After years of recording in relative seclusion in the hills of Los Angeles, Ariel Pink (the first non-Animal Collective member on the Paw Tracks roster) made his official Paw Tracks debut with The Doldrums. Recording at home with a guitar, bass, keyboard, and 8-track (the drum sounds were created with his mouth).
Ariel Pink blends Lite FM and warped lo-fi pop into something by turns beautiful and confusing. Some may find his personal yet detached approach highly addictive, while others may be instantly turned off by the obvious lo-fi production and the vocal drumtracks.
In the summer of 2003, Pink passed a CD-R on to New York based band Animal Collective after being introduced by mutual friend Jimi Hey (of All Night Radio and Beachwood Sparks) at one of their shows. Unbeknownst to Pink, Animal Collective had recently started their own record label, Paw Tracks, and several weeks later they contacted him expressing an interest in releasing his music. Pink became the first musician on the label aside from the members of Animal Collective. The next year, the label reissued The Doldrums, an album which had been originally recorded in 1999. Since then, Paw Tracks (now co-owned by Carpark Records) has released two other reissues of Pink's previous recordings, Worn Copy and House Arrest.
Pink has gradually caught the attention of media sources around the United States as well as internationally. As most of his albums are self-made, many of them have never been heard by fans. Almost all of Pink's albums which have been commercially released come from his yet-unfinished "Haunted Graffiti" series and are thus the best known.
Pink's tours have generally been met with much negativity, primarily because his music was never intended to be performed live for commercial audiences. As he explained to LA Weekly:
“People boo me everywhere...They don't even hide their contempt. I'm used to it now...Hey, I'm giving audiences the real thing...For better or worse, I'm out there, and those are the circumstances. People don't like it when it seems like you don't know what's happening, or I'm getting bummed out with certain aspects and I can't hide it. I think people feel that pain and just think it's bad.”
Initially playing shows alone with pre-recorded music, Pink has since employed the efforts of keyboardist Kenny Gilmore, bassist Tim Koh (White Magic), drummer Jimi Hey, and guitarist Cole M. Greif-Neill (Ethnik Klensr) as Haunted Graffiti. However, even with a backing band unfamiliar audiences are generally hostile towards the unrehearsed nature of the live compositions.
In July, the band embarked on Pink's "Thanks Mom, I'm Dead" tour.
One genre that may interestingly define Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti is one known as Hauntology.
Beverly Kills
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Beverly kills the freaks
Oh!
Never heard about Beverly's freaks, yeah
Think twice before you meet 'em
Made up of the finest comedians
Ya can't stop no incest from spoiling
Sorry I'm not sorry for your
Dismal waste
Can't stop the press!
No!
Beverly kills the freaks with her poison arrow
Beverly kills the freaks
Oh!
The houses' prices don't go down
Yet all around
I see them underground
I know a guy used to ball in the league, yeah
He's dancing in the street
Sorry I'm not sorry for your
Dismal waste
Can't stop the press!
I can't break the headline
I can't stop the press!
Don't wanna
Stop the
Mess
The song "Beverly Kills" by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti is a satirical take on the wealthy and privileged population of Beverly Hills. The lyrics describe how Beverly, the wealthy queen bee of Beverly Hills, eliminates the "freaks" or outcasts of society with her "golden arrow" or "poison arrow." The song highlights the class divide and superficiality within Beverly Hills society, as the lyrics mention that even the finest comedians cannot stop the incestuous behavior prevalent within this wealthy community. The song sarcastically comments on the media's role in perpetuating and glamourizing the Beverly Hills lifestyle, as the lyrics state, "Can't stop the press!"
The chorus of the song expresses the social and cultural isolation experienced by those who are not part of Beverly Hills' elite community. The wealthy inhabitants' houses remain pricey while the outcasts are left to live underground. The lyrics also reference a former professional basketball player now reduced to dancing in the streets, a commentary on the social decline that can occur due to the obsession with wealth and consumerism. The song ends with the lyric, "Don't wanna stop the mess," which could be interpreted as a rejection of the superficiality and materialism of Beverly Hills society.
Line by Line Meaning
Beverly kills the freaks with her golden arrow
Beverly is attacking and harming those who are different with her golden arrow
Beverly kills the freaks
Beverly takes pleasure in eliminating those she deems as freaks
Oh!
Exclamation of excitement or approval towards Beverly's actions
Never heard about Beverly's freaks, yeah
Unaware of Beverly and the people she targets and hurts
Think twice before you meet 'em
Be cautious and consider the consequences before encountering Beverly's 'freaks'
Made up of the finest comedians
Those who Beverly kills appear to possess qualities that may be unique or rare
Ya can't stop no incest from spoiling
There is a sense of corruption or decay that cannot be prevented or halted
Sorry I'm not sorry for your Dismal waste
No regret for the destruction and loss caused by Beverly and her actions
Can't stop the press!
The media will continue to report on Beverly's activities, despite their consequences
No!
Rejection or opposition to something (potentially the media's coverage of Beverly)
The houses' prices don't go down
There is a perceived sense of wealth and stability in Beverly's neighborhood
Yet all around I see them underground
Despite the surface appearance of prosperity, there are troubling things present in the community
I know a guy used to ball in the league, yeah
A reference to a former athlete who may have once been successful, but now is struggling
He's dancing in the street
Despite his personal challenges, the man is still able to find joy or excitement in life
I can't break the headline
The media coverage of Beverly and her actions continue to be significant and impactful
Don't wanna Stop the Mess
There is a desire to keep the chaos and destruction caused by Beverly and her actions in place
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Ariel Marcus Rosenberg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind