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Tuning Out

by Wicked Bears

supported by
*Bawkawwwk*
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*Bawkawwwk* these guys are going to be going places, and I can't wait to see just how far they get Favorite track: Cameron.
bobbyg_scot80
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bobbyg_scot80 Sometimes bears just have to be wicked...its okay though cause wicked bears are special just like all the other bears! Favorite track: Nickel Arcade.
Adam Brookes
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Adam Brookes super catchy pop punk. sing a long central! Favorite track: Nickel Arcade.
Will Baxter
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Will Baxter Ahh, this is so great.

Incredible melodies with cool song writing.
Calvin
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Calvin Amazing album with catchy melodies, sing-a-long choruses and entertaining lyrics! One of my favourites this year, highly recommended. Favorite track: Nickel Arcade.
squrr1
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squrr1 I don't know the technical term, but I think it's eargasm.

"Two lines that are not parallel will eventually meet, and I think there's nowhere else I'd rather be!" Favorite track: Reebok Classics.
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1.
2049 02:33
The year is 2049, and the future of mankind is in no way in peril. But, there’s a skull and crossbones floating right over my head. It doesn’t really bother me, it’s been there for a while now. Sometimes, I forget that it’s there until I bump it on a doorframe, or the wind gets it stuck in my hair, or I catch somebody trying not to stare. Man, I wish those flying cars I hear about would come down and take me away. Because when I look up at the stars in the infinity of space, they do not spell out your name. No, that would be too convenient! Stars can’t just go around spelling any name anybody looks for, and if they did, I’d probably keep pronouncing it wrong anyway, and I would not share my astral revelation. Now, I’m seeing things. I’m seeing faces every time I close my eyes. Can’t tell if I’ve been poisoned, or if I’m just desensitized. So now my eyes are always dry from staring at the sky. But, I know those flying cars I hear about aren’t coming to take me away. And when I look up at the stars in the infinity of space, they do not spell out your name. No, that would be too convenient! Flying cars can’t go around picking anybody up, and if they did, I might tell them just to take me to my parents’ house because I don’t see them as often as I should.
2.
Tuning Out 03:08
I’ll get it right on my neck! I’ll get, “negligent,” tattooed onto my neck. Then, I won’t have to explain all of the meaningless decisions that I make, and make, and make, knitting, and knitting, and knitting, and knitting. But was there ever a doubt about the reasoning for why I’m tuning out? I’m letting myself go, chewing on bones, chasing my tail too close to home. But this frequency’s my own, so you should know, the DJ plays a fart noise after every shitty joke. And while it’s fitting, isn’t it also shitty? But they don’t fix what isn’t broken and the ratings have spoken, so when they pass you what they’re smoking, listen close. But was there ever a doubt about why I’m tuning out? So, this is entertainment? Catch phrases, laugh tracks, and product placement? No one’s looking to be enlightened, just for disposable income, for funding something more important. “Like you’re unraveling a big, cable knit sweater, that someone keeps knitting, and knitting, and knitting, and knitting!” The late-night talk show host is making everybody laugh by being rude about some other famous dude. And it amounts to a Charlie Brown adult voice. Condescending white noise. Through the din of the trombones, listen close. So, when they pass you what they’re smoking, listen close. And when they flash their signs and tokens, listen close.
3.
No Vacancy 02:30
Why do I put myself through this shit? You’d think by now I’d have had enough of it. But I’m desperate for better days, and for someone to say something I don’t hate, or for someone to make sense of what has happened to this place. There is no vacancy here, but all the tenants moved away. So, when your loved ones don’t ask about your day because they’re afraid of what you’re going to say, and when you make your plans three months before to sneak into the show, then you do, and they only play a single song you know, to keep yourself from crying, try to laugh. HA HA. First name, “Sir,” last name, “You’re Making a Scene and It’s Closing Time So We’re Going to Have to Ask You to Leave.” Yeah, that’s what I go by now and on the streets, I’m just a stray. Because there’s no vacancy here, but all the tenants moved away! There is no vacancy here, but all the tenants moved away. HA. HA.
4.
I stood at the threshold of hysterics in the nickel arcade when the girl behind the counter told me just to let her know if she could help me in any way. So I looked in her dead eyes ‘til mine fell to her tie (and the tie clip that kept it in line), and I said, “I think you and me can help each other.” Because I just want to see my friends and play some video games, and in the meantime get you going on that minimum wage. But, what about whoever writes your checks? They make more money than you. But, not really, thanks to a defaulted mortgage and eight years of student loans. And what about whoever it is that signs that person’s checks? They make more money than you too. But, not really, thanks to M.C.A.’s (Merchant Cash Advances) and working capital loans. This nickel arcade will be long closed down before they pay off those small business loans to a giant corporation masquerading as a bank that’s praying to God they refinance every small business loan. OH, MY GOD! IT’S A FIRE SALE! And then from there the entirety of the nickel arcade experience gets degraded to a value, in a field, in a spreadsheet, with millions of unpaid balances. And all so that some script can compile some report, some bank executive can hold in one hand, so they can safely and comfortably masturbate over exactly how much money they’ll have, thanks to those small business loans. So, it seems to me, with every nickel that I put in these machines, I give more power to those who deserve it the least. But if you still want to help, I think I know exactly what we can do. We can go to the back, pull the fire alarm, grab the can of gasoline, roll for initiative, and then we get to burn this arcade right down! Gather the nickels, and hide them underground! Because that’s not a system that we should have to be a part of if we don’t want to be. But you have bills to pay, and I want to play a few more video games. Plus, I’m not sure that burning down nickel arcades is the best way to express my disdain.
5.
Hiking ‘round a mountain in my reebok classics, trying to get my ducks all in a row. We were half a mile out when I looked around and found that if we died no one would ever know. I also came to find that I was fine with that I think, because nothing actually comes in threes, and the fountain at the mall does not have wish granting abilities. So there was nowhere else I thought I’d rather be. Furthermore, there is no rhyme or reason to why people die or get diseases. Nothing’s going to happen when the stars align, and Mike Piazza is just a regular guy. Turns out, it doesn’t bother me to be referred to as, “a menace to society.” The suspension of my disbelief has had its time and place, but I got different demons to face, better demons to face. I made it ‘round a mountain in my reebok classics, feeling quite inspired by the scene. And the billions of timelines that have nothing to do with me made me think there’s nowhere else I’d rather be! Turns out, it doesn’t bother me to be referred to as, “a menace to society.” Two lines that are not parallel will eventually meet, and I think there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.
6.
The streets look long at night in Berkeley. And I just want something to eat before I fall asleep to the rainfall through the window behind me. We got robbed! Take your partner by the ankles, then hang them upside down. Now, shake them all around until their stuff falls out. Now, grab that shit and run! Now you’re doing the Berkeley. What am I going to wear tonight or tomorrow? No one seems to care, or have anything clean to borrow. Man, I never thought I’d ever feel such sorrow over the loss of some of my faith in humanity. We got robbed! “It all depends upon your attitude.” Fuckin’ Greg! “Take your lemons, make some lemonade!” Fuckin’ Greg. “The universe gives what the universe gets.” OK GREG WE GET IT! It helps to find the bright side sometimes, but also life just sucks sometimes. So, give me a minute, I just want to wallow in it. We got robbed!
7.
Cameron 02:15
You know what really floats my boat? You know what really floats my boat? Nothing really floats my boat like death metal dissonance. You know what gets a party going? You know what really gets a party going? Nothing gets a party going like death metal dissonance. A change of pace has been a long time coming. The company I kept has dissolved. Uh, Yeah, I am definitely dead inside, and birds of a feather flock together. Cameron! What’s happening? I heard death metal’s what it’s all about. Cameron! I heard you like death metal. It’s something I would like to wrap my head around. You know what really whets my whistle? You know what really whets my whistle? Nothing really whets my whistle like death metal dissonance. I want to talk about the ethics of worshiping Satan. Want to talk about the ethics of worshiping Satan while we try to find meaning in the lyrics of “One Week,” until the sun comes up? Then every day I’ll go to work humming that death metal dissonance. I want to spend time with you, and I want to hear the songs the way that you do, because right now I’m still confused. Yeah, right now I’m still confused.
8.
60 WPM 02:22
Pull up to the stop line. Stop because it’s a red light. My eyes go blurry and my mind goes dark. I don’t notice when the light turns green, until somebody honks at me. I’m not inebriated, I’m just jaded. Maybe I could change my name to Cherilyn Sarkisian, or maybe Robert Zimmerman. It seems to be available, but then my name would just be Rob. Maybe, if I lived in a museum, I might find a greater sense of purpose (Rush hour day dreaming). I’d wander from exhibit to exhibit, posing as historical figures (Rush hour day dreaming). And then, at night, I’d have an air-conditioned hall and an under-cushioned couch on which I’d slumber. And I would learn all about our ancestors, and plug the leaks that let them out into the world to linger, instead of type type typing sixty words a minute ‘til the bone punctures the skin, and I’m no longer a member of society, yeah I’m just a skeleton. But I’m not changing my name, and I’m not moving away, because neither option helps me escape the inevitable destiny of feeling like butt butt butt butt butt butt butter spread over too much bread from going undercover to justify some shit I said (Rush hour day dreaming). So, it’s back to type type typing sixty words a minute ‘til the bone punctures the skin (Rush hour day dreaming). ‘Til my insides become my outsides, the worms destroy my body, and I win (Rush hour day dreaming).
9.
A heart of gold. A heart of stone. A heart of plastic. A heart of bone. A talking fish. Chattering teeth have fallen to the ground and they are going to chomp your feet. You do your best to move your toes, but the singing salmon stalls you, and those teeth they get you so, so good. A heart of gold. A heart of stone. A heart of plastic. A heart of bone. A heartfelt lie. A hormone fueled discussion. Wind-up toys aren’t meant to have these sorts of repercussions! But, you always knew they would. They get you so, so good. So don’t try to bring fruit into California. If you do, keep it secret, because they’ll just make you throw it away.
10.
Mega Powers 03:10
There’s a down bridge floor lamp standing at attention. The slats in the hardwood are having conversations. The blinds that shade the window are convulsing. And there’s writing in the popcorn on the ceiling, it’s trying to warn me about the strike at the gravity plant. I can feel it where my ear canal meets my nose. And that’s a place that I could see myself spending time, where my ear canal meets my nose. All I need is thirty more seconds to stretch my two-bit shadow across the room. Not physically stretch, but like an image across a screen, until it pixelates and detaches itself from my feet. Yeah, I’m going to make myself at home where my ear canal meets my nose! Let’s give it up for the madness! Let’s give it up for the mania! I’ll surf an endless sound wave of pain. Turn it up for an overused refrain, while the madness and the mania remain. I looked into the bathroom mirror and crossed my eyes. I gave my chips to the guy on my left, and a drink to the guy on my right. Do the alternate realities created mess with space time? Will I see the consequences of these actions in my lifetime? I don’t want to be the one who decides if the La-Z-Boy gets to have a mouth tonight. We’re leaving earth tonight. What color space suit would you like? Eggshell, creme, or moonlight? Corn silk, bone, or Dutch white? Let’s give it up for the madness! Let’s give it up for the mania! Because I don’t know what else I’m supposed to do, when I can feel the screws that hold my brain together start turning loose. Break the fourth wall for no reason: “Hello! We hope you like our show, and we hope you have a good weekend!”

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released October 13, 2017

Written and Performed by Wicked Bears
Casey Keele – Vocals & Bass
Nick Fleming – Guitar & Vocals
Ken Vallejos – Drums & Vocals

Additional vocals by Chance Lewis and Gilbert Cisneros
Keys by Christian Lucy

Recorded by Wes Johnson at Archive Recordings and Chance Lewis at Lewis Manor
Mixed by Chance Lewis at Lewis Manor
Mastered by Bill Henderson at Azimuth Mastering

Design and Layout by Trey Bird
Photography by Gilbert Cisneros

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Wicked Bears Salt Lake City, Utah

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