"are you the one I'm looking for? In the shadows, the sun on your face..."
The beautiful organ distortion of "Skulls" by Peter Matthew Bauer (The Walkmen) like a hell bent rock gospel (and for some reason I thought of an old school Farfisa overmodulated through an Ampeg two 10 in bass cabinet) against a truly choppy drum beat is glorious. Now throw in the pushed psychedelia of a garden rock guitar, heavy falling bass lines, and Bauer's evocative vocal aesthetic and you just might get chills. I especially love when the organ drops out and things get really open and dreamy with glacial keys embracing Bauer's moving vocal countenance.
It is funny because at first I thought a tiny bit of The Flaming Lips here but when the song expands and with the moving almost southern rock / Americana guitar work, the song (for me) changed emotional shape and I thought of adding other artists tentacles on top of The Lips, like Sparklehorse, like The Band, like an amalgam of all of them. An amazing song with so many colors / textures.
Of the song and it conception, construction Bauer shares:
"'Skulls' came out of a really strong period of writing music without thinking. I had stumbled onto this new style of guitar playing that brought me a lot of joy. I started using a distortion pedal for the first time in my life and discovered I could play all these riffs. 'Skulls' came out of this kind of endless waterfalling soloing I played for hours and then cut down to what you hear on tape.
I'd written a record called Mount Qaf and the magic mountain in the song is sort of looking back at that. It's a song about how what is strange and small and human is more gratifying than any sort of spiritual escape.
It's the most collaborative single on the record. Matt Barrick (The Walkmen, Muzz, Fleet Foxes) played the drums and mixed it. I had my friend Charlie Anastasis (Liily) who's band I manage play the bass. He's like a young Flea. Then my wife Marisa and our friend Hillary sing alongside me throughout. Most of it was recorded down in my basement and then finished in Philadelphia at Silent Partner."'
"Skulls" is the second single off his next LP, "Flowers", due September 23 via Fortune Tellers Music.
I'd written a record called Mount Qaf and the magic mountain in the song is sort of looking back at that. It's a song about how what is strange and small and human is more gratifying than any sort of spiritual escape.
It's the most collaborative single on the record. Matt Barrick (The Walkmen, Muzz, Fleet Foxes) played the drums and mixed it. I had my friend Charlie Anastasis (Liily) who's band I manage play the bass. He's like a young Flea. Then my wife Marisa and our friend Hillary sing alongside me throughout. Most of it was recorded down in my basement and then finished in Philadelphia at Silent Partner."'
"Skulls" is the second single off his next LP, "Flowers", due September 23 via Fortune Tellers Music.
-Robb Donker Curtius
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM - PRESS NOTES:
https://soundcloud.com/petermatthewbauer/skulls
https://open.spotify.com/track/0dhBcX4hYAN6excyBORO2L
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM - PRESS NOTES:
https://soundcloud.com/petermatthewbauer/skulls
https://open.spotify.com/track/0dhBcX4hYAN6excyBORO2L
https://www.facebook.com/petermatthewbauer
"Skulls" is sprawling rock & roll song carried by a Peter's vocals and waterfalling guitar solos over a bed of farfisa organs, booming drums by Matt Barrick (Walkmen, Fleet Foxes, Muzz), bass playing by Charlie Anastasis (Liily) and backups by Marisa Brown and Hillary Ashen. It's a weird original sound that is entirely modern but strangely out of time.
** At this particular time we find ourselves in a financial pinch due to many factors. We want to keep AP going. It has been a passion project for over 13 years. PLEASE consider donating, we could really use the support. Thanks so much
We get by with a little help from our friends
Fortune Tellers Music, Peter Matthew Bauer, singer songwriter, musician, solo record, "Skulls", upcoming album "Flowers", collaborative effort, moving vocals,
"Skulls" is sprawling rock & roll song carried by a Peter's vocals and waterfalling guitar solos over a bed of farfisa organs, booming drums by Matt Barrick (Walkmen, Fleet Foxes, Muzz), bass playing by Charlie Anastasis (Liily) and backups by Marisa Brown and Hillary Ashen. It's a weird original sound that is entirely modern but strangely out of time.
** At this particular time we find ourselves in a financial pinch due to many factors. We want to keep AP going. It has been a passion project for over 13 years. PLEASE consider donating, we could really use the support. Thanks so much
We get by with a little help from our friends
Fortune Tellers Music, Peter Matthew Bauer, singer songwriter, musician, solo record, "Skulls", upcoming album "Flowers", collaborative effort, moving vocals,
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