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The Ballad Of The Undercrust

by Speaker For The Dead

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CLAYHAT
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CLAYHAT If you like The Taxpayers, you'll like this record.

I love the Taxpayers. Favorite track: And The Ghost Said! (don't say able-ist things!).
speed
speed thumbnail
speed super glad tht i could finally buy this album! i saw u guys perform live once and it was rlly great, and ive been meaning to buy this album ever since lmao Favorite track: Punk Rock Did Not Save My Life.
Mission
Mission thumbnail
Mission Hands down the best 26-piece clusterfolk band to come out of west Worcester in the last three years. 10 / 10, would listen again. Favorite track: Punk Rock Did Not Save My Life.
CH
CH thumbnail
CH A great album from an even greater group of people. RIP SFTD. You WILL be missed. Favorite track: Worcester Song.
Wes Meadows
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Wes Meadows Fantastic clusterfolk. RIP Favorite track: Saint Peter Part Two.
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  • Streaming + Download

    Includes high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more. Paying supporters also get unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app.

    this is a pay what you can digital download! Please consider $5-$10 suggested donation so we can afford to tour around the country! Twenty people were involved to make this, with lots of work hours!

    Also, $5 CD package and $10 Vinyl package available below!
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  • The Ballad Of The Undercrust Vinyl Pre Order
    Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    one Vinyl of The Ballad Of The Undercrust! We need to get 100 pre orders before we make em so we can afford to print em because running a huge brass band is expensive and we don't get paid a lot of play gigs! Sliding scale $10-$20 bucks (additional money will be used to make up for income that bandcamp eats)

    due to the time orders are being placed (and this is a somewhat last minute decision) we will unfourtunatly not be able to mail these out till after our tour!

    *when the music comes out online we will email you a free download link if you pre order this vinyl!

    * actual album art May differ!

    Includes unlimited streaming of The Ballad Of The Undercrust via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

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  • Ballad Of The Undercrust CD
    Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    We will make you a CD with the album art. It will not be super fancy but won't be a piece of crap either!

    Includes unlimited streaming of The Ballad Of The Undercrust via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

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1.
In each state I have toured to, I have heard a story from someones grandparent out of nowhere, either in coffee shops, bars, the post office, or wherever. This is an amalgamation of all these stories turned into a caracature set to some random midi recording that a ghost posted on our dropbox. Hope you enjoy!
2.
*This song is dedicated to dismantling all forms of racism, sexism, transphobia, and homophobia (both systematic and individually) in music scenes but most importantly dismantling those forms of oppression that exist with ourselves! (B) So you paid 15 bucks to get (A) (D) (B) into the show to see (B) seven bands that (A) (D) (B) nobody knows (B) you ever wonder where all that (A) (D) (B) money goes (B) well Ill tell ya, ill tell ya (D) (B) ill tell ya (B) It goes to companies bueracracies and those (A) bands you didn't even (B) come to see (B) they all need their gauruntees (A) so youll pay to play to get onstage (B) paid your dues played your tunes (A) with five white bands (B) and their all dudes (B) they all need to get their say (A) (B) so you pay to play to get onstage (B) its a classist, racist (A) (D) (B) music scene (B) tells us what were (A) (D) (B) supposed to see (B) homophobic, sexist (A) (D) (B) misogyny (B) (A) reminds us who were supposed to be (B->A) I don't do it for the love of music I do it for the hate of the industry every privatized song I do it because I am forced to walk a thin line painted red in the middle of the road and I can feel the walls close in on me one wall covered with the blood of my friends the other covered with sticky green dollar bills to me it feels like one cannot exist without the other and like in vintage pulp fiction movie tan and yellow screenings tell me I have to bleed myself dry for years give up everything for nothing until finally the day comes and the golden gates open for me and then I am the warden the others who struggled alongside now giving up everything they own for the nothing I have to give them because even as I walk through those gates I carry nothing with me, no weights, no emotional burdens gained only paid dues, some imaginary class warfare between those who have succesfully played the game and those who have not well I have found my way out of the maze filled with green sticky walls filled with dollar signs that seem like a foreign language to me sometimes its hard living outside the labrynth walls not fearing the minatour anymore not having a game to play you need your own purpose with rules to hold us up after sitting on crutches for so long believing your legs to be broken since birth sometimes its hard to run at first but we will learn, and then they will have to catch us Don't support a music scene that doesn't support you an me!
3.
(C) (G) (A) (F) (G) Punk rock didn't save my fucking life (C) I did you did (G) and oh my god damn parents did (A) but I never needed it (F) because I am a privilaged kid (C) (G) who never needed saving to begin with (A) (F) who never needed saving to begin with (C) (G) (A) (F) (G) (punk rock didn't save my fucking life) (C) and you might lie DIY until I die (G) but nobody does it alone (A) you might disguise your songs about friendships (F) as songs that you sing when your home in your room (C) bring your sweatshirts that say (G) "free food for everyone" (A) (F) that are never free for anyone (they are actually $20 fucking bucks) (C) (G) (A) (F) (punk rock didn't save my fucking life) (C) And I wanna do my part (G) but I know its not my burden (A) helping people who are hurting (F) should never be a burden
4.
(C) I made a wish upon a pond (G) in southern california (C) a ghost popped out and then he said (G) Hey boy I gotta warn you (A) this pond aint made for fishing (F) its only made for wishing! (G) (A) so make your wish if you catch my drift (B) (D) because I am coming towards you! (C) And so I stopped to think my thoughts (G) if only for a minute (C) the whole damn lake mellowed out (G) and you could hear a cricket (A) I thought about my pain inside (F) and how it felt so blank so I wished to return to before my heart sank AND THE GHOST SAID (C) You are not broken (G) and you cannot break (F) these are not the sounds (D) (G) that dead and dying people make (C) your not in a car crash (G) you didn't lose your legs (F) I know having your heart broken (D) (G) leaves you feeling kinda lame (D) (C) but your not, just in case you forgot (G) (F) (C) and you aught to know! and so the ghost crossed his arms in woeful disposition he told me I had to change my dissapointing disposition and so i thought about my life and how i got so forlorn and so i wished my life return to before I was born! and now the ghost looked at me and my mere mortal woes he took me by my shoulders and kissed me in my soul now he was prince no longer just a ghoul and so he said, try your heart again because you never know
5.
(Bb) If you're dead please raise your hand (F) we'll tell you what to do (Eb) and if you lived in Worcester please be sure (Bb) sure someones singing somewhere for you (F) and if Massachusetts is a coffin*** (Eb) than Worcester has the perfect (Bb) Funeral for you (Bb) So don't worry cause after you're gone (F) I will go to every show (Eb) with all of your friends as the list gets longer we will only sing harder and harder even if you can't hear us even if your not listening don't be afraid ill hold your hand cause I am stronger than saves the day And if I had one dying wish I would put on a show so I could give back everything I owe mend every sould take back every song I turned into gold before its weight takes its toll because I know Im getting old **** RIP Dom
6.
(E) I've lived a life others only dream about and when I died they said your late to game and there are papers that you can sign (E) to get in you just have to admit (C) (D) (E) that everything I am and everything I did was and is meaningless (E) I gave it my all and I ran out of words (C) (D) (E) to come from my mouth so that I could learn to scream and shout. (E) I can do it myself, I don't need your help (C) (D) (E) if you give me your money Ill discard all the wealth (E) I can see the road your trying to sell (C) (D) (E) it might look like heaven but to me it smells just like hell. Don't look at my heart out of the side of your eyes dont look at my art out of the side of your mind I thought we were friends I guess I was wrong doesn't mean we werent friends just means I was wrong.
7.
Fucking Folk 01:59
(C) So you think your fuckin folk (F) well I don't think you know the ropes (F) (G) (C) you put some flannel on and you can sing the blues (C) (F) you think you know the sounds that the tracks make on the ground (F) (G) (C) well whens the last time last train last way to get around? (F) Michigan to kansas city (C)) new york isnt always pretty (F) (G) (C) when you don't got a roof over your head (F) what would you know about the sound (C) of hunger without breaking down (F) (G) (C) what would you know about that anyhow? So you think your fuckin folk well I don't think you know the ropes put some flannel on and you can sing the blues overprivileged underwhelmed racist classist dramatic selves your homophobia dont sit with me well it aint all rainbows and it all just blackflags sometimes its just let live day to day it aint all white knights on horses sometimes its just going away
8.
The Troll 04:25
(Bb) if I had a dime for every time a man ran away because he was afraid (F) of romance (Bb) if I had the time to say stop youv crossed the line youv painted me a picture youv written me a poem youv sang me a song and it feels just like home (F) oh, romance (Bb) (F) (Bb) (F) (Bb) (F) (Bb) (F) than I would be a very very wealthy man (Bb) (C) (C#) (Em) (F) NANANANANANANANANANANAN If I had a line on every kind of fate that I could live or die oh, romance if there was a time i heard STOP singing your songs, your singing them all wrong we don't wanna sing along oh, romance than I would be a very very wealthy man if I had a quarter or a knickel or a dime for every lake I swam, or man I kissed or every line to every song I ever wrote...... then I would be.... oh wait I am a very wealthy man!!!
9.
Songs So Sad 03:47
(Am) And I waited every single second of every minute for (C) you to come down those stairs (Am) half expected you covered in rain to say (C) dont get on the last train to back bay station (Am) and when the last train he comes and says (C) no other of my brothers are coming here for you (G) They said boy why don't you come down with me and play the blues (C) youv got songs so sad they aint got soul (G) I said man, I can't even if you asked me to (C) I aint good enough to sing the blues and I didn't think that we would waste anytime with each other I once met a man who lived on a bench he said boy I think you've seen better days don't got a home so I know the place There's a devil on the train and he came for me.
10.
(sorry folks, I have no idea how to chord out this song) dont try to hide your lies they crumble just like your lines everybodys got cracks in beams that make them crooks and seem like they are stealing your life and your possibilities but don't let them in don't let them walk out of shop with that theifs grin like stealing pieces of you isnt a sin This is just a badly drawn portrait of a badly drawn soul some architect did not take his time when he sat at the drafting board don't try to rely on the souls of those who created you just try to make yourself Don't let them touch you, with even just five fingers, unless you want to.
11.
Contract 05:52
(Am) I cannot express (E) any way I feel, you are not the same (Dm) I only wanna sing about silly little things (F) to which you don't pertain (Am) and I would sell my soul (EM) if you show me the contract (Dm) (Am) would you sign for me? (Am) this does not perplex the rigid or the flex (E) my family does not expect the dreads to just reverse their necks (Dm) upon the countertops, are the demons I resurrect (F) but I digress (Am) A is for abnormal (E) and why I write in keys (Dm) with minors thrown in fires (F) save the children please? (Am) if your lyrics are the lullaby (E) your songs are just dream (Dm) I like to wake up in the middle (F) and continue on the scene I guess I can express anyway I feel because though I signed no contract my music skin is real I might not work the magick and the souls I might not steal but I learned to work inside a box and only for a meal and though I walk these roads not knowing whats in store Im not sweating this story because I have been here before

about

** Pay What You Can Download**
**$5 CD**
**$10 Vinyl**

This is our new album "Ballad Of The Undercrust"!
We are super proud of it!
Please help us promote if you can when it comes out
on your tumblr, facebook, twitter, in real life, etc!
Yay!

credits

released June 6, 2014

album art www.facebook.com/louis.roe

for "Ballad of The Undercrust" SFTD is:

Charlie- Accordion
Evah- Harp
Chan- Musical Saw
Alyssa- Clarinet, Piano
Colby- Accordion, Banjo
Kevin- Thunder Drum
Mark- Trombone
Alecks- Yelling, Good Looks
Nori- Yelling, Good Looks
Hunter- Uke
Shane- Acoustic Guitar
Laura- Electric Guitar (Lead)
Dylan- Trumpet
Cat- Trumpet
Mitch- Trumpet
Jack- Trumpet
Lydia- Trombone
Larry- Tuba
Taylor- Drumkit, Bass, Synth, Guitar (rhythm)
Greg- Guitar (crappy rhythm)

Produced by Taylor Goodman
Mixed by Taylor Goodman & Gregory McKillop
Mastered by Wes Meadows

drums, guitars, and lead vocals recorded by Taylor Goodman
lead horn lines recorded by Shane Hall
second horn lines recorded by Gregory McKillop
various other instruments recorded by friends or self recorded
*all tracks recorded in basements, barns and firehouses scattered across america

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Speaker For The Dead Worcester, Massachusetts

Big Queer and Allied Brasspunk Clusterfolk! No longer a band but thank you.

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