Rise Up Music Project

Stereothreat was a band based in Seattle comprising of Andre Calderon, Kenneth Maldonado, and Taylor McCarrey. Every other month, they are releasing a new song on the 12th of every month. The song for this month is Dollar Bill Origami.

When the well runs dry, use someone else's well!

This is another tune from the musical that I’m working on with my dad, author Lawrence Wright, and blues legend Marcia Ball. Why would they write a musical with me?? That’s a subject for another podcast. The more important question is where does this song, “Life,” appear in the musical and who sings it?

Well, on this version, that’s me singing, somewhat ridiculously, trying to inhabit the show’s slimy lobbyist narrator, L.D. I mentioned LD last month when I shared our rendition of a Church of Christ hymn. This time however, LD himself is the singer. He sings this song to Lola Lamb, the tough, no-nonsense cowgirl who’s been lied to and cheated on by her husband, Sonny, the hero of our story. He had been lured to political office by LD, and now, near the end of the musical, she is plain pissed off. This tune is LD’s attempt at commiseration, but really it ends up giving us a glimpse into his sad, jaded worldview.

In fact, in the dialogue that precedes this song, LD says something even more revealing. When Lola says she’s through with everything, LD responds, “Listen Lola, life is full of people like you and Sonny, people tryin’ to reach each other and never getting close enough to hang on. And then they’re gone. And we’re alone.”

Zach Duenow is a midwestern musician. He is releasing a new song on the fourth of every month this year, and his song for today is called “Somewhat Blurry.”

Jon Preece is an Argentine musician and father and he is particularly Argentine when the World Cup is in the air. This is a little tango to get you motivated for World Cup action en vivo por Telemundo. Please don’t watch it with American commentary. It’s a disgrace.

Benjamin Goldenhour (the songplayer.) is serious about play, encouraged in chaos, and loves a good ol’ fashioned mistake; he has no idea what he is doing, but that has fortunately never been a hindrance. He lives in the woods somewhere outside Seattle with his novel-writing partner, rock-chewing mutt, and nap-dodging toddler. Listen for his new music on the second day of each month.

This month’s recording is a poem about patience and the pitfalls it allows us to avoid.