From Morning And Protection (Three New Songs from Two Albums)

THE FOLLOWING three songs are from two albums, 155 (protection) & 156 (morning). The album art for Protection is posted above. The album art for Morning will come with the next post from that album. Stream here, download through the link and let me know what you all think.

‘Girl Flower’ is probably one of my ‘loosest’ songs. Built mostly around a subtle and flickering loop of keys and guitar, the song folds, unfolds and folds again into something of a nice coda. It’s a soft, quiet, less than dramatic song which is not typical on reflection (as my songs typically seem to pray on melodrama).

Click here to Download Girl Flower

So this one’s strange as it’s essentially part two of a song that has a part one on the previous album (Train Station no. 1 is on Protection, my 155th album). This song is an attempt at experimenting with an older method of chop and paste wherein I take a full length track, this one had consisted mostly of violins and clarinets, and rearranging them into a rhythm and structure.

If for any reason the streaming file isn’t working, click the title and it’ll bring you to tindeck where the song is hosted. Sometimes, tumblr’s an ass. Tonight, as an example, the version remains ‘too large’ to upload (being longer than, oh, 8 minutes). When posting a link to stream by, it sometimes dies out so again, if you have any real problems, click on the title and let me know.

Click here to listen to 02 Train Station New Jersey.mp3

Here’s yet another new acoustic guitar/lyric/vocal (hell arguably more structured) song. I’ve actually included the lyrics and they’re in a lot of ways more audible than normal. The album its off of is 155, which has been finished for a week I just forgot to post this one.

I’m very proud of the pre-reverb towards the songs climax (along with the looping in the coda). I actually don’t mind the lyrics, which is rare as I’m often quite insecure about that.

I really hope you enjoy! The lyrics are posted below. To download the song, click the title above.

Use anchors to catch storms
speak in flags and braile
marry only orphans or widows

Laugh only with widows
and fast on odd numbered days
Perfect personal prayer

surgical prayers

learn about protection (repeat)

Collect young lover’s hair
collect the marrow and diamonds
and break and make it all
into circles on your bed

Bend the road to fit the route
Read by moonlight and sleep
only when the stars hide

stars hide in diamonds and veils
marrow and hair
the skin on your face

learn about protection (repeat)

save yourself

Click here to listen to 03 Marrow-Diamonds (I.N.R.J.).mp3

I am the worst at updating this

again, it's the whole 'full time job' bag. Anyway, here are a bunch of new songs from albums 154 & 155.

I've in no way slowed down. Posted above is the album art for "TEARS", which is my 154th album. Experimentation ranges herein between violins, woodwinds and a vocal song.
I hope you enjoy and remember to keep up with me at facebook, here: facebook.com/pages/Swimmingpool-The-Band/383899140556

THE GREAT BEAST: DEFEAT

Click Here To Download"The Great Beast (Defeat)"

'The Great Beast (Defeat)' is the first track off of my 153d album “The Spirit Of The Staircase”.

This track is based around a slow and churning rhythmic keyboard part (heavily manipulated) and is reinforced by a Clarinet melody (a few) which are actually more structured than my typical part.

The album art, download link and streaming song are all posted above.

DAYS RUN AWAY 151: MEWTWO 'With An Empty Heart And A Half-Full Pokédex (He Straddles His Starmie And Sufs Into The Abyss)

Click here to download 'With An Empty Heart And A Half-Full Pokédex (He Straddles His Starmie And Surfs Into The Abyss).mp3

‘With An Empty Heart And A Half-Full Pokédex (He Straddles His Starmie And Sufs Into The Abyss)’

Havinghorns noted the other weak that once I reach album 151, I should call it “MEWTWO”, after the 150th Pokémon. Now at that album, I’ve not only taken the advice, but ultimately taken the album a conceptual step further. True, the titles have little to do with the pocket monster in question and more with our hero, Mr. Ketchum, but I believe the tragic element of the Widow’s Son hunting wild beasts and using them to battle in the place of his fellow man works in a similar vein. Mewtwo has an air of tragedy to it, and I’ve tried to tie that in to the truly sad figure of Ash. Though on the outset, he seems happy, driven & content with his life on the road, but one can’t help but wonder the toll it takes on a man to constantly see those he loves the most, those little monsters, often beaten towards the brink of blacking out (often, if not more traumatizing, beating other little beasts to that very limit).

The reason I chose Starmie as the aquatic pokémon in the title is simply due to the fact that it’s always been my favorite.

Here is the third song off of the album, the longest song. It’s mournful clarinets mix with some guitars and atmosphere and is heavily improvised and edited in post. I hope you enjoy! Download the song by clicking on the title.

New Songs From Days Run Away CL: Calvary (or, Mew)

Three songs in, here are two of the tracks of what's ultimately turning out to be my most atmospheric album yet. It's almost kind of creepy. The album title has two meanings. Calvary is one of the two names for Golgotha, the place of the skull, where christ was crucified. And mew, as I’m sure many of you know, is the name of the 150th pokémon (thanking my better half for that part of the title).
The songs are posted below, and the art is posted above:

Click here to listen to 02 Jogging With Wife (At The Foot Of Golgotha).mp3



Click here to listen to 03 Blonde Wife (No. 1 China & The Crypts Of The Mountain).mp3

Old Punk, New Jeans (On A Bike, A Stick In The Spoke, Falling On Broad & Fitzwater In Front Of A Rite Aid) + Night Beach (Night Cops)

The following two tracks are off of D.R.A. CXLVIII: Moonbeams. The album art is posted above

Click the song titles for downloads.

‘Night Beach (Night Cops)’: A flickering sort of spooky song featuring heavily processed flutes looped and edited live. Air softly making a blanket of white noise over the track.

‘Old Punk, New Jeans (On A Bike, A Stick In The Spoke, Falling On Broad & Fitzwater In Front Of A Rite Aide)’: A long title for a long song. half improvised around warm flickering keys. Faint vocals towards the end. Heavy clarinets & keys. Ect.

Croix+Paperheart (2 new songs from 'Holidays')

Click here to download 'Paperheart'

Click here to download Croix

eric's leaning on me, but that's okay

so go check out havinghorns (the blog of my better half and the artwork therein) if you get the chance.

The two songs are posted above (Croix & Paperheat), and they're off of Holidays (which I spoke about in the previous post).

I hope you enjoy. 'Holidays' is almost finished!

New song from 146

Click here to download 'Cabletow'

Album 146, 'Holidays', has recently started up. The first song is called 'Cabletow' and features heavy vocals, keys, clarinet, found-sounds & guitar. I hope you enjoy. The album art, and the song, are posted above!

Lebanon 145 and me, the bad band

Click here to download 'Saydet el Reeh'


Click here to download 'Niha'

I say bad not in that I'm admitting my lack of talent (though I wouldn't be so arrogant to call myself the best), I'm bad at updating. I've reached 145 and I'm still very much actively recording music. With work, I hardly feel like posting after I've recorded. I feel like planting myself and doing nothing. Which is fine sometimes. And though I do post many of the songs on facebook (which you can find here http://www.facebook.com/pages/Swimmingpool-The-Band/383899140556), I somehow neglect to update here. The songs above are the first two from Lebanon. I hope you enjoy them!

Both are from one session. Me + Keys, clarinet, violin, vocals (and maybe guitar, I can't remember and I don't feel like stripping through the layers to figure out).
Album art is also posted above.

two songs from CXLI: Rhodesia

Click here to download 'Tides'




Click here to download 'Tarantula'


the electric guitar is back in the mix and I'm already two songs into 142 (both of which I'm very very proud of. the two songs on 141 are posted above.

'TIDES' features diana on the trombone.

From Album 140: Albino, two songs: 'Canopy' & 'Badges'

Click here to download 'Canopy'



Click here to download 'Badges'


two very different songs, both of which I'm rather proud of. The four song 30+ minute album 'Albino' is finished. It is my 140th and is playing with more drone than it is rhythm. The album art, as well as the songs, are posted above. I've already started album 141 (Rhodesia) with two songs already completed. Christ, work is draining but It's working out. Here's to renewed energies once I'm totally used to waking up so early each day.

Also, on an aside, there was a great sign in the munchkins at Dunks having halloween decorations on it. I never need to see 90 + weather again. I hate summer, and probably always will.

BROKEN JAW

Click here to download "Broken Jaw"


recorded something like 20 minutes ago, Broken Jaw is one of my denser songs and rounds out XXXIX (therefore). It's all me, on violin, overdubs ect...

The song is streaming and linked to download above.

two new ones, no real updates

got to see bandmate diana. look forward to collaborating remotely with her once she gets settled in. two songs off of XXXIX. they're posted below streaming & with a link to download. also, excited for september (not just for summer ending, but also for when I join the holy royal arch). Similarly masonic, one of the tracks, 'Ark Mariner', is named after a degree found in the AMD (Allied Masonic Degrees). I've posted one of their many logos above.

Click Here To Download 'Ark Mariner'



Click here to download 'Everglades'

Having People Over (During the Work Week): First song from 139

a notch back to my postier-rockier days, 'Having People Over' is based mostly on variations of a melody on the acoustic guitar. It's the first song off of Days Run Away CXXXIX: ∴ (which means therefore, following up 'because). Album art's above, the streaming song & a link to download is below.


Click here to download 'Having People Over (During The Work Week)'

posting two from 138 (or Days Run Away CXXXVIII: ∵) which is pretty much finished

Click here to download 'A Sensitive Woman'



Click here to Download 'Life In New Valley Warm Inside'

as stated in the title, Days Run Away CXXXVIII: ∵ is pretty much finished. A final tweeking on the last track (meanwhile, DRA CXXXIX is also in production). Here are two songs, which sort of form a suite. One is more instrumentally based, classical 'Swimmingpool' (clarinets and manipulated guitars) while the other, the one with the longer title, is more acoustic, with actual words (as difficult as they may be to hear).

First Song from album 138

Click here to download 02 Because

Here's the first track off of my 138th album "Days Run Away CXXXVIII: ∵"

∵, by the way, means 'Because'. I'm confidently swinging back into more instrumental territory. The track is the second off of the album and is the title track (as I have redundantly stated). here's to more confidently instrumental tracks in the future. on the other hand, please, god, 100something is pushing it ugghh. I want to be able to go out on my day off.

the album art & song are posted above.

Everything Caged

a quick number before our fireworks.
the last, and title, song from All Things Caged (no. 137)
Streaming below.
Download it as well.
Thanks, gang.


Click here to download 'Everything Caged'


happy 4th

Two New Songs from ALL THINGS CAGED + My top albums of the year so far.

first off, here are your songssss:


Click here to listen to 03 Cape Muscle.mp3



Click here to listen to 04 New Years (Underground).mp3

and now, here's your list of my top albums of 2010 so far.

1. These New Puritans: Hidden
2. The National: High Violet
3. Twin Sister: Color Your Life/Vampires With Dreaming Kids
4. Drunkdriver: Drunkdriver
5. Spoon: Transference
6. Daughters: Daughters
7. Scissor Sisters: Night Work
8. Titus Andronicus: The Monitor
9. Foals: Total Life Forever
10. Gorillaz: Plastic Beach
11. LCD Soundsystem: This Is Happening
12. Shearwater: The Golden Archipelago
13. Beach House: Teen Dream
14. Liars: Sisterworld
15. Past Lives: Tapestry Of Webs

song from 137

about to head to work, but here we go, just so I don't forget to do it. Enjoy. Fairly straight forward. Song & Album Art posted above.

two new ones.

okay, sorry I've been so damn busy. First song is from the latest album Days Run Away CXXXVI: Lullabies. The album art is also posted above. Again, I'm getting used to working on music the way I have been (what with work and everything), but recording is still happening. I'm almost finished with 136. I promise I'm going to try to keep things regularly updated.
I've got a bunch of other albums to upload. For now, it's sleep.

Ah, okay, catching up (from 145)

first off, I suppose it's important to note that many new albums are freely available at http://thebandswimming.blogspot.com (and many more to follow)

so

album 144, done, album 145, 3/4ths of the way finished. So far, it's sonically and aesthetically very bipolar (but in a way that doesn't bug me as it often does). Here are two of the songs & the album art (all posted above).

Freddy, The Man In Love

album 133 has been re-titled to 'Freddy, The Man In Love'. Since graduation, things have been stale, boring at best, lonely at worst. I've heard the fiber's dept is doing well in Korea and I'm very happy to hear it. The new job is okay, but again, I'll be readjusting and work may come in slowly or sporadically for a bit. here's the title track, you know what to do (album art also posted above).

the back seat

alright, here we go.

first off, Diana, part time cellist and amazing bandmate, has been a super trooper in dealing with my incredibly inconsistent will to record (much of this comes from my readjustment to working a fulltime job). I've been dumb and whiney and she's been great. I know she'll do fine in grad-school and whatever she sends me will be beautiful. As for the new music, here goes

'The Back Seat' - Swimmingpool The Band

so It's been a while since I finished a song that I'm happy with (two weeks probably), and though this is probably one of the weirdest tracks I've ever done, it's also quite accessible.

Without new strings or a reed for my clarinet, I found myself feeing the urges of desperation, resorting to my lovely 3$ keyboard. This is the result. Some bizzaro world corporate elevator music. I actually like it, and I hope you do too (click the title to download).

This song is the second song off of my 133th album entitled 'Ambulances'

them big baddy real worlds

Named after Diana's future residence, this is one of the most recent collaborations and probably one of the better ones as of late. We just graduated yesterday. All of the strange pressures of the post-college life (for me anyway) are surfacing. Diana'll be in grad school and we'll continue to collaborate remotely (not as much in an improvised way). Wish us both luck and though I know I'll be busier, I promise to continue working as long as I can.

Dallas Winter

new song, just finished from 131 San Antonio Dust
free time is going to go away soon
ad though nothing necessarily looks bad in my future, I m having a hard time cyphering what to look forward to.
at least i've got a jerb.

Open Waters, Lynette + My Final Thoughts on school

and now my thoughts on college (already posted on my tumblr but, here it is for those who dont read that)

out to an 8-5 job
college was....very disappointing
I've got a few nice things coming out of it
and I'm gonna try to not harp
but kids, when people laugh at/or about communications degrees, just know there's a reason for it. Thankfully, my sore excuse for a dept. is dissolving in a few years. My Univserity as a whole (The University of the Arts) in philadelphia isn't bad. My school within it, CMAC, was terrible. Formed out of a petty feud between video artists and neo-traditionalists (my dept.), it was just an ego war which thankfully has been lost by my side. Only problem is, too many people trudged through it.

If you want to go to school for film, don't. Get a good group of friends, form a close pact and keep making movies. You can learn anything that they'll teach you in a number of books (I'd be happy to recommend them) but in the end, a shitty looking movie with a gripping plot totally outweighs an over lit looking movie that proves you know how to handle equipment.

I hope someday I can find a close group as I once had in high-school and make movies again (just for kicks, especially now that it can be made accessible to anyone), but I don't know when or if it'll happen.

If you know anyone going to cmac, tell them to get out. The staff is just holding onto their jobs until the department's totally gone.

I'm sure I'll keep making music and writing. And at least I got to go to college (I know many who can't or couldn't), but this wasn't what I hoped for in the least.

ADDITIONALLY:

I suppose it's only fair to point out that my Communications Degree is slightly different than most in most colleges.

It claims to be multi-disciplinary, students choose from one of (six when I started, two now) a few concentrations, ranging from Advertising to Narrative Film to Screenwriting, Documentary production or Interface Design. I chose Documentary (pressured by my teacher since he liked an early piece I did) and screenwriting and was assured that if I didn't like documentary, I could do a narrative for my senior thesis. That was a lie. How this department gets people is through the promise of 'being able to learn about/make movies while getting a B.S. (bachelor science) instead of a B.F.A. (fine arts). It worked on my parents who promised to help pay half (which I am grateful for) if I kept my grades up.

So if you're in CMAC and actually want to make movies, get out.

VIRGINIA PINE (130)

Since I'm bad at updating I'm doing another bulk upload. Here are three songs from album 130: Virginia Pine (Still in progress). The album art and the three songs are posted above. I'm particularly proud of the track 'Virginia'.

About to graduate, here's 129 (In individual tracks)

129: Orchards (or Limbs) is finished. I havent uploaded it, or a number of albums, to mediafire in a while and I promise I'll do it soon. here, individually and with the album art posted above, are the four tracks that make up the 31 minute long album. Enjoy!

I Am A Pilgrim, Oiche and, my god, the amount of paper theater majors waste is disgusting. Also, they're so fucking loud.

Two songs here from album 128: Sombra (the art's posted above). The first is a cover of the standard religious song (famously done by the Byrds on Sweetheart of the Radio, one of my favorite records ever) 'I Am A Pilgrim'. The other is Oiche, a bowed guitar piece.
Enjoy! School's almost done. I will not miss these arrogant, obnoxious and super fucking wasteful theater majors.

Trying out SoundCloud, let's see hereee

03 Ardor by Swimmingpool The Band

The waveform thing is uhh...cute...Anyway

So, this is the third song from Fog. I got a job, that's good. but I'll probably have to readjust to the hours. Sooooo entries may be patchier. I'll probably continue using tindeck if only because the guys who run it seem awful swell. School's almost out. Oh and this weekend's going to suck: Saturday high of 90 low of 70/Sunday...See Previous. :(

It's not julllyyy yet.

Sam Neil from CXXVII: FOG

Should probably do this now that I have the time, and before class and other crap. School is really close to being over. It's strange really, but I may have a job. Song's posted above and is the first song from Fog.