The first single from The Typical Johnsons‘ December release is here now. And what a welcome return this is for us music fans. Choosing an advance single is always tricky work. As they always do, The Typical Johnsons have chosen well. ‘Optimistic Nihilism’ works that magic space that all Typically Johnson songs inhabit. It’s real. It brings you along to face the fact that you may be your own worst enemy and that is ok because understanding that is part of how you change it. We cannot wait for the full album!
This is also the first song we will play on the program today! Remember to tune in from 3-6pm eastern time so set the ‘ol clocks. Listen online at http://listen.streamon.fm/wudr
The playlist today includes new music from Lydia Loveless, Al Holbrook, Bob Mould, Chris Forsyth, The Beths, Momma, Mike Bankhead and Tino, Waxahatchee, Speaking Suns, Rufrano, Nada Surf and more! Plus music from David Payne, Wussy, The Story Changes, The Typical Johnsons, Shrug, The Pullouts, Tim Pritchard, The 1984 Draft, The Nautical Theme, The Flamin’ Groovies, Me & Mountains, The Mayflies USA, Toxic Reasons, The Regrettes, American Werewolf Academy, Ass Ponys, Greg Dulli, Son Volt and Samantha Crain.
Some looking back indie courtesy of James, The Smiths, Graham Parker and The Rumour and Brainiac. And a live classic from The Replacements! We pay some small tribute to far overlooked songwriter Emitt Rhodes.
From The Typical Johnsons – This song is about commemorating a moment, this is our stand alone single, Wreckage. This is for all of us who have crashed through our collective pasts, hopefully with enough force to have created a memory and a story that stands the test of time…
Here is the song!
We’re still here… not knowing anything and doing it all wrong.
The 2nd Annual “Indie Rock Fest/Cinco De Mayo Fiesta” was amazing this year and the line up was simply fantastic. While a day before the Cinco, it was a show full of good vibes, great music and a heck of a party. To call it jam packed really does not cover all of the musical goodness from the local community packed under one roof! Bands covered Americana, shoe gaze, rock and Indie Rock and Roll. Many thanks to the bands who played — A Voice of Your Own, The Boxcar Suite, The Typical Johnsons, The 1984 Draft, Neo-American Pioneers, Slow Glows and Kyleen Downes.
On Tuesday we had a rare treat with Jeremy and Lynne Siegrist of The Typical Johnsons in the studio. Their records The Sailor and The Siren and Rustbelt Renaissance are some favorites of ours at YTAA! Many thanks to Lynne and Jeremy for coming in to the show! It was a blast!
Awake, but not awake…
We all know people just like this who shamble through life as sort of spectator. It’s like they are in the audience at their own private movie. The truth is, how many of us right now are pushing through the mundane architecture of our lives in a day-to-day grind that lulls us into this sense of waking sleep. We say it to each other all the time, things like, there’s always more time, or I will start tomorrow. We tell each other to “get out of the house” , or “go live your life” or the ever popular between friends “you deserve to be happy”, yet how many of us are doing that ourselves. How many of us are actively chasing the dreams we keep to ourselves because we are embarrassed to follow them or scared to break away from what people would consider safe or normal. I’ve watched more than a few dreams of my own crash and die along this very same line of thinking and there have been times where each one of us [The Typical Johnsons] has been sleepwalking through existence. Over here, we know the feeling rather well actually.
Ultimately, we all are attracted to those who forge the paths, who live life to it’s screeching, cataclysmic, beautiful and sometimes dizzying heights. Why are we so attracted to that? We believe it’s because deep down… way in the depths of your consciousness… you KNOW that you can be doing that “thing” you’re dreaming of and you aren’t. Maybe it’s just easier to semi-close your eyes and stumble blindly into the morning light and sleepwalk your way through another day. That’s what this song is about and that’s what we are about as a band. We sort of believe that if you have a dream, no matter how big or how small or how grandiose… you should go grab it. There’s a whole lot of life for you to live yet. What life do YOU want to live? WAKE UP… WAKE UP… WAKE UP…
The Typical Johnsons, are intensely proud to present the song and this video for Sleepwalker off our album Rust Belt Renaissance. After a band practice one day I asked my oldest daughter to come up with some lyrics just to see what she would bring back. Written in her messy handwriting, she brought back these words, “Where I’m running I don’t know” “Where I’m running is my choice alone”. This struck me pretty hard, that she would dive that deep into the pool, so to speak, so fast. I took it and ran with it and the song Sleepwalker was put onto paper. Andy, Jeff and Lynne brought the song to life and we all worked out the harmonies around the kitchen table on a cold Ohio night before heading off to Pearl Sound Studios outside of Detroit to record the thing with Chuck Alkazian. (It should be noted that the drumming was tracked by none other than Chuck himself and it put the capstone on what is without a doubt one of our favorite songs off this record.) This wonderful piece of video was created by Jake Wisecup, from WISEUP Entertainment, with not a little help from one of the great videographers in the area Joe Bardgill, of Broken Lamp Productions. Of course, this video would absolutely not have been the same without the beautiful Katherine Zacheis, who definitely is not sleepwalking through her days. A special thanks to Peach’s in Yellow Springs (One of the coolest towns in Ohio!), for the live shots (When we played with “The New Old Fashioned” !) Most of all thank you for taking the time to read this far and for watching the video. A few things to leave you with as you go live your life…
1: PLEASE Share this video.
2: Consider throwing us a like on Facebook or recommending the website www.thetypiclajohnsons.com
3: Buy the CD on iTunes / Amazon / Spotify or COME TO A SHOW!!!! and buy it there!
4: SUPPORT your local music scene wherever you are!
Peace, God Bless, and live this life to the blistering hilt. You only go around once…
As Hunter S. Thompson said… “Buy the ticket… take the ride…”
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For your critical evaluation… as you most certainly will…
Sleepwalker Lyrics:
Where i’m runnin i don’t know
Where i’m runnin is my choice alone
Always runnin never a choice
Always screaming without any voice
Tired of dreaming i am stuck in one place
I’m tired of dreaming of the wind in my face
Stuck in this dream caught in first gear
Stuck in a rut and paralyzed by my fear
But i dreamt this dream before
Drifting farther and farther from the shore
(Chorus)
I’ve lived my life / sleep walking through my days
Kept my eyes open in the haze
One foot in this world and another in my head
I’ve been sleep walking through my days
I’ve been sleep walking through my days … instead
Like an old dog , ready to fight
Too long in the tooth and too tired to try
Trained to be real hard but brought up on the leash
Scarred up paws and i’m scared of being beat
But i dreamt this dream before
Drifting farther and farther from the shore
I’ve lived my life / sleep walking through my days
Kept my eyes open in the haze
One foot in this world and another in my head
Sleep walking through my days (x2)
On the show tomorrow – new music from U2, AlvvaysCricketbows, Iron & Wine, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Mack McKenzie, The Typical Johnsons, The Afghan Whigs, The War On Drugs, Dan Auerbach and Sick of Sarah! Some classics from The Undertones, The Replacements, and Shrug.
We will play a live track from Counting Crows and one of Dr. J’s favorite Billy Bragg songs! Join us from 3-6pm tomorrow on WUDR.
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