Upbeat garage-pub rock with a dash of psychedelicaâ¦and a unique perspective on what we would loosely call ârelationshipsâ.

9 MP3 Songs in this album (28:59) !
Related styles: Rock: Garage Rock, Rock: American Underground, Mood: Fun

People who are interested in 13th Floor Elevators Buddy Holly Nick Lowe should consider this download.


Details:
As a well respected bass player around town, Commissioner Gordon (yes, he actually served as a public commissioner!) gets to display his full talents on âChurches, Schools, and Liquor Storesâ â songwriter, singer, screamer, mandolinist, and guitarist.

Donât be fooled if the opening drum beat reminds you of Toni Basilâs âMickeyâ, for soon the Commissionerâs big scream kicks off the psychotica gadda vida riff that is âCryptobioticâ â a paean to the living earth that supports desert fauna and for some reason reminds him of a âgirl whoâs like no other â sheâs Cryptobiotic!â

âOut of Town Romanceâ will make you longingly look back at those days when you dated someone who wasnât just across town â they were across the state, across the country or across the ocean. There are some fat horns and a honking tenor sax solo laid down by Chris Watling of the Grandsons.

âMr. Good Enoughâ should make all the ladies swoon with finally being understood, even though itâs telling them all to lower their expectationsâ¦âhe may not be Mr. Right, but heâll be your Mr. Good Enoughâ. Take heed, girls! And Buddy Holly fans â take note of the drum!

âEvil Clownsâ is the song for everyone who has a fear of clownsâ¦rightfully so in some cases (cf Stephen King). We know some good clowns, but it seems like the Commissionerâs nightmares are filled them â âNo one sleeps when theyâre in town!â

âSomebody Elseâ is a song for the sad sacks who think theyâre never ever gonna get that girlâ¦but they do. Heck, the Commish did! The drumming throughout this EP is great but Todd Vestibuleâs drumwork on this one is stellarâ¦just hypnotic when heard in isolation.

âJeremy Benthamâ is a song about English philosopher Jeremy Bentham. Tell you what, if you want your work to be remembered 200 years from now, why donât you set up your skeleton in the hallways of a local university! âI saw the King, and the Acid Queen, but best of all, I saw Jeremyâ.

âJust Like Venusâ just might be the best lyric amongst a host of great lyrics. âI saw my friend Milo just the other dayâ¦â And hey - if youâre not a words person, this rockinâ number has some get up and go.

âI Had to Tell Youâ is the one cover and is a beaut - the soul searching ballad by Roky Erickson and the 13th Floor Elevators. Guitar and mandolin reveals the bluegrass side of the Commish.

The bonus live version of âJeremy Benthamâ was recorded back in the day at Charlottesvilleâs âLive Arts Festivalâ. Bombpop, the band with whom the Commissioner also played, was on a bill with Queen Sarah Saturday and the Dave Matthews Band (who knew which one band would still be around today). This version is absolutely storming as Maynard, Todd and Ergle back the Commissioner with all the mighty might they could muster.

For the recording of âChurches, Schools and Liquor storesâ, the Commissioner collected his most tuneful tunes, called his friendliest friends and they let it all hang out.
Commissioner Gordon: vocals, guitars, bass, mandolin
Todd Vestibule: drums
Baby Doc Martens: bass
Jamie Orchard-Hays: guitar, backing vocals
Ergle Flumg: guitar, backing vocals
Mr. Chia Chen Lee: guitar
Maynard: drum (singular) & percussion
Sipe: guitar, backing vocals
With:
Chris Watling: tenor and baritone saxophone

Recorded all over the flipping place:
⢠Bob Dewald at Bebop Studios in Rockville, MD
⢠Marco Delmar at Recording Arts in Fairfax, VA
⢠Chris Kress at PMD Recordings in Charlottesville, VA (Chris also mastered it)
⢠Bill Green at Corner Canyon Studios in Draper, UT
⢠Jabbâs in Long Beach, CA