glowing nervous system

Loki - The Bifrost Incident - The Mechanisms

grian, double life
credits to cherrifire for the cover

the crane w̶i̶v̶e̶s̶ lives - ancient history

Scars - The Crane Wives (unreleased)

A demo for our new show Thy Sinful House. Vocals by Lara Priya Sachdeva (Atreus) and Lana Gaige (Thyestes.) Lyrics by Mel Hornyak and music by Elliot Valentine.

Lyrics:
THYESTES
I want to see my children! Where are they?

ATREUS forcibly sits her down, and tucks a napkin into her shirt.

ATREUS
YOUR KIDS ARE RIGHT HERE!
NO NEED FOR ALARM.
STAY FOR DESSERT, EAT A COUPLE MORE COURSES!
THEY'RE IN YOUR EMBRACE.
THEY WON'T COME TO HARM.
AT LEAST, NOTHING WORSE FOR YOUR KIDS THAN DIVORCE IS!

HAVE ANOTHER DRINK, THYESTES!
HAVE ANOTHER ROLL.
YOU’LL HAVE FAMILY BONDING
UNTIL YOU’RE QUITE FULL.
HAVE A LITTLE BREAD, THYESTES!
DRINK A LITTLE WINE.
AS YOU MADE CLEAR,
THE LAST TIME YOU WERE HERE:
WHAT’S MINE IS YOURS
AND WHAT’S YOURS MUST BE MINE.

THYESTES
What have you done with them? 

ATREUS
YOUR KIDS ARE QUITE SAFE.
THEY'RE ALWAYS WITH YOU.
INSIDE YOUR HEART - WELL, A LITTLE BELOW. 
THEY WON'T LEAVE YOUR SIGHT
ONCE DINNER IS THROUGH.
YOU’RE THE ONE KIND OF MOTHER THEY'LL NEVER OUTGROW.

HAVE ANOTHER DRINK, THYESTES!
TAKE A LITTLE REST!
I MADE THIS MYSELF
AND IT’S MADE FROM THE BEST.
HAVE ANOTHER SWEET, THYESTES.
EAT ANOTHER CAKE!
IF THEY DON’T RETURN
THEY WON'T HAVE TO LEARN
THAT WHAT FAMILY GIVES YOU
IT ALSO WILL TAKE!

THYESTES
Where are they? 

ATREUS
OH, THE LITTLE BRATS ARE FINE!
THEY'RE IN THE BREAD, THE MEAT, THE WINE
THIS IS THE ONLY WAY I'M ABLE
TO MAKE THEM JOIN US AT THE TABLE! 
IT’S NOTHING WORSE THAN GIVING THEM A HOUSE WE BUILT ON SIN!
(Thyestes starts gagging)
I HOPE THEY TASTE WORSE COMING OUT
THAN THEY DID GOING IN!

(Thyestes starts choking)

ATREUS
HAVE ANOTHER DRINK, THYESTES!
(she spills the wine onto the floor)
HAVE ANOTHER BITE!
(she tips the tray of meat off the table)
THEY WON'T TASTE GOOD TOMORROW
SO DON’T WASTE A SCRAP TONIGHT!
(she pushes the table over, chases Thyestes down, and starts pouring wine on her)
HAVE ANOTHER PLATE, THYESTES!
[DON’T KNIT YOUR PRETTY BROW!]
YOUR KIDS ARE PROTECTED!
YOU’RE ALWAYS CONNECTED!
TELL ME, THYESTES-- 
(Opening a cloche. Inside are TANTALUS and PLISTHENES' heads.)
DO YOU RECOGNIZE THEM NOW? 

THYESTES
I recognize my sister. 

Have Another Drink (Thy Sinful House demo)

gray after gray 
prey after prey 
morning to morning 
day after day 

let's let 
bygones be bygones 
blackening the skies 
in the bygone style 
of soon-to-be-gone monarch butterflies— 
climb up the butte 
stare at the sun-drenched river 
clench your lids 
hurry 
carry the sight 
to the boardwalk 
lift your chin up 
open your eyes 
see a shadow 
watch as it lightens and dies. 
see a shadow 
watch as it lightens and dies. 
see a shadow 
watch as it lightens and dies. 

how can I love someone I've 
only seen in a painting? 
how can I love a voice I've 
only heard described? 
how, on the other hand, can 
you kill somebody who's right in front of 
you seem to have no trouble at all doing it 
you seem to have no trouble at all 

straw after straw 
back after back 
mourning to mourning 
caulking the cracks 

let's let 
bygones be tattooed 
upon our eyes 
let's let 
the truths 
be louder than the lies 
I feel so ashamed to think 
I used to say 
it wasn't your land 
and I didn't take it away 
it wasn't your land 
and I didn't take it away 
it wasn't your land 
and I didn't take it away 

white appetites 
killed the passenger pigeon 
white fashion 
killed the Carolina parakeet 
white silence 
kills people of color 
white power 
will kill the very current it ignited 
my own white power 
will kill a current too 
if I'm not prepared to fight it 

see a pipeline 
run along the oil-drenched river 
see us promise 
changes that we don't deliver 
see a sacred place 
watch us colonize 
the boardwalk 
see a fallen cup 
someone carried that cup 
when it was full 
it must have taken every ounce of strength 
to pour the liquid 
down their gullet 
yet a cis hetero white man 
emptying his gun 
seems to have no trouble at all 
carrying it for a future bullet 
seems to have no trouble at all
credits
from Incredible Distance [EP], releases February 9, 2018 
Stephan Nance - vocals, piano 
Jon Caponetto - trombone 
Adam Caswell - programming 
Sarah Evins - viola 
Alexis Garnica - trumpet 
Dylan Myers - bassoon 
Sarah Rosier - cello 
Arrangement - Adam Caswell

White Appetites

from Incredible Distance [EP], released February 9, 2018 
Music & lyrics by Stephan Nance
Stephan Nance - vocals, piano 
Adam Caswell - programming 
Sarah Rosier - cello 
Arrangement - Adam Caswell & Stephan Nance

Lyrics:

The inspirational 
Isn't moving 
Inspiration all died 
I defy 
Edifying texts 
I defy 
Hot air quotational flotationals— 

Quote away. 
Float away. 

Who am I talking to, 
Talking to? 
Imaginary figments in the ICU 
ICU 
I see nothing left to view 
Left to view 
Left 
(Right?) 
Left to view— 

Lungs bereft 
I seek a sunken bubble 
Free dive on empty 
Down to an abyssal depth 
And where the plain 
Intersects with the trench 
I teeter on the edge 
A current blasts 
From behind 
I gasp 
I cast a shadow 
On a shadow 

A Turkey Vulture buddy 
From my littoral days 
Phases in 
All unflappable 
To call the black swirling kettle 
Back together for a 
A whirlwind tour 
Of a marginal sea 
Hover over 
One /ˈneɪvəl/ vessel 
Or another 
Body of 
Human or of water 
Blood exists 
To be discovered. 
I exist 
To be— 
I exist 
To be— 
I exist 
To be! 

I take a breath 
I cast a shadow 
At the moment of 
I take a breath 
I cast a shadow 
At the moment of 
I take a breath 
I cast a shadow 
At the moment of 
I take a breath 
I cast a shadow 
At the moment of—

Left Right Left

from Incredible Distance [EP], released February 9, 2018 
Music & lyrics by Stephan Nance
Stephan Nance - vocals, piano, programming 
Adam Caswell - programming 
Esther Kwak - clarinet 
Dylan Myers - bassoon 
Arrangement - Adam Caswell

Trampoline sensations 
lingering 
I fall asleep 
grinning 
and awake 
grinning 
in awe 
at what I 
see saw 
see saw 
see saw 
see saw... 

It's unreal 
it's unreal 
it's unreal... 
It's unreal 
it's unreal 
it's unreal... 
It's unreal 
it's unreal 
it's un— 

Cornucopia sofa 
so far you are 
treating me A-OK today— 
Eleemosynary celery 
boyar 
born of crimson velvet clay 
born on an inclement Friday 
born in the month of March... 

Tambourine tintinnabulations 
annotating 
birdsong, bee song, 
thumping bunny hearts 
clinging 
in awe 
to what they 
see saw 
see saw 
see saw 
see saw... 

It's unreal 
it's unreal 
it's unreal... 
It's unreal 
it's unreal 
it's unreal... 
It's unreal 
it's unreal 
it's un 
reeling in the Earth 
cartwheel and coincide 
sidewind and surrealize 
Sun reeling in the Earth 
Earth reeling in the Sun 
(parenthetical asides aside) 
Sun and Earth 
having begun 
accrete 
accrue 
accelerate— 
collide... 

Pierce my wrists with your nails, 
pierce my temples with your thorns; 
Revoke my resurrection license, 
I can't bear to be reborn. 
Place me on a bed of shells 
(relics of pistachios) 
within earshot of the sound, 
somewhere over the Narrows…

The Sound Narrows

Blue-, blue-, blue-eyed 
Scruffy fella— 
Helicopters buzzed against 
Our cheeks and ears and necks and 
Turned us all around 
In terms of color: 
Blushing, queasy, spinning 
And irrevocably endearing 
Drinking fountains, puppies, penguins, 
Little lambs… 

Don’t you dare go 
Making me like you more; 
I hate you more and more 
Every second I’m with you; 
Every second you’re making me like you 
More and more, 
I hate you more 
I hate you more. 

Firecrackers have no choice: 
The fuse gets lit, 
The voice comes shooting out 
In sparks and sparkles— 
And a minute 
Lasts a lifetime, 
Lasts a heartbeat, 
Never lasts for sixty seconds 
Like it should— 
And no matter what 
It’s never long enough— 
But it’s still good. 

True, true, true, I would 
Be your boyfriend 
If you’d be mine, 
But this whole situation is 
Becoming so ridiculous— 
Mr. Potato Heart— 
Indeed, it seems 
You lack a few essential pieces; 
Would it be taboo for me 
To skip-bo right past go, 
Play operation and connect for good 
The clues to cure this sorry state of 
Constant aggravation? 

Don’t you dare go 
Pushing my love away 
If you’re gonna just 
Pick up the slack and 
Pull it right back 
In a stupid kind of tug-of-war game 
That I don’t wanna play— 
Unless I’m on your side, 
In which case 
I’ll be with you all the way. 

Firecrackers have no choice: 
The fuse gets lit, 
The voice comes shooting out 
In sparks and sparkles— 
And a minute 
Lasts a lifetime, 
Lasts a heartbeat, 
Never lasts for sixty seconds 
Like it should— 
And no matter what 
It’s never long enough— 

I could go a day without you 
I could go a hundred days 
But I’d spread those hundred days 
Out over a century 
If that’s okay with you 
Sometimes I get the feeling 
I’m just on display— 
Like some little punk’s been 
Pressing against me, 
Setting me off for a 
Pyrotechnicolorful 

Don’t you dare go 
Don’t you dare go 
Don’t you dare go 
Don’t you dare go 
Don’t you dare go 
Don’t you dare go 
Setting me off and 
Running away 
When I’ve got something 
I still want to say… 
Again! 

Firecrackers have no choice: 
The fuse gets lit, 
The voice comes shooting out 
In sparks and sparkles— 
And a minute 
Lasts a lifetime, 
Lasts a heartbeat, 
Never lasts for sixty seconds 
Like it should— 
And no matter what 
It’s never long enough— 
And no matter what— 
It’s never long enough— 
But it’s still so 
oh oh oh-oh-oh 
good!

credits
from A Troubled Piece of Fruit, released 23 July 2012 

Stephan Nance, piano/vocals
Merlin Showalter, drums 
Tim McLaughlin, bass/guitar

Stephan Nance — Firecracker

[...] 

breaking through the ice, I 
scuttle down the riverbank till I 
espy the arboretum 
in your house… 
in your home… 

and covered in mud, I 
crawl into a carapace, 
and down the hallway 
you, the coniferous buoy 
bobbing on alpha waves, 
inspire a siren song, 
compose a nodding poem 
that will never see the light of day 
that will never see the light 

(but I) 
read in a dream 
Japanese garden 
head on the shoulder 
Japanese maple 
read in a dream 
Japanese garden 
head on the shoulder 
Japanese maple 
read in a dream… 
read in a dream… 

crossing crooked bridges, 
safe to knit you any garment now, but I 
cast off my crafty armaments, I 
cast you aside and I 
scoot away 

but didn’t we ditch those demons? 
are we not free to freeze and thaw as we please? 
to perch on branches 
whittled into benches 
built for human 
shivering 
un cœur en hiver 
un cœur qui ne verra jamais la lumière 

(mais je) 
lis dans un rêve 
jardin japonais 
tête sur épaule 
érable du Japon je 
lis dans un rêve 
jardin japonais 
tête sur épaule 
érable du Japon je 
lis dans un rêve… 
lis dans un rêve… 

everything will be 
simple someday soon 
everything will be 
simple, oh so simple 
everything will be 
simple someday soon… 

Простите мне, что я решился к вам писать. Перо в руке— 
вырезано имя на стволе. 
Меня кожа покраснела на свекольном красителе 
Вы меня поймали с поличным, читающего во сне; 
Ирландца, ходящего в шотландке, я люблю! 
Неразумно, но безмерно— я люблю! 
Относительно дополнительной сосновой шишки— 
Я не беру в голову, не беру в голову. 
Собственно я вырою уютную яму ему. 
Очевидно, язык мой — враг мой. 
А языка чужого я не опасаюсь; 
не боюсь укрепиться в густолиственном лесу! 
Тучи собираются над мной, а я пережду грозу— 
и как только вы дадите оценку 
я дам вам компенсацию, 
и секретно, в карман пальто, окаменелую незабудку... 

[...] 

I don’t want to be forgotten 
I don’t want to be forgotten 
I don’t want to be forgotten 
anymore 
anymore 

denuding adamant layers 
I peel past a period of interregnum and 
inherit the gilt cardboard crown from 
the downy-crested phoenix— 
my predecessor in this queue of 
panels in triptychs 
painted and pruned. 

the kingdom’s a sham; 
Hamlet without the Prince— 
and though a tree you may well be, 
I am not convinced. 

copper head on hickory shoulder, 
curled under covers, 
a fetal web of words… 

read in a dream 
Japanese garden 
copper head on hickory shoulder 
breaking through the ice— 
un cœur en hiver…

Stephan Nance — Japanese Garden / Jardin japonais / Yaponskii sad

The Crane Wives - Hard Sell

indie chamber pop (bardcore)
pronouns: they/them

The Sound Narrows

Sparkbird

Recent comments

MORGAN.

Related tracks