1) a currently inactive ind… Read Full Bio ↴There are three bands called Barcelona:
1) a currently inactive indie/new wave/pop band from Arlington, Virginia
2) a Seattle-based alternative pop/rock band
3) frantic hardcore punk band from Barcelona, Spain. Debut LP Extremo Nihilismo en Barcelona out on LA VIDA ES UN MUS DISCOS : barcelona.bandcamp.com .
The indie electronic band Barcelona (1998-2002):
Barcelona was an indie/new wave/pop band from Arlington, Virginia consisting of Jason Korzen, Jennifer Carr, Ivan Ramiscal, and Christian Scanniello. The band addressed geeky themes in many of their songs, such as "The Downside of Computer Camp", "I Have the Password to Your Shell Account", and "Paging System Operator", about a boy who contacts someone in Sweden whom he believes to be an experienced cracker, using a BBS, only to find he is also a thirteen-year-old.
1998: Formation
Barcelona was formed in 1998 by Korzen and Carr. The pair recruited Ramiscal and Scanniello and began writing and performing original songs that year. Later that year, the group met producer/engineer Trevor Kampmann (also known as Trevor hollAnd) and began work on their first LP, Simon Basic, which included the single Why Do You Have So Much Fun Without Me?
1999: Simon Basic
The band signed to March Records in early 1999 and released Simon Basic on that label in June 1999. In the fall of 1999, they embarked on their first tour, mainly on the East Coast, but also including Chicago. The band performed to indie rock fans at places like MIT. The album takes its name from the Simons' BASIC programming language, developed for the Commodore 64.
2000: Zero One Infinity
In 2000, the band began work on Zero One Infinity, again with producer Kampmann. The album included I Have the Password to Your Shell Account (which received some circulation on the Internet), Studio Hair Gel, Robot Trouble and Kasey Keller, an ode to the US soccer goalkeeper. "Studio Hair Gel" and "Robot Trouble" were both released as singles prior to the album and included remixes by the likes of Figurine and Dntel's James Tamborello and Baxendale. The band toured again in the fall of 2000 on ZOI, and the album was well received.
2001: Transhuman Revolution
Barcelona recorded Transhuman Revolution in 2001 again with Trevor hollAnd. The album includes the singles Everything Makes Me Think about Sex and Human Simulation. Shortly after the album's release, the band played their final show at The Metro Cafe in Washington, DC in February 2002.
Post-Barcelona
Jason Korzen formed Sprites with his wife, Amy Korzen. Both Christian Scanniello and Ivan Ramiscal, who were also in Barcelona, have contributed to the project. Ramiscal formed The Positions.
The pop/rock band Barcelona:
Barcelona is a band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 2006. On December 18, 2008, the band announced that they had been signed to the major label Universal Records. The band's songs are harmonious and piano-based with elements of rock. Formed in 2005, the band cites U2, Coldplay, Copeland, Death Cab for Cutie and Lovedrug as its influences. Barcelona released a debut album, Absolutes, in September 2007, which was distributed through Curb Appeal Records. Originally working with A&R, the band decided to create its own label, NBD Music, in order to be able to focus on songwriting. Barcelona has also signed a co-publishing deal with Warner Chappell Publishing to aid in the album's distribution.
Two years prior to the formation of the band, Brian was involved a solo project. He recorded Safety Songs and then employed his musically-inclined friends to accompany him on a tour to support the debut album. After working with his fellow muscians, Brian came to realize that he worked better as a quartet. They decided to stay assembled as a music ensemble and called themselves Barcelona. Fennell described the band's sound when he stated that, "[w]e classify our music style as piano rock."
Touring began in late 2005 upon the formation of the band. Brian Fennell, Chris Bristol and Rhett Stonelake attended Seattle Pacific University. Bristol and Stonelake were still seniors when the band began performing gigs. Most of the band's earlier shows were on the West Coast, which has been attributed to its success in becoming a familiar name amongst music listeners.
The band was featured on MySpace on August 15, 2007, which caught the attention of an A&R representative who helped initiate a promotional deal with MySpace Records and MySpace.com. The band made a television appearance on Good Day Sacramento on August 8, 2007 to promote the upcoming debut album, Absolutes, and play a sample set. Barcelona released Absolutes, on September 25, 2007, which received favorable reviews, especially from hometown critics.
Barcelona performed at Bumbershoot 2008 in Seattle.
On December 18, 2008 Universal Records announced that they had signed Barcelona to their label. The label plans for an April 2009 remastered release of Absolutes including additional tracks. Absolutes is being self produced by Barcelona and Brian Eichelberger. Michael H. Brauer, two-time Grammy winner for his work with Coldplay and John Mayer, will be mixing the album.
The song "Falling out of Trees" from their album "Absolutes" played on the promo of the favorite TV series "Grey's Anatomy"s season 5 finale episodes.
Numb
Barcelona Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They felt as if they weren't my own
I don't remember if I really slept at all
I might have been out building walls
How can I stand and hold up this great wall
And if it falls then I might blow away
What's wrong, can't he see how hard I've tried?
This morning found me out of action and alone
I'd lost command of all I thought I owned
My friends all called me to make sure I was well
But I never made it to my phone
How can I stand and hold up this great wall
And if it falls then I might blow away
What's wrong, can't he see how hard I've tried?
I'm numb inside, I'm done tonight, yeah, yeah, yeah
All this potential has messed up my whole day
A storm of times and overlapping things
This information has left me overwhelmed
I've no idea where I should go
How can I stand and hold up this great wall
If it falls and I might blow away
What's wrong, can't he see how hard I've tried?
I'm done tonight
The lyrics of Barcelona's song "Numb" depict a sense of ennui, helplessness, and confusion. The first lines "When I woke up, I couldn't feel my arms, They felt as if they weren't my own" suggests that the the singer has woken up with a sense of disassociation and detachment, feeling as if his body is not his own. He later states "I might have been out building walls", generally speaking, this could refer to an emotional barrier that he may have constructed to protect himself from hurt or pain, which has left him feeling numb.
The song goes on to look at the singer's struggle to maintain his poise in the face of much uncertainty. He asks, "How can I stand and hold up this great wall?" which seems a metaphor for the fictitious, imposed walls that we build around ourselves or what others might build around us. The wall represents the burdensome expectations and responsibilities that weigh heavily on the singer, while the possibility of the wall falling represents the risk of failure, collapse or personal defeat.
The chorus repeats, underscoring the sense of detachment and numbness the singer feels. "What's wrong, can't he see how hard I've tried? I'm numb inside, I'm done tonight." This final line encapsulates the singer's feeling that he has reached a breaking point where he is unable to go on anymore.
Line by Line Meaning
When I woke up, I couldn't feel my arms
My physical body was numb and I was unable to move my arms
They felt as if they weren't my own
I had no sensation or control over my arms, they felt like a foreign object
I don't remember if I really slept at all
I don't know if I actually slept, time was passing but I wasn't aware of it
I might have been out building walls
I may have been working on something, but I was so detached from my own body that I couldn't be sure
How can I stand and hold up this great wall
I feel overwhelmed and burdened by my responsibilities
And if it falls then I might blow away
I'm afraid that if I can't keep up with everything, I'll fall apart
What's wrong, can't he see how hard I've tried?
I feel like I've put in a lot of effort, but no one seems to notice or appreciate it
I'm numb inside, I'm done tonight
I feel emotionally drained and incapable of coping, tonight is the end of my strength
This morning found me out of action and alone
I was unable to function properly and felt isolated from everyone else
I'd lost command of all I thought I owned
I no longer had control over my life, everything felt like it was slipping out of my hands
My friends all called me to make sure I was well
People around me were concerned for my wellbeing and reached out to me
But I never made it to my phone
Despite the support, I was unable to take action and connect with others
All this potential has messed up my whole day
I feel like the pressure to live up to my potential is causing me more harm than good
A storm of times and overlapping things
I'm experiencing a complicated, overlapping series of events and emotions
This information has left me overwhelmed
The sheer amount of information and obligations is too much for me to handle
I've no idea where I should go
I feel lost and directionless, uncertain of my next steps
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRIAN LESENY FENNELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind