The Boreouts
Do Your Scam / Tightrope
scum stats: I'm guessing what I've got is a tour variant? Not terribly clear and no one told me. Sleeve is autographed, labels are hand-written
Long time dear friend Ko is in the Boreouts. Feels weird calling her a bandmate when we haven't played a show in almost 3 years, but it would feel even weirder to call her an ex-bandmate. We've logged lots of miles together across a couple of continents, my daughters' appreciation of her is on the aunt-like level and after not seeing each other for years, it takes all of zero seconds for us to pick up where we left off like no time has passed. As I get older, I tend to cherish friendships of this nature more and more. That's a good thing.
So her band is kinda just a fun thing that no one is expecting to be taking too seriously. They played down the street from our house in East Nashville on Monday night and it was worth it to me to hire a babysitter for the occasion.
But seeing a bandmate on stage with a bunch of other musicians is an incredibly confusing sensation. It's not like I feel like I'm being betrayed or cheated on...but more so like what we had in the Dirtbombs...it was better, we were better, it was special.
I start having thoughts like "she should really be on stage right and not in the center" and "she's playing a four-string bass but she really kills it on a baritone." As they creep in I have to remind myself, "this is different" and that's ok.
To my surprise though, I was able to just enjoy the lightness of it all. No pretense, no real expectations...just a band playing. They do a song ("Give It To Me") that Ko had been working on, like, twenty years ago, that I remember hearing all the time without it ever being released. The melody embedded in the fibers of my brain, I found myself singing it all day long.
Songs here are enjoyable. "Do Your Scam" is a fuzz guitar and Farfisa organ garage style, straight ahead, not reinventing the wheel, just a solid, good time. "Tightrope" draws me in more, a catchy number with Motown styled backing harmonies, dreamy slide guitars, the special sauce tamborine in the mix, empassioned lead vocals...just can't go wrong.
Was happy to buy two copies of this one with the express intent of giving one away here. Comment whatever you want, have something to say about one of those kinds of friendships or just "gimme free record" and we'll pick one randomly. Get your comment in by midnight central on March 27th. Woohoo.
I too saw the “stolen record” that Jack wrote about and shared the image!! That is way too cool, and I would LOVE to see the video of you making one like it. It had to be time consuming, but totally worth it. I bet Jack is a proud owner now. :)
When I visited TMR in Detroit and took the tour of the pressing plant, I had my wallet open in case you allowed us to “press” our own pressing where we would lay out the vinyl specks and allow a proper employee to press it for us. Corning does it with molten glass so why not??!! I would be worth another trip to Detroit if I could do it! Thanks Ben, even if I did not win the free Boreouts 45………
Saw what you did to one of jacks vinyls on Instagram and your comment was something that made my entire day. Love the cool record.
Good stuff! I wouldn’t mind finding this in my mailbox
I bet yall will make music together again
I would appreciate getting one, I like hearing stuff I’ve never heard before.
No psych analysis you feel the way you feel— I want it gimme gimme
“Give It To Me”
Please give me a free record
Apathy creeps in,
Boreouts dull the spark within,
Time moves slow, unseen.
Well now the moon that’s been waiting
Has told me that it’s gonna show
And I’ve long seen it’s beauty
So as many gifts I want to bestow