop doesn’t completely work, either. There’s something else at play, here. With Lil B’s lack of skill comes a vulnerability and a lack of inhibition, which starts to create a few moments of childlike sincerity amidst all the empty language. Lately, he’s been promoting “positivity” (which validates my idea that he’s a fan of “The Secret”) and attempted to repurpose the word “thug” to mean its exact opposite. Trying to judge Brandon McCartney’s true intent is tricky and mysterious. Pitchfork’s Mike Powell recently responded to a reader asking “Do people legitimately enjoy [Lil B’s music] or are they just so indentured to the idea of ironic fulfillment that they continue on in the charade ad infinitum?” and Powell noted that he didn’t think that someone whose creative drive was grounded in cynicism could find the energy to continue putting out music for free at this rate.
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this issue is brought to you by purple and red.
Single of the
Week
“American Boys” is this week’s Single of the Week. We love all of Clark Kent, and we’ve had this track on repeat after enjoying the new album as a whole. Download and enjoy the albumm on MC’s website! 4
Bright and Barrow Records owner Ryan Raichilson is raising money for Parkinson’s research by selling “No Parkin Sons” T-shirts that come with a 20+ song digital compilation album of bands who have rallied for the cause. The bundle is only $15 and can be bought on the Bright And Barrow Bandcamp site. Raichilson explained: “My aunt Brenda was diagnosed with Parkinson’s about six years ago, and on April 28th she will be participating in the 2012 Parkinson’s Unity Walk, held in Central Park. Her goal is to raise $7,500 for the charity, and ALL proceeds from the sale of this shirt will go towards that goal. Her donation page can be viewed online. The included album consists of over 20 songs from major players in the independent music scene such as Banquets, Masked Intruder, The New Rochelles, Candy Hearts, and Direct Hit! The record also contains unreleased / exclusive songs from a handful of bands such as Man on Fire, The Scutches, and The Last Chucks. Donate $15 to support a great cause, get a rad new T-shirt, and download a bunch of amazing songs! Join TEAM NO PARKIN SONS by getting a shirt here (http://tinyurl.com/ckttwtj) and wearing it proudly! Track list: 1. Masked Intruder: “How Do I Get To You?” 2. Direct Hit!: “Satan Says” 3. The Scutches: “Summer Night”** 4. Rock ‘N Roll Television: “Mary” 5. Candy Hearts: “Tongue Tied” 6. Blk Galaga: “Omega man (Demo Version)”** 7. The New Rochelles: “Watch Out For The Skunkape” 8. Banquets: “Forever Bender” 9. Good Men Die Like Dogs: “Just Sayin’”** 10. Timeshares: “Too many ELO Days” 11. The Last Chucks: “Coffee Talking”** 12. The Action!: “This Is Gonna Hurt” 13. The Barbecuties: “I Can’t Stop Thinking About You” 14. Wringer: “Dumb Bastards” 15. Man On Fire: “Perpetual Cigarette”** 16. Great Cynics: “In The Valley” 17. The Boys Club: “Bleeding Texas” 18. Goin’ Places: “Running Out Of Time” 19. The Post-Apocalyptics: “Luggage” ** 20. Caffiends: “Hung Up” 21. The Windowsill: “Forever Hold On” 22. Up For Nothing: “The Slouch” **exclusive / currently unreleased
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mouth’s cradle
an interview by the miscreant
Mouth’s Cradle have been one of Syracuse University’s prides and joys over the past four years. They’ve been a part of such legendary shows including Sleigh Bells at Spark and Juice Jam 2010. Now they have a new digital release, a new vinyl release, and a new chapter to begin in the Mouth’s Cradle story. Meet Kevin “Mouf” Moufadus and Brandon “Master Rogers” Linn. The Miscreant: Tell me about Clark Kent. What are the major themes of the album? Kevin Moufadus: Clark Kent loosely tells the story of a former superhero who stops following the government’s orders, goes AWOL, gets his reputation ruined in the American press, and has to hide from troops in an undisclosed mountain range in Asia. Master Rogers: For me really this album stemmed from “American Boys” after I finally grasped what Kevin was going for with that song. There’s a lot of subtle social commentary on American lifestyles going on here some ironically and some seriously- but you’ll have to decide that for yourself. TM: You released a single from the album, “The Fever.” Tell me about that song, specifically. KM: Lyrically, “The Fever” is my love letter to Buddhism. I’ve only been on the path for a short time but I’ve grown so much. Meditation has helped me overcome a lot of physical and emotional pain and I would recommend it to anyone who deals with pain in his or her life. 6
MR: Production-wise we have our old friend the Jupiter-8 back on our sides to get that nice Mouth’s Cradle 8-bit touch. We snuck into the music studio really late at night while on a live show weekend. I remember those days when we’d take 2 hours to figure out how to turn everything on then we’d find something good and have to run back to the house to grab the right chord to record it. Those drums are 3 parts played live by myself in Kevin’s attic looped over eachother. Kevin and I took about a year and a half to write that song. TM: How did you choose songs to sample for Clark Kent? MR: One thing that Kevin taught me how to do was find beauty in ugly and really re-define what “passion” and “soul” means. I’ve been listening to a lot of old school soul music (Thank you Mayer Hawthorne for turning me back on). But really it helped me hear what raw fucking soul was and how you can find that feeling in everything as long as it hits you that way. I found any sample that spoke to me a “soulful.” TM: Describe Mouth’s Cradle’s writing process for a typical track on Clark Kent. MR: Same process as usual- layer cake through email and sometimes Kevin would roll through the studio to watch me work. The only difference on this album is that as opposed to our collaborations I pretty much handled 98% of the music and Kevin was all lyrics and vocals as usual letting me really take the control over the musical orchestrations. TM: What are you listening to right now, and who were your biggest musical influences for this album? MR: Still digging dusty crates for soul, jazz, Rnb. Thank you based god. 7
TM: What is the story behind the album art for this mixtape? KM: We wanted to keep it simple. Our debut album The Next Big Thing has a cover that’s just us standing side by side, and we wanted to tie it together with this release three years later. The Clark Kent cover was designed by my big sister Andi Crow Hegedus. TM: Talk a bit more about your relationship with internet culture. KM: The internet has been a welcoming home for me even during times in my life when I felt I didn’t fit in anywhere. Because of this, a lot of my lyrics are about forming relationships with people online, and the line between real and virtual love. TM: How would you describe your interaction with your fans on social media? KM: My favorite part of making music with Mouth’s Cradle has been meeting new friends online who dig our albums even though they live so far away from me on the other side of the world. Mouth’s Cradle fans are nice kids who like joking around and having a good time – so we all get along! TM: Moufy, you’re about to graduate, and it’s no doubt you’ve been a huge part of the music scene here at Syracuse University. What have you learned about making music, yourself, hip-hop? KM: I’ve learned that making music, and art, is the only thing I want to do. I’ve learned that if I make art honestly and with love, there will always be honest and loving people around who want to help me do it well. I’ve learned that hiphop will always provide a voice for people who want to fight social injustice, and the injustice on which I personally will focus is the unfair treatment of LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) people in this country. TM: Master Rogers, how do you think you’ve progressed as a beatmaker and DJ since Mouth’s Cradle began? MR: I’m starting to trust some of the experimental moves I’ve made which is pretty cliche but during The Next Big Thing we had a formula and we stuck to it. Now we can play around and reach out the web to capture new fans. My ear gets better everytime as well toward hunting for samples that Kevin would sound good over now that I know his range-tone-preference. TM: What are some highlights from your career here? KM: Playing Syracuse University’s Juice Jam concert when I was 19. Throwing down 8
at Spark Art Space with our friends Everything Is Terrible. Melting faces at our show called Wisdom Teeth. MR: Oh man. I felt like Hollywood my senior year. My favorite Mouth’s Cradle memory was Halloween 2009 in a dirty basement party blasting the shit out of our music for a packed house TM: Who have your biggest influences been here at SU? KM: The Bird Calls for introducing me to so much new music and teaching me about the craft of writing a song. Half Sister for putting time and care into every performance. The Miscreant zine and record label for finding good people and creating a community around them. TM: What’s next for Mouth’s Cradle? KM: We’re not slowing down. We’re gonna launch our imprint CRADLEGANG and introduce some of our best friends to the world. Keep a look out for the rapper Bird SOOT! Also, both Master Rogers and I are gonna release solo material. MR: I think that we keep trying to make a plan then something inspires us to move forward so who the hell knows. We may be on MTV tomorrow, we may be on VH1 behind the music tomorrow. Pretty much I’ll always be making music and so will Kevin so the collabs will be organic and unfold as they have always done so. TM: Oh, and what does being a miscreant mean to you? Do you consider yourself a miscreant? KM:Yeah, I’m Miscreant as fuck! I love the connotations of the word “miscreant” which make it sound especially villainous. I think good art made honestly really scares people. I want Mouth’s Cradle to scare people who can’t handle raw expression. MR: I am a miscreant until I die. I think it means constantly being fearful that my IP address is being watched as I download, twist, sample, and culture jam the shit out of every record I can find in this great online goldrush. 9
every cradle needs a mouth by kyle kuchta
You know when you first get a job that you’re really excited about; you usually go above and beyond to try to do an awesome job at it? That’s how I was when I first landed a staff position at Syracuse University’s own WERW. After being a DJ for a semester, I applied for a staff position and got to be the Local Music Director. As you could guess, that involved acquiring music from artists in the Syracuse area. As a freshman, this was a way for me to get out and into the local scene; something that I had hoped radio would allow me to do. I got in touch with a bunch of Syracuse University musicians like Sarah Aument, Bears in America and the Northbound Traveling Minstrel Jug Band. And then there was Mouth’s Cradle. As far as I was concerned, those four groups were the best music in Syracuse. To this day, I firmly still believe that those bands are/were some of the best here. I remember being handed a sampler from the now defunct O’ Morning Records, which signed all four of those artists and a DJ by the name of Big Mouth, and the Mouth’s Cradle song on that sampler was the fan favorite “Honey From a Stone.” I’m pretty sure that every DJ on WERW played that song at least once on their show. In the words of Jay Mewes, “That shit was the MAD NOTES.” So the Baby
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Teeth EP came out and that was rad. I think the first time I saw Mouth’s Cradle; it was in some strange attic opening for Jordan Looney. The party got shut down about halfway through Mouth’s Cradle’s set, but I remember loving every second of it. Mouth’s Cradle still, to this day, rocks a house party like none other. The next time I saw them, though, was after the release of The Next Big Thing. Easily one of my favorite album’s of 2010, The Next Big Thing became my anthem for the end of freshman year. And on top of THAT, Mouth’s Cradle went on to play one of my favorite shows of that year opening up for Sleigh Bells at Spark Contemporary Art Space. For those of you who don’t know Spark, that’s a 150-person venue. That show was absolutely apeshit. Later that year, though, I moved on from being Local Music Director to Head Music Director, but never forgetting to remember my roots in the Syracuse music scene. Turns out, Syracuse University was remembering those roots too. That September, Mouth’s Cradle got the chance to open up Juice Jam, one of SU’s biggest shows. So basically, Mouth’s Cradle opened for Sleigh Bells, Passion Pit and Lupe Fiasco all in the same year. That’s some fucked up shit. Then Mouth’s Cradle vs. The Hype came out. Then Mouth’s Cradle Is Terrible! I don’t need to give you a rundown of Mouth’s Cradle or why they’re awesome, and I feel like this is where this is going. But basically what I’m getting is how you can associate one sound, one song, one band, with a significant event or time in your life. I’ve been at college during everything Mouth’s Cradle has released, and I’ve had the extreme pleasure of being able to follow them closely as they’ve grown. From listening to “Beach Tales” freshman year and feeling homesick, to dancing in a grungy basement to “Vegeboogie,” every chance I got this year, Mouth’s Cradle and their music will always coincide with my college years. I sound like I’m 40 years old, but if I were to timeline and soundtrack my years at SU, there would be a Mouth’s Cradle song for almost every point on it.
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robert and Me by megan mandelbaum
After scouring my Twitter daily looking intently for the picture of the hairy man in the speedo to satiate my hunger for Rob Delaney comedy in 140 characters or less, you could say my expectations were high when I bought my ticket to the Comedy Attic in Bloomington to go see him perform stand-up. Although my expectations were high, at the same time, so were my fears that maybe, just maybe, his extremely vulgar, sometimes just bizarre humor wouldn’t translate to the stage. I worried that the man behind the Twitter account that I had spent much of my time reading somewhat incomprehensibly through laughter out loud to the disgusted looks of my friends, might actually not be as funny as I imagined. Fortunately, Rob Delaney did not disappoint. My first experience with the comedian was secondhand. Right before the show, my friend who recently broke her arm in a drunken accident texted me frantically to tell me she had just seen Delaney on the street, and not only did he recognize her from Twitter, but he even signed her cast. Too cool of him., right? So 9pm rolled around, and I finally caught a glimpse of the majestic burly bearded comedy wizard as he took the stage. It took him a minute to get warmed up, which had me worried, but as soon as he finished taking in the crowd, he was fantastic. He was every bit as weird and funny and vulgar as I could have imagined, with Jews, penises, his wife and son, sex, and poop jokes being the prime source of his material. However, one thing did rather surprise me: how sweet and genuinely in love with his wife and son he seemed. How he somehow managed to deliver the most offensive jokes (including a frequent of the use of the word “cunt”) without being offensive or abrasive. How overall charming he was, and mostly, how grateful he was for his audience. He was perfect. I don’t want to ruin the show for anyone who will be able to catch him on his current tour (it’s totally worth the $15!), but some of the highlights of the show included: his description of his sexual attraction to his wife, references to his neighbor Karen (in whose butt he resolved to lose 20 pounds… in jizz in her butt for the new year), and most obviously, his beard (which can be described most accurately by my friend last night as “Appalachian” and “majestic”). After the show much to my delight, Delaney stayed and proceeded to talk to/take pictures with every single member of the audience. So with that being said, I leave you with a picture of myself with the man himself and an order for all of you to go pick up tickets and go support Rob Delaney, who is not only hilarious, but just a really awesome dude.
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take 2 by brittany leitner
Dearest Syracuse, Every Monday evening, 10 staffers recover from a full day of classes by chugging coffee, organizing the status of articles and deadlines, and promptly kicking another student organization out of a tiny windowless room in a corner of the fourth floor of Bird Library. We could do without the last part, but until they realize we’ve officially secured dibs, we’ll keep doing it. That’s what it takes to put a magazine together. For anyone with a graduation date under 2014, the 20 Watts name should ring a bell. If you’re a part of the Syracuse youth, allow us to school you. 20 Watts is the Syracuse University student-run music news magazine. Our past street cred speaks for itself in our Q&A’s with bands like Sleigh Bells, Beach House, and Portugal the Man—not to mention our 3,000-word features, our Best of the Decade issue, and our weekly torrent of reviews. The revamped 20 Watts is the brainchild of Editor in Chief Annie Licata, Editorial Director Eric Vilas-Boas, and me, the managing editor. We are keeping some of the vintage 20 Watts signature sections like The Five, where we fill you in on the top artists you need to know now, killer Q&A’s, and intelligent album reviews. But, we’re also putting our own spin on things. The first 20 Watts issue in two years will be available in color as an easy-to-download digital file this May, or if you’d prefer, on the 20WattsMag.com website (coming very soon!!). Some of our new stuff includes a defined Cultures section, dissecting how music affects everything in your life, not just your ears. We’ve got more industry stories than ever before. We’ll have up-to-date lists of all your music junkie must-haves and more. We’re redesigning our look and feel, and will even be introducing a new logo. Lastly, we are dedicating ourselves to serve a more universal music audience. Our goal? If you have a pair of headphones, you’ll want to read 20 Watts. We won’t give too much away, but in the May issue you can expect features on artists performing this month, local Syracuse rappers, and, if you’re interested in what went on with 20 Watts during our brief hiatus, some dirt-dishing from former Editor in Chief, Vilas-Boas. Until issue drop, you can rest assured that we’ll continue meeting in that cramped, stuffy Bird Library room to deliver a music mag that’s up to par, just for you, because you matter, and music matters. Maybe by the end of it, we’ll even be friends with the people we have to boot each week. Eventually, we hope to be friends with you, too. Follow us on Twitter @20_Watts for music news and to keep up with the issue drop. PS: We love The Miscreant. Thank you for all your support, Jeanette.
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Bringing Back the Buddy Cops by lance st. laurent Very little sounds less appealing to me than an ironic adaptation of a little loved and long forgotten cop show whose principle claim to fame is launching Johnny Depp’s career. Starsky and Hutch did it with mixed results, and I thought that was the end of it until 21 Jump Street. Add in a pair of directors with no live action experience (Chris Miller and Phil Lord of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs fame) and a star whose best known work is generic romantic comedies and Nicolas Sparks adaptations (Channing Tatum), and my expectations were low. Surely this film was destined to be little more than a cheap cash in on a franchise with little cultural cachet, made with little effort or attention to characters or story. Amazingly, I was completely wrong. 21 Jump Street is among the best broad comedies to come out of a major studio in years, one that seamlessly deconstructs both the buddy cop and high school genres while never losing focus on its characters and story. The film’s greatest strength the film has is the chemistry between its leads, Jonah Hill and the aforementioned Channing Tatum. They play Schmidt and Jenko, a pair of young cops assigned to infiltrate a high school to take down the spread of a new designer drug that goes by the name HFS (I’ll let you figure that one out). Almost a decade out of high school, they find that the cultural landscape has changed, a revelation that is especially troubling to Jenko, a former cool kid. As expected, Hill delivers a fine comic performance, but what really surprised me was Tatum. The man is a forced to be reckoned with in 21 Jump Street. His performance is completely fearless and completely without vanity, yet subtly plays on his image as a chiseled romantic lead. The premise is completely ludicrous, especially with the gigantic, nearly 30-year-old Tatum undercover as a high schooler, but it simply acts as a springboard a lot of gleeful comic mayhem. Hill and Tatum are surrounded by a deft comic cast including, Rob Riggle, Ellie Kemper, Ice Cube, Nick Offerman, and Dave Franco (a clone of his brother), but its Hill and Tatum that dominate every scene, working off a hilarious, well-structured film by Michael Bacall (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World). First time live action directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller bring the same sense of lunacy and manic energy that they brought to their animated efforts. This fact did not surprise me. Where they really impressed me was their ability to balance this high energy broad comedy with just the right amount of emotion. For an R rated comedy, 21 Jump Street is surprisingly sweet, both in its central duo and in a relationship between Hill and a popular girl (Alice Eve). The film has a lot going for it, but perhaps my favorite element of the film was the veneration of its source material. 21 Jump Street was not a good television show, and the movie is in no way a straight-faced adaptation. That being said, the film doesn’t position itself as a remake of the show, but as a continuation of the original show. It allows the film to knowingly wink to the audience about its own lack of originality while drawing from the original show in clever ways I won’t dare spoil. For a studio comedy, 21 Jump Street is as much as you could ask for. It’s hilarious, clever, packed with likable characters, and with a story actually worth caring about. It rarely aspires to be any more than a fun diversion, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth your time. 21 Jump Street is a model of blockbuster comedies in an era where good ones are harder and harder to come by. FOUR OUT OF FIVE STARS
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photos by doris gutierrez
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a biography by sam sodomsky
“Because the next big thing works at the day shift And with a sigh ‘you gotta buy it if you break it’ Oh but when evening comes he makes the kids go apeshit Like ghosts, like ghosts” So goes the first chorus of “Ghosts,” the third track on Mouth’s Cradle’s debut full length The Next Big Thing and one of my favorite songs of all-time. It has been debated, but, as far as my research has led me, this track was the first official musical collaboration between Brandon “Master Rogers” Linn and Kevin “Mouf” Moufadus. In a lot of ways, that makes sense – it is the most blatant combination of their own distinct styles. You can hear Master Rogers developing his intensely melodic orchestral work and melding it with a heavy, otherworldly hip-hop aesthetic he was soon to perfect. And you can hear Mouf crafting his deliberately poetic and visceral lyrical style, interweaving stories, imagery, and self-mythology with classic pop beauty. In that regard, it’s the perfect encapsulation of what makes Mouth’s Cradle great, the rare sound of lightning in a bottle being captured. But what makes Mouth’s Cradle so special is that, as one delves into its catalog, one discovers that every single Mouth’s Cradle song captures that same energy. There’s not a dull moment to be found. After The Next Big Thing, Mouth’s Cradle took a different route and released Mouth’s Cradle Vs. The Hype, a fifteen-track mixtape that actually sounds like a greatest hits package. A few old favorites show their faces – notably a long-awaited appearance of hypnotic “Cool” from the prepubescent Baby Teeth EP, something of a holy grail for hardcore Cradle collectors. But The Hype is a particularly crucial release because of the new material it featured. Early single “Summertime” might be Mouth Cradle’s signature song. Somehow tastefully incorporating a “Hey Soul Sister” sample, “Summertime” is Mouth’s Cradle’s anthem: their “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” “Paper Planes,” and “Born To Run” all wrapped into one. 16
Again, with a Train sample. If The Next Big Thing works at the day shift dreaming of the night, then The Hype steps up to the mic in a crowded amphitheater, gets everyone’s attention, gives a breathtaking performance, sticks up a middle finger, and leaves everyone wanting more. A short five months after The Hype, Mouth’s Cradle took something of a left turn with the whimsical follow-up EP, Mouth’s Cradle Is Terrible!. If Terrible! didn’t match its predecessor in commercial focus, it totally obliterated it in innovation and style. On tracks like fan favorite “Vegeboogie,” Mouf showed off a heretofore unseen talent at epic hip hop storytelling and created what might be Mouth’s Cradle’s version of The Odyssey. Elsewhere, Master Rogers incorporated samples from works by the video production company Everything Is Terrible!, resulting in the most thematically united and structurally fascinating work of his career. Mouth’s Cradle Is Terrible! served its purpose by giving the band a new conceptual challenge it had never faced as well as presenting fans with tracks that would all become beloved staples in the band’s live set. This brings us to Clark Kent, the brand spanking new album from the 2012 incarnation of Mouth’s Cradle. And it seems like everybody is here. The Rogers-Mouf interplay from Next Big Thing is present on tracks such as the show stopping “Daydreaming;” The Hype’s attention-grabbing pop sheen shows up on “UFO;” and Terrible’s colorful electronic touches sparkle the boisterous hiphop pomp of “Real Men.” And, because this is Mouth’s Cradle we’re talking about, there is always lots of room for surprises. Notice the grungy guitars surrounding the jock-jam rhythm of “Kings.” And the haunted house organ that rips through Mouf’s jazzy inflections on “Watch Me?” Totally badass. But the key moment comes during an early verse in “The Fever,” Clark Kent’s first single, in which Mouf seduces the listener, whispering “I wanna turn you on / I wanna tell you something that you didn’t know.” Such is Mouth’s Cradle’s mission statement and a promise the band has delivered on since day one. Wherever you stand in the world of Mouth’s Cradle – a casual concert-goer or a loyal army in the Cradlegang ranks – you know to expect transcendence from Mouth’s Cradle. They write the songs to tell the little kids the stories. They turn you on. They make the kids go apeshit. Like ghosts, like ghosts. 17
BEAR IN HEAVEN Release New Album by eric vilas-boas For those of you who, like me, were so readily entranced by Bear in Heaven’s last ethereal studio effort Beast Rest Forth Mouth, prepare for some happy disappointment. On the band’s latest (maybe their best?) record I Love You It’s Cool, Jon Philpot and company remind us that they’re a rocking band, and a dancing band, and perhaps still a weird dreamy band. After much lyrical growth and enough he nonchalantly titled, strangely art-directed album manages to walk its listeners through a clutch of different, more mature, more diverse territory. From the poppier, dancier opening track “Idle Heart,” Bear in Heaven shows us they no longer want to prioritize the spacy interpretive grooves they featured on Beast Rest Forth Mouth. “Idle Heart” begins with a swath of synths, drum, and bass, leading into a remix-ready anthem about a mysterious woman who will make you forget, who will make you make poor decisions. Forget “Lovesick Teenagers,” Bear in Heaven want to party, want to grow. “Sinful Nature” explores that theme in earnest, describing a descent into justified hatred. With vitriol and vinegar, the song speaks out against the bullies who’ll try to knock you down: “They’ll spit in your face / And push you back to your shell / They’ll sing shitty songs / And sop up your blood on the wall.” Overlaid on a persistent synth and guitar background, Philpot’s inflection transcends his usually usually effete vocal style, carrying an extra layer of personability to the cloudy music. It makes sense, given that the the specific development of the album can be measured in how much more personal its songs are relative to Beast Rest Forth Mouth. The album’s closest analogue to “Lovesick Teenagers,” drum and synth-heavy track “The Reflection of You” presents a nostalgic condensation of a relationship Philpot still believes in, though it’s unclear his partner does: “If you get next to me I have nothing left to prove.” Far from the hazy detachment of “Beast in Peace,” Philpot brandishes his insecurities to the world. Coming to the album’s end, “Sweetness and Sickness” sounds less like the Bear in Heaven we know and love and more like Deerhunter circa Microcastle. Its guitars drenched in an aquatic reverb, Philpot’s vocals fade into the ambient background while he talks about,“The dreams / sad beloved trains / Sadness / Never feels the same.” As his voice falls into the sonic backdrop, the album leaves us. And we’ll never feel the same. 4/5 stars Best track: “Sweetness and Sickness”
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THE RENEGADES #6 by Ibet Inyang and Jasmine Holloway
*** You bes’ check out our blog, it’s legit. therenegademusic.tumblr.com If you’re not there, you’re losing.***
Straight outta Day Hall! We Renegades are busting out with a few reasons why you may actually be wrong about your feelings about Block Party.
5 Reasons Why You Actually Want to go to Block Party 1. DJ Kaskade is, well a DJ, and drunk college kids love electronic music; it’s perfect for jumping around to belligerently. And plenty will most likely be intoxicated at this concert. 2. You can make memes about how lame the concert is afterward and try to become a Facebook Celebrity from all the likes. 3. The Cold War Kids aren’t mainstream- their videos have homeless looking people in them have deep meanings and such, so even though you don’t know who they are, you do know they must be cool. 4. Its just like that frat party you went to last Saturday night, except the music is louder, there is no 275 girls-to-1 guy ratio, and you’ll actually be able to breathe. (Beware: You may still lose your jacket, phone, and Student I.D) 5. Nicki Minaj won’t be there.
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Bombay Bicycle Club and Discovering New Artists on DayTrotter by ben houck When I heard Bombay Bicycle Club’s “Shuffle” on WEQX radio, I was skeptical of their overproduced sound. “Shuffle” reeks of indie radio single but has an infectious groove that I wanted to hear more of, especially in a raw, live vein. Sure enough, the online live session site Daytrotter had a recording coming out later that same week. Why did I go to Daytrotter first? Daytrotter is a titan of online music streaming sites that help music loving hearts find new artists through live studio sessions. Since the spring of 2006, Daytrotter has been recording live sessions of amazing artists in the “Horseshack” studios in Rock Island Illinois. From folk beloved like the Avett Brothers and Iron & Wine to hip hop undergrounds Mc Chris and Grieves, to hard rock bangers like Band of Skulls and Zlam Dunk, Daytrotter focuses on capturing current touring musicians of all genres. Even after major musical heritage company Wolfgang’s Vault acquired a majority stake in 2008, Daytrotter’s mission has remained the same: create great live recordings. The excerpts of unaltered live sound from Daytrotter are in themselves a history book of where bands were and where they are going. Beyond the amazing audio, there are interviews, band profiles and the characteristic Daytrotter cover art for every session. You can get a feel for the vibe of the site in the way they describe each session, “... absolutely collectible songs that often impart on whomever listens to them the true intensity that these musicians put into their art, sometimes with more clarity than they do when they have months to tinker with overdubs and experiments. These songs are them as they are on that particular day, on that particular tour, dirty and alive.” These live sessions are free and easy to download in decent quality MP3 format so that you can experience them anywhere. Short of seeing artists in person, the folks at Daytrotter may have mastered the most organic way of discovering and enjoying live music. That is why I turned to Daytrotter when discovering Bombay Bicycle Club. The Bombay Bicycle Club Daytrotter session strips away the over powering-pro20
duction-packaging of BBC’s radio singles so that you can hear individual instruments and voices and the real artistry of the band. Additionally, Daytrotter made me realize that BBC is more than just a one hit indie radio band, but rather a band that had been producing great music for five years. One of my favorite tracks on the Daytrotter release is “Always Like This” is from their 2009 album I Had the Blues But I Shook Them Loose. “Always Like This” is now buried under their newer albums and isn’t listed in most places as deserving top track from the band. After finding new appreciation for the unedited live sound of the BBC Daytrotter session, I appreciated the musicianship of other BBC studio albums. Several of the Bombay Bicycle Club’s Daytrotter tracks including live version of “Shuffle” are on my 2012 playlist. Safe to say without Daytrotter’s new look on this refreshing British alternative pop, Bombay Bicycle Club may have only been a radio one hit wonder indie band on WEQX instead of one of my new favorite bands for the warm summer 2012 weather ahead. The resources on the site are incredible. Beyond just the audio sessions, the Daytrotter video library is incredible extension of Wolfgang’s Vault. The new “Playlists” section of the site features a variety of useful collections. A weekly roundup of staff favorites of the 21 artists that week makes it easy to sample names you might not know. Other insightful playlists include groups of tracks, selected from Daytrotter, by the artists who have recorded at Daytrotter. Following most websites, the website has a log in that allows you to sync playlists and other posts to Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites. For those willing to pay for special quality music, the online store offers a limited selection of special releases. This month the store features John Denver’s “Poem’s Prayers and Promises” remaster on vinyl. As the tour dates get closer in late summer, the store also features tickets to the Daytrotter Barnstormer tour. Wheres the catch? Really, there isn’t one. Almost all of the content on Daytrotter is free. You can stream live sessions audio from anywhere through the website or the Daytrotter application for phones and tablets. To download copies of the sessions, Daytrotter does ask for a $2 a month subscription fee, however, this small charge feels more like a donation. It is easy to download the entire Daytrotter archive during the free seven day trial that only requires an email address.
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Songs to have a shot gun wedding to by giulia aliverti
We all have secret fantasies. One of mine goes like this ya’ll: I’m 15, in love with the one of the knarliest possum skinners in my hick town of 200 inhabitants, and I’m pregnant. Don’t know who the baby daddy is either. It’s time to string some cans to my daddy’s old pick-up truck, drink some pbr-moonshine and do a line dance or two. And my name is Britney-May. Dixie Chicks // “White Trash Wedding”: What couldn’t be more appropriate? Neil young // “Old Man”: Banjo twangin paradise. Brenda Lee // “Jambalaya On The Bayou”: Hitch them skirts up and get them shotguns in the air...yiiihaw. Tammy Wynette // “Stand By Your Man”: Even if he beats you or kicks you out the trailer park for lookin at him funny. Romance is not dead. Dolly Parton // “Marry Me”: The icing on my classy shindig. Fake boobs, fake hair, and a fiddle. 23
WANT MORE MISCREANT? Mouth’s Cradle are friends of mine. They’ve been a significant part of my life, more than they even know, in my short time here in Syracuse. They’ve shaped my career (by trusting me to re-release The Next Big Thing on Miscreant Records), my relationships (by releasing “Computer” - a song that helped me to put some of my many feeeeelings into words), and my life in general (by being constants in these ever-impressionable years I’m living). I hope they know how many people they’ve changed, including me. I thank them for consistently releasing quality music, and being great people. I’d also like to thank all of my other fellow misfits for supporting, reading and submitting to the Miscreant, I want to remind you, as always, to be sure to send your album reviews, your artist profiles and your interviews to: themiscreantt@gmail.com! Enjoy the following supplement to this issue, a lyric book of the songs from Clark Kent. all my love, the miscreant
artwork by becky frass
CLARK KENT CLARK KENT CLARK KENT
LYRICS
REAL MEN
PALMS IS OUT
hey hey LBJ how many kids did you kill today? hey hey real men say “i’ll get my gun and blow you all away”
if you do not like me oh then i don’t really care i’m dancing to the rhythm with my hands up in the air...
canto johto welcome to my dojo new album you can thank me like domo arigato i wanna lead and never follow and when I’m on the mic I spit not swallow i got a girl with one eyebrow, i call her Frida Kahlo first date we can watch Pasolini’s Salò here’s a hot tip -- moufy’s tips are hollow i got the rap game served with a side of nachos don’t call me tonto, lone ranger, we’re not in any danger i’m frying up some taters as i’m charging up my laser so push up on that fader my ak automatic is playing the percussion as it punctuates the static it might be problematic the way i try to solve my problems kinda like an angel fallen spittin with mouth full of cotton three days before body rotten your crew’s shouting “man down” now the dirty deed is done so can i be a man now? hey hey LBJ...... bulbasaur bulbasaur met you at the grocery store venusaur venusaur fuck you til my penis sore squirtle squirtle one take no rehearsal rapidash rapidash my dick up a rapper ass mouth’s cradle comin through like trenchcoat mafia all black everything hey what’s poppin bruh? everything is fallin into place like tetris i’m in the kitchen cooking like giada de laurentis i chart like johnny mathis but i do this shit for practice i can’t update my status ever since i lost my glasses the earth turns on its axis but i am turning profits i’m spittin like a prophet tell your rapper friends to stop it the pistol when i pop it it’s got the bodies droppin it’s raining like rainforest better grab your umbarella i clip on my barrette as i load up my baretta hello my name is moufy i was born in Pennsylvania hey hey LBJ...
world’s great turtle birthed me through his shell he made me in his image -- how could he send me to hell? i am what i am cuz i am what i was made so how come all my brothers want to put me in my grave? make me full, make me pure make me everything that you wanted and more i saw you out the corner of my eye (my eye) make me sweat -- make me feel everything you want your boy to feel and when it’s done look me in the eye (the eye) if you do not like me....... love me! fear me! send me to your room i’m lying there in shackles while i contemplate my doom i feel like i’m a child but i look like i’m a man you’re bigger than me baby but i’ve got you in my hand take your time, catch your breath take back everything that i ever possessed i saw you in the corner of my eye (eye) but give that back! that’s my world! give it to me like the way you give it to your girl and when it’s done don’t look me in the eye if you do not like me...... palms out lying in the corpse position i had to get it done cuz that’s how it was written i got the chainsaw purring like a big kitten and when i left i dropped one mitten i’m so smitten with the crock pot boiling in my boy’s kitchen i got a hole in me where there was my appendix cuz baby i know how to break you but i can’t mend it you got bad credit and so you best forget it so now i’m coming through like rap game clark kent (that’s just a good kid fighting with his darkness) i gotta save the city cuz that’s what the Lord said i got my battle cry written and recorded
i got my sources but they’re so sordid they shoot horses but i don’t know where they bury them it’s so hilarious the way you’re doubting on my superstition now you’re lying there in corpse position mouth’s cradle
try so hard to live in the moment hell yeah i gotta own it - gotta live with no regrets cuz i’ve seen pain and i’m never going back so hard not to want the power or the ca$h if they lay me on the slab well i’m gonna die the second death cuz
if you do not like me......
am i supposed to swing swords when they’re only good for steel now? am i supposed to see you but i wouldn’t wanna be you now? am i supposed to say a prayer to the man on the moon when i’ll be out on a slab lettin them handle me soon? yeah all the animals are tryna sweat the fever out...
THE FEVER felt like my brain was stuck between stations so i read a book all about trepanation yeah i was in the basement tryna let the demons out later on the floor, found me nearly dead said i needed you like a hole in my head better reconnect yeah i better leave my beeper on ray ban shades and the red lemonade in the shade with my blazer on, i wanna turn you on i wanna tell you something that you didn’t know making me the king, making me the queen tellin you the best “do you know what i mean?” tell you what i seen and i’ll tell you what you’re gonna do cuz am i supposed to swing swords when they’re only good for steel now? am i supposed to see you but i wouldn’t wanna be you now? am i supposed to lay the blame on the capitalists when they’ll only get off with a smack on the wrist? yeah all the animals are tryna sweat the fever out... people on the real they see me and they think they know me but they motherfuckin don’t i’ll cut your fuckin throat and it’ll make the sound of the winter wind don’t be scared cuz i really really won’t mind is a castle and my thoughts are the moat call you on the phone “don’t go, you’re my only friend” big green trees and my legs in the lotus
am i supposed to swing swords when they’re only good for steel now? am i supposed to see you but i wouldn’t wanna be you now? am i supposed to see the stars with the sun in my eyes and the devil at the door with a little surprise? yeah all the animals are tryna sweat the fever out…
AMERICAN BOYS it’s going down down baby up the elevator from the balcony we’re waving at the haters jet set daily but i’ll see you later if you’re looking for the real thing so won’t you step step babe into my oval office we won’t have to worry bout economics i’m so modest -- while i’m being honest i could be the next big thing i’m not a king but i’m a gent and if you let me i’ll be your president i’ll write a speech -- i’ll make it count and we can move into my big big house i’m not a thief, i’m not a crook so why your best friends give me dirty looks? i’ll prove them wrong, i have no doubt so won’t you please just hear me out? cuz you said you try to keep away from american boys
i said “baby what’s wrong with american boys?” you said “they keep me up late with american music” i’m in the foreign car bumpin erykah badu you said you try to keep away from american boys i said “baby what’s wrong with american boys?” you said “they always swoop down like a peregrine falcon” i tried to slow down, baby, but i can’t help it you’re so sweet sweet baby sweeter than a sodapop but your daddy’s meaner than the robocop he don’t trust me so i wrote a song about how i’m never gonna lay hands let’s go downtown baby like we were petula like my name i got it from medúlla once i was a loser then i left school and now i am a self-made man i understand that you’re concerned because i’m not quite ready for the church and when i leave to go to war you think that you won’t see me anymore but i’ll be back in just a sec to wrap my arms around your pretty neck and if you think you’ll realize that we are underneath the same blue sky but you said you try to keep away from american boys...... woe is me! woe is me i can’t bare to have another man lost at sea he was a firework and then he met poseidon i swore i wouldn’t love another sea plane pilot my album got five stars so i earned my stripes you said i know you’re pigheaded but you’re just my type i’m singing shimmy shimmy cocopop shimmy shimmy pow shimmy shimmy cocopop shimmy shimmy pow cuz you said you try to keep away from american boys......
KINGS first we dig a hole, then we jump the fence then we get a job with the dollars and the cents then we climb up make sense of the dollars
getting out the stains from our white white collars then we get a call, then we get a fax shop the appeal of the needle in the wax hands are red but we bet on black livin like kings and we stuntin like jacks livin like kings, stuntin like jacks mobbin on the sidewalk steppin on cracks got a black eye? press it with the raw meat you can call me pony cuz i’m doing it for johnny sitting in the stillness fightin my illness hopin that the fire don’t stop in the village words mad deep like sleep with the fishes when i’m on the mic i kill it you know i got no enemies, never make a diss track people on the blogs start saying that my shit’s whack well how come it fires up your synapse? bruh caught you lookin at my six pack doin it for money power and fame never gonna stop til they all know my name haircut fades, private planes have a great summer never change first we dig a hole, then we jump the fence... at the jack with one eye i’m a swell guy never two timin, never tell lies except on trial, constantly stylin even in my jumpsuit i’m still smiling see me arriving in the armored limousine it’s mortal kombat, y’all couldn’t finish me head full of dreams and a mouth full of listerine g6 cradle in the windowseat you know i rep my team like #CRADLEGANG if you don’t like it then you’re a fuckin hater mayne bottle full of gatorade, chain on layaway callin up my crew cuz we’re going to the skateaway ski mask on at the jewelry store i gotta raise some money for the 2012 tour no we ain’t poor but we gotta have more mouf and master rogers are like ben and jerry horne first we dig a hole, then we jump the fence...
FEELING LIKE A GOD everything red, everything hurts all of my visions are coming in bursts
all in one take cuz i never rehearse but i round that base and i get there first never too slow, never too fast never caught up in a tedious task light up the bowl and i puff and i pass and i smoke that shit until it’s cashed now my flag is at half-mast and i’m asking tons of questions like am i gonna come up soon like third day resurrection? i keep my haters guessin and i guess you learned your lesson but that don’t mean that i’ll lessen the punishment putting up a hundred chips, then i gotta catch some fish gunnin it got my interns runnin it, spent the winter sunnin it moment of grace, moment of glory hit record and tell my story then i gave it up one morning when it rains it’s pouring or he’s taking the punch, taking the cake first you bend but then you break nothing to do, no one to save gotta retire my gun and my cape kissin my friend on the nape of the neck loadin the program, loading the tek shootin em up til there’s nobody left one day later i’m clark kent feeling like a god in my mugshot so i put it in a picture frame but if you roll your dice you’ll find i’m not so nice and people say i’ve gone insane feeling like a god in my mugshot but the handcuffs hold me back and if you smack my wrist you’re gonna feel my fist and get a knife right down your back feeling like a god in my mugshot....... one day later i’m clark kent two days later i’m hell bent on destruction step in my gundam papers think i’m up to something watch my antlers! hold me closer tiny dancer hand on my lantern i say ah like tongue depresser
eat my words like hannibal lecter once a hero, now a spectre of myself highway to hell fleeing all the super troopers dodging shells like koopa troopa it’ll be painless, it’ll be quick when i row down that river styx but right now i’m only sick because i’m sippin hemlock got you in a headlock while you condemn atrocities alter my philosophy -- you haven’t seen the last of me you haven’t seen the worst of me one day you’re gonna work for me i’m real strong like hercules, i’m rippin through your pantheon colors are like benneton, singing in my gramophone never settin my alarm, bet you can resist my charm gucci watch on my arm ever since i sold the farm put my head upon a platter idle hands make idle chatter feeling like a god in my mugshot...
WATCH ME i got a mean streak that’s three miles wide i got a main dish with some others on the side i hurt a lot of people and i got the hurt inside but i love you so hard that it makes me wanna cry and you know i got bank on you, cousin got rank on you, cousin got a couple people that i wanna thank for you cousin i got a couple people that i wanna thank i’m waiting in the alley with the homemade shank my colors red and purple got the laura palmer chain and fightin’s in my blood but loving’s in my brain and you know i got stacks on you, cousin i’ll mack on you, cousin got a couple people that i wanna smack for you, cousin cuz i want you and i need you and i can’t bear to leave you you don’t feel me, you don’t touch me yeah all you do is watch me i got a couple people that i wanna smack my name’s mouf and i lead the attack
i’m in the studio with a couple fat cats and they think i got potential so they wanna tap that and you know i’ll hang loose with you, cousin sip goose with you, cousin got a couple people that i’ll introduce to you, cousin i got a couple people that i’ll introduce to a dark room and a well-placed noose you’re flippin to the page for the adventure you choose you either choose me or baby you lose cuz you know that i’ll cook for you, cousin i’ll look for you, cousin and you know i keep another set of books for you, cousin cuz i want you and i need you.... i’m wondering if i have made my first mistake i’m watching your eyes shine like diamonds in the lake i’ll ask you “darling, may i beg your pardon?”
nosedive right into the bigtime rings of saturn til then this song really doesn’t matter but it isn’t idle chatter cuz i know if it wasn’t for my poetry no one would say hello to me love don’t make no sense...... coveting a bruise from kissing on the lips put away the notebook, shoot from the hip i don’t ever sip but i might take a hit cuz i got a lot of words that’s right on the tip tip of my tongue no it ain’t fun gotta do the work and i gotta get it done don’t tell me what you want there’s breath in your lungs but you’re only gonna sing that same old song and it goes... “love don’t make no sense......”
cuz i want you and i need you...
SPARKS i’m sick of waiting patient my head is an eraser when i’m on the mic flow’s straight, no chaser just a teenager sleepin on the top bunk entered a conservatory, wrote a lot of pop junk ate a lot of junk food doin what i want to i can be a fighter or provider in the right mood but i don’t wanna fight you i need you to need me watching as my song comes on in the tv and i’m singing “love don’t make no sense all you get is loneliness i’m here now in the dark breathing fire but i’m coughing sparks” don’t you like me now, now that i’m a star? we can buy a house and a fuel-efficient car and will you let me go when i need my alone time? callin up the team have the contract co-signed
UFO i wish that every plane was a ufo but it won’t come true cuz you said so... ...i could smack you in the face with a two by four i’m a young crybaby with a heart of gold and all i want is to be your bro shouts out to my boys on the downlow i’m livin every day like a tv show and i’m knockin down the walls of jericho with the beat turned up and the bass down low watching all my hopes and dreams go up in smoke as i sit back and puff that dro you could do much better i wish that every plane was a ufo but it won’t come true cuz you said so... what’s up bro you’re not the only one who’s livin out the legend of the prodigal son swag turned up like a hundred and one fuck these bullies i’mma get my gun pink pistol -- you’d better run cuz i’m ballin on you rappers like atilla the hun
and i don’t rap for cash yeah i rap for fun first boy under the sun who’ll make it count peep me in that cap and gown cuz i have been abducted i wish that every plane was a ufo but it won’t come true cuz you said so... lights flash shut that door your baby’s never comin home no more and i’m walking through the neighbor’s house like a hungry ghost they ask me when i’m coming home and i don’t know what to tell them
DAYDREAMING head on my pillow catch a falling star the people in my nightmare look like walking candy bars catch you in the park giving you a hershey kiss i’m picking you a flower with the red and purple tips i am not a lion, i’m a lost little fawn and it would make me happy just to have you on my arm but every time my fingers get close your muscles get transparent and it’s like i saw a ghost daydreaming of you...... i like the way you smile and the way you flip your hair and when i’m with you all i do is stare you opened up my eyes and you taught me how to feel you taught me how to love and that shit was real now it’s three o clock and i’m lying in my bed i don’t want a dilemma i’m just tryna clear my head i can’t wait to see you even if it’s in my dreams is this reality or is it dmt? daydreaming of you...... i got a lot of feelings, but that shit’s stupid i got a lotta hos on the okcupid i got an identity but it’s so fluid the way i’m shining you can call me stanley kubrick
once there was a hater who would always try to stop me i ate him with some fava beans and a nice chianti i think you’re really cute and you know i like your body please stay tuned for an emergency apology: i’m sorry didn’t mean to do you harm all i ever wanted was a touch of your arm looking back i guess i touched too hard cat’s in the cradle and the body’s in the yard i like you as you are -- exactly and precisely i’ll keep your hands warm and your wrists so icy now it says mouth’s cradle on your sweater call you hester the way you rock red letters i’m spittin lectures like a young professor i’m letting go my tethers while collecting cheddar and now my papers are in the shredder i’ll never live to see the day we get the internet censored i’m so sensitive, diamonds on my neck and wrist hangin from a chandelier, open up a can of beer instincts maternal, met you at the urinal what the fuck you know about my white winter hymnal????? and i don’t even give a fuck i’m on the carrot highway stuntin in my monster truck spiked blue shell bruh -- bet you better duck moufy got sevens but you’re out of luck i like you as you are -- precisely and exactly the way that i can spit is like a motherfuckin athlete i wish that you were mine and i wish i wasn’t leaving and it won’t change nothing but i stay daydreaming daydreaming of you......