The Love Idea
Everything is named;
All styles and everything
We put into a box.
Every study has a name; this style suck, end;
The pleasures on the inside mind, body, bank.
Now when you go out looking
I’ll tell you what you’ll find;
The bullshit train, the trashcans full.
You’ll hear all the voices, all the noisy teachers,
No one teaches Truth.
So what you going to do?
Gonna be a better man,
Gonna be a kinder friend.
It’s like the rebel said –
What would be your will
If you could own the world?
Now if we lived in public everyone could learn.
We could watch the sacred puppets try to be
The men.
Personal crusader spiders went out weaving,
Spiders weaving Christ. The players at the turnstyle
Trade suicide for brawn; a name is on the can.
So what you going to do?
Gonna be a better man,
Gonna be a kinder friend.
It’s like the rebel said –
What would be your will
If you could own the world?
And words like line and line like song.
You must know the price, that choosing is the life.
Ask for simple pieces and hope for better ones;
Get lost in Babylon until you find the love.
Saluting to the tribe, grumpy men with wives,
I ride a bike.
So what you going to do?
gonna be a better man
gonna be a kinder friend
It’s like the rebels said –
What would be your will
If you could own the world?
That’s the Love Idea, ye-ah,
That’s the Love Idea.
The Love Idea Final Production Notes
In 2006 an artist living in Brooklyn spends his life savings to create a concept album, an emo-musical called The Love Idea. When it’s finally released 17 years later it’s such a masterpiece that it goes viral, he finds a new girlfriend and the music inspires a generation.
Cactus Practice 10.22
The Love Idea
| The Love Idea Lovers for Life The Dying Schools Cosmic Stream Lovers for Life Pt. 2 I Won’t Learn to Lie Safety First A.C.O.D. Meow Power Tom’s Flight to India Hallas Flyby The Love Idea Pt. 2 |
In 2006 an artist living in Brooklyn spends his life savings to create a concept album, an emo-musical called The Love Idea. When it’s finally released 17 years later it’s such a masterpiece that it goes viral, he finds a new girlfriend and the music inspires a generation. All because he used his birthday wishes to ask for World Peace and True Love.
Update: I believe true love is real. World Peace isn’t possible but World Peacefuller is. Ask for that instead.
Cosmic Stream
Your looks sends falling to the stairs
I don’t get the very first part
Learn me with all regret around
Hold on, do the best you can
The thing they lock up at the store
It helps to keep you feeling down
The thing they lock up at the store
It helps to keep you feeling down
You know the world has animals
They’re cute not like all of us
Just ’cause you can close the door
Doesn’t mean the thing is gone
The good could come
If we could talk it out
The good, good for everyone
If we could talk it out
Go tell mom to sell the farm
He’s the one who turned you on
He’s got stuff and he’s got style
And he has got what rhymes with style
You just wanted to believe in fire
Dance Floor Symphonies
Youtube links:
(1) Dance Floor Symphonies (1)
(2) Dance Floor Symphonies (House)
(3) Dance Floor Symphonies (3)
Friendship
Mango Sticky Rice > Egg, Chicken > You Live a Charmed Life, Ed Marszewski
Confessions
Planet > Ragga Surf > Ragga Surf 2 > Goodbye Seniors > Color is a Crayon >
Down in Wicker Park > One Million Kisses > Carnivore (Pittsburgh Mix) >
Carnivore (Electro Mix)
Zen
Paris 25 > Paris 25 (Club Mix) > Lovers for Life > Alone (unreleased) >
Lovers for Life (unreleased) > Go Clear > Cosmic Stream > Brooke’s Song
Space
You Live a Charmed Life, Ed Marszewski > Goodbye Seniors > Carnivore (Electro) >
Carnivore (Pittsburgh Mix) > Paris 25 (Club Mix) > Lovers for Life
Dancing
Tom’s Flight to India > Rings > Moons > The White Christmas >
Cosmic Stream > Go Clear > Egg, Chicken
Memory
Planet > Mighty Casey Pt. 4 > Mighty Pool Boy > Mighty Pool Boy (Bass Mix) Pt. 1
The Spider
Final Answer > Bumblebee > Salt Pillar Boogie > God > Rings > In Orbit >
Everything’s Gonna Be Alright > Chuckie Gets Lucky > Scene Machine
Never
Shaman’s Walk > Bo Knows > Winter Grasses > Skeletal Inquiry >
Creature Dances > The White Christmas > Shaman’s Walk
The Scene
Space Jazz Pt. 1 > Station Squared > Space Jazz Pt. 2 > Tom’s Flight to India >
Mighty Casey Pt. 5 > Mighty Pool Boy > Mighty Pool Boy (Bass Mix) Pt. 2 > Ragga Surf End
The Quiet Storm
| Takeoff Air Conditioning Wicker Man AcidF2000 All Tomorrow’s Warnings Evil Live Clem Trails Impressions |
In June 2002 I was living on the South Side Slopes in Pittsburgh. Charles Pistella helped book us a show at The Quiet Storm, a new coffee shop on Penn Avenue in Pittsburgh. I was editing down sound loops and performances using free software to my Tascam 4-Track and mixing those back live, projecting video samples with Arkaos software. I’d submitted samples of my folk songs to the Around the Coyote Arts Festival the year before and in September of 2001 took a train to Chicago to play my first live gig singing and to do performance in the hallway of the Flat Iron Building with my Tascam. On Friday I got invited to a loft party in Wicker Park – someone who saw me playing. He organized music for O’Hare and was interested in booking me for some music there. Oh this is big, I thought – just like Brian Eno. I saw Aaron Wagner that weekend, he was at that loft party too and we spent a fair amount of time together. I took the train home Monday night and when I entered the station in the morning the first Twin Tower was hit on TV and then the second. Suffice it to say – the gigs at the airport stopped when Tom lost his funding. Last year I went through my minidisc recordings and digitized everything that could be released, but I didn’t find what I made for The Quiet Storm. Then last Tuesday my dad took the dog for a day and when I was in my basement cleaning I opened up the case for my cassettes, and there it was. The 4-track master. I would describe this music as proto-songs. Some of these loops and ideas made it into other recordings, like Down in Wicker Park and Final Answer. These are asynchronous sound loops with polyrhythms bonding and unbonding as I mix. But more specifically, it’s as dark and foreboding, and soulful, as a poor, depressed artist can be after 9/11. It was even better than I remembered it.
Pool Boy Halloween 2021
C-Town Blues
(blues in G#)
I’ve got the C-Town Blues
I’ve got the C-Town Blues
C-Town Blues
I’ve got the C-Town Blues
Porter says I shouldn’t
But there ain’t no stopping me
I kapo up a fret
I kapo up a fret
Sharks upon my neck
I kapo up a fret
Porter says I shouldn’t
But there ain’t no stopping me
He, fraternal twin
He, fraternal twin
A commie from Ohio
He, fraternal twin
He’s a holy roller
Like a bird on roller skates
I’ve got the C-Town Blues
I’ve got the C-Town Blues
C-Town Blues
I’ve got the C-Town Blues
Porter says I shouldn’t
But there ain’t no stopping me
Porter has a cult
Porter has a cult
Commie from Ohio
Porter has a cult
He’s a holy roller
Like a bird on roller skates
You kicked me in the face
Kicked me in the face
Kicked me in the rain
When you kicked me in the face
Did you tell you Grandpa
You kicked me in the face?
I can’t find my phone
I can’t find my phone
My toilet’s overflowing
I can’t find my phone
Did you tell your Grandma
You kicked me in the face?
I’ve got the C-Town Blues
I’ve got the C-Town Blues
C-Town Blues
I’ve got the C-Town Blues
Porter says I shouldn’t
But there ain’t no stopping me
Questions for P.B.
Can you tell us the Pool Boy origin story?
Pool Boy is a high school AV Teacher who’s grown tired of editing football videos for the weekly narrowcasts. His greatest ambition in life is to be a house music superstar. In defiance he jumps on the field during the championship game and catches what otherwise would have been a game-winning touchdown. The shenanigans land him in a coma – during which he goes on a hero’s journey. When he awakes his track “Goodbye Seniors” has gone viral and his dreams have become a reality.
What’s next for Pool Boy?
Casey Hallas is releasing an anthology of Pool Boy music called “Here Lies Pool Boy.” There are 6 albums. It’s garage electronica so there are samples of cable noise and artifacts embedded in the production just to make things sound less than perfect. In fact, all of my mistakes in life have been intentional. The album covers are intentionally cheesy, even. That’s very creative.
Which Pool Boy album is your favorite?
Well I’d have to say they’re all exceptional. But, if I’d have to pick one or two I’d say Volumes 2 and 3. I think 2 may be the best and it’s not a mystery that the album with the worst artwork is the best album. I did that on purpose too.
What is your favorite Pool Boy song?
Paris 25, Carnivore (Pittsburgh Mix), ummm Egg, Chicken. Some of the abstract ones are great too like – Final Answer. There are really so many great songs – how could I pick just one? Wait, I’m asking the questions here! Meta.
Do you still like to go out dancing?
I’ve been uncomfortable with my herculean sex appeal for a lot of my life – and now that I don’t consume alcohol I just like to get out on the dance floor with some impenetrable sunglasses so nobody thinks I’m jocking and dance like nobody’s watching (California Sober). Oh, they’re watching – but that’s ’cause I’m a great dancer. Pool Boy is.
Is there anything you’d like to say to Steve?
Steve – you are toilet paper on my million dollar shoes. You should not have kicked me in the face.
Why should I see Pool Boy live?
In a word – synesthesia. I’ve finally gotten around to using my own music with my own visuals – so the whole thing is like super tight. It’s love, baby. The way I see things, the way I hear things. All packaged up nicely – loud and bright. Plus Pool Boy likes to just put the stuff on auto and come out and dance too. It’s flies in the face of the whole mythos of performer versus audience. I mean – come on – he’s just a character anyway; celebrity culture and being snively has gone too far! It’s installation art as much as it is performance. We’re all the same really, except Pool Boy is way much cooler.
Did you really make all that music?
Absolutely. Production and performance with the exception of help on some of the early tracks from Charles Pistella and piano on a track by Robin Levy, both from Pittsburgh. Charles Pistella is a genius. And, uh, uh, yeah. It’s pretty much all me and shows my journey as a producer. I feel my life experience is reflected in the range of production ideas and music styles. I mean Pool Boy’s life, duh.
Anything else?
Let’s see – a psychedelic theme park – like Dollywood, but way trippier. Make so much money that I liberate all of my friends and loved ones. Make the world a better place.