Hyphenated-man
Encyclopedia
Hyphenated-Man is the fourth solo album by Mike Watt
, and the first full-length recording he made under his own name since parting with Columbia Records
in 2005. Initially released in Japan by Parabolica Records in October 2010, the album will be released in the rest of the world on clenchedwrench
, an independent record label
newly-founded by Watt. He is accompanied on the album by his band The Missingmen
. guitarist Tom Watson and drummer Raul Morales.
(Watt refers to it as his third "punk opera") of thirty short songs, all two minutes or under (most average about a minute and a half) inspired by creatures from the paintings of Hieronymous Bosch; each of the thirty song titles is derived from a nickname Watt came up with for each creature, "since I don't know three-hundred-year-old Dutch". According to Watt, the album "is quite different" from his previous punk operas Contemplating the Engine Room
and The Secondman's Middle Stand
"in that it has no standard narrative... meaning no regular beginning-middle-end." Another inspiration woven into the album's lyrics was taken from "the idea of Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz
kind of tripping on what men do to 'be' men."
Musically, Watt was inspired to write short songs again after re-immersing himself in the back catalog of his first band, The Minutemen prior to and in the course of filming the documentary We Jam Econo
. Watt had seen a parallel between the album's initial concept and The Minutemen in "how many little trips could roll up into one big one."
The music to all thirty songs was written by Watt on one of Watt's late friend and Minutemen bandmate D. Boon
's Fender Telecaster
s. The guitar and drum tracks were recorded in three days in May 2009 during a planned break in a tour Watt undertook with the Missingmen, at Studio G in Brooklyn, New York, the studio of ex-Pere Ubu
bassist Tony Maimone
. Watt overdubbed his vocals and bass parts thirteen months later.
Mike Watt
Michael David Watt is an American bassist, singer and songwriter.He is best known for co-founding the rock bands Minutemen, dos, and Firehose; , he is also the bassist for the reunited Stooges and a member of the art rock/jazz/punk/improv group Banyan as well as many other post-Minutemen...
, and the first full-length recording he made under his own name since parting with Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
in 2005. Initially released in Japan by Parabolica Records in October 2010, the album will be released in the rest of the world on clenchedwrench
Clenchedwrench
Clenchedwrench is an independent record label founded by Mike Watt, bassist for The Minutemen, fIREHOSE and The Stooges....
, an independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
newly-founded by Watt. He is accompanied on the album by his band The Missingmen
The Missingmen
The Missingmen are a punk rock trio fronted by Minutemen/fIREHOSE/Stooges bassist Mike Watt. The band features Watt, guitarist Tom Watson , and drummer Raul Morales .The band's name is a humorous reference to the fact that during a 2005 European tour behind Watt's album...
. guitarist Tom Watson and drummer Raul Morales.
Writing and Recording
The album is a loose concept albumConcept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
(Watt refers to it as his third "punk opera") of thirty short songs, all two minutes or under (most average about a minute and a half) inspired by creatures from the paintings of Hieronymous Bosch; each of the thirty song titles is derived from a nickname Watt came up with for each creature, "since I don't know three-hundred-year-old Dutch". According to Watt, the album "is quite different" from his previous punk operas Contemplating the Engine Room
Contemplating the Engine Room
Contemplating the Engine Room is a punk rock opera by Minutemen veteran Mike Watt.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Mike Watt#"In The Engine Room"#"Red Bluff"#"The Bluejackets' Manual"#"Pedro Bound!"#"The Boilerman"#"Black Gang Coffee"...
and The Secondman's Middle Stand
The Secondman's Middle Stand
The Secondman's Middle Stand was Mike Watt's third solo album and the first full-length recording that he had made under his own name since the release of Contemplating The Engine Room in 1997....
"in that it has no standard narrative... meaning no regular beginning-middle-end." Another inspiration woven into the album's lyrics was taken from "the idea of Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)
The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs...
kind of tripping on what men do to 'be' men."
Musically, Watt was inspired to write short songs again after re-immersing himself in the back catalog of his first band, The Minutemen prior to and in the course of filming the documentary We Jam Econo
We Jam Econo
We Jam Econo - The Story of the Minutemen, is a full-length documentary about the influential 1980s punk rock band Minutemen, created by director Tim Irwin and producer Keith Schieron in association with Rocket Fuel Films...
. Watt had seen a parallel between the album's initial concept and The Minutemen in "how many little trips could roll up into one big one."
The music to all thirty songs was written by Watt on one of Watt's late friend and Minutemen bandmate D. Boon
D. Boon
d. Boon born Dennes Dale Boon, was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. Active between 1978, when he joined The Reactionaries, and 1985, when he was killed in a van accident, Boon was best known as the guitarist and vocalist of the Californian punk rock trio Minutemen.-Youth:Dennes Boon...
's Fender Telecaster
Fender Telecaster
The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is typically a dual-pickup, solid-body electric guitar made by Fender.Its simple yet effective design and revolutionary sound broke ground and set trends in electric guitar manufacturing and popular music...
s. The guitar and drum tracks were recorded in three days in May 2009 during a planned break in a tour Watt undertook with the Missingmen, at Studio G in Brooklyn, New York, the studio of ex-Pere Ubu
Pere Ubu
Pere Ubu is an experimental rock music group from Cleveland, Ohio.Père Ubu may also refer to:* Ubu, the enigmatic central figure of a series of French plays by Alfred Jarry, including Ubu Roi, and subsequent plays Ubu Cocu and Ubu Enchaîné...
bassist Tony Maimone
Tony Maimone
Tony Maimone is a bass player, producer, and engineer who lives in Brooklyn, New York.He was a member of Pere Ubu from the mid-1970s to the early 1990s, often playing with drummer Scott Krauss...
. Watt overdubbed his vocals and bass parts thirteen months later.
Track listing
- Arrow-Pierced-Egg-Man
- Beak-Holding-Letter-Man
- Hammering-Castle-Bird-Man
- Bird-In-The-Helmet-Man
- Belly-Stabbed-Man
- Stuffed-In-The-Drum-Man
- Baby-Cradling-Tree-Man
- Hollowed-Out-Man
- Finger-Pointing-Man
- Own-Horn-Blowing-Man
- Fryingpan-Man
- Head-And-Feet-Only-Man
- Shield-Shouldered-Man
- Cherry-Head-Lover-Man
- Pinned-To-The-Table-Man
- Mouse-Headed-Man
- Antlered-Man
- Confused-Parts-Man
- Bell-Rung-Man
- Boot-Wearing-Fish-Man
- Thistle-Headed-Man
- Funnel-Capped-Man
- Blowing-It-Out-Both-Ends-Man
- Jug-Footed-Man
- Lute-And-Dagger-Man
- Mockery-Robed-Man
- Hill-Man
- Hell-Building-Man
- Man-Shitting-Man
- Wheel-Bound-Man
Personnel
- Mike Watt - vocals, bass, songwriter, producer
- Tom Watson - guitars
- Raul Morales - drums
- Tony Mamione - engineer, mixer