Leaving No Traces, the new album for 2008, started taking shape in 2006 with
the early versions of "Follow that Czar" and "Loose Change," our odes to certain
characters allegedly running the US government.
All of the remaining songs were written after the first album was released, except
for "Coke & Fries," a naughty little orphan first heard way back in 2003 on Aunt
Mike's 5-song demo, and "Turn Up the Clowns," a new ripoff written for the 2004
election (listen free here).
Jeff finished the album in a storm of digital improvisation, long evenings at the
mike and on the floor with Leslie, and hurried final touches to lyrics, in
December, 2008, in Oakland CA. He delivered a copy to Leslie, and they both
agreed not to talk about it for a few years. Then, once safely in Mexico, Jeff
decided to tentatively unwrap the baby from its iron crib and see what kind of
response it would elicit.
The plan right now is to tighten up the album, cut out a couple things, add
others, before we burn a buncha CDs to sell. But for now, you can order the
songs individually on iTunes. If several million of you do so, Leo can go to
college and Leslie can buy a new kneecap!
The cover art was done by, of course, Jeff. (Visit Jeff's web site for more art.)
Song Noir, released in 2005, recorded in a basement in San Francisco and a
bedroom in Alameda, using a Windows laptop, Pro Tools LE software, a
Digidesign Mbox and an M-Audio condenser mike. Instruments included a
Roland RD-700 synthesizer, Martin acoustic and Godin electric guitars, Turkish
oud, toy trumpet, recorder, water bottles, and a purple kazoo.
We still have copies shrink-wrapped for public consumption, but Song Noir is
also available on iTunes, as an album or as individual cuts. The Ripoffs are free,
and we will be adding more as inspiration laps up on our fetid shores.
The Story of La Califusa
In the halcyon early days of Decade Zero, after the Moron Error took over
America , benign insanity suddenly seemed a reasonable lifestyle choice -- no,
more than that; it seemed like a duty to God and country. Someone has to laugh
at all this shit that's happening. Why not us?
The result is La Califusa -- a name invented by Antonio Carlos Jobim to refer to
the place he received postcards from when Michael Franks wrote him telling him
how crazy life was in Los Angeles. Jeff Obser and Leslie Gore turned a nasty
habit of writing new words for other people's songs around a kitchen table in an
Oakland, Calif. ghetto, into an internationally acclaimed songwriting enterprise.
Some have called La Califusa balls-to-the-wall, off the hook, hard-hitting social
commentary masquerading as groovy comedy. Others have kicked us out of
their kitchens for offending their values.
We consider our music folk, but that's only because it's meant to be singable,
stealable and shareable. We do hiphop, punk country, bossa nova, ballads,
rock... a little something for everybody.
Each song is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons or notions living or dead
is purely coincidental. No sentiment expressed, mocked or heralded has any logical
connection to the thoughts, intentions, or worst nightmares of the artists, their
sponsors, muses, printers, producers, parents, spouses or children, real or imaginary.
