One of Scarling.'s many definitions is the smallest mark left on your heart - yet after hearing Scarling. the band, you'll agree their sound is anything but small. With the release of 2004's critically acclaimed "Sweet Heart Dealer" (Produced by Chris Vrenna), an album that ultimately led them to a Short List Award Nomination, Scarling. has been capturing the hearts of their steadily growing cult fanbase, with their knack of redefining noise and chaos within the context of pop songs and expanding the ventricles of gloomsters and fey indie rockers alike. In 2004, Robert Smith handpicked Scarling. as one of the seven acts to tour with his Curiosa Festival, along with Interpol and Mogwai. When asked about how she felt being able to play with one of her long time favorites, Jessicka simply replied: "The Cure has always been one of the only bands I found worthy of surrendering everything in exchange for nothing. They have yet to break my heart."
Although The Cure's influence is evident, it's the collision of their collective diverse influences as well as the ability to properly utilize feedback and noise that gives Scarling. their signature sound. A sound created roughly six years ago in Los Angeles, when noise theorist Christian Hejnal and surname-free singer Jessicka bonded over an unbridled hatred of the legion of clinging parasites and soulless zombies choking the life out of music. After a series of 7" singles on Sympathy, Scarling. announced in early 2005 that their second album "So Long, Scarecrow" would appear later that year; it was preceded by the single "We Are the Music Makers", and was released on October 23, 2005.
The critical reception for Scarecrow was generally strong: Alternative Press gave the album a [5/5] rating and described Hejnal as a "guitar physicist who holds court over these atmospheric rockers’ second album, approximating everything from space-station climates to sperm whales rollin’ on E, all the while delivering solid songs."
The Independent noted “Scarling. work up a wonderfully hazy guitar swirl, reminiscent of post-My Bloody Valentine noise-pop from the Britain of the early nineties.”
And Bust (magazine) described the album as "the musical equivalent of an Edward Gorey illustration: ominous and shadowy, but not without a certain sense of morbid joy. Sly lyrics and sarcastic insights pepper Scarecrow’s dystopian soundscape."
SLS's first single "City Noise/Staring To The Sun" was released on 6-6-06 and is featured on the compilation "Alright, This Time Just the Girls Vol. 2" and in the documentary The Treasures Of Long Gone John. Scarling.'s music has been featured on Showtime's The L Word television series, and an episode of the medical drama Grey's Anatomy is entitled Band Aid Covers The Bullet Hole. In 2006 Scarling. continue to tour in the US and Europe and are expected to begin working on their third full length album in 2008.
On February 2, 2021, Jessicka announced on Twitter that she was no longer a part of the music industry, stating that she was now "finding other ways to release my negative emotions while trying to be kinder to myself."
Broken Record
Scarling. Lyrics
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and then go to bed.
you stared at your glass
as I emptied my head.
I said that I'm sorry
you said that's a shame.
I'll blame those boys
with those sweet christian names..
with guilt and remorse
you long for moments
when love was a source..
and if you're not happy
why do you stay..
treacherous answers part lips and you'd say:
chorus:
"oh, this never felt like home"
and you said:"oh, you never left me alone"
and I said "oh, I would've started to drown"
oh-oh-oh-oh
this record broke on its own...
surrender or nothing,
I'm giving my best.
by ripping what's left,
from your half empty chest..
tonight I'll be honest,
tonight you'll be brave..
it's all that I wanted,
it's all that you crave..
you're watching my face,
my tears are a strain
you're heart makes a fist,
and it's bruising my brain..
and if I'm so happy...
..why do I say all these things that linger, rot, and decay..
chorus
and you said: "oh, Christ hang up the phone.. "
and you said: "oh, I guess I've always known"
but I said "oh, never leave me alone"
oh-oh-oh ... this record broke on its own...
this record breaks on its own
The Scarling. song Broken Record tells the story of a troubled relationship between two individuals who seem to be unable to let go of the past. The song begins with the singer suggesting that they have one more drink before going to bed. As they sit there, the singer spills out their emotions to their partner, who reacts by saying that it is a shame. The singer then blames their behavior on the "boys with those sweet Christian names," implying that they are struggling with their own demons.
Throughout the song, the singer and their partner engage in a back-and-forth dialogue, discussing their feelings of guilt, remorse, and the longing for a time when their relationship was a source of happiness. They question why they are still together, and the chorus reveals that they are trapped in a cycle of hurt and longing that neither can escape. The broken record symbolizes their inability to move on from the past and break free from their destructive patterns.
The song concludes with the two characters expressing a mix of emotions, with the singer begging for their partner not to leave them alone, while their partner states that they have always known that things were going to end badly. The final repetition of the chorus emphasizes the idea that the relationship was doomed from the start, and that it was never meant to be.
Line by Line Meaning
just one more drink
and then go to bed.
Let's have one final drink before we part ways for the night.
you stared at your glass
as I emptied my head.
You seemed withdrawn and focused on your drink, while I talked about my problems.
I said that I'm sorry
you said that's a shame.
I apologized, but you seemed disappointed and unsympathetic.
I'll blame those boys
with those sweet christian names..
I'll attribute my mistakes to the influence of those seemingly innocent, religious guys.
I'm planning for closure
with guilt and remorse
you long for moments
when love was a source..
I'm trying to move on, but feeling guilty and regretful, while you are nostalgic for when our relationship was more loving and fulfilling.
and if you're not happy
why do you stay..
treacherous answers part lips and you'd say:
I question why you continue to be with me if you aren't happy, and you evade the question with dishonest responses.
oh, this never felt like home
and you said:"oh, you never left me alone"
and I said "oh, I would've started to drown"
oh-oh-oh-oh
this record broke on its own...
You express that our relationship never felt comfortable like home, and I respond defensively, feeling like you're blaming me for everything, causing our relationship to disintegrate on its own, without either of us fully understanding why or taking responsibility.
surrender or nothing,
I'm giving my best.
by ripping what's left,
from your half empty chest..
I'm giving it my all, but feel like there's only empty space left in your heart for me to cling to.
tonight I'll be honest,
tonight you'll be brave..
it's all that I wanted,
it's all that you crave..
I hope that tonight we can have an open and honest conversation, and that you can muster the courage to reveal your true feelings, which is all I've ever wanted and all you truly desire.
you're watching my face,
my tears are a strain
you're heart makes a fist,
and it's bruising my brain..
You're carefully observing my emotional reactions, causing me to feel tense and stressed, as your reactions are intense and uncomfortable.
and if I'm so happy...
..why do I say all these things that linger, rot, and decay..
You point out that if I'm truly content, then why do I say things that are negative, unpleasant, and destructive to our relationship?
and you said: "oh, Christ hang up the phone.. "
and you said: "oh, I guess I've always known"
but I said "oh, never leave me alone"
oh-oh-oh ... this record broke on its own...
You're exasperated and dismissive of our conversation, while I plead for you to stay with me and not abandon our bond, although it seems that it's too late and our relationship is beyond repair.
this record breaks on its own
Our relationship falls apart due to its inherent flaws and our inability to communicate and understand each other, without any external catalysts.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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