The new Shipwrecked Sailor album is here, have some liner notes
Good morning, again. Would you like some new music this Friday? It’s a Bandcamp Friday, after all.
The new Shipwrecked Sailor album is out now, and it is called Burgers or Tacos?
The “band” is me on guitars, bass, keys, and I programmed the drums.
Brendan Johnson engineered and produced Burgers or Tacos? with some minor assists from me. This record wouldn’t exist without Brendan’s support, encouragement, and willingness to tell me both when something isn’t working or when to push further.
The album artwork is by K. Lago—who rocks—and who is an artist, writer, and naturalist based in Chicago. Her work blends elements of dark comedy, folklore, Gothic horror, and natural history. Here is a third link to her website.
French Fries & Onion Rings
Double-Double Animal Style ADD Cherry Peppers
Quarter Pounder with Cheese NO Ketchup ADD Mac Sauce
Mustard-Cooked Smashburger with Grilled Onions & Mushrooms
Billy Goat Double
Lengua with Avocado
Al Pastor with Cilantro & Onions
Beer-Battered Cod with Mango-Habanero Slaw
Grilled Shrimp with Pico de Gallo & Lime
Rice & Beans
Many of these songs were written in the last two years, but “Mustard-Cooked Smashburger with Grilled Onions & Mushrooms” was started as two separate ideas way back in high school. Pinch Hitter frontman Spencer Blake and I were messing around with a chord progression (we were in a band together back then, IYKYK). He’d written the first four chords, and I suggested the next two, I think. It’s fuzzy, how we got to the last two. I moved to Chicago before we could finish that song, but Spencer and Brendan’s next project, The House In The Hole Of The Side Of The Tree, took those eight chords and put them in a pretty sick song. I’ve been confident I had a different enough take that was pretty cool, stretching that progression into a 16-chord solo section. Anyway, that’s the end of “Mustard-Cooked Smashburger with Grilled Onions & Mushrooms.” The beginning section is a bass line I wrote at age 16 while watching Ocean’s 11.
“Al Pastor with Cilantro & Onions” is my attempt to write a HIT EM track. HIT EM is a type of music that came to electronic musician Drew Daniel in a dream. “…what distinguishes the genre is that it’s always in a 5/4 time signature at 212 beats per minute and features very crunched-out, distorted sounds,” Daniel told NPR. Writing HIT EM songs is very hard.
If you play a muted cornet or marimba and want to record a solo over “Rice & Beans,” the key is E flat minor and then E flat major.
Hey Chris, why’d you name the album Burgers Or Tacos? Is each song supposed to say something about each food?
There is no special meaning behind any of the songs. The closest I got to that type of thinking is using a harmonic minor scale (“the spicy scale!” your corniest music teacher says) on “Al Pastor with Cilantro & Onions.” I named these tracks these things because burgers and tacos are my favorite types of food. Mallory and I treat ourselves to takeout every Saturday, and more often than not, if she asks me what I want, I say, “idk, uh, burgers or tacos?” Did you know that you can name instrumental songs whatever you want? It feels like everyone names their songs so seriously, things like “Envision” or various water words or God forbid quoting dead poets. I wanted to do a tribute to the best foods.
Just have fun out there.
Enjoy Burgers Or Tacos?
Sorry you got an email,
Chris