There's a lot of things I miss during the pandemic, but one of the things I miss the most is swimming. There's not much warm freshwater near where I live, and all the public pools are all closed until at least mid-June - and probably longer than that, given how the variants are spreading. I know it seems selfish to care more about this activity when lives are at risk, and I try not to. But I miss the feeling of being free in the water, of not having any weights on me as I run laps or tread in place. It's one of the few things left that can really clear my mind, and I can't wait until I'm able to do it again.

To try to smooth the waiting, I've decided to do a cover of one of my all-time favorite songs, "Nightswimming" by R.E.M. I didn't have a lot to add to the original, so I didn't. This one's just me on piano, tin whistle, and vocals, with a synth patch doing the cello. I hope you enjoy it, and if you do, please check out the original too.

The photo is from the Indian Springs in Calistoga.

Misc.

Nightswimming

Rachel Yan - electric cello, lead vocals
Charles Kieser - keyboard, upright bass, backing vocals

Fleetwood Mac Sessions

Dreams (with Rachel Yan)

My best attempt at creating an average unreleased Beach Boys song. Knowing all the 60s/70s bootlegs that have come out over the years, this was me trying to synthesize all of them into one potential song that could potentially finally come out on whatever compilation they drop next.

I may have subconsciously been inspired by a song from Spongebob Squarepants, but I like to think Brian would've enjoyed writing music for that show anyway. Too bad they never asked him.

Average Unreleased Beach Boys Song

A cover of Robert Palmer's "Johnny and Mary." I meant to include elements of two prior versions of the song: Palmer's original, and the cover by Todd Terje and Bryan Ferry. Mostly I took the beat and bass from Palmer and the piano and lush synth sound from Terje, but in between there I tried to make it a little bit unique.

I played piano, synthesizers, melodica, and drums.

Johnny and Mary

"Fell On White Days" is the product of six ideas:
- A melody that's been floating around in my head for about 7 years,
- A friend's complaints about the movie Boyhood,
- A Soundgarden song title,
- Sartre's ideas about existence and choice,
- My own thoughts about privilege,
- And a piano bridge I wrote a few months ago.
In all, I think it turned out pretty well.

On this song, I play mandolin, piano, Apple synth bass, Korg SP250 on harpsichord-and-strings setting, drums, and shaker. This is my first release using the SM-57 microphone (for the vocals); it sounds a lot better than the shitty laptop mic.

Lyrics:
Would you pay a lifetime just to walk in my footsteps,
Knowing how a privileged boy can make it in the world?
Would you pay a ticket just to watch me grow older?
Would you be surprised to see how my life unfurled?
And what would have happened if instead of how I am now,
I were born with thicker shade and with a different name?
I know wicked it must seem, but honestly,
I just don’t know if I’d have turned out the same
I guess I fell on white days (x2)

I could be anyone in any point in time now
A little girl in Angola or a salaryman
So what does it mean that I was born here and born then?
How can I explain it? What choice did I have?
And no, I’m not exactly proud to be part of the problem
And I can’t convince you that I’m really on your side
At least just give me the chance to prove I’m not like them
Though I won’t pretend that I’ve got nothing to hide
I guess I fell on white days (x2)

I don’t aim to benefit by anything unearned now
Like Kendrick said, “complexion don’t mean a thing”
And please don’t ask me why I don’t do what’s expected
I can’t justify myself, or the color of my skin
I only hope that anything I might achieve now
Doesn’t come at the expense of someone unlike me,
And that this feeling being thrown into existence
Doesn’t make you regret that you were born the way you’ve been
I guess I fell on white days (x2)
I guess the compass swings both ways
I guess I fell on white days

Fell On White Days

The second single from Cancer and Capricorn's upcoming "Bird Hospital" album, set to release on December 6th on Bandcamp. You can listen to it at this link: https://cancerandcapricorn.bandcamp.com/album/bird-hospital

Lyrics:
Fall, fall, fall!

Honey, money & jewels could make you rich beyond compare
But they won’t buy you time
Honey, money & jewels gave you a seat way up the stairs
But now you wait in line
With the rest of us – and we’re so glad
That you could come today because
Everybody’s here to watch you
Fall, fall, fall!

The bees brought you honey, asking nothing in return
And you took it when you could
Knowing you’d been spoiled sweet
And that you did not deserve anything that good
But still you kicked the nest in half
You made them scatter, watched and laughed
You stood so tall, now you got a long way to
Fall, fall, fall!

Desiree, from a Hyde Park apartment
Now recently a refugee from a well-to-do family
You – with the bluest eyes, the brightest pearls,
The biggest lies that I ever heard!
At least you’ve got diamonds to wear
When you know deep down that you can’t go anywhere
Lock them away in a box labeled “handle with care”
But if your jewel box ends up on
The bedroom floor and you’re alone
It might be enough to make you trip and
Fall, fall, fall!

Personnel:
Chris Landy – Lead vocals, production
Nathan Selinger – Acoustic guitar
Hunter Hanson – Violins, backing vocals
Bronwyn Hagerty – Cello
Adrick Tench – Drums, congas
Rachel SJ, Marcellus Burt, Eric Joseph Mertz – Backing vocals
Charles Kieser – Piano, Hammond organ, melodica, Apple bass synthesizer, tambourine, backing vocals

Single artwork taken from poster for Bahram Beizai's "Maybe Some Other Time"

Honey, Money, & Jewels

I wanted to finish this in time for St. Patrick's Day, but I thought I should release it anyway. It's a cover of one of the Pogues' best songs, and one of my personal favorite songs, too. 

I'm a one-man Irish folk band on this one, playing mandolins, accordion, synth bass, drums, and tin whistle. This is also my first song recorded with Logic.

A Pair of Brown Eyes

A history lesson of sorts.

Lineup: acoustic guitar (played by James Kisau), Apple presets (electric guitar, bass, bass drum, washy synth), shaker, bongos, Korg SP-250 run backwards

Ancestors

The first single from Cancer and Capricorn's upcoming album "Spent"! It's a song about a relationship that's in need of repair, but should get better soon enough. Or it can be about whatever you want, really. 

You can hear the full album at this link: https://cancerandcapricorn.bandcamp.com/album/spent.

Lyrics:
There’s so much to love in you
And even more to keep us far apart
There’s no need to think it through
I won’t get all hung up on just one heart

And what more can I say about the past,
The eucalyptus leaves and bathroom stalls,
And the days I dodged your calls?
But if tomorrow morning brings the rain
And the gums outside don’t look so grey and tall
Then don’t just bury it all
‘Cause hope is on the way

You can tell me anything
Whatever keeps you wide awake at night
I will kneel and wash you clean
And hold you close until you feel alright

But I won’t have the answer to your prayer
Honestly, I’m just as scared as you
And I can barely tell you the truth
But if I’ve sinned before, it was my fault
And if you love me in spite of all I do
Then take it all as proof
That hope is on the way

Personnel:
Hunter Hanson – Electric guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
Teddy Kieser – Electric guitar, backing vocals
Tristan Arostegui – Bass
Jon Mathias – Drums, backing vocals
Greg – Moral support
Charles Kieser – Piano, Hammond organ, finger cymbals, vocals
Cover artwork by Roann Mathias

Hope is on the Way

The second single from Cancer and Capricorn's upcoming album "Spent." I initially debated with myself whether or not I should release this, afraid it might be taken the wrong way. But as more and more of our rights are stripped away, and more and more of us are mislabeled, disrespected or ignored - including on my own college campus - I think it's as good a time as any to put this out. If you can't find it in yourselves to like us, the least you can do is recognize us. In other words, "say it correct."

You can hear the full album at this link: https://cancerandcapricorn.bandcamp.com/album/spent.

Lyrics:
You’ve got morality
They’ve got an agenda
You’re the majority
They’d better surrender
It’s just a fashion choice
They’ll soon outgrow it
None of them got half a voice
They just don’t know it

You dream in binary
They don’t know what they need
You know your boundaries
They only think they’re free
You’re all god-fearing folk
And all they do is fight
You’ll finally get the joke
When they all see the light

It’s all the same, it’s all the same
New look, new name, it’s all the same

But say it correct!

You keep it all inside
They let it all hang out
You think you’re satisfied
You don’t know what they’re about
But they’re looking right at you
From the jail that you built
And they won’t stop until they get through
And give you all of their guilt

It’s all the same, it’s all the same
New look, new name, it’s all the same!

But SAY IT CORRECT!

Personnel:
Ethan Roubenoff – Electric guitars
Tristan Arostegui – Bass
Adrick Tench – Drums
Marcellus Burt, Nina Jayashankar – Backing vocals
Charles Kieser – Wurlitzer piano, Logic synthesizers, theremin, drum programming, congas, knife, vocals
Cover artwork by Roann Mathias
Special thanks to Mike Novak for recording the Wurly

St. Saul Josephine

Lyrics:
It’s not enough that they cut you off when you’re born
No, they strand you alone on a path all sewn with thorns
Yeah, you got no choice but to stand your ground
Prick up your ears to hear the Long Island Sound
And hope it’ll bring you home

It’s not enough that he breaks up over the phone
And you’ve never felt safe walking out on your own
No, you see the same in every face that you meet
One of them sneers, “You’re damn lucky just to walk in the street!”
And you want to say he’s wrong
But everyone’s singing along

Walk on the wall then you call for a cab
And it passes you by before you even realize
Walk under lights in the Washington Heights 
Chalk on the ground and you can’t believe your eyes
Soap on a rope and the dope in your pocket 
A man right behind you, he’s moving up with a knife
Walk in the Park and it’s half past dark 
You don’t even know if you’ll make it home alive
You won’t make it home alive tonight

It’s not enough that you got no place to stay
No, the landlords yell and the men tell you “some other day”
Yeah, you say you’ve got no chance in the world outside
And it’s no consolation at all to you now that you tried
But so what if you didn’t get far?
Don’t you know where the hell you are?

Walk on the wall then you fall then you break both your arms 
And your back and you hold your head up and cry
Walk under lights in the Washington Heights 
You can’t find the way and you don’t even want to try
The Salvation Army asleep on the sidewalk
A man right behind you, he’s holding hands with his wife
Walk in the Park and it’s half past dark 
You don’t even know if you’ll make it home alive

Photo taken on the High Line in Manhattan

Place on Earth

The Long Island Sound (demo)

With all the time I'm forced to spend in quarantine, I thought I might as well do another cover. This one's a little more obscure; it's from Grant Hart's 2013 album "The Argument," a very underrated record in my opinion.

Instruments used in this recording: Casio KA20 keyboard, Logic synth bass, shaker, tambourine, hammer on carpeted floor, bass harmonica, singing saw, and voice.

Shine, Shine, Shine

First and foremost, a pianist. Second, a singer-songwriter. Lastly, a guy who plays anything he can get his hands on. 

Expect a variety of styles, including pop, rock, folk, electronic, cabaret, prog, or whatever happens to be on my mind at the moment.

I also record as Cancer and Capricorn. You can find all of their albums and songs on the Bandcamp page below.

Charles Kieser

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