path: root/album/archive.yaml

Album: Archive
Directory: archive
Artists:
- Michael Guy Bowman
Date: July 19, 2016
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/album/archive
- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_k06fobJe_L17Ls3-0TVjlL3JhF1AlJUn0
- https://open.spotify.com/album/1dK7fSX1T8dAcSRrNGpBds
- https://music.apple.com/album/archive/1774149625
Cover Artists:
- Hadron
Color: '#e3c4d5'
Groups:
- Michael Guy Bowman
- Beyond
Banner Artists:
- Hadron
Banner Dimensions: 975x100
Banner File Extension: png
Wallpaper Artists:
- Hadron
Wallpaper Style: 'opacity: 0.7;'
Additional Files:
- Title: Bandcamp Banner and Background
  Description: >-
    From the original 2016 release.
  Files:
  - banner.png
  - bg.jpg
Commentary: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([Bandcamp about blurb](https://bowman.bandcamp.com/album/archive), 10/11/2024)

    Extraneous tracks from 2012-2016 presented in reverse chronological order. Tracks 1-4, 12-13 are commissions from various projects, including [[track:jungle-boogie|"Jungle Boogie"]]\, an outtake from [[album:homestuck-vol-10|Homestuck Vol. 10]]. Tracks 5-11 are single tracks off of Soundcloud selected from 2013. Tracks 14-30 were created by request as rewards for my Kickstarter from 2012. Tracks 31 and 32 are remixes by a couple of friends of tracks off of [[album:ithaca|Ithaca]].

    <i>Quasar Nebula:</i> (wiki editor)

    Archive was originally released on Bandcamp on [[date:7/19/2016]]. Due to a copyright claim on the stock cloud photo in its cover artwork, that release was taken offline in July 2018. After workshopping a new cover made from original assets, Bowman worked with [[artist:hadron]] to create the final artwork for a rerelease on or around [[date:9/24/2018]].

    Although all 32 tracks remained present, the 2018 track order was quite different.

    <details><summary>2018 track list details</summary>

    The first 22 tracks were public on Bandcamp and also listenable on streaming platforms:

    1. [[track:awake-2012-version|Awake (2012 Version)]]
    2. [[track:got-it|Got It?]]
    3. [[track:airwaves|Airwaves]]
    4. [[track:mad-science|Mad Science]]
    5. [[track:millennium-bug|Millennium Bug]]
    6. [[track:far-away-archive|Far Away]]
    7. [[track:gondwanaland|Gondwanaland]]
    8. [[track:diamonds-and-diamonds-and-diamonds|Diamonds and Diamonds and Diamonds]]
    9. [[track:bandages-archive|Bandages]]
    10. [[track:electroverture|Electroverture]]
    11. [[track:crimesters-credits|Emery's Theme]] (née "Crimesters Credits")
    12. [[track:know-that-youre-mine|Know That You're Mine]]
    13. [[track:just-destroy-it|Just Destroy It]]
    14. [[track:in-the-marching-band|In The Marching Band]]
    15. [[track:make-it-bounce|Make It Bounce]]
    16. [[track:explosion-force-they-do-it-right|Explosion Force (They Do It Right)]]
    17. [[track:the-new-window|The New Window]]
    18. [[track:polyominoes|Polyominoes]]
    19. [[track:slow-bay|Slow Bay]]
    20. [[track:this-sunset|This Sunset]]
    21. [[track:jungle-boogie|Jungle Boogie]]
    22. [[track:awake-2013-version|Awake (2013 Version)]] (née "Awake")

    The remaining 10 were exclusively available as bonus tracks from Bandcamp:

    23. [[track:aba-daba-honeymoon-archive|Aba Daba Honeymoon]]
    24. [[track:valentine-to-sarah-from-julian|Valentine To Sarah From Julian]]
    25. [[track:ismelda-the-bearded-mermaid|Ismelda The Bearded Mermaid]]
    26. [[track:crimesters-theme|Emery's Theme (Fast Version)]] (née "Crimsters Theme")
    27. [[track:conro-corp-anthem|Conro Corp Anthem]]
    28. [[track:get-start|Get Start!]]
    29. [[track:you-are-the-birthday-boy|You Are The Birthday Boy]]
    30. [[track:you-are-the-birthday-girl|You Are The Birthday Girl]]
    31. [[track:old-buggy-now-solatrus-remix|Old Buggy Now (Solatrus remix)]]
    32. [[track:ithaca-hrmnzr-remix|Ithaca (hrmnzr remix)]]

    </details>

    In October 2024, Bowman restored the track list of Archive to its original 2016 order - making all 32 tracks public on Bandcamp and available on streaming. Retained from the 2018 release, [[track:awake-2013-version]] remains named so, rather than just "Awake" as it was originally called. The 2018 release's cover artwork was also kept.

    Bowman shared some background for the album, and the motivation for these changes, in the Bowmantown Discord server:

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> (Bowmantown Discord, excerpt, 10/7/2024)

    I'd like to talk about something I'm mulling over which is restoring Archive back to its original track listing.

    When I originally put out the album I was making up for the fact that so much material had been shuffled off to random corners of the Internet with no real plan for a formal release. I'd held onto that stuff for so long because it didn't really form a coherent album and I think I was being fairly protective of there being some image involved here.

    That said, it looked like the culture of the Internet had gotten so oriented toward just churning out and dumping content that I felt like maybe I was being too precious by not putting it all out there. Considering things like C148's mega-long albums of just random scraps or people like Andrew Huang and Jonathan Coulton I felt weirdly like the dark horse trying to do the classic album cycle recording process.

    So I went ahead and just compiled all that stuff from 2012 to 2016 that had been finished to some degree and released it as one album.

    Looking back I think it was basically the best solution to the problem of having "unreleased" material that people were already semi-attached to. But I think the neurotic feeling that it was somehow a botched release got to me and rearranging it was meant to make it more programatic.

    But creating a situation where 10 tracks were completely behind a paywall never to be streamable on so many different platforms, especially now that streaming is basically the main way people listen to music, seems incredibly short-sighted.

    Also seeing the confusion it's created for the homestuck music wiki really gets me!

    <details><summary>So here's I'm considering doing ASAP</summary>

    1. The album will go back to its original running order with no bonus tracks - Bandcamp customers will be able to download the album in its restored format as soon as it's available if they so choose.

    2. The new album art will remain in place due to the copyright claim on my original art, personally I think it's superior work anyway and I'm satisfied with what [[artist:hadron|Hadron]] was able to cook up for me.

    3. [[track:crimesters-theme|"Crimesters Theme"]] and [[track:crimesters-credits|"Crimesters Credits"]] will have their titles restored.

    4. [[track:awake-2013-version|"Awake (2013 Version)"]] and [[track:awake-2012-version|"Awake (2012 Version)"]] will remain labeled as such, I think choosing one version over the other to not have a dated version behind it would overemphasize one or the other which doesn't really make sense.

    5. It will be re-distributed to platforms, replacing the currently uploaded version. This may create some issues with playlists, but I'd rather have one single complete edition of the album available rather than competing versions.

    <i>Quasar Nebula:</i> (wiki editor)

    From when Bowman's discography was first added to the wiki ([[news-entry:retrace-retexture|February 2021]]), the sole album entry for Archive had been based on the 2018 release. Later on (around [[news-entry:lets-make-this-a-thing|April 2024]]), we learned about the original 2016 release. Because of the differences in track order and cover artwork, we decided to represent both versions of Archive on the wiki - but practically speaking, this made Archive look like as though it was *two* albums.

    From later 2024 on - following discussion in Bowmantown about the presentation of Archive, and various wiki concepts - these two entries are consolidated as a single album on the wiki. We reflect the track list from 2024, with tracks [[track:crimesters-theme]], [[track:crimesters-credits]], and [[track:awake-2013-version]] getting their earlier-release names as "additional names". Commentary from the various releases and platforms is all here, too.

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> (original artwork)

    <img src="media/misc/archive-original-cover.jpg" width="300">

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> (Bowmantown Discord re: artwork for 2018 release, excerpts, 9/4/2018)

    I've been playing with some ideas for a new version of the cover, I wanted to see what you thought.

    Here's a really rough one I put together a few days ago:

    Unfinished "Archive" 2nd edition cover.

    <img src="media/misc/archive-2018-wip.jpg" width="300">

    > oh wow that’s really cool too<br>
    > that could be pretty sick<br>
    > although I don’t know how well it fits the calmer songs like awake

    Interesting, is the EYE too abrasive?

    I've considered versions with an all-seeing Illuminati-esque eye on the screen.

    What do you think of using a laptop

    It's the actual one I used until 2012 so it has special significance.

    It's been shopped a little to make it more symmetrical, just like the old picture.

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> (Bowmantown Discord, excerpts, 9/24/2018)

    [[artist:hadron|@Hadronus]] did great work on the new art and gave me way more than I expected from the new computer he rendered

    The hand was his idea<br>
    The clouds are not mine but are purchased with a royalty-free license<br>
    I added the same gradient map as before

    It should be on Spotify soon and I’ll make a new “best of” playlist

    This has been hanging over me for a while so I’m glad to get this done

    <i>Quasar Nebula:</i> (wiki editor)

    2024's Bandcamp about and credits blurbs are mostly based on the 2016 release's, although there are slight differences. The 2018 release had only a short about blurb.

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([Bandcamp about blurb](https://web.archive.org/web/20160802045455/https://bowman.bandcamp.com/), 7/19/2016)

    A compilation of non-album tracks going back a few years presented in reverse chronological order. Tracks 1-4, 12-13 are commissions from various projects, including [[track:jungle-boogie|"Jungle Boogie"]], an outtake from [[album:homestuck-vol-10|Homestuck Vol. 10]]. Tracks 5-11 are single tracks off of Soundcloud selected from 2013. Tracks 14-30 were created by request as rewards for [my Kickstarter from 2012](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/206640136/send-bowman-and-his-band-to-sxsw-2012/). Tracks 31 and 32 are remixes by a couple of friends of tracks off of [[album:ithaca|Ithaca]].

    There's a lot of jingle length stuff on here, so individual tracks less than a minute long are pay-what-you-want. Enjoy!

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> (Bandcamp about blurb, 9/24/2018)

    Commissions, novelty tracks, experiments in electronica from 2012-2016. Download features 10 bonus tracks.
Credit Sources: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([Bandcamp credits blurb](https://web.archive.org/web/20160802045455/https://bowman.bandcamp.com/), excerpt, 7/19/2016)

    Written and produced by [[artist:michael-guy-bowman|Michael Guy Bowman]]. [[track:aba-daba-honeymoon-archive|"Aba Daba Honeymoon"]] written by Arthur Fields and Walter Donovan. Featuring [[artist:clark-powell|Clark Powell]] (cello; [[track:awake-2012-version|track 17]]), [[artist:erik-scheele|Erik Scheele]] (piano; [[track:ismelda-the-bearded-mermaid|track 23]]), and [[artist:riki-tsuji|Riki Tsuji]] (additional synths, vocals, arrangement; [[track:get-start|track 25]]). [[track:old-buggy-now|"Old Buggy Now"]] remixed by [[artist:solatrus|Jeremy Iamurri]] ([[track:old-buggy-now-solatrus-remix|track 31]]). [[track:ithaca|"Ithaca"]] remixed by [[artist:jamie-paige|Jamie Paige]] ([[track:ithaca-hrmnzr-remix|track 32]]).

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([Bandcamp credits blurb](https://bowman.bandcamp.com/album/archive), excerpt, 10/11/2024)

    Music by [[artist:michael-guy-bowman|Michael Guy Bowman]]. [[track:aba-daba-honeymoon-archive|"Aba Daba Honeymoon"]] written by [[artist:arthur-fields|Arthur Fields]] and [[artist:walter-donovan|Walter Donovan]]. Featuring [[artist:clark-powell|Clark Powell]] (cello; [[track:awake-2012-version|track 17]]), [[artist:erik-scheele|Erik Scheele]] (piano; [[track:ismelda-the-bearded-mermaid|track 23]]), [[artist:riki-tsuji|Riki Tsuji]] (additional synths, vocals, arrangement; [[track:get-start|track 25]]), [[artist:solatrus|Jeremy Iamurri]] (remix; [[track:old-buggy-now-solatrus-remix|track 31]]), and [[artist:jamie-paige|Jamie Paige]] (remix; [[track:ithaca-hrmnzr-remix|track 32]]).

    Cover art by [[artist:hadron|Hadron]].
---
Track: Jungle Boogie
Duration: 4:00
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/jungle-boogie
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXD_CB_BBZ8
- https://open.spotify.com/track/23HB9x4SalFIW1K0C5CYQ5
- https://music.apple.com/album/jungle-boogie/1774149625?i=1774149626
Referenced Tracks:
- Sburban Jungle
Commentary: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([Bandcamp about blurb](https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/jungle-boogie))

    Outtake from [[album:homestuck-vol-10|Homestuck Vol. 10]], 2016
---
Track: Crimesters Theme
Additional Names:
- Name: Emery's Theme (Fast Version)
  Annotation: 2018 release
Duration: 0:57
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/crimesters-theme
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C-v6FHLKoo
- https://open.spotify.com/track/7tWKdeADU1IITg4LdzQjvG
- https://music.apple.com/album/crimesters-credits/1774149625?i=1774149628
Referenced Tracks:
- Crimesters Credits
Commentary: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([Bandcamp about blurb](https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/crimesters-theme))

    Commission for [[artist:emery-ferguson|Emery Ferguson]], 2015
---
Track: Crimesters Credits
Additional Names:
- Name: Emery's Theme
  Annotation: 2018 release
Duration: 1:24
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/crimesters-credits
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEc6jAXG1TI
- https://open.spotify.com/track/553l3U5o0j6qxlADQDoyd9
- https://music.apple.com/album/crimesters-credits/1774149625?i=1774149628
Commentary: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([Bandcamp about blurb](https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/crimesters-credits))

    Commission for [[artist:emery-ferguson|Emery Ferguson]], 2015

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> (Bowmantown Discord, excerpt, 10/15/2017)

    [[artist:emery-ferguson|Emery Ferguson]] (who did track art for [[Another Countdown]]) was working on a podcast that never came to fruition and commissioned those. I've got some music in his current thing called ["The Museum of Natural Mystery"](https://pomemag.wpengine.com/category/pomecast/)
---
Track: Just Destroy It
Duration: 1:30
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/just-destroy-it
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQ8k1vWY7T8
- https://open.spotify.com/track/5twBstgHee3J5gICFIDWKl
- https://music.apple.com/album/just-destroy-it/1774149625?i=1774149629
Commentary: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([Bandcamp about blurb](https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/just-destroy-it))

    Commission for Lindsay Hejl, 2014
---
Track: Got It?
Duration: 2:52
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/got-it
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKBUtDf_Jp8
- https://open.spotify.com/track/4KDxTMcOmw8RJ1BzqXc4gG
- https://music.apple.com/album/got-it/1774149625?i=1774149630
Commentary: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([Bandcamp about blurb](https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/got-it))

    Soundcloud, 2013

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([SoundCloud description](https://web.archive.org/web/20150726025558/http://soundcloud.com/michael-guy-bowman/got-it))

    Feeling very electric.
---
Track: Awake (2013 Version)
Additional Names:
- Name: Awake
  Annotation: 2016 release
Duration: 3:28
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/awake-2013-version
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5IL-8ny0iw
- https://open.spotify.com/track/0ZqtuvCrGUnl5DDMfx0jNj
- https://music.apple.com/album/awake-2013-version/1774149625?i=1774149631
Referenced Tracks:
- Awake (2012 Version)
Lyrics: |-
    Awake again
    Here in my bed
    Eyes staring up at the ceiling

    A breath of air
    Light in my window
    Heart still aglow with the feeling
    I was dreaming

    Another time, another place
    A strange and yet familiar face
    Buried deep within my bed
    I wade through memories in my head

    My sock's half on
    Hand in a book
    Finger is still on the chapter

    We both were there
    I told a joke
    I can't recall what came after
    Just your laughter

    Clock goes off across the room
    And time restarts and life resumes
    I rise to meet the coming day
    But someone's laughing far away
Commentary: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([Bandcamp about blurb](https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/awake-2013-version))

    Soundcloud, 2013

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([SoundCloud description](https://web.archive.org/web/20150726105226/http://soundcloud.com/michael-guy-bowman/awake-2013-version))

    A new version of "Awake" which I'm very fond of as far as songs go.
---
Track: Polyominoes
Duration: 3:56
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/polyominoes
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5tUGt0pHQI
- https://open.spotify.com/track/6vKMyMH4JC0RPYfA5qE5TZ
- https://music.apple.com/album/polyominoes/1774149625?i=1774149632
Commentary: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([Bandcamp about blurb](https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/polyominoes))

    Soundcloud, 2013

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([SoundCloud description](https://web.archive.org/web/20150727190307/http://soundcloud.com/michael-guy-bowman/polyominoes))

    Little blocks stacked together.
---
Track: Airwaves
Duration: 3:02
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/airwaves
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg5JhSQ4Udc
- https://open.spotify.com/track/1ipb8QL7unfwnH20cdxsBP
- https://music.apple.com/album/airwaves/1774149625?i=1774149633
Lyrics: |-
    Keep your eyes on the airwaves
    Don't look down if you don't want to fall
    Out here, ain't nobody dancing
    Up in the air you ain't nobody at all

    Keep your forward direction
    Look for signs of the enemy, enemy
    You're too far gone for protection
    I am a spaceship who's looking for love (yeah)

    Open your doors and shoot your missiles
    Blow away everybody you pass
    Just a bunch of peculiar people
    Looking for a party to crash

    Keep your back to the sunlight
    Keep your eyes on the rubber T-Rex
    Save your teardrops for later
    You're going to need them for the part that comes next

    Wake up trashed in the ocean
    Look for signs of the enemy, enemy
    These drones can feel emotion
    I am a spaceship who's looking for love (yeah)

    Open your doors and shoot your missiles
    Blow away everybody you pass
    Just a bunch of peculiar people
    Looking for a party to crash
Commentary: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([Bandcamp about blurb](https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/airwaves))

    Soundcloud, 2013
---
Track: Gondwanaland
Duration: 2:36
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/gondwanaland
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFGM10RebVQ
- https://open.spotify.com/track/4Pa6jHSQuaEARSF25RLgrn
- https://music.apple.com/album/gondwanaland/1774149625?i=1774149634
Commentary: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([Bandcamp about blurb](https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/gondwanaland))

    Soundcloud, 2013

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([SoundCloud description](https://web.archive.org/web/20150727215042/http://soundcloud.com/michael-guy-bowman/gondwanaland))

    Continents drifting together and apart - hundreds of millions of years of geological history illustrated in a few minutes.
---
Track: Slow Bay
Additional Names:
- Slow Day Bay (SoundCloud)
Duration: 2:41
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/slow-bay
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mm18cY1hZPI
- https://open.spotify.com/track/0WXT0iSsNg2FsPzwRTtyMh
- https://music.apple.com/album/slow-bay/1774149625?i=1774149635
Commentary: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([Bandcamp about blurb](https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/slow-bay))

    Soundcloud, 2013

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([SoundCloud description](https://web.archive.org/web/20150726011509/http://soundcloud.com/michael-guy-bowman/slow-day-bay))

    Another calm piece. This might become a thing for me.
---
Track: The New Window
Duration: 2:26
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/the-new-window
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lmdQzO_TfQ
- https://open.spotify.com/track/7iVxDNXivejUw9WRZSZwuV
- https://music.apple.com/album/the-new-window/1774149625?i=1774149636
Commentary: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([Bandcamp about blurb](https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/the-new-window))

    Soundcloud, 2013

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([SoundCloud description](https://web.archive.org/web/20150726081932/http://soundcloud.com/michael-guy-bowman/the-new-window))

    Something short for all the daydreamers.
---
Track: Electroverture
Duration: 2:38
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/electroverture
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySABH7V7xG4
- https://open.spotify.com/track/5Kv05DOhXxPwOfdmvLHwrr
- https://music.apple.com/album/electroverture/1774149625?i=1774149637
Commentary: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([Bandcamp about blurb](https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/electroverture))

    Commission for Cari Garafalo, 2013
---
Track: Aba Daba Honeymoon
Directory: aba-daba-honeymoon-archive
Duration: 1:27
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/aba-daba-honeymoon
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsP8ZTWBqOY
- https://open.spotify.com/track/5YjHBycXizbbgNOvTK3IOz
- https://music.apple.com/album/aba-daba-honeymoon/1774149625?i=1774149638
Referenced Tracks:
- track:aba-daba-honeymoon
Lyrics: |-
    Aba daba daba daba daba daba dab
    Said the chimpie to the monk
    Baba daba daba daba daba daba dab
    Said the monkey to the chimp

    All night long they chatter away
    All day long they were happy and gay
    Swingin' and singin'
    In their honkie tonkie way

    Aba daba daba daba daba daba dab
    Means Monk I love but you
    Baba daba dab in monkey talk
    Means Chimp I love you too

    Then the big baboon one night in June
    He married them and very soon
    They went upon their aba daba honeymoon

    Aba daba daba daba daba daba dab
    Said the chimpie to the monk
    Baba daba daba daba daba daba dab
    Said the monkey to the chimp

    All night long they chatter away
    All day long they were happy and gay
    Swingin' and singin'
    In their honkie tonkie way

    Aba daba daba daba daba daba dab
    Means Monk I love but you
    Baba daba dab in monkey talk
    Means Chimp I love you too

    Then the big baboon one night in June
    He married them and very soon
    They went upon their aba daba honeymoon
Commentary: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([Bandcamp about blurb](https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/aba-daba-honeymoon))

    Commission for Chris Sweet, 2013

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([SoundCloud description](https://web.archive.org/web/20150726032413/http://soundcloud.com/michael-guy-bowman/aba-daba-honeymoon))

    As commissioned by [[artist:chris-sweet|Chris Sweet]] for Effing Decaf's Transdimensional Mormon Summer Vacation!

    "[[track:aba-daba-honeymoon|Aba Daba Honeymoon]]" is a classic song by [[artist:arthur-fields|Arthur Fields]] and [[artist:walter-donovan|Walter Donovan]] from 1914. This particular butchering is an assault on the senses with the whimsical sci-fi flavor we've come to know and love from the many adventures chronicled in Effing Decaf, specifically a recent episode concerned with a variety of magic words. Enjoy!

    READ THE COMIC: [effingdecaf.blogspot.com/](https://effingdecaf.blogspot.com/)

    <i>Chris Sweet:</i> (alternate artwork, SoundCloud)

    <img src="media/misc/aba-daba-honeymoon.png" width="300">
---
Track: Valentine To Sarah From Julian
Additional Names:
- sandpaper.flp (sketch filename)
- To Sarah From Julian (SoundCloud)
Duration: 2:12
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/valentine-to-sarah-from-julian
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hjl2fKIUjT8
- https://open.spotify.com/track/0TAc2reL8VFLO1ByUMVc9Z
- https://music.apple.com/album/valentine-to-sarah-from-julian/1774149625?i=1774149639
Lyrics: |-
    Nobody
    Would ever have guessed we'd be homebuddies
    Or that you even would be somebody
    To someone you barely knew like me

    Like me
    Like me
    Like me

    I met you
    Through a mutual friend
    Oh, we were introduced
    All I knew was you liked Doctor Who
    I guess that was good enough for me

    For me
    For me
    For me

    I wanna play that
    Like a snow-baked thing
    I couldn't say that
    'Cuz this ain't just a fling
    I wanna know you
    Like the back of my hand
    I gotta show you
    The person I really am

    We'll make our own world
    Where we can run away
    To where it's all play
    All day
    Yeah yeah yeah

    [Scatting]

    You called me
    Just seconds before I tried to
    Make my plea
    For you to entertain this
    Fantasy
    So glad to know that it was
    Not just me

    Just me
    Just me
    Just me

    Now you're here
    We're sharing together in these golden years
    And though our lives have many hopes and fears
    I'll be there with you and me

    You and me
    You and me
    You and me
    You and me

    (Mwah!)
Commentary: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([Bandcamp about blurb](https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/valentine-to-sarah-from-julian))

    Kickstarter reward for Julian Low (dedicated to Sarah), 2012

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([SoundCloud description](https://web.archive.org/web/20150727185808/http://soundcloud.com/michael-guy-bowman/to-sarah-from-julian))

    New commission: a love letter from fundraiser backer Julian Low to his girlfriend Sarah. In it I recount the story of their relationship as Julian recounted it to me.

    This track is so saccharine that I was almost too embarrassed to upload it. It's based around a sketch I wrote back in 2009 which just laid around on my computer as "sandpaper.flp" for the longest time. Now it's got me doing scat on it.

    Hope you enjoy it, Sarah! Julian cares for you deeply and I hope it comes across in this song.
---
Track: Make It Bounce
Duration: 1:47
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/make-it-bounce
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuawve1veQk
- https://open.spotify.com/track/3Fj7ASZNyTOExhOF6hlVDO
- https://music.apple.com/album/make-it-bounce/1774149625?i=1774149640
Lyrics: |-
    Make it bounce
    Make it bounce
    Make it bounce
Commentary: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([Bandcamp about blurb](https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/make-it-bounce))

    Kickstarter reward for McKinley Freeman, 2012

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([SoundCloud description](https://web.archive.org/web/20150727190648/http://soundcloud.com/michael-guy-bowman/make-it-bounce))

    Commissioned by McKinley Freeman. The request was simply "Butts". When you listen, imagine all of humanity twerking as one in perfect harmony.

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> (alternate artwork, SoundCloud)

    <img src="media/misc/make-it-bounce.jpg" width="300">
---
Track: Diamonds and Diamonds and Diamonds
Duration: 1:56
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/diamonds-and-diamonds-and-diamonds
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPv_3OoUcz8
- https://open.spotify.com/track/08PIw0MbNbEfdHCgvZ2uy6
- https://music.apple.com/album/diamonds-and-diamonds-and-diamonds/1774149625?i=1774149642
Lyrics: |-
    Hidden from the naked eye
    Beyond the view of telescopes
    Behind the diamonds in the sky
    From where the oldest light elopes
    Nothing written in the waves
    The signal's clear, the picture's black
    Nothing standing in the way
    The anti-matter stares straight back
    Nothing to see but diamonds and diamonds and diamonds and diamonds and diamonds and diamonds and diamonds and diamonds

    Objects brighter than the sun
    Shift to red and fade away
    A universe built on the run
    Eclipsed so easily by the day
    Nothing written in the waves
    Event horizon, no return
    Nothing standing in the way
    Perhaps these things cannot be learned
    Nothing there but diamonds and diamonds and diamonds and diamonds and diamonds and diamonds and diamonds and diamonds
Commentary: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([Bandcamp about blurb](https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/diamonds-and-diamonds-and-diamonds))

    Kickstarter reward for Michael Orr, 2012

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([SoundCloud description](https://web.archive.org/web/20150727181631/http://soundcloud.com/michael-guy-bowman/diamonds-and-diamonds-and))

    Commissioned by Michael Orr for the fundraiser and all that.

    Here's the request: "A song about... space? More specifically black holes, dark matter, objects slipping beyond the horizon of the visible universe. Things we observe without seeing, and things we will never be able to observe."

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> (artwork, SoundCloud)

    <img src="media/misc/diamonds-and-diamonds-and-diamonds.jpg" width="300">
---
Track: Awake (2012 Version)
Additional Names:
- Name: >-
    Awake (feat. Clark Powell)
  Annotation: >-
    SoundCloud
Contributors:
- Clark Powell (cello)
Duration: 3:32
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/awake-2012-version
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xco1vfk2b4Q
- https://open.spotify.com/track/5QtMwivRCt1bcSGwimpxLO
- https://music.apple.com/album/awake-2012-version/1774149625?i=1774149643
Lyrics: |-
    Awake again
    Here in my bed
    Eyes staring up at the ceiling

    A breath of air
    Light in my window
    Heart still aglow with the feeling
    I was dreaming

    Another time, another place
    A strange and yet familiar face
    Buried deep within my bed
    I wade through memories in my head

    My sock's half on
    Hand in a book
    Finger is still on the chapter

    We both were there
    I told a joke
    I can't recall what came after
    Just your laughter

    Clock goes off across the room
    And time restarts and life resumes
    I rise to meet the coming day
    But someone's laughing far away
Commentary: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([Bandcamp about blurb](https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/awake-2012-version))

    Kickstarter reward for Kaolin Maia Cash, 2012

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([SoundCloud description](https://web.archive.org/web/20150725095228/http://soundcloud.com/michael-guy-bowman/awake-feat-clark-powell))

    Commissioned by Samuel Bennallick. Cello by [[artist:clark-powell|Clark Powell]].

    Request was as follows: "...the confusion one feels upon waking up from a particularly intense dream; good or bad. The struggle to come to terms with some shocking imagery or, if it was a particularly good dream, the realisation that you're not in that euphoric state you dreamt about and waking up into the dull monotony of life."

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> (alternate artwork, SoundCloud)

    <img src="media/misc/awake-2012-version.jpg" width="300">
---
Track: Mad Science
Duration: 3:14
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/mad-science
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0km6Gx-_nfc
- https://open.spotify.com/track/7bMvrOyaHcXZgsiu10OiYw
- https://music.apple.com/album/mad-science/1774149625?i=1774149644
Lyrics: |-
    "Yes! This thunderstorm is just what I need to bring my creation life! LIFE!"

    Your career starts with a dream
    That becomes a brilliant scheme
    When you first acquire the rudimentary skills
    Soon you're turning lead to gold
    And making space's fabric fold
    And breathing life into the dead to get your thrills

    You may say it can't be done
    But baby, I am number one
    And the things that I can do
    Prove the facts I know are true!

    MAD SCIENCE
    We do it 'cause we can
    MAD SCIENCE
    It's all part of the plan
    MAD SCIENCE
    Yes, we have got the tools
    Consequence means nothing when you learn to break the rules

    "Steady, now. We wouldn't want to scare the poor creature. Look into its eyes; there's a light behind them. Yes! It's intelligent! It's learning! It's learning! Yes!"

    People first will be impressed
    They will call you a success
    Put your name on some important-sounding prize
    But when it starts to leave a scar
    They will say you've gone too far
    And they'll call your work a dirty pack of lies

    You may say my proofs are wrong
    You may say my tests are flawed
    You can shove it up your flask
    I'm too busy playing God!

    MAD SCIENCE
    We do it 'cause we can
    MAD SCIENCE
    It's all part of the plan
    MAD SCIENCE
    Yes, we have got the tools
    Consequence means nothing when you learn to break the rules

    Losing your patents to idiots in suits
    You run from the world and its trivial pursuits
    Living in exile with henchmen and minions
    Your work's too important for outside opinions

    In a castle far away
    You plot revenge throughout the day
    Putting touches on your horrid master plan
    Those tiny peons would not learn
    Which is why they'll have to burn
    Progress cannot wait upon the will of man

    You may say it can't be done
    But baby, I am number one
    And the things that I can do
    Prove the facts I know are true
    Don't pretend you're not intrigued
    You're as twisted as the rest
    You might mock me in the day
    But at night you are obsessed!

    MAD SCIENCE
    We do it 'cause we can
    MAD SCIENCE
    It's all part of the plan
    MAD SCIENCE
    Yes, we have got the tools
    Consequence means nothing when you learn to break the rules

    "Okay, back to work."
Commentary: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([Bandcamp about blurb](https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/mad-science))

    Kickstarter reward for Nich Maragos, 2012

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([SoundCloud description](https://web.archive.org/web/20150727191746/http://soundcloud.com:80/michael-guy-bowman/mad-science))

    Another commission! This one was requested by Nich Maragos and celebrates a certain legendary character trope.

    Request was as follows: "I would like a song celebrating mad science. Those fools at the institute said it couldn't be done! But you'll show them! Ahahaha!"
---
Track: This Sunset
Duration: 3:20
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/this-sunset
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEVamg0eEvI
- https://open.spotify.com/track/3npJncph1c09nDyaLui2BM
- https://music.apple.com/album/this-sunset/1774149625?i=1774149645
Lyrics: |-
    As I watch this sunset
    The enchantment of the long night descends around me
    Through the fading blue sky, stars arrive quietly
    And the chirps of crickets herald the golden hour

    The day is at an end
    And there are ten million things I'll have to do before I sleep
    In the morning, there will be ten million, yet still
    And then again, a sunset

    But in this moment
    The sun is not just some giant ball put there to make me feel small
    It is an old friend who I have known longer than anyone else
    And this evening, I am by its side to tuck it into bed

    In this moment
    I can feel only the grace of the world around me
    This calm, this light, this air, this body
    This sunset
Commentary: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([Bandcamp about blurb](https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/this-sunset))

    Kickstarter reward for Leigh-Ann Peach, 2012

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([SoundCloud description](https://web.archive.org/web/20150727213154/http://soundcloud.com/michael-guy-bowman/this-sunset))

    This is a chill-as-ice spoken word track commissioned by Leigh-Ann Peach called "This Sunset". If "[[track:awake-2012-version|Awake]]" is my ode to dawn, this is my ode to dusk. The original request is as follows:

    "I'd like a song about being happy for the sake of it, featuring blue skies and space. Because those two things are cool. anything hopeful and would cheer people up if they were sad too."

    Enjoy.

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> (alternate artwork, SoundCloud)

    <img src="media/misc/this-sunset.jpg" width="300">
---
Track: Millennium Bug
Duration: 3:33
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/millennium-bug
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aOzky5Xxhc
- https://open.spotify.com/track/4B6kaTgrQYBFeZ7S0D33Tc
- https://music.apple.com/album/millennium-bug/1774149625?i=1774149646
Commentary: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([Bandcamp about blurb](https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/millennium-bug))

    Kickstarter reward for Sixar, 2012

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([SoundCloud description](https://web.archive.org/web/20150725200632/http://soundcloud.com/michael-guy-bowman/millenium-bug))

    Another commission! This one is a full-length instrumental requested by Sixar for use in a forthcoming project.

    Request is as follows: "I'd like you to write a theme for one of the worlds that features prominently in a project I've been working on behind the scenes. It'd serve as a theme song for both the planet in question and maybe the project in general..."

    "...Basically, I'd like something adventurous, perhaps a little dark, and a bit sci-fi. Instrumental would be fantastic."

    Better than a music video, here's the fantastic projection-based Christmas display Yuletide Lights by Pollyck: [youtu.be/8yAoG1wbonw](https://web.archive.org/web/20121224202049/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yAoG1wbonw&gl=US&hl=en)
---
Track: Know That You're Mine
Duration: 1:58
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/know-that-youre-mine
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZguasE5ZgkY
- https://open.spotify.com/track/1NBmJOZGMxMjTITvsAXHdS
- https://music.apple.com/album/know-that-youre-mine/1774149625?i=1774149647
Lyrics: |-
    I'll pack a blanket, a handwoven basket
    Of red roses and wine
    Rest with me here on this bed made of grass
    And I'll know, know that you're mine

    In the cool of the evening the sound of your breathing
    Seems all that you dare need to say
    With incense and flowers, the minutes and hours
    Like fluttering leaves slip away

    The sky turns from blue to an orange to black
    With the slow passage of time
    We ought to be home, but you know that I'm yours
    And I know, know that you're mine

    We will look to the skies with our twinkling eyes
    And we'll write out our names in the stars
    Though it's dark here on land, when we're both holding hands
    All the lights up above will be ours
Commentary: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([Bandcamp about blurb](https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/know-that-youre-mine))

    Kickstarter reward for Kalen Boley, 2012

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([SoundCloud description](https://web.archive.org/web/20150725185437/http://soundcloud.com/michael-guy-bowman/know-that-youre-mine))

    A delightful little song commissioned by Kalen Boley for my SXSW fundraiser.

    Request is as follows: "Something kinda romantic or nostalgic, about stargazing with a sweetheart?"
---
Track: Far Away
Directory: far-away-archive
Always Reference By Directory: true
Duration: 0:53
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/far-away
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY1mbR62LV8
- https://open.spotify.com/track/28BLbPjBw7XTD8H9PC8YT1
- https://music.apple.com/album/far-away/1774149625?i=1774149648
Lyrics: |-
    So far away
    Way out beyond

    No capsule you could swallow
    Could possibly compare
    To the one that swallows you
    And takes you through the air

    Hollow rockets filled with solid fuel
    Faster than the Earth can pull
    Body of the aether's night
    Takes you on your maiden flight!
Commentary: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([Bandcamp about blurb](https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/far-away))

    Kickstarter reward for Jon Drobny, 2012

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([SoundCloud description](https://web.archive.org/web/20150725065715/http://soundcloud.com/michael-guy-bowman/far-away))

    Another dang commission from my fundraiser. This one, called "Far Away" is a jingle commissioned by Jon Drobny. Original request as follows:

    "I was thinking about space exploration - something about being farther away from one's home than anyone's ever been before."

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> (alternate artwork, SoundCloud)

    <img src="media/misc/far-away.png" width="300">
---
Track: Ismelda The Bearded Mermaid
Additional Names:
- Name: >-
    Ismelda the Bearded Mermaid (feat. Erik Scheele)
  Annotation: >-
    SoundCloud
Contributors:
- Erik Scheele (piano)
Duration: 0:52
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/ismelda-the-bearded-mermaid
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ0DNP2hDPc
- https://open.spotify.com/track/3WOyzleMSpfzDyS6V5jfaE
- https://music.apple.com/album/ismelda-the-bearded-mermaid/1774149625?i=1774149739
Lyrics: |-
    (Ladies and gentlemen, it is my distinct privilege to bring the sounds of Ismelda, the Bearded Mermaid!)
    (Once again, faster!)
    (Faster, still!)
    (Yes!)
Commentary: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([Bandcamp about blurb](https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/ismelda-the-bearded-mermaid))

    Kickstarter reward for Brad Griffin, 2012

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([SoundCloud description](https://web.archive.org/web/20150726121301/http://soundcloud.com:80/michael-guy-bowman/ismelda-the-bearded-mermaid))

    Commissioned by [[artist:brad-griffin|Brad Griffin]] for the "Send Bowman and His Band to SXSW 2012" fundraiser. Featuring the piano stylings of [[artist:erik-scheele|Erik Scheele]].

    Request: "I have no preference as far as topic, but something in 6/8 time would be awesome."
---
Track: Bandages
Directory: bandages-archive
Always Reference By Directory: true
Duration: 0:46
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/bandages
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFJO_iB0P6A
- https://open.spotify.com/track/0CopjaGhsDNCDf3M2N3vjY
- https://music.apple.com/album/bandages/1774149625?i=1774149740
Lyrics: |-
    Colin Burns
    But he does not char
    The fire laps at his appendages

    Embers spurned
    Cannot leave a scar
    He is safe behind his Bandages

    The alias
    The other skin
    Who knows what can lie within
    The Bandages
    The Bandages
Commentary: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([Bandcamp about blurb](https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/bandages))

    Kickstarter reward for Colin "Bandages" Burns, 2012

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([SoundCloud description](https://web.archive.org/web/20150727222114/http://soundcloud.com/michael-guy-bowman/bandages))

    The personal anthem of Colin Burns, known as "Bandages" on various forums. Commissioned for the "Send Bowman and His Band to SXSW 2012" fundraiser.

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> (alternate artwork, SoundCloud)

    <img src="media/misc/bandages.png" width="300">
---
Track: Get Start!
Additional Names:
- Name: >-
    Get Start! (feat. Astro Kid)
  Annotation: >-
    SoundCloud
Duration: 1:48
Artists:
- Michael Guy Bowman
- Riki Tsuji (arrangement)
Contributors:
- Riki Tsuji (additional synths, vocals)
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/get-start
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-sDTjZi6sU
- https://open.spotify.com/track/1pFymHKpHGd4Sq4g6b8fTc
- https://music.apple.com/album/get-start/1774149625?i=1774149741
Commentary: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([Bandcamp about blurb](https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/get-start))

    Kickstarter reward for Alex Coady, 2012

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([SoundCloud description](https://web.archive.org/web/20150726011326/http://soundcloud.com/michael-guy-bowman/get-start))

    Commissioned by Alex Coady for the "Send Bowman and His Band to SXSW 2012" fundraiser. Featuring vox and additional sequencing by Astro Kid.

    Request was to make a 1-2 minute song that was "upbeat, melodic, and happy".
---
Track: You Are The Birthday Girl
Duration: 0:26
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/you-are-the-birthday-girl
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9GLUGbKExc
- https://open.spotify.com/track/0dG10Kiu753PyoDWR0BmdX
- https://music.apple.com/album/you-are-the-birthday-girl/1774149625?i=1774149742
Lyrics: |-
    Hooray for you, kid
    It's your birthday
    Let's all sing along

    Birthday
    Birthday
    Birthday
    Birthday
    You are the birthday girl

    Birthday
    Birthday
    Birthday
    Birth
    You're the best girl in the world

    You're one year older than you were last year
    So let's all have a big three cheers
    For this is the best day of the year
    Happy birthday to
Commentary: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([Bandcamp about blurb](https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/you-are-the-birthday-girl))

    Kickstarter reward for [[artist:solatrus|Jeremy Iamurri]], 2012

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([SoundCloud description](https://web.archive.org/web/20150726074549/http://soundcloud.com/michael-guy-bowman/you-are-the-birthday-girl))

    This is a birthday song you can sing whenever wherever - I don't care if it's in a movie or any derivative work of any kind! Let the jerks that own "Happy Birthday To You" go straight to hell!

    PARTICIPATION INSTRUCTIONS: Play either this song or its alternate version, "[[track:you-are-the-birthday-boy|You Are the Birthday Boy]]" and then say their name at the end after "Happy Birthday to..."

    Commissioned by fellow MSPA musician [[artist:solatrus|Jeremy Iamurri]] for the "Send Bowman and His Band to SXSW 2012" fundraiser whose birthday was a couple of days ago and for whom I attempted to make this birthday jingle.

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> (alternate artwork, SoundCloud)

    <img src="media/misc/you-are-the-birthday-girl.png" width="300">
---
Track: You Are The Birthday Boy
Duration: 0:26
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/you-are-the-birthday-boy
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9zFDgn1B3I
- https://open.spotify.com/track/7yKLdDube1N47eTgVCJTyL
- https://music.apple.com/album/you-are-the-birthday-boy/1774149625?i=1774149743
Lyrics: |-
    Hooray for you, kid
    It's your birthday
    Let's all sing along

    Birthday
    Birthday
    Birthday
    Birthday
    You are the birthday boy

    Birthday
    Birthday
    Birthday
    Birthday
    You are the pride and joy

    You're one year older than you were last year
    So let's all have a big three cheers
    For this is the best day of the year
    Happy birthday to
Commentary: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([Bandcamp about blurb](https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/you-are-the-birthday-boy))

    Kickstarter reward for [[artist:solatrus|Jeremy Iamurri]], 2012

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([SoundCloud description](https://web.archive.org/web/20150726141343/http://soundcloud.com:80/michael-guy-bowman/you-are-the-birthday-boy))

    This is a birthday song you can sing whenever wherever - I don't care if it's in a movie or any derivative work of any kind! Let the jerks that own "Happy Birthday To You" go straight to hell!

    PARTICIPATION INSTRUCTIONS: Play either this song or its alternate version, "[[track:you-are-the-birthday-girl|You Are the Birthday Girl]]" and then say their name at the end after "Happy Birthday to..."

    Commissioned by fellow MSPA musician [[artist:solatrus|Jeremy Iamurri]] for the "Send Bowman and His Band to SXSW 2012" fundraiser whose birthday was a couple of days ago and for whom I attempted to make this birthday jingle.

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> (alternate artwork, SoundCloud)

    <img src="media/misc/you-are-the-birthday-boy.png" width="300">
---
Track: In The Marching Band
Duration: 1:00
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/in-the-marching-band
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkuioynRDuc
- https://open.spotify.com/track/2FwhS3jYdZMt4mNOisAW8e
- https://music.apple.com/album/in-the-marching-band/1774149625?i=1774149744
Lyrics: |-
    Some bands only play in small bars
    Show up in their own cars
    Only just to pass time
    But my band always plays arenas
    You probably have seen us
    Playing at the half time

    Sequined soldiers of the football stands
    Killing our evenings in the marching band
    At every game we're in demand
    Our parents are our biggest fans
    As long as we're in marching band

    Some bands never really get big
    Only play a few gigs
    Not at all immersing
    But my band always goes to contest
    Cannot get a night's rest
    Always up rehearsing

    If the team keeps winning, wouldn't that be grand?
    Going to playoffs in the marching band
    Loading the equipment van
    Testing our attention span
    Oh why'd we join the marching band?
Commentary: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([Bandcamp about blurb](https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/in-the-marching-band))

    Kickstarter reward for Mason Herschberg, 2012

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([SoundCloud description](https://web.archive.org/web/20150727175329/http://soundcloud.com/michael-guy-bowman/in-the-marching-band))

    Commissioned by Mason Herschberg for the "Send Bowman and His Band to SXSW 2012" fundraiser.

    Original request as follows:

    "Marching Band really changed my life in 2011 so I figured a neat little jingle about Marching Band would be a fun thing to use as a ringtone and show my friends that also know about your music! I'd like like it to be funny and lighthearted."

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> (alternate artwork, SoundCloud)

    <img src="media/misc/in-the-marching-band.png" width="300">
---
Track: Explosion Force (They Do It Right)
Duration: 1:57
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/explosion-force-they-do-it-right
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzIdaKlzas8
- https://open.spotify.com/track/23bKmGpUwV2TRWGUoueTJw
- https://music.apple.com/album/explosion-force-they-do-it-right/1774149625?i=1774149745
Lyrics: |-
    When the moon is high and the night has fell
    They ride like demons out of hell
    But they're not demons, they are men
    Who send the demons back again

    Men of action, men of dreams
    Armed with guns and laser beams
    Hunting down all supernatural beings

    Explosion Force, they do it right!
    They drop the bomb and win the fight
    Riding in the Explosionmobile
    Fighting for justice and keeping it real

    Who will live and who will die?
    When the war is over, then you'll see why
    Explosion Force, they do it right!

    Roll call!
    Arthur, demolitions expert
    Felix, demolitions expert
    David, demolitions expert
    Bryan, who's also a demolitions expert YEAHHHHH

    Together fights this secret crew
    Sent from VASCU
    A secret cell of the FBI
    Sworn to make motherfuckers die

    Bad guys from the Cult of Scars
    They will find out where you are
    Where there's an ass to kick, they can't be far

    Explosion force, they do it right!
    You may bark, but they will bite
    Ghouls and goblins, you best beware
    You're no match, your ass is theirs

    Who will live and who will die?
    When the war is over, then you'll see why
    Explosion Force, they do it right!
Commentary: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([Bandcamp about blurb](https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/explosion-force-they-do-it-right))

    Kickstarter reward for Jeremy Geist, 2012

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([SoundCloud description](https://web.archive.org/web/20150726010937/http://soundcloud.com/michael-guy-bowman/explosion-force-they-do-it))

    Commissioned by Jeremy Geist for the "Send Bowman and His Band to SXSW 2012" fundraiser.

    Original request as follows:

    "I and some of my friends at college enjoy playing a game called 'Hunter: The Vigil'. It's a tabletop role-playing game where you're a bunch of hunters attempting to take down the assorted horrors of the night. Our characters are members of VASCU, a secret section of the FBI dedicated to taking down supernatural serial killers.

    Our cell name is 'Explosion Force'.

    If you couldn't tell, we quickly shifted the tone of the game from 'Supernatural' to 'The A-Team'.

    The characters are:<br>
    -Arthur Spencer, a hardboiled detective with nothing to lose.<br>
    -Felix Gant, a graduate student investigating the disappearance of his father. A vengeful spirit named Alan lives in his arm.<br>
    -David Bramble, an ex-military agent who enjoys guns, threatening people, and throwing his weight around.<br>
    -Brian McLane (my character!), a grizzled fellow who joined WitSec after VASCU put the blame on him in order to cover up mass Meso-American mummy murder. Both the team driver and the team drunk.

    The Explosion Force drives around in the Explosionmobile, a large van with the most bitchin' van art of all time: On the left side, a wizard plays guitar that shoots blue lightning, while on the right, a bear plays guitar that shoots green lightning. The lightning bolts meet in the back of the van and cause an explosion. The van also has a giant laser cannon under the hood.

    Every team needs a faceless, shadowy organization to fight, and in this case it's the Cult of Scars, full of people who love scars and/or human experimentation.

    Long story short, we've all chipped in for you to write the Explosion Force theme song (as if it were a weekly TV show). Do cheesy, yet inspirational '80s rock like 'Eye of the Tiger' or 'The Touch'."

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> (alternate artwork, SoundCloud)

    <img src="media/misc/explosion-force-they-do-it-right.png" width="300">
---
Track: Conro Corp Anthem
Duration: 0:36
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/conro-corp-anthem
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JE_JPHI2uP0
- https://open.spotify.com/track/7pHrLpYww8llgrRd0JE5Ut
- https://music.apple.com/album/conro-corp-anthem/1774149625?i=1774149746
Commentary: |-
    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([Bandcamp about blurb](https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/conro-corp-anthem))

    Kickstarter reward for Connor Norris, 2012

    <i>Michael Guy Bowman:</i> ([SoundCloud description](https://web.archive.org/web/20150725112211/http://soundcloud.com/michael-guy-bowman/conro-corp-anthem))

    Commissioned by Connor Norris for the "Send Bowman and His Band to SXSW 2012" fundraiser.

    Original request as follows:

    "For a series called 'untitled' about some guys who have a magic office building with an elevator to other universes. There'd be a lot of video game stuff referenced. They all work for a company called Conro Corp which is an actual group that will make games and other things. Pretty much I would like a jingle that could function as the Conro Corp jingle both in the show and in actual things, the theme for the show, and has a 8-bit like vibe to it. If it could be instrumental, great."
---
Track: Old Buggy Now (Solatrus remix)
Artists:
- Solatrus
Duration: 4:04
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/old-buggy-now-solatrus-remix
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sURPvo0Vf3U
- https://open.spotify.com/track/1aclGWCiQH2gX8xYIdIi55
- https://music.apple.com/album/old-buggy-now-solatrus-remix/1774149625?i=1774149747
Referenced Tracks:
- Old Buggy Now
Lyrics: |-
    Riding through the night like a jaded vagabond
    No one else in sight I could be the only one
    Hear me radio, play the song I know
    Take me where I long to go

    'Cause there's nobody nobody now
    Who can hear me or stop me now
    In this old buggy old buggy now
    In this old buggy old buggy now

    Guided by the stars burning up petroleum
    Here inside my car I could be the only one
    Somewhere in the sky a satellite on high
    Watches with its lonely eye

    'Cause there's nobody nobody now
    Who can hear me or stop me now
    In this old buggy old buggy now
    In this old buggy old buggy now

    'Cause there's nobody nobody now
    'Cause there's nobody nobody now
    'Cause there's nobody nobody now
    'Cause there's nobody nobody now

    'Cause there's nobody nobody now
    Who can hear me or stop me now
    In this old buggy old buggy now
    In this old buggy old buggy now

    In this old buggy old buggy now
    In this old buggy old buggy now
    In this old buggy old buggy now
    In this old buggy old buggy now

    In this old buggy old buggy now
    In this old buggy old buggy now
    In this old buggy old buggy now
    In this old buggy old buggy now
---
Track: Ithaca (hrmnzr remix)
Artists:
- Jamie Paige
Duration: 4:14
URLs:
- https://bowman.bandcamp.com/track/ithaca-hrmnzr-remix
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05WxO0QUYb8
- https://open.spotify.com/track/0O3b3PloAtv1bdPczu8U55
- https://music.apple.com/album/ithaca-hrmnzr-remix/1774149625?i=1774149749
Referenced Tracks:
- Ithaca
Lyrics: |-
    (The journey made by all)

    I spent the best years of my life waiting
    For this moment
    A time to call my own, a place to call my homeland

    It's come here far too soon
    I sit around my room
    Hatching my plans and schemes I mostly leave forgotten

    I spent my longest nights awake wondering through the outside
    Amused but still deranged, divided on the inside

    Returning to the core
    The place I can't ignore
    The wonder behind the fear I just can't seem to shake off

    Oo-ee-oo
    To dream or do
    To do or die
    To sink or fly

    Oo-ee-oo
    To get a clue
    To run and hide
    To laugh and cry

    I turned my back on battles won and sailed to new adventure
    The journey made by all, a lonely mortal tenure

    To Ithaca I sailed
    And though I have not failed
    My home is a fleeting camp, the journey's just beginning

    Oo-ee-oo
    To dream or do
    To do or die
    To sink or fly

    Oo-ee-oo
    To get a clue
    To run and hide
    To laugh and cry

    I spent the morning hours awake writing down the lyrics
    Resolved to get it right - to capture the true spirit

    Although I sing along
    That moment now has gone
    My heart still a restless sea where Ithaca is calling