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New Music Roundup!

The Song-A-Week Project continues!

Sean McMahon

Sep 20

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Y’all, the end of August was nuts. Too many gigs, a health scare (long story short — I’m fine, nearly lost consciousness while driving due to an insane and unprecedented vertigo episode that turned out to be the first sign of Lyme disease, which we caught early and now I’m being treated and feel way better) — ANYWAY! THREE FULL WEEKS’ WORTH of #NewMusicFriday have passed and I haven’t newslettered y’all about ANY OF IT. So let’s do a little review in case you missed these sick tunes drop on Spotify. THERE’RE FOUR OF ‘EM!

#1 EVERYONE’S GONE

First off, today’s new tune is “Everyone’s Gone” — a tune that is half about everyone leaving the Vineyard in the off-season, half about how I think certain conformists are nuts insofar as that which commands their conformity is oftimes supa nuts! Anyway, Ted MacInnes plays drums on the tune, I play guitar, pass, piano, and channel late 60’s Elvis on the vocal vibes.

Lyrics: “Just like lemmings, they don’t think for themselves. Like sheep with no shepherd, gone astray straight to hell! Like poorly-written characters in a canceled franchise — right over the cliffside in an orderly line. Everyone’s Gone! Following the herd! I’m all alone! The flock has flown, far away from this bird — chasing their thrill; catching their buzz; eating their fill; but it’s not enough! Whoa! Everyone’s Gone! They’re nothing worth nothing worth trading your soul, but you’ve got to serve someone — deep down we all know. The Nor’easter winter storms, they’re deep in my bones. Ain’t no one gon’ move me, I’ll stand strong on my own. Everyone’s Gone! Following the herd! I’m all alone! The flock has flown, far away from this bird —chasing their thrill; catching their buzz; swigging their swill; straight up out to lunch! Whoa! Everyone’s Gone!”

Listen to “Everyone’s Gone” on Spotify!

#2 ANYWHERE BUT HERE

So much for this week. Last week was “Anywhere But Here”. I’ve been getting a lot of great feedback on this one. It’s got this 60’s Waylon electric country guitar lick with acoustic rhythm guitar, and pedal steel by the one and only Dave Kaye of Nod Hill Brewery in Ridgefield, CT — but there’s this nasty synth bass and drum machine thing going on underneath that makes it groove different. It’s about “Grass Is Greener Syndrome,” something we all occasionally suffer here on Martha’s Vineyard, especially when we’re overworked and overtired in the high season (or underworked and understimulated in the off season). It’s actually got a punky Part 2 but I’ll get to that some other time — or come see us live and you can hear it that way.

Lyrics (let me know if you catch all the homages): Dreaming things I don’t believe I’ll ever do, doing things I never dreamt I’d ever see through. Lost in a rhythm that I found on the street — dissonance or harmony — don’t matter to me. It’s all good, life ain’t fair. I know i’ll never find myself anywhere but here. Anywhere But Here! Anywhere but — hear ye, hear ye, the words of my mouth: the Northeast is beat, I’m moving down South. Somewhere over there the rainbow ends, and some dream you dared to wish for’s a-waiting with a friend. The moon ain’t dark, there’s no despair, the grass is always greener anywhere but here. Anywhere But Here! Anywhere! He reaches for the bottle of liquid luck, he can run a troutline and he can skin a buck. He can run so fast he could run for mayor, but he ran right past it. Now he’s anywhere but here! Anywhere But Here! Anywhere!

Listen to “Anywhere But Here” on Spotify!

#3 AND IF MY HEART SHOULD SOMEHOW STOP

Next is actually a bonus tune, a cover song featuring my wife Katie singing lead, and beautifully at that! This is a song we may not have encountered in the wild if not for the fact that a truly lovely couple requested we play it at their wedding. They loved our take on it so much they asked us to record it. I love our rendition of it so much, and Katie’s beautiful vocal interpretation, that I wanted to share it with you all. Enjoy Katie and I’s take on “If My Heart Should Somehow Stop” by James Vincent McMorrow, my new favorite Irish singer-songwriter — James, I hope you’ll come over to Martha’s Vineyard and play for us sometime!

Lyrics: The wind changed, the first day that you came through, cut the corn, washed it clean. Now everything that’s ever gone before, is like a blur, and it’s all because of you. And now I find, this city’s like a stranger to me. I once was fooled by Cadillac’s and honey — but no one feels like you. Not like you…’cause even though the flower fades something takes its place: a marching band on a sunny day, two pretty eyes or a a pretty face. And in the forest I make my home, lay down my heart on an ancient stone. And if my heart should somehow stop, I’ll hang on to the hope that you’re not too late. And there are times I know when I will have to chase you. The further from my side you go, the longing grows. And I will hate it, but I still want you — yes, I will hate it, but I still want you around. ‘Cause even when the flower dies something’s by its side: a helping hand or a kiss goodbye, to ease it on its way. And if my heart should somehow stop, I’ll hang on to the hope that you’re not too late.

Listen to “And If My Heart Should Somehow Stop” on Spotify!

#4 BANG BANG

Lastly, on 9/6, I put out “Bang Bang” — perhaps the shortest song I’ve ever released, just under a minute and a half. This song seems to be a favorite, getting lots of streams. It’s basically a brag song about being a good lyricist and slaying dragons with the Word. There’s some medieval alchemical tropes in there too if you’re listening carefully and into that stuff. Lol. But it’s also got a sick trap beat in the verse, a beat I’ve never used and Lord knows if I ever will again, as well an Afrobeat chorus which is something I def wanna keep exploring. I like mashing things up that don’t always go together — Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan-vibe lyrics but about shamanistic medieval dragonslaying, country guitar with Afrobeats. You know, that vibe.

Lyrics: I don’t have a story but I just wrote some songs that bore me now, so gather round. If you’ve never tasted glory, don’t you worry, ‘cause I’ll feed it straight into your mouth ‘til I run out. Let me stoke the flames of division with some carelessly assembled information. I’m proud to introduce my new project: I’m the first human being with a gun for a mouth. Bang Bang! Here it comes! Bang Bang! Hear my gun! Bang Bang! The devil is the dragon with stinkiest breath, and a trebuchet can’t take him down, so listen now: first, you take your brain, stuff it into your heart — now that it’s closer to the ground, it’s a humble crown! Now the King can write the donkey into the deepest depth of the city of monkeys. In the catacombs, you’ll find the dragon. You can choose to delete, or defeat, or deflag him — he’s going to try to sleep on your couch. Bang Bang! Here it comes! Bang Bang! Hear my gun! Bang Bang!