(Shot above taken in front of Le Stat’s West, San Diego sometime in late 2002. Playing with San Diego hardcore veterans Meatwagon.)

After the demise of the Pop Pills I joined a band called Carmine on drums. The group had existed for close to a decade under a variety of different names with a core membership of Tom, Mario, Donna, and a revolving cast of drummers of which I would turn out to be the last. They recorded an album right before I joined that’s pretty good college Alt-Rock; I’ll post a couple of tracks if I can ever find it. As is so often the case, releasing an album proved to be a dying gasp for a group that had been dysfunctional for a long time. The two guitarists, Tom and Mario, seemed to be in competition for the role of “lead guitarist” and most songs in the Carmine set had two solos in them, one for each player. That kind of an approach to songwriting gets stale, fast! So sometime in late 2002 Carmine called it quits and I started a new band with Mario on lead guitar, me on rhythm guitar and shouting, Donna on bass, and San Diego scene stalwart AK Skurgis on drums. We laughed at how the previous band had argued and agonized for years over agreeing on a name and that, in the end, it was all kind of irrelevant. So that’s what we went with. Sounds kind of dumb now, but at the time it made perfect sense.

Irrelevant lasted a year or two. In that time we had weekly practices in a garage Mario had converted into a professional recording / practice space, which he called “GSD Studio.” We had the sweaty band space filled with amps and guitars and wires running everywhere, and then there was the side behind the glass panel where things were a bit neater and sliders and knobs occupied most of the visual real estate. It was a pretty nice setup, and it allowed us the opportunity to record at our leisure. One interesting thing about the group is that we had three songwriters, which gave us a pretty varied sound and of course doomed us to an early demise as well. I’ve posted five tracks below; one from each of us and two covers for good measure.

Track 1 is called “Dull Blade” and the music was written by Mario with words supplied by me. This is one of the more midtempo numbers in the band’s catalog and features a nice solo by Mario. Trying my best to have a “powerful” voice, not really succeeding I know!

Dull Blade

Red tape wraps me like a snake

I try to cut through but I’ve got a dull blade

Red tape wraps me like snake

I’m tired of doing the same old thing

Red tape wraps me like a snake

I try to cut through but I’ve got a dull blade

I’ve got a dull blade

Standing at the mirror staring at myself

I got to see if I’m OK

I wonder if it’s better to be alone and quiet

instead of swirling around in pain

I tried to get myself on track

My heart is beating like a train

I tried, I tried to cut it out…

but couldn’t get through because

I’ve got a dull blade

Red tape wrapped around my face

I try to cut through but I’ve got a dull blade

Red tape enwrapped around my face and

I’m tired of singing the same old thing

Red tape wrapped around my face

I try to cut through but I’ve got a dull blade

I’ve got a dull blade

The second track is a cover of a song AK had written and recorded for one of his solo albums. Our version is quite a bit different from the original. Lyrics are based on AK’s actual experiences doing homecare. The whole group joined in for maximum out-of-key backup vocals on the chorus!

Homecare

Got myself a job and I feel kind of elated.

Got myself a job taking care of the aged.

I cook and I clean and I take ’em to the doctors.

Great Grandmothers and Great Grandfathers.

Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba. Hey, hey, hey!

Homecare!

Running all their errands and I clean their special potties.

And then I put a diaper on dear old Mr. Scottie.

I feed the cat, I walk the dog, time to do more errands.

Now I’m in line with a bag of Depends.

Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba. Hey, hey, hey!

Homecare!

Early in the morning and my beeper’s paging bright.

I got to get up early because there’s germs I’ve got to fight.

It is my job. I do it well. The rich, the middle, the poor.

Another day, another diaper, another knock at your fucking door.

Track 3 was the fastest song in our set and it’s evidence of my influence and attempt to make the band more “Punk” whatever the hell that means.

Maybe Baby

I got a girl, want to make her my baby

and I always ask her out and she’s always saying maybe.

I don’t understand how she could be so fine

but I want to make her see that I want to make her mine

Sing WHOA

Well that’s how it goes

I used to have a girl and she was kind of funny

because I’d always take her out and she’d always spend my money.

She thought love was a shopping spree.

She loved that money but she didn’t love me.

Sing WHOA

Well that’s how it goes

Well I might not be

the cutest guy to walk around in the 21st century.

And girl, I think you know.

That I like you, WHOA!

Went to church to find a priest to pray,

could he talk to god so I could find a girl today.

He just laughed and then he did say

“Sorry kid but it don’t work that way.”

Sing WHOA

Well that’s how it goes

Now I’m running around.

I’ve walked all through the suburbs and I’ve roamed downtown around.

But I, girl I think you see.

You with me.

The fourth track for this post is an obscure cover that I think gives an idea of what we sounded like at our best. “3 Chord Rock” (originally recorded the late 70’s by Boston teens Unnatural Axe) isn’t just a song – it’s a philosophy.

Lastly, here’s us covering Joan Jett & the Blackhearts’ “Bad Reputation” (as per request from AK!)