1. |
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I’m so tired of writing, so why would I spare a minute to speak about my own 2nd wave folk punk worship track?
I keep checking your page from a burner account
To quell my reoccurring dream that your back in town
a fog bank flirting all summer long
a dog hair floating in my hair of the dog
And endless photos can’t explain
Why the music sounds so much better on hungover days
Had to relight my fire with a page from reality’s joke pad
It read Walmart Santa pours Dashboard Hula
simulacra on ice
and raises a toast to wherever the time flies
If this is a new recipe for restlessness
then I’m twitching like a dreaming dog
If there’s an infinite amount of parallel lives
Then there’s infinite ways to bail
And if aspirations escape you
I’m happy to help lower the bar
Moderation by moderation
Some dreams shouldn’t come true
That’s why I keep checking your page from a burner account
Calculate the chance that I see you around
You’re stuck in my head all summer long
my back porch creaking to the beat of your song
and endless pressure can’t press it on vinyl
it always evades recording, can’t name it
Can’t we let the poet laureate reuse a common phrase?
In these softening times you can hardly give a hard confirm
But Im as sure as I’m a broke Beach Boys singing
"Oh wouldn’t it be nice"
That we’ll meet again wherever the time flies
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2. |
Teal + Jer - Rabbit
02:48
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Portland, OR’s sweetest couple, animator, and song smiths, Jer and Teal come to us this year with a bit of a new sound on Rabbit, and we’re here for it! Mixing his usual Canadian Dylan-esque folk with drums and a spacey synth, this track feels like I’ve already pulled into my driveway but I stay in the car cause it’s cold outside and I’m entranced by the song. Maybe I even hit replay just one more time cause I’m catatonic in the weird beauty. The added majesty of Teal on vocals… I’m eagerly tossing my pennies into the wish fountain for a Teal + Jer album! GP followers will recall the duo from their bandname Chain, but mainstream Earth will know Jeremey from his work on the new Pinocchio! (Congrats Jer, that is so sick!!)
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3. |
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Ironic that Lunchtime’s track on GP after moving from Seattle to LA is called “Raining in the Morning.” Just when we thought there was a classic Lunchtime :) sound, singer / producer Chase Hoyt has changed it up on this one. It’s still surreal and playful, but it feels a little less Noel Gallagher in spaceship and a little more 80’s Paul Simon on salvia to me. The uplifting message in the lyrics about changing your attitude to change your internal weather, is a timeless and tasteful cherry on top of an already delicious production. The chorus would have been a 90’s pop hit, but the bubbly synths, jungle beat, and classic rock sensibility is the type of post-ironic genre collage that could only exist in our era, and frankly, could be no one else but Lunchtime :)
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4. |
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5. |
Milk Flud - Special
02:35
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6. |
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Russell Park is one of the longest running GP runners, and his stride has not slowed a bit. Beginning his marathon on GP1 in the beloved San Luis Obispo duo, Park and Burn, then switching to his solo alias Weston Bookhouse shortly after, Russell has been recording under the bandname Dry Goods ever since he moved to Portland, OR. In recent years, like many a CA-OR transplant, Russ has relocated back down to his home state, ending up in criminally underrated Sacramento and forming a full in- the-flesh band for Dry Goods, and even enjoying a little tour this year. On “Icecream In the Window” you can feel the freshness of new bassist Sam and guitarist / producer Robert. Russell’s tried and true lyrics are in full shine and the added characters surrounding him makes this a new peak for DG. I’m just sorry about your Achilles heel ache, Russ!
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7. |
Lil Sticc - Camp Clean
02:22
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A few years ago, in the tangled veins of Lisa Frank and Frankie Cosmos, a young star was born in the MNE galaxy. Stunning the masses with her debut single “Gidgie, the Moth, and Me” on GP9 and consistently hitting that mark since, Lil Sticc is back this year with an ode to being outdoors, carefree, and only semi-clean. “Camp Clean” is the song you want to put on from the blue tooth speaker on the picnic bench while you are behind the bushes washing the pots and pans in the camp site’s water spout. The sun is out, the air smells like dirt and pine, and your hair is the perfect amount of greasy. On Camp Clean, Lil Sticc not only evokes the childlike pleasure of playing in the grass, but celebrates it as a spiritual practice.
I’ll meet you out in a sec
I’m just now waking up
Gonna go pee under a tree
then I’ll tell you what
I got a little bent while in my tent
What are ya gonna do
I’ll start the coffee
bring your mug
Just enough for two
This mug is dirty
What’s the wordy
It’s all good and fine
Go rip your shirt
And stub your toe
It must be a sign
Am I molting?
This feels jolting
In the best kind of way
Recalibrating
Liberating
No shower today
Camp clean
Rollin up on the scene
Dirt in my nails
Half hygiene
Camp clean
With vitamin D
And charcuterie
We’re on a livin spree
Thinking small living big
Is that a bug or just a twig
Face plant in soil
No turmoil
Hope you come to my gig
Taking it in
Might go and swim
Fill your cup right up to the brim
Healthy microbes
We’re in bathrobes
It’s a win-win
Am I molting?
This feels jolting
In the best kind of way
Recalibrating
Liberating
No shower today
No shower today
Camp clean
Not a worry in my mind
All we got is time
Eggs on the sunny side
Camp clean
Not that seriously
Move with the moon and tide
Its all implied
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8. |
Sour Guy - Bait Taken
02:56
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9. |
Marc - Fade
02:21
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Marc!! This song is so sick! Your voice sounds so good! It’s so catchy and yet so sad! How are you so talented? What have you been up to? I miss you man. Didn’t you recently move away from Portland, OR? I never thought you’d do that. How have you always been so naturally talented? How are we so lucky as to have you on GP this year? This song reminds me of like Guided By Voices meets Radiohead, and I’m here for it!
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10. |
Hooplah! - Too Much Fun
02:44
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Oakland’s Hooplah! asks us “What makes you the one? / You run around having too much fun”, and tbh if someone is asking you this question, that means you are doing something right! Colin Frost is back for his third Group Pic armed with an infectious hook and sick production. As Colin co-runs his own art collective, Slang Church, we are happy for this cross-promotional opportunity between our corporations. We believe it will lead to increased brand awareness as well as develop new revenue streams for both entities. I know this partnership will lead to fruitful future for us all, but I have no idea what “razor blade daisy chain means” (and yet I fuckin love it).
What makes you the one
You run around having too much fun
Always having (Entirely) too much fun
What makes you the one
Razor blade daisy chain
Raise the bliss to blame
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11. |
Jimmy Montague - What If
02:55
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Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy. James Palko, known globally as Jimmy Montague, is a bit of a musical slut. When he's not playing in Perspective, A Lovely Hand To Hold or Taking Meds, or deep in the doldrums of mixing / mastering someone else's music, he's lost in the kaleidoscope of arrangements and melody of his own, Jimmy Montague. Jimmy should be composing for films, arranging for contemporary orchestras, or swooning the masses with his sweet soft vocals, but instead he decides to associate with shmucks like us, and god bless him for it.
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12. |
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Banned Fram Japan’s Matthew Earle’s lyrics are usually biting. He doesn’t hold back when he speaks his about his life, about meth, social media addiction, his sister… but this one crowns them all. Earle strays from BFJ’s usual skate punk sound and pivots to a ballad, an ode to his deceased father. His vocals sound great and you can feel the vulnerability in every word. The scene where he smokes his dad’s cig in his old bedroom is particularly heartbreaking. BFJ reaches new levels of greatness with this track, and the bravery for writing it is inspiring. I think it’s safe to say David Earle would be pretty damn proud.
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13. |
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On the vast playground of MNE, some play sports, some build temples, and some do tricks on the swings. Over in the corner, sitting on the planter, is a duo called Homework Help. Kelsey Bisson and Kris Schobert, in their pedestrian life, are lovable intelligent folks, but on the playground they are sorcerers. They chill in their corner speaking a language they made up, giggling at jokes that only they get, and solving riddles of the strangest rhymes. When you approach them, they are happy to include you in their games, but theirs is an unreachable plane. In the end you excuse yourself, step back into the safety zone, and marvel at the cathedrals of their creativity.
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14. |
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Newbies to the club, this duo hailing from Ventura / Santa Cruz enter the party with exactly what we all didn’t know we were missing in our lives- a campfire fable about queer shrimp! Still early in their career, Stone Crok only have a handful of recorded tunes, and each one is about shrimp. Unknowingly, these ladies have just ticked all the boxes for a classic GP act: Novelty group? check. Niche subject matter? Check. Cutesy singalong? Check. Progressive songwriting? Check!!!
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15. |
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Michael Poggioli is a perfect example of why I believe the majority of the world’s greatness is still hiding beneath unturned stones. For every current artist we put on a pedestal, there is a humble genius shelling out diamonds from some nondescript home studio. Michael, as well as his brother in Skate Stance, is a 10/10 singer, 10/10 songwriter, and 10/10 producer, and still we've yet to see his name shouted across the industry grapevine. It's songs like this that remind me our current culture industry architecture is a facade, and TRD (the real deal) can be found both at the Grammy's or in the Garage.
Rehearsing
My habits
I picked them up while from a far
Pushing limits
New methods
Going too fast I crashed my car
I love you
Again
I love you
Again
I love you
Again
I love you
Flow charting
Every issue
Trying to find the clearest path
Back at it
Alligator
Figured I’d get a little buzz
I love you
Again
I love you
Again
I love you
Again
I love you
Let’s try it
New family
Let’s set it up see what it’s like
Just pretend
We can quit whenever
Sometimes that’s all you even need
I love you
Again
I love you
Again
I love you
Again
I love you
I love you
I love you
I love you
I love you
Again
Again
Again
Again
Rehearsing
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16. |
Queentide - Flake
02:42
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There is a speak-easy in Atlantis where Queentide plays live every night. It’s a place where salty sea wenches and the village witch amass to swing their hips to the greatest porch rock band that ever arose from the Pacific Coast. Once the matrons of Santa Barbara’s music scene, the group has splintered apart this year with half the group in Santa Cruz, and bassist / vocalist Emma Vogan moving to San Francisco next year. They finished off the year with this buttery single, Flake, that leaves us salivating for the future of the band. While the distance may seem daunting, remember the old adage- Absence makes the band grow stronger.
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17. |
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Falling Apartment’s Andy Gibson puts us in a warm trance this winter with this lo fi bop. Put this on repeat and go about your afternoon errands and I dare you to say it wasn’t chill. MNE heads may recall a previous GP artist called Surf Hypnosis, and yes, that is your pal Mr. Gibson. Andy’s been supporting the MNE troops since Day 1, and we are honored to have Falling Apartments join the Group Pic army.
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18. |
Toasty P - Neighborhood
03:54
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Toasty P never fails. The genie has emerged on most Group Pictures, and this year, submitting an instrumental, he lets the vibe do the talking. This beat has a lean to it, and a magical swirling melody that is vaguely Christmas without the kitsch and crap of Holiday Spirit ™. “Neighborhood” feels like taking a night drive with a loved one to look at Christmas lights. Suddenly the car rises off the road and begins flying above the rooftops. As you look down, you realize you ARE the clouds and you gently sprinkle snow on the landscape below. As the neighborhood lights end and the dark mountain side approaches, you lift higher to sprinkle the last of your gifts on the summit, but you feel tired and heavy, and instead crash softly into the darkness, smushing into it until you are warm and curled up in your bed. It is morning and there is snow outside. You can smell that someone has started the coffee in the other room. You look up at the sky and thank Toasty P for the journey.
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19. |
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There are those of us who have gone all-in in a certain direction in life, and some of us who’ve maintained a reasonable balance of passion and career. Jake Lee not only falls into the latter for the MNE crew, but defines it. Rocking a successful career in San Francisco yet somehow remaining a loyal and valuable band member in Walter Etc., the guy has been able to pull off living both lives with grace and longevity. We even get to enjoy the annual sip from Jake’s personal creative well on Group Picture, and this year is no let down! Catchy and thoughtful, Jake seems to be pondering said life balance on “Nice, Congrats”. The tune feels like a litmus test for all of our personal growth, especially at the instant classic line “but I know I can’t party / I drink the vino over the Bacardi”. Sad to say I might still be on the Bacardi stage of life.
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20. |
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If being clever with words was a national pastime, Dakota Loesch would be everyone’s PE coach. Wait what? Longtime GP Veteran and LA’s weirdest actor, Dakota enters the reunion this year with song that will probably hit home for a few us while we are home for the holidays The lyrics swirl around family and where everyone ends up, mixed with some childhood nostalgia, and of course a couple of beverages. Dakota always shines over lo-fi Casio sounding drum loops, and the wordsmith hits a new high for me this year with that hook “Kids kick the can and adults kick the bucket, and kids kick the bucket too”, but even better when that morphs into ““Kids are like damn and adults are like fuck it, so their kids are like fuck it too.” Its perfect Dakota and I fucking love it.
when her dream home got bombed down
she packed her trophies, moved back to mom’s house
auntie brought all the dogs out
that cousin suzie bought at the dog pound
cream soda and sauerkraut
and powdered milk and “sorry y’all, the power’s out”
after several cocktail hours now:
“we thank you, lord, for table wine and our house”
cuz…
kids kick the can and adults kick the bucket
and kids kick the bucket too
kids are like “damn” and adults are like “fuck it”
so their kids are like “fuck it” too
and the kids say…
when her dream home got bombed down
she packed her trophies, moved back to mom’s house
and auntie brought all the dogs out
that cousin suzie bought at the dog pound
cream soda and sauerkraut
and powdered milk and “sorry y’all, the power’s out”
this’s after several cocktail hours now:
“we thank ye, lord, for table wine and our house”
because…
kids kick the can and adults kick the bucket
and kids kick the bucket too
kids kick the can and kids kick the can and
kids kick the can and kids kick the can and
kids kick the can and kids kick the can and
kids kick the can and kids kick the bucket too
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22. |
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Now this is NICHE. Ten years ago, Walter debuted the song “Carry Me Back to the Purple Palace” on Group Picture Vol. 2. Now for GP12, Walter X, the official hardcore one-man Walter Mitty / Etc. cover band by LA’s Michael Mahaffie, strikes again with a new take on that same song. Walter X’s covers always add an interesting spin to the original song, and this one is no different. Laden with bagpipes and a Seinfeld sample, this track is an immediate stand out for Walter X and will garner more than a second spin from anyone familiar with the original or otherwise. Mahaffie’s sugary gruff vocals and driving rhythms leave nothing to be desired here except the hope to one day see this band live.
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23. |
Chet Wasted - Sometimes
03:04
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Chet Wasted sounds anything but wasted on this track. The crooner from New Hampshire, Jacob McCabe, adorns the comp this year with a winter hymn of beauty and perfection, however fleeting. The piano makes me wish it was freezing outside and I’m taking my first sip of coffee in the gray morning. The guitar makes me feel its ok if the sun sets and never rises again. I will take the darkness if I can have this soundtrack and be with whoever and whatever “She” these lyrics are referring to. Thank you for singing to us, Chet.
She’s always warm
Her fragile frame
Her perfect Form
She keeps her cool
Her heart is brave
Her eyes like jewels
She knows what she wants sometimes
Soon she’ll be gone with the sunrise
She fleas the scene with her cluttered head hung high
She seems to know what its like
She rides the waves
Through all the storms
Both night and day
She’s in between
She’s one foot in
One out that door
She knows what she wants sometimes
Soon she’ll be gone with the sunrise
She fleas the scene with her cluttered head hung high
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24. |
Sure, Man - Miss My Band
02:16
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Sure, Man finally released their masterpiece “Hello My Friend” this year. It was 4 years in the making, and it perfectly captures the feeling of a bright chilly day in the Outer Sunset neighborhood of San Francisco. This year for Group Picture, singer Alex Maddox, longtime veteran of the comp, feeds us a tuneful sugar cube telling the tale of the beginnings of Sure, Man and the making of “Hello My Friend”. He sings us back to the years of jamming the songs in, ex member Jake Lee’s apartment bassist in a rough part of the Mission District. After Jake departed from the band, Sure, Man continued to practice in his basement, until residents of the apartment began to barge in and demand “Do any of you actually live here!?” These days Sure, Man is stalled by members moving away and life taking priority, which accounts for the nostalgic melody here, but we are grateful that Maddox has resurrected the namesake to add another little gem gracing Group Picture.
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25. |
Trash Bike - Arcaica
02:33
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After a few years of stripped down mixes of Bread’s icy melodies over noodling acoustic guitars, it’s so cool to hear Portland’s Trash Bike record something with a full band. The band has evolved from a state of demos and serious potential, to a teaser of what a full album of this vibe could be… Elliot Smith meets Cap’n Jazz… this is some real Pitchfork bait. Also you can tell Bread’s been watching reruns of The OC, because the “Welcome to Portland b*tch” is clearly a bite from the famous “Welcome to OC b*tch” and I love that for GP.
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26. |
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You gotta watch out for those Poggioli brothers, I tell you. Younger brother Josh here as Skate Stance is making his second lap around the GP track, waving a flag that reads “I Don’t Want To Go” and proving to this Left Coast dominant group that the right hand of the beast has swagger as well. Skate Stance songs are always cool, and easily perfect the art of the bedroom bop. Catch me singing every word to this while I do the dishes before going to something I’d rather not.
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28. |
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Somewhere in the Redwoods of Northern California, there is a poet laureate who goes by Dan Fulham in his pedestrian life, but we here know him as Vagrant Sabbatical. Always thoughtful but cryptic, catchy yet obtuse, Dan packs a lot into his songs and they don't necessarily beg to be digested in one or two listens. Sit with his words, chew on them, marinate in the glow of those old growth Redwoods and you will arise on the other side as the padawan of a new paradigm.
As I get right through it, thoughts of more days
No hallelujah – cease the prophase
Dissolve right through the grip of what goes on
Hey there Daniel you’re getting on
You better pack your shit and move along
Not quite certain of what goes wrong
I’m dodging vulture fate as I carry on
Three Fates phasing, the apathy grows
Became a cigarette monk past bohemian groves
As I go lie where the water takes me
As I drip right through it people proclaim
Like hey hosanna, cease the dull pain
Absolve us - still the rent is due, odds long
Hey there Mary you’re not that strong
You better throw that god another bone
Not quite sure where the meaning’s gone
You get your Sisyphus grin and carry on
Three Fates phasing, the apathy grows
Became a cigarette monk past bohemian groves
As I go lie where the water takes me
Because I want no opinions now
They leave me on the ground
I chase them all around
Still I fake new feeling to forge faux soul
Mind split raging the apathy grows
So I go lie where the water soaks me now
False new feeling
We want control
And oh no no
Let it all fall down, okay?
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29. |
Pouty - Underwear (demo)
02:24
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The pipeline of Philadelphia’s DIY music scene to my 805 area code is slim, so when I met Rachel Gagliardi and found out she was doing her music and vintage clothes hustle out of Ojai, CA, I was relieved to meet a kindred spirit. Formerly in bands like Slutever and Upset, Rachel’s solo project Pouty is nothing new, but it is her first entrance into the MNE ballroom. “Underwear”, a front porch ode to self-improvement, the green herb, and fear of aging, is, well, probably at the center of the Venn Diagram for most of us. I know that Pouty is currently wrapping up a new album for next year, and this demo gets us high to hear it!
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30. |
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Making New Enemies California
www.makingnewenemies.org
Art Collective / Utopian Cult /
Soul Posse
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