Michael, the Worst, by Michael James Tapscott

Michael, the Worst

by Michael James Tapscott

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1.	Marnie Reprise 01:39	info	buy track
2.	Luxembourg Gardens 03:04	lyrics	buy track
Luxembourg Gardens When did you wake up this morning In your rented room in France Where will you go on the weekend With your rail pass in hand Sometime you lose and step right into all the happiness you can stand When I got up this morning My head it felt like glass Where I parked the car I can't remember So I rode the train instead Sometimes you lose and step right into another harlequin nightmare
3.	Evacuation City 04:41	lyrics	buy track
Evacuation City They chose this island for its distance from the sun After careful consideration of the neighboring one They stored seeds and DNA in a vault under the ground When they sealed that thing forever they hoped they were wrong Evacuation City They chose people in a lottery or for expertise and clout I had a cousin who worked there so I caught the first plane out When my daughter took the photo of our last day together I said hold the camera steady we don’t want this one blurred Evacuation City
4.	Michael, the Worst 02:56	lyrics	buy track
Michael, the Worst It’s a twisted fantasy It’s a far, far too sick joke It’s a feeling that I had forgotten It’s a problem that I did not know You act like a barefooted child When our love was so meek and mild I perform the duties of a husband I live the life of a flirt To please my lovers To ease their curse I become Michael, The Worst If I cared about anything tonight I’d run straight home to the wife Or I could drink all the vodka in heaven And smoke every last cigarette
5.	Honey Trap Reprise 02:56	info	buy track

about

"Michael, the Worst" is the new EP from Michael James Tapscott, featuring 5 songs that draw upon loner folk, ambient country, atmospheric soundtracks, and new age music. Serving to tie together his musical output of the past decade, the EP pays homage to his back catalog – including reimagined versions of two China songs (“Marnie Reprise” and “Honey Trap Reprise”); one unreleased China song (“Michael, the Worst”); and 2 new solo songs (“Luxembourg Gardens” and “Evacuation City”). The EP features contributions from Jeff Moller, Raphi Gottesman, Josh Housh, Jacob Aranda, and producer David Glasebrook.

Two of the songs are instrumentals; “Marnie Reprise” and “Honey Trap Reprise”, draw upon the soundtracks of Popol Vuh and Angelo Badalamenti, the devotional music of Alice Coltrane, and the shimmering guitar of early Michael Hedges. Meanwhile, the other three songs combine folk-rock melodies and textures with lyrics that play out like fragments of memories half remembered, half forgotten; “Luxembourg Gardens” was inspired by Les Miserables, “Evacuation City” came to him in a dream, and “Michael, the Worst” is a humiliating admission.

Somebody once told Michael that he wasn’t as experimental as he thought he was, maybe it’s a fair assessment. He’s not a virtuosic instrumentalist, his compositions are linear and often mathematically correct; He’s the type of student who skimmed White and Strunk’s "The Elements of Style" and thought, “I get it.” The experiment is in the living document that trails behind him, a catalog of varied personas and rotating collaborators. "Michael, the Worst" is another chapter, look for the next one on Royal Oakie in 2023.

credits

released December 2, 2022

Produced, mixed, and mastered by David Glasebrook
Additional engineering by Jeff Moller
Artwork by Yea-Ming Chen
All Songs by Michael James Tapscott © 2022 La Musica Del Yeti (ASCAP)

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about

Michael James Tapscott El Cerrito, California

Michael James Tapscott is an Bay Area-based musician and songwriter. Since 2004 he has been recording and performing under the names Odawas; More Animals of the Arctic; Royal Geography Society; China the band; Pacific Walker and his own name.

michaeljamestapscott.com

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