Since Marathon's breakup, Aaron has been traveling the country on his own, writing songs on buses and trains, then circling back to the Northeast to record his ideas. With the help of close friend and producer Chris Antal, Aaron committed these songs to tape in Ithaca, NY, over the course of a year. The result is a collection of American music, stolen from the coffers of folk, punk, country, and rock. This is an album of intense beauty, with songs as challenging as they are fascinating. Aaron’s unique and versatile voice conducts an orchestra of strings and percussion, intertwining pianos with cellos and guitars with accordions. A pen deft enough for bumpy rides on unknown roads guides his musical machinations, and Aaron incorporates these experiences in a vivid mix of fantasy and reality. His lyrics continually return to matters of motion and action, with a thoughtfulness that can only come from someone with soles as ragged as his. If you like an unpredictable journey, it’s time to get on board.
On August 28th the debut full length from Attica! Attica!, titled "Dead Skin/Dried Blood" will be officially released on Red Leader Records.
In 2009 Aaron Scott released another album titled "Napalm & Nitrogen" featuring more stripped down songs, an embarked on a bike tour to support the world bicycle relief.
A Dirge for the Underground
Attica! Attica! Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
there's an agent who's tracking us he knows what's up he's felt vibrations
shake this quiet town but now his ear is to the ground
our secret's out
pack up the gear
load up the van and hurry back to the safe house
send a wire through the network that they've infiltrated the resistance
so we gotta burn our records now
c'mon and burn them up
and melt them down into a statue for the town
a monument to the underground
we'll destroy all documents that could prove that we exist
they'll be sifting through ashes desperate for the evidence
no they won't stop 'til they find something to sell
all they're gonna find are bombshells
c'mon and blow it up
the whole compound
with distortion that resounds
a memorial for the underground
and so we'll burn it down
on the periscope we watch familiar informants selling us out
they trade for bad haircuts, some tight black pants and a sparkling new sound
now the radio transmits a hollow carcass of the resistance
'cause they've gutted out the urgency and replaced it with impotence
our sweat is more than bleeding stage make-up
our words aren't trite they're bloody dangerous
our songs are the lifeblood of the resistance
c'mon and tear it up
and burn it down with explosions of our sound
and dig a grave for the underground
but the songs stuck in our heads won't be burned and left for dead
they're the songs we'll never sell
we keep them locked within ourselves
c'mon and tear it up
no they won't stop 'til they find something to sell
there's nothing to find 'cause we blew it all to hell
In "A Dirge for the Underground," Attica! Attica! describes the experiences of a group of artists who meet "every evening downtown" and slip "underground into the basements." This group is being watched by an agent who is "tracking" them and has "felt vibrations" from their activity. The artists have been working in secret, creating and performing music that is "bloody dangerous" and is the "lifeblood of the resistance." However, their secret is out, and they must quickly pack up and leave their safe house. They decide to burn all their records, documents, and equipment and create a "monument to the underground" out of the ashes. They know that the authorities won't stop until they find something to sell, but there's nothing left to find because they've blown everything up and destroyed it all.
The song is about the struggles of artists who work underground, outside the mainstream music industry, to create music that is authentic and free from commercial pressures. It's also about the pressure that these artists come under from authorities who see their work as a threat and try to silence them. The song celebrates the resilience of artists who continue to create despite these challenges and who remain committed to their art.
Line by Line Meaning
every evening we meet downtown slip underground into the basements
Every night, we gather in secret downtown and sneak into underground basements.
there's an agent who's tracking us he knows what's up he's felt vibrations
We are being followed by an agent who is aware of our activities and movements.
shake this quiet town but now his ear is to the ground
We have caused a disturbance in this peaceful town, but now the agent is paying even closer attention.
our secret's out
Our secret has been exposed.
pack up the gear
load up the van and hurry back to the safe house
We need to quickly gather our equipment and leave for our safe location.
send a wire through the network that they've infiltrated the resistance
We need to send a message through our network that the resistance has been infiltrated.
so we gotta burn our records now
c'mon and burn them up
and melt them down into a statue for the town
a monument to the underground
we'll destroy all documents that could prove that we exist
they'll be sifting through ashes desperate for the evidence
We must destroy any evidence that proves our existence, including our records which we will turn into a memorial for the underground. The enemy will be left searching through the ashes for any proof.
no they won't stop 'til they find something to sell
all they're gonna find are bombshells
The enemy will keep searching until they find something to exploit, but all they will discover are dangerous truths.
c'mon and blow it up
the whole compound
with distortion that resounds
a memorial for the underground
and so we'll burn it down
We will destroy the entire compound with explosive distortion, making it a lasting memorial for the underground.
on the periscope we watch familiar informants selling us out
they trade for bad haircuts, some tight black pants and a sparkling new sound
now the radio transmits a hollow carcass of the resistance
'cause they've gutted out the urgency and replaced it with impotence
We observe familiar spies betraying us for fake trends and useless music. The radio now broadcasts a powerless shell of resistance, as they have removed the passion and strength from our mission.
our sweat is more than bleeding stage make-up
our words aren't trite they're bloody dangerous
our songs are the lifeblood of the resistance
Our hard work and dedication is more than just for show. Our words are not simple or meaningless; they are powerful and a threat to our enemies. Our songs represent the heart and soul of our resistance.
c'mon and tear it up
and burn it down with explosions of our sound
and dig a grave for the underground
but the songs stuck in our heads won't be burned and left for dead
they're the songs we'll never sell
we keep them locked within ourselves
c'mon and tear it up
We will destroy everything associated with our movement with our explosive sound, and bury the underground. However, the songs that we hold dear will not be burned or destroyed, as they are too valuable to be sold or forgotten. We keep these songs with us, locked away and safe.
no they won't stop 'til they find something to sell
there's nothing to find 'cause we blew it all to hell
Our enemies will keep searching for something valuable to sell, but there is nothing to be found since we blasted everything to pieces.
Contributed by Kaylee O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mathew Lazare
One of the best punk rock songs I've ever heard. Deserves to be so much less obscure than it is.