NASA tells me: "Mercury retrograde is an optical illusion that occurs when the planet Mercury appears to move backwards in the night sky. In reality, the Earth briefly overtakes Mercury in its orbit, creating a visual effect."

Thanks NASA. That helps. 

But what about when two people think they're in one place but they're in another? And can sometimes a body, celestial or otherwise, look healthy but it's not? Let me know. Thx bro.

Influences: Roni Size meets Jeff Buckley

(Outta the) Not-So-Silent Planets

Mercury Transit

In which our hero attempts a mic drop in zero G.

Thanks to @Dynameks for the drums and djembe. 

H/t to the wife for the song title and reference to "For All Mankind" season 3. (I'll make her a sci-fi nerd yet!)

Influences: Soul Coughing, Beastie Boys, DJ Shadow.

Martian Abortion

A Rom-Com on a celestial plane meets a reality in a Virginia grief group. 

Re: the chorus -- no shade intended, Ben Gibbard.

Influences: Ted Leo, Death Cab for Cutie, ColdPlay

To the Heavens

First off, no, I didn't train my IRL daughter to be an assassin. 

Second, yes, I go to therapy.


Third, Ceres is a dwarf planet in the asteroid belt.

Influences: Queens of the Stone Age, PJ Harvey, Lone Wolf & Cub

Revenge of Ceres

Sooo, yeah, it's a song that's an apology of sorts to my kid for suggesting she become a ninja killer assassin in 'Revenge of Ceres.' 

Sorry, honey! Just daddy working through his issues. 

Influences: DJ Shadow, Massive Attack, Tricky

Ceres Lament

Yes, there's a soundbite from a Marvel movie in the mix (Disney don't sue me please). And yes, it still makes me cry. Damn you, Vision!

Bonus: Guess the movie in the comments! First correct answer gets a follow and virtual fist bump. 

Influences: TV on the Radio, Billie Ellish & Finneas

Venus Cries I (Love Survives)

Breath in! 

To those who say suburban dads in their 40s can't learn to rap, I say ... well, you maybe right. But the sax solo by @Dynameks makes up for it!

Influences: Ron Carter, A Tribe Called Quest, Sade, Louis Cole, the Roots

Saturn's Winds

Judge: How do you plead?

Me: Guilty, your honor.

Judge: For the crime of hijacking Emily Dickinson's poetry for this chorus, I sentence you to writing even more weird music about grief and space travel.

Me: 

Judge: Sucka! 

Influences: Arctic Monkeys, RHCP, Sleater Kinney

Venus Cries II (Parting)

Ouranos is the Greek word for Uranus. Changed the title b/c "Dance Party on Uranus" could sound, er, weird. 

To all my SC friends making great EDM, give me production tips on how to make this one hit even harder. Seriously. Advice welcomed in the comments. 

Influences: Daft Punk, Lizzo, Bakithi Kumalo, Bootsy Collins

Dance Party on Ouranos

Awesome remix by @Dkoda. That beat is so BIG! 

Check out his new album 'The Mood Factory': https://soundcloud.com/createdbydkoda/sets/dkoda-the-mood-factory

Dance Party on Ouranos (Dkoda remix)

I reject your sympathies. 

Plus, I'm an emotional ball of ice at the edge of the solar system. 

Influences: Arctic Monkeys, Paramore, Fugazi

Pluto Rising

Purgatorius is a small mammal that survived the extinction of the dinosaurs. The more ya know ... 

Thanks to Ace Ha for the beats and vibe! Check out his killer music: https://soundcloud.com/ace-ha

Saurian Glare (Purgatorius Mix)

Charlie can't surf in space. 

Influences: Gorillaz, Soul Coughing, Deee-Lite

Neptune's Waves

My tribute to David Lynch (RIP) and his film, Lost Highway. 

Also, man, am I digging the octave pedal for my bass! 

Influences: Daft Punk, DJ Shadow, Tricky

Dick Laurent Is Dead (a David Lynch tribute)

An ode to the movie of Minecraft. I played this for my 11 yr old son. He laughed. And then: "You're weird, pop." Yes, yes, I am. 

Also, Mojang, please don't sue me.

Chicken Jockey

An homage to WS Merwin's "For the Anniversary of My Death." https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43118/for-the-anniversary-of-my-death

Influences: The Cure, Depeche Mode, Tom Petty

A Lightless Star

A song from my old band, Mercy Corps, back in the 2000s. Still hungover from the alt-rawk 90s we started to mess with dance punk. I went big crazy with the Moog on the verses. Too much? 

Lift Me Up

A song from the 2000s band Mercy Corps. First time recording my voice. It's, uh, harsh. But I wanted to sound like John Lydon of PIL, you know all nasally, pissed off, and in your face. I worry I just got the nasally part right. 🤧

Hairshirt Lover

ZenGazer is music from Ian Wilhelm and friends.

The album, "Outta the Silent Planets", explores grief (and recovery) through the metaphor of space travel. So, yeah, buckle up.

Be warned: #dadrawk in effect. If you don’t like it, do your veggies, eat your chores, and grab my Soul Coughing vinyl off the turn table.

I'm also the bass player for The Day Afters and the defunt bands, Mercy Corps and Soma Holiday. For more on @the-day-afters visit us on the webs:

linktr.ee/thedayafters
youtube.com/@TheDayAfters

ZenGazer

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