ATTICA! ATTICA! is the music of Aaron Scott, singer of MARATHON and DE LA H… Read Full Bio ↴ATTICA! ATTICA! is the music of Aaron Scott, singer of MARATHON and DE LA HOYA.

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.

Tires and Mint
Attica! Attica! Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

BRIGHT, the flash of the knife
Blinding glimmers of light bouncing back off the scalpel
SHRILL, the whine of the drill
The sickening chill of spinning steel 'gainst the nerves
CHOKE, the heat of the smoke
The blood starts to soak the smell of burning molars
PAIN, his words are deranged
"We're gonna try this one without novocaine...."

FANGS, sparsely arranged
I hate to complain but this is kind of strange
DOUBT, just pull the rest out
I think that my mouth would be fine with some dentures
SHIT, aw sonofabitch!
Something is amiss why is the dentist swearing
ATTACK of copper and wax
My gums turning black pull back the molds and you'll find
bloody designs my mouth is a fire-bombed skyline

A bony playground geek hiding secrets in my cheeks never smiling
They teased my snaggleteeth
Now this butcher's carving me like holiday turkey

GRIN, now stick out your chin
We'll glue porcelain onto those nasty chompers
See you next time and thank you for the potty mouth!
Now I'm kissing asses and eating shit.
Have a magazine send out a photographer for my before-and-after pics

STUNNED, I rinse off my gums
The lingering scum tastes like tires and mint

ALIVE, somehow I survived
The dentist's hi-five and say "Now you're perfect"

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Attica! Attica!'s song "Tires and Mint" describe a visit to the dentist that is both painful and surreal. The song opens with a graphic description of the tools and sensations of dental work, including the flash and whine of the instruments and the heat and smoke of burning molars. The singer's dentist speaks in deranged tones and pulls fangs sparsely arranged, leaving the singer with doubts about the necessity of the procedure. The dentist's rough handling of the singer's mouth leads to a sense of violation, with the singer feeling like a "holiday turkey" being carved up by a butcher.

Despite the trauma of the experience, the song ends on a note of black humor, with the singer being told that they are now "perfect" and encouraged to pose for "before-and-after pics." The final stanza takes a surreal turn, with the singer rinsing the lingering scum from their gums and tasting a strange combination of "tires and mint," a sensory experience that captures the jarring and unnatural nature of the dental work they have just undergone.

Line by Line Meaning

BRIGHT, the flash of the knife
The knife shone brightly and reflected light in blinding glimmers

SHRILL, the whine of the drill
The sound of the drill was sharp and piercing

CHOKE, the heat of the smoke
The smoke made me feel as though I was choking in addition to the intense heat

PAIN, his words are deranged
The words spoken were insane and not comforting as pain was felt

FANGS, sparsely arranged
My teeth were not well-arranged, and the few I had were compared to fangs

DOUBT, just pull the rest out
I'm not sure, but just remove the remaining teeth, please

SHIT, aw sonofabitch!
Something is wrong - why is the dentist swearing?

ATTACK of copper and wax
The materials used caused an aggressive reaction in my gums

bloody designs my mouth is a fire-bombed skyline
There was lots of blood, and my mouth resembled a city destroyed by a bombing

GRIN, now stick out your chin
Now show us a smile and lower your chin

Now I'm kissing asses and eating shit.
I'm now sucking up to the dentist and taking whatever they dish out