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My Skin Craves Soil

by Garretson & Gorodetsky

supported by
Tom Dyer
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Tom Dyer Records about bugs - so koool.
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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Comes in a 2 pocket Wallet style package with great art by Frances Garretson and Joe Baiza and a color insert with credits.

    Includes unlimited streaming of My Skin Craves Soil via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 5 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $15 USD or more 

     

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

    The songs are 96Khz 24 bit files mastered by Pete Lyman of Infrasonic Mastering.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $7 USD  or more

     

1.
We had a nest in early spring chirping voices every morning. Bright, silvery quips would ring in the air as we drank our coffee and watched the mother fly to the top of the red bud tree worm in her mouth. Then pause showing herself silhouetted against the sky. Somewhere in the tangle of branches was the nest. But on the ground you found a small one trimmed by a thin river of ants. “Still” you say “there are a lot of birds.” And it’s true spring is still here, and many trees, and many nests, and more birds to come.
2.
He live and died by the same force. I remember pulling his jaws apart and freeing the trembling scrub jay. Then grabbing his nape as if to say “bad” as I put him inside to punish. But how could he understand “bad.” He only understood “wing” flut - ter- ring in the periphery... Of his vision, the stimulus that released his claws from the sheath of fur. He only understood “cat” I found him under a bush: Mouth open, fangs revealed; claws curled and the rest married to the earth. Free from the jaws of the world that pursued him Free from the jaws of the world that pursued him
3.
You found an egg blue small as the tip of your finger lost, because no mother would take it back. Fallen from the nest. touched by your hand still we set it out on leaves and waited for her to come. Later you told me how a blue jay swept down and stood as if a splendid table had been set out for him. And feasted on the small blue egg breaking its shell and drinking deep the yellow inside. Foolish I was if only I had wings to fly up into the tree and put the egg back into its nest. Foolish as well, for instinct would have tossed it away. Nature held it’s sway I fed the blue jay
4.
I notice the web --- strands of pale grey string connecting the blue paper weight to the corner of the window sill and another from the edge of the bookshelf to the trash can and wonder has it been that long? That these objects - these pieces in the chess game of our life - have gone unmoved? Only now after months of thinking about something, about everything else do I notice do I notice do I notice do I notice do I notice do I notice the web. A spider, brown, with long legs that reach and anticipate the world ahead climbs down the side of the vanity as I sit on the toilet and watch. As he climbs up then down then around, retracing his steps several times as if possessed by indecision or preoccupied I wonder if there’s a world for him that grows with webs while he is not noticing or if, as the spinner of webs he can know nothing he can know nothing he can know nothing he can know
5.
Dead Bee 02:25 video
YOU’RE CURLED IN THE PALM OF MY HAND SO LIGHT I CAN’T SENSE THE WEIGHT OF YOU YELLOW AND BLACK YOU FLY BY FAST SO QUICKLY PAST ONCE I OVERTURNED YOUR HIVE AND I FELT THE STING YELLOW AND BLACK YOU FLY BY FAST SO QUICKLY PAST YOUR WING CATCHES IN THE BREEZE I SEE YOU MOVE IN THE CORNER OF MY EYE AFRAID TO HOLD YOU IN MY HAND AS IF YOU WERE STILL ALIVE
6.
HE STOOD ON THE TOP OF THE RED BUD TREE HE STOOD AS TALL AS MY KNEE CLAWS CURLED ‘ROUND THE BARE BRANCHES HOLDING STEADY WHILE THE CAT BIRDS FLED DIAMOND CHEST PIERCING EYE LOOMING LARGE IN THE SKY FATHER BRINGS HIS SON TO SEE THE GREAT HAWK STANDING IN THE TREE COMING CLOSER THAN HE SHOULD CLAWS ‘LL TEAR THE FLESH IF THEY COULD DIAMOND CHEST PIERCING EYE LOOMING LARGE IN THE SKY THERE IS POWER IN HIS STILLNESS STILL MY CITY’S A WILDERNESS A SPIRIT DESCENDS TO OUR HOME THE GREAT HAWK LANDS... WINGS AS WIDE AS THE SUN WINGS AS WIDE AS THE SUN
7.
Squash 02:33
SUN’S UP YELLOW FLOWER SPREADS WIDE DEEP THROAT BEE CLIMBS ONTO THE STAMIN WALKING IN HEAVEN KNEE DEEP IN POLLEN HIS LEGS ARE RUBBIN’ BOW BOO DEE BOO DEE BOW ANOTHER SWOOPS IN ALMOST COLLIDES THERE’S NOT ROOM FOR MORE QUICKLY HE EXITS IN A MONTH I WILL HAVE IN A MONTH I WILL HAVE IN A MONTH I WILL HAVE SQUASH
8.
My Kingdom 02:42
MY KINGDOM THE ANTS WHO PARADE OUT OF THE GROUND TO AVOID BEING DROWNED BY THE WATERFALL FROM A GARDEN HOSE TORTOISES BATHING RESTLESSLY IN MUDDY WATER EXPONENTIALLY THEIR HUNGER INCREASING WITH THE HEAT OF THE DAY OF THE DAY ELLA BLACK CAT EYES PURE GREEN LINGERS IN THE SHADE OF THE APPLE TREE WHILE I CROUCH DOWN BENT OVER LIKE A CENTURY TO RETRIEVE EACH PIECE OF FRUIT BRUISED OR BITTEN TASTED OR NOT INSIDE A DRUMMER MAKES A BEAT WITH HIS HANDS WHILE HIS FEET PLAY GUITAR FISH STOCK COOKS ON THE STOVE AND JENNY THE ELDERLY WHITE CAT METHODICALLY LICKS EACH LIMB AND TONGUES EACH PAW AND I HAVEN’T EVEN MENTIONED THE TOMATOES OR THE CARROTS OR THE POTATOES OR THE MAGGOTS OR THE FLIES OR THE RACOONS OR THE BEES OR THE, OR THE OR THE, OR THE MY KINGDOM
9.
ELLA BEAN WITH EYES OF GREEN WHERE SHE GOES CANNOT BE SEEN BUT SHE’LL RETURN THE BOWL OF CREAM DISTURB YOUR DEEPEST DREAM ME-OW SHE SAYS THROUGH THE CRACK IN THE DOOR ME-OW SHADOW PACES ACROSS THE FLOOR ELLA BEAN IS LAZY NOT SPOILED SHE’LL EAT THE KIBBLE FOR WHICH YOU’VE TOILED BUT SHE CAN CATCH A BIRD JUST LIKE THE REST PATIENTLY SHE’LL WAIT BENEATH THE NEST AND GRAB A WING ONE SWAT OF PAW FANGS TO FOLLOW QUICK TO DRAW ONE LESS SONGBIRD WITHIN THE DIN ONE MORE TROPHY TO BRING IN
10.
Possum 01:58 video
I HEAR YOU CRACKLING LEAVES FRIGHTENED FEET SCURRYING THROUGH THE DARK AH YOU RETREAT UP INTO THE BRANCHES OF THE TREE POSSUM POINTED FURLESS FACE LONG THIN TAIL WHO WOULD PET YOU I WOULD BET YOU NEVER COULD BE A PET WHO CLIMB MY STAIRS EAT FOOD FROM A BOWL NEVER DARE TO BE TOUCHED BY A HUMAN YOU RETREAT INTO THE SHADOW ASHAMED OR ARE YOU TERRIFIED OF THE TALL, THIN MONSTER WHO CALLS YOUR NAME CALLS YOUR NAME CALLS YOUR NAME POSSUM
11.
Part one: I WAS LOOKING DOWN AND I SENSED YOU IN THE PERIPHERY AND I DARED TO LOOK UP AND I SAW YOU SHIMMERING WINGS MOVE IMPOSSIBLY FAST BEAK LONG THIN & MOTIONLESS BODY GREEN THEN BLUE THE GREEN AGAIN UNDULATING LIKE THE SEA I’M CORRALED BY NEON PIXILATED RAINBOWS A DOWNLOADED WILDERNESS I WAS LOOKING DOWN AND I SENSED YOU IN THE PERIPHERY AND I DARED TO LOOK UP AND I SAW YOU SHIMMERING ABOVE YOUR CHEST A BURST OF RED SMALL AS THE TIP OF MY THUMB SHINES AS BRIGHT AS THE SUN ABOVE YOUR CHEST A BURST OF RED SMALL AS THE TIP OF MY THUMB SHINES AS BRIGHT AS BRIGHT AS THE SUN BRIGHT AS THE SUN BRIGHT AS THE SUN BRIGHT AS THE SUN Part two: We we put we put a feeder up so we could watch a week goes by amidst the stand of bamboo I see one fluttering then a few days later just 2 feet from the feeder one hovers then darts away “He, he sees, he sees us” my husband says What must the hummingbird see but a boat bound to land that lights up at night and beings tall, thin and grey who move slowly always putting round containers over constant blue flames what must the hummingbird see?
12.
Sphinx 01:51 video
SHE SITS SLOWLY EXTENDS A PAW AS IF TO TOUCH REVEALS HER CLAWS NEEDLE TIP RAZOR SHARP SCIMITARS SLICE A LIP BUT WITH HER NEXT BREATH HER PAW RETREATS BECOMES FUR AGAIN STOLE OF MINK HER GLANCE MEETS MINE QUIET DIVINE SPHINX SPHINX SPHINX SLOWY SHE SITS
13.
dig my fingers into the cool cake watch the crumb break apart revealing small white worms long pink ones too writhing like a cat corkscrewing on bare earth my skin craves soil doo doo doo doo doo doo if only I could sprout roots continue delicately doo doo doo fingers and toes turning into finest threads my skin craves soil but my callused feet were meant to walk upon this crust my hands were made to dig and to sculpt one day when my breath is gone I will become the earth and another hand will know me and another hand will know me and another hand will know me
14.
I stand next to the kitchen sink warm water pours over achin’ fingers linger smooth flow rinsin’ plates ‘n cups slowly when a movement catches my eye ‘n wakes me from my reverie. I see them, two perhaps it’s the squirrels claws scratching bark as they descend sounds like water rushing through rocks my eye settles on two feathers brown ‘n gray mimicin’ the bark of the tree. Surveying from their post up on the tall pine, they turn revealing white tufted feathers all along their chest and their eyes one at time one on each side. With a fierce focus they gather up the world, one eye at a time, one eye on each side. I run to the office fetch my binoculars stumble up the tree like Mr Magoo unable to focus everythings too close they’ve gone and lept from limb and taken to the air
15.
Slug 02:35
They chew holes round but imperfect they eat in circle On my window screen a silver path meanders like a river On my porch they cling to the cool stucco sometimes I throw them into the street hungry, soft shell, watch them, melt I found a small one hidden on the coffee bar I’d taken out to the yard When I came inside and washed the tray felt the small gray kernel move slowly saw the tiny horns and even tinier mouth... Then I opened the porch door set the slug on the railing hoping it could figure out how to crawl away
16.
I know it’s morning by the sound one chirp then another not bright but deeply throated five come then five more I lie in bed feel the pulse of time between each utterance they’re not the same the meter of her song alludes me she’s calling the sun speaking to the one still in the nest deep within the giant bamboo she calls me shakes the feather of a dream
17.
18.
To Thin 02:35 video
To thin requires me to be up close to kneel down and let go my eyes And try to separate on thin green sprout from it’s neighbor my fingers so think that I succeed only When my eye comes from within to touch each stem with the bone of finger tip Then my inner eye reads this close terrain as a snail might how I achieve this I cannot say But later when each surviving sprout has space to grow we’ll have carrots

about

a collection of songs and stories about a backyard in Echo Park California

credits

released February 21, 2015

written and performed by Weba Garretson & Ralph Gorodetsky.
www.garretson-gorodetsky.com

Illustration by Joe Baiza. and Frances Garretson
Live animations created by Frances Garretson

Recorded and mixed by Mark Wheaton at
Catasonic Studios, Echo Park California.
Mastered by Pete Lyman, Infrasonic Sound.

video by Mark Wheaton
http:www.catasonic.com

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Garretson & Gorodetsky Los Angeles, California

Fronted by vocalist Weba Garretson and guitarist Ralph Gorodetsky, this band features 3 part vocal harmony, hard swinging grooves, funky beats and gorgeous orchestral moments all woven into your standard three chord song. The five piece is enhanced by woodwind and harp maestro Vince Meghrouni, and propelled by the grooving rhythm section of bassist Laura Grissom and drummer Brian Christopherson. ... more

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