The opening track to our self-made disc. It begins with a taped interview between my sister Mia, when she was around 4 years old and our Uncle Sylvio. Mia asked Sylvio if he wanted to go to Italy. Sylvio used to have this reel-to-reel tape recorder in a cabinet that he used to record himself playing the clarinet. One of the tapes included this interview. Ray plays the Italian anthem as a beautiful backdrop to a conversation between an old man and young girl.  My favorite line is when Mia says, "Papa' sempre."

Tarantellica

National Anthem*

Originally a Brazilian Tango called La Maxixe, it became popular around the world in 1905 after Félix Mayor turned it into La Matchiche into a French samba song. It was also quite popular in Italy as a dance song. We decided to take the song and gave it a ska-like, twangy guitar hook make-over.

La Matchiche

Tra Veglia e Sonno was written in 1913 by Luigi Canoro. It is a Mazurka. The song's trance-like quality fits its title, which literally translates to, "between awake and dreaming." Every time I hear this song I picture Morticia and Gomez Addams dancing to it. That's the vibe Tarantellica was looking for.

Tra Veglia e Sonno

La Cumparsita was a march written in 1916 by Gerardo Matos Rodriguéz, the son of the owner of Moulin Rouge in Montevideo, Uruguay. Gerardo, who was shy,  had 15 of his friends show the music to a known composer in the city. He loved it and turned it into a tango. It is now one of the most widely known tangos in the world. Tarantellica took this tango by the 2/4 and applied  a 60's Film Score edge to it, with a little tremolo infused guitar runs as flourishing.

La Cumparsita

To me this song has one of the most beautiful melodies ever written. Ever since I could remember I've heard my father sing it to my mother. He still does. There is even an old recording from the 50s of my father singing the tune with my aunt, Zia Gaetana. I'm not the only who loves this song, I once met the actor who played Cousin Itt on the Addams Family, Felix Silla. He told me that this was his favorite song, ever. On this track I play the mandolin, while Ray covers the landscape with his accordion.

Calabrisella Mia

An Italian classic written in 1898. I'm on electric mandolin.

O Sole Mio

Ah Marie/<alla Femina/Chitarra Romano Medley

A traditional old Italian Folk Song typically sung by children goes to La Scuola d' Rock. We couldn't help by sauce it up with a little chitarra alla distornato.

Alla Fiera di Mastr' Andre

Nino Quaranta's version of Nicola Corbo's poem La Foglia. Record by request for my father, Joseph (Pino) Corbo.

La Foglia

The Incoherents. One of Tim Cawley's projects from forever ago. From a "release" called, Irrational Devotion to Nonsensical Cause. This song is so Nasty.

Irrational Devotion To A Nonsensical Cause

My Nasty

This song was recorded while Will was signed to Atlantic Records. Originally titled Listen To Helga,  this track was done in a small NYC recording studio in 1989. Unfortunately it's the only existing copy of the song and there's audio drop out in the middle and end of the song. 

01 You Work, You Fight – Spastic Farm Animals

In the late 90's Raina Kumra, Kory Sylvester and I tried to put together a band. We managed to at least record a couple songs on my 4-track. It's in real rough, rough, rough shape and I think we lose each other on the tempo too, but Raina's pre-Tangled Rapunzel P.O.V on this track is pretty awesome. I need to remix the master tape if hasn't melted yet.

03 Tower - Raina, Kory, Bruno

My brother Nico's band Unspeakable Acts. I think this was the late 90's. I never did find out what the Unspeakable Acts actually were, they wouldn't talk about it.

03 Push Too Far – Unspeakable Acts

Recorded during a rehearsal, before a show, before it was ready, before we knew enough to know when a song was ready to play  at a show. 

02 Just Say Anything – Spastic Farm Animals

There are many songs in the musical universe that go unheard. Whether it's a home recording, an old unknown 45, a band demo tape, live radio broadcasts or a 4-track recordings from friends and bands that never got started there are unheard songs everywhere. 
These tracks are just a small collection of musical trinkets that have been gathering dust and starting to crackle and hiss their way into musical obscurity. The quality isn't great, but the heart and need to make music is there. These are all songs, as far as I know,  that don't exist in any form on the radio, online or in record stores. For that matter, not sure if any record stores exist either. Enjoy.

Never Heard Of It

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