"tell you lovers and your friends to come back when the madness ends"
This morning of November 2nd, 2020, at exactly 3:38 this morning, my tossing and turning woke me up as I became claustrophobically twisted in my favorite blanket. I love this blanket as it seems to give me emotional comfort in some ways when times feel tough but today, that light blue fabric was strangling me as I lay on the floor. (Or maybe) it woke me up like a friend does when you sleep too late when you were supposed to get up and catch early morning waves.
Whatever... I was up and didn't sleep well. Tomorrow an estimated 58 million American voters will cast their vote for one of two elderly white dudes and 92 million votes have already been cast. It will likely be a record number of votes cast for any American election in history. Businesses getting prepped for likely social unrest, no matter how the vote goes (and it will likely take weeks to count all the ballots) are boarding up their windows. All this and, of course, 2020 in general, Covid 19, house hunting, dealing with realtors, pushing forward with personal matters like my wife dealing with daily pain. Oh, yes, don't let your elderly parent (85) drive a vehicle, please don't allow that, ok? Where was I? Oh yeah, helping my lovely wife get through it all (thankfully she is geared to have spinal surgery soon). All, this stuff means I don't sleep well, not at all.
So it was nice to discover some interesting art this morning. I am speaking of an outfit called Bang Bang Jet Away, a tightly twisted divergent duo that seem to be based out of San Diego, Ca. They are Matt Binder and Mike Kamoo. Their track "The Age of Reason" which, by the way, from a historical standpoint I feel is an oxymoron (forever) is about the state of things and maybe how we should push info away from our heads, across the kitchen table, like that loaded gun.
Of the track Matt shares:
"In April, I rented a car and drove cross-country from NYC to Granby, CO, to escape Covid. My first week in CO, I wrote this song about the fucked-up state of the world. I sent the demo to my friend Kamoo in CA, and he recorded drums and lead guitar over it."
The overall aesthetic tone here on "The Age of Reason" sort of feels like folk punk. The emotional pull is dark and light. There are truths and sadness, "the reason has passed there's no lookin back" and "the news is on, don't watch the end" and "tik tok will make them dumb" all tied up in a sort of happy / sad musical framework, dancey with lively guitar work and tightly wound bass and drums.
This song lead me to the pair's Bandcamp and I am currently steeping in 2019's "Dzzs Bar" album full of interesting songs with emotional tugs. Still swimming around and not well versed enough to comment on most of these tracks but I like them (alot). Love the harmonies and feel cynical diatribes throughout that are tempered with sparks of hope and love.
Cool stuff. I implore you to check out Bang Bang Jet Away's Bandcamp. Tomorrow, it a big day.
-Robb Donker Curtius
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM - PRESS NOTES:
https://www.facebook.com/bangbangjetaway
One evening, I sat down on my couch to watch Lars Von Trier’s 5 hour film, Nymphomaniac. By the time I made it to bed at 4am, I was in a very bad way. I did not sleep well, as my mind was filled with fresh horrors about the future of the world. I slept through my 7a.m. alarm and missed my morning meetings. The damage already done, I decided not to go to work. Instead, I picked up a guitar and started writing tunes, something I had not done in several years. By the end of the day I had enough for an EP. Thinking a new batch of tunes required a band to play them, I called up a few pals to see if they wanted to get together. However, these pals had all moved onto other things, and had no time for my songs. This is fine, I thought, the time to make music is behind me now. I, too, have moved onto other things. That night I walked over to my favorite Japanese restaurant and ate gyoza and ramen, while reading Volume 2 of Karl Ove’s My Struggle. Then it occurred to me that there had never been a time when I was living just one life, the life of a student, a lover, a salesman, a writer. Wherever I was, whatever I was engaged in, I was always leading multiple lives. I put down my book and called Kamoo to ask if he’d like to make a record with me. He said that he thought it sounded like a good idea. The project is called Bang Bang Jet Away, a small tribute to the best band in San Diego’s history, The Stereotypes. Hope you enjoy. - Matt
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