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Stay Awake

by Mike Scheidt

supported by
bcb723
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bcb723 Never knew this existed. YOB's Mike Scheidt goes solo acoustic with recording by Tad Doyle. It's like a 90s timewarp back to the Pacific Northwest grunge-era. Intense to the nth degree, his singing is beyond focused to truly live through these sprawling songs. I think this shit is fantastic and also apparently 10 years ahead of its time, as it feels he could be describing now our current apocalypse. If SAP is your Alice In Chains go to... "Stay Awake" will knock you out. Favorite track: The Price.
Soma Holiday
Soma Holiday thumbnail
Soma Holiday Released 8 years ago but brand new to me. Extremely affecting and perfectly reflects these times. Favorite track: The Price.
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  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    Includes unlimited streaming of Stay Awake via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 3 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $21 USD or more 

     

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $9 USD  or more

     

  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    CD version comes in a 4 panel mini-LP style gatefold package.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Stay Awake via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 3 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $12 USD or more 

     

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The Price 08:54
5.
Breathe 12:26
6.
Stay Awake 05:03

about

In the last six months, Mike Scheidt has had to quit his day job, twice: the first time was when his doom metal trio YOB toured the US and Europe and the second time was when TOOL invited YOB to tour the US. Yet with all of this interest and attention, Scheidt still had enough creative energy to record a very personal, solo, acoustic album for release this summer on Thrill Jockey.

A native Oregonian, Scheidt did time in the '80s hardcore scene in the mid-Willamette Valley (he's lived all his forty-one years in the Eugene area). But with Ken Kesey's Oregon Country Fair so close, and rainbow gatherings on a seasonal basis right next door, Scheidt was inevitably drawn to some roots beyond his punk and metal leanings. Taking guitar lessons from none other than Zoot Horn Rollo (of Captain Beefheart's Magic Band) and learning to fingerpick while selling guitars at McKenzie River Music, he found weight and passion in albums by Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Merle Travis, and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.

To those familiar with YOB's front man, the sincerity, raw emotion, and Eastern philosophy that have found their way onto Stay Awake will be no surprise. These are core elements present in any YOB performance or song. They are merely veiled by a wall of sound. During a turbulent, transitional time for him personally, he turned to his guitar and subsequently penned a collection of simple and potent tunes. The process of removing that veil and presenting himself unprotected was a frightening challenge and a rewarding one. The lyrics, according to Scheidt, are based on "the present moment, hope, love and redemption. The big picture caught in a snapshot, looking at fear and doubt squarely, and making friends with them. My words are sympathetic/empathetic to sadness and heartbreak, while exploring transcendental themes in the same breath.” The music combines elements of folk (both Western and Eastern) with epic arrangements and the dramatic emotions, the latter being hallmarks of classic rock ballads. Says Scheidt, “I was exploring epic arrangements not unlike YOB in some ways.” The album was recorded by Sub Pop legend (and more importantly to Scheidt a close personal friend), Tad Doyle at his Witch Ape Studio in Seattle, Washington.

The music is meant to be intense, spacious and passionate while still being somewhat straight-forward and familiar. “This music is meant to be inclusive."

credits

released June 12, 2012

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Mike Scheidt Eugene, Oregon

Mike Scheidt, frontman of YOB, had taken some of his creative energy and invested it in a solo acoustic album. The music combines elements of folk (both Western and Eastern) with epic arrangements and the dramatic emotions, the latter being hallmarks of classic rock ballads. It is is meant to be intense, spacious and passionate while still being somewhat straight-forward and familiar. ... more

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