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.
Round and Round
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Na na na na
It's always the same, as always
Said and tongue tied
It's got a memory and refrain
I'm afraid, you're afraid
Turn me inside out
What can I say
Merry go round (up and around we go we go)
Up and around we go
Merry go round (up and around we go we go)
Up and around we go
Merry go round (up and around we go we go)
Up and around we go
Merry go round (up and around we go we go)
Up and around we go
Breakdown, break break breakdown
Breakdown, break break breakdown
Breakdown, break break breakdown
Breakdown, break break breakdown
Breakdown, break break breakdown
Breakdown, break break breakdown
Breakdown, break break breakdown
Breakdown, break break breakdown
You play
Air guitar for a band
And I, I'll break
The eardrums in the back
And I'll back you up
As your frontman
"Hello? Oh, hi"
Now that sounds right frontman write the
Songs that say
"I like that!"
Hold on, I'm calling, calling back to the ball
And we'll dazzle them all
Hold on
Hold on, I'm calling, calling back to the ball
And we'll dazzle them all
Hold on
Pick up the phone
And I want to go
And I want to go home now
Pick up the phone
And I want to go home now
Merry go round (up and around we go we go)
Up and around we go
Merry go round (up and around we go we go)
Up and around we go
Merry go round (up and around we go we go)
Up and around we go
Lady lady, come on in
Set me free, come on in
Sentimental heart breaking
Everything is my fault
Sentimental heart breaking
Everything is my fault
Hold on, I'm calling, calling back to the ball
And we'll dazzle them all
Hold on, I'm calling, calling back to the ball
And we'll dazzle them all
Hold on, I'm calling, calling back to the ball
And we'll dazzle them all
Hold on, I'm calling, calling back to the ball
And we'll dazzle them all
Hold on, I'm calling, calling back to the ball
And we'll dazzle them all
Hold on, I'm calling, calling back to the ball
And we'll dazzle them all, h-hold on
The lyrics to Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti's song "Round and Round" seem to be about the cyclical nature of life and the ups and downs that come with it. The repetition of the phrase "up and around we go" seems to illustrate this idea of the merry-go-round of life, and how we all have to hang on and ride the ups and downs as they come. The verses hint at the fears and anxieties that come with living – being afraid of death, of living, of being born again. The breakdowns in the song seem to represent the moments of chaos or crisis that interrupt the regular flow of life, but ultimately, the call to "hold on" and "dazzle them all" suggests that we have the power to persevere and even thrive despite the challenges that come our way.
The lyrics also touch on the themes of performance and artistry. The lines "you play air guitar for a band" and "I'll back you up as your frontman" seem to be about the roles we play in life, and how performance and creativity can help us cope with or express those roles. The lines "set me free" and "everything is my fault" suggest a sense of guilt or responsibility that comes with those roles and the pressure to conform to various expectations. Overall, the song seems to be a commentary on the human experience, with all its joys and pains, its triumphs and its tragedies, and how we all have to find a way to navigate it.
Line by Line Meaning
Na na na na
Repetitive sounds without a clear meaning
It's always the same, as always
Things never change, they just repeat themselves
Said and tongue tied
Struggling to speak or express oneself
It's got a memory and refrain
Something that is unforgettable and keeps repeating itself
I'm afraid, you're afraid
Both of us are scared
And we die and we live and we're born again
Life is cyclical
Turn me inside out
Letting someone see the true essence of who I am
What can I say
I'm at a loss for words
Merry go round (up and around we go we go)
Life is like a carousel
Breakdown, break break breakdown
Intense feeling of stress and anxiety
You play Air guitar for a band
Pretending to be a performer without being one
And I, I'll break The eardrums in the back
I'll play the music loudly and with energy
And I'll back you up As your frontman
I'll support you and be your backup singer
"Hello? Oh, hi"
A conversation that is not related to anything in particular
Now that sounds right frontman write the Songs that say "I like that!"
Creating music that people enjoy and appreciate
Hold on, I'm calling, calling back to the ball And we'll dazzle them all
We'll put on a great show and impress everyone
Pick up the phone And I want to go And I want to go home now
An urgent need to leave
Lady lady, come on in Set me free, come on in
In need of someone's help to break free from something
Sentimental heart breaking Everything is my fault
Feeling guilty and responsible for a broken heart
Hold on, I'm calling, calling back to the ball And we'll dazzle them all, h-hold on
Repeating the need to put on a great show
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Kenneth Gilmore, Tim Koh, Aaron Sperske, Neill Cole, Ariel Rosenberg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind