Very, very kind. Thank you for listening. Means a lot.

Love the beautiful vocals, great track too, really emotive!

cool steel string.  do you have a steel string guitar too?  :)

2nd listen lol - digging the story you wrote and the lyrics.  nice song EV :)

wow, I missed this one. this is beautiful, man. asked Judy to put you on while we were picking berries. love it

I love it when a song quotes directly from real life.

Take ‘Love Is A Scam’. Years ago I broke up with a girlfriend of mine. She was going to live overseas and our relationship came to an abrupt end. Of course she proved to be nothing more than a footnote in my life (shortly after I found real happiness with someone else), however at the time I felt cheated and disillusioned.

I was angry. Why did I invest so much time and effort into something that ultimately was going nowhere? Any connection we had was torn apart. To sound poetic it was like a castle of sand that was washed away. All for nothing.

A few months later after the dust had settled one of my friends asked me if I still loved her. I responded coldly, “Love? Love is a scam”. For some reason the line stuck with me for years and it popped into my head once again the other week. The result was this anti-love anthem. 

The song is bit rough, but I think the raggedy performance captures the desired feeling. Also, I think I was able to inject a fair degree of passion into this one (if I don’t say so myself). It was one of those songs that was busting to get out of me. I like it a lot and it seems to have a strange effect on me each time I listen. I think it is because the music lends itself to a sweeping love song, but the lyrics are anything but.

I decided to sing in my native Australian accent on this one. I don’t do it very often but I thought it might add to a more honest vibe. I’d be really keen to hear if you guys think it is something I should do more often.

I said at the start of the year that I was going to strip my music back. This is no exception with just 2 or three chords. I think the simplicity helps the lyrics get across.

For those of you nursing a broken heart this song might be what you are looking for.

Hope you enjoy!

The Vamp
     

LYRICS…

Love? Love is a scam
And you all are damned
For following your heart 
And abandoning plans

Love, love may be blind
So open your eyes
See where you stand 
In no man’s land

Love, it has no direction
Distorts all reflection
It keeps us from truth
And from where we should be

Love, it leads to rejection
No mercy or protection
It bleeds us of hope 
And it robs us of time

Love, love is infection
It destroys all connection
It’s a castle of sand
It’s a mirage to the east

Love, love is a collection
Of lies and deception
You’re chasing the horizon
And clinging to a dream

Love, it has no direction
Distorts all reflection
It keeps us from truth
And from where we should be

Love, it leads to rejection
No mercy or protection
It bleeds us of hope 
And it robs us of time

Love Is A Scam

Hello dear friends. It's been a long while. We've all been through hell some way or other and I wish you love joy and strength.
It was great having Brian visit us in Durban this past month (the old boy's leaving on Friday). Well while he was here I got him to do some backing vocals. And he was a big help with the mixing as well. Thanks Brian!

Vocals and guitars Johnny Minstrel
Backing vocals Brian Peters https://soundcloud.com/brianpeters-3



Legerdemain - words and music Johnny Minstrel 

Bring out your entertainers
the jugglers and the clowns
We’re in the belly of the beast
as the world shuts down
All is smoke and mirrors
I hear someone say
Living the illusion
till Judgement Day 

Oh legerdemain
Too fast for the eye to see and the brain to explain
Oh, oh legerdemain
C’mon baby 
Do that trick again

He’s gonna blow your mind
Mo Magic’s back in town
There’s always something kinder
Whenever he’s around
Today is like tomorrow
Uncertain and unclear
Spill your drink of sorrows
God knows that’s too much beer

Oh legerdemain
Too fast for the eye to see and the brain to explain
Oh, oh legerdemain
C’mon baby 
Do that trick again

Well there’s nobody here
Anymore than somebody there
Guess I’ll meet you in the ether
On some dodgy cable line
And if you see me turn the corner
Wave a hello or goodbye
Who knows where I’ll be going
And who I’ll be next time
Who I’ll be next time 

Bring out your entertainers
All the world’s a stage
Just looks a little smaller
In this virtual cage
So, throw in a coin dear missus
I promise you a thrill
Not stealing from the masses
Or teaching how to kill

Oh legerdemain
Too fast for the eye to see and the brain to explain
Oh, oh legerdemain
C’mon baby 
Do that trick again

Rumours From Paradise

Legerdemain

Legerdemain     with Brian Peters

in the absence of any new material, I've been sorting through some old files and noticed this one from the SwellDreams album I put together near two years ago. This never really got beyond the demo stage where it is now as I felt the other songs were much better. However, on re-listening it's a little bit better than what I remember though so I've uploaded as it was.

This song and the resultant album where all inspired by the polaroid pictures by Andrei Tarkovsky

Sink Like A Stone

It's been some time. I'm still here trying to avoid becoming an AI version of myself. 

If you find the time 
To take the test, you take the test 
The serum we confine 
An aftertaste
Of buried treasure 

The bell will start to chime.
And you will talk, they always talk 
The task you will assign
Is derelict 
Without a measure 

See me my friend in present tense
Dance to the end and then make sense
Of this new illusion
 
Free me my friend of this pretence
Love to the end 
At my defence
Of this new illusion

And the colour-blind 
The broken light, the broken light
A fever to the mind 
A distant sight 
Upon a river  

In the garden of life 
And you will breathe, you will breathe 
The flower of the knife
A pentacle 
Will make you shiver

You will sleep
You will dream
You will feel
You will hope
You will break
You will steal

See me my friend in present tense
Dance to the end and then make sense
Of this new illusion
 
Free me my friend of this pretence
Love to the end 
At my defence
Of this new illusion

New Illusion

Out now via http://btprt.dj/1teAnIa

Suduaya & By The Rain are back together with a 2 track EP that goes a bit off the road from their previous releases: "Secrets of the Universe" will drive you from deep beats via Dub inspired D'n'B breaks to powerful & melodic Trance grooves. Those tracks already had a great impact on dancefloors world-wide, making people stomping heavily and flying high! 

We at BMSS Records are more than just honored to release these gems with these exceptional artists!

Design: Art of Nabura
https://www.facebook.com/nabura
http://burakozsoy.carbonmade.com

Release date: 29.12.2014 via Beatport
Bandcamp and iTunes 2 weeks later.
http://btprt.dj/1teAnIa



Suduaya & By The Rain - Space Shifting

This track is from the album Holler and is available for purchase on CD Baby here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/sidestreetrenylilbell

That's No Way

In 2005, I moved to London. And although it proved to be one of the absolute best experiences of my life the beginning was very rough. Overnight I found myself looking for somewhere to live, looking for and finding a job (which I hated), spending too much money and battling the always present cold. For a short time I kept asking myself why I had uprooted my comfortable little existence and buried myself in some faraway place. Hence the title of this track, 'Six Feet Down'.&#13;
&#13;
Strangely, as I was writing the song it become somewhat of break-up song. I guess I was just picking up on the vibe of the music.&#13;
&#13;
As for the music it is an acoustic ballad with a country tone running through it. I think you can hear a bit of late 60’s / early 70’s Rolling Stones coming through – think ‘Angie’. I tried to slowly build the song from a solitary acoustic guitar to a fully fledged band. By the way, I am really proud of my lap steel playing in this song. I reckon it adds a bit of emotion and ambiance.&#13;
&#13;
An interesting note, while I was recording this track I destroyed my headphone – literally split them in half. As I had no monitors I basically ended up recording the drum track looking at the flashing red light beat counter on my hardware recorder. I think I did a pretty good job.&#13;
&#13;
As always, I leave in all the rough edges in my music. In my mind it adds to the music.&#13;
&#13;
Hope you enjoy.&#13;
   &#13;
LYRICS...&#13;
&#13;
Mama, am I six feet down?&#13;
Because in this town you're either lost or leaving&#13;
Mama, am I six feet down?&#13;
It took time to know I was bleeding&#13;
But mama when I hit the ground&#13;
I surely knew it was time to go...&#13;
&#13;
I should of left you in this town&#13;
I should felt a darkness nearing&#13;
I should kept an ear to the ground&#13;
I should had a mind for leaving&#13;
But mama when the word got around&#13;
I surely knew it was time to go...&#13;
&#13;
I should've left you!&#13;
I should've left you in this town alone again &#13;
I should've left you!&#13;
I should've left you in this town alone again &#13;
&#13;
Mama, am I six feet down?&#13;
Because in this town you're lost or leaving&#13;
Mama, am I six feet down?&#13;
It took time to know I was bleeding&#13;
But mama when I hit the ground&#13;
I surely knew it was time to go...&#13;
&#13;
It was time to go&#13;
&#13;
&#13;
<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>&#13;
Six Feet Down by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/the-east-village-vampire/six-feet-down" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The East Village Vampire</a> is licensed under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License</a>.

Six Feet Down

Inspired by the poem "Murió al amanecer" or "He died at Dawn" by Federico Garcia Lorca which ends:

"Four moons in the night
and one lonely tree.
On the point of a pin
my love spins."
_______________________________________________________________________


The great expanse
The final dance
I found the time
But she was gone

Fish go round and round
Jumping in the pond
Nature doesn't mind us or respond

And when we cry for mercy She laughs
We're falling off the point of a pin

So grant me time (grant these things)
To learn the finer things 
(to know in life)
I grab surprises
To drive me on

Joy and pleasures mount in drains
You and me and all the right ways
Round and round we go

Please
Please
Please...wait

© 2009 OrangeBetsyMusic

Orange Betsy

Wait Please

We ran from place to place
Dressed up for occasions 
Was it she who said
Some be dead
Some be fed
And the monsters hedge their bets
A bum deal in red lace
Close the case with lead
Breathing dust
Saving face
to try so 
hard
when there was no other
way forward
and we never got up off the floor

...and after your flight
Your promise
A stillborn
Red and gold unite
Some be dead
Some be fed
It's just ahead
 
Some be fed

© 2020 OrangeBetsyMusic

Some be Dead Some be Fed

Ma Petite Sherezade

I live in a drop
Of rosewater on your cheek

So I have to go
When you cry from time to time

I fell on the moss
And helped the plants grow up

I dream of you
Do you dream of me, 
We would watch the sun grow high?

When we watched it all alive?

You live in a drop
Of rosewater on my cheek

If only you and I
Shared the same tears

We could dance in the summertime
We could laugh at the passing time
We would put it all aside
We would put it all aside
But instead we bled in the summer time

__________________________________

© 2020 OrangeBetsyMusic

Rose Water

The East Village Vampire is the alter-ego of an anonymous and prolific singer-songwriter based in Melbourne, Australia. 

A multi-instrumentalist, The Vampire’s sound crosses blues, psychedelic rock, folk, country, ambient textures and electro, but is often tied together by his signature slide guitar playing, vocal harmonies.

Six Feet Down

The East Village Vampire

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