Sitting in the Dark

Rickenbacker Raga

Faux Jean is a singer-songwriter from Duluth, Minn. Each week he adds a new song to an evolving record series over on Bandcamp and writes about it here. “From the Mixed Up Files of Mr. Matthew T. Schindler” is somewhere between a fake newsletter and a faux press release for the eponymous wabi-sabi private label album series that continues to evolve over there. Thanks for checking it out.

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FAUX DEARIES,

I hope this “letter” finds you well.

I am dashing this off somewhat quickly so I can spirit away to the airport and pick up my wife and kids, who were back in god’s country (Wisconsin) for like 12 days.

They even took the dog with them!

My only responsiblities for the past 12 days have been going to work and setting up the new place.

I have slept past 8:30 a.m. for ten days straight, which has not happened since my son was born back in 2011.

Dang that feels good!

New school orientation is tomorrow at 8:30 a.m., so my streak will end. Alas.

But I did get the house from this:

to this:

If you watched the unboxing video from last week’s newsletter, you saw that I found some old tapes (mixed-up files, as it were) and my old TASCAM 4-track cassette recorder.

Since then, I found another box full of tapes that were somewhat organized—packed into envelopes with the songs listed with start and end times, etc. I’m excited to dive into this dusty trove and share some old-new stock in future.

I shouldn’t run out of mixed-up files for some time.

In each envelope, a cassette full of weird ideas.

Before I forget, here is the song I added to the evolving “Mixed Up Files” album over at Bandcamp for this week:

This is a silly and quick minute and 38 seconds of overdriven Farfisa and Rickenbacker 12-string raga with a Dylanesque-Highway 61 whistle right at the end.

Here are the Lyrics:

Do you want to know?
All there is to know?
Are you seeking enlightenment?
Are you seeking yourself there?

Turn on the light
Let in some light
Wont you draw the shades
And open up our eyes

Open your heart and turn away
Open your heart today

You're sitting in the dark

A hi-fi version of this song wound up on the “AQUARIUS” LP by my old band The Spring Collection in 1999. You can stream that record on my personal site by clicking here.

Detail of envelope with song notes and drawing of the lift bridge in Duluth, MN.

Alas, I must conclude and head to the airport to reconnect with my people.

I remain your humble servant,

OX&C,

Faux Jean