Made for the 2007 RPM Challenge (“make an album in February”) Grave Kid is an experimental homemade electro-folk pop album about apocalyptic unease, nature worship, illicit thoughts, lighthearted death obsession, and war.

An album of “spooky music,” written and recorded in the week before Halloween, using titles from HP Lovecraft stories. The idea for this project came from Matt Durand (of All Caps Castle).

1. Dreams in the Witch House
2. The Picture in the House | lyrics
3. The Strange High House in the Mist
4. The Silver Key | guitar is by Matt Durand | lyrics
5. The Street | lyrics
6. The Hound | lyrics

2. The Picture in the House

She could speak,
so he tied her up to the woodstove by the cellar door.
Starved her in the cold.
With her last words, she told him, “Man, I’ll hunt you down.”

And with her body gone, she never stops to rest,
and a glow appears above the top of the hill.
A hundred hands arise to move the earth aside.
You’ll hear her voice echo, ”Man, I’ll hunt you down.”

Now he’s swinging in the frame.
Now he’s swinging in the frame.

4. The Silver Key

It’s waiting outside your window,
waiting to come through your door.

You might remember the time.
You might remember the night we were away
and you hid from the shapless form that came in with a silver key.

That sound you’ve been hearing?
It turns night to morning.

5. The Street

Once I saw something I thought was a loose wind, a blown bag, but it was a skin. Stuck up in a tree next to a sagging bag. I lost hope that afternoon and began digging; each time, I started crying and my feet hit the street. I cried when I found the chest. It was brass and covered with steel spikes. I hoped no-one would hear. A shout and a shot from over the ridge! A shout and a shot! Once I saw something I thought was a loose wind, a blown bag, but it was a skin.

6. The Hound

This hound walks with all four feet underground,
slowly going down,
digging a long hole.

This hound only moves after the sun goes down,
digging a long hole.

This hound goes where the ground is brown,
without sight or sound,
blindly digging.

A hole grows where the hound goes, plowing lines.
A shallow trench.
A long arm, waving.

An attempt at writing and recording 24 songs in 24 hours. Go easy on these. They’re…sloppier than usual. I made one every hour starting at 4:30 AM, with the idea that each song would somehow “represent” an hour of the day (dawn songs, morning songs, afternoon songs, etc). I burned out by 6 PM. Oops!

1. Wolf Marsh
2. Bear Marsh
3. Horse Marsh
4. Goose Marsh
5. Deer Marsh
6. Mouse Marsh
7. Night Arms
8. Fire Arms
9. Rock Arms
10. Wind Arms
11. Water Arms
12. Wood Arms

1. Alarms
2. We Get the Wheel
3. Soft-Spoken Mascot
4. Three Beats
5. Spraying the Leaves
6. It’s Me! I’m All Set!
7. It’s Impossible
8. Crab Walking Nomads
9. Into Town
10. Tobacco
11. Two Men’s Election
12. Multi-Level Pup Tent
13. Ruined Races
14. The Molasses Is Sweet
15. Born Into a Big Fight
16. Brighter Places
17. Evening Oracle
18. To’ve Drawn the Ace
19. Tunnels in Caves
20. Believe in a Fostered Thought
21. Turn Around and See
22. The Stone Tower
23. Palisades in Stride
24. Gourd Root
25. Triple Crowns
26. My Work Is to Carve the Ridge
27. Silver Skeleton
28. A Thousand Holes
29. Flying High in the Wake of a Dirty War
30. Worth My Weight

Alarms

There’s something I don’t know, and it’s holding my slowly shaking hand. When you’re around me, I can barely move, holding my breath as I raise the alarm.

In the morning, as the birds begin singing, your light in the sky helps my heart beat slow. In the moonlight, with aurora shining, with stars in the sky and the air filled with snow. With you around me, I can barely move, holding my breath as I raise the alarm.

We Get the Wheel

I saw your house collapse in ash. I saw the roots of trees come rushing through windows and pouring out leaves.

I saw your dog chew through his chain and jump all over your car while some birds disassembled the drive train.

I saw a cloud form a giant funnel that filled up with cities and sidewalks and clothing and coffee and money.

And we got the wheel, we got the weight, and we’ll make it hard to travel. Every time I look into your eyes, every time I slip on a glove, I feel your insides.

And I got a wheel that turns into a tree

And you got a wheel that spits out rivers

And she got a wheel that moves the earth

And he got a wheel that bursts into fire

Three Beats

On the path of flowers and ferns I am walking.

In the world of flowers and birds I am walking.

On the path of flowers and ferns I am walking.

In the world of flowers and birds I am walking.

Far away from where I was, with the flowers and birds, I am walking.

Down a hill of windowless homes, I’m rolling.

Up the sides of chimneys and doors, I’m rolling.

Down a hill of windowless homes, I’m rolling.

Up the sides of chimneys and doors, I’m rolling.

From the sky falls down the sound of shouting, the air is speaking clear.

Far from the sky I know, this sky is yelling, the air is speaking clear.

Far from the sky I know, this sky is yelling, the air is speaking clear.

Through the dirt and roots with my hands I’m digging,

pushing out the pebbles and rocks I’m plowing,

Through the dirt and roots with my hands I’m digging,

pushing out the pebbles and rocks I’m plowing,

Deep in the ground for the voice I’m seaching,

searching for the source of the voice in the sky.

Deep in the ground for the voice I’m seaching,

searching for the source of the voice in the sky.

I can see the bird in the voice that’s singing.

I can see the bird in the voice that’s singing.

I can see the bird in the voice that’s singing.

I can see the bird in the voice that’s singing.

I can see the bird in the voice that’s singing.

I can see the bird in the voice that’s singing.

It’s Me! I’m All Set!

It took hours for memories that were ageless to build

as I wandered around to find the path to your door.

How long have you been here? I’ve been going in circles.

Have you heard me knocking? I’ve been at your door.

I was tracking the trail where your victims were dragged

over rivers and roads as I circled your home.

16 kids in 16 hours.

16 kids in 16 hours.

Your jagged teeth were gnashing just an hour ago.

Have you heard me knocking? I’ve been at your door.

Have you heard me knocking? I’ve been at your door.

Bind your hands behind your head, hold you legs down.

This one I’ll win, I’ll do you in, I’ll pin your legs down.

Your jagged teeth were gnashing just an hour ago.

It’s Impossible

If you can recall when your journey ended:

swollen, ocean-severed, gulls bobbing on swells, reclining on flotsam:

a length of rope, a cooking pot, a single boot, a pup-tented shirt for a small shade patch

surrounded by the growing slick,

sinking the terns and floating the whales.

Crab Walking Nomads

It started out small

We were walking tall

But on the way we took on more than we could haul

Crab-Walking Nomads

Sunk to the floor

So many possessions

We can’t carry more

“Hold me down,” I said to my friend.

“Hold me down. You can strap more on.”

But when you’re a nomad, it’s not so easy.

“Hold me down,” I said to my friend.

“Hold me down. You can strap more on.”

But when you’re a nomad, it’s not so easy.

Into Town

Get on your knees and do anything they tell you

Let’s go

Let’s run

Let’s hide

Let’s get outta here

Let’s go

Let’s run

Let’s hide

Let’s get outta here

Doot doot doo…the soldiers marching

The smoke and shock

Lights in the sky and flags waving

Let’s go

Let’s run

Let’s hide

Let’s go

Let’s run

Let’s hide

They’re coming into town

Doot doot doo…

Don’t talk

Don’t sneeze

Don’t do anything

They’ll find you

Come through your door

Let’s go

Let’s run

Let’s hide

They’re coming

Doot doot doo…

Multi-Level Pup Tent

I heard a call. I heard a call.

I hear your voices come over the hills, and I want to answer, but I know I cannot really join you. My pup tent has many levels, but none of them go deep enough into the ground to let me be with you in the romantic way I imagine when I hear your howling.

Oooohooohhhohhhohhh. I cannot do it.

Ruined Races

All I want is to see you smile.

Born Into a Big Fight

(this song is mostly improvised gibberish)

Oh wo, wo oh…Your hands, your claws. Your ronder tops. You said so much. You said enough. Born into a big fight… My first fall wasn’t very far. It’s the landslide I heard you so long. My bad time I hear you say it wasn’t such for me to say it was not anyway. You had it say. You heard it sing. You had it say so on its own yesterday. You had it say. You hear it say so long, oh, you might’ve said it was my hero anyway. You had it made. You had it made. You had it made…Born into a big fight. Born into a big fight…

Brighter Places

We did the world some good by walking while our hands were digging, and in the gentle night I’m walking while my hands are digging.

While in the place you live, the holes you dig, your hands are walking, and on the path you walk, the goal you stalk, your hands are walking.

I was in the moonlight up the tree in higher places while you were on the roof and all you saw were higher places.

I’d like to know what time you want to leave for brighter places. I’d like to know what time you want to leave for brighter places.

There is a higher place, a brighter place than we are walking, a glowing starry place, an open place where we’ll be walking.

Up in the air the color-lights are moving, curtain-swaying.

Up in the air where color-lights are moving, curtain-swaying.

And in the stories that you tell tonight, your voice will tremble.

And in the stories that you tell tonight, your voice will tremble.

And in the stories that you tell tonight, your voice will tremble.

And in the stories that you tell tonight, your voice will tremble.

Believe in a Fostered Thought

If you believe in a fostered thought, get out your gun. It will happen.

Turn Around and See

From here on we are only leaving.

Turn around and see.

There’s noone your age.

We’ve all been here already.

We’ve been here this whole time. (etc…)

Palisades in Stride

Empty fancy houses full of furniture.

Overage and underweight.

Pull them down the cliffs and into the river.

Take the Palisades in stride.

I heard the owners want to leave behind all the ties that hold them to their lives. I heard the sound of matches striking up and down the river to light the Palisades on fire.

Oh! The air was fresh and clean ’till the smoke came rising

and the ash of mansions soared.

Oh! The air was fresh and clean ’till the smoke came rising

and the ash of mansions soared.

My Work is to Carve the Ridge

What does it mean to be a beautiful man?

What does it mean to be a beautiful woman?

Ahhh!

Silver Skeleton

Is there room in the party for one more skeleton? I don’t take up much room!

I used to throw my weight around.

I used to throw my weight around.

But that was before, that was before, that was before, that was before the Silver Skeleton will wake me up.

My days are numbered.

I used to throw my weight around.

The Silver Skeleton will wake me up.

I used to throw my weight around.

I’m only five. I can’t be out that late.

I’m much too young. I don’t have time to make mistakes.

He’s waiting for you (he’s coming for you).

He’s waiting for you under this ground.

He’s waiting for you (he’s coming for you).

He’s waiting for you under this ground.

He’s waiting for you (he’s coming for you).

He’s waiting for you under this ground.

A Thousand Holes

I heard your name in the air. What a mysterious transmission, echoing through the stratosphere.

A repetitious rhyme calling out without aim, speaking a sublime name to pluck from the air in the nighttime.

Maybe it comes from the thousand holes that let our light shine through the dark dome that shields the blue.

A universal signal, an audible twinkle,

a wave of your hand, a message from you.

The comfort of your sound, so tender, climbs into my bed like a boyfriend. A thread of sound from your tower to my head connecting finder to sender.

I heard your name in the air. A mysterious transmission, echoing through the stratosphere.

Maybe it comes from the thousand holes that let the light shine through the dark dome that shields the blue.

A universal signal, an audible twinkle,

a wave of your hand, a message from you.

Flying High in the Wake of a Dirty War

What what wha-what what is it?

What’s holding you down?

What what wha-what what is it?

You should be flying high.

What what what is it that’s pulling you down?

You should be flying high in the wake of this dirty war.

What what what’s got you down?

The view from here is so much brighter.

You should be flying high.

You should be flying high.

You should be flying high in the wake of this dirty war.

You should be flying high.

You should be in the sky.

You should be flying high in the wake of this dirty war.

Worth My Weight

I’ve been scared of storms before.

I don’t know if this one is like the others.

I’ve been scared of storms before.

1. Am I Making This Sound?
2. Bells Ring
3. Gambits
4. Oh Dear
5. Anthem
6. Old South
7. Breakup
8. On and On
9. Around Here
10. Null Set
11. Verboten
12. Bum a Ride
13. What’d You Say
14. I Insist
15. My American Cousin
16. 176 bpm
17. Await Eight
18. Upside-Down
19. When it’s Cold
20. Face in the Sky
21. Arsenal