Awkward For Life

It's been a while since I've updated here. To quote one of my favorite music writers, "Blog! Blogging on the blog. What happened, etc."

Well, i've been busy - making music, art, micro-blogging, tumblring, etc. Me and Liz are starting up a vinyl record label. It's an evolution i guess, on where to put things, but i am sorry if i've left any of you guys out in the dark because of it.

Well - here's what happened, our 2010 singles collection, with the help of our amazing Kickstarter contributors, turned into our 3rd full length album, Golden Age, which we're putting out on limited edition gold 12" vinyl.

I spent some time this morning listening through the test pressing. I'm really proud of it. The frantic pace of trying to put out 2 songs each month forced me to be more spontaneous, and let accidents happen. Not that i've ever been a perfectionist, but more than ever before, inspiration beat out perfection, introspection, and self-criticism. It's a different sounding record. I hope you like it.

One lesson i've learned over the last couple years is that when your making music you just have to go for it, and make your own mistakes. In the past i might have worried more, if the recording sounded "professional enough." I would have been told i needed to spend lots of money on recording, or mastering, or vinyl mastering, etc. I would have worried more if voice was a little off key here and there. Almost all these vocals are done in one or two takes. I used to do lots more and edit down, smooth out the edges. But i've never really been satisfied with the results of that process. It takes the life out of it, and makes it safe, and less interesting. I'm reading Kim Cooper's 33 1/3 Book about Neutral Milk Hotel's In the Aeroplane Over the Sea right now, and it's totally inspiring. Those guys weren't concerned about being professionals, they were just chasing after greatness, and creating a sense of community. For me i've been lucky - everything always seems to find a way of working out. I guess i believe that in art, it pays to be bold, and persistent.

Anyway, you can only fit so many minutes of music on 12" of vinyl, so we've compiled the rest of the songs from our our singles collection as an EP called Everything Follows, which you can download for free at Bandcamp.


Well, there's more to tell you, but that's alot of information for now, and i've got to get back to cleaning the dishes. Thanks so much for listening, reading, and being a part of our world. I'd love it if you could pass the word about this new music along to friends - i really want as many people as possible to hear it - that's sort of the reward of it all.

Oh yeah and I titled this post Awkward for Life, because that's the name of our new label - and it sort of describes the whole ethos of what we're doing. Sure, this is awkward-- we're awkward. If you've ever met me in person, you know that my conversations tend to ramble and get weird and tangential. I don't have a gift for small talk. But the thing is, it doesn't matter. Let's all just embrace it, and go for it. I mean, why not?

Cheers,
Brian

san francisco, 1947

When i started the year out i thought i'd definitely have included more instrumentals by now. For some reason i just kept writing songs that had words in them. This one is sort of a collage. I sampled this great recording of Jack Kerouac reading from On the Road, along with a beautiful instrumental track from the soundtrack to The Darjheeling Limited. They're some of my favorite recordings. I was actually walking around for a few weeks with them mashed up in my head like this. It pretty much came out the way i was hearing it. It's sort of a dreamscape I guess. I can kinda get lost in it.

Also, it feels good to stretch out on the parameters of what can be included in this singles collection. I feel like we live in an age where artists have lots of freedom to take a more mulitdisciplinary approach-blogging, songs, collages, tumblring, mashups, remixes, videos documenting the process, weird videos with found footage from 1950's B-movies, photography, mixtapes, essays, poems, cover songs, etc. I'm still working on getting to some of that stuff but it's probably just a matter of time.

the eternals

i wrote this song with my friend Edan from the band West Dakota (westdakota.us) He's a great songwriter. He and i decided to collaborate after joking how we both actually are just trying to write really catchy, big, straightforward pop songs, but for some reason our songs always come out strange and just, well, like us.

The lyrics are more serious I guess. The song is about trying to abandon the past, and make a clean break. There's one line that says, "First we burn the maps, then we burn the ships." I'm drawn to the idea lately of moving forward with absolute certainty, and never looking back.

here are the lyrics:


I'm awake with you
And your bad dreams
Maybe we could use
A change of scene
I never had a home
But the curves of you hips
First burn the maps
Then we burn the ships
Cause you lose yourself
When you're in between

So Leave it alone
Do what you wanna do
The old days are gone
A new life is calling you
You're lost in a dream
You're floating downstream

Is there something wrong?
Cause I can't tell
Won't you meet me by
The carousel?
Because you can't get ready for the fiery crash
I never fuck with the future and the past is past
What I mean to say
Is all is well

You'll open your heart
With no reservations
We're the eternals
The pale generation
They'll call it a crime
But they don't know time

If I'm the one to surrender
I'd never give you away
Our hearts will glow just like embers
And for once
I'll know just
What to say
What to say
What to say

So Leave it alone
Do what you wanna do
The old days are gone
A new life is calling you
You're lost in a dream
You're floating downstream

Open your heart
With no reservations
We're the eternals
The pale generation
They'll call it a crime
But they don't know time

Live on KDVS, February 2005

2005 was sort of a turning point for me musically. I had hit a point where i thought about stepping back and focusing on other things. I had made a couple acoustic records that hadn't really found much of a fan base outside my own circle. Jackson was a year and half old, and our second son Elijah was on the way. I'd just moved back to the town i grew up in, and i felt like my life was getting pulled in a strange, yet all too familiar direction.

Instead of throwing in the towel, i made a conscious effort to write pop songs, and started Beat Radio. But a few months before that happened, i took a trip out to the west coast for the first time to play some shows. The whole trip was sort of a pilgrimage for me - especially going to San Francisco and checking out the City Lights Bookstore and walking around the streets i'd read about in all those Jack Kerouac books.

The highlight of the trip was getting to play live on the air at KDVS. Michael Leahy invited me to do a session for his great Cool as Folk Show.

I stumbled across the mp3's the other day in my itunes. you can check them out here:
television

the man i should be

fearful

silver birds

hope you like them.

if you see her, say hello (bob dylan cover)

I was excited to finally getting around to working on this Bob Dylan cover. I was walking around with it in my head for a long time. Sometimes songs kinda torment you, until you get them done. They knock around your head, threaten to go bad and destroy everything. My advice would be this - if you've got an idea, try not to let it die. Following through on it will probably be it's own reward.

Oh, and i took the lyrics from the version of this song on the Bootleg Series. It was the first version Dylan recorded at the NY sessions for Blood on the Tracks. I actually greatly prefer all the recordings from those sessions, compared to the ones Dylan went on to record in Minnesota for the official release. My favorite line is when he says, "Kiss her for the kid," which didn't make the album version.

Also, when i was walking around with this song in my head all those months, it sounded like a cross between Sparklehorse's "Ghost of His Smile" and Them's "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue." The way it actually came out, i think owes a bit more to Dylan's "Series of Dreams." Sort of a Daniel Lanois feel. Life takes interesting turns.

when i'm with you

i kind of knew i would love this song before i even heard it. the title struck me as the perfect name for a pop song. if you've never heard the original, check out best coast here: www.myspace.com/bestycoasty

electric apostles

thanks so much to our friend ken for posting these videos from our show at union hall last month!

evangeline

This song's about getting through hard times, together. I wrote the melody on the piano in my front room, and i've been walking around with in my head for a couple months. Took me a while to get the words down.

If you listen closely, you can hear my 7 year old son Jackson shredding along on his little red flying v, towards the end.


here are the lyrics:

Evangeline
The storm is over now
I love the way
The sun burns through the clouds
I'm still the same
I'm still the kid you knew
For all we've lost

Evangeline
I hear the breaking waves
I'm drifting off
I swear I'm not afraid
Down by the shore
Everyone's rushing round
I'm standing still

Evangeline
You are my sweetest friend
We can't stay here
Can't go back home again
I turned my back
Remembering everything
Must find its way

Evangeline
You've seen me through it all
The pavement shines
The cherry blossoms fall
Our love will grow
My heart is keeping time
Evangeline

the best and the brightest

I’m not one of those people who looks back much. As far as music goes, I think this is probably the most amazing time ever to be a fan and an artist. But I was thinking the other day on how it used to be. These days things don’t really stay obscure in the same way – everyone has access to everything. When I was a kid, you could be a fan of a band sometimes and it felt like you were in your very own secret club. It’s like the world was made up of a thousand different secret clubs. This song is about how it felt to share a favorite band with a friend of yours, and how it could be a bond between you, that no one else understood. At least until you met someone else who was also part of the club.

Here are the lyrics:

The best and the brightest
Were our favorite band
They played the songs in the keys that only we could understand
When my mind is hazy
When I’m fading away
I’m listening to the b-side to “Destroy a Holiday”

I’m on your side
Be on my side
Cause I’m on your side
Be on my side

Radio Daydream
Was my favorite song
When my head is empty
When the days get long
We were looking for something
Someone we used to know
And now the ancient circle’s separating slow

I’m on your side
Be on my side
Cause I’m on your side
Be on mine

Freedom will wait
If you dare to escape
So hold on
Hold on
It won’t be long

I’m on your side
Be on my side
Cause I’m on your side
Be on mine

collage

a friend of mine asked a bunch people to make all the different letters of the alphabet for her a nursery for her nephew that is about to be born. i chose the letter "b" here's what i got.

the world is ours

This track was a fun one to make, I built the song on top of an instrumental track Dan Bills recorded in his apartment. Its the first song we've written together, we're working on another one now.

The lyrics are pretty optimistic, kind of just about going for it. As Royal Tenenbaum would say,

"I'm not talking about dance lessons. I'm talking about putting a brick through the other guy's windshield. I'm talking about taking it out and chopping it up."

In other words, its go time with the go team.



Here are the lyrics:

Grey veils over blue skies
You came calling for me
I was stumbling along
Still singing those songs
In the skeleton keys

Waiting on a revelation
Till the sun burns through
I was writing a scene
For a new books of dreams
I was looking for you

Lets drown in our revery
Out here beneath the stars
We don't know what comes next
But we know the world is ours

Its go time with the go team
And if you're looking for me
I'm with the queen of the slipstream
Back where I wanted to be

All the people walk in darkness
Broken satellites
I'm writing letters to you
Because I wanna get through
Make you feel alright

There's no more looking back
Now that we've come this far
Way up and down the line
We know the world is ours

Lets drown in our revery
Out here beneath the stars
We don't know what comes next
But we know the world is ours

There's no more looking back
Now that we've come this far
Way up and down the line
We know the world is ours

geography

I kind of felt like writing a song that was stranger, and more impressionistic. With most songs I go for a pretty tight pop structure, and lately I've been writing lyrics that are more direct. With this track I wanted it to be more spontaneous. That was one of my goals undertaking this two song a month thing-to be a bit more carefree and not overwork things. Sometimes you write song to try and save the world. Other times you just want to be psychedelic.

I think this song is about letting go of the things that you don't need.



Here are the lyrics:

Tell me what you see
When you close your eyes
Are you in too deep?
Are you sick of goodbyes?

Your geography
Is an I. O. U.
In a feedback loop
Where the light burns through

In a brokedown car
On the ferris wheel
In a ring of fire
We backed out of the deal
We backed out of the deal

When the roof caved in
We were in a trance
And beyond harm's way
In this graveyard romance

We could let things go
Walk around the block
How our teachers cried
How our parents were shocked

On Saturn's rings
With your heart displaced
On a copper wave
You dropped out of the race
You dropped out of the race

Union Hall Show 5/8

We're super excited to announce that we're playing a show on Saturday May 8th in Park Slope Brooklyn with our friends West Dakota and Valley Lodge. Evan made this rad flyer. Things could get interesting.

Rooftop set: Teenage Anthem

Last week we got together to bbq and play some music together on Dan's rooftop in Brooklyn. We kind of felt out the arrangements as we went along, we had a really great time. Our friend Pete from West Dakota joined us on trumpet. Here's the video of Teenage Anthem for the Drunken Boat:

Teenage Anthem for the Drunken Boat (Acoustic) HD from Beat Radio on Vimeo.

You can also download an mp3 here:
teenage anthem for the drunken boat (acoustic)

We ended up doing a 5 song set. More videos coming soon. You can also check out some pics over at our new Flickr Page.

High Time/Lonely From Rock and Roll single at Ampeater

I'm super excited to have 2 new beat radio tracks featured today at the Ampeater Review. Ampeater is a cool music website that has also released digital singles from Mount Eerie, Twin Sister, and a bunch of other really great bands. Check it out here:

http://ampeatermusic.com/aem090

The a-side is a brand new song called "high time." I guess it’s about trying to be more honest with yourself.

The b side is a song I wrote with Tim Lannen back in 2003 called "Lonely from Rock and Roll". It’s about how our band at the time was breaking up. It rocks out kinda hard. You guys who read this blog might remember a demo i did of this song back in 2008.

You can stream both tracks at the ampeater site or download them as a zip file.

photos by gilbert ng

our friend gilbert is a great rock photog. these are pics from a rehearsal a few weeks back.

dreams are just like melodies

BUZZsession: Mexico - Beat Radio from the WILD honey pie on Vimeo.

typewriter of doom!

thanks to Eric from the Wild Honey Pie for taking some rad videos of our Bell House show a couple weeks back. Here's "Memoir of a Lightning Bolt."

BUZZsession: Memoir of a Lightning Bolt - Beat Radio from the WILD honey pie on Vimeo.

interview

hey guys, here's an interview i did with the wild honey pie backstage at the bell house in brooklyn. awkward for life!

Exclusive Interview: Brian Sendrowitz of Beat Radio from the WILD honey pie on Vimeo.

Will have some live clips from the show to post soon.
also, finishing up 2 more new songs this week!

best,
bri

...and in the end shoot back

I talk about The Diggs alot. They're probably my favorite band. They're also great friends. All their songs mean alot to me but this one especially, for lots of reasons. The lyrics are taken from the unfinished novel of a friend of ours who passed away a few years back. From the first time i heard it the melody of this song pulled me in. It's sort of always with me.

This is for Brendan.

you can hear the original version of the song here (via music is art)

golden age

This is a song about getting your hopes up, and allowing yourself to dream of bigger things. My wife Liz called me out on something recently - I always play down my ambition, either with self-deprecating humor, or just a calculated lack of imagination. I make plans and get excited about things, but only to a certain point. If I don't get my hopes up, I don't allow myself the chance to fail. Under the guise of being realistic, I shelter myself from the possibility of dissappointment. I know this sounds new age-y, but fuck it. The truth is I want big things for Beat Radio. Beat Radio is about ambition. This song is about laying it all on the line, and expecting everything in return. It's about believing in your dreams.

here are the lyrics:

I'm getting ready for the golden age
All my trouble's gonna fade away
And I can remember when I felt so small
Next thing I know I'm ten feet tall

Sunday morning, there's a fever in the street
I'm going back to the places where we used to meet
Its been a long long time but I feeling the pull
my head is open, my heart is full

I feel a little bit nervous but I'm not afraid
I wanna make good on the plans we made
I love you now like I loved you then
And I'll never make those same mistakes again.

I'm letting go of all the things that I can't control
Got may headphones on, playing "silver soul"
All my dreams are real
All my debts are paid
I'm getting ready for the golden age


I'm getting ready for the golden age
All my troubles gonna fade away
And I can remember when I felt so small
Next thing I know I'm ten feet tall
Now I don't feel anything at all

everything follows

i've been reading lots of henry miller lately.

Alternate title: "Electric Apostle"

here are the lyrics:

I was going somewhere
Letting go of what I held so close
Cause everything follows
once you've given up the ghost

I was on my way home
You were burning in effigy
I was singing for the punk rock girls
With the tattoo sleeves

Can't go back to feeling like it did before
Cause its just not who we are anymore
You said "its not fate, its just circumstance."
And its our last chance
And its our last chance

But I'm sending transmissions and memories
And I'm Pounding sonnets into typewriter keys
Because I can't wake up from this sea sick trance
And its our last chance
And its our last chance

Red and yellow roses
Letters that I sent to you
Paperbacks and mix tapes
I couldn't take away your blues

You're an actor's actor
A luminary of the screen and stage
Electric apostle
Of the modern age

The show is over now, everything fades away
No more songs to play

Can't go back to feeling like we did before
Because its just not who we are anymore
You said "its not fate, its just circumstance."
And its our last chance
And its our last chance
But I'm sending transmissions and memories
And I'm Pounding sonnets into typewriter keys
Because I can't awaken from this sea sick trance
And its our last chance
And its our last chance

hope you like it. play it loud!

best,
bri

cold war

this is a new song called "cold war." i wrote this song with evan duby. he plays guitar in beat radio now. he also writes his own songs, knows daniel johnston, and created a cartoon about a superhero version of john oates' moustache. it's like a real cartoon. we also wrote "follow you around" together. i like collaborating. it's fun. also, brian ver straten took this photo, and played drums on both of these new songs, which was super exciting for me, first time trying to record drums in here in my basement. also, this song started out with an instrumental track of me making weird sound collages out of 4-track tapes i recorded in high school.

here are the lyrics:
I woke up late to find
Out
I'm alone

And its heavy on my mind
And I
Wanna know

Where have you been?
You're dissapearing all the time

Are you back now
With your old friends?
Just a vampire
For the weekend?
In your old hometown
Does it bring you down
To be back again?

And the party's over now
I'm on the street
When I'm lost amongst a crowd
I feel so free
Got a restless heart
And we've lost our way somehow

And I'm hiding
From the daylight
Its a cold war
But I'm alright
In your old hometown
Do familliar sounds
Keep you up at night?

Are you back now
With your old friends
Just a vampire
For the weekend
Have I seen you for the last time?
Will I know you
In the next life?
And I'm hiding
From the daylight
Its a cold war
But I'm alright
Are we close now
To the free fall?
Did you break down
The berlin wall?
Should I venture
Into slipstream?
Are we working
Toward the same dream?

"sleepwalking" t shirts

hey guys, t-shirts are now available! you can order one here:

Sizes

youth large adult small adult medium adult large adult xl

we appreciate your support!
all the best,
bri