Travelogue

My car is a clunker
Not like the fancy ones for which I valet
And when it breaks down
I ditch it hoping someone will just tow it away
I own one nice shirt
And one nice pair of pants
I go to work and take my place
With all the other worker ants

DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM

101

Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position
But certainty is an absurd one
Why not celebrate the vastness of our ignorance
And be a possibilian
DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM

Promise

You talk like a politician
Or a guy who sells used cars
Or a guy who says he doesn't want your money
Or a guy who tells stories in bars
You sound oh so confident
Like you really believe what you say
Where's the truth
Where's the lie
What does it matter anyway
DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM

What I Found in the Remains

Here's a letter you wrote
From UC Santa Cruz
You liked your class in philosophy
I could see you
Coming into your own
You said
"I wish you were here to come along with me"

DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM

Lost Time

We write novels that tell our stories
But they don't get it right
We build great statues to our heroes
But they cast a strange light
We get ourselves ready for takeoff
But we never take flight
DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM

Thought Palaces

You boyfriend was a jerk
And he beat you to a pulp
One time I kicked his ass
You jumped back with a gulp
Then you disappeared
Moved out to LA
Starred on "Melrose Place"
Life is one big soiree
DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM

The Essential Invisible

I heard a song in the middle of a dream
And it woke me from my slumber
It spurred me on, it rocked my world
You could say it had my number
I got my sack and I got good shoes
And I got a certain esprit
And I know when I get to the top of the mountain
I will be set free
DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM

All Hail Anhedonia!

Thirteen songs about the beginning, the middle and the end.

DOWNLOAD ALBUM

Scoundrels

Most of the characters in these songs are people I know, have once known or, perhaps, imagined I knew. They are all rather slippery people, the kind you are not quite sure of, the kind that leave you guessing. When they tell you something personal, as they often do, you wonder how much of it is true and how much fabrication. The thing is, they don't know themselves - so how can you? And yet, because they are often good at sounding like they know what they are saying, and because they look and act completely convincing, you want to buy in.

DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM

Personality Crisis

For people who live unexamined lives, the world just happens, happening as it does beyond their will or ability to act upon it. Because, to them, there are always external forces - perhaps God, perhaps chance, perhaps circumstance - that they believe are outside their ability to understand and control. In most cases, they get away with so much because they think so little. But if they began a process of self-evaluation and -examination, they may come to discover that there is much they can do. Or, at the very least, they can stop deflecting blame for the pain they inflict. Coming to this place of discovery requires much work - more work than most people want to invest in. But the ultimate reward can be great, not only for the people who awaken to their lives, but also to the people in their orbit. They just need to start. But the question remains: How to begin?

DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM

Social Studies

Nowadays everyone's got a window
A clear and unobstructed view
You'd think with all that information
That we would know
We would know what to do
DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM

End of the Road

There comes a time when a certain relationship reaches an end, but one of the parties seems to be unaware that this has happened. Or maybe that person lives in a state of denial. Or is oblivious. Or just wants to pretend that what's has gone on for the last decade or two or three is hunky dory, even though no effort or energy whatsoever has been put into keeping the relationship alive. It's just this thing, this entity - but it is not true; it does not breathe, it does not move, it is not about anything at all. And what do you say to this person? How do you tell him or her that you are at the end of the road?

DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM

Speak, Memory

This album, originally recorded in 2010, has several of my favorite tracks on it, including "Crossing the Line," "Midnight Town" and "The Devil Ain't Got No Music," which was inspired by a line that Mavis Staples uttered on "The Colbert Report" when asked how she felt about singing the devil's music. (Subsequently, in the past year, the blues singer Lurrie Bell has recorded a tune using the same title, but I got there first!). At any rate, after listening to this record recently, I thought it could be better - not only the mix, but the vocals as well. So I've given it a fresh coat of paint.

DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM

Life Among the Lilies

I tried to love you
But you would not let me in
You kept me at a distance
Like a vestigial twin
You lied to me so sweetly
And I wanted to go on believing
DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM

Cakewalk

Up and down
The wheel does grind
Round and round
In this Coney Island of the mind
High and low
With all mankind
We spin and spin
In this Coney Island of the mind
DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM

The Further Adventures of Larry Kusnitt

And after all our pain and suffering
And after all of our goddamn work
Why oh why is God a goddamn jerk
Such a goddamn jerk
DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM