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.
Jonathan's Halo
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At eight o' clock in the afternoon
Cleaning up the mess that he made
Every day it's 4 AM all week, each day
But no, no, no, no
Don't ask, 'cause I don't know
The basic rules to suit
Johnny comes and Johnny goes
Please believe me, ow
Johnny goes away but then Johnny's a cat
Eating from the same place he riddles his scat
Sour green incense will burn out tonight
A secret, a whisper, a candle will light
No, no, no, no
Don't ask, 'cause I don't know
The difference over, under, where
Oh, there
Johnny goes and Johnny goes...
Heaven take me now!
Johnny invites all the girls to stay
Twenty-five dollars each night they pay
But Johnny cuts corners and then cuts the cheese
Chasing the tail of some brat that's in heat
But no, no, no, no
Don't ask, 'cause I don't know
Why every day, every night
The wicked boy sings
All those wicked songs
Johnny goes and Johnny comes back
Please, you gotta believe me
Drugs suck
The song "Jonathan's Halo" by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti is a complex interpretation of a character named Jonathan and his struggles with sleep, addiction, and sexuality. The song portrays Jonathan as an individual who is constantly battling his demons and trying to find a sense of stability in his life. The opening lyrics, "Jonathan's tired and ready for sleep, at eight o' clock in the afternoon, cleaning up the mess that he made, every day it's 4 AM all week, each day," illustrate Jonathan's tiredness and his daily routine, which is disrupted by his disruptive sleep patterns. The subsequent lines, "But no, no, no, no, don't ask, 'cause I don't know, the basic rules to suit, the new tattoo on his shoulder," suggest that Jonathan is lost and unsure of how to deal with his struggles.
Throughout the song, the lyrics make several references to Johnny, who represents a form of escape for Jonathan. Johnny is portrayed as a cat who consumes his own waste, and the lyrics suggest that Jonathan is using Johnny as a way to escape reality. The lyrics also depict Jonathan as an individual who is sexually active and has a penchant for soliciting women, but he is unable to find happiness in his pursuits. The lines, "But Johnny cuts corners and then cuts the cheese, chasing the tail of some brat that's in heat," suggest that Jonathan is chasing a fleeting and unfulfilling sense of happiness through his sexual pursuits.
Overall, the song is a complex and insightful interpretation of the struggles faced by individuals battling addiction, sleep disorders, and sexuality. The lyrics are layered and require careful consideration to fully appreciate the message conveyed.
Line by Line Meaning
Jonathan's tired and ready for sleep
Jonathan is exhausted and ready to go to bed
At eight o' clock in the afternoon
The time of day is early evening
Cleaning up the mess that he made
Jonathan is tidying up after himself
Every day it's 4 AM all week, each day
Jonathan is exhausted and his sleep schedule is disrupted
But no, no, no, no
The artist is rejecting a question or statement
Don't ask, 'cause I don't know
The singer is unsure of the answer to the question
The basic rules to suit
The conventional guidelines to follow
The new tattoo on his shoulder
Jonathan has recently gotten a tattoo on his shoulder
Johnny comes and Johnny goes
Jonathan's comings and goings are unpredictable
Please believe me, ow
The artist is requesting that they be trusted
Johnny goes away but then Johnny's a cat
Jonathan is like a cat, leaving and returning without warning
Eating from the same place he riddles his scat
Jonathan is behaving erratically, both eating and defecating in the same place
Sour green incense will burn out tonight
A type of incense will be used tonight
A secret, a whisper, a candle will light
A clandestine activity involving a candle will take place
The difference over, under, where
The distinction between being on top, underneath, and location
Johnny invites all the girls to stay
Jonathan welcomes female guests to stay with him
Twenty-five dollars each night they pay
These guests are charged twenty-five dollars each night
But Johnny cuts corners and then cuts the cheese
Jonathan is taking shortcuts or acting unethically
Chasing the tail of some brat that's in heat
Jonathan is pursuing a romantic interest
Why every day, every night
The artist is questioning a pattern of behavior
The wicked boy sings
Jonathan is behaving in a mischievous or cruel way
Johnny goes and Johnny comes back
Jonathan's comings and goings are unpredictable
Drugs suck
This is a sarcastic or ironic statement about the use of drugs
Contributed by Jeremiah H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.