One time a few years ago, the Sleeping Brothers had the opportunity to record as a back-up band. They were less like the Attractions and more like the Distractions. Or maybe the E. Street Band, if the "E" stood for "excrement".

The Sleeping Brothers fronted rock-wunderkind Mikey Judson, who was, I don't remember, 13? 14? 12? at the time. They covered Scorpions' "Big City Nights", with Mikey on lead guitar. It's every teen's dream to front a band of 30- and 40-year olds.

Sure, the performance sounds a bit Shaggs-like. Or like when famous authors get together to form a rock band. But I prefer to describe it as ragged, raw, off-balanced (off-tempo certainly) but nothing less than unvarnished, homemade rawk.

Mikey Judson on lead guitar, Pete O'Shaughnessy on lead, Mike O on b.vox. Jimmy O on rhythm guitar and drums (drums added afterwards -- not an easy feat). A click track? Please. Recorded at Sleeping Brothers Studios (or whatever we were calling it at the time) in Portland.

Mikey (Mikey? he's probably outgrown that nickname) has since surpassed the musical skills of the Sleeping Brothers. In fact, he'd surpassed them back then.

Anyway, that's the story of how the Sleeping Brothers became a back-up band one day.

("Big City Nights" written by Rudolf Schenker und Klaus Meine)

2013 Sleeping Brothers Records. www.sleepingbrothers.com

"Big City Nights" by Mikey Judson & The Sleeping Brothers

Recorded this Michael Nesmith-penned track back in '04 with my old duo, the short-lived Lucky Spider.

Demos 9-04-04

Different Drum by Lucky Spider

A heavy-handed cover of Lightfoot's classic by early-2k flash-in-the pan duo, Lucky Spider (Beaverton, OR).

If You Could Read My Mind - Lucky Spider

Library Myth's latest song, "The Thanksgiving Song", written by Julia and Chris (with Julia and Thomas providing instrumental accompaniment). Julia wrote 99% of lyrics (Chris just added last line of each stanza to make it fit the music).  Julia comes home last week and says "I wrote this poem for our song". "I've had the chorus tune for a couple of years, but the verse tune came to me on the spot!" says Chris.
cp2011 Library Myth
Sleeping Brothers Record.

The Thanksgiving Song

A song about a guy who sold weed out of the pretzel kiosk at the mall in the mid-90s. Good times. Pizazz was also obsessed with the recent reissue of Curtis Mayfield's "Superfly" soundtrack. Hence. From Pizazz' 1998 album, "St. Donny." Available for free on Bandcamp. cp1998 Pizazz/Sleeping Brothers Records.

St. Donny

Pretzel Man - Pizazz

Whilst digitizing some cassettes, SBR found this old song from '00 (2000, that is). It's The Throats' ode to indie darling (as they say) Parker Posey. Heavily influenced by the Billy Bragg/Wilco/Woody Guthrie composition "Ingrid Bergman" from "Mermaid Avenue." Well, that about sums it up. For the record, our favorite role of hers is in "The Daytrippers." Written and recorded by Mike O'Shaughnessy (aka The Throats) cp2000/2018 Sleeping Brothers Records. www.sleepingbrothers.com

Parker Posey - The Throats

The Throats covers They Might Be Giants' classic "Ana Ng" from their 1988 album, Lincoln.

Do Over! Vol. 2 - Covering the 80s

Ana Ng - The Throats

The title says it all. Way back when, back when people had home phones and telemarketers called them at all hours, the robot dialer was all the rage. And you couldn't hang up on it. I mean, you could, but when you'd pick up the phone, the message would still be running. the tape recorded the responses (I can't imagine anyone actually gave their phone number to request more info). Instead, what you got was 100% Long Island charm. After a few listens, you'll pick up the cadence and involuntarily speak this way.

LI Telemarketing Calls #1

From "Gary's Guided Tours Volume 1 - Food Service' (1999). In the amount of time it would take to explain this project, you could wash your hands a thousand times. Just enjoy! And wash your hands t this informational dittie. Written by Dave Ackerman and the O'Saughnessy Brothers. cp1999 Mind & Pen Imagination Industries.

Gary Cleanberg - Scrubbing My Hands

Night Milk's contribution to the soundtrack of our survival. Inspired by a painting by The Feebs' Jim O'Shaughnessy. Also based on the world outside our windows. Stay inside and record music!

Written and performed by Mike O'Shaughnessy. Recorded at Country Dark Studios in Oregon on a Korg Digital 4-track with guitar, bass and stylophone. cp 2020 Sleeping Brothers Records.

I AM VIRUS

I am virus escaping the lines that you've drawn
I am virus mutating the time that you own

I am virus I'm born in the bones of a beast
I am virus I'm borne in the spit of your teeth

Landscape artists will be hit the hardest in the end
Empty spaces will be sacred places again

(I am virus / you are virus)

I am virus the Earth is a virtual plain
I am virus deleting this inhuman strain

I am virus I'll die in the vacuum of space
I am virus I'll fade if you stay in your place

Landscape artists will be hit the hardest in the end
Empty spaces will be sacred places again

cp2020 Michael O'Shaughnessy/Sleeping Brothers Records

I Am Virus - Night Milk

A song for everyone during this pandemic. "This quarantine is not too cool," sings 7-year old Henry. Boy, he ain't kidding! Uncle Mike provided the music for Henry's first single. Stay safe out there, kids! These may be "touch luck times" but at least we've got each other.

Recorded April-May, 2020 on a Fostex MR8-Track at Country Dark Studios, Sandy, OR.
Written by Michael O'Shaughnessy (BMI)
cp2020 Sleeping Brothers Records
www.sleepingbrothers.com 

LYRICS

VERSE
I wanna go back to my school
This quarantine is not too cool
I wanna stroll through the dollar store
I can’t remember what my fingers,
remember what my fingers are for

I wanna shake hands with my friends
I wanna dance until the music ends
I wanna tell a secret in your ear
I’m going crazy waking up in,
crazy waking up in fear

CHORUS
These are… Tough Luck Times
Can’t wait to leave them behind
Tough Luck Times...I’m sure that I’d lose my mind
If I didn’t have you

VERSE
I wanna sit in your living room
Don’t wanna talk to anybody on Zoom
You’re mouth doesn’t sync with your voice
I’m at the edge of forgetting,
forgetting that I once had a choice

I wanna lose myself in the crowd
I’ve found my voice is just a little too loud
I never liked to be pushed and shoved
I get annoyed by the void, I’m destroyed by the absence of love

CHORUS
These are… Tough Luck Times
Can’t wait to leave them behind
Tough Luck Times...I’m sure that I’d lose my mind
If I didn’t have you

Tough Luck Times

Cover of Bacharach/David's hit on the occasion of Burt's 92nd birthday.
Recorded by The Throats in 1999.

cp199/2020 Sleeping Brothers Records

Borrower

Walk on By - The Throats

Early 90s cover of Bob Dylan's "Masters of War," an unfortunately perpetually relevant song. Recorded at Martyrs Home Studios, Old Bethpage, NY.

Masters Of War - The Throats

Season's Grievings from The Martyrs! A sweet and sad little holiday tune, written and recorded around 1990. Who can remember? Recorded in the basement in Old Bethpage, NY. Words by Paul Saur, music by Mike O'Shaughnessy. Performed by The Martyrs (Paul, Mike, Jim and Chris).
cp2020The Martyrs
www.sleepingbrothers.com

Christmas Again - Single

Christmas Again - The Martyrs

Sleeping Brothers Records is a netlabel serving as the archive of legendary semi-fictional Big Casserole Records (the cassette label based out of a Long Island basement in the 1990s) and its brief CD-R spin-off MushyApple Records of Portland, OR. Sleeping Brothers Records continues the BCR/MAR legacy of releasing lo- to mid-fi recordings. Home of the Feebs, the Throats, the Martyrs, Pizazz and the Pink Lights.

sleepingbrothers

Popular tracks