Black Dogs At My Back

Official band blog. As official as anything on Tumblr can be, anyway.

[blackdogsatmyback]

The Pinned Post

I’m with the band.

You can find the actual music on Bandcamp, or just updates and release information on Twitter.

This here Tumblr is for what Tumblr’s always for: delighting in random bullshit.

[blackdogsatmyback]

Even with A Lot Going on Lately, I had to drop something. And since it was ready early, sure, why not now. (...The title was a joke to make sure I'd installed the font correctly until I decided not to change it.)

Always always always, love and hope and noise.

[blackdogsatmyback]

Hey, it's Bandcamp Friday! Which I totally didn't just remember ten minutes ago.

Black Dogs at My Back

I liek teh boom twang screm. Lots of black, lots of rhinestones, lots of animal patterns. I was born in the '80s and by god I'm gonna die th

[blackdogsatmyback]

Full album link.

Happy New Year! Bury the old one deep.

As stated in the album notes: Fuck "good" art, just make SOMETHING.

[blackdogsatmyback]

Black Dogs at My Back

I liek teh boom twang screm. Lots of black, lots of rhinestones, lots of animal patterns. I was born in the '80s and by god I'm gonna die th

It's Bandcamp Friday! I got no less than two e-mails this morning about it, and I've just now remembered! Again! ...Anyway, there's a wide assortment of noise to browse, thank, welcome.

[blackdogsatmyback]

Yes this is an album of purposefully grating music with some extra spite energy thrown in, but for now this is how I'm celebrating queer solidarity and unhinged tenacity.

[blackdogsatmyback]

Black Dogs at My Back

I liek teh boom twang screm. Lots of black, lots of rhinestones, lots of animal patterns. I was born in the '80s and by god I'm gonna die th

I hear it's Bandcamp Friday! (Which I actually remembered this time!) Perhaps I can interest you in a discography which is increasingly fueled by annoyance at the badly-acted farce happening on the world stage while remaining unshakably hopeful?

[blackdogsatmyback]

Visit Original Link

Just dropping this in places right now for reasons.

I will not only see you on the other side, but in the long tunnel on the way there.

The Myth of Unkillable Gods | Black Dogs at My Back Bandcamp

[blackdogsatmyback]

A little early, but you know.

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I usually only post demos to my Patreon, but this one just seemed like it ought to be released into the wild. It's not particularly likely to get all that much more refinement anyway, for... stylistic reasons.

Ain't everyone's thing, that's fine. It's still a thing I want to leave out there in case someone who needs it might find it.

Lyrics under cut.

We're living in a world where you are asked to believe That silence is protest And protest is progress And progress is meaningless And on your knees is the better way to live

Don't know about you But this isn't what I'm here to do But I don't plan to be a martyr either

[blackdogsatmyback]

It's a dark, cold, rainy fall day, it's Sunday the 13th, it's a surprise album to even me.

[blackdogsatmyback]

In hopes that this may be seen quite accidentally by anyone who may need it: if you're having a hell of a lot of trouble getting your DAW to play nice with one or more VST plugins that either keep crashing, going silent, or somewhat start devouring each other, I am loudly vouching for jBridge. It's been the only thing that actually gets several older VSTs to consistently load, save the correct data, and work with other instances of itself or other similarly difficult VST plugins that I've come across. I'm pleased enough to recommend it, in any case.

(As with all software, scan and monitor activity liberally, but not a single problem was been encountered here.)

I can get back to making noise without the extra frustration involved, is the very important point. Just the usual levels of frustration.

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Hey so it turns out my happy place is scored by a Yamaha CS80.

(This was just a VST/plugin test but I liked it enough to share. ...I need a wider assortment of synthwave drums, methinks.)

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How about we skip to a little Wrath and Joy with a small dash of Melancholy?

And here we have the entire album release! ...More tracks than this one, honest.

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Recent events lead me to release this particular track a little early. Full album release roundabouts the early hours of June 1.

Lyrics below.

Your time has come to be recognized All of your riches no longer denied Everything you've never worked for Praised, embraced, on display (Smile for the serfs)

Dirty little people looking up to you Drums start beating their modern tattoo You realize it's not just you; so many people you recognize

Everybody's gunning for the guillotine The place to go if you wanna be seen Everyone who's anyone is standing in line (Oh it's gonna be fine)

No thrill will ever beat the guillotine Your true value on display and seen Surely that screaming is just for you Smile for the serfs

Calm down, people, calm down You'll get your turn

Just get on the platform; you'll see what I mean Some people might call this living the dream

Everybody's gunning for the guillotine The place to go if you want to be seen Everyone who's anyone is standing in line

Everybody's gunning for the guillotine The place to go if you wanna be seen Everyone who's anyone is standing in line

Eat the rich they say But there aren't enough billionaires to keep us full I guess they're really useless after all

(We're hungry)

Calm down people, calm down You'll get your turn

Everybody's gunning for the guillotine The place to go if you wanna be seen Everyone who's anyone is standing in line

No thrill will ever beat the guillotine Your true value on display and seen Surely that screaming is just for you Smile for the serfs

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[Sound effects credits: guillotine, crowd 1, crowd 2, crowd 3.]

[blackdogsatmyback]

I got a Barnes & Noble gift card over the holiday season, and while I could have used that for books... well.

I've been completely out of the loop, so I didn't realize Empathy Test had re-released CDs until I chanced searching for the band. Pouncing ensued. I'd been extremely disappointed about missing out on the last release (yes yes, they're on Bandcamp, but physical media), so I leaped on my two favorite albums, which the card covered save about $2.

Imploding the Mirage won out on the third CD that got me free shipping. ...That's a great excuse for more music, right? And, well. "Caution" was worth the price on the CD. Let's just say that's very much it, yes. (And what I'm listening to right now, possibly a little too loudly.)

An aside: it might not be overstating matters to say The Killers are at least partly responsible for finally getting me to start making my own music. I distinctly remember hearing "Mr. Brightside" on WFNX (back when it used to exist, ha ha) with the windows down in the car, in the pleasant heat of summer, and it was invigorating. Of course I found out later that we had similar musical influences, and were similarly... kept alive by music, on top of being "desert rats". What can I say, all of Hot Fuss hit just right, leading to a summer of staying up until 5:00 AM, learning how to use a sweet little 4 track tape recorder, and everything that followed.

...Which, you know. In hindsight, might make the excessively long illness that forced me to give up music for a while make a little more sense. But that did turn out to be a hereditary condition triggered by walking pneumonia, so. ...Still my Tragic Villain Origin Story.

[blackdogsatmyback]

Happy Early end of 2023! ...Have some musical shower thoughts. Sorta.