Strokes of Notoriety

(Photo: bighappyfunhouse)

Ris Paul Ric - "Valerie Teardrop"

Usually, I don't go out on a limb to post music that hasn't been sent to me. My goal has always been to provide exposure (to whatever degree possible through this blog) for artists/bands that are up-and-coming or have yet to truly get their music out to more people. This song is a bit of an exception as it comes from Christopher Paul Richards (aka Ris Paul Ric) one of the frontmen of the now defunct D.C. band Q and Not U.

I remember seeing Richards play this song on an electric, supported by only a loop pedal, when he opened for Ted Leo and The Pharmacists about two summers ago. The repetition of the guitar part, oddly enough, was what hooked me. When it got coupled with the melody, it became entrancing. I had really wanted to pick up a copy of the Ris Paul Ric debut Purple Blaze and lucked out when it was available for something like $5 at the show.

Earlier tonight, an idea for a post theme came into my head and it just so happened this song suits it:

We used to have names. We used to be something. It wasn't that long ago that we had the corner offices and the comfort of being secure. One day. One day and we were at the other end of the equation. We're still confident in the face of all this adversity. Now, we're all but forgotten, so far down we can hear the click and clank of the gears that spin the world. Down at the bottom, we're learning about all the stuff we overlooked. Everything -- wind, engine revving, chatter, rain, whatever -- penetrates our senses and haunts us. We pick up on everything now more so than we ever did before. Are we a "we" or simply an "I" using a pronoun for empowerment? Am I really alone down here? I'm supposed to be an independent being, but I'm not sure I can wrap my head around this. I was confident, but I think I'm starting to question myself. But I'm better than this.

"Valerie Teardrop" is from Purple Blaze.
Buy it for $5 on CD or $8 on Vinyl