Baby Mussolini

Soft chin,
deep lines,
and sad eyes.
It's not a noteworthy smile,
but I guess it's mine.

Everything I've tried - 
cigarettes in '99.
It was fine.
I only did it to know what it was like,
to feel the bite,
and I backed off every time.

It's such a difficult life,
when you live it part time.
I've been too well taught to ever go crazy,
ever get nuts,
but you help me loosen up.

When you load in,
your phone rings,
oh, those strings.
You fight for a moment to sing anything.

Years ago, my brother
was on the LES 'til 3,
but now there's me,
a decade later,
working overtime in Queens,
a philistine,
dying for some sleep.

It's such a difficult life,
when you live it part time.
I've been too well taught to ever go crazy,
ever get nuts,
but you help me loosen up.

It's such a difficult life,
when you live it part time.

It's such a difficult life,
when you live it part time.
I've been too well taught to ever go crazy,
ever get nuts,
but you help me loosen up.

Lars Casteen - vocals, guitars, keys
Rossen Nedelchev - drums
Brian Holtz - bass
Marco Coco - trumpet

Mixed by Jonathan Smith.
Mastered by Alex Saltz, APS Mastering.

Art by Stephen Schaffenberger.

Too Well Taught

At thirteen, you loved to fight. 
You never got bored. 
One-on-one against your miseries, 
shedding blood, 
across the pages on the floor. 

And it just won't stop. 
Yeah, it crushes you long after your heart - 
long after your heart rate drops. 
Probably die alone, 
watched by photos 'round the room, 
getting pummeled to irrelevance. 
Oh well, 
but it just won't stop. 

When the autumn came, it came down so hard, 
but you were too worn out to care. 
Your teenage years were probably cute, 
hard eyes and steel-toed boots 
that didn't get you anywhere. 

And now it just won't stop. 
Yeah, it crushes you long after your heart - 
long after your heart rate drops. 
Probably die alone, 
watched by photos 'round the room, 
getting pummeled to irrelevance. 

You left yourself down for the count 
while the world got hollowed out. 
November came for your hometown. 
Now you're old and dumb, 
and it just won't stop. 

Probably die alone, 
watched by photos 'round the room, 
getting pummeled to irrelevance.
credits
released April 30, 2018
Lars Casteen - vocals, guitars, keys 
Rossen Nedelchev - drums 
Matt Raymond - bass 
Sonia von Gutfeld - vocals 

Mixed by Jonathan Smith. 
Mastered by Alex Saltz, APS Mastering. 

Art by Stephen Schaffenberger.

Just Won't Stop

So, you gave a decade to the hustle,
trading off all your friends for the shots.
You won a vacant gaze,
and lost the plot.

You cry out "it's good to be alive!"
every midnight as you climb the bar.
They smile and watch you hurt yourself,
you falling star.

They get
a magic evening free of charge.

When you're all out of answers,
and there's nowhere left to run,
well, come on over,
come alone,
if you want someone.

You laugh and write your second act,
for the five-hundredth time in one night:
become a wise James Murphy type,
dressed all in white.

It takes some work these days to feel alright.

When you're all out of answers,
and there's nowhere left to run,
well, come on over,
come alone,
if you want someone.

When you're all out of answers,
and there's nowhere left to run,
well, come on over,
come alone,
come on over,
come alone,
if you ever need a quiet night at home.

released January 7, 2019 
Lars Casteen - vocals, guitars, keys 
Rossen Nedelchev - drums 
Matt Raymond - bass 
Will McCutcheon - keys 

Mixed by Jonathan Smith. 
Mastered by Alex Saltz, APS Mastering. 

Art by Stephen Schaffenberger.

A Quiet Night At Home

(It's time, 
time to laugh and celebrate. 
Party time. 
Time to die. 
I can't wait.) 

I didn't know when hate came around, 
it had such a good time. 
Behind an army of clowns, 
klutzes with baseball bats, 
propped up by plutocrats. 

Stab your eyes out, 
cut off both your ears, 
and keep the noise out. 
The laughs might disappear, 
but the fun's, 
never done, 
in these bad years. 

When the applause sign, 
showers sparks like a comet, 
the crowd flies over the rope. 
A wave of men, 
seizing the chance to at last be honest, 
and they scream, 
"it's your fault, 
your fault you can't take a joke." 

(Time to laugh and celebrate. 
Party time. 
Time to die. 
I can't wait.) 

Looks like the gag's overdone. 
Maybe the moment has died. 
Ooh, it's a hit and run, 
then, constant snickering. 
Insult to injury. 

When the applause sign, 
showers sparks like a comet, 
the crowd flies over the rope. 
A new wave of men, 
men who would kill, to be honest. 
They scream, 
"it's your fault you can't take a joke."

Lars Casteen - vocals, guitars, keys 
Rossen Nedelchev - drums 
Matt Raymond - bass 
Will McCutcheon - keys 

Mixed by Jonathan Smith. 
Mastered by Alex Saltz, APS Mastering. 

Art by Stephen Schaffenberger.

Can't Take A Joke

Out at the mall trying shoes on, 
It's what you'd call an atrocious mistake. 
And then they start piping in TVC 15 outtakes. 

Prisoner of taste, 
Yeah, they saw you coming. 
Prisoner of taste. 
(Oh yeah, they saw you coming) 

At fifteen, 
You thought you were the only one. 
But now the songs you love repeat, 
Everywhere you go. 

When you were still pretty young, 
Still building yourself - 
You cleared those import records out, 
The right bones on the right shelf (Oh yeah, they saw you coming). 
Now when you look around 
Though it's your special song, 
It isn't one the shoppers know. 
Oh this specific soundtrack, 
Was only meant for you alone. 

At fifteen, 
You thought you were the only one. 
Now you hear Remain In Light, with your kids at Century 21. 
The machine pumps your favorites out for everyone 
Oh the songs you love repeat 
Everywhere you go 

How does it feel to win? 
How does it feel to know, 
Oh-oh , 
Everywhere you go, 
That people like you run the show? 

Prisoner of taste. 
Prisoner of taste. 
Prisoner of taste. 
Prisoner of taste, 
And you always feel at home. 

How does it feel to win? 
How does it feel to know, 
Oh-oh , 
Everywhere you go, 
That people like you... 

Are at the mall trying shoes on, 
it's what you'd call an atrocious mistake. 
And then they start piping in TVC15 outtakes.

Prisoner of Taste

You're too well dressed for this parking lot 
You lose your cool 
That old embarrassing thing you do 

Another smoke in the car she bought 
Deep in debt 
You fall apart at the seams for a cigarette 

Dress to kill 
Dress to kill 
When you hit the town 
No one else can tell you're breaking down 

Dress to kill 
Dress to kill 
When you hit the town 
No one else can tell you're breaking down 
But you can't stay 

You throw your fists at the flowerpots 
You lose your cool 
Spilling blood on your Jimmy Choos 

Dress to kill 
Dress to kill 
When you hit the town 
No one else can tell you're breaking down 
But you can't stay 
There in your long-term and committed girlfriend's driveway 

*** 

You do it out of love 
You do it for your guests 
When your dirty fingers rub the garden into your chest 

Tearing out the bulbs 
Making a mess 
Azalea honey smeared all over your Burberry vest 

What a mess 
Your burberry vest 
Every time's a tiny death 

(what a mess 
Honey on your vest 
What a mess 
Honey smeared across your vest) 

What a mess 
Honey on your vest 
What a mess 
You look like you need a ride back home 
Where you'll sit in the cold, all alone

Lars Casteen - vocals, guitars 
Rossen Nedelchev - drums 
Matt Raymond - bass 
Will McCutcheon - keys 

Mixed by Jonathan Smith. 
Mastered by Alex Saltz, APS Mastering.

Dress to Kill

It takes lots of work to keep you high
You buy yourself a new vinyl figure
Each time you're unsatisfied

You don't have enough for when you’re sad.
They never soothe you as you suffer

But when you die you get anything you want
Anything you dream up
Sing all night with a crowded table
Harmonies pour out from a cradle
Those you've loved on a screaming river
Made of light

When you feel the itch
Creep in at lunch
Spend your bucks on a pinch
Then fill your gut with the punch

Drain red cups like an undergrad
They won't replace those old nights with your brothers

But when you die you get anything you want
Anything you dream up
Sing all night with a crowded table
Harmonies pour out from a cradle
Those you've loved on a screaming river
Made of light

released October 14, 2019
Lars Casteen - vocals, guitars
Rossen Nedelchev - drums
Matt Raymond - bass
Will McCutcheon - keys

Mixed by Jonathan Smith.
Mastered by Alex Saltz, APS Mastering.
Artwork by Stephen Schaffenberger

(When You Die) You Get Anything You Want

When the weatherman wraps it up
he gets slammed in the face
Knocked to the pavement as he starts signing off
And a million blocks fall down into place

Four year stints
Like bricks
Like bricks
They crumble in the wind
 
Stack 'em
Like bricks
Like bricks
And watch them tumble out the window

This deluge 
Doesn't stop when you've been subdued
You sort of lose your life
But at least it's something new

You've been standing in that check out line
Before the sun even rose
Spent all your days tipping back and forth 
It's time to fall, you little domino

A direct hit
Like bricks
Like bricks
And these'll stick

Toss 'em 
Like bricks
Like bricks
In nine months they’re coming back down on you 

The streets
get replaced
A staircase
For new primates
That pinwheel from the rainclouds
A fresh crowd
To take on 
The streets
get replaced
A staircase
For new primates
That pinwheel from the rainclouds
A fresh crowd
To take on 
The streets

Released January 22, 2020
Lars Casteen - vocals, guitars
Rossen Nedelchev - drums
Matt Raymond - bass
Will McCutcheon - keys
Keys solo by Asen Doykin

Mixed by Jonathan Smith.
Mastered by Alex Saltz, APS Mastering.
Artwork by Stephen Schaffenberger

Like Bricks

When you asked
if I would take your name,
I laughed about a million times
in shame.

'Cause I might not ever have a job,
and no one wants the things I like to do.
The only time I'm not alone
is with you.

I don't know why,
when the sirens scream by our bedroom window,
why my blood runs so cold.
Did someone die tonight
by someone else's side?
Oh when the time runs out for us,
I hope we've got the cash
to get helicoptered off
somewhere nice where we go
gently at the exact same time.
credits
released January 25, 2021
Lars Casteen - vocals, guitars
Rossen Nedelchev - drums
Matt Raymond - bass
Will McCutcheon - keys
Fraser Campbell - piano

Mixed by Jonathan Smith.
Mastered by Alex Saltz, APS Mastering.
Artwork by James Ford.

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