the gifted children - one clear minute, volume 02

Release date: October 27, 2009 

just a little more than a month after the first volume of the 'one clear minute' series was released, we're happy to announce that volume 02 is ready for release! once again, there's one rule: the maximum song length is 60 seconds. in that single minute, the gifted children have managed to create 9 more fully realized songs, not just little fragments or tossed-off ideas. 

volume two again has a wide variety of sounds, ranging from noisy mini-anthems ('the arrhythmic fervor') to straight-up indie rock ('supper club', 'plebeian assault') to beatlesque pop ('welcome to sex in the 90s') to more stripped down, acoustic songs ('american night', 'empty homes') and more... 9 songs, 8 minutes, a lot of ideas and, perhaps most remarkably, a coherent flow from start to finish to make this a true mini-album.

Credits:
brett dreyer - tenor saxophone on 7 
tim grimaldi - drumset on 2,4-7 justin sheehan - voice on 5 
jeff suszczynski - keyboard on 2,4; guitar on 2-7,9; voice on 2,3,5-7,9; bass on 4,5,7; shaker on 5; piano on 8 
bill trautman - guitar on 1,3,8; voice on 1,3,8; bass on 1,2,3,6,8; drumset on 1,3,8; effects on 3; keyboard on 8 
alexander trimpe - voice on 7 
sarah trimpe - voice on 7

tracks 1, 3 & 8 by bill trautman
tracks 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 9 by jeff suszczynski

cover collage by jeff suszczynski.

Lyrics and individual track credits:

01        0:30 (trautman)

it’s just lack of ideas
that get us where we’re going to in 30 seconds
you can run real fast if you want to
it won’t help at all
not in 30 seconds

bill trautman – guitars, voices, bass, drumset

02        supper club (suszczynski)

off with the dinner jackets now
let’s leave the supper club behind
grab your pencils, kids
it’s time for a blue collar tracheotomy
a new way to breathe

tim grimaldi – drumset
jeff suszczynski – keyboards, guitars, voice
bill trautman – bass

03        fema (trautman)

it’s under the water
so follow my lead on this one
roll up your sleeves
you’ll seem more hardworking
yeah, roll up your sleeves

jeff suszczynski – guitar, voice
bill trautman – bass, guitars, drumset, voices, effects

04        the arrhythmic fervor (suszczynski)

i miss you before you’re gone
so convinced that we will end
that rhythmic will turn to chaos -
the tachycardia makes ears buzz and hands sweat
with the arrhythmic fervor of a thousand birds
trying to flap together :
are we to remain so?

tim grimaldi – drumsets
jeff suszczynski – guitars, voices, bass, keyboard

05        american night (suszczynski)

you drive under wires and over floods
in a sea of taillights
your imaginary angel called again
but the hands-free went dead
you ache for connection
but get fields of grain and rest stops instead

all hail the american night...

tim grimaldi – drumset
justin sheehan – harmony voice
jeff suszczynski – acoustic guitars, shaker, voices, piano

06        plebeian assault (suszczynski)

breadmother will i know you?
let’s bring all our problems
and throw them in the pit
fill with sand
and let’s make a park out of it

tim grimaldi – drumset
jeff suszczynski – guitars, voices
bill trautman – bass

07        the darlings of homecoming (suszczynski)

oh, damaged beauties of the bulimic sky
you are gorgeous and so used
you are planets bursting from longing
to be greater than you are -
you wish you were stars
so come, let us toast the darlings of the goodnight kiss on the cheek

brett dreyer – tenor saxophone
tim grimaldi – drumset
jeff suszczynski – acoustic guitar, ebows, bass, voices
alex trimpe – voice
sarah trimpe – voice

08        welcome to sex in the 90s (trautman)

please complete this form
you know i can't let you leave until you've signed off
there's a slight dispute over labor rates
please be sure to return
please be sure to return your medical permission slip

jeff suszczynski – piano
bill trautman – guitars, bass, keyboard, drumset, voices 

09        empty homes (suszczynski)

the slow night telephone
arms out for something
grab nothing but pale light
the secret’s out:  we’re all alone here
buffalo has empty homes

we’re drowned in watery echoes
and great lakes breezes
and lack of newness

so let’s meet at the cemetery gates
hold each other up and watch the sky

jeff suszczynski – acoustic guitar, voice