Two For Tuesday - Melvin Burch & pizza boy

This post basically wrote itself, or to be more precise, my brother Lyle wrote it for me.

This weekend saw the release of two very different albums by artists that I only just found out were the same person. I've listened to "Unless.." a handful of times now and it's as good as anything commercially out. Many of the tracks would be right at home on BBC 6 Music. If I had to liken it to anything I'd go with Young Fathers with a sprinkle of Andre 3000. Stand out track whether intentional or not is "America". I imagine it was difficult not penning something as compelling and earnest in the austere climate we're currently living in. Lyrics to the song can be found at the end of this post.

Coincidentally there's been much tweeted this weekend by artists on the act of rating albums on the day of their release. As I've only heard "bad Sunday" the once, and with it being pizza boy's final album, it would be fatuous of me to comment at this point. I've only ever heard him on "Too Suss 4 TV" by The Suss Boys so I look forward to spending more time with this album and his previous work.

Edit - having had another listen "bad Sunday" is hyperbolic, ambiguous, and lyrically paradoxical. It's broken up by extrenuous skits and laced with some of the most legit hip-hop beats I've heard in a while. It's a mostly solid albeit maniacal end to pizza boy's consciousness and something akin to a 12 gauge to the listeners's head, with the terminal "laid to rest" a befitting burial track. The weirdos like myself will love this album. R.I.P. pizza boy.

Hello Friends/Family/Peers,

One year ago, my friend Melvin approached me for assistance with career direction. Melvin is a talented artist who I've collaborated with many times throughout this past decade but also someone who I believe never explored the breadth of their potential. I was on board to not only figure out a direction for Melvin but also for his alter-ego pizza boy, originally a side project which experienced some modest success early in it's inception after getting picked up by Pigeons & Planes.One year of re-focusing and re-calibrating later, I'm very proud to be able to present the final product(s) with you. Melvin's album is very eclectic pop music and pizza boy's album is gritty, cinematic rap. Both projects are executive produced by yours truly and I contribute production (beats, duh) on every song on bad Sunday. 

I turn 30 tomorrow and I couldn't be happier after spending my entire 20's toiling, trying to find a place for myself in this vast universe of music, that I was able to direct my creative energy into a vessel with so much more potential than myself. Together, I think we made two projects that will stand the test of time and I hope you don't sleep on them. That's all for now...thank you for all the love and support over the years as always and I wish you all nothing but health and happiness in the future.

Thanks for listening.
Your Friend,
Lyle Horowitz

Melvin Burch - Unless We Meet Again: https://melvinburch.bandcamp.com/album/unless-we-meet-again (free stream/download)

pizza boy. - bad Sunday: https://iampizzaboy.bandcamp.com/album/bad-sunday (free stream/download)

I chose to use Lyle's commentary as it's from an email newsletter but you can and should also check Melvin's reasoning behind the release of "Unless We Meet Again" here - Facebook

I'd like to say Happy Birthday to both Lyle and Melvin and hope this helps support both of them in some small way. As promised the lyrics to America are below. 

-Bossman75

Ahh, yes: AMERICA
The only land I've ever known; home
The only place where you better roll or let the punch knock your soul out
No doubt, I can roll with the best of 'em
No clout, I can flow with the rest of 'em
Gotta make a name, though
Gotta make a name, though, they say
They'll make you feel ashamed of loving the way your name holds weight to you without their mouths ever getting a taste
Oh, as you stare from the window, finally at peace, finally able to be, you remember how you've been told
Gotta make a name, though
Gotta make a name, though
A name as strong as...
AMERICA, AMERICA
Nothing stronger, 'til you stare a little longer and see the frailty
Don't be afraid, it all settles down
Tell yourself they can cross-examine, but they'll never nail me
So much mess, so much mess
Each day a test, and each night a pop quiz
No reason around, an abundance of nonsense
100 of comments in this one section
But when you see a face, do you even question how they’re doing in...
AMERICA, AMERICA, AMERICA
Have you never felt alone in AMERICA?
Have you never felt not at home in AMERICA?
Have you never felt exposed in AMERICA?
Have you never been in the throes of AMERICA?
AMERICA, AMERICA, AMERICA, AMERICA, AMERICA
You see, AMERICA walks with its skin free
Saying “There can still be a heart where there’s no sleeve”
Indeed, I can feel my heart swell as I stand naked before her
Promise, Opportunity, Desire; Chasing After Spectacle Tirelessly
I can’t wait to make a podcast about AMERICA
To talk forever about AMERICA
How through its gate/gait, I saw the gold, and believed that I, too, should walk in that way
Have you seen the spoils?
Have you seen the treasure?
I’ve seen it on the screens since birth
I’ve seen it in church
I’ve even heard that it’s in the Earth
I’ma get to it, I’ma get to it
Wherever it is, I’ma get to it, and when I get to it, it would only be right to yell…
AMERICA
But you see, I heard time has run out
The jig is up
The unravelling has begun
The foundation is crumbling
You can hear it in the mumblings
You can hear it in the yells as more people reach the reward
AMERICA
And another brick turns to dust, unable to support her and him and it and them and us
Another step is lost; the gate/gait becomes rickety
As everyone and everything is favored
And yes, that is the idea of...
AMERICA, AMERICA
So who can say it is the time to hate or the time to love?
Because if the jig is truly in the sky above
We can either go out or go crazy
If we go out, it is not the time to create
For there will be nothing to behold and embrace what you have brought forth
Nothing to care for it if it were to lose track of you
And its life would be short and as meaningless as ours
If love is lost, it is never to be found
But if we go crazy, to create is the way to make sane
Whatever your sane may be
To remember the days
To remember the nights
To have something to gain
To have something for pain
To have something to say:
Hey
I have felt
I have wanted
I have fought
I have denied
I have hurt
I have helped
I have been
Perhaps to find a way forward
A way past the end
To rise from an ash to begin something that you have never seen in...
AMERICA, AMERICA, AMERICA, AMERICA, AMERICA
Beyond the products
Plans
Release dates
Chores
Bores
Fords
Fans
Tweets
Posts
Articles
Dust bunnies
Barnacles
Candidates
Lies
Ideas
Opinions
Voices
Gatekeepers
Tastemakers
Influencers
Choices
Journalists
Bloggers
Resource hoggers
Princes
Paupers
Movers
Shakers
Talkers
Silence
Indifference
Apathy
Injustices
The public
The love when you think about them
The kisses
The hugs and the goodbyes
The hellos
The hooks, lines, and sinkers
Blinkers
The right
The left
The only see the extreme-ers
The inbetweeners
Tragedy
Conspiracy
Orchestration
Initiative
Indoctrination
Payments
Bills
Exes
Texts
Sex
Stress
Sounds
Sights
Lights
Darkness
Targets
Wal-Marts
Tears
Smiles
Disease
Affliction
Illness
Ceilings
Oppression
Torture
Deception
Connections
Best friends
Family
Something
Nothing
And what may lie in the middle
Beyond whatever you’ve found in...
AMERICA