[Ball of Wax 40, as we’ve mentioned, is a little different. Given the unique nature of each of the bands and songs on this collection, we decided to eschew our usual track-review format for the blog in favor of letting each of the bands speak for themselves about the songs they wrote and recorded in a day. 2010 was assigned to Lords of Eternity (Casey Alexander, Chris Antal, Nate Biehl, and Allison Tullos). The band has assembled this oral history. Lords of Eternity will reunite for one time only to perform this song at the first Ball of Wax 40 release show on June 20th!]
Chris: “Casey first mentioned that the BP oil spill happened in 2010.”
Allison: “It started with us talking about the 2010 oil spill (and subsequent South Park episode with the head of BP begging, “we’re sorry”), which got us thinking about our constant search for easily exploited energy sources. And how little we can do to change the shape of how things are run. We were also talking about the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey and someone brought up that there was a sequel called 2010. That is obviously crazy, so we took it one step crazier and decided to base our song in 3010.”
Casey: “2010 was also the year the Tea Party came up. The party that made noise about personal freedom to pursue wealth and resources, free of any forethought or regulation. If you listen carefully, you can hear Sarah Palin quitting her job as governor and convincing people that scientists are malicious assholes who are trying to ruin the American economy.”
Chris: “We improvised on a couple spacey dance grooves and organized some musical ideas. After jamming on Act I ideas, Casey had to leave for an hour or so for a friend’s baby’s birthday party. So we took a break to discuss the future of humanity and took the end of the world approach, imagining a life on Mars or some other planet. While we caught a breath of fresh air, Allison was drawn into The Crypt (Leather daddy/sex toy/porn store) next door, scoping an opportunity for some lyrical inspiration, notebook in hand. Which brings me back to an early childhood memory when I decided to look at T-shirts hanging in a closet for band name ideas, for which I was kicked out of the band by my brother and his friend. They called the group Double Jinx . . . More like Double Jerks! I didn’t kick her out of the band, and we got some great ideas from DVD titles.”
Allison: “In the year 3010 we have colonized some other planet(s) and are greedily sucking up all the natural resources we can get our hands on. –Nate did some great writing about this part in the second section about what conflicts our people, (and others?) have come up against. As I remember, it had something to do with making people dance to make the energy morsels that the natives needed. And that we were becoming the farmed ones. Or something like that . . .”
Chris: “Yeah, while Allison and I were work-shopping robotic vocal melodies for her lyrics (using her rad vocal FX box), Nate disappeared and later returned with a whole new killer song that delved deeper into 3010 life. He jumped on guitar (previously on bass) and Casey picked up the bass. This section came together quickly and natural like in the movies (‘This is a blues riff in B, watch me for the changes and try to keep up, OK?’-MJ Fox).”
Nate: “Act II is a celebration of windfall by martian prospectors who’ve hit the big time. An anthem of greed and gluttony, of wallowing in opulence. They’ve unearthed (un-Marsed?) a cache of protein that they can feed to the human livestock. In the future, DJs are the means of production. They make the livestock dance to generate energy.”
Chris: “After a long & hardy drum fill, and from long staring at a screen in a hot dark room, I desperately needed a short break. When I returned, the other Lords had already put together yet another song with Allison back at the wheel, driving the lyrical bus. Casey back on guitar and Nate on bass. It sounded so polished and perfect without drums. So I pressed record, and happily listened.”
Allison: “. . . Meanwhile, (and remember that time is dependent on the observer) a space ship carrying some gentle folk through the depths, on the lookout for a new home (?), they pick up the dancing song on their radio. That song fades into the song of the hopeful, gentle cowboys who, while resigned to the greedy nature of life, ask that we all at least try to pay better attention to what we’re doing. Circle Kings go home, models we accept, repent and motivate, Circle Kings go home.”