The Taxpayers and the stirring sonic encapsulation of circling the wagons, of staving off death is felt on "Circle Protector" (Official Video)

 

"Take all the people that I don't know yet / And put em in bottles that you can protect / Flash burn their living to my memories / That float down the river out into the sea / That float down the river out into the sea..."

A stirring sonic encapsulation of emotional bonding, of circling the wagons, of staving off death is felt on the sort of Celtic folk rock illumination of "Circle Protector", by  Portland, Oregon birthed experimental indie rock amalgam The Taxpayers, embraces you, draws you into something equally intimate and vast. I suppose, the chamber pop orchestrations, the rustic ambience, like the fuzzy distortion of a 16 millimeter movie, adds to the found footage atmospheres, so evocative and quite cinematic. I can also tell you that while I was stepping fully into this song I had recently seen a great movie that takes place in Ireland called "In the Land of Saints and Sinners" and so maybe the overall breath and scope of that intimate, ultimately heartbreaking movie cast that Celtic glow. I probably though would have felt that cast either way.  

The vocals are passionate and raw just like the lyrical poetry.

"Take all the people that I don't know yet
And put em in bottles that you can protect

Flash burn their living to my memories
That float down the river out into the sea
That float down the river out into the sea"

"Tell all the senseless events to be gone
Give all the naked a place to belong
Take all the brokenness, place it on leaves
That float down the river out into the sea"

The churchlike organ that reveals itself is a telling moment and maybe tangentially connected to the seeds of this song. 

IMPORTANT LINER NOTES (bracketed): 

[“Think of how much the world has changed since we released our last album,” says Rob Taxpayer, the band’s lead vocalist and principal songwriter. “It seemed appropriate to do something completely different.”

The album’s lead single “Circle Protector,” draws on deeply personal experiences, including a tragic event that profoundly impacted Rob Taxpayer. Reflecting on the moment, Rob shares:

“The day before ‘Circle Protector’ was written, I ran into my friends Katie and Will, who were loading an amp into the back of a car about a block from my house. They were heading to a house show in the next neighborhood over. ‘You should come,’ they said. But me and Elise had free tickets to see the stage adaptation of Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill and babysitters for our six-month-old (our first date night in months). So we hopped back on our bikes and told them to have fun. ‘Maybe we’ll stop by after the musical.’

“I found out the next day that there had been a shooting at that house show. Some random guys had wandered in thinking it was a house party, tried to hit on a few people who weren’t interested, and opened fire on their way out. An old friend had been killed, a victim of a stray bullet.

“I learned about this as I held my sleeping baby in my arms, grappling with the fact that my friend had been murdered a handful of blocks from where my baby slept. That night, I lit a bundle of old dried lemongrass and walked a protective circle around my home.”

The song “Circle Protector” encapsulates the emotional weight of this experience while embodying the band's continued exploration of complex themes and evolving sound.]

Since America has been experiencing a Political Coup in real time, I have found myself becoming more emotional, more raw. It is as if my own skin itself is infested with worry and existential dread. I worry about my son and daughters and my grandchildren. This makes "Circle Protector" even more relevant on a macro level, at least to me. Tech Billionaires like Elon Musk's and Mark Ann Driesen have an endgame that involves taking land from those whose families have toiled in it and sueing regular folks if they do not sell. In my fairly long life I never thought that America would become or could become an Oligarchy. It makes me incredibly sad. 

Keep the faith. Raise your fists. Protect those whom you love and even those you don't but are part of a larger grassroots community. 

-Robb Donker Curtius

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1QNEVFk8MjculKl5977kfy

https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/album/circle-breaker

https://www.instagram.com/the_taxpayers/

https://www.facebook.com/thetaxpayers/

https://www.thetaxpayersband.com/


After a multi-year hiatus, long-running experimental punk band The Taxpayers are back and ready to make their mark once again. Formed in Portland, Oregon in 2007, The Taxpayers have been known for their genre-bending, DIY punk sound and their ability to push musical boundaries. Following a series of critically acclaimed albums, including 2012’s concept album God, Forgive These Bastards and their last full-length release Big Delusion Factory (2016), the band is thrilled to announce the release of their highly anticipated new album, Circle Breaker, out on March 21 via the boundary-defying Ernest Jenning Record Co (pre-order).


The Taxpayers have been busy during their time away, selling out shows across the U.S. and headlining festivals in Australia. Their upcoming album Circle Breaker marks a bold new chapter in their musical evolution.


In anticipation of the album, The Taxpayers have released two new singles, “Circle Protector”and “Evil Everywhere” along with accomanying music videos. Both tracks are available streaming now on YouTube and all streaming platforms for any playlist shares.

The Taxpayers, folk rock, indie rock, storytelling, rustic, raw, emotional, "Circle Protector" (Official Video), lead vocalist Rob Taxpayer, Portland Oregon, band, collaborative indie band, DIY punk sound,