Mixing “Scatterlings And Refugees”, which has — almost but not quite inexplicably — turned into South African township jive. (I say “not quite” because this song always wanted to be Paul Simon’s “The Obvious Child”, and if you know the other song, you’ll really hear it when I make this available.) It’s all big drumlines and shuffling, almost Johnny Cash-esque acoustic guitar and layered vocals. No bass yet — I need to figure out what I’m going to do there. I think probably extremely simple, long notes, rather than anything too showy. And I need to add some organ and maybe an accordion.
It’s so goddamn pretty, though. Hopeful and beautiful and faster than the demo. It’s closest to the kind of thing I really want to do, a kind of numinous, transcendent music that’s savage without being hardcore. It doesn’t sound electronic and it doesn’t sound acoustic — I don’t know what it sounds like, really — but I really like it.
Also finally chords for the Vegas song I came up with in the car driving back from LA a year or so ago. It might be the last song on the album — it’s a short, slow piano song about this city and the hideous fuckers who come here to party and behave like assholes. Yes, you, dude. Also pretty, but very cruel.