This song may be the least accessible song from this album and also maybe its’ best, and worst.
Lyrically, like a number of songs on this record, it’s an amalgam of my experiences in corporate radio and the insanity that exists within. A reflection of radio’s slow death (or at least metamorphosis). Many don’t realize that radio is stuck in a catch-22; ad dollars have traveled elsewhere, which in turn leads to hiring employees who will work for peanuts while having them do more, which leads to mediocre content which leads to smaller audience which leads to smaller revenues, which leads to hiring of cheaper talent, etc. Good times. It may not seem like it, but I am truly sympathetic to hiring managers trapped in this spiraling vortex of nonsense. Lyrically the song also spotlights a few who are as pointlessly conniving as one can imagine and the obvious inevitability of that foolish approach.
In terms of sound, there’s two songs that absolutely informed “Shadows Vs. Los Angeles. The first is one from a band I played drums in called Mickey Finn and the song “Impact Driver.” It’s, to my ears, an intriguing combination of Dana Cochrane’s twisting bass line and John Pucci’s dissonant guitar skronk, and Dan Haugh’s favorite 16th note beat played by yours truly. This is my way of adding to that conversation by creating a more gentle version of that universe.
Read about/Hear Impact Driver here:
www.perteetfracas.org/…/mickey_finn_3_on_a_match_pea…
The second is “It’s Shoved” by The Melvins. Although I’m not a huge fan of their slow burning lava, this uptempo ditty gets me moving every time. All three songs, (mind included) are built on a rolling bass foundation and pounding drums that I almost always find intriguing. For those not used to this type of music, I hope this opens up some new musical opportunities for you.
Hear The Melvins “It’s Shoved” here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBW9tTpuXSA