the gifted children - the commonwealth squelch

Release date: September 7, 2005

From a 48-second anthemic ode to co-dependence ('laboring in the dream factory') to the creation of a parallel-universe dance craze ('the commonwealth squelch'), this is jam-packed indie rock action.

Note: Originally released on Beat the Indie Drum/Big School Records as BTID-001 (https://www.beattheindiedrum.com/?p=9)

Credits:
jeff suszczynski - drumset on 1, 2 & 4; acoustic guitars on 1; bass on 1; voice on 1, 3 & 4; vocoder on 2; backward noises on 2; guitars on 3 & 4; hi-hat on 4
bill trautman - drumset on 1, 3 & 4; bass on 2 & 4; guitar on 2 & 4; voice on 2 & 4

all songs written by suszczynski/trautman
lyrics by suszczynski, except track 2, by suszczynski/trautman
performed by jeff suszczynski and bill trautman

All songs written and recorded the night of July 29-30, 2005, in Bill’s house (Cheektowaga, NY).
Additional recording: August, 2005, in Jeff’s apartment (Rochester, NY) and Bill’s house (Cheektowaga, NY).
Recorded on MD8 and PC, edited by Bill and Jeff on PC.
All songs written by Suszczynski/Trautman.
Lyrics by Suszczynski except track 2 by Suszczynski/Trautman.

Special thanks to Justin Sheehan and Nick Hall for bearing witness and providing sample-happy background noise.

Lyrics and individual track credits:

01.      laboring in the dream factory

spayed by the hand that held me
kept your eyes on the prize
thought you could speak new languages now
someday maybe
you’ll find me in your drafty attic
dust me off, show me daylight
let me feel the sun
dream of machinery
to swim and never rest
making our own shoreline memories

jeff suszczynski – drumset, acoustic guitars, bass, voice
bill trautman - drumset

02.      interstate

destroyed by leaky faucets
a gentle wash surrounding sheets
as the din envelops you realize
distant car noise is everything
not unlike the sounds that plants make

jeff suszczynski – drumset, vocoder, backward noises
bill trautman – bass, guitar, voice

03.      patched in gold

we came close and felt the edge|
is it contact that spoils the meat?
a galaxy of faces turned against the wind
our crescent moon now always waning

jeff suszczynski – guitars, voices
bill trautman – drumset

04.  the commonwealth squelch

let’s do the commonwealth squelch!
finance the firebrand
we were old once dancing to big band
and praying for marriage
let’s do the commonwealth squelch!

jeff suszczynski – guitars, voice, drumset, hi-hat
bill trautman – drumset, bass, guitars, voices